Read Online Lemons 02 A Touch of Danger by Grant Fieldgrove - Free Book Online
Authors: Grant Fieldgrove
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beach. I picked my phone back up once I was a safe distance from Brad Jackson’s house.
“Ya there, Max?”
“Yeah, I’m here. What did you get yourself in to?”
“I’ll tell you later. I promise I won’t get myself killed.”
“Best not.”
“Do you have the address for the housekeeper?”
“Yeah, I’ve got it. It’s the same as one of Jackson’s addresses, just ‘and a half.’”
“Can you give it to me?”
“Okay man, but if anyone asks you where you got it, you don’t know me. Capiche?”
“Have mercy!”
He gave me the address in Beverly Hills and I scribbled it on my arm and concluded our phone call. Looks like I would be taking a road trip today.
***
I got back to the beach and explained to Elise and Jamie what was going on. Poor Jamie seemed so excited she could hardly contain it. She was more than happy to watch the kids as Elise had insisted on accompanying me to Los Angeles. After some car swapping, some car seat re-arranging and a quick stop at the gas station, Jamie’s car was at the beach with the kids and Elise and I were in Elise’s car headed down the 101 South towards Beverly Hills to pay a little visit Inez Valenzuela.
We made the hundred and ninety-mile drive in less than three hours, and pulled out the GPS on my phone once we reached the Beverly Hills area. The neighborhood wasn’t gated so we had no problem reaching the house. Unfortunately, neither did Emma Ricks.
We found the house, parked on the street out front and made our way up to the door. A Spanish woman answered and I assumed it was the housekeeper.
“Inez Valenzuela?” I asked
“Yes,” she replied.
“My name is Doug McKenzie and I’m a reporter with The Desert Sun newspaper out of Palm Springs. We actually wanted to do a quick follow-up story on the Emma Ricks case. Do you have a quick minute to speak to us?”
“I am very busy, sir. What is it you want to know? I haven’t given an interview about this in years.”
“I understand. It is just a follow-up. You were the one who found the body of Mrs. Jackson, is that correct?”
“Yes. That is correct, sir. I have told this story many of times.”
“I understand. As I said, it’s just a follow up. Kind of a slow news week, ya know?”
“Ms. Valenzuela, my name is Chris Parker,” Elise said. “I’m also a reporter with the Sun. You said you saw the suspect, Emma Ricks, on the property the night Mrs. Jackson was killed, correct?”
“Yes, I see her in the backyard. I panicked. She has re’training order here. She not to be anywhere nears this house. I see her, go inside to call cops. That is when I find Mrs. Jackson on the ground. She had been stabbed many time. I scream and call cops. They tell me I have to go with them. Later I testify in court, Ms. Ricks go to jail.”
“And you are one-hundred percent sure it was Emma Ricks, right?” I ask.
“Of course I am sure.”
“Of course you are, ma’am. I’m just getting my facts straight. Do you know how she got into the house?”
“Yes sir, there was a broken glass square out of the back door. She open door, walk in, kill Mrs. Jackson, leave the way she come in.”
“Great. Thank you so much for your time, Miss. We’re just going to go back to the car and write down what you said and then we will be on our way. I hope we didn’t inconvenience you too much. Have a wonderful day, ma’am.”
She gave us a little nod then closed the door.
“Well,” Elise said. “What do you think?”
“I think she is telling the truth. I think she saw exactly what she said she saw. We really need check out the stalker though. I have a feeling.”
“Are you sure this isn’t a dead end? It doesn’t really seem to have anything to do with what you saw at the beach. And this is years old…”
“Like I said, I have a hunch. It could turn out to be nothing but I feel it at least warrants a look. Come on, let’s take a look around here before we leave.
We walked to the side of the
“Ya there, Max?”
“Yeah, I’m here. What did you get yourself in to?”
“I’ll tell you later. I promise I won’t get myself killed.”
“Best not.”
“Do you have the address for the housekeeper?”
“Yeah, I’ve got it. It’s the same as one of Jackson’s addresses, just ‘and a half.’”
“Can you give it to me?”
“Okay man, but if anyone asks you where you got it, you don’t know me. Capiche?”
“Have mercy!”
He gave me the address in Beverly Hills and I scribbled it on my arm and concluded our phone call. Looks like I would be taking a road trip today.
***
I got back to the beach and explained to Elise and Jamie what was going on. Poor Jamie seemed so excited she could hardly contain it. She was more than happy to watch the kids as Elise had insisted on accompanying me to Los Angeles. After some car swapping, some car seat re-arranging and a quick stop at the gas station, Jamie’s car was at the beach with the kids and Elise and I were in Elise’s car headed down the 101 South towards Beverly Hills to pay a little visit Inez Valenzuela.
We made the hundred and ninety-mile drive in less than three hours, and pulled out the GPS on my phone once we reached the Beverly Hills area. The neighborhood wasn’t gated so we had no problem reaching the house. Unfortunately, neither did Emma Ricks.
We found the house, parked on the street out front and made our way up to the door. A Spanish woman answered and I assumed it was the housekeeper.
“Inez Valenzuela?” I asked
“Yes,” she replied.
“My name is Doug McKenzie and I’m a reporter with The Desert Sun newspaper out of Palm Springs. We actually wanted to do a quick follow-up story on the Emma Ricks case. Do you have a quick minute to speak to us?”
“I am very busy, sir. What is it you want to know? I haven’t given an interview about this in years.”
“I understand. It is just a follow-up. You were the one who found the body of Mrs. Jackson, is that correct?”
“Yes. That is correct, sir. I have told this story many of times.”
“I understand. As I said, it’s just a follow up. Kind of a slow news week, ya know?”
“Ms. Valenzuela, my name is Chris Parker,” Elise said. “I’m also a reporter with the Sun. You said you saw the suspect, Emma Ricks, on the property the night Mrs. Jackson was killed, correct?”
“Yes, I see her in the backyard. I panicked. She has re’training order here. She not to be anywhere nears this house. I see her, go inside to call cops. That is when I find Mrs. Jackson on the ground. She had been stabbed many time. I scream and call cops. They tell me I have to go with them. Later I testify in court, Ms. Ricks go to jail.”
“And you are one-hundred percent sure it was Emma Ricks, right?” I ask.
“Of course I am sure.”
“Of course you are, ma’am. I’m just getting my facts straight. Do you know how she got into the house?”
“Yes sir, there was a broken glass square out of the back door. She open door, walk in, kill Mrs. Jackson, leave the way she come in.”
“Great. Thank you so much for your time, Miss. We’re just going to go back to the car and write down what you said and then we will be on our way. I hope we didn’t inconvenience you too much. Have a wonderful day, ma’am.”
She gave us a little nod then closed the door.
“Well,” Elise said. “What do you think?”
“I think she is telling the truth. I think she saw exactly what she said she saw. We really need check out the stalker though. I have a feeling.”
“Are you sure this isn’t a dead end? It doesn’t really seem to have anything to do with what you saw at the beach. And this is years old…”
“Like I said, I have a hunch. It could turn out to be nothing but I feel it at least warrants a look. Come on, let’s take a look around here before we leave.
We walked to the side of the
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