Page 57 of Wild Sentinel

“We talked to Vivian’s best friend, to whom she confided.” It was complete BS. “She told us everything, including where the body is buried. We’re about to go dig it up. Thought we’d give you the opportunity to talk. I'm interested in Nick Shaw. He killed the girl. That’s who I want. This could be your opportunity to get immunity.”

Lenny was silent for a long moment. He was a pro, and I was sure this wasn’t the first time he’d been questioned by the police. “Like I said, you've got an active imagination. Good night, gentlemen."

Footsteps trailed away.

I left my card in the weatherstripping of the door. JD and I walked back to the Ferrari and climbed in.

Lenny peered through the blinds, watching us.

JD grinned before firing up the engine. “I think he’s a little spooked.”

"I would be too. He made a mistake, turning on that burner at his residence. Hopefully, we spooked him enough.”

Jack pulled away from the curb, and I told him to circle the block. We came back around to Percy, killed the lights, and parked a few houses down from Lenny’s place.

“Think he’s gonna take the bait?”

I shrugged. “I give it 50-50.”

We waited 10 minutes.

Then 20.

The lights went off in the house, and I figured Lenny had gone back to bed.

We decided to call it a night and head back to the Hollywood Hills.

Just as Jack put the car into gear, a black pickup truck backed out of the driveway of Lenny‘s house.

JD and I shared a grin. Maybe Lenny had taken the bait after all.

33

We followed Lenny up to West Beverly. He made a few twists and turns and pulled up to a construction site that was surrounded by a chain-link fence with a green privacy curtain. From the street, you couldn’t see into the lot. A sign advertised new luxury condos coming soon!

At this time of night, there wasn’t any activity.

Jack found a place to park.

Lenny covered his face with a surgical mask and hopped out of the vehicle. He put on a hard hat, sunglasses, and a neon vest. At first glance, he looked like a construction worker. Dressed in a work shirt, pants, and heavy boots, no one would think twice about him going into the construction site. From the bed of his truck, Lenny grabbed a shovel, a black tarp, and a pair of bolt cutters. With a nervous glance around, he ambled down the sidewalk and approached the gate. His head on a swivel, he snipped the padlock and slipped inside.

That was our cue.

We hopped out and hustled toward the construction site.

JD and I held up at the gate, peering through the gaps as Lenny marched down to the excavated area. It was all primed and ready to go.

Apparently, we had spooked Lenny enough that he decided it would be in his best interest to move the body before it got dug up.

We waited until he cracked a shovel and started digging.

JD and I finally crept into the lot and hovered at the ridge above the excavation pit while Lenny kept digging. The pale green of a mercury vapor light nearby spilled over the construction site, just barely providing enough light to make out shapes and silhouettes. The pit walls had been reinforced with concrete. The caissons had been drilled and poured, but the pit floor was still mostly dirt. The rebar hadn’t been placed yet for the foundation slab.

With the recently excavated ground, it was soft and easy to unearth. It didn’t take long before Lenny reached the prize.

It was reasonable cause for a citizen’s arrest, according to California law.

"Freeze! County sheriff!" I said, aiming my pistol at him from the ridge above.