Shadows of Doubt (12 page)

“Okay ladies, can we get back to business here before my wife calls and smells the pizza and cake through the phone and I get royally busted?”

The two women snorted and chuckled at the grown man’s blatant fear of his wife. Then Lou shoveled a piece of pizza out for Caroline and they all snarfed the pie down in record time. Between bites, Lou filled Vinny in on how Caroline made the connection between the Scott and Talbott women and when he was finally up to speed, including her conversation with their captain, Lou turned to Caroline.

“Okay so you found something on this one too, right?”

Vinny held a hand up. “Wait, I think I’m going to need coffee for this. Go over the salients on today’s victim while I play barista.” He got up and headed to the bar where he had put the bag of exorbitantly expensive coffee. Joe McAllister had spared no expense on appliances for the house and had over a dozen coffee makers, espresso machines and other caffeine producing equipment installed throughout the house. Behind the bar was one of Joe’s prize acquisitions, a beautiful Belle Époque espresso machine that gleamed of copper and brass. Vinny absolutely coveted the thing and knew how to operate it like a master. Lou had to admit, Vinny and Joe did make the best damn coffee in the known universe.

Caroline pulled out a file and notepad from her bag while trying not to over-salivate at the smell of the luscious coffee. She proceeded to read them the data she was able to snake from Carpesh and then started in on information she had gleaned from eavesdropping on the LAPD detectives that had been in the morgue before she left.

“Okay so Janine ‘Jade’ Winslow was a student and stripper. You both knew that though. Resided at the Chatsworth Glenn Apartments on Canoga, Apparently she left her place of employ, the Body Shop in West L.A. just before midnight on Monday. Manager stated she had a test the next morning so she cut out early. From there she went to the twenty-four hour Grocery Mart just up the block from her apartment. Apparently this was a common practice for her, according to the checker on graveyard shift who knew her as a regular. She would go in on Mondays and sometimes Fridays. Checker said she went through her line at 1:23 a.m. according to the register log which technically made it Tuesday. She paid with a Visa so it was easy to pull up.” Caroline paused to take the cup of coffee Vinny passed her. “God bless you sir.”

Vinny chuckled. “You’re welcome” He passed Lou her cup and Lou smiled brightly but looked at Caroline with a suspicious eye.

“How the hell did you get all this from eavesdropping? Its a full freaking investigation report.” Lou was rather impressed.

“I have big ears. And they sat at Carpesh’s desk while they waited and went over everything with one another. I just happened to be within earshot, in the storage closet.” Caroline beamed proudly at herself. “Anyway, the checker usually parks in back so it wasn’t until today that she noticed Jade’s car in the parking lot and saw the stuff on the front seat. Purse, the two bags of groceries she left the store with Tuesday morning. She calls it in, LAPD rolls up, gets the ID on the car and makes it for the point of origin for the crime. Thus, you guys getting snaked, again.” Caroline sipped her coffee and moaned almost obscenely. “Mother Mary this can’t be legal coffee.”

“Kopi Luwak” Vinny said proudly.

Caroline looked at her cup then back at Vinny. “Seriously? That stuff from the Bucket List? The beans the cats crap out?”

Lou sipped from her cup and smiled. “One and the same.”

Caroline looked back at her cup. “Ya know, when I heard that I thought there was no freaking way anyone would get me to drink it. Now that I have, get that cat some laxative and keep it coming!”

Both Vinny and Lou laughed, Lou nearly spilling her cup and its precious contents.

“Come on, lets get serious. So we know how we got snaked so lets skip that part. What did you find from the body?” Vinny demanded as he sat back in the couch and enjoyed his own coffee.

“Well, time of death was between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night. That’s as accurate as I could get given the weather and before they yanked me off the case. Amputation of the legs was certainly from the train, the Metrolink one by the way. Cause of death was definitely exsanguination from the femoral artery. Now, here is where it gets odd and where I get pissed because I can’t do the tests myself, and I don’t know what the hell Carpesh is going to do on it. First, we have the same degraded saliva on the femoral wound. That wound was made by God knows what. There are no discernible kerf marks or anything identifiable that I could get to before I got yanked. The wounds on her face, those were made by some sort of dull slicing implement but no tool marks there either. But!” She paused to take another sip of coffee. “This is what’s going to fry your asses. There were traces of keratin in both the femoral wound and in all of the facial lacerations.”

“Keratin?” Lou and Vinny both asked in unison.

“Yeah, keratin. But that’s not all of it, the keratin has the same degraded bullshit situation as the spit! I can’t tell you if it was a horse hoof, a fingernail or some weirdo knife made out of horn.”

Vinny huffed. “So what are we looking for? A freaking serial killer reindeer with a drooling disorder?”

There was silence for a moment, then all three of them burst out laughing. It was a long belly rolling hysterical laugh fit that they all desperately needed.

“Okay...” Lou spoke up when she finally caught her breath. “I think it’s that time in the program where we take a break, let things sink in, gel a bit while we get drunk on rum cake. What do you two think?”

It was unanimously agreed.

The house was
tastefully done in French colonial architecture with impeccably manicured grounds, much like its owners. Phoebe and Carl Gould were a cheerful couple of a certain age that refused to appear as such. It was nice that the two were going through their mid-life crises together. Carl was dressed in a modern cut navy blue suit that Max felt was far too narrow for his frame. The Louis Vuitton loafers were from the Summer 2006 line and bore the enormous “LV” buckle that you couldn’t avoid seeing even if you were blind. Phoebe was not quite as subtle, donning a brown and pink Juicy Couture jogging suit with its gold foiled branding strategically placed on her backside. She wore enormous hoop earrings encrusted with stones in the same pink as the trim in her jog suit and the pink theme was carried out with the over-glossed, over-injected lips. They had greeted Frank and Max warmly and welcomed them graciously into their home. Once inside, the couple took them around and introduced them to the other Board members that had arrived. Th e weather appeared to be delaying two or three residents so Mr. & Mrs. Gould played the proper host and hostess with a small offering of canapes, an assortment of cheeses, wine and a lovely little coffee bar set up.

Max took the opportunity to, as Frank so eloquently put it, schmooze and put the Association members on his side of the voting column while they waited for the latecomers. The usual questions were asked, as they always were, and Max let his cover story flow with little effort. Over the years it was only little touches that had changed but the basic story was always the same and iron clad if anyone, including MI5, the CIA or any other top level security agency felt the need to check. A great majority of the story was true at this stage in the game. He was the senior partner of the oldest law firm in Washington D.C. and was planning on opening up a small annex of said firm here in Los Angeles. True too was that he was from very old money and station. As often happened, and to Max’s mild amusement, when old money was alluded to, people became much more friendly. It was transparent, but it was the nature of the human beast, it seemed.

When the last of the members arrived, they were all urged to have a seat so that the meeting could commence. Max had noticed that one of the late arrivals was a very elegant looking woman who reminded him of the gilded fairy queen from a Shakespearean tale. There hadn’t been time for formal introductions before the meeting was convened but he felt an odd familiarity to the woman that he couldn’t place. Brushing the thought aside, Max directed his attention to the all-important matter at hand. As was another usual routine. Frank took the lead on technical specifics and explained to the assembly that the lots were to be merged simply to provide for a larger landscape for a private residence. When the direct questions and answers were posed, it was Max who answered and much to his amusement, the feisty fairy queen who asked them. It was clear that he had a bit of schmoozing to do with this woman as she was very unsettled with his proposal. Every time Max thought they had the sign off sewn up, the woman would toss out very articulate and possibly deal breaking questions. She clearly did not want him procuring the land. When the frustration of the assembly had reached a certain level, the glossy Mrs. Gould suggested a break be taken so that everyone could stretch their legs. Max decided it was an excellent opportunity to get to know his adversary and win her over.

Approaching her cautiously, Max knew now that this woman was not of the type to be taken in by his charm or his pleasant looks. It was time to take a cerebral tactic and appeal to her intelligence.

“Mrs. McAllister, we didn’t have the opportunity to be formally introduced so please allow me do so now. I am Max Julian. It’s a true pleasure.” He extended his hand as he would have to a gentleman adversary and she quirked her brow as she accepted, apparently appreciating the gesture. “This is my aide, Francis Sullivan.”

Frank followed Max’s lead and offered the same handshake as he had done. “Call me Frank, please.”

“Gentlemen.” She spoke with the slightest hint of Texas in her voice and there was a familiarity to her that Max still could not place.

“I had expected to see you’re husband tonight. Might I ask where he might be?” Frank asked.

Both Max and Shevaun looked at Frank with a bit of puzzlement.

“My husband? You know my husband?” She queried.

“We know her husband?” Max queried as well.

“Of course! This is Shevaun McAllister, Joe’s wife.” Max couldn’t be sure but he could almost swear he saw a twinkle in Frank’s eye.

“You’re Shevaun McAllister?” Max was obviously taken aback by the sudden smallness of the world.

“Why yes, but how do you know my Joe?” Her brows knit, she was seriously suspicious now and Max was certain that was not a good thing.

“Why you’re husband and I have been business associates for ages. My family has done work with the McAllister clan for as long as this great nation has been alive.” Max gave her an easy smile. “Perhaps the name of my family’s law firm is more familiar, Julian and Associates, in Georgetown?”

The connection was made and flashed across Shevaun’s face instantly. “Oh my! You’re Max!”

“Well I think I did mention that was my name, yes.” He grinned and winked, perhaps a little of his charm might be useful at this point after all.

“I don’t know why I didn’t put that together earlier!” She seemed a bit embarrassed now. “Joe speaks of you endlessly and is so very fond of you and all your people. He actually is annoyed with me that I’ve never made the trip with him to Georgetown to meet you myself.”

“Well I hope he’ll be pleased we have rectified that situation. Where might the fine gentleman be tonight? I would love to see him.” Max knew that dealing with Joe McAllister on the property would be a cake-walk compared to his wife.

“He has been in Bangladesh for the past few days.” Her sigh gave away that she clearly missed him. “He is due back on the red-eye.”

Max nodded. “Must be the Patel-Sanger merger. He contacted me a few months ago on some international legalities regarding the company.”

Shevaun was beaming now. “Why yes! That is exactly what he’s been there for.”

“Well...” Max saw an opportunity for a lethal strike. “It would have been lovely to have been neighbors but I can see you are passionate about the properties. So out of respect for you and your husband I will withdraw my bid.”

Shevaun’s expression blanched. “Oh. But... well let’s just see a moment, shall we? Let me just get perfectly clear on what you plan to do...”

In that instant Max knew he had her.

For the first time all night, Frank breathed easy. He had started to panic just before the break that his plan was not going to go off the way he had hoped. Shevaun showing up to the meeting in Joe’s place had been something he hadn’t expected. Frank had known Joe would have vouched for Max but Shevaun had been highly opposed before she had ever walked in the door. Now that the connection between Max and Joe had been uncovered, it was smooth sailing all the way. They detailed to her that the majority of the property would be landscaped and assured her that it would be fluid to the natural environment. Once it was explained that the necessity of such a large amount of property was to allow for the home itself to be set back as far as possible into the landscape, leaving the feel that there was no other structure around for miles, the woman was clearly pleased. Shevaun was enthralled and very happy with the idea now that she had actually been listening, as opposed to readying for battle.

“Oh that sounds perfect, and my daughter will be so pleased. She and I both love the land up here so much that we hate the idea of it being overrun by houses, and the animals getting landlocked.” She was a totally different person than she had been several minutes ago.

“Your daughter?” Frank asked, already knowing what the answer was going to be. It was all part of his evil genius plan.

The pride for her daughter radiated out of Shevaun’s pores when she spoke. “Yes! My daughter lives with us at the house. She’s a detective with the Sheriff’s Department. Though I am sure Joe has mentioned her hundreds of times. He’s more proud of her then I am.”