“When we got on, what were you going to do, shoot me?”

“I thought you might be one of them. If you were, then, yes, I would have shot you.”

Pike opened the door. A round man got on as Rina Markovic stepped off.

She said, “Perhaps someone will find these bastards, yes?”

“Someone will find them. Yes.”

She studied him for a moment as if taking his measure, and Pike thought her eyes were haunted.

“I am sorry for your friend. I think many families have been lost by this.”

She walked away as the door closed. Pike took the elevator up to his Jeep. He took off the blue dress shirt, slipped on the sleeveless gray sweatshirt, then wound his way down to the exit.

Eight minutes later, he was in a Best Buy parking lot when Lonny Tang called.

Chapter 6

6

PIKE WAS WATCHING UCLA students cut between cars on their way home from campus, not far from Frank Meyer’s home, when his phone finally vibrated, three minutes late.

Pike said, “I’m here.”

Carson Epp said, “Lonny, can you hear him okay?”

Lonny’s voice was high-pitched and soft.

“Yeah, I hear him fine. Hey, Joe.”

Epp said, “I’m going to hang up now. That will leave the two of you on the line. Lonny, when you’re finished, just hang up. I’ll check back with you to make sure everything is all right.”

“Okay. Thanks, Carson.”

“Righto, then.”

Pike heard a click as Epp left the line, then the hush of Lonny Tang’s voice.

“Must be bad, you calling like this.”

Pike didn’t know how else to say it, so he gave it to Lonny head-on.

“Frank’s dead. He was murdered two nights ago. Frank and his family.”

Lonny was silent on the other end, but then Pike heard a gentle sobbing. Pike let him cry. If any of them had a right to cry, it was Lonny.

Lonny said, “Sorry. I don’t mean to carry on.”

“It’s okay.”

Lonny got himself together and cleared his throat.

“Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it, Joe. The bastard who did it, they get him?”

“Not yet. The police think it’s a home invasion crew. Frank’s house was the seventh home they’ve hit.”

Lonny cleared his throat again.

“Okay, well, I don’t know what to say. When they get these pricks, will you let me know?”

“I have to ask you something.”

“What’s that?”

“This crew, they work on good intelligence. Their first six targets were all people like dope dealers and money cleaners. You see where I’m going?”

“Frank had an import business. He imported clothes.”

“If Frank was importing something else, he was in business with someone who gave him up. That person knows who killed him.”

“You think I’m holding out on you, Joe?”

“I don’t know.”

“This is Frank, man. Are you serious?”