Who Killed Jenny Schecter? Ch. 10

Chapter 10 Opportunity

They took a bathroom break. Carmen got a diet soda out of the vending machine near the lobby, and Shane got a soda and a bag of Fritos. Lauren got a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator in the break room. Without preamble, she passed out photocopies. "Every homicide case has a timeline prepared. What happened when. Marybeth started one, she didn't get too far, but it's a start. We have to finish it."

The first two pages read:

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau

Homicide Case 51039 Schecter, Jennifer Diane

Date/Time of Homicide: 03/08/2009 Approx 2100 hours to 2115 hours

Investigators: Sgt. M. Duffy, Det/2 S. Holden, Homicide Bureau

Location: 256 14th Street, West Hollywood CA and adjacent house at 254 14th Street,

where vic resided

TIMELINE

3/08/09 2100 to 2115 approx J. Schecter murdered x drowning

3/08/09 2127 Switchboard 911 call from T. Kinnard reporting drowning

3/08/09 2134 Squad car C-7 Cpl. R. Richards, Off. T. Hoskins arrive 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2142 Cpl. Richards reports possible homicide

3/08/09 2143 Dispatcher call-out to Sgt. M. Duffy, Det/2 S. Holden, Coroner, Forensic Teams

3/08/09 2146-8 Squad cars A-6, A-19, K-8 arrive 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2150 Coroner Unit 3 arrives 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2152 CSI forensics team arrives 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2201 Duffy/Holden arrive 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2203 Duffy/Holden briefed, view scene

3/08/09 2204 Duffy meets w/ 7 wits + infant

3/08/09 2207 Off. T. Williams, off duty, acquaintance of vic/suspects, arrives 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2214 N. Stevens, acquaintance/ex-lover, discovered in bushes by Off. Hoskins

3/08/09 2308 7 wits (+ infant) + Stevens asked to go to LASD West Hollywood Station for further questioning

3/08/09 2331 8 wits arrive LAPD WHS for further questioning

3/09/09 0017 First interrogation A. Pieszecki by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0119 First interrogation B. Porter by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0131 Adjacent residence at 254 14th Street prelim search

3/09/09 0148 Coroner removes body of J. Schecter

3/09/09 0231 First interrogation T. Kinnard by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0359 First interrogation S. McCutcheon by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0510 First interrogation H. Peabody by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0718 First interrogation K. Porter by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0620 CSI/Forensics departs, scene taped off & restricted

3/09/09 0822 First interrogation M. Sweeney by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0926 First interrogation N. Stevens by Duffy/Holden

3/10/09 0940 Telephone call from Pieszecki to Duffy requesting another interview

3/10/09 1117 Second interrogation A. Pieszecki by Duffy/Holden, Mirandized, confesses to murder of J. Schecter

3/10/09 1340 Pieszecki formally arrested by Duffy/Holden

3/10/09 1344 Pieszecki calls atty. Joyce Wischnia for legal referral

3/10/09 1344 Duffy calls ADA G. Berger, gives update

3/10/09 1350 Duffy calls Off. T. Williams for interview

3/10/09 1524 Pieszecki taken to holding cell

3/11/09 1006 Pieszecki atty. Malcolm Drinkwater arrives, confers with client

3/15/09 0756 Forensic report picked up by Duffy

3/16/09 0818 Duffy/Holden arrive at coroners for Schecter autopsy

3/18/09 1123 Schecter autopsy results delivered

"That's as far as Marybeth got," Lauren said. She passed out more photocopies. "I've added some stuff to it, mainly the blanks we need to fill in before and after the part Marybeth completed. Some stuff I filled out. And I changed some last names to first names because ... well, just because. And I kind of boxed off the farewell party itself, which is the one we have to work on hardest."

It read:

?/??/09 0000 Date believed negatives stolen

?/??/09 0000 Date Max tells Jenny Adele is trouble

?/??/09 0000 Date Production on Lez Girls begins

?/??/09 0000 Date Bike marathon, Jenny/Niki make sex tape

?/??/09 0000 Date Shane breaks up w/ Molly

?/??/09 0000 Date Adele coup against Jenny on film set

?/??/09 0000 Date Lez Girls wrap party, Jenny discovers Shane/Niki sex

?/??/09 0000 Date Jenny has sex with Niki, rejects Niki

?/??/09 0000 Date believed negatives stolen

?/??/09 0000 Date negatives discovered to be missing, who informed when?

?/??/09 1800 Baby shower: Jenny tells Dylan about Niki plot, angering Helena

?/??/09 0000 Date Jenny sees Bette & Kelly in kitchen sex

?/??/09 0000 Jenny threatens to tell Tina about Bette/Kelly

?/??/09 0000 Date Alice discovers Jenny stole manuscript/treatment

2/??/09 0000 Date Tina/Bette have dinner, Tina accuses William/Aaron of stealing negatives

?/??/09 0000 Date Molly returned jacket to Jenny, assume placed in attic

3/08/09 0000 Time Shane talks to Molly about letter/jacket

3/08/09 0000 Time Shane discovers jacket, negatives

3/08/09 0000 Time Shane notifies Tina, Tina sees negatives

--------------------

3/08/09 0000 Times girls arrived at party

3/08/09 0000 Comings and goings at party

3/08/09 0000 Last time Jenny seen alive by??

3/08/09 2100 to 2115 approx Jenny pushed through railing, drowned

---------------------

3/08/09 2127 Switchboard 911 call from Tina reporting drowning

3/08/09 2134 Squad car C-7 Cpl. R Richards, Off. T. Hoskins arrive 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2142 Cpl. Richards reports possible homicide

3/08/09 2143 Dispatcher call-out to Sgt. M. Duffy, Det/2 S. Holden, Coroner, Forensic Teams

3/08/09 2146-8 Squad cars A-6, A-19, K-8 arrive 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2150 Coroner Unit 3 arrives 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2152 CSI forensics team arrives 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2201 Duffy/Holden arrive 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2203 Duffy/Holden briefed view scene

3/08/09 2204 Duffy meets w/ 7 wits + infant

3/08/09 2207 Off. Tasha Williams, off duty, acquaintance/Alice ex-lover, arrives 256 14th Street

3/08/09 2214 Niki, acquaintance/ex-lover, discovered in bushes by Off. Hoskins

3/08/09 2308 7 wits (+ infant) + Niki asked to go to LASD West Hollywood Station for further questioning

3/08/09 2331 8 wits arrive LAPD WHS for further questioning

3/09/09 0017 First interrogation Alice by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0119 First interrogation Bette by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0131 Adjacent residence at 254 14th Street prelim search

3/09/09 0148 Coroner removes Jenny, taken to morgue

3/09/09 0231 First interrogation Tina by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0359 First interrogation Shane by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0510 First interrogation Helena by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0620 CSI/Forensics departs, scene taped off & restricted

3/09/09 0718 First interrogation Kit by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0822 First interrogation Max by Duffy/Holden

3/09/09 0926 First interrogation Niki by Duffy/Holden

3/10/09 0940 Telephone call from Alice to Duffy requesting another interview

3/10/09 1117 Second interrogation Alice by Duffy/Holden, Mirandized, confesses to murder of Jenny

3/10/09 1344 Pieszecki calls atty. Joyce Wischnia for legal referral

3/10/09 1344 Duffy calls ADA G. Berger, gives update

3/10/09 1350 Duffy calls Tasha Williams for interview

3/10/09 1524 Alice taken to holding cell

3/11/09 1006 Alice's atty. Malcolm Drinkwater arrives, confers with client

3/12/09 0930 Interview with Tasha

3/16/09 0756 Forensic report picked up by Duffy

3/16/09 0818 Duffy/Holden arrive at coroner for Jenny autopsy

3/18/09 1123 Jenny autopsy results delivered

4/01/09 Alice preliminary hearing, pleads guilty

4/05/09 Alice bail hearing, no bail requested, no bail set

4/27/09 Grand jury indictment (pro forma)

5/13/09 Alice trial expedited by guilty plea, pled down to second degree manslaughter

5/26/09 Alice sentencing hearing, 7-10 years

5/27/09 Alice arrives Humboldt Farm

Carmen finished reading and glanced at Shane. A tear ran down Shane's cheek. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Shane said quietly. "This is just a lot harder than I thought it would be. Harder, and different. I don't know what I expected, but ... it's just hard."

"I know. Seeing Jenny reduced to paperwork. Cop jargon, legal jargon. Medical jargon. Shane, keep this in mind: This isn't our Jenny they're talking about. It's somebody else. It's a dead body. It's not anybody we know."

"I guess, if you say so. Kinda hard to do."

Lauren let Shane finish reading. "Shane, I hate to say this," she said quietly, "but you're going to have to take the lead on this timeline. You know a lot of the dates and times. Do you keep a calendar or datebook in your phone? Or written down somewhere?"

"On my phone."

"Do you still have February and March 2009? Or do you erase back stuff?"

"No, I don't erase. Maybe I should, but I don't."

"Well, that turns out to be good for us. Can you bring up February?"

"Yes," she said, working on her phone, "but I can give you some things off the top of my head. It was about 4:30, 5 o'clock when I talked to Molly and she told me about the letter and returning my jacket. I was shopping for a farewell present for Bette and Tina, I had picked out this big bowl I thought they'd like, like a table centerpiece bowl, you know? And that's when I ran into Molly. And then I went straight home, I didn't even get the bowl, I was so pissed. I guess it was after 5 when I got home, like 5:30, maybe going on 6. It was starting to get dark. Anybody know when it got dark on that day?"

Carmen said, "I got it." She Googled something on her phone and after a moment she said, "Sundown, March 8, 2009, 6:55 p.m."

"Okay," Shane said. "So let's say I talked to Molly around 5 and got home about 6."

"Then what happened?" Lauren asked.

"I immediately started searching the house. I went to her closet, started looking in boxes and stuff. And after, I don't know, fifteen minutes, I thought about the attic and pulled the stairs down. I went up, and found my jacket, and the letter. I sat on the top step and read the letter. I -- it took a while. Finally, I stood up to leave, and I was partly sitting on this sheet that was covering some boxes, and when I stood up it pulled away, and then I saw the canisters under it. I picked one up. I thought, holy shit, Jenny, you bitch, you fucking cunt. I'm sorry, but that's what I thought. And I went next door to go get Tina. It was getting dark outside, so maybe a little after 7? Something like that. I went into Bette and Tina's house, and everybody was already there, I think, but in different places, upstairs, downstairs. I didn't see Jenny right then, which was a good thing. Tina was in the kitchen. I asked her to come next door. She asked why. I said, just trust me. So we went to our house and into the bedroom and up into the attic. Seven fifteen? Seven thirty? Is any of this important?"

"We generally don't ask if something is important," Lauren said, "until after we've got all the information. Then we can go back and decide what's important and what's not." She had called up the timeline on her laptop and made entries.

3/08/09 1700 Shane talks to Molly about letter/jacket

3/08/09 1830 Shane discovers jacket, negatives

3/08/09 1830-1900 Times wits/suspect arrived at party

3/08/09 1910 Shane notifies Tina, Tina sees negatives

"Great," Lauren said. "What's in your calendar?"

"Uh," Shane mumbled, working. "Okay, Subaru Pink Ride, September 22 and 23."

09/22-3/08 Subaru Pink Ride bike marathon, Jenny/Niki make sex tape

Lauren let Shane work.

"The baby shower for Max was February 14," Shane said. "Started at 6 p.m."

"Yeah, that's what I have, too," Carmen said, working on her cellphone. Shane looked at her. "What?" Carmen asked. "I sent them a present for the baby."

2/22/09 1800 Baby shower; Jenny tells Dylan about Niki plot, angering Helena

"They started shooting the movie on Tuesday, September 2," Carmen said. "I know because it was the day after the three-day Labor Day weekend. Jenny came up to San Francisco for a visit, and she was really wired about the movie starting up."

"No, that can't be right," Shane said. "I don't remember what date it was, but she flew home to visit her folks in Skokie that weekend. I drove her to the airport that Friday afternoon."

Carmen kept her eyes on her cellphone. "I know you did. She lied to you. You dropped her at the terminal, but she got on a different plane than you thought, that's all. She told me when she got to San Francisco."

"Fuck!" Shane said. "She lied? What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything," Carmen said. "What, did you think I was going to call you up and say, 'By the way, Jenny's here with me, she's not in Illinois. She's a big fibber.' Why would I do that? It's not like Jenny hasn't lied to somebody a couple hundred times. At least this one was pretty harmless and nobody got hurt. She knew you'd get all bent out of shape if she told you she was coming to visit me for a few days. She did you a favor, if you ask me."

Shane was, as often before, rendered speechless. Had Carmen and Jenny rekindled their old relationship? Or bluntly put, did they re-fuck? People slept with their exes all the time, even lesbians. Maybe even especially lesbians, judging by her own small circle of friends ... and herself, witness Cherie Peroni. Although an early adopter where sex was concerned, Shane was a latecomer to the concept of "relationships." Love-and-marriage were widely known to be linked together, but very often so were sex-and-exes. Shane was very good at one and very bad at the other. It was like loving to eat food but being terrible at digesting it. If only there was some gluten-free, low-calorie way to eat pussy, without orgasm proteins building all those post-coital bonds and links and feelings and relationships. Maybe Shane had emotional celiac disease.

09/02/08 Production on Lez Girls begins

"Do you have the wrap party?" Lauren asked.

Shane looked at Lauren blankly, then snapped out of it. She looked at her cell phone. "The wrap party was Saturday night, January 24," Shane said, "but the actual wrap was on Wednesday. They needed a few days to arrange the party on short notice."

"What time?"

"Six. It was supposed to start at six. And the sun was still up when I got there."

1/24/09 1800 Lez Girls wrap party, Jenny discovers Shane/Niki sex. Shane evicted.

"Got more?"

"Niki told me the next night Jenny invited her over and they fucked all night long, then in the morning Jenny kicked her out."

1/26/09 Morning -- Jenny has all-night sex w/ Niki, rejects her in the morning

Lauren looked over the timeline. "We're making progress. Do you remember when Adele took over the movie from Jenny?"

"It was between Christmas and New Year's. The first Monday after Christmas." Everyone looked at their cellphones.

"December 29, 2008," Lauren said. "It happened in the morning?"

"It was getting close to lunch," Shane said.

12/29/08 circa 1100 Adele coup against Jenny on film set

Lauren tapped her pencil on the desk. "Carmen, here's a question in your wheelhouse. They wrap filming on a Wednesday. I'm guessing the film from the last day's shooting goes to be developed, right? And then they get it back. And then the film editors start working on it, is that right? So how long does all this take?"

"They can get the developed negs back pretty quick, in a day or two, because everyone wants to make sure the film's okay, before they send everybody home forever and tear down the sets. In case they need to re-shoot anything. So yeah, if they wrap on a Wednesday they'd have the film back -- or at least they'd get an okay on it, a telephone call, you're good to go -- sometime Friday, maybe late in the day. And that would help with the wrap party, too, because if something needed re-shooting, they'd have had to tell the relevant people."

"Would they have cancelled the party?"

"Oh, no, almost certainly not. The wrap party is just kind of ceremonial, because the production really isn't done, by a long shot. Just the principal photography and the actors and what-not. But the editing and all the post-production work, and distribution stuff, the promotion. A ton of post-production stuff, that all starts first thing Monday morning. Tearing down the sets. Cleaning up the actors' trailers and returning them to the rental people. Costumes, cleaning them, returning them. You know, all the bookkeeping and accounting stuff, it still continues because it ain't over until the fat lady sings. And anyway, a lot of the editing has been going on while they've been shooting, but how much they've got done by wrap varies all over the lot. Depends on how involved the director wants to be. If he or she wants to be there for editing, they basically can't start until photography is finished and the director's freed up. Then there's what they call 'second unit' stuff, like sunsets, rain, birds, aerials, skylines, whatever they need for establishing shots. That could be shot at any time, before, during, after."

"Do you know anything about the editing for Lez Girls?"

"No, nothing. But I don't think it matters."

"Why not?"

"Because the film canisters could have been stolen at any time during the editing process. It could have already been half-cut, half-finished for all I know. Two-thirds cut, if they were really efficient and working without director input. Or they hadn't even started. I can't say which. Somebody would have to ask the editors how far they'd gotten, or checked their logbooks and reports, etc. Was the movie actually finished? Only just started editing? Halfway? I don't think anybody knows."

"So where would the canisters have been kept? Where were they stolen from?"

"Again, I don't know. But if I was guessing, I'd say they were most likely in some editing room somewhere. We'd need to talk to the actual editors, the cutters. What kind of work hours they kept. But for the most part, except for the Type-A editors and directors, it's pretty much a Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five job. They probably returned the canisters to some vault or storage thing over the weekend, unless somebody was going to work on them."

"Okay, they finish filming on the 21st, the wrap party is Saturday the 24th. They get the film back on Monday the 26th and start or continue editing and cutting, right."

"Sounds okay," Carmen said.

"And Jenny fucks Niki all Sunday night and kicks her out Monday morning, and as the film gets back from the developing people and editing begins or continues. They work all day. So can we assume the window for the theft of the canisters opens some time after work on Monday the 26th?"

"Again, sounds reasonable."

"Could they have been stolen during the day?"

"With all those people around? No."

"Don't they break for lunch?"

"Sure. And they take smoke breaks if they smoke, and go get a soda, and pick up their dry-cleaning, whatever. But I don't think anyone could slip in during the day and collect all the canisters, There would be pieces of film everywhere, in the splicer, being viewed. Maybe Adele and a couple people doing it, not just one. And anyway, half the editors I've met eat at their consoles, or run to the cafeteria if there's no craft services table. It's not like they all break at noon and go away for an hour."

"Okay, you sold me," Lauren said.

1/26/09 After 6 p.m.? Window opens for negatives to be stolen. Niki jilted that morning

"Why don't we just ask Niki when and how she stole them?" Shane asked.

"We're going to. But we like to know the answers to questions before we ask them. Pretty standard cop and courtroom rule."

Shane put her head down on the table. "My head hurts. Can I go home?"

"Your head hurt yesterday," Lauren said.

"I know. It hurts today, too."

"It's a toomah," Carmen said, using the Arnold Schwarzenegger pronunciation of "tumor."