Marcia Muller - Locked In

He and Craig and Hy debated what to do about Susan Angelo. She was being cooperative-obviously all her loyalty to her friend Yatz had evaporated upon her being found out-but her cooperation would only last so long. There wasn’t anything they could have her arrested for except presenting false credentials, and even a bad public defender could get her out on bail in hours on such a charge. Then, to save her ass, she’d either take off or, more likely, sell her story to the press. And all hell would break loose.

People involved in the scandal would start lawyering up. The mayor would take a heavy hit. And they still didn’t have all the answers.

Such as: Who shot Shar? Who killed Harvey Davis? Who killed Teller and Janssen?

“Shit, I don’t know,” Hy said. They were in the conference room, while Julia, who had returned from dropping something off at Richman Labs, was pretending to make nice to Angelo in Shar’s office. “We can’t keep her here against her will.”

Mick said, “I don’t trust her. She walks out of here, and she’ll go straight to the media. D’you know how much money a story like this would bring?”

“Yeah.” Craig was silent for a moment. “There may be a way to hold her.” He took out his phone, speed-dialed a number.

“Tyler, it’s Craig Morland. I need a favor. We’ve got an operative here who needs to be in protective custody… Witness against a number of high-level city officials… I know it’s not a federal case, but I can’t ask for help from the SFPD-some of them may be involved… Yes, our agency will pay you… A day or two, no more… Thanks, Tyler. I’ll look for you within the hour.”

He replaced the receiver. “Tyler’s with the local field office, but he moonlights. He’s also a good actor; he’ll make Susan feel like a celebrity witness.”

“Which she is, in a way,” Mick said.

Diane D’Angelo-Susan Angelo-smiled at her and said, “I suppose they told you about my charade.”

“Yes, they did.”

“That’s all it was-an acting job to please my boyfriend.”

“That did harm to my boss and this agency.”

“How? What does it matter who’s fucking who at city hall?”

“It matters that Sharon McCone is in a locked-in state and may remain there forever. It matters that Amanda Teller and Paul Janssen are dead.”

D’Angelo-Angelo, whatever-sat on the edge of Shar’s desk, rolling a cut-glass paperweight between her hands.

“Teller and Janssen were corrupt; they deserved what they got. McCone-she was in the way.”

Julia tensed. Craig and Mick had urged her not to confront the woman, but…

Diane-Susan-frowned. “Jim isn’t going to like me getting caught out. Or admitting to the scam.” She looked down at the paperweight in her hands. “I need to tell him what happened, that they forced me to talk.”

Julia didn’t see what was coming until the woman rose from the desk and raised the crystal globe. She tried to shield her head-

She woke up slowly, her vision swimming, then focusing on carpet.

What carpet? Had she passed out? No way. She’d quit the drugs and booze years ago.

Footsteps coming toward her. “Jules? What happened?” Gentle hands on her shoulders. “Jesus, there’s a bloody welt on the side of your head!”

She stiffened. Then: nothing to fear. It was Craig Morland’s voice; he wouldn’t hurt her. But somebody had.

Oh, yeah, that puta , Susan Angelo. Slammed her on the head with the heavy crystal paperweight from Shar’s desk.

Craig asked, “Can you sit up?”

“I don’t know.”

“How about turning over on your back? Or should I call nine-one-one?”

“Help me. Then we’ll see.”

When she was on her back again her vision swam, then focused on Craig, who was kneeling next to her.

He asked, “Did Susan do this to you?”

“Uh-huh. One minute we’re talking, the next she’s coming at me with Shar’s paperweight.”

“I think I should call for the paramedics. You could have a concussion.”

“Don’t. I can-” She tried to pull herself up, sank back weakly. “Maybe you better.” Then she remembered about the city’s emergency services’ dangerously slow response times. “ Mierda . I’ll be laying around here till the middle of next week.”

Craig was dialing, giving the address of the pier.

“Craig? Call my sister and let her know what happened. But ask her not to tell Tonio.”

“Will do.”

“And there’s something I dropped off at Richman Labs. They promised it for tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll pick it up, don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

Dios , her head hurt and she felt like she was going to hurl. If she hurt this way, how bad Shar must’ve felt when she got shot!

Laura Logan didn’t look any more like a porn filmmaker than the guy at Hot Shots had. She was petite, with dark shoulder-length hair, and beautifully dressed in black trousers and a flame-colored jacket. She lounged carelessly in her chair in the bar of the exclusive Barbary Hotel on Nob Hill-a place Rae had suggested they meet, thinking it might make the woman uncomfortable and put her at a disadvantage. Well, that idea hadn’t worked.

Logan sipped at an expensive zinfandel she’d ordered, then said, “You’re probably going to ask me how a woman could go into my industry. Exploiting other women, issues like that.”

“It interests me, yes. But right now I’m even more interested in specific projects of yours-DVDs you directed for Lee Summers and the Pro Terra Party.”

Logan recrossed her legs, took a long slow sip of wine. “I don’t reveal information about my projects or employers.”

“Under subpoena you’d have to.”

“What does that mean?”

“One of the women in a lesbian film you shot was Lee Summers’s daughter. A few weeks later she was found slashed to death in a SoMa alley. My attorney took a deposition from a witness this morning that indicates Summers may have killed his own daughter. I’ll be talking with the DA, and I’m fairly certain the DA will want to talk with you. Eventually, you’ll be called before the grand jury.”

“… Which woman was Summers’s daughter?”

“The blonde.”

“The one that was so out of it she didn’t really know what was happening. The other was a pro; I’ve used her before. Jesus, Summers hired me to film his daughter ?”

“Right. Apparently it wasn’t the first time she was a featured player.”

“I can’t testify about this to anyone. It would kill me in the industry. I have a nice life, a little girl to support-”

“A little girl who someday may be degraded and exploited and end up with her throat cut in some dark alley just like Alicia Summers.”

Logan’s hand shook, sloshing wine on the table. “No! I’ve provided well for her, a college fund-”

“Alicia Summers was a bright, happy young woman with everything in the world to look forward to. She’d been accepted at UCLA. Then her father pimped her for party donations and influence. It only takes one evil person to destroy a life. How would you feel if your little girl encountered a Lee Summers?”

Logan gulped what was left of her wine and stared at the splatter patterns on the table for a long time. “Okay,” she finally said, “I’ll give a deposition to your lawyer tomorrow.”

What day is it?”

“Tuesday.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Two.”

“Where are we?”