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Brady said, “We can’t go down until Hallows says so.”
I took Brady’s arm and returned with him to the chaos in the parking lot.
CHAPTER 18
FROM HER PREFERRED back-of-the-courtroom seat, Cindy watched Yuki question Barbara Sullivan’s neighbor Carol Linnert. She was making notes when a text came in from Henry Tyler, theChronicle’s publisher and editor in chief. He’d written, “2 bodies on Baker Beach. Call me.”
“Stand by.”
Cindy grabbed her heavy carryall and edged her way to the exit, where a court officer opened the door. Once she was in the hallway, she called Henry on his private line.
“You’re going to want to check this out, Cindy. Baker Beach. Woman with child washed up two hours ago. Peretti is on his way to pick you up.”
Michael Peretti was Cindy’s favorite photographer and videographer. A foot taller than Cindy, Mike could both shoot over the heads of a crowd and muscle his way through them.
Cindy took the elevator down to the lobby and when she reached Bryant, she looked for Mike. A horn honked and she followed the sound with her eyes, leading her to spot a greenJeep Comanche double-parked on the far side of the street. Cindy crossed against the light, pulled open the passenger-side door and hauled herself into the Jeep. Cindy always kept her police scanner with her, and now she took it out of her bag and set it up on the dash.
“Mike. This is spooky.”
Peretti said, “Hang on, Spooky. Buckle up.”
She did it.
As Mike pulled out into traffic, Cindy flipped on the scanner and tuned it until she got a clear signal. SFPD dispatch was fielding an armed holdup in a liquor store on Mission.
Peretti said, “I’ll tell you what I know.”
By the time they’d safely reached their destination, Cindy was up to speed; a woman and infant had been discovered in the surf off Baker Beach, which was well-known for being unsafe at any time. Heedless daredevils had died in those waters.
She and Peretti discussed the possibility that this could be a drowning, but the word “baby” alarmed Cindy.
“It’s possible,” she said, “that a clueless young mother took her baby in for a dip, but my gut says ‘no.’”
Mike agreed for the same reason Tyler had pulled Cindy out of a trial that was being covered by reporters across the country. This incident on Baker Beach was too reminiscent of Lorrie and Tara Burke.
And these days no one knew their killer better than Cindy Thomas.
CHAPTER 19
IN THE BRIEF time I’d spent bracing myself for what was to come, the rowdy crowd that had gathered at the entrance to the parking lot had gotten rowdier. Patrol officers were holding the line, waving cars off. Some of those cars parked on the road, and mavericks broke free from the herd and made for the beach on foot. Patrol cars sped down the access road and cut them off.
I joined the police line behind the tape, but when Cindy stepped out of the jostling mob, I broke rank.
I was that glad to see my friend.
But she hadn’t seen me. She called out to Conklin and he shook his head,no,no,no. Meaning, no, he wouldn’t give her a quote. Rich was right, but I heard her say, “Youwantme to write something, Rich. I canhelp.”
Cindy had broken cases before.
Brady stepped up to the tape with a bullhorn in hand.
“Listen up, alla y’all. Quiet down.”
An imposing figure, muscular, with platinum-blond hairand the trace of a Southern accent, Brady spoke his name and rank. The crowd did quiet down, eager to hear what the lieutenant had to say.
“Everyone, this is a fresh situation and we do not know what has happened. Even if we did, we still would not comment on an ongoing investigation. Ladies and gents of the press, I’m asking you personally, kindly do not publish pictures of the deceased. They have not been identified. Families have not been notified. If someone has information, please call the tip line. We will get back to you promptly.”
Brady gave out the phone number and lowered the megaphone. He was heading toward me when Cindy called my name.
