The investigation into the fatal shooting of a prominent Los Angeles attorney outside his Rolling Hills Estates home took a new twist this morning when the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said detectives did not find a weapon at the scene."What? What? No weapon? Legume! My cape! The game's afoot!"
The revelation comes as detectives try to determine whether the attorney was the victim of a homicide or committed suicide.
"Hmmm... Whaddya make of it, McGinty?"
"No gun? Popped in the noggin? Walked out to the car to get his laptop and never came back? Could be suicide, I suppose..."
The fact that no gun was found would make the suicide theory harder to substantiate.
Y'might say that.
Might have kicked into the gutter after shooting himself in the driveway ...
On Tuesday evening, deputies searched the surrounding neighborhood for evidence. Officials called the death highly suspicious but stopped short of calling it a homicide, saying more investigation was needed.
[Thrash!] [Thrash!] [Stomp!] [Stumble!]
"Any clues yet, McGinty?"
Jeffrey Tidus, 53, an attorney with Baute & Tidus, a downtown Los Angeles law firm specializing in civil litigation, was found shot outside his home about 8:30 p.m. Monday. He died Tuesday morning at a hospital.
"Jeffrey! Who did this to you? Who was it?"
"It was... It was... [Gasp!]... [Rattle!]... Rosebud!"
"He's dead, Jim!"
"Who did it, Bones?"
"Goddammit, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a detective!"
Neighbors said Tidus' wife told them that he had gone outside to get a laptop computer from his car and didn't return.
"Hmmm... It's almost lunchtime and Jeffrey's not back yet."
They said they saw the laptop on the lawn, with blood visible on the driveway.
"What's that on the lawn, McGinty?"
"Looks like a laptop, Chief!"
"And in the driveway?"
"I don't think it's a laptop."
Tidus was shot once, and officials would not say whether they had recovered a weapon.
"How about powder burns?"
"We haven't recovered any of those, either."
On Tuesday afternoon, deputies scoured the neighborhood, searching in gardens and under bushes for clues.
"Whaddya got there, McGinty?"
"Could be a powder burn, Chief!"
Sheriff's Lt. Dave Dolson said authorities would be looking into Tidus' cases to determine whether his death might be linked to his work. He also tried to assure residents that the attorney's death appears not to have been random.
"There's a possibility it might not have been self-inflicted, either!"
Attorney Brian Hennigan, a close friend for more than a decade, said he is doubtful Tidus took his own life.
"Yeah. He was always so happy. Right up to the end. Then suddenly he wasn't happy."
"What happened to make him so unhappy?"
"Got hit by a bullet. Ruined his day."
"The speculation about suicide makes no sense on any number of fronts," he said. "The location and the timing make this highly unlikely speculation. From numerous conversations with Jeff over the past few years, I can say that it is inconsistent -- and contradictory -- with everything that I know about my friend."
"Besides, who shoots himself in the back of the head? From 200 yards?"
"He is a very dedicated family man . . . a by-the-book attorney known for his work on the state bar ethics panel," added Hennigan. "I was in total shock. We only ran together Sunday. He's an avid long-distance runner. We've run a few marathons together."
"Legume! My saxophone! And cherchez la femme!"