An Absence of Light

As Paula flipped open her ever-present legal pad, Neuman sat down in another chair and crossed his arms, ready to listen to Paula’s summary. At least with one ear. He seemed preoccupied.

“We got fifteen separate pieces of paper from Valerie Heath’s garbage,” Paula began. “Three envelopes: one from Gulfstream National Bank and Trust with a window in it so we don’t know who it was addressed to. One from The Secure Maintenance Services with the name ‘Doris W.’ written on the outside; one from Excell Executive Secretarial Services with ‘Olivia M.’ written on the outside. We found seven receipts from various places, grocery, car wash, pharmacy, that kind of thing. Of these seven, five were for cash, the other two we couldn’t tell. We got three pieces of notepad paper with telephone numbers on them: one belongs to a male strippers’ club called Phallacy; another is a beauty salon called La Riviera, and the third is a bar called Maggie’s in Kemah, not too far from where she lives. We’ve also got a piece of notepaper with the name ‘Don C.’ doodled on it.”

Paula looked up and nervously wagged a yellow pencil in her fingers. “Now. Valerie was driving a new Corvette, not the vehicle listed on the vehicle and tag listed on her Contributor ID sheet in the file. Computer tells us the Corvette is in the name of Frances Rupp at some other address. Neuman got the dealer’s name off the trunk, and we talked to the guy who sold it to Rupp. The description fits Valerie Heath. While we were interviewing Heath, Neuman pointed out a magazine on the coffee table with a subscription label on it in the name of Irene Whaley. We ran a check on Whaley. No criminal history, but her Texas driver’s license gives another address, not Heath’s.”

“Did the magazine have Heath’s address on the label?”

“It did. We checked the bank. Valerie Heath does not have an account there. Neither does Irene Whaley or Frances Rupp.

“We checked with the Secure Maintenance Services and asked if anyone with a last name beginning with a W and having the first name Doris worked there. No. Did the same thing with Excell Executive Secretarial Services, asked about a last name beginning with an M, first name Olivia. No.”

“What about Gulfstream bank?”

“We checked. No.”

“Did you ask if Heath or Rupp or Whaley worked at either place?”

“We did. And we checked for Bruce Sheck too, and anybody with a last name that begins with a C, Don or Donald. They don’t.”

“I’m betting Heath has a bureau drawer full of false IDs,” Neuman interjected. “Since the ‘Doris’ and ‘Olivia’ envelopes were found in her trash I’m assuming she was the recipient.”

“Maybe someone living with her is using those names,” Graver said.

“Could be,” Neuman conceded, “but how likely is that considering we already have Heath assuming two other identities with false IDs? And since there were no last names on the envelopes, just initials, I’ll bet these are the only names the addressers know her by. Heath is using the names as contact names.”

“Spy stuff,” Paula said.

“Yeah, something like that,” Neuman said. “She has something to do with someone at those businesses who know her only by those names.’

“Those envelopes could have been picked up entirely at random,” Graver said.

Neuman nodded. “Could’ve been, but I’m guessing someone who works at those places, or who has access to stationery from those places, is giving something to Heath in those envelopes and writing her contact name on the outside.” Neuman unfolded his arms and leaned forward in his chair. “Probably the envelopes were not hand-delivered from these persons to Heath. Really wouldn’t be any need in writing the name on the envelopes if they were. They were dead-dropped.”

“What about ‘Don C’?” Paula asked.

“Let’s don’t forget how we got to this point,” Graver said, holding up a cautionary hand. “‘Colleen Synar,’ actually Heath, and Bruce Sheck were cited as sources in the Ray Probst investigation. Whoever placed them in that context-Tisler, Besom, Dean-put them on an equal footing. Let’s do the same. Doris W., Olivia M.: Valerie Heath. Don C: Bruce Sheck.”

“Partners?” Paula frowned.

“Ohhh, I don’t know.” Neuman craned his head skeptically at Graver. “I can’t imagine the woman Paula and I talked to being very high up in anybody’s scheme. More likely they’re just at the same level-low-of something bigger.”

“Ray Probst ran a temporary employment service,” Graver went on. “He was paying his people to steal information from the files of the banks and insurance companies where they worked. They would identify people who owned high-dollar consumer products that Probst knew he could quickly resell. And where were the envelopes from in Heath’s trash? A maintenance service and a secretarial service.”

“Then you think Probst was eliminated because he was competition?” Paula asked.

Graver didn’t respond. He was staring at his own notes on the desk in front of him, one hand slowly turning the cobblestone. He began to shake his head.