Black Forest, Denver Cereal Volume 5 Read online

  “I would never let that happen,” Jacob said.

  “But you would be probed too!” Katy's voice rose with her anxiety. “Mommy too!”

  Tears filled the child's eyes. Jacob picked her up off the couch and put her on his lap. He rocked her back and forth until her fear eased. Snuggling on his lap, she ate a brownie.

  “Daddy?” Katy asked.

  “Yes Katy,” Jacob said.

  “What does ‘probed’ mean?” Katy asked.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Monday evening — 7:15 P.M.

  They had invited a hundred people but there was more than twice that number the antechamber to Boettcher Hall. Seth had been mingling from one person to the next. He'd spent most of the time with Sandy, Aden and the kids. The boys had brand new tuxedos. Noelle and Sissy were wearing gorgeous Valerie Lipson hand me down designer dresses. He ‘ooohed’ and ‘ahhed’ over each of them while he basked in their excited banter. He was laughing at the boys antics when he heard, “Seth! Over here!”

  Seth tried not to groan. His agent was waving him over to the one person Seth had been avoiding - Colorado’s Attorney General, Aaron Alvin, Ava’s father. Seth hugged Delphie and shook Sam's hand before he plastered a smile on his face and walked over. His agent made the introductions. After a round of back slapping, his agent wandered off in search of a reporter. Seth shifted uncomfortably.

  “Nice to see you, O’Malley,” Attorney General Alvin said. “I hear you’re doing great work on the Saint Jude serial killer case.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Seth said. “I believe we will catch the killer. Your daughter has done a fantastic job of connecting the victims. It’s a huge step forward. Did she tell you?”

  “She didn’t need to,” Attorney General Alvin said. “I doubt it will surprise you, but I’m the kind of father who keeps tabs on his children.”

  Raising his eyebrows, Seth shifted uncomfortably.

  “Yes, O’Malley,” Attorney General Alvin said, “I know about you and Amelie.”

  “What is it that you know, sir?” Seth asked.

  “Yes, play sly,” Attorney General Alvin said. “Personally, it’s not like you stood a chance.”

  “A chance, sir?”

  “When my daughter sets her sights on something, she usually gets it,” Attorney General Alvin said.

  “And what did she set her sight on?” Seth asked.

  “You, O’Malley,” the Attorney General said. “You remember the Cigarette Killer?”

  “I do,” Seth said.

  “Amelie was twelve when you worked that case. She read the Denver Post every day to keep up with the investigation. She pestered me for inside details. She even spent her entire summer watching the trial. You may remember meeting her.”

  “Amelie, sir?” Seth shook his head.

  “The Cigarette Killer case is the reason she went into law enforcement,” Attorney General Alvin said. “Nothing that her mother said or I said made a difference. She wanted to be just like her hero detective. She worked her ass off to graduate college early and intern with the FBI.”

  “You pulled a few strings,” Seth said.

  “More than a few,” Attorney General Alvin said. “I wasn’t surprised when I learned you were dating.”

  “Dating, sir?” Seth asked.

  “Won’t last,” Attorney General Alvin said.

  “Sir?” Seth asked.

  “My daughter is dogged at what she wants. She’ll do anything, put herself through enormous trials but once she has what she wants…,” Attorney General Alvin shrugged. “She never stays very long. Once she’s conquered one goal, she’s on to her next challenge. I expect her to give up this whole law enforcement thing any day now. Her mother would like her to be a doctor. She really should be a doctor. With her experience with the Denver Police, she would be accepted at UC Anschutz Medical School right away.”

  Seth watched the man’s confident smile and steely eyes.

  “She can’t change what she is,” Ava’s father said. “She’ll flit from thing to thing until she has children. Just like her mother. Of course, her mother was more interested in charities and the tennis circuit than police work. Here they are!”

  Carrying glasses of champagne, Ava and her mother approached.

  “Her mother does not know you’re dating,” Attorney General Alvin leaned in to say in Seth’s ear. “Let’s keep it that way.”

  “The man of the hour,” Ava’s mother said. “We’re very thrilled to hear the new symphony, Seth.”

  “Vivian! How delightful to see you,” Seth kissed her cheek. “Thank you for coming.”

  “We wouldn't miss it for the world,” Ava's mother said.

  “We were just talking about the Cigarette Killer,” Ava’s father said. “You remember that case, don’t you Amelie?”

  “It’s one of the finest pieces of detective work I know of,” Ava said. “That case is the reason I went into forensics.”

  “O’Malley was the detective,” Ava’s father said.

  “He was?” Stunned, Ava gawked at Seth.

  “You didn’t know?” Ava’s father laughed.

  “No,” Ava said. “I had no idea.”

  “It was a long time ago,” Seth said.

  “I wish you would use your powers of detection to figure out who gave my daughter this gorgeous eternity diamond necklace,” Ava’s mother said. “What do you think, Seth?”

  “Are you sure it's not a loan like in that movie...?” Seth asked.

  “Pretty woman?” Ava's mother asked.

  Ava blushed. When Seth gave her the necklace, she'd asked him if it was a loan.

  “With Richard Gere?” Ava's mother asked.

  “Yes, I believe that's it,” Seth said.

  “I asked the same thing,” Ava’s mother said. “You would think my daughter would want to introduce me to the man who bought her diamonds and designer dresses.”

  “You would think,” Seth said.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Seth’s agent said. “But it’s time to get started.”

  Seth nodded to Ava’s mother and father. He stopped to give Sandy a hug and then followed his agent toward the stage. Looking out over the audience, he saw a uniformed police officer speak with Ava and her parents. The same officer jogged across the floor toward him.

  “Sir?” the police officer asked.

  Seth turned.

  “We’ve received a credible threat to your life,” the officer said. “You’re secure in this room but will need police escort to leave. Technician Alvin has agreed to secure your hotel room prior to the break. I’ll be here the entire show and escort you to your room when it is secure.”

  Seth nodded.

  “Thank you officer,” Seth’s agent said. “Ready Seth?”

  Seth closed his eyes for a moment. Nodding to his agent, he took a breath then walked to the Grand Piano on stage. He looked up to catch the Colorado Symphony conductor’s eyes. The man nodded to him.

  And the symphony began.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Monday evening — 7:30 P.M.

  Ava wasn't sure when the music began. She only felt the movement and pressure of her own emotions. One moment she wanted to dance for joy. A few minutes later, she felt the oppressive pressure of her parents and their expectations. Feeling almost as if she could no longer breathe, she was about to jump from her seat when the mood shifted.

  And her heart broke open.

  She noticed her mother crying into her sleeve the way she did when she didn't want her father to know. Ava looked around the room to see tears falling down the cheeks of many people in the audience. Even the pros, Valerie Lipson, Stephen Spielberg, and other famous people she recognized from the magazine stand at the front of the grocery store, were weeping.

  The dream continued. Ava felt lifted from her sorrow to the highest peak of Mount Elbert where she played among the clouds. With the fairies as her companions, she soared through the majestic beauty of high country meadows, bubbling cre
eks, and danced with the dragonflies across the surface of Twin Lakes. Spinning, dancing and laughing, she was returned to her seat in Boettcher Hall.

  Ava felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, a uniformed policewoman indicated that it was time for them to secure Seth's hotel room. She gave her mother some tissue and trotted out of the room.

  “We're a little behind schedule. I couldn't...,” the uniformed police woman said. “Did you cry?”

  Ava jogged as fast as her gown and high heels would allow. They moved across the patio toward Fourteenth Street.

  “I felt like my entire insides were torn out,” Ava said.

  “And then rearranged in perfect order,” the policewoman said. “Amazing. I didn't know music could do that.”

  They continued across Fourteenth Street to the Curtis Hotel. Ava turned to look back at Boettcher Hall and saw police officers securing the area in their wake. They nodded to the officers in the entryway and took the elevator to the eighth floor. They jogged down the Sci Fi themed hall to the premium suite Seth's agent had reserved. The policewoman and Ava checked the room.

  “I'll be outside if you need anything,” the policewoman said.

  “I was to stay outside to protect Detective O'Malley,” Ava said.

  “Detective O'Malley?” the policewoman asked.

  “The officer said there was a credible threat...”

  “Against you, Technician Alvin,” the policewoman said. “The guy Detective O'Malley is after is a danger to him and you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ava said.

  “You don't know?” the policewoman asked.

  “I was told there was a threat to Detective O'Malley's life,” Ava said.

  “Your roommate's dead.” The policewoman put her hand on Ava's arm.

  “Beth,” Ava whispered. “How? What?”

  “Her boyfriend found her at about six. She... Anyway, she must have tricked the perp into thinking she was dead because she wrote: 'St. J coming for Am' in her own blood on the kitchen floor.”

  “Oh my God,” Ava said.

  “You're Am, aren't you?” the policewoman said. “Amelie?”

  “Beth has called me ‘Am’ since grade school,” Ava nodded. “Did she... suffer?”

  “I'm not going to lie to you. You'll find out anyway,” the policewoman said. “She suffered. A lot. But she fought back. He got some of what he gave. She pulled out chunks of his hair and gouged him with her nails. There's a lot of forensics for your team.”

  “She has a black belt in karate,” Ava said.

  “She kicked his butt,” the policewoman said. “And tricked him into leaving her to write her note.”

  Ava sat down in a high backed stuffed chair.

  “Saint Jude is back in town,” the policewoman said. “He's coming to clean up the mess. That's what he told the homeless kids. You and Detective O'Malley are first on his list.”

  “Oh,” Ava said.

  “The Chief wanted you safe,” the policewoman said. “He booked this suite for the rest of the week. He'd like you and O'Malley to stay here until we catch him.”

  “Oh.”

  “Stay here,” the policewoman said. “We'll escort you back after O'Malley takes his break.”

  Ava nodded to the policewoman.

  “O’Malley's a kind of a nut, amazing musician and composer but a total nut,” the policewoman said. “Can you handle him for an hour?”

  Ava nodded.

  “There's another bedroom if you want to just avoid him. But no matter what, don't leave this room without me. You and me. We're a team until they catch this guy.”

  Without another word, the uniformed officer left the suite. Unsure of what to do, Ava stared at the suite door. She hadn't planned on spending this hour with Seth. She'd planned on drinking champagne and having a bite to eat with her parents. Now, for whatever reason, she was exactly where her mother warned her not to be - in Seth's suite after he'd played his new piece.

  Would he demand animal sex?

  Would he be totally out of it?

  Would he...?

  She heard this weird buzzing in her ears. Her eyes riveted on the door. There was a knock on the door. Her policewoman rolled in room service with dinner for two. Ava signed the receipt and the policewoman left. Ava was pretty sure she’d said something but when the policewoman left she dropped back down in the chair.

  Her ears continued to buzz and her eyes continued to stare.

  She wasn't sure how long it was before Seth arrived – ten minutes, maybe two days. He stepped into the room and dropped to his knees in front of her. Without saying a word he held out his hands.

  In his arms, she began to cry.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-THREE

  Real Friends

  Monday night — 10:20 P.M.

  Seth pulled Ava to her feet. Having been through this many times himself, he knew exactly what she needed. Warm water would hold and cleanse her. He helped her out of her stiletto heels, thigh high hose, dress and undergarments.

  While she wept, he led her to the bathroom and under the shower head. She slid against the shower wall until she sat on the tiles. He undressed to join her there. He lifted her to her feet and pressed her against the shower wall. Between the warm water and the pressure of his body, she released some of her pain and loss. Soft animal sounds came from her open mouth. Her flood of tears was lost in the steady stream of warm water. He held her until the initial storm of sorrow passed. He helped her dry off and led her to the king-sized bed. He wrapped his body around her while she cried.

  Speech came slowly.

  “I met her in second grade at Stanley. The British Primary. It was very important to my mother... her mother... Oh God, her mother,” Ava said. She couldn't bring herself to say Beth's name. “Assigned seating. She's Baker. I'm Alvin... It was best seat in the house. That's what we always said when we were assigned to sit together.”

  Seth said nothing. He knew her grief would come in fits and starts. Right now, she needed to cry and talk.

  “She was brave. I wasn't.”

  Lost in memory, Ava stopped talking. Seth got her a water bottle from the refrigerator. Confused, she looked at him but drank the bottle dry.

  “She was kissed first, moved out first, stood up to her mother first, went on the pill first, told her father to shut up first, had sex first, made our parents buy our condo. She was perfect for me. My perfect friend. She...”

  Tears came and Seth held her for a while.

  “We had an agreement,” Ava said at last. “We didn't talk about our relationships until they had been going on for six months. That's what she wanted. She said it covered the slutty periods.”

  Ava let out a tear-filled laugh.

  “She met her boyfriend, Dale, the very first day of college,” Ava sobbed. “They've been together this whole time. He asked me about buying out my half of the condo. He's been living there the last two years. Our parents don't know. He wanted to marry her but she... Poor Dale. This will kill him… kill me.”

  Tears came again.

  “She didn't want to be married until I was,” Ava said. “She didn't want to leave me alone. She'd never had left me alone on purpose.”

  Ava became fierce, almost angry.

  “She made me finish college early,” Ava said. “She made me go to the FBI. Me, Amelie! I would have stayed home and knitted a sweater. That wasn't acceptable to Beth. ‘We have to make something of our lives.’ She said that when we were six. What are you going to make of your life? She'd ask me over and over again.”

  “What did she make of her life?” Seth asked.

  “She was a child therapist. Specialized in rich kids with bossy fathers. She was amazing with kids. Wanted twelve of her own.”

  Ava sighed.

  “She went with me to the Cigarette Killer trial,” Ava said. “We read every Nancy Drew book and graduated to every mystery book in the library until I heard about forensics. She said I came alive with forensi
cs. She wouldn't let me give up when my mom was a bitch or my dad made fun of me. She was so brave... so brave.”

  Ava rolled away from him. She curled up into a ball and wrapped her arms around her legs. He spooned around her.

  “I haven't seen her since everything went down at the mansion,” Ava said. “I... She's always been there. You know, with me, even when she wasn't with me, like when I was at Quantico. And now she died for me.”

  “Is it possible she knew this guy, Saint Jude?” Seth asked. “Even the remotest possibility...”

  Gasping, Ava jerked to sitting.

  “She did,” Ava's voice became clear and strong. “I know she did. She used to talk about a guy... She saw a bunch of street kids, rich kids who got thrown out. Oh my God. Her family's been in Colorado since before it was a state. She has the mitochondrial DNA. I know it. She...”

  Seth grabbed her before she moved to stand. For a moment, he held her tight.

  “She was my best friend,” Ava said. “She didn't know about you or where you lived or who you were. She didn't know about tonight or... She just knew I was in love.”

  Terrified by her admission, Ava began talking quickly.

  “I loved the symphony,” Ava said. “It was unbelievable. So beautiful. I cried and laughed and felt such incredible pain and overwhelming joy.”

  “I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I'm sorry. I have to get back,” he said. “I can just get them started and come right back.”

  “You should go,” Ava nodded. “I need some… time… you know?”

  “I don’t want to leave you here like this,” he said.

  “Please. It’s what I need,” Ava said. “How much time do we have?”

  “Maybe another ten minutes or so,” he said. “Will you stay here? I can get your parents.”

  “The chief ordered me to stay here. You too,” Ava said. “I’m going to be brave. Beth would want me to be brave.”

  “Be brave tomorrow,” Seth said. “Please... for me. It’ll give me great comfort to know you are here, safe and sound.”

  Ava nodded. While Seth got dressed in the designer suit created for the auction, Ava put on his pajamas and picked up her clothing. She hung her dress in the closet. When he was dressed, he held her close.