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Murder is a big； continuous twenty…four…hour…a…day mess。 Murder spawns a numbingly protracted investigatory process that is rarely direct and linearchiefly because it overlaps with more and more murder； taxing the resources of the investigative agencies involved and inundating detectives with interviews； courtroom appearances； reports to be written； and next…of…kin to be mollified and cajoled into intimate revelations。 Murder seldom slows down and never stops； murder stays true to its Motivational Trinity： dope/sex/money。
The L。A。 Sheriff's Department investigates all murders； suicides； industrial…accident fatalities； and miscellaneous sudden deaths within the confines of Los Angeles Countythe vast； unincorporated area in and around the L。A。 city limits。 The LAPD's jurisdiction snakes inside； outside； and through the LASD's turf city/county borders are sometimes hard to distinguish。 The county consists mainly of lower…middle…class suburbs and rat's ass towns stretching out ninety…odd miles。 This is the big bad sprawl visible from low…flying airplanes： cheap stucco； smog； and freeway grids going on forever。
The LASD Homicide Bureau is housed in a courtyard industrial park in the city of mercesix miles from downtown L。A。 Sheriff's Homicide is individually subcontracted by numerous police departments inside the countyif you get whacked in Norwalk or Rosemead； the LASD will work your case。
Sheriff's Homicide investigates about 500 snuffs a year。 The L。A。 District Attorney's office has publicly acknowledged its investigators as the best in southern California。 Police departments nationwide send their prospective homicide dicks to the LASD for two…week training programs。 LASD detectives teach well because theirs is regarded as the pinnacle assignmentone bestowed after a minimum of ten years in jail work； patrol； and other Detective Division jobs。 The mid…forties median age says it all： These people have put the rowdier aspects of police work behind them and have matured behind the gravity of murder。
Former sheriff Peter Pitchess dubbed his homicide crew 〃the Bulldogs〃a nod to their tenacity and salutary solved…case rate。 In truth； bulldogs are lazy creatures prone to breathing disorders and hip dysplasia。 The vulture should replace the bulldog as Homicide's mascot。
Vultures wait for people to die。 So do homicide cops。 Vultures swoop down on the recently dead and guard the surrounding area with sharp claws and beaks。 Homicide cops seal crime scenes and kick off their investigations with the evidence culled within。
Sheriff's Homicide is a centralized division。 Its basic makeup is six teams of fourteen detectives apiece； bossed by lieutenants Derry Benedict； Don Bear； Joe Brown； Dave Dietrich； Ray Peavy； and Bill Sieber。 Two adjunct unitsUnsolved and Missing Personswork out of the same facility。 The teams handle ining murders on a rotating； forty…eight…hour on…call basis。
On…call detectives carry beepers and sleep very poorly； if at all。 Beeper chirps signify death and additions to their already strained caseloads。 Late…night beeps are only marginally preferable to what the old…timers called 〃trash runs〃： call…outs for obvious suicides and pro forma viewings of the poor fucker who got decapitated by an exploding boiler。
The bureau is furnished in the white…walled； metal…desked； policework moderne style。 All ining calls originate in the 〃Barrel；〃 a desk counter rigged with telephones； memo baskets； and boards for charting murders and assigned personnel。 The Barrel adjoins the main squad roomninety desks arranged in lengthwise rows。 The team lieutenants' desks sit crosswise at the far end； next to a shelf jammed with Sergeant Don Garcia's bulldog trinkets。
You can purchase bulldog watches and T…shirts at Sergeant Garcia's cost。 A bulldog wall clock will set you back 39。95。 Dig the bulldog lapel pinthe giant tongue and spiked collar detailing are worthy of Walt Disney on angel dust。 Don's been running the concession for years。 He buys the stuff bulk from various manufacturers。 He's just acquired a new item： a bulldog neon sign to light up your wet bar！
The Unsolved and Missing Persons units reside in separate rooms off the squad bay。 The sign on Unsolved's door reads 〃UNLOVED。〃 Unsolved is charged with periodically reviewing cold cases and investigating any new leads pertaining to them。 The crewDale Christiansen； Rey Verdugo； Louie 〃the Hat〃 Danoff； John Yarbrough； and Freddy Castrois the faculty of the College of Unresolved justice。 Their curriculum is the file library that Louie the Hat has lovingly preserved。 Louie says the files talk to him。 He's on a spiritual trip and runs his 〃no body〃 cases by psychics once in a while。
A corridor links Unsolved to a room lined with puters。 A dozen screens glow green all day every daydig the dozen clerks running record checks on permanent overdrive。 The clerks mostly womenhog the lunchroom from noon to 2 P。M。 daily。 They watch soap operas and pine for the candy…ass male stars right down the hall from the ugly bulldog wall plaque。
Note to Sheriff Sherman Block： Vultures are more charismatic than bulldogs。
It's early December。 Deputies Gil Carrillo and Frank Gonzales have tickets for the annual Sheriff's/LAPD fistfest。 They're primed for an evening of charity boxinguntil Lieutenant Brown tells them they're the first on…call team up。
It's a given： Some geek will get murdered tonight and fuck up their fun。
Carrillo and Gonzales decide to stay home and rest。 Gil lays some edy on the deskman； Sergeant Mike Lee： I want a good night's sleep and an indoor crime scene near my pad about io A。M。 tomorrow。 Joe Brown says he'll place the order； ha！ ha！ ha！
Gil and Frank retire to their cribs。 Gil's about six foot three and massively broad。 The earth shakes whenever he walks。 He cobossed the LASD's end of the Richard Ramirez 〃Night Stalker〃 serial killer task force back in the eighties； ran against Sherman Block in the last sheriff's election； and glommed 17 percent of the vote。 Frank's picture should appear in every dictionary on earth； next to the words 〃Latin lover。〃 He is one handsome motherfucker。 Carrillo and Gonzales bring vulture charisma to every case they workbut they're pissed that they blew the fights off for nothing。
Because Gil's wish es true。 His beeper beeps at 10 A。M。it's an indoor crime scene ten minutes from his pad。
The victim is Donna Lee Meyers； female Caucasian； age 37。 She's dead at her house in Valinda； a downscale San Gabriel Valley town。
She's facedown on a green shag rug in the bathroom。 She's nude。 She's been stabbed between twenty and forty times。 Defensive wounds on her hands and arms indicate an extended struggle with her killer。
Patrol deputies responded to the 911 call。 The informant was Donna Lee Meyers's father。 He came to pick up his 3…year…old grandson and found the back door unlocked and the house filled with gas fumes。
The boy coughed and led him to the body。 Every gas burner in the kitchen had been turned on and left unignited。
Carrillo and Gonzales arrive at the scene and get a rundown from the deputies。 Their first collective hypothesis： The killer didn't have the ston