A loud, merciless tone interrupted a sweet and calm sleep until a hand grabbed the cell phone. "Skinner..." Her voice was muffled because of the pillow which covered the half of her face. Listening to the voice on the other end, the detective repressed a yawn. "I'm there in several minutes." Things like these happened often in her job. Crime didn't sleep and good god, Valerie often wished it would. Still she loved the job and lamenting about the downsides of it wouldn't make it any better to peel herself out from the warm and pleasant embrace of the blanket. Dead people weren't unusual here in L.A., however a dead star was some kind of unusual.
Still, despite all that she loved Los Angeles.
Valerie stood up from the edge of her bed, making minor adjustments to her tangled hair before tying it together with a scrunchie. For more wasn't time and besides: top styled detectives in the middle of the night were a myth from Hollywood. Ironically the crime scene was in Hollywood and an idea struck her while thinking about it and getting dressed in a hurry. This was the perfect opportunity to visit the Luckee Star motel – of course after work. It was on her to-do list since this guy from Germany mentioned the name of it while talking to Katherine. Well, it was not nice to this but once Valerie sniffed something fishy, there was no way it could be ignored by her and according to Katherine's expression as he showed up she wasn't very happy to see him. She really did like Katherine; otherwise Valerie wouldn't be that friendly to her and remorse poked hard into her stomach but still; Katherine was...strange so to say. This feeling was not easy to describe, possibly a mixture of sympathy and respect with a grain of curiosity and caution. Fine the grain of curiosity rather a full grown plant, tickling her every second when she met her new acquaintance and she even worked for the untouchable LaCroix Foundation! God damn!
With a sigh, Valerie closed the door of her car and started it. The streets of L.A. were still busy as if it were day similar to veins in a body pulsing with a never ending stream of blood in which she swam to Hollywood, one of the many hearts of the city. Glamorous, iridescent and breathtaking, equally beautiful and merciless at the same time. Without any problems the detective was able to find the building where the dead body was found. A bunch of reporters were already assembled, surrounding it like vultures with flashlights and illuminating the already bright streets. Two officers stood in front of the door, behind a police line like silent guardians of the deceased. Valerie pushed some of the reporters aside, making way to reach the door and showing her badge to the policemen, gaining entrance to the building which was not so crowded like outside. A sole man stood in the room, which was probably some kind of entrance hall.
"'bout time you'd show up, Val."
"Good evening to you too, Greg." A snort.
"It's in the middle of the goddamn night!" Her partner Greg was always in a bad mood when they received a nightly wake-up call. Valerie thought it would be slightly better after his vacation but it was even worse.
"Jake woke up?" Greg nodded. There she had the main reason for his dark mood. The call woke up his little son and Lucy must have nearly choked him, for letting his mobile tone ringing so loud. With a silent gesture of comfort, Valerie placed her hand on his shoulder and patted him. "Fill me in, so that we can go to bed back again."
"Our corpse up there in the bathroom is Tawni Sessions. A shame for such a young girl dying this early."
"Violent death?"
"Naahh, looks like suicide. There was a ton of dirty stuff in the tabloids about her the last weeks. Downed a whole bottle of valium with some gin. Wanna take a look?"
"That's our job, right?" Again a snort from Greg. The faster Valerie would inspect the scene and scribble her signature beneath the sheet of paper her partner was holding in his hands with a clipboard, the faster they could give green light to transport the corpse into a morgue for autopsy.
Upstairs it was filled with busy policemen, gathering evidence and Greg pointed over to a door which led to the bedroom. The cold corpse which was once Tawni Sessions rested on the bed, looking as if she was still sleeping, surrounded by two bottles of gin. One bottle was still half full, while the other was empty, lying next to an empty bottle of valium.
"We expect to find some sort of suicide note in the next few minutes."
"Who found her?"
"Her former boyfriend. He broke up with her after those pictures circled around in the tabloids and wanted to bring her the apartment keys."
"Showbiz is cruel." Tawni Sessions was just a local star. Valerie didn't want to think about how it was in the higher spheres of fame.
"Job hazard, Val."
"You're cynic again, Greg."
"You'd be too if you're getting older."
"You must be a wonderful daddy."
"Oh shut up and sign already." The clipboard Greg was carrying around landed in her hands and Valerie couldn't resist giving Greg a smug smile while signing.
"At last this case is clear, not like our special one."
"Oh don't you dare remind me 'bout this damn Southland Slasher."
"Never happened." She smiled. "Now go home, I'll handle the rest.
"You're a demon and an angel." Smiling, Greg patted her now on the shoulder and left. Valerie was single, so it was only fair to take over now and he couldn't ask why she wasn't going straight home after the job was done. He'd tease her with some jokes about dirty stuff in motels.
Said motel wasn't that cheap after all and the story with the killed man in one of their rooms attracted the bizarre clientele of murder scene tourism seeking thrill to spend a night in a room which was stalked by a murderer.
In front of the reception Valerie found some generic looking guy dressed in a sports suit, writing feverishly in a notebook. However the guy should be happy not to be disturbed, because the person she was looking for walked right down the floor. Jeez, what a lucky night! It paid out to be patient. Sometimes.
"Hello? Mister?" To gain his attention Valerie walked after him, waving and he turned around with a questioning face. "I doubt you remember. We've met – more or less – at the Confession in Downtown and we share the same friend: Katherine Falkner." That seemed to lighten up a bulb in the man's head.
"Distinctly." The thick German accent was not to overhear.
"It was kind of short and we didn't exchange a word. What a coincidence we're meeting here." Pretty blatant lie but better than the blatant truth which sounded probably awkward.
"Yeah, but sorry, I'm in a hurry. Kat wanted to speak to me and I really have waited for her to call." So easy he wouldn't get rid of her, even more when Katherine was around. The last week Valerie visited the Confession, hoping for a nice chat and Venus told her she hadn't seen her partner in nearly three weeks and usually Katherine showed up at last once a week to take care of the accounting.
"Problem if I come along? I just wasn't able to catch her and I want to check out if she's okay." At first the man's expression showed refusal but then he finally nodded slowly. "Great! I'm Valerie, Valerie Skinner."
"Tobias Richter. I'm Kat's, err former fiancée." They shook hands and this was quite – uh – also unexpected?
"Ouch, sorry if I opened some old wounds." Both of them walked out of the motel into the direction of the well known Cavoletti Cafe.
"They are rather fresh and that's the topic I'd like to discuss with her," he said grumpy and Valerie couldn't ignore the feeling that she was really misplaced when they'll meet. On the other hand the curiosity was poking her. "Where did you meet Kat?"
"During the job." Valerie smiled innocent. Would be bad timing to go into details.
"What job?"
"Is this an interrogation?"
"Occupational disease."
"You're kidding. You sound like a policeman."
"I am."
"Explains things and you sound quite a bit like my partner."
"Kat had problems with the police?"
"Uhh no, don't worry."
"She freaked a bit out after the death of her mother. I'm simply here to get her back home." His voice was full of determination and Valerie decided that it was better not ask more questions, even if she had a ton of them at the moment. Tobias seemed way more talkative than Katherine, besides said person talked to man who sat at one table of Cavoletti Cafe. Katherine stopped talking to him when she spotted the two of them and sat down on a vacant table. Valerie couldn't tell if her presence was not asked for. Forehanded she took the initiative, feeling too uncomfortable. Her curiosity didn't go this far to forget modesty.
"Hi, I just wanted to say hello because I didn't meet you at the Confession." Valerie looked at Tobias and then back to Katherine with her usual poker face. "So, uhm...I'll leave you two now..."
"Nein, nein it's okay if you'll stay Valerie." The eyes rested now on Katherine, who was silent for a minute.
"Fine with me," she said finally and Valerie couldn't help but wonder. Hopefully they're not pulling out the German speaking thing again. "Go ahead and order something. I'll invite you both."
"I really wonder from where you have the money to pay." The sentence was dripping with bitterness and no one spoke until the waiter came to pick their orders. Valerie shifted a bit uncomfortable in her chair, still feeling a bit misplaced.
"Well she's working for the LaCroix Foundation. I guess they pay well." She said with a smile to lift the tension a bit which hung thick in the air. Silence. Okaaaay, they must have parted in a very unlucky manner. The dishes were served while in the background that guy was ordering the whole menu.
"So you're not with that rich twerp anymore?" Valerie could not even guess who was meant with 'rich twerp' or could it be? No, nonsense.
"Tobias, please," in opposite to Tobias's bitter undertone, Katherine sounded pretty calm. "I thought I was clear the last time and my private life is not a matter to you anymore nor would I discuss it but here we are, because you still cling to the past." Valerie was doomed to simply listen to their conversation.
"Whow, sorry! What'd you do if your fiancée went into another country for further education? For two fucking months! Never calling or anything and then coming back just to blow the relationship in passing! Hell, if I wouldn't work for the police I wouldn't even have known that you have been at the airport!" Poking around in her food, Valerie understood now how their relationship ended. Quite not the elegant way and if she was honest: her sympathy was with Tobias if Katherine blew it really that way.
"I already told you why. Leave it like this please." According to Tobias's clenched fist around the spoon he wouldn't.
"Come on, Kat! I have my pride too! You blew everything we built together away because of this Sebastian guy!" Bad timing. Valerie had tried a sip of the coffee and choked. "You're acting weird! Not like you at all! How you talk, how you're dressing and all this..." He helplessly opened his arms to gesture that he meant the cafe. "...this is not you! I can't believe you're after money. You're not such a woman, I know you!" It may be rude, but this time Valerie couldn't resist asking.
"Sebastian? Sebastian LaCroix?" Questioning, her eyes wandered between both former lovers who ignored her question.
"She even threatened me with his 'organisation'."
"Okay, time out! I have only a slight idea what's going on and we don't know each other for long." How could she express it the best? "So let me get this straight: You left Tobias for a man named Sebastian right?" Katherine seemed to hesitate a second, then nodded. "Sebastian LaCroix?" The poker face was now cracking and showed a glimpse of anger.
"Yes." Katherine poked around in her salad. "I didn't want to make a fuss about it. I hope you can keep it for yourself, Valerie."
"That...blows my mind..." The irony, oh the irony. That's why Katherine blocked every question about her work. Was it even a job? The whole last year after the terrorist attack on the Venture Tower was dedicated to find any opening in the LaCroix Foundation until she and her partner were whistled back and now here she sat right in front of it. More or less. She really liked Katherine in some way and the offer for friendship was genuine. Could she really use her? Probably not, even if her tongue was itching to do so.
"Can you keep it for yourself? I know you're interested in the Foundation, but if you're going to question me about I request you to leave." What should she do? Of course Tobias's drop with the organisation was fertile soil for more grains of curiosity.
"No questions about it anymore." Raising her hands in defeat, Valerie took another sip from the coffee.
"Tobias..." Katherine made a small pause before continuing. "...it seems like you don't know me at all. I won't come back."
"Is it because the death of your mother? Kat, your father needs you and I need you too back home." Tobias placed his hand on hers but twitched back as he earned an ice cold stare from Katherine for it.
"Partly and again: I won't go back. I'll stay here for a main reason and you know it. Please stop following me." In his eyes it was clear he wouldn't but Katherine seemed not to notice unlike Valerie. Instead Katherine ate from the salad, just to spill it out into a napkin.
"Awful!" Valerie and Tobias stared irritated at her. Katherine turned around to the man to whom she was talking before. "This is not eatable!" Like the other two, he stared at her irritated. "You should write a bad review! This is an insult to every refined palate."
"Yes...I'm going to write a review that will destroy this restaurant." It was a nearly obedient response. 'What the hell was that?' Valerie looked at Tobias who was seemingly confused as she was as Katherine slammed some dollars on the table.
"I'm leaving now. If you'd like, you can go with me to the Confession, Valerie." But the detective shook her head.
"Better to go to bed now." Besides she had some other ideas in her mind. "Sorry."
"A pity." Katherine turned to Tobias. "I really wish you the best and that you'll soon get over it. Please don't contact me anymore. Goodbye." She left them sitting alone at the table, waving for a cab which would bring her back Downtown. Valerie promised not to ask her about the LaCroix Foundation, but she never promised to ask others and Tobias seemed to have valuable information. The detective wouldn't go to bed yet. Not after this meeting and it's interesting revelations.
"You won't go back Tobias, am I right?"
"Yes."
"Fine, perhaps I can help you and you can help me. Between police officers so to say."
"What do you have in mind?"
"What do you know about Sebastian LaCroix and the LaCroix Foundation?"
AN: Not dead yet! Uhh...Still Alive? Bad pun's bad. Sorry for taking so long for an update. Things got busy but more worse is that Ivy got also swallowed by work and everything I'll publish from now on is not beta read by her. So prepare yourself for some torture of the english language. I'm hesitating to search for a new beta, because...she also put in a lot of time and effort into the story. It's so to say both our story, besides she set my expectations for a beta pretty high. I think no one can replace her and that I'd search. That's why I put the info into the story summary, that Ivy only beta read till ch.17. I don't want her name to be associated with my crappy grammar skills. Oh god, I sound like a lamenting widow...