“Let’s see what the bone pickers come up with. Meanwhile, we work with what we’ve got.”
I tossed in my thoughts about someone with a thing for the marsh.
Milo said, “Could be.”
Reed said nothing.
Selena Bass’s converted garage was a double, set behind a white stucco, one-story duplex.
The front unit, blanketed by banana plants and mock orange, was occupied by the owner-landlady, an ancient eminence in a wheelchair named Anuta Rosenfield. A cheerful Filipina caretaker ushered us into a diminutive front room muffled by pink velvet drapes and crowded with houseplants and porcelain figurines on precarious stands.
“She will be a
The old woman didn’t stir. Her eyes were open but clouded, her lap too flimsy to support one of her bisque dolls.
Milo said, “That’s wonderful,” and stooped close to the wheelchair. “Ma’am, could we have a key to Ms. Bass’s apartment?”
The caretaker said, “She’s deaf, can’t see, either. Ask me all the questions.” Pointing to her chest. “Luz.”
“Luz, could we-”
“Of course, guys!” Out of her uniform pocket came the key.
“Appreciate it.”
“Is she okay-Selena?”
“You know her?”
“I don’t really know her, but sometimes I
“When’s the last time you saw her?”
“Hmm… now that you mention it, not for a while. And you know what, I haven’t seen lights on in her place for… the last few days, at least.” Deep breath. “And now
“A few days,” said Reed.
“Maybe four,” said Luz. “Could be five, I don’t keep count.”
“What’s she like?”
“Never talked to her, we just smile and say hi. She seemed nice. Pretty girl, skinny-no hips, the way they are now.”
Milo said, “What time do you usually leave work?”
“Seven p.m.”
“Someone else takes over the night shift.”
“Mrs. Rosenfield’s daughter comes home at seven. Elizabeth, she’s a nurse at Saint John’s.” Whispering conspiratorially: “Seventy-one but she still likes to work the neonatal ICU-little babies. That’s how I met her. I’m an LVN, also did the NICU. I like the babies, but I like this better.”
She patted her charge’s shoulder. “Mrs. R. is a very nice person.” A sweet smile tangoed across the old woman’s lips. Someone had powdered her face, blued her eyelids, manicured her nails. The air in the room was close and heavy. Roses and wintergreen.
Milo said, “What else can you tell us about Selena Bass?”
“Hmm,” said Luz. “Like I said, nice… maybe a little shy. Like maybe she doesn’t want to have a long conversation? I never heard Elizabeth complain about her and Elizabeth complains.”
“What’s Elizabeth ’s full name?”
“Elizabeth Mayer. She’s a widow, just like her mommy.” Downturn of eyes. “We all three have that in common.”
“Ah,” said Milo. “Sorry for your loss.”
“It was a long time ago.”
Mrs. Rosenfield smiled again. Hard to know what that meant.
Reed said, “Who lives in the other unit?”
“A man from France who’s almost never here. A professor, French, I think. Mostly, he’s in France. He’s in France now.”
“Name?”
Head shake. “Sorry, you’d have to ask Elizabeth. I don’t see him five times in two years. Nice-looking man, long hair-like that actor, the skinny one… Johnny Depp.”
Milo said, “Sounds like things are pretty quiet around here.”
“Very quiet.”
“Ever see Selena with a friend?”
“A friend, no. Once, I saw a guy,” said Luz. “Waiting out by the curb for Selena and she got into his car.”
“What kind of car?”
“Sorry, I didn’t see.”
“Could you describe him?”
“He had his back to me and it was dark.”
“Tall, short?” said Reed.
“Medium-oh, one thing-I’m pretty sure he had no hair-shaved, like those basketball players do. Light bounced off his head.”
“Was he a white man?” said Reed.
“Well,” said Luz, “not black, that’s for sure. Although I guess he could’ve been a light black guy. I’m sorry, it was just his back, I guess he could’ve been anything. Did he do something to Selena?”
“Ma’am, at this point, we’re not even close to a suspect. That’s why anything you did see is important.”
“A suspect… so she’s… ”
“Afraid so,” said Reed.
“Oh, no.” Her eyes watered. “That’s very sad, such a young one… oh, my… I wish I could tell you more.”
Milo said, “You’re doing great. Could I please have your full name for the records? As well as a contact number?”
“Luz Elena Ramos-is it dangerous to stay here?”
“There’s no reason to think that.”
“Wow,” said Luz. “This is a little scary. I’d better be careful.”
“I’m sure you’re fine, Ms. Ramos, but careful’s always good.”
“When you showed up, I guess I knew something happened. I work in a hospital for eight years, know what bad news looks like.”
Selena Bass’s four hundred square feet of space couldn’t shrug off its automotive origins.
Cracked cement floors had been painted bronze and lacquered but oil blotches peeked through the gloss and a faint petro-reek lingered. A dropped ceiling of whitewashed drywall panels compressed the room. The same material was used for the walls, tacked haphazardly to the underlying lath. Tape seams were visible, nailheads erupted like prom-night acne.
“High-end construction,” said Milo.
Reed said, “Maybe the piano wasn’t bringing in the bucks.”
We gloved up, stood in the doorway, took in the entire space. No obvious signs of violence or disorder.
Milo said, “We’ll call in the techies, but I’m not seeing this as the operating room.” He stepped in and we followed.
A right angle of black Masonite cabinets sectioned off a tiny, corner kitchenette. Space-saver refrigerator, microwave, two-burner electric cooktop. In the fridge: bottled water, condiments, a rotten nectarine, limp celery, a single carton of take-out Chinese in a generic carton.
Moe Reed checked his gloved hands, inspected the box. Sweet-and-sour chicken, tinted Caltrans orange. He tilted the box. “Gelled stiff. Got to be at least a week old.”
