The Tin Collector

Chapter 39

THE UNOFFICIAL NOTIFICATION of a crime to a civilian was known in police work as a courtesy report.

Shane had revealed Sandy Sandoval's identity to Alexa over breakfast in her neat duplex apartment on Pico, two blocks east of Century City. He had slept fitfully on her living-room couch, and now, marginally refreshed, they left her place and drove across town. It was Saturday morning, and Barrington Plaza loomed, a tower of sunlit granite.

Shane pulled up, and Alexa badged the shoulder-braided bandleader who announced them, then keyed the elevator. Show tunes from the Boston Pops serenaded their arrival at the penthouse level. It was eleven-thirty A. M.

"So this is the famous Black Widow Nest," Alexa said, looking at the magnificent hallway on the eighteenth floor.

Most of the LAPD knew about her and knew that Shane had once been the Black Widow's handler, but her real name had been in the possession of only two Special Crimes detective commanders. Shane had deliberated hard before telling Alexa. In the end, it was the fact that Chooch's life was involved that made the decision for him.

Shane rang the doorbell to Sandy's penthouse apartment, dreading the job of telling her what had happened. He was sweating, but it was flop sweat, cold and clammy as wet clothing.

The mahogany door opened, and Sandy was standing there in a tailored black sheath that fit her size-four frame like a second skin skin that was dusky, the color of dark sand; her eyes, golden-brown amber; her long raven tresses swirling around her shoulders with planned abandon. A single strand of pearls dangled with fuck-you elegance. She was dressed to party. She stood in the doorway, a questioning look on her gorgeous face. Then she shot a quick glance at Alexa.

"What is it? This is a terrible time, Shane. I'm bushed, I just got home."

"Chooch is gone," Shane said. "He's been kidnapped."

"I… I thought you said you had found him," Sandy finally stammered, her liquid amber eyes losing focus, clouding like a fighter hit too hard.

"He's been kidnapped, Sandy. By men who are trying to stop an investigation. I'm afraid…" He stopped. "I think by cops," he finished.

"Cops?!" she said, and involuntarily her hand went up to her mouth.

"This is Sergeant Hamilton. She's my " He looked over at Alexa. What exactly was she? His department prosecutor? His only believer? His nemesis? What the hell else was she?

"I'm Shane's partner," she said, answering his question and filling the void.

Sandy spun abruptly and headed back into her apartment. Alexa and Shane followed. She walked slowly ahead of them, fluid as a dancer, her hips swaying seductively. Shane would have preferred a more leaden gait. Even in the face of this news, she radiated sexual grace. When she turned and faced them, he saw distress bordering on hysteria in her eyes. Instantly his heart went out to her, and guilt overwhelmed him.

"Why? Where did it happen?" she asked.

"An apartment on Third Street, a safe house I was renting. I guess they followed the sitter over from my place in Venice. I can't think of any other way they could have found him," Shane said.

"We aren't exactly sure who," Alexa said. "But it appears to be high-ranking police officers who are calling the shots."

"You should go to the chief. Go to Burl. Tell him what you suspect."

When Alexa hesitated and looked at Shane, Sandy sank down on the sofa. "You're telling me you think Burl's "

"We don't know exactly who is involved," Shane said. "But it goes way up. Maybe all the way to the mayor. It involves Logan Hunter, Tony Spivack, and the Long Beach Naval Yard."

"The 'why' is easier to understand. They took Chooch to keep us from continuing an investigation into it," Alexa said.

Sandy looked down at the white plush pile to hide her devastation.

"Sandy… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't see it coming. If I could change this, I "

She waved this away with her slender hand, sat absolutely still for a moment, then looked up. Her expression had hardened, the vulnerability had vanished. "How can I help? There must be something we can do." He watched in fascination as she tucked the loose strands of panic away, grabbed hold of her plummeting emotions, pulled hard, and darted up quickly, climbing hard, like a kite in a strong wind.

"Do you know any of these girls?" Alexa asked as she reached into her purse and handed over two packets of pictures from the party at the naval yard. Sandy spread them out on the white marble coffee table. She picked up a small antique magnifying glass with a carved ivory handle and examined each picture.

"I know one or two of these girls," she said, looking at them slowly, studying the shots, separating out the pictures of the two girls she knew. "Scarlet Mackenzie is the red-haired one. This one here this blonde changed her name from Gina Augustina to, what the hell was it… Avon Star. Used to have black hair. I think some of these others used to work with Madam Alex until Heidi took over the L. A. market. They all work the executive trade."

"What about the men? We know a lot of them are cops," Alexa said.

Sandy looked through the pictures again but shook her head. "To be honest with you, I'm not working much with LAPD anymore." She shoved the pictures of the two girls she knew toward Alexa, never once looking over at Shane. "I only know these two."

"These girls might know what's going on," Alexa said. "We need to find somebody who can help us, somebody who can tell us who took Chooch."

Sandy studied Alexa for a moment, then looked back at Shane. "I'm going to have to shut down this thing I'm doing for DEA. I'll tell 'em I need two days, that my brother got sick in Connecticut." She got up, moved to the phone, then punched in fourteen or more digits, which Shane knew was probably a number for a satellite beeper that the feds all used now.

After she finished, Sandy hung up and returned to the table. She sat down and looked at them, biting her lower lip. "Maybe I could convince Scarlet to duke me in with this crowd."

Duke me in, Shane thought. Sandy was even beginning to talk like a cop. It was definitely time for her to get out of the business.

"I could call Scarlet, say I just got out of a bad marriage and want to get back on the stroll. Nobody knows what I've been doing all these years. I haven't seen these two girls in ages."

Shane had to get out of there. He was starting to feel trapped. He got up abruptly. "Here's my beeper number," he said, giving Sandy one of his cards. "It's on all the time."

Alexa took out a pencil, wrote hers down, and handed it to Sandy.

"Okay," Sandy said. "I'll check back with you tomorrow. I should be able to get in touch with her by then. I'll set something up. If she knows anything that will help us get Chooch back, I'll find it."

"Good," Shane said.

They all walked to the front door. Sandy seemed cool and in control again. After she opened the door, she looked hard at him, and Shane knew he had to say something.

"I was trying to do you a favor when I took Chooch," he said. "It didn't work out, and I'm sorry."

What she said next was very strange. "You weren't doing me a favor, Shane, I was doing one for you."

He saw the dark, strange look again, and then her amber eyes opened for a moment and he was seeing her uncovered core… a self-loathing and sadness deeper than he could have ever imagined. Then the look was gone, replaced in a heartbeat by shrewd cunning and the cold gleam of sexuality. She closed the door, and he found himself looking at brown mahogany, the exact color of her eyes and almost as hard.