Bee Conspiracy, page 16
The delivery men looked at each other. A squat, balding man in sunglasses raised his hand. “Are we still spraying the alarm pheromone?” he asked. Sweat glistened on the crown of his head.
“That is correct,” Fossil replied.
“May I point out the strong smell of the pheromone may alert people to the threat.”
Fossil bristled. “We are well aware of the various possible scenarios in this situation and we accept the risk. Your job is to do as you’re told and nothing else. Is that understood?!”
“Crystal, sir,” the squat, oily-headed man replied.
“One other thing,” Fossil mandated. “You will under no circumstances place any of these packages by daylight. You will wait till the sun has gone down completely before making any deliveries! Understood?”
“Yessir!” the group answered in unison.
“Good! Let’s load the first truck! Pull up here!” he waved and the drivers broke like a football team from a huddle. They ran back to their vehicles and started their engines. The first driver pulled forward and Fossil and three other beekeepers pulled bee boxes out of the shed and placed them in the back of the delivery van. One after another, the boxes filled up the van. When that van was filled, it drove off and another van moved forward.
***
Gordon Lund’s phone rang as he sat in his office, looking out at the manicured grounds of his pristine office campus. He was perturbed that his home had been invaded but, then again, he thought that perhaps this was the best thing possible. It had motivated everyone to move up their timelines and get this thing done. They were quickly moving towards the end of phase one of their plan. Yes, there had been some hiccups with the Skulberry death and subsequent investigation by the LAPD and this so-called insect specialist. But in the long run none of it would matter. Things were proceeding according to design.
Lund’s assistant buzzed him to announce that the mayor’s deputy was on the phone. They were holding a crisis town hall meeting with local pesticide executives on the recent Africanized honeybee attacks and would he attend? Lund was incensed. He had generously donated to the mayor’s campaigns and now he was being asked to participate in some dog and pony show with other pesticide executives? How dare he? “Tell him I won’t be able to make it,” Lund replied. “But I would be happy to meet with him privately at another time, if he wishes.”
The intercom went dead, and the assistant came back on a moment later. “I have the Mayor on the line now. Himself. He says he needs to speak with you urgently.”
Lund picked up the handset. “Put him through.”
The line clicked and went live again. “Gordon, how are you? I don’t know how much you have been watching the news, but I have a real situation on my hands. We’ve got a lot of scared people out there.”
“I have been monitoring the situation,” Lund replied.
“Our phones are ringing off the hook. First, we had that death in the Valley, but now this latest one with the hooker on the Sunset Strip really has people spooked.”
“There’s nothing like a dead pretty girl to catch people’s attention, they say.”
“Right. On top of that bees have been spotted swarming in Hancock Park of all places. These people are my direct donors.”
“As am I,” Lund retorted.
“Right, right. So I am having this forum to discuss possible action items we can take and I sure would appreciate it if you were there.”
“I’m afraid I will have to pass on the round table, Mr. Mayor. But I do have some ideas for you. If you can meet face to face, we can discuss them.”
“Sure. Okay. Come on over tomorrow afternoon, 3pm.”
“Will do, sir. Just a word of wisdom. Sometimes these types of situations get worse before they get better.”
“That’s comforting. You mean my poll numbers will drop even more?”
It was always poll numbers with these types, Gordon thought. He planned to exploit it. “Keep a cool head and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
***
Duke and Kelso stepped onto the porch as Mrs. Skulberry tightened the sash around her silky kimono. It was unclear whether or not she was wearing anything underneath it. “I’m sorry, I was taking a nap. What seems to be the trouble?”
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Skulberry. You are still in mourning, I see?”
“I beg your pardon, Detective?”
“Congratulations on getting out of rehab. What brings you to this residence?”
“Gordon is a friend. I didn’t want to stay in my house alone.”
Kelso chimed in. “There is an infestation of Africanized honeybees on this property. We need access to the backyard to investigate.”
Duke expected pushback on that request, but Mrs. Skulberry pressed a button at the front door and the side gate opened. “Be my guest,” she said. “I hate bees. Always have.”
Kelso did not wait for her to change her mind and he ran at the open gate. He did pause to see if the Rottweiler was nearby, but there was no sign of him. Kelso rushed through the dog run with Duke on his tail. He sprinted past the rose garden to the gate of the tennis court. There was no sign of any bees or bee boxes. “They’re all gone,” Kelso shouted.
“You think they moved them all that quickly?”
“It’s been two hours! I should never have let you take me to the hospital!” Kelso looked up in the trees surrounding the property and he could see bees swarming in the hollow of a tall oak tree. “You see? He released all of them.”
“Are we in danger?”
“No. Look at them.” Duke did so. He could not tell a dangerous bee from a disoriented one. But the way they formed a black ball on the tree was intimidating. “They’re disoriented. They have no hive. They’re waiting for their scouts to come back, to see if there’s any other place for them to go.”
“You think that Lund used these bees for the murder of Valerie Wilder.”
“I know it.” He pulled out some binoculars and focused on the swarm in the nearby tree. They were colored red from the cherry soda he had sprayed on them.
“Why? Why would they do that to her?”
“I don’t know yet. But I’m going to find out.”
As if on cue, Gordon Lund emerged from the back door of his stately home. “May I help you, officers?” he asked.
Kelso spun on a dime and faced him. “You want to tell us why you are illegally breeding aggressive Africanized honeybees?”
“You mean the bees we use to pollinate our rose bushes?” He pointed to a post in the garden. There was a wooden box with holes and a pitched roof at the top. It was a bee tower, akin to a birdhouse, the type of thing one would purchase at a local nursery.
“I’m talking about large quantities of bees hybridized to be aggressive,” Kelso answered.
“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Lund replied. “As I said, our gardener maintains a few bees near the roses and tomato plants to keep them fertile.”
“You’re a liar!” Kelso erupted.
“I’m going to have to ask you both to leave, since you lack any kind of warrant. I think my friend misunderstood your intentions in opening the yard to you.”
“Your friend?” Duke replied. “You couldn’t even wait until your employee’s body was cold before you hit on his wife.”
“I promised Howard I would look after Madeline if something ever happened to him! We were all friends!”
“Right. Friends with benefits, I assume?” Duke asked, pointedly, nodding towards Madeline.
“Detective you are way out of line. I guess that is a habit with you judging from your recent outbursts. But you have no idea. Madeline Skulberry has been through hell and back because people like you let the eco-terrorists get away with murder.”
Duke clenched his fist. Kelso felt the vibe of rising tension and noticed Duke’s triceps wound up like a spring, ready to deliver a punch at any moment. He stepped in front of him and pulled him back. This was not the time or the place to escalate this fight. They had to have more evidence, more context to the situation. Kelso knew just where they could get it.
Chapter Fifteen
Beryl was in a funk. She had to Uber to and from work because her dad had borrowed her car. But that wasn’t what was really bugging her. She was not happy in the least with how she had ended things with Kelso. She had not in any way, shape, or form designated him as her rebound. Things had taken their course and she was okay with that. They were both adults and they had a good time: no harm, no foul. But then he brought up the idea of doing the long-distance relationship thing. She thought of that John Mayer song, Love On The Weekend. The idea depressed her. She didn’t know why. She had not had time to process anything. He should have just kept his big mouth shut and things would have been better. Or maybe not. They needed to talk. She was sure of that. But now he was gone. Probably never to be seen again. He would live in Arizona and meet some nice ranch hand girl who looked great with no make-up and a little dirt on her face from feeding the hogs and they would two-step by the black light where the night moths and beetles glistened in the moonlight against the white sheet that attracted them and...STOP, she told herself as her mind raced along.
As the Uber driver pulled into Carthay circle and turned onto her street her heart lifted. She saw Kelso’s RV still parked in front of her dad’s house. How could that be? He said he was leaving today. Had something happened? Could it have to do with that phone call he got from her dad just as he left in the middle of their argument? Maybe another case came up? She had no idea, but she was happy. She got out of the car and hurried up the driveway. As she passed, she noticed the drapes inside the RV move slightly. Was he inside? She did not stop, but moved inside her gate, past the flourishing rose bushes that were aphid free.
She opened the door to her house and stepped inside. She put down her handbag and paused for a moment. Was he home? Maybe he was waiting out the traffic and that’s why he had stayed. Or maybe he wanted to talk to her, too. How should she play this? Should she just wait and see if he was going to knock on her door? No, she didn’t like playing games. She looked in the mirror and straightened her hair. Then she noticed some dried apple sauce on her sleeve – a remnant of her lunch with the preschoolers. She changed into her favorite casual top – the James Perse one with the floral print. She approached the mirror and did a quick hair flip. Enough, she told herself and she walked out the door.
She marched over to Kelso’s RV and knocked on the door. There was no answer. She was sure she had seen the curtains move earlier. Was he ignoring her? Or maybe he didn’t hear. Maybe he had his headphones on and he was putting a splint on a cricket’s broken leg or something. She knocked again. The door wiggled. Wait a minute, it was partly open. She pushed on the door and walked up the steps. “Hello?”
There was no answer. She looked down the center aisle of the RV and noticed a lump of covers on the bed. Of course. He was sleeping. He wasn’t ignoring her. She smiled and headed to the back of the RV. He was all cuddled up under the comforter. Was he okay? She sat down on the bed next to him. She put her hand on the comforter. There was a rise and fall of his breathing. Maybe he had stayed for no other reason than he wanted to clear things up with her? She felt a new affection for him. She lay down on the bed next to him and spooned him. “I’m sorry for what I said. This thing all happened a little bit fast, that’s all.”
As she ran her hands over his back something felt different. His body was not the one she remembered from the night before. She leaned over to get a glimpse of his face and realized her instinct was correct. Albert Fossil smiled deviously and her body shuddered with revulsion. He held a cloth soaked in the chloroform that Kelso kept on the insect dissection table. He shoved the cloth over her nose and mouth. She struggled for a moment and tried to kick him off. He put his weight on her and gripped her right wrist with his free hand. She scratched at him with her left but the RV began to spin. She felt nauseous. The chloroform did its work and she wilted in his arms.
***
The sycamore trees in front of Gordon Lund’s residence had long branches that merged together with trees across the street. They formed a canopy of shade over Orange Drive. Kelso and Duke walked back to Beryl’s Mustang parked in that shade. Duke breathed in and out slowly, like the therapist had taught him. He was grateful that Kelso had intervened to prevent him from doing something he might regret. Lund was an arrogant bastard, he knew that. But he was a well-connected, arrogant bastard who could easily put his career in jeopardy, especially right after getting off ad leave.
Kelso looked in the trees as they walked. He wanted to see if he could get a glimpse of any of the released swarms. The bees were very confused. They had lost their queens and were frantically sending out scouts to see if they could find any other hives to merge with. The prospect of another hive taking them in was unlikely. These bees were doomed to die. In the meantime, Kelso hoped they would not attack any humans who ventured nearby.
Duke opened the car door as a Crown Victoria pulled up in front of them. Captain Brader burst out of his car and motioned for them to come near. They hustled to greet him. “Sir, what brings you into the field?” Duke asked.
“Excuse me? Are you kidding? You chase a bunch of killer bees down Sunset Boulevard with the news cameras filming and I should just hang out at my desk?”
“I was going to brief you momentarily, sir,” Duke offered, contritely.
“Oh, you were, were you? Were you going to brief me about the fear riots you are causing? Were you going to fill me in that butterfly boy here was sprinting through a neighborhood lawn party in pursuit of these bees? Do you two have any idea of the damage that you have caused?”
“If I may, sir, the pursuit was to catch the killer who was using the weaponized bees,” Kelso interjected.
“Oh, even better! So the guy that just confessed is not our perp? So we coerced a confession out of an innocent man? That’s just special. That’s just dandy.”
“I don’t know if I’d call him innocent, sir, but I don’t think that he was behind either of these bee murders.”
“You’re becoming a tough sell, Bagley. I spoke to your superior over at Fish and Wildlife. She mentioned you have some PTSD issues.”
“I take exception to that diagnosis, sir.”
“You do, do you? You say that as you roam the city chasing a swarm of bees.”
“I’m not roaming anymore, sir. This is where they led me to. This house.” He pointed at Lund’s palatial home across the street.
“Great. So you’re now pointing the finger at one of the city’s biggest philanthropists.”
“I think he’s involved, yes. Whether or not he’s the actual one who pulled the trigger is another story.”
“I agree, sir. He shot at Bagley. He has the graze wound to prove it.” He pointed at Kelso’s earlobe.
“I would probably shoot at him too if he hopped the fence into my yard.”
“Sir we think they killed the hooker because she had a piece of hardware. Some type of robotic bee drone.”
“This just keeps getting better and better.”
“She gave the prototype to us. I have our field office doing an analysis right now. We have to get over there.”
“Your director is recalling you. She wants you back to the butterfly beat or patrol or whatever it is you do.”
“But sir...”
“Don’t but sir me! You need to get back to the squad room and write me a detailed report on the homicide. I have to go down to the Chief’s office and explain this whole PR disaster. Now go! Get out of my sight! Now!”
Duke and Kelso hopped in Beryl’s Mustang. Kelso noticed the butterfly release box he had given her. It was on the floor of the back seat. She obviously did not have a chance to bring it to school yet. “Where to?” Duke asked.
“The USFWS field station in Torrance. We have to talk to Charlie. I think he has the answers we’re looking for.” Duke pulled the car away and headed south on Highland towards the 10 Freeway.
***
Beryl awoke, groggy, prone in the back seat of Albert Fossil’s car. She did not stir. She pretended to still be asleep. Absolute panic started to take over as she realized her hands were bound behind her, attached to the seat belt. She did not move but opened her eyes and noted the surroundings. There was a beekeeper’s veil on the seat next to her, along with a bee smoker. She lifted her head quietly and tried to get a glance out the window, but it was too high. She couldn’t see much. She pulled at her hands gently to see how tight her bonds were. It was not good. She could barely move.
What had she been thinking? Going into Kelso’s RV like that unannounced? She had obviously interrupted some kind of burglary in progress and the perp had hidden under the covers. All she had to do was leave him alone on the bed rather than lay down next to him and none of this would have happened. “I know you’re awake,” Fossil said from the front seat. “Welcome back.”
She didn’t immediately reply. She just listened to the sound of his voice. She did not recognize it. Could she have met him at the black light party the night before? She didn’t think so. Those were younger people and this guy sounded older. Maybe in his late forties or even fifties. “Is it money you want?” she asked calmly.
“No, definitely not,” Fossil replied.
“Something else?” she asked.
“You are very attractive but no, this is not about that. I’m afraid that you are a pawn. Your friend has something that I need. Based on the affection you showed when you thought I was him I can only assume that he has a great deal of affection for you too.”
“Actually, in this case he doesn’t. He was leaving town without me. It’s completely unrequited.”
“I think you are selling yourself short,” Fossil said as he pulled his car into the back entrance of the Sage Chemical observation farm. Beryl got a glimpse of some high-power lines that extended above.
“I’m not worth much to him. I assure you,” she replied in a calm voice. Her father had instructed her to retain her composure should she ever be in a situation like this.
