Beneath the Cracks (5 page)

"Eriksson, are you draggin' your feet on
this one for any particular reason?  We got guys stackin' up
in dumpsters like there's no tomorrow.  I'd think –"

"Homeless men?"

"Does that matter?"  Only Tony Briscoe
could inflect rising dander so succinctly.

"Not in the way that you're thinking. 
Of course it doesn't matter who the victims are, Tony.  But in
terms of profiling the killer in this case, it matters a great
deal.  Homeless people are at higher risk for violence. 
They're considered a more vulnerable population for a number of
reasons, one of which is the fact that they have no safe
abode."

"Oh," he muttered.  "Well it ain't like
we didn't realize that part."

"Fax me your notes when you get a
chance.  I'll do what I can to help you narrow the likely
suspect pool."

I hung up the phone and turned around. 
Orion was staring now.  Perched against the counter, I asked,
"What?  Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm familiar with this growing problem,
Doc.  It was one of the first cases that Maya brought to the
attention of OSI when she started working in Bay County."

"And this requires an assistant district
attorney's involvement at the investigative stage of the case?"

"It was probably wishful thinking on
Shelly's part, that this time there would be evidence at the scene
that would point to a suspect.  If so, Zack could get the
warrant for a search, et cetera.  I had a feeling when they
shot out of here that way that another stiff might've turned
up."

"When was the last one?"

"About two weeks before you got here."

 "No clues?"

"The last I heard, Maya was having a hard
time even identifying the victims.  They weren't just
homeless.  They were chronically homeless."

"Drunks, drug addicts, like that?"

Orion nodded.  "So Chris and I talked
about getting one of our state guys undercover in Downey to see if
anybody knew anything.  These people aren't exactly amenable
to opening up to the police."

"How is that going?"

"He's starting to make a little
headway.  He's got some people at a mission down in a pretty
rough part of Downey that are at least used to seeing him around
now.  This isn't a warm and welcoming bunch, Helen.  It's
every man for himself."

"That's why Chris went?  To find your
undercover man and see if he knows anything about the latest
murder?"

"It makes sense.  It's probably the
source of Shelly's wishful thinking that Zack's skills at obtaining
hassle free warrants will come in handy."

"You don't share that optimism."  I
grabbed the pot of coffee and a couple of cups.  "Tell me
why."

"I talked to Jake a couple of weeks
ago.  It's been months since the last body turned up. 
Those who have the brain cells left to remember something that long
ago still weren't talking, and those without aren't credible
witnesses anyway."

"Other than being homeless, what makes you
think they're related?  You just said it, Johnny.  These
guys aren't stellar specimens of health and good living."  I
tugged open the stainless steel refrigerator door.  Maya had
done most of the work on dinner, but I prepared one of the few
things I do well inside a kitchen – New York style cheese
cake.  I pulled out two plates to enjoy with the strong
coffee.

He eyed the dessert with appreciation. 
"Am I supposed to destroy this thing of beauty?"

The cake wasn't plain, as I ordinarily
preferred my cheesecake.  Instead it was topped with a thick
raspberry goo and spiked with apple-slice shaped wedges of white
chocolate.  I picked the chocolate off mine and nibbled. 
"Uh-huh.  It's an old family recipe, so if you don't like it,
lie.  And eat every crumb."

Between his second and third sliver, Orion
filled me in on the unique cause of death in all five previous
victims.  "A single injury to the abdomen.  Winslow said
it caused a lateral rupture in the diaphragm, and that the vics
essentially lost the ability to breathe.  She called it
dry
drowning
."

"Were there fractures or other signs of
trauma?"

"Nope," Johnny mumbled.  "We thought
the same thing too, that hitting someone with that much force would
have to involve a car or something.  Hit, dump and run, you
know?  But our medical examiner says no.  They weren't
starving, but were hardly well fed.  We're talking about some
guys who had been living a certain way for years, not months. 
I guess it wouldn't take as much to do that kind of damage in
somebody who didn't have much meat on his bones."

"Mmm.  I'm not so sure about
that.  The diaphragm by design is difficult to rupture,
Johnny."

"Explain."

"Imagine three balloons.  The outer
balloon is larger and filled with water.  The two additional
balloons are also filled with water but situated one on top of the
other inside the large balloon.  You're talking about a hit so
precise that it increases the pressure in the large balloon so that
the pressure ruptures one of the interior balloons but not the
other.  In fact, you're saying that there was no other evident
injury to the victims.  I can't even imagine what sort of
weapon would do that."

"You and everybody else.  Look, the
first case was an anomaly, possibly accidental even, like we
figured.  A hit and run.  Someone freaks out after they
smack into a bum on the street right?  But when the second guy
in Downey turned up, and then two more in central before the third
in Downey, it couldn't have been an accident."

"I'd be interested in reading Maya's final
autopsy reports on the victims."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather join them
at the scene?  I can drive if you'd rather not venture out
alone."

"I've got a lot of work to do tonight. 
I'm satisfied with getting Briscoe's notes."  I felt a little
irritation bubbling to the surface, something that had been
blissfully absent during my sabbatical away from the rest of the
world.  "You act like I'm some frail flower.  I can
assure you.  If I wanted to throw down, I could do it without
batting an eyelash."

I have a small office off the family room in
my new house.  It's where I keep computers, the fax, a small
copier and other clutter that would be out of place in the
study.  Before Orion had the chance to defend himself, the fax
rang.  He looked toward the closed door.

"Another phone line?"

"Probably Briscoe sending the information I
asked for," I said, "which means I should get busy cleaning up
after this party so I can give it a run through."

"Go get it.  I'll stick around and help
clean up."

"That really isn't necessary."

His eyebrows waggled.  "Did you really
think I would leave you to deal with all of this alone? 
Either you go read the case notes now, or you do it later. 
Either way, I'm staying to help load the dishwasher."

"There are two.  I use the one in the
kitchen for the china, and the other in the butler's pantry for the
serving platters."

"Where are all the leftovers going?"

"Garbage disposal.  If you're serious
about KP duty, let's get busy.  The sooner we get this over
with, the sooner I can get to Tony's case."

That said, for some reason, Orion insisted
on working the pantry side of the cleaning detail.  It freed
me to check the fax machine long before he was finished.  I
had to refill the paper tray twice.  What had he sent,
Gone
with the Wind
?  It would take hours, if not a full day to
sift through all of the information.  Fortunately, Briscoe had
some organizational flow to the information contained in his
files.  Initial reports, investigative notes, evidence
processed by Crime Scene Division and last, the final autopsy
reports.

A handwritten note concluded the
transmission. 
Called Charlie Haverston at central to send
the files on the cases from Darkwater proper.  You should have
his by morning.  Charlie said they were and I quote – a
friggin' mess.  Thanks for the help, Eriksson.  TB. 
PS.  Save some of that brisket.  I'll be back for
lunch.

I chuckled and slipped the note into the
paper shredder.  Briscoe would be disappointed on lunch. 
Hopefully I'd be able to contribute something to his
investigation.

Orion shadowed the doorframe.  He was
wearing a chef's apron.  "I went ahead and washed the silver
by hand.  I didn't want my mother haunting my dreams for
putting it in the dishwasher.  Everything is clean, dry and
stored in its proper place.  Anything else you need done, or
can we officially say the party is over?"

"It's over," I murmured.  "Thanks for
your help, Orion."

"Back to that again, huh?  I was
keeping track of how many times you actually called me Johnny
tonight."

"Hmm."

"Maya had an open bottle of merlot in the
butler's pantry.  Want another glass?"

"Just pour it down the drain."  I
gathered the bundles Tony faxed and held them to my chest. 
"I've got a lot of work to do tonight.  Anything other than
coffee will make me sleepy."

"I can brew another pot for you."

"Thanks, but it's not necessary.  I can
make the coffee, Johnny.  It's late.  I have a lot of
work to do, so you should go home now."  I followed him to the
kitchen where he removed the apron and folded it before placing it
on the counter.

"At this rate, I suppose I should wish you a
happy New Year before I go."

"I'm sorry?"

"C'mon, Doc.  Don't you get it? 
I'm reluctant to go because I've enjoyed spending time with you
tonight.  If I walk out that door, how do I know it won't be
another three or four months before I see you again?"

I bit down on my lips to hide the
grin.  "I guess you'll have to trust me, won't you?"

He pried the papers out of my hands and
tossed them aside.  "I want to trust you.  I want to know
that you're gonna pick up the phone and call me tomorrow.  I
want to believe that you like being with me too, Helen."  His
warm hands burned through the sheer fabric covering my arms.

"Three or four months isn't so long for a
patient man."

"It's eternity, and you know it," he
growled.  "If you're not interested, cut me loose.  Don't
string me along like this.  It's not fair, Helen."

My chin tilted downward.  This was
serious.  Orion meant every word he said.  Unfortunately
my alone time hadn't answered as many questions as I'd hoped. 
What he lacked in patience, I lacked in anger management. 
Being alone probably went beyond wise into necessity.

"All right," I murmured.  "Consider
yourself cut loose."

His hand was large enough to span my jaw
from ear to ear.  He did it, tipped my face up until I
couldn't avoid looking at him without closing my eyes, which he'd
probably see as an invitation to do something really stupid.

Scratch that.  Invite or no, Orion had
one agenda in mind.  With my face firmly anchored, his mouth
descended.  The first kiss, one he said I owed him after the
business with Lowe was resolved, was chaste by comparison. 
Orion's lips opened and closed, hypnotized mine into similar
movement.  His free arm wound around my back and held me so
close the only movement possible would've bent me backward over
it.

A soft tongue pressed for entry.  My
limbs liquefied.  I felt my fingers curl into the front of his
shirt.  Logic said it was reflexive, something to keep me from
falling.  My racing heart and swirling gut disproved
logic.  The hand on my jaw slid around to tangle in my
hair.  He grasped a firm hold, tilted my head backward and ate
a path down my throat, back up one side, breathed heavily into my
ear.

"You don't want me even a little bit? 
Because you sure kiss like a woman who doesn't want to cut me
loose."

I gave a hard shove.  My hands were
still pressed against his chest, so it wasn't something that caught
him off guard.  Johnny let go, and I took a stumbling step
backward.  A tremulous finger pointed in the general direction
of the front door.  "Go," I rasped.  "Go now."

His hand snaked out, not to grab me
again.  This time it rested over my pounding heart.  "You
can lie to yourself if you have to, Helen.  But you can't hide
all the evidence of the truth.  You wanna cut me loose? 
Fine.  But I'm not cutting
you
loose."

I jumped seconds later when the front door
slammed.

Chapter 5

Tony Briscoe barely greeted me at eleven
when he pushed past me at the front door.  Crevan smiled
sheepishly, a silent apology I guess. 

"Good morning, Helen.  You don't look
like you got any sleep."

"I didn't."  All I managed to do
besides pour over the cases Tony and Charlie sent over was change
into casual clothes.  I rubbed my eyes.  "You may as well
come in too, though I doubt either one of you will like what I have
to say about this case."

Rattling in the kitchen drew both our
attention.  Conall chuckled.  "He's been day dreaming
about Maya's brisket since we left last night."

Oh boy.  I led the way to the kitchen
and stopped short.  Briscoe had an array of leftovers spread
out over the kitchen island and was whistling softly.  He
slathered mustard and mayo on a roll and started layering other
items he found in my refrigerator.  Lettuce, onion, tomato,
and not to be forgotten, Maya's brisket. 

Orion was making a strong case for his
inability to respect my wishes.

I watched pepper fly out of the shaker onto
Briscoe's concoction before he pressed the top of a roll over the
sandwich.

"So, Maya says this guy seems different from
the others," Briscoe said.  "She took the poor bastard back to
the morgue and promised to call when she was done with her
stuff.  I reckon she'll be calling soon."