At first glance, it was hard to understand the appeal of this craggy, overgrown area with its stagnant pools of foul-smelling water, outlined with broken slabs. The ground was often littered with pieces of broken glass and with... well, with litter. Smith and Marie had volunteered for a cleanup day three months ago, supervised by one of the park rangers.
Maybe part of the attraction lay in the long, steep path that took you down the cliff to the baths, which could be an adventure in itself for some people. Others seemed to enjoy walking on the blocks that still outlined the pools, balancing themselves and feeling daring. Stairways and paths led up to the adjoining cliffs where observation points overlooked the ocean. You could actually pick up a difficult trail there that followed the coastline north to the Golden Gate Bridge. And, of course, there was the cave.
Most people seem to love caves. Especially nice, safe ones like this, where you can walk full height, four people across, down a short, sandy tunnel, coming out the other end to discover massive rocks nestled up against the cliff and being beaten and sprayed by the rolling surf. And part way into the cave, on your left as you walked in, there was also a break in the cave wall where you could look down and see the waves rushing in and flowing out, ten feet or so below the cave floor.
Smith couldn't imagine why someone would want to climb through that opening to drop down to the ground below, especially since you could easily walk around from outside the cave. No, a child might, but not a grown man. Smith thought he remembered that children had been hurt in the area before -- falling into the ocean and being dragged out to sea too quickly for anyone to reach them in time. His impression was that the current in this area was more likely to pull people away from shore than to dash them back onto the rocks. He supposed he'd have to verify that -- or else the inspector taking over this case would find out. Hopefully, it wouldn't have to be him.
Smith pulled his Dodge up to the curb. He recognized Fred Wong's Saturn among the patrol cars, and the coroner's van was there as well. That was a good sign. Maybe things would move along quickly. He tried to call Marie again, but she still wasn't home. He got her machine, but he didn't want to leave another message until he knew more, so he just hung up and got out of the car.
The sidewalk overlooking the cave, and the several parking spaces adjoining it, were roped off for police use. All pedestrian traffic had been routed out onto the road. An officer whom Smith didn't recognize was directing traffic. Smith did recognize the man guarding the top of the cliff path, though, and they nodded to each other as he flashed his ID and headed down.
Reaching the bottom of the cliff, Smith hesitated before walking over to the cave. He was having an uncharacteristic reaction. Normally, his outrage at murder and his compassion for the people left behind caused him to attack a new case with intensity. Now, all he felt was frustrated. He didn't want to think about what Marie would say if their plans were ruined. He'd finally found someone who seemed a perfect match for him. He and Marie shared a common understanding of the world, and he loved her integrity and passion for the truth. They were so comfortable together that it almost felt like they were made for each other -- just like in the books. But this trip was important to her.
It had been more than twenty years since Smith's younger brother had been killed in a robbery attempt. His love for his brother had drawn him onto the police force. Maybe his love for Marie would end up pulling him off of it.
But it wasn't just worrying about Marie's reaction that bothered him. He had been irritable a lot lately. Time seemed to be moving faster, and it was getting harder to do the things he enjoyed. About the only thing he was keeping up with was the music that he had begun to compose last year, and that was only because he could do it at home -- usually at the expense of his sleep. Although, now that he thought about it, his sense of dissatisfaction didn't start until recently, just about when he and Marie had begun planning this trip.
He felt suddenly tired. Tired of always worrying about
disappointing people. Tired of not being allowed to have a life of his own. Too tired to be ashamed of his thoughts.
Smith looked up as he realized his name was being called. He saw Fred Wong separating himself from a group of people outside the mouth of the cave. Raising his hand, he started over toward them, meeting Wong half way.
"Fred, how long have you been here?"
Wong hesitated.
"I've been here a while. The lieutenant sent me to check it out before we called you. We were hoping we could deal with it without involving you."
Smith smiled.
"Thanks. I appreciate the effort."
"Did you call Marie yet?"
"She's not home. I think I'll wait until I know more before trying her again. Why worry her now if it turns out okay. What do we have?"
Something was definitely missing in Smith's voice, and Wong seemed to notice it. He turned his head away as if embarrassed, or so Smith thought, and became very business-like.
"Male. Caucasian. Late twenties to early thirties. No wallet or other ID. Expensive clothes."
"How long has he been dead?"
"It's hard to tell, with the water so cold. The medical examiner came himself, but he hasn't seen him up close yet."
Smith was only mildly surprised to hear that Jennson was here
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