“I guess you haven’t figured out yet that you need to do as I ask.”
“Why is that?”
“I could keep you from modeling in that fashion show.”
“And how would you do that?”
“All I need to do, is make a call to the Chief of Police and we’ll be turning right around and flying back to LA.”
Knowing he probably meant it, she gave only the simple facts and ticked them off on her fingers, saying quickly, “I was born in Denver, Colorado. I’m twenty-six years old. My parents still live in Denver. I had one sister, two years older than me, but she was killed in a car accident when I was nineteen. I’ve had one boyfriend. He was a neighbor and I have gone with him since I was a sophomore in high school. We recently broke up. After I graduated I went to college for one year. However, college wasn’t for me. I wanted to go to modeling school. After graduating I went to work for Sorrento’s House of Fashion.”
“Where did you go to modeling school?”
“In New York City. Oh, yes, now I probably have a rap sheet and I’m scared to death of going to prison.”
His lips tightened in a grim look. She should be afraid of going to prison. Hadn’t she thought of that before she killed Reannan?
“Let’s hear your life story,” she suggested, laying her head against the back of the seat.
Before he could start, a stewardess came by to take their drink order. They both asked for a bottle of water and after it was handed to them, Mitch took a drink, closed his eyes for a moment, opened them, and began.
“I was born in Los Angeles. My father was a cop. My mother was a stay-at-home mom when my father was alive. I have a brother, Matt, who is two years younger than me and he is also in law enforcement. When I was sixteen, my father was killed in a drug bust. In spite of that, my brother and I always knew we wanted to go into law enforcement. After my father was gone, my mother went to school and became a court transcriber. She worked for the Los Angeles judicial system until she passed away a few years ago. After I graduated from high school, I went into the Marines.”
He stopped and took a big swig of water from the bottle in his hand.
“Why the Marines?”
“My mother was against Matt and me going into police work because of what had happened to Dad. She wanted us both to attend college and study for some kind of profession. I knew I didn’t want to go to college, so I enlisted in the Marines. After Matt graduated, he defied Mom and enrolled in the Police Academy.”
“Wouldn’t going into the Marines have been more dangerous than going into police work?”
“Actually it was, but for some strange reason, it didn’t seem to bother Mom as much as if I had gone into police work. I’ve never figured that one out.”
“Did you ask her?”
“I did, but she made some vague reply about it being different.”
“Where were you stationed?”
“I went to boot camp in San Diego, which was a twelve-week basic training course. After that, I did a sixty-five day preparation course to transfer into a Recon Battalion. When I finished with that, I shipped out to Afghanistan. I did two tours of duty in Afghanistan. By the time I was discharged, my mother had passed away. I went back to LA and enrolled in the Police Academy. After I graduated from the Academy I joined the LAPD.”
He wasn’t going to talk about his time in Afghanistan. Or Chase and Lisa.
“Tell me about your brother.”
He was always happy to talk about Matt. He was incredibly proud of him. “Matt worked in the LAPD for several years. One year he took a vacation and went to Colorado. He fell in love with the Denver area and the mountains. Rather than transferring to the Denver PD, he started a consulting business having to do with solving crimes. It wasn’t long until he was working with various police departments throughout the State of Colorado. Right now he is working undercover as a homeless man.”
“A homeless man! What kind of case is he working on?”
“Have you heard about the four university girls in Boulder who were raped and killed?”
“My parents did mention something about that, along with a warning for me to be careful. If they only knew instead of my being murdered, I’m a suspect for murder. So far, I’ve been lucky and they obviously haven’t heard anything. When they do, they’re going to be devastated. Fortunately for me, when I tell them I didn’t do it, they’ll believe me.”
“Maybe you should tell them before they hear it from someone else or see it on the news.”
“You’re right. I should, but I’ve been so angry about everything, I didn’t feel like talking to them.”
“If they’re like the parents I know, they will be able to handle it better if it comes from you.”
“You’re right. I’ll call them from Milan,” Jade said. “Finish the story about your brother.”
“I’m sure you’re aware of the homeless in Denver and Boulder.”
“Of course.”
“There’s a group of homeless men that hang out by the Boulder Creek Path, which is where the girls were killed. Our cousin is a makeup artists for one of the movie studios in Hollywood. When he’s not working, he lives in Evergreen, Colorado. He made Matt up to look like a homeless man, long hair, beard, dirty hands, and ragged clothes. Now Matt hangs out with them, hoping to catch the killer. He is using a police woman from the Denver PD as a decoy.”
“That’s so interesting. Do they know who the killer is?”
“At this point, they have no clue. The decoy is dressed as a college student and hangs out around the university and the Boulder Creek Path. Hopefully, they’ll get the killer before he murders another student.”
“Yes, let’s hope so.” Jade shuddered.
Mitch noticed that she had a way of listening that was very flattering. She gave him her full attention and her eyes never left his face as he talked. She made him feel as though there was no one she would rather be talking to. The more time he spent with her and the better he got to know her, the harder it was to believe she was a murderer and the more attracted he was to her. But he knew after what had happened between Chase and his wife, Lisa, he never wanted to fall in love. In his opinion, women weren’t to be trusted. Especially, beautiful ones. Wasn’t Jade a case in point?
The plane landed on schedule in Milan. Gathering up their personal items, Mitch and Jade joined the line of passengers leaving the plane. They walked through the front doors of the terminal to find the limousine Giovanni had arranged for. Mitch was surprised to see a group of photographers. They called out Jade’s name and began taking her picture.
She smiled and waved.
“Jade, who’s the man with you?” one of them asked. “Your amour?”
She merely smiled.
A man in a chauffer’s uniform approached them and said, “Jade, give me the claim checks for the luggage and I’ll retrieve it for you.”
After they were seated in the limousine, Mitch said, “I didn’t realize you were such a celebrity.”
“I’ve been coming to the Milan fashion shows for several years, so I’m quite well known. The photographers and reporters know the schedule of the models flying in, so they’re always here. It’s good publicity for the shows, which they have twice a year. The winter event is held in March and the autumn one is held now, in September.”
Mitch stared out the window. This was a whole new world to him.
“Did it bother you?” she asked.
“You mean the photographers?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, I should have warned you.”
“No problem. It’s not the first time I’ve been photographed,” he said and proceeded to tell her about being photographed with the Chief of Police after he had solved a murder.
The chauffeur returned with their
luggage and after stowing it in the trunk, he slid behind the steering wheel and prepared to take them to the Carlton Hotel Baglioni. Sorrento’s had made reservations for a suite for them to stay in during the Milan Fashion Week.
That evening, they chose to eat dinner in the restaurant at the hotel. They had finished eating and Jade was looking around, waving and smiling at some of the models she knew who had also chosen to eat there.
“I’ve been curious about something,” Mitch said. “When we stayed at your apartment why did you want me to stay in what was obviously your bedroom?”
She sighed.
“Unfortunately, when my fiancé, David, called me to tell me of his trip to LA, I made the mistake of telling Reannan,” Jade said. “Reannan could be very charismatic when she chose. And she could act so interested in whatever was going on in a person’s life. At one time or another, even though everyone who worked with her knew how she was, we had all been captivated by her charms. It happened to me often enough. I should have learned my lesson.”
Jade became silent, remembering the look on Reannan’s face when she told her David was coming to LA. It had certainly gone far beyond any interest she had shown previously in the events of Jade’s life.
“Reannan always showed great enthusiasm when a new man appeared on the scene,” Jade said. “Men were a challenge Reannan took seriously. In fact, it appeared to me, men and her work were the only two things that interested her.”
Once again, Jade became silent.
“Go on,” Mitch encouraged her.
Jade continued. “Reannan used her ability at work to give her an edge in attracting Giovanni. He seemed to find her brilliant mind and her photographic memory irresistible. I watched her maneuver herself into a position of importance, a situation that made it difficult to replace her. After that, she manipulated herself into a relationship with Giovanni.”
Jade stopped speaking and took a sip of water. “I couldn’t help but be fascinated as I watched Reannan insert herself into Giovanni Sorrento’s personal world. Expensive gifts soon followed. A beautiful condo on the ocean, a BMW convertible, and trips to the French Riviera.
“I thought she actually couldn’t touch my life in any way, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. When I told Reannan about David coming to LA, something about Reannan’s expression should have triggered off an alarm. But it didn’t.
“I thought I had nothing to worry about. It was my life and my fiancé. We had been high school sweethearts. We had gone to University together. We had skied together. We had shared joys and sorrows over the years. I gave him moral support when his parents divorced. He helped me through the death of my older sister when she was killed in a car accident.”
Jade took another sip of her water as though her throat was dry from talking.
“I was so excited the day David flew into Los Angeles. I was unable to get away from work to meet him at the airport, but he assured me it would be no problem to rent a car.
“Knowing that everyone knew he belonged to me was one of the things I was truly proud of. He was incredibly handsome and I knew he would impress everyone at Sorrento’s. This was his first visit to see me since my arrival in Los Angeles.
“When David arrived at Sorrento’s, I was at one of the sewing shops where I had gone to have a final fitting on one of the garments I was taking to Milan. Some last minute adjustments had to be made and the garment tried on several times before Giovanni was satisfied.
“Much to my disappointment, Reannan was the one who showed David around the fashion house and introduced him to everyone. When I arrived back at Sorrento’s and found David, he gave me a quick hug and continued talking to Reannan. Almost as if I wasn’t there.
“Later, I must confess, I was totally resentful when Reannan said, ‘Oh, David, I know Jade has an appointment during the lunch hour, so please let me treat you at one of my favorite restaurants. Since she and I are such good friends, the least I can do is entertain you while she’s busy.’”
“Were you good friends?” Mitch interrupted Jade’s narration to ask. “Somehow, I had the idea you didn’t like her.”
“No, of course we weren’t good friends,” Jade replied, frowning at him.
“Sorry, go on.”
She waved at someone across the room. Then she frowned as though trying to remember where she had left off in her narration before clearing her throat and continuing.
“Our last night together, we made arrangements to have dinner out. We were to meet at a restaurant downtown after I finished for the day. I waited thirty minutes and when David didn’t show up, I decided he had misunderstood where we were to meet so I drove out to my apartment.”
She stopped speaking once again.
Mitch waited a few moments and then asked, “Was he at your apartment?”
“Yes, he was there.”
“So . . .”
“Reannan was there, too.”
“And . . .”
“They were in bed together,” she said, a devastated look on her face. “In my bed.”
Jade stared at Mitch, attempting to gauge his reaction to her last words. She wasn’t disappointed. She could tell he was furious when he swore in a low vicious voice. It made her wonder. His reaction seemed a little exaggerated considering he didn’t really know her, probably didn’t even like her.
“I was so shocked, I couldn’t move. Was this the man I had loved since high school? The man I planned to spend the rest of my life with?
“I screamed for them both to get out and I left and drove around. Before I walked out the door, Reannan had the nerve to taunt me about not only sleeping with David, but doing it right in my apartment, in my bed. It was obvious, she got some kind of strange kick out of tormenting me.”
“How did David take all this?”
“He just stared at me as though he couldn’t believe how hysterical I was. As though I shouldn’t be upset, which had the effect of making me scream even more. The last thing I said to him was that I never wanted to see him again. Later when I came back, he and his suitcase were gone.”
Jade stopped and grew thoughtful.
“That night, I became angry with myself. I had wasted years on someone who obviously didn’t appreciate my qualities. I couldn’t believe this man whom I had known since high school would turn to someone as manipulative, shallow, and lacking in morals as Reannan. Any feelings of love I had ever felt for him were gone.”
They were silent, both deep in their own thoughts.
“Oh, Mitch, I’m so afraid I’m going to end up in jail for something I didn’t do,” Jade said suddenly.
“That’s understandable. But it’s going to be okay.” He couldn’t help but hope he was right even though he wondered if she was really innocent as she kept saying she was.
“How can you say that?” Jade demanded. “I am a suspect in a murder. Probably the only reason I’m here in Italy is because my attorney happens to be the Police Chief’s brother-in-law.”
“They’ll figure out you’re innocent.”
”They’re not going to be looking for anyone else.”
“Then we’ll just have to find out who did it, ourselves.”
“How?”
“Tell me about the other employees of Sorrento’s and their relationship with Reannan. Start with the owner, Giovanni Sorrento.”
“Giovanni was obsessed with her. He admired her photographic memory and her talent in the fashion industry. He actually seemed to enjoy her fits of temper, many of which were directed at him. As I already told you, he bought her a BMW convertible, a condo on the beach, designer clothes, and countless trips to Europe. He created a monster, but he couldn’t control her.”
“Isn’t he married?”
“He is. But his wife apparently became tired of his affai
r with Reannan and went back to Italy.”
“Do you think he found out about her and David and killed her in a fit of jealousy?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Reannan had never made it a secret that there were others beside Giovanni. He never appeared to care.”
“That seems like a strange relationship after all the money you said he spent on her. You would think he would want her to be exclusive.”
“You would think so, but it appeared he was satisfied to have even a small part of her.”
“Who’s next?”
“There’s the quality control supervisor, Danilo. He’s from Central America and rather quiet and timid. But when Reannan screamed at him, as she sometimes did, he could become violent.”
“Violent? How?”
Jade thought for a minute. “Once he threw a pair of scissors at Reannan. Another time he destroyed some dresses he was inspecting, which she had just brought in from one of the contractors.”
“That must have been upsetting to Giovanni. Did he fire him?”
“No, Giovanni called him into his office after the episode. I don’t know what he said to him, but whatever it was, Danilo is still there.”
“If Giovanni had been on the receiving end of Reannan’s screaming, perhaps he understood how disturbing it was to Danilo. Maybe he was sympathetic.”
“Could be. Giovanni can be very kind when he wants to be.”
“Who’s next?”
“The pattern maker, Bennett. He was there the morning we went to Sorrento’s. He was the African American man. He’s usually very polite and likeable. But one time when he was leaving the warehouse, for some reason the security gate on the doors failed to operate. In a panic, he shook them, and yelled profanities. For some reason, the feeling of being locked in made him go crazy. After that, Reannan teased him unmercifully.”
Seams of Destruction Page 4
