Cause of Death (Det. Annie Avants Book 1)

by Renee Benzaim

  "Who was it?"

  "I'll never tell. Anyway, what difference does it make since you simply dumped all of your old friends?"

  "I guess it doesn't matter."

  "So, why didn't you at least discuss your pregnancy with me instead of just breaking up and running away?"

  "Wyatt, we talked about getting married and starting a family, but you always said that your career left no room for children. You made it abundantly clear that you, and your job, were the most important things in your life. When I found out I was pregnant, I thought about what life would be like if we did, indeed, get married because I was pregnant. I didn't like what I saw.

  "I had no intention of getting an abortion and I didn't want to stay in Houston and be a single mother. So, I decided to come to California and make a new beginning for myself and my baby."

  "Still, I think you could have given me the benefit of the doubt, Laine. When faced with the prospect of fatherhood, I might have had a change of heart."

  "I doubt that it would have been sincere, Wyatt. Anyway, I did what I thought was best at the time and I haven't regretted my decision. We have a good life here, I love my job, and Noelle is very well-adjusted. I've been seeing someone that Noelle is very fond of. We don't need you coming here and stirring things up and confusing her."

  Wyatt didn't say anything for a couple of minutes as he picked at his dinner. "Well, Laine, I hate to burst your bubble, but I intend to be a part of Noelle's life. She's my daughter, too. If I have to take the matter to Court, I will. I've done quite well with my real estate development company and I'm considering opening a branch office here in Bakersfield so I can be close to Noelle. If you don't want to be a part of my life, that's your decision, but she definitely will be."

  "If you cared about her at all, you would go back to Houston and leave her alone," Laine said.

  "No, Laine, that's the easy way out for you and your life. That was always a habit of yours - the path of least resistance - but it won't work now."

  Laine was close to tears and gathered her things so she could leave. She couldn't just sit there and think about what life would be like with Wyatt back in it.

  Wyatt saw she was preparing to leave and didn't try to stop her. "You'll be hearing from me about this again, soon, Laine, have no doubt about it. If you need to reach me, you know where I'm staying."

  On that note, Laine left the restaurant.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  Thursday, 6 September 2012, 11:30 AM

  Annie entered Your Petz and found Eddie behind the counter. A big grin spread on his face when he saw who it was.

  "That was quick," he said. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."

  "You sounded so excited on the phone. I couldn't wait to find out what you had to tell me. Besides, we need all the leads we can get, so anything anyone comes up with we follow up on immediately. Tell me what has you so excited?"

  "Haha," he said. "I was just about to close up and go over to Starbucks - again - for a coffee. They have great Pumpkin Scones this time of year. Will you join me? You need to be sitting down when I tell you about your 'spider man'."

  "Oh, OK, if you insist. I am kind of hungry and I love their Pumpkin Scones."

  Annie and Eddie walked over to Starbucks and after they ordered and found an empty table, she looked over at him expectantly.

  "A man came into the shop this morning dressed about the same way you described the man the truck driver said he saw in Pumpkin Center, and he matched the picture you showed me the last time you were here. He had a very impressive black widow tattoo on his back and it was plain to see through his mesh tank top.

  "He said he was looking around for some closely-woven bamboo cages like people keep crickets in to bring good luck into their homes. I told him I didn't have anything like that in stock, so we looked in my catalogs to see if we could find anything suitable. He found one model he liked and then told me he would come back to order ten of them if he couldn't find anything local.

  "I asked him about his tattoo, and that got him to laughing. He said it was a foible - his word, not mine - that he exercised in his wild and woolly youth. Since he was required to dress more responsibly during the day, he flaunted the tattoo when he wasn't at work."

  "What does he do? You are keeping me on pins and needles," Annie said.

  "Are you ready for this? Here's his business card." Eddie handed a nicely engraved card to Annie and she gasped and clasped her hand to her throat when she read it.

  "Professor of Forensic Entomology at Bakersfield College? I don't believe it," Annie laughed. "Actually, I do believe it because I recognize his name, Alistair McDougall. I bet Laine DelMonte, the Chief of our Technical Investigations office, knows of him. I can't wait to tell Detective Weston. He will be floored."

  "Well, everyone is strange. It's like sometimes you hear about people who are well-respected pillars of the community, but they go to San Francisco on the weekends and ride with groups like the Hell's Angels. There's no telling what people do beyond their public persona. The professor certainly doesn't fit the image he projects in his spare time and when he opened his mouth to speak, his Irish accent was a complete surprise."

  "We'll have to talk to him. He was in the same restaurant as Gabriela Lozcano on the day we assume she was abducted, and maybe he'll remember something. We can't rule him out as a suspect, either, both because of his interest in bugs and his proximity to our victim."

  They drank their coffee and ate their delicious Pumpkin Scones in silence for a few minutes.

  "You know, Detective Avants. . ."

  "Please, call me Annie," she interrupted.

  "Annie, then. I've really enjoyed meeting you and this was a pleasant interlude. If you're not in a relationship with someone, or would even be interested, I'd like to call you some time so we can have dinner together. If you can't, that's fine, but I had to ask. I couldn't let you just walk out of here without saying something."

  Annie paused for a minute to think about what he said. Normally, she didn't get personally involved with the people she met while working on a case. Nevertheless, this man was just someone they interviewed because of his line of business and he wasn't a suspect or anything.

  "I'd like that, Eddie," Annie said with a warm smile. She put down her napkin and started to rise.

  "Well, I'd better be going. I have to get back to the office and let Tom know about these latest developments and then we'll have to go see the bug professor. "

  They were both laughing as they left Starbucks and headed back to Annie's car.

  * * *

  When Annie returned to the office she was glad Tom was there. She silently handed Tom the Professors card, without telling him why.

  "Who's this," Tom said, frowning at the card. He didn't recognize the name.

  "Well, Tom, here's a more casual picture of the Professor," she said as she put the drawing of the 'spider man' in front of his face.

  "You've got to be kidding," Tom said. Annie explained what Eddie Dobbs told her and they both had a good laugh.

  "I think I'll go visit the good professor in the morning and see what he has to say," Tom said.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  Friday, 7 September 2012, 4:30 PM

  Annie hung up her phone and looked across their desks to where Tom was reading a report.

  "I just got a call from the DAs Forensic Lab and they say they matched dirt samples on the bottoms of the boots we got from Charley Adams to the samples Laine took at the crime scenes. They said they also found tomato residue on the bottom of one of the boots."

  "Tomato residue?" Tom said. Something nagged at the back of his mind.

  "That's what they said," Annie replied. "They also said it was embedded between the two dirt samples from Laine, so it was picked up after Gabriela was dumped, but before he discarded Carmen's body."

  "Did they find any useful fingerprints on the boots?"

  "No, they didn't. Everything was smeared and they co
uldn't get any decent impressions."

  "I think I'll give Charley Adams a call," Tom said, "and see if he's been anywhere where he might have stepped into tomato gunk, although the times don't fit for him to have picked up the residue. He didn't get the boots until the morning of August 22nd, after the estimated time Carmen was put in the cornfield. If the residue was already embedded in the boots, he most likely wasn't the one who walked in it."

  "Well, it won't hurt to ask him," Annie said.

  "Something is nagging at the back of my mind," Tom said. "I remember something about a pile of tomatoes on the ground, but I can't remember where. It'll come to me."

  "Think about where you've been and maybe you'll remember," Annie said.

  A few minutes later Tom hung up the phone after calling Charley Adams.

  "Well, Charley was no help. He doesn't remember walking in any tomato residue or even being anywhere where there might have been some."

  "The lab said there was quite a bit and it was only on the right boot," Annie said. "Try not to think about it too hard, it'll come to you sooner or later. It might not even be important."

  "Did you enjoy your visit with Professor McDougall this morning?" Annie smirked.

  "Yes, I did. He's quite the character. He didn't remember seeing Gabby and Stetson at Los Arcos on the 3rd. He said he just goes to Pumpkin Center because there's little chance he'll run into one of his peers or worse, a student. Besides, he likes their food. We'll have to eat there sometime."

  Annie picked up her brief case and purse as she got ready to leave for the day.

  "What are your plans for tonight, Tom," Annie asked.

  "Ummm, I thought I'd go over to see Laine and Noelle, see if they wanted to go to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream or something."

  "Are you going to call her first, or just pop in? It might be better to call ahead."

  "Nah, I'll just stop by. It's just a casual thing. I don't want to make it into something more than it is."

  Annie laughed and Tom frowned.

  "What's so funny," he said.

  "You are," she said. "But, that's OK. Proceed at the pace that you are comfortable. Just don't forget the story of the Tortoise and the Hare," Annie said.

  "Yeah, right," Tom said as he walked out of the room.

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  Friday, 7 September 2012, 7:00 PM

  Tom walked up to Laine's front door with butterflies in his stomach. Maybe I should have called first, he thought.

  He hadn't talked to Laine very much since the three of them made pottery and ate at John's Incredible Pizza. Everyone had been too busy working on the murders to socialize.

  When Laine opened the door, she was surprised to see Tom standing there.

  "Tom, what a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you," Laine said. "Come on in."

  "I'm sorry to drop by without calling first. Annie asked me if I was going to call, but I took a chance that you'd be home," Tom explained.

  "Well, actually I do have plans in about an hour, but have a seat. I'll get us some iced tea."

  Tom felt uncomfortable. Noelle came into the room and was delighted to see him.

  "Hello," she said as she jumped up on his lap. "Is my bowl ready?"

  "Not yet, sweetie. It takes me a while to get everything baked and finished. It won't be too long, though."

  Laine returned to the living room and said to Noelle, "Honey, go play in your room for a little while. Mommy and Tom have some 'big people' things to talk about."

  Noelle looked disappointed, but shrugged her shoulders and said, "OK, but don't talk forever."

  Laine turned to Tom and offered him a glass of tea. "Actually, Tom, I'm glad you stopped by. There is something I need to tell you and I didn't want to do it on the phone."

  "I apologize for just coming over without calling, Laine. I just thought if you and Noelle weren't busy, we could go to Baskin Robbins and get some ice cream. I think all my good manners left me many years ago."

  Laine laughed. "Oh, Tom, that's not true. You're not the only one who has been living the single life for several years and has forgotten what it's like to think of another person in your life. Really, I do understand.

  "Something unexpected came up this week and I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it," Laine said. Tom could tell she was troubled and uncomfortable.

  "Has Annie told you much about my past and how I came to be a single mom?"

  "She mentioned a little, but you know Annie, she told me if I wanted to know more I'd have to find out from you," Tom said.

  "OK, here's the short version. After I finished college and got my Bachelor of Science degree, I went to work for CSI in Houston. I loved my job and I was good at it, so I advanced quickly. I kept taking more and more classes to add to my knowledge base because I wanted to be the best that I could be.

  "In one of those classes - I think it was on forensic anthropology - I met an interesting guy. His name was Wyatt Ferrell. Turned out he was a successful real estate broker in the Houston area, but he had a passion for anthropology so he signed up for this course.

  "As time passed, we got to know each other and started dating. My work fascinated him, but his work bored me. Nevertheless, when the class ended, we continued to see each other. In fact, we were practically inseparable.

  "To make a long story short, I found myself pregnant. At first I was thrilled. Wyatt had never proposed, as such, but he talked as if we were going to be together forever. We weren't living together, because that's not how I my parents raised me, so it was an easy matter to keep my pregnancy to myself for the time being.

  "I struggled with how to tell him about the baby. I didn't want him to think we had to get married just because I was pregnant. Then, I took a realistic look at what life with Wyatt would be like. He had made it clear that his career was very important and having a family wasn't in his immediate plans.

  "I didn't like what I saw. Actually, I panicked when I thought about it. Then I became worried that when he found out about the baby, he would insist we get married. I felt trapped.

  "This reaction really surprised me, so I went to a counselor that I knew and we had several heart-felt sessions.

  "The long shot is that I knew, in my heart, a marriage to Wyatt just wouldn't work. I decided that I needed to leave Houston before my pregnancy became apparent and I made the decision to leave secretly, without telling Wyatt ahead of time.

  "I know that was cowardly of me, but it's the way I was at that time.

  "I started looking for another job in forensics and the one here looked promising. I couldn't quite figure out how to apply and not leave a trail from Houston, but I talked to the personnel department and they assured me that personnel records were private and they wouldn't be able to give Wyatt any information about my new location.

  "I don't know what happened after that in Houston. I applied here, and was accepted, and in October of 2006 began working here in Kern County.

  "For a long time, I watched to see if Wyatt would find me, but he never did. The few friends in Houston I kept in touch with said he was devastated, searched for me, and questioned all of them, but no one told him anything. They just said that I wanted to make a fresh start and it was my choice to leave without telling him. They said I was kind of a wuss, and they didn't agree with my decision to sneak off like that, but they respected it.

  "I guess, after a while, he gave up."

  "And now, Laine, has he finally found you?" Tom asked.

  "Yes, Tom, he has. He saw an article in the local paper about our serial killer. The article mentioned my name. It didn't take him long after that to track me down.

  "He showed up here last Wednesday. He succeeded in getting one of my friends to tell him about Noelle and the reason I left Houston. When he saw Noelle, briefly, he was overjoyed and very upset with me for keeping her to myself."

  "And what does he want now?" Tom said.

  "We talked a little the night he showed up, but I told him I
couldn't discuss it right then and there, so we set this meeting for tonight. He wants to be part of Noelle's life even if we don't have a marriage or relationship, and I can see his point.

  "I think it would be confusing for Noelle right now if I was seeing someone else. I need to keep this as simple as possible for her sake and see where it leads.

  "I have no plans for starting any kind of relationship with Wyatt. I still feel the same way about a future with him as I did before. However, I think it would be selfish to deprive him of his daughter. In any event, he said that if I tried to keep him from seeing her, he would seek legal means and insist on DNA testing. I know he's Noelle's father, so it's easier to avoid all the unpleasantness.

  "Does all of this make any sense to you, Tom? I was so looking forward to spending more time with you now that we broke the ice. You know, I've had my eye on you for some time," Laine said with a big grin.

  Tom gave her a half-hearted smile. "I understand, Laine. I'll step out of the picture and let this take its course, whatever that is. I hope that when the dust settles there will be a place for me in your life and that of Noelle."

  "Thank you, Tom, for being so understanding. I truly am sorry. If I never saw Wyatt again, it would be too soon. Nevertheless, I never lied to Noelle about him. I told her I chose to make our life apart from his, but that he was alive and well and, when she got older, if she wanted to know him, I wouldn't stop her. Well, he beat me to the punch, I guess, and now Noelle needs to become acquainted with her father."

  "OK, Laine. I guess that means you don't want to go get an ice cream sundae, right?"

  Laine laughed, "Not at the moment, but I don't know why we can't do it at some future time."

  With a rueful smile, Tom left the home of Laine and Noelle, with an ache in his heart.