“I’m not sure yet,” Jessie admitted.“But it’s the kind of thing that we should get Mannix back here to explain.”
“Well, I’m happy to go out to The Peninsula to get him,” Karen said.“I wouldn’t mind taking in that Palos Verdes view.Besides my theory about Lauren cheating hasn’t turned up a thing.I can’t find a single communication or financial transaction that casts suspicion on her.”
“Can we send someone else to get Mannix?”Jessie asked, not mentioning again that she never had much faith in that theory.“I’d love your help drilling down on this some more.After all, if Mannix wasn’t honest about his marriage, what else has he been hiding?I was hoping to look into his San Diego trip some more, as well as checking back in with Molly Mitchell.”
Karen reluctantly relented.“I suppose we could send Devery down there to pick him up.Maybe being escorted all the way here in the back of a squad car will throw Mr.Magnetic off enough that when we question him again, he’ll be more rattled and reveal something.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Jessie said.“And I know Devery will love being part of the case, even if it’s just glorified chauffeuring.We just have to remind him not to get chatty with Mannix.He’s got to adopt a severe demeanor without suggesting that the man is under threat of imminent arrest.We don’t want him lawyering up.”
“I’m not sure that Harper Devery is capable of looking severe,” Karen said.
“Then he’ll have to fake it.”
They got permission from the desk sergeant to send Devery on Mannix collection duty, and after giving the young officer strict instructions not to be friendly, sent him on his way.Once he left, they agreed that while Karen dived more deeply into the tick-tock of Mannix’s time in San Diego, Jessie would reach out to Molly again.She was about to call when she remembered something.
“Hey, did Mannix’s buddy—the one he stayed with while he was down there—ever call us back?He’s the man’s alibi for the night of the murder, after all.”
“No,” Karen said, clearly irked.“The name Mannix gave me was Hank Cronin and I’ve left three messages with him.They keep going to voicemail.If I haven’t heard back from him after I go over the other details of Mannix’s time down there, I may have the SDPD pay him a visit, possibly even take him down to the local station.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Jessie said as she called Molly Mitchell back.“Looks like there will be multiple police escorts for folks today.”
“Hello?”Molly said, picking up after only one ring.
“Hi, Molly, it’s Jessie Hunt.Sorry to bother you again so soon, but I have a weird question to ask you.”
“Okay.”
“Are you certain that Lauren’s marriage to Jason was legitimate?”
There was a long pause on the line.
“I’m not even sure I understand the question,” Molly finally said.“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“We can’t find any record of a marriage license,” Jessie told her.“And that’s not the sort of thing that typically falls through the cracks.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Molly protested.“I was a witness when they signed the certificate just before the ceremony.I saw the thing.”
“Do you recall who got the application?Who brought it out for those signatures.”
“I mean, yeah.Jason did,” Molly said, doubt starting to creep into her voice.“He had the document in a manila envelope.Everyone signed it, including the officiant, and then he put it back in the envelope.I remember him making a big deal out of saying he was going to drop it off in person at the county recorder’s office, rather than mail it, just to be safe.”
“Who was the officiant, Molly?”
“It was a buddy of Jason’s.I think his name was Kirk.”
“Was he a pastor or a minister or something?”
“No, he was just a friend of Jason’s.He got an online certification so that he could legally perform the wedding.I remember sitting at the same table as him after the reception.He said Jason told him it would be more meaningful for a close friend to do the ceremony than some random minister they didn’t know very well.”
“So this was the first time Kirk had performed a wedding?”
“Definitely,” Molly said.
“So, it’s possible he might not know what to look for in a fraudulent marriage certificate?”
“I guess not.I know thatIwouldn’t.”
Jessie’s attention was diverted by Karen, who was waving wildly at her.
