The White Angel Murder

24

Stanton sat in his car outside the two-story house in Del Mar. Jessica sat next to him, reading a paperback novel and sipping a Starbucks coffee.

It was a quiet street and there were no signs of children in the neighborhood. It was primarily youthful couples that had inherited money or retirees that were ready to spend some. More than once Stanton saw women in their forties and fifties wearing tight spandex workout pants and tank tops climbing into massive SUV’s to head presumably to the gym and then the tanning salon.

“That him?” Jessica asked.

Stanton looked over to the home and saw George Young climb out of a new Hummer and check his mailbox. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves hemmed so that they showed off his arms. Stanton could see the tip of a tattoo poking out on the right arm.

Before he got to the door a woman in a dress opened it and kissed him on the cheek as he walked in. It was not the woman Stanton saw him having lunch with.

“Yeah, that’s him. You never met him?”

“No, haven’t had the pleasure. Seems like a douche.”

“He is a douche. He and a few other guys in Vice steal steroids from the evidence lockers. I think they pay off one of the custodians.”

“Have you talked to Harlow about it?”

“Doesn’t work like that. I would be more despised than them. I wouldn’t find any proof anyway.”

“So you just let it go?”

“Of the seven Vice guys I knew doing it three have been fired for unrelated things and one is serving time in County for assault. They screw themselves; they don’t need me to do it.”

“So what’s the game plan for him?”

“I just want to see how he reacts. He’s obvious. He won’t be able to hide his surprise.”

“You sound pretty sure of that. What if you’re wrong and you just tip him off?”

“Then we’re back where we started.”

“All right. Lead the way.”

They walked across the street and to the large wooden door. Stanton knocked and took a step forward, nearly to the door. The woman answered.

“Yes?”

“I’m Detective Jon Stanton. Can we speak to Detective Young please?”

“Sure.” She turned and yelled, “Honey, it’s for you.”

Young stepped out from the kitchen, his face turning red as he saw Stanton there, inches away from being in his home. He mumbled something to the woman and then came out onto the porch, pushing his way past Stanton and nearly shoulder checking Jessica.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Why did you tell Francisco not to include the information about Tami Jacobs dating a police officer in his report?”

Stanton watched the anger flair on his face. His lips curled and his eyes widened. Stanton put his hands behind his back and lifted his chin slightly, as if welcoming a blow.

“Are you fucking kidding me!” he bellowed. “You talked to him after I gave you orders not to?”

“You’re not my supervisor, George. And I’m investigating this case and asked you a question.”

“Fuck you,” he said, jabbing his finger into Stanton’s chest. “I’m going to Harlow.” He got in Stanton’s face. “If anything happens to any of my guys, I’m comin’ after you.”

He walked inside and slammed the door. Stanton looked over the yard. It was immaculate, much like the inside of the house he had seen. The woman that had answered had perfect nails and soft, smooth hands. Not a housewife’s hands. They hired help for the yard and house.

“Well that was productive,” Jessica said.

“It wasn’t him.”

“How do you know?”

“He was more worried about his undercover than the accusation. Plus he wouldn’t go to Harlow and risk being found out. I don’t think it was him.” He looked to the Hummer. “But I think he’s doing more than taking the steroids.”

*****

Stanton finished up at the office and was about to leave when he got a call from Tommy that the chief wanted to see him. He went to Harlow’s office and knocked.

“Come in.”

He walked in and waited by the door without sitting down. Conversations went faster when one of the participants stood.

“What’s going on, Mike?”

“I just got a call from George.”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me you didn’t accuse him of what I think you accused him of?”

“I had to. But I don’t think it was him.”

“Why did you have to?”

“One of the detectives in the case was ordered not to include the information about Tami dating a police officer in the report. I thought it could be George. But I was wrong.”

“He’s a good cop.” Stanton didn’t say anything. “What?”

“How long have you known he’s been dealing steroids?”

Surprise flashed across his face only a brief moment and then went away. “A while.”

“It’s dangerous, Mike. Other people see it and get ideas that the department doesn’t care what they do.”

“I’m working on it. I only found out about it a few months ago and didn’t realize how deep it ran. A lot of careers could be ruined and I don’t want to do that just yet.”

“Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Jon?”

“Yeah?”

“How’d you guess that I knew?”

“He’s too open about it. Someone doing it on the sly wouldn’t buy a fifty thousand dollar car. I figured he had somebody’s permission.”

“I’m going to stop them, Jon. I promise.”

Stanton looked at him a long time. He had the urge to look away, but didn’t. “Yeah.”