Shadows of Doubt Read online

As Max continued looking at the property information, he thought a drive to the Valley might be called for. The south side of things had gotten a little crowded for his liking since the last time he had been in Los Angeles. A large enough estate in this area was going to be in paparazzi riddled territory which was entirely counterproductive to covert operations. Something on the outskirts. Privacy. Land. Yes, land. “Find me lots, parcels of land, so we can build to suit. Then tonight we’ll go take a drive and see what our choices look like.”

  Frank started typing madly on the tiny keyboard of his Blackberry. “On it, my Dominator.”

  Max grunted.

  “Okay, so it is what it is.” Lou shoveled another piece of chocolate cake in her mouth as they considered the situation.

  Washing down far too big a bite, Vinny looked at her with a grin in his eyes. “It’s scary as shit, is what it is!”

  “Well ya, but it’s also fantastic! You’re going to be a dad! You know you’ll make an awesome dad, Vinny. You have to know that.”

  “Ah, hell I don’t know that! Who can know that?” Huffing with uncertainty, he forked another too big a bite into his mouth.

  “I know that!” Stabbing her fork at the air as if to accentuate her point. “Geez, Vinny! Look at how you take care of me! We both know you do, so don’t even try to deny it.”

  The two of them sat together at the island situated in the center of the kitchen that was nearly as big as Vinny’s house. Though it was a massive expanse of space, the soothing honey-colored wood and chocolate granite counters, accented by hand-forged wrought iron touches, made it warm and inviting. Lou and Vinny had spent many a night solving the problems of the world sitting at that island devouring baked goods. It was one of the rituals they had, similar to those Lou had with her mother. When Shevaun walked in to see the two huddled over plates in deep discussion, it was a familiar sight that she secretly enjoyed very much.

  “Uh oh, whats going on?” She teased as she dropped her bag on the island, then proceeded to kiss each of them on the cheek. “Glad to see that cake wasn’t wasted. Now spill it.” She stole a curl of chocolate off her daughter’s plate.

  Lou looked at Vinny as if telepathically trying to get permission to tell her mother the news of his pending fatherhood.

  “Vera’s pregnant.” He blurted it out before Lou could.

  “Holy shit!” Shevaun nearly fell over.

  “That’s exactly what I said.” Lou laughed.

  “Well, it’s a freaking miracle!” Without any further hesitation, Shevaun tossed her arms around Vinny and hugged him tight. “It’s about damn time you got your own kid!” She let go, then swatted him playfully on the shoulder. “How is Vera doing? I should call her... Oh she’s probably sleeping... We need to shop!... Is it a girl or a boy?”

  Lou gave Vinny an ‘I told you so’ look and quietly chuckled at her mother as the woman rattled off questions.

  “Shevaun, Shevaun!” He grabbed the over-excited woman by the hand. “You have plenty of time to have your fun. Relax. We won’t know if it’s a boy or a girl for a couple months, I guess.”

  Lou’s mother stopped dead in her tracks and glared at Vinny. “Why the hell didn’t Seamus tell us? When did this happen?”

  It was a well known, yet unspoken law among Shevaun’s family that you never kept secrets, especially juicy ones such as this.

  “I haven’t told him yet.” He gave her a sheepish look. “You and Lou are the first to know outside of Vera, me and her doctor. Well, and her sister. We wanted to wait until... well until it stuck I guess.”

  “Well, he’ll be right pissed when he finds out we knew before him.” Grabbing the cordless phone out of its cradle, Shevaun started dialing then hit the speaker button and set it on the counter as it rang.

  “Ah Jesus, Mary and Joseph.” he blew out a breath. “I’m gonna need more cake.”

  Lou laughed out loud and went to fetch Vinny another piece of cake as she heard her uncle’s voice on the line. It was very clear that any discussion about Caroline’s findings or Lou’s meeting with the captain was never going to make it to the table tonight. It was actually better that way, Lou thought as she sliced her mother a piece of cake and slid the last hunk onto Vinny’s plate. His becoming a dad was far more important than her spit hunch. There was nothing she could do about it anyway now that it was going to LAPD. When she heard her uncle’s thunderous belly-roll of laughter fill the kitchen from the tiny speaker in the phone, she smiled to herself. Yes, this was far more important. Family always was.

  He circled her slowly, enjoying the cool feel of plastic as it crinkled under his bare feet. The poor girl was exhausted, he could tell by her soft low whimpers that came fewer and further between now. She had struggled so hard the first several hours after her arrival, it was a wonder she was awake at all. As if by some subconscious need to comfort her, he reached down and twirled one of her long, glossy ginger curls around his finger. She stiffened instantly at his touch and tried to hold her breath, the panic and fear ushering in a second wind. A smile spread wide across his tight, thin lips. Who was he kidding, he didn’t have a comforting bone in his body. He existed solely for moments such as these, where the foreplay of pain was danced out like a carefully choreographed tango. Ah, how he loved to tango. He stopped in front of her and closed his eyes, swaying his hips to the music that began to play in his head, lost for a moment. The silk robe danced across his skin like a soft caress as he moved, prompting him to hum his tune aloud. The robe he donned this time was a deep jade color, in honor of his guest’s stage name. He wore it open and loose, unabashedly. Despite a few minor inconveniences, it had all worked out rather delightfully, after all.

  He opened his eyes and looked at the girl who was naked and bound in the chair before him. Her body strapped in to conform to each spindle of the wood. Leg to leg. Arm to arm. Her head strapped snugly to the high straight back. Restricting movement was a critical component of the experience, after all. It added such a wonderful undertone to the panic, much like cherries did to a good cabernet. She was far more intoxicating to look at than drinking any amount of wine could ever be for him. Such pale skin for a Southern California girl. Those long curls spilling wildly about like the petals of a giant sunflower. Her blindfold was still secured, as was the ball-gag, which only heightened her feeling of vulnerability. What a rare vintage this one was. Studious urchin by day and lap-dancing harlot by night. It was just too delicious. His mouth literally began to water. When he pulled the blindfold off of her, it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the light. When she finally saw him, taking him all in, her eyes went wide with horrifying realization. God he loved that look. If he hadn’t been impotent, he imagined it would have made him rock hard on the spot. Despite that minor hiccup, he knew she could see his excitement. It made her breath accelerate and she fought fitfully to draw air through the ball-gag. This was why he particularly enjoyed the ball-gags. Another oppressing factor for her to struggle against. It was all about layers of suffering, and he enjoyed them all deeply. Unfortunately, as much as he liked playing with his food, she was not a dish best served cold. It was time to dig in.

  He took a step back from her and watched those cute little nostrils flare then pinch as she struggled to take in as much air as possible. He rolled his shoulders and the robe slipped off of his body, puddling at his feet like a pond of tropical water. Stepping forward, he leaned down and took her by the chin then caressed her cheek gently, almost lovingly.

  “My rare, beautiful Jade. I have so enjoyed the intimacy of our courting these many hours. However, I think it’s time we take
our relationship to the next level.” He pressed his thumbnail to her cheekbone and began to carve a slice very slowly across its curve. “Don’t you?”

  As the blood began to drip down her cheek, he reached behind her head and unfastened the ball-gag so that he could hear her answer. She sucked in as much air as she possibly could with a fitful gasp, then released what would be the first of many, many screams.

  The blaring melody of the Godfather theme scared Lou out of a dead sound sleep. She couldn’t remember what day of the week it was, let alone focus enough to see the time displayed by the clock on her nightstand. She finally found her cell and managed to hit the right button to answer, but she forgot she was supposed to actually speak.

  “Lou? Wake up, Lou!” Vinny’s voice shouted at her.

  Wincing, she sat up and tried to get her bearings. “Wha... what time is it?” She finally croaked out.

  “It’s almost 5:30.”

  “Shit! You let me sleep all day?” Leaping out of bed, almost dropping the phone, she wondered why it was still so dark. “5:30?”

  “In the morning kiddo! Its barely dawn. We got a call from Metro deputies, they got a body. The tunnel down the hill from your place, Old Santa Susanna.” Vinny laid on his horn as someone cut him off. “I’m en route. Get dressed and I’ll pick you up in 10.”

  Vaguely aware of what was going on now, she scrubbed a hand over her face. “Oh shit, thank God. I mean, not the body, the time!” She grumbled and looked for a light switch. “Whatever... okay, yeah, sounds good. Drive slow and there’s coffee in it for you.”

  “Not like I can go any faster than slow. Freaking traffic is killin’ me. Splenda, no sugar. Am cutting back.” He clicked off before she could think of anything witty to say.

  She was grateful she had taken a shower before she went to bed as she stuffed herself into a semi-respectable pair of jeans.

  “Its going to rain today, and be cold all day.” Her mother startled her as she came into the walk-in closet holding out a mug of coffee.

  God she loved her mother. “Thanks Momma.” She took the mug and guzzled half of it down, nearly scalding her throat in the process. “You got enough for a couple travel mugs?”

  Shevaun smiled brightly. “Two waiting for you on the table in the foyer. If you’re racing this fast, no way Vinny would let you drive so I assumed he would be picking you up.”

  “Huh, with a brilliant mom like you, it’s no wonder I’m so good.” Lou grinned as she juggled the mug to pull on a black turtleneck then a quick balancing act to pull on her boots. “How bad is the hair?” She dragged her fingers through her hair and did a little twirl so her mother could inspect her.

  “Bed-head suits you. No one will make fun of you, I promise.” Her mother took the now empty mug from Lou and handed her a coat. “I’m talking 40’s cold today. It may even snow here tonight.”

  “Oh for pity’s sake, would the weather please make up its mind!” Lou hauled out of the closet and gathered her things as she stuffed one arm into the coat. “Okay, gotta go.” She gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek then hustled to get out front before Vinny had to hit the horn.

  Lou stood in the early light of dawn shivering. It was so cold that she’d been staring at the huge fountain in the middle of the circular drive, certain the water was going to freeze any second. When her partner finally drove up, she got in the car and handed him the travel mug while he laughed at the chatter of her teeth.

  “You wouldn’t last a second back east, you know that?” He shook his head and put the mug in the cup holder before heading out.

  She reached over and turned the heater to full blast. “For Christ’s sake its gotta be two degrees!”

  Rolling his eyes he decided to endure the blasting heat for the short drive to the crime scene. They drove down the road and out the massive gates that guarded the hidden niche of sprawling estates and grand mansions from the rest of the universe. Close enough to still be considered Los Angeles County, but far enough removed that it seemed like a country all its own. Vinny really loved the drive and the scenery up in Lou’s neighborhood which is why he always volunteered to drive. It was an easy excuse to steal a few moments to enjoy the peace, quiet and the view.

  Just under ten miles later they approached the Topanga/Santa Susanna intersection but rather than turn right, Vinny kept going straight.

  Still rubbing her hands together in front of the vent, she shouted at him.“You passed it!”

  “No I didn’t! Jack gave me a heads up that they have it jammed. As you can see, he was right and it’s basically a parking lot! So we use the old road entrance.”

  “Oh.” Was all she said but slumped down in her seat, slightly embarrassed.

  At the bottom of the hill he made the right onto the old road and when they rounded a curve they saw what seemed to be a small army of law enforcement, Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Amtrak officials.

  “They must have car pooled.” Lou snickered.

  They pulled off to the side and just watched for a moment.

  “Well crap!” Vinny pulled the keys from the ignition. “Since the train crash a few years ago, anyone sneezes near the tracks and these guys start swarming.”

  “Yeah. You got any gloves?” She looked at him pathetically.

  “Its called a ‘glove box’ for a reason kiddo.” Reaching across her lap he opened the glove box to reveal that it was stuffed with several pairs of gloves, all identical in color. He noted her expression had gone from pathetic to puzzled as she stared. “Its a Vera thing. She worries I’ll catch cold. I got three jackets, two sets of sweats and a survival kit in the trunk too.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. And a 6-pack of socks.” Not giving her the opportunity to make a wisecrack, he hopped out of the car and headed toward the scene. She caught up to him quickly but didn’t utter a word. “You’re not gonna make a crack?”

  Buttoning her coat as high as it would go, she glanced at him. “Why the hell would I?” I could friggin kiss Vera right now.”

  The section of tracks that had become a crime scene ran parallel to the old road on one side and the new road on the other. The old road inclined and wrapped around on a hairpin curve over the train tunnel to the east, and ultimately merged into to the new road further to the south. From Lou’s vantage point it looked a lot like terraced steps. Old road, tracks, old road, new road. Though, with all the people looking down from each level, it kind of reminded her of an amphitheater. Whatever. She knew she was grateful to be at the bottom because they had a chunk of old road taped off, which meant those people would have had to hike down the hillsides to get to the tracks. Clopping through the gravel in the dim light of dawn, Lou noted something else, and it was odd.

  “Where’s the train?” She whispered quietly but got only a shrug in response.

  They came upon the throng of officials and observed that the crime scene tape had been anchored to folding plastic barricades that blocked off both road and tracks to the hillside then down to the tunnel itself. There were at least fifty people there, but only coroner jackets were behind the tape. Lou caught raised voices from some suits talking to the men with Amtrak logos on their jackets and more raised voices from the suits talking to men with MTA logos on theirs. It was a zoo. Through the crowd they spotted the Metrolink deputies heading their way and offered hands when they stepped in front of them. Lou recognized one Deputy as the ever-helpful Jack, Vinny’s buddy that had tipped him to the parking lot situation. Once the pleasantries w
ere out of the way, Vinny asked them what the story was.

  “The suits demanded no one touch anything until the coroner determines whether or not it’s homicide by train. So far, all we’ve got is the guy that lives in a house down there was heading to work about 4 a.m.. He comes around the bend here and spots something in the road...” Jack gestured in the direction of the tarp spread out. “... so he puts it in park, gets out to see what it is and he nearly shits himself when he sees it’s a human leg.”

  “Just a leg?” Vinny asked.

  “There, yeah. This guy though, he’s part of the Community Watch over here and has us on speed-dial because of the kids that screw around in the train tunnel. So he instantly thought some kids had been partying in the tunnel and one got crunched, so he called us.”

  “Okay, that makes sense.” Lou said as she stuffed her hands deeper into her coat pockets. “So you two were first on scene?”

  “Affirmative. The second we saw the leg we called in to get a road block topside but we put cones and flares right away since it was black as pitch down here. My partner and I started a cursory grid search and that’s when we found the rest of her. Main chunk is between the tracks. I’m no forensics guy but I knew right off, she wasn’t killed by the train and she sure as hell wasn’t killed around here. That’s why I called you.”

  Vinny raised a brow. “What makes you so sure?”

  The Deputy looked around to see if anyone was listening then leaned in closer to Lou and Vinny. “Zero blood on scene.”

  “What?” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out. “You said it was black as pitch, how can you be sure?”

  “Look, you’ll see. I am telling you that either train may have pinched that girl’s legs off but she was there, dead as a doornail, without a drop of blood in her before those trains left whatever station they were coming from.”