Every Move She Makes (42 page)

I took it. "I'll let you know when I'm done." I intended to keep all our
dealings purely business from now on. I wouldn't let my personal life
interfere with my work again. But after they left, and as I took a seat
across from Scolari, waiting for him to begin his statement, I realized
the naivete of my thoughts. Everything about this case was personal. "Go
ahead," I said, noting the time at the top of the page.

Scolari cleared his throat, glanced out the window.

"They're gone?" he asked, his voice shaky.

I nodded.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why you didn't tell me about Patricia and Josephine Hilliard," I said.

"I didn't tell you because it wasn't your business or anyone else's."

"So what happened?"

"We, um, hadn't slept together in three years. You know, she gave me the
"I'm trying to find myself speech. Suddenly she wants a divorce. The
night I gave her the car, she told me she was seeing Josie Hilliard. I
blew a gasket. That was it."

"That was it?"

"Until I met with Squeaky Kincaid that night. He told me he thought the
cocaine and dirty XTC was coming from Hilliard Pharmaceutical's lab. He
said that Dex Kermgard had a deal with Nick Paolini at one time, using
Hilliard Pharmaceutical's research trips to the rain forests to
transport his coke back to the States. They called it Project Green. It
was a sweet deal until you popped Paolini, putting an end to everyone's
profits. That's when Dex came up with the idea of selling XTC.

Everything he needed was right there in the labs. He didn't need Paolini
at all." I told him about the document on Patricia" computer relating to
the research trips to the rain forest, and the XTC. "That just proves
what I'm saying," he replied. "That Dex killed her. He must've found
out that she knew about Project Green, and the XTC."

"So Paolini wasn't in it?"

"Not this time. Dex probably figured he was too hot.

Which he was."

"What about Foust?" "What about him?" I told him about the attempts on
my life. The shootings, and Mathis ending up in the hospital.

"You're thinking Dex put a hit on you because you were too close?"

"That's one possibility. Paolini says he knew nothing about it. But I
happen to think it's more that Foust thought I could ID him at the
homicides in Property. And the threats are real. Foust is still out
there." Scolari stared at his haggard reflection, and nodded. "Dex and
Foust go way back. Dex is dirty. No doubt about it," he said, more to
himself than to me. He tore his gaze from the mirror and looked directly
at me. "Patricia called me from her office at Hilliard Pharmaceutical
the night she was killed. She was upset. She said she had something to
tell me, and wanted to meet a half hour earlier, in the same parking lot
where she was killed."

"Do you know what it was she wanted to talk about?"

"She said she'd been made a fool of, that josie had used her. And Dex
was behind it." "Evan Hilliard said Dex and Josie were having an
affair," I told him, but I don't know if he heard me. He had a faraway
look, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I got there, and it was
raining. Her lights were on, so I figured she'd just pulled in. She was
driving the Range Rover I gave her." Scolari's voice broke. He turned
away, brushed at his eyes. "I opened the door. She was i-God, I just
wanted to hold her one last time. Say goodbye," he whispered. For
several seconds he said nothing. A jail door clanged shut down the hall.

A jangle of keys, then heavy footsteps passed by outside. He looked at
me, said, "I locked the door, Kate. I was going to make sure nothing was
disturbed."

"Why didn't you stick around? Call?"

"Because I wanted to find the bastard that did it. I knew how it would
look-like I did it. I was covered in her blood. I had a pocketknife on
my belt.. I searched his face, saw nothing to indicate he was living.

Scolari might be a damn good poker player, but no one could fake the
raw emotion of hurt he openly displayed on his face.

"I believe you, Sam."

"So now what?" he asked, a look of relief coming over him. "The killer's
still out there, and I'm in here." "Who killed her?" His lips pressed
together in a thin line. Hatred filled his gaze. "Dex was usingjosie. I
think he convinced her to hook up with my wife, use this rain forest
thing that Patricia was so into to get close to her, find out what she
knew about the XTC autopsies. She found part of that Project Green
document, and told me that Dex was worried that his cocaine trafficking,
and his connection with Foust, and the XT'C could somehow be traced back
to him at Hilliard Pharmaceutical."

"That would explain why Dex would kill the PI," I said.

"PI?" "The Ice Man. Hired by Montgard to look into Hilliard's
activities, or so we believe."

"What makes you say Dex killed him?"

"You recall when he let us into the warehouse? He knew that we were
looking for the juice that ran the freezer before we even asked. If
Patricia told you Dex was worried, I'll lay odds that Dex thought the PI
was investigating him for his illicit drug activities." What I had yet
to discover, however, was why the PI was also carrying the socalled
garden variety seeds that Patricia had argued about withjosie Hilliard
the night of her murder. If they were so common, why kill over them?

"I'll let you know what I find out," I said, rising. "Thanks, Sam."

"What're you going to do?" "Wait for the warrant to be finished, and get
the proof I need." I returned to my office, knowing Torrance wouldn't be
there waiting but feeling strange without him there. He had no reason,
with Scolari in custody. His IA job was done. Things were back to
normal, or would be once Foust was arrested. Rocky sat at his desk,
pecking at the typewriter with two fingers. The lack of Torrance's
presence at my side left me feeling naked. Like the feeling you get the
very first time you skinny-dip. Free, yet edgy. I wondered if he was
glad to get away, then forced the thought from my mind. I needed to
concentrate on what I knew about this case, coupled with what Scolari
had told me. I was certain the seeds still played an important part, and
the fact they were garden variety set my wheels spinning. I thought of
the article in the Chronicle, and the discovery of the potential cancer
cure in the rain forest. I thought of Montgard of Arkansas, and their
interest in purchasing the company. And Evan Mlliard's anger at his wife
for making the premature announcement. I thought of the seeds in the PIS

ring. Suddenly I knew why he had those seeds. And what he intended on
doing with them.

Now all I had to do was prove it.

I called the DNS office and got a hold of Reid. I wanted to ask him
about his contact with Paolini, but needed to know the status of the
warrant, and figured it was best not to get Reid on the defensive right
now. "They're signing it now," he said. "Five minutes, tops, and they're
done."

"Is Andrews there?"

"Yeah. You want to talk with him?" "Ask if the warrant team is ready to
go. I have a couple of calls I need to make, and I don't want to do it
until they're in place." Reid must have covered the phone. I heard
muffled conversation, and then Reid came back on. "He says go ahead.

They'll be in place in about five minutes."

"Thanks."

I telephoned Hilliard Pharmaceutical, and got voice mail for both josie
and Evan Hilliard. I left the same message on both, about Project Green,
then tried Dex. He answered on the third ring. I asked if he could get a
hold ofjosie or Evan. "It's important." "I'll be seeing them both in the
next few minutes," he said. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I need to know about Project Green."

"Can't say that I'm familiar with it. Would you like me to have the
Hilliards return your call?" "Yes. Please." I hung up, figuring I had
about fifteen minutes to get out to the warehouse.

"What was that all about?" Rocky asked, looking up from his keyboard.

"Setting the trap for the killer," I said. "I have a feeling someone
might not like it if they think I know about Project Green." "Do you?"

Before I could reply, my phone rang. I answered with a curt,
"Gillespie, Homicide detail," hoping it was word that the warrant team
was in place. "Kate?" It was Reid. "I spoke with Paolini," I said before
he could get a word in edgewise. "He told me to talk to you about why
Von were seen with him." There was a long moment of silence, then, "An
old case. It has nothing to do with you."

"I'd like to-"

"Dexter Kermgard just called."

"About what?"

"He told me that Josie Hilliard was very upset. Apparently he told her
you were inquiring into something called Project Green? He thinks she's
going to destroy some files in the warehouse." "Why did he call you?"

Hesitation. Then, "I don't know. And there's been a snag in the warrant.

They got the address wrong. Someone put the main facility down instead
of the warehouse. The judge won't sign until it's corrected." I glanced
up at the clock. I was running out of time.

"What are you planning on doing?" he asked.

"I want to make sure that warehouse is secured until the warrant's
done."

"You need backup. I'll go with you."

"The warrant team should already be there, waiting. And I've got backup
here," I said, watching Rocky type away. "Is Andrews still there?"

"No."

"Thanks." I hung up, tapping my fingers on the phone. Why had Dex called
Reid? I found that extremely strange.

Since Andrews hadn't returned yet, I called Torrance. No answer.

Should I wait for Torrance? I knew what he'd say. Wait until the
warrant's done. Technically speaking, he was no longer my ball and
chain. Once again he was IA, and I was an inspector working a case. He
was investigating my partner, and I was investigating a murder. As far
as backup, Rocky was it. But then I wondered why it hadn't occurred to
him that the doctor's files on the hard drive could be so easily
recovered. Bill Moore made it sound like this F.A.T partition was basic
knowledge. Something that Rocky should have known, with all the computer
schools the department had sent him to. Why, then, couldn't Rocky bring
up the files? I glanced at the clock. I needed to get to the warehouse.

"Let's go, Rocky."

"Where?"

"Hilliard Pharmaceutical's file storage warehouse.

Josephine Hiliard's supposed to be enroute to destroy some files. I
want to stop her."

"Maybe you better run it by Andrews," Rocky said.

"I would if he were here. There isn't time. I'll call him from the car.

Let him know we're doing a Code Five." Rocky seemed to relax when I
mentioned the Code Five, a term used for standing by, watching at a safe
distance. "Besides, the warrant team should already be waiting there."

"Yeah, okay," he said, grabbing his shoulder holster from his top drawer
and slipping it on. drove. Rocky rode shotgun. He gripped the dash, his
right foot stomped on a phantom brake pedal. "Jesus, Gillespie, you
trying to qualify for Sears Point?" The light at Montgomery and Broadway
cycled to yellow. I floored through, it. "I want this Project Green
file," I said, not so lucky at the next signal. Red.