The Crucifix Killer

Fifty-One

Hunter stared at his partner and waited, but Garcia kept his eyes on the fax, still mumbling something in Portuguese. ‘What the hell is it?’ Hunter shouted impatiently.

Garcia extended his hand displaying a black and white picture of a woman. It took Hunter a few seconds to realize what he was looking at. ‘Is that Jenny Farnborough?’

Garcia shook his head. ‘No this is Vicki Baker.’

‘Who?

‘Victoria Baker, age twenty-four, works as a manageress for a gym called 24 Hour Fitness in Santa Monica Boulevard,’ Garcia read from the foot of the picture.

‘I know that gym,’ Hunter cut in.

‘Apparently she was supposed to have gone to Canada on the second of July.’

‘And did she?’

‘It doesn’t say.’

‘Who sent us this?’

‘Logan from the Missing Persons’ Department. We still have a flag up on anyone that looks like the computer-generated image we got from Doctor Winston remember?’

Hunter nodded.

Because the first victim hadn’t been positively identified yet all protocol measures were still in place and that included constant checks against new entries to the MUPU database.

‘When was she reported missing?’

Garcia checked the fax’s second page. ‘Two days ago.’

‘By who?’

Another check. ‘Joe Bowman, the head manager of the gym.’

Hunter grabbed the fax from Garcia’s hand and studied it for a minute. The resemblance was there, but then again attractive, tall blonds seemed to grow on trees in Los Angeles. Hunter could clearly see how easily Vicki Baker and Jenny Farnborough could both be matched to the original computer-generated image. On their rush to identify the first victim they’d simply assumed Jenny Farnborough was their girl.

‘When did Jenny go missing from the Vanguard Club?’ Hunter asked.

Garcia flipped through a few pieces of paper he’d taken from his top drawer. ‘On the first of July. Vicki went missing one day later.’

‘This girl might not have gone missing on the sixth. She might’ve taken the plane to Canada and gone missing there, or when she got back, we don’t know yet. Let’s call the gym and check if this Joe Bowman is on duty today. If he is we’ll be on our way. The head of Customs at LAX is an old buddy of mine. I’ll get him to check if she boarded the plane on the sixth.’

Garcia quickly went back to his computer and with just a few clicks he had the gym’s information in front of him. He dialed the number and sat back on his chair waiting impatiently for someone to pick it up at the other end. It took only three rings for Garcia to get an answer. The conversation was restricted to about five sentences.

‘He’s on now until eleven-thirty tonight,’ Garcia said as he replaced the receiver.

‘Let’s go, you drive. Let me just call Trevor first.’

Trevor Grizbeck was the head of Customs and Immigration for the Los Angeles International Airport – LAX. Hunter knew there was no way he’d get an airline to disclose passengers’ information without a warrant, and he didn’t have time for one. It was time to call in some favors.

The sun had already set, but the heat seemed almost as intense as in the afternoon. Hunter sat in silence and read Victoria Baker’s fax sheets over and over again, but it still looked too surreal. Just as they were arriving at the gym in Santa Monica his thoughts were disrupted by his cell phone.

‘Trevor. What have you got for me?’

‘Well, as you know I have no access to airline records, but I do have access to Immigration records. Just to be on the safe side I checked from the 1st to the 12th of July. Victoria Baker never cleared passport control.’

‘She never boarded the plane.’

‘It looks that way.’

‘Thanks, bud.’

‘Sure, man. Don’t be a stranger.’

With his badge in hand Hunter forced his way through the small crowd at the gym’s entrance lobby to reach the reception desk.

‘Is Joe Bowman the manager here?’ he asked even before one of the two receptionists had a chance to check his credentials.

‘Yes.’ The reply sounded a little shy.

‘We need to speak to him.’ His voice was demanding.

Both detectives watched as the blond receptionist quickly picked up the phone and dialed the manager’s direct line. A quick murmured conversation followed.

‘Trish, can you handle it out here by yourself for five minutes?’ the blond girl asked, putting the phone down and turning to the other receptionist, a short, red-haired girl with a handful of freckles under each ocean-blue eye.

‘Yeah, I’ll be alright,’ Trish replied with a slight Texan accent.

The blond receptionist pressed a button behind the counter and the light on one of the turnstiles went green. ‘Please come through, gentlemen,’ she said to both detectives before joining them on the other side. ‘Please follow me.’

The manager’s office was at the far end of the packed main gym floor. The receptionist knocked three times and as the door opened they were greeted by a striking-looking African American man, about two inches taller than Hunter and at least twenty pounds heavier, all of it muscle. He was wearing a black, skintight T-shirt that seemed to be two sizes smaller than he needed and his crew-cut hairstyle made him look like an army sergeant. He introduced himself as Joe Bowman.

‘This is about Vicki I presume,’ he said, showing both detectives into the room.

‘That’s correct,’ Hunter said as they occupied the two leather chairs facing an attractive black and white desk. Joe sat behind it.

Hunter studied the man behind the desk for a quick second. ‘You look familiar, have we met before?’ he asked, squinting as if searching his memory.

Bowman stared at Hunter for a moment. ‘I don’t think so, not that I can remember anyway.’

Hunter dismissed the thought after a few seconds with a quick shrug of his shoulders. ‘You were the one who reported Victoria Baker missing, is that right?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’

‘And why was that?’

Bowman looked up from his hands with a dubious smile. ‘Because she’s gone missing.’ He pronounced every word slower than normal.

Wise-ass, Hunter thought. ‘What I mean is why you? Are you her husband, boyfriend, lover?’

Bowman’s eyes moved to the receptionist who was still standing by the door. ‘That will be all, Carey. I’ll take it from here.’

In silence she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

His attention came back to the detectives. ‘I’m not her husband, boyfriend or lover. I’m married.’ He made a head movement towards a picture on his desk of a woman with short black hair and a contagious smile.

Hunter acknowledged the photograph but the sorrow in Bowman’s eyes betrayed him.

‘She was supposed to be back at work on the twenty-sixth, but she never showed up. That’s very unlike her. She’s a very responsible person, very professional, never takes sick days or time off, always on time.’

‘But why you and not her family, husband or boyfriend?’

‘Vicki isn’t married and she’s not in a relationship at the moment. Her family is from Canada. She was flying back there to see them. She lives alone in a small rented apartment a few miles from here.’

‘Has her family contacted you?’ Hunter asked. ‘If they were expecting her and she didn’t turn up, wouldn’t they be worried?’

Bowman looked at Hunter nervously. ‘They didn’t know she was going up there. Sort of a surprise you see? What do you mean, she didn’t turn up?’

‘We checked with the airline, she never boarded the plane.’

‘Oh my God!’ Bowman said, running his hands through his hair. ‘She’s been missing for all this time?’

‘You said she was supposed to be back here on the twenty-sixth of last month, still you only reported her missing two days ago – the thirty-first. Why did you wait five days?’

‘I just got back from Europe on the thirty-first. I was in a bodybuilding competition.’

‘When did you leave for Europe?’ Garcia asked.

‘Two days after Vicky left.’ He stared down at his trembling hands. ‘I should’ve tried calling her when I was in Europe; we spoke on the day she was supposed to go to Canada,’ he murmured in a sad tone.

‘Why would you call her? She’s just an employee, right?’ Hunter pushed him.

Joe Bowman looked uncomfortable. He tried giving Hunter a pale smile but failed.

Hunter pulled his chair closer to his desk and leaned forward, resting both elbows on it. ‘C’mon Joe, it’s time to come clean now, she was more than just an employee, right?’

Silence.

‘Look Mr Bowman, we’re not the marriage police. We’re not here to question you about your relationship with your wife,’ he pointed to the framed picture over the desk. ‘But Victoria Baker might be in some serious trouble and all we wanna do is help, but for that we need your cooperation. Whatever you tell us, will stay between us. If she means anything to you, please help us.’ Hunter gave him a confident smile.

Bowman hesitated for a moment, staring at his wife’s picture. ‘We are in love,’ he finally gave in.

Hunter kept his eyes on Bowman, waiting for him to carry on.

‘We’re thinking about moving in together.’

Garcia’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘How about your marriage?’ he asked.

Bowman massaged his eyes with his right hand taking his time to answer. ‘My marriage died a couple of years ago.’ His eyes were back on the picture over the desk. ‘The love is gone… the conversation is gone… it’s like we’re total strangers to each other. We tried patching things up a year ago, but there’s nothing there to patch up.’ His tone was firm with a hint of sadness.

‘When did you and Vicki start seeing each other?’

‘About eight months ago. She has this thing about her, this contagious happiness… she made me happy again. So a couple of months ago I decided I would ask my wife for a divorce and do what makes me happy, and that is being with Vicki.’

‘Did Vicki know? Did you tell her about your plans?’

‘Yes, that’s why she was going back to Canada.’

Hunter gave him a puzzled look.

‘She wanted to let her parents know that she was thinking about getting a place together with me. She wanted their blessing.’

Hunter’s confused look didn’t go away.

‘She comes from a very traditional family,’ Bowman explained. ‘She wanted them to accept me.’

‘Accept the idea that their daughter was moving in with a married man?’ Garcia asked intrigued.

‘No,’ Hunter answered first. ‘Accept the idea of their daughter moving in with an African American man,’ he concluded.

‘Black,’ Bowman corrected him. ‘We like to be called black. That’s what we are and black is not an offensive word. This political correctness thing is all bullshit if you ask me, but you’re right. You can say her family would disapprove of our relationship.’

‘And you didn’t keep in touch with her while you were in Europe?’

‘No… I should have…’ his voice trailed off.

‘Why not?’

‘She wanted it that way. She said she needed time to get the idea through to them. I knew she was supposed to be back here on the thirty-first, so I tried calling her from Europe then, but I never got a reply. There was nothing I could do from where I was. When I got back I panicked when I couldn’t find her, so I called the police.’

‘You said she lives just a few miles from here?’ Hunter asked.

‘Yes, in North Croft Avenue.’

‘Do you have the keys to her apartment?’

‘No, I don’t,’ Bowman’s eyes were unable to meet Hunter’s. ‘But I’ve already been through all this with the other officers.’

‘From the Missing Persons’ Department?’

‘That’s right.’

‘We’re not Missing Persons. We’re Homicide.’

Bowman glared in surprise and fear. ‘Homicide?’

Hunter took out a copy of the sketch Isabella had given them together with the twenty different permutations of it and placed it on Joe’s desk.

‘Have you ever seen this man?’

Bowman picked the sketches up with shaking hands and looked at them attentively.

‘No, I can’t say I have. Who’s he supposed to be?’

Without saying a word, Hunter produced the computer-generated portrait of the first victim and placed it on the desk. Joe stared at it confused. His eyes pleaded for an explanation. ‘Why do you have a digital image of Vicki?’ he offered in an unsteady voice with watery eyes before Hunter had a chance to ask the question.

‘What does this have to do with Vicki going missing? Why do I have Homicide detectives in my office? Why do you have a digital image of Vicki?’

‘There might be a connection to a different investigation we’re conducting,’ Garcia explained.

‘A Homicide investigation? Do you think she might be dead?’ His voice croaked with dread.

‘We don’t know yet.’

‘Oh my God! Who would ever want to harm Vicki? She is the sweetest person you could ever meet.’

‘Let’s not jump to conclusions yet, Mr Bowman,’ Hunter tried calming him down. ‘About this person,’ he pointed to the sketches. ‘Are you sure you haven’t seen him in your gym?’

‘If he’s been in this gym, the receptionists are the ones to ask.’

‘Don’t worry, we’ll ask them. We’ll also need Vicki’s address.’

In silence Joe wrote her address down and handed it to Hunter.

‘Were you guys into clubbing, partying, going out, you know, that sort of thing?’ Hunter carried on.

Bowman looked at Hunter confused. ‘No, not at all. Because of my situation we couldn’t really advertise our relationship to the world.’

Hunter nodded. ‘Did she like going out by herself or with friends to places like that?’

‘Not that I know,’ Bowman answered hesitantly.

‘Do you know if she took part in unorthodox parties?’ Garcia cut in.

Bowman and Hunter looked at Garcia with the same mystified look. Neither of them really certain of what he meant by unorthodox parties.

‘I’m not sure I know what you’re asking me,’ Bowman replied.

Hunter was as interested in Garcia’s explanation as Bowman was.

No point in beating around the bush, Garcia thought. ‘Was she into sex parties, BDSM, fetish… things of that nature?’

‘What sort of question is that?’ Bowman asked wide-eyed.

‘The sort of question that pertains to this investigation.’

‘Are you asking me if Vicki was a pervert?’ Bowman blasted in an offended tone.

‘No, just if you know if she was into that sort of thing.’

‘No, she wasn’t.’

Hunter decided to cut in. ‘Is she well off? I mean is she well paid?’

Bowman turned his attention to Hunter with a ‘what does that have to do with anything?’ expression.

‘Can she afford expensive stuff?’ Hunter tried to clarify.

‘What kind of stuff? Drugs?’ Bowman’s expression was even more puzzled now.

‘No. Beauty stuff – moisturizers, creams, make-up, you know, women stuff.’

‘Well, she ain’t rich, not by LA standards anyway, but I’d say she earns enough. Now, where beauty stuff is concerned she spends a fortune. I’ve seen her pay over 300 dollars for an anti-wrinkle night cream and the bottle was the size of a pack of gum.’

Hunter cocked both eyebrows in surprise.

‘That’s not all,’ Bowman continued. ‘Four hundred dollars on an eye cream from Switzerland, 150 dollars on a bottle of nail varnish, not counting what she spends on manicures, pedicures, moisturizers, beauty treatments and spas. She can go without food, but not without her beauty creams and serums. Vicki’s very vain. Maybe too vain.’

‘Does Vicki have a locker or a place where she keeps her stuff?’ Hunter asked.

‘Yes. All members of staff do. We encourage everyone to exercise. We all have assigned lockers.’

‘That’s great. Can we see hers?’

‘It’s got an electronic lock and it needs a four-digit combination code. She’s the only one who knows hers.’

‘Yes, but I’m sure there’s an override code,’ Garcia said.

Bowman twisted his mouth wondering if that was the right thing to do. ‘Don’t you need a warrant to look through her things?’

‘We are trying to find her, not put her in prison. A warrant could take a day or so, meanwhile we are losing precious time,’ Hunter shot back.

‘It’s inside the women’s changing room.’

‘We only need five minutes, just tell whoever is inside the changing room to cover up,’ Garcia said.

A short silence followed.

‘We’re losing time here,’ Hunter pressed.

‘OK,’ Bowman finally gave in. ‘Give me a few minutes. I’ll ask one of the receptionists to make an announcement.’

Hunter studied Bowman as he quickly spoke on the phone to the front desk. ‘Are you sure we haven’t met before? You really do look familiar,’ Hunter asked once he had put the phone down.

‘I’ve appeared in several bodybuilding magazines. I’m a pro competitor. You look pretty fit yourself. Do you ever buy any fitness magazines?’ Bowman replied.

Hunter snapped his fingers. ‘Once or twice, yes. That’s probably where I’ve seen you before then.’

Bowman gave Hunter an unenthusiastic smile.

Ten minutes later they were standing in front of locker number 365 inside the ladies’ dressing room. Bowman punched in a six-digit code that bypassed Vicki’s original one. The small light on the locking mechanism went from red to green and the door clicked open. Garcia had fetched some latex gloves from his car and Hunter was the one with the task of going through her things.

There wasn’t much in there. A pair of running shoes, two pairs of socks, training shorts, a woman’s top and a pair of fingerless weightlifting gloves. On the top shelf he found what he needed. A spray can of deodorant and a hairbrush. He picked them both up and placed them inside separate plastic bags.

Bowman watched in silence wondering why they were taking only two items and leaving the rest behind.