“She wants to see you,” Sabre said.
“You talked to her?”
“Yes, and we’re trying to get her to church on Wednesday if we can. She really misses you.”
“I miss her too.” Tears welled up in Penny’s eyes. “Is she going to have to stay married to him?”
Sabre noticed Penny seldom called Lester by name. It was always “he” or “him.” She wondered if it was a kind of Harry Potter “Voldemort” thing, where you don’t say the evil one’s name. “We don’t know yet, but I’m working on doing what is best for Mary Margaret.”
Sabre looked at Penny for a second. “Did you call CPS about this?”
“What is CPS?”
“Child Protective Services. Someone called and reported it. I wondered if it was you.”
She shook her head. “No, but I would’ve if I had known what to do. How can I help?”
“Just be her friend. She needs that right now.”
~~~
Miles Cunningham stood up when JP walked in. He was about the same height as JP and had dark hair, blue eyes, and a pleasant smile. “Make yourself comfortable,” he said, pointing to a chair.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“I’m glad to help in any way, but I’m not sure how I can.”
“You are on the editing committee for the Square With God Church blog, right?”
“Yes, along with Linda Jennings and the pastor.”
“I understand that a couple of blogs were written about the Gibbs marriage after it was announced, but they didn’t get posted. Were you aware of that?”
“Yes. I fought it at first, but Linda convinced me that it wouldn’t be good for the church. She and Pastor Seth would have overridden me anyway. And when I read the submissions over again, I realized it wasn’t a good idea. They were too negative and probably would have brought a lot of bad publicity to the church. I didn’t want that. It’s a good church with a lot of very caring, kind-hearted people. I didn’t want to see the bad decisions and choices made by a few ruin it for everyone.”
“What about Mary Margaret?”
“I considered her, but the blog posts wouldn’t have helped her. I tried to find another way to help.”
“Did you call CPS?”
“No, frankly, I didn’t think of it as a child protection issue. That seems so lame now, because I realize that’s exactly what it is.”
“Did you know anything about the wedding before it took place?”
“No. I don’t think anyone did. The whole congregation was shocked, and most of them were appalled by it. The big question is how a father could marry off his twelve-year-old daughter? Looking back on that, it makes me seem even more foolish, considering the pastor’s wife is so young. I don’t know her exact age, but she couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen when they married.”
“Fourteen,” JP said.
Miles shook his head. “Well, I’m taking some steps now to see that this doesn’t happen again.”
“How is that?”
“It’s a good church with good people, but I think we need a new leader.”
Chapter 22
Sabre and JP ate dinner at C Level restaurant on Harbor Drive. The dining room was surrounded by glass windows that gave an expansive view of the bay and the lights downtown.
“This sure is a beautiful view,” Sabre said.
“Yes, it is,” JP said, looking at Sabre.
She smiled. “I’ve missed you. We really need to work on our schedules.”
“I agree.”
“Speaking of relationships, my mother is in one.”
“Good for her.”
Sabre scrunched her mouth. “I hope so.”
“What’s the problem?”
“She met this guy online and I’m a little concerned he might not be who or what he says he is.”
“Have you met him?”
“No, but my mother isn’t that worldly, and I don’t want to see her get hurt.”
“Do you want me to run a background check on him?”
“Would you?”
“Of course.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “Anything for you, darlin’.”
“She’s seeing him on Friday, so anything you can learn before then would be good.”
“I’ll be faster than green grass through a goose.”
“Nice visual.” She smiled. “By the way, I put feelers out at court this morning to see if anyone else has a case similar to Parker. Who knows how many little ‘Jim Jones’ there are running around San Diego.”
“Or whatever other dead guy he has decided to impersonate. Elvis, maybe? Although, I don’t think he’s clever enough to come up with anything too ingenious.” He paused. “Who would fall for that pickup line?”
“At least one we know of. Some people are so lonely, they’ll believe anything to be with someone who makes them feel good, even if it’s for a short time. Look at Ellesse. She still reminisces about that night to make herself feel good.”
“I guess,” JP said. “I take it no one you talked to at court knew about any little evangelists running around.”
“No, but the word will spread. I know it’s a long shot because he seems to stay with them only one night. What are the chances he impregnated another woman, CPS got involved, and the case was filed?”
“Slim, but If there is one, you’ll find it.”
~~~
They finished their meal and drove to Sabre’s condo. Once inside, JP took her in his arms and kissed her.
“Do you want to stay tonight?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
She kicked off her shoes and dashed upstairs with JP right behind her. As they reached the top of the stairs, JP’s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID.
“Who is it?” Sabre asked.
“I don’t know. It’s a local number.”
“Well, answer it already, so we can get busy.”
“Hello,” JP said. Pause. “He’s there right now?” Pause. “You’re sure it’s him?” Pause. “I’ll be right there.”
He looked at Sabre as he hung up. Her shoulders dropped, and the look of glee had left her face. “Who was it?” she asked.
“The waitress at the Watering Hole. She thinks Jim Jones is in the bar.”
“Back from the dead again, huh?”
“Apparently.” He pulled her close for a kiss. “I don’t want to leave.”
“I know, but we may not get another chance,” she said.
“Do you want me to come back if it’s not too late?” JP asked.
“I think I’ll just crash.”
~~~
As JP drove to the Watering Hole he wondered why he had answered that danged phone. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed by the time he reached the bar. He went inside and looked around. He didn’t see anyone wearing sunglasses as Kathy had described.
He spotted Kathy and approached her once she finished waiting on her table.
“Oh, hi,” she said. “He already left.”
“With someone?”
“No, he hung around for a while, then he approached that woman sitting over there.” She nodded toward a table near the bar. “She must have given him the brush-off because he left shortly after that. I didn’t get a chance to call you right away when he came in. I started to, but it got busy and I got side-tracked. He was here about forty minutes.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the call. We’ll get him next time.”
JP walked over to the girl Kathy had pointed out previously. He sat down at her table and said, “Hi, my name is JP and I’m not trying to hit on you.”
“That’s the best come-on line I’ve ever heard.”
“I really mean it.”
“That’s a real shame then,” she said.
“I’m a private investigator, and I’m looking for someone.”
“Apparently, it’s not me you’re looking for.”
“I understand a man approached you a
few minutes ago, is that correct?”
“Yes, his line wasn’t nearly as good as yours.”
“Did he tell you his name?”
“No, we never got that far. I told him to buzz off when he started telling me how beautiful I am.”
“I appreciate your time, ma’am.”
JP thanked her, left, and drove to Peter D’s hoping Jones was making the circuit since he didn’t pick up anyone at the Watering Hole. The bartender said he hadn’t seen him. JP waited until Nancy, the waitress, wasn’t busy and he approached her.
“Nancy, do you remember me? I was in here a couple of nights ago looking for this man.” He showed her the photo again.
“Yeah, the guy with the sunglasses.”
“Have you seen him tonight?”
She shook her head. “No, he hasn’t been in here.”
JP handed her another card. “Please call me if he comes in.”
She eyed JP for a sec. “Sure will.”
JP tried a couple more bars, but to no avail. He gave up and went home.
Chapter 23
The Parker Case
Sabre heard someone call her name as she walked down the hallway at Juvenile Court toward Department Four. She turned to see Attorney Mike Powers.
“Good morning, Mikey.”
“Morning,” he said, and continued walking with her. “I hear you’re looking for a ghost father.”
“Yes, do you have one?”
“Maybe. Does this ghost drug his women?”
“We’re not sure, but we think so. What have you got?”
“I have a mother on a case who was doing well for a couple of months, and then she started using again. She swears someone drugged her at a bar and that got her started again.”
“Did she sleep with him?”
“She did, but he freaked her out because before he left, he told her she was pregnant and the child would rule the world, or some such nonsense.”
“Was she?” Sabre asked. “Pregnant?”
“No, but he did tell her that he was from the spirit world or something,” Mike said. “It was four or five months ago, and she seemed kind of ashamed of the whole thing, so I didn’t get a lot of details.”
“I want to find this guy,” Sabre said. “If he’s drugging them, he’s raping them.”
“I agree.”
They stopped in front of Department Four. “Do you think my investigator could talk to her? JP is very discreet, and it would only be about this issue. You can go with him if you want.”
“I’ll call her and see if she’s willing to talk to him.”
“Thanks,” Sabre said, and went inside the courtroom.
~~~
Louie lay at JP’s feet while JP tapped away on his keyboard, looking for anything he could find on Harley Lindgren, Sabre’s mother’s new love interest. So far, he had discovered that Harley was an American citizen; his mother was born in Sweden; he was sixty-eight years old; and he owned his own real estate company. He had two daughters and one son, none of whom had followed in their father’s entrepreneurial footsteps. The oldest daughter, Joanne, was a teacher in the Poway School District. His son, Eddie, was an attorney for a large San Diego law firm. Chloe, the other daughter, he wasn’t sure of, except that she appeared to be living in northern California. He decided to follow that up later.
JP ran Harley’s criminal record, but found nothing, not even a speeding ticket. He continued his search through social media sites, looking for anything untoward. The only social media accounts he found for Harley were LinkedIn and Facebook. LinkedIn was all professional contacts. Nothing unusual. He only had twenty-eight Facebook friends, even though he had been on the site for more than six years. They consisted of his children, and what appeared to be close friends and relatives. He found nothing suspicious.
JP continued to research Mr. Lindgren on the internet. His business seemed stable. He couldn’t find any lawsuits, past or pending. Then he found it. Louie jumped up from his comfortable spot on the floor when JP blurted, “Oh no. This can’t be good.”
~~~
Sabre was waiting with Bob to do a case when she saw a text from JP.
--JP: Are you eating at Pho’s today?
--Sabre: Yes.
--JP: Can I join you?
--Sabre: I’d like that. I should be there by noon or shortly thereafter.
--JP: Good.
“JP is joining us for lunch,” Sabre said.
“Good. This is my last case. How about you?”
“I have one more, but it should be quick. It’s a review in this department.”
Sabre and Bob finished their joint case and Bob left to wait outside for her. Sabre completed her review hearing and walked out with Regina Collicott. Sabre told her about the Parker case.
Regina laughed. “Just when I thought I’d heard it all.”
“I take it you don’t have a ghost father case?”
Regina thought for a moment. “I do have a new case in which the mother doesn’t know who the father is.”
Sabre gave her a sideways glance. “Ah… half my clients don’t know who the father is. Your point?”
“I know, mine either, but this one claims it’s either her ex-boyfriend or some guy she met in a bar. Some particular guy, like there was only one. She said she hoped it wasn’t him because he was pretty strange.”
“Did she get his name?”
“No, she said she didn’t know his name. She said she was pretty drunk.”
“Did she say he drugged her?”
“No, she didn’t say anything like that. It’s probably not even him, but we have a trial this afternoon. If you want, we can talk to her and make sure.”
“We may as well.”
Sabre and Bob drove to Pho’s, the Vietnamese restaurant at which they ate almost every day. They walked inside past the fish tank with the large goldfish. Sabre never tired of seeing them. Someday she hoped to have a large aquarium with lots of colorful saltwater fish. She spotted JP sitting at a table against the wall with her brother Ron.
JP stood up when she approached and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“What are you doing here?” Sabre asked Ron.
“I love you, too, Sis,” Ron said.
“You know what I mean. Is something up?”
“I invited him,” JP said.
“What’s wrong?” Sabre asked.
“Nothing. Well, sort of nothing,” JP said. “Sit down and I’ll tell you what I found out about your mother’s new beau.”
“Is it juicy?” Bob asked, as he took the seat next to Ron.
JP told them about the criminal check and all the personal information he had discovered.
“What else?” Sabre asked suspiciously.
“Did he tell your mother he was married before?”
“Yes,” Ron said, “and he has three children from that marriage. She knows that.”
“And she knows how the first wife died?”
“Yes, she had cancer.”
“Does your mother know about the other two marriages?”
Ron’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. She didn’t tell me that she did.”
“He’s been married three times?” Sabre asked. “Is he divorced?”
“No.”
Before JP could explain, Sabre asked, “Is he still married, or are they all dead?”
The waiter came up just then and took their orders. After he left, JP continued, “The second one was killed in a train accident and the third just disappeared.”
Silence ensued for about ten seconds. Finally, Bob said, “Did any of them have money?”
“I don’t think so,” JP said.
“Why would you ask that?” Sabre said.
“Because if he’s marrying these women and killing them off, money is the most likely motivator.”
“You said he had no criminal record, so he wasn’t ever arrested for anything regarding these women, right?” Sabre asked.
“Right. The first mar
riage lasted eighteen years, and his wife died at home with Hospice there. There didn’t appear to be any criminal investigation. The second wife of three years was meeting Harley at Jake’s in Del Mar. She crossed the street and they think she caught her foot and was hit by the train. She’s not the first person to be killed there. It was listed as an accidental death.”
“And the third?” Ron asked.
“The third is different. They were only married a few months. Supposedly, she went to visit her sister in Tustin and never came back. Harley became a suspect in that case, as the spouse always is, but there was never an arrest or anything formally filed.”
“And she was never found?” Ron said.
“Not that I could find.”
Sabre sat quietly, looking at but not touching the food the waiter had delivered.
“It could be the guy has had some really bad luck,” Bob said and started to eat his usual #124. “How long between wives?”
“He was single for seven years after his first wife died. His second was a good friend of both him and his wife. Her husband worked for Harley for about fifteen years until he ran off with another woman. It wasn’t until two years later that Harley married her. After she was hit by the train, Harley was alone for three years before he married his third wife.”
Neither Sabre nor Ron ate their food as they listened to JP. When he paused, Sabre asked, “Do you know how he met the third wife?”
“I’m not sure,” JP said. “Her name was Vanna Norstrom, and I have a hunch they met at some Swedish organization that he was involved with at the time. I haven’t confirmed that yet.”
“Do you know if there have been any other relationships since Vanna?”
“It’s hard to tell without talking to friends and relatives, which I didn’t think you wanted me to do. But it has been eleven years since Vanna disappeared. I expect there have been some.”
“With that kind of luck, he may have just given up,” Bob said. “I would have.”
No one else spoke for a few minutes. Ron and JP began to eat while Sabre picked at her food. She finally broke the silence. “Find out everything you can about Vanna Norstrom.”
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