April Smith: Good Morning, Killer

In the tense space between the silence and the buzzer a few excited shrieks erupted from the team, and then there were shushes, and Juliana’s whole body was trembling, her fingers stretched behind her like fluttering wingtips, in a crouch so tenuous it looked as if she might simply fall over. The distance before her was unbroken; the water still, and knowing.

Above us, the redtail hawks traced their arcs of freedom.

Thank you to the law enforcement professionals who generously gave their time and expertise:

First of all, to FBI Special Agent Pam Graham, Negotiator — the inspiration and guiding angel of this book. Her insights were invaluable, her accomplishments impeccable. I was proud to be in her company.

To other outstanding members of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office: Special Agent George Carr, SWAT; Special Agent Hugh Coleman, Principal Firearms Instructor; Special Agent David A. Kice, ERT Coordinator; Supervisory Special Agent Chuck Joyner; Special Agent Mark Voges, Fireams Instructor.

To those based in Quantico: thanks to Arthur E. Westveer, Violent Crime Specialist, and John Jarvis, Behavioral Scientist, Behavior Science Unit, for essential technical advice.

To Special Agent Mark Llewellen, Retired, of Executive Shield, Inc. Also Special Agent William J. Rehder, Retired, the world’s foremost expert on bank robberies, and Special Agent Nick Boone, Retired.

Gratitude, once again, to Don Mauro, as well as to Captain Richard Odenthal, Retired, and Detective Sgt. Ken Gallatin, both of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. It was a pleasure to know Barry A. J. Fisher, Crime Lab Director, whose range of knowledge is as awesome as his generosity.

Santa Monica Police Department Captain Gary Gallinot and Detective John Henry provided skilled understanding of criminal motivation and police procedure. The work of Anna C. Salter, Ph.D., was helpful, as was William J. Bodziak’s Footwear Impression Evidence, and Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation, edited by Robert R. Hazelwood and Ann Wolbert Burgess.

Without the compassionate assistance of Gail Abarbanel, Director of the Rape Treatment Center, Santa Monica — UCLA Medical Center, and clinic coordinator Amy Tishler, RN, NP, this book could not be in any way true. The RTC is a model facility that provides free, state-of-the-art emergency medical care, forensic examinations, counseling and legal support for victims of sexual assault and their families, twenty-four hours a day — but that scarcely describes its humanitarian reach or the urgency of its mission. For victims who suffer in silence, confidential care is available at www.911.rape.org. My greatest hope is that these words reach out to them.

I am deeply obliged to the brilliant defense attorney Blair Berk for legal strategies and to Walter Teller for continuing counsel. William F. Skinner, M.D., was an unfailing source of medical authority and comradeship. My son, Ben, was the creative voice behind the portrayal of teenage life — making me sound more chill than I could ever aspire to be. Thanks to my daughter, Emma, for sharing many spirited adventures; and to Douglas, ever yours. To my East Coast friends and family, always in my heart.

As for agents of another kind — Molly Friedrich is, quite simply, the best; Robert Graham and Matthew Synder at CAA, equally anchors in the storm. Paul Bogaards and Pamela Henstell have done a wonderful job at Knopf — thank you for your support all these years; and to Vrinda Condillac for keeping us all on track. But there is no greater privilege for any writer than working with Sonny Mehta. I remain indebted to his wisdom and enthusiasm.