Wildflowers

Chapter 59

Chapter: 59

The next couple of weeks are busy with school work and working on the case. We still haven't found a connection but we have turned one of the bedrooms into a makeshift office, which has been nice. Robert and Julia came over for dinner and they told us they are expecting a baby. I couldn't be more excited and Patrick is excited not to have a crazy sibling like Dave.

Speaking of Dave, he officially moved out of the house and has been living with Rev. Howard. There was another murder in late April, a couple in their late 50s were killed and staged the same way as all the others. It turns out it they were donors of Church of God and Hillside as well. My dad and Willy have been over a few times to discuss the case and the have had no luck connecting the victims to the church expect by the donations. They have officially hired me to be a consultant on the case so I have all the access I want to the files and evidence.

One Saturday, when Patrick was at work and I decided to go down to the LAPD to look at the evidence. I put on some dark jeans, a silk cream blouse and a grey blazer. I put on my black wooden heels and I put my hair up in a high pony tail and put on the poppy earrings from Patrick. I grab my Chanel bag and put on some light makeup. I go into the spare bedroom and I grab my notebook that has my notes in it and I put that in my bag. I grab an apple from he bowl on the island and I grab my keys and head out. I drive downtown and park in the parking lot of the LAPD. I walk in and I show my PI badge and license. I walk down to the evidence lockers. I sign the check in form and the guard lets me in. I set my stuff down on the desk chair and I grab the first box.

This box was from the murder of the pregnant women and her friends. I decided to start with that one because it's the closest to the original Tate killings. I put the box on the table and I pull out the folder. I look over the list of evidence and then set it aside. I take off my jacket and I put it on the back of the chair. I pull out the items one by one and placing them on the table after looking at each one carefully.

I get chills when I pull out the knife found by the women's body. I take out the crime scene photos that I have seen a million times. I sit with the items for a while before putting the stuff back in the box. I put that box back on the shelf and I pull out the police report again. I read through the report taken by the detective who was first on the scene. After a hours a few rolls of film I sign out and walk back to my car.

I drive to the Photo Shake and have him develop my photos for me. I wait in my car and have a few cigarettes while waiting for him. He's done with in a half hour and I thank and pay him and I drive through for food for dinner for Patrick and me and I drive home.

I set everything down on the counter and I sit and have my chicken tenders before walking into the office. The room is the smallest of the 3 and there is a futon on one side of the room and a large desk on the back wall with a chair behind it and two chairs ahead of it. The walls are covered with newspaper clippings form the murders and on the back wall behind the desk is our cardboard connection board we made right after the San Francisco weekend. I turn on the lights and open the curtains on either side of the connection board. On the same wall as the door is come filing cabinets and shelves and on the opposite wall as the futon there is a dresser and a closet door. In the closer there is a random storage and a large metal safe that my dad got us when he came over to change the locks to sturdier ones that are near impossible to pick on all the doors.

I sit down at the desk and I open the boxes the photos are in. I sort them out and look at each one. I took photos of all the murder weapons, things found at the scene, the victims clothing, and some samples taken by the detectives. I am lost in thought when Patrick walks in the room.

'Hey there you are. I called your name when I got home but got no response' he says kissing me gently.

'Shit, I'm sorry I got caught up with these photos. I went to the LAPD and took pictures of everything in the evidence boxes' I say.