The Blackmailer

THE BLACKMAILER

BRANDI BRIXTON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE BLACKMAILER

THE DEER WOMAN

YOUNG BLOOD

PALE BLOOD

I, VAMPIRE

VAMPIREVILLE

AMY’S LAST WORDS

BLOODSUCKER

Infidelity pays the bills. That's what the man who trained me during my transition from being a detective in LAPD homicide to full-time PI said. At first, I thought he might be insane.

Then she showed up.

Barely one week in the office and one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen walks through the door of my new office. She isn't bad looking with her long, slender legs toned slightly from her time in the California sun or blonde hair so golden even caramel might blush. I know I struggled not to stare stupidly at her like some hormonal football jock.

At first glance, I could tell she was stressed. Her hands gripped the edges of her purse with such force, her knuckles began to whiten. She tapped her foot, the clicking of her heel echoing in the small room.

She looked familiar to me but I couldn't quite place her face.

Can I get you some coffee, Ma'am? I asked to try and offer some form of hospitality.

She shook her head. No, thank you. I need to speak with you on an urgent matter, Mr. LaPorte. I think I'm in serious danger.

Why come to a PI? Isn't that a matter for the police? I muttered.

Again, she shook her head. Her golden locks bouncing as she did. I'm not sure I can trust them.

Now that peaked my curiosity. I leaned forward and steepled my fingers, resting my chin against them. Why's that?

The woman seemed to hesitate to answer. She got silent and proceeded to look around the room as though there were security cameras in it.

Then it struck me. You're Katie Black. Wife to the well-known crime drama producer Mick Black.

Katie nodded. Yes.

It took me a moment to rein in my inner fanboy. So, sue me, I like crime dramas. I'm a PI remember?

I returned to the matter at hand. Why come to me, Mrs. Black?

I got your card from a friend of mine. She said you helped her find a stalker who had plans to strangle her if she wouldn't be with him.

I winced. The case she spoke of began creepy right out of the starting gate. It only got creepier the further I dug. You don't want to know the details, believe me.

I remember. My thanks to your friend. It still doesn't explain why you're coming to me with it.

She fumbled around in her purse and pulled out a photo of the man I knew to be Mick Black and a woman wearing a silken red dress with a slit up the thigh high enough to reveal enough of her deep caramel skin. Her face, unfortunately, was hidden by what could have been a red balloon. Ironic? I think so.

I studied the photo carefully. What struck me the strangest was the look on Mick's face. For one, he stared at the camera taking his picture. In all my years in LAPD, I never once saw a celebrity do that. For another, his eyes seemed like he might be begging for help. Katie must have thought her husband cheated on her.

My inner detective screamed it was something entirely. Alright, I'll take it. Where's the last place you saw them?

They were going to have dinner at fancy Italian restaurant. I managed to steal the note my husband scribbled. She took out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to me.

Rudy's, 4:30pm.

Right, I'll check it out, My brain reminded me of the financial aspect. I'll require an advance.

Katie cut me off and dropped a wad of cash on my desk. It's two-thousand dollars. You'll get more. What of my being in danger? I can't go home, Mr. LaPorte.

No, you can't. Go to a hotel, check in a room and call me when you do.

She nodded, stood up and left me to begin my work.

The longer I stared at the photo, the more my inner sleuth told me I'd stepped into more than just a simple case of infidelity.

I sighed. This is why you left LAPD, Jake.

****

Only a short hour after Katie left my office, I hit the pavement, choosing to hide my car on a street corner offering the best angle of my targets. My camera lens snapped furiously as I captured the couple coming out of the restaurant and into a black limo.

Mick still had that look about him as his smaller frame became surrounded by guys looking like they belonged on the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, I'm a Cowboys fan, don't tell anyone.

Again, with the desperate eyes. What're you hiding Mr. Black? I questioned.

My phone ringing took my attention to the screen. My eyes widened at the number: Katie Black.

LaPorte.

The voice on the phone sounded even more terrified as she appeared. Her breath came in short bursts, yet in the background I could hear car horns and the squealing of wheels as brakes were applied.

Jake, She used my first name. I'm being followed. I can't outrun them.

Katie, calm down. Can you see the driver? My heart raced in my chest.

No, the tinting is too dark.

Then give me the license plate number and make of the car. The silence on the other end of the phone unnerved me. Katie?

I'm here. I took a photo from my rearview mirror. I'm scared, Jake. What do I do?

I cursed internally.

The sudden screeching tires followed by Katie's scream sent me into action. I threw the phone into one of the cup holders and sped off. From the ambient sounds, I deduced Katie to be on one of the main highways. As if there aren't enough to make it a pain in the ass in Los Angeles.

Katie's voice begging what sounded like a man not to hurt made me redden with rage. I hated when anyone mistreated another human being, man or woman.

After a few short minutes of torture, the other end once again fell silent. The call disconnected.

Shit! I picked up my phone and dialed an old friend from the LAPD.

Officer Herrera.

Debbie, it's Jake.

Brief silence. Jake LaPorte, it's been a while. Not long in the PI business and I hear you're catching major cases.

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, yeah, love to catch up. Listen to me, I'm going to need you to have some units dispatched. I got cut off.

Sorry, LaPorte, just landed a case.

A knot churned in my stomach. Don't tell me. A car scene?

How did you? Never mind. Yeah, off the freeway.

Meet you there. I hung up the phone and whipped my car around to head to the highway, my trusty police scanner allowing me to keep up with the developments.

By the time I arrived, the whole thing looked like a scene out of Die Hard. Pieces of a white hybrid, black skid marks and the smell of fuel littered the ground.

Herrera stood with a fellow officer and a member of CSU. She turned to greet me as I watched a gurney being wheeled to a nearby ambulance.

Wait! I shouted and ran towards the gurney.

Katie lay upon the thin mattress, unconscious. Her face beaten, lip swollen, cheek split, and her beautiful blue eyes so thick she couldn't open them if she wanted.

We have to take her, sir. She might not make it if we don't.

I nodded, swearing under my breath. I'll find them, Katie. I'll find who did this to you and make them pay.

Herrera walked up behind me. Wow, I was under the impression you PIs never made a case personal. What's so special about this one?

Inside, I didn't know. For some reason, I wanted to help this family. To prove to Katie that her husband hadn't been cheating on her.

I don't know. I'm going to look around to see if I can find anything. Don't worry, I know not to touch anything and let CSU do their thing. You know as I do they sometimes miss things.

Yes, Sherlock, I remember. Herrera laughed the silken laugh I knew all too well.

When I found nothing worth noting, I decided to head to my next destination - the hospital.

****

Katie lay upon the bed, a breathing tube protruding from behind lips so strawberry, I almost teared up. She reminded me of my sister. Maybe that might be the reason I made this case so personal. I hadn't been able to save my sister but I wanted to save this family if I could.

I'd just left the room when Herrera met me in the hallway. You should go home, Jake. You look like you hadn't slept. Leave the case up to us.

She'd been right. I hadn't slept in going on forty-eight hours yet something inside me told me I couldn't just walk away.

Tell me what you found, Deb and no bullshitting. I'm not in the mood.

Deborah sighed. There was definitely a struggle. She didn't go down easy. There were two different blood patterns. The second were drops meaning she could've wounded him with the swiss army knife we found next to her.

My mind took me back to the begging, the striking of bone against flesh and the screams. He wanted to kill her.

Deborah looked at me. You heard the phone call?

I nodded. Right before I called you, Then a thought came to me. Did CSU find a cell phone?

Deborah shook her head. No cell phone but you heard the call? The attack? She tried to redirect me.

I took off down the hall calling over my shoulder. Yes, and I'll gladly give a statement but for now I have to go!

Wait a minute! Jake!

I didn't stop.

The scene looked better than it had when I'd arrived earlier. A lack of bodies moving around meant I could focus on the minute details.

Unfortunately, the rain washed away any chance of finding blood but after some careful searching I found one of Katie's ear rings and her cell phone tucked away under some brush. Go figure. CSU at their very best.

I opened the phone to find the photo Katie took of the license plate of the car barely visible through the cracked screen. Pay dirt. I smiled and put the phone in my pocket. The sound of crunching leaves brought my attention to a man standing on the edge of the pavement.

Making my way over to him, I soon saw him to be Mick Black. The very man I'd been tracking.

So, it's true. His words shuddered, his fists clenched at his side.

My brow creased. Shouldn't he be at the hospital?

Mr. Black, I presume. I kept my voice monotone, angry he didn't protect his wife.

He said nothing, only nodding.

Shouldn't you be at the hospital?

I had to see it for myself. The place Katie got hurt, He threw the heels of his hands over his eyes. This has gotten out of hand. So out of hand.

Okay? Now I'm really curious. What do you mean?

Mick shook his head. I can't tell you. Please, please help us. His hand gripped my arm with such force, I felt glad I had some muscle to keep it from bruising.

Oh, boy. Come on, I'll take you back to the hospital, you need to be with your wife.

We arrived back to find a woman wearing the same kind of dress as the photo Katie gave me, only this time in black. She embraced Mick who seemed to brace himself.

Okay, that's not normal. I thought to myself.

Oh Mick, I heard what happened to Katie. I'm so sorry, honey. She kissed his cheek, leaving a red mark.

Mick said nothing, jerking from her to go into the room with his wife.

The woman turned her attention to me, her brow raised in obvious interest. Guess I wasn't as bad looking as I thought, eh?

My, my, aren't you handsome. You were the one in the rather gouache car I saw speeding off today, weren't you? Her voice sounded sensual but, in its tone, venomous. A snake eyeing a mouse before attacking.

Office called. Meetings are a bitch.

A chuckle escaped the woman's lips. Handsome and funny. What's your name?

Jake LaPorte. Yours?

The woman wrapped her arms around my neck. Sarah. Sarah Marquez, She slipped a card into the back pocket of my jeans. Feel free to call, anytime, She licked her luscious lips. And for anything."

Sarah walked away with the grace of the same femme fatale I'd seen in any crime drama. Cleary, she was off limits in every sense of the word. With a persona as deadly as a black widow, I could see why Mick acted the way he did not only when he saw her but she touched him.

Damn, what have I gotten myself into? Never get involved with Hollywood, Jake. It'll get you killed.

I watched as Mick came out of the room greeted by a doctor. From what I'd been able to read on his lips, the doctor mentioned how Katie fell into a coma she might not ever wake from.

The man who approached me no longer held the heir of a producer but a man broken and stripped of everything he had.

The doctor told me she may never wake up. Tears formed in his eyes. What am I going to do, Mr. LaPorte?

Call me Jake, I put a hand on his shoulder. I'd been where he stood and it rarely ended well. You're going to give her the support she needs from her husband. Leave whatever else is going on to me and LAPD.

Mick's whiskey brown eyes met mine. These are dangerous people, Jake. You're getting in over your head.

Instead of acting terrified, which I was, I shrugged. Hollywood's always dangerous, Mick. It's all part of the job. Now, for the time being, you need to worry about your wife.

Mick nodded and returned to his wife's bedside.

Of course, I fell in over my head, it's a reason I left LAPD. Of course, I'd always known I'd get dragged back in. I just didn't expect my return to be this big of a bang.

My next step to take would be to call in a favor from LAPD to bring me back on full time as a behavioral consultant so I could be kept in the loop.

****

I knew before I went anywhere, I better head to Herrera's to give the statement I promised her in regards to what I heard over the phone during Katie's attack. She'd never let me hear the end of it if I didn't.

I learned early on in our relationship that it could never be said Deborah Herrera held the patience of a saint. She proved me right when I walked into her office soaked and wet from the pelting rain outside. A deep scowl distorted her usually soft features. She started to hold up her watch to rub in how late I ran.

In order to soften the blow, I held my hands up in a defensive posture. I know, I know. I'm sorry. I needed to call in a favor at the crime lab.

Herrera walked behind her desk, heaved a sigh and sat down. Yeah, and apparently we're your proverbial booty call in blue. Something about how I'm supposed to ferry you around as some kind of consultant. Come on, Jake, you can't do this kind of thing.

Her dark eyes turned away from me, almost foggy as if she might cry at any moment.

With a lowered voice, she continued.