As Tanis looked at Steve, her heart seemed to skip a beat. His head was still bandaged, he looked deathly pale and a little unsteady on his feet and his shirt was done up on all the wrong buttons, but it was him none the less. She took a steadying breath, determined to get herself together. The impact of his physical presence upon her was immense, but she'd already made a fool of herself once, she wasn't about to do it again.
Not meeting Tanis' eyes, Steve was all business. 'Take a seat Mrs Summers' he instructed brusquely, indicating a chair opposite Tanis 'we have some questions we'd like to ask you'.
'Of course Detective' she purred. As she slinked seductively past, almost overpowering him with her perfume, she placed a well-manicured hand on his arm 'Anything to help'.
Instinctively, Tanis felt her hackles rising. The slight touch, though innocuous in the extreme, seemed somehow intimate when instigated by Natasha. Perhaps, she thought wryly, it was because the woman's entire essence shrieked sex appeal. From the tight fitting black cat suit that clung in all the right places, to the pouty red lips, wanton mane of glorious jet-black hair, and sophisticated cigarette holder that dangled from fingers whose nails were painted a vibrant crimson, there was no doubt that Natasha Summers was a femme fatale of the highest calibre. Tanis sighed, how could she compete with that? She knew men, and in her heart of hearts she knew that Steve would have to be blind not to appreciate Natasha's considerable assets.
Then she laughed at herself, who was she kidding? There was no competition; she'd never even been in the running. It was clear to her now, that whatever had happened between them at the hospital, it had been of her making, not his. All of Steve's actions since smacked of a man embarrassed by his previous behaviour, a man who wanted to forget. She bit her lip, if that's what he wanted then she had no choice but to go along with it.
Returning her attention to the scene before her, she observed quietly for a moment. Steve had taken a chair to her right; meaning eye contact was pretty nigh impossible. Lounging backwards, with arms crossed; from his profile she guessed he was wearing his usual 'Don't waste my time expression', an expression that he habitually adopted for interrogations. The gruff exterior was designed to intimidate the suspect and to show he meant business. She sighed; this was obviously easier for him than it was for her. He was focused on Natasha and seemed completely oblivious to Tanis herself, whilst she found that she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Like a magnet they were drawn back to him time and time again, no matter how hard she tried to look away.
Despite the thumping headache that served to remind him that he was still concussed, Steve was incredibly aware of Tanis' presence beside him. Though he'd barely glanced at her as he entered, he knew without looking that she was her usual composed self. Somehow, that very fact made his own feelings seem all the more pitiful. Whilst seeing her again had struck him like a blow to the solar plexus, she in contrast, was completely unaffected by his presence. And why shouldn't she be? It was obvious to him now, that whatever had happened at the hospital, it had been his doing, not hers. He sighed, this was a lot tougher than he'd expected. How was he supposed to conduct an interrogation whilst his heart beat so erratically, his insides were in knots and the merest hint of her perfume had him trembling with anticipation?
He didn't dare to look at her, lest his resolve weakened. He was fighting desperately to keep his expression blank, maintain his poker face. If she saw his eyes, he knew he'd be done for. His deepest feelings would be revealed and that would embarrass them both. Taking a breath, he strove to affect the bored, no nonsense cop persona he usually did so well, and if he came off a little more brusque than he intended, well it was a small price to pay to keep his dignity intact.
Purposely ignoring Tanis, with steely determination he focused all his attention on Natasha. He had to admit she was a fine looking woman. The hair was long and lustrous, the almond shaped eyes almost hypnotic in their beauty. Add the curvaceous figure and those full red lips and well, he could imagine exactly what Jesse's response would have been. He smiled ruefully, a couple of days earlier and he would probably have thought the exact same thing, but not now.
The only woman he was interested in right now, was the one sitting beside him; unfortunately she didn't feel the same way. Compared to Tanis, Natasha's beauty seemed too contrived, the lips a little too red, the mascara a little too heavy. She was predatory, like a wild animal awaiting its prey. And something else, she seemed somehow 'other-worldly', as if she didn't belong here, not really. There was a strange aura about her that permeated the room. He shivered and then shook his head, now he was letting his mind play tricks on him. There was no mystical aura; it must be just the exotic scent she had liberally applied, combined with the bitter tang of her foreign cigarettes. The aroma wasn't doing much for his headache, but it was hardly supernatural.
Finally tearing her eyes away from Steve to view her adversary, Tanis chewed her lip thoughtfully. Mrs Summers, or 'the black widow' as Tanis had privately dubbed her, certainly didn't improve with keeping. She was just the type of woman Tanis despised; one who used her undoubted beauty to get exactly what she wanted. Thinking back to Vicky Harris she sighed, the kid hadn't stood a chance. Not that she agreed with extra marital affairs of course, quite the opposite, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for Vicky. The girl was young and in love, people did stupid things when they were in love, Tanis smiled ruefully, herself included. But what of Natasha she wondered, did the black widow love anyone apart from herself? Did she love anyone enough to kill?
***
In the LA Central Library Jesse sneezed loudly, as the enormous volume he'd dragged from the heaving shelf brought with it a whole heap of dust.
'Bless you' Amanda responded automatically from where she was seated at a polished wood table behind him. Not looking up she continued flicking half-heartedly through the pages of a large and slightly battered edition of the Yale University Year Book for 1982/83. They were down in the basement and for once they had the place to themselves.
'Thank you' Jesse responded wiping his watering eyes 'You know Mark', he continued 'I hope we find something soon, cause this dust is killing me'.
'What exactly are we looking for Mark?' Amanda asked 'Because at the moment I can't see anything that's gonna help us solve this case'.
Thoughtful, Mark sat down opposite her 'Well I can't quite put my finger on it' he sighed 'but you know there's gotta be a clue somewhere in David Summers' past'. Stroking his moustache he continued pondering aloud 'This whole thing is tied to his masters thesis, which was written whilst he was at Yale. And that's the past, not the present. The killer purposely re-enacted the revenge curse that Summers described in his post graduate research.' He turned to them eyes shinning 'so the way I figure, it has to be somebody out for revenge, and it has to be linked to something that happened at Yale, whilst he was writing the thesis – doesn't make sense otherwise'.
'Somebody like Natasha?' Jesse queried 'We know they met at Yale'
'Somebody like Natasha' Mark agreed 'If we can find out what went on between David and Natasha whilst they were at Yale, then you know I think we'll find our motive and our killer'. He smiled at them 'After all, Yale was the part of their lives missing from both of their offices – there has to be something in their past at Yale, that neither of them wants anyone to know about'.
'But how do we find it?' Jesse asked.
Amanda looked at him rolling her eyes wearily 'By looking through all these old books!' she groaned indicating the pile of books stacked on the table before them.
Mark smiled 'That's the plan'.
***
'We found the masters thesis in your office Mrs. Summers' Steve said, his tone firm.
'Well of course you did Detective' she replied with a little girl smile 'David was my husband, we were in the same field, it would be strange if I hadn't read his thesis now wouldn't it?'
'We know the killer read the thesis' Tanis interjected 'the murders follow the exact pattern set out in the revenge ritual that David described'.
'I agree' Natasha said 'In fact I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before'. She smiled again 'Silly me, but then I suppose I really hadn't thought about David's little thesis for a while. He wrote it whilst we were both students'. She fluttered her eyelashes and giggled alluringly at Steve, pointedly ignoring Tanis 'that was in the past Detective, when we were young and carefree'.
Steve grunted non-comitially, but didn't reply. Tanis wondered whether he was being taken in by Natasha. He certainly wasn't his usual self, but perhaps it was the head injury? He still looked pale and shaky and he seemed slow to respond. Well then, it was up to her to seize the initiative. After all, she was a good cop, having her heart broken shouldn't interfere with her ability to do her job. Taking a deep breath Tanis began her attack.
'So you agree that the killer had to have read the thesis?' she asked. Natasha nodded.
'And you admit that you've read the thesis yourself' Tanis continued. Again Natasha nodded.
'So' Tanis said 'you can see why we might think you had the means to commit the crime?'
Natasha smiled languorously 'I can see that yes, but anyone could have read that thesis, it is after all stored at the public library'. She turned to Steve with a coy smile 'In fact Detective, your own father has read David's thesis has he not?'
Steve shifted awkwardly, she had a point, anybody could have had access to that thesis. He swallowed hard, trying to get his thoughts together, but with Tanis sitting so close it was hard to concentrate. He felt kinda weak and shaky – the concussion surely? After a longer pause than he would have liked, he was finally able to smile back 'That's true Mrs. Summers' he said evenly, 'anybody could have read the thesis, but not everybody had a motive'.
She pursed her lips, a hand fluttering to her chest 'Are you insinuating that I had a motive?' she asked, her eyes wide with innocence, her tone implying that her feelings were hurt by the very suggestion.
'How about the fact that your husband was having an affair with Vicky Harris?' Tanis said bluntly, then sat back waiting for the reaction. It wasn't the one she was expecting.
Natasha Summers laughed. It was a deep laugh, a husky one, no doubt the result of smoking too many of those exotic cigarettes she was so found of.
'Oh silly girl' she said.
Initially Tanis wasn't sure who Natasha was referring to, Vicky Harris or Tanis herself! As it turned out, Natasha's next comment clarified the issue.
'She thought David loved her' Natasha said, shaking her head 'I mean how ridiculous, she was just a child'.
'But they were having an affair' Steve interjected gruffly.
'Oh, of sorts' Natasha replied airily, waving a hand in the air to indicate the frivolity of the whole thing.
'You mean it didn't bother you that your husband was seeing another woman, a mere child?' Tanis said provokingly.
Carefully examining one of her crimson nails, Natasha refused to rise 'Surely you don't think it was the first time do you?'
Steve and Tanis gaped at her, as Natasha continued 'Oh David had many little indiscretions over the years, a freshman here, an upper classman there. How do you think we got together? He was seeing someone else when he got together with me. He was an attractive man, an ex football star. She yawned 'It continued after we were married. I knew about them all of course, but I turned a blind eye. I think partly he was just paying me back for a little fling I had at University. The boot was on the other foot then and he didn't like it one bit'. She looked at Tanis and giggled 'Well you know men and their egos!'
Tanis raised an eyebrow but didn't reply.
'Anyway' Natasha continued 'I thought after awhile he'd get it out of his system, but it seems he wasn't quite there yet'.
'If you were so unconcerned' Steve said 'why did you tell your husband to end the affair?'
She sighed 'They were getting careless, other people were starting to notice. I didn't want him to tarnish my career or his'. She looked at the two officers, her eyes shinning with the intense light of one obsessed 'I don't think you really understand the implications of what we're working on here. This project is the biggest I've ever been involved with. If we succeed we'll go down in history for ever'. She smiled, a self-satisfied smile like the cat that's got the cream 'I've always wanted to be immortal' she purred.
'You know you were the only one at the scene with the knowledge to carry out the ritual' Tanis said, unwilling to give up.
'But you asked me to meet you there' Natasha said reasonably
'Yeah' Steve said 'but you never showed until just after the attack. How exactly do you account for the time in between?'
She stretched luxuriously 'As I told Chief Masters, I got stuck in traffic and then I realised I'd run out of cigarettes, so I called in to get some'. She shrugged 'I tried calling but your cell was switched off'.
Steve sighed, this was hopeless, the woman had an answer for everything, and yet he wasn't ready to give in just yet. His gut was telling him that there were just too many coincidences. Was she lying? Was she holding something back? He was picking up vibes, but whether it was the remnants of his concussion or the distraction of his feelings for Tanis, he just couldn't read the vibes at all.
'So Detective, do you have any more questions for me?' Natasha inquired sweetly.
'Not right now' Steve said 'but I must warn you that until this murder investigation is cleared up, you are still a suspect and as such must not leave the United States'.
As she reached the door, wafting perfume as she went, Natasha turned back to Steve 'You know Detective, if you really knew your Egyptology you'd know that I'm not your killer' she said archly 'In fact, it's highly likely that I was to be the next victim.'
'Oh really?' Steve said irritably
'Really' she replied
'And just how would I know that?' Steve asked
'Because Detective, according to the ritual, the next victim was to be the tribe's body guard, right?'
Steve nodded 'That's right'.
'In Ancient Egypt' she said, pausing for effect 'the body guards were always women'.
As Steve and Tanis gasped, she tossed her hair dramatically and flounced from the room.
***
'Boy' Jesse said peering at a colour photograph in one of the yearbooks 'This guy was a pretty mean football player, team won the State Championships in '83.'
'Really?' Amanda said 'Let me see.'
Jesse passed it over and she smirked 'Nice hair!'
'Hey' Jesse protested 'What's wrong with it?' He smiled 'I think it looks pretty neat'. He ran a hand through his own hair 'I think it'd look good on me and you know the 80's were great, think of the music - punk rock, new romantics'. He continued eagerly, 'You know they have 80's revival nights on Tuesdays at the Cabana Club, how about we try it out?'
Amanda pulled a face and Mark chuckled.
'Besides the football picture, have you found anything else?' Mark asked
'Well' Jesse sighed ' Natasha and David Summers were both in the archaeology society, but no surprise there. He played football and she was a cheerleader'. He grinned 'Boy she was hot!'
Amanda tutted loudly, and Jesse carried on hastily 'He was a masters student and she was a lower classman. Both real popular as it goes, but ..' he said 'David did interrupt his studies in the spring of '83, which is kinda odd'.
Mark raised his eyebrows 'Now that sounds interesting'.
'There's also a list of the Masters students who enrolled on the course at the same time as Summers did and then there's another list of those who actually graduated'. Not all of them made it through.' He smiled 'Some of them were on the football team with Summers, guess they did more partying than studying!'
'Hmmm' Mark frowned thoughtfully 'That might be worth looking into too.'
'But Mark' Amanda exclaimed 'this yearbook is from twenty years ago, how on earth would we track these people down? If Natasha has something to hide, she's not gonna want to help.'
'The internet!' Jesse beamed triumphantly
'Actually' Mark replied 'You know I had a more old fashioned method in mind.'
Amanda raised her eyebrows enquiringly
'Yale must have an admissions office' he explained 'Maybe they still have records of past students'.
'Or' Amanda said thoughtfully 'an alumni association. ' She smiled 'I still get the Alumni magazine from my old medical school, it's a great way to keep up with old friends'.
'Oh you're good!' Mark said approvingly, impressed by her quick thinking.
She smiled 'I try!'
'Amanda pass me that book over here will you?' Mark said 'I'm gonna get together a list of names and then make some phone calls to Yale'.
'Sure thing' she replied 'And while you do that, I'm gonna go get us some coffee'.
She looked at Jesse, who was seated comfortably and showed no signs of moving. She raised her eyebrows and he groaned 'Why is it always me?' he asked as he trailed in her wake.
Mark smiled and then turned his attention back to the yearbook. Looking for the relevant page, he flicked through it absently, chuckling at the photographs as he did so. Amanda was right; the 80's was not a good decade for fashion! He shuddered remembering some of the dreadful clothes Steve had worn. Thankfully by the time the 80's had arrived, he himself had been too old to be a slave to fashion. The forties and fifties, now that was more his era!
And then something caught his eye. Switching on the light, he peered more closely at the picture and then he read the paragraph underneath and gulped. He spoke out loud, his voice echoing in the empty library 'I think I found our killer!'
TO BE CONTINUED …….