by Dobi Cross
“Yes, I believe he changed her name when she was a kid. He didn’t want the others making fun of her. Hammond was his mother’s maiden name.
“He was pretty broken up about her death. Neighbors said they were close. He raised her alone after her mother abandoned her. It was like the light went out of his eyes, and he became a shadow of himself.”
“Did you know what made her commit suicide?” Marcus asked.
“It seemed she had caught the eye of the owner’s son at the Collmark group. Drake Pierce. Nasty piece of work. An animal really. Has beady eyes too, as far as I’m concerned. I hear the ladies like him. Don’t know what they see in him.
“She had reported at the ER that she had been raped by the guy at a company dinner. But the rape kit disappeared, and the CCTV footage at the restaurant where the rape was said to have occurred had been erased. The bar claimed that they had some sort of malfunction, so there was no way to prove that he was the perp. When she filed a formal complaint at the company, she got fired instead. She couldn’t find work anywhere else too. It seemed she had been blacklisted at other companies. She committed suicide two weeks after it happened.”
“Was it confirmed a suicide?”
“Well, there didn’t seem to be any evidence of foul play. Not sure how she gained entrance to the building since they had taken away her ID. I guess she hung herself there as a last outcry against the injustice.” The detective sipped his cup of coffee. “Most people we talked to only had good things to say about her. It was a real tragedy.
“What struck me though was that there was pressure from above to close the case. It didn’t sit right with me but what could I do?” He drained his cup of coffee. “Darn it, you shouldn’t have made me talk about this case. Brings back bad memories.”
The detective looked at his watch. “I need to head back now. Thanks for the coffee.” He stood up.
“See you around,” Marcus said.
The detective re-tucked his shirt into his pants and stepped out of the bistro.
After the detective left, Zora sidled up to Marcus’s table and claimed the vacated seat. “Such a terrible story. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yes. Alfred Pickles. He’s most likely the killer. And he has a strong motive for wanting the people who hurt his daughter dead.”
“And he works at the Gross Anatomy lab. He had motive and opportunity.”
“Yes, that too.”
“I think I now have a good idea how the professor fits in,” Zora said. “Maybe he had something to do with the missing rape kit. It requires a person with significant authorization for the record to have disappeared from the system.”
“Maybe if the police searched his office and his house, they might find something related to the rape kit.”
“I agree.”
Marcus probed her with a penetrating gaze. “So how do you feel?”
“I’m angry that Alfred Pickles nudged the detectives towards me.” Zora sighed. “But most of all, I’m just relieved that it’s almost over. I can get my life back. So what do we do next?”
“I’m not sure it’s over yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard from a source at the courts that Morris has applied for a warrant for your arrest.”
Zora jumped up. “Are you kidding me?” she said, her voice a little louder than appropriate. She noticed several eyes swivel at her from the other tables to see what was going on. Her face grew warm at the attention.
Marcus extended a hand towards her. “Zora, sit. I haven’t finished.”
Zora sat down slowly. By now, the other customers had turned back to their meals.
Marcus ran his right hand through his head. “Silas knows the judge. He has told him what’s been going on so far, so the judge has agreed to delay the issuance till tomorrow, as long as we bring in evidence to support what we are saying. So we have to break this case wide open today.”
Zora held her head in her hands. “Unbelievable!”
“Zora, look at me.”
Zora lifted her head and met his eyes. She could see strength and determination shining through them to her.
Marcus held her hands. “We have all the pieces. We will end it today. It will be over. And you will be fine, you hear me?”
Zora nodded. “I won’t let Pickles or Morris do this to me!”
“I’ll tell the police about this.” Marcus gave her a stern look. “Do not approach Pickles no matter what. He’s dangerous. We don’t have any evidence now, and we don’t want any potential evidence to disappear. Let the cops handle it. Promise me, okay?”
“I won’t. How’s your arm?”
Marcus looked down at his left arm in its sling. “It’s okay. I’ll be right as rain in a few days.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Just promise me you won’t go after Pickles.”
“I already said I won’t.”
“Good.” Marcus got up. “I need to head down to the station. Let me drop you off at home.”
They didn’t see the pair of cold eyes that followed them as they left the bistro.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Alfred Pickles’ nostrils flared. He could see that his warning had gone unheeded. They had found out about him. And they wanted the cops to arrest him today. But that was not going to happen.
He had watched Zora as she left her building to see how she had responded to his note, and he’d been surprised to see that she had a bodyguard. He hadn’t expected that. He had followed them both in his car to this bistro and had turned to leave when he saw Marcus coming in with Detective Monte.
He remembered the cop. He was good people. He had tried to solve Anna’s case but had to close it due to lack of evidence.
So Pickles had followed them into the bistro, grabbed a table as close as he could get to Zora’s without tipping the bodyguard off, and then pretended to read a newspaper.
Of course, they hadn’t recognized him. He was wearing a blond wig, a pair of glasses and an Italian suit. He looked more like a businessman than a janitor.
His skin itched where the wig touched his forehead, and he rubbed the area. He hadn’t planned on going after either of them, but that had changed with what he just heard. Hurting Marcus would not solve the problem, though he had alerted a friend of his in the underworld, who owed him a favor, to cause a minor accident for Marcus after he dropped Zora off. That would prevent him from getting to the station soon and give Pickles enough time to finish executing his plans.
But Zora was the real threat and would not give up even if Marcus was harmed. He wasn’t sure if she was stupid or fearless. And he also hated her. Zora reminded him of someone he detested, who had broken all that he’d held dear and abandoned him. And Zora had also brought the attention to him. She would have to pay the price for her choices.
A cough seized his throat, and he found it difficult to breathe. Pickles tried to suppress it. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself. The police might come back here to look at the CCTV once they discovered Zora was missing, and he didn’t want to stand out. Even though he’d made sure they wouldn’t capture his face by sitting with his back to the camera.
He took a deep breath, as much as he could draw into his lungs. He would take care of Zora, and then finish off Drake Pierce. That monster whose eyes and genitals he had already gouged out in the picture he carried in his pocket. Drake thought he was safe with his security detail; his office and residence were heavily guarded. But Pickles had already figured out a way to get to him.
Zora’s bodyguard posed a problem. The guy looked dangerous, and Pickles was not convinced that he could overpower him. He’d grown weaker in the last twenty-four hours. So he needed a way to separate them from each other. One thing was for sure—the guy would need to take a leak and he would have to go somewhere if not in Zora’s apartment. And the closest coffee shop from Zora’s place was five minutes away. He would wait till then. That w
ould be more than enough time to grab her.
It was time to get Zora out of the way for good.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Marcus dropped Zora off in front of her apartment. She heard another car slide into the parking space he just vacated as she climbed up the stairs. Zora was certain it was her bodyguard.
She opened the door to her apartment and dropped her bag on the couch. She moved to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.
Her throat was parched. She downed the water and placed the empty bottle on the kitchen counter.
Her doorbell rang.
Zora walked to the door. “Who is it?” she asked.
“It’s me, Ted.” Ted was her new bodyguard.
“What is it?”
“I need to leave briefly. I’ll be back in about seven minutes. Please do not open the door for anyone in that time.”
“I won’t. Thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem.”
Zora heard his footsteps recede as he moved away from the door and headed down the stairs.
She padded back to her couch and dropped into it. Zora was exhausted, but she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Morris would fail to get his arrest warrant and she would get her life back.
She had to tell someone, and she wasn’t sure if Christina was home. She’d had an extremely hectic schedule this week, and they had been shorthanded at work. But still, she tried to call Zora as much as she could though she always sounded tired. She would be off for a few days from tomorrow, and they had promised to have lunch together.
Zora walked towards Christina’s room and opened the door. The bed was made with nothing out of place. It seemed she hadn’t returned from work.
Her doorbell rang, and Zora turned and glanced at the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone and she typically didn’t receive many visitors at her apartment. But she wondered if Ted was back already.
She strode to the door and looked through the peephole. There was a blond man wearing a UPS uniform with a cap on and holding a large box in his hands.
Zora slid back the bolt and opened the door. “Yes, can I help you?”
“I have a package for Zora Smyth,” the man said.
The voice sounded familiar. Zora tried to think of where she had heard it before.
“Miss?”
“Sorry, you were saying?”
“Please sign here,” the man said, indicating to the clipboard.
As Zora moved to take the proffered pen, she felt a needle push into her arm.
Her eyes widened, and she gasped. She staggered back as she tried to scramble back into her apartment and slam the door, but the man held her arm in a steely grip. She turned and head butted him and heard the crunch of bone shattering as she broke his nose.
The grip on her arm loosened as the man howled.
She managed to enter her apartment and started to push her door shut. The man had edged his shoulder into the doorway and she struggled to close it. She could feel herself weakening.
“You should have heeded my warning,” the man said in a harsh tone.
As comprehension dawned in her eyes, Zora lost focus for a second.
It was all the time the man needed. He gave a sudden hard push against the door, slamming Zora behind it. She felt herself go down.
The man reached to grab her, but Zora kicked at him. He swatted her leg away like it was a fly.
He grabbed her, turned her, and held both arms in a lock. Zora struggled to break his hold, but she couldn’t. She felt her strength seeping away. She tried to scream, but her voice had lost its power.
As he tightened his hold on her, Zora suddenly felt like she was swimming under water. She shook her head to drive away the effect of the drug, but it was no use.
She felt herself grow limp before her vision dimmed and went out.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Drake rapped his fingers on the armrest as he sat in the backseat of his Rolls Royce. Tiny was driving him home. He knew he needed to be more careful these days. All attempts to find Alfred Pickles had been in vain. Tiny and his team were out at all hours combing through the city and looking for him. There had been no credit card charges, and his employment had reported that he had turned in his resignation letter and left.
Drake was not afraid. They would find him sooner or later. And the man would pay for the inconvenience. In the mean time, Drake had increased his security detail. Anyone who tried to get close to him would be shot first and questioned later.
The day had been a long one at work for Drake. Those incompetent fools. He would have lost a lot of money if he hadn’t caught the mistake on time. By the time he left the office, the manager who had been responsible was long gone with security escorting him immediately from the building. Drake did not suffer fools.
He yawned and loosened his tie. His bones felt weary, and he needed to unwind. He didn’t have the energy to chase down Zora Smyth, but Susie would be the perfect antidote. He’d called her earlier in the day to let her know he might drop by and had called her again once he left the office to let her know he was on his way.
He smiled at the thought of her. He was shocked that a mature woman like her would make him feel this way; he generally preferred girls in their twenties. He had asked her to move into one of his houses, but she had refused, saying that she preferred her own apartment. That was one of the things he liked about her—her independent spirit, not like all those empty-headed dolls who said yes to everything.
He didn’t mind her place. Furnished in lush Moroccan designs, the warm colors of the drapes and rugs combined with its comfortable decor created the perfect ambience to sit back and absorb her ministrations. He got excited just thinking about her and what she would do to him. Based on how she performed tonight, he might buy that expensive pearl necklace he had caught her looking at in the magazine in her apartment. He had recognized the name of the jeweler—one of the most expensive in the city.
Drake tapped on the privacy partition and the panel receded.
“Yes, sir?”
“Get a move on it.”
“Will do.”
The partition rose back into place as the car accelerated.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Susie applied the make-up deftly to her face. She smiled at the face that stared back at her. Delicate with long eyelashes that laced gracefully over her eyes, a pert nose, and a generous mouth that smiled often. The years had been kind to her. She looked younger than her age courtesy of her genes, and good exercise had helped her remain that way. The result was a body that men always longed for.
She had wanted to be an actress, but the years spent pursuing that dream had never panned out. So she had sought out other ways to supplement her income. Her demand had increased over the years that it had finally been enough to catch the attention of the H Club. Now she made so much money that she didn’t need any other distractions. One night alone was enough to cover her rent, and her place was not cheap.
She had become a little tired of the rodeo and had wanted a more permanent arrangement. Then, she had been lucky to catch the eye of Drake. Young, dashing, smart, with lots of money. All the criteria she had been looking for. She had heard the rumors that he was the guy to be with. He was going places, and she wanted to go along for the ride. Drake had made no secret that he didn’t want to share her with anyone else. And the arrangement had been working well for them both.
So it was unfortunate what she was about to do. It would mean letting go of her dreams and all she had built over the years. But she could not forget the little girl with the blue eyes. Those eyes had haunted her every night since last year.
She had to go through with it before she changed her mind.
Her doorbell rang. It must be Drake. Her skin tingled. He always had this effect on her. He had called to let her know he was on the way.
It was time to put on her best performance. Most people didn’t know, but Drake had a mean streak un
der that genial smile. She had to be careful not to get caught.
She opened the door. There he stood, handsome as usual. She could never grow tired of looking at him. She drew him into her apartment after giving him a deep kiss and shut the door behind him. His bodyguard, Tiny, waited as usual on the other side of the door till Drake was ready to go home. He never stayed over at her apartment.
Susie led him to the large couch and helped him remove his jacket.
“How was your day?” she asked him.
“Not so terrible.”
“I’ll make it better.”
“That’s my girl.”
Susie placed his jacket on the coffee table. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Sure. A glass of water.”
Susie almost stumbled at she stepped into her kitchen. Drake always requested wine, and she had prepared with that in mind. She hadn’t thought about how it would work with water, but the man had assured her that the powder was both odorless and colorless.
She opened her cabinet and pulled out a glass. She walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. Drake only drank spring water, so Susie always kept it stacked in her refrigerator just in case.
She twisted the cover off the bottle and poured the water into the glass. She looked across to where Drake sat and saw that his eyes were closed. He must be really exhausted.
She quickly poured the powder into the glass and stirred it with a wooden coffee stirrer. The water looked unchanged, but she wasn’t sure how it would taste. She slipped the stirrer and the packet under a towel on the counter. She would dispose of them later.
She looked up to see Drake staring at her.
Her heart pounded loudly against her chest. She held her smile in place. But she wasn’t sure if he had seen her. She lifted the glass and carried it over to where he sat.
“Here you go,” she said.
“Why did it take so long?” he asked.