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My mother stayed with me。 She stormed my heart at unpredictable times。 I weled her insistent presence。
I couldn't give 〃My Dark Places〃 up。 I didn't want to give it up。 I toured for the paperback edition。 I gave more readings and more interviews and took my mother public again。 I told her story with undiminished passion。 The repetition did not wear me down。 I went home wanting more。 I went home wanting something new and altogether familiar。
I missed Bill。
I missed the law…enforcement world and my observer role。
I missed El Monte。
I lived there for four months in 1958。 I left the day my mother died。 I stayed away for thirty…six years。
It was hot； smoggy； and dusty。 Rednecks and wetbacks reigned。 My father called it 〃Shitsville； U。S。A。〃
My mother died and scared me west to my father and Central L。A。 Her ghost kept me out and pulled me back。
Arroyo High was still Arroyo High。 My old house was still standing。 Stan's Drive…In was gone。 The Desert Inn was Valenzuela's Restaurant。
I reembraced my mother in the town that killed her。 El Monte was our prime munion zone。 My first visits scared me。 Sustained contact wiped the fear out。 Bill and I made friends with the cops and the man who owned my old house。 We dined on the spot where my mother danced with her killer。 We ate at Pepe's across the street and jived with Oscar De La Hoya。
I love El Monte now。 El Monte is the pure essence of HER。
I wanted to give El Monte the power to shock and drive me again。 I wanted to take my mother's lessons and consciously address a murdered woman。 I wanted to find a workable case and write about it。
Bill was still a Homicide reserve。 He told me he was scanning old files for DNA submission。 The captain ordered a big file review。 DNA was a hot new ticket。 A lot of old unsolveds might be solvable now。
I pitched my plan。 Bill liked it。 I asked him to check his review files for El Monte unsolveds。
He called me back and said he found a body dump。 It was just as tight and local as the Jean Ellroy case。
3
I booked a hotel room near Bill's place and flew out to Orange County； I holed up with the Scales file overnight。
It looked like my mother's file。 Crime…scene shots and Teletypes and reports stuck in a blue notebook。 Paper scraps and a tape cassette： Bill Scales's first interview。
I played the tape。
Scales spoke slowly and carefully。 He described his wife's disappearance and a recent motorcycle race in the same tone。 He lived to race。 He should have won a trophy last week。 He couldn't grab his bike and look for Betty last Monday。 His bike was not street legal。
I studied a stack of ID photos。 Betty Jean Scales alive： a prim woman with long hair and granny glasses。 I studied the crimescene shots。 Betty Jean twenty…seven days dead： a bloated mannequin and insect repository。
I studied the perspective shots。 The pits looked like moon craters。 I pictured local acidheads grooving on the landscape。
I read the crime…scene and lab reports。 I took notes。 I found an odd notation：
〃Vic's sweater。 Stain 0＋non…secretor。〃
Odd：
I thought the line referred to a semen stain。 Some men secrete identifiable blood cells in their ejaculate； some men do not。 〃0＋non…secretor〃 was a non sequitur。
I read the missing…persons report。 I recognized locations。
My mother shopped at Crawford's Market。 We lived two blocks west of Peck Road。 Arroyo High flanked Lower Azusa。 Betty Jean vanished en route to Five Points。
I read the sex…assault reports。 I cleared the laundromat freak。 He worked late nights and north El Monte exclusively。
The kid vibed HOT suspect。
He was convicted for one attempt rape。 Four other rape/ attempt rape/abduction victims ID 'd him as their assailant。 He assailed his consummated victim in dark seclusion。 Betty Jean was last seen at Durfee Drugs。 The kid worked at a print shop two blocks away。 His last alleged assault occurred at Durfee Drugs on 4/23/73。
I called Bill。 He cosigned my assessment and urged me to remain circumspect。 We shouldn't lock in on suspects。 We should sift evidence and refrain from prejudicial conclusions。
He reminded me：
This was now an official Sheriff's/El Monte PD investigation。 I was to look； listen； and ask questions judiciously。
Bill said he had calls in to Koury and Meyers。 They both retired to Missouri。 We had to get their assessments。 I mentioned the secretor notation。 Bill said we should go by the property vault and retrieve the evidence bags。 The victim's clothing had to be screened for semen stains and conflicting bloodstains。 That was the standard pre…DNA procedure。
I filled in the hypothetical blanks。
The kid allegedly ejaculated on his 3/8 victim。 He might have done the same thing with Betty。 He might have wiped his penis with her sweater； panties； or bra。 The coroner's semen smear turned up 〃inconclusive。〃 The victim's vaginal membranes were badly deposed。 DNA procedures did not exist in 1973。 DNAcertified semen stains can be pared to cell scrapings taken from present…day suspects。 The crime lab could lift cells off Betty's clothing。 The crime lab could run the kid's DNA。 The lab could determine the presence or absence of DNA with absolute certainty。 Fabrics retain DNA cells indefinitely。
I mentioned Bill Scales and vaginal drip from normal intercourse。 Bill Stoner said we had to find him and take a blood sample or a mouth scrape。 We had to differentiate his fluid cells。 He said the stain placements were crucial。 Normal leakage would pool at the crotch of the victim's panties。 If the killer wiped himself with the panties； the stains would be wide and diffuse。
I slept poorly that night。 I tossed and transposed the file statistics of Betty Jean and my mother。 I knew I'd blitz the next day with coffee and pure brain energy。
I did。
Bill and I drove to El Monte。 We found our key locations and ran straight routes between them。
2633 Cogswell： small bungalows and dirty kids in diapers。 Durfee Drugs： a small corner store with wraparound parking。 Crawford's Market： gone。 The bank： gone。 Vons Market： a big corner store with a big parking lot。
The gravel pits： a skyscape of scoop cranes and rock piles。 Fenced…in access roads and Keep Out signs。
I went through the file and checked addresses。
The kid lived at 14335 Ramona。 The 3/13 and 3/14 assaults occurred at 14103 and 13940。
We drove by the locations。 The old structures were gone。 Shopping centers had replaced them。
The Baldwin Park Post Office： still in its old location。 Walking distance to the kid's apartment。 The gravel pits and Vons Market： walking distance for a kid jacked up on fear and adrenaline。
We drove to the El Monte PD。 We talked to Chief Wayne Clayton and Assistant Chief Bill Ankeny。
They remembered the Scales case。 Ankeny said the husband was their first hot suspect。 He didn't remember the kid or the laundromat freak。 Clayton said they popped a rape…o around the same time。 A Latin guy sandbagged a girl by some railroad tracks。 A witness scared him off as he forced the girl to strip。 He was grilled and cleared on the Scales job。
Clayton said he'd help us any way he could。 We stoo