‘Trust me, detective, you need my help.’ Her tone was as confident as her posture. She turned and faced Garcia. ‘You must be Detective Carlos Garcia.’

‘The legend himself,’ Garcia joked, shaking her hand.

Alice didn’t smile; instead, she walked over to Hunter’s desk, placed her briefcase on it, flipped the top open, and retrieved several sheets of paper that’d been stapled together.

‘This is a list of all perpetrators Derek Nicholson sent, or helped send, to prison over the years.’ She handed it to Hunter. ‘There are some really nasty people on that list. It’s been prioritized by severity of crime; ultra violent and sadistic ones come first. Also by those individuals who have been released, paroled, or made bail recently.’ Her gaze circled from Hunter to Garcia. ‘I’ve already checked. None of the violent criminals he put away have been released – either on probation or in any other way. None has escaped either. The files of the ones who have committed minor offenses and have either served their sentences, or were granted early release for whatever reason, don’t read like the type of people who would be capable of such a crime.’

‘You’d be surprised what people are capable of,’ Garcia said, moving towards Hunter to have a look at the list. ‘Especially the ones who don’t look the type.’

‘You’ve read these files?’ Hunter asked.

‘The most relevant ones, yes.’

‘Who stipulated their relevance, you?’

Alice didn’t reply.

Hunter held her gaze for a moment before flipping through the pages. There were over 900 names on it. ‘You said that none of the violent criminals on this list have been released recently. How recently are we talking?’

‘Past year.’

‘We need to go further back than that,’ Hunter countered.

‘That won’t be a problem. How far back would you like?’

‘Five years, to start with, maybe ten.’

‘Give me a computer with a fast Internet connection and a few minutes and you’ll have it.’

‘I need to know what each and every person on this list was prosecuted for.’

‘It says right there next to their names and ages,’ Alice said with a tiny amount of prickliness in her voice while she nodded at the list.

Hunter’s eyes didn’t move from her face. ‘It says homicide, aggravated homicide, armed robbery, and so on. We need to know exactly what they did and how they did it. What weapons were used? Was the crime scene bloody? Was the perpetrator violent because he lost control, or because he enjoyed it? We need real specifics.’

‘Again, not a problem. Just give me a computer.’

‘We also need to cross-reference the names on this list with any family member, relative or gang member who is on the outside, and who’d be crazy enough to seek revenge on behalf of the inmate.’

‘Not a problem.’

Hunter’s eyes moved to the list, then to Garcia, and then back to Alice. ‘You’re very confident. You think you’re that good?’

A smile lit up her face for a brief second. ‘I’m better,’ she replied without hesitation. ‘Get me a computer and I’ll go to work right now.’ She pointed to the list in Hunter’s hands. ‘But for now, that can give us a start.’

For a moment no one spoke.

‘Us . . . ?’ Garcia asked.

‘DA Bradley wants me to help you as much as I can. That sort of puts us in a team, doesn’t it?’ Her stare returned to Hunter.

‘Ms. Beaumont,’ Hunter said, putting the list down on his desk. ‘We’re the Homicide Special Section of the Robbery Homicide Division. This isn’t Club Med. We know that DA Bradley is keen to get results, and so are we. We appreciate your help, and this list can give us a good start, you’re right. But I have no authority to add anyone to this investigation without consulting my captain. For starters, she’s not very keen on civilians being involved in any of the department’s investigations.’

Alice smiled and walked over to the pictures board where all the crime-scene photographs had been pinned up. She had a sensual walk. Slow and easy, as if she knew men liked to watch her move.

‘Don’t be so modest, Detective. You do have the authority to bring anyone you like into your team,’ she replied in a non-aggressive way. ‘I checked. In here, you call the shots and everyone listens. But in any case, DA Bradley has talked to Chief of Police Martin Collins, who, in turn, has talked to your “not very keen” captain. She didn’t have much of a choice. And I’m afraid that neither do you. DA Bradley always gets what he wants.’

Hunter was seasoned enough to know that protesting wouldn’t make a sand grain of difference. He hated people butting into his investigations, dictating what he should and should not do, hence his reputation for not exactly sticking to protocol all the time; but the LAPD had a chain of command, and he was a long way down it. Sometimes he had to go along to get along, and this sure as hell was looking like one of those times. He said nothing.

Alice’s eyes browsed the pictures on the board for just a moment. ‘Oh my God,’ she whispered in a weak breath and quickly turned away.

Hunter’s stare was fixed on her.

‘I knew Derek well,’ she said in a more tender voice. ‘I helped him in tens of cases. I helped him put away many of the names in that list. He was a good man who didn’t deserve any of this. I want to help. And I know I can because I’m the best at what I do. Please give me a chance to help you catch the son of a bitch who did this to Derek.’

Nineteen

Before Hunter could say anything, there was a new knock at the door.

‘Busy here this morning,’ Garcia joked before calling out. ‘Come in.’

‘Sorry, sir,’ a male voice replied from outside. ‘Not enough hands.’

Everyone in the room frowned. Garcia stepped up to the door and pulled it open.

A rookie officer, barely out of his teens, was standing outside in a crisp, straight-out-of-the-bag police uniform. Both of his arms were wrapped around a large package, covered by thick black plastic sheets held in place by duct tape.

‘Forensics lab just delivered this for you, Detective.’

‘OK, thanks. I can take it from here,’ Garcia said, reaching for it. The package was a lot lighter than it looked. Its base was flat and easy to grab hold of. ‘Over by the board?’ Garcia asked Hunter, after allowing the door to close behind him.

‘Yeah, I think that’ll do.’ Hunter cleared a space on a small table and pushed it closer to the pictures board. Garcia carefully deposited the package on it.

‘What is that?’ Alice asked, moving around to the other side.

‘A life-sized replica of this,’ Garcia replied, pointing to the photograph on the board.

Hunter saw Alice hold her breath for a beat. ‘Have you ever worked this closely with a homicide investigating team?’ he asked.

‘No,’ Alice replied firmly. No embarrassment.

Hunter took a penknife out of his pocket and flicked it open. ‘As I said before, this isn’t Club Med.’ He skillfully cut through the duct tape. ‘You can stay if you want. But this will be no picnic.’

‘I hate picnics.’ Alice stood her ground.

Hunter and Garcia pulled down the black plastic cover, letting it drop to the floor. For a long moment, the only sound in the room came from the pedestal fan behind Garcia’s desk. Doctor Hove was right; forensics had done a fantastic job in replicating the morbid piece, despite the short amount of time. The replica was done in white plaster, cast over a light wooden base, no color finish, but it still made the hairs at the back of Garcia’s neck stand on end, and it had knocked the air out of Alice’s lungs.

Hunter found it hard to tear his eyes away from it. Images of the real thing flashed at the back of his mind like fireworks, going off every few seconds. With it, his subconscious brought back the same sensations he experienced two days ago when he walked into that crime scene for the first time. He could smell the pungent odor of that room. He could see the blood splattered all over the walls and floors, and the way it trickled down from the human flesh sculpture. For a second he could even see the bloody words painted onto the far wall ‘GOOD JOB YOU DIDN’T TURN ON THE LIGHTS’.