Teri looked at Stillman, her face a pale spectre. He read her look instantly. “Everything okay?” he asked. “We have to go to Mona’s,” Teri said to the three detectives. “Something’s wrong.” “Give me the phone,” Stillman said. Teri complied and watched as he raised it to his ear. “Mona?” He looked at Teri and shook his head. “The line’s still open.” “Can you hear anything?” “Nothing. Who’s Mona?” “Mona Hirsch. She’s my producing partner. I tried to call her all night, but she wouldn’t answer.” Swafford took his own cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. “This is Swafford. We need a unit to respond to...” He looked at Teri. “What’s her address?” he asked Teri. She told him and he repeated the address, then said, “I don’t know. Just have someone get there ASAP. I’m on my way.” Teri led the way in her SUV, followed by Swafford in his car and the two CHP detectives in their Chevy Tahoe. She tried to make some sense of events over the past twenty-four hours, but none of it lined up.
