by M. Z. Kelly
“So, you think we’re dealing with a serial sex offender, if not a serial killer?”
“I think...”
“I think this is a bunch of baloney,” Al said interrupting her. “And, I think these two have gone to one too many sex offender classes. It’s all psychobabble.”
“Really?” Byrd said. The lieutenant fixed his unblinking blue eyes on his new detective. “Let’s hear your theory.”
Olivia and I were forced to endure another ten-minute lecture about our victim being a prostitute. Leo’s partner gave Olivia and me a small quotient of deference, saying it was possible that Anna Levkin had made the fatal error of hooking up with a depraved sex offender.”
When Al was finished, Byrd looked at Leo. “Your thoughts?”
Leo cut his dark eyes to his partner, then looked back at Byrd. “It’s too soon to tell. I think Olivia and Kate are right about our suspect acting out of rage, maybe from some past trauma. While it’s possible our suspect was a john, we have nothing in our victim’s background that indicates she was prostituting herself.”
My phone had chirped while Leo was talking and I saw that I had a message from Brook Allman. I told the others about the text, adding, “Brook was able to get us a phone number for our victim’s friend, Jason Murray. Olivia and I can try and track him down this morning, along with talking to Felicia Darrow.”
“Who?” Byrd asked.
“She was Anna’s best friend, maybe someone she confided in.”
Byrd fluffed his nest, running a hand through his white hair. “Let’s see what they have to say.” He looked at Leo. “You two want to go to...” He checked his notes. “...APN, whatever that is.”
“Au Pair National,” Molly said. “They placed Anna with the Allmans.”
“Al and I will go by there this morning,” Leo said. He looked at me and Olivia. “Why don’t you text us when you get things set up with our victim’s friends. Depending on how things go, maybe we can meet up with you for one of the interviews.”
After our meeting ended, Olivia managed to get a hold of both Felicia Darrow and Jason Murray. We set up meetings, first with Felicia at her apartment, then with Jason at his school. As we drove to our first meeting, I mentioned what Jenny had said about Earl Mumford.
Olivia slowed for traffic and smiled at me. “I’m not sure if it was what I had to say, but I had a lengthy chat with his supervisor yesterday afternoon. I think I got my point across.”
“Apparently so. I’m just glad we won’t have to deal with him again. Any idea who’s going to do our victim’s autopsy?”
She shook her head. “No, but anyone’s better than Mumford.” She then changed the subject, mentioning Al once again exposing his prostitution theory and trying to convince the lieutenant of his theory. “Is it just me, or do you think something’s off base about him?”
Bernie poked his head up from the backseat, looking for attention. “I’m not sure. I had a chat with Leo about him again while you were making phone calls and told him our concerns. He said he’s going to have another talk with him and try to give him some guidance.”
She chuckled. “Good luck with that. I think he enjoys taking the contrary position, just to see the reaction he stirs up.”
I agreed that was possible before moving the conversation in a different direction by asking Olivia about her evening.
She glanced at me and paused before responding. “Just between the two of us, I’m seeing a counselor. I spent an hour with her last night.”
I expressed my support, then said, “Is this because of what happened with your family when you were a child?”
“That, and I’m...” She took a breath. “...I feel like I’m adrift lately. Maybe it has something to do with me and Martin growing apart.” She looked over at me again. “You ever feel like that?”
I chuckled. “Only about once a day. I think the only thing that keeps me sane is my friends are a diversion. They’ve always got something crazy happening in their lives that keeps me on my toes.” I went on for a moment, telling her about doing the Despacito, Natalie and Mo’s new PI duties, and their plans to go on vacation with Natalie’s aunt. “I got the impression that Natalie mentioned Mo’s uncle visiting to her aunt and it planted a seed, making her also want to stay with us. And, if she’s anything like Fred, I’m staying as far away from her as possible.”
She laughed. “I can understand that. How are Fred and Nana getting along?”
“Fine, other than putting one another in the hospital.” I explained what happened at the Velvet Rabbit, then said, “Mo told me Fred’s going to look for a bachelor pad when he’s released from the hospital.”
“Isn’t he in his eighties?”
I nodded. “Natalie’s got a term for his condition. She calls him a Viagra Virgin, someone who, in her words, wants to re-pop the world’s oldest cherry.”
She laughed. “Maybe I need to spend some time around your friends, instead of going to therapy. It might save some money and reduce my stress.”
“You’re welcome to stop by anytime.”
Felicia Darrow lived in a small apartment in North Hollywood with her mother who we learned was at work. After introductions, we took seats on the patio of their apartment and Bernie settled next to me.
Anna’s best friend was petite, with auburn hair cut short that framed her delicate features. She teared up as she answered. “A friend of ours told me about it. I can’t believe it.”
I let Olivia take the lead in questioning her, since it was apparent she had a deep personal interest in our case.
“We understand that you and Anna were best friends. Was she having any problems with anyone?”
Felicia shook her head. “Not really, but I don’t think she was very happy.”
“Why is that?”
“She didn’t really fit in here. I think she wanted to go back to her home country, but felt trapped.”
“Trapped, in what way?”
“Her mother worked long hours in a factory in her hometown and her father was dead. Anna told me once that she didn’t know if she could ever go home again.”
Olivia paused before going on, seeing that the girl’s emotions were just below the surface. “Did Anna have a boyfriend? We understand she was close to a boy named Jason Murray.”
“Jason.” She chuckled. “I’m sure he would have liked to be more than friends with Anna, but she wasn’t interested in him.”
“Why is that?”
It took her some time to answer. “I’m not really sure, but I think...” She hesitated. “Never mind.”
“What is it, Felicia? You can tell us.”
She fussed with a button on her blouse as she answered. “I think maybe Anna was more interested in girls than guys.”
Olivia asked what I was thinking. “Were you two involved?”
She hesitated again before answering. “Not in the way you might think. We were close emotionally, but not physically.”
I studied Felicia Darrow as she looked away. It seemed likely that she and Anna had been on the verge of having a physical relationship when Anna was murdered. I softened my voice and said, “You had strong feelings for Anna, didn’t you?”
Tears streamed down her face for the first time. “I can’t believe she’s gone and I’ll never see her again.” She fell to pieces, her body convulsing with sobs.
We took a break to let Felicia get us some ice water and give her some time to control her emotions. When we began again a few minutes later, Olivia asked her how Anna felt about working for the Allmans.
“I think she liked it there, except for being lonely.”
“She didn’t feel connected to the family?”
She shook her head. “Not really. She loved children and liked caring for Misty, but I don’t think she was close to anyone else.”
“What about Brook?” I asked. “They were about the same age.”
“I don’t think she liked her.”
“Why is that?”
“What about Mr. and Mrs. Allman? Did she say anything about her relationship with them?”
“I just remember Anna saying Mrs. Allman was gone a lot. I’m not sure about her husband.”
“Did she never mentioned him being inappropriate with her?”
She shook her head, but otherwise didn’t respond.
After I asked Felicia about the message we’d found in Anna’s bedroom and she told us she had no idea what it meant, I brought up the issue of our victim’s recent tattoo. “Did Anna ever talk about something called, M-5?”
I got another head shake. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Shortly before she died, Anna got a tattoo. It was above her left breast and read, M-5.”
Felicia shook her head slowly. “That doesn’t make any sense. I remember Anna saying she would never get a tattoo because it’s painful.”
After she assured us that Anna would never willingly get a tattoo, I looked at Olivia, my brows lifting. She nodded, acknowledging what we’d talked about as we’d arrived at Darrow’s apartment. We both knew we had to bring up Al’s concerns or we’d never hear the end of it.
I took the lead in bringing up the subject. “Felicia, we need to tell you something that’s confidential. Can you keep this just between us?” She nodded. “Anna’s body was found in a hotel room. She apparently went there with a man. Do you think she could have been involved with someone?”
Her features became pinched. “No way. Like I said, I don’t think she was that into guys.”
Olivia leaned forward and lowered her voice. “This is a difficult question, but we have no choice but to ask you if it’s possible Anna was involved in prostitution.”
Felicia’s pretty features hardened. “Are you kidding?”
Olivia shook her head, her expression solemn. “Like I said, it’s something we have to ask.”
“There is no way Anna would so something like that. I don’t understand why you would even ask such a thing.”
After leaving Felicia Darrow’s apartment, we met Leo and Al for Coffee at Dirty Ray’s Coffee Shop in Hollywood. The small café on Hollywood Boulevard was popular for its great cinnamon rolls and coffee. After we settled in on an outdoor deck with our food and drinks, I gave Bernie a piece of my pastry. I then asked Leo and Al what they’d learned from the au pair placement agency.
“The worker who placed Anna with the Allman’s is off the grid, backpacking somewhere near June Lake, so we didn’t get much more than we already know,” Leo said. “We did get an address for her mother in the Ukraine.”
“Did ever we find a translator to do the death notification?” I asked.
“So far, no luck. We may need to hire someone.”
Olivia went over our conservation with Felicia Darrow, telling Al, “She said there’s no way Anna was involved in prostitution.”
“Maybe Anna didn’t want to tell her girlfriend what she was really up to,” Al suggested.
Olivia’s voice pitched higher. “Do we have to go down this road again?”
“We go down any road that leads to murder and find the facts.” He looked at Leo. “Right?”
Leo sipped his coffee, set the cup down. “We follow the road, but we don’t go off-road. And, so far, that’s where you’re headed.”
All shook his head in disapproval, but otherwise kept quiet.
I took over, seeing that both Olivia and Al were upset. I told Leo the rest of what Felicia had told us, adding, “She said Anna wasn’t happy and felt like an outsider. She apparently wasn’t close to the Allmans or their daughter, Brook. Felicia said she wanted to go back home, but didn’t know if that would ever be possible.”
“She sounds like a girl in need of money so she could go home,” Al said. “Working the streets would have helped her out.”
“Good grief,” Olivia said, angrily tossing her empty cup in the trash. She stood. “We’re going to go talk to Jason Murray.” She looked at Leo. “You’re welcome to tag along.”
When we were on the road again, Olivia went on a meltdown, calling Al every name she could think of and a few she invented. “I’m going to make it my personal mission to find out what’s in Al Corbin’s background that makes him a pig-headed asshole.”
I laughed and tried to take the edge off, telling her, “Maybe his mother was a Russian prostitute.”
She looked over at me, not smiling, then burst out laughing. “You might be right.” She brushed her hair back. “Tell me something. Do you think I’m overreacting?”
I tried to be diplomatic. “I think you genuinely care about finding justice for our victim and there’s nothing wrong with that. I also think Al’s an opinionated jerk, but, we both know, the department is full of his type.”
Olivia held on my eyes for a moment. “Message delivered. I need to back off.”
“Maybe just a little.”
We made small talk the rest of the way to Los Angeles City College. I had the impression Olivia realized our case, if not Al, was getting the better of her and she was making an effort to regain some perspective.
I took Bernie for a walk while we waited outside the school library for Jason Murray. Leo joined me a few minutes later, asking about Olivia’s reaction to his partner.
“I think it’s both a matter of Olivia being very driven to find justice for our victim and Al pushing all her buttons,” I said.
Leo’s ever-present smiled played on his lips. “I had another talk with Al on the way over here. I’m hoping he got the message to back off.”
We stopped at a flowerbed where Bernie inhaled the exotic sent of some geraniums. “Do you have any idea what Al’s background is, why he seems so...” I took a breath. “...clueless about the way he treats other people?”
“Just some rumors about a bad marriage and some past battles with the bottle, but I can’t say for sure.”
I nodded. “Just between the two of us, he smelled like booze the other night at the Crosby. You might want to have a talk about that, as well.”
He laughed. “I’ll work it into my schedule.” His dark eyes held on me. “How are things with you?”
“Okay. My friends are trying to track down Daniel, if he’s still alive. They think he spent some time at a hotel in Studio City. What’s the latest with Harlee?”
“Nothing, as far as I know, but I think Joe’s headed this way, along with the your old taskforce.”
“I wonder why he hasn’t mentioned anything to me?”
His smile evaporated. “Just between us, I get the impression they think you’re too close to the action.”
“Really?” I took a breath, pushing down my anger. “We’ll see about that.”
“Murray’s in the library,” Olivia said, calling over to us.
We met with Anna Levkin’s friend in a small conference room inside the library. Jason Murray was in his early twenties, a bit on the heavy side, and wore his hair in a man-bun. We’d run a record check on him, finding his only arrest was for a DUI three years ago.
Olivia surprised us by asking Al to take the lead in questioning him. Leo’s partner got right to the point, asking Murray, “What was your relationship with Anna Levkin?”
Jason’s brown eyes narrowed. “You don’t think I had anything to do with what happened to her, do you?”
“I’m the one asking the questions. Tell us about your relationship.”
He fingered the bun on his head as he answered. “We were just friends. We met in a class here on campus.”
“Friends, with benefits?”
“No, not at all. Anna was...she wasn’t like that. We just talked about the family she was staying with and Misty.”
“I’ll bet. Anna Levkin was young and hot, and you wanted a piece of that.”
Jason’s voice grew more animated. “I won’t deny I was attracted to
her, but, like I said, we were just friends.”
“I’m not buying it, hotshot. Tell us what was really going on with Anna or this is going to get real ugly, real fast.”
Murray heaved out a breath and shook his head. “I’m not sure. I know she was upset about something. I tried talking to her about it, but she wouldn’t say what it was.”
“What exactly did she say?” Olivia asked.
“Just that she wasn’t happy. I think she missed her mother and wanted to go back to...whatever city she was from.”
“What about other guys?” Al asked, taking over again. “Who was she involved with?”
“Nobody, as far as I know.”
“Was Anna a prostitute, selling her body for extra money.”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
“What can you tell us about M-5?”
“What’s that?”
“Anna got a tattoo before she was murdered. M-5, what does it mean?”
Jason shook his head. “I have no idea and didn’t know she had a tattoo.”
“What does Game Over mean?” I said, feeling like Al was getting nowhere.
“What are you talking about?”
“You tell me. We found that message written in Anna’s bedroom. Was she playing some kind of game?”
She regarded me. “I have no idea. It’s nothing I ever heard about.”
“Was Anna gay?” I asked, changing the subject, remembering what Felicia Darrow had said.
“Maybe, but, if she was, she wasn’t open about it.” He looked back at Al. “That’s all I know, I swear.”
Al folded his arms, locking eyes with him. “I’m not buying it and we’re not leaving here until we get the truth.”
“You’d better level with us, son,” Leo said, in that way he had that encouraged cooperation.
Jason shook his head, not making eyes contact. “All I know is that Anna used. She said it made her forget everything that had happened to her.”
“Used what?” Al demanded.
Murray sniffed and finally looked at him. “Cocaine.”