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CHAPTER8
“Jess is going through the wringer.” Gabe struggled to keep the fury from his voice. The shooting team had assembled to brief the chief on the status of the investigation. While Ramos was on his mandatory three days off, he’d been doxed by one of the protesters. A group of them found his residence and drove him and his wife from the home. They were now staying in a motel outside the city. Gabe felt helpless to do anything for him and feeling helpless simply fueled his anger.
“We know the video was edited out of sequence. I wish the mayor would emphasize the manipulation here and try to defuse the situation.”
Estes ran a hand across his jaw and looked down his nose at Gabe. “I’ve given her the suggestion, but she looked at me as if I overestimated my position in the food chain. Have you found anything to support his claims about another shooter?”
“Other than the fact that the bullets in Johnston didn’t come from Jess’s gun?” Gabe said. “I’d say that supports his claim 100percent.”
“I saw the coroner’s report. One hundred percent is not enough; we need 110percent certainty. We need to find the murder weapon.”
“Jess did not shoot Thomas.”
Estes closed his eyes and brought his hands together. He opened them and pleaded with Gabe. “My hands are tied. We literally need the smoking gun to get the mayor off my back. I feel for Jess, but the politics here is stifling.”
“So the mob rules right now.”
“Unfortunately. Mayor White is busy building the narrative that Jess was a symptom of a greater problem. To cure the problem, the PD must go and be replaced by the LA County Sheriff. She’s convinced most of the city council. Find the real killer and I hope opinions will change.”
“It’s hard to investigate a crime when we, the investigators, are shut out of the crime scene,” Detective Diamond chimed in.
“I can’t open up things the mayor wants closed.” Estes sat back, looking like a man who’d just been hit in the forehead with a two-by-four. “Mayor White is convinced having a team of police officers at Barton Plaza will make matters worse. The apartment was sealed; she thinks that’s enough. I’ll keep working on her and try to get you guys back in there.”
Gabe watched him rub his brow, saw the exhaustion in his features, and realized how much pressure was on the chief. He truly wasn’t their problem.
“We’ll do the best we can with what we have,” he said.
“I know you will. I trust each one of you.”
They left his office and headed back to homicide. Sometimes Gabe found himself wishing the homicide investigators were more on fire. It wasn’t that Marrs and Diamond weren’t competent; they simply lacked a little bit of imagination. They were older, experienced, set in their ways, and not likely to think outside the box.
In short, they were not Danni Grace.
Gabe winced at the thought, but it was true. Even though he was no longer a member of LaRosa PD, he’d heard the stories. Danni hadn’t been in homicide for very long, but she had already made her mark. With her first case she got a confession out of a man who’d watched way too much TV, murdered his wife, and was convinced he could get away with it. Ten minutes into it, Danni’s interview had him in pretzels, and he spilled the beans. He was in San Quentin for life.
Gabe wondered about Danni. He had heard through the grapevine she was still off IOD. A rumor along those lines didn’t sound like the Danni he knew, unless she was hurt worse than he thought. He’d also heard a rumor she’d quit, but he’d dismissed that gossip out of hand. Danni would never quit police work, he was certain. Gabe wanted to ask, but not the homicide guys. Egos being what they were, they might take offense. He decided to call a mutual friend from the PD, Mara Ripley. They’d been on good terms when he was in uniform; he didn’t see any reason why their status would have changed.
He dialed her number and felt relief when she answered, but nervousness at the same time. What will she think about me asking about Danni?
“Hey, Mara, it’s Gabe Fox. You got a minute?”
“Gabe! What a nice surprise. How are you doing?”
“Good, I can’t complain. Well, I guess I can complain. I’m investigating the Ramos shooting.”
“I heard. Poor Jess. Such a good, conscientious cop.”
“Yeah, it’s tough going. No one wants to talk to us. And we haven’t been able to canvass the area properly because every time we show up there, so does a mob.”
“And the department’s options are limited when it comes to dispersing crowds.”
The statement made Gabe grind his teeth. The mayor didn’t want any engagement; all she wanted the cops to do was retreat, and the truth stuck in Gabe’s throat.
“Yep. Now I have a question for you. Do you have any idea when Danni is coming back to work? We could use her input in this homicide investigation.” He held his breath.
The line went silent.
“Mara, you still there?”
