chapter 16

The following morning, Cizzer jack from FBI sex and crime unit reported in. His computer had popped up a handful of related crimes, but he's was letting me know that none of them was a strong lead.

They stared by plugging in fists used in the act of sexual assault, and that produced several cases, mostly gay crimes. One was in connection with the couple of murdered prostitutes in Compton that dated back to 1992, but Clark Kent was serving twenty-five years to life in San Quentin for that.

There had been several hotel murders, even one involving newlyweds in Ohio, in which the groom had opened the womb of his beloved with a 30-30 when he discovered he wasn't the first. But there was nothing local or still outstanding, nothing tangible to give us a direction.

I was disappointed but not surprised. Everything we had uncovered so far convinced me that Nathaniel and Lizzy Harry ran into there killer at the Hyatt, it wasn't the first time they had met.

I saw Isaiah wandering in from outside. For two days, he had been avoiding me-running down his assignments, specifically the searches of the champagne and jacket.

After two years. I knew that when Isaiah wasn't needling me, he wasn't happy.

"How's the search going?" I asked.

He flashed me a tight-lipped smirk." Chin and Murphy are calling every fricking wine store in the forth-mile radius. You think any of these guys keep track of this sort of thing? They tell me that bottle could have been ordered from anywhere in the country. Then there's mail order to consider. The internet. Crimes!"

I knew it was a long shot. But how many people pay two hundred bucks for a bottle of champagne?

Still- he finally faced me with a self-satisfied smile-" we came up with some names l."

As if to torture me, Isaiah leafed through his notepad to what must have been page thirty, then he squinted, cleared his throat saying," yeah here we go... Golden state wine shop, on crescent. Krug. Clos du mesnil," he pronounced, bludgeoning the French. "Nineteen eighty-nine. Someone ordered a case of stuff last March. You can check him out.

"You check him out?"

He nodded." Never heard of any Harry. He's a dentist. I guess rich dentist like fancy wine, too," he flipped over the page. " then there's vineyard wine in Mill Valley. Zack handled it." For the first time in a couple of days he really smiled at me." The guy who bought the wine was named Zack, too. Regular customer there. Threw a dinner party for his wife's birthday, you want to give me a morning off I will check him out, but I thought I'd send Zack himself. Just for the laugh,"

Any luck with the tuxedo jacket?

"We called the manufacturer. Fifteen stores in the area sell this brand. If it even came from around here. We are bringing in their local rep. Tracking down the owner of this thing... it ain't gonna be easy."

"While you are out there, Isaiah," I teased him, see if you pick yourself a decent tie."

Ho ho. So how are you getting along without me? Isaiah asked, facing me. He flattered his lips, and I could see the disappointment all over his face. Made feel bad.

" I'm coping," then seriously, " I'm sorry, Isaiah, you know that I didn't ask for this guy,"

He nodded self-consciously

You want me to check out everyone we dig up who's into fancy champagne?"

I shook my head. I got up, dropped a copy of the Harry's wedding list on his desk. What I want you to do is check and see if they match against this list,"

He leafed through the list. Whistling at a few of the more prominent names, " too bad Moo. No sheon or Zack. Maybe we will just have to wait and take a shot at couple number two."

What makes you say that?" I asked. Isaiah was a pain in the ass, but he was a good cop with a good nose for sniffing out a pattern.

We are looking for a spiffy dresser who like to get dirty with a dead bride right,"

I nodded, I remembered something my first partner had told me. Never wrestle with a pig, Moo. You both will get dirty the pig likes it.

"I figured it's gotta be hard for a guy like that to find a date," said Isaiah, so we just have to wait for him to strike again or we can continue with the search. I sighed as I gave Isaiah a puzzling look.

The first week of the bride and groom investigation was gone. Unbelievable.

Isaiah's team had pounded the jacket and champagne search, but so far they had come up empty. Gebriel and I had spoken to twenty wedding guests from the mayor to the groom's best friend. All of them were numb and sickened, but unable to put a finger on any one thing that might move us along.

All I could focus on was that we needed something firm-fast- before this guy who took the rings killed again.

I underwent my second transfusion. I watched the thick red blood drip into my vein. I prayed it was making me stronger, but I don't know. It had the slow, steady beat of a ticking clock.

And the clock was ticking. Mine, chief Kalistus's. Saturday at six, Isaiah closed his pad, put on his sport jacket and tucked his gun into his belt." See ya Moo." He said.

Gebriel stopped by before heading out. " I owe you a beer. You want to collect?"

A beer would be nice, I thought. I was even growing used to Gabriel's company. But something told me that if I went with him now, I'd let everything out: Negli's, my treatments, the fear in my heart.

I shook my head. " think I will stick around," I said with a polite shrug.

"You got plans tomorrow?"

" yea. I'm meeting Fatimah. Then I will come in here. What about you?"

Austin's in a soccer tournament in Pablo Alto. I'm taking both boys down,"

Sound nice," it did sound nice. It had the ring of something I might miss out on in life.

"I will be back tomorrow evening." He has given me his beeper the first day we hooked up." I'm an hour away call if anything comes up."

With Gebriel gone, my corner of the squad room became shrouded in silence. The investigation was shut down for the night. One or two of the night staff were chatting out in the hall.

I had never felt so lonely. I knew that if I went home now I'd be leaving behind some vital nexus to the case. Failing some unsaid promise I had made to Lizzy. One more look, I said. One more pass.

Why would the killer take the rings?

A wave of exhaustion washed through my veins, my new fight cells were sapping my strength even as they defended me, multiplied. The cavalry, charging in to the rescue. Hope attacking doubt. It seemed crazy.

I had to let Nathaniel and Lizzy sleep for the night. I bound the thick crime file up in its elastic cord and placed it in the gray bin marked " open cases," next to similar files, with similar names.

Then I sat at my desk in the dark squad room for a couple of minutes more. I started to cry.