“Hi, Dave, Allison Murrieta here. I’m sure you have the video clip and images I made up for you and I hope you have it on-screen. So your viewers know, Lupercio Maygar is dead in this car. I’m sorry the police couldn’t find him first but they’ve had ten years to do it. This man murdered two brothers down in Valley Center, and those two cops in Bakersfield. Frankly, I’d had enough of him. This city doesn’t need him. Now Suzanne the schoolteacher can go back to work without being hunted down by a killer. And by the way, sorry to the surfer in Huntington Beach-hope your ear is okay, honey. It was an accident! Get tubed and vaya con Dios!”
Earlier in the day Hood had seen Boyer hustling down a headquarters hallway toward the sheriff’s office. With him were an assistant sheriff, Wyte, two lieutenants and Marlon. Hood was not asked to attend, but Marlon briefed him afterward. He told Hood to watch Boyer’s news show that night and to expect a call when the Allison story was over.
After a commercial for sleeping pills, Boyer was back with video links to three guests-a UCLA law school professor named Mark Tice, UCI professor of social ecology Kimber Wells and Los Angeles Times media reporter Josh Steiner.
Hood picked at a burrito from the corner taquería as he watched the experts.
BOYER: “Professor Tice, give us a briefing here-what exactly are we looking at in legal terms?”
TICE: “The first thing I noticed was that the woman-whoever she is-does not admit to anything criminal. I’d say she’s looking ahead to her day in court. Incidentally, counting the killings that this woman alluded to, Lupercio Maygar was suspected in sixteen Southland murders but never charged.”
BOYER: “Professor Wells, just how possible is it that this woman is a direct descendant of the notorious outlaw Joaquin Murrieta?”
WELLS: “Virtually impossible, Dave. We’re not even sure that the legend of Joaquin Murrieta is based on a true character. True characters, more likely.”
BOYER: “But, men being men and outlaws being-”
WELLS: “Right, Dave. If there was a Joaquin Murrieta-and some historians say there were actually three ‘Joaquins’ hunted down by lawmen-then he certainly could have helped conceive a child.”
BOYER: “If she’s not a descendant of Joaquin Murrieta, then who is she, Professor Wells?”
WELLS: “I think she may be co-opting that legend to fuel her alter ego and help justify her actions. It’s also possible that she’s very ill. Schizophrenia with a delusional subset and episodic violence. I’m no psychia-”
BOYER: “Josh Steiner, what’s your take on this?”
STEINER: “I don’t know who she is, but people are fascinated by her. She’s had a hundred inches of ink here in the Times. She’s racked up almost three hours of television coverage over the last three months-that’s right here in a tough media market. She’s gotten the cover of both the L.A. and Orange County weeklies, scores of write-ups and pictures in community newspapers, half a page in People and a fat paragraph, with picture, in Time. We’re getting letters about her every day. Personally, as I go about my everyday living, guess what people are talking about? Allison Murrieta, that’s who. After this thing with Lupercio Maygar, we’ll see Allison get even hotter.”
BOYER: “What are people saying, Josh?”
STEINER: “Most people love her. She’s half Catwoman and half Robin Hood. She’s a superhero with a ’tude. She’s mysterious. She’s beautiful-”
BOYER: “Well, I see you love her-”
STEINER: “She donates to charity! But you know what people really love? This woman takes the victimization that happens in our fear-driven, consumer lifestyle, and she turns it into power. If you ask a hundred people if they’ve ever wanted to express their frustration by swift, decisive action, every last one will say yes. Allison Murrieta turns anger and frustration into something dramatic; she expresses it.”
TICE: “She expresses it through criminal violence, Josh. We’ve seen her commit felonies on TV. That’s a real gun she brandishes-just ask Trent Brown, the surfer she refers to. These are real crimes against real people and real property. I did some rough calculations earlier today. Based on her robberies caught on camera, and the cars she’s allegedly stolen at gunpoint, not counting the vigilante murder of Lupercio Maygar-if Allison was convicted and given minimum recommended sentences, she’d be looking at one hundred and sixty years in prison.”
BOYER: “If she doesn’t stop robbing and stealing, do you think Allison’s going to hurt or kill someone innocent, someone who just happens to be out picking up some KFC for the family?”
WELLS: “It’s inevitable that-”
TICE: “I agree with Kimber.”
STEINER: “Absolutely. That’s one of the reasons people are so fascinated by her.”
BOYER: “Will she stop?
TICE: “I hope so.”
WELLS: “She enjoys it too much.”
STEINER: “She won’t stop. She loves the action and the attention. I guarantee you that she’s watching us right now. She thrives on us just like we thrive on her.”
BOYER: “Mark Tice of UCLA School of Law, you said that Lupercio Maygar was suspected of sixteen murders right here in Southern California. Is what happened to him justice?”
TICE: “Of course not. There’s no process. It’s the worst kind of vigilante action.”
STEINER: “Which is interesting, because ninety percent of the letters and calls we get about Allison are positive. People like her.”
WELLS: “That’s why we have a rich history of outlaw lore in this country. People crave stories. People crave heroes. And villains. Remember the old saying, When the facts become legend, print the legend.”
BOYER: “Interesting. The teacher that Allison mentioned, Suzanne Jones, was nearly a victim of Lupercio Maygar. She had apparently witnessed a crime that he committed. Now she’s free to come out of hiding and return to her family and to work. Any thoughts on that?”
WELLS: “Allison is co-opting Suzanne just like she co-opted Joaquin. She’s justifying herself.”
STEINER: “Sure. Good deeds make good legends.”
BOYER: “When someone finally lifts that mask from Allison Murrieta’s face, who are we going to see? If she isn’t Joaquin Murrieta’s great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter, who is she?”
TICE: “I won’t speculate, Dave.”
WELLS: “An out-of-work actress.”
STEINER: “An employee of one of the franchises she loves to stick up.”
BOYER: “Quickly, now-guess her age.”
STEINER: “Late twenties.”
WELLS: “Mid-thirties.”
TICE: “Old enough to stand trial as an adult.”
BOYER: “Wig or no wig?”
WELLS: “I think wig because-”
STEINER: “It’s her hair.”
TICE: “It looks real to me.”
BOYER: “We’re out of time. Thank you all. I see the phones are really ringing now. Call back later, folks, we’ll be taking calls on our ten o’clock hour. We want to know what you think. Thanks to our guests.”
Hood finished off the cold burrito and Marlon called.
“Where’s Jones?”
“I don’t know where she is, sir. I haven’t talked to her in two days.”
“Do you have a number for her?”
“Not a current one, no.”
“I want to bring her in, ask her some questions about Allison Murrieta. This whole thing has gotten out of hand. You’ll help with that?”
“Of course I’ll help.”
“I’ll take some uniforms and collect her myself. I can keep you out of it.”
“No, sir. It was my idea that she’s Murrieta. I’ll face up to that.”