Something about that stirred an uncomfortable feeling in Jessie that she couldnt quite place. The idea that Hannah had made the exact allegation against Rico that was most likely to get him to cave, an allegation that was based on her word alone, seemed awfully convenient. There was no way she was going to question her sister about her claim that a man had tried to rape her. But something about it just felt…wrong.

People are coming clean left and right, it seems, she said, aggressively moving on.

Who else? Decker asked.

Jessie told them about her call with Beto Estrada. It got Gaylene Parker especially excited.

Having Detective Shores wife come forward could be extremely powerful, she said, especially since we may be able to corroborate the suspicion that he was killed. Ive been having our vehicle expert review all the data on Shores car. Its not definitive yet, but he thinks its possible that an explosive may have been used to sever Shores brake line when he was driving up the mountain.

That would be huge, Jamil said.

Yes, Decker agreed solemnly. He deserves justice, even if it was delayed for years. Parker is looking into who at West L.A. Division might have been involved.

Parker nodded. The smile was gone.

Whats wrong? Jessie asked her.

Parker looked at Decker, who nodded for her to go ahead.

I dont want to ruin our celebratory mood, but it looks like not everyone is going to get justice, she said.

What are you saying? Jessie asked.

I was interviewing Elodie Peters and I mentioned the name Marla. She recognized it. She gave us the girls real name, hoping it would get her some leniency.

Who is she? Jessie asked, using the present tense though she feared that was too optimistic.

Her real name is Marlene Janice Cooper. Elodie said that they were recruited around the same time. They went on several overseas trips together. On one of them, when they were both seventeen and losing their cachet because they were too old, Elodie said Marlene was pumped with heroin. It was done purposefully so that a client could have his way with her while she overdosed. He wanted to reach sexual gratification while she was in her death throes.

Jessie closed her eyes, hoping to somehow push the image Parker was describing out of her head. It didnt work. When she opened them again, she saw that both Decker and Jamil were looking away. But Gaylene Parker was staring at her, head up and eyes clear, full of righteous anger. This was why she was a Vice copto stop this kind of thing.

What happened? Jessie finally asked.

She died with the john on top of her, Parker said. Afterward, they weighed her down and dumped her in the river. Elodie named the john too.

Who? Jessie asked. Was it Otis?

No. But he was there. It was Sultan Omar Abdul Salah.