Handcuffs and Roses

by Laura Hammond

  "Yes,” she heard Ms. Levenson answer James’ question.

  "And what did he do about the situation?"

  "He just spanked her. That was all. But afterwards, if I had ever doubted that she hated me, I didn't anymore. She made threats to get even with me. It was only after she deliberately left one of her roller skates, the old fashioned kind, on the top of that flight of marble stairs you see over there and Mom slipped on it, fell down and broke her hip, that they believed me. They knew that I couldn't roller skate and didn't own a pair. After that Daddy decided to have her taken away by Children's Aid. She screamed and put up one helluva fight, swearing that she would come back and get me because I was ‘a filthy snitch’ and I was cheating her out of the life that was rightfully hers.

  "Years went by, and we heard of her every so often when she would get into trouble with the law, and out of a sense of guilt daddy would go and bail her out of jail. While for mom and my sake he would never allow her to return home, he said she was still a daughter of his blood and he had a responsibility to her. I just tried to forget about her and pretend she didn't exist.

  "Then about two months ago out of the blue she contacted me saying that she wanted to meet with me."

  "Did you meet with her?’ Lisa asked.

  "Yes, if for nothing else but curiosity, especially when she was so contrite over the phone about all the rotten things she had done. She mentioned that she had been seeing a therapist and was trying to work out all her issues so she could lead a decent and productive life. But we soon found out just how productive after she murdered my baby, didn't we? Shira didn't deserve to die like she did. She was only a child and had her whole life ahead of her. I want you to find that evil bitch, Darlene, and put her away for the rest of her life!” Sandra said through angry tears now.

  "We're doing everything we can to find her and rest assured we won't stop till we do.” James gently assured her, grabbing a Kleenex tissue from a nearby box and giving it to her.

  "Thanks Detective McGuinn,” she said. “And that guy, Shane something, from set security that helped her to kidnap Shira, what about him? I got a very bad feeling off him when he was first placed at my trailer and requested that he be removed."

  "You and a quite a few crew members at that,” Lisa remarked, “but don't worry he's in custody, and we'll find every means possible to keep him there because we believe he's just as dangerous as Darlene."

  "Look Ms. Levenson, we're going to have a couple officers in plain clothes and an unmarked car outside round the clock, until she's caught.” James decided.

  "There's no doubt my mind that she intends to do as much damage to you as she possibly can, even with Shane Dowd in jail. I'm sorry, I don't mean to frighten you but we can't take any chances. About that bodyguard you have on set, is it possible for you arrange for him to stay here as well? Better yet, I'll see if the Chief has enough manpower to spare a couple officers to guard you 24/7."

  "You really think you can catch her?” Sandra asked inanely, and there was no mistaking the fright in her voice now.

  "I promise you we will, if it's the last thing we do.” James said with grim determination. “Excuse me for a moment will you?” He took out his cell phone and called Willard directly, only to learn that Chief had already left for the day, so he called him at home."

  "Chief, do we have enough manpower to spare a couple men for outside Ms. Levenson's house, plus a couple for 24/7 bodyguard service?"

  "The two outside I can spare, but let me talk to Richards and Levesque and see if they'd be willing to play bodyguard for a while. Go ahead and have dispatch send the two men for outside in the meantime.” Willard instructed. “Are you two any closer to locating and apprehending that psychotic bitch?"

  Lisa motioned to him that she would like to talk to the Chief.

  "Hold on Lisa wants to talk to you."

  "Can you meet us at Traders in about forty-five minutes?” She asked after James passed her the phone. She hadn't intended to reveal what else she had picked up until later, but after hearing Sandra Levenson's story, Lisa thought it best not to take any chances.

  "You do realize that I've settled in for the evening, young lady?"

  "Well then Chief, unsettle yourself, because this can't wait.” Lisa deadpanned. “That's exactly what you'd tell me if the shoe was on the other foot.” “How well, you know me sweetheart. I'll see you two there. This had better be good..."

  "When is it not?"

  "Smart ass."

  "You got it,” she riposted in a saucy tone, rang off and handed to phone back to James.

  After James called to order the two policemen to watch the house, he and Lisa waited until they arrived with Detective Tom Richards, who would stay with Ms. Levenson on alternating shifts with Stephane Levesque around the clock until the criminal was caught. In the meantime she reminded them that Shira's funeral was to be held the next day and asked if they would attend.

  "Yes, we'd like to.” Both answered in unison. “What time and where?"

  "It will be at the Holy Blossom Synagogue on Bathurst Street; one block south of Eglinton at eleven o'clock."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  AFTER LEAVING SANDRA Levenson's house James drove to a secluded area on the grounds of York University's Glendon Campus, and parked, leaving the engine idling so the car would remain warm.

  "Why are we stopping here?” Lisa asked curiously.

  "Do you have the broken cell phone we collected earlier?"

  "Yes, it's in my pocket.” She reached into her coat pocket and took out the baggie with the broken cell phone pieces contained in it."

  "How long do you need to be able to perform your psychometry with it?"

  "Not long."

  "Can you concentrate with me here, as well as being in secret bondage? I sensed that you were experiencing some difficulty earlier but yet you rose to the challenge. For that, you've earned a dozen lavender roses my sweet, if I can find some ... If not, a good spanking that you enjoy so much will have to be your reward,” he promised with a wry smile. And despite the gravity of the other matter at hand, Lisa couldn't help but feel warmed by his approval. “If it will help you to concentrate better, I can remove the bondage accoutrements,” he offered.

  "What and make me fail the test? Not a chance McGuinn!” She chuckled.

  "Ahh, you do me proud,” he teased, reaching a hand over, to her now unbuttoned coat and deliberately, moving it tantalizingly teasing over the tip of one of her breasts.

  "If you don't that, of course!” She playfully slapped his hand away. “That is not fair, James, so cut it out! Now, can you let me get on with it; the reason we stopped here in the first place?"

  "I told you that I would push you to your very limits.” He reminded her in a soft, caressing voice.

  "Yes, you did, didn't you? And you're certainly pushing me right now, but may I remind you that we have to meet the chief in about half hour? So if you would be so kind as to let me get on with it,” Lisa reiterated in a firm, determined tone which she tempered with, “that way we can get finished all the all the quicker.... “and a look of promise in her eyes.

  "Ahh yes, and I can hardly wait. Now I'll keep my hands to myself, but I can't promise that they'll stay that way for too long,” There was definitely a hint of mischief in voice, and from the glare of the parking lot light, she could see the mischievous boyish smile on his lips.

  "James...” she warned, “that look.... “She wagged a finger at him, “if you don't behave, I'll be forced to cuff you to that steering wheel."

  "Oh, oh, I think the lady is really serious now."

  "Damn right she is. Now ... work ... later ... play."

  "On that note I'll leave you to it."

  Lisa opened the baggie and slid out one piece of the broken cell phone, taking extra care not to touch the rest of it that had to be turned to Forensics to be tested as evidence. They didn't have to know that there were more pieces, but she would notify chief when they met later
that she had to use a piece to enable her to psychically gather more information on Darlene Levenson and possibly get a fix on her. Closing the baggie again with the rest of the uncontaminated evidence, she slipped it back into her pocket, and concentrated hard on the piece of the phone she held. The force of Darlene's rage when she hurled it against the wall, assailed her like an autumn gale. Her whole body jerked from the impact of it, and though he was very concerned by what he saw happening, James was astute enough not to disturb her by touching her.

  She paced around the room like a caged tiger, frustrated and angry, dressed all in black as usual, but now she wore a red wig, styled in a bob.

  "Fuck you Shane, you big dumb jackass! You had to go and get arrested didn't you? Well you can fucking well rot in Don Jail for all I care,” she seethed. “Did you give the cops a description of me?"

  The jig was almost up as she knew that her image was posted all over the news and the internet, but she didn't care. Since she had conceived of her plan for revenge, she had moved methodically, gaining entry to Sandra's house through a window in the basement to which she had cut the alarm monitoring wires. Always dressed in black with her lithe frame, she moved swiftly like a shadow usually under the cover of darkness. Even when she had entered the Bridle Path neighbourhood, she had parked the beaten up rusty old car she drove a few streets away, since it would be sure to attract the attention of the private security that frequently patrolled the streets. So moving stealthily through residents’ backyards which she remembered from her younger days, she was able to access the Levenson house without anyone seeing her.

  "One thing about these rich assholes is that they don't seem to like change very much, which makes it perfect for me.” She muttered contemptuously. “It's almost like coming home again.” Just for a moment the image of a white toy poodle named Frizzell whose head she had bashed in as a kid, flitted by her consciousness and she smiled, remembering the thrill that rushed through her at taking a life. “Too bad it wasn't Sandy or her stupid holier than-thou mother."

  Once upstairs in Sandra's darkened and unoccupied bedroom, cracking the safe combination had almost been a cinch for her. There she removed all of the important papers she could find, house deed, investment portfolios, bank accounts information etc., and photographed the information using the best available digital camera with the highest resolution she had been able to purchase.

  Her first act of perfidy was to use the information in the house deed to sell Sandra's house from right under her while she was filming on location out of town for a week, and the new owners would be taking possession would be taking possession in a couple of days.

  "But once the fucking bitch discovers the scam, she can get her lawyers to work at getting the place back. I can't have that after all. She cheated me out that home, and she's not going to have it anymore than I am.” She decided with grim determination.

  After reading the information in the investment portfolio, she realized that they would be trickier to mess with especially after the damned perfect sketch of her hit the news and an A.P.B. was placed on her. However, today under disguise, she had brazenly closed all of half-sister dearest's bank accounts and withdrawn all of her money. All the extra copies of the important documents from Sandra's safe that had been kept in a safety deposit box at the bank, she had also cleaned out.

  The cash and the documents she had stored in a red Roots knapsack sitting in the closet behind all of her personal belongings which she hadn't unpacked. She walked over to the closet, took out the knapsack and checked it to make sure the money and documents were still there.

  "I can't wait to see your face Sandy dear when you realize that you've been taken to the fucking cleaners.” She cackled evilly to herself. “And soon you won't have your big fancy home either."

  She picked up her handbag which was lying on the unmade bed, opened it and took out the semi automatic revolver;

  "Next, I take care of the lying crippled bitch that pretended to care about me but in the end let them send me away.” She grated, “Then Sandy dear, I'm coming to get you. Revenge will be sweet. I'll make you wish to die!"

  "Come on you psychotic bitch, go outside, give me something in the present to work with here.... “Lisa muttered in frustration. James startled, yet fascinated, anxious to ask what she was seeing, but he sensed that it wouldn't do disturb her until she opened her eyes, and was completely finished.

  She suddenly stopped, feeling a prickle behind her neck and looking around behind her as though she heard or sensed something in the room. “This fucking place is giving me the willies,” she shuddered. Then grabbing her long black coat, the only article hanging in the closet, she slipped it on, and went out the door and locked it behind her. The motel parking lot was completely deserted except for the old dark Toyota she drove. A bone chilling blast of winter wind blew inland off the lake, but she didn't shiver; the blackness in her soul was icier than this wind. In fact, she actually liked this weather. After stepping outside, realizing she had forgotten something, she returned to the motel room and opened the door. Once in the room again, she took the can of gasoline that she had also kept in the closet, and left the room again locking the door behind her.

  "This should do the trick,” she smiled as she opened the driver's door, got in and placed the can on the floor near the passenger seat. Starting the car and driving out of the parking lot of the Hillcrest Motel, she then headed eastbound on Lakeshore Boulevard West before getting on the Gardiner Expressway heading back into the city.

  Lisa opened her eyes, and let out a long sighing breath as though she had been holding it.

  "She's staying at a motel on the Lakeshore, the Hillcrest.” She informed James whose eyes were fixed expectantly on her now.

  "Okay, anything specific that we can use right now ... like a room number?"

  "It's 106. James she took a can of gasoline with her. She's also gotten hold of all Sandra Levenson's personal information after breaking into her house and has closed all her bank accounts. You remember that segment on ‘Stealing Homes’ that was featured on W5 not too long ago, where people were actually having their homes sold from under them by scam artists, without their being the wiser?"

  "Ah ha, don't tell me..!"

  "Yep, in a couple days Sandra Levenson will not have a place to call home, nor will the people who've purchased her house."

  "Holy shit!"

  "I saw a red Roots knapsack filled with cash and copies of all her important documents that Darlene cleaned out from her safety deposit box at the bank. It's in a closet in the room behind all of her other belongings. We better radio the guys at Sandra's house and tell them to be extra vigilant. I think she's heading back there with arson on her mind. She's driving a dark 1998 Toyota. It's hard to tell whether it might be navy or black. Sorry, she didn't look down in that direction, so I couldn't get a reading on the license plate. I was seeing strictly though her eyes this time.

  "I remember the last time you got the fix on the warehouse, we barely made it there in time to find the child. Do you feel that she's going to strike tonight?” James asked, somber faced, all business now, as he started the car and drove out of the College grounds back on to Bayview Avenue, heading south.

  "She knows that time is running out for her, so it's a very distinct possibility."

  "Have you ever been wrong in timing on any vision you've received?

  "Why?” Lisa asked, feeling rather indignant that he should ask that question, even though part of her understood why he would feel the need to do so.

  "Don't go getting your knickers in a twist sweetheart. I don't doubt your psychic ability, but two distinct possibilities of apprehending this murderous bitch tonight has just been presented to us through your visions and we can't afford to be playing flip the coin here. Nor can we be in two places at the same time.” James reasoned calmly.

  "You've got a point,” Lisa concurred, calming down. It was amazing how she was increasingly finding that she could work wel
l with him as he calmly reasoned out the situation without making her feel inadequate in anyway. She had never found it easy to work with male partners in the past, because even though they had known about her extra crime solving ability, she had always felt that they were never quite at ease with her. So in the last few years she had basically worked solo when it was a case that involved her having to utilize her psychic ability. Now she felt that James understood her in a way nobody ever did, and accepted her for who she was without feeling threatened in anyway: And if the truth be known, most detectives more than a little psychic anyway, they just chose to use the more professionally acceptable terms of ‘gut feeling’ and ‘hunch'.

  "Anyway, we better grab the chief before he heads down to Traders, and have him to meet us out front of his house instead."

  "Damn it! I feel we should be back there at Sandra's house instead,” James said with a note of urgency. “Just call it a hunch."

  "I think you might be right.” Lisa agreed also feeling the need to be back at the actress’ house. “Turn around and had back north to the Bridle Path. I'll just call Chief and explain, and have him send a couple of guys down to the motel."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  BEFORE ARRIVING BACK AT the Levenson house, they received call over the police radio notifying them of officer down and the call for all units in the area to go to the scene. James put his foot to accelerator, veering closer to the curb to allow three speeding Fire Brigades to zoom past, more than likely going to the same address. Meanwhile Lisa turned on the portable red flashing light and placed it in the rear window over the back seat.

  On arriving, they encountered EMS, Police and the Fire Department outside of the home, part of which was in flames. Sandra Levenson stood like a statue with only a shawl as her defense against the cold, obviously in a state of shock, outside. Detective Tom Richards also stood beside them, trying to calm the older Mrs. Levenson. Next to Sandra stood her crippled mother in a wheelchair, crying as she watched the house she had lived in all her married life, now going up in flames as the Fire Department worked fervently at putting them out. Meanwhile, the EMS were just zipping up a body bag containing one of the cops who had been guarding the house and been shot in the head at close range.