Deception

CHAPTER

35

Deputy D.A. John Nguyen left the observation room smiling. “Why can’t you do this all the time?”

“Do what?”

“Make my life easy. Okay, Xerox the murder book for me and I’ll have phone subpoenas on everyone activated within two hours, same for broad-based warrants for both families’ houses in Bel Air as well the little monsters’ desks and lockers at Prep. I’ll also suggest to the Feds that Wydette Senior’s plane was used to transport dope across state borders to Arizona, they can smooth it with the Aspen police for search of the mountain home. Anything else on your wish list?”

“Sounds good, John.” Milo phoned Moe Reed and told him to copy the file.

Nguyen said, “You should be able to execute those warrants by tomorrow a.m.”

“There may be a time lag between authorization and execution.”

“What? This from Mr. I-Want-It-Yesterday.”

“It’s complicated, John.”

“Seemed to me those bimbos just made it simple.”

“On the contrary, John.”

Milo carried the taped confessions back to his office. Moe Reed was just leaving with the murder book. His free hand waved a message slip.

“I was just going to look for you, Loo. This came in while I was copying.”

Milo scanned the note. “You took this personally?”

“Came in on your cell, Loo. I copied pretty much verbatim.”

Reed’s meticulous cursive read: I gave you SAT dates why didn’t you do anything? Go after Tristram Wydette and Quinn Glover, everyone already knows.

Reed said, “Young male. I tried to keep him on the line but he cut the connection.”

“‘Everyone already knows.’”

“I took that to mean at the school, Loo. It’s like those school shootings, right, Doc? Kids brag.”

I nodded.

Milo said, “Nothing like being outside the goddamn loop. Okay, get the copy to John, you might still be able to catch him in the lot. Then stay on call.”

Reed rotated his neck. “It’s happening.”

“Something is, Moses.”