Shadows of Doubt

Shadows of Doubt Page 27

by Corcoran, Mell

  Vinny held the door open for her. “God help whoever you get as a new partner. Who’s gonna pick you up in the morning?”

  She stopped and looked at him. “What, are you planning on leaving Homicide?”

  Vinny blinked and thought about it for a second. “Well, no!”

  “So why the hell can’t you pick me up still? Same damn building.” She grinned and walked inside. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and get a newbie I can boss around.”

  Vinny laughed. “Now, that would be fun to watch.”

  “Hurry up, I need to get to organizing my paperclips.” She tried to make light of the situation for Vinny’s sake, but she was really in a bad way over all of it. Her captain. The Monroe guy kicking the bucket just like like his partner had. Max. Having this nagging feeling that Max was somehow tied to the cases that she just got chewed out for not letting go. If she was being relegated to desk work, perhaps she could do a little digging and thoroughly confirm Max was nowhere near L.A. when the first two victims were killed. One thing was certain, she had to keep Vinny out of it from now on. He had far too much at stake and way too many years in to screw it up for him now.

  Max was very glad Niko had arranged for the helicopter rather than driving to the prison which Mr. Robert Sawyer was currently calling home. The forty-five minute flight was much more tolerable then a three hour drive would have been. As it was, Max was antsy as hell. The prison official had apologized four times for the method of transportation when he picked them up from the helipad and explained that it was for the sake of Max’s anonymity and security that they use a prison transport van. It made sense really, far more eyebrows would have been raised if a limousine or town car had pulled up in front of the prison and been waved right in without any record. When they arrived at the level 3 area of the facility, they were greeted by the warden accompanied by two guards and were ushered directly through a back corridor while the warden explained why they were heading to an inmate/attorney conference area rather than the isolation cell as Niko had previously been told. As luck would have it, if you could call it that, an inmate had used his attorney as a punching bag on Saturday. They had refrained from sending in a clean-up crew until after Max’s visit, though it had been summarily tidied for the meeting. Max really could have cared less. He just wanted to get his hands on the man that had put hands on Lou. Where that took place was inconsequential.

  The warden personally opened the door to the room which looked perfectly clean to Niko save for the minor bloodstains on the ground. A stainless steel table was bolted to the concrete floor and two chairs sat on opposite sides. The walls were concrete block, painted a cheery gray drab with one small cut out window that stood about eight feet off the ground. Gloomy winter day-light dribbled in reluctantly through the steel bars of the window, casting long planked shadows across the walls. Niko walked in first and eyeballed the man that stood in the corner. He wore the trendy prison uniform that was comprised of a chambray denim shirt, denim pants and spiffy white slip-on tennis shoes. He was a decent enough looking fellow who was obviously making good use of the prison’s exercise equipment. The man stood about six feet tall and had close cropped, dirty blond hair and muddy brown eyes that currently looked at them with a glare that Niko found amusing. When Max finally entered the room, the man’s expression flickered with surprise as often was the case when Max entered any room. The sharp contrast between Robert Sawyer’s average visage and Max’s imposing, perfectly polished presence was day and night. Max had specifically chosen one of his favorite suits so that it would be a favorite for another reason after today. It was the same suit he had worn the first time he had set eyes on Lou. Max didn’t look at Sawyer when he walked in, he simply peeled off his leather gloves and folded them in a gentlemanly manner. Niko pulled out the chair for him before taking his place near the door just as the sound of it being bolted shut from the outside reverberated through the room. Sawyer was obviously confused because these men were clearly not his attorneys and it was strict prison policy that a guard be present at all times unless it was an attorney-client visit.

  “Who the hell are you?” Sawyer barked at them.

  Max sat and crossed his legs, smoothing his slacks. “I don’t think that will really matter to you Mr. Sawyer, or may I call you Bob?” He looked at the man for the first time now, contempt seething in his stare.

  Sawyer took a step towards the table as if he was going to intimidate Max in some way, hulking his shoulders forward. “You can kiss my ass. Who the hell are you and what the hell am I here for?” His shackles rattled as he tried to lift his hands to further intimidate.

  “Niko, would you have the guard come in and remove Mr. Sawyer’s chains, please?” Max asked over his shoulder and Niko had the guard in and complying within ten seconds without ever saying a word. Sawyer’s expression baffled at the immediate response. “Sit down Bobby.” Max continued.

  Sawyer rubbed his wrists and glared at Niko, then Max, as the guard left and the door was bolted once again. “I’m fine standing.”

  Max’s fist came down on the stainless steel table with such force that it left a dent. “I said sit!” he bellowed and Sawyer sat without even realizing it. Niko nearly grinned, wondering what the table would have looked like if Max hadn’t been restraining himself the way he knew he was.

  “Now, that’s better.” Max’s voice resumed its eerily calm and gentlemanly tone. “You are curious as to who I am and why I am here. That’s only natural. The who means nothing to you but the why is quite critical actually.”

  “Yeah, okay so why then?” Sawyer calmed a bit and sat back in the rigid chair.

  Max took a moment to study the man who had inflicted such agony upon Lou, both physical and mental. Sawyer looked like a thousand men who might have crossed Lou’s path. Nothing at all about his look to indicate he was a psychopath. Couple that with the fact that this man had been working as a court officer, Max could see how Lou would have assumed he was safe to have a meal with. The thought of that sort of betrayal only infuriated Max more and he took a deep breath to keep his rage in check for the moment.

  “My associate and I are here about the offense that found you incarcerated in this fine establishment. I might note here that anything said between us is strictly for my own personal information, so by all means speak freely. Nothing you say to me will be held against you once you leave this room, you have my word.” Max had to smile at the play on words. Though they were true, the man had no idea that he wouldn’t be leaving the room alive.

  “Okay, so what? I’ll be out on parole by Labor Day so what the hell do I care anyway?” Sawyer snickered.

  “Yes, that is a wonderful thing to look forward to, isn’t it? You’ll still have plenty of beach time with the lovely California weather. Good for you.” Max was starting to enjoy this. “But the actual crimes are what I am interested in. The how and why of it to be specific. Would you mind explaining all that to me please?”

  “What the hell difference does it make? I’m doing my time, you can’t arrest me again.” Sawyer leaned on the table now, feeling more comfortable and obviously quite curious.

  “I know, which is why you should feel more at ease with speaking freely. It’s a personal matter for myself only. Let’s just say I have issues with the Detective and would like to know in graphic detail your exploits with the woman.” Max had thought about how he would word things carefully. The subtle implication that he was envious of Sawyer in some way would loosen the bastard’s tongue.

  “Ah, I get it. You must be a defense attorney or something right?” Sawyer grinned and leaned back in the chair again, obviously taking t
he bait in thinking that Max had a thing for Lou on some equally warped level as he.

  “Or something, right.” Max grinned at the man. “Now, would you mind recounting events from your side of things? Reports are reports.” Max made a dramatic gesture with his hand. “They so lack the color and passion of it all. I truly wish to hear your side.”

  Robert Sawyer obviously felt he had the upper hand with Max wanting to hear his details so badly. He relaxed his posture considerably and smirked. “Get me a smoke and I’ll be happy to tell my story.” Niko didn’t wait for Max to give him a signal. He pulled the antique silver case from his coat pocket and handed the scumbag one of his expensive cigarettes and gave him a light. “Nice. Pricey I bet.” Sawyer noted the obvious and didn’t bother to thank him. Niko didn’t acknowledge the man and took his place back next to the door. “Alright, so you want to know about the love of my life, Detective Lou Donovan. Damn that girl is hot.” Sawyer said almost with reverence as he drew in a long drag of the smoke. “I knew she was mine the minute I laid eyes on her, when she came in personally to get a signature on a warrant. She’ll know too once I get out and she sees me. I’ve been working out, getting in shape.” He flexed his arm and grinned. “But I gotta do things smart this time. Watch my P’s and Q’s with the whole parole thing first. Plus the fact that I’m sure she’ll know I’m out. Gotta make her wait ya know? That whole longing and anticipation thing will be working in my favor.” He winked at Max.

  Though the man was oblivious, Niko could see Max’s posture tighten like a bow string with each word Sawyer uttered. With every delusional sentence he spewed, he was adding another nail to his own coffin. Niko just wondered how long Max would be able to stand listening to the delusional bastard before he pounded him to a pulp.

  “I am sure you have a very carefully thought out plan, Bobby.” Max’s voice was straining to keep an even keel. “But I really would love to hear about before. What happened that fated you here, please?”

  Sawyer studied the black and gold cigarette then looked at Max as if he had forgotten he was there. “Oh yeah, sure.” He drew in another breath of smoke and held it, then exhaled and leaned in on the table as he started to recount his tale.

  It would have been disturbing to the average person to hear the story from Robert Sawyer’s point of view. He recounted everything so rationally, as if it were perfectly sensible to expect utter devotion from Lou after a single dinner and then to come to the logical conclusion that he needed to make her see, by whatever means necessary, that she was his. The man’s twisted sense of romance which was to inflict oppression and terror on Lou was so matter of fact that Max could scarcely hide his revulsion. Sawyer even relayed details of his breaking in to Lou’s apartment on several occasions to paw through her things, her intimate things, and that he had even contemplated hiding cameras to watch her but he wasn’t that tech savvy. When he had finally gotten to the part of his tale where he gleefully described the sensation of his fists pounding into Lou’s flesh, Max could feel the thirst in the back of his throat and the instinctive twitch of his fangs that laid dormant, retracted and hidden just under the surface behind his eye teeth.

  It was the primal aspect of his kind, the sanguinarius, the savage blood thirst that he and his Aegis Council dedicated their lives to keeping in check among their people. Max knew this side of himself well and had mastered it so very long ago but also utilized it when it served his purposes, as was his privilege. However, right at that moment his instincts wanted nothing more than to let his fangs fly like a viper and drain the life from the pathetic excuse of a human being that sat across from him. It was the Dominor, the highly evolved brain within the man that prevented him. Allowing the tainted blood of something like Sawyer to sustain him evoked nothing less than disgust from Max. But he surely would indulge in watching it puddle and flow on the concrete floor when he was good and ready.

  Robert Sawyer had taken the better part of an hour to tell his tale of sadistic brutality he had wrought upon Lou Donovan. After he had explained the mathematical genius in his timing to precisely hit Lou’s vehicle dead center to the driver’s side door the way he had, Max had heard enough. Calmly he rose from his chair while Sawyer continued patting himself on the back about his choosing the Hummer for maximum force behind the impact. Max removed his overcoat, then his suit jacket and vest, handing them to Niko who in turn carefully folded and draped them over his arm. It was amazing that Sawyer was so wrapped up in his own reverie that he hadn’t noticed Max removing the crisp white shirt he wore. Niko handed Max a hank of cloth that turned out to be some sort of apron which he carefully tied about his waist, to protect his trousers, of course. That was when Robert Sawyer noticed the oddity of things and got up from his chair.

  “What the hell? What kind of a freak are you?” Sawyer stammered as he backed into the corner away from the approaching Max.

  “I may be a genetic anomaly, Bobby...” Max stepped up and glared down into Sawyer’s face, letting his fangs fly as he grinned at him for maximum effect. “... but you, most assuredly are the freak.”

  Max reached back and cocked his fist as Robert Sawyer began screaming like a little girl. Savoring the first of what would be many, many blows, Max watched his knuckles make contact with the bastard’s cheekbone, just as the piece of shit had recounted only minutes ago he had done to Lou. When the screams turned to gurgles, Max paused to afford Sawyer the knowledge of why he was about to die such a painful death.

  “Bobby, my name is Maximilian Augustus Julian, since you were curious before. The reason I am so enthusiastically beating you to death is because, well, I’ll let you in on a little secret that I have only just moments ago admitted to myself.” Max leaned down and yanked Sawyer’s head up by what little hair he had left and looked him in his eyes that were severely swollen shut. “I am in love with the woman you so gleefully described torturing and terrorizing. The same woman your former bunk buddies tried to pay a visit to this weekend. Oh, they are both dead by the way.” Max felt Sawyer losing consciousness and gave him a solid smack on the cheek to wake him back up. “You still with me? Stay with me here just a little longer.” Max saw the pulp of a man acknowledging him and continued. “Now, by your own admission it is your personal life’s goal to see Lou dead if she will not accept your delusion of adoration, and you see...” Max saw the glimmer of understanding pass through Sawyer’s eyes. “... that is in direct conflict with my personal life’s goal which is to make sure Detective Donovan lives a long and blissfully safe life with neither a want or need for anything.” Max let go of the man’s hair, letting his skull bounce on the concrete floor. “I should thank you for that personal revelation Bobby, but I won’t. Enjoy your swift trip to the underworld and give Hades my regards, would you?” With one last jolt of rage, Max let his fist fly one more time and heard Robert Sawyer’s skull crumble under the weight of his fury. Max straightened and wiped his hands on the apron then looked at the mess of blood spatter he was wearing and grunted.

  “The warden has his personal shower at the ready for you my, Dominor.” Niko spoke for the first time since they had entered the room.

  “Well that is very thoughtful, and necessary I’m afraid. Do we have a good cleaner set up in town yet? I really made a mess of these trousers didn’t I?” Max’s casual demeanor about the situation was something Niko got a kick out of. It was his Max, the Dominor he admired, swore fealty to and loved like a brother.

  “We have a real good one. They can take care of the loafers too, no problem.” Niko informed him as he opened the door so they could get on their way.

  “Excellent!” Max said cheer
fully as he turned his back on the parasite once known as Robert Sawyer and headed to clean up all traces of the unpleasantness before they headed home.

  The morning had dragged on at a snails pace for Lou. She had done the digging she needed and verified for certain that Max had not been in town to have been involved in the Scott or Talbott murders. That was something, at least. By one-thirty she had caught up on all her paperwork. Both her in and out boxes were empty and to her chagrin, her paperclips were even organized. She had absolutely no clue how she was supposed to keep busy sitting on her ass for the rest of the week. By two-thirty she had started on Vinny’s desk, while he was sitting at it, and he was about to beat her senseless with his stapler.

  Frustrated, Vinny yanked his pen cup out of her hand. “Lou, go get a broom or something, I am trying to study here!”

  “The janitor is using it. I gotta wait.” She said in all seriousness and proceeded to sift through his out box.

  “Donovan.” Their Captain called from the doorway. “Come get a cup of coffee with me. DeLuca, you too.”

  Vinny looked at Lou suspiciously. “What the hell did you do now that you didn’t tell me about?”

  “I haven’t done anything!” There was no way that her captain could know that she had been snooping on anything related to the cases. She could have been cleaning up loose ends on old files. Even running something for one of the other detectives.

  Vinny grabbed the files from his out box out of her hand, then headed to the break room with Lou following close behind him. When they stepped inside, the Captain gave the two deputies that were sitting at the table eating their lunch a look so they scooped up their sandwiches and hustled out of the room. Before Lou could say anything he held up a hand and sat down.

 

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