Living With the Dead (Otherworld 9)

"Ask if they know Robyn's friends. I'm specifically interested in a young woman who might be in L.A. right now. Probably Indo American. Could be a journalist. Maybe high society."

"Sounds like a gossip columnist."

"Just tell them to take down information on any friend who could pass for Indo American."

Trent sighed. "You are so far out in left field, you're - "

"Can you hold on a sec?" Finn asked Madoz. "Be right back."

"Rule one," Finn murmured when he and Trent were in the empty hall. "Don't talk to me with others around."

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; "Hey, you don't have to answer."

"Rule two, if you're going to take off, warn me."

"I didn't take off. I tried to get your attention when you left that apartment, and you couldn't see me. Then I lost you, so I hung around the apartment, seeing if I could find anything you missed before coming to the station to wait."

Finn had a good sense for when people were telling the truth and when they weren't, and one glance at Trent told him the split was about fifty-fifty.

Trent hurried on before Finn could call him on it. "While I was at the apartment, though, I saw something. There was a kid trying to break into Robyn's apartment after you left."

Finn stopped walking. "Break in?"

"With lock picks, no less. One of your guys spotted him, but he hid those picks and spun a story so fast your officer let him go."

"I'll follow up on that."

"Good, because this woman you seem so set on - "

"Trent?"

"Yes?"

"Did you see me interviewing a kid a few minutes ago?"

"The dumb-ass college boy? Sure, but - "

"He's being processed. Go keep an eye on him."

"But - "

"Go."

Finn walked back into the detective room and found Madoz at his desk.

"Do you have the paperwork on Robyn Peltier's husband?"

"Right here." Madoz thumbed through his stack. "I don't see a connection. Just a random act of stupidity. Classic case of why it might not be wise to let Joe - or, in this case, Jane - Citizen carry a gun."

"What happened?"

"Woman was mugged by gangbangers. Gets herself a gun. Few months later, she's on the highway at night, blows a tire. Guy pulls over to help. She sees a black guy coming at her car with a tire iron and shoots him."

"Black guy..."

"With a tire iron. Like maybe so he can change your tire, you dumb bitch?" He handed Finn the file. "The guy was a junior high teacher coming home from a conference. Wearing a dress shirt and slacks. Driving a Honda. Clearly a badass carjacker."