in-law’s best friend, Sarah, who had left an estranged father and been widowed for about six months. But none of this made sense.Why would they kill Sarah if they were going to ransom her? How did they know not only where theMannings would be tonight, but where Paul would be parking?And how was it that he had parked in virtually the only spot at the Bowl that could be blocked by a single car behind him?Theymet the dead woman’s father’s G5 at SantaMonicaAirport.A woman took his arm and the two walked slowly toward the building. They recognized her; they were looking at a woman who had died 18 months ago. She had been shot by her partner in crime. Paul absolutely knew it happened that way. He had been sitting next to her at the time. I was looking at the impossible. Not 18 months ago, my


P


wife, Shirley, and I had been kidnapped by some bad guys who worked for people inVegas and New Jersey whose families had close ties to groups in Sicily. During the rather hectic drive in the SantaMonicaMountains, they had a falling out and a gun was discharged. Betty Beeson, or whatever her name was, was the niece of a mob boss andwas running their operation in LA. Shewas shot as


we were driving to her upscale hideout in the mountains. I knew she was dead; I had seen the hole in her temple. I had felt her pulse. I had seen the coroner take her body away. But there shewas, looking better than ever.Actually, shewas


also looking younger than ever.Bettywas about 10 years younger thanme.Thatwould put her in hermid-50s.Thiswomanwasn’t a day over 35. But she certainly was Betty’s doppelganger. Paulo, BillVose, FBI agent Leon Peyton and I went to meet


DEATH BY PARKING — Episode 4 — Stack Parking BY JVH


It Became a FamilyMatter


RIVATE INVESTIGATORPAULMANNINGFOUNDADEADWOMAN in the trunk of a car blocking his in the stack parking lot at the Hollywood Bowl.. His business card was in there, too. Once back home, Paul found an envelope with a picture of the person in the trunk, very much alive, and a note saying they wanted $1 million. The woman turned out to be his sister-


36


MARCH 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


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