Breakdown - читать бесплатно онлайн полную версию книги автора Jonathan Kellerman (Chapter 36) #36

Chapter 36

The wonders of technology.

In seconds I had full-color, one-year-old, 3-D satellite photos of the property at a variety of angles, the forest-like area at the rear of the property revealed in high definition.

Old-growth pines, sequoias, cedars, and cypresses rendered in... forest green. A central passage began several feet in, passing between stout trunks. Narrower lateral cuts provided additional access. Behind all that was a high stone wall, easily ten feet, with an offset wooden door to the right. From the ground, what appeared to be the estate’s rear border.

An aerial view said it wasn’t.

Behind the wall was a beige rectangle of bare earth, around half the width of the property, flanked by columnar Canary Island pines. Backing that was a second wall, even higher, with no outlet.

Planted in front of the pines were clumps of shrubbery, some flowering. Unlike the manicured garden, these plantings had been left rough and natural.

I zoomed in, scanned, printed several times before drawing back and examining the overall layout.

The soil of the forest was dark and rich-looking, that of the pocket garden, pale and dry and littered with leaves and pine needles. But just off center, in line with the door, the ground was clear. A well-trod entrance.

At the end of the clear area, two oblong depressions in the ground.

I printed some more, saved and filed, looked up an email address and sent a message.

Dr. Elizabeth Wilkinson, assistant professor of (forensic) anthropology at the med school where I held a faculty position, answered immediately.

In addition to her academic qualifications, Liz had served a coroner’s fellowship at the crypt, still consulted to LAPD, and was the girlfriend of Detective Moses Reed.

Hi, Alex. I’m in San Francisco at a conference. Yes, theoretically even a covered grave could be visible as a slight darkening of the soil. But it’s hard to differentiate from natural irregularities such as disruption caused by scavenging animals, or another perfectly innocent excavation. The time of day when the photo was taken would matter, as well. Early-morning sunlight is the least distorting because the angle is oblique.

Thanks for the quick reply, Liz. Would there be any way to find out, short of actually being there and digging?

Are we talking a recent burial?

Three or so weeks. Probably shallow.

Both work in your favor. Shallow for obvious reasons and recent because decomp would still be active, raising the surface temperature sufficiently for an aerial infrared camera to pick up. If you needed to go deeper, you could use ground penetrating radar and/or dogs.

How would I arrange infrared photography?

Are you talking about financing it yourself?

Yes.

It’s pretty pricey. I’d go helicopter, not plane because helicopters are good at slow speeds. A jet-powered copter could run you a thousand dollars an hour. Smaller ones would probably cost in the hundreds but they’re pretty cramped and have limited weight ceilings. So this isn’t official business?

It could turn out to be.

I see. Well, just to let you know, LAPD has crackerjack helicopter pilots and many are adept with IR. Last year someone reported a mass grave out in Chatsworth and the department did an IR flyover. It was a grave, all right, but for horses. Nothing ominous, just an owner who couldn’t bear to send her older animals to be processed so she and her sons shot them and buried them. They’d been doing it for years.

Sad.

I’ll bet your story’s even sadder.

Well into tragic. Do you have a referral?

The name that comes to mind is Clint Bostrum. He’s retired LAPD, did mostly traffic. Now he does aerials for real estate transactions, not sure if that includes IR. Would you like me to talk to him for you?

That would be great. Thanks Liz.

If it does turn out bad, please let me know. Been going to way too many meetings and I’m itching to get out of the office to do some digging. I can get authorized easily, they call me in to supervise because the new postdoc is still getting his hands wet. So to speak.

Ten minutes later:

Hi, Alex. Clint does IR. Here’s his number.

One ring before a clipped, smoker’s voice said, “This is Clint.”

“Alex Delaware. I was referred to you by Liz Wilkinson.”

“I’ve heard of you vaguely. You sometimes work with Sturgis, right?”

“Right.”

“He’s not on this? Dead bodies are his thing.”

“It’s his case but my guess,” I said. “I want to have something substantial before I get the department involved.”

“And the department’s too cheap to give up copter time without serious grounds for a warrant?”

“Haven’t asked them.”

Clint Bostrum said, “Even if Sturgis put in a request, it would be a hassle, so you’re smart. I did twenty-five years in the air for the department. Movie star wants a shot of her kid’s birthday party, it just might happen. Joe Average? Not so much. Give me the coordinates.”

“I’ve got an address.”

“Fine, I can get the coordinates with the address. Let’s talk money. My usual is eleven hundred bucks an hour, two-hour minimum, two-hundred-buck upcharge for infrared. Liz said you’re a stand-up guy and I figure anyone who’d pay out of his own pocket has to be crazy or supermoral. So I’ll cut it to seven hundred bucks, total. If you don’t ride along. I’ve got a mounted camera I can operate while flying, don’t want the liability of a passenger.”

“That’s fine.”

“Also, don’t tell anyone what I’m charging.”

“I really appreciate it, Clint.”

“Get hold of the money as soon as we hang up, I’ll give you my PayPal account. Should take a few days to clear but I’m already at the airport so I’ll go out on a limb and fly tonight. Nothing to do, anyway, and my girlfriend’s playing bridge at some nerd club I can’t stand. Now, tell me exactly what you’re looking for. Also, how late you stay up. I’m going to know one way or the other soon after I go up, you might as well, also.”

Robin went to bed and I spent the next few hours examining the photos I’d taken, consulting the Internet, managing to get a friend on the phone who confirmed my suspicions.

I was putting it all together when Clint Bostrum called just before midnight.

“You’ve definitely got two hot spots, there, couple of nice little red blotches, I’ll email you the images. Can’t say it’s human but I’d put money on something rotting.”

“Thanks, Clint.”

“Anytime, Dr. Alex, long as you pay. This is a lot more fun than shooting McMansions.”