Royalty in Death - an In Death series fanfic (J.D. Robb)

Chapter 2

Getting to the Pearl Skyline was too breezy for the DLE since the traffic was forming on the routes going to the downtown areas. Eve immediately pulled the vehicle over to the entrance of the hotel. It was nearly as decent as The Palace, she mused, a five-star hotel owned by Roarke.

As she swung and went outside, the bellboy immediately approached her.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but the Valet parking is on the other side – "

"Lieutenant Dallas.", Eve immediately flashed her badge to the bellboy's face. His face became serious in an instant recognition then gave a whistled signal to his companion.

"Park that official issue for me as I will lead the Lieutenant to the location," he said when his companion walked towards him, in which he obliged without any questions.

"Come with me, please." the bellboy gestured to Eve as they went inside.

The interiors were polished with white marbles and beige floorings, matching the oriental upholsteries and decors. Eve spotted some tourists and locals that come and go to the reception and hall areas, while others were being assisted by the hotel staffs upstairs.

"Still business as usual.", Eve commented.

"As long as the area will be preserved for the authorities, we can't compromise to close the operation.", the bellboy answered in a muffled tone.

Eve might not be wearing a uniform or tucking her badge outside, but the staffs could sense her as a cop through her flat serious eyes. She was able to notice their stiffed expressions as if they've been busted for illegals.

The bellboy led her to an employee-accessed elevator and punched the 58th button on the panels as they went inside. The glide upstairs was brief, and when it opened, a uniformed officer posted on the entrance greeted them. There was a recognition on the uniform's eyes but Eve still flashed her badge.

"Which way is the scene?", she asked the bellboy.

"On the right side, the last hall room door. You can ring us in the intercom for further assistance.", he answered then entered in the elevator again and went downstairs.

Very cooperative, Eve thought.

"Fill me in, Officer.", she prompted on her another companion as she marched towards the location and adjusted her recorder.

"Yes, sir. We received a dispatch call around 0530 as a homicide, and a Code Five mark just as we arrived here."

"Who gave you that information?"

"I have no idea, sir. But a transmit instruction from Central said to preserve the scene for Homicide. Whatever happened inside was kept there. Somebody was already waiting for you inside, sir.

It was a wide corridor with gray carpet floors and muted white wallpapers. She spotted the door that the bellboy mentioned due to the police compu-seal on the knobs, and used her master key to bypass.

"Stand back, Officer, and return to your post. Record on, Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, entering the premises.", she recited as she entered the hall.

Everything was a mess. The glass chandelier was scattered on the floor, the wooden chairs were destroyed, the heavy curtains have slashes and spills of blood, and on the center of it was a gruesome corpse slumped on a long table with its arms wide-opened.

"Dallas.", a male voice greeted her.

When she turned around, she saw her old mentor and usual Captain pal Ryan Feeney, who led the EDD division.

"I've heard this one was tagged for Homicide. How come the honcho of the EDD geeks is here?"

"I've been asking that same question thirty minutes ago.", he said with a smile. He was kneeling on another corpse as he examined it with his droopy eyes. She went near to him and did the same observation.

"Her name's Mathilde Kenwood, fifty-eight, working in the Skyline as an attendant for two years. Widowed, with one child who died in an accident five years ago. TOD is 0450.", Feeney explained as she sealed her hands and examined the victim.

She was slumped on the corner with her back on the wall. A deep cut slashed from her right shoulder down to her lower torso that almost spilled her intestine was convincing enough as her COD. Of course, Eve was not cynical enough to stick to that theory.

When she moved on the other corpse, it has the same slash marks on Mathilde, only with an addition slash on his throat across to his left pelvis. His eyes were wide open, most likely due to the shock from his killer.

"He must have seen his killer and it scared him to death.", she commented.

"I agree. Name's Armir Howe, mixed race, forty-five, Consulate of the US for Harminian affairs. TOD 0448. It was a swift kill for a couple of seconds."

She cursed under her breath. "Shit, Feeney. Roarke knows this guy."

"Roarke? Oh, hell.", he empathized as he scratched his cheek.

"Dammit. He was so eager for the consulate party this Wednesday and it seems like I jinxed everything."

"You didn't wish this guy to be dead, did you? Then why are you blaming yourself?"

"Because I tend to jinx everything.", she huffed for her childish reasons. "It's all because of the Paper Epidemic."

Feeney just shrugged his shoulders.

"I have your sympathies there, Dallas. Without you, everybody in the Central will have an immediate suspension."

"Damn Records, I became their sacrificial cow for all of you."

"It should be the sacrificial lamb, but since it was a meek idiom for your streak, any animal is acceptable."

An intercom beeped. Feeney went to the corner and read the information that was transmitted. Eve went to the billowing curtains and observed the damaged window.

"You came from the outside, and then break the windows to surprise everybody here. You must be wearing some protective gear for the shards."

As she trailed the possible movement from the crashed windows from the inside, she noticed two iron balls rolled beneath the tumbled chair. She crept down, reached it, and then weighed in her hands

"Smoke bomb.", she commented as she sniffed the nozzles.

The perpetrator must have thrown these before he lounges himself inside. Why would he do that? Eve thought. Both the victims have clean cuts and quite defenseless to struggle, so attacking them head-on was enough. And triggering a smoke bomb could activate the sprinkler alarm, yet it did not happen.

"You must have known the interior of this room, to cage your prey without failure. But why doubling your precautionary measures?"

She roamed her eyes around the room and visibly noticed the damage was severe. The victims showed no struggles, but the area said differently.

"We have a missing third victim here, Feeney.", she declared.

She started to study the blood trails on the carpet. Sweepers would have an overnight study for this, with an addition to the several marks that she spotted on the walls. She would flag it as a top priority to Dickhead and the corpses for Morris.

All her thoughts began to focus when she noticed a spot near the door. One, two, three drops of blood trails and then vanished in the outside. She also noticed the scratches on the knobs inside.

"Whether you are the third victim or the killer himself, I'm going to find you.", Eve muttered as she stared at the new evidence.

Feeney went to her side.

"I have checked the surveillance camera. All disks were stolen."

"What?"

"Unbelievable, but true. Not only this premise but also the other irrelevant areas as well. The surveillance guard was found to be conked by some tranqs, rushed to the Doctor's Hospital. That's how this area was discovered."

"Tells me our killer is a low-grade E-man but with a cunning personality."

Feeney was silent for a moment then continued.

"This conference hall was booked yesterday night. I have double verified it to make it sure, but it's still the same. Roarke did it."