"Well, technically, the shark killed him. But Andrew was stabbed before he was tossed into the water," Brenda said. "I found the tip of a knife blade broken off into one of his ribs. There are grooves in the bone inconsistent with a shark’s teeth. I hate to tell you, but you're dealing with a homicide."
"Somebody threw him to the sharks and thought nobody would notice," I replied.
"That's my guess.”
"Can you estimate the time differential between when he was stabbed and when he was attacked by the shark?"
"Judging by the hemorrhaging that took place, Andrew was still alive when the shark attacked him.”
I winced.
"How long do you think he was out there before the shark got him?"
"Hard to say. Could have been a few minutes. Could have been an hour.”
"What about the knife?”
"Stainless steel. Maybe a steak knife or a kitchen knife. I’ll analyze the material and look for any coatings that may have been applied to the steel. I should be able to determine a manufacturer. I'll keep you posted."
I thanked her for the info before ending the call.
I called Amara Holt again, but she didn't answer. I left another voicemail.
To my surprise, she called back a few minutes later. I put it on speaker so Jack could hear.
"Thanks for returning my call," I said. "Have you spoken with LA County yet?”
"Yes, I have. I assume that's what you're calling about.”
"Yes. Am I correct in understanding that you have been in Los Angeles for the last week?”
"That is correct.”
"Any particular reason for your visit?”
She hesitated a moment. "Andrew and I were having difficulties. I told him I wanted a divorce. I came out here to stay with my sister for a few weeks to clear my head.” She paused. "Can you tell me more about the attack? It just seems so unusual.”
"It's no longer considered an accident.”
She took a moment. "Are you saying he was murdered?"
"Yes, ma'am.”
"How?"
"I can't discuss details at this time,” I said. "Did your husband have any enemies?”
After a beat, she said, "The only person I can think of is Bobby Fallon.”
I knew the reason, but I asked anyway. "Why is that?”
"Because Andrew was banging his wife. That's why!”
"I'd say that's a motive."
"He sent threatening text messages to Andrew and called the house a few times. When he found out, he called me and told me all about the affair. Said if my husband didn't keep his dick in his pants, he'd kill him and cut it off. Needless to say, I was not amused. I thought about grabbing a knife and cutting his dick off myself, then thought better of it.” After a beat, she asked, "Was his member severed?"
"No.”
