Chapter 8
Los Angeles, California
A shudder ran through Kira as she stood at the sliding glass door of Oliveros’ large family room and looked out. The area beyond had once been a deck and was now a horrifying drop to the ocean. Far below, the wooden planks and pillars ripped from the house lay in a jumbled, burned heap in the water.
The bulk of Kira’s job involved talking to people who knew the victims of a crime as well as the potential suspects. When the situation allowed, she also went through victims’ and suspects’ homes and belongings to make some psychological assessments. Once, diaries were a great source of behavioral clues, but fewer people kept them. Now, the online “social media” du jour and e-mails to friends were the most common passages to a person’s inner thoughts. Even l
