Mystery_ An Alex Delaware Novel Part 40

"Right in front of each other. It's almost incestuous. And those two hotties don't have a clue what they're dealing with."

"Now they'll have a chance to find out," I said.

She put on speed, pa.s.sed Steven Muhrmann's death site. No reason for me to point it out to her. Same for where Tiara had lost her face.

The ride emphasized how close the two locations were to each other. Fast-action night of blood and surprise.

Robin said, "I wonder what that b.u.mper sticker means. Has Has to be something lewd." to be something lewd."

It wasn't.

A website on j.a.panese b.u.mper stickers j.a.panese b.u.mper stickers translated the character as "peace" in a style of lettering called kanji. translated the character as "peace" in a style of lettering called kanji.

Robin said, "Okay, time to get back to what I'm good at."

lori divana combined with the Suss brothers' names pulled up nothing. combined with the Suss brothers' names pulled up nothing.

I phoned Milo to give him the address on the log house's mailbox.

Voice mail, again. Ditto at Moe Reed's extension.

I tried Milo's other acolyte, Detective I Sean Binchy.

"I think he's downtown, Doc."

"Must be a long meeting."

Binchy said, "A lot of them are."

"If you see him, have him give me a call."

"Will do, Doc. Listen, could I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"My sister's sister is thinking about going into psychology. Can she talk to you about it, one of these days?"

"Sure, Sean."

"Thanks. I'll give Loot your message."

"Could you look up a couple of addresses to see who pays taxes on them?"

A beat. "Doc, all these new privacy regs, they're really clamping down on personal use. Some guys think the bra.s.s even has spy programs on us, recording all our keystrokes."

"The info's not personal, Sean, it's part of Milo's case."

"But he hasn't officially authorized it, Doc. I don't want to be a wienie, but..."

"I don't want to put you in a spot," I said. "But we're not talking confidential information, I could go downtown and access the data myself."

"That's true, hmm," he said. "We're talking the face-murder?"

"Yup."

"That poor girl...tell you what, I'll look it up and leave it on his desk. Along with a note saying you suggested the search based on..."

"Something I observed an hour ago."

"Okay, consider it done. And I'll give Dorrie your number."

I said, "Once it's on his desk, Sean, would pa.s.sing it along to me be a problem? Seeing as it's right out in the open?"

Silence.

"It'll save him time, Sean, I promise he won't mind."

"Oh, man," he said. "Yeah, you've always been straight with me, Doc. What addresses are we talking about?"

*he house on Alhama Drive was owned by one Oral Marshbarger.

The Web produced only a single person blessed with that name: an accountant at a firm in St. Louis.

Late to be calling over there, but I tried.

Voice mail coughed up a long list of extensions. "For Mr. Adams, dial 101. For Mr. Blalock, dial 102." "For Mr. Adams, dial 101. For Mr. Blalock, dial 102."

I waited for the alphabet to glide by, punched 117.

A man answered, "Marshbarger."

Misrepresenting yourself as a cop is a serious crime. Con-spieling while glossing over the details is hazy legal territory. It's also an easy carney trick because most people pick up on buzzwords and don't process details. Marshbarger, being a CPA, might mean he was the exception, but nothing ventured.

"Mr. Marshbarger, this is Alex Delaware working with the L.A. police on a case. Some question came up about a property you own in Woodland Hills on Alhama Drive."

"Police? Don't tell me they used it for that. that."

"For what, sir?"

"p.o.r.n shoots, what else? When they showed up looking like that, all sweetness and...I guess you'd call it seductiveness-of course I was suspicious. I wanted to come right out and ask them if they were scouting for some p.o.r.n outfit but I got worried there'd be some sort of s.e.x-discrimination suit. Like would you ask us that if we were men men? Nowadays everyone sues everyone for everything."

I said, "When did their lease begin and what did they tell you about themselves?"

"So they did did use it for that. Jesus." use it for that. Jesus."

"You're not in trouble, Mr. Marshbarger."

"Why should I I be in trouble? I'm the victim. The point is, it's disgusting. And fraudulent, the house was clearly advertised as a personal residence. Did they trash the place, someone complained?" be in trouble? I'm the victim. The point is, it's disgusting. And fraudulent, the house was clearly advertised as a personal residence. Did they trash the place, someone complained?"

"The house appears to be in fine shape."

"Did they plant flowers?" said Marshbarger. "They promised to, that was part of the deal."

"The garden looks great, sir."

"I a.s.sure you, if there was some way I could've screened them, I would've, but what were my options?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"There was exigency," he said. "I bought the place, figuring I'd live there myself. Three months later the firm transferred me here. I asked for compensation until I could rent the house at fair market and the firm agreed but the unspoken message was Do it quick, Marsh Do it quick, Marsh. Those bimbos were the first to show up with real money and good credit. Which makes total sense, I suppose, if they were fronting for some p.o.r.n outfit. That industry grosses more than Hollywood, right? And lots of it never gets reported-is that that what this is about? Some tax thing, you figured I'd know about it because I'm a CPA? Sorry, no, nothing. And that's all I want to say." what this is about? Some tax thing, you figured I'd know about it because I'm a CPA? Sorry, no, nothing. And that's all I want to say."

"Mr. Marshbarger, there's no tax issue and your tenants aren't suspects in anything. Including p.o.r.nography."

"What, then?"

"They've a.s.sociated with what we call persons of interest."

"Organized crime? Oh, Jesus-"

"No, sir, you've got absolutely nothing to worry about in that regard. I just need some information."

"What kind of information?"

"Basic facts for verification. What names did they use on the lease application?"

"Apparently their real ones," said Marshbarger. "That's what the credit check company said, believe it or not."

"You had your doubts."

"Divana Layne? Lori Lennox? Those sound real to you?"

That from Oral Marshbarger.

I said, "What job history did they list?"

"Models. They said they worked mostly in j.a.pan." Snicker. "Those Asians go for the voluptuous ones, don't they?"

"And they both had good credit histories."

"A-plus. Six-figure incomes for both of them. Maybe the yendollar exchange worked in their favor." He chortled again. "Models. Maybe for Hustler Hustler but not for one of those fas.h.i.+on rags my ex used to read, with those stick figures." but not for one of those fas.h.i.+on rags my ex used to read, with those stick figures."

"Who were their previous landlords?"

"Real estate companies in Tokyo, they showed me letters of reference. In j.a.panese but they also had translations. Kind of hilarious, actually. Like those manuals you get with cameras and stereos?"

"You verified."

"I made a couple of long-distance calls, got taped messages in j.a.panese, left my own message, never heard back. I didn't have time to be doing all that international calling, I needed to move, they had the money. And they haven't missed a month. In fact, if they're taking care of the place and there's no criminal activity, maybe I'm glad I rented to them. Why's this information so important, anyway?"

"How'd the girls find you?"

"Craigslist," said Marshbarger. "I tried ads, agencies, all that did was attract losers. And like I said there was a time element, so I did what everyone does nowadays. I didn't expect much. But they showed up with the goods. Financially speaking."

"Anything else you want to tell me about them?"

"So I shouldn't evict them."

"No grounds I can see, Mr. Marshbarger. You shouldn't contact them, period. They haven't done anything wrong."

"p.o.r.n's okay?"

"There's no evidence they're into p.o.r.n."

A beat. "So why are we talking?"

"They know some people who've come to the department's attention. Speaking of which, let me run some names by you. Steven Muhrmann."

"Never heard of him."

"Tara Sly?"

"Now, that's a p.o.r.n name," he said. "Or a stripper name-is that what they are? Pole-riders?"

"Markham Suss."

"Nope."

"Anyone named Suss?"

"Nope."

"What's the rent on the house?"

"I wanted two thousand, we settled for sixteen hundred plus they handle all the utilities and gardening. And plant flowers and keep them up nice. The place looks okay?"

"Charming. Do they pay by check?"

"Auto-pay account through Wachovia," said Marshbarger. "They never miss. So it's okay for them to stay?"