Chapter 31 - The Devil is in the Details

Coffee, danish and mounds of paper awaited Lee and Roger.

"Good morning, gentlemen. We have lots of fun investigative work today. Pouring over phone records for a start."

"Oh, goody," Lee rubbed his forehead again.

"You prefer field work like last night?"

"Absent the failed brakes, yes."

"Tampered with, most likely. Forensics looked at Roger's spot in the garage. There were a few spots of brake fluid on the ground. Probably a pinhole was made."

"Why tampered with as opposed to damaged?"

"Roger, are you in the habit of working underneath your car in the garage?"

"No."

"Is that spot always yours?"

"Yes, it's an assigned spot."

"Forensics found some fabric fibers on the ground in contact with the drops. They thought it an odd coincidence."

"Yeah, but what a completely dumb way to try to kill someone. I'd have been able to stop the car by using the gears and the parking brake. I might have gotten hurt, but killed, heck, Lee drove it under the worst possible scenario. I've seen him worse after a bar fight."

"Liar."

"San Juan, Spring of 1987."

"I only had eleven stitches that time."

"You had a freaking six inch knife wound, Lee!"

"Okay, children, point taken. Nevertheless, someone seems to have done it."

"Maybe Ollie? Someone slightly involved with movies who doesn't know that much about cars for real?" Lee offered.

"Possibly. While we don't have confirmation on the body at the cabin yet, nor word from the owner of the property as to the tenant's name, we have located telephone records for that address. The phone company lists the number to one Herbert Oliver."

"No wonder he went by Ollie!" Lee exclaimed.

"Roger, look at those first. See if you find any calls to your apartment or Miss Mattingly's old number or anything else of interest."

"Wow. Guy used the phone a lot."

"It's six months worth. Start at the end and work backwards is my advice."

"And me?"

"Look through Melanie's phone records for this guy's number or anything else interesting."

"Good thing the coffee pot is full."

"When we get a little more info on Herbert Oliver, we'll start calling film studios for better leads."

Lee and Roger drank coffee, ate doughnuts and circled items of interest for thirty minutes. Lee yawned throughout the process.

"Trouble sleeping last night, Lee? Driving over cliffs in your dreams?"

Lee looked up at Saul with surprise. "No. You really don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Rachael busted out late last night. Paid me a late night visit."

"She what? Why the hell wasn't I notified?" Saul kicked a chair across the room. "I'm responsible for keeping her in custody! Wait a second, where is she now? Jesus!"

"Calm down. I'm pretty certain she's back in custody."

"Pretty certain?" Saul had picked up the phone as Lee spoke. "Where the hell is Commander MacAdam? . . . . . . How the hell did she get out and why wasn't I called?" After a few seconds, Saul slammed down the phone. He glared at Lee and Roger. "What's this all about?"

Roger and Lee stared at each other, both wondering whether to say anything. Neither did.

"I'll throw both of you off this investigation if you don't tell me."

"Some psychiatrist is conditioning her, I suspect at Admiral Johnson's direction."

"You know this how, Lee?"

"Snooped at her medical file the other night. It wasn't very detailed. The doctor must be keeping a bigger file on her somewhere."

"What about medications she's being given?"

"I didn't notice. Even if I had, I doubt I would have understood."

"I know she's been on antidepressants since we got her back."

Saul sighed. "Just great! Psychiatric drugs and conditioning. Maybe she did do it. Maybe it was suggested to her."

"I can't fathom that," Roger said.

Lee looked pensive.

"Your thoughts, Lee?"

"It could have been an unintended result."

"Explain."

"Well, last night she was directed or suggested to go someplace she felt safe. Imagine something vague and open to interpretation, like do something to protect a loved one or deal with a nagging problem."

"Dammit."

"Yes, Roger, damn it! This could sink her if we don't find another perp, and heaven help us if she breaks out of the base. . . . I'll be back in a bit. Get through those records. Find something useful."

Lee and Roger spent the morning highlighting records. About an hour into the tedious process, Lee went backwards and highlighted a couple more. "Recognize these numbers, Rog?"

"No. I know it's a Santa Barbara area code, but it's not Mel's parents' number."

"One way to find out," Lee said as he picked up the phone and dialed. "Sorry, I misdialed," Lee said and hung up.

"What? You have that look."

"Why is Herbert Oliver calling Mattingly Industries? Seven times last week."

"That's interesting."

"Yes, but it's just a trunk number. There's no telling who he talked to."

"Maybe Saul can get Mattingly's records. Maybe there were calls back and forth."

"We can ask. Just for the last couple of weeks at least. Might be interesting to see what happens if we ask Mel's father for them on a voluntary basis."

"Unlikely."

"Richard doted on Mel, Lee. He might have been cash strapped, but he wouldn't have hurt his baby."

"Maybe he had two million reasons. He could have been desperate."

"The policy was on me, not Mel."

"You forget your brakes were tampered with."

"He wouldn't have had her shot! He couldn't."

"I can't see it either. A drug overdose, something gentle, maybe."

"Maybe this Ollie guy was trying to blackmail Richard or something?"

"I guess we'll let Saul make the decision how to follow up on this."

Saul returned at 11:45, at which time Lee was dozing and Roger was finishing off his fourth doughnut.

"Detective work is just so glamorous, isn't it boys?"

Lee snapped awake.

"Progress?"

Lee and Roger filled him in.

"What about on your end?"

"Herbert Oliver has several aliases, but did use his social security number to obtain phone service. He rented the cottage under the name Ollie Smith."

"How clever," Lee yawned.

"He told his landlord he did contract film work for several studios. Lee, here's a list of studios he mentioned and some others nearby. Call the personnel departments and see if any of it was real. Use the social security number as well as Oliver, Ollie, Herbert, Smith, whatever. Roger, you and I are going to call Richard Mattingly on a recorded line. Come with me."

"You get all the fun!"

"Didn't you have enough last night?" Roger retorted.

Lee shrugged and yawned.