Hollywood Prisoner: A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller (9 page)

“Castello’s been working our new chief and the media,” Edna said. “He wants to be sure Morgan is good for the crime and that everything’s tied up in a neat little bow. Campbell was his only child.”

“I saw one of those TV documentaries about Castello a few years ago,” Molly said. “Campbell was on the program when she was a little girl. She was very sweet. I’m sure her father is devastated.”

“From what I’ve been able to determine, Campbell hadn’t changed much,” Selfie added. “Everybody says she was very kind and generous. There was even talk about her moving on from the soaps to some major roles.”

Edna shuffled some paperwork and glanced at his phone. “Anything else?” he asked, looking back at his crime analysts.

“I just got a text,” Selfie said. “The autopsy on both victims is scheduled for this afternoon. Brie’s expecting us to be there at three.”

“Alright, let’s get after this,” Edna said, levelling his eyes on the four of us. “And, for once, let’s all find a way to work together. The jury’s still out on the future of Section One with Chief Dunbar. Don’t fuck this up.”

“Let’s start with interviewing Blake Lambert,” Leo said, after Lieutenant Edna had left for a meeting, and our crime analysts had gone back to their desks.

“We’ve already got his statement to the responding officers,” Darby said. “I say we talk to Turner’s father first. It’s going to score us PR points with the chief and the press.”

“Agreed,” Mel said. “This investigation is as much about saving Section One as it is about solving this case.”

I glanced at Leo and bit my tongue. While I liked working the high profile cases in Section One, finding justice for Campbell Turner was our first priority. Even so, I decided to play nice with our coworkers and let them call the shots—for now.

“Okay,” I said, still looking at Leo and raising my brows.

“Make the call and set it up,” Leo said to Darby. “Kate and I will follow you both over there.”

An hour later, Leo and I were on the freeway, behind Darby and Mel, on our way to see Jimmy Castello in Glendale. As I lowered a rear window a couple inches for Bernie to get some air, I said to Leo, “Ever wonder how we got so lucky as to get partnered with Darby and Mel?”

Leo smiled. “I guess it’s just a case of bad karma.”

“I seem to have a lot of that lately.”

Leo’s eyes held on me for a moment. “How are you doing with everything?”

I exhaled, meeting his eyes for an instant. “To tell you the truth, it’s been a difficult few days, and I’m more than a little frustrated with the department. Calling my father’s homicide a ‘special interest case’ and moving it to administration will make it nothing but an open cold case. And, it feels like a payback to me.”

“A payback?”

“For me using the threat to expose Dunbar’s past indiscretions in Vice to keep Bernie on the job.” I glanced back at him. “Did we ever get the warrant reissued to search Harlee Ryland’s estate?”

“It came through the day after you left, but nothing turned up.”

“What a surprise.”

“As you can imagine, Harlee was less than thrilled about it. She also asked about you.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Just that you were working another case.” Leo’s gaze swung over in my direction as he turned off the freeway. “I don’t think she’s someone we should take lightly.”

“According to Natalie and Mo, she’s hooking up with Brett Denver.

“The actor?”

“Yeah, and, according to them, Denver’s has been a Tauist for several years. Nothing good can come of their relationship.”

“I’ll pass the word along to Woody and Harry.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything on Pearl?”

Leo shook his head. “I even called his sister again. She hasn’t heard from him and is as worried as we are. All we can do is hope he’s lying low for a reason and will eventually surface.”

Jimmy Castello lived in the hills between Glendale and Pasadena. The neighborhood consisted of sprawling older well-kept homes on large lots. I knew, from glancing at the real estate section of the LA Times, that the neighborhood was expensive, with homes in the three-million-dollar range.

Castello met us at his front door, where we made introductions, before he led us into a den. The home was cluttered, and I had the sense that he lived alone. The actor looked about the same as the famous TV character he created a decade earlier, maybe just a little grayer at the temples. He was heavyset, with a jowly face and receding hairline. Darby’s earlier comment about Castello’s physical appearance reminding him of a mobster didn’t seem far off base.

After we took seats and offered condolences, we got down to business. Leo and I let Darby and Mel take the lead in questioning him.

“Can you tell us, when was the last time you talked to your daughter?” Darby asked.

After a heavy breath, Castello said, “Night before she died. We talked every couple of days.” He sniffed. “We were pretty close.”

“Did she ever mention having any trouble with Luke Morgan?” Mel asked.

He shook his head. “Never heard of him until…everything happened.”

“Did she express any concerns about her safety or indicate he or anyone else was bothering her?” Darby asked.

After a headshake, Castello took a moment, then said, “Let’s cut to the chase. I know that Blake Lambert said this Morgan asshole was after my daughter. I also know about his statement that he came home and found…” He cleared his throat. “…he found Campbell dead and he shot Morgan when he came after him with the hammer. I want all the facts run down so there’s no doubt that it went down exactly as he said.”

“We’ll make sure we do a thorough investigation,” Mel said, giving the party line that she was taught in MRS.

I glanced at Leo, the skin on my brow tightening. I then looked back at Castello. “It sounds like you have some doubts that the crime went down as Lambert reported it.”

“I’m not a cop, Detective, but I played one for several years. I know things often go different than they’re reported. All I’m saying is that I want to know the truth—all of it. I need to know exactly what happened and why.”

“What can you tell us about your daughter and Lambert’s relationship?” Leo asked.

Castello shrugged. “Not much. I know Campbell said she loved him, but…”

When he didn’t go on, I asked, “Were there problems in their relationship?”

“I can’t say. All I know is that I’m a pretty good judge of people, and something’s off about Lambert.”

“Off? What exactly do you mean?”

“Like I said, Campbell loved the guy, so I respected that and supported her decision to see him. That doesn’t mean I have to like him. The guy seemed like a user to me.”

“Do you think he was cheating on Campbell?” Leo asked.

“I can’t say for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Like I said, I want to be sure what happened to my daughter is thoroughly investigated. I don’t want there to be any doubt about Morgan’s guilt. And, if Lambert had anything to do with it, I want him to pay for it with his life.”

“Do you think he’s capable of violence?” Mel asked him, maybe doubting her earlier scenario for the first time.

“Yeah. We had words a time or two and I know the guy’s got a temper.”

“Words about what?” Darby asked.

“He wanted to borrow some money from me for some kind of play he wanted to produce. I told him I wasn’t a bank, and he went away unhappy.”

“Did Campbell ever express concerns about her physical safety around him?” I asked.

Castello shook his head. “No, but...like I said, she was in love with the guy, and we all know love is blind.”

We spent another half hour with our victim’s father. In the short time that we were together, I decided Jimmy Castello was in many ways like Skip Conrad, his TV character. He seemed honest, forthright, and wanted all the facts before he came to a conclusion. He was also straightforward about his dislike of Blake Lambert. While he might have never been a real cop, those were all the characteristics of a real detective. I decided to keep what he said about Lambert in mind as we investigated the case.

Castello was showing us out when we stopped where there were some photographs from his TV show on a wall. He pointed out Campbell in one of the photos from when she’d visited the set.

“Seems like it was only yesterday that she was a teenager,” he said with a sigh. For the first time, I saw there were tears in his eyes. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

“What about her mother?” I asked. “Is she in the picture?”

“We were divorced when Campbell was in middle school. Victoria lives over in Brentwood. I’m sure you’re going to want to talk to her. She and Campbell were never close, even though Victoria insisted that she take her maiden name when we separated.”

Mel got his ex-wife’s address and phone number.

I held on Castello’s misty eyes for a moment when we were at the door. “I’m truly sorry about your daughter. Everyone says she was a lovely girl.”

I saw the sheen of water in his eyes grow heavier as Castello said, “The only thing you can do to make it better, Detective, is to find out the truth about exactly what happened to her. That’s all I ask.”

After leaving Jimmy Castello, Mel made contact with his ex-wife, Victoria Turner. She made arrangements for us to go by her home in Brentwood, a neighborhood that was a few minutes from Hollywood. Turner answered her door and showed us into their living room, where she introduced us to her boyfriend, Darrin Stone.

“I hope you have some answers,” Turner said, after we all took seats. “My life has been a living nightmare since...” She teared up and didn’t go on.

Stone went over and put an arm around her. “Sorry. It’s been a difficult few days.”

Mel expressed her condolences and gave them a moment to regain some composure.

Victoria Turner bore a strong resemblance to her daughter. She was tall, with dark hair and green eyes. Her high cheekbones and full lips made me wonder if she’d been an actress at one time, like her daughter.

Turner’s boyfriend looked much older than her, maybe pushing into his sixties. He was tanned, with a shaved head, and wore a pair of silver earrings, not my favorite look for a man his age.

“Let’s talk about your daughter’s relationship with Blake Lambert,” Mel said after giving them some time. “Were they having any problems?”

Turner dabbed her nose with a tissue. “Why are you asking that? I was under the impression that handyman killed my daughter.”

Mel’s response was firm and to the point. “It’s our job to investigate all aspects of what happened so that we have all the facts. Tell us about Campbell and Blake.”

“I don’t know really what to say. They met in college. I think they were together for a couple of years. I don’t know about any problems.”

“Were you and your daughter close?” Mel asked, picking up on what Castello had told us earlier.

“I don’t know how you would describe our relationship. We talked on the phone, went to lunch occasionally.” She drew in a breath and released it slowly. “My daughter was a private person, so she didn’t share much in the way of personal details about her life.”

“What about Luke Morgan?” Darby asked. “Were they having an affair?”

Victoria Turner’s pretty features hardened. She looked at Mel. “Is that what you think happened?”

“We don’t know,” Mel said, glaring at her partner. She looked back at Turner. “Since Morgan worked as a stagehand at the studio where your daughter’s show was taped, and he was at her house, we’re just asking about their relationship.”

“I don’t think they had a relationship. From what the officers told me after it happened, he was there to do some work on her house.” Turner looked at Stone and shook her head.

“What about other relationships? Friends? Old boyfriends?” Leo asked. “Is there anyone either of you can think of who might have had problems with Campbell?”

“You’re acting like somebody other than that Morgan asshole did it,” Darrin Stone said, speaking up for the first time. “I don’t understand.”

Leo kept his deep voice even. “Like Detective Peters said, we’re just covering all the bases, looking at any possibilities.”

Turner met her boyfriend’s eyes for a moment, then said, “Nobody comes to mind.”

Stone gave us a headshake. “Campbell was the sweetest girl I’ve ever known. She didn’t have any enemies or problems with anyone that I know about.”

“Let’s go back to Blake Lambert for a moment,” I said to Turner. “Your ex-husband describes him as a user. He doesn’t like him very much.”

She chuckled, her voice full of sarcasm. “Jimmy said that, really?” She glanced at Stone, then looked back at me. “My ex-husband is a very different person than the one you see on TV. He doesn’t really like anyone.”

I played dumb. “Did he and Lambert have some issues between them?”

She shrugged. “Jimmy never thought anyone was good enough for Campbell. I’m sure Blake didn’t measure up either.”

We spent another half hour with Turner and Stone, going over Campbell’s friends, relatives, and acquaintances, but not getting much back, before meeting up on the street in front of their house.

“I can understand Castello having issues with Campbell’s boyfriend and him wanting all the facts,” Darby said, “but this crime looks pretty cut and dried to me. I think it went down as Lambert reported it.”

“I agree,” Mel said. “We’re just going through the motions to make sure Castello’s satisfied.”

“Let’s go talk to Lambert before we draw any conclusions,” Leo said. “I feel like we started this investigation backward.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Darby demanded.

“It means that a key player in the case hasn’t been questioned by us yet.”

“Did you think we weren’t going to talk to Lambert?” Mel asked. “Talking to Castello first was about doing a little PR, making sure he understands we’re on the case and that we’re going to be thorough.”

“PR will only get us so far,” I said, trying to conceal my frustration with her and Darby. “Let’s go talk to Lambert.”

Blake Lambert was working for a small studio in Hollywood called Zorch Productions. When Leo called the actor, Lambert explained that he was staying in one of the trailers on the set. We met with him on the studio’s back lot later that afternoon.

Following introductions, and after we all took seats on a small patio adjacent to his trailer, Lambert broke down crying. Leo, who had the demeanor and compassion of a patient grandfather, told the actor to take his time composing himself.

“I can’t believe she’s gone,” Lambert said a couple minutes later, brushing a stream of water from him eyes. “This can’t be happening.”

I remembered from the background information Molly had pulled together that Blake Lambert was thirty-four and had a prior marriage. He was about five-eight, a bit on the pudgy side, and lacking the classic good looks of many actors. While Campbell’s career was taking off, Molly had told us that Lambert only worked sporadically. I wondered if there were issues between him and Campbell because of her success.

“I’m sorry,” Leo said, lowering his voice. He gave Lambert another moment, then said, “Can you walk us through what happened last night?”

“I already told the other officers everything.”

Leo nodded. “We know, son, but we’ve been assigned to take a look at things. Just take your time and tell us what you remember.”

The actor took another minute and a couple deep breaths before beginning. “I got off work around five last night and went by Campbell’s house. When I got there, a truck was parked out front. I didn’t think anything about it until I got inside.” Lambert put his elbows on his thighs, bowed his head, and ran his hands through his dark hair. “I had a remote control that Campbell had given me and went in through the garage. I found…” He took a breath, tearing up again. “...she was on the floor.”

“Where in the house was her body?” Leo asked.

“The living room. I knew right away…” There were more tears. “…there was blood everywhere. I knew she wasn’t breathing.”

“Did you touch her body?”

Lambert shook his head. “She was gone.” He wept softly.

After a moment, Leo said, “What happened next?”

“I looked over and realized that guy Campbell worked with was in the house, so I pulled out the gun I always carry. He then came at me with my hammer.”

“Where exactly was Morgan standing when you first saw him?”

“In the living room…about ten feet from…from Campbell.”

“Did he say anything to you?”

“He mumbled something about…he said Campbell deserved what she got.”

Leo glanced at me, looked back at Lambert. “Anything else?”

Lambert shook his head. “He just started to come after me with the hammer. That’s when I shot him.”

“How many times did you shoot him?” Darby asked, maybe upset that he’d been cut out of the interview.

“Twice. He kept coming after the first shot, so I had to shoot him again.”

“Did he come after you, or did you go over to him when you shot him?” I asked.

Lambert’s features hardened. “He came after me. I had no choice.”

We gave him a moment. Leo then asked, “What happened after that?”

“I called 911 and stayed on the line until the police got there.”

“Let’s talk about the hammer that was used on Campbell,” I said. “I understand it belonged to you.”

He nodded. “It was a gift from my dad when I was younger. He had my initials engraved on it.”

“How do you think Morgan got ahold of it?”

“It was in the garage. I left it there after fixing some boards on the fence.”

“But why would he go into the garage?”

Lambert locked eyes with me. “I have no idea. Maybe...I know Campbell wanted some work done around the house, so maybe she showed him around the house and the garage, and he remembered seeing the hammer there.”

What he’d said seemed like a big stretch. He broke down again and excused himself, going into his trailer for some tissue.

While he was gone, Mel whispered, “I think he’s telling the truth.”

Darby agreed with her, while Leo and I remained silent. In a moment, Lambert came back outside and blew his nose.

“Let’s talk about Luke Morgan,” Leo said, after he’d settled in again. “Did he and Campbell know one another?”

“Yeah. The bastard was stalking her.”

“Tell us about that.”

“He was constantly following her when she was on the set, sending her flowers. Campbell told me that he scared her.”

“Did he ever make any comments to her?” I asked.

“Once. He said something about her being pretty and maybe they should go for coffee together.”

“Do you know how Campbell responded?”

“She told him she was involved with someone and had no interest in going out.”

“Did she think of his offer as a date? Maybe it was just a friendly offering.”

Lambert glared at me. “He was a stalker and a killer. It was hardly friendly.”

I studied him for a moment as he wiped his tears again. While it was too early to draw any conclusions, it was obvious that Blake Lambert was an angry person. While anger was a normal reaction to what happened, I wasn’t sure if his anger was specific to Morgan or more generally a part of Lambert’s personality, like Jimmy Castello had said. It was something I intended to keep in mind.

After giving Lambert a moment to calm down, Leo took over again. “You said before that Morgan was stalking Campbell. Were there any other incidents that you know about?”

After a moment, Lambert stood. “I just remembered something. Give me a minute.”

Darby went with him as he went back inside the trailer. While they were gone, Mel kept her voice low and said to us, “You don’t believe what he said, do you?”

“I think it’s too soon to draw conclusions,” I said.

Leo nodded. “Agreed. Let’s see what else he has to say.”

Mel shook her head, obviously upset with us. Five minutes later, Darby returned with Lambert. The actor handed Leo a single sheet of paper. “He sent Campbell this letter.”

I looked over Leo’s shoulder as he read the two lines aloud. “I think you’re very special. One of the best actors I’ve ever seen. Thanks for the friendship, Luke.”

Leo looked at Lambert. “What did Campbell say about this?”

“That it was creepy, and she was worried about him. She wanted him to stay away from her.”

“Did you ever talk to Morgan or confront him?”

He shook his head. “I planned to, but…I got busy with work.”

“Did you recognize Mr. Morgan?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“When he was in the house and you confronted him. Did you know who he was?”

He nodded. “Campbell had some pictures on her phone that she took around the set. He was in one of them and she pointed him out when he started stalking her.”

I moved the conversation in another direction. “The investigators didn’t find Campbell’s phone in her house. Do you have any idea where it could be?”

He glanced at me, shook his head, and his gaze moved off.

“Don’t you think that’s unusual?” I said. “Was Campbell ever without her phone?”

He shrugged. “She wasn’t obsessed with it, like some people. Maybe she left it at the studio. I can’t really say.”

His explanation didn’t add up, and I couldn’t help but think there was a reason Campbell’s phone was missing. Maybe there was something in the call or text history that Lambert didn’t want us to know about. I decided to go back over something else he’d said that bothered me.

“When you described Luke Morgan’s actions a few minutes earlier, you called him a stalker,” I said. “Can you tell us why you used that term?”

There was irritation in his voice as he glared at me and answered. “He was sending my girlfriend flowers, asking her to go out with him, and writing her letters. None of that behavior was encouraged by her. I’d say that makes him a stalker.”

I decided to push some buttons. “I would say what he did was a bit on the assertive side and maybe unwanted, but I wouldn’t describe it as stalking behavior.”