Lainie felt discouragement bite. However, she’d get no satisfaction just seeing a comatose woman lying in a hospital bed. She felt the need to pray for the woman, that she did heal and that she would face justice if she did, in fact, have something to do with Evie’s disappearance.
“Sorry, Lainie.”
“That’s all right, I get it.”
The doctor slid his card and opened the magnetic lock. The two men entered the double doors, and they closed behind them with a whoosh.
“We have the box to go through,” Collins said, donning his own gloves.
The three took seats around the box, Ben next to Lainie, as she removed the lid.
“Let’s start with the accident report.” They began to sift through the file.
Lainie noted that the primary collision factor for the crash was listed as “tire failure,” followed by “excessive speed.” Route 330 went up from the valley floor to the ski areas in the San Bernardino Mountains. It was steep and winding, and an over-the-edge rollover accident was more likely than not to be fatal. Especially if the vehicle was traveling too fast.
They passed around the photos, which were graphic. The vehicle was a Chevy Suburban, and it was flattened. It was a miracle anyone survived. The driver and front passenger didn’t.
An old booking photo of the gang member who’d been driving was included in the folder. Hector Rollins was his name.
Lainie studied it. His tats gave him away, but he was not anyone she’d ever seen before. The only photo of the car wash employee, Raphael Diaz, was of his body. She couldn’t say she recognized him either. But then she didn’t ever get her car washed at Stan’s place.
“Here.” Ben pointed to a paragraph near the narrative’s end. Lainie had been concentrating on the pictures. “They recovered three handguns, duct tape, handcuffs, and several knives from the wreckage.”
Lainie looked up at Collins. “What’s up with all the weapons?”
“Rollins was a known gangbanger. Not sure about Diaz. The inventory sheet states that the guns were legal, registered to Diaz, as was the car.” He shook his head.
“My read on this situation is that since Benton was bound, maybe Vine found out she and your brother-in-law were embezzling fromhim so he ordered her be taken care of,” Ben said. “That’s only speculation. What was going on in that car, we just don’t know.”
Collins nodded. “With the speed the vehicle was traveling, it would not have taken much to make the driver lose control. He obviously could not react correctly when the tire blew. The Suburban is a top-heavy vehicle. The gang member driving didn’t have a valid license.”
“It’s a miracle anyone survived this,” Ben said, as he flipped through more photos. Lainie had to agree.
She continued reading through the accident report. There was not a lot in the narrative because no one in the vehicle could tell them where they had been or what they had been doing. And there were no witnesses to the crash. A motorist some distance behind the vehicle saw the broken guardrail and called the police. Since there was still a cloud of dust from the crash, he told the officers he thought maybe the crash had just happened. Toxicology was pending for the two deceased individuals.
“What else is in the box?” Ben asked, reaching for it. “Is there anything in there belonging to Benton?”
“There’s a purse with a wallet and ID according to the inventory sheet,” Lainie said. “Do you think you’ll find something in her belongings?”
“It’s been my experience that women tend to keep a lot of stuff in that bag they call a purse,” he said, and Collins snickered.
“Humph,” Lainie said. “I’d smack you for that, but I happen to agree with you. What specifically do you expect to find?”
“Maybe a clue as to where she’s been. A receipt, something. I do know from our investigation that she does not have any family locally. She hails from Chicago.”
“We’ll figure out next of kin,” Collins said.
Lainie looked up when Shea rejoined them.
“How is she?” Lainie asked.
“There was not a lot that I could see. Benton can’t move, her head is wrapped in bandages, her face is puffy and bruised.”
“She’s a lot better than when she arrived here,” Dr. Hardin said. “She is improving. I will contact you if we proceed with reversing the coma tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” Shea shook the doctor’s hand. “We also want to be notified if anyone tries to visit her.”
“We’ve tried several internet searches to locate family and have had no luck. So unless a family member suddenly appears, I doubt there will be visitors. Maybe you’ll have better luck finding a contact person.” The doctor rang for the elevator and left them in the waiting room.
