Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department undercover detective, Julia Barnes is assigned to a West Hollywood crisis center where two women have been brutally raped and murdered. In order to snare the killer she is to pose as a sexy, southern divorcée who is a newcomer to the area. Her ruse works all too well, and before she knows it, she unknowingly comes in contact with the killer and becomes his target. Julia’s effectiveness as a detective is compromised when she becomes emotionally embroiled with a caller to the center who she suspects is being abused by a family member. Being a happily married mother of twin girls, the caller’s plight touches Julia and leaves her repulsed and horrified. Worst of all is the vague feeling of familiarity that Julia gets from the caller; a feeling that disrupts her concentration and not only jeopardizes her safety but also threatens her sanity. Struggling to divide her attention between the caller and her original mission, Julia catapults toward a tragic conclusion that shatters previously held perceptions and tests her emotional fortitude as the pieces of a puzzling chain of events become much too clear.

Blood Connection

A Family TragedyBy Gary R. Austin Barbara L. Fincham

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Gary R. Austin & Barbara L. Fincham
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4772-1759-7

Chapter One

The beautiful young woman from Trinidad exited the community service building and pulled the security door closed before carefully turning the key in the lock and listening for the sound of the deadbolt as it slipped into the slot in the opposite door frame. She pulled on the door handle just to make sure it was locked. The term, "Obsessive-compulsive", came to her mind, but she did not care. She wanted to make sure that her friend Brandy was safe inside. Brandy had just begun her shift at the West Hollywood Crisis Center where Daphne; the young woman now leaving had spent the last four hours. It was a little past two a.m. and with the bars closing; there would be a lot of nut-cases wandering around this area.

It was June twenty-third, and during the past few hours the June Gloom had spread along the coastal areas of Los Angeles County; moving inland about ten to fifteen miles. One of the weathermen on the local TV channel had coined the phrase, June Gloom to describe the conditions created when the offshore flow brought fog onshore, resulting in a nighttime cool-down and a gloomy effect for most of the morning, which would usually burn off by early afternoon. On this particular night, the fog was heavy in West Hollywood, and the sidewalk, which ran alongside the community service building, was difficult to see as Daphne made her way to her car at the edge of the park. It had been a long night and she was half asleep. She almost tripped on a raised area on the sidewalk. Her full attention was on the path in front of her, and she did not realize that there was anybody else around until she ran smack into him.

"Oh!" she said pulling back from the man. The two of them stood for an instant looking at one another. Daphne could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Excuse me," she said, averting her eyes away from him and moving a step to her right in order to pass. Her pulse began to race when he stepped into her path; she knew then that she was in trouble.

"Where you going, Sweetheart?" The man said as his two strong hands took hold of Daphne's shoulders.

"Let go of me." Daphne was disappointed in the sound of her voice; instead of sounding empowered as she had intended, she sounded weak and frightened.

"I don't think so, pretty lady." The man began pushing Daphne toward a hidden recess in the side of the building.

Daphne struggled to resist him, but his strength was overpowering. She opened her mouth, preparing to scream when she suddenly felt his powerful fingers crushing her throat. The pain and the lack of air entering her lungs made her forget about resisting his attempt to push her into the darkness; all she could think of was her struggle to breathe. At the moment when she feared that she was loosing consciousness, his hand left her throat. Coughing and gasping for air; she next felt that same large hand on her crotch, practically lifting her off the ground.

The back of her head hit the side of the brick building, and when she tried once more to scream, nothing but a hoarse screeching sound escaped from her throat, which was now throbbing with pain.

The man took hold of Daphne's hair and pulled her head back so that she was forced to look up into his face. He then covered her mouth with his own, sliding his foul smelling tongue over her lips, trying to spread them apart. The tongue felt coarse and putrid as Daphne struggled to quell her panic and recall her self-defense training.

She feigned unconsciousness, and went limp in his grasp. He was strong enough that the pressure of his body pinning her to the wall kept her upright. With her eyes closed, she felt him rip her lightweight blouse open. He pulled at her bra, trying to break it free. Unable to snap the clasp from pulling on the front of the bra, he took a step back and pulled Daphne to him so that he could reach around and unfasten it.

From herself defense training, Daphne knew that this movement gave her an advantage; she used the momentum, which the man had initiated and added her own strength as she shoved against him; pushing with one foot against the side of the building. The man stumbled backward, and Daphne twisted out of his one handed hold on her and staggered to one side, freeing herself from his grasp.

Encouraged by her success, she felt a surge of added adrenalin pumping through her veins; giving her hope that she could actually get away from this monster. Still struggling to breathe, she lunged toward the sidewalk, but her attempt to escape was short-lived when the man grabbed her by the hair and wrenched her neck; pulling her back toward him. He pulled her backward and wrapped one arm around her, pinning her arms to her sides, while slapping his free hand over her mouth; just in case she had regained her ability to scream. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and ear; he reeked of sour alcohol. His lips touched her ear as he said, "Nobody has to get hurt! Just be nice to me and I won't hurt you."

Daphne knew that this man was going to kill her. Any reservations that she might have had with fighting back were gone. Her self-survival instincts took over and unleashed a determination within her to survive. She lifted one foot and brought her heel down on her assailant's toes. Immediately, his grip on her weakened and she forced her arms outward, breaking his hold on her. With all of her might, she brought one elbow up into his solar plexus; and quickly turned to face him. She pushed against him with her full body weight, causing him to stagger backwards, giving her just enough room to spin around and gain the momentum she needed to deliver a hard kick to his knee with one of her heavy high heeled boots that were not just for fashion.

The man bent over, clutching his knee. Daphne brought a boot up and caught the man under his chin, knocking him backward into a seated position. While he was down, she turned and ran ... directly into another man who was standing on the sidewalk. She felt an incredible pain in her stomach as the knife twisted and cut through the flesh, finding its way to her aorta, and then thrusting into her heart.

Daphne knew nothing more after that moment. She was unaware as the two men dragged her lifeless body into the shadows and stripped her clothes off of her. She felt nothing as they both entered her simultaneously, sweating and grunting and spewing profanities. She did not know that she was the second woman from the crisis hotline, who had been raped and murdered right here in this park within the past eight months.

Julia Barnes had been a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for a little more than a year. She had joined the force four years earlier, when her twin daughters, Shelby and Shannon were just about to turn fourteen. Julia and her husband Daryl had at that time agreed that the girls were old enough to look after themselves during the daytime hours while she and he were working; freeing Julia to join the force.

This year, the girls would begin their freshmen year at UCLA. They were good students and had been put ahead in school, making them younger than most of their classmates. They had begged their parents to let them live on campus. Their position being; since they were only seventeen, they were at a disadvantage with their older classmates; and if they lived on campus, the others would see them as equals, which would help them assimilate easier.

Julia and Daryl did not for a minute buy into the basis of their daughters' appeal. They knew that the only reason the girls wanted to live on campus was so that it would be easier for them to party. They told the girls that living on campus was out of the question because it would be a waste of money since their home was in Brentwood; just a few miles from the university.

Julia and Daryl were forward thinking parents, but they also knew their daughters. The girls were good students, but they were also very social minded. As long as they had adult supervision they would stay on course with their studies, and living at home made it much easier for Julia and Daryl to make sure that they had this supervision.

Daryl had been teaching a night course at the University for several years, and he knew which sororities were desirable and which were to be avoided. He was also in a position to monitor his daughters' progress and keep an eye on their activities. The fact that he was so closely connected with Shannon and Shelby made Julia more comfortable with her own job; which sometimes took her away from all of them for days.

Julia walked into Captain Segovia's office. One week before she had wrapped up a case involving human trafficking, in which she had gone undercover for several days. The heinous operation was now out of business and the ring leaders were in jail, awaiting trial.

The large solemn faced man behind the desk motioned toward a chair at the front of the desk as he said, "Sit down detective. I want to commend you on your good work."

"Thank you Sir," responded Julia, taking the seat.

"You took some pretty big risks on this one, Julia."

"I had to, Sir; those poor kids ... I couldn't have lived with myself if I had messed up and let those bastards destroy them."

The captain nodded his head in agreement. "You're a good cop." He picked up a folder from his desk and handed it to Julia. "I'd like for you to look this over. It's a case of the second rape and murder incident at the same place within the last eight months. Both of the victims worked at a crisis hotline; you know one of those places where people call up on the telephone for help. The office is housed in a community service building in a park. That's where the crimes took place. Your file says that you were a psych major in college; I think you're our best candidate for this one."

The captain hesitated for a moment and then said, "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I've already tailored a fictitious identity profile to fit you.

"If you do agree to work the case, I'd like for you to go undercover as an operator at this place; work the late shift and see what turns up. We've already done an internet interview and the position is virtually secured for whoever works the case. The résumé has been accepted and all the agent has to do is show up and fit the profile.

"You'll have to be deep undercover, because we don't know who might be connected to the crimes. It could be somebody at the center. I want to get one of our people in there before the position is filled by a civilian. The final interview is already set up for tomorrow. And like I said, it's just a formality. There shouldn't be any problem with you being accepted.

"Philippa, in accounting, has already contacted a rental agency and sublet an apartment. It's in a duplex over on Westbourne. It's fully furnished. It's turnkey; there's even ice cream in the fridge. It's currently occupied by a fashion model who's in Europe for several months.

"The owner lives in the adjoining apartment. He's a retired gentleman and he has an agreement with the tenant that she may sublet her apartment so long as she goes through the rental agency that he is familiar with. The rental agency has already contacted him and he will be expecting a Mrs. Hardy from Arkansas. The tenant is rarely in the state, but she likes to keep a home base, so the place is sublet a lot. It's close by so that you can walk to and from work, making you seem like an easy target.

"I'm sorry to ask you to commit to the time that it might take. Of course, you can always go to the mall or the movie theater or someplace like that, and change your appearance and sneak out and take a cab home to see Daryl and your daughters if you feel the need to. Well ... you know the routine."

Julia opened the file and grimaced at the photos of the two slain women. She studied the file for a moment and looked up at Captain Segovia. "Let me look this over and get back to you?"

"Of course. I'm sure you will want to discuss it with Daryl. I hate to ask you to go undercover again so quickly, but we have to do what we can to prevent a third victim."

Julia took the file back to her desk and read over the details. The West Hollywood Crisis Hotline had been in operation for over twenty years. It was funded by the County of Los Angeles, with volunteer operators, most of them women. It was housed in the community service center on the grounds of West Hollywood Park.

Almost eight months earlier, on Halloween night, one of the female operators of the hotline had been raped and murdered in the park near the community building, where she was on her way to begin her shift. DNA tests showed that there were two perpetrators; but the results were inconclusive in determining their identities. They apparently had no previous records.

Just recently, there had been a second case with the same MO. Semen from the same two men had been found inside the corpse, and physical signs indicated that the assaults had taken place postmortem.

Julia tossed the report onto her desk with a feeling of disgust. Hell yes, she would take this case!

Julia was apprehensive about breaking the news to Daryl. From the beginning, he had been against her taking the job with the LASD. He had put up quite a fight when she had informed him that she was going undercover for the first time. He told her that it was crazy for her to risk her life like that. He reminded her of her obligations to the girls and also to him.

She admitted that there were risks involved, but she pointed out the facts that she would rarely be working alone and that her training and her close connection with the law enforcement community could only be a positive factor in securing the safety of them all.

Eventually, he gave in to her wishes and agreed to support her in her decision. He begged her to please be careful. She assured him that she would always be backed up by other police officers and that the risks to her would be minimal. She felt that it would be counterproductive to tell him that there might be times when she was totally on her own on a case.

For as long as Julia could remember; she had felt compelled to do whatever she could to right the wrongs in the world. And she never questioned whether or not it was her place to take a stand against what she felt was a just cause. She was always ready to fight for that cause or stand up for those who could not protect themselves. When she was a child, she would always butt in when she saw somebody being bullied or exploited. She was a champion; and now that her children were almost grown and she could devote more energy to her calling, she was happy to direct her energies into her career. She was eager to get started on this case.

She stopped by the market on her way home from the office. She picked up a couple of steaks and a packaged salad mix. The girls had plans to spend the night with friends, so she did not have to worry about them being around the house. Her plan was to feed Daryl and make love to him and then casually inform him that she was taking another undercover assignment right away.

After showering and moisturizing, she slipped on her black negligee that Daryl loved so much. As she reached for the salad bowl, the telephone rang. She looked at the identity of the caller; it was Daryl. "Hi," she said in her most seductive voice.

"Hey," he responded, sounding almost apologetic.

"Are you on your way home?"

"Not right away. That's why I'm calling. I've really fallen behind on grading these tests. I'm going to be home late tonight."

"Well ... how late?"

"Possibly ten."

"Ten o'clock? Daryl, why can't you bring them home and grade them here?"

"Why do that? What's the difference whether I'm in my office at home or here?"

"Well, you could at least have dinner."

"I had a late lunch. I'm not even hungry. You go ahead without me."

Julia hesitated a moment. "Fine," she said dispiritedly. "I'll put a steak and salad in the refrigerator for you. If you're hungry when you get home it will be there."

"Thanks, Hon, I'll see you in a while."

"Bye."

Julia sat on the bar stool and reached for the bottle of wine sitting on the kitchen island. She popped the cork and poured the wine into one of the two glasses she had set out. As she lifted the glass and swirled the burgundy liquid around, she looked at it and began to worry. It seemed to her that over the last few months, Daryl had been working late a lot.

She went to the bedroom and took off her negligee and put on a light cotton robe, then went back to the kitchen and cooked the steaks and put one in the refrigerator for Daryl. She sat in the kitchen and watched the evening news as she had her steak with a small salad. She washed the dishes and skillet and grabbed a bath towel and went outside to the hot tub.

The warm bubbles relaxed her as she soaked in the tub with the half empty bottle of wine next to her. She was disappointed that Daryl had to work late and she could not help but feel a little miffed. She had been away from home for three days while working undercover; it seemed to her that her husband could make a little more effort to spend some time with her now that she was available. 'Oh well,' she thought as she lifted the glass to her lips.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Blood Connectionby Gary R. Austin Barbara L. Fincham Copyright © 2012 by Gary R. Austin & Barbara L. Fincham. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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