Part 6 (1/2)

”There were times I wished exactly the same thing,” Shawn said.

”He's the reason I became a police officer,” Rasmussen said. ”If only I could work a case with him my life would be complete.”

”Hard to imagine such a rich life isn't complete already,” Gus said.

”Indeed,” Shawn said. ”Too bad my dad is retired.”

Outside the bungalow a black crime scene van pulled up to the curb.

”But of course, no one ever really leaves the Santa Barbara Police Department,” La.s.siter said. ”I talked to Henry just the other day and he was saying how much he missed the life.”

Rasmussen wheeled back to La.s.siter as if he'd forgotten the detective was there.

”He did not,” Shawn said. ”He loves being retired. He can spend all his time figuring out ways to torture me.”

”May I speak to you for a moment, Shawn?” La.s.siter said. His voice was mild, but his eyes flashed sparks as he walked over to him.

”Hey, I told you to freeze,” Rasmussen said. ”And you need to freeze right now.”

”No,” La.s.siter said. ”I don't think you'll want to explain to Henry Spencer why you shot his protege.”

”You are so not my father's protege,” Shawn said as La.s.siter came up with him. ”And having put in many years as his unwillingly designated protege, let me say how lucky that makes you.”

”Spencer, I need your help,” La.s.siter said. ”The forensics team is right outside. If this jacka.s.s wants to make a fuss, he can tie them up for hours before they get to the body.”

”He can't seriously stop your investigation, can he?”

”He can slow it down, and that's almost as bad,” La.s.siter said. ”This woman was in your office this morning, and now she's dead. I am not going to let that stand, and I don't believe you are, either.”

Shawn glanced over at Gus, who nodded his agreement. ”I'm sure my father would love to help out on this case,” Shawn said loudly.

Rasmussen lit up like a kid who'd just seen Santa slide down his chimney. ”Really?”

”Only as a personal favor to his protege, of course,” Shawn said. ”It would have to be an SBPD case all the way.”

”A joint task force,” Rasmussen said.

”With Santa Barbara in lead position,” La.s.siter said.

”Done.” Rasmussen put out his hand.

La.s.siter ignored it and marched to the door, where the first members of the forensics team were a.s.sembling. ”Body's in the bathroom. Get me something fast.”

”And make sure I get copied,” Rasmussen called as they filed past him. ”When are we meeting with Henry Spencer?”

La.s.siter turned back to Shawn. ”Yes, Shawn, when are we meeting with Henry Spencer?”

”Meeting?” Shawn said.

”To work on the case.”

Shawn gave him a blank look. ”I thought we were just saying that to get this yokel to let your guys in.”

”I think he'll notice if Henry isn't actually involved in the case,” La.s.siter said. ”And he can still make plenty of trouble if we need to do any more investigating in Isla Vista.”

”I really don't think this is a good idea,” Shawn said.

La.s.siter sighed irritably. ”Then it's just like it's one of yours. Look, Henry doesn't actually have to do anything. He's just got to show up.”

Shawn looked for a way out, but couldn't find an opening.

”I'll try to get him to your office tomorrow morning.”

”I'll be there at eight sharp,” Rasmussen said.

”Good, you can make the coffee,” La.s.siter said. ”We'll start at nine.”

Shawn and Gus squeezed past the entering investigators and headed back to their car.

”I don't believe this,” Gus said. ”What a day.”

”Tell me about it,” Shawn said. ”We start out looking for a necklace just to annoy La.s.sie, and we end up facing multiple murders.”

”Multiple?” Gus asked. ”Who died besides Ellen Svaco?”

”Me,” Shawn said. ”Because when I tell my dad that I volunteered him to work a case with La.s.sie and this idiot, he is going to kill me.”

Chapter Twelve.

Henry Spencer raised the sticks high above his head. And waited. He'd torn the sleeves out of his sweats.h.i.+rt to give his arms complete freedom, and tied a bandanna around his forehead to keep the sweat out of his eyes, and pulled on jeans that hadn't fit in ten years because-well, he wasn't quite sure why they'd told him to do that. But this was the moment he'd been dreaming of for weeks, the instant he'd rehea.r.s.ed in his head time after time. Around him, the three others waited, poised just like him, waiting for the computerized keyboard to finish its preprogrammed run. Then they'd all kick in.

Henry Spencer had never wanted to be a rock star. He'd never yearned to be onstage with a Stratocaster between his legs and thousands of fans screaming at his every move. He'd never learned to pick out the opening notes of ”Stairway to Heaven” on the display model in the guitar store or stood in front of his mirror practicing the front-footed stance unique to rock G.o.ds and Jack Kirby superheroes.

In his teens, in fact, Henry was almost completely oblivious to music. While his high school buddies were rocking around the clock or shaking their money maker or getting their groove thang on, Henry was doing his homework or attending practice for whichever sport was in season. He was vaguely aware that there were such things as radios, and that they tended to blare out their noise wherever he happened to be, but none of it made any more impression on him than the sound of traffic in the distance.

It wasn't that Henry disliked music. It was just that it was a distraction, and Henry never had time for anything that would take him away from his chosen path.

At least until that path reached its end.

Although Henry liked to think of himself as the same driven man he'd been before he retired, his mind and body were beginning to rebel against the decades of discipline. He told himself that it was important he continue to rise every morning at five seventeen, but his physical self knew there was no actual reason to wake before the sun, and his hand had started to hit the snooze before his training could stop it. When he set out for a quick six-mile jog, his legs began to suggest it might be nicer to stroll before they'd hit the halfway mark.

Henry was mature enough to expect the physical changes age was inevitably bringing, but the mental ones were a continual shock. And none was more shocking than what happened the day he was cruising the manager's specials at the Food Giant looking for a discounted steak that was still hours away from its expiration.

He noticed the song playing over the sound system.