Still Waters [A Kyra Moray Mystery]

by Deanna Lee

  "So they call in Clara."

  "Yes, and when she failed to save their son, they gave two locals a couple thousand credits to kill her. They told everyone that Clara had convinced them they didn't need a doctor."

  "They tried to kill her to hide the fact that they didn't have the money they needed for medical treatment?” Ana grimaced. “So what happened?"

  "A call came in to dispatch reporting a murder. The responding officer found Clara hanging in a tree not far from her parents’ house. The two men who had been hired to kill her were never found. Most people think Clara cast a spell that drove the two of them into the bayou and it swallowed them up.” Kyra cleared her throat and looked around Clara's yard. “Well, anyway, the officer actually knew Clara and took her down from the tree despite protocol. He laid her out on the ground, and when he started to cover her face with his coat ... Clara moaned and reached out for his hand."

  "I would have died."

  "He damn near did.” Kyra laughed then. “Can you imagine? Anyway, they took Clara to the hospital and she was there for a few days, recovering."

  "And the couple who tried to have her killed?"

  "Oh, they died three days after Clara was found."

  "Of natural causes?"

  "Death was undetermined.” Kyra looked at Ana. “I suppose Clara didn't take with being hanged."

  "Holy shit, Kyra. Please tell me you are making that up."

  "Every single word of it is true.” Kyra grinned.

  "I'm never coming out here again.” Ana crossed her arms over her breasts and looked at the scarecrow. “What's up with that thing?"

  "Oh, well, that's a story in itself."

  Ana held up her hand. “Tell me later. I'm not sure I can take anything else."

  Kyra laughed and shifted into drive. “I thought people from New York were so jaded nothing was shocking."

  "Yeah, well, obviously not all of us are.” Ana grimaced and huddled down into her seat. “Can we hurry?"

  Kyra shrugged and turned around in the small circle of Clara's driveway. “Okay, tell me what you think."

  "About the murders?"

  "Yes."

  "I've been keeping up the LaRoux case file, so I know that Donna was something of a prisoner in her life, but she had ambition. Janie Monroe was a single mother struggling to get to a better place in her life. She was paid well. In fact, Still Waters is the only bar in town that pays above minimum wage for their waitstaff, and they get to keep all their tips. A lot of establishments make the waitresses split their tips with the bartenders...” Ana trailed off and then looked out the window. “So, Janie wanted more out of life for herself and her son. The father of her child doesn't appear to be in the picture; I have no information on him. From what the other waitresses told me, Janie talked a lot about singing professionally and would often sit in with the house band. She had a decent voice and a lot of sassy attitude. The bartender, Jake Banner, said that Janie had a lot of energy."

  "We need to take a look at her place."

  "She lived with her mother.” Ana took out her p-pc and rattled off the street address.

  "Anything else?"

  "The killings were similar with the exception of the genital bruising."

  "You spoke with the ME?"

  "No, I overhead him discussing it with another doctor last night."

  "Parker thinks he struck her with his fist.” Kyra rolled down her window a little bit and sucked a deep breath. “It heightens the sexual aspect of his crimes considerably."

  "I noticed you hadn't filed a warrant for her bank records, so I did that before I got our lunch."

  Kyra nodded. “Good thinking."

  "Waitresses carry around a lot of cash, so we probably won't find a lot of activity in her accounts. It's likely she paid cash for the tattoo, as well."

  "Yeah."

  "Mr. Waters indicated that Janie was a meticulous person. She was all about the details. Their sexual relationship ended shortly after he opened Still Waters, because she went to work for him. It was a friendly break-up. In fact, none of the current staff even knew about their past relationship. He appears to be very good at separating business and pleasure."

  Kyra checked the time on her comm-u and punched in Alex's code. She really had to find time to program the codes in for voice command. “Did he mention anything about her body?"

  "Just the missing tattoo."

  Her earpiece engaged just as Alex answered the transmission. “Hey."

  "Hello, Inspector. The press have been making my life hell."

  "I know.” Kyra grimaced. “I'll get to them as soon as I can. Do you know if Janie shaved her pubic area regularly?"

  "She didn't. In fact, she shaved as little as possible. She had dry skin and was easily cut with a razor. She didn't like the laser removal kits, either. I think she used a beauty parlor for waxing, though."

  "Thanks."

  "Any time. Do you have time for dinner tonight?"

  "Yeah.” Kyra double-parked in front of the station and turned to Ana. “Hop out and see if Parker has sent us the report."

  Ana nodded and unbuckled her safety harness. “I can't believe I have to leave for the sexy talk. I mean. I'm a grown woman; I've heard dirty words before."

  Kyra laughed as she shut the door and hurried into the station. “She's a handful already."

  "You chose her."

  "I did.” Kyra nodded to herself; she didn't regret it so far. “Your interview is scheduled for two p.m. You can bring an advocate if you're leery of the process."

  "I trust you, Inspector."

  "Good.” She let that settle on her and then spoke again. “I won't go easy on you or your brother."

  "We don't expect it."

  "Since your apartment will be fair game for the reporters, come to my place. I'll order Chinese, and we can do the filthy things Ana thinks we're discussing."

  "Sounds good."

  Kyra glanced toward the front doors of the building and grinned as Ana hurried out with a big envelope in hand. “I'll call you when I sign off."

  "Be careful.” He disconnected, and her earpiece went silent. She tried not to be disappointed at the loss of his voice.

  Ana climbed up into the vehicle and handed Kyra the envelope. “You know all the guys think you drive this big thing because you don't have a dick."

  "You tell them I drive this big thing so I won't have to rent a vehicle when I have a body to dispose of,” Kyra returned dryly as she opened the envelope. “Blood results indicate belladonna. At least he's being faithful to one thing."

  "Has Janie's killing changed your belief that we're looking for a white male?"

  "Statistically speaking, most sexual homicides of this nature are committed by white men. But we can't afford to not include anyone."

  "Yeah.” Ana fastened her harness. “Phil came by while I was in there. He gave me the list of sexual misconduct offenders that live in the French Quarter."

  "How many?"

  "Ten. Three thousand and six for the whole city."

  "Let's stick to the Quarter for now; he's picking and dumping victims here for a reason. Any of them not pedophiles?"

  "Three.” Ana stared at the list and then shook her head. “Sick fucks."

  "Indeed. Pull the files on those three, and keep the rest for later. Did he give you the list of stalkers?"

  "He said it would come through this afternoon.” She turned to look at Kyra. “He didn't seem pissed to be off the case."

  "Phil is a good cop. He just wasn't cut out for Major Crimes, especially when the majority of cases that come through our department involve homicide."

  "Do you think I am?"

  "We'll see. Did he give you any basic data on those three?"

  "Yep. We have Josiah Davies, arrested for statutory rape. His girlfriend was fifteen and he was nineteen. Her parents filed charges, and he was convicted. He married that same girl eight years later. They have three kids."

  "I'm surprised that c
onviction stuck."

  "Her father was a judge."

  "Ah.” Kyra shrugged. “Who else?"

  "John Deets. He's not a registered sex offender, because he was never convicted. He popped in Phil's search for sexual misconduct in the area. He doesn't actually live in the French Quarter, but he's close. He lives on St. Thomas Street in a duplex."

  "What was his crime?” Kyra grimaced. She did not look forward to dealing with John Deets again.

  "When he was twenty-two, he had a younger man for a lover. He was nineteen, and when the man's parents found out he was having an affair with Deets, they forced him to file charges against Deets for rape. The charges were later dropped."

  "Okay, for now, he's the bottom of the list. I don't peg our killer as gay, not with his victim pool.” She pursed her lips. “The last one?"

  "Irvin Murray."

  "Irvin? His parents hated him.” She looked toward Ana, who had stopped talking. “So, what's he done?"

  Ana frowned. “He's sort of creepy. A few stalking incidents, and he likes to take pictures."

  "Any physical contact?"

  "Nope, he's had three complaints for stalking. None of them have gone to trial."

  "Okay, keep him on the list. I might like to talk to him just to scare the shit out of him.” Kyra grimaced as she pulled into a spot across the street from the apartment building where Janie Monroe had lived. “I wish I'd done the notification last night."

  "I heard that Commander Baker handled it well. The mother was distraught, but articulate when questioned about her daughter's relationships."

  Kyra turned off her transport and pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Her name?"

  "Tina Monroe. She was widowed six years ago when her husband of fifty years dropped dead of a heart attack on the job. He was a captain with District 7 until the reorganization, and served on the Service and Security review board until his retirement. He joined the force when he was eighteen years old."

  Kyra turned to Ana, her mouth firm. “Janie Monroe was a cop's kid?"

  "Yeah. The news filtered through the stationhouse first thing this morning. I thought you knew last night."

  She shook head, though the knowledge did nothing to change how she would treat Janie Monroe's murder. Every death was equal to her, but the knowledge altered her perception of the killer. “He knew Janie Monroe just as he knew Donna LaRoux. He knew she was a cop's kid and that killing her would make every cop in the city angry as hell."

  "It didn't matter to him. Neither one of them mattered."

  "You're right. After he'd done what he needed to do, they didn't matter. For a while, they were the center of his world. He watched them, coveted them for whatever it is that they mean to him, and then he took them.” She glanced toward the apartment building. “I'll do the talking. You get to stand around and look official, safe, and comforting."

  "Sounds like a plan."

  * * * *

  Tina Monroe was a tidy woman who talked with her hands, regardless of what she might be holding. Kyra dodged coffee several times before she carefully reached out and took the half-empty cup from the woman.

  "Ms. Monroe, I want you to understand that Janie will have justice. It won't bring her back, it might not even give you comfort, but it is what I can do for her and your family."

  "Are you good at what you do?"

  "Yes, I am."

  "My Thomas was good at his job, too. He loved being a cop."

  "We are continually honored by those who served the community."

  Tina nodded and sat back in the chair. “She wasn't dating anyone. There was a lover, but I never asked his name."

  Kyra shared a glance with Ana. “Did she speak of him often?"

  A small smile played on Tina's lips briefly as she shook her head. “No, Janie was under the impression that sexual intercourse no longer existed for me. She was discreet about it. My Janie wasn't interested in trotting a string of men through her son's life while she looked for the next Mr. Right."

  "You found her secrecy amusing?"

  "Yes. It was something of a game, an innocent sort of game.” Tina shrugged. “In my day, a discreet affair could be an exciting and fascinating arrangement. Just the sort of adventure a young girl sought with no real risks. There is nothing like being involved with a man who really understands a woman."

  "What sort of man did Janie like?"

  "She liked strong and thoughtful people. He would have to be smart and ambitious. Janie didn't even bother with men who didn't work. I can't imagine her being involved with a man who would hurt a woman. She had good instincts about that sort of thing."

  "Janie's son?"

  "He's at school right now."

  "His father?"

  "He was killed in a car accident.” Tina stood. “I'm all the boy has now.” She walked to the only window in the small living room.

  "Mrs. Monroe, I'd like to take a look at Janie's room, and then we'll be gone. I don't want to make your grandson uncomfortable."

  Kyra waited for the woman's nod before she stood. With a silent nod to Ana, she went down the hall to the closed door. It was the only closed door in the entire apartment. Inside the room, she found a neatly organized space that managed to look grown-up and innocent at the same time. The full-size bed was made; a nightgown had been tossed on it. A few stuffed animals littered the bed among the pillows. Perfume bottles were cluttered on the dresser in a colorful assortment.

  "Do you think her mom cleaned up in here?"

  "No, I doubt she's been in here since she was notified that Janie was dead.” Kyra sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around the room.

  "Do you think he's the tattoo artist?"

  "I don't know. We still don't have a hit on Donna's tattoo. She must have paid cash. I think, like Donna, he was familiar to Janie. Familiar enough that she was friendly with him. I don't get the impression that either victim had social anxiety issues. He existed on the edge of their lives, familiar enough to get close to them.” She stood and glanced toward Ana.

  "Janie did have a comm-u registered in her name.” Ana looked around the room. “But no p-pc or compu-station."

  "No, a woman like her would have devoted what extra money she had to her child's care and education."

  "We can flag her financials for any public compu use."

  "Yeah.” Kyra glanced around room. “What connects Janie and Donna LaRoux?"

  "They both waited tables, and they both had tattoos done during Mardi Gras."

  Kyra nodded. “We should go."

  Chapter Nine

  Kyra watched Alex walking around in the interview room. She was tempted to pass the interview to a detective in her unit. Since she'd never passed an interview off to someone else, though, and she wasn't going to start with him, even if he was her lover.

  Ana was silent beside her, sipping her coffee and trying to look tough.

  "You know he isn't involved."

  "He doesn't fit the profile,” Kyra corrected. “Prep his brother for questioning. I shouldn't be long with him."

  "I put Marcus Waters in Room 3."

  Kyra nodded and walked to the door. She hated what she was about to do. Hated it and hoped that Alex would really understand it. Did he know how hard the questions were going to be?

  He paused in his pacing when she entered the interview room. Motioning him to sit, she took her own seat and prepared the recording station. “You've been fully briefed on your rights and obligations during questioning?"

  "Yes.” He pulled out the chair and sat down.

  "It's been noted that you agreed to wear the truth monitoring devices voluntarily.” Kyra looked up and met his gaze. “What was your relationship with Janie Monroe?"

  "She worked for me."

  "When is the last time you remember seeing her alive?"

  "She worked Wednesday night. Her check was picked up Friday morning, but I wasn't at the bar when she came in."

  "Did you, at any time during the last fe
w months, notice anything particular about her behavior?"

  Alex shrugged and shook his head. “Not off the top of my head. She was a reliable employee, and I valued her in that role."

  "There was a time when she had a different role in your life."

  "Yes. We were lovers."

  "And that relationship ended when she came to work at Still Waters."

  "Yes. I make it a rule to never involve myself with employees. She knew that, and we both agreed that ending our physical relationship was for the best. Janie was a decent and ambitious woman. I wanted the best for her and her son.” Alex leaned back in his chair and picked up the bottle of water he'd brought with him. He drank deeply as she asked her next question.

  "What were your feelings for Janie Monroe?"

  "I found her physically attractive and enjoyed her company. When our relationship changed, we spent a few tense weeks getting that attraction out of the way."

  "And you did get it out of the way?” Kyra watched his face as he considered his answer.

  "Yes. I valued her friendship enough to set that aside. She needed a safe place to work, where she could make a decent living and provide for her child."

  "Did you at any time during the evening of October 22, 2162, see Janie Monroe?"

  "Just when I went out into the alley to confirm what my brother had told me.” He cleared his throat. “When Marcus told me there was a dead body in the alley, I assumed that it would be a homeless person. I certainly didn't expect to find one of my employees."

  "Janie didn't work Friday night."

  "No, though she was invited to attend the party. I hired outside help so that the staff could celebrate my birthday with me if they chose to."

  "Did she indicate that she would be attending the party?"

  "Her son had a function at his school. I didn't expect her to come, but she was on the guest list."

  "Did your brother seem unduly agitated during the evening before the body was discovered?"

  Alex's head jerked up and his gaze narrowed. “No. He'd done several sets that night and was in good spirits. Performing is his first love."

  "Did he have a relationship with Janie outside of Still Waters?"