Chapter 6
Regina Williams' home was a luxurious penthouse in West Hollywood. As soon as she opened the door, they found a woman with dark hair and eyes of the color of redwood bark. She was beautiful, but her appearance was so elegant that it made your hair stand on end.
-Police. We need to talk.
Regina frowned. Surely this was not the first time she had spoken to the police. The strange thing was that the police came to her house.
-What happened? Is my daughter okay? -was the first thing she asked.
-Your daughter is fine, Regina -Chloe replied-. But Eileen Sammuels, a student at the University of Southern California, suffered an attempted murder with a stab wound. We know that a few days ago she talked to you about the circumstances of your daughter Veronica's rape.
Regina bit her lip. She looked like she had aged ten years suddenly. Then, all of her resistance collapsed and she began to tell what happened to her.
-Eileen visited me in early February. I still don't know how she got my address. As soon as she arrived she asked me about my daughter Veronica and why Charles Evans had been arrested as responsible for raping my daughter.
-Why did she ask you those questions?
-Perhaps because my daughter had GHB in her system and because Charles' alibi was shaky. My daughter claims that he raped her, but it is possible that he didn't identify his attacker properly. You have to understand, when Charles Evans was released for lack of evidence, I was furious that my daughter's rapist went unpunished. But the way Eileen was talking, I thought maybe Veronica was wrong and Charles didn't rape my daughter. I don't know. Do you really think that...?
-We're open to all possibilities -Chloe lied-. Could we talk to your daughter Veronica later?
-I'm sorry, but it's a pretty painful subject for her. If I removed the charges it was because I didn't want to make my poor daughter suffer any more. Right now she's studying at the University of California, away from the man who reminds her of the worst night of her life. If you have questions about the event do them to me, that I keep the results of the sexual assault test and a copy of my daughter's statement. -she took some documents out of a desk drawer and gave them to Chloe, who read them carefully, since a statement and a sexual assault kit were much more detailed than a simple police report.
-Did she tell you about any suspects?
-She told me that she was going to investigate teachers in the area who had been accused of sexual harassment, but other than that...
-Okay -said Chloe-. If you remember anything else, give me a call.
She gave her the phone number of the police station, while Lucifer looked at the luxurious decor of the office where he was. While his penthouse had a modern, minimalist style, Regina's office décor was old, baroque, with heavy damask curtains, mahogany furniture, and even a chandelier. It appeared to be in the home of a 19th century landowner rather than the owner of a pharmaceutical company.
-Okay. You think Eileen did some kind of police investigation, with evidence maps and all that? It's one thing for her to ask questions around, but I can't imagine her writing a report...
-The truth is, that's very unlikely. After all, she was trying to get justice for your daughter, so the "report" was going to be given to you when she was sure of her suspicions.
Regina lowered her head. He didn't know why, but it seemed to Lucifer that she was smiling.
A slight flash.
Then she put the phone number in her agenda and waved to Chloe and Lucifer that they could leave. Which they did at first, since in that luxurious penthouse they had not obtained any new information. They were at a standstill.
At the police station, Dan and Ella had few, but interesting, news items about the Evans case. The puzzle was still incomplete, but some images were already beginning to emerge. As soon as Chloe and Lucifer arrived, Ella approached them with the reports in her hand and a curious piece of news on her lips.
-According to the report Veronica woke up in "In Sheep's Clothing", a bar in Santa Monica half naked and bruised. At the hospital, she was tested for sexual assault and found to have high levels of benzodiazepines and injuries consistent with rape. But not a single trace of DNA was found. Still, Charles was arrested because he was seen at the same nightclub Veronica went to before she was drugged, and because before he was married and was a trainee teacher, he had dated 18- or 19-year-old college students. He had all the ballots to be charged, but due to the lack of solid evidence he was acquitted.
-Charles Evans was the perfect scapegoat. Whoever framed him knew his life and habits very well, as well as Veronica's.
At that moment an agent entered the laboratory.
-Detective Decker, there's a woman who wants to talk to you. Her name is Rose Sammuels.
-She is Eileen's aunt! Send her in.
Chloe went to her desk, where she found a woman in her fifties, tall and slim, with short, curly dark hair and lively hazel eyes. Her face still showed the ravages of chemotherapy, but the decision of her look and the energy of her movements clearly indicated that he was in remission.
-Are you leading the investigation into the attempted murder of my niece Eileen?
-Yes, I am. What happened?
-Everything - she ran her hand over her face-. I don't know where to start. Maybe at the beginning.
-If you've come here, it's because you've discovered something about the attempted murder of your niece and you want to help put the person who attacked her in jail -said Lucifer, who had just arrived.
-Of course. Do you know her? She's an angel. The best person I've ever met. A special girl, clever, brave... I owe her my life. If it weren't for her, I'd be devastated by chemotherapy. She was the one who got me my first position in the gene therapy treatment developed by her professor, Charles Evans. And now he has disappeared.
-What?
-Yes. After visiting my niece I went to Oncology to undergo the treatment. After they gave me the injection I asked about Charles and they told me that he had been missing from the hospital since last night. Eileen admired Charles a lot, even though he was accused of rape. Two days before she was attacked she told me she was going to talk to a friend, Luke Evans, and if her suspicions were true she might have evidence that would put the guilty one in jail and completely exonerate her teacher. She told me that if anything happened to her, to talk to the bartender at In Sheep's Clothing. I did and the bartender gave me this.
Rose reached into her purse and handed Chloe what looked like a black pendrive.
-Did you try to find out what was inside?
-Yes, but it was completely empty. I hope you can find out what's in here that was so important it almost cost Eileen her life.
-I'm going to talk to the forensic scientist right now, don't worry.
Rose said goodbye, happy to transfer the responsibility and concern for Eileen to the person in charge of investigating her case, who was looking at the little black device wide-eyed.
-Is something wrong, Detective?
Chloe was quiet for quite a while. At the end she said.
-While Ella and the technician are finding out what's on this USB, I'm going to ask for an interview with Luke Evans. He may hold the key to finding out who Eileen's attacker.