The Tipsy Gull, page 17
part #1 of Danny Barbosa Series
The blonde driver looked up into her rear-view mirror. Her eyes widened. The tires squealed, and the GTR sped off, running the red light, and leaving a trail of smoke behind.
Horns blared as several north bound cars slammed on their brakes. Danny’s blood ran cold. It’s the Chameleon. He shot forward, ignoring the shouts and middle fingers. The Nissan was fast, and had a big lead, but Danny kept his eyes on it as the car weaved recklessly in and out of traffic.
His heart raced and adrenaline boiled over. The red car merged onto the 5, half a mile ahead of him. He drove as fast as he felt safe. Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed the emergency number.
“911, what’s your emergency.”
“This is Detective Danny Barbosa with the PD. I’m in pursuit of a red Nissan, personalized license of Nora-Adam-Ocean-Mary-Ida-Mary-David. I have reason to suspect the driver is the San Diego Slayer.”
“What’s your 10-20?”
“I’m northbound on the five, from Imperial Avenue. Suspect vehicle is traveling in excess of one hundred and ten miles per hour. I’m trailing in my civilian vehicle, a yellow Chevy Camaro with the red strobe activated.”
Up ahead, a car swerved over to his lane to pass a slow-moving motor home. At Danny’s speed, he’d rear end it in seconds.
“Shit!” Danny tapped his brakes and swung to the opposite lane of the RV. He barely cleared its back end, zoomed by, and swung back to lane one, leaving an echo of horns behind. His heart jumped into his throat and he swallowed hard. Aww Jeez, I’m gonna get myself killed.
“Detective, I have CHP dispatch on the line and I’m forwarding the call now.”
Following a click, a new voice said, “Officer Barbosa, this is CHP dispatcher, Lorraine. All our units in the vicinity have been advised. Keep us updated with your location and when we have our patrol cars in position, I’ll need you to back out.”
“10-4, we’re still northbound, now passing the Highway 52 interchange. Suspect has lowered her speed to one hundred miles per hour. I’m trailing the vehicle by about a quarter of a mile.”
“10-4, Officer. Your department’s also been notified. Do you have an 836 on the suspect, enabling us to make a felony arrest?”
“Negative. I repeat negative on the 836. At this time, I have a misdemeanor failure to yield. The vehicle and license plate are similar to our 187 suspect, and the driver showed recognition upon seeing me, taking evasive action.”
“10-4, the 10-28 on the vehicle–”
A cloud of smoke rose ahead where a couple of vehicles had slammed on their brakes to avoid an accident. He slowed down as he passed the near wreck, then slammed the pedal down again. The Camaro surged forward.
“–comes back to Naomi Chapel out of La Jolla. Her CDL shows her to be a forty- eight-year-old female.”
“10-4. Be advised the driver looks to be in her early twenties. Continuing northbound, now passing the UC. Do you have an ETA on your units?”
Danny waited for the answer. His heart had fallen back into place, but he kept both hands firmly on the wheel, scanning ahead. Any accident at this speed could be fatal.
“Officer, we just received a 9-1-1 call from the driver of your suspect vehicle. She states she’s being chased by a yellow Chevy Camaro, and believes the driver is a hit man, hired to kill her.”
What the fuck? “10-4. I think this is going to be a false alarm. A CHP unit's coming onto the freeway ahead of me now. I’ll go ahead and back down.”
“10-4. We still have her on line and explained you’re in law enforcement. She’ll be pulling over as soon as she sees one of our units.”
“10-4.” Danny slowed to eighty miles per hour, and several CHP units flew by with their overhead lights activated.
Down the road, Danny rolled up on the traffic stop. Three highway patrol units were staggered behind the Nissan, their light bars spinning red and blue on the surrounding area. The officers were talking to the driver on the side of the freeway. A San Diego PD unit was parked behind them and Danny pulled up next to it.
A patrol sergeant, Kim Flowers, exited her unit and walked over to him. “What the fuck’s going on, Barbosa?”
He explained about the license plate and how the vehicle ran the red light when she saw him behind her. The CHP sergeant approached and listened in on his explanation.
“The driver’s name is Tiffany Chapel. That’s her mom’s car. Her mom is an ER doctor at Community Hospital. Evidently, Tiffany’s husband had hired a hit man to kill her. The husband’s in jail now and a warrant’s been issued on the hit man. He’s described as being six-feet, two inches tall, a bodybuilder, and coincidentally drives a bumblebee Camaro, like yours. We’ve already made some calls and her story’s confirmed.”
Danny shook his head. “What are the odds, huh?”
The CHP sergeant yawned, checked his watch, and shrugged. “Anyway, according to Ms. Chapel she saw your vehicle pull up behind her and your eyes lit up when you saw her. She says in fear of her life, she took off, ignoring your strobe light, which she claims she thought was a ploy.”
Flowers nodded.
“Under the circumstances,” he said. “Our officers won’t be citing her. What do you guys want to do?”
“Danny, it’s your call. If you want to have her arrested for failure to yield, we can, but based on what she’s saying, I don’t think the DA will file on it.”
Danny waved his hand. “No, of course not. I’d like to apologize to her, though, for scaring her.”
Flowers raised her eyebrows to the CHP sergeant, who nodded.
“Yeah, go ahead and smooth things over with her. I’m glad nobody got hurt.” He put his sunglasses back on. “You both got some fast cars there.”
Danny approached the red-light runner with Sergeant Flowers at his side. “Tiffany, right?”
She nodded, while rubbing her hands together.
“I’m Detective Barbosa with San Diego PD. Your car matches a vehicle I’m looking for, and when you looked in the mirror and saw me, then took off.” He spread his arms out. “Well, I thought you were her. Sorry about the scare. That was pretty intense, huh?”
"Yeah, it was," she said and held her hand out face down. Her fingers trembled. "As you can see, I think I need a drink now."
"I wouldn't go anywhere just yet. Hang around and relax first," Flowers suggested.
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Tiffany headed toward her vehicle.
Danny nodded bye to Flowers and headed to his Camaro. She yelled out that Ben was on his way over, and for him to stand by. He waved over the shoulder and sat in his car. An unmarked unit pulled in behind him. Ben and Hawthorne exited and headed his way. Great, what was he supposed to say to the lieutenant?
Ben smiled. “Hey, partner. You gave us all a heart attack back at headquarters. Word was already spreading that Barbosa was going to luck into another solved case.”
Danny chuckled. “She gave me a good chase, scared the hell out of me.” He looked at Hawthorne, whose expression was hard to read. “Sorry, Lieutenant, I was just coming back from an AA meeting, when she took off like a bat out of hell.”
He gave a slight nod. “I’ll need a report from you, ASAP, in case she wants to file a complaint. But technically you’re on suspension, so I can’t ask you to write it until Wednesday.”
Danny waved it off. “It’s no problem. I’ll write it later today and have a patrol unit bring it to you.”
Hawthorne slapped Danny’s arm. “Thanks, Barbosa.”
Danny drove home, contemplating his actions. Had he done the right thing in pursuing the GTR? Or had the Chameleon’s threats affected his decision making.
That evening, Danny sat at the kitchen table, the photographs from the zoo laid out in front of him, while a rib eye steak marinated. A printout of Jessa and Cameron’s text messages for that day was lined up next to a yellow legal pad. There were twenty-four photographs. He closed his eyes and thought about their day at the zoo. It appeared the first photograph had been taken at the giraffe exhibit. The pose was the same as the one on Tala’s camera—facing the giraffes, back to the photographer. He furrowed his brow and tapped the note pad with his pen. If he wasn’t mistaken, the angle was identical on both pictures. Was the young girl who’d taken their picture the Chameleon? His mouth went dry and his heart beat faster. He did the math in his head to make sure she’d be awake before calling Tala. “Hi love. How’s Mama doing?”
“The fever broke again, but I’m worried because it keeps coming back.”
They talked about her health for a few moments, then he told her about his car chase. She was excited about it, but worried, as evidenced by the lecture he received. He also told her he hadn’t had a drink all day, and she said she was proud of him. After more small talk, he turned the conversation to the photographs. “Love, can you email me the pictures you took at the zoo.”
“Why?”
He hesitated, for he hadn’t planned on telling her about the pictures. Then again, it’d be better if she knew, so she could be on guard also. He briefed her on the package that had arrived in the mail.
“Oh my God, she followed us around the zoo? Are we safe?”
“Suspects do that sometimes. They try to intimidate the officers on the case but never follow through.” Danny took a deep breath. “Anyway, you guys are safe there in the Philippines.”
“Cameron! That wasn’t a pervert texting Jessa, it was her wasn’t it?” Tala asked.
“I think so. That’s how she found out about us. It’s just a gut feeling right now, but we’ll investigate and see what we can turn up.”
“Please find her. I can’t bring Jessa back if she’s going to be in danger.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll catch her.” The words rang hollow in his ears. Of course, she’d worry, the Chameleon was unstable. The condition of the victim’s body flashed into his head and he swallowed hard.
“So, what do you need my pictures for?”
He explained that one of the poses the Slayer had sent looked like the same angle as the girl who took their picture. He also wanted her to print the time on the photo so he could compare it to the texts. Tala said she was in the city shopping but would send them as soon as she arrived back at the house.
The steak sizzled on the grill while he waited for Tala to send the file. While a beer sounded good, he wanted his head clear while he reviewed the evidence. Instant mashed potatoes and canned green beans completed his dinner. He wasn’t the cook Tala was, but he could get by for the few weeks she’d be gone. Zoe happily accepted the piece of meat he cut up and mixed with her dog food.
The file popped up in his G-mail and he pushed his plate to the side. He skimmed over the pics Tala forwarded until he found the one the Chameleon had sent. They were identical. His mind raced. The girl had red hair and wore shorts, a t-shirt, and sunglasses. She blended in with everyone else. Was there something that stood out about her? He strained at the memory but couldn’t pull it in.
The time stamp on Tala’s photograph showed 2:17 p.m. Jessa’s first text to Cameron came at 10:40 that morning telling him she was going to the zoo. He continued to read the messages and noted the times of the pertinent ones.
1:33 Cameron: My favorite animal is the giraffe. When you get to that exhibit can you send me a picture of one?
2:01 Jessa: I’m at the giraffe exhibit now. I’ll send you a picture when I get closer.
Goosebumps rose on the back of his neck. He couldn’t prove Cameron was the Chameleon, but his instinct told him as much. A good detective always followed his instinct. He called Tala back. “Do you remember what the girl that took our picture looked like?”
“Oh God, it was her, wasn’t it?”
“I don’t know for sure. But that’s how we do things. We have to chase down every lead even if it’s improbable.”
Tala took a deep breath. “She looked about twenty years old, had red hair, and was about an inch or two taller than me.”
Tala was five-three. That’d make the girl about five-four or five-five, the same height as Carmelita and the girl in the elevator.
“Anything else you can remember?”
“Uhh…Oh yeah, she had a nice camera around her neck.”
“Yeah, yeah. I remember that. Could you tell what kind?”
“Either a Canon or Nikon. Black with a telescopic lens.”
“What do you have?”
“Sony.”
“Did you have to show her how to use your camera?” he asked.
“I started to, but she said she had a Sony at home, and was familiar with it.”
“Okay, good. Now close your eyes.”
“Alright, they’re closed.”
“Okay, we’re at the zoo. You’re excited because the giraffe had a baby. Now we need our picture taken. I pointed to a girl and said, ‘ask her’.”
“No, I saw her first. You said you didn’t see her.”
“Good. What’s she wearing?”
“Blue shorts and a white t-shirt. It had a small logo on the left side, but I couldn’t make it out. I think she wore sandals. Oh, and her hair was in a pony tail.”
“Good. Do you remember seeing her again?”
“Uh…yes!” Tala yelled. “We were at, oh God uh, the place with the polar animals. You know the one I mean?”
“I think so. Northern Frontier?”
“Yeah that’s it. I remember seeing her taking pictures of the wolves that were behind us. I noticed the camera first and thought it was a nice one. It was the same girl.”
“Okay, hold on a sec, let me go through the pictures she sent.” Danny found a photo of him and Tala sitting at a picnic table in front of Panda Canyon. They sat face to face and held hands. In the background, Jessa stood on Bashor Bridge, which overlooked the pandas. She held her cell in front of her, aimed at them. If Jessa’s in this picture, the Chameleon might be in the picture Jessa took. He swallowed the lump in his throat. I’m going to luck into this. Oh Jessa, please tell me you were taking our picture right there.
He passed on to Tala what he’d found.
“I hate to disappoint you. She might have been holding the camera toward us but was more than likely taking selfies.”
“Aw, Jeez. I didn’t even think about that. Shit.” He looked at the photograph again. “No wait, doesn’t she normally hold the camera higher when she’s taking her own picture? In this one, the camera’s closer to her body, facing our direction.”
“Yeah, maybe. I’ll check her phone when she comes back. Her and Nicky are swimming in the river.”
“Thanks. In fact, send me all the photos on her phone from the zoo.”
“I will. I’ll look them over too and see if I happen to spot that girl in the background of any of them.”
Danny pumped a fist into the air, confident they’d unearth something they could use. “Thanks, love. We’ll catch her, okay?”
“I trust you. You’re good at what you do,” Tala said.
“Thanks, bye-bye.” Danny ended the call and felt the best he had since she’d left.
He took a couple of bites of his now cold dinner before continuing to examine the pictures. The Chameleon took one at Northern Frontier—the three of them looking at the wolf on top of the rock. He sighed and set it aside. When he found the photos that Tala had taken from that exhibit, he noticed the time stamp, 3:11 pm. He reviewed Jessa’s text messages. Sure enough, she’d texted Cameron at 3:14.
Jessa: I wish the wolves would howl like I see on TV. Lol.
Cameron: The one coming out of the cave might.
Ice ran through his veins and every muscle in his body froze. The clue was right in front of him, larger than a defensive tackle. The tiny smile on his lips stretched into a broad grin, small compared to the touchdown celebration going on his head. Jessa had missed the implication, but Cameron must have realized his blunder because he changed the subject to classes and teachers at Union.
Later that evening, dinner finished, and his apartment cleaned up, his G-mail alert sounded, and Danny opened the file of Jessa’s zoo pictures. He skimmed over them, looking for the one of him and Tala on the picnic table. Sure enough, he came across that photo. They had stopped to eat ice-cream and Jessa had snapped their picture. In the background, next to the snack shop, was a red headed girl at the corner. The clothing matched what Tala had described, and a camera hung from her neck. The hairs on his arms stood on end. That’s the Chameleon.
CHAPTER 22
Danny opened the refrigerator and pulled out leftover steak, eggs, cheddar cheese, green onions, bread, and jelly. While the coffee percolated, he made himself an omelet, overstuffed with cheese, along with toast smothered with strawberry jelly. He scanned the schedule of AA meetings and found a noon men’s meeting close by.
He was in the shower when Zoe started barking. Was someone knocking at the door? He turned the water off and listened. Zoe had stopped and it was quiet. With a shrug, he continued getting ready for this meeting.
Heading out the door, he glanced at a ‘missed-delivery’ notice hanging from the doorknob. Danny scooped it up. It was from a process server. He put it in his pocket to call after his meeting.
He arrived at the small church, and found a door with a blue circle, and a triangle in the middle. Because AA was an anonymous fellowship which did not advertise, Paul had taught him to look for the symbol. Danny strolled in and headed to the coffee pot. About a dozen guys milled around and he nodded hello to a few of them.
An old guy sporting a pony tail of silver hair, and bald on top, hobbled over on a cane. He had a pair of reading glasses looped on a chain around his neck and looked to be in his seventies. He held his hand out and introduced himself as Tom.
Danny shook his hand, waved his new court card, and inquired where to leave it, for he didn’t see a basket next to the secretary of the meeting. Tom led him to the back-counter top, and Danny dropped his paper in a tray with the others. At twelve o’clock the secretary rang a bell. The meeting started with the traditional ‘are there any newcomers’ question. Three men introduced themselves, identifying themselves as alcoholic. Danny bit his lip. I guess if that’s what they want to hear.
