Good to know, Jessie said. She didnt say it but she was secretly glad that Estrada seemed to be in the clear. It would have vastly complicated the credibility of the Marla tape if he had been lying about his alibi. What else have you got?

I dont know whether this next bit is good news or bad news, but here goes. Tech has already done facial recognition on the camera footage from outside the main house during the party. Of the eight people you referred to us based on your research at the law firm yesterdaythe ones who seemed like credible suspects based on their past criminal casesall but two alibi out.

How can you be sure? Jessie pressed, as she zipped past an old pickup truck belching out dark clouds of exhaust.

Because all six of them are clearly visible on camera, leaving the estate prior to the established window of death, from three oclock to three fifty. We followed up using phone data to make sure that one of them didnt double back later and verified that none of them were on the estate property after three that morning.

But you said that two were still there, Jessie reminded him. Who?

One is the actor you interviewed yesterday, Rance Jensen. Because of the dampening technology used on the estate, we cant use his phone location data to determine where exactly he was. But the main house camera shows him arriving at the estate at nine forty-four p.m. and leaving at four oh-nine a.m. Were still trying to see if he was active on social media during that period. If so, it might help us piece together his whereabouts with more specificity.

Good idea, Jessie said as she quickly switched lanes to avoid getting stuck behind a garbage truck. So whos our final contender?

Percy Avalon, the singer.

Ah yes, Jessie said, remembering the man who had claimed ignorance about an entourage member holding a woman in his hotel room against her will. Whats his story?

He showed up with a whole crew just after eleven p.m. The footage shows them all piling into a limo to leave around seven fifteen the next morning.

That was just before Detective Bray and I arrived on the scene, Jessie said, dumbfounded. The estate should have already been secured. Are you telling me these people were just allowed to leave?

According to the footage Im looking at, they were met at the driveway by an officer with a clipboard, who took down some info from each of themit looks like hes writing down the names on drivers licenses. But then he let them go.

Wow, Jessie marveled in disgust. These Westside cops definitely have a different way of doing things. Anything else?