He phoned Pacific Division, asked to speak to the watch commander

I said, “It’s hard to square the Gaidelases with that, but like I saidbefore, he could’ve had other kinks. The car recovered in Camarillo’s a tougher fit. If he left his vannear the murder site and drove the Gaidelases’ rental to the outlets, how’d heget back to Malibu?”
“To me that’s no problem. He hitchhiked, stole another set of wheels, took abus—or he never drove the rental in the first place. All he needed to do wasleave it parked on Kanan Dume, windows wide open, keys in the ignition. Openinvitation for some joyriding kid.”
“Joyride to the outlets?” I said. “Juvenile delinquents looking for bargains?”
“Why not? Shoplift some cool Nikes and hip-hop sweats. Any way you look atit, having Mr. Peaty swept off this mortal coil is no loss.”
“True.”
Several bites later: “What’s on your mind?”
“The scenarios we’ve constructed depend on planning and patience. The wayPeaty died—not backing off from an armed man—showed a lack of control.”
“He was drunk. Or Vasquez didn’t give him a chance to back off.”
“Vasquez just went out there and shot him?”
“It happens.”
“It does,” I said. “But think about this: the Gaidelases’ bodies have neverbeen found and their credit cards were never used. Plus someone took thetrouble to phone utilities in Ohioand have their power shut off. That’s high-level calculation and discretion.Peaty was nabbed by a bystander watching college girls while beating off. Hecontinued to stare openly at women and gave them the creeps. That sounddiscreet?”
“Even morons learn, Alex. But let’s put the Gaidelases aside for a moment.Are you okay with Michaela and Tori as Peaty’s handiwork?”
I nodded.
“Good, because stolen wheels, duct tape, rope, a knife, a loaded gun are thekind of evidence I can write up. Basic gear from your local Psycho KillerEmporium.” He massaged a temple. Ate pie, drank coffee. Pushed the empty plateback in front of me and called for a refill.
The waitress said, “Boy, you guys were hungry.”
Milo grinned. She thought it was sincereand smiled back.
When she was gone, his eyes clouded. “Almost two years passed between Toriand Michaela. The nasty old question resurfaces.”
“How many others in between,” I said.
“Peaty tags ’em at the PlayHouse. No curriculum, no attendance roster,people drop in and out. It’s a predator’s dream. I thought maybe Nora was beingevasive when she told me that. Now, with her looking more and more like avictim, I believe her.”
“We found no additional trophies in Peaty’s apartment or the van. So maybethere are no other victims.”
“Or he’s got a storage bin somewhere.”
“Could be. I’d start with the buildings where Peaty did janitorial work.”
“Grabbing freebie storage,” he said. “Maybe that explains stashing Meserve’sToyota inBrad’s garage. It also fits big-time hostility toward authority. All thoseproperties the Dowds own, Peaty doing the scut. Be hard for Brad to monitorevery bit of space…so what were you calling me about before I told you aboutPeaty?”
“Not important.”
“It was important enough to call.”
I recounted the scene with Hauser.
“You and Robin?”
“Yup.”
He worked hard at stoicism. “Guy’s a shrink? Sounds like a nut.”
“At the very least he’s an ugly drunk.”
“They arrest him?”
“Don’t know,” I said. “They took him away in an ambulance.”
“You clocked him good, huh?”
“I used discretion.”
He squinted, turned his hands to blades, chopped the air, whispered,“‘Heeyah!’ I thought you’d given up on all that black belt stuff.”
“Never got past brown belt,” I said. “It’s like riding a bike.”
“Hopefully the fool will wake up with a sore nose and realize the error ofhis ways. Want me to get the reports?”
“I was hoping.”
“Any detectives show up?”
“Just uniforms. Hendricks and Minette. He-and-she team.”
He phoned Pacific Division, asked to speak to the watch commander, explainedthe situation, listened, hung up smiling. “In the official police record, youare treated as a victim. Hauser was booked for creating a disturbance in apublic place and released. What kind of car does he drive?”
“Don’t waste time cruising by.”
“A shrink, let’s see…I’m guessing Volvo, maybe some kind of Volkswagen.”
“Audi Quattro.”
“Right continent,” he said. “Yeah, I’ll cruise by, you’re welcome.”
“It’s unlikely he’ll persist, Milo. When hesobers up he’ll realize another disturbance will mess him up in civil court. Ifhe doesn’t, his lawyer will educate him.”
“If he was that smart, Alex, he’d never have stalked you in the firstplace.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’m okay and you’ve got a full plate.”
“Interesting,” he said.
“What is?”
He loosened his belt and suppressed a belch. “Your choice of gastronomicimagery.”