Broken Serenade

by Dorina Stanciu

  “The door,” she said. “It’s locked.”

  “I know,” the doctor answered calmly. “You will not leave this room… so soon, Miss Hopkins. And certainly not so… vivacious,” he added, taking a few sips from his coffee cup using a white straw.

  He unsuccessfully pretended to have had misinterpreted the young woman’s surprised look.

  “Why do I use the straw? It is an excellent artifice to avoid the staining of your teeth with coffee,” he rushed to explain his unusual habit, spinning the straw around his middle finger with incredible dexterity.

  Vivien felt her knees going weak. Her heart was pumping fast inside her chest. She imagined that she might faint any moment, but she couldn’t afford that luxury if she valued her life. She struggled to summon up her spirits. Clair will remember him. The police will get here shortly. I need to buy time.

  “Don’t you want to see what your grandmother forgot here?” he asked with a diabolical grin.

  The doctor bent slightly and extracted a yellow scarf from a drawer.

  “Soon you’ll be wearing it. You’ll look gorgeous in it, my dear.”

  “I doubt that. Yellow is not my favorite color. So, you killed grandmother,” Vivien said with hatred.

  “Guilty as charged,” Doctor Evans admitted. “Such a pity! She was so witty and smart! A mountain of intelligence squeezed in that old little body. And she chose to trust me! I can bet that she departed from us without the infinitesimal inkling regarding my actions.”

  “And, it was also you who killed Arlene,” Vivien pushed further.

  “No, dear. Unfortunately, I didn’t kill Arlene. A small error of judgment, which I strongly regret. But I did help Carol’s young physician leave this world.”

  Vivien scoffed at him, disgusted.

  “Do you kill for Mademoiselle Lili? What does she offer you?”

  “It would be easier to ask me what she does not offer me. A single thing – her gorgeous body, herself. She is the only woman who attracts me… ever attracted me. Strange, but I still like her even after that monstrous face change. It’s her spirit, her power I love the most. Needless to say that the doctor who ruined a face like hers paid heavily for his regrettable mistake.” He paused for a couple of seconds. “I still sigh over the fact that I didn’t torture him a bit before killing him. Even though, I did shoot his wife and daughters first, if that counts as torture. It does, doesn’t it?”

  “You’re a monster. You killed the Woodside face plastic surgeon and his family fifteen years ago.”

  “Yes, my dear. And if you want a full report of my activities, I also burned Nadine to death. Don’t worry, I drugged her first. I’m not without a soul… You see, Vivien, Nadine was a distraction for Miss Lauren. When I saw the way she was beguiling her, how she was entrancing her with her fugacious charm… One night, I followed them to their secret place by the ocean. They were beautiful together. Just delightful to watch. But you already know that, don’t you Miss Hopkins?”

  “Is that why you tried to kill Igor?”

  “No, dear. I never try. If I want to do something, I just do it. Igor… Yes. I will do it,” he announced confidently. “Soon. Very soon. It’s quite possible that Miss Lauren gave him the warning. She does that sometimes, you know. I don’t. I’m very direct. I go straight to the point. She’s quite fond of him because he’s Nadine’s brother. But the guy got too big for his shoes. Just like you. Not a smart thing to do, you know. Well, if you didn’t know it, you’ll learn that the hard way today.”

  He inhaled deeply, and then he let out the air slowly, in a controlled manner, as if performing a yoga exercise.

  “To come back to Miss Lauren… Miss Lauren is a genius,” he declared emphatically. “A demented genius, pathologically speaking, but still… a fascinating one. She had no need of Nadine. Nadine didn’t even love her. I love her. I know how to appreciate her qualities. She built an empire out of nothing at all. I helped her from time to time. I set the stage for her grandiose idea. I cleared the way for her. I owe her. She freed me, you know. She freed me from myself.”

  “You helped her?” Vivien repeated scornfully. “You killed innocent people for her. You are a monster!”

  “This is the second time you’re calling me that. If you insist… Yes, I am a monster. But I feel wonderful this way. And coming from you, Miss Hopkins, that is rather a compliment. The freedom that I enjoy now has no equal. To think that I lived half of my life straitjacketed into my own fears! What a stupidity on my side! It’s not worth it, Vivien! It’s not healthy. I always knew what I liked, what I wanted, but I didn’t have the courage to admit it, not even to myself.

  “And what is it that you like, Doctor Evans? To kill?” Vivien incited him to speak.

  “No, my dear. However, it’s fun to squash a bug every now and then. I like girls,” he said proudly. “Not very small. The ones between twelve and thirteen years old are perfect – not children anymore, but not women yet. You can see their breasts just flickering… Hmmm… enchanting, isn’t it? Miss Lauren understood me immediately. She didn’t judge me. Unlike my brother Sean…He should’ve done that, but he was too stupid to understand a complex person like me. He had the nerve to mock me. A fatal mistake! I confessed to him, and he derided my sincere admission.”

  “And you killed him for that. You killed your own brother,” Vivien uttered perplexed.

  “I just wanted to make him shut up. He spoke too much. Too much and too stupidly. But, enough with all this boring confessions! Even though, I have to admit that I feel great now. They are right when they say that it helps to open up your heart to someone,” he said, giving a harsh laugh and curling the ends of the scarf around his hands.

  Vivien read his intentions correctly. He was preparing to strangle her. She looked around her, trying to find something to defend herself with. Nothing solid.

  “Help! Help!” she cried terrified.

  Doctor Evans grinned. He appeared to enjoy the situation.

  “And who do you think will hear you, Vivien! Moreover, who do you think will come to your rescue, my dear? My assistant? I picked her up on the streets of Los Angeles, when she was only eleven years old. Nobody’s child. I made her mine. She would give her life for me.”

  Vivien dashed along the wall, aiming to reach the place behind the desk, where she imagined it would be easier to defend herself. She made a quick attempt to lift the office chair and hit him with it, but the thing seemed extremely heavy, as though it had been made of lead. She grabbed a sharpened pen and directed it courageously toward her executioner.

  “Now, Vivien, don’t complicate things, my dear! I could shoot you, but I hate the mess. And I can’t wait to squeeze the life out of you, literally. It will be so… beautiful! I know that you like Latin. Memento mori, memento mori,” he repeated in such a way that she felt he was intending to hypnotize her. “Remember you’ll die. Stop making difficulties and accept your fate, my dear! Carol told me that you were as scared as a rabbit, not able to say boo to a goose.”

  “Well, granny didn’t know just everything,” she retorted, facing him, determined to fight until her last breath. “And I have news for you, doctor. Police found your DNA at the place where Arlene has been murdered. I just got off the phone with Detective Leonard before entering your clinic. Police can arrive any minute now.” She struggled to push the office chair with one hand and use it as a shield. To her horror, she realized that it was stuck to the floor.

  “As I said earlier, I did not kill Arlene,” he reiterated clearly. “However, I have no doubt that, sooner or later, the police is going to pay me a visit. Unfortunately, for you, it will be too late.”

  As he advanced toward her, sure-footed, displaying deadly confidence, a powerful thud in the door stopped him in his tracks. His strangely black eyebrows jumped up in utter surprise. He froze for an instant, watching the door being pushed out of its hinges.

  “Vivien!” Timothy’s voice reverberated as a thunder.

  “T
ee! I’m here,” she answered, relieved.

  Livid and shaking with rage, the doctor rushed to the desk where Vivien guessed immediately that he kept his gun. The young woman pounced upon him with all her force and hindered him to open the drawer. She scratched his hands and stepped hard on his foot with her metallic high-heel. The doctor screamed in pain and attempted to immobilize her and get the gun. Vivien allowed him to hold her, and then she hit the desk with her feet with all her might. The powerful impact caused him to lose balance and sent them both tumbling to the floor. The next instant, strong arms separated her from the vicious embrace of her deadly assailant. Timothy got hold of the doctor with unmistakable vengeance and pinned him on the wall. His hair in disarray, his eyes poisonous arrows, Andrew Evans grinned diabolically.

  “I should’ve killed you first,” he growled.

  Timothy grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up until his feet separated from the floor and his legs started dangling like those of a marionette.

  “You know what my problem was until now, doctor Evans?” he said with calculated calm. “We were attacked only by women. I’m a gentleman. I’m reluctant to hit a woman. Not the case with you,” he hissed, frowning as he delivered punch after punch. In the end, he let the doctor’s inert body slid at his feet. He turned and faced Vivien. She was holding the gun.

  “Just in case,” she explained, still alert.

  “Put it down, Vee. It’s not necessary. He won’t be able to move for a very long time.”

  She put the gun back in the drawer, and Timothy lifted her in his arms. She fell to pieces.

  “I’m sorry, Tee. I should’ve listened to you,” she whispered, crying softly.

  “It’s OK, my love. I’m with you now. You’re safe,” he told her, kissing her tears.

  Stepping over the broken door, he came face to face with Clark, Alberman, and detective Leonard. They were all armed. The later was black with fury and worry.

  “Is she hurt?” he asked and nodded toward Vivien.

  “No, she’s fine now. But you can go and collect the garbage,” Timothy told him, sending a quick glance over his shoulder toward the man lying on the floor.

  “Is he dead?” Alberman inquired. He approached the doctor with a pair of handcuffs ready.

  “I only anesthetized him,” Timothy cleared that up matter-of-factly, as he left the scene carrying his sweet burden.

  CHAPTER 32

  “Do you really have to leave right now? Can’t you stay a little longer?”Art asked, with a disappointed smile that almost seemed sad.

  “If I don’t walk out that door in the next two minutes, I’m going to be dangerously late,” the woman told him, laughing as she put on her sexy blue jeans.

  She came by the bed and kissed him again, a short but passionate kiss.

  “You hungry, needy lover!” she reprimanded him affectionately.

  “You could give up this salesperson job,” Art suggested. “I know someone who needs a secretary very badly. You would be perfect for that. And you wouldn’t have to deal anymore with this horrible working schedule. A nine-to-five job sounds better to me.”

  “But I love what I’m doing,” she replied. “I know lots of women who would prefer to sell perfumes in a department store rather than go to their nine-to-five boring jobs. You know, I have a scent for every frame of mind.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know what you were wearing last night, but I swear that it was a powerful aphrodisiac,” Art Leonard moaned seductively, with his head buried in her lap.

  “It was Obsession, my darling,” the woman told him happily. “It’s the perfume I identified for you when we first met.”

  She took a deep breath and got up.

  “By the way, was my help of any use? I wish I brought you good luck. Did you solve that case?” she asked, as she grabbed her purse and strolled toward the door.

  “Not entirely, unfortunately,” Art admitted sighing.

  “Don’t worry,” she encouraged him kindly. “You’ll do it soon. After all, you’re the best detective I’ve ever met.”

  “How many detectives have you met before me?” he asked with curiosity and a dash of jealousy.

  “None. But I just know that you’re the best of all,” she smiled amused and made his heart miss a beat with her charm. “Seriously now, I have this feeling that you can do anything you put your mind to. So, you’ll solve that case,” she added confidently and left.

  He wanted to run after her and tell her that he had never had someone in his life to trust him and to show so much respect for his work. Art wanted to tell her that he loved her, but the fear that he would destroy such a wonderful and young relationship kept him pinned to that bed.

  Just when he was blaming himself for being such a coward and not having the courage to recognize his feelings aloud, the door opened, and his new woman popped her beautiful head inside.

  “And it’s OK to tell me that you fell in love with me, you know. I’m not going to hurt you, or accuse you, or anything. I promise,” she said.

  Art felt the morning sun pouring its light directly into his heart.

  “Yes, Jean, I love you. I love you so much, it’s scary,” he confessed without moving, paralyzed with joy.

  “Don’t be scared! Be happy!” She laughed and left.

  Art rejoiced in his newly found love for a while. Then, little by little, his working problems found their way into his happy mind again.

  He pushed the cover aside and sat up in bed. He scratched his head with both hands and heaved a deep sigh. It would’ve been very simple to make Andrew Evans responsible for all the recent unsolved murders. The psychologist had confessed about killing his brother, Nadine, Carol Hopkins’s former doctor, and the plastic surgeon and his family from Woodside. Strangely, he had denied killing Arlene, even though his DNA had been found at the scene in abundance, as if he had wanted to get caught. Or someone planted it there, Art Leonard thought. The detective was also still entertaining the idea that Robert Kane had not committed suicide, but rather he had been eliminated. That same thing had possibly happened to the construction engineer who had worked to built Miss Lauren’s mansion before Kane. That man had also died in mysterious circumstances. And finally, his high school colleague and friend, architect Timothy Leigh, who had designed Miss Lauren’s house, he had miraculously escaped death only a few days ago. It was only a gut feeling, but Art knew that usually, his intuition was right on. He took the phone from the nightstand and called Nick Alberman.

  “Nick, did you find anything regarding Miss Lauren?”

  “Not much. I located an old friend of hers, Mr. Logan. Miss Lauren lived with him in Woodside, before the death of her lover, Nadine. During that time, she was giving piano lessons. Nadine and Vivien have been her students.”

  “And where is Mr. Logan living now?”

  “On the same street with Miss Hopkins. Very close, in fact. Just a few blocks from her.”

  “Very interesting discovery,” detective Leonard mumbled, yawning. “I’ll be in the office in less than an hour. You can start the coffee. I’ll bring the donuts.”

  “Deal!” Alberman answered enthusiastically.

  * * *

  Clark stepped out of the house dragging a huge valise. A fancy carry-on leather bag was hanging on his shoulder, and another piece of luggage visibly overstuffed stood by the door. Timothy opened the trunk of his car and turned to help his brother.

  “I hate to travel when it’s cold. All those clothes are too heavy, and my back is killing me,” Clark lamented.

  Timothy understood the subtle message and lifted his brother’s heavy luggage into his Mercedes.

  “Thanks, Tim, for everything.”

  “Thank you too, Clark. You did an excellent job.”

  “Well, yes, I tried.”

  “You tried? Come on, man! Give up this nonsensical modesty. I am alive! That means that you didn’t just try. You accomplished your mission.”

  “What I wanted to say was that I
would’ve liked to leave Lili behind bars forever. Although, as much as I hate her, and I believe she’s capable of anything, I’m glad she didn’t actually murder anyone. Yet.” He leaned closer to his brother’s ear. “At least I enjoy the tranquility of knowing that you don’t marry the daughter of a killer,” he added smiling meaningfully.

  Timothy gave no reply to his obnoxious provocation. He just sent his older sibling a reprimanding look. Clark continued to tease him. “You’ll never know how genes are passed from mother to daughter. And other crazy stuff like that, God knows! I would hate to think that you’re living in fear, making love to her, touching that gorgeous body of hers, and worrying about the ice pick under the bed. I can keep an eye on you two, you know.”

  “Cut it out, Clark! Man, you’re odious! Keep us out of your sick sexual fantasies,” Timothy told him amused. He was in great spirits. He could think of only one thing: He would soon be all alone with his darling Vee. The mere thought almost aroused him.

  “Are you two hot hunks gossiping about me?” Vivien asked as she stepped out of the house.

  “Only me,” Clark recognized penitently. “Tim is too afraid to do it. Le geant de papier!”

  Vivien smiled broadly and joined them quickly.

  “Are we ready to go?” she inquired. “Clark, what time is your flight? We’d better get back inside for a few minutes, rather than take you to the airport too early and leave you all alone there.”

  Timothy wrapped one arm around her waist and softly touched her cheek with his hot lips. He whispered something naughty in her ear, and Vivien gave a colorful chuckle.

  “There is some time left,” Clark answered her question. “But I don’t want to torture Tim any longer. It’s vulgarly obvious that he can hardly wait to be alone with you in that house,” he added, watching preoccupied the old couple from across the street. The feeble old guy was nervously jerking the luggage out of the used Cadillac under the continuous bickering of his wife, a little old woman emaciated as a dried fig.