“Looks like your ass is on the line now Slokovich,” Miller said under his breath as he started to back away, the smirk on his face skewing his mustache. “This is gonna be good.”
None of them seemed to be able to take their eyes off of the approaching woman as Evangeline ducked under the yellow tape, pulling the police I.D. slung around her neck out from under her jacket. She flashed it towards the two officers standing in her way causing them to back up immediately—because of her rank —and the intense look on her face.
“What the hell happened here?” Evangeline spat out as she approached Al and Shaniqua.
“Looks like your man screwed up again, Meredeloupe. Par for the course, I’d say.” Miller chided from somewhere behind the small group.
Evangeline stopped, leaning slightly to the left so she could peer around Al’s wide frame. Her eyes locked onto the source of the sound, the dislike in them apparent as she stared at the smaller man. “Listen Miller, we can do this one of two ways. Either you can back off and crawl back under the rock you oozed out from or I can call Bloomberg’s office and explain to him how you’re interfering with an ongoing drug investigation—your choice.”
Miller looked as if he’d been slapped in the face. “Listen you bi—you can’t talk to me like that. This is a homicide—my—homicide investigation! You have no jurisdiction here.”
Evangeline ignored his angry ranting as she pulled her cell phone from her coat pocket. Punching in some numbers she placed the phone to her ear.”You’ve got ten seconds, Miller.”
Miller screwed up his face, a look of pure hatred in his eyes. “I can’t help it if your boy here is a fuck up!” he screamed.
“It’s ringing, de-tec-tive,” she said as she held out the phone.
“Mayor Bloomberg’s office, how may I direct your call?” Hello—hello.”
Miller raised his left hand and, closing all but his middle finger into a tight fist, he shot Evangeline the bird. He turned, cursing all the while as he walked away like a whipped puppy. Two cops standing close by began to chuckle. “What the hell are you laughing at?” Miller asked as he ripped into them. The officers immediately turned away as they pretended to look for evidence.
Evangeline watched as Miller disappeared from view. Closing the cell phone, she dropped it back into her pocket. Shaniqua took one last drag off of her cigarette then threw it onto the ground. Smashing it under her toe she turned to face her boss. “Task Force—Mayor’s office? Eva—since when do you have a direct line to Bloomberg’s office?”
“Since Liz, his secretary started taking the same yoga class as me but Miller doesn’t know that.” Evangeline explained. Shaniqua broke into a belly laugh that erupted into an uncontrollable smoker’s cough. “You really do need to give up those cancer sticks, woman. They’re going to kill you.” Eva told her.
“In our line of work a lot of things can do that. To me, it’s the lesser of two evils.” Shaniqua said as she pulled another cigarette from the pack and lit up.
Al leaned forward, “Thanks, Eva. Miller was working on my last nerve.”
“You still haven’t answered my question—either of you. What happened here?”
Shaniqua took a puff then started to explain. “We were staking out Ramirez’ crib like you asked when he decided to take a stroll. We followed him to the subway then ah—we—sort of lost him.”
“No, I lost him.”Al admitted, his shoulders drooping with his admission of guilt.
“Anyway…” Shaniqua cut in, “…we tried to pick up the trail again by following the subway line into the city but it’s like trying to track a roach in an alley,” she explained, placing a hand on her partner’s shoulder. The next thing we know the radio’s squawking about a mass attack at the Checker and Chess building in Central Park—so we headed here.”
“Who the hell knew Ramirez played chess?” Al threw in.
“He didn’t.” Eva pointed out with certainty. “Something here just doesn’t make sense. Were there any witnesses?”
Al’s face contorted in disgust. “Oh plenty—every nut job in the city came running when whatever happened here went down. But you won’t get anything reliable out of any of ‘em.”
“Maybe not, but sometimes even mindless rambling has an ounce of truth in it. We just need to sort out fact from fiction.” Evangeline said.
Shaniqua stepped forward. “Ramirez had a girl with him when he left the apartment. No-one’s mentioned her—and I don’t see her around anywhere…”Shaniqua said as she did a quick scan of the area, “…but I’d stake a week’s pay that she was here. I’m thinking she might know something.”
“What makes you so sure?” Eva asked.
“She went everywhere with him— followed him around like a love-sick puppy, the poor little fool. She was just a baby—couldn’t have been more than sixteen. For some reason scum like Ramirez attract these innocents like magnets. You know how it goes—they promise them fame and fortune—but what they actually give them is something else entirely. He kept her around long enough for her to fall in love with him then —bam! He hooks her on drugs, lets her turn a few tricks then he sells her to the highest bidder first chance he gets. At least that won’t happen now.” Shaniqua said in disgust. “Shit Eva, we all know how much money these sweet young things can bring in. And, if she meant money to him, he wouldn’t have let her wander off very far.”
“Makes sense. Alright Shaniqua, follow up on your hunch and see if you can find her. Al—you’re with me. Let’s see what Miller’s people have come up with.”
Evangeline and Slokovich stepped inside the Checker and Chess building. They watched as an army of C.S.I. collected samples of aging gum, cigarette butts and other debris for analysis. Others were busy dusting every inch of the place for finger prints. Evangeline held up her hand in an attempt to block the flash of a camera as the crime scene was documented in pictures. Thousands of bits of information were being gathered. Then—all of it had to be sifted through in the hopes that something would explain what happened here today.
On the far side of the room Giles Tatem and his assistant, Jordan Asbury from the O.C.M.E, worked over the body of Guillermo Ramirez. Evangeline and Al proceeded with caution, stepping gingerly over and around bodies and officers so as not to disturb any of the potential evidence. Giles looked up as the two approached.
“Hey Eva, I heard you clipped Miller’s wings.” Giles Tatem was a short, sixty something man with wire-rimmed glasses and a shock of grey/blond hair falling forward over his eyes.
“Well, he needed it,” was Evangeline’s response.
“You’ll get no argument from me.” Giles said as Jordan, a lanky black man with an afro, chuckled silently.
“Do we know what killed him, doc?” Evangeline asked as she stooped to examine Guillermo’s body herself.
“No idea—have to wait for the autopsy.”
“Hey, Meredeloupe, get the hell away from my body. I told you…”
“Ooops, he’s back—gotta go, Giles.” Eva said with a grin as she saw Frank Miller come blazing across the room. “I’ll catch you later.”
“Okay Eva…” Giles said, “…I should know more in a few hours.”
Slokovich cut in front of Miller just before he reached Evangeline. Eva turned to the detective with a smile. “I’ve seen all there is to see here…” she said as she stared Miller down, “…Al—you ready?”
“Whenever you are, Eva.” Al said as he followed her past the red faced Miller and out the door.
Miller watched them, eyes burning with hatred. “Fuckin’ broad,” he mumbled. “What’r you all lookin’ at?”he screamed to the other officers in the room. “Get back to work. We got a murder to solve.”
Al snickered as Miller’s shouts began to fade. “You’re going to give him a heart attack if you’re not careful, Eva. Not that I
’d mind.”
“He brings it on himself—anyway—Miller’s the least of our problems. There’s something really strange going on here, Al.”
“What’ya mean?”
“Think about it—we have multiple victims and yet there’s no apparent cause of death—for any of them. Usually Giles can make a good guess after his preliminary exam. But this time it’s different. There’s none of the other obvious signs—no mass attack—from gas, guns or otherwise. What could kill this many people and not leave a clue? We have to find that girl, Al, the one that was with Ramirez. Call Shaniqua and see what you two can come up with. I have some errands to run then I’m going to make a quick trip to the coroner’s office—see if he’s come up with any answers. Call me when you find her.”
“Sure thing. Umm, Eva, you don’t think this is the end of it, do you?”
“No—no, I don’t. Whatever it is—I think this is just the beginning. Call it a gut feeling but there’s more than the murder of a drug dealer going on here which is why we need answers—and fast.”Eva said as she climbed into her car. “Find that girl, Al—and hurry.”
“Got it covered, Eva. See ya soon,” he said as he pulled out his cell phone and called his partner.
Eva’s instincts have never steered her wrong and this time was no exception as events began to unfold later that day.
* * * * *
Tracey Evans exited the Plaza Hotel and made her way down the sidewalk to the crosswalk. She’d returned to the hotel to change into jogging gear after spending most of the day at the Chrysler building. She’d been negotiating with the representatives of a Chinese textile company and now she was exhausted. Whoever said being a high-powered attorney was a glamorous job was obviously not among that elite group of people. The meeting had been far more tedious than it should’ve been and what she needed now was a good run in the park to work out the kinks and clear her head.
She crossed Fifth Avenue which was crowded with horse drawn carriages parked along the curb, street vendors and artists. She maneuvered her way through the throngs of people following a cracked and dirty sidewalk discolored by years of pollution as she headed for her destination—Central Park. Some people loved the atmosphere of the big cities but she wasn’t one of them. As soon as she could, she broke from the flow of human traffic, veering off to the right and down some worn stone steps, nearly tripping over a homeless guy in the process.
Once inside the park, she took off running along a paved path which encircled a lake while trying to avoid the mass of humanity streaming into the park as their work day ended. Soon Tracey found herself becoming frustrated by a large group of walkers who seemed to have the same idea as she did. Looking around she found what she was looking for and decided to take a less traveled foot path. She picked up her pace and finally began to make some progress, seeing less and less people as the sun slowly began to slip behind the cityscape.
After running for quite some time she decided to take a moment to gain her bearings and catch her breath. She leaned against an old tree, gnarled and misshapen from lack of light and water. Hands on hips, knee bent, she pressed her foot against the tree as she leaned forward and breathed deeply. That’s when she noticed it. “Oh god—what’s that awful smell?” she said aloud as she pressed the back of her hand against her nose to cover the stench. It smelled sour, like something had died.
“Oh my, aren’t you a pretty one?” came a voice out of nowhere laced with a heavy English accent.
A chill traveled down her spine as she spun around, her eyes searching the darkness around her as she tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. “Who’s there?” Tracey whispered as she fumbled in her pocket for the can of mace she always carried with her while in the city. You idiot, she thought, chastising herself for being alone in the park after dark. All the stories of the horrors that befell people stupid enough to be found in her predicament came flooding back to her. She turned first to her left then to the right before she froze in place as her eyes finally made out the apparition that stood just a few feet away from her.
The figure was large, robust and frightening—extremely frightening —as it seemed to shimmer between that of a man and something else entirely. He was dressed in a long, flowing cape and a large top hat. Strange attire for a stroll in the park, the thought made its way into Tracey’s terrified mind. Unspeakable fear kept her frozen to the spot until a warning in her fevered brain finally got through to her. Run!
Her limbs suddenly seemed to unlock as she turned and bolted back the way she’d come screaming at the top of her lungs in a desperate attempt to attract attention from anyone that might be in the vicinity—but no-one came to her rescue. She could hear him—running closely behind her. Gaining ground—getting closer until he was nearly upon her. She tried to run faster, all the while bracing herself for the tackle that would bring her down but it never came. Instead there was a rush of wind above her as a shadowy figure literally flew over her head. Glancing upwards she saw the man, his body fully extended in the air, zoom past her. As he crossed her line of vision he flashed an evil grin, leaning his body to the side. Making a complete turn in mid-air, the figure landed with a thud a few feet in front of her but, where she expected the stranger in the long cape to be standing, she saw something else entirely.
“Oh my god!” she said as she skidded to a stop, nearly falling in the process. She blinked a few times before she actually believed that the image before her was real and not some figment of her terrified imagination. It looked like a large dog, but like no dog she’d ever seen before. The thing was huge; its head massive and distorted. Its body was covered in tangled black fur, its teeth nearly as long as the razor sharp claws extending from the huge paws. Her eyes locked with the beast’s glowing yellow ones as a scream of terror ripped from her throat.
Running backwards, she turned and ran for her life. Her legs cramped from the exertion but terror masked the pain as she forced her body beyond human endurance. Suddenly she felt a heavy blow across her shoulders as pain shot through her body. She could feel warm liquid flowing down her back and across her bare legs.
“Help me pleeease!” she screamed as panic filled her. The scenery began to swim before her terrified eyes as loss of blood made her dizzy. She stumbled, falling flat onto her face with a thud. She could hear her bones crunch as pain radiated across her cheekbones and she knew her nose was broken. She tried to lift herself but only had the strength to roll over as another stab of pain shot through her. Through her blurred vision she could just make out the beast coming closer, its lips curled back in a ferocious snarl baring sharp teeth.
“You can’t run from me,” the beast taunted in a human voice.
Impossible, her fevered mind tried to tell her as blood spread like a pool of satin beneath her. Her eyes drifted shut but she could sense the beast directly above her. The odor was unbearable, its breath warm and reeking of blood.
“I like it so much better when you struggle—put up a fight instead of running,” the heavy English accent whispered. “Even though there’s no hope for escape it makes the situation much more—exciting—for me at least. In fact it makes my blood boil—the moment of death is so—intoxicating. But, run or fight, the outcome is always the same. You will die.”
Tracey screamed in terror as sharp fangs tore into her chest. Again and again she felt the sharp stabbing pain, like a knife plunging in and out as the beast tore at her soft flesh. But soon, all was silent. It only took seconds for the beast to find what it was looking for as it tore the beating heart from the torn and broken body. It took a few seconds more to devour it. Suddenly the beast stood still, ears alert to some soundless message.
You fool! An angry voice could be heard loud and clear in the beast’s twisted mind. As much as I’d love another soul delivered to my doorstep your orders were to create not destroy. I need an army to accomplish my mission. They cannot tran
sform if you insist on killing them. The creature growled under its breath at the mental chastising. Your arrogance will not be tolerated, Robert. You will learn to control your twisted urges or I will destroy you myself. The female detective is already suspicious and we have much work to do before we can implement our plan. Get back to the lair—now! You will be summoned when you’re needed again.
The beast’s angry howl shattered the silence of the night before it turned and charged off into the darkness.
Chapter 5
The elevator doors closed with a swish as the strange couple stepped out. Turning to the left, they proceeded casually down the dark hallway. The occasional click of the gentleman’s cane upon the highly polished marble floor was the only sound to break the still silence. The long hallway had several doors leading to separate apartments for the special occupants residing deep inside the dark recesses of the Dakota.
When they reached the last apartment, the gentleman gently tapped upon the door with his cane, his distorted likeness smiling back at him from inside the silver handle.
“You do realize he will sense that it’s you?” the woman beside him chided.
“Yes, but what can he do about it now?” the man replied with an evil grin.
The door swung open to reveal a woman of extraordinary beauty, her lovely face distorted by shock and panic as she stared at the couple before her. “My lord, Lucifer—Lilith,” she sputtered, unable to move thus blocking their entry.
“Why Ana, I can see by the look on your face that you were unaware of our impending arrival—shame on him. By the way—how’s business? You were always one of my best procurers.” Lucifer’s red eyes scorched a lustful trail over the sensual body of the woman before him.
In life, Ana Cumpanas was a Romanian prostitute, a madam who ran brothels in Chicago and Gary during the thirties. Her claim to fame was that of the ‘Woman in Red’, the one who fingered John Dillinger for the F.B.I. As the Angel of Death, it was a real coup for Samael when the gangster died and his evil soul was brought back home. Because of her actions, the notoriety followed Ana to her own miserable death and set in motion an eternity of servitude to the angel as well as the Lord of Darkness.
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