Pale as Death Read online

  Sophie clicked to the next picture.

  At first, it appeared to be exactly the same. It was black and white. The hue, contrast, saturation...everything seemed to be identical.

  “The police must have taken the bag up before this—” she began.

  She broke off.

  “No,” Bruce said quietly. “That’s one of the first shots taken by Henry Atkins when Lili Montana’s body was found. Why in hell...”

  “Henry?” Sophie whispered. “Oh, God, no. Henry could never, never do anything like this.”

  And yet...

  The pictures...two distant decades...two different girls.

  The images were almost exactly the same.

  9

  Thursday afternoon

  So many images...so grotesque that none of them seemed real.

  And yet they were.

  “He is a police photographer,” Sophie said, her voice toneless.

  “Yes, a photographer who has worked for years and years—and who probably wants to make something more of his work than just images for a police file. How well do you know Henry Atkins?” Bruce asked her. He could see that the very idea that someone she knew and worked with could even begin to think about perpetrating such a crime was disturbing to her. He wanted to tell her that it was still—despite the photos—most unlikely that Henry Atkins might have had anything to do with the crimes.

  But he really couldn’t tell her anything. He just didn’t know.

  She shrugged. “We’ve worked together a long time. He’s with the forensic team. He’s not LAPD. He’s a civilian employee. He is called in on major cases—obviously—and he’s also asked to work as a sketch artist. He’s enhanced photos for us—he’s aged them for us. He’s good.”

  “Does he do other work? I mean, with his photography.”

  “I know that he photographed a friend’s wedding,” Sophie said. “And birds—he loves to take pictures of birds.”

  Bruce drummed his fingers on the conference table and looked at her thoughtfully. She didn’t want a friend to be guilty, but she had independently come up with the idea that it might be a cop. Or, someone connected to the cops.

  It was more than possible. The similarities to the old case were amazing. The present killer’s ability to avoid forensic clues seemed pretty remarkable, too. But was that from close proximity to law enforcement? Or research?

  “Henry doesn’t look much like a young and upcoming producer,” he said. “And he sent you these quickly and willingly. He might be doing the same thing—trying to find exactly what the similarities and differences were in the killing.”

  Sophie nodded. “Of course. Can we...”

  “Have him tailed?” Bruce asked her.

  She nodded.

  “I’ll have to talk to Jackson. I mean, I assume you want someone not associated with LAPD.”

  “Right.” She sighed. “You know, this department has gone through so much with so many sensational cases. And a lot of times, the cops have come out not looking so good. But it is a good department now, honestly.”

  “I believe you. And if we’re looking back, two of the primary suspects were surgeons, not cops.”

  Sophie sat silently. Then she sighed. “About sixty people confessed to the Black Dahlia killing. Sixty! We barely even have one lead.”

  “Sophie, it’s considered the most sensational unsolved murder on the LAPD books. Armchair sleuths across the country have studied it for years. But here’s the thing. Our case is fresh. Let’s go over what we know now. We know that the girls were fed a line about auditioning. We know where they met with the ‘producer’ who was going to make them rich and famous.”

  “This guy is pretending to be the kind of player who could change the industry—and that would lean toward the Bugsy Siegel/Norman Chandler theory—which some believe, and some discount.” Norman Chandler had followed in his father’s footsteps and become editor of the LA Times—and he and his wife had also been high in society. Chandler had been the money behind the Hollywood Palladium—a very important man.

  “So, on that end, from what I’ve read, the idea is that Bugsy Siegel was hired to killed the Dahlia, and bisected her because she was pregnant with Chandler’s illegitimate heir.”

  “We can go crazy on theories.”

  “But you’re right. There’s something we’re not seeing.”

  “Let’s shake it off. We need to head out.”

  “Yes, you do,” Michael Thoreau suddenly interjected.

  Bruce had been so focused on Sophie that he hadn’t seen their ghost arrive. But there he was—looking despondent—seated at the end of the conference table. He said bleakly to Sophie, “I really meant to help you. I didn’t mean for your partner to get shot, you know.”

  “Michael, you did help us,” Sophie assured him. “Because of you, we know where the girls were lured. You’ve given us a start like no other.”

  He seemed to perk up a bit, then he asked, “But at what cost?”

  “Grant Vining is going to be fine,” she told him.

  Bruce stood with purpose. “One of them—either Lili or Brenda—had to have said something to someone that will give us more of a clue. I want to see Kenneth Trent again—with you, this time, Sophie. We’ll try him, and then we’ll go back to Lili’s boyfriend, and the ex-boyfriend, and then any friend of Brenda’s.”

  “They’ve all been questioned,” Michael said.

  “But not by the super-trio of Michael, Bruce, Sophie,” Bruce said. “Let’s go.”

  Their first call was Kenneth Trent. He was easy to find—usually in his office, unless he was rehearsing, and he didn’t call his rehearsals until night.

  It was nearly 5:00 p.m. when they arrived, but they could hear someone talking inside the office. For a moment, it sounded like a fierce argument. Sophie rapped on the door, and the voices stopped abruptly.

  Bruce and Sophie looked at one another.

  Bruce was just about to bust the door in.

  “Wait,” Michael said. “It’s just a scene from something...they’re reading or rehearsing something.”

  A minute later, the door opened. Kenneth Trent stood there, and looked curiously out.

  At first, he saw just Sophie. “Hello. I don’t have an appointment for you... Are you here to audition?”

  Bruce realized he wasn’t so sure he liked working in Hollywood. Law enforcement had to be damned difficult.

  “Who the hell ever knows what’s real out here?” he whispered to Sophie.

  “Or anywhere?” she whispered back quickly. Then she raised her voice pleasantly and spoke to Kenneth Trent. “No, I’m afraid that I’m not here to audition, Mr. Trent.”

  “Oh, well, I have an actress with me now, but you’re more than welcome to leave your information, to come back...” He stopped speaking, finally noticing Bruce. “Oh...hey. It’s um, it’s you, Mr. McFadden.”

  “Yes, it’s me,” Bruce said.

  “This is Detective Manning.”

  “Sophie.” Politely offering Kenneth a hand, she suggested he use her first name.

  “Come in, come in!” he said. “Grace and I were just rehearsing.”

  Bruce was startled by the resemblance to Lili Montana, Brenda Sully—and the Black Dahlia—that he saw in the pretty, curly headed brunette in the seat before Kenneth’s desk.

  She stood when they walked in.

  “This is Grace Leon,” Kenneth said, introducing the young woman. “She’s just done an audition for the Hollywood Hooligans.”

  “Great,” Sophie said. “I understand Kenneth has created a really talented troop of players doing all kinds of interesting things.”

  “Yes!” Grace said enthusiastically. “One of his actors just landed a major role on a cable show.”

  “Sloan Johnson,” Kenneth said. “We
’re really so proud of her.”

  Bruce wasn’t sure why, but he was pretty certain that Sloan Johnson just might have curly dark hair, too.

  “Her opportunity gave me my opportunity,” Grace said. She let out a soft sigh. “This just isn’t an easy town...or an easy dream.”

  “No, not at all,” Sophie said, looking at Kenneth. “You’re sure that this cable show thing is totally legitimate? I’m assuming you’ve seen the news. Young women are urged to be extremely cautious when attending interviews or auditions.”

  “No, no, it was legit,” Kenneth said. “I drove her to the audition myself.”

  “We’re hungry for success—but not stupid,” Grace assured them. “We’ve all been watching the news. Lili was a friend. But... Do the police have something? Any suspects?”

  “Well, you know,” Sophie said lightly, “contrary to what you see on TV, it’s not all that easy. But in this case, no matter how many times we have to go back to the same friends, family, witnesses and even casual acquaintances, we will get our guy. And, of course, that’s why we’re back. Hoping, Kenneth, that you might have something...anything...else that might help us.”

  Bruce thought that Kenneth would give off a weary sigh, shake his head, and swear that he didn’t know anything more.

  But Kenneth glanced at Grace Leon, and she looked down at her hands.

  “He does know something,” the ghost of Michael stage-whispered from behind them.

  “Wow, I am so sorry,” Kenneth began.

  “You’re going to be sorry,” Sophie interrupted sweetly, “if you don’t tell me what it is you’re hiding.”

  “I—I no, no—”

  “Come on, Kenneth,” Bruce said.

  “We can go back to the station,” Sophie said. “In fact, we should do that.”

  “Oh, crap, I think I need a lawyer. I can’t afford a lawyer,” Kenneth said bleakly.

  “Why would you need a lawyer? Did you have anything to do with—”

  “God, no! I loved Lili—I didn’t know Brenda...”

  His voice trailed. Bruce knew the sound of his voice—and his expression. There was something that he wasn’t saying. Maybe nothing important in the end, maybe something. He tried to home in on what the truth might be.

  “You didn’t know Brenda well. But you did know her. At the very least, you met her. Or you saw her—somewhere.”

  Kenneth turned the color of pale white chalk. His mouth worked.

  “Oh!” Grace Leon urged him to take her chair. She stared at Bruce. “Kenneth is a good man,” she said.

  “We believe that,” Sophie said. “But...”

  Kenneth took the chair.

  Sophie hunkered down by him. “Look, Kenneth, I just met you, but I’m a cop and I’ve been one for a while, and I’m getting to know people. I don’t believe for a minute that you killed anyone. But there is something that you’re holding back. You do know Brenda Sully, too. Or, at the very least, you met her.”

  Kenneth looked at the two of them. “I swear to you, I didn’t even realize it at first.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Grace said quickly. “I told you, Kenneth is one of the good guys, working hard for everyone. And that’s why... I know what he knows—and doesn’t know and didn’t know. Until he figured it out. We—were just talking about it.”

  “Talk to us,” Sophie suggested softly.

  “I swear, I didn’t even know her name,” Kenneth said. “But I met the young woman I now know to be Brenda Sully when she came here to audition. It’s not like actors flock here, but I get a fair amount of interest. Because I pay people. And the thing is, a lot of our talent does go on to be seen by the right people, picked up by good agents. We have a good reputation.”

  “Why didn’t you say before that you knew Brenda, too?” Bruce asked him.

  Kenneth looked at him with wide eyes. “I swear to you, I didn’t even realize that I knew her at first—like I said, she just came by. She didn’t have a scheduled appointment. I had a group in here doing reading. I had them keep going and I went to the door. When I told her we were busy, she promised to come back in a few days. Like I said—I never even knew her name. But just today I found her head shot and résumé on my desk.”

  “When was this, that she stopped by?” Sophie asked him.

  “I guess about a week before she was killed.” He paused and took in a deep breath. “About a week before Lili was killed, too.”

  Bruce looked at Sophie. He believed the man.

  He believed that Sophie did, too.

  “I would have brought it up if I had thought that it could have helped...but honestly, she was just another pretty girl with dark, wavy, swinging hair, and...” He paused for a minute, wincing as he looked at Grace Leon. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t sure. I kept looking at the picture on the news. She did seem familiar. And then when I was sorting papers on my desk I realized that Brenda Sully did come here. But not the day she died! Lili was here that day, and she left. I swear it. But I didn’t see Brenda that day—just before.”

  “It was at least a week before. Kenneth is a really good guy,” Grace said. “I mean, it can’t be important, right? The news is all over the fact that a studio was found and that the girls were last seen there. There were bums in the alley. Darned bums probably did it!” Grace said.

  Grace seemed to be getting on Sophie’s nerves. “How long have you been with the Hollywood Hooligans?” she asked her. “Were you friends with Lili Montana? Or are you here to take her place?”

  The young woman was suddenly and acutely uncomfortable. “No, I’m, uh...if I’m taking anyone’s place, it’s Sloan Johnson’s. Except people don’t take other people’s places here. It’s an ensemble, right, Kenneth?”

  “I see. And let me ask you this—how long have you known Kenneth?” Sophie asked.

  “Well...we met years ago.”

  “At an audition,” Kenneth explained.

  “And you’ve stayed close since then, have you?” Sophie asked.

  “Once friends, always friends,” Grace said, squeezing Kenneth’s hand.

  Bruce couldn’t judge the young woman’s acting skills. Though, with his folks, he’d had a certain amount of experience with all levels of talent.

  But one thing he was certain of. Whether she could or couldn’t act, she was quick to find the right words to create a truth out of what she wanted to be true—even if it included a great deal of exaggeration.

  Kenneth, on the other hand, just didn’t seem to be much of a liar.

  “We, uh, met up again this week,” he admitted.

  “So I figured,” Sophie said.

  “How the hell could you know that?” Grace demanded, irritated.

  Bruce laughed. “She is a detective.”

  “Well, then, she ought to be finding the damned murderer, right, and not tormenting people like Kenneth!” Grace announced. “Some detective! Letting murderers get away and harassing good people.”

  Sophie’s stiffening was barely perceptible. She was furious, of course. Bruce thought she was also just a slight bit drily amused by Grace’s naïveté.

  He was ready to step in, but Sophie just looked at her and said softly, “We do hope to find this killer, Miss Leon. Before he strikes again. And harassing good people, as you say, often helps us in our search. We are afraid—and perhaps you should be, too. You see, despite our warnings, LA is filled with dreamers—not a bad thing—but of course, dreamers who might be thinking the bad couldn’t possibly happen to them, so if something was offered to them, it would naturally be legitimate. Everything helps, Miss Leon. Everything. Our knowing that there is a link—that both women had been here—may be incredibly important. It could be where this killer first saw his victims. Where he’s searching for more.”

  Sophie turned away from her and focused on Kenneth. “Mr. Trent
, we do hope that you’ll be here, ready to help us again if we need to speak with you.”

  “Yes, for sure,” Kenneth told her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Be seeing you,” Bruce told Kenneth, nodding to Grace Leon.

  When they were out the door, Bruce turned to Sophie with admiration. “Wow. Good job.”

  “I’m not sure where we’ve gotten, so I don’t really know what you mean.”

  “Well, let’s see—you didn’t crack Grace Leon in the jaw after her wiseass comments,” he said.

  Michael Thoreau’s ghost had followed them out. “I’d have decked her. No, no, I was taught never to hit a woman. But, hey, I would have been tempted to deck her.”

  “It’s okay—I’ve met with worse,” Sophie assured them.

  “So, both victims...” Bruce said.

  “I’m going to stick around here tonight, see what I see. If nothing else, I’ll be a fly on the wall and see what Kenneth’s new girl is up to,” Michael said.

  “That would be helpful,” Sophie said. “I don’t believe that Kenneth Trent is guilty of anything—other than being a good guy who likes to give actors work—but maybe you’ll see or hear something that might be useful.” Michael nodded at her and she smiled. Then she grew thoughtful. “I’ve got to call Captain—now we know that both young women have been in this building, trying to become part of the Hollywood Hooligans. We need to start running the names of others involved with the troupe of performers. Venues where they’ve performed, professional suppliers, costumers, whoever else.” She took her phone out as she spoke.

  Bruce nodded. “I’ll let Jackson know, too.”

  They were both on their phones as they said goodbye to Michael and left the building. When they reached the street, Bruce checked his watch.

  “I want to speak with Lili’s boyfriend again. Jace Brown has a job at a bar just around the corner, and he comes on at seven, so he’s just gotten in.”

  “Let’s go see him.”

  * * *

  The bar where Jace worked had a handsome facade of glass and chrome and pretty paint-scrolled writing on the window that advertised it as “Pasquale’s.”

  There was an attractive young hostess at the door. Sophie explained who she was and asked if they might see Jace for a moment.