“Thanks very much, Molly,” she said, wrapping up.“We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”
She had barely hung up when Karen filled her in on what had her so excited.
“So, I checked with Jason Mannix’s firm and they continue to insist that he attended every scheduled meeting while he was down there and that they have a record of him checking in and out of the hotel at times that fit what he told us.”
“But…?”Jessie said, knowing that one was coming.
“But I asked Beth to review the GPS location data for Mannix’s phone and car,” she said.“Because he volunteered it willingly, it didn’t seem like such a priority to check it right away.After all, who would give permission for us to review it if there was something sketchy to uncover?”
“Mannix?”Jessie guessed.
“Mannix,” Karen confirmed.“And according to that data, he spent the night at a home in La Jolla, a good half hour north of his downtown hotel.”
“From your excitement level, I’m guessing it wasn’t his buddy’s place?”Jessie surmised.
“Not unless his buddy’s name is Sarah Winters,” Karen said with a smirk.“I got her cell phone number and was about to call her.”
“Put it on speaker,” Jessie said, now as eager as her partner.
Karen was already dialing.The call rang twice before a male voice answered.
“Hello,” the man said distrustfully.
“Yes, hello,” Karen said.“I’m trying to reach Sarah Winters.”
There was an unexpectedly long silence before the man responded.
“Who may I say is calling?”he asked formally.
Karen looked irked at the question, although it wasn’t unreasonable.She glanced over at Jessie, who shrugged.There wasn’t really any reason not to be honest.
“This is Detective Karen Bray with the Los Angeles Police Department,” she said.“It’s very important that I speak with Ms.Winters.”
There was another silence, this time shorter.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” the man said in a tone that made Jessie’s spine shiver.
“Why not?”Karen asked.
“This is Detective Van Castiglione with the SDPD,” the man said.“I’m sorry to be so blunt with you, detective.But Sarah Winters was murdered last night.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Special Agent Carl Webb was tired from the long drive.
After parking, he walked into the lobby of Central Station and headed straight for the front desk.He was tempted to interrupt the older woman talking to the desk sergeant.Whatever her issue was, it wasn’t as pressing as his.
But he’d been reminded before he left San Diego that he was supposed to work in concert with local authorities rather than antagonize them, so he stood behind the woman patiently as she described how her neighbor played “loud heavy metal rock music” at all hours of the night.She wanted him arrested.The desk sergeant gave her a form to fill and out asked her to take a seat.Once she left, Carl stepped forward.
“Special Agent Carl Webb,” he said, holding out his ID.“I’m with the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation.I’m here to speak with Detective Karen Bray and Jessie Hunt.”
“Okay,” the desk sergeant said, less impressed by the title than Carl would have liked.“Give me a minute and I’ll find someone to take you back to HSS.”
“Please hurry,” Carl said.“This is a pressing matter.”
“Yes, sir,” the sergeant replied, giving a sarcastic salute.
Carl was tempted to brush him back but held off.He didn’t need this guy dragging his feet to make a point.
