“Sounds like a solid take,” Ben said.
“My theory got panned by the homicide detectives.”
“Then I want to hear it.”
Jensen took a deep breath. “Vine was in the middle of remodeling a property he owned very near to where I stopped him. The place had been taken down to the studs, and they were getting ready to pour the foundation for an addition. I think he was going to encase her body in the concrete foundation at that property. The detectives at the time thought that I watched too many TV crime shows.”
Ben sat back as he considered her theory. “I know enough about Vine that I would not dismiss that idea out of hand. Did anyone put Sparks with him at the Barn that night?”
“Not that night, but she often went to the bar—never by herself—always with others from her office. She was not interested in dating; she liked to socialize in a group. I think she was killed in the alley behind the Barn. Her clothing had grime consistent with substances there.”
“Was her blood found there?”
“No. By the time investigators checked it out, it had been power washed.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “No one saw anything fishy in that?”
“Yeah, but there was no way to prove he’d done it to destroy evidence. It was two days after her body was recovered before detectives went to the bar. The owner said complaints about rats prompted the cleanup.”
“Were there any other suspects besides Vine?”
“Two men she worked with were questioned, but they both had solid alibis.”
“So why do you believe that Vine and Sparks knew each other somehow?” He tried not to sound skeptical but feared it came out that way.
“She kept the books for various entities that operated in the harbor, several that Vine interacted with. She was visible, very pretty, and it was only logical that she interacted with him at some point.”
“So, if they knew each other, was it a case of him not handling rejection?”
“I think she caught on to something illegal he was involved in. Remember, Vine was just starting out in his career of crime. Numerous rumors flew around down there about illegal shipments, payoffs, and grafts. After Daphne’s murder, two harbor managers were arrested and convicted of falsifying records and embezzling money. It wasn’t long after that Vine divested himself of every business he had in the harbor.”
“Did any of the rumors pertain to Vine?”
“No. The only thing we found out about him was that he couldn’t handle his liquor. He cultivated a lot of influence in the harbor, spreading money around. It’s not a stretch to think he paid people off to tell police the story he wanted told,” Jensen said. “The detectives who handled the case were good, but they never found any actionable leads.”
The smartest crooks knew how to keep their mouths shut. Ben heard the defeat in her voice, and it broke his heart.
“I’d like to tell you that we can swoop in to arrest him any moment, but losing Efren really set us back.”
“Do you think your partner was made?”
The question pierced Ben. “I pray not. Though the longer we don’t hear from him, the more that possibility looms.”
CHAPTER 22
Lainie found while she talked to Isaacs about Vine, she felt her balance returning. Anything to take her mind off of explaining to her parents what she now believed Stan had done to Evie. Chatting with the agent made the time in the air zoom by. By the time the pilot made the announcement that they were preparing to land, Lainie almost felt like her old self—almost.
“Take care, Detective Jensen,” Isaacs said when the plane arrived in Long Beach and stopped at the gate, and he stood to pull his carry-on and then Lainie’s down from the overhead bin. “I have to hurry. Got a text my ride is already here.”
“Thanks, and it’s Lainie.” She unbuckled her seat belt but stayed seated for a minute. “I hope the next time we speak it will be about positive developments.”
“Count on it, Lainie, and I’m Ben.” He turned and headed for the exit.
She stood and let the person in the window seat out before she entered the aisle to disembark the plane. By the time she exited the terminal at baggage claim, she’d lost sight of Isaacs.
Outside baggage claim, she quickly caught sight of her dad’s car and waved her arm. He pushed through the traffic, and Lainie hopped in the passenger seat.
“How was the flight?” her father asked as he pulled away from the curb.
