Racing the Light (Elvis Cole #19; Joe Pike #8)(56)

“He saw her being dumped, or murdered?”

“Dumped. A homeless dude. He flagged a black-and-white and led them to the body. Ito has her doubts.”

“She thinks he’s trying to insert himself?”

Murderers often approached the police.

“Nah. Mental issues. They questioned him on and off for most of a day, but he didn’t offer much. Two men wearing jackets and hats in a light-colored vehicle shaped like a box.”

“A box.”

“Lemme see—”

Lou checked his notes.

“Unable to provide make, model, characteristics, or color beyond ‘light.’ Jackets and hats described as dark. Described subjects as two males, one large, one smaller. No face, hair, race, or skin tone. On and on. Maybe he saw it. Maybe he didn’t.”

“But he reported the body.”

“He did, though it’s unclear whether he reported it the following day or two days later. He didn’t seem sure.”

“He lives up in the park?”

“Says he was camped up there when he saw the dump. If he actually saw it. Otherwise he found her body when he was screwing around and imagined the rest. Some of these poor folks can’t tell the difference.”

Two men, one large, one smaller, could describe the meatball and a partner. One of the gardeners maybe or even the scarecrow.

“How’d she die?”

“Asphyxiation following prior strangulation. Perp closed the deal with a plastic bag.”

I saw the image of her battered and swollen face.

“She was beaten.”

“I don’t want to go through this stuff. You want, I’ll send the M.E. notes.”

“She was beaten bad.”

Lou sighed.

“It was bad. Ligature abrasions on her wrists and ankles. The M.E. thinks the killer tied her and dragged it out.”

“He wanted something from her, Lou. It fits what I told you.”

“Listen. Go down this road and you’ll be finding fantasy clues. We don’t know what the killer was thinking or why he or she did this. We’ll find out, but for now we don’t know. Maybe the freak’s just an animal.”

Rachel’s face floated before me. A bee landed on her cheek. A second bee settled on her nose. I pushed off the couch and clenched my eyes. Rachel and the bees vanished.

“What happened to him?”

“Who?”

“The wit. I want to talk to him.”

Poitras hesitated and I wondered what he was thinking.

“I’ll call Dana. Give me ten minutes.”





38





The phone buzzed thirty seconds later with an incoming video call, but it wasn’t Lou Poitras. Joe Pike and Jon Stone were on the call together in what looked like a mausoleum.

Stone grinned like a shark and gestured behind himself.

“Check out my digs. If you made more money, you could upgrade.”

“It looks like a mausoleum.”

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.”

I ignored him and focused on Pike.

“Are these people spies?”

“They are not known operatives of the Ministry of State Security or the Military Intelligence Department. They’re criminals.”

“Criminals with top secret PRC spy gear.”

Jon Stone tapped his phone.

“Sending picture one.”

A close shot of the meatball’s face appeared.

“Meatball Man is Donghai An Bo, formerly of the People’s Armed Police Falcon Commando Unit. He probably stole the gear when they dumped him.”

Pike said, “The Falcons are their version of a Special Forces Antiterrorist Unit. Like Delta.”

Stone smirked.

“These clowns aren’t close to Delta. We’d eat them for snacks and shit their toenails for fun.”

Pike and I both looked at him.

Stone said, “It’s an expression.”

Pike said, “Tell him the rest.”

“The PAP court-martialed him for theft of the People’s property. His record shows two later arrests, one for aggravated assault and one for murder. Did time in prison and currently works for Crystal Future as what they call a foreign security advisor.”

“What about Chow?”

“The ChiCom version of an all-American corporate shit-heel success story. Multiple indictments for shady business practices. Always skates, likely due to connections within the Communist Party. No known connection to PRC Intelligence.”

“So they’re not foreign agents?”

“They are not foreign agents.”

“So it’s all about Josh and Skylar. They’re not interested in Adele.”

Stone shrugged, like he didn’t care either way.

“Who’s to say?”

I looked at Pike.

“Where is he now?”

“San Gabriel. He found your card and drove direct to the LWL Development building.”

Reporting to Tarly. I wondered if Chow had been there as well and what they were planning.

My phone buzzed with an incoming call.

“Poitras. I have to get this.”

Pike said, “Go.”

I picked up the call.