An Apple for Zoe: Book One ~ The Forsaken

Jessalee shifted in her chair and wondered why the F.B.I. was here looking for Tom. Just thinking his name gave her shivers again. She still couldn't shake the image of him coming down the stairs into the lobby, covered in blood, looking like an axe murderer. The blank stare in his eyes and Kirkland's badge still clutched in his hand so tightly that it left a cut that required seven stitches. Raising her hand to her mouth she quickly caught herself, forcing the tears back as she tried to fight thoughts of Kirkland.

Summers could see Jessalee's emotional reaction to the subject of Thomas James. 'Oh my God, I'm sorry, did I say something upsetting or offensive to you?'

'No, no it's just our department has had a really bad night, we lost some good people tonight in that fire,' said Jessalee wiping a tear from her cheek.

'Inspector James wasn't one of them was he?'

'No, but he's being kept here overnight for observation.'

'Observation?' quizzed Summers. 'I thought he was here at the hospital working a 187. You mean he's a patient?'

'Yeah?' said Jessalee in a confused tone. 'You thought he was here working a homicide?  Which one?'

Summers returned Jessalee's look of confusion. 'I don't know. I phoned this evening around six to arrange to drive up and do an interview with him and was told he was working a homicide at the hotel. When I got into the city I called back and your dispatch said he was here, so I just assumed,' she trailed off.

'Interview?' asked Jessalee.

'Yes, his name has come up in a case I'm working on in Hollywood,' said Summers, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to ascertain the motivation behind Jessalee's insistence for information. Was there a private relationship she was trying to hide between the inspector and herself, Summers wondered? Or was she nosey?

'Forgive me for being so blunt, but why does this seem to be so personal with you?'

'The murder he was working on, was...' Jessalee hesitated. 'The victim was my sister.'

'What is your sisters name?'

'Valerie Rivera.'

Summers suddenly felt cold. She stood and placed her coffee cup on the table when she began to feel that feeling that came from years of experience. That overwhelming sense you get when you realize you're in danger.

'The hotel Inspector James was at when I called earlier, was that The Aleris?' asked Summers in a hollow tone. Jessalee sensed the agent's change in body language. She turned and looked at Summers, who still was facing away from her.

'Yes.'

'And your sister was the victim. Was your sister in room 1219?'

'Yes, who told you that?' asked Jessalee defensively. But Jessalee knew in her heart that no one had, suddenly she was overcome with the same feeling that had hit Summers only moments before.

'The case you're working on. The one in Hollywood, it's connected to my sister's murder somehow, isn't it?'

Summers placed both hands on the edge of the table and gripped it tightly. She hung her head down and swallowed hard. She then nodded yes.

'Your sister's murder, it's Virginia Rappe isn't it?'

'Yes,' said Jessalee fearing the worst. 'And the case you're working on, which murder is it?'

Summers slowly turned back to face Jessalee. Her body shivered involuntary as she spoke the two words that confirmed the fears of both women.

'Black Dahlia.'

Chapter Fifteen Black Dahlia

Thomas James slept soundly and for the first time since the Carlyle homicide, his mind found peace. Quietly the nurse stepped into his room and checked him. She tried to not disturb Summers and Jessalee who were also both asleep, propped up in chairs on opposite sides of his bed.

The early morning sounds of San Francisco had begun to creep through the partially open window. The nurse checked her watch. It was four a.m. As she stepped out of the room, Summers awoke with a start.  She quickly looked around trying to figure out where she was. Everything was blurry. She felt her face and realized her glasses were off. She saw them laying on the nightstand on top of her gun. As she reached for them she noticed there was a dark figure standing at edge of the bed. The figure was watching her. She quickly tried to get her wits about her and grabbed at her glasses, but when she put them on the figure was gone.

Slightly unnerved, Summers stretched and stood up. Then she walked to the open doorway. Jessalee and James were both still sleeping, so she quietly stepped into the hallway and looked around. It was dark and still and the two officers who had been assigned to watch James were still away on their four-hour break. Jessalee was too nice thought Summers. Looking to her left she noticed a lone lamp illuminating the nurse's station at the end of the hallway. Brushing her hair from her eyes, Summers proceeded to walk down to the station, but once she was there she noticed no one was around. Where was everyone? she wondered.

'Hello?' she called. There was no answer. 'This is just damn odd,' she said to herself. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Summers saw Inspector James's chart lying on the station desk. She started to lean over the desk to pick it up when a noise in the darkened hallway behind the station caught her attention.

'Hello?' she called again, starting to feel nervous. An involuntary shiver ran down her back. She looked right and left to see if there was any sign of another person around. Summers wanted to see James' chart, but didn't want to get caught looking at it. Then her inner voice reminded her she was a federal agent and she could do pretty much whatever she wanted. Giving in, Summers decided to throw caution to the wind and walked behind the desk to pick it up. As she rounded the corner, she saw an empty shoe on the floor. Her eyebrows knitted into instant look of puzzlement. Directly behind her she heard another noise coming from the darkened hallway. She turned and tried to see what was down there. Her chest rose and fell as she took in a deep yet frustrated breath. Looking to her right Summers could tell she was exactly four rooms away from where Inspector James and Jessalee were sleeping. Then the noise happened again. It seemed to be directly in front of her, and no more than 10 feet away.

'Hello,' she said with more authority in her voice this time. Reaching in front of her to find a light switch she felt the plastic nub was already in the up position. She pushed it down and then up again. There was no change. She flicked it several times just to be certain.

'Crap,' she hissed, pulling her hand away. She turned back to reach for the chart when she realized the inside of her palm was red. Quickly raising her hand to her eyes, Summers sucked in a breath. Her hand was red from blood. She spun back to face the hallway. Slowly reaching behind herself she found the desk lamp and picked it to illuminate the light switch. It was smeared with a blood that trailed away into the hallway's darkness. Quickly reaching for her gun, Summers suddenly felt the shock of her empty holster. Her fear mounting as she remembered her gun was on the nightstand. Moving the lamp into her other hand she pointed the light to the floor. There a deep, wet scarlet streak of blood which like the hand smear, continued into the darkness of the hallway. Boldly taking a step backwards Summers froze, convinced she had heard a low snicker of laughter.

She still had the lamp in her hand, but it began to shake from her nervousness. Summers looked back at the distance to where James and Jessalee were. She wondered how long it would take her to get there. Could she reach her gun? Would she have enough time? Quietly as she could Summers took another step backwards, the giggle changed into a growl. She was certain if she called out who ever it was would know that she was alone and vulnerable.

Summers wanted to carefully replace the lamp back on the desk and try to make her way back to the room. She knew in her gut that whatever was waiting in the back of the dark hallway knew she was aware of its presence. She also knew at this point she didn't dare turn her back to what ever it was. Frozen in place Summers wished someone would show up. Anyone. In her mind she was screaming for Jessalee to wake up and come look for her. She would just have to risk it and move as slowly as she could.

Jessalee's eyes popped open wide with shock. A hand covered her mouth tightly. Reaching up she tried to pry