by Mark Nolan
As Mano drove the limousine, he called the fancy little market and told them what he wanted. The owners of the market took good care of their wealthy customers who had no spending limits and never asked the price of anything.
Kelli relaxed in the luxurious back seat of the luxury car, and she thought about how she was looking forward to meeting someone new. Like most of the women who belonged to the matchmaking service, she actually enjoyed these arranged romantic relationships. The wealthy boyfriends took their dates to the best clubs and restaurants, to plays, the opera, vacations, and to private parties of the rich and famous. Sometimes the men also gave their dates jewelry and expensive gifts.
The wealthy and powerful men came from all walks of life where the money was good. They were rock stars, professional athletes, famous actors, politicians and heads of big corporations. They didn’t have the time or desire for internet dating, speed dating, or being fixed up with friends. And they never went on blind dates.
Kelli was curious about Max Vidallen. Crystal had said that he earned a fortune and had inherited a fabulous house on Mount Tamalpais in Mill Valley. The multi-million dollar home was all paid off, but Max bragged that his monthly property tax bill was higher than what many people paid for a monthly house payment.
At the same time that Kelli was riding in the car toward Vidallen’s front door, Ivan Zhukov was approaching from another direction that would take him to the redwood forest behind the house and back deck.
Chapter 40
Zhukov knew there were fifty miles of trails on Mount Tamalpais and some of them wandered past the majestic redwood groves of Muir Woods. But today he was only interested in the trails that ran below the property of Max Vidallen’s home. Those trails would help him commit an artistic murder. He drove his car along the Panoramic Highway, and the thought crossed his mind that maybe he should have driven a Beemer. They were so common here in Marin County that the local people claimed the letters BMW stood for “Basic Marin Wheels.”
He found a place to park in a small open area on the side of the road that he’d scouted out earlier. Several cars passed by but no one paid any attention to him, and if they had it wouldn’t have mattered because he was wearing a facial disguise and sunglasses. Once Zhukov was parked, he opened the trunk and grabbed his backpack that held the unique weapon.
A short walk into the trees took him out of sight of the road and into a beautiful forest. These trees were Sequoias, coast redwoods, the tallest type of trees in the world. They were spectacular, and Zhukov appreciated their majestic beauty. They didn’t grow anywhere else except in Northern California and Southern Oregon. He’d never seen these amazing trees before, and he felt the desire to draw some charcoal sketches of them.
Zhukov reached the part of the trail that approached the back of Max Vidallen’s property, and he saw the lawyer’s beautiful home nestled among the old growth redwood trees. He recognized the house from his study of the area using Google Earth. He could always count on the internet to help him invade somebody’s privacy and kill them.
The beautiful home gave the impression that the business of suing doctors was apparently paying Vidallen very well. And Zhukov thought, my business of killing rich lawyers isn’t paying me too badly either. Once he was in sight of the back deck, he went off the trail and deeper into the woods, taking out his binoculars to look around for anyone who might be watching. He didn’t see anyone out on the decks of the few homes that were in sight of the tree he had in mind for the job. The homes here were few and far between and were mostly shielded from their neighbors by the size of their properties and by the large redwood trees that grew in abundance.
He looked through the binoculars and saw Max Vidallen’s back deck with its hot tub, tables and chairs, and even a few old growth redwood trees growing through carefully constructed holes in the deck. He found it hypocritical that the deck was built out of redwood boards, yet the builder had made such a noble effort to avoid cutting down these particular few redwoods. These living redwoods were allowed to grow through holes cut through the planks of dead redwoods. He wondered if anyone else had ever noticed the absurdity and he doubted it.
The deck and hot tub offered spectacular views of Muir Woods, and further away, San Francisco. Zhukov was sure that the lawyer would bring his date out there to impress her and to get her into a bikini or less. He knew all about the date because his hacker Elena had bugged the lawyer’s phone by sending spyware attached to a photo of a cute woman with a flirty message.
Zhukov climbed the bushy tree he’d scouted out previously, and he found the branch he planned to use for mounting the weapon. The thick green branches of the tree provided ample cover for him to hide in, out of sight of any neighboring homes in the distance. He opened his backpack, quickly assembled the device, then anchored it to the branch with adjustable Velcro straps, and pointed it at the hot tub. There was a red laser sight mounted on the weapon, along with a small wireless video camera with a zoom lens. The weapon sat on a gyroscope-type of device that could swivel up and down, turn left and right, and tilt at an angle.
His phone could display an image of what the camera saw, and it could adjust, aim and fire the weapon. The effect was similar to a video game controller. With this setup, Zhukov could use his phone to shoot Vidallen by remote control from afar. It was artistically ingenious if you asked him. That’s why they call me The Artist, he reminded himself.
He ran a test, using his camera to zoom in, aim the weapon at the center of the hot tub, and then move up about a foot, right where Vidallen’s chest would be if he were sitting there. His phone vibrated then, and he got a message from Elena saying that the target was almost home, and a woman was on her way in a limousine. That made Zhukov smile; everything was going according to plan. He climbed down the tree and hiked back along the trail the way he had come.
Moments later, Vidallen arrived at his home, went out onto his deck and turned on the hot tub jets and the outdoor music player. Next, he fired up some patio heaters that were similar to what restaurants used for their outdoor seating areas.
Zhukov walked on the trails and headed back toward his car. When he glanced at his phone display, he saw the video image of Max Vidallen moving around on the deck of his house. The camera was working perfectly, and Zhukov could see his target clearly. He would wait to kill Vidallen until he was in the right position and sitting still.
Vidallen went inside the house to pour himself a drink, and he received a text message from Crystal, along with a link to a website page that gave him more information about the woman he’d be having dinner with tonight.
According to the profile page, Kelli liked Krug champagne so much that she would be bringing a bottle with her. One of her favorite dinners was filet mignon and lobster tails with Caesar salad. And he was pleased to read that she was open-minded about nudity, and would hook-up on a first date if the mood was right and she was enjoying herself. Kelli’s bio also said that she had dated two men from the matchmaking service so far and had rejected both of them as relationship material. However both men said she was a fun date with a great sense of humor, and she was so good in bed it was unbelievable.
Vidallen wanted the mood to be perfect so he called his personal chef and told him the menu Kelli preferred. The chef said he would bring everything to the house and prepare it there for Max and his date to enjoy. Next, Vidallen got out a champagne bucket, filled it with ice, and then added two champagne flutes upside-down to chill.
With that done he poured himself a Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch. He’d been drinking it ever since it had won the gold medal at the San Francisco Spirits Competition. He put on a pair of board shorts and went back outside to sit in the hot tub and relax. Soon he heard the limousine pull into his driveway and the car door open and close. Then there was the tap-tap-tap of high heels on his front steps. Kelli pressed the intercom button, and she heard Max on the speaker saying, “Hi Kelli, come on in. I’m out on the back deck in the hot
tub. It’s just through the living room to the sliding glass door.”
Kelli went inside the house and closed the front door behind her, then walked through the living room to where she could see the sliding glass door and the incredible view. She stepped out onto the deck, and then said in her actress voice, “Well hello there Mister Vidallen. Wow, I think this is one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen.”
Vidallen looked at her approvingly and said, “I was just about to say the same thing about you Kelli, and please call me Max.”
Kelli smiled sweetly at his predictable comment and walked slowly toward him doing the runway model walk she’d practiced; heel in front of toe, heel in front of toe. She had a bottle of Krug champagne held casually in one hand. She saw an ice bucket on a stand, next to the hot tub and she stopped next to it and said, “For me?”
Max smiled and nodded, “Anything for you, my dear. I must say you look even lovelier in person than in your television commercial.”
“Oh, you saw my commercial? I hope you liked it.”
“I loved it. You were perfect.”
“Did you like my pink bikini?”
“Oh yes, and those cute sunglasses.”
Kelli knew from experience that guys always went gaga over seeing her look exactly as she appeared in the TV commercial. She opened her purse, took out the pink sunglasses and put them on. Then she coyly pulled the tie on her wraparound dress and let the front fall open to reveal that she was wearing the same pink bikini underneath it.
“You mean these old things?”
Max’s eyes opened wider. “You should be in Hollywood, you are a star.”
“Thank you, Max, I hope to be there soon. Now if you would be so kind as to pop my champagne.”
“I’ll be happy to pop anything you’d like; your wish is my command.”
Kelli laughed politely and handed him the bottle. She thought that if this was his effort at being clever and charming, he was off to a slow start. Max sent the champagne cork flying over the deck rail with exaggerated flair, adding to the litter he’d often thoughtlessly tossed into the beautiful forest. Some of the expensive champagne bubbled up and out of the bottle, going to waste. Kelli was not impressed, but she smiled anyway.
After opening the bottle, Max took a chilled champagne flute out of the bucket and poured some of the bubbly for her. As he poured, he said, “Would you care to relax in the hot tub until my chef arrives? He’s going to prepare a dinner for us of filet mignon, lobster tails and a Caesar salad.”
“Oh that’s my favorite dinner. And yes I’d be happy to join you in the hot tub.”
Kelli let her dress slip off her shoulders, and she set it on a nearby wood chaise lounge. She was aware that Max was watching her every move, all starry-eyed. The time she’d spent on her appearance was paying off and having the desired effect on him.
Max handed the glass to her, and after she had taken a sip, she let out a happy sigh.
“Ahhh, that’s wonderful. Krug has the best bubbles.”
“You can relax in warm bubbles while you sip cold bubbles,” Max said.
“I like that plan,” Kelli said, and she smiled. “But first, I want to take in your beautiful view for just a moment.”
Kelli walked across the deck wearing only her bikini, jewelry, and high heels while sipping her champagne. The idea was to let Max get a long look at her from all angles like she was in a Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Her modeling experience was coming in handy right now. She was bringing his emotions under her control like he was a puppet on a string. It was a simple strategy that seemed to make men turn into putty in her hands.
She was reminded of something the actress Jessica Alba had once said, “Guys are stimulated easily, and they are easy to manipulate. All you have to do is wear a sexy outfit.” That was a fact of life, and she didn’t mind it, as long as she was in control. It worked like a charm to help her get what she wanted from rich and powerful men like Max.
Kelli paused and leaned her elbows on the deck rail, looking at the view and posing there to give her date some eye candy. She thought it was funny because at home in her apartment she often just wore tattered sweatpants and a worn out t-shirt.
Max couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He thought she had a beautiful face and a lithe, perfectly ripe body, glowing with Viking sensuality. He was totally enchanted with her, and he said so.
After they both had taken a good look at each of their beautiful views, Kelli began to walk back toward Max, moving with a practiced grace, like a movie star celebrity on the red carpet. It was all an act, and she was a good actress who was taking classes at drama school.
As Kelli got closer to the spa, she saw a red dot of light appear on Max’s chest. It moved around and settled over his heart. Next, she heard a strange slicing sound, like a sword being swished through the air. That was followed by a loud thud of impact, and now something strange and terrible was protruding out of Max’s chest.
Kelli’s mouth opened in shock, and she saw blood begin to pour from Max’s body into the bubbling spa water. She let out a scream and fainted. When she fell down, her champagne glass flew out of her hand and shattered on the deck.
Max tried to scream too, but only a hoarse croak and foamy blood came out of his mouth. He was pinned to the side of the hot tub by a graphite hunting arrow. The arrowhead had gone through his heart and embedded into the hot tub wall and the thick foam and wood inside. His mouth opened and closed like a dying fish on a hook as he gasped his last breaths and flailed his arms in spasms, splashing them in the water.
Nearby, an elderly retired neighbor man had been watching the scene through his telescope. He mostly used the scope for bird watching by day and looking at the stars by night. But he sometimes got an entertaining eyeful of a bikini-clad babe when Max had a girlfriend visiting him. Right now the neighbor had been enjoying watching the attractive blonde woman walking along the deck, and then he’d seen her scream and faint. When he turned his telescope to view the hot tub, he stared in shock at his neighbor Max, sitting in a bubbling red pool of blood-stained water. He quickly grabbed his phone and called 911.
Zhukov was sitting cross-legged inside of a hollow burned-out redwood tree near where he’d parked his car. The inside of the tree was quite large and although it looked to be recently burned, it hadn’t been in a fire for over one hundred and fifty years. The tree was a survivor, much like Zhukov himself. He felt at one with nature while sitting there inside the tree. And he smiled as he looked at his phone’s video feed that showed Vidallen dying just the way he’d planned it.
The equipment had all performed well; including the graphite hunting arrow, remote controlled mount, laser sight, and trigger. The tip of the arrow, or bolt as it was called, was also poisoned with a powerful neurotoxin. That was just in case the man somehow survived being skewered through the chest. The toxin had not been necessary, however. The arrow had flown straight and true and had pierced the lawyer’s cold heart. Now his career of filing lawsuits against doctors was officially over.
Zhukov observed the scene on his phone, and he saw the woman lying unconscious on the deck. It was fortunate that she’d fainted because now she wasn’t doing any hysterical screaming to alert the neighbors. That would give him more time to make his escape. The best part, however, was that her bikini-clad model’s body would cause a useful distraction when the police arrived, buying him, even more, time. When Zhukov had originally planned this operation, he’d imagined that the woman would be topless or nude at this point. A policeman had once said in an online news story that nothing distracts male cops like a naked woman. But a woman in a tiny bikini and high heels would be a close second and that would have to do. He turned the crossbow cam back toward Max and saw the lawyer’s head drop forward as his arms stopped moving. The job was now complete, and it was time to leave.
“So many lawyers, so little time,” Zhukov said, and he smiled.
Zhukov put his phone in his pocket, got his
backpack on, left the hollow tree and walked back to his vehicle. When he started the car and was about to pull onto the road, he had an odd feeling that he might want to take one last look at the scene of the crime. He had learned to trust his instincts and gut feelings, so he used his phone to access the weapon’s video cam and then rotated it back and forth on its gyroscope mount. First to the far right and then to the far left. As he viewed the live video feed from the weapon mount, he saw something he hadn’t expected.
At another house, some distance away, there was an older man on his own home’s wooden deck. He was standing next to a telescope on a stand. The man was talking frantically on his mobile phone while putting his eye to the telescope, which was pointed at Vidallen’s patio. Next, the man turned the telescope until it was pointing right at the weapon on the tree branch. Zhukov saw the man’s face suddenly turn pale, and then the man stepped away from the telescope and ran into the house.
Zhukov couldn’t help but laugh at the look on the man’s face when he’d noticed that the weapon was no longer pointing at Vidallen but had turned and was now pointing at him. Zhukov chuckled as he drove the car back toward San Francisco. Once he was on the Golden Gate Bridge, he began thinking about the spectacular way he would shoot his next victim... the female attorney.
Chapter 41
Jake went on-board the Far Niente, and he fed Cody some dog food that he’d borrowed from a neighbor. Next he looked at the video recording from the boat’s onboard security camera. The recording showed a figure that appeared to be a man, creeping onto the boat and picking the lock on the aft sliding door. The man wore a black stocking cap mask over his face, and he had gloves on his hands. The only parts of his anatomy that could be seen were his eyes and mouth. And he kept his head down so even those were only seen at a glance. It was surprising how fast the intruder had opened the locked door of the boat. That was a top quality lock, so the man was no amateur.