Fireflies: A Katie Bell Mystery (book 1) (13 page)

"Somebody call 911!" someone in the doorway cried.

Gideon for his part was leaning close to Dan, holding his hand tightly and his white T-shirt was completely soaked with the larger man's blood.

Dan could see her out of the corner of his eye. Dan's eyes began to burst with life when he saw her and it was like a marathon runner getting a second wind right before the last hundred meters of a race and making a break for it.

She leaned in, her feet dangling off his bed. Dan's eyes completely focused on her and he paused, not trying to speak for a moment, instead closing his eyes once, then opening them again.

"Sh… Sh… She… did… did… n didn’t…” Dan mumbled before coughing, blood drops splashing Katie's face.

His shaking got worst for a second and his eyes fluttered before the light left, all at once, like a flood light being smashed off.

His eyes were open, but there was no life left in them, the dullness like that of a plastic mannequin.

She moved without thinking about it, pushing past everyone in the hallway and taking the corner fast, rushing to the bathroom she had just been in and barely making it to the seat before throwing up. Even with her eyes closed, Katie could only see two images, flashing over and over in her head. One was what had just happened. Dan Reedman gutted and burned alive, and the other of her mother, strung up in the bedroom, blood everywhere.

That image was worse than what she had just witnessed, but watching the jock dying was a close second.

“
S
o you smelled
the smoke and you went to investigate?”

Katie nodded as the plump officer scribbled something in his notebook.

"That's correct."

"And grabbed a pillow off the bed to help put him out?”

"Yeah."

"You have CPR training or something?"

"Yeah, I've been certified since I was fourteen and my mom was a doctor."

"I can smell some liquor on you. Have you been drinking?"

"It's a party, I'm sure you're just smelling it from other guests."

"You know the legal drinking age is twenty one. It says you’re only eighteen on your driving license. What would happen if I used breathalyzer on you right now? Do you want an MIP?"

"Not especially, but I would think that you would be here investigate a murder, not bust a college party."

The officer took a step back and folded his arms across his chest.

"I hope you're not telling me how to do my job, Miss. I'm just trying to establish a credible timeline of what happened here tonight."

"Well, you're doing a piss poor job of it. Who's the officer in charge here?"

"You're talking to me right now."

"And frankly I'd rather not. Who's in charge here? I know it's not you, Officer. I don’t deal with Boy Scouts, I deal with professionals.”

He opened his mouth to say something but at this point a women not wearing a uniform walked up to them, having overheard the conversation.

She was in her mid thirties and relatively small, with blonde hair chopped to ear length and blue eyes that saw a great deal wherever they looked. She wore jeans and a forest green blouse underneath a dark brown leather jacket, and dark red boots. Katie noticed them because she had lusted after a similar pair in one of her favorite clothing boutiques in the city.

"Everything okay over here?"

"Everything's fine, Detective Levitt," he said, his brow instantly furrowing seeing who had interrupted their conversation.

"Ah, a detective, somebody who I actually can talk to."

"Not if you're in detox tank for the night you can't," he growled.

Katie rolled her eyes at him.

"That's enough, Officer, I'll take it from here."

"But I…"

Levitt looked at him with a very pointed look and he shut up. He moved away from them both, muttering something under his breath, but Levitt ignored it and turned her eyes on Katie.

"Sorry about that. Am I correct in understanding that you were one of the first people to go to Mr. Reedman's aid?"

"Yeah. Now I know you're still just accessing the facts, but I want to be very clear that there was foul play involved."

Levitt appeared intrigued by what the younger women was saying and tilted her head to the side.

“How did you ever guess that? Was it possibly the fact he was stabbed a shit ton?”

“Oh, so you’re a funny one.”

“I try to do a set every other month at the comedy club,” Levitt said.

“Look, I saw him talking to somebody who did not belong at the party, and they were arguing. This was literally like five minutes before his death.”

Levitt looked at Katie differently, and she clicked her pen.

“Go on…”

“Older guy. Good shape, wearing a North Face jacket. They talked in a very heated manner, and Dan … Dan looked upset. Shaken by whatever the guy was telling him,” Katie said and closed her eyes. She was replaying the evening in her head, and flashed on Dan running up the stairs with a backpack. “There was another thing too. There was a man at the party who didn’t belong. He was older, Latino. He had bad scars on his face. He had a backpack at the party, blue and brown. The last time I saw Dan, he was running up the stairs to his room, carrying that same backpack. You can have somebody check, but I’m pretty sure that when we were in the bedroom I didn’t see a backpack. Also, after we called you guys I took some photos of the room, just because … Well, just because,” she said.

Katie held up her iPhone and showed the detective the pictures. Detective Levitt was writing down everything Katie said. She nodded at the pictures.

“I’ll send them to you guys of course,” Katie added.

”You a criminology major?"

"I'm a freshman."

Levitt was surprised by the answer but took it in stride.

“Okay, anything else?”

Katie started to shake her head, and then she snapped her fingers.

“Well, it could be nothing but.…”

“What is it?”

Katie described to the female detective seeing Dan arguing with Coach Kyle Briggs two weeks prior, and also having seen Briggs talking to Dan both earlier that night and the week prior.

While she talked a man around Levitt’s age dressed in a dark brown suit made his way over to them. He listened to Katie’s tale but kept his expression neutral.

"Have you seen any of these men since? Briggs, the man in the jacket, or the Latino man?” Levitt asked after Katie was done.

Katie shook her head. "No, I haven't seen any of them since I went upstairs to the bathroom.”

Levitt turned to the man in the suit, her expression,
what is it
?

"CSI's done an initial sweep of the building, but the murder weapon's no where to be found. We'd like to keep everyone here, but the problem is there are reports of some kids leaving as soon as we were called."

Levitt groaned. "We can't hold this many people here and search them, and a frat house is no place to question people. Just have local patrol finish interviewing people and let everyone go, we'll call in people who are relevant tomorrow. His girlfriend here?”

“Yeah, Amelia Wood. She’s around here somewhere sobbing.”

Tiffany walked up and hugged Katie. Her eyes were puffy red and despite everything, it felt good to have her friend hold her for a second. When she pulled away the Southern bell looked at both the detectives and frowned.

“My darling here better not be a suspect. She’s the one that found him after all.”

“Tiffany, it’s fine. I was just trying to help them out…”

“Still if you need it, I’ll have Daddy call in a lawyer so fast…”

Detective Levitt interrupted her by clearing her throat. “We aren’t looking at your friend as a suspect here, Tiffany. Relax.”

Tiffany’s back stiffened, but she did look relieved. “Okay. Well if it helps at all I heard you mentioned Amelia Wood? Dan’s girlfriend?”

Both detectives perked up.

“What about her?” detective Levitt asked.

“She couldn’t have done it. She was in the kitchen with me and Duncan Stokes. He’s one of of Dan’s teammates, and the three of us were in the kitchen when Katie started yelling. Amelia seemed pretty tipsy too.”

The two detectives exchanged a look and Levitt wrote something down in her notepad. “Good to know. Thanks.”

Levitt turned back to Katie.

"I think that will do for now. Don't be alarmed, but we'll probably want you to come in to the station in the next couple days and do a more thorough interview, considering you have a lot of evidence due to the nature of the event.”

"That's totally fine."

Levitt handed the redheaded teen a business card. Katie took it without looking at it.

"I'm sure I can get it from grumpy over there, but what was your name?"

"Katie Bell."

"You wouldn't happen to have any relation to Arthur Bell would you?"

Katie sighed. LEO’s usually recognized her last name. After all, Arthur was a “celebrity.”

"He's my father."

"Well, that explains a bit," Levitt said, making a note in her notebook. When she looked up her brow was furrowed. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Katie sighed. "Thanks. It's fine. Though nights like tonight bring up a few things, you know?"

“I’m sure warm fuzzy memories.”

“I knew a professional such as yourself would get it.”

There was an awkward silence between the two women, until Levitt spoke up. “ I'll give you call in a day or so, but if you think of anything else let me know."

"Of course."

Katie's phone started to ring and she glanced at the screen. Her father. Someone had alerted him of course, and he was making sure she was okay.

She looked up at the older women. "Speaking of my father..."

"Of course."

Katie turned her back and answered the phone, as she started to walk. Tiffany followed after her silently, and neither teen saw the two detectives watching them go.

“You think she’s involved?” Levitt’s partner asked her quietly.

Levitt didn’t turn away from the two girls fading into the night and shook her head a fraction of an inch. “I doubt it. Not seeing a motive here, where he seemed to be best friends with plenty of other people that are more likely.” She glanced at her partner. “Besides, if she did do it? If she’s half as smart as her father, we’d never catch her.”

He grunted. “I liked it better when it could just be the girlfriend.”

Levitt held up her hands. “Hey, I thought you’d be happy we get an actual interesting homicide around here. Besides, the holidays are right around the corner, we can use the overtime.”

T
hat evening
Arthur took Katie out to an expensive Italian place they both loved in the city. Katie left around four thirty to beat traffic, which she later realized was pointless since everyone was trying to leave the city, not enter it. Total drive time was an hour and thirty, (she had a bit of a lead foot, but nothing that had ever gotten her in trouble) and she got there before her father.

A
rthur showed
up maybe ten minutes after Katie did wearing a charcoal pinstripe suit with a baby blue dress shirt and white tie. He'd had a haircut since she'd seen him and while he always kept it neat, there wasn't a hair out of place. There were always dark circles under his eyes, but they were much darker than the last time she had seen him. Her father’s appearance may have been immaculate, but Arthur wore an aura of haggardness almost as well as he wore his designer clothes.

They ate well and talked about multiple topics, including how school was going and the news that she was no longer dating Luke, and of course, Dan Reedman’s death. Arthur seemed concerned about this, but she shrugged it off and changed the subject to his work.

“Honey, we need to talk about this. You have to promise me to let the authorities do their jobs.”

Katie raised an eyebrow. “That’s what I’m waiting for, Dad. I’m not getting involved.”

“You mean just like how you didn’t get involved in high school right?”

Katie held up her hands like she didn’t know what he was talking about and then took a sip of water.

“I seriously have no clue what you are talking about.”

“The mascot incident? Or how about the time with the mugger? And lest we all forget the beach house incident.”

Katie batted her eyes at her father. “Daddy, you of all people know that to become a well-rounded adult you have to experience life. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to experience that.”

“You don’t have to go play amateur detective though.”

“From what I recall, I cleared all those cases. I don’t know what’s so ‘amateur’ about that.”

“This time it’s different, sweetie. This time it’s an actual murderer. Let the local detectives do their job.”

Katie folded her arms across her chest and said, “I’m happy to, as long as they actually do it.”

“When do you go in to talk to them?”

“I have an interview with the detectives tomorrow.”

“You want me to be there with you?”

“I’ll be fine. How’s your thing?”

He frowned and didn't want to really get into it. Except the truth of the matter was the last thing he wanted to deal with was the absolutely hideous report he had spent most of the day writing.

"I just think whoever did this just conveniently set it up to kill again when they wanted to. The first two victims are too similar to a Snow crime scene to just be a coincidence. There has to be more going on and the only thing I can see is someone is covering their tracks."

"Could it have been someone not at the club at all? You guys obviously exhausted your leads there."

"I would say it's a possibility but there's no way they could have known to frame Seaborn. Also … There's something I left out of the report and…"

Katie looked at her father more closely as he paused to take a sip of his Zinfandel.

"You visited him again didn't you." It wasn't a question.

"How did you know?"

"Oh please, Dad. I know when you do. You may never tell me about it and I appreciate it, but I know. I'd tell you to stop doing that to yourself, stop picking at that scab, but I know it would be pointless, wouldn't it?"

Arthur smiled at his daughter. She did know him well.

"I appreciate the gesture anyway."

"So what about visiting the bastard?"

"It was the same day I got called in, he said something along the lines of have fun today … but the way he said it, it's like he knew what was coming."

"Couldn't he just be playing more head games like he always does?"

"I'd say yes, but with the first victim looking so much like one of his scenes, I have my suspicions. I'm not the only one either. Agent Fields is also suspicious, and of course since I'm the role model, I have to be the one to put her back on the leash."

"That must be painful for you."

"Exhaustingly so. Tell me more about school. What's your favorite class?"

"Honestly, Dad, I love the general idea of higher education more than the actual classes so far. The freedom of not having to go every day, although of course I do, the information in the text book, that's all good. The way the course structure is laid out though? So far, it leaves a lot to be desired."

"You know if it's too easy for you, I'm sure it's not too late to switch for winter semester to one of the other schools you got into…"

"Dad, forget about it. We are not having this conversation again okay? I'm here for four years, no if’s, ands, or buts about it."

Arthur put up his hands. He knew better than to try to argue with his daughter about the subject, though it had taken him a while to figure that particular facet out.

"Whatever you wish, it's your decision."

Katie smiled. "Thanks for remembering that.”

She didn't mean for it to sound condescending even if it was a little bit. He didn't mind, she was clearly under more stress than she was willing to let on.

They had dessert after dinner was done, walking the two blocks down the street to their favorite ice cream shop where Arthur had a scoop of coffee ice cream in a cup and Katie had mint chocolate chip in a sugar cone.

He shook his head as he watched her mow away at her double scoop as they walked down the street. They were in a okay area of the city as they walked, and turned left to cut through a park and sit on a bench. Katie looked over at the swing sets that were lit by a street lamp. The light flickered on and off, probably from a faulty bulb. She had gone here often in high school. In fact she had smoked her first cigarette sitting on those very swings when she was fourteen. At the time Katie had been trying to impress a boy, but for the life of her in that moment she couldn't remember his name.

"It's amazing you can eat all the crap you do and look like that," Arthur said, clearly amused by his professionally athletically fit daughter.

"Running five miles multiple days a week does have it's benefits. I learned that from you, remember?"

He nodded, popping his ice cream spoon back in his mouth.

They continued to walk around for the better part of an hour, till it was close to ten and Katie could feel the returning weariness of a long day beginning to press at the edges of her eyes as it always did when she was ready for a break.

She hugged her father and let him walk her back to her car, which she had parked across the street from the Italian restaurant, in a local bar’s parking lot.

Arthur stopped in his tracks as she unlocked the Toyota, because of who he saw exiting the bar.

H
e was
twenty pounds heavier than when Arthur had last seen him, but Dimitri Markovic was good at leaving an impression on anybody he actually came into contact with. Dimitri was with another man that looked like he was in his mid twenties, and also like trouble. He had a shaved head and held himself the way someone who had military experience would.

A
fter 9
/11 when the FBI was basically one hundred percent focused on terrorism, Arthur had been loaned out to the crime devision, and that was where he had run into Dimitri. At the time Dimitri had been a heavy hitter for the Russian mob. He had specialized in making people disappear as well as high profile robberies, like banks and high-end jewelry stores. When Arthur had finally gone back to his department, Dimitri had fled back to whatever dark hole he normally lived in.

A
rthur tapped
Katie on the shoulder and pointed at the passenger side of her Camry.

"I'm going with you for a second," he said.

Katie looked at her father for a moment, clearly confused until she saw the look in his eyes.

She didn't know what had suddenly changed, but Katie knew when it was time to do as her father told her to.

Katie got in and unlocked the passenger door and he slipped in. She put the keys in the ignition and Arthur put his arm on her wrist, stopping her from starting the engine.

"Not yet. Look at me like we're talking about something," he said keeping his eyes on his daughter.

"Okay, but you want me to be looking at something else?"

Katie may still not fully understand what was going on, but she knew how to play catch up with him fast.

“See the guy leaving the bar? The one who looks like a total thug?"

His daughter's eyes flicker away before returning to him.

"Yep.”

"They're currently talking by a Nissan Z.”

"Any chance you can get your phone out and take a picture of them?"

"Not without the flash going off and drawing some serious attention.”

"Can you read the license plate?"

"Yeah."

"Good, write it down for me."

Katie did, and texted it to her father.

"There you go."

"Thanks. You can drive me to my car, I'm one block over."

As they drove out of the parking lot and passed Dimitri and the unknown man, Arthur raised his BlackBerry to the window took a picture with the flash turned off.

The picture wouldn't win any awards, but it was enough (he hoped) to run through facial recognition software back at the office.

Katie parked her car in front of her dad's but left the engine running.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

He shrugged. "Just a hunch."

“That's all you’re giving me?"

He smiled and nodded. "At the moment, honey, yeah."

"Okay, Daddy. Thanks for dinner."

She kissed him on the cheek and let him get out of the car and head to his own.

Her phone chirped, a text from Gideon.

What r you up to?

She was unimpressed by the shorthand of “are” but impressed he at least spelled out you.

Driving back from the city, why?

She texted as she drove, a habit she knew was awful, but frankly Katie firmly believed that as long as one hand was on the wheel and her eyes were on the road she was fine. The iPhone keyboard was a little harder to text without looking, but she managed well.

She had never been in a car accident. Aside from the rare time in the previous year where she had had one drink, (and one drink only) Katie also never drank and drove.

She was feeling slightly annoyed her father had not given her more to go on with the strange behavior, that frankly having grown up with him was not that strange at all. But keeping information from her still irritated Katie to no end. Though dinner and dessert had been delicious, and it was very good to see him.

The question of course was did she want a second portion of dessert tonight? She was certainly tempted, though Tiffany and her had discussed watching a movie…

K
atie chose a second dessert
.

"You want anything? I've got beer and wine," Gideon offered, but she shook her head no.

"I'm good, thank you. Usually you invite the girl back after the party, not just on a random night.”

“Usually the party doesn’t end in a murder,” he said, moving into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

Katie followed him. Another thought occurred to Gideon and he looked back at her.

“You have a usually?” he asked as he pulled out a bottle of Heineken and popped the top off.

Katie looked at him for a long moment in silence as he took a sip from the beer and made his way over to her, his face mere inches from her.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for having me over."

"Thanks for coming," he said, before taking another sip.

Katie wanted to kiss him, and under different circumstances would have just reached out and kissed him, but this was all still new territory for her.

It didn't make Katie uncomfortable, rather she was just fascinated by it all, curiosity of this new kind of dynamic was at least part of the fun.

"You wanna see my bedroom?"

She nodded.

He led her, one hand taking hers and the other still holding the frosted green beer bottle, down the wooden hallway.

A
n hour
later she rolled off of him in the bed. It was a large queen that was far more comfortable than her bed and equally wonderful to lie on her back on (though she had found that out several times over the course of the previous hour).

Katie was hot, sore, and her annoyance at her father had long since passed her mind. She was also thirsty.

She looked at Gideon who currently had his eyes closed and kissed his cheek.

"Do you mind if I get some water?”

His eyes popped open. "How rude of me, let me get it."

"I can get it."

"No, don't let me be a douche-bag"

She smiled and shrugged.

"Okay."

He got up and left the bedroom.

Katie closed her eyes and felt her heartbeat begin to slow down to a less cardiovascular rhythm, and enjoyed how relaxed she felt.

The sex had been better than the first two times, though since she was actually fully sober this time it was much easier to go over it in her head. Gideon was an absolute beast in the bed, but also very compassionate and listened well. The whole experience was incredibly satisfying. He returned, still slick with sweat and absolutely gorgeous naked, and smiled before handing her the glass of water.

Katie drank it in three long gulps. She set the glass down on the night stand. She looked at Gideon. He was still naked, clearly comfortable in his own skin. It was nice, because as much as she had her share of insecurities, at the end of the day, Katie felt pretty comfortable in her skin as well.

Gideon was sitting on the bed next to her, his eyes half closed. Katie moved to him and his eyes opened more. This time it felt right with her kissing him first.