The Advocate's Ex Parte (The Advocate Series Book 5) (18 page)

“I know. That’s why I made sure we came when she wasn’t here. At least she’s not scheduled to be here. I called earlier acting as if I wanted to see her dance and they told me she was off today. I thought we’d ask around and see what we can find out about her.”

“What’s this ‘we,’ Kemo Sabe?”

“If you’re going to have a lap dance, you may as well ask some questions.”

“And ruin the moment? Not a chance.”

JP looked around. “It seems pretty slow in here. I wonder if it’s an unusual night or if it’s always like this.”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t generally frequent strip bars. They tend to overcharge for beers, especially imported ones, and I don’t see any point in looking at something you can’t touch.”

“Am I getting old or do these girls all look really young?” JP asked.

“They
are
young and yes, you are getting old.”

“I’m going to go snoop around.” JP stood up and walked to another area of the bar where three working girls, two blondes and a red-head, were standing around. He approached the bleached blonde with a purple streak in her hair.

“Got a minute?” he asked.

“Sorry, Sweetie, but I’m on stage in about thirty seconds. Come see me after my dance.”

JP waited for a few minutes to see if either of the other two girls was leaving. Then he approached the redhead, whom he guessed to be about thirty years old, considerably older than the rest.

“Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

“Are you a cop?”

“No, I’m not.”

“If you want to pay for a lap dance, we can talk then.”

JP pulled out two twenty-dollar bills from his wallet and held them out in front of him. The redhead snatched it from his fingers and stuffed it into her skirt pocket. “This way,” she said and led him to an area somewhat secluded from the main bar where she pointed to a chair. A moment after he sat down, the redhead planted her stiletto heel on the corner of the chair.

“What’s your name?” JP asked.

“Ginger.” She started to lower her body toward JP’s lap.

“You don’t need to dance. I just want to ask a few questions.”

She sighed. “What?”

“How well do you know, Kim-Ly?”

“You mean, Lotus. Why do you want to know?” she asked, and continued to descend toward his lap. She moved her hips around in a circular motion.

JP reached out his hands to halt the motion, but stopped before he reached her waist, remembering that the rules didn’t allow any physical contact. “You really don’t need to dance. I’m paying you to chat. I’m an investigator and we’re trying to help Kim-Ly, er, Lotus.” JP didn’t want to mention the daughter in case it wasn’t public knowledge in the bar.

“Is she in trouble with the law?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“With the custody case, then?”

JP was a little surprised, but he didn’t show it. “What do you know about that?”

She stopped gyrating, brought her leg down from the chair, and said, “I just know that CPS has taken her kid. They think because you dance for a living in a strip joint, you can’t be a good mother.” She sounded bitter as if she had some personal experience in the matter. JP didn’t pry.

“How long have you known her?”

“She came to work here about a year and a half ago, shortly after her baby was born. But I don’t really know her very well. She’s very quiet. She comes to work, does what she has to do, and leaves.”

“Have you ever seen her with her daughter?”

“No.” Ginger scowled. “She’d never bring her baby here.” Then she added, “You may want to talk with Star. She knows her better than I do.”

“Which one is Star?”

“The blonde I was talking to when you walked up. Stay here. I’ll send her to you.”

“Thanks.”

Ginger left and Star, a voluptuous blonde, appeared within a couple of minutes. The hair appeared to be natural, her breasts not so much. JP removed the cash from his wallet for the dance.

“Ginger said you were paying to talk.”

“That’s correct. I want to know what you can tell me about Lotus.”

Star reached out her hand for the money before she answered. “She’s young, she minds her own business, and she goes home to her kid. Or at least she did until the social worker snatched her away. Personally, I’d be glad. I wouldn’t want to try to raise a kid if I was that young.”

“That’s the second time you said how young she is. Do you know her age?”

“No, but she sure ain’t no twenty-one as she claims.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Have you seen her? All those Asian girls look young, but she even acts young. She used to bring her teddy-bear backpack with her until Snake, that’s the boss, made her leave it at home. She tried to claim it was her daughter’s, but it was old and worn like she’d had it for a while and the baby was just a newborn.”

“Do you know anything about her family or friends outside of work?”

“No, we’re not, like, friends or anything. You should talk to Blossom. She spends more time with her than anyone.”

JP started to think he was being duped. Each girl passed him on to another, probably just to get the money. Either none of them really knew anything, or they were dividing the information up between them so he had to pay more. His hands were tied either way. He waited for Star to send Blossom.

She appeared within a minute or two. Each dancer seemed younger than the one before. Convinced Blossom was jailbait, JP made certain she didn’t get too close. He didn’t want to accidentally touch her.

He handed her forty dollars and asked, “How well do you know Lotus?”

“We’re good friends,” she said. She spoke so softly that JP had to strain to hear her. “And I wouldn’t talk to you at all except I don’t want her hurt.”

“Do you think she’s in danger?”

She wrinkled her brow. “What do you want?”

“I want to know anything about Lotus that might help her reunite with her daughter.”

“And if she doesn’t want to?”

“Has she told you that?”

Blossom raised her voice. “I thought you were here to help her.” She walked away before JP could ask her anything else.

JP rejoined Bob at the table.

“How’d it go?” Bob asked.

JP took a drink of his warm beer. “I have more questions than answers.” He set his bottle down. “You want a lap dance?”

“You’re not my type.”

JP shook his head.

Bob finished his nearly empty glass of beer in one swig and stood up. He took a quick look at the girl on stage. “Not really,” he said, and they left.

Chapter 29

The Durham Case

Child: Matt Durham, Defendant

Type: Delinquency case

Charges: Two counts of First Degree Murder

Victims: Hannah Rawlins & Mason Usher

Facts: Double homicide. Two teenagers bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat.

Sabre read through the Durham file again. She tried to think of this young man as an innocent child, but the look on his face when he saw the photo of Hannah’s body haunted her. She couldn’t come up with any way to spin that even in her own mind. Dr. Heller’s assessment only reinforced what Sabre had witnessed herself. She had to concentrate on protecting his rights. No matter what he had done, Matt still deserved the best defense. It wasn’t her place to judge him. She would present the best case she could for him. That’s all she could do. She shivered.

Sabre took a deep breath. Things weren’t always what they seemed. Even if the kid did get some kind of perverse pleasure out of seeing the photo didn’t mean he was the one to kill Hannah and Mason. Maybe it was the shock from seeing dead people that made him react so strangely. She knew she had to go forward in that mindset or she wouldn’t be able to think clearly. After all, Matt claimed his bat was stolen and if it was, then how could he have committed the murders?

She read through JP’s report again. She looked at the time. Baseball practice would start soon. Then she picked up her file, stood up, and walked to her car. If she hurried she could make it to the school before practice started. Maybe she could discover something that JP had missed.

Sabre watched the boys walk onto the baseball field. She took a seat in the bleachers. A young man hobbled up on crutches and sat down on the same bench, leaving space between them.

“What happened?” Sabre asked, glancing at the foot he had been favoring as he approached.

“I slid into second base, the base dislodged, and I jammed my foot against the metal pole that holds it in the ground.”

“Sorry,” Sabre said. “Is it broken?”

“No, just sprained, but I can’t practice until it heals.”

Sabre looked out onto the field. “Which one is Coach Arviso?”

“He’s not there. Not sure where he is. It must be important, though, because he doesn’t miss many practices.”

After several minutes of small talk, Sabre asked, “Who do you think is the best hitter on the team?”

“That’s a no-brainer. The catcher, Darren Flynn. He can hit the long ball like no one else on the team. He’s the best this school has had since Tram.”

“Tram?”

“Alan Trammell. Shortstop for the Detroit Tigers for nearly twenty years. He went to school here.” The young man yelled out to the field as the shortstop dived for a line drive. “Good catch.”

“That was impressive,” Sabre said. “What’s Darren Flynn like? Is he a good defensive player?”

“Yeah, he’s real good. Catcher is a tough position. I’ve played it some, but I don’t really like it. I’d much rather play third base.”

“What’s he like? Does he get along with his teammates?”

The young man looked up at Sabre curiously. “Are you some kind of scout or something?”

Sabre smiled. “No, I’m not a scout.”

He sighed. “Good, because I sure would be bummed if you were scouting and I was sitting here on the bench with my crutches.”

“That wouldn’t be good, but I assure you I’m no scout.”

“Darren’s an okay guy. He’s had a rough life. Grew up in the hood, so he’s got a chip on his shoulder sometimes. He’s got a quick temper, but most of the time he’s okay. Since he doesn’t do that well in his classes, a couple of us guys try to help him. He’s in my history class and so we study together or work on projects sometimes. It’s not easy for him and though he tries, he gets pretty frustrated.”

“That’s nice of you guys to do that.”

“It’s for the team.” The young man seemed almost embarrassed by his good deed. “If he doesn’t keep his grades up he won’t be able to play. And we need him.”

“Wasn’t that kid that’s charged with murder on this team?”

“Matt Durham. Yes.”

“That must be kind of strange. Did you know him well?”

“I didn’t hang out with him or anything, but I saw him at practice and games. And we had a couple of classes together. He didn’t really have that many friends. I kind of felt sorry for him. Now I think he was just crazy. I mean, you’d have to be pretty crazy to beat someone to death, right?”

***

Sabre walked over to the gym to see Coach Arviso, not sure what she had to gain by talking to him. She just wanted answers. She had to prove that Matt didn’t have his bat. That was the key. What if Matt didn’t do it? What if Darren stole his bat like Matt said, beat those kids to death, and was trying to pin it on her client? She had to find out.

When Sabre entered the gym area, she saw two male students walking toward her.

“Could you point me to Coach Arviso’s office?” Sabre asked.

“Right around the corner there. Turn left and it’s the second door on the right,” one of them responded.

“Thanks.”

Sabre walked to the office. The door was open. She stuck her head inside, but there was no one there. She took a few more steps down the hallway. Across from the coach’s office was an area with a large glass window looking into the hallway. She could see three small desks inside. Only one was occupied.

When she went inside the room, a slightly overweight, young Hispanic girl who looked like a student was sitting at the desk. She said, “May I help you?”

“I’m looking for Coach Arviso.”

“He had a doctor’s appointment today. He’ll be back tomorrow. Anything I can help you with?”

Sabre was impressed with her professionalism. “I’m not sure. I’m Sabre Brown, by the way. Do you work here?”

“Tracie Rodrigues. I’m a student worker.”

Sabre looked around. “This looks like an interesting job. How long have you had it?”

“I started working in this office at the beginning of last semester. I like it, although it smells a little ripe in here sometimes when all the guys come in from the fields. Before they shower, I mean.”

“I’ll bet. Do you know most of the players?”

“Sure. I see most of them every day when their sport is on the roster. Some of them play several sports. I know those players the best.”

The phone rang and Sabre waited until Tracie took the call. Then Sabre asked, “Do you know Darren Flynn?”

She frowned. “Yes, I know him,” she said with a note of aversion in her voice.

“I take it you don’t like him much?”

“He’s a jerk. Always fighting with somebody. He never smiles. I tried a few times to smile at him and say hello, but he just grumbles. I don’t know what his problem is.”

“Did you ever see him fight with anyone?”

“He’s a big guy and not too many people mess with him when he’s mad. But several times I saw him arguing with someone…well, maybe not arguing exactly…Darren would just be swearing at them. Except at the Poway game with Matt.”

“You were there?”

“Yes, I keep the unofficial stats for the games. Coach Arviso taught me. He looks for special things in the numbers. And I make sure the players stay in batting order.”

“What happened between Matt and Darren?”

“Matt was going on deck and Darren had his bat. Matt asked for it and Darren got all smart with him, but then he gave it to him. Matt walked up the steps and Darren crashed into him.”

“Then what happened?”

Tracie nonchalantly twisted her hair around her finger. “Matt just went up to bat and hit a home run and won the game. It was beautiful.” She looked starry-eyed.