This means youve got them rattled, he said when they got to a secluded section. They dont file twenty-two-allegation lawsuits against someone theyre not worried about.

Jessie appreciated the sentiment but didnt want him to forget about the practical concerns.

They may be worried, she said. But Im the one whos going to have the huge legal bill.

Decker shook his head paternally.

Dont worry about that, he said. The consulting contract you signed for this case protects you. The department will foot any legal fees you incur during the course of your investigation. The higher-ups may be scared of Otis but they also know that if they cave on this, it will be open season for harassment lawsuits against cops doing basic police work.

But Im not a cop, she reminded him.

This is the rare occasion in which you actually have the best of both worlds. Youre a private citizen not bound by every department rule. But you have the legal resources of the LAPD at your disposal. I suspect the consultant policy may be revised if this lawsuit bankrupts the department. But thats a concern for another day.

Jessie allowed herself to be heartened by what he said, even if some small part of her feared the department would cut her loose if things got too messy. Instead of obsessing over that, she moved on.

Any luck overturning the stay for our search warrant at the Otis Estate? she asked.

He responded with a wry chuckle.

Still working on it, he said. I think it may happen, but not today. The key is, once its overturned, you have to be ready to execute the warrant immediately. I suspect Otis will find another judge to reverse it again ASAP, which means youll only have a brief window to get in there and look around. Make sure all your ducks are in a row.

Detective Brays been working on it, she assured him. She says we can have units on site within ten minutes of any ruling, day or night.

Good, he said. What else have you got for me?

She walked him through what shed learned from the cold case files that Detective Parker had flagged for her. With each revelation, the creases in his forehead seemed to get deeper.

Obviously, dont tell anyone about this, he said when she was done. Not Detective Bray, not your young researcher friend, no one. Ive created a secure cloud account for just the two of us. Send a copy of the files there. Otherwise, dont distribute them anywhere. Well share them when the time is right.

Jessie nodded.

Im assuming all these precautions mean youre no closer to uncovering the mole who stole the thumb drive from Parkers locker?

I dont have anything official on that, he said cryptically. But I wouldnt say no closer. Theres movement.

Well, whoever did it is definitely not a free agent, she said, telling him about her visit to Beto Estrada without naming names.