body, she took several pictures from different angles, zeroing in on the gashes and the expensive clothing. Next she took a couple of wide shots of the car and the VIN tag on the dash. Gunderson or Nabokov could run the number to confirm the car’s registration.
She put her phone back in her pocket and closed the trunk as far as it would go to prevent access by the larger scavengers in the area. Then she made her way back to the passenger side.
The door initially wouldn’t open more than a few inches, having sustained damage during its trip down the cliff, but with dedicated effort she was able to widen the gap enough to squeeze inside. Still breathing shallowly, she rummaged through the console and dug behind the seats and under them, but came up with nothing. Leine sat in the passenger seat and studied the interior.
Her gaze drifted lower. Her foot rested on a bump in the floor, near the dash. Leine slid out of the seat and onto her knees outside the car and peeled the carpeting back. On the floor lay a hot pink iPhone. Leine picked it up and held it to the light. She hit the button to turn it on, but the battery was dead. The words Elise’s phone were prominently displayed in gold on the back.
Elise had been inside the car. Brittany’s story was beginning to look a lot more likely.
Chapter 14
L eine began the long, slow climb up the face of the cliff. When she reached the top, she took a moment to rest before unhooking the rope from the tree. The area around her rib throbbed with each breath, like someone was jabbing her lungs with a hot poker and enjoying it. Pissed off, she ignored the pain and untied the harness, removed the pulley and clips, and coiled the rope.
When she walked to the back of the SUV she noticed a rank odor waft toward her from somewhere nearby. Unable to locate anything in the surrounding area, she sniffed her shirt, grimacing at the cloying scent of the dead.
She’d have to change. She refused to smell like a corpse all the way back to LA. She slipped her phone out of her back pocket and called Lou, but got voicemail.
“Hi, Lou. It’s Leine. I found the car—somebody drove it off a cliff into a ravine. I think we can rule out carjacking on this one. Looks like Josh was murdered—a white male matching his description was inside the trunk with his face blown off. I have photos for Gunderson and Nabokov. I haven’t located Elise, but I found her phone. She was more than likely in the car when Josh drove up to Vista del Mar.”
She paused, thinking. “You should probably know I’ve had a run-in with a couple of local heavies but the situation’s under control. I’m planning to be at the border in the next couple of hours and should be home by tonight. I’ll give you a call when I get back.”
She disconnected and opened the door to the cargo area where she began to stow the equipment. The sound of an approaching vehicle caught her attention, and she covered the rope with the floor mat before turning to see who it was.
The dark blue Suburban slowed, coming to a stop several yards away. Leine pulled the door to the cargo bay closed, the machete still in her hand and concealed behind her leg. This time Ignacio and his driver immediately exited the vehicle. Neither looked happy.
“You’re pretty stupid for a gringa .” His eyes glittered as he walked toward her. “Didn’t you get my message?”
The driver stayed a step behind Ignacio. His look mirrored his companion’s. Ignacio stopped abruptly and waved at his nose.
“What the fuck?” He glanced over his shoulder, searching for the source of the rank odor. Sidekick mimicked him, looking left and right. Unable to pinpoint where it was coming from, Ignacio took a step toward Leine and stopped. Comprehension lit his face. Clearly, he recognized the smell of a decaying corpse. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly shook his head, making a tsking sound with his tongue. “You’ve been a bad gringa .”
“I was just
She put her phone back in her pocket and closed the trunk as far as it would go to prevent access by the larger scavengers in the area. Then she made her way back to the passenger side.
The door initially wouldn’t open more than a few inches, having sustained damage during its trip down the cliff, but with dedicated effort she was able to widen the gap enough to squeeze inside. Still breathing shallowly, she rummaged through the console and dug behind the seats and under them, but came up with nothing. Leine sat in the passenger seat and studied the interior.
Her gaze drifted lower. Her foot rested on a bump in the floor, near the dash. Leine slid out of the seat and onto her knees outside the car and peeled the carpeting back. On the floor lay a hot pink iPhone. Leine picked it up and held it to the light. She hit the button to turn it on, but the battery was dead. The words Elise’s phone were prominently displayed in gold on the back.
Elise had been inside the car. Brittany’s story was beginning to look a lot more likely.
Chapter 14
L eine began the long, slow climb up the face of the cliff. When she reached the top, she took a moment to rest before unhooking the rope from the tree. The area around her rib throbbed with each breath, like someone was jabbing her lungs with a hot poker and enjoying it. Pissed off, she ignored the pain and untied the harness, removed the pulley and clips, and coiled the rope.
When she walked to the back of the SUV she noticed a rank odor waft toward her from somewhere nearby. Unable to locate anything in the surrounding area, she sniffed her shirt, grimacing at the cloying scent of the dead.
She’d have to change. She refused to smell like a corpse all the way back to LA. She slipped her phone out of her back pocket and called Lou, but got voicemail.
“Hi, Lou. It’s Leine. I found the car—somebody drove it off a cliff into a ravine. I think we can rule out carjacking on this one. Looks like Josh was murdered—a white male matching his description was inside the trunk with his face blown off. I have photos for Gunderson and Nabokov. I haven’t located Elise, but I found her phone. She was more than likely in the car when Josh drove up to Vista del Mar.”
She paused, thinking. “You should probably know I’ve had a run-in with a couple of local heavies but the situation’s under control. I’m planning to be at the border in the next couple of hours and should be home by tonight. I’ll give you a call when I get back.”
She disconnected and opened the door to the cargo area where she began to stow the equipment. The sound of an approaching vehicle caught her attention, and she covered the rope with the floor mat before turning to see who it was.
The dark blue Suburban slowed, coming to a stop several yards away. Leine pulled the door to the cargo bay closed, the machete still in her hand and concealed behind her leg. This time Ignacio and his driver immediately exited the vehicle. Neither looked happy.
“You’re pretty stupid for a gringa .” His eyes glittered as he walked toward her. “Didn’t you get my message?”
The driver stayed a step behind Ignacio. His look mirrored his companion’s. Ignacio stopped abruptly and waved at his nose.
“What the fuck?” He glanced over his shoulder, searching for the source of the rank odor. Sidekick mimicked him, looking left and right. Unable to pinpoint where it was coming from, Ignacio took a step toward Leine and stopped. Comprehension lit his face. Clearly, he recognized the smell of a decaying corpse. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly shook his head, making a tsking sound with his tongue. “You’ve been a bad gringa .”
“I was just
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