No Regrets

than in their
    long search for the old man who was a pilot on the
    Sound for more than forty years. He guided hundreds
    of ships safely into port; when he himself was lost, the
    Puget Sound pilots were the first to sound the alarm.

Acknowledgments
    Readers and other writers often ask me how and where I research the details for my true-crime books. I must admit that I start each book with the sure knowledge that I will never discover enough to reveal all the facets of the cases I choose. But I have learned to plunge in, semisecure that I will find the public records I need, and that those who were involved in the investigation and prosecution of suspects and witnesses will talk with me. I go to the places where the often-shocking events took place, take photographs (the blurriest photos in the picture section are almost always mine), and talk to the people who lived through the cases.
    In the end—at least so far—I find I do have a book, after all. And I sincerely thank those who have shared their memories with me, memories that many would choose not to access again. So many people went out of their way to help me in this book. I hope they know how much their input has meant to me!
    Six different cases make up
No Regrets.
The names that follow begin with “The Sea Captain” and continue in the order of the half dozen cases.
    Thank you to: San Juan County Deputy Sheriff (retired) Ray Clever, Barbara Clever, San Juan County Deputy Sheriff (retired) Joe Caputo, San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney (Criminal) Charlie Silverman, Washington StateSupreme Court Judge Greg Canova, Dr. Robert Keppel, Superior Court Clerks Mary Jean Cahail, Connie Burns, and Karen King, San Juan Historical Society, Jan Fleming, Kris DayVincent, authors Al Cummings, John Saul, Michael Sack, Gordon Keith, Captain Richard McCurdy, President, Puget Sound Pilots’ Association, Blood Pattern Expert Rod Englert, juror number one, Lisa Boyd, Frances Bacon, the
San Juan Journal,
the
Seattle Weekly,
the
Seattle Times,
the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
    “It (Ain’t) Hard Out There for the Pimps.” During my days as a Seattle police officer, I worked beside the Crimes Against Persons Unit’s detectives. They relived this remarkable investigation for me: Joyce Johnson, Noreen Skagen, Beryl Thompson, Pat Lamphere, John Nordlund, Larry Gordon, and Danny Melton. As an author, I rode shotgun with the Seattle Fire Department’s Medic One paramedics for forty-eight hours. I learned how they can make the difference between life and death—as they did in this case!
    “The Runaway and the Soldier.” Thanks to the Bellevue Police Department, this case that began with scattered human remains was solved. The investigators went over the case with me: Chief of Police Don Van Blaricom and Detectives Roy Gleason, Gary Trent, Marv Skeen, and Patrol Officer Bob Littlejohn.
    “The Tragic Ending of a Bank Robber’s Fantasy.” The Seattle Police Department’s Homicide Unit worked around the clock to find a killer who was escaping to paradise. My gratitude to George Marberg, Al Gerdes, Gary Fowler, Nat Crawford, John Gray, Bob Holter, Al “Beans” Lima, Jerry Yates, John Nordlund, Mike Tando, John Boatman, and Don Cameron.
    “A Very Bad Christmas.” This story comes from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in Portland, Oregon.Detective Orlando “Blackie” Yazzolino of the Homicide Division related it to me, and Robert Pinnick and Bob Zion of the Scientific Investigation Unit told me about how they preserved the physical evidence that helped to identify both the victims and the killer.
    “To Save Their Souls.” My appreciation goes to Detective Archie Pittman of the Pasco Police Department for his trial testimony, and to the late Dorothy Allison of Nutley, New Jersey, whose psychic visions were stunningly accurate.
    “...Or We’ll Kill You.” My appreciation goes to “Kari,” who had the courage to tell me the story of her terrifying brush with death as the victim of a kidnapping and sexual attack.
    In this, the eleventh edition of my Crime Files, I continue my fortunate association with the team that helps me get the words from my computer into a real live book: my publisher, who believes in me, Louise Burke; my editor Mitchell Ivers, who edits so gently and diplomatically, but effectively, that my writer’s pride emerges unscathed; Josh Martino, perhaps the most efficient and dependable editorial assistant in publishing; Felice Javit, the