Sean laughed. “Got to be, sir. She for real?”
“Friend of my new victim.”
“Who’s that?”
“Woman O.D.’d and dumped dead near a hospital. It just got complicated but no time to get into it right now, Sean. What’s your caseload?”
“Just closed a strong-arm robbery in Pico-Robertson so I’m open, so far.”
“Congrats. Any chance of drafting you?”
“Hope so,” said Sean. “I’ll try to make it happen.”
“If you pull it off, let me know and I’ll fill you in tomorrow. Moses and Alicia, too. If you don’t mind, give ’em a heads-up.”
“Will do, Loot. Here’s the number.”
—
We got held up under a freeway pass at Santa Monica and Sepulveda. Simmering cars and tempers, a homeless guy panhandling to no avail.
Milo used the time to punch in Tori Burkholder’s number.
One ring was followed by “This is Tori, Officer,” in a voice that broke twice.
“Thanks for calling.”
“Beth and Yoli told me and Bethany about Marissa. They work weekends, we don’t, and we were in Camarillo doing some shopping. We’re still freaked out.”
Milo said, “Terrible thing.”
“It’shorrible,” said Tori Burkholder. “I live right near Marissa and Bethany isn’t that far. Is there some serial killer looking for girls?”
“Nothing like that, Tori. Beth and Yoli didn’t tell you what happened?”
“They said some guy drugged, raped, and killed her. Which is crazy ’cause Marissa didn’t use drugs.”
“Could we talk face-to-face?” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
“When and where?”
“Now and wherever,” said Tori Burkholder. “We’re on the freeway and right now, I don’t even want to go home.”
“Would you mind coming to the station?”
“Sure,” she said. “Guess that’s one safe place.”
He gave her the address.
She said, “I can probably do it in half an hour because traffic’s going the other way. Beth, you okay with it? She is, hopefully half an hour.”
“I’ll be here whenever you arrive.”
“You sound nice,” she said. “This is crazy.”
—
