‘Partially.’
‘And that means what, exactly?’
Hunter took his time as he told Elder a slightly modified version of what had happened. ‘We believe this killer is after your old group of friends.’
‘From Compton High?’
‘Not necessarily.’
‘Would you fucking stop talking in riddles, cop. It’s messing with my head. What does “not necessarily” mean?’
From a plastic folder Hunter produced the Gardena High photo with the four girls. ‘These girls weren’t students at Compton High.’ He pushed the picture across the table. ‘Do you recognize any of them?’
Elder stared at the photo for a long while before shaking his head. ‘Nope,’ he said coldly.
Hunter knew he was lying, but played along. ‘I thought maybe some of these girls used to hang out with you and Brett after school.’ He pulled the picture back and observed as Elder’s eyes reluctantly broke away from it. ‘The killer’s killed two of them.’
‘Which two?’ The question came automatically. A nervous reflex from a concerned person.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Hunter shook his head. ‘If these girls didn’t hang out with you, then it doesn’t matter. We’re done here.’ He made as if he was getting up.
‘Wait a second.’ Elder leaned forward. His voice a touch more urgent. ‘Let me see that picture again.’
‘Why?’
‘It was a long time ago, cop. My brain has forgotten a lot. Maybe if I look at it again…’
Hunter slowly pushed the picture back towards Elder. This time the inmate held it with his chained hands. Hunter observed Elder. The way his eyes moved from one girl to another. There was no doubt his gaze concentrated mostly on the girl who was second from the left – Amanda Reilly.
Hundred and Three
‘Which two have been killed?’ Elder’s cold voice had softened a touch.
‘Do you remember any of them?’ Hunter pressed.
Elder looked up, and his piercing eyes rested on Hunter. He blinked quickly a couple of times as if to clear his vision. The edges of his mouth curled up. ‘You’re the one who’s on a tight schedule, cop.’ The monotone was back. ‘Trying to catch a killer and all. I already know my fate. I ain’t ever coming out of here. You can play games all you like, it doesn’t bother me. Maybe I do remember them, but first I wanna know which two have been killed.’
Peter Elder needed a reason to help. From the way he stared at Amanda Reilly, it was clear he was struggling with an emotion he hadn’t felt in too many years. And the picture had certainly stirred some of it back to life. Hunter decided to gamble. ‘The last two girls on the right – Debbie Howard and Jessica Pierce.’
Elder’s face relaxed a fraction with relief. Hunter was certain he’d gambled correctly – time to roll the dice one more time. ‘The others are all in danger, as is everyone who was part of your street group. We have reason to believe the next one on the killer’s list will be the second girl from the left – Amanda Reilly. Do you know her?’
Peter Elder tensed. ‘If you believe she’s gonna be the next victim, why don’t you protect her?’
‘We can’t find her. We think she’s running scared. Our best chance is to catch the killer before he strikes again. We know those girls knew each other, but we still don’t have a link between them and Brett.’
‘And how will that help?’
Hunter leaned forward. ‘Look, I know you guys bullied a few kids when you were young; it happens in every school in America. From what we have so far, it looks like that for some reason one of the kids you pushed around back then decided it’s payback time.’
Elder frowned. ‘That was about twenty-five years ago.’
‘Some people don’t ever forget.’
‘But these girls weren’t Compton High students. Why would the killer go after them?’
Hunter explained his street gang theory.
Elder used both hands to scratch his forehead. ‘So you need me to confirm if you got it right. A pushed-around kid who decided to get his own back on our little gang.’
Hunter nodded.
‘You didn’t.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Your theory is bullshit, cop.’ Elder allowed his eyes to study the picture again and they mellowed. ‘Some of us did hang out together.’ He pointed to the last girl on the right. ‘Debbs, one of the girls you said was killed, was one of them, and so was Mandy.’ He pointed to Amanda Reilly. ‘But this other girl who died, what did you say her name was?’
‘Jessica Pierce.’
‘I’ve never even seen her before. She didn’t hang out with us; neither did the other one. So this killer of yours can’t be going after my old street gang.’
‘Your old gang – how many were you?’
Elder thought about it for a moment. ‘Eight, counting me.’
Hunter pulled a new picture from his folder and slid it across the table. Elder switched his gaze from the girls’ photo to the new one – a slender man with neatly trimmed fair hair leaning casually against a white wall. The one they got from the house in Malibu – the still unidentified first victim. Hunter observed Elder’s eyes and expression. The recognition came within five seconds.
‘He was the first victim,’ Hunter announced.
Elder remained silent.
‘Was he part of your street gang?’
Elder returned his clasped hands to his lap and considered what to say. ‘Strutter was the craziest motherfucker I’d ever met.’
Hundred and Four
Hunter’s brow creased slightly. ‘Strutter?’ he asked.
‘That’s what we called him. He was a huge Kiss fan and “Strutter” was his favorite song.’
‘Good song,’ Hunter agreed.
The smile that came to Elder’s lips was genuine. ‘He was a bad motherfucker, but a very cool guy. If there was a leader in the group, he’d be it. Strutter wasn’t scared of shit, except wasps. He was very allergic to them. If one came flying around, Strutter was out of there like lightning.’
‘Was he a student at Compton High?’
The smile turned into a laugh. ‘Strutter wouldn’t be caught dead inside a school. He hated the whole education thing. He used to say he could learn everything he’d ever need from the streets.’ He studied the picture once again and shook his head almost sadly.
‘What was his real name?’
‘Fucked if I know, cop.’ Elder chuckled. ‘We just knew each other from the streets. I knew Brett’s name because we were in school together. In the streets we called everyone by their nicknames – Strutter.’ He pointed to the picture before moving to the girls’ one. ‘Mandy, Debbs. Brett was BS, and that didn’t mean Brett Stewart. I was Kicker and then there were JayJay, Double D and Lipz.’ Elder noticed Hunter’s intrigued look and clarified. ‘JayJay was a crazy, skinny fucker, Double D an all-dancing, all-jiving black dude and Lipz a very hot Puerto Rican girl. She had the sexiest lips I’ve ever seen or kissed.’ He smiled as he remembered.
‘And you never called them by their real names?’
‘Not really,’ he replied coolly. ‘I don’t think I ever knew Strutter or JayJay’s real name. Lipz’s one was too strange for me to pronounce. Double D’s was something like Darnell or Darrell or something like that.’
Double D – Darnell Douglas. Hunter chose not to mention anything for now. His urgency was in identifying the two remaining members of Elder’s old gang. ‘How about JayJay and Lipz? Were they students at Compton High?’
‘Nope.’
‘Were they like Strutter, street kids?’
‘No, they did go to school somewhere, but it wasn’t Compton High. I didn’t fucking know and I didn’t fucking care. We all hated school anyway. I think they both flunked out of it just like me.’
Hunter pulled one last item from his file, the Compton High yearbook. ‘Could I ask you just one more thing?’ He placed the book in front of Elder, who arched an eyebrow. ‘Could you have a look at this yearbook and point out the students you guys pushed around the most?’