Gated Prey (Eve Ronin #3)(10)

“I think it’s for a 2017 Hyundai Sonata, but don’t hold me to it.”

“He doesn’t have any house keys?”

Noomis shook his head. “Maybe they are in his car.”

Eve handed the wallet back to him. “Sorry about your late lunch.”

“It’s okay, it’s how I stay so slim.”

“You get any slimmer, you’ll be invisible when you turn sideways.”

She walked to the front of the store and met Deputy Helm. “What do the paramedics say about Mumford?”

“Mild case of shock. He’ll be fine once he hydrates and warms up.”

She spotted a man with a graying crew cut and wearing an expensive tailored suit over his muscled frame crouching beside Grayson. The man exuded “cop” but his suit was too nice for him to be in law enforcement and she’d never seen him before.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“Ethan Dryer. He owns Big Valley Security.”

“What is he doing in my crime scene?”

Helm shifted his weight and averted his eyes from her. “Mumford is one of his guards. I figured the kid could use the emotional support right now.”

It was an admirable reason, but it was still wrong.

“Did I say anything about letting family or anybody else besides CSU, the medical examiner, or paramedics in here?”

“Dryer is one of us.”

“No, he’s not. He’s a civilian.” Eve marched over to Grayson and Dryer. “How are you feeling, Grayson?”

“Better, thanks,” he said.

Dryer stood up. “Is he free to go now?”

Eve tipped her head, gesturing for Dryer to follow her. She led him over to the produce section, out of Grayson’s view and earshot. “What are you doing here, Mr. Dryer?”

“The store is my client and one of my officers was involved in a shooting. I’m here to provide support and act as his advocate.”

“You know better than to walk into an active crime scene without being invited by the investigating detective. You ever do that again and I’ll file a complaint with the BSIS,” Eve said, referring to the state’s Bureau of Security and Investigative Services that oversaw and licensed security companies, bodyguards, alarm companies, repo men, private investigators, and locksmiths.

He smiled. “I was allowed in by the deputies.”

Most of whom, Eve thought, were thinking ahead about their post-LASD job options and the possibility of a soft landing in a lucrative private-sector job with Big Valley Security.

“They were wrong,” she said.

“Then your problem is with them, not me.”

She stepped close to him. “It’s with you, Mr. Dryer. I just saw three men die. I’m in no mood for bullshit. Consider this a friendly warning.”

His smile vanished and his face hardened. “There’s nothing friendly about it. A friend would show me some professional courtesy.”

“You aren’t a cop. You’re a businessman.”

“I was a deputy chief at the LAPD.”

“That doesn’t get you any special treatment. You’re no different than any other civilian to me.”

“I heard you were hated by just about everybody at LASD. Now I know why. You’re a bossy little girl.”

She ignored his comment and walked back over to Grayson. “You can go home now, Grayson. But I may circle back to you with some more questions.” Eve handed him her card. “You may have some hard days ahead dealing with all of this. Call me anytime if you want to talk.”

“Thank you,” he said and slipped her card in his pocket.

Eve walked away as Dryer helped Grayson to his feet and went outside. The sun seemed brighter and the loud whap-whap-whap of news choppers circling overhead filled the air. The crowd behind the crime scene tape in the parking lot had doubled and now four more TV news trucks were parked on the street, satellite dishes raised, the reporters standing on the sidewalk facing their cameramen, using the shopping center as the exciting backdrop for their live broadcasts.

She spotted Tom near his patrol car, took his notebook out of her pocket, tore out the pages she’d written on, and walked over to him.

“Thanks for the notebook and pen,” she said, handing them back to him and stuffing the torn pages in her pocket. “The gunman had car keys for a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. Can you put out the word to check Vista Grande, Calabasas Road, the golf course, this parking lot, and the surrounding area for any old Sonatas? He might have parked, walked to Vista Grande, and jumped a fence to get in.”

Tom nodded. “Roger that.”

“Thanks,” Eve said, then saw Captain Moffett coming her way. She left Tom to meet the captain.

“You need to talk to the Officer-Involved Shooting Team,” Moffett said. “So does Duncan. They’ll meet you at the station.”

It was a waste of time, she thought. The incidents were all on video, here and at the house, and she had more pressing things to do.

“Can’t that wait, sir? There’s work I need to do first at Vista Grande. We don’t know how the three men got into the community or how they were planning to get out. We also need to—”

“I know what needs to be done, Detective,” Moffett interrupted. “I didn’t get my captain’s bars off a YouTube video. Vista Grande is locked down. I’ve got deputies canvassing the neighborhood looking for possible accomplices, collecting home security footage, and questioning gardeners, pool men, everybody that’s still inside the gates. You’ll get all the reports and footage. But, frankly, I think the spree of home invasions just ended.”