Murder In Studio City

By Vernon B. Bushway, Jr

Synopsis Murder In Studio City
Jake Caldwell and Ed O’Riley of “The Caldwell Detective Agency” once again have a missing persons case on their hands, the Chief Financial Officer of Feinstein &
Hurst, Mr. Frank Miller. Only this time Frank Miller is not missing, instead he has taken 2.5 million dollars of skimmed money from the Lucky Aces Casino in Las Vegas, which is owned by the Giovanni Crime Syndicate and the Parent Company of Feinstein & Hurst and has taken off with the money.
Millers, only problem, he has doubled crossed his partner in this crime, who later kills him. Miller’s wife now hires the Agency to find his killer, which they do. Jake Caldwell’s Wife, who is famous defense Attorney, defends the killer who is Charged with the Murder of Frank Miller the
CFO of Feinstein & Hurst, by the Los Angeles District Attorney.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vernon B. Bushway, Jr
• Release date: Feb 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311163318

Book preview

Chapter One:

The New Client:

Caldwell Detective Agency Los Angeles California:

I was in my office, just off 3rd Street and Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles California, looking out the 18th story window and observing the sun setting in the West over the Pacific Ocean. It was one of those great days in Los Angeles, a gentle breeze off the Ocean clearing out all the smog. You could see clearly the high-rise buildings that now dot Santa Monica off Wilshire Boulevard.

When I was younger, much younger, there were no high-rise buildings in Santa Monica, only one and two story buildings. You could take the Street Car (Red Car) from almost anywhere in the Los Angeles area to the beach, but the politicians found a way to eliminate the streetcar, in favor of the smoking, Diesel Bus.

My name is Jacob Caldwell, six feet two inches tall, with blond hair that is now turning grey, however, no one calls me Jacob anymore; my Mother does, but the rest of the world, its Jake. I am a Private Detective and spent the first four years of my Law Enforcement Career as an Air Force Military Police Officer in Vietnam and the last twenty-five years as a Los Angeles Police Officer. I decided to retired, took my pension and opened the Caldwell Detective Agency in downtown Los Angeles, along with my former partner, at LAPD Ed O’Riley.

As I reminisced about my younger years, my Secretary Joan entered and informed me a prospective client is waiting to see me about a problem. I said to Joan,

What is our new prospects name?

Her name is Frances Miller and she lives in Studio City California.

Okay send her in.

Good morning Mrs. Miller, I am Jake Caldwell, how may I help you?

Mr. Caldwell my brother said you could help me with my dilemma.

And what is your dilemma?

My Husband, Frank Miller is missing and the Police refuse to do anything about it. They informed me, there is nothing to suggest there has been fowl play or some sort of mishap. He most likely decided to leave me and start a new life, but I know that is not true, he would never do such thing; we have a very happy marriage and two children.

Mrs. Miller the Police in these matters are usually correct. They have the facilities and where with all, to investigate and come up with the right answers. That has been my experience as a Detective for many years with the Department.

That may be so, but I am willing to pay, whatever it costs for you to find him one way or the other; Cost is not an issue.

As I looked as Mrs. Miller, who was a tall willowy blond woman of about thirty-four years of age, dressed in a light brown Swede suit and wearing 6-inchbrown high heel shoes, which made her legs look very nice! She looked like money and I figured Mr. Miller wouldn’t take off on such a nice dish.

Mrs. Miller, I will see if we can find him and see if he is actually missing or just wants out of his current situation. Our standard fee for investigation is $500 a day, plus expenses with a $1500 dollar deposit. By the way, what business was your husband in?

He is employed by Feinstein & Hurst as the Chief Financial Officer here in Los Angeles.

She agreed to the financial conditions and I instructed her to meet with my Secretary and sign our Standard Investigation Contract and leave the deposit with Joan.

Chapter Two:

The Investigation Begins:

Caldwell Detective Agency Los Angeles California:

The first thing I decided to do, upon Mrs. Miller’s departing the office, was to asked Joan to Google the Company Feinstein & Hurst here in Los Angeles and see what the story was in regarding their activities in the business world. Second, I placed a call to LAPD and talked with my last partner Jim Kelly, in the Hollywood Homicide Division. I asked Jim he could provide me a copy of any information they may have regarding Mr. Miller’s disappearance. He said that would not be a problem since there wasn’t any case at this time. They had limited info available, since there wasn’t any investigation to speak of; Jim indicated he would E-Mail a copy of what info they had in the file within a few minutes. I asked my Secretary,

Joan, Jim Kelly is E Mailing over some info regarding Mr. Miller in the next few minutes, when he does make me a hard copy.

Okay Jake, will do.

Just as Jim promised, Joan laid hard copy on my desk about fifteen minutes later; it pays to have friends in high places. Jim was now the Commander of the Hollywood Homicide Division. I looked at the information Jim had sent and the first thing that jumped out on the page and caught my attention, was Mr. & Mrs. Frank Miller lived at 21800 Sunshine Drive in the Hollywood Hills, South of Ventura Boulevard, which is, the high rent district in Studio City.

Studio city is a section of Los Angeles where in the early days of the city, Studio City was called Laurelwood. Studio City occupies what was formerly part of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. This land changed hands several times during the late 19th Century and was eventually owned by J.B. Lankershim and eight other developers who organized the Lankershim Ranch Land and Water Company. However, in 1899, the area lost most of its water rights to Los Angeles and was no longer viable for farming.

When the Los Angeles Water Aqueduct is completed, in 1913, Real Estate boomed due to the availability of water and a syndicate led by Harry Chandler, business manager of the Los Angeles Times, along with Hobart Johnstone Whitley, Isaac Van Nuys and James Boon Lankershim acquired the remaining 47,500 acres of the southern half of the former Mission Lands everything west of the Lankershim town limits and south of present day Roscoe Boulevard accepting the Rancho Encino. Whitley then platted the area of present day Studio City from portions of the existing town of Lankershim, as well as the eastern part of the new acquisition.

In 1927, Mack Sennett began building a new Motion Picture Studio on twenty acres donated by the land developer. The area around the studio was named Studio City. Later this studio became Republic Pictures and finally the Columbia Broadcasting Film Center. Also located in present day Studio City is Universal Pictures.

It was getting late in the day, I said good night to Joan and headed for my favorite restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard, Ollie Hammonds, just north of Wilshire Boulevard and have one of their fine steaks. I was meeting my wife Maria, which was one of her favorite restaurants also.

Maria, who was a tall, shapely, dark hair beauty and I had just been married after going together for ten years. We hadn’t been married sooner, for we both had past marriages that left ghosts in our minds. My first wife and our child were killed in an accident; a Semi-Truck plowed in to the back of her station wagon and demolished the car killing the two I loved most in my life, besides my Mother and Dad.

Since that time, many years ago, I had little interest in remarrying, but finally with Maria after all this time it was okay. Maria on the other hand had an unsuccessful first marriage, due to her success as one of the fore most Criminal Attorney’s in Los Angeles, with her own law firm. Her first husband was insanely jealous of her; was abusive alcoholic, who died of liver cancer prior to our meeting.

Due to the late time of day, I took my usual route to the Restaurant, to avoid all the freeway traffic, by driving out Wilshire Boulevard. from downtown all the way to La Cienega, turned right and pulled my 911 Mid Night Black Porsche into the parking lot. Not only was this my favorite place to eat, but before my wife and son died in that horrendous car crash, on the I-5 near Oso Parkway in Orange County, she also had enjoyed Ollie Hammonds.

I walked in Ollie’s and was greeted by my longtime friend, George Jones, who was the Owner, who said,

Good evening Jake, your usual table and will Mrs. Caldwell is joining you this evening?

Why Yes George, she should be arriving any time now.

When she does, I’ll escort her to your table.

Thanks George.

and I walked over to my usual table, by the window, looking out on La Cienega Boulevard This area of Los Angeles has an interesting history. For at one time, there were many Oil Wells in the area. In fact, just up the street between Beverly Boulevard, and 3rd Street, there was an Oil Well in the middle of the street, so the street went around it on each side. Another interesting point, where the large Beverly Center Shopping Mall is located, between Beverly Boulevard and 3rd Street and Cedar Sinai Medical Center, there were many Oil Wells. In fact, today there is still one Oil Well pumping behind the Medical Center on George Burns Street.

The waiter approached the table and asked if I would care for a beverage and I responded:

I’ll have a Jack Daniels on the Rocks and a glass of Salmon Creek Chardonnay for my wife, who will be arriving shortly and the Waiter departed to fill my request. I then saw George escorting Maria to our table; she was wearing a light blue suit that fit like a glove to her 5 foot 8 inch frame. She normally wore that particular suit on her first day in Court. Maria is a Lawyer, a very good one in fact and she is constantly in demand for Criminal Defense cases.

I met Maria when I was still on the force, working a murder case in Hollywood. I was convinced I had the killer dead to rights, but in Court, she was able to get the Jury to find him not guilty. On the way out of Court, I walked up to her and said,

Nice job, a guilty man goes free.

Maybe, but that’s my job and your DA didn’t have his ducks lined up properly, so the Jury saw it my way.

You’re probably right about that, why don’t we get together for dinner and talk it over?

Alright Mr. Caldwell why don’t we meet at the little restaurant around the corner from the court house in about fifteen minutes.

We met in the Restaurant exactly in fifteen minutes. I arrived a little early and that is how it all started ten years ago.

Good evening my love! How was your first day in Court? You and the Judge get along?

The day went fine Jake, and I got along with the Judge, but this is going to be a tough one, the way it looks.

Your Wine is waiting and let’s toast to your new case, once again may you be successful as always.

I’ll drink to that!

And she sat down and lifted the glass and we touched.

How was your day, profitable I hope?

Yes, we have a new Client, Mrs. Frances Miller and she wants the Agency to find her husband, who is missing. She is not happy with LAPD’s story regarding why he is missing, he just took off.

What do you think about her doubts?

Too early to tell, I had Jim Kelly send over any information they have regarding his missing, which isn’t a great deal. They believe he just took off. I am going to try to set up a meeting with her tomorrow and try to have a better understanding of their life together.

We finished up our drinks and dinner and headed for home at Lookout Mountain and a romantic night.

Chapter Three:

The Meeting with Ed O’Riley

I left my home for my office, at my usual time 9 AM. I drove down Lookout Mountain Drive to Laurel Canyon, turned right to Sunset Boulevard, which intersects with Laurel Canyon Boulevard, made a left turn and proceeded east on Sunset Boulevard all the way to downtown Los Angeles to my office, avoiding the dreaded Hollywood Freeway at this time of the morning.

I walked in the office and Joan my Secretary said,

Good morning Jake, is all well at the Caldwell home grounds?

All is well; Maria left at 7 AM, since she had to be in court at 9AM, on a new case she is defending.

Who is the lucky person this time, to have the best Criminal Attorney in California?

Remember our friend Giovanni, from the Murphy case, well it seems one of his employees has been accused of almost killing one of his gambling patrons, for not paying his debt to the Casino in Gardena.

The fee for that defense should add to the wealth of the Caldwell household.

All income is greatly appreciated.

Joan, on our new case with Mrs. Miller; call her and ask if she could meet with me at 2 PM today to discuss her missing husband. Also call Ed; I would like to meet with him some time this morning.

Okay I’ll get right on!

I then walked into my office, which I have recently redecorated into a western motif, with paintings of Western Sunsets in orange and blues on the walls and a large picture of John Wayne standing holding a saddle bag, with Mammoth Mountain in the High Sierras in the background. I sat down at my desk and started going over all the bills Joan had placed in a folder for approval, when the phone rang on my private line. I thought it is probably Maria, since she, Ed and Jim Kelly were the only ones that had the number. I picked up and said,

Hello whom ever.

Jake Maria here, the court has been adjourned for the day, why don’t we meet for lunch at Frenchies?

Well hello my darling, so nice to hear you sweet voice so early in the morning. Lunch at Frenchies sounds like a great idea. What time would you like me to appear?

My love, 12:30 sounds like a good time, have a few things to clear up around the office.

12:30 it is, see you then.

I turned back to the bills and proceed to okay them all including a large one to Jose Cruz for investigative work he had performed on our last case.

Over the intercom, I heard Joan say,

Jake, Mrs. Miller said she could meet you at 3 PM if that is alright. I called Ed and he said he could meet you and 10:30.

3 PM for Mrs. Miller is fine and by the way I’ll be having lunch with Maria, at 12:30 at Frenchies.

I looked up at the clock on the wall and it was 10:30 and in walked my partner in the Caldwell Detective Agency Ed O’Riley.

Good morning Jake, how is the newly married couple doing, after going together for ten years plus before tying the knot.

We have managed to have a seamless completion of our new relationship. Maria decided to lease her home on Crescent Heights for a year, hoping the real estate market will pick up by the end of the lease.

Sounds like a good move, and what pray makes you want to see me so early in the morning?

Well Eddie boy, we have a new case, a missing person or who knows maybe another murder like our last case with Mrs. Murphy, who now resides at San Quinten in Northern California.

Sounds like a good one; more money in the till.

Our new client is Mrs. Frances Miller and the missing person is her husband named Frank Miller. He is the CFO at a company called Feinstein & Hurst who seems to loan money. What I would like you to do, is see what you can find out about this company, while I meet with the Mrs. this afternoon to see what she has to say about her husband and their life together.

Sounds like a plan Jake; I’ll see what I can come up with and get back to you in a couple of days.

Sounds good, Ed.

Chapter Four:

The Meeting with Mrs. Miller:

I left the office after having lunch with Maria and headed out for Mrs. Miller’s home. I took the 101 Hollywood Freeway, since at this time of the day the drive wouldn’t be too bad. I exited on the Lankershim off ramp turned left to Ventura Boulevard and then right down Ventura Boulevard to Studio City.

When I arrived at her home, on Sunshine Drive, the house was located on a knoll at the end street with a fantastic 180-degree view of the San Fernando Valley. The house was a single story painted brown with white trim, with a gable shake roof and a four-foot stucco wall facing the street.

The property was probably in the three million dollar range, with a curved driveway leading up to the front of the house. I thought, this Miller evidently has plenty of money, no take-off here, unless the bill collectors are on his case. Mrs. Miller can shed light on that issue.

I stopped in front of the garage, which is adjacent to the end of the house and walked up to the porch and rang the door the bell. When the solid Oak Wood front door with lead glass windows, suddenly opened, Mrs. Miller stood before me in all her splendor in her very tight white paint suit.

Good afternoon Mr. Caldwell, you’re right on time, I was anxious to talk with you after your secretary’s phone call this morning.

Like wise Mrs. Miller, there is a lot of information I need before we can start the Hunt for Mr. Miller.

Mrs. Miller then indicated, we should go into the living room and be seated and get on with our discussions.

The living room was a large affair with open beamed ceiling stained in dark brown and a large Used Brick Fireplace at one end of the room and large bay windows overlooking the spectacular view of the San Fernando Valley and the mountains beyond.

I sat down on one of the two white chairs next to the fireplace and Mrs. Miller sat across from me on a long white couch that had a large Oak Wood coffee table in front.

Mrs. Miller, I have a copy of the Police report regarding their conversations with you, when you filed your missing person’s report. Their subsequent statements, leaves me basically with nothing. I have to ask you some personal questions, so I have a basic understand of your life with Mr. Miller.

I’ll answer whatever questions you have Mr. Caldwell.

Did you or your husband have any large outstanding debts?

Only the normal monthly bills except for the mortgage on the house, which is 500,000 dollars, but that isn’t a concern since my husband’s income was a little over one million dollars a year.

Do you know of any problems he may have had at work or in any other activities in his life?

As far as I know everything was fine on all accounts.

Any recent withdrawals, from you bank accounts?

I have no idea; he handled all of the bills and money transactions in the household.

Would you look into that for me, it could be very important. In addition, could you provide me a list with the names and address of all his friends and business associates, if that’s possible to come by.

Yes I can provide that information; it’s listed on his computer in the study.

"That would be just great, if you could E Mail the list to my