Case 503 Read online

  Continued from Case 321

  CASE 503

  By

  Shiralyn J. Lee

  All characters and names in The Paige Bleu Series are fictitious and similarities to anyone living or dead are purely coincidental.

  Case #2 in the Paige Bleu series.

  Copyright 2013 Case 321 by Shiralyn J. Lee. Case 321 is the sole property of the author and under no circumstances is this work allowed to be reproduced or sold on any unsolicited site. Please be aware of the piracy laws and the consequences that can occur from committing such a crime.

  This book is written in the lesbian genre and contains lesbian sex and strong language.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Other Published Works

  Chapter One

  Several months had passed since I’d been back at work. I hadn’t let Iris totally disappear from my life either. After a marathon of searches, DNA tests had been performed, questions had been answered. A woman in her late forties had been found to match Iris’s bloodline, Annie Holman from San Diego, California. 15 years ago, she’d gone inside a store to purchase cigarettes, leaving her 3 year old daughter Sophie, outside to ride up and down the sidewalk on her new tricycle. She was wearing a red hooded jacket and denim dungarees. A photograph that Miss Holman had given to the police at the time of the abduction, with Sophie wearing a jacket matching the description had been kept on file.

  Meeting her daughter for the first time was extremely emotional for the woman. Sophie, as she is known now, showed little reaction when her mother entered the room. Why would she, the only female contact she’d had beside her mother was Dr. Reeves, Eimi, Emily and myself, each one of us having a vested interest in her but not a personal one.

  After undergoing medical examinations, dental surgery and closely monitored by a nutritionist, Sophie had also been given another lease of life. It had been established that she’d not spoken a word since she was taken from her mother, so a speech therapist has been assigned to teach her to use her voice again. The last time that I saw her, which was six weeks ago, she was able to say, thank you Paige, forming her words fluently and with a voice so light and innocent, it made my heart melt. Her appearance had changed too. Her hair had grown several inches, she’d gained a little weight and her skin tone appeared healthy.

  Speight, not that he’s worth a mention, is still waiting for his trial to be set. It could take another several months before he faces his future sentencing. He had also admitted to two counts of rape before he had abducted Sophie. Both victims of these attacks had been contacted by the local sheriff’s department. A separate case is being conducted.

  As for me, I’ve been paying monthly visits to my shrink. Martha Raney has been in the business of listening to all kinds of idiotic secrets. I choose the word ‘idiotic’ freely. It goes with the job, as a necessity to visit her. I feel like an idiot talking about my personal problems. I hide things from her, why should she know about Kate’s infidelity, it serves no purpose for me being there. And she already has my file about my childhood. That chapter in my life is all dead and buried. She just needs an evaluation that makes sense when she writes her evaluation on me and sends them off to Mike.

  I sat in her office yesterday afternoon for an hour. It was painfully dull. I could hear my watch ticking loudly over the silence. She always sits there in her big comfy chair behind her desk waiting for me to say something, whilst I’m seated in a rather uncomfortable seat, with beige fabric covering the cushion and a thin wooden arm on either side. I offer her very little information as usual, so she asked the same question that she always asks me, ‘How is life treating you, Paige?’ I feed her bullshit just to shut her up. Life hasn’t exactly dealt a kind hand my way, I’ve just learned how to switch off and deal with whatever’s thrown at me. My next appointment with her is May 19. There will be little change in my attitude.

  ♦♦♦

  Kate and I have been invited to a BBQ today by one of our neighbor’s. Ed and Rachel Dawson live two doors away from our house and often wave as they leave for work in the mornings. Rachel’s been trying for a baby since they moved in seven months ago. We’ve had polite conversations with them, but nothing that would give away any indication that I had a high profile job.

  “I’ve got a case of beers, a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of expensive red. Do you think that’s enough to take with us?” Kate asked me as she closed the fridge door.

  “I’m sure that we can always come back for more if we run out.”

  My relationship with Kate had gone from Hades to Heaven. Both of us have been making the effort to take a step back if the other was beginning to push the wrong buttons. I’m not saying that we don’t have our arguments but we’ve been precautious when choosing spiteful words just to get our own point of view across.

  “I tell you what, babe, why don’t you stick another bottle of red in that bag too. Maybe we can teach Ed and Rachel about the finer wines in life,” I said to her. I picked up a second bottle of red wine from the rack next to the food cupboard and handed it to her.

  “Piss head,” she giggled.

  I like it when she smiles. The corner of her left eye has this cute little squint and a tiny laughter line appears just to the right side of her mouth. I’m glad that I fought to keep her.

  “So how about a kiss before we go?” she asked.

  I stood behind her and cradled her in my arms, taking advantage of the fact that she was wearing a loose fitting top I ran my hand beneath the flowing material and made my play for her breast. She pressed the back of her head into my shoulder and I kissed the side of her face. She was my Kate, hot, sexy and adorable.

  Chapter Two

  We rang the doorbell and could hear the other party guests enjoying themselves in the back yard.

  “Kate, Paige, I’m so glad you came. Come on in,” Rachel said cheerfully. She was a thin girl, flat chested, hip bones that protruded through her jeans and long brown wavy hair that needed to be rescued by the sleek police. But it wasn’t her looks that made her the person that she is, it was her personality. There wasn’t an ounce of spite in her nature.

  Kate gave her a quick peck on her cheek, I followed the ritual and then we stepped inside her house.

  “Oh, Rachel, I love your fireplace,” Kate proceeded to tell her. She loved to snoop around other people’s houses to see what they had and what she could take away from them, idea wise. The fireplace was nice. A mahogany surround with shelving on each side and a white marble inlay, gave this focal point a great deal of interest as well as pointing out the fact that this couple had money to spend.

  “Thank you, Kate. Ed built it himself. He’s quite a handy guy to have around. If ever there’s anything you need done to your place just come on over, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to help and offer you some ideas.

  “If he built this, then I definitely want him to work on any future projects that come up, what do you say, Paige?” Kate looked at me, her eyes were wide and I could tell that she was already thinking about her next project.

  “Anything you want, hun.” I replied modestly.

  “Come through and join the others. I think that everyone’s here now,” Rachel said, showing us through the lounge and out through the French patio doors. “Everyone, this is Kate and Paige, our neighbors, Kate, Paige, this is everyone we practically know.”

  “Hi, everyone,” we both said together, with Kate’s voice overpowering mine with a higher excited tone.

  It was fast becoming a hot afternoon, and with very little shade i
n the garden, we chose to sit beneath the pergola that Ed had built. It was a grand structure, thickly covered in wisteria with clusters of blue flowers hanging down above us. He had also made the wooden table and chairs to match the timber structure. Ed, who was wearing khaki colored knee length shorts and a plain white t-shirt that clung to his oversized gut, made his way over to us carrying a tray with a selection of different drinks, the glasses were clinking together as he walked across the grass, making his way over to us. We both opted for the Champagne.

  “So what do you two ladies do for a living?” he asked, passing us our glasses.

  “I sell artwork part time, and I also sing,” Kate informed him.

  “Oh nice, very nice indeed,” he replied, nodding his head in his own approving way. “And what about you, Paige, anything as interesting as Kate, or are you more like me, a slave to the office desk?”

  “You could say that, Ed. I do mainly work from behind a desk,” I quickly reported back.

  “Now there’s nothing shameful about being a secretary, Rachel was my secretary for years. That’s how we met.” He continued to tell us.

  I allowed him to carry on thinking of me as a secretary just because it was easier not to have to explain any other false profession. I nodded in agreement with him and smiled politely.

  “Hot dog or burger?” Rachel asked, offering us a choice from the platter she was holding.

  Kate grabbed a hot dog slathered in onions and mustard, I chose a burger.

  “So how are you two enjoying living in this neighborhood?” Kate asked them.

  “I think we both like it, don’t we, Ed?” Rachel said, looking at Ed for confirmation.

  We chatted politely with the couple for a few minutes before they moved on to mingle with their other guests. After an hour, we had been introduced to several of their friends and members of their family. They seemed to be a likeable lot. The drinks were being supplied regularly and there was a constant supply of food being handed around.

  “Oh, wow. Look up, Paige, there’s three eagles flying right above us.” Kate was staring up at the sky with her hand shading her eyes from the sun, even though we were both wearing sunglasses, it was still too bright to look up into that direction.

  As we both gazed at the spectacular sight, my phone rang, interrupting the perfect moment. I knew that it was work because I had set the ring tone to one of my favorite songs.

  “Mike, what’s up?” I asked quietly so my conversation couldn’t be overheard by the others.

  He told me that I was needed at the office and that Emily was already on her way. I had no choice but to go in.

  “I suppose you have to leave,” Kate whispered with a sharp tone in her voice.

  “Please don’t do this now, Kate, not in front of these people.”

  “I’m not doing anything. You’re the one that’s leaving.” She pouted and turned her face away.

  “I’m sorry, Kate. Please let’s not fight about it.”

  “I’m staying here, there’s no reason for both of us to leave,” she sulked.

  I got up and leaned over to her, kissed her on the top of her head and promised that I would do my best to be back as soon as I could. But we both knew that that was just a cop out. I made my apologies to Ed and Rachel, giving them the rehearsed excuse that I had to go and see to my sick aunt. They seemed to understand my situation and were very happy to entertain Kate in my absence.

  Emily text me whilst I was driving through the city. She was wondering what Mike had in store for us. I used my Bluetooth and chatted with her briefly. Mike had never discussed over the phone why he was calling us in, but when he did, we knew it would be a serious reason.

  I parked in the underground parking lot. Emily pulled up alongside me a few moments later, having driven in from the opposite side of the city.

  “No rest for the wicked,” she said, smiling away. “I got the call when I had Richards head between my thighs.”

  “Jesus, Emily, do you have to be so graphic, and who the hell is Richard?”

  “I met him a few weeks ago. He seems to be a good catch.”

  “Just like the last guy, you mean. Married, three kids and no job!”

  “Ok, so that one lied to me.”

  “Do you think?” I said, sarcastically.

  Chapter Three

  Mike was in his office waiting for us. “Paige, Emily, I’m going to get straight to the point here. Body parts have been found in Coyote Creek. The lower part of an arm with a partially severed hand and a foot were found along the embankment. They appear to be female, according to the sheriff’s department. I want you two out there today. Here’s the case file.”

  He passed over the file. There wasn’t much information to go by; just a couple of photos showing the body parts and the surrounding area in which they were found.

  “Any indication on how long they were there before they were found? I asked him.

  “Probably a day, maybe two at the most, the river is 63 miles long and empties into the San Francisco Bay, so there’s a lot of ground to search. Forensic results haven’t come back yet. I called you two as soon as I received the case. There’s a chance that the rest of the body could turn up soon.”

  “Can we rule out crocodiles?” Emily asked.

  “That’s for you guys to find out.” He got up from his chair, picked up his car keys from his desk and opened the door ready for us to walk out. “My wife is waiting patiently for me, so I will leave this file in your hands, ladies.”

  ♦♦♦

  Standing at the river edge in the spot where the body parts were found, I couldn’t help but notice that this would be a location for young lovers to sneak out to late at night and a possible picnic site during the daylight hours. There’s even a gravel track for people to walk, indicating that this site is well used.

  River rocks protruded up from the large pools of babbling water. The bed had a sandy sediment, the water clear with small grass reeds here and there. A grassy low embankment edged it on one side and flat on the other, with pebbles and rocks creating a miniature beach effect. Bushes and trees had established themselves on a small hillside adjacent to the creek. Half of the creek and its surroundings were shaded as the late day sun was passing over the hill creating small pockets of dark hideaways behind the shrubbery. It was a good base for a murder to be committed without drawing any attention to yourself.

  I took pictures of the locale with my digital camera and then we both explored the hillside and searched under the bushes.

  “They must have done a search here already,” Emily said, as she lifted up the bottom branches of a low bush.

  “Yeah, maybe we should look over there.” I pointed to a spot farther along the hill. Emily agreed.

  “I happen to know that there’s some tasty Chinook salmon and Rainbow trout in these waters. Maybe we should take up fishing,” she suggested.

  “Surely not. I can’t stand the thought of sitting around for hours on end doing absolutely nothing,” I retorted.

  “So I wonder who she could be. I’ll give Richard a call to see if he’s heard of any females that have been reported missing in the last few days.”

  “So he’s on the force then?” I asked, but I wasn’t surprised. Judging by her past partners, they are all connected by the justice system somehow.

  We searched the new area. It was darker than the previous site and the bushes denser. We used sticks that we’d found on the ground to move or lift the undergrowth and it wasn’t long before we found an item of clothing that had been buried in the soil.

  “Paige, I’ve got something.” She held out her stick and hanging from the end of it was a chocolate brown top.

  I pulled out a pair of latex gloves from my pocket and put them on and then held the garment out in front of me. It was a peplum top with a lace insert on the left side of the waist line. It looked expensive. The label indicated that it was designer.

  “If the owner of this garment is the person that we�
�re searching for, then I don’t think we’re looking for a prostitute or anyone on a low income, but I’m not ruling it out for definite.” I rolled it up and put it in a plastic bag.

  There were some markings in the soil just beyond the bush. They looked fresh, as though it had been churned up in a struggle of some kind. I took a picture as potential evidence.

  “Do you have a flash light on you?” I asked Emily. The sun was disappearing behind the hill making it harder to investigate.

  She handed me a small light, it offered just enough power to see beneath the foliage. Partially buried in the ground was a sandal.

  “Jesus, do you think we’re standing on a murder site?” Emily asked, as she carefully took a step back from the potential crime scene.

  “I’m pretty sure.”

  We went back to the Chevy and grabbed a few tools that we’d brought along with us. Back at the site, Emily held a flashlight and I propped another one on top of some branches that had fallen down on to the ground. I began to dig carefully around the area, picking up the sandal and bagging it for forensics. We found a second sandal that had been buried just a few feet away. It was evident that this person had money. Designer shoes like these are not worn by just anyone.

  “You need to call Richard.”

  Emily made her call. When she had finished talking to Richard she informed me that there had been no reports of any females missing in the area.

  We looked through the rest of the shrubbery, crouching down low, turning over fallen leaves and branches but finding nothing else to excite us. We were both getting tired and soon the night creatures would be out prowling.

  “Call a team in to comb the area. They can work through the night if they have to. I want to make sure that this ground has been carefully searched,” I told Emily.

  ♦♦♦

  It was 9.30pm by the time I finally returned home. Kate was in the shower. Her music was playing on her laptop that she had placed on top of the bed.