Reaching the West L.A. duty sergeant and requesting as many drive-bys as the schedule allowed on Tiana Crown’s block, giving her name and vehicle details.
“Yup, female. More important, Bob, she’s a multiple murder suspect, otherwise I wouldn’t bug you…three…exactly. Thanks. Something happens call me at home.”
Next: texts to Alicia, Sean, and Moe.
Time for a new meeting. Seven a.m.
Resuming the drive, he said, “If you’re busy or it’s too early for you, sorry, can’t delay. We need to get a plan going.”
I said, “Oh, ye of little faith.”
Chapter
40
Moe Reed said, “I know her but she doesn’t look like that anymore.”
He was the last to arrive in the big interview room, which this morning meant three minutes early.
Milo, Alicia, Sean Binchy, Hector Villalobos, and I went silent. We’d been drinking coffee, pretending to unwind. The young D’s sharing the surprise that a woman might be a prime suspect.
Milo said, “Really.”
Reed said, “No doubt. I’ve seen her in the gym.”
He stepped up to the board. Several photos of Tiana Alberts, formerly Tiana Crown, née Rhonda Cronin were posted on the right side. The left was reserved for pictures of Sophie Barlow, Martha Matthias, and Lynne Gutierrez. Below those, the blurry image of the SUV in the alley and a clearer shot Milo had taken of Tiana’s Highlander in her carport space.
At the bottom, some crudely built birdhouses.
“Which gym, Moses?”
“Fort Hard Knox, used to be near the 10 freeway, sometimes I’d stop off if I was going home that way. Never spent any time with her but did help her out once when she was bench-pressing more than she could handle and had trouble getting the bar back up. Her benchwasn’t impressive but her deadlift sure was. I saw her do nearly three hundred. Bunch of guys stood around, watching. She’s the one, huh? Crazy.”
“She’s a strong possible, kid. Pun intended. Sit down and tell us what else you know about her.”
Reed took the empty seat next tome.
“Saw her maybe three, four times, always at Knox. A year or so ago. The place closed down soon after. Where does she live?”
Milo said, “South Holt, not far from the freeway. How different does she look?”
Reed said, “When I saw her she was obviously ’roided up. Big, ropy muscles, zits on her shoulders, and her face looked harder with bigger bones.”
Alicia said, “Dare I say masculinized?”
Reed said, “You’re allowed.”
Laughter. Low and tense.
I said, “Did you ever see any ’roid rage?”
“I didn’t, Doc. She was intense but most bodybuilders are.”
“Focused.”
“Very much so.”
Milo said, “Obsessive?”
