Gated Prey (Eve Ronin #3)(30)

But before Eve could voice that opinion, Duncan’s phone rang. He answered it, listened for a moment, made some notes on a pad, and tore the sheet off as he hung up.

“That was the watch commander,” Duncan said. “The fire department and a deputy responded to an emergency call in Oakdale, one of the gated communities on Parkway Calabasas, from a woman giving birth in her home. The baby was dead when they got there, apparently a stillbirth.”

Shaw nodded. It was standard procedure for homicide detectives to initially investigate those deaths, which 99.9 percent of the time were quickly determined to be by natural causes. Even so, Duncan and Eve would have to go.

“While you’re out handling that, I’ll keep the train moving down the tracks,” the captain said. “The deputies will continue trying to match the goods recovered with the home invasion victims. And I’ll cross-reference the Vista Grande visitor list with the ones at the other communities on the days they had robberies.”

Eve gave him the Vista Grande list as she left the squad room with Duncan. They went outside to one of the plain-wrap Explorers in the parking lot.

“I’ll drive,” Duncan said.

That was fine with her.

They got onto the Ventura Freeway at Las Virgenes and headed east, around the northern edge of the ridge that Vista Grande and Oakdale were atop and that divided the east and west side of Calabasas geographically and socioeconomically. The east side had the Commons, city hall, the Hilton Garden Inn, Mercedes and BMW dealerships, and most of the homes and high-end gated communities. The west side had low-rise office parks, gas stations, fast-food restaurants, a cheap hotel, the Lost Hills station, and lots of condos. The freeway was the easiest and fastest way to cross from one side of the small city to the other.

“The new captain is very hands-on,” Eve said.

“Feet-on, too. Hopefully, it will only be with this case, the one that got his predecessor booted, or your life is going to be a living hell when I’m gone.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” she said. “I don’t want him looking over my shoulder all the time.”

“You don’t even like me doing it,” Duncan said. “And I’m adorable.”





CHAPTER ELEVEN


The fountains in the center of the road leading to Oakdale reminded Eve of champagne being poured over stacked glasses. Past the fountain was a guardhouse so tiny that it appeared that the heavy uniformed Hispanic woman inside was wearing the guardhouse like a large stucco overcoat.

Duncan and Eve waited in the guest lane behind two other cars that were lined up to get their passes from the guard and be allowed through the gate.

“The afternoon guard is Ruthie Ortega,” Duncan said. “She’s been here for twenty-five years.”

“I can’t imagine spending two decades in that little shack,” Eve said as one car went up the hill and the car in front of them moved forward to the guardhouse. “Aren’t there rules against that kind of confinement in the Geneva Conventions?”

“She loves it. She treats this place like she’s the guard to the Emerald City. I call her the Oracle. Nothing goes on behind those gates that she doesn’t know about. Bring her donuts once in a while when I’m gone and chat her up. It’ll pay off for you.”

The car in front of them departed. Duncan pulled up to the guardhouse and rolled down his window. “Afternoon, Ruthie.”

She sat at her desk and smiled at him through her half-open window. “Hello, Duncan. I heard about your adventure yesterday. I see it was a close shave.”

“When did you become a comedienne?”

“I’ve always been renowned for my wit. Ellen DeGeneres is lucky I chose the security profession or I’d have her show.” Ruthie looked past Duncan to Eve. “And you owe me your life, Deathfist.”

Well, Eve thought, at least there was no need for introductions. “How do you figure that?”

“I trained Grayson,” she said proudly. “I taught him everything he knows.”

“You taught him how to shoot?” Duncan asked.

“Except for that. More importantly, I instilled in him the values, integrity, and courage behind the Big Valley Security badge.” She tapped her badge for emphasis. “That’s why everybody who works in Calabasas for Big Valley Security trains with me first. He was in here with me for three months.” Eve had a hard time imagining how the two of them could fit inside the guardhouse. “Now he floats among the different guard gates, mostly substituting for sick or vacationing guards, when he isn’t working down at the Commons.” Ruthie narrowed her eyes at Duncan. “I suppose you’re here about sweet Mrs. McCaig and her baby.”

“Yes, we are,” he said. “What can you tell us about Anna McCaig?”

Ruthie leaned toward her open window and lowered her voice, though there was nobody around who could possibly hear them.

“It’s so sad. She and Jeff McCaig have been trying to have a child ever since they got married. I think this is her third miscarriage.”

“How long have they been married?”

“Three years. Anna is his second wife, fifteen years younger than he is, from Romania. He told me that he was attracted by her energy, youth, and great birthing hips.”

“What a compliment,” Eve said.