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“Let her prove herself,” I said.
“She has nothing to prove to anyone,” Mom said.
“Maybe she does—to herself.”
I had just slid into my car when my phone rang. The number was what I had for Detective Tomas Villines.
“This is Margo Angelhart.”
“You’ve created quite a stir in one of my cases, Ms. Angelhart.”
“Glad I could help,” I said.
“Don’t call my boss anymore. Ambrose is busy, and he doesn’t want to talk to a PI.”
I liked that I’d ruffled some feathers over there. “All I wanted was someone in the know to call me back. So thanks.”
He paused a beat, as if not knowing what to say to that. “Julia Henderson called together several of her business acquaintances and they compared notes. She told me you were looking into the robberies for a client. Who?”
“That’s confidential,” I said.
“You seem to have more information than I do.”
“Everything I know is from public records and news reports.”
“One of the victims saw the kids. He now wants to look at yearbooks, because he thinks he can identify them. This puts us in a prickly situation.”
“Yearbooks are public. Anyone can go into a school library and look at them.”
“I can’t, not without cause.”
“I can.”
He didn’t say anything.
“Got it,” I said.
“Ms. Angelhart, I don’t particularly like private investigators. You don’t follow the rules and create more problems than you solve. If anything comes of this, let me know. I can’t have a group of vigilantes chasing down these kids.”
“The same kids were involved in the Cactus Stop shooting.”
“We got that guy.”
“No, you didn’t. And if you compare the recordings from the robberies and the Cactus Stop shooting, you’ll realize it.”
“Take it up with Detective Barrios, it’s her case.”
“An innocent man is going to prison.”
“For shit’s sake, Angelhart. You have a brother on the force. You think we’re all a bunch of bullies? The guy confessed. It wasn’t coerced.”
“I didn’t say a cop threatened him. He had reasons, but he will recant.” I hoped. “I have to go. I’ll let you know if I get an ID.”
Sixteen
Since I was already downtown, I stopped by the Phoenix Crime Lab and called my brother Nico from the lobby. I had some questions that I hoped he would answer for me.
“You’re here? At the lab?”
