***Author's Note – Thank you all for giving me so much amazing support! Y'all are just incredible and I love you dearly. I've been wanting to write this story for a long time. And I'm very excited to bring it to life. It's the first time I've ventured into the Romantic Suspense genre. So, I hope you love reading it as much as I love writing it. As always, I own nothing but the O.C.s. Please remember to BE KIND AND REVIEW!
Full Story Description:
Mike "The Miz" Mizanin is found dead in an up-scale Los Angeles hotel room. With no witnesses and few leads, the investigation turns to Mike's girlfriend, Katie Dawson. Katie has no memory of what happened in that posh room and no way to prove her innocence. As Katie works to clear her name, she finds out that some secrets are impossible to keep. Can Katie prove her innocence before time runs out or will she be sentenced for a crime she can't remember? ***
"The stars that mystified, he left them all behind. And how his children cried. He left them all behind." Miss Murder - AFI
The blue glare of swirling police lights could be seen for the better part of two blocks. A line of evenly spaced officers kept the onlookers at bay. From her vantage point, the female reporter had a clear view of the flurry of activity at the hotel's entrance. She waited impatiently for her camera man, Curt Allen, to give the 'go' signal. As she stood just beyond the area closed off with yellow tape, she nervously shifted to get a better view. This was the first time she'd ever covered a story like this. It wasn't every day a brash young reporter got the chance of a lifetime. But then again, it wasn't ever day that a mega superstar was found dead in a posh Los Angeles hotel. She straightened as her earpiece buzzed. She smoothed a hand over her light-weight jacket and turned to face the camera.
"We're going live in five, four, three, two..."
"Good evening. I'm coming to you from the Las Palmas Hotel West, here in downtown Los Angeles. Approximately an hour ago, 911 operators received a call from hotel staff that a homicide had taken place. The victim, 30 year old Michael Mizanin, was found dead in his room. Mizanin is better known as World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler The Miz. A second victim, an unidentified female, has been taken to UCLA Medical Center. Her condition is unknown at this time. Police are working to secure the scene. And as you can see behind me, the area has been cordoned off. No one is being allowed in or out of the building at this time. We will continue to bring you up to the minute details as they become available. For KTLA Channel 5, I'm Anna Maria Gonzales."
Anna kept her eyes locked on the camera until she was certain Curt was no longer filming. He pulled the camera from his shoulder and moved to stand beside her. Standing on her tip toes she scanned the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the action going on in the adjacent parking lot. From where she stood, she could see a few police officers milling around next to their cruisers. Standing to the side, talking on his cell was Senior Homicide Investigator Armando Delacerda. He stood with his back to them as he motioned animatedly to one of the other officers.
"What do you think's going on in there?" Curt asked as he fished a pack of gum out of his pocket. He pulled out a fresh stick and offered it.
Anna shook her head as she turned to look at the front of the hotel. "I wish I knew. The wait is killing me."
Curt laughed as he stuck the gum back in his pocket. He looked at Anna, taking in her carefully applied make-up and professionally styled black hair. She was young, somewhere around 25 he guessed. From looking at her, you'd never know she was a rookie beat reporter. For the last seven months she'd been stuck doing general interest stories. Her report from the AKC Dog Show garnered rave reviews. It was a stroke of luck that she'd been in the Dungeonwhen the call came in. The Dungeon was a cramped, windowless room in the basement of the KTLA building where reporters worked leads. Anna immediately volunteered to cover the story until a veteran report could arrive. What her supervisor didn't know was that she had no intention of giving up the story. It was the chance she'd been waiting for. If she worked this story to the end, she had a shot at clawing her way up the food chain.
Curt was damn grateful he was still in the building when Anna called him with the scoop. They hurried to the news van and hauled ass. As luck would have it, they were no more than five minutes ahead of the other local stations. Her first report hit the air waves before the other crews had a chance to set up. So far, the gods were smiling on them.
Anna made a soft noise in the back of her throat as she once again stood on tip toes. Craning her neck, she watched as a white van pulled up into the parking lot.
"Is that the coroner's van?"
Curt took a quick look in that direction and nodded. "Yep."
Anna stole a quick glance at Curt before looking back toward the action. The van came to a complete stop just at the edge of the secured area. A few minutes passed before the driver's door opened and a man stepped out. The passenger door opened and petite woman slid to the ground. She pulled a black bag out before slamming the door closed.
"Which one is the M.E.?" Anna asked without taking her eyes off the white van.
Curt pointed to the woman as she moved to the back of the van. She waited as the man came around to and quickly opened the double doors. Reaching inside, he flipped a release. Taking a step back, he pulled an out a gurney. He leaned into the van and appeared a moment later with something bright blue. He placed it on the gurney and then pulled out a black case. Holding the case by the handles, the man stepped away from the door. The woman moved to his side and quickly closed the van's doors. She turned for a moment and surveyed the gathering crowd. With a shake of her head she moved toward the front of the hotel.
Anna watched as an older policeman picked up the yellow crime scene tape and allowed her to pass. She said something to him which made the man nod. As soon as the woman disappeared into the hotel, he turned back to watch the spectators.
Dr. Judith Kim, Chief Medical Examiner of the Los Angeles County Coroner Department, sighed heavily as the elevator made its way to the third floor. She was going to be in a world of trouble with her five year old daughter. Danielle's first ballet recital began fifteen minutes ago. Instead of sitting in the second row watching twelve precious ballerinas dance, she was on her way to clean up a mess.
The report of the murder came in just as Judy was turning the lights off in her office. A quick search of their offices proved she was the last one in the building. Glancing at the clock, she realized she was just a few minutes past closing time. That meant she was officially on call and couldn't pass the case on to one of her colleagues. These days, if she didn't have bad luck, she wouldn't have any.
The elevator made a soft noise as it came to a stop. The doors slid open with a soft swoosh of air. Before stepping out of the elevator, Judy took a second to survey the scene. The hallway was filled with emergency services personnel. Nodding to Barry Barker, the chief of EMS, she made her way through the throng of people. It didn't take long for her to push her way to the front of the crowd. Standing guard at the door was a face she was all too familiar with.
Alec Reyes, the senior L.A.P.D. Homicide Detective assigned to the case, looked up from the small notebook he was studying. He smiled as Judy approached.
"'Bout time you showed up."
Judy smiled as she looked into Alec's eyes. He looked like he wasn't sleeping again. His soulful brown eyes were dull and his skin was slightly pallid. His once thick black hair was sporting just a few more gray hairs. The lines of his face seemed deeper than she remembered. He lifted a Styrofoam cup to his lips and took a long sip. No wonder he couldn't get any sleep. His caffeine level was probably through the roof. The man practically lived off of high octane coffee.
"Let's make this quick. I've got a five year old waiting for me." Judy smiled at Alec as she motioned for her assistant, Marcus, to give her the black case.
She set it on the floor and freed the latch. Picking up a pair of gloves, she handed them to Alec. Reaching down, she grabbed a pair for herself. Snapping on the blue latex, she peered around the door frame. At first glance the room looked normal. The room had an L-shaped layout. From where she stood, Judy had a perfect view of the entire room. The bed was still neatly made. The white comforter was pristine. The pillows were still tucked beneath the comforter. Leaning into the room a bit, she turned her head to the left. She could see the soles of a pair of shoes peeking out of the bathroom.
"Has anyone touched anything?" Judy asked as she stepped aside to allow Marcus to start snapping photos. Marcus nodded to Alec without speaking. Alec watched as Marcus carefully looked around the room through the camera lens.
Marcus was a good guy. He fit into the strong and silent category. His quiet demeanor was at odds with his physical appearance. Standing a few inches above six foot, his build resembled a linebacker more than a medical examiner's assistant. Alec knew very little about Marcus expect he followed Judy's orders without question. He was always willing to lend a hand, even in the most dire of situations.
"EMS entered the room briefly to treat the female vic." Alec watched as Marcus carefully entered the room and turned toward the left. He quickly snapped a dozen shots before nodding to Judy.
Slowly, Judy entered the room. Her gaze moved over the cream colored carpet, noticing small drops of blood that ended at the doorway. Other than that, the room was practically undisturbed. Moving to the side, she peered around the doorway and into the bathroom. From her vantage point she had a full view of the male victim. He was laying face down on the floor. His upper body lay on the slate tile floor while his lower body lay on the carpet. As Judy studied the body, she took note that there were no apparent injuries. Marcus leaned as far as he could into the bathroom and continued taking photographs.
Glancing toward the door, she eyed Alec. "Do you have an evidence bag ready?"
Alec nodded and produced the requested item. Taking the large plastic bag, Judy squatted next to the body. Carefully, she patted his back pockets before removing his wallet. As soon as she flipped it open, a California driver's license caught her eye.
"Looks like the victim is a hometown boy." Judy said as she handed the wallet to Alec.
Alec scanned the info on the license before handing it back to her. "What else do we have?"
"Let's find out."
Marcus stepped aside and glanced at Judy as she gingerly grasped an arm and slowly turned him over. Marcus began snapping photos as Alec moved to Judy's side.
Alec looked at the rectangle of plastic he held and glanced at the victim's face. "We got a match."
Judy nodded as she glanced at Alec. "Indeed we do. This is Michael Mizanin, age 30."
Judy's well trained eye moved over the body from head to toe. Shaking her head slightly, she marveled at how young he was. His dark hair was slightly matted and stuck to his forehead. His clear, sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes moved lower, taking in the blood-soaked white t-shirt and jeans.
"On first glance I'd say at least two stab wounds to the chest, probably more, though. The wounds are clean, no hesitation marks. I'll know more once we get him home."
Alec nodded as he added the driver's license to the bag of items Judy held. His gaze moved back to the body, taking in as many details as possible. Without having to be told, Marcus stepped forward and handed Judy a large, folded square of plastic. Judy placed the square next to the body and made quick work of unfolding it. Marcus moved to her side and reached down to gently slide his hands under the torso. He lifted slightly then paused.
"Doc, I've got something under here." Marcus said softly. Pulling a small flashlight from her pocket, Judy clicked it on and shone it on the floor.
Alec leaned down as far as he could but didn't see the object in question, "What is it?"
"Hopefully the murder weapon." Judy answered.
"Are you sure?" Alec asked as he stepped back.
Marcus carefully placed the upper torso onto the plastic before moving to the feet and repeating the process. He stepped back to allow Judy to move closer. Alec's eyes moved to the single blade, black handled knife lying in a pool of blood. Surprisingly, the smooth blade was intact. He would make damn sure the knife was processed as quickly as possible.
"We'll know for sure once we get some X-rays." She stared down at the young man and felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. This was the part of her job she hated the most. She hated looking to the unseeing eyes of the recently departed. Especially when the departed was so young and healthy. It just didn't make sense that some people met such a gruesome end. It was so unfair that the good died young.
"How soon will you get to him?" Alec asked.
Judy shook her head as she forced her gaze away. "First thing in the morning."
Alec nodded in response. That was the best news he'd heard all day. "I'll be there."
Judy smiled as she motioned for Marcus to step over to the body. "Alright, Marcus, close him up and let's take him home."
"Yes, ma'am." Marcus murmured as he squatted down. He stared into those now dull eyes and sighed heavily. This was the part that bothered Marcus the most. He hated zipping the body bags closed. He hated putting their victims into total darkness. He never said why, only that he didn't like it. With a soft sigh, Marcus stepped into the hall to retrieve the gurney.
"If you find anything, call me." Alec said as he allowed Marcus to push the metal contraption in the room.
"Don't I always?" Judy took one last look at Marcus before turning away.
Alec nodded as he stepped into the hallway. Judy followed close behind. He watched as Judy stripped off her gloves and deposited them into a red Biohazard bag. She held the bag open while Alec did the same.
"So what do you think happened in there?" Alec asked.
Judy shrugged slightly as she tied the bag off and set it inside her case. She studied the metal clasp for a long moment before speaking. "God only knows, Alec."
"At least until we piece the puzzle together."
Judy took a deep, steadying breath as she stood. "I'll see you in the morning?"
Alec nodded as Marcus slowly wheeled the gurney into the hallway. Judy gave Alec a long glance before striding down the hall. Two of the EMS fell into step beside them as they moved toward the Emergency Exit then disappeared into the stairwell.
Alec stood rooted in place long after the heavy metal door slammed shut. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips and frowned. The damn thing was empty already and the night had barely begun. Glancing down the hall at his partner, he pointed the elevators. It was time to get to work. They had a long night ahead of them. First they would stop for coffee as CSI finished processing the scene, then they were going to start digging into the murder of Michael Mizanin.
***A/N – Please review!***
A WWE superstar is found dead in an up-scale Los Angeles hotel room. With no witnesses and few leads, the investigation turns to Katie Dawson. Katie has no memory of what happened in that posh room and no way to prove her innocence. As Katie works to clear her name, she finds out that secrets are hard to keep. Can Katie prove her innocence before time runs out or will she be sentenced for a crime she can't remember?