Laine stood up to leave and turned back around as she reached the door.
"Oh, before I forget. We found an ammo can - the kind you can buy at military supply stores - with his journal inside. It's in evidence, but I made a copy for the file. When you're up to it, you'll want to read it. It's fascinating. He goes into why he had such a paranoia about spiders and why he targeted young Hispanic females. Also in the ammo can were four earrings, including one of yours, and a gold cross necklace. They matched the ones left on the victims."
Annie thought for a minute. "Another serial killer that keeps tokens from his victims." She shivered at the thought. "Well, we definitely don't want the media to get a hold of that journal. They'll run with it for weeks."
"Don't worry. No one will see it until all the final reports are issued. At least we won't have a trial to go through. Can you imagine the media frenzy that would be?" Laine said.
"I don't even remember much about what happened. I was out cold most of the time. I get chills just thinking about it and how close I came to being his fourth victim."
"Well, lady, get some rest now. You'll be out of here soon and back to work before you know it. I've a lot more to tell you about his house and stuff, but it can keep. I just wanted to see for myself that you were OK.
"Oh, by the way, I was talking to Tom and he informed me that the beautiful Native American woman we saw Jesse with at Uricchio's was Jesse's sister, Chianna."
"Yes, he told me. I really feel stupid now. Well, I guess Jesse and I have to have another talk. I don't know where it's headed, but we'll see. I actually felt guilty when he was here and we were discussing my 'date' with Eddie."
Laine walked over and gave Annie a hug. "Noura called me this afternoon and asked me how you were. She would like to come and visit you. The thought that you may have died with things between the two of you being unresolved upset her. What do you think?"
"I'd like to see her, yes. Life's too short and, in some ways, I can understand why she did what she did. Family is important and I know she's suffered from her decision. You can tell whomever is controlling who sees me that she can come. I hope to be out of here tomorrow. The food is terrible."
"Well, if your worrying about food, you must be feeling better. We'll have to have another one of our potlucks as soon as you're up to it. I'll make a double batch of President Johnson's 'Perdernales Chili' so you can stash a bunch of it in your freezer."
"Can't you sneak me in some tonight? I'm really hungry."
"It takes a couple of hours to make, silly. It's not like I can go home and open a can. What would you like? I can run out and get you something and be back before visiting hours are over."
"A pizza would do for now," Annie said. "I'd like some biscuits and gravy," she laughed, "but that's breakfast and I doubt if you could find it anywhere now."
"OK, one pizza coming up," Laine said and headed out the door.
Thirty minutes later, Laine returned and the two friends enjoyed their pizza.
"Now maybe I can get some sleep," Annie said.
On that note, Laine left and Annie flicked on the television and flipped through the channels, never finding anything interesting to watch. Finally, she slept.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Wednesday, 12 September 2012, 2:00 PM
With tears in her eyes, Noura tapped softly on the door to Annie's hospital room.
"Come in," she heard her friend say.
Slowly she opened the door and stuck her head inside, not sure of the reception she would receive. In her arms were a bouquet of flowers cut from her flower garden.
"Oh, Noura," Annie said as the tears started to flow. "I've missed you so much."
Noura ran to her side and carefully embraced her friend, her tears mingling with Annie's.
"I wasn't sure if you would want to see me," Noura said, "but I couldn't stay away."
"Noura, I will always love you like a sister. You made a mistake, but we all make mistakes. I know it's going to be tough on you dealing with the consequences, but I'll be right there beside you no matter what happens."
"Thank you, Annie. You don't know how much that means to me. When my mom heard you were in the hospital, she cooked a bunch of 'authentic Mexican food' for you. She says it's just what you need to get your strength back. I have it in the car if you want to try it."
"That would be wonderful, Noura. The food here is not nourishing and I'm always hungry."
"Well, at least that hasn't changed," Noura laughed.
When Noura returned with the food in a big picnic basket with all the accessories, the two friends enjoyed a meal just like old times.
"My mom wants to invite you, Jesse, Laine and Noelle, and Tom over for a big piñata party. She says it's time I stopped hiding my family from my friends. And, she's right. What do you say?"
"I would be honored to visit the home of your parents, Noura. Just let us know when, OK?"
"I have some other good news, Annie," Noura said. "Jesse talked to his friend, Eric Stone, who is an attorney here in town who specializes in Intellectual Property law. Jesse set up an appointment between the three of us. I told Mr. Stone the truth about what happened. Jesse had filled him in about my experience and competence as a paralegal, so Mr. Stone offered me a job."
"Oh, Noura. That's great news. I know how much you love paralegal work. I'm glad you'll be able to continue and stay here in Bakersfield."
"It's going to be interesting, Annie. He doesn't have a big office, but most of his clients live in the Los Angeles or New York areas. We have a small conference room if we need it, but most of my work I can do from my home office. This has made my husband very happy and I can spend a lot more time with Estefan."
"I'm so happy for you, Noura. How are things going with Tito?"
Noura shifted in her chair. "Not too well, I'm afraid. I haven't been back to see him since he told me he used me. My mom says I have to learn forgiveness, too, but it's too soon. He's my baby brother and I idolized him. It will take time, I guess. In the meantime, he has a good public defender and his fate is in the hands of the Courts."
Noura started cleaning up the remnants of their meal. "When will you be released, Annie?"
"I think I have the doctor convinced to let me go home in a couple of hours," Annie said. "There were no traces of spider venom in my blood work so there's really no more reason for me to stay here. I feel fine. I'll be on medical leave for a couple of weeks, but then I'll be right back in the swing of things. At least this case is solved and the Hispanic community can breathe a sigh of relief now and not worry about their daughters."
Noura stood and gathered her things. She leaned over and kissed Annie on the cheek. "Take care, Annie. I'll be over to see you in a day or two, after you get settled in."
"Bring Estefan with you, Noura. I haven't seen him for a long time," Annie said. "The weather is still nice enough that we can have a picnic in my backyard."
"That sounds like a plan," Noura said with a big grin as she walked out the door, feeling better than she had in many weeks.
EPILOGUE
Summer, 1991, from Eddie's Journal
The old house sat on a quarter acre lot in the west side of the Kern County. It was a good-sized house with a covered porch in front.
At the back of the house, and off to the left, was a stone walkway that meandered through the dead stalks of long forgotten flower and vegetable gardens. The walkway, which was about 15 feet long, was enclosed in an open-sided arbor made of criss-crossed slats that supported a very old, very unkempt climbing rose plant.
This walkway led to a covered patio, also with a slat roof and walls and cement floor. Several old pieces of dusty patio furniture were scattered around the patio.
Attached to the back of the patio was a room of sorts. It, too, had slotted walls that let in air and light, but the roof was made of tin. It contained four old army-type cots that the family, or guests, used to sleep on when the weather was hot.
Th
e owners of the house were an older couple who had one daughter late in life. The daughter turned sixteen years old in June of 1991.
To make ends meet, the couple took in foster kids or kids referred to them by family or friends. Kids that were in the way, or unwanted, or couldn't be taken care of properly for one reason or another.
There were four kids staying with this family in the summer of 1991. Three were placed there through the foster children program and all of them were Hispanic females.
The fourth child was an 8-year old Caucasian boy who was throwing a crimp in his mom's new marriage.
His step-dad didn't like kids and didn't appreciate being stuck with this boy while his mom worked nights cleaning local offices while they were closed.
The boy had been passed around to various relatives for about a year, when his aunt mentioned this family who took care of kids that were better off living somewhere other than with their parents, but weren't actually part of the foster kid program.
His mom talked with the family and decided to put her son in their care.
* * *
He had been there about six months and it was terrible. Whenever he told his mom how mean the other kids were to him, she wouldn't take him seriously. Actually, her hands were tied and she couldn't do anything about the situation without displeasing her new husband.
At the side of the patio and sleeping room, about 30 feet away and slightly to the back of the lot, was an old abandoned Ford Coupe. It had been sitting there, on its rims, for years and was so covered with dust you couldn't see in the windows. The kids were warned to stay away from the abandoned car.
However, kids being kids, they thought it would be fun to lock Eddie in the car. They knew he didn't like spiders and the car was full of granddaddy long legs. One day, while they were playing tag in the lot close to the car, two of the girls grabbed Eddie, forced the car door open, shoved him inside, and slammed the door closed. There was no handle on the inside so he couldn't get out.
Eddie screamed. He was totally paralyzed with fear. He was shaking uncontrollably, and his skin appeared drained of all blood. All around him, starting to move at the invasion of their space, were dozens of granddaddy long leg spiders. He had always been terrified of them and the way they moved. You never knew what they were going to do next. He was only eight, so he couldn't rationalize the fact that they don't normally bite people. All his life he had had nightmares about them because of other tricks his cousins played on him when they found out he was afraid of spiders. Now, it wasn't just a fear, it was a deep-rooted paranoia that he couldn't control.
For two hours they left him locked in that car screaming, and then whimpering, and then screaming again, as the spiders crawled over his head and body.
Eventually the daughter of the people who owned the house took off her earphones to check on the kids and heard him scream. She rushed to the car and opened the door. He fell to the ground in a semi-conscious state. She brushed the spiders and dirt off him, carried him into the house, and put him directly in a tub full of water. She screamed at the other kids to go to their rooms.
She got him cleaned up just as her parents came in. When she told them what had happened, they took him to the emergency room to make sure he hadn't been bitten by anything dangerous. When he had been checked over and given a tetanus shot just in case, they sent him home with instructions to watch for certain signs for a couple of days.
The next day, they returned him to his mother.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Abeyta, Lupe
Abeyta, Estralita
Abeyta, Marta
Friends of Maria Ortiz
Adams, Charley
Peter Adams' Cousin
Adams, Gwynn
Peter's Mom
Adams, Peter
Charley's Cousin
Adams, Ted and Fiona
Charley's Parents
Alcantar, Manolo
Tito's friend
Al-Fassi, Joseph
Autopsy Assistant
Morgue
Amaral, Lucio
Chief of Police
Bakersfield
Avants, Annie Elizabeth
Detective
Robbery/Homicide Unit
Avants, Riley
Avants, Hester Wilson
Annie's Parents
Live in Mena, Arkansas
Avants, Charles Wilson
Annie's brother
Baker, Darla
Deputy Sheriff - KCSO
Banuelos, Reina
Gabriela’s Sister
Bhakta, Khavi
Doctor/expert on spiders
CDC
Bonner, "Okie"
Friend of serial killer
Bossock, Leopold, Dr.
Medical Examiner
Tulare County
Buchanan, Carson
Buchanan, Karen
Michele McGaha's parents
Cardenas, Blanca
Waitress
Los Arcos in Pumpkin Center
Collins, Yvonne
Sergeant
Robbery/Homicide Unit
DelaFuentes, AnaMaria
Friend of Carmen
DelMonte, Laine Alicia
Chief
Technical Investigations
Dobbs, Edward Michael
Owner
Your Petz
Drexler, Sam
Deputy
Lamont Substation
Dunphy, Carl
Owner
Uncle Sam's Surplus
Escobar, Angelino
Ex-boyfriend of Carmen
Espinosa, Manny
Forensic Photographer
Everett, Michael
Technical Investigator
Ferrell, Wyatt
Noelle's Father
Freemont, Sarah
KCSO Sketch Artist
Goodkind, Dr. Lydell
Criminal Psychiatrist/Teacher
Modesto Jr College
Former FBI Profiler (ret)
Grady, Rebecca
Miwok friend of Chianna
Greyeyes, Agnes Tooni
Jesse's Grandmother
Cherokee, NC
Greyeyes, Rodney
Jesse's father
Attorney
BIA in San Francisco
Greyeyes, Joyce
Jesse's Mother
Gallery Owner
San Francisco
Greyeyes, Jesse
Deputy District Attorney
Greyeyes, SueElllen
Jesse's ex-wife
Gueye, Chianna
Jesse's sister
Gueye, Dion
Chianna's husband
Gutierrez, Carmen
Victim #2
Gutierrez, Julio
Brother of Vic#2
Gutierrez, Roberto
Gutierrez, Alana
Carmen's Parents
Harris, Mrs.
Cafeteria Worker
Hermosillo, Raoul
Deputy Sheriff
Jamison, Harry, Sgt.
Arvin Police Department
Jones, Malcolm
Deputy Sheriff - KCSO
Jurgens, Bret
Annie's ex-husband
Kamaguchi, Danny
Deputy Sheriff - KCSO
Lamantia, Orlando
Arvin PD
Lancaster, Kyle
Officer, Roseville PD
Lopez, Stella
KGET reporter
Loya, Amata
Noura's Sister
Lozcano, Gabriela Maria
Victim #1
Maalouf, Kleavon Elroy
East Side Crip
McDougall, Alistair
Professor
Forensic Entomology
Bakersfield College
McGaha, Reggie
McGaha, Michele
Victims of MVA
Maddox, "Stetson"
Long-Haul Truck Driver
Marchand, Joelle
Forensic videographer
Mason, Ruth
Postmistress
Melendez, Arturo
Deputy
Moreno, Sunnie
Admin. Assistant
Detective Bureau
Neasham, George
Technical Investigations
Nielson, Christine
Deputy - KCSO
Nunez, Mireya Aldene
Noura's Sister
Ortiz, Hernando
Ortiz, Lucette
Maria's Parents
Ortiz, Maria Guadalupe
Vic #3
Perkins, Sam
Annie's former partner
Plourde, Forrester
Detective
Homicide Division
Placer County Sheriff
Quinn, Mick
Sheriff/Coroner
Kern County
Raj, Farhad
Clerk/Owner
Texaco Station
Pumpkin Center
Richards, Preston, M.D.
Forensic Pathologist
Rosado, Salma
Receptionist at Crime Lab
Rubio, Jose Officer
Arvin PD
Saavedra, Carlos
Noura's Cousin
BPD Officer
Saavedra, Juliano
Mercedes Bianca delToro
Noura's Parents
Saavedra, Pascual Mano
Noura's Brother
Cause of Death (Det. Annie Avants Book 1) Page 24