by Ana Valen
“They showed it to you? How did you manage that?”
“I took a page out of your book. Specifically, I threatened to flood the area with cops if they didn’t play ball.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Not a bad strategy. So what are you working on?”
“A warrant to secure the footage, because it’s gold. It shows Claire leaving at 6:30pm, and not returning until 9:00pm.”
“That’s great. It aligns perfectly with what I found out.”
“Which is what?”
“The pizza delivery guy saying she wasn’t home. He arrived at her place at 7:30pm, and he found a note on her door saying to leave the pizza outside.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. And because he thought that was sketchy, he took a picture of the note.” She pulled her evidence bag. “This is the phone he used.”
Adams nodded. “This is good. We can now prove that Claire wasn’t home, and that she attempted to hide this.”
“Right. But we still haven’t placed her at the crime scene.”
“Maybe we don’t need that. If we can pin the guns on her, this should be enough.”
“Agreed. But how will we do that?”
Adams shrugged. “What about using James? Maybe he can testify to this.”
“He undoubtedly can. But do you think he will?”
“Probably. By now, he must have realized how badly Claire screwed him over.”
“If he hasn’t realized this, we’ll do it for him.”
“Good deal.” Adams turned to his computer, saved his work, and locked the screen. He then stood and grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go pay him a visit.”
Outside of the station, they crossed the street while heading for the motor pool.
“Detectives?” said a soft female voice.
Raven and Adams stopped and looked over. Susan Wright stood there, dressed in her typical fashionable attire. But her expression didn’t match her eye-catching clothes. She seemed unsure, almost fearful.
“Do you have a minute?” Susan followed, focusing more on Raven.
Raven and Adams looked at each other.
“Go ahead,” Adams said. “I’ll bring around the car.”
Raven nodded and handed him the keys. As Adams walked off, she looked back to Susan.
“So,” Raven said, “what’s up?”
“You tell me. How are things going?”
“Pretty good. We debunked all of Claire’s alibies. We also identified her motive because we finally uncovered her background.”
“What happened to her?”
“Jessie crashed his car with her riding shotgun. She was pregnant at the time, and the crash killed her baby. She also can’t have children anymore.”
“Oh, my God.” Susan looked down and narrowed her eyes. “But now everything is making more sense.”
“Agreed. And my partner feels the same way.”
Susan refocused. “Where are you and your partner off to?”
“Men’s Central Jail. We need to speak with James Reed. He was Claire’s gun connection. If he can testify to that, we should have enough to convict her for both murders.”
“Both murders? There’s more than one?”
“Oh, crap. I never told you. She also killed someone else—a hitman named Harlan Nichols.”
Susan parted her lips. “She killed him?”
“Wait. You knew this guy?”
“Um, no.”
“Susan, don’t lie to me. Did you know Harlan?”
Susan looked away as anger flooded into her face.
“Susan,” Raven repeated, “did you know Harlan?”
Susan refocused. “What’s going to happen to her?”
“To Claire? We’re going to arrest her.”
“I mean afterwards.”
“The prosecutor will file charges, and Claire will make her initial appearance. At the appearance, the judge will set a trial date. But more than likely, Claire will plead guilty for a reduced sentence.”
“No. She has to die for this.”
Adams pulled up in the Crown Vic. Raven held up her finger, asking for time. Adams nodded.
“I know you’re pissed,” Raven told Susan, “but it doesn’t work that way. Victims don’t always get the justice they deserve. Believe me.”
“But Claire killed Jessie and Harlan. She deserves the same.”
“I agree. But she’ll only get the death penalty if we go to trial. And even then, a death sentence isn’t likely because judges rarely hand them out.”
“So there’s no chance that she’ll die?”
“Don’t count on it.”
“Good. That’s all I needed to know.” Susan turned and started walking.
“Susan,” Raven called out.
Susan stopped and turned back.
“What’s on your mind?”
Susan stayed quiet.
“Look, don’t go taking matters into your own hands, okay? Let us handle this.”
Susan stayed quiet a moment longer. “Did you ever meet him?”
“Meet who?”
“Harlan.”
Raven shook her head.
“I met him twice. He scared the living daylights out of me, probably because he was a coldblooded killer. He admitted as much.”
“Okay. Why are you telling me this?”
Susan let another moment pass. “Because Claire is worse.” She turned and walked off.
As Susan entered the guest parking lot, Raven stood there watching her.
Claire is worse.
Raven agreed with this, but why did Susan say it? Because she was planning to administer her own death sentence? Not likely. Susan wasn’t the type. But even softhearted people could snap given enough pressure.
Raven walked to the Crown Victoria and climbed inside.
“What was all that?” Adams asked.
Damn. Should she mention what happened or keep quiet?
Up ahead, Susan’s white BMW turned onto the street and headed off.
“Raven?” Adams asked.
“Nothing. Susan just wanted an update. I told her we were getting close to an arrest.”
“Well, let’s make good on that.”
Adams put the shifter into gear, made a U-turn, and started for downtown.
Chapter 48
Claire parked outside of the same bail bonds office as this morning. She quickly disembarked, this time leaving behind her purse and briefcase. She only had her wig and sunglasses, along with her Jenna Gray identification.
She hustled towards the Men’s Central Jail building. After entering, she tightened her lips. More people were present than before, and about ten of them were waiting in line.
She got in line and started fidgeting. She was about to ask if she could cut, but she held off when an officer appeared behind the counter—the same officer she conversed with earlier.
She looked at him while waving. He clearly didn’t notice her. He simply carried some paperwork to a desk, slipped the papers into a folder, and started back in the same direction.
“Sir,” she called out, again waving her hand.
This drew some attention from those waiting in line. Luckily, the officer also looked over.
“Sir,” she repeated, waving some more.
The officer took an annoyed breath and gestured her over. He then walked to an empty section of the counter. She quickly started towards him.
“How can I help you?” he asked.
“I need to see an inmate.”
“If you need to see an inmate, you have to wait in line.”
“But it’s an emergency.”
“That’s why we encourage people to schedule their visits in advance.”
“But I just saw him this morning.”
The officer leaned up. “You want to see the same inmate?”
“Yes. He’s probably still around. If someone can get him, I’ll visit him super fast. I just need to pass on a message.”
“You can’t.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You can’t. That inmate was in general population. Inmates in general population only get one visit per day. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
“This can’t wait until tomorrow. He’s in danger.”
“If you want to file a threat report, you can do so. Just get back in line.”
“Goddammit, I don’t have time for the line!”
He lifted a hand. “Look, I’ve been very courteous and accommodating with you. I even paid for your locker. But I can only accommodate you so much.”
“People are after him!”
He suddenly turned robotic. “Ma’am, you’re going to have to calm down. If you don’t, we will remove you from the premise.”
“I don’t care if you remove me. Just listen to what I’m saying. Alexander Kovalenko put out a hit on—”
“Ma’am, leave the building right now.”
“But Alexander Kovalenko—”
“Ma’am, you’re causing a disturbance. You have to leave.”
A group of officers moved in, their massive arms bulging.
“I’m leaving,” she continued. “Okay? I’m leaving. But you have to pass on this message.”
One of the hulking officers reached out. “That’s it. You’ve had enough chances.”
She swatted away his hand. “Kovalenko is going to kill James Reed! You have to tell James!”
The officers moved in.
“Okay!” she told them. “I’m going.” She turned to the officer behind the counter. “Will you tell him?”
He stared at her. “You either leave within the next thirty seconds or we arrest you for public disturbance. And when we do, I’m betting we’ll find out that you’re impersonating an attorney.”
She muttered some curses and headed for the door.
After exiting the building, she started back towards her Acura. She immediately froze. Holy hell. Detective Raven and Detective Adams walked in her direction.
She quickly resumed her route. She also lifted her hands and adjusted her wig. With her black hair in place, she lowered her hands and tried to steady her nerves. All the while, she shot glances at Raven. On the last the check, she found Raven eyeing her dead on. She rapidly faced forward.
Raven continued tracking her. But by some miracle, Raven and Adams passed by without incident.
Claire stopped and looked back. Should she warn them about Kovalenko? If she did, they could save James. And they would gladly do so because James was their star witness. But if she did warn them, game over.
She kept observing the detectives. They both entered the building, leaving her standing there. She scowled, turned back towards her car, and resumed her route. To hell with the mission. It was time to leave… while she still could. She would go back to her condo, grab the last of her items, and depart Los Angeles for good.
***
James Reed sat on his bunk, his elbows on his knees. How in the world did he end up here? More importantly, he could he get out of this?
He had trouble devising a strategy. He could only think of his bunk. How many people had used this dingy contraption? What were their names and why had they arrived? He didn’t know, which only made the bunk evermore soiled. No wonder he didn’t sleep last night. But that wasn’t the only reason. He kept thinking that an inmate was stalking towards him. That kept him far more alert.
“What’s up, man?” said an inmate.
James jumped at this. So far, nobody had spoken to him. He wanted to keep things that way. But someone had, and he couldn’t show weakness.
He looked to the man and his resolve plummeted. The Caucasian inmate wasn’t huge, but tattoos covered his arms, hands, and neck.
“What are you here for?” the man continued, sitting on the bunk.
“I—I got arrested.”
The man smirked. “No shit. What for?”
“Murder.”
The man arched his brow. “In that case, I ain’t fucking with you. Me, they caught me with drugs and guns. Fucking pigs. But I lucked out. I thought they arrested me because I beat someone with a pipe.”
James swallowed.
“But I ain’t never murdered anyone,” the man continued. “That’s some hard shit right there. So who did you smoke?”
“Um, a hitman.”
“No shit?” The man smirked once more. “And here I am thinking you were soft. So did everyone else.” He leaned in. “They were ready to make a move. But don’t worry. Once word gets around that you killed someone, they’ll stay away. And with good reason. In this place, the baddest motherfucker wins. You know what I’m saying?”
James again swallowed. “Yeah. I know what you’re saying.”
“So you got an advantage with that murder charge. Me, I gotta make a name for myself. That’s why I’m down to carry out orders.” He looked around, apparently to check if anyone was listening. He leaned back in. “Case in point, there’s this gangster on the outside. He needs an inmate silenced… permanently. But this gangster is Ukrainian, and they don’t have connections on the inside. So they contract with Aryan prison gangs. I’m not an Aryan member, but I need to be. So I was like, ‘yo, gimmie the contract. Let me prove myself.’ So now, I gotta find a clean-cut white guy who doesn’t look like he belongs here. Oh, and this dude is in here for murdering a hitman—a hitman who worked for that gangster.” The man stared for a second. “See what I’m saying?”
James’ breathing grew ragged. “I—I don’t…”
“You don’t what?”
“I don’t…”
“Damn, bro. All of the sudden, you don’t look so tough. What happened? I thought you were a killer?”
“I’m not. Just hang on. I need to explain what—”
The man reached over and grabbed his shoulder. “Kovalenko sends his regards.”
“Wait!”
The man stood up, pulled an icepick from his pocket, and thrust his arm. James reached out and caught the arm, doing so out of sheet instinct.
“Wait!” James screamed, his body turning cold. “I need to explain!”
The man wasn’t listening. With his face snarling, and his eyes wild with rage, he reared back and swung once more. James again caught his arm. Then the man leaned forward, leveraging his weight. James went down on his back, and only adrenaline kept the man from stabbing him. But the man kept lowering his weight, bringing the prison shank closer and closer.
James rolled sideways and fell off the bunk. The man again ended up on top. James clamped the man’s wrist, doing everything he could to keep away the shank. The man tried to free himself, his face twisting from the effort. Then he lifted James and slammed him down, banging his head again the floor. In response, James gripped the man’s face and dug his thumb into his eye.
The man grimaced in pain, but he didn’t release the shank. And with all of his weight still bearing down, James couldn’t stop the shank from penetrating his skin.
James’s flesh caught on fire as the shank slipped inside, piercing his left lung. A larger surge of adrenaline shot through, probably the last gasp. James grabbed the man’s head and repeatedly slammed it against the metal bunk. The man finally released the shank, leaving it protruding from James’ chest.
The man started raining down fists, and James did what he could to block the strikes. He didn’t succeed. The fists connected with his cheek, chin, and forehead. Before long, the world turned into an incoherent mess, and his muscles ceased functioning.
Through barely opened eyes, James looked upward. The man, now laboring, pulled the shank from his chest. He reared up and brought down the shank, puncturing James’ sternum. More fear cascaded through, but it was miles away. James merely laid there, waiting for the end. This was a fight to the finish, and he lost.
The man again raised the shank. Then a shadowy figure tackled him. More shadowy figures joined in, some of them pinning the man to the floor. James identified the shadows as Sheriff’s officers, each wearing heavy armor.
He weakly looked around. The nearby inmates were on their stomachs, hands outstretched. Additional officers watched over them as sirens blared. When did those alarms turn on?
He looked up. The last thing he saw were Sheriff’s officers ripping away his clothing, then going into their medic kits.
Chapter 49
Raven and Adams walked into Men’s Central Jail. Like before, they avoided the line and approached the counter. Perks of being on the same side of the law. But unlike their previous visits, there was only one officer at the counter, and he seemed distracted. He kept looking back while avoiding everyone in the waiting area.
Raven and Adams looked in the same direction. Deeper inside the building, sirens wailed and heavy boots lurched.
“Hey,” Adams called out.
The officer held up his finger. “One second, sir.”
“We’re LAPD,” Adams followed.
The officer turned to them.
“What’s going on?” Adams asked.
“Inmate assault. We’re on full lockdown. We don’t know if the threat’s been contained.”
“Shit,” Raven said. “So we can’t see an inmate?”
The officer smirked. “You really wanna go in there?”
“It’ll only take a second.”
“Sorry. Can’t do that. You’ll have to wait.”
“How long?” Adams asked.
“However long it takes to secure the area.”
She and Adams grimaced. A moment later, the sirens shut off and some officers trickled in.
“Jimmy,” said the officer at the counter. “What’s up?”
“Nothing too crazy. One-on-one attack. One dude got the worst of it. They’re taking him to medical.”
The officer nodded. “Can you help these two? They’re LAPD. I need to work the counter.”
“Yeah,” Jimmy said. “No problem.” He approached them. “What can I do for you?”
“We need to see an inmate,” Adams replied. “James Reed.”
“Holy shit. Talk about bad timing. He was the guy who got assaulted.”
“What happened to him?” Raven asked.
“Some inmate stabbed him. They also turned his face to pulp.”
“Goddamn. So we can’t talk to him?”