Jade Dragon (Action Girl Thrillers)

by A. D. Phillips

  “Kari watched the whole thing,” said Matthews. “A genuine snuff movie. Not one clear image of the girl’s face. She’s one lucky bitch, I can tell you.”

  “That’s not luck, Matthews. It’s premeditation. What’s that on the dead guy’s chest?” Lakeysia pointed at the sword under the night manager’s arms.

  “A child’s toy from the look of things. There’s a pattern scratched on the hilt.”

  Lakeysia knelt down to take a closer look. The markings Matthews referred to weren’t part of the toy’s design. The killer had supplied her own artistic touch, carving a medieval style coat of arms into the plastic.

  “She likes her games,” Lakeysia said, sketching the figure in her notebook. “Can’t wait to see the deep fried secretary.”

  Two minutes later - when she arrived upstairs - Lakeysia bit her wicked tongue. She was well known for making quips to lighten the mood at murder scenes, but her comment about Rebecca was too accurate to be humorous. Thorne had told her the secretary was killed by electrocution, but knowing the cause of death in advance didn’t prepare Lakeysia for the horrific sight that awaited her in Nicole’s office.

  Rebecca’s face was black, barely recognizable beneath a mass of twisted hair. Solidified blood surrounded her bare feet. In her desperation to escape the electric chair, the secretary had cut her ankles on the chains. With hindsight, the maid and chauffeur were somewhat fortunate to die quickly. The other victims had all been made to suffer.

  Matthews joined Lakeysia by the body. “The chains and padlocks are the same as those on the first victim,” he said. “Fairly easy to come by, nothing that would help your investigation. However, we did find this in the trashcan.”

  The doctor showed Lakeysia an evidence bag. It contained an anesthetic dart, the kind used in a tranquillizer pistol.

  Lakeysia studied the projectile. “The killer puts her victims to sleep. Then they wake up to a living nightmare. Seems Rebecca was trying to access Nicole’s e-mail account.” Lakeysia nodded at the computer screen. Someone had typed the user name NTasoto, but the password field was blank. “We’ll need to ask the user for the password. I know someone close to her.”

  She dialled a number on her mobile phone. Her partner took a few seconds to take the call. Apparently, he was still upset with her.

  “Travis,” she said when he finally answered, “see if you can find out the password for Miss Tasoto’s office computer.”

  Predictably, Kyle stonewalled her. “May I ask what for?”

  “Cause it might help us nail a psychotic killer,” Lakeysia snapped. “That a good enough reason for you?”

  Her irritated response produced the desired effect. Lakeysia heard Kyle talk to Nicole in the background, though their voices were too quiet to discern what was said.

  “Cyber maiden. All one word,” Kyle relayed after some discussion. “Then a hyphen followed by the digit four.”

  “Cyber maiden dash four,” Lakeysia repeated. “Got it.”

  Lakeysia closed her cellphone and entered the password. Nicole’s online mailbox contained three unread messages. The newest one, sent by a user named Jade, had an obviously bogus domain address and the subject Attention: Stupid Cops.

  “Think this was meant for us?” she asked Matthews.

  Lakeysia opened the message. It was a single line of text. The combination is 14O. Jade Dragon.

  Matthews tried setting the padlock dials based on the message content, but with no success. “Why bother sending that e-mail if it’s not the right combination?”

  “Nicole’s password was alphanumeric, doc. No chance of Rebecca guessing it. Another of our wacko’s no-win situations. That’s not a zero. It’s the letter O. Fourteen-O. Fits with twelve-E and eighteen-A.”

  Lakeysia pulled out her notebook then scribbled ‘12E 18A 14O’. Acting purely on instinct, she wrote out the English alphabet, and numbered each character one through twenty-six. She converted the numbers to the corresponding letters to get a strange word.

  “Lerano,” Matthews read over her shoulder. “What’s that?”

  Lakeysia crossed out the text. “I think you mean who. The killer came here before the house. The right order’s Tasoto, Rebecca, then Rico Asante. Fourteen-O goes in the middle.” Seeing Matthews was confused by her theory, Lakeysia wrote out the letters in the rearranged order.

  “Lenora,” said Matthews. “That’s a woman’s name.”

  Lakeysia snapped her book closed. “Got it in one, doc. Could be a screwed up interpretation, a false lead, or the name of our favorite psycho.”

  Chapter Nine: Green Eyed with Envy

  Doctor Matthews’ assistant announced her discovery as if it were a world-shattering event. “We found something under the front desk!” she yelled, dashing through the elevator doors.

  Lakeysia logged off from Nicole’s account, not excited in the least. “Hope it’s a stash of rare coins. Then we can split if fifty-fifty.”

  She followed Matthews and Kari down to the lobby. Lakeysia was pessimistic about any physical evidence her quarry may have left behind. So far the killer had presented them with nothing except riddles and corpses. This woman wasn’t prone to making mistakes.

  The evidence in question turned out to be a single, two inch-long strand of blonde hair. Lakeysia double checked the surveillance recording of the manager’s murder, holding the sample against the monitor glass to make a direct comparison. The two hair colors were identical.

  “This is where the killer was standing,” Matthews said, bagging the strand with a pair of tweezers. “In my opinion, the sample’s authentic.”

  “Seems that way,” Lakeysia agreed. “But what if the old man was shagging a blonde beauty on the side? Did his stuff under the desk so they wouldn’t get caught on camera.”

  Matthews laughed, playing down her claims. “The night manager was fifty-three. A little on the old side.”

  “Same applies to you, Matthews. Would you say no to a sexy girl?”

  The doctor hesitated to reply, and his assistant looked uneasy as well. The Chinese American girl pretended to search a desk drawer, but Lakeysia sensed she was avoiding eye contact.

  “See you’ve taught her how to play doctor,” whispered Lakeysia. “Another guy with the hots for an Asian beauty. That’s three in two days. I’m starting to feel left out.” Lakeysia grinned, then let it slide. Matthews wasn’t married, and she didn’t want to dwell on his personal life. “How soon can you do an analysis?”

  Matthews was eager to change the topic. “I should have the results by this afternoon.”

  “Get back to me.”

  Lakeysia hoped to get away before Thorne made an appearance, but she never made it to the door. The Lieutenant wasn’t in a good mood, or even a mild one come to that. “Symons,” he said, hands on hips. “I’d like to clarify the situation for you. I have the DA breathing down my neck, a media circus outside, and a rookie officer’s funeral to attend. I’ve been asked to give a press conference. So, what do I tell them? We’ve yet to come up with a single concrete lead?”

  As always, arguing with Thorne was pointless, but Lakeysia gave it a try. “We found a hair sample that might belong to the killer.”

  “That might actually be useful if you had a suspect to run a DNA comparison test against.”

  Lakeysia played her wild card. “Lieutenant, I believe Nicole Tasoto knows who’s responsible for this.”

  Thorne wasn’t convinced. “That a hunch?”

  “Yeah, but a solid one, all things considered. Whoever killed Tasoto’s got a score to settle with his baby girl too.”

  Thorne paused to think, searching for a flaw in Lakeysia’s logic. “Possibly,” he conceded. “I want the daughter brought in for questioning.”

  “We already tried pressing her for information.”

  The Lieutenant stepped closer and breathed on Lakeysia’s face. “Then press a little harder. Some lunatic murdered three people tonight. I’d say it’s time to take off the kid gl
oves. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  ***

  Lakeysia asked Frances to prepare coffee in advance of the interview. It was lukewarm and tasted horrible, but she needed an overdose of caffeine (or whatever substitute the manufacturer used) to stay awake. She’d been on the job for thirty hours non-stop, and wanted to be fresh for the upcoming duel of words with Miss Tasoto.

  The interview room was downright ugly: a cream painted, windowless box with plastic furniture. The table was basic and the hardback chairs uncomfortable, a world away from the loveseats in Nicole’s mansion. Lakeysia glanced at the clock on the wall. It was a bare bones analogue model that nonetheless kept perfect time. Miss Tasoto had reported to the front desk ten minutes ago. Naturally, Kyle had insisted on being her personal escort.

  When the happy couple finally showed up, they were at each others throats. Nicole wore a designer dress and sapphire necklace. She could have passed for a fashion model, and certainly behaved like she was. “You want to explain what this is about now?” she asked Travis. “Am I a suspect? You must be getting pretty desperate.”

  “We just need to ask you a few things, then you can go home.” Kyle showed her to a seat opposite Lakeysia.

  Nicole refused to sit down, shoving the chair aside. “A few things? About what?”

  Tired of their petty arguing, Lakeysia took charge of the conversation. “You can start by telling us about Lenora,” she said. It was a long shot, but all she had in her armory.

  “Le… Lenora?” stammered Nicole. The girl obviously recognized the name.

  “Let me guess. It’s a long story. Tell you what. Travis can go fetch us some lunch while you fill me in. You like Japanese?”

  Nicole collapsed into the chair. “Anything,” she said. “I don’t mind.”

  Lakeysia had deliberately kept Kyle out of the loop, and he had trouble following her line of questioning. “What’s this about, Lakeysia?” he asked.

  “The lady asked for something to eat,” she told him bluntly.

  Lakeysia wanted Kyle out of the picture, so she could interview Nicole without his interference. He took the hint, slamming the door on his way out. Lakeysia switched on a tape recorder. “So, who’s Lenora?” she inquired, tossing her notebook on the table.

  Nicole glanced at a mirror on the far wall. The girl had probably seen enough cop shows to know it was a one-way front for an observation room.

  “Don’t worry, Miss Tasoto,” Lakeysia said. “It’s just you, me and our Lieutenant. No Lenora, so feel free to spill the beans. Right now, you’re the only other suspect I got on my list. Want it to stay that way? Fine with me. If you want your ass off the hook, start talking. Your call.”

  Nicole looked down at her dress and twiddled her thumbs. Several seconds went by before she opened up. “I assume you mean Lenora Knight.”

  “Is there more than one Lenora in your life?”

  Nicole shook her head.

  “Well, that’s the Lenora I mean.” Lakeysia opened her notebook at a blank page. “Tell me about her.”

  Nicole paused to take a breath. “We used to work together at Dragonsoft. I was only sixteen at the time. My father valued my creative input, so he had me work in games development when I wasn’t in school.”

  Lakeysia scribbled down the essentials. “We? So it was just you and Lenora?”

  “No. There were two other girls. We used to receive a lot of abuse from male colleagues. They weren’t used to female game designers at Dragonsoft. It was pretty tough.”

  “Tough? Yeah, it must have been hell.” Lakeysia feigned sympathy. “Being the only daughter of a millionaire. I grew up in South Central L.A., so I kinda see where you’re coming from.”

  “Quit treating me like some spoiled, selfish brat!” screamed Nicole. “My parents died when I was three, so spare me the tough childhood story.”

  Lakeysia finished taking notes, showing no reaction to Miss Tasoto’s outburst. “Okay, then. I’ll stop treating you like a brat. Let’s concentrate on this all-girl band of yours.”

  “We formed our own programming group, the Cyber Maidens.”

  “And you’re Cyber Maiden Four,” Lakeysia said, recalling Nicole’s password. “Figured you’d be number one, being the old man’s daughter.”

  Nicole sat up, hands clenched into fists. “We all treated each other as equals. Except for Lenora.”

  From Miss Tasoto’s tone, it was obvious she no longer considered ‘her’ a friend. Lakeysia suspected she was about to get the dirt on Lenora.

  “She claimed I stole her design ideas,” Nicole continued. “She threatened to take my father to court over it, sue him for millions. And then he blamed me for her actions.”

  “So did she?” Lakeysia probed. “Take your father to court?”

  “No. The judge threw out the case because Lenora had no proof. Want to know why she didn’t? Because it never happened! Lenora was nothing but a lying, cheating bitch who got what she deserved.”

  Lakeysia closed her notebook and sat with her arms folded. “That your professional opinion, Miss Tasoto? I’d say she’s more like your run of the mill psycho.”

  Nicole took her time responding, as if grappling with the notion. “Do you really think Lenora could be the killer? She’d have reason to hate me and my father, but…”

  “Or it could be another member of your sisterhood. Do the other two girls hold a grudge against you?”

  “Iris? Hannah?” Nicole exclaimed in disbelief. “No. That’s ridiculous.”

  Based solely on Miss Tasoto’s testimony, Lakeysia couldn’t discount them as suspects. “So, where are your pals now?”

  “I have no idea. I lost touch with them. The Cyber Maidens split up after my father fired Lenora. Hannah works at a dance club on Broadway, I think. I can’t remember which one. Iris? I haven’t heard from her in years. We were such a close-knit group. That bitch Lenora ruined everything.”

  “So, she no longer works for Dragonsoft.” Lakeysia tapped her pen against her notebook, watching Nicole closely. “She could be our woman, but one thing don’t fit. Two hundred grand in your account. That’s a lot of money for a child, even the heiress to the empire. Very convenient too, you having access.”

  “I’m eighteen, Detective. Not a child. And my father gave me that money. I wasn’t supposed to touch it. He was temporarily storing it under my name. He said he didn’t want to keep all his company profits in one place.”

  “Also saved himself a bundle on income tax. Sure that wasn’t intentional.”

  “So my father fiddled his taxes,” said Nicole indifferently. “Is that illegal? He was in business for profit. I wouldn’t put it past him. Sorry, but I still don’t see what the big deal is.”

  “I’d call two hundred grand a very big deal, but I’m not some selfish, spoiled brat.” Lakeysia smiled at Nicole, ignoring her unfriendly reaction. “My question is, how did Miss Knight know you had so much in your nest egg? Was it common knowledge? I can see why you’d brag, but…”

  That seemed to stump Nicole. “Maybe… Lenora has an accomplice,” she said. “Someone in my father’s accounting division who leaked the information.”

  “You mean Mister Forbes’ division? It’s his company now. Makes you wonder don’t it?”

  Lakeysia pulled a manila folder from her jacket, unwound the fastener, and spread the contents before Nicole. The girl looked through the crime scene photographs one by one. Each showed a clue left by the killer: the plastic sword on the night manager’s chest, the ring around Rebecca’s finger, the thief tools on Toshigi’s charred body.

  “This lady likes her calling cards,” Lakeysia said. “Make any sense to you?”

  “That’s the crest of Sir Charles of York,” explained Nicole. “He was a knight in The Templar Legacy, a pioneering hack and slash RPG. That’s a role-playing game. The markings on the ring are the signature of Silica, the teenage computer hacker from Ultimate Heist: Tokyo.”

  Lakeysia nodded in agreement. The videogame lin
go was incomprehensible, but she didn’t want Miss Tasoto to stop.

  “And my father was dressed like the Black Ghost,” Nicole continued, “the cat burglar from Ghost in the Night. They’re all characters, Detective. And the Cyber Maidens designed all the games that feature them. It has to be Lenora.”

  “Ah, the plot thickens,” Lakeysia said, collecting the photos. “Don’t seem so surprised. You look like the kid who forgot to do her schoolwork.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Lakeysia leaned across the table. “I know when I’m being lied to. Level with me, Nicole. You stole Lenora’s game ideas, and now she wants to get even.”

  Nicole gritted her teeth. “Just because I used Lenora’s—”

  “So, you’re not the saint Travis seems to think you are.”

  Lakeysia slid the photos back in the folder. A moment later, Kyle entered the room with two takeaway bags. Lakeysia switched off the tape recorder, stood up, and smiled.

  “It’s okay, Travis. We’re done,” she told him. “Now you can take Miss Tasoto home. Try not to mess up her lovely four poster bed too much.”

  “Lakeysia!” Kyle shouted as she left. “What the hell?”

  Kyle offered Lakeysia a bag, but she ignored him and walked out. She’d eaten enough Japanese nuggets for today, and Miss Tasoto had thrown her a fortune cookie. Her story about Lenora filled in all the blanks. Nicole might have stolen a few game ideas, but unless the girl was a frighteningly good liar, she was no killer. Lakeysia felt she owed Miss Tasoto an apology, but now wasn’t the time. Kyle was right about Mei Tan biasing her, but he’d feel better about things after he won the bet. Lakeysia refused to admit she was wrong until the case was officially closed. Maybe Nicole had designed the perfect murder spree, and was playing her part to perfection.

  After leaving the interview room, Lakeysia returned to Homicide and presented Frances with a summary of Nicole’s statement. “Run a search on Miss Tasoto’s former group,” she said once she’d finished. “Names, last known whereabouts, the full shebang.”