“I had the same thought,” Jessie said. “Did cameras get the truck making the delivery?”
“Yes. Looks like the same van that took her away last night. The big speakers were rolled off, and the van left immediately. The two guys pushing the speaker shells don’t pop up on any other surveillance cams until last night, when they were rolling the speaker back during the show. The FBI is swabbing the hell out of the remaining speakers. If those guys left so much as a drop of perspiration in there, we’ll soon have their DNA.”
“Good. In the meantime, I want to talk to her crew.”
“Which ones?”
“All of them. Every single one.”
“You think it was an inside job?”
Jessie shrugged. “It’s hard to pull off this kind of thing without some intimate backstage knowledge. You never know.”
Kendra pulled out her phone and started typing. “I’ll send Kelland a text and see if he’ll help set that up. They’ll probably be questioning the crew themselves, and maybe they’ll let us tag along.”
“Most of her tour crew have been with her from the beginning. I know them. They’re a great bunch of people. They were always very protective of Dee.”
“She was fifteen when she started, right?”
“Professionally. But she actually started singing when she was thirteen. She recorded dozens of videos of herself singing songs in her family’s little apartment up in Lancaster. A lot of the songs were originals. Within a couple years, she had a million followers. She landed the Disney Channel show, then a recording contract, and everything else came pretty quickly after that.”
“Has anyone notified her mother?”
The subject brought a sour look to Jessie’s face. “I called her this morning. She’s in France with the latest in a long line of loser husbands.”
“Is she coming back here?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Really?”
“She said there’s nothing she can do for her daughter here that she can’t do there. She seemed more concerned about her monthly check than anything else.”
“Touching.”
“Yeah, Gina Winter is a piece of work. Incredibly selfish and overbearing. Dee became a much happier person when she got her own place and encouraged her mom to move to Europe. Trust me, we’re all better off with that woman staying exactly where she is.”
“Got it.” Kendra’s phone rang in her hands, and she checked the screen. “It’s Kelland. That was fast.” Kendra pressed the button to answer. “Hi, Kelland. I’m here with Jessie. You’re on speaker.”
“Hello, ladies. I just got your text. We’ve actually already spoken to most of the stage crew.”
Jessie leaned closer to Kendra’s phone. “So you won’t mind if I take a crack at them?”
“Free country.”
“Good.”
“But let me ask you something, Jessie. What can you tell me about Adrian Nash?”
Jessie frowned, thinking. “Sound guy. Small build, longish blond hair?”
“Sounds like him.”
“He’s been with Dee’s stage crew for years. I can’t tell you much more. Why? Did he set off alarm bells for you guys?”
“You could say that. He’s missing.”
Kendra and Jessie glanced at each other.
“Since when?” Jessie asked.
“Since immediately after everyone left the Bowl early this morning. His live-in girlfriend said he never came home. No one’s heard from him.”
Jessie thought about this. “It wouldn’t be the first time a roadie went home with someone else after a show.”
“She says he isn’t like that. He missed a doctor’s appointment and a lunch date. I’m about to run over and talk to her. If you’d care to join us…”
“What’s the address?” Kendra said.
“It’s in Palms, just off National. I’ll text it to you.”
Jesse nodded. “Right. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“See you there.”
Kendra cut the connection.
CHAPTER
4
Kendra and Jessie rolled to a stop in front of a one-story Spanish-style home in the West L.A. community of Palms, on a street uncomfortably close to the din of the 405 freeway.
Kelland was already there. He climbed out of his Ford Explorer, pulling a dark suit jacket over his broad shoulders.
Kendra and Jessie joined him on the sidewalk. “Thanks for letting us in on this,” Kendra said. “We appreciate it.”
Kelland shrugged. “You’re welcome. According to my boss, we should be the ones grateful to you. He got an earful from the special agent in charge of the San Diego office.”
Kendra asked, “Michael Griffin?”
“Yes. He said we’d be complete idiots not to include you for whatever extent you choose to be involved in our investigation. After seeing you in action last night, I tend to agree.” A warm smile lit his face. “Griffin says he’s been trying to get you to join the Bureau for years.”
“I value my sanity far too much for that.”
“Yet you’ve been involved in the office’s most high-profile cases of the past few years.”
Kendra grimaced. “I guess I just don’t value my sanity enough.”
“How many cases has it been? Twenty-eight, twenty-nine?”
“Don’t remind me. Not all of them have been for the FBI. And I’ve turned down ten times that number.”
“So I’ve heard. There are days I wish I could do that.”
“Like today?” Jessie said.
Kelland shook his head. “No. Believe me, I want to find Delilah Winter as much as you do. And we will.” He gestured to the house in front of them. “But I’m not sure if this will help us do that.”
Kendra strode quickly toward the front door. “Let’s find out.”
Kelland and Jessie had barely caught up with her when she rapped on the door. It opened to reveal a small woman in shorts and a tank top. She eyed them nervously. “Yes?”
Kelland stepped forward. “Katy Wynn?”
“Yes?”
“I’m Special Agent Kelland. FBI.” Kelland flashed his ID. “And these two women are helping us on the case. We want to talk to you about Adrian Nash.”
She cast a wary glance at them. “Did you find him?”
“Afraid not,” Kelland said. “That’s why we’re here.”
“I don’t have anything more to say.” She stepped back from the door and moved to close it.
Jessie slapped her palm against the door and pushed back. “Let’s give it a shot. You want to help Adrian, don’t you?” She cocked her head. “Or maybe you don’t.”
“Of course I do,” she answered quickly.
“Then talk to us.”
“I’ve already talked to another FBI agent and a cop.”
“Which is why we’re here,” Kelland said gently. “Just following up. Okay?”
Katy nodded reluctantly.
“May we come in?”