Hello... So here is the next chapter of my story! First let me apologise for the long wait but I have been away for a few weeks and have had no real access to any internet whilst I was there so I couldn't update this story any sooner than this.
I hope you enjoy my new chapter despite the very long wait for it.
I feel bit rusty with my writing so excuse any mistakes there maybe ;). My beta is also away on holiday herself and bless her she has beta some of this chapter for me. I was going to wait till she returned to post the chapter up but at the same time I also want to get back into this story sooner rather than later so I have decided to post it up now for you. ;)
Thank you for all the kind reviews and new follows and I promise it won't be such a long wait for the next chapter. Enjoy. :)
The smell of forensic dust and a mixture of fresh and stale blood filled Jane senses as he entered the large luxury penthouse apartment. The main living room was busy with FBI and local law enforcement personnel moving quickly and efficiently about the place. Situated in the middle of the room was a woman's lifeless body surrounded by a large pool of her own blood.
There were visible stabbed wounds in her chest and stomach. She was wearing a short dark green silky night dress and her long light brown hair was lying spread fanned out covered and matted in her own blood.
"Jane, so nice of you to join us!" Abbott remarked sarcastically as his blond consultant strolled casually through the door and over to the main crime scene.
"Well, I was asleep and lying in the arms of my beautiful wife, so I am sure you can understand my hesitance to rush straight to this fun palace."
Jane moved to crouch down beside the victims body, instantly noticing she had a fresh nasty bruise on her cheek and what looked like tiny shards of glass in her hair, he also spotted that her hair had been pulled violently on one side and some hair had been ripped out.
"So, why are we here exactly? I mean, this is clearly a crime of passion. The nine stabs wounds to her torso screamed that conclusion straight away." Jane asked curiously, as he spotted two paramedics attending to a man lying comatose in one of the bedrooms from across the room.
"The victim is a highly paid attorney and has been working for on some sensitive classified law cases for the FBI over these last few months. Top Bosses want to make sure this nasty mess isn't connected," Abbott stated, as he watched Jane moving around the apartment taking in all the expensive ornaments and his surroundings.
Moving into the large open planned kitchen, Jane pulled opened the large fridge door, spotting the several bottles of expensive champagnes and lack of food it currently stored. He noticed the tiny grains of white powder scattered on top of the kitchen island indicating champagne wasn't the victims only source of pleasure.
He guessed that this woman was a hard working career woman, but also a serious party girl despite her job role. This wasn't her home, just somewhere she could let off steam. The apartment had a cold clinical feel to it, there were no real personal items anywhere to be seen in the kitchen or in the living area. Just a place to sleep eat and indulge in other personal pleasures.
"Who is in there?" Jane nodded his head towards the bedroom listening to the paramedics still frantically attending to the male lying unconscious on the bed.
He spotted how messy the bedroom was through the open door. There were clothes lying messily over the dresser chair. He noticed the victims expensive shoes, handbags, empty champagne bottles and torn condom wrappers lying around her bedroom floor along with makeup and hair accessories scattered haphazardly on a dresser top. The apartment wasn't a home, but the victim's bedroom was and exactly how he expected it to be and showing him the victim's life was what he had guessed it to be. A high-powered well paid professional with very little personal time but liked to party hard when she could.
"That is William Steele, the victim's new boyfriend. He's an unemployed musician who stays over occasionally. Looks like he overdosed. He is covered in the victims blood and the suspected murder weapon was found lying on the floor beside him. Forensics has taken it for fingerprint testing as we speak," Abbott answered moving closer to the bedroom door watching as the paramedics attempted to save the man's life.
"Hmm. Who found the bodies?"
Jane slowly moved to stand next to Abbott to see what was going on inside the bedroom for himself. The unconscious man bare torso was covered in the victims blood, but there were no dry or wet blood stains on the messy bed sheets or on pillows Jane noted.
"Hannah Duncan, the cleaner. She comes every Tuesday and Friday mornings to clean the apartment. She found the victim and the boyfriend overdosed in the bedroom. She called the ambulance, said the man had overdosed. Cho is out by the poolside taking her statement as we speak. She is pretty upset by it all."
Jane stepped backwards to the closed door of the second bedroom further along the wall. Peeking his head in at first, he eventually entered to find a neatly made bed and few hair accessories and expensive makeup items placed nearly on the vanity table in front of a cracked mirror. It was the complete opposite to the victims bedroom. It had a cold feel and it felt familiar to him in an odd way even though he had never been in the room before today. The bedroom felt a little too neat and perfectly clean for his liking and the badly cracked mirror was also puzzling especially for a stylish new rented apartment.
"What did you find out?" Abbott asked stepping away from the bedroom door as Cho re-entered through sliding patio doors from the pool area.
"Not much. She is pretty distraught at the moment. She is going to come to the offices tomorrow to make an official statement, but I can confirm she is the cleaner. Twice a week she comes. Doesn't see much of the victim, only the rock-star boyfriend in there. He is normally hanging around or sleeping a hangover off during the day she reckons.
"She is sleeping with him," Jane stated calmly as he left the guest bedroom and shut the door behind him. He picked up a pretty stylish vase from on of the side tables. Both Abbott and Cho turned as he continued to quietly examine the vase, ignoring their questionable raised eyebrows at his bold statement. After a few seconds of expectant silence, he sighed rolling his eyes placing the object down and walking over to the patio doors to look out at where the upset cleaner was being comforted by a local police officer.
"How many cleaners do you know dress in a short low cut little black dress and stilettos, huh? She is wearing far too much makeup for a quick dust and polish, it is obvious really, she comes here twice a week once the victim has left for work. She has admitted to Cho she only ever sees the boyfriend when she is here and she rang the ambulance for the overdosed man and not the bleeding woman lying on the floor. She is younger, impressionable, easily flattered and loose. Simple. She is sleeping with Jim Morrison wannabe in there."
"You think she is involved in the victim's death?" Cho asked, watching Jane studying the young woman through the glass doors.
"Hmm. Maybe. This is definitely a crime of passion, of sorts, involving the boyfriend by the looks of it, but her shock and grief seems genuine enough so I don't think so without taking to her more" Jane replied watching carefully as the young woman sobbed heavily on the local female officers shoulder.
"Anyway, I think the FBI tops dogs can rest easy. This isn't a result of some drug cartel or professional assassination hit on the victims life. I am sure local PD can handle this case without wasting the FBI time and resources." Jane sighed not at all interested in this case anymore. He placed his hands in his jacket pockets and began heading out toward the exit. "Now if that is all, I will get back to my lovely wife and my nice cozy bed. Hi, Wylie, good to see you."
"Hi, Jane! When did you get here?" Wylie asked cheerfully as he ran into him in the doorway. Spotting his boss disgruntled and annoyed face behind them, he refocused himself.
"Sir, I was chatting with some of the neighbors. Apparently, the victim has had a friend staying with her these past few months. They have seen them coming and going regularly from the building."
Jane paused, lingering in the doorway for a few seconds curious to know on who had been occupying the strange bedroom next door to the victims.
"According to the doorman, Ms. Groom has had an old friend been staying with her... A Dr Sophie Miller."
One week earlier...
Lisbon pulled open the door of the busy restaurant. She told the young host her name and was shown to a table out on the lovely open air terrace where Fischer was already sipping on a glass of white Chardonnay.
"Sorry, sorry. I am so sorry I am late. Mikey was playing up for Fran our new nanny and I lost track of time. But I have the whole afternoon to myself so I can now relax." Lisbon said exhaustedly flopping down heavily on the chair very red-faced and out of breath from all her rushing around.
"No worries, it's just really good to see you. How are you?" Fischer leaned over the table pouring Lisbon some water to help get her breath back.
"I am good. Looking forward to returning to work next week. Things are good ... Again." Lisbon answered slightly embarrassed that her marriage problems were always the focal topic between her and Fischer conversations lately.
"I am so glad. Jane was a mess whilst you were gone. He really missed you. I was so happy to hear when you came home to Texas with him." Lisbon smiled kindly back touched that it wasn't just Jane who had missed her whilst she was gone.
"So, what's the occasion for your unexpected afternoon off then?" Lisbon asked Fischer curiously pouring herself another large glass of water.
"Well, me and Dan are heading off for a weekend away tonight as we had to put back our honeymoon due to work commitments. We thought we'd take a romantic getaway for the time being."
"That sound's lovely," Lisbon replied smiling over to Fischer, who looked a little sad by her last statement.
"Yeah, I hope so. We have both been working so hard. He has his team to manage and we are up to eyes with cases since you went on maternity leave, we just don't get to spend much quality time together like I hoped."
Seeing Fischer's head drop downwards clearly upset by the fact her new marriage life was not panning out to be the fairy tale she had clearly hoped for Lisbon placed her hand over Fischer's, making her looked back up.
"Hey, for what it is worth Kim marriage is hard, especially in our line of careers. Look at me and Jane." Lisbon chuckled ironically to show her friend she wasn't alone in this strange world of marriage they found themselves in.
"Yes, but at least you and Jane work on the same team and have a... Personal life." Fischer's face flushed bright red at revealing openly how bad her new sex and honeymoon phase actually was.
"Working together is not always a good thing, let me tell you."
Fischer gave a small laugh knowing exactly how Jane work antics drove Lisbon up the wall most days. Fischer composed herself nodding at Lisbon in thanks for the comfort. "Anyway enough of my woeful sexless marriage, how's Mikey? And How are you? Ready to return back in the field?
"He is great, growing up way to fast, he is six months already." Lisbon paused biting her bottom lip contemplating her next move and sighing. "I am sure one day early won't hurt but don't tell Jane I told you okay. I swore him to secrecy so if he finds out I blabbed I won't hear the end of it. Trust me!" Lisbon leaned forward lowering her voice and glancing all around her. "I am returning to work, but I won't be going out in the field much, you see I am pregnant... again."
"Oh my god! That's fantastic. When did this happen? Was it planned?"
"Your wedding weekend, we think? And no it was not planned."
"But that's amazing... isn't it?" Fischer asked, cautiously knowing how up and down things had been between her and Jane recently and unsure whether Lisbon unexpected pregnancy was actually a happily wanted event by them.
"Yes, yes it is." Lisbon eyes lit up with joy at the thought of her new unborn baby but quickly dropped as something else quickly entered her mind. "Well, apart from the worse case of morning sickness ever. I don't remember feeling this ill when I was pregnant with Mikey." Lisbon swallowed in utter disgust at the memory of her being very sick earlier that morning.
"Hey! maybe it is a girl this time round, so that is why it is different?" Fischer stated, sipping on her wine.
"Maybe?" Lisbon sipped her water secretly hoping this time round they were blessed with a little girl too.
"Well, this explains Jane's weird joyful behavior around the office." Fischer continued, remembering how smiley and chirpy Jane had been, along with the constant annoying humming and whistling he had been subjecting her to on drives in the SUVs. "You and Jane must be very excited."
"Yes, we are. Jane's already measuring up the spare room and bringing home paint samples. We have our first scan in a few days. He missed out on all this stuff with Mikey so he is very excited and trying to make up for it this time round."
"And how are things? Between you and him?"
"We are getting there. Reconnecting. I left for a while because he lied to me again, over his past. A woman from his past actually..." Lisbon took a large gulp of her water trying not to let her emotions or hormones rise up all over that silly business again.
"Sophie Miller?"
"How did you know?" Lisbon said a little stunned Fischer knew so much and worried Jane had been telling everyone about their current marriage issues.
"Well, she came by the office looking for Jane when you first disappeared and I guessed she was involved somehow. So who is she?"
"She is his doctor, she is helping him retrieve his memories... an old friend, some past fling of his," Lisbon replied quietly through gritted teeth trying her hardest not to let her insecurities or jealousy show too much.
"And you are okay with that?"
"Well... I trust that nothing will happen between them. It's just professional."
"Wow," Fischer said, puffing her cheeks out slightly. "You're a better woman than me Teresa, I don't think I would want my husband seeing his ex-lover, professional or not."
"Are you both ready to order?" the voice of the young waitress appeared at the table interrupting their conversation.
"Yes, I think so. Teresa? Are you ready?"
"Huh?"
Lisbon looked confused and dazed at the friendly waitress who was now stood beside her. She was still distracted with Fischer words still ringing in her ears. She hadn't given too much thought on Sophie and Jane professional relationship but if she was being honest she wasn't very comfortable knowing her husband and his ex-lover were meeting up regularly. In factor she was being totally honest she hated the fact. Deciding to push that uneasy thought away for the time being Lisbon turned her attention back to Fischer and the waitress "Uh. yes. Let's eat I am starved."
"Hey babe, bring me in another bottle of that champagne, will you?"
Amanda rolled her eyes as the croaky loud voice of her new lover Bill floated through the luxury apartment. Pulling a chilled bottle of champers out of the fridge she made her way to the bedroom. She shut the door hoping not to disturb Sophie who was no doubt sleeping next door. Bill was totally naked lying spread eagle on the large king size bed smoking a large joint.
"You've been working late?" Bill asked exhaling big smoke rings into the air.
"I had to stay at work for this big court case I am currently working on."
"You need to try some of this shit, baby," he said, splattering as he inhaled another big drag of smoke and handing the fat roll up towards Amanda.
"I can't. I have to be back in court first thing tomorrow. Need a clear head"
"When has that stopped you? Go on try it. You will be flying to court on this stuff, baby." Billed winked holding the spliff back up towards her.
Amanda sighed, knowing he wasn't going to let her be till she relented. She took a long drag on the joint feeling the bitter smoke and drugs lace the inside column of her throat.
"So? Is this what you have been doing all day? Just lying here waiting for me all night, Smoking drugs and drinking all my booze. Watching porn?" Amanda turned to the large widescreen TV on the wall as the screen flicked to a busty woman bending over totally naked.
"No, not just that. I had a swim in your pool. I had a wank, earlier. Watched some jackass and witnessed your flatmate turn into a total psycho bitch," Bill said, popping the cork of the new champagne bottle.
"Sophie?"
"Yeah, she was swearing and screaming and shouting and then she stormed in the spare bedroom. Slamming things and screaming, Then it all went quiet."
"Is she okay?" Amanda asked concerned for her long term friend.
"Fuck knows? Who cares?" Bill replied arrogantly, rolling over and turning the TV off.
"Where is she now?" Amanda pulled her tailored shirt over her head throwing it down onto a pile of dirty unwashed clothes sat on messily on the floor. "For fucks sake, the fucking cleaner hasn't done my washing again. What the fuck do I pay her for?"
"I have no idea? I passed out few hours ago. I woke up when you came home, haven't seen the psycho since."
"Are you sure?" Amanda asked questionably, not quite convinced by Bill account of events. "It doesn't sound like Sophie. Were you were high?"
"No, not by that point. I know what I heard, babe. She is a nut job. She needs to give herself some therapy in my opinion."
"Hey, dickhead that is my friend you are talking about? Be respectful."
"Well, I am telling you that one is a sandwich short of a picnic if you ask me. You know she threatened me the other day at your party? Telling me she is going to get her boyfriend, Patrick, to kill me? Apparently, he has killed three men before... And all this bullshit," Bill said, laughing mockingly as he swallowed more champagne from the bottle.
"You mean Gregg?"
"Uh, no, she told me his name was Patrick..."
"Patrick? Are you sure?"
Bill sighed loudly, annoyed she didn't believe him on anything he was telling her and treating him like some sort of a moron.
"Look, baby, I may not have a Ph.D. or a masters degree like you, but I know what I heard. She told me his name was Patrick, and he had already killed three men... Oh, and he wore three-piece suits. I mean, who wears three piece suits."
"Men with class," Amanda said, digging at her scruffy unkempt lover, pulling her shoes off and throwing them across the room at the open wardrobe door. "Hmmm, maybe I should just and go check on her," said Amanda, who began walking around the bed to the exit but let out a loud squeal when Bill quickly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down onto the bed slipping his hand up her skirt to his desired location.
"Hey, enough talk about you friend, Dr psycho. Let's fuck!"
Bill pressed his lips heavily on hers stopping any attempts of protest as he began pulling her panties down her legs. Amanda's initial worries and concerns for her upset friend quickly disappeared as her new lover began putting her mind to more physical thoughts and activities