Chasing Darkness Read Free

to leave.
    â€œHave you seen much of Mr. Byrd since you got him off?”
    â€œI never met the man.”
    Crimmens said, “Bullshit. He was your client. You don’t meet your clients?”
    â€œLevy was my client. Barshop, Barshop paid the tab. That’s what lawyers do.”
    Bastilla said, “So it was Levy who hired you?”
    â€œYes. Most of my clients are lawyers.”
    Attorneys can’t and don’t rely on the word of their clients. Often, their clients don’t know the whole and impartial truth, and sometimes their clients lie. Since lawyers are busy lawyering, they employ investigators to uncover the facts.
    Bastilla twisted around to see Pike.
    â€œWhat about you? Did you work on Byrd’s behalf?”
    â€œNot my kind of job.”
    She twisted farther to get a better look.
    â€œHow about you take off the shades while we talk?”
    â€œNo.”
    Crimmens said, “You hiding something back there, Pike? How ’bout we look?”
    Pike’s head swiveled toward Crimmens. Nothing else moved; just his head.
    â€œIf I showed you, I’d have to kill you.”
    I stepped in before it got out of hand.
    â€œJoe didn’t help on this one. This thing was Detective Work 101. I must pull thirty cases like this a year.”
    Crimmens said, “That’s sweet. You must take pride in that, helping shitbirds get away with murder.”
    Crimmens was pissing me off again.
    â€œWhat are we talking about this for, Bastilla? This thing was settled three years ago.”
    Bastilla opened her pad and studied the page.
    â€œSo you are telling us you have never met Lionel Byrd?”
    â€œI have never met him.”
    â€œAre you acquainted with a man named Lonnie Jones?”
    â€œNo. Is he your new suspect?”
    â€œDuring your investigation into the matter of Yvonne Bennett, did you discover evidence linking Mr. Byrd to any other crimes or criminal activities?”
    â€œWhat kind of question is that? Have you re-arrested him?”
    Bastilla scribbled a note. When she looked up, her eyes were ringed with purple cutting down to her mouth. She looked as tired as a person can look without being dead.
    â€œNo, Mr. Cole, we can’t arrest him. Eight days ago, he was found during the evacuation up in Laurel Canyon. Head shot up through the bottom of his chin. He had been dead about five days.”
    â€œI didn’t kill him.”
    Crimmens laughed.
    â€œWouldn’t that be funny, Con? Wouldn’t that be too perfect? Man, I would love that.”
    Bastilla smiled, but not because she thought it was funny.
    â€œHe committed suicide. He was living under the name Lonnie Jones. Know why he was using an alias?”
    â€œNo idea. Maybe because he didn’t like being accused of murders he didn’t commit.”
    Bastilla leaned toward me and crossed her arms on a knee.
    â€œThe man’s dead now, Cole. Reason we’re here, we’d like to examine the reports and work product you have from the Bennett case. Your notes. The people you questioned. Everything in your file.”
    She waited without blinking, studying me as if she knew what I would say, but was hoping I might not say it. I shook my head.
    â€œI was working on behalf of defense counsel. That material belongs to Alan Levy.”
    â€œLevy is being contacted.”
    Crimmens said, “The fucker’s dead, Cole. You got him off. What’s it matter now?”
    â€œIf Levy says fine, then fine, but I worked for him, Crimmens, not you. There’s that little thing about ‘expectation of confidentiality.’”
    I looked back at Bastilla.
    â€œIf the man’s dead and you don’t think I killed him, why do you care what’s in my files about Yvonne Bennett?”
    Bastilla sighed, then straightened.
    â€œBecause this isn’t only about Bennett. Lionel Byrd murdered seven women. We believe he murdered one woman every year for the past