Late the following afternoon, Jamilla had to return to San Francisco. She pretty much admitted that she was bumt-out and baffled. I gave her a ride to the airport, and we continued to talk about the murder case all the way there. We realized we were both obsessing.
What had happened the night before changed everything. We had tracked down the supposed killers - and they had been killed. This was a complex and thoroughly frustrating murder mess in which anything seemed possible. The killers weren’t necessarily clever, but they were full of surprises.
‘Where do you go from here, Alex?’ she asked as we turned into the airport.
I laughed. ‘Oh, now it’s where do I go?’
‘You know what I mean. C’mon.’
‘Kyle has asked me to stay down here for another day or two to help out. Everyone who was in the house is being held by the New Orleans police. That’s a lot of freaks to be interviewed. Somebody has to know something.’
‘If you can get anything out of them. You think the New Orleans cops are cooperating now? They sure weren’t before.’ I smiled.’You know how stubborn local cops can be. We’ll get what we need. It just might take a little longer. I’m sure that’s part of the reason Kyle wants me to stay on.’
She frowned at the mention of Kyle’s name. I knew she was
disappointed to be leaving though.’I have to get back home, but I’m not going to drop this one. My friend Tim at The Examiner is doing another big piece on the California murders. Maybe it all started out there. Think about it.’
‘Eleven years ago, maybe more,’ I said. ‘But who were the first killers? Daniel Erickson and Charles Defoe? Someone else in the cult? Is there a cult?’
She threw her hands up in the air.’I have no idea at this point. I’m practically brain dead. I’m going to get on my plane and sleep all the way home.’
She lingered for a few more minutes. We talked some more............