Excerpt from
Cop's Daughter - Victoria
To Be Published December 2006
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Cover art and photo of Laura Marie Henion as a child
in her Dad's uniform courtesy of Nancimilia's Cottage Magic
Victoria was weak and his strength was enormous. The last couple of blows knocked the wind out of her and the ones that followed sent her into a deep sleep like the one she had just awoke from. How long had she been here? What did he plan on doing with her? Didn’t anyone hear her screams?
The room was a dump, filthy and cheap. No one would ask questions, take notice of a man practically dragging a young woman along with him. He had held the gun against her ribcage, threatening to kill her on the spot then go after her mother if she continued to fight him.
She took him seriously. She knew he could easily get to her mother just as he was able to get to her. No one suspected him of anything. The odds were against her; no one was coming. If he were going to kill her, wouldn’t he have done it by now? He’s toying with you, Tory; it’s all a game. She would not accept defeat; she would attempt escape again.
She had to give it a shot.
Victoria recalled what had happened earlier to place her body in this weak position.
The sun was brightly shining and she could hear the highway in the distance; she would run in that direction. She watched her captor reach into his pocket to retrieve the car keys. The parking lot was empty, the motel looked abandoned. It was the end of June, schools were getting out, families were planning vacations and no decent, law-abiding citizen would be spending their time in a dive like this. As she looked around, the fear and anxiety of dying in such a place set in. There wasn’t a soul in sight. She watched him, and when his ring caught onto the pocket of his jeans, she pulled away. She started to run back the same way they had just come. The highway was a short distance after the parking lot and, possibly, she could stop a passing car and yell for help.
She lost her shoe as she ran across the high, overgrown grass that separated the parking lot from the highway. She damned herself for wearing the slip-on black wedges as she tossed off the other one a few seconds later. Victoria cursed numerous times as she cut her feet on broken liquor bottles and beer cans. She could hear him chasing her, laughing as he jogged, like it was some sort of game. She could hear the cars zooming by ahead and, as she cleared the grass, she could taste freedom. Help was right ahead of her. Then, as her aching, bleeding feet made contact with the pavement, so did her body. She hit the ground with a thump. Her captor lay on top of her.
Instantly, the cloth was around her mouth and she groaned and cried from the excruciating pain that radiated through her whole body. Then the gun was wedged against her cheekbone, and she could feel the bruise penetrate from under her skin. She laid her arms by her side in defeat.
Her heart was pounding, her mind racing, wondering if he would kill her right here.
Chapter 1
One Month Earlier…
Victoria finally found a spot to park, and it was three blocks away from her Aunt Jane's house. She'd never hear the end of it if she arrived late. Everyone would meet at her Aunt Jane and Uncle Patrick's house every year at ten thirty in the morning for the town Memorial Day parade. Her aunt's house was on the same block as the town hall and every year the family would celebrate together after watching the parade, which concluded on their street.
It was already ten and she could hear the parade starting; the bagpipes, the drums, and festivities clamored in the distance. She inhaled deeply, pleased at the smell of popcorn vendors and the sounds that stirred emotions and memories from her childhood. Many residents in the town had their houses decorated with American flags, POW flags and various other patriotic embellishments. Her Uncle's neighbor had a large statue of Uncle Sam pointing; he was well known for it.
Most of the men in her family were in the parade for some reason or another and the women in the family prepared the meals for the celebration once the men got back.
Aunt Jane's husband, Patrick, was Victoria's favorite uncle and one of the local police Sergeants. His son, Connor, Victoria's cousin, was a detective in the same police department. Other members of the family were firemen, police officers or service men.
Once again, Victoria was late. She had to park a few blocks over because the traffic cops had all the streets closed for the parade. Victoria ducked under the yellow tape and ran through the neighborhood carrying her special homemade strawberry shortcake, her uncle's favorite, in an enclosed Tupperware cake holder. She nearly dropped it multiple times, but finally made it to her Aunt's house before the first marchers. The street was filled with onlookers. Everyone by her aunt's house greeted her with yells and faces that showed expressions of pure relief that she'd made it on time. Victoria had a feeling Aunt Jane had already started complaining about Victoria being late or perhaps not showing up at all.
"See, Jane, my daughter's not a no-show," Sherry, Victoria's mother teased as she took the cake from her daughter and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Hi, mom; hello, everyone. I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught up on a story I'm doing and I couldn't stop," Victoria told them as she greeted her other aunts and cousins.
The parade began and it would be a while before any of the marchers reached the street the Town hall was on. Victoria had made it and with time to spare.
Victoria looked across the street where the historic house, now the River Point Town Hall stood. It was an old Victorian-style home completely updated and remodeled, appealing to the small town's unique historical aura. The enormous side lawn area was covered with people. Large tables filled with crafters and artists, along with their latest creative works, continued to set up their displays in hopes of selling out as the day continued. Victoria figured she would check out the displays later in the day.
The town celebration for Memorial Day would continue into the evening hours. The local fire department had set up a D.J. booth and volunteers had prepared entertainment for the children and the adults. There was plenty to do.
Victoria recalled her childhood memories of when the celebration was much smaller, but still fun and exciting. She and her brothers, Peter and James, along with her other cousins, would enjoy watching the parade from home. After the parade, they would walk across the street to the town hall where her uncles and father would hand out lollypops, ice cream sandwiches and other goodies to all the little kids in town. Her father, Danny, her Uncle Patrick and Uncle Jack, who owned a local fencing company, would participate every year after marching in the parade. They enjoyed the tradition and would be doing the same this year. "Victoria, what was so important that you couldn't get here on time?" Aunt Jane asked and Victoria caught the looks from her mother and cousins. The looks warned her not to start a fight with her bossy aunt. Aunt Jane was a good-hearted person, very caring and friendly, but for some reason she felt that somewhere along the line the family needed discipline and she was appointed leader. No one seemed to argue that fact, except Victoria. Victoria even told her Uncle Patrick how annoyed she would get at his wife, and asked why he couldn't settle her down a bit. Of course, Uncle Patrick was always trying to be civil, and play mediator.
Victoria recalled his words: She just wants to feel important and keep the family together. By taking charge and organizing every family gathering, she feels she's doing this. Even with his reassurances, Aunt Jane still tended to get on her nerves.
"It's getting closer to crunch time, Aunt Jane, and I have two separate articles in this month's edition of Search And Seizure magazine, and I want to be finished ahead of time. I thought I was, then more ideas came to me and I had to write them down immediately. That's why I was a little late."
"Well, family is most important, dear. Everyone else got here on time, and we all have busy lives."
Victoria bit her tongue. Damn, this woman got to her. Victoria never suggested that her life was busier or more important than anyone else's-the nerve.
"Jane, she's here isn't she? So, cool it. She even made a cake; so let's just settle down and enjoy the parade," Sherry said as she took Victoria's arm and led her to the front yard to sit on some lawn chairs and watch the parade.
Out of the corner of Victoria's eye, she watched Aunt Jane check out the cake. Victoria knew she was seeing if it was store bought or homemade. Thank God she got up at five thirty this morning to bake it, or she would have been forced to hit the bakery down the road and pray Aunt Jane didn't personally inspect the Tupperware.
* * * *
The family gathered around talking and having a good time, as they waited for the parade to reach Main Street. Family and friends gathered around telling jokes and updating one another on their lives' events. The first marchers appeared. The local politicians led the way. Victoria laughed as a few onlookers actually booed the town political leaders. One in particular caught Victoria's attention. His name was Bret Collins, a very handsome man who was involved in various types of businesses. They ranged between restaurants, small sidewalk shops, gas stations and Laundromats, from what she'd heard around town.Bret Collins sat on the town board and had his sights on the position of town supervisor. His family would benefit if he got the position, because each of his brothers owned local businesses as well. He was connected to Delaney construction, which was beginning to monopolize most of the larger construction projects in the county. Victoria met him for the first time last week at a fundraiser for a local child in the area who was diagnosed with leukemia. Hundreds of supporters showed up and Victoria's editor, John, from the magazine, knew Bret very well and had introduced them.
She watched Bret as he drove by in a classic red mustang, waving at the crowd and glancing at Victoria. He had a good twelve years on her and she knew her family pretty much disliked his political ideas, but there was something about him that interested her. Maybe it was the rumors about how wealthy he was and all the women whose hearts he broke? She really wasn't sure, but if they crossed each other's paths again, she would definitely learn more about him.
Then everyone's attention was drawn toward the shiny red fire trucks all decked out in their parade best. The trucks slowly drove past tossing lollipops at the children watching.
Victoria was tossed a handful, which made her laugh then wave at the culprits.
She could see her other cousin Tom, along with his good friends he'd grown up with. Victoria smiled when she saw her Uncle Patrick and cousin Connor marching alongside the other officers in the parade.
Victoria sighed; she thought about her father and the past years watching the parade. Every year, her father and brother Peter would march side by side with huge smiles on their faces. Her father would wave to his wife, Sherry, and to Victoria as well.
Victoria thought about her brother James; she missed him terribly and prayed that he was safe. James was a Lieutenant in the army, stationed in Faluhja, and he was due back home in six months if all went well. They had just received a letter from him three days ago and he sounded energized and motivated to be there and get his job done. James had been able to come home for his father's funeral on a three-day pass, which was wonderful for the whole family.
He was the oldest child and had difficulty leaving his family. Victoria recalled the way that the three of them, Peter, James and she sat on the back porch swing together the night of the funeral. Their mom lay asleep in her room, physically and emotionally exhausted. They, however, held one another, Victoria in the middle, and they planned a strategic way of handling things. Who would take care of the finances, the bills, mom and the house; the list went on and James would try to do his part, but from a distance. He had his military career, his obligation to the country and to make his personal effort to ensure that there would never be another September 11th.
They would all pull together; it was the family way. They always worked together, one unit, one team, and were never left to feel all alone. She laughed when she thought about it. Her father would give them plenty of warning if a meeting were to occur. He'd say "Mardullo family meeting, seven tonight, back porch." The three of them would laugh if the meeting was for something good, but they'd cringe if it was for something bad. Like the time James and Peter had a fight with some other guys and the police were called. No one pressed any charges or anything, the other guys started it, but Dad swore he and Mom were not raising hoodlums or troublemakers. Victoria was in just as much trouble, because she tried to use her cover-up makeup to hide her brothers' bruised cheeks. Those were the days. Happy times, funny memories, a family bond so strong they all thought that nothing could penetrate it or destroy it.
Now here she was, knowing that she should at least confide in her brother about her plans and her progress into her father's murder, but she knew what the end result would be. "You shouldn't get involved you're not a detective, a trained professional. Leave it to the police." She just couldn't do it. Victoria was a professional, good at her particular job writing major articles for the magazine, interviewing homicide detectives, police officers, prosecuting and defense attorneys. She was damn good at it. She'd use whatever skills, connections and everything else she had and there wasn't anyone who could stop her. Victoria looked toward her brother Peter, determined to keep her cool, remain silent, but confide in him when the time was right.
Peter was tall and handsome, with light brown hair and brown eyes, just like their father. He had received more of the Italian genes in the family then the Irish. James looked more Irish than Italian with his reddish brown hair, green eyes and trim build. Victoria was a combination of both Italian and Irish.
Dad's side had more Italian and Mom's side had a lot more Irish blood. That was obvious by the looks of Uncle Patrick, who could have stepped right off the boat, directly from Ireland.
Peter was a SWAT team-training commander for the county SWAT team task force. He was standing by the old maple tree, watching the parade with Uncle Jack, Aunt Sarah and Aunt Jane. This year he didn't march; he just couldn't handle the emotions or the memories yet.
* * * *
Victoria couldn't help but become teary eyed herself as the familiar sound of the local police department bagpipe band led the way for the officers marching. It was a familiar sound and sight that she always associated with seeing her father as he marched along the parade route. The pipes not only had a distinct sound, but also stirred an emotion inside her along with every chord and every song. She always loved the feeling it caused deep in her belly and her heart. It made her foot tap and her hips sway to each bang on the large drum along with its rhythm. It was more then her Irish heritage or growing up in a family of law enforcement officers, firefighters and soldiers. The instruments held everything together, whether in celebration like today, or in great sorrow and loss as they had a year ago.Victoria's heart ached.
Her mother, seeming to sense her daughter's sorrow, embraced Victoria's shoulders. "I miss him, too, baby. I'm sure he's watching us right now and has that huge smile on his face."
"I'm sure he is, too, Mom."
Victoria swallowed hard, submerging the tears and emotion, the scars still raw and deep. She wondered if she would ever recover. She focused on her mom's loss more than her own. Right now, Sherry needed Victoria's strength.
They continued to watch the parade, waving at people they knew, and inviting them to join the rest of the family for the big celebration.
* * * *
An hour later, the party was getting crowded. Men in various uniforms gathered in Uncle Patrick's front and backyard, drinking beers, sipping soda and talking shop. The Mally family had relatives all over the county, and it was an ongoing joke that they seemed to be related to everyone.Sherry watched her daughter, Victoria, as she spoke with Tom, Connor and a few of their friends. She could read her daughter's body language-the way she tensed up when a man got too close or flirted with her.
Sherry couldn't help being concerned about the effect all this loss may be having on Victoria's social life. She hadn't dated anyone in more than a year, was absorbed in the magazine she wrote for and kept everything inside. She had been through so much in the past fifteen months. Sherry continued to watch Victoria, observed the way she conducted herself, so classy and professional. She was gorgeous, young and vibrant. The circumstances of the past had taken a toll on that vibrancy. Victoria put on an act around her family and it didn't fool Sherry one bit.
"Hey, what's the long face for, sis? This is supposed to be a party." Patrick put his arms around Sherry's shoulder then looked down the line of her sight.
Patrick smiled as he watched his son's friends flirt with Victoria. She looked beautiful as always and he couldn't help but feel protective. Even though her brother Peter took his father figure role rather seriously, as well as his own son Connor, Patrick felt he had a right, too, since his brother-in-law wasn't around anymore. After Danny died, everyone became even closer and more protective of Victoria and Sherry. Especially since Danny's death was still under investigation.
"My favorite niece is a knockout. Don't worry, sis. Connor, Brian, Andy and Peter will keep an eye on her. We all want to see her happy. Jane said Victoria was late again; I don't know why that bothers her. Tory even made a cake?"
"I don't know why either. I guess she feels a little unappreciated, but I can't force Victoria to show up for every family gathering. She has distanced herself a bit, has absorbed herself in that magazine she works for and is constantly on the go. I guess keeping busy is what keeps Steven off her mind and her father in her heart. I can't help but worry, Pat."
"I know that, Sherry. I worry about her, too, but she seems fine. We're all trying to make it through this one day at a time. I just can't believe he'll be gone a year next week." He took a sip of beer from the blue cup.
"Neither can I. Are you sure the police department wants to do the small memorial service for Danny? I don't know if I can handle it, never mind Victoria."
"Sure they do and they've been hoping by keeping Danny's case in the public eye that just maybe more clues will surface and we'll get closer to finding his killer. Don't worry about it. We'll all be there together."
"Maybe not Victoria. She's already laying the groundwork for some important business trip to Chicago. This has been so hard for her, Pat. She loved her father so much and she was so in love with Steven. Steven told her to wait for him when he was called to serve in the war. They were so in love," Sherry said. She was still puzzled by Steven's actions. It had been easy to envision Victoria and Steven getting married one day. Even Danny had approved.
Steven had worked on the SWAT team alongside Victoria's brother Peter and cousin Brian. But like Steven always said, he was a Marine first and foremost. Everyone was surprised at the way he disappeared and never contacted Victoria.
"Maybe there's more to what happened? He disappeared for the year then volunteered to stay on. Maybe there was an important mission," Pat said. "Don't look at me like that, Sherry. I know he broke her heart and it was the last thing she needed. Her heart was broken, she was struggling with her work, filled with constant worry, and then finds out Steven basically forgot about her. Wrote her off…who knows?"
"Then her father is murdered. Her silence after everything was deafening, Pat. You remember how worried we all were even though she took care of all the details for Danny's service and even spoke at the funeral. She's so much stronger than I am. I don't know where that strength and composure comes from."
"Danny! That's who and you. Don't sell yourself short, sis. You've been a trooper. You know she's been earning quite a reputation around the law enforcement circuit? That last article she did in Search And Seizure was awesome, never mind the live interview she did with that scumbag murderer. She's quite the interrogator."
"Who's quite the interrogator?" Victoria interrupted her mom and uncle with a hug and a kiss. He was large, bulky and all Irish with his red hair and freckled skin. She was standing on her toes as he pulled her toward him, wrapping one strong, solid arm around her waist, easily lifting her off the ground. It made her giggle.
"Hey, beautiful, what happened? The conversation over there get boring?" Patrick asked as he set her down gently.
"Kind of. They started talking about the SWAT team and a new commander that was joining the team this week. Supposedly to take it over, re-organize and whip it into shape. Peter, Brian and the guys aren't looking forward to it. They have no idea who it is. No one does," Victoria said. Connor walked by, passing her a bottle of water as he said hello.
Her Uncle purposely changed the subject and Sherry picked up on it immediately, but didn't say a word. She knew that the police department had its rules and family or not, if they were sworn to secrecy none of them would be the one to spill the beans. Sherry figured Pat was aware of the new commander's identity.
"So what's this I hear about a trip to Chicago…?" Patrick wrapped his arm around his niece's shoulders and began to walk with her. Sherry laughed as she watched her brother's strategic, about-face; he would make sure Victoria made it to the ceremony.
Sherry was grateful for the closeness and size of the family. Her brother Patrick not only lost his brother-in-law but also his best friend. Sherry inhaled deeply; the emptiness in her heart, the loss, was still raw and the memories both painful and happy. "God, I miss you, Danny," she whispered as she walked toward her sister-in-law.
* * * *
"Well, Uncle Patrick, I told mom I wasn't sure yet. I wish she hadn't said anything. I don't want to make a big deal out of this.""It is a big deal, Victoria; it's in honor of your father, and you have to be there."
"I never said I wouldn't make it. There's something I've been working on, that's all, and it's important."
"Nothing is more important or sacred than family. Don't ever forget that." "I won't. I know that. Don't you think I know that?" She instantly felt defensive. He had no idea what she was working on, or the fact that she was conducting her own investigation into her father's murder. The local departments had come up with little so far and Victoria felt she needed to do more than just sit around and be depressed. If her uncle, brother or cousins knew what she was up to, they would insist she put a stop to it and leave it to the detectives involved.
Just then, one of the detectives working her father's case arrived at the party, Detective Tod Kafrey.
"Hello, Tod. How are you? I'm so glad you made it," Sherry said as Tod gave her a kiss in greeting.
"I wouldn't miss it, Mrs. Mardullo. How are you, Mrs. Mally? Nice to see you, too," Tod said as Jane came over to say hello as well.
Tod was in his late thirties with blonde hair and green eyes. A very attractive man, whose family lived in New Jersey. He was tall, around six feet, and stocky. Victoria's cousin, Sarah, had a crush on him something terrible, but she was five years younger and Tod hadn't shown any interest.
Tod was greeted by fellow officers and guests at the party, as well as by Connor and Peter who stood near the barbeque talking about the Yankees and flipping burgers and dogs.
Tod immediately noticed Victoria speaking with her Uncle. She looked upset and instantly he was concerned. She was gorgeous. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and the one-piece tank dress showed off her perfect, trim figure. Her voice and the smell of her perfume inundated his dreams; he wanted her all to himself.
He excused himself from talking with Peter and Brian, then made his way over toward Victoria and her uncle.
Malley was a tall man, bulky and all Irish from red hair to freckles. He was a Sergeant, active on patrol, and not one to sit around wasting the taxpayers' money.
"Hey, Tod, how are you?" Patrick asked shaking Tod's hand in greeting then watching Victoria's facial expression. Tod kissed her on the cheek and she appeared to pull away. Her uncle didn't think Tod was Victoria's type, but if he got Steven off her mind then he was good for that at least. He didn't want to see her get hurt. No one really knew what kind of a relationship the two had, if any. In public they acted like they were just friends.
Patrick excused himself and joined his son and nephew by the grill. "So, Detective, you made it?" Tod teased.
Victoria gave him a sideways look. "You're the detective, not me." "You could have fooled me. I read that interview last night. You were fantastic. The way you got that perpetrator to give it all up. You had him spilling his guts out. I was impressed. I could use you on the job," he said as he winked, then touched her cheek gently with his fingers. Victoria smiled, but pulled away a little.
Tod felt her discomfort, but wasn't about to give up on her yet. He was attracted to her, had been from the moment they'd met. He was one of the lead detectives investigating her father's death. Tod had been one of the first on the scene when her father's body was found. It was he who had broken the news to Victoria, her mother, and Peter. Tod couldn't allow just anyone to do it.
Tod recalled seeing her for the first time at Jim Flanagan's wedding, a month before her father died. He remembered Victoria wearing an attractive low cut dress and her eyes had sparkled. She was a knockout with her long, shiny brown hair and natural creamy olive skin, and he had been determined to win her heart. If only she would forget about that Marine from her past. Then maybe he'd have a chance. He'd get a chance to talk to her later and, hopefully, back at her place.
"So what's new, Tod? Are you working today or what?" Victoria asked, then took a sip from the water bottle she was holding.
"Unfortunately, I am working, but took a little break to stop and see you. Do you have plans later? Maybe I can stop by your place and -"
"I really can't, Tod, I'm working on this story for the magazine right now and I'm on a roll. I want to complete it tonight, if I can, then do all my editing and prepare to hand it in to my boss tomorrow morning. I practically missed the beginning of the parade this morning."
"Oh, man, you're kidding me? How did everyone react to that?"
"Only Aunt Jane flipped out a little, but I easily get under her skin. Besides, it's my job and I want to stay on top of my game. It's expected now, you know what I mean?"
"I know exactly what you mean. So if tonight is out of the question what about another night this week? Maybe dinner at PHILL'S? I know you like that famous blooming onion of his."
Victoria felt bad; she knew Tod liked her, but she didn't want to get involved with anyone. She promised herself that she would focus on her career, give up on men for a while and find out who killed her father. So far no one suspected anything.
Tod moved closer to Victoria, touching her arm as he spoke. "I didn't mean to silence you. Would it be so bad to move on with your life? Forget about…"
"No, Tod, don't say his name; don't bring that up to me. I'm just not ready for this. It wouldn't be fair for me to pretend I am when I'm not." "You were too good for him."
"You're a nice man, Tod, a good friend and I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to you. But in all honesty, I just don't have what would be fair to give you at this point in time. When I think about dating, about everything that goes along with it, I feel exhausted, spent. I hope you can understand that? There's a lot I'm working on in my profession, my career, and I just don't have the time."
"You deserve to be happy, Victoria. Why can't you forget about this guy?" Tod didn't bothering trying to hide his anger and jealousy for a man who was probably dead.
Victoria began to walk away; Tod grabbed her wrist. Others took notice and Victoria didn't want to make a scene. She stopped and turned around to face Tod.
"I'm sorry, I had no right to say that to you," he whispered. Tod's cell phone began to ring. "I'm not going to wait forever, Victoria."
He answered his phone, giving 'yes' and 'okay' answers, then closed it up, placing the phone in its holder on his hip.
Possessively, Tod placed his hands on her shoulders. She wasn't anyone's possession.
"I have to go; duty calls, you know. I'll call you later." Tod gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked away, saying goodbye to others as he left.
Chapter 2
Tod pulled the unmarked police car up to the marina, not pleased to find a large crowd gathered around what he was sure would turn out to be the crime scene.
Detective Don Phelps was already there and as Tod made his way through the crowd, he was pleased to find numerous patrol officers taping off the surrounding area. Maybe, just maybe, they were actually following protocol.
"Hey, Detective Kafrey, Detective Phelps is over there past the boat yard. There's a deep ravine that borders the water's edge. That's where your crime scene is," Officer Ronnie Chappa stated. He had been on the force five years and was determined to make detective. In Tod's eyes, he definitely showed potential.
Tod made his way past the junked boats and marina garbage then toward the top of the hill. A few officers gathered around taking notes, speaking to the marina caretaker who'd obviously found the body. He was white as a ghost, perspiring, and his light blue t-shirt showed chunks of what he'd eaten for breakfast that morning.
"Hey, Kafrey, sorry to drag you away from the party at the Malley's, but duty calls," Don said. He stood near the body, wearing rubber gloves and already recording evidence as the forensics team began taking photographs. The River County Coroners office was already on the scene. The Sheriff's department had the best forensics department around and was immediately called to the scene. Their small town police department's lab was still in the works and far from up and running. Politics, Tod thought as he absorbed the scene around him.
Tod immediately noted the sex and position of the body.
She was young, maybe in her twenties, with long brown hair and completely nude. The victim was rigid and in a slumped position. Tod looked back up the hill from where he had just come. He could see slight indentations in the dirt, some broken branches, and matted down grass. He believed, from his initial evaluation of the crime scene, that the body had been dumped down the ravine where it now lay after rolling down the incline.
"She's been here a while," Tod said out loud as he scanned the area with his eyes. It was a statement, not a question.
Detective Phelps rose from the ground and opened his notebook.
"We don't have a name yet, but we're working on it. We're checking the system for any missing persons who fit the victim's description." Detective Phelps joined Tod back near the body.
"Looks like she was bound by the wrists and ankles at some point.
There's bruising around the neck and right shoulder blade. No stab wounds or gunshot wounds. Possibly, she died from strangulation, but no signs of broken vessels around the whites of her eyes," Tod said. He had gently pushed up the victim's eyelids with his fingers, which were protected by disposable gloves.
"Maybe she was poisoned?" Phelps added, more out of making conversation then anything.
Tod gave a look that said maybe. Tod carefully leaned in closer to the body, noting a brown colored substance around the inside of her lips. It could have been dirt that gathered there from her tumble down the ravine, or the culprit to her death. "We'll know soon enough," Tod said just as the coroner arrived.
"Detective Kafrey, we've got someone from the local newspaper up here. What do you want me to tell them?" the patrol officer asked.
"Tell them nothing. We don't know what we're dealing with yet and no one is to make any statements at this time. Spread the word, will ya?" Tod shook his head in disgust. The media never seemed to arrive so quickly when there was good news.
Tod knew that as soon as people in town found out about the body being discovered on Memorial Day, a wave of panic and upset would swamp their little police department.
That's exactly what happened and by the following morning, everyone knew about the murder.
Chapter 3
Victoria was sitting at the desk in her office typing away. About a month ago, she had gotten her hands on a copy of the report of her father's murder. At first she tried to disconnect herself, act as though she was going over the case of a stranger, but there was no use. The emotion was too strong. A tear escaped her eye and she closed the file abruptly, placing it back into her briefcase.
She had copies of various reports, both recent and not so recent cases he had been involved in. Those were easier to read, but the particulars about each victim were hard to get through. She noted that there was certain cases connected to gang activity in an area a few towns over, in Creek Valley. Victoria had heard from her family that the area had been investigated. There were no leads or any evidence to make Tod or the other detectives believe that her father's death was gang related. She stopped looking at the reports, for now, because she had her own work to do. She was trying to prepare for next month's issue of Search And Seizure and her article on police and political corruption. It was a topic her boss and editor had insisted she investigate. It's also what got her motivated to try and solve her father's murder.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the phone on her desk began to ring. "Hello, Victoria Mardullo."
"Hey, Tory, it's me. Did I catch you at a bad time?" It was Celina, Victoria's best friend.
"No, not at all. What's going on? How was Cathy's parents' house?" she asked cautiously.
"Oh, please, you know her father doesn't like me one bit. All he did was pick, pick, pick."
"Oh no, please tell me you didn't wind up getting into a argument with him?" Victoria asked knowing that most of the time that was exactly what Celina did. Her best friend was gay and had been involved with a woman, Cathy, for the past two years. Unfortunately, Cathy's parents were not so understanding about their daughter's sexual preference. Victoria had to admit that even she was shocked to find out that her best friend since first grade was gay. Even her brother, Peter, was disappointed, because Celina was gorgeous. She had long red hair, green eyes, was thin and shapely. She owned a little boutique in Boulder Point and was very successful.
"I didn't have to, because Cathy did. She finally stood up to the jerk, and you know what? He actually apologized for his behavior. I think he finally gets it, Tory. I was floored, you have no idea."
"That's great. What did Cathy have to say about it?"
"She's a little wary, but it doesn't matter anyway, her parents are leaving for the next two months to Morocco. Anyway, how was the old Mally party and parade?"
"The usual, except Tod showed up and…"
"And what happened? Did he ask you out again? Oh, Tory, why don't you just sleep with him and get it over with?"
"Celina! No way am I doing that. There are real feelings involved here and I'm not ready for another relationship. Besides, I'm working on something very important and my free time is limited."
"All you need is five minutes. I bet he'd cum in one, considering the fact that he wants you so badly."
"Celina! Stop it, will you? I told him I wasn't ready and he seemed to understand. Listen, as much as I'd love to stay on the phone and talk about my sex life with you…"
"What sex life? You have none, honey, and the opportunity to have a booty buddy is right in front of you."
"Bye, Celina!" Victoria hung up the phone and laughed.
* * * *
On the other end, Celina sighed. She was worried about Victoria. Damn Steven for hurting her the way he did. If she ever got a hold of that man, she'd kill him. That's if he wasn't already dead. The thought made her heart ache for Victoria. If and when that news came, Victoria would truly loose it.