See No Evil

Emily’s psychiatrist and her stepfather ends up dead.”

“Suspicious, but it’s not enough. Bowen is a renowned child shrink. He’s on retainer by the court. And Jason Ridge died of a heart attack attributed to steroid use.”

“According to the article you wrote, he tested clean several times over the course of the year.”

Grace nodded. “They have a fail-safe system. The team doctor watches them pee into the cup. No switching urine or bringing in your own.”

“And the team doctor was clean?”

“I couldn’t find anything on him. He was genuinely distraught about Jason’s death.” Grace paused while the waitress brought their salads. “You wouldn’t be telling me this unless there was something important that I missed.”

“I don’t think you missed anything. The juvenile records are sealed and you wouldn’t have been able to access the DEJ.”

“But you did.”

Julia didn’t answer the implied question. “I need everything you have from that investigation. Jason’s friends, family, doctors, everything you can get me.”

“You leaving the DA’s office to become a reporter?”

“Grace, you have no reason to trust me, but I need your help. Can I have your notes?”

Julia wondered if she sounded as desperate as she felt. Grace pulled out her laptop and turned it on.

“Do you have a pen?”

Julia dug a pen and notepad out of her purse. “Shoot.”

Grace typed rapidly, pulling up a spreadsheet. “I have every contact for every article I write. You’re lucky I’m a packrat, because this is old news.”

“Thank you.”

Grace gave her a list of contacts, all Jason’s friends, and the contact information for his ex-girlfriend whom Grace quoted in the paper. “I have a note next to her name. More. She knew more than she told me. I’m a reporter, I can sense when someone’s holding back. Usually people love talking to me-except cops, attorneys, and politicians. You’d think you all had something to hide.” Grace laughed good-naturedly and shut down her computer. “But kids, the average person, they all want their name in the paper. Michelle O’Dell gave me a bone, but when I pushed she clammed up. I don’t know if it was because she was scared or if it was really nothing. But you might want to track her down.”

“Know where I can find her?”

“Sorry, once I gave up on the case I didn’t follow up with any of the people involved. But it shouldn’t be too difficult. Oh, one thing I remember: she didn’t go to Jason’s school. Either she had already graduated or went to another school. I don’t have those notes anymore, sorry.” She glanced at her watch, shoveled salad into her mouth. “So, what do I get?”

“An exclusive.”

“Start talking.”

“Not now, when I figure out what’s going on.”

“I can get an exclusive from Andrew Stanton. He loves me because I made him look good when he was running against that scumbag Descario.”

“Anyone looks good next to Descario.”

Grace laughed. “So an exclusive isn’t going to hold much water with me. What more can you give?”

Julia sighed. “What about an interview?”

“You? An interview?” She smiled. “I’ve been dying to interview you for years.”

“I know.” She wasn’t happy about it, but the information Grace had was valuable. “If you have anything else on this case, call me.”

“Will do. And I’ll call you about that interview after this thing with your niece is resolved.” She stood up, then sat back down and asked, “One question. Off the record. Why is Connor Kincaid working for you?”

Julia would never cease to be amazed at how fast news traveled, even in a large city like San Diego. “He’s the best. He knows Emily and can help prove she didn’t kill Victor.”

“That’s not my question. Why would he agree to it after you forced him to testify five years ago?”

Julia didn’t exactly know why. She didn’t want to think about it, or about her role in Connor’s resignation. “Connor found Emily when she ran away three years ago. He cares about what happens to her.”

“Hmmm. I don’t know if I buy that, but if you believe it, I guess I can give it a pass.” She jumped up again and waved her fingers at Julia. “Are you going to the art fund-raiser tomorrow night?”

“What fund-raiser?”

“The Chandler Foundation is a co-sponsor of some big art charity event.”

“You know me well enough to know I’m not involved in the Foundation.”

“Everyone who’s anyone will be there, and since Jason Ridge’s parents are big muckety-mucks in the arts community, you might want to check it out.” She winked.

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

“Ciao.” Grace waved her fingers and sauntered off.

Julia picked up her cell phone and called her personal secretary. Sarah Wallace had an office down the hall from the Foundation and handled Julia’s other life-the life of being a Chandler. Most of her job was sending regrets and managing the trust correspondence for Emily. Julia had no desire to be involved in Chandler business, especially since she had given up involvement in the Foundation for one day a week with Emily.

She asked Sarah to fax her at home with all the information about the art charity event. She didn’t know if she would go, but she thought the information about Jason Ridge’s death-and Bowen’s involvement in his DEJ-was odd. There was definitely more to the story than what Grace had written, and Julia needed to find out what. It might have nothing to do with Emily, or everything to do with Emily. Jason’s death was the third she could connect to Garrett Bowen, directly or indirectly, and that was two coincidences too many.

She paid the bill and stared out the window as she finished her iced tea. One thing Grace said bugged her: Why was Connor helping her? Why did she go to him when she had no one else to turn to?

The kiss.

No, she wasn’t so shallow to think that he would even want to kiss her again after what happened. But she’d never forget the way she felt when he kissed her that night long ago, the night before she told him that if he didn’t testify against a crooked cop, she’d put him on trial for manslaughter.

She’d been working late in her office. Working? No, she was torn. Stuck. Unable to figure out what to do about the entire screwed-up case. The two illegal immigrant minor females, still Jane Does, found in the chapel annexed to the San Diego Mission de Alcala had started a task force that included the FBI, Border Patrol, and SDPD. But in the end, they couldn’t stop the smuggling of sex slaves across the border. The girls wanted to come, they wanted a chance at freedom, and if they had to give their bodies, some felt it was a fair trade.

There was nothing fair about being sexually abused and used and then beaten to death when they started looking like the whores they were treated as. The men who bought the girls wanted them young and beautiful, not old and used. And if they tried to escape…she’d read the reports, seen the pictures of naked girls shot in the back and left for carrion in the desert east of the city.

But ultimately, after months of investigation, the only crime they’d been able to stop was the one within their own ranks, two cops taking bribes and turning their back on the sex slave trade.

The district attorney at the time, Bryce Descario, had come to Julia an hour before. “Have you talked to Kincaid?”

“Not yet.” She’d dreaded it. Connor had made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with the Internal Affairs investigation. But without his collaboration, the FBI said they couldn’t proceed and take over the case, that it was an internal San Diego PD issue, not a federal issue. She disagreed, but she was one attorney in a sea of federal bureaucrats and special agents. She was definitely out of her comfort zone.

“I don’t have to remind you how politically sensitive this situation is. I want it gone. The election is less than two years away, this needs to be old news. Kincaid will agree or you will file charges on the Suarez death.”

“But-”

“I thought we were clear on this. The chief of police has agreed.”