Little Drummer Boy by Kaiberie
The Law and Order series and all its characters owned by the people that created them. Not only do I have no claim, I am in awe. Kara Harper- Jordaine (sometimes Carter) is mine and I'd appreciate it if you didn't borrow her. She and an "Elliot Peters" are the 'stars' of my real life novels, for which I use fan fiction as a testing ground.
Thanks J
The doorman opened the door for her with a soft smile. Long legs, a beautiful figure, the hint of some sort of tribal tattoo on her thigh, he'd seen her come and go the last few days. Xander, her brother, had left instructions that she was to be allowed to come and go and be let in to the apartment if there was no one there.
"Miss Harper?"
"Hmm?" she said, looking up into his face, stopping just before ducking under his arm.
"The light has been reported as broken between your landing and the one below it. Do you want me to accompany you to the door?" She closed her eyes, thinking.
"Yes…yes please. Do you have a flashlight?"
"Of course. I'll go retrieve it," he said with a smile.
Standing just inside the door, she bent to remove her shoes. As she rose, she looked over to the mirror: the woman looking back was stunningly plain. Long red hair, waist length and curly, caught off her face in braids, pinned back. Her huge violet eyes were made up dramatically, pure grey and charcoal framing them. Her lipstick was slightly faded; she was chewing her lip again. She tracked the length of her body, as she straightened, eyes taking in but not seeing the still slender figure and good looking form of a young woman. All she saw was the thing they used against her most. It stopped on her leg, the edge of her tattoo showing. She lifted the edge of her skirt, her other hand crossing her stomach and holding the rest of the material flat against the edge of her leg, looking at the hieroglyphs and colour.
"I've got it…and Miss, if you don't mind me saying, that IS a stunning tattoo," the doorman said, smiling appreciatively.
"Was done for a dare," she replied dropping the edge of her skirt, eyes wide. He gestured towards the stairs and she nodded, bending to take one shoe then the other off with practiced ease. She crossed the cold foyer, watching where she was walking, and then began to ascend the stairs.
"Your brother says you are a lawyer?" he said and she shrugged.
"Yeah, I was out for a meal with some of my new colleagues. I work in the DA's office now,." she paused and wrinkled her nose. "Smells like someone peed out here," They'd reached the second floor landing and he paused a minute.
"That happens a lot…students mainly live here," the guard supplied, flicking on the light. He tracked the light over the stairs in front of them, noting the puddles, chose a route for them both and began to climb. They reached the top and she smiled her thanks.
"I'll wait miss, till you get into the house…just in case," he said. Xander was a good guy, a nurse in St Marks. She knocked once and waited, shifting from foot to foot. After a couple of minutes she knocked again.
"He's in," she confirmed. The doorman frowned, hearing sounds of stirring from within, yet the door still didn't open after a few minutes.
"Chris? Christian, don't fuck with me, come on…open the door!" she called banging on the wooden outer door of the apartment, frustrated. Shivering, she pulled her coat tighter, eyeing the end of the darkened corridor with faint distrust, and then looking back to the doorman.
"Christian, if you don't open this fucking door NOW…" A loud thump against the door caused her to step back, interrupted her. Then total silence. Something oozed under the edge of the door…..
Blood.
