True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman Read Free Book Online

table, the woman said, “Is the lieutenant coming as well?”
    “No, ma’am,” said Moe.
    She appeared to notice him for the first time. Turned back to Aaron: “He is okay?”
    Moe said, “He’s fine, ma’am.”
    “I haven’t seen him in a few days.”
    The storefront café was Sturgis’s secondary office. The woman viewed the Loo as a human guard dog, a role he’d earned by ejecting a few homeless whacks and just being big and mean looking.
    Moe said, “I’ll send him your best.”
    “We have fresh lamb in a very nice curry.”
    Aaron’s hand slipped down toward his flat abdomen and Moe figured he’d give some excuse and order tea.
    Aaron said, “Sure. And bring healthy vegetables for Detective Reed.”
    While they waited for the food, Aaron checked his BlackBerry.
    Moe said, “People to do, things to see.”
    Aaron clicked off. “The Peninsula’s where Rory Stoltz’s mama works. You changed your mind because you don’t want to make it easy for me.”
    “Whatever you want to do on Caitlin, I can’t stop you unless you cross the line. In terms of what I can give you, like I said there’s nothing. And Martha Stoltz is a waste of time. I spoke to her this morning. She had nothing to say.”
    “So you’re actively working the case.”
    “So they tell me.”
    The food arrived. Heaps of lamb stew for both of them, bowls of every veg the kitchen could offer.
    The bespectacled woman said, “Tell the lieutenant how good everything is.”
    When she left, Aaron looked at the banquet and shook his head.
    “Not up to it?” said Moe.
    “A little early in the day, no?”
    Moe began eating with simulated gusto. Undigested breakfast sat in his gut but damned if he’d wimp out. Maybe lamb was better than beef, cholesterol-wise. Another hour of lifting and a run would keep him virtuous. Tonight, after seeing Liz.
If he
went home.
    Aaron said, “Tell me about Rory Stoltz.”
    “I interviewed him four times, he’s alibied for at least one hour after Caitlin left the Riptide. Stayed on to clean up. After that, he went home where Mommy claims he stayed.”
    “Claims?”
    “She’s his mother.”
    “You pick something up hinky about her, Moses?”
    “You didn’t hear me the first time? She’s useless.”
    Aaron’s clean jawline rippled. He took a breath. “Mo—”
    “Maybe I fucked up somewhere along the line, but if I did, Sturgis doesn’t think so. I went over the murder book with him and he said nothing was missing. Same for Delaware.”
    “You went to see Delaware because …”
    “At Sturgis’s suggestion.”
    “Sturgis sees Caitlin as a psycho case?”
    “Sturgis doesn’t know what she is. No one does.
Including
Delaware. But a girl driving alone, late at night? There are all sorts of possibilities.”
    “Bad guy on the road,” said Aaron. “Except her car hasn’t been found.”
    “So the psycho collects wheels as trophies. Or he dumped it somewhere.”
    “Psycho garage,” said Aaron. “Here’s an image for you: rows of vics’ vehicles, each one with a skeleton propped behind the wheel.”
    “You’ve been Hollywooding too long.”
    “Little brother, you are right about that. But maybe that’ll work to my advantage.”
    “Why?”
    “Maitland Frostig said Riptide gets celebs.”
    “I was there,” said Moe. “All I saw were juiceheads and old surfers.”
    “Maybe you hit an off night. Stoltz still work there?”
    “Don’t know.”
    “I’ll find out when I talk to him. Unless that’s a problem.”
    “Talk to him all you want. Kid’s not going to give up anything becauseif he does have something to hide, he’s had fifteen months to live with it and get his story straight.”
    “Nothing hinky about him,” said Aaron, “but still you wonder.”
    Moe glared at him.
    “What?”
    “You’re sounding like a shrink. Bouncing back what I say.”
    “Bro—”
    “I’ve got nothing on Stoltz except that he was the boyfriend.”
    “Was,” said Aaron. “So you