Scorned (26 page)
Authors: Andrew Hess
The last stop on my journey of possible suspects to question concluded at a hospital in Dutchess County. I read her file. Everything about her screamed perfectionist. She was valedictorian of her high school, was on the dean’s list all throughout college, she graduated top of her class from medical school and had a stellar list of accomplishments since. On paper this woman was the epitome of success. If it weren’t for her being a doctor that could easily get her hands on different types of meds and that she checked into the gym the night Tyson Lee was murdered, she never would’ve been on my list of suspects.
I had hoped meeting Dr. Cain would remove her from the list of possible suspects. Maybe she could provide some insight about the chemical compound we found at Blake Ambrose’s house or how one might obtain it. But the meeting was nothing like I imagined.
“I’m sorry, but you just missed her,” Sheila the secretary said.
“When did she leave?”
Sheila glanced at the clock. “I don’t know; maybe a half hour ago.”
The digits on the small rectangle clock that sat on the desk read three thirty. “Does Dr. Cain always leave this early in the day?”
“She’s private practice, so she can leave whenever she wants. But to answer your question; no she doesn’t typically leave this early.”
“Did she give a reason for going home?”
“None that I know of.” I wasn’t getting anywhere with the secretary and it was agitating me. She was holding back something and I needed to know what it was.
“Tell me; how well do you know Dr. Cain?”
“We’ve been friends since high school.”
Ah, now that explained why I was getting a hostile feel to Sheila’s answers. “Look, I get that you want to protect your friend and boss, but I need you to cooperate with me. The faster we get through this and I speak to Claire, the faster I can rule her out as a suspect.”
“Suspect? What is she being suspected of?”
“I’m investigating a multiple homicide and...”
Sheila laughed in response. “And you think Claire did it? You think sweet, innocent, Miss Goodie goodie Claire killed a bunch of people?”
“I’m not saying she did, but we have proof she was one of the last people to check into the Highland Fitness center the night Tyson Lee was murdered. I’d like to ask her a few questions to see if she might’ve seen anything that might help us find his killer.”
The color drained from Sheila’s face. Something about what I said rattled her. She picked up a pen and tapped in nervously on the desk as she turned to her computer.
“I’m sorry Detective, but I don’t know anything about that. If you’d like to speak with Dr. Cain, you can feel free to make an appointment.”
Sheila’s abrupt cold attitude told me she knew more than she was letting on. “I think I’ll do just that.” I slapped my card on Sheila’s desk, hoping it would rattle her just a bit; just enough to scare her. “Give that to Dr. Cain, and tell her to call me the moment she checks into the office.” I stormed out of the office making sure to slam the door shut behind me. Somehow I doubted I would get that call. Maybe a visit to Dr. Cain’s house would be in order, but that too would have to wait as my cell rang with Rodney’s number appearing on the screen.
“Hey partner, you miss me already?”
“Yeah, I miss you like I’d miss getting electrocuted.”
We both had a good laugh from that. “What’s up,” I asked.
“I got a call from our friends at the D.A.’s office. They got the warrant for the security footage from the gym. It’s being delivered to the station as we speak.”
“Rodney, that’s great news. I’ll meet you there in just a little bit.”
*************************************************************
The station was a near ghost town with the exception of the six foot something detective standing by my desk along with my former captor. Thornton leaned in and whispered something into Rodney’s ear. I prayed my name wasn’t involved in their topic of conversation. Then Rodney turned towards me and tried to hide his smile.
I guess the joke’s on me.
I sucked it up and marched over there as if the sight of their smirks didn’t bother me. “Hey guys, what’s so funny?”
They straightened themselves up and stared blankly at me. “Hey, if it isn’t my favorite jailbird,” James said mockingly.
I wasn’t embarrassed and I damn sure wasn’t going to let them turn my drunken train wreck of a night into something they would continue to make a mockery of either. I stormed up to the duo with my hands balled into fists, burying a shot into Detective Thornton’s stomach, doubling him over instantly. “Fuck you asshole.”
“Whoa, Ali, calm down,” Rodney said with a kinder tone.
His hands gently fell on my shoulders trying to restrain me from doing any further damage to James or my career. But Rodney had a good laugh at my expense too, and he deserved some punishment as well. Without hesitation, my right foot slammed on top of Rodney’s, letting the two inch heels instill a measure of revenge he wouldn’t soon forget. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“Sorry Ali,” Rodney grunted. “Won’t happen again.”
“It better not. Now, can we get back to work or should I find you two a babysitter while I do some actual police work?”
We took the tapes to the Tech Department to skim through. The time frame we were given would be easier to watch than going through the Ambrose videos. It would be easier to look for something out of the ordinary, but wasn’t seeing anything.
“How did the interviews go,” Rodney asked. “Any viable suspects?”
“I got nothing,” James said. “Most of them were just fitness junkies that go there every day at the same time and leave the same time. What about you?”
“The only one that stuck out was the female wrestler. She said she didn’t know Ambrose, but Tyson Lee was someone that thought he knew more about staying in shape than anyone else. She told me he would always try to show her something with the weights and would be very hands on, if you know what I mean.”
“I think I do,” I replied. “The old lady I questioned was telling me he was always lending a hand to his clients and was very hands on. The life guard I talked to said something similar.”
“What about the doctor,” Rodney asked.
“She wasn’t at her office.” I paused in reflection of my brief questioning of the doctor’s secretary. The glazed look in my eyes let my partners know something was weighing heavily on my mind.
Rodney snapped his fingers, trying to wake me. “You sure nothing happened? I mean you got a look like something’s bothering you.”
“Her secretary,” I replied. “She was being very defensive when I questioned her about Dr. Cain. But the moment I mentioned Tyson Lee, she got very cold and unresponsive.”
“So what’s the plan?
“Let’s get through the video first. After that, I might just pay the good doctor a visit at her home tonight or tomorrow morning.”
“You want some backup?”
“Nah, you should go home to your wife and kid. Spend some time with them before the new baby comes.”
He rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah I guess so. Maybe I’ll take Mia out to dinner. We haven’t been alone together since, well I can’t remember the last time we were out somewhere alone together.” Rodney seemed to like toying with the idea of having a little date night with his wife. He deserved it. He had been working day and night, picking up extra shifts and staying later just to have enough money saved up for when the new baby comes.
James jumped up and paused the video. “I think you might have to hold off on making any plans tonight.” He rewound the video by a few clips as one of the possible suspects was shown walking with the victim. “Ali, isn’t this one of the people on that list?”
I viewed the video and zoomed in on the woman’s face. I flipped through my papers. “That’s the doctor I was supposed to talk to today.”
“It looks like she knew the victim,” Rodney said.
We played the video through and tried to focus on the pair as Tyson Lee helped Dr. Cain back to the office. We didn’t have audio and couldn’t tell you what they were talking about. Moments earlier, she had taken what would’ve been a nasty fall, but was helped by Mr. Lee. He exited the office a few minutes later and returned with two bottles of water. Claire had grabbed one of them, but the camera prevented us from seeing if she put something in it or not. They drank the water and sat idly by before Tyson and Claire exited.
“Switch to a different camera angle,” I commanded. “We can’t lose them.” It was beginning to look like the sweet innocent doctor wasn’t so sweet after all. James messed around with the computer and found another camera that picked Claire and Tyson up walking around the corner from the locker rooms.
“This is where the steam room was,” Rodney said.
Tyson was walking on his own, but looked to be wobbling with every step he took. I figured Claire must’ve slipped something into his drink while they were in the office. I concentrated on the screen and watched as the pair disappeared around the corner.
“Do we have any other camera angles that can help us see what’s going on,” I asked. Rodney and James shook their heads. Crap, right now it was circumstantial at best, but it might be enough to convince the D.A. to issue an arrest warrant.
Claire emerged a few minutes later. She was alone and seemed to be in a hurry to leave the gym. We waited for a sign of Tyson Lee on any of the camera angles, or someone else to walk over there. But no one came near that area, not until hours later.
“Your call Ali,” Rodney said. “How you wanna play this?”
“Let’s present the evidence to the D.A. and see what she says.”
A bead of sweat trickled down Claire’s cheek as she walked around her bedroom in a white cotton towel. The steam still billowed from the bathroom from the hot shower she took. She paced nervously around the room while contemplating what she wanted to wear. It needed to be something hot and sexy to lure him into a false sense of security. At the same time, Claire didn’t want to look like she was throwing herself at Ron either. He had already become suspicious when she disappeared from the restaurant. Then she too easily accepted his invitation to come over his house for dinner. If she appeared to be throwing herself at him, he would know for sure she was up to something.
Claire browsed through the dresses that lined her closet. Her favorite red dress stood at the forefront of her selection. She picked up the hanger and stared at the bold color. “There’s no way I’m messing you up for him.” She placed it back on the rack and cycled through the remaining outfits. The only ones that stood out were her favorite sexy black dress, a eye stunning royal blue one, and an emerald green number that Becky convinced her to buy a few years ago. Claire was tempted to wear it, but there was one more dress that called to her. It was one she almost forgot about. It was a short black dress with crimson streaks along the sides. The material clung tightly to Claire’s body with the exception of a small slit up the right leg. She reached into her closet and pulled out a pair of black stilettos that wrapped around her ankle and exposed the sides of her feet. She glanced in the mirror. “He’ll be eating out of my hands in minutes.”
An hour of makeup and hair prep gave Claire a super model appearance. The crimson streaked dress clung to her body, putting every curve on display. Her confidence was at an higher than it ever had been, but the idea of going to Ron DeMarco’s house made her want to vomit. Despite her repulsion, Claire was determined to make the bastard pay for everything he took from her.
The drive to DeMarco’s house was a blur. She shook the cobwebs from her head and found herself staring up a long driveway with a massive building looming in the distance. Her car inched forward until it lined parallel to a sleek black Corvette.
This is it; now or never
. Claire walked up the steps. The two story house towered over her as she pressed the doorbell. The lights were off inside, all except one flickering glow.
Claire’s focus remained on the light, not noticing the front door had opened and the man she swore to kill was standing in front of her. “Claire, you look absolutely breathtaking.” Ron’s Cheshire grin was unmistakably noticeable as his eyes devoured Claire. He stood there in the black suit jacket he wore earlier in the day paired with khakis and a black button down. Claire had to admit, if it wasn’t for his attitude and what he did to her, she would’ve enjoyed the dinner for a different reason. Hell, she might’ve considered dating him.
Claire blushed playfully, letting the word thanks slip silently from her lips. She let a slight pause linger before displaying the bottle of wine she had hidden behind her back.
“Claire, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to start the night off right. And after what happened on our last date, I figured one of my favorites would be a better option.”
Ron graciously accepted the bottle and stepped aside, permitting Claire to enter his home. The immaculate white tiled floors paved the way to a sitting room. A beige suede couch sat idly by in front of an electric fire place with a soft bear skin rug resting at its feet.
“Dinner is just about ready,” Ron said. He laced his fingers around Claire’s as he escorted her to the dining room.
The table wasn’t long, but could comfortably fit a party of ten. The amber colored wood was lined with a white cloth down the center. Half of the table remained empty while the other had a bouquet of red roses in a crystal case. A pair of candles burned brightly next to it. Plates and silverware were placed at the corner, forcing the dinner companions to sit very close to each other. Soft classical music played in the background, although Claire couldn’t pin point where it was coming from.
“Do you like it,” Ron asked.
“I-I-I love it.” Claire was smitten with the idea that someone would go to such lengths to impress her, and she was impressed. Ron DeMarco’s charm was winning her over, calming the raging inferno inside, and made her forget why she was there in the first place.
“Come; have a seat. Our appetizers should be ready any minute.”
Claire sat in the chair seated at the corner of the table that Ron pulled out for her. She lowered herself to the seat as Ron eased the heavy wooden chair closer to the table. “Thank you.” Claire eyed up to the bottle of wine. “Should I get us started with a toast?”
Ron’s devilish grin broadcasted his lustful desire. The night was going better than he could’ve imagined. “Here, allow me.” DeMarco popped the cork and carefully measured the wine until both glasses were full. The deep reddish purple color swirled around the crystal stemware. “What should we toast to?”
“To a night neither of us will ever forget.” The glasses clinked together hiding Ron and Claire’s wicked intentions.
************************************************************
Claire cautiously picked through the appetizers Ron set before her. The manicotti looked delicious, but she couldn’t help but be defensive, knowing full well each bite could be laced with a drug guaranteed to knock her out.
“What’s the matter? You don’t like it?”
“Sorry, I’m just not a big pasta eater.” It was true. Claire tried to stay away from carbs for the most part, with the exception of the random times she caved in for a slice of pizza. Ever since she started working out, she had been very health conscious about what she ate.
Ron had a disappointed look on his face. “I can whip up something else if you’d like. I can get you a salad, cut up some fruits and vegetables.”
Wow
; Claire thought.
Way to show off your culinary skills; salad or fruits and vegetables
. She did everything to hide the smirk from Ron and covered it with burying her face in a napkin. “No, that’s quite all right. I can wait until dinner.” Claire gripped the stem of her glass and swirled the wine a little more.
Dinner is the perfect time to strike.
Ron shoveled the remaining scraps of his food into his mouth. “I’m terribly sorry you didn’t like the manicotti. It’s one of my favorite dishes and thought you’d enjoy it.” He shrugged it off and returned the plates to the kitchen.
This is it, point of no return.
Claire reached into her clutch and pulled out a small bottle of crushed pills. She poured a little into Ron’s wine glass and made sure to stir it with her fork gently as to not make a single sound. Ron returned moments later with both hands clutching dishes. “Oh that looks delicious,” Claire said excitedly. “What is it?”
“This is my lemon chicken with twice baked potatoes and grilled asparagus.” He placed one plate in front of Claire with a look of pure delight on his face. “I think you’ll really enjoy this.”
Claire couldn’t help but consider Ron had done something to the food. He had done something to her drink the other night at the restaurant and narrowly escaped by the skin of her teeth. She needed to be the first to strike.
Claire wrapped her fingers around the stem of her glass and raised it again. Another toast was boarder line excessive and could think something was off with the drink. Ron eyed her suspiciously, but enjoyed watching her devour her wine.
“Everything all right,” he asked while taking a sip from his glass.
Claire got up from her chair and sauntered over to Ron. She stared deeply into his eyes and let her tongue snake out and wet her bottom lip. “I was just thinking we could shake things up a bit.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“How about we have a little dessert before dinner?” Claire ran her fingers along Ron’s chest and hooked them around his neck. She brought him closer as her lips met his. The sensation repulsed her, but she didn’t let him know that. She broke away from the kiss.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just wanted a little more wine first.” Claire poured a little more than a shot of wine into her glass and threw it back in one gulp. She backed away slowly, not taking her eyes off of him for a moment. “You want me, come get me.”
Ron chugged his glass of wine before chasing Claire into the living room. His hands grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. His lips crashed against hers. Claire didn’t know how far this would go before the pills took effect. She needed to play into the role of the seducer, the woman that was the center of Ron DeMarco’s lustful intentions who happened to realize she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Her hands ran up and down his back, avoiding moving to the front. She refused to break his embrace or the kiss. But all it did was egg Ron on more. His hands traveled from Claire’s hips to her backside, cupping his hands under her ass.
Claire yelped in surprise but tried to cover it up with a moan of pleasure. Ron hardly noticed and continued exploring her body with his hands. He reached for the hem of the dress and began dragging it up Claire’s front. It was above her belly button before she realized what he was doing.
This was the plan; right? Seduce DeMarco, give him what he wanted to stall him until the drugs kicked in
. Claire was apprehensive about letting him remove her dress.
He’s already seen you naked. Stop being a baby about this.
The last thought that entered Claire’s mind was the one to send her over the edge. Remembering he had seen her naked, that he had drugged her and done god knows what to her fueled her desire for revenge and to do whatever it took to get it.
Claire pushed Ron’s hands away and broke the kiss. He was panting from the heart pounding, breathtaking lip lock. He was loving this side of Claire and wanted more.
“What’s wrong,” he asked.
Claire shook her head and pushed him down on the couch. Her hands grabbed the hem of her dress and hoisted it over her head. She was standing proudly in her rose red bra with black lacing and matching panties. She straddled him and started to grind.
“Tell me; when was the first time you knew you wanted me?”
“That day we met in the conference room at the hospital.” He was enjoying himself and could feel his manhood pressing into Claire.
“Be honest with me. I know that wasn’t the first time we met. I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
The drug took hold of Ron. His head tilted to the side. His eyes squinted at the woman that sat on top of him. “What?”
Claire rocked her hips from side to side faster. “I know we met once before, but I can’t remember what happened.”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ron tried to push Claire aside, but was becoming too weak. Claire shoved him back down on the couch and kept him in place.
She lowered herself and whispered into his ear. “I know what you did to me six months ago. I know you slipped something into my drink that night.” She stopped moving and stood above him.
“What the hell are you talking about?” He tried to get up, but Claire shoved him back against the cushion. The effects of the drugs were running through his blood stream.
“I have the video to prove you were there that night. You were watching me and were right there when I ordered my drink. The tape showed us dancing. You were all over me that night.” The deviousness in Claire’s eyes demanded the truth.
The light in DeMarco’s eyes returned, making Claire wonder what he was thinking about. The satisfied smirk couldn’t be contained as verbal diarrhea spewed from his mouth. “You looked so damn good that weekend. All of the guys agreed, you were one of the hottest girls at the conference. They all wanted a piece and had a bet going on who could get you in bed first. When I saw you at the bar that night, it was just perfect. Your body looked hot in that black dress. I just knew I had to have you.”
Claire kept a hand pressed to Ron’s chest, slowly curling his shirt around her fist. “And you thought the best way to do that was to drug me?”
His hand stroked the side of Claire’s arm gently. “You were so sexy that night. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you; the way you danced; the way you grinded on me. Damn, I couldn’t resist.” Claire’s hand balled the shirt around her fist. Pure hatred emanated from her eyes. “Then we got back to the hotel and had a night that I just couldn’t get out of my head. You had such a nice body and felt so good.” It took everything in Claire not to hit Ron, but knew that would only lead to evidence linking her to his soon-to-be death. “I mean, you looked good then, but you’re a complete knockout now.”