“That refers to the killer’s comfort zone.”

“Monte lives on the Westside, too, it made total sense. I just had to see for myself. So there’s really no contradiction. I wanted more experience plus I wanted psychological control.”

“Did you learn anything at the scene to help you up your control level?”

“I learned Monte was even worse than I imagined. He claimed he was just getting even, but then I saw that she’d been strangled, up close and personal. Saw that semen stain and knew he’d done something twisted.”

“You suspected the stain was Monte’s.”

“Des uses condoms and that kind of thing fits Monte—dominant, cruel. That’s why I pointed it out to you, Lieutenant. I was too scared to come out and tell you but I hoped you’d follow the trail.”

“Aiding and abetting me, huh?”

“Right from the beginning.”

“So you figured out the semen was Monte’s, not Des’s? Okay… um, how do you know Des used condoms, Lara?”

Silence.

“Lara?”

“Must be something I heard. Back in high school. Des was a huge player, everyone talked about it, how he’d jump anything with a pulse. How he carried condoms in his wallet.”

“We didn’t find any condoms at the scene.”

“I figured Monte took them.”

“Why would he do that?”

“He’s evil—maybe for a trophy, some kind of sick male dominance. Just like ejaculating on Doreen’s leg.”

“You’re sure it wasn’t Des’s semen?”

“I can’t be sure of anything. I just figured Monte was capable of something twisted like that. Killing Doreen, then demeaning her. When I pointed it out, I was hoping you’d analyze it, find out it was Monte’s, and that would tell you had something more than a simple murder.”

“One thing this case hasn’t been, Lara, is simple. Something John Nguyen reminds me every day. Now it looks like it’s not gonna close anytime in the future. Especially with that semen stain gone. What do you think caused that?”

“Someone here screwed up. It happens more often than you think.”

“A screwup as opposed to something deliberate.”

“Who would do that deliberately?”

“That’s what Bobby Escobar wanted to know.”

“Who?”

“Bobby Escobar, C.I., used to work here—the position you filled—before he went back to school to get a master’s. Well liked, so they let him come in after hours, work on his data.”

“He told you about the stain?”

“Basically.”

“Okay … good, so someone will look into it and hopefully they’ll tighten up procedures. For the chain of evidence, I mean.”