Hollywood Outlaw: A Hollywood Alphabet SeriesThriller (A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller Book 15) by M.Z. Kelly Read Free Book Online

services to bypass any delays in obtaining search warrants. The gadgets and resources were sometimes helpful, but we all knew the real work that went into breaking a case was the heavy lifting that went with actively working leads.
    Selfie Rogers, our twenty-something crime analyst, who lately had a fondness for pink, blue, or yellow hair and lots of metallic piercings, began the overview of our case. “As we all know, Bert Alexander Prince, age forty-seven, the matriarch of the TV clan known as ‘The Princes of Beverly Hills’, was found yesterday at approximately five fifteen by a housekeeper. The cause of death was a single twenty-two caliber round to his chest.” She looked at Brie. “I understand the autopsy has already been completed.”
    Brie looked exhausted. Even though she was working light duty, with Section One cases being her priority, I could tell the job was taking its toll. “I burned the midnight oil. The fatal round was fired at close range, piercing the victim’s aorta and causing him to bleed out and die immediately. The round was recovered, but not the weapon.”
    “When you say close range, are we talking a matter of feet or inches?” Edna asked.
    “Probably a foot or two. There was GSR on the victim’s clothing and arms.”
    Edna looked at us. “But all the tests on everyone at the house were negative?” After we confirmed what he’d said, he told Brie to continue.
    “The autopsy didn’t reveal anything else that was noteworthy. It’s my understanding SID found nothing in the way of prints or other evidence at the scene, either.”
    SID was the department’s Scientific Investigation Division, LAPD’s version of a crime scene unit.
    “But what about the semen found on the vic’s PJ’s?” Edna said. “Somebody musta been servicing him, which means there would be DNA left behind.”
    “We took swabs, and I’ve put a rush on the testing, but it will likely take two or three days before we know if there’s a database match.” Brie lifted up her reading glasses, placing them on top of her head, which was bald from chemotherapy. “There’s also the possibility that whoever was engaged in oral sex with him wasn’t the shooter. It might be that our suspect arrived sometime later and shot Prince.”
    “It could also be that he didn’t have a partner,” Darby suggested.
    Edna looked at him like he’d just landed on earth from an alien planet. “What are you saying? You think he jerked off?”
    Darby shrugged. “Maybe he was on a porn site.” He looked at Brie. “Did SID check his computer?”
    “You mean for semen?” Brie asked.
    The creases in Darby’s fleshy face deepened and he spat, “No. I’m talking about porn sites. These days you don’t need a partner.”
    Buck smiled and seized the opening. “Maybe my partner’s talking from experience.”
    “I’m just stating facts,” Darby grumbled, over the laughter. He looked at his partner. “Something they probably don’t teach in Waco or wherever the hell it is you’re from.”
    Buck smiled. “You’re right. As far as I know, they don’t offer a class in masturbation. Maybe things are different ‘round here.”
    “Let’s keep it fucking civil,” Edna growled before Darby could go off on him.
    “I talked to Kathy Maitland with SID just before they finished up at the scene last night,” I said. “There was nothing that appeared significant in the recent browsing history on the computer. She did say there were some financial spreadsheets related to the TV show.”
    “Maybe there’s a financial angle to what happened,” Leo suggested.
    I agreed that was a possibility. “According to what my friends told me, the Princes are all worth a fortune. We’re going to need someone from Financial Crimes to take a closer look at their business relationships and try to figure out what the spreadsheets show.”
    “Your friends,” Darby scoffed. “Anything those two are involved in spells nothing but trouble.”