by Baker, Alex
Where else am I going to get sex like that? She immediately scolded herself for going down that path.
Dwayne quickly approached the two, and Laura was relieved to see he had a travel bag in hand, as she adjusted her busted pants once again. Given the precarious condition of the lone garment covering her lower extremities, she made a conscious decision to walk in the guard position slightly behind Roofy. Nothing like fugitive cover.
The forensics officer could not take his eyes off the large Russian. “Damn. I mean – just damn. You are huge,” Dwayne said, having to stare up at the imposing ex-wrestler.
“Dwayne, really,” Laura scolded.
“Sorry,” the forensics officer replied. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person – to put a face to the name in all of this craziness that has been going on.” With that, Laura noticed Dwayne cutting her a sideways look, and she was sure that it implied something sexual.
“It is good to meet you as well. Laura has said many good things about you. I just wish our meeting was not like this, I think,” Roofy replied.
“Okay,” Laura interjected, holding her pants with one hand and leading Roofy with the other, “enough of the introductions. Let’s get inside and secure before an errant reporter or someone else notices us.”
Entering the headquarters building for the Richmond Police Department, Laura led the three of them to booking and instructed Dwayne to call the chief down.
The forensics officer did not get a chance to place the call. “Change of plans,” the desk Sergeant stated, “Chief wants to see all of you upstairs. An escort is on the way.”
Laura shared an uneasy glance with Dwayne and adjusted her pants.
As uncomfortable silences go, the one Laura currently had found herself in did not last long enough to reach an unbearable stage. Two officers joined them and the group proceeded to the commander’s office, garnering more than their fair share of stares, hushed, and not-so-hushed dialog.
Waiting for them at his door was the chief, arms crossed and glasses hanging on the end of his nose. As they approached, he sized up the ex-wrestler.
Stopping in front of him, Laura made the introductions, “Chief Epps, I present Roofy Reiner, who wishes to turn himself in. Mister Reiner, this is our commanding officer Chief Epps.” She was careful to use formalities, given the history of the case and her documented previous association with the ex-wrestler.
“Well,” the chief began, “it is certainly good to finally meet you Mister Reiner. There are a lot of questions I’d like to have you answer for me regarding the deaths of your wife, one Kate Reiner, and your friend, Sarah Whent. I’m also more than a little intrigued at the idea of you explaining just how you got up off an examination table and walked out of a morgue.”
“Sir,” Laura quickly rebutted, “I think you will find that Mister Reiner is willing to cooperate to the fullest degree of our investigation.”
“I am here to cooperate,” Roofy added, following the instructions Laura had hammered into his head and feeling a bit like a robot.
“Detective, I have to say how you have handled this is commendable, and it restores my good faith in…,” the chief was adding, but he was cut off by a voice that was both familiar and unwanted to Laura.
“Holy shit, Mister Apocalypse as I live and breathe,” interrupted Officer Patterson. “Man, I would shake your hand if you weren’t cuffed.”
Laura looked over just in time to see Dwayne roll his eyes. Apparently she was not the only one that the officer had rubbed the wrong way in the past.
Patterson produced his notepad and a pen and asked for an autograph, and Roofy obliged, which the chief reacted to by clearing his throat in a very direct manner.
“Mister Patterson, don’t you have some work to do?” Chief Epps asked deliberately.
“Like securing a carton of donuts,” Laura added. Speaking of securing, she adjusted her pants.
“You know, I actually have to hand it to you, Skanks,” Patterson replied mockingly as he admired the signature, “you really know how to do them. Thigh wrestling this guy is the best thing you’ve done around this department in…well…ever.”
“Wow, I’m not sure how to take that, Officer. I mean, I’ve never heard a compliment come from that mouth,” Laura answered back, playing up the dramatics of her statement. “If you’d like, I could have him give you a personal first-hand demonstration of an Apocalypse Bomb right here on this concrete floor. Of course, I don’t know if he could pick up that much weight.” She was also one-hundred percent sure he would not get the same treatment she did after receiving one. Although, the image of it happening did amuse her.
Before the visibly aggravated officer could retort, Roofy jumped in, stating very matter-of-factly, “Da, I could lift him.”
Dwayne could not hold back his chuckle at the response, and Laura just shook her head.
“Play time’s over. We have business here,” Chief Epps insisted, and Patterson, getting in one last nasty look at Laura, left.
Another officer ran up and was immediately met by a tongue lashing from the chief. “This is not a meet-and-greet session.”
“No, sir. We have another bite victim. It just came in,” the young officer stated and headed back off.
Chief Epps exchanged looks with Laura and Dwayne and then got everyone hustling. The two guards were ordered to take Roofy back down to detention and hold him there for the duration, as he personally wanted to be there for the questioning. Laura and Dwayne were tasked with hitting the scene of the crime pronto.
Laura could feel Roofy gaze at her as he turned to be taken away, but she withheld from returning the look, although it was an effort. The pit of her stomach knotted up, a direct result of her feeling as though she were letting him down or hanging him out to dry. That was nowhere near as bad as the emotional angst of wondering if they would ever be together again. As much as it rankled at her, she kept her expression stone cold.
“And Detective Stenks,” the chief added, “do something about those trousers before you go back out in the field. You appear to have torn them while apprehending the suspect.”
Doesn’t miss a thing. Laura wondered if she were turning a bright shade of red. Judging by Dwayne’s chuckle, she was sure she had.
“Sir, may Mister Early and I borrow your office for just a brief moment?” Laura asked, which brought an inquisitive stare from the commanding officer. “It’s a private matter, Chief.”
Responding with a shake of the head, like a parent dealing with two kids, Chief Epps threw up one hand and walked away.
“Give me that bag and get in here,” Laura said, jerking the satchel from the hands of the still chuckling forensics officer. Pulling him along with her, she closed the door to the office and drew the blinds.
“I’m sorry, but that shit was funny,” Dwayne said, still trying to contain himself.
Laura began unbuttoning her shirt.
“Damn, girl. Now you’re getting fresh up in the big man’s office?” Dwayne said, eyes glued on Laura.
“Oh, stop. You act like you’ve never seen a woman change clothes before,” Laura jibed back. “You have seen a woman change clothes before, right? At least one of legal age?” She removed her shirt and threw it over the back of one of the chairs.
“Low blow, Stenks. Low blow. That hurts me,” Dwayne replied back, playing up the affront.
“Please,” Laura said. “And, um, eyes up here, Cowboy. There’s nothing down there that needs to be investigated.”
“I don’t know, it was probably the scene of a crime last night,” Dwayne teased back.
Laura gave him a shit-eating look back. “Just turn around already.”
The forensics officer having complied, Laura unsecured her duty belt, which had the immediate effect of releasing her department uniform pants to fall almost all the way to the floor.
“That went better than I expected,” Laura said.
“Definitely. When the chief called downstairs I started
getting worried that all three of us were going in a cell together,” Dwayne responded.
Naked except for her bra, Laura opened up the travel bag and removed the clothing. “This is not what I asked you to bring.”
“What?” Dwayne responded, coyly. “No, I’m sure I got exactly what you wanted. Or maybe you just did not make yourself clear.”
“I made myself clear,” Laura stated.
“You could always put the other clothes back on,” Dwayne said, chuckling again. “Might need a handful of safety pins though.”
“Whatever,” Laura said sarcastically. She buttoned the last few fasteners on the blouse and then added her belt, transferring the handcuff case and other essentials from the bulky duty belt. “Okay, fine. What do you think?”
Dwayne turned around and gave her a smile of approval. “Now that’s the fire I am talking about. Ouch.”
Tight blouse, above-the-knee, form fitting power skirt, and heels completed the ensemble. It was an outfit Laura had not expected to wear again.
“I feel totally out of place wearing this,” she said.
“No, you don’t,” Dwayne replied insistently.
No, she didn’t.
35
Police barrier tape had already been put in place, along with patrol officers, when Laura and Dwayne arrived at the Other Self costume shop in Richmond’s Carytown district. Pushing past onlookers and gawkers, the two made their way up to the front door, where they were greeted by one of the people in uniform.
“Place has been secured and is ready for you, Detective,” he said and then shifted attention to the forensics officer. “Dwayne. How are you man? You got that twenty dollars you owe me?”
“Yeah, I left it with your wife last night when I was wearing her out,” Dwayne countered, sending the officer off with a laugh.
Careful to avoid contaminating areas that clearly needed to be evidenced, Laura and the forensics officer made their way methodically through the store. There were some signs of struggle, with one rack tipped over and various costumes and accessories scattered on the floor of one area, but aside from that, she found that things appeared to be fairly tranquil and business as usual.
“Reports say one body: male in his early twenties located in the office section at the back of the store. Initial thought is he has been here all night. Maybe the place got hit right around closing time yesterday,” Dwayne said.
Laura scolded herself for half hoping the body they found belonged to Anthony, the smart-mouthed clerk she had dealt with on a couple of occasions. Although, given his personality, it was a very real probability he pissed off the wrong person.
Reaching the cramped area in the rear of the establishment revealed a minimal operating area: the office, a storage room, and a solitary bathroom. A quick glance did not indicate any disturbance in the first two spots, which led Laura to believe the intruder was not after anything in particular.
Dwayne called her over to the restroom, where a male’s body, shirt torn open, was slumped over the toilet. Leaning back, she could see claw marks etched into the wooden door and that the door knob had been torn out. Returning her attention to the victim, his physicality was eerily similar to previous ones in the case: pale skin, sunken eye sockets, and bite marks. Definitely not due to diarrhea. She scolded herself for being a bit too dark.
“Constance or Ambrose?” Laura asked.
“It’s a smaller set of teeth,” Dwayne answered.
“So, Constance then,” Laura said.
“I’m not so sure,” the forensics officer said, taking out his cell phone and pulling up some of the photographic records related to the investigation. “Comparing these to the files Micky sent me, I’d say one set belongs to the girl, but these over here,” Dwayne stopped to point to imprints and punctures on the thighs, “they don’t seem to match any of the other marks.”
“An entirely new set?” Laura asked, perplexed and concerned.
“Appears so,” Dwayne answered.
Laura mulled the discovery over. Who was this new set of marks from? Did Ambrose send someone to assist the teen or, maybe even worse, did the girl have the ability to add others to her ranks? If there was one silver lining to having Roofy locked away right now, it was that at least she did not have to worry with him wanting to help someone who, by all appearances, was progressively becoming more and more dangerous.
“Here’s my scenario,” Dwayne said from his crouching position near the body, “our boy here was working late. Constance comes in with some back-up. They have this guy alone. He tries to escape and ends up locking himself in the bathroom. The bust in and use him for their dinner plate.” Hesitating a moment, he added, “Man. Think of how horrible that must have been. Probably tried bracing himself against the door and yelling for help. Wonder how long they toyed with him?”
“No, he wasn’t alone,” Laura responded and stepped back into the office momentarily to retrieve some paperwork that was pinned to a cork board. “Our victim’s name is Thomas. Appears he was working with Anthony.”
“Maybe this is Anthony,” Dwayne said.
“No, this one is Thomas,” Laura said and did not consider the corner she had backed herself into until she saw Dwayne giving her that ‘how do you know this’ look. “There’s a cell phone in the office. Probably why he could not call for help. And, okay, fine. Yes, I’ve frequented this establishment before.”
Shushing any possible retort that Dwayne might have been wanting to give her, Laura pointed out that she had also seen some blood out front and believed it was more probable that Constance arrived with someone else; the two waited until the clerk up front was isolated; they killed him; they then came to the back and attacked Thomas.
“So where’s the other body?” Dwayne asked.
“Maybe it was not a kill. Maybe they kidnapped him. You know, keeping him for a snack for later,” Laura theorized, almost allowing herself to smile over the thought of someone gnawing on the store clerk with the sour demeanor. Too dark, Stenks. Too dark.
“Any of that is plausible, but why here? Why them?” Dwayne asked. “It doesn’t add up. There are plenty of stores around here, and many of them in more secluded spots with less foot traffic. Why risk the exposure?”
Good question. Just when she felt like they had made some progress, another weird event came up: no connect the dots and no straight lines. That was investigative work, and Laura could not believe she had found a time in her line of work where she actually wished she was just dealing with the typical onslaught of drug users, domestic abusers, and gang bangers.
“I’m with you on this. There has to be a connection,” Laura agreed.
“Best to let the team come in and begin combing this place for more evidence. They might be able to uncover something that will shed some light on things,” Dwayne said, heading back to the main store area.
Following behind him, Laura altered course and made her way to the register. “I’m going to check out one more thing.”
“Okay. Catch you outside.” Dwayne exited, and she could hear him calling in his group.
Her attention shifted to the blood that marked the check-out counter. Some degree of assault had taken place there, but the encounter had not been deadly, at least not based on the amount of the bodily fluid left behind. There were no pools or excess streams running down the desk; instead it was just a series of heavy drips and some light splattering that had misted the walls. Laura noticed the spray had also managed to land on items on the cashier’s counter, including the cash register. A light bulb went off for Laura.
Partially obscured, a sales receipt could be seen sticking out. Putting on a pair of nitrile gloves, Laura hit the button to feed the paper out to the point where she could read it. Anthony’s name was listed as the sales person, which corroborated their idea that he had been out front during the encounter, but it was not the detail that interested Laura the most.
That distinction went to the two items that had been rung up: two Amazi
ng Woman costumes, one small and one medium.
36
Patience, Ambrose reminded himself. Patience. He had not survived for as long as he had without committing to that trait. However, it also never ceased to amaze him how hard it was to stick to it, even after all his many years.
His prey had proven more than formidable. Of course, he had only himself to blame for many of the short-comings. Some of his attempts to draw out and destroy his target had proven more theatrical than potent. Still, he had to know how powerful the demon had become and setting back-up plans to ruin the life around it felt justified. How many lives had the creature laid to waste over its lengthy existence? How would his own life have turned out if not for his unfortunate encounter with the beast?
No, the creature deserved all of the pain and torment that Ambrose could shower upon it, and the culmination of that pain would come in due time. Patience, Ambrose thought. Patience.
And when patience produced no results, Ambrose found himself developing more back-up plans. It was a vicious circle, and that cycle had brought him back to a familiar, albeit risky, location: the City of Richmond Police Department.
With the day growing long, the sun having disappeared, and a smattering of raindrops pelting his fedora, Ambrose decided returning to the law enforcement headquarters would allow for the best opportunity. Entering under disguise, though, was out of the question this time. Fooling people once had a high probability of success. Fooling them a second time, especially when they are armed and on high alert, was bucking the odds. It was a mistake that the veteran blood-dealer knew all too well from experience.
Exceptions existed for all rules, though.
Case-in-point, Detective Stenks had the wherewithal to anticipate his planting the listening devices in her home, a fact proven by them being deactivated shortly after the police arrived at her home. That left Ambrose to pinning his hopes on assuming that, blinded by the false sense of security at thwarting his scheme, she would fail to discover the device he was about to hide on her vehicle.
