Chapter 11
An hour later, the Moretti home was swarming with activity as several police officers, Bosley, and Jill arrived on the scene.
Having already given their statements on Moretti's last known whereabouts, the angels and Bosley waited on the sidelines, letting the forensic team glean what evidence they could from the crime scene. Moretti had obviously put up a valiant fight. There were handprints on the walls and the couch cushions, indicating he didn't die right away.
If he was dead.
If he had been taken, he had to have been covered in something. There was no blood leading out of any exits in the entire house.
Nothing seemed to make sense, and just like them, the L.A.P.D. had no immediate answers.
While the police combed through the house for evidence, the angels and Bosley split up to tag along beside them. Not wanting to get thrown out for interfering in a police investigation, they made sure to stay well out of the way.
Sabrina and Kelly quietly stood behind a small group of policemen as they searched the carpet for any unusual fibers that could have possibly been left behind by the intruder. As they worked, a glint of light suddenly caught Sabrina's eye.
Tugging Kelly's sleeve, she pointed it out and the two girls casually made their way over to it.
"What, Bri?" Kelly asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"I think I got something." Sabrina whispered back. She bent over and swept aside some debris to reveal the source of the glint.
A gold pocket watch.
Sabrina's eyes widened in instant recognition. It was Peralta's, there could be no mistaking it. Though it was dented and the glass broken, she recognized the distinctive engravings etched into the side that had made her take notice of it in the first place. She looked up at Kelly excitedly.
Kelly had a blank look on her face.
"What?" she repeated impatiently.
Suddenly remembering that Kelly had never seen the watch before, Sabrina blinked and pointed towards the watch.
"That belongs to Peralta." she explained, glancing nervously at the policemen, who had just begun to take notice of her.
Kelly tilted her head. "Are you sure?"
Sabrina nodded. "Yeah, I'm positive. He has it with him all the time."
Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Not anymore."
"Got that right." she agreed. "You think this will be enough to put him away?"
Kelly shook her head.
"No, I don't." she answered. "He's a crafty guy and from what I hear, he has lots of connections. We'd have to actually catch him doing something."
Sabrina nodded slowly.
"Yeah, you're right. Let's get Boz and Jill. I think I have an idea."
Sabrina hurriedly walked outside into the crisp night air, Kelly, Jill and Bosley stringing along behind her.
She motioned frantically for them to huddle together and they did, sharing puzzled looks. Once gathered, she looked nervously around to make sure they were alone.
"Bri, say something." Jill said wearily, slightly annoyed by her friend's secrecy. Her entire head was throbbing, causing her normally admirable patience to wear thin.
"Sorry, just a little paranoid." Sabrina excused herself. She looked around once more.
"Bri!" Jill snapped, annoyance clearly evident in her voice. Kelly put a calming hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry!" Sabrina whispered, holding out her hands to placate her irritated friend.
"Ok, look. Peralta's pocket watch is inside." she informed Bosley and Jill. "I know it's his watch and the only reason for it be in there-"
"And broken." Kelly chimed in.
Sabrina nodded. "-and broken, is that he had something to do with Moretti's disappearance. Murder probably, from what it looks like. And if he killed Moretti, there's a good chance he killed Lisa too."
Jill's crankiness vanished at this new revelation.
"Well, let's tell the cops. They can take him down." she said quickly. This case couldn't be over with soon enough for her.
Sabrina shook her head.
"I don't think we should tell them. If they're able to arrest Peralta, we might never find out what happened to Moretti or why he killed Lisa. Or what she was going to tell us, or anything that we've been trying to find out the past few weeks."
Jill sighed, realizing she was right.
"And we still need to link him with the drug deal. They might cancel the drop if he gets caught too soon and all of those thugs will scatter to the winds and start their business somewhere else." Kelly added.
Sabrina nodded. "Yeah, exactly."
"So what do you want to do?" Bosley asked.
"What Charlie figured we'd have to do." Sabrina started. "Get a confession. Trick him into it somehow."
She turned to Kelly.
"Will he be there at the drug deal?" she asked.
Kelly ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth as she thought about Sabrina's question.
"I think he will, but I'm not sure, Bri." she answered finally. "He hasn't shown up before, but he seems like the kind of guy to flaunt his power. I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up."
Sabrina nodded, as the wheels in her head spun quickly, trying to formulate a plan.
"How long do we have until that all goes down?" she asked Kelly.
"Tomorrow night." Kelly answered. "I was planning on dropping an anonymous tip to the cops tomorrow so they'd show up right when things are getting started and everyone is there."
"Do you think you could get a confession out of him?" Sabrina asked, staring hard at her friend.
Kelly looked between Bosley and Jill before answering. The original plan was for her to not show up at the final drop to be safe in case a gun battle broke out between the mobsters and the police. If she was going to get a confession out of him, she would have to be there and take that risk.
Better her than her two friends though, she thought to herself.
"Maybe. If he shows up. We'd have to have the cops lie low and give me a chance, though. It wouldn't do any good for him to confess in a pack of drug dealers and murderers. Do you think you can arrange that, Boz?" she said doubtfully.
Bosley laughed.
"Of course not." he said with a grin. "But Charlie could."
Jill scratched her head.
"Bri, this all depends on a lot of maybes." she started. "What if Peralta doesn't show up at the auction. What if Kelly can't get a confession out of him. What if the cops come too soon or too late?"
Kelly bit her lip. "She's right, Bri. We'd have to make sure every piece of the puzzle comes together."
Sabrina looked around thoughtfully.
"Then we will. We'll tell L.A.P.D. what we're up to and have them back us up."
Jill nodded. "It's the best we've got. Will they go along with us?"
"Charlie can try to convince them. It would have to be on our terms, though. We're the ones taking the risk." Bosley offered.
Sabrina shrugged. "We're helping them take down a murderer and a drug kingpin, plus his flunkies. I don't see why not."
She realized suddenly how dangerous this could be for Kelly if something went wrong. Her enthusiasm instantly vanished. She could never forgive herself if she got one of her friends hurt or killed.
"Wait, let's not do anything just yet. Kell, it's your call. You're going to be the one in danger, here." she said softly.
"Doesn't matter. Let's do it." Kelly blurted out without hesitation.
Her eagerness to be put in harm's way was met with disturbed looks from her companions.
Jill laughed derisively. "You do have a family that will miss you if you get yourself killed, ya know. Try to remember that before you go throwing yourself in front of any bullets."
Embarrassed, Kelly lowered her eyes and nodded slightly. She gently nudged Jill with her elbow. "I'll be careful."
"Please do, Kell. If you want out just say so, no one will blame you." Sabrina added sincerely. "Are you going there tonight?"
Kelly nodded and checked her watch. "Yeah, at midnight."
Jill made a face. "Kell, you've been taking care of me all day. Have you slept at all?"
Kelly waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine." she answered, purposely avoiding an answer.
Sabrina, Jill, and Bosley looked at her doubtfully.
"It's almost over, right?" Kelly said with a grin. "One more day. And then I'm going to sleep for a week."
Bosley shook his head in amusement. "A whole week? Can you afford that cut in pay?" he joked.
Kelly looked wounded.
"Bosley! You wouldn't!" she wailed, playfully swatting his arm.
Bosley chuckled. "I'm sure Charlie can work something out."
Sabrina and Jill laughed when Kelly made a face.
"Ok, it's nine thirty. I think we need to call it a night." Sabrina announced.
She looked at Jill and Kelly.
"Why don't you both come home with me? Kell, you can take a nap before you have to go to the shipyard tonight."
Kelly shrugged. "Sounds good. Thanks, Bri." she said casually, trying to mask how eager she was to get some sleep.
"And I suppose I still require a babysitter?" Jill asked, with her eyebrow raised. She regretted it immediately.
She had really opened the flood gates with that comment. Sabrina and Kelly's eyes lit up and they opened their mouth to say something smart.
Jill quickly threw her hands up and raised her voice to cut them off. "No! No, don't say anything! Ok, I'll go with you, Bri."
The girls looked disappointed.
"Oh Jill, you can't lob us a slow ball like that and expect us not to hit it out of the park." Sabrina sighed.
Jill glared at her. "I got my face bashed in. Be nice to me."
The girls and Bosley chuckled at her joke.
"Well, if you girls are off, then so am I. Get some rest, you three." Bosley said, walking towards his car. They bid him farewell and headed towards Sabrina's car.
The girls piled into the car and began to slowly drive away. They were surprised when they noticed Bosley chasing them, waving his arms frantically to flag them down.
Jill suddenly realized why and burst into laughter. Still confused, Sabrina rolled down her window.
"What's wrong, Boz?" she asked.
Bosley leaned against the door to catch his breath.
"Moretti drove my car here and now it's apparently exhibit B right now. Can you give me a lift?" he asked sheepishly.
Sabrina and Kelly laughed.
"Sure thing, Boz. Hop in." Sabrina said through her giggles.
Bosley climbed in and took a seat next to Jill in the backseat. He gave her a sanctimonious look.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I would think that would be obvious." Jill shot back. She looked up at Kelly and Sabrina who were giving her and Bosley an amused look.
"We took a cab here. Bosley forgot." Jill explained.
Bosley sighed and shook his head.
An hour later, Bosley had been delivered home, and the three girls were safely in Sabrina's apartment.
Sabrina looked at her watch.
11:15
In fifteen minutes, she would wake Kelly, who was sleeping peacefully in her bedroom. She looked down at Jill, who had fallen asleep on the couch with her head in her lap.
Kelly had gone to bed as soon as they arrived at her place, declining to even stop and eat something first. Sabrina had made Jill and herself a sandwich and the two played cards for half an hour, before turning on the television and lounging on the couch. Jill had fallen asleep almost immediately and Sabrina didn't have the heart to disturb her by getting up.
Sabrina sighed as she watched Jill sleep. She felt guilty that Jill had gotten hurt. Her two friends were having a much tougher time with this case than she was, she thought to herself. It was killing her to see Kelly dragging herself through the day, exhausted to the point that it was affecting her health, but refusing to complain. Then poor Jill had been hurt. Sabrina shuddered as she remembered seeing her best friend lying on the ground, her face covered in blood. She had been so scared and so angry at the same time. It was a horrible, sickening feeling.
Maybe it was good that she hadn't caught the man that attacked Jill. She didn't yet know Jill's condition at that time and she wasn't sure what she would have done to him.
And now, her crazy plan might end up getting Kelly hurt. Or killed. She wished she could switch places with her. How would she live with herself with the knowledge that her idea had gotten her best friend killed? She was still bothered by the way Kelly volunteered without any second thoughts to her own well being. Her friend could be reckless at times, as if she had nothing to lose.
They would have a talk later.
Jill sighed contentedly in her sleep, the soft sound bringing Sabrina out of her troubling thoughts. Sabrina quickly jerked her arm up to check her watch, afraid that she had let Kelly oversleep.
11:28
Sabrina sighed, deciding that it was time to get up and wake Kelly. She slipped her hand under Jill's head and carefully eased her up until she was able to get up from her seat. She grabbed a pillow and gently lowered Jill's head onto it.
Jill continued sleeping, completely unaffected.
Sabrina almost laughed at loud. Her carefulness had been wasted. She could have probably drop kicked Jill across the room and she wouldn't have woken up. She herself was a sound sleeper, but Jill slept like a rock.
Still grinning to herself, she pulled a blanket over Jill, kissed her forehead, and headed to her room to wake up Kelly. She left the light off as she went inside, not wanting to blind her when she woke up.
She frowned as she approached her sleeping friend. Kelly was whimpering and fidgeting in her sleep, suffering through another nightmare.
Sabrina sighed. Kelly used to have horrible nightmares nearly every night when they first met, a physcological scar leftover from her violent childhood. Now, she knew she only had them when she was overly stressed. Sabrina felt another pang of guilt. Kelly hadn't been sleeping much, the last thing she needed was a nightmare to disturb what little rest she got.
Sabrina placed a hand on Kelly's arm.
"Kell?" she said gently. She waited for her to respond but Kelly didn't wake up.
Sabrina frowned again. Unlike Jill, Kelly was an unusually light sleeper and normally would have woken up with that minimal effort alone.
She tried again. "Kell. Wake up." she said, a little louder.
Kelly stirred, but stayed sleeping.
Sabrina reached over and shook her friend's shoulder. Kelly's eyes flew open and she jerked away from Sabrina in alarm. Her eyes darted around the room frantically for a few moments and then she relaxed, realizing where she was.
Sabrina knew better than to ask what she had been dreaming about.
"Time for school!" she sang with a grin.
Kelly rubbed her eyes and nodded her head. "Can't wait." she muttered, her voice thick with sleep. She got up and groggily followed Sabrina into the living room, squinting against the overhead light.
Sabrina watched her pull on her sneakers, her eyes still half shut against the light.
"You sure you don't want something to eat before you go?" she asked her.
Kelly shook her head. "No, thanks." She lifted her head and looked around. "Where's Jill?" she asked.
Sabrina laughed and pointed to the couch, where Jill lay out of Kelly's sight. "She's asleep."
Kelly nodded and reached up to pull back her hair. "Is she alright?"
"Yeah, just tired. It's been a long day for her and her nose."
Kelly giggled. "True. Why are we whispering? A hurricane could hit and Jill wouldn't wake up."
Sabrina smiled as she poured Kelly a cup of coffee. "That's all we need." she laughed. She thrust the steaming mug towards Kelly. "Here, so you don't run yourself into a ditch."
"Thanks, Bri." Kelly said, taking a grateful sip of the hot liquid. She pulled her jacket off of the chair where she had thrown it and got up to leave. "Maybe I'll get a raise today." she joked as she headed out the door.
Sabrina laughed. "Go get 'em tiger." Kelly grinned at her and left the apartment.
Sabrina locked her door and turned to look around her quiet apartment. She checked on Jill again, before getting ready for bed herself. She thought about waking Jill and letting her have the bed, then decided against it.
It would take ten minutes to wake her and Jill looked too peaceful and content to be disturbed.
Sabrina crawled into her bed, noticing it was still warm where Kelly had been sleeping a few minutes ago. She felt another stab of guilt that she was getting to sleep while Kelly was up in the middle of the night doing God knows what with dangerous criminals.
Two days from now this will all be over, she told herself.
She just hoped everything would be alright when it was.