The Mercedes Coffin Read Online Free PDF

What’s up?”
    “I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes. It would be helpful if you had some privacy.”
    “Hold on.” Decker heard Cindy talking to her partner. Several moments later, she was back on the line. “Is everything okay?”
    “Just fine. Did I make you nervous?”
    “Of course you did. You never call me during working hours.”
    “That’s because the call is business. Sorry if I scared you. I need a favor, Cin.”
    “A favor, huh?” A pause. “Well, now I know I’ve arrived.”
    “Weren’t you involved in the car recovery of the Primo Ekerling case?”
    “Initially Joe and I were assigned to the case until we popped the trunk and discovered the body. Then it immediately went over to Homicide.”
    “So the car was reported as stolen?”
    “Yes, but the vehicle wasn’t the main issue. Ekerling’s girlfriend reported that he, along with the car, went missing. About a week later, a traffic officer was about to write a ticket on the Mercedes when he noticed that the car already had a ticket on the windshield. The car was parked on Prince right off Hollywood Boulevard.”
    “That’s a residential area, isn’t it?”
    “Yes, it is. The car was being ticketed because it was parked on the wrong side on a street cleaning day. The first ticket was for the same violation. The car had been sitting there for at least a week.”
    “And no one called it in?”
    “It was a brand-new Mercedes. I suppose it didn’t look out of place. The miracle was that no one vandalized or stole it, especially with all the bars in the area. Lots of bars mean lots of drunks doing stupid things.”
    “That is often the case.”
    “Anyway, the officer ran the plates and the car came back hot. Joe and I caught the call. When we got to the location, we peeked inside the vehicle. Something just didn’t look right. Just as important, something didn’t smell right. Joe jimmied the lock on the trunk and the rest is history.”
    “And no one complained about the smell?”
    “It wasn’t that strong, and you know how it is in L.A. No one really walks and you’d have to pass by to notice an odor.”
    “Most of the gas and bloat was gone?”
    “Most of it, yes, but we got a whiff of something funky as soon as we got close enough.”
    “Was the body in the open or was it wrapped up in garbage bags?”
    “It was curled up in the trunk.” A pause. “Daddy, I have to get back to my lunch or Joe’s going to get suspicious. Can we talk about this later?”
    “I need the file.”
    “And you don’t want to just call up Homicide and ask for it.”
    “Exactly. They’ve got suspects in custody, and I don’t want to inject something new unless there’s good reason.”
    There was a long pause. “We should talk later. I never fully bought into the carjacking/murder theory. How soon do you want it?”
    “As soon as possible, but a day or two won’t make a difference. Do you remember the name of Ekerling’s girlfriend?”
    “Marilyn Eustis. I’d like to hear the details of what you’re working on. Can we meet for dinner?”
    “Love to.”
    “I’ll call you up when I get the file and we’ll have a date. How about Italian?”
    “You get the file, princess, I’ll take you anywhere you want. I’ll even pay.”
    “You always pay, Daddy.”
    “I do, don’t I.” Decker smiled. “See how much your father loves you?”
     
     
    TAKING ON THE cold case didn’t mean that Decker’s paperwork didn’t pile up. As soon as he hit the squad room, he became the lieutenant in charge and was bombarded with questions, comments, and complaints. Lucky for him he had a few genuine allies that he now considered close friends.
    Marge Dunn in specific.
    Dunn had worked for or with Decker for over twenty years, starting out as a rookie detective under his tutelage in Juvenile and Sex Crimes for the Foothill Division of the LAPD. He had brought Marge with him to Homicide in West Valley because of her insights and work ethic. A