Chapter 7
It was about 6.00 in the morning when Rusty started making breakfast and Lauren whispered a sleepy "Mornin" before she tried to get up and shrunk to a kneeling position in front of the couch.
She groaned eyes pressed closed and reminded herself to breath and relax although her back hurt. *Great, just what I need now* she thought. She had back problems since she was 16 it was spinal disc in her lower back and her upper back just told her when she was to tense. Everything was fine as long as she did gymnastic or kept any other sport activity. She hadn't made time for that for several weeks now it was a matter of time when her back would bitch about being neglected.
"Are you praying or something?" he finally asked frowning.
"Yes, praying for the pain to ease up", she snapped forcing herself to stand up and straighten her back a small crack emitted from it and told her she had gotten rid of at least one blockade. She ignored Rusty's questioning glance and hobbled to the bathroom where she tried to bend the right way to get out the other blockades and be in a state to move before her mother saw her like this.
Meanwhile Sharon came into the kitchen ready to go. "Where's Lauren?"
"Bathroom", Rusty said handing Sharon some scrambled eggs when they heard a muffled howl followed by a cussword Rusty was sure would result in a lecture if he ever used it.
Sharon got up and rushed down the hallway "Lauren, are you alright?"
"I'll be right there mom. Just a second!" she gave back.
Sharon knocked on the bathroom door more insistently "That's not an answer to my question."
"I'm ok! Five minutes!" she yelled and Sharon gave up heading back to the kitchen for breakfast. She knew her daughter wasn't ok when she came out of the bathroom minutes later. She wasn't fooled by the make-up and knew underneath Lauren was white as a sheet. Sharon wasn't sure if Rusty had forgotten to set a place for her too or if it was deliberate. Lauren only bristled and got a glass of water along with banana. She dug a blister from her purse and laid two painkillers next to her water glass. "Seriously?" was Rusty's only comment at the sight of Lauren's breakfast.
Lauren hummed questioning, while taking a bite from her banana.
"That's no breakfast."
"Well, as far as I see my presence wasn't calculated and I'm not hungry anyway. I'll take some fruits with me and have something more substantial for lunch", she explained.
Rusty was to smart not to hear the reproach in that answer. He snorted but concentrated on his breakfast and the rest of the early morning was spent in silence till Rusty had been dropped off at school.
"You know there's something that's nagging me."
"You mean besides Lt. Flynn?"
"He isn't nagging me."
"Yeah right", Lauren clipped "So what is it?"
"According to your briefing the killer tried to contact the police as well as the press."
Lauren nodded "Yeah?"
"That hasn't happened so far. I thought it would be best to play it down, so I stopped Taylor from making any press releases. Perhaps we should do that now."
"Mom, it's always dangerous to play with the fantasies of a serial killer", Lauren said earnestly.
"I know but we have still no single usable fingerprint or anything else we can work on. We have to coax him out before he has a chance to commit another murder."
"Fine, but it's really dangerous to do so. I'm not sure you want him communicating."
"I'm sure I want to find out if he's a lunatic who believes he's Jack the Ripper or if he is just reenacting those murders because he's a fan", Sharon said decidedly when they pulled into a parking space in the lot beneath the LAPD building.
Lauren nodded and followed her mother into the murder room. Only Provenza was already in and went over yesterday's statements. When he saw the Captain walking into her office he got up and shuffled over to her office, while Lauren retreated to her quiet refuge to complete her notes on yesterdays conversations with Ripper-experts within the area. Sharon had barely sat down behind her desk when Provenza appeared in the doorframe. She left the door open when she wasn't busy. "Morning Captain", he mumbled when she shuffled into her office.
"Yes Lieutenant?"
"We got a name Captain."
"From the interviews yesterday?"
"Yes, you might want to do this interview yourself. It's, ahm, a sensitive matter."
"Who is it?" Sharon asked her mood already sinking.
"Douglas McGregor."
Sharon closed her eyes. McGregor was one of the cities richest men. He had several businesses operating worldwide. His real estate properties alone were worth several 100 millions of dollars. He was friends with the Governor always in the press for some big deal or gossip, all in all no one she wanted anywhere connected to this case.
"Seriously?"
Provenza nodded gravely. "Do you want me to join you? The secretary said he would make time for us over lunch."
"Ok fine. I'll do that myself. Before I meet with Mr. McGregor I want you to do a background check on him."
"I took the liberty to do so and Douglas has danced on legality's edge more than once. He has obviously very good attorneys. Some is white collar, some seem like he hired bouncers to make his point. He even has a restraining order on his last fiancé", the Lieutenant explained placing the folder with the information on Sharon's desk.
"He got a restraining order against her or he was subject of the order?"
"He got one against her."
"Ok, any other names?"
"Nope, according to her colleagues, Melinda was totally hooked on McGregor."
Sharon made a mental note to halt the press release idea till she had interviewed McGregor. "Ok thank you Lieutenant. Any news on the interviews of the people Hollywood talked to after the first murder?"
"Kerby said they can't find them, so far."
"You are kidding", she exclaimed her voice dropping low.
To Provenza's delight the Captain would take that particular problem in her own hands too. "Ah and Chief Taylor called. He want's to see you and Lauren ASAP."
"Okay", she got up. "Could you please ask someone who isn't already in, to bring coffee, big Latte, two, please. I'm going to need that if this day is going to continue like that. And get me out of Taylor's office if we're in there longer than 30 minutes."
"Sure thing Captain. What reason do I use to interrupt your meeting with Chief Taylor?"
She looked at him "Make something up. You and Flynn are the masters of excuses I'm sure you'll think of something if necessary", she smirked heading off to pick up her daughter on the way to Chief Taylor, while Provenza called Flynn with the coffee order.
"Why is the Captain in such dire need for coffee?"
"She was summoned by Taylor and she has to go and interview a potential suspect."
"Okay."
"And she's probably still displeased you flirted with her daughter."
"Ah I think I'm forgiven."
"If you bring hot, steaming hot, coffee you've got a chance to make some brownie points", Provenza said and wanted to hang up "Ah bring some brownies and doughnuts to, the girl looks like she could use some weight."
"Why does he want to see us both?"
"I have no idea Lauren. He probably want's a miracle."
"Are you still planning to do the press thing?"
"No, not yet. Lt. Provenza got a name of Melinda's latest customer. I want to wait till after this interview and you are going to join me there. I need your assumption if he's a potential suspect."
They spent half an hour explaining to Taylor even with a profiler a miracle wasn't going to happen and Sharon even had the chance to add that the hostile attitude Lt. Kerby delayed their investigation further. Thank's to Provenza who announced Flynn's appearance with some letters they needed Lauren to look at, they were dismissed.
"Is Lt. Flynn really here?" Sharon asked in the elevator on their ride down.
"Yes he is and he brought coffee", the Elevator opened.
"Thank god", Sharon exclaimed, while Lauren walked next to Provenza behind her.
"The part with the letters is also true, isn't it?" she asked silently.
"Yeah. I'd suggest you enjoy your coffee and a brownie before you look at those. We had Morales do a quick test on every red letter and only put the ones that were written in blood together for you."