Murder in Malibu

Gary Hawkins loaded his three dogs, Nina, Pal and Lulu, into his Ford Explorer and headed out for a Sunday afternoon walk in nearby Tapia Park, off Malibu Canyon Road. It was their normal activity on a Sunday: an expedition through the local state park. With all three loaded into the vehicle, they headed down Piuma to the park. They spent their usual one hour meandering throughout the park with its creeks and meadows. Later, as they were heading back to the Explorer, Gary took a quick glance into a nearby pickup truck that had been parked at the very end of the parking lot. He noticed something rather strange in the back of the truck and decided to take a closer look, his continual curiosity now piqued.

Gary had an inclination to notice items and details that others might ignore or overlook and his keen eye has been his trademark over the years. He carried a camera at all times so that he could capture whatever unusual or obscure visions caught his attention in a quick, concise photograph. His camera was always ready for action. He found unusual sights in his daily travels throughout the Malibu area and in the San Fernando Valley in the Los Angeles Basin. His friends were routinely exposed to bizarre photos of ridiculous signs along the roadway or other once-sighted apparitions that no one else would discover.

As he approached closer to the truck, he spotted a rug rolled up very tightly in a formation that was almost perfect. His dogs were barking very loudly and did not stop for a moment. One of the dogs jumped up into the back of the pickup truck and started sniffing the rug, all the while continuing to bark. The other two canines followed the same technique and soon all three dogs were jumping and barking around all sides of the rug. The dog’s actions aroused Gary’s curiosity even further. All three started to sniff around every side of the rug and continued to bark and move around with great energy. The melee had reached a point of superb intensity.

Gary approached even closer. Now, he noticed something sticking out from the bottom of the carpet and he leaned in for a better look. It was the toe of a shoe! He moved even closer, but then decided not to go too far in his investigation. However, it was obvious, as he moved closer and closer, that this was the body of a person. There was no doubt in his mind about this fact. He grabbed a hold of the top of the rug and then opened the rug very quickly. The immediate horror that was revealed confirmed his suspicions.

He closed up the rug very quickly and turned away, heading in a different direction. His own body automatically bolted back in repulsion from the ghastly sight. He continued to back away from the truck, as did his dogs, who were now also in a state of hysteria, barking and bouncing around like jack rabbits scurrying through the desert. All continued to react violently to the sight of the rug and to the odor of a dead body.

Gary came to his senses and realized that he should be calling the authorities concerning their new discovery. He was aware that his dogs would not be called upon to be witnesses to the crime scene, but he cherished their presence with him at that time. He looked around in the parking lot of Tapia Park and viewed no other people. Usually, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, many others would seek the peace and serenity of the Santa Monica Mountains, refugees from the mundane existence in the inner city of Los Angeles. He normally saw many a Hispanic family on a Sunday outing to the Malibu mountains, taking great pleasure in the rustic surroundings and open air of the beautiful meadows and hillsides. His own solitude propelled him all the more to hasten to contact the local Sheriff’s station at Lost Hills. He tried to remember the number, with no success. He called Directory Assistance on the payphone in the parking lot and realized that a 911 call might be in order.

After contacting the sheriffs, he waited very patiently for a squad car to arrive. With this additional time, he decided that it would be very wise to corral his group of canines and quickly place them within his vehicle. As he loaded them into the Explorer, a sheriff’s black and white pulled sharply into the parking lot with all lights flashing. Two armed sheriffs jumped out of each side of the vehicle and held Gary at attention with drawn weapons. With his hands waving high in the air, Gary shouted out and explained the entire situation, which immediately brought a halt to the drawn guns.

It was a pair of officers, male and female, who had arrived at the scene. The female recognized Gary, as she has seen him around Malibu from time to time and had even had bumped into him at Ralphs in Malibu on many an occasion. At that point, Gary sat down on the rear gate of the utility vehicle and held back his dogs, who had again taken up with their constant barking. One of them, Nina, continued to bark and moved closer to the lady cop, but then recognized her as she has seen the woman also many times also in Malibu. After a good whiff of the cop’s rather subtle scent of perfume, Nina rubbed her nose up against the woman and the officer responded with a pat on the dog’s head and a stroke of her neck.

One officer interrogated and the other took notes. Gary very briefly and succinctly recounted his experiences of the last while. There still was no one else around and Gary really did not have much to report, other than the recent discovery of the body within the rug and his and the dogs’ immediate reaction to their new sighting. After the recounting of the facts, one of the officers decided to investigate further and took a closer look. Without the others noticing, the male officer suddenly unleashed the identity of the deceased person by hurriedly lifting up the top of the rug where the head and top of the body resided. Surprised by the newly found identity, the male officer practically shrieked out in dismay.

“I know this person. This is Lydia Love, the owner of the nursery up north of Pepperdine.”

Shocked by his words, the female joined in.“This is horrendous. I just saw her yesterday at Diedrich’s Coffee Shop, having coffee with a friend. We exchanged greetings and I went on my way.”

Gary’s face took on a strange and disoriented expression when he learned the identity of the deceased. “I know her also,” he said. “I’ve known Lydia for years.” Gary nearly broke down and cried, but held back his tears since he was in the company of the law officers.

All three stood shocked at the distasteful news. They remained very quiet and motionless for many moments. No one knew what to say and all decided to wait for another to make the next move. The silence weighed heavy upon them all, then one of the dogs started barking. Another squad car arrived and they all still had no idea where to begin with the next set of words and discussion.