Blood Red Sundown: Evil Begins (31 page)

THE ESTATE THAT
Joan
Raymore called home was very large and provided Lon with ammunition for several
of his predictable self-indulgent remarks.

“You had better stay close to me partner this lady appears
to be in a position to get anything she wants. She is probably going to become attracted
to me and want me to remain here on this palatial estate with her. You have witnessed
how my manly aura works on the female gender. Look how it causes you so much discomfort
riding around with me, bringing out your hidden desires.”

“Look in the mirror over your visor. That my egotistical
friend is the only one attracted to your manly aura. And besides stud horse, you
forget I saw your red faced manly aura dissipate when you were too embarrassed to
examine a dead girl’s exposed breast on the table. Lonny boy’s bluff was called.
And so, withstanding your manly aura is a piece of cake for me, big talker.”

“Oh sure, you can run Anne, but you can’t hide from the
truth,” Lon laughed as he opened the car door.

Anne stepped up to the door and pushed the button. An
elderly man answered the door and led them to a receiving room.

“Is he the butler Anne?”

“I would assume so.”

“Well this case is solved, he did it. The butler always
does it.”

Anne started to call him an idiot, but was interrupted
by Joan Raymore’s appearance. Anne estimated her to be in her fifties, dressed in
a tight fitting jogging suit and a long pony tail. She was very attractive and Anne
immediately wondered why this lady would ever be in the Roadside Bar?

“Hi, I’m Joan. You must be the Detective Cummings who
called me.”

“Yes, and this is detective Towers, my partner.”

“Now then, how can I help you? Before you ask I have
already made my donation to the police.”

Lon laughed as Anne assured her they were not after a
donation.

“Last night you were at the Roadside correct?”

“Yes, I stopped in for a have-a-see and a drink. I had
the one drink and didn’t see, so I left.”

“What’s a ‘have a see?’ ” Lon asked.

She smiled at him and said, “I have a see if there is
anyone interesting and alone having a drink.”

Her meaning was clear.

“I enjoy going to those type places. The people are real
and most often you can strike up a conversation with an interesting person, much
like yourself detective Towers.”

Lon accepted the compliment and smiled a
told you
so
at Anne, who merely rolled her eyes.

“Did you find anybody interesting in your ‘have-a-see’?”
Lon asked.

She thought for a second.

“No, not inside. But, a very cute man was looking in
the front window as I walked up to the door. I asked him to come in with me, but
he refused.”

“Did he say anything as to why he was there looking in
the window?”

She answered no.

“I assumed he had left, but later I saw him driving away
with one of the young gal’s from the bar. He didn’t see me as I watched them drive
by.”

Lon looked stunned.

“I remember saying to him as he passed by, ‘You could
have had me.’” She laughed and then said, “That’s a bit conceited sounding isn’t
it?”

“Miss Raymore that man you wished had selected you murdered
that lady not long after you saw her driving away with him.” The look on her face
was one of complete shock.

“You are the only person, to our knowledge, that may
have seen the killer. We’re going to ask you to come to the station. We need you
to recall everything you can about this guy while his face is still fresh in your
mind.

“You can follow us in your car and that will give you
time to rethink specific details of your first encounter with him outside the bar
and to draw up the image of him driving past you with the victim.

“Based on your memory a composite will be created by
our artist from your description. I can’t tell you how important this is. You can
be thankful he had this girl picked out before you encountered him.”

“It is hard to believe it could have been me. I guess
being at the wrong place at the right time does ring true.”

“Is there any reason you can’t come down to the
station now?”

“No, it is no problem. I’ll get my keys and be right
behind you.”

STEPHANIE HAD FINISHED
for the day and was making last minute notations on a patient’s chart, when she
heard whistling. Turning toward the bird sounds she smiled as Len approached.

“Not bad Len, sounds like a mocking bird.”

“Thanks Doc. Hey, you want to grab a burger and a coke
somewhere?”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I can’t today. I’m meeting someone
for a drink, but there is no reason why you can’t join us if you’d like. It’s not
a date or anything like that. I’m going to suggest the Rainbow Room as our destination,
so come on by.”

She saw his disappointment.

“It’s not a date, Len.”

BACK AT THE
station
Lon determined there was no reason for the both of them to hang around while the
artist completed the composite. So, he suggested that Anne take off.

“As soon as she is finished I’ll fax it to you at home.”

Anne gave him the,
You are a snake
look and got
out of the car.

“It’s not what you’re thinking this time, I promise.
Yes, she is rich and attractive and as I had predicted she was obviously attracted
to me, but I have the reports to go over with the chief. So, why not let you go
home and relax?”

“Okay, I’ll go check in, get my messages and then head
out for my nightly tonic.”

A deep blue Lincoln Navigator drove up and stopped in
the visitor parking spot. Joan Raymore stepped out and walked toward them. Anne
looked at her partner ready to resume her harassment of his ogling, but the woman
spoke before she could make her comment.

“Okay guys, I’m ready if you are.”

“The artist has been contacted and should be here any
minute. Meanwhile we can have a coffee and go over your evening and test your recall.
We’ll compile everything you can remember about him to put on paper.”

Anne walked behind them into the station envious of Joan’s
stylish way of dressing and the terrific shape she kept herself in. Lon led Joan
into the interview room and began listening to her description of the man which
matched the same basic description given by Andrea the friend of the victim, but
she was able to add a description of the man’s height to the equation.

Anne met the artist as she was walking out and directed
her to the interrogation room and left for the night headed for the place that would
help her forget a horrific day.

STEPHANIE SAW LEO
leaning
against his car when she stepped through the hospital’s front door and started across
the parking lot.

“Nice wheels, Leo! I’m impressed.”

“Thank you kind lady and might I ask if you have a location
in mind to indulge in your drink of choice?”

“If it’s all right my polite friend, I would like to
go back to the Rainbow Room. It appears to be a fun place and the people seem to
be nice and friendly; and, the music is not heavy rock.”

“Then step into your Limo and the Rainbow Room it is.”

The drive was short, but it had given her the opportunity
to analyze her impressions of Leo.

“Are you a California born and raised Leo?”

“No, like you I moved here for a change of life style.
I was divorced and decided it best to put the past behind me and start over.”

“Did you remain friends with your ex?”

“No, I was bitter and filled with anger toward her. She
cheated on me and so I severed all ties.”

They arrived at the Rainbow and were sitting at a table
enjoying the sounds of Johnny Cash and the Highwaymen when Anne walked in and strode
directly to the bar. Angie was behind the bar and they were amused at the exchange
of jovial conversation between them.

Anne turned on the stool and saw Stephanie and Leo Trent
waving to her. Happy to see a friendly face she walked over to greet them.

“And what, may I ask, are the two of you doing in a place
like this? Is there a special occasion?”

“No occasion, Leo simply asked if I would like to have
a drink with him and here we are.”

“That sounds like a special occasion to me. I guess I’m
jealous. Well, I’ll leave you to your drinks. I have had a very trying day. So,
I need to go back and pay attention to my drink sitting over yonder, as they say
around these parts. I’ll stop back later when the wonders of alcohol have calmed
my nerves.”

As Anne was walking away, Stephanie was glad to see Len
walk in the door and stood up to go over and greet him at the bar. She introduced
him to Anne then asked him to join her and Leo when he received his drink.

Anne sat stirring the ice in her drink deep in thought
about the killer’s description when she realized Johnny had walked behind the bar
and was standing in front of her waiting for her to say hello.

She smiled and as she greeted him. For some reason she
noted his physical appearance, light hair, good looking. She turned to the man she
had just met, light hair and pretty cute. She spun around to view the room and there
was Leo Trent fairly light hair and attractive. She was surprised that there were
several light haired men in the place. It could be any one of them, she thought.

She looked at Johnny’s hands as he prepared a customer’s
order. A ring was on the left hand and a watch on his wrist. Leo wore a ring and
a watch. She looked at Len, a good size gold ring. The ring she surmised was not
their strongest clue to rely on.

Her second drink consumed, she stood shook hands with
Johnny and prepared to leave when Stephanie called out to her. She asked her to
sit and have a drink with them and she noticed that Len was now sitting at their
table, so she agreed to have one more to be polite.

Sitting down she checked her phone thinking she had been
messaged, but it was Leo who had received a page. He excused himself and left the
table to call the station.

When he came back he said that it was an important call
and it was necessity for him to leave for a short time.

“Listen Stephanie, I’m really sorry about this, but I
will return quickly to resume our evening.”

Anne asked if it was police related and he nodded yes.

Another ringing sounded. It was Anne’s phone that rang
this time and she was surprised when she realized it was Lon. She heard, “Did you
get my fax?

“Oh, no Lon, I haven’t been home yet. I’m still at the
Rainbow.”

“Get the fax number for the bar and I’ll fax it to you
there. Keep the results totally to yourself and above all keep the fax to yourself.
I’m leaving right now and will meet you there.”

She wondered what was so important that had her partner
talking a mile a minute. It wasn’t like him to get that excited about anything.
As she stood up she was surprised to see Terry Ryan walk through the front door.
He caught her eye smiled then sat at the bar.

Johnny brought a round of drinks to the table and Anne
asked for his fax number. She repeated it twice to Lon and hung up. As she sat down
she took a sip of her drink allowing time for Lon to send his fax. She then started
to move to the office to retrieve the fax when Stephanie suddenly stood. Suddenly
she began falling, pulling the table with her, and sending drinks and bottles crashing
to the floor.

Len knelt beside her and checked her pulse and said it
was strong. He checked her airway. He tried to revive her, but after a short time
he said, “She hasn’t had enough to drink to pass out like this. Something else is
going on with her. I’m going to put her in my car and take her to Santa Barbara
Emergency. Call nine-one-one, and tell them I’ll have my emergency lights flashing
and blinking my headlights so they will know it’s us. It will save time that way
and get her help more quickly.”

With that he left the bar carrying Stephanie.

Anne’s mind kicked in telling her that something was
not right here and she wondered if Stephanie could have been drugged.

She looked around the room and asked herself, if so why,
as she walked down the hall into the office to retrieve the fax. It was just coming
through and as she watched as the top of the head, then eyes, lips, and the full
face came through.

“Oh my God, it can’t be!”

Grabbing the sheet from the fax, she stared at the transmitted
image in total disbelief. She folded it and put it in her pocket, regained her composure
and walked back to the table with the people still standing around in confused disbelief
over Stephanie’s situation.

“Stay calm,” she told herself. She scanned the room carefully
and realized “he” was no longer tending the bar. Angie walked up to her and informed
her that emergency had been called and they were instructed to meet the car carrying
her along the highway as was planned.

“I do not like that idea, but I was in the office and
could not disprove it.”

“What do you think happened to the doctor, Anne?”

“I have to assume she was drugged. Hopefully if she was
drugged it was just a sleep inducement and she will be fine. The question is why
would anyone drug her? There is no connection to her and this place or anyone in
it.”

Dialing Lon’s number to check on his location, before
she could place the phone to her ear, she heard Dixie. She looked and Lon was walking
in the door followed by the EM crew.

STEPHANIE SLOWLY CAME
awake and was stunned to discover that her hands were taped together, and a strip
of tape was covering her mouth. She was in a moving car.

“Why is this happening to me and who is driving?” she
wondered.

Sitting up as best she could, still very dizzy, she tried
to focus on the side of the drivers head and as he turned slightly, she became very
confused. “Why would he be doing this to me?”

Hearing movement behind him he turned and looked at her.

“We’re almost there, Stephanie.”

She found it more comfortable to lean against the car
door to steady the vertigo she was feeling. Trying to analyze her situation she
could not think of a rational reason for any of it. All she could remember was sitting
at the table with other people around her.

As he pulled off into the lane he felt the urge begin
to rise. It was finally going to become a reality and he could not, nor did he want
to, stop it. He heard the good voice inside say, “This is your last time and you
will ever make me do this again.”