Vivienne

Wendy awoke to a forceful knock on her hotel room door.  The redhead reporter rolled over and glanced at the clock -Noon. Must be the maid service.-  “Give me a moment, I will be right there.  I thought I put the sign on the door to not disturb.”  Wendy grumbled and pulled on the robe provided by the hotel. 

“Mrs. Richards?  Police.  We would like to speak with you for a few minutes.”  The man outside the door explained.

Quickly tying the robe tight, Wendy answered the door. “Miss Richards.  Wendy Richards.”

“My apologies, Miss Richards.”  The officer displayed his badge, “Nicholas Gemelli, May I come in for a couple minutes?”

Wendy looked over the older detective, guessing he was in his early forties based on the amount of gray in his brown hair. “I have a couple minutes.  Have a seat, Officer.”  She directed the man to a chair in the corner of the room.

“Thank you for your hospitality.”  Nicholas said coolly and went where he was directed. “I am sorry for waking you up, but this is a matter of some importance.”  His brown eyes scanned the room spotting the reporter's badge and her closed laptop on the dresser. “I saw your broadcast last night, impressive coverage.  You were in the right spot at the right time.”

“Pure coincidence, I assure you officer.”  The reporter pointed to the bathroom, “Let me get dressed and we can talk more.”

Standing up, the officer walked to the corner of the bed and noted there was no window for the restroom. “Help yourself.”  He took out a small notebook and pencil, writing a few lines. “You travel alone?”

Wendy’s calm voice permeated through the closed door, “Most of the time, yes.  Currently, I am here with two others.  I was assigned a cameraman and a driver.  I never understand my producer.”  She trailed off sounding slightly confused.

“When was the last time you saw either of them, Miss Richards?”  Officer Gemelli inquired.

“Last night.”  Wendy mentioned as she came out in a pair of faded jeans and a purple blouse, brushing her deep red hair. “Why do you ask?”

Writing a few more lines in the tiny notebook the officer peered up from the tops of his glasses. “Just routine questions.”  Nicholas paused for a breath and continued, “Can you tell me where they are staying?”

Wendy put the brush on the counter and pointed at the door, “Right across the hallway.  I doubt they are there, since it is noon.”

The officer raised his eyebrow, “Lunch?”

Chuckling and nodding her head, “Right. The two of them were pretty much on a schedule.  Right about this time every day that I have known them, they get lunch.” Wendy affirmed.

Officer Gemelli stood up and plucked his radio from his belt, “Officer 684, Detective Gemelii 10-78, at SunnyDew Suites, room 214.  Obtain the key from the front desk.”  He pointed the antenna at Wendy. “You wouldn’t want to get lunch as well, would you?  I have a few more routine questions.”

“I am not daft, You just asked for backup for Jeff and Ted’s room, Why?”  Wendy held her elbows and perked her eyebrow questioningly.

Sliding his radio on his belt once more, the officer pointed to the door. “All the more reason to get lunch.  You might not be hungry after you know everything.”  

“I am not really all that hungry, I am more interested in what is going on.” Wendy added.

Walking to the door, Nicholas pulled the reporter's coat from a hanger and handed it to her. “It’s cold out there, let’s take a ride.”

“Am I under arrest?”  The redhead asked.

“No, Miss Richards.  Let’s get to where we need to go before I explain everything.”

Wendy buttoned up her coat and tugged the fur lining close to her neck. “Against my better judgment, I’ll go.”  She chuckled, “This is the time in the movies where the person asks for a lawyer.”

Ignoring the offhand comment, Nicholas closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. “It is all routine, I assure you.  There are questions about your cameraman and driver I need to follow-up on.”

The reporter watched mindlessly as the buildings sped by, mesmerized by the fast moving blurs as the two made their way through the city.  Wendy found herself mumbling polite responses to Officer Gemelli whenever they’d stop at a traffic light.  Peering up at the sky, the reporter saw the white puffy clouds and the rune shapes that seemed to form. -Clear. Water. Awaken.- She looked down at her hand and the imprint on her hand. -Someone else has become awakened. I have to find that person..why is someone being awakened here?- Her mind riddled.  She looked once more at the clouds and the message disappeared, “Where are we going?  I have something urgent to attend to.”  She held up her phone and waved it. “I have..um..to call my producer, he’s saying it is urgent.”

“We are almost there, Miss Richards.” Nicholas glanced over to Wendy, then back to the road. “I didn’t hear anything go off on the phone.”

“I have it on silent.” Wendy rebuked.

“Silly me, I didn’t think about that.”  He paused and parked the car. “Here we are.”

Wendy knew exactly where she was, having seen buildings like this many times in the past. “Medical Examiner's office.”  She sighed and looked at the older man. “Now I see why you wanted to eat first, coming here is never a good thing.”

Reaching over the attractive redhead, he opened the door for her. “I did try to get you lunch first.”

Confused and shocked that Officer Gemelli reached over her body to open the door, Wendy tilted her head and smacked her lips. “Why, exactly, did you do that?”

“Sometimes the outside handle gets stuck in the cold.” Nicholas added.

“I could have pulled the handle myself.” Wendy remarked flatly.  She knew what the officer really wanted, given how he’d leaned into her chest when he pulled the handle. -Comes with the territory.- Wendy commented to herself and stepped out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk.

Officer Gemelii led the two through the glass doors and through a long blue-gray painted hallway to a nondescript bone white door with the number fifteen on it. “Here we are.  Just be prepared for what you are going to see, Miss Richards.”

Opening the door to the metallic covered room, Wendy instantly noted the sheets over two bodies. -Shit.  How the hell did they find them so fast?-  She took a breath and gave a worried look to the officer. “I…who…”

“Miss Richards, We believe these men to be your cameraman and driver, respectively.  We found their identification on them, but I brought you down here to be absolutely sure.”  He walked over to the examiner’s computer desk and held up the men’s station badges. “If you wouldn’t mind looking at them to confirm what we believe, it would be a great help.”  He then pulled back the sheets to expose both of the men’s faces.

Wendy forced a few tears and faked shaking for the officer. -How do I get something out of this guy?  What does he actually know?- Her mind raced as she kept putting on the act of being surprised. “W..where...”  She caused her voice to quake and took a breath, “...did you…find them?”

“They were found just after sunrise, washed up on shore. Close to the hotel.”  He pulled out the small notebook and pencil again. “Can you positively identify both of these men to be your co-workers?”

Wendy nodded and produced a few more tears that streamed down her cheeks, “Y..yes that is…them.  Jeff and T..Ted.”

The detective pulled the light sheets back over the men's faces and escorted her out of the room. “Thank you for your time, Miss Richards.” Nicholas consoled and offered his arm for her to use.

“Th..thank you, you are so kind.”  The reporter reached out to clutch the detective’s arm, feigning the need for assistance.  She wiped her eyes and cheeks before exiting the building.  Drawing a deep breath of cold air, Wendy looked over to her escort. “I…I think…I could use a drink.  Do you have a place that you’d recommend?”

Nicholas smiled and opened the passenger door without any issue, “Looks like the handle is working now, Miss Richards.  I am supposedly on duty for a bit longer today, and do still have a couple things to follow up on with you.”  He helped the reporter into the car once more, closing the door before getting into the driver's side. “However, I have a little place that I have taken a few interviewees to for just such an occasion.” Holding up his finger for a moment, “Officer 684, Officer Gemelli, 10-7.”  He listened for the dispatcher to affirm that he was going out of service before pulling away. “That should take care of official duties for a little while.”

—

Wendy woke up for the second time, just to see Nicholas getting dressed in her blurry vision. “Leaving so soon?”  She quietly purred.

“I do have a few hours that I have to work, Miss Richards.”  The officer teased. “However, I can confidently tell you that my questions for you are complete.”  He chuckled and pulled his white t-shirt over his semi solid frame. “I would enjoy seeing you again, perhaps for a late dinner?”

“Trying to get me to fall for a police officer?”  Wendy quipped and crawled over to the edge of the bed on her knees. “Come here.”  She waited for Nicholas to lean down and gave him a short yet passionate kiss. “I know I am married to my job, I can only imagine you are as well.”  She wiggled her finger at him, “Don’t make plans you can’t keep, Officer.”

He gazed down over her naked frame, his brown eyes settling on her large nipples.  He licked his lips once and smiled. “No, rest assured, I will keep a date.  Let’s say ten?”

“You want dinner after you’ve had dessert?”  Wendy laughed. “Sure, ten sounds lovely.  I assume you will pick me up?  Maybe use that stupid excuse of the door handle?”

“Don’t tempt me anymore you redheaded devil.  I am very close to not working anymore today as it is.”  Nicholas winked and buckled on his police belt. “Hey, that handle thing worked didn’t it?”  He laughed and headed for the door. “Ten o’clock.  I will come up and get you like a proper date should.”

Wendy waved her hand, “Yeah, yeah.  Thank you for the afternoon.”  Playfully bowing to Wendy, Nicholas winked and left the hotel room.  

Wendy hopped off the bed and entered the bathroom, and started the shower.  She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned at the few hickeys on her neck and small finger shaped bruises starting to form on her breasts. “Wendy, you really have to watch how many martini’s you drink.”  Wiping her hands gently down her cheeks she shook off the lingering swimmy thoughts the gin had and stepped into the warm shower, focusing on her target.

Wendy started thinking about the woman she was to find. -What is the best way to find a person these days, Wendy?- The question popped in her mind a few times as she cleaned the afternoon sex from her body.  Shampooing and rinsing the sweat from her hair, the answer to her question came to her.  Quickly finishing up her shower, she grabbed a couple towels, wrapping one through her hair and the other firmly to her body. “The answer was literally staring you in the face.”  She chastised herself and hurried to the table that held her laptop.  

Flipping up the lid and powering on the device, quickly dried herself and brushed the wet knots from her hair then put on a clean set of clothes before sitting down and starting her search. “Let’s see.  Let’s start with Facebook.”  She quickly plugged in the name Casey Rivers and the screen displayed a thousand results.  “This is going to take more time than I thought.”  She spoke to herself and looked away from the screen for a moment, and turned on the television to a music channel, where the song “Devil Woman” was playing.

“...She’s just a devil woman, with evil on her mind..
…Beware the devil woman, She’s gonna get you..
…She’s just a devil woman, She’s gonna get you from behind..”

Wendy looked up from her massive name search as the music registered in her mind. “Very funny.  I am hardly the one here that is a devil woman.”  She spoke aloud to the television, shaking her red locks before resuming her search. “Forget the song, let’s see. Lower this to Virginia Beach.”  She adjusted the filter and it popped up ten names. “Much better.”  She scrolled through the ten names the site provided and looked at the profiles, settling on a twenty-three year old local college student. “Hello there Miss Casey Rivers.”  Wendy clicked on the profile and saw the girls complete history. “Even a public profile, I love it.  Let’s see.”  The reporter grabbed a pen and the hotel stationary and started writing down items for reference, then stumbled onto the final piece of the puzzle. “Oh, look. A fan of the Flying Cannibals.  I found you girlie.”  

She folded the paper and stuffed it in her pocket when her eyes glanced over the young woman’s status’.  Curious, Wendy clicked the link and it popped up the name Brian Ashburn.  “Something…why does he look so familiar?”  The redhead questioned herself and clicked on his public profile and browsed the pictures.  It took her about five minutes of browsing before she found what she was looking for. “Brian Ashburn.  You and I are about to become wonderful friends.”  She rubbed the soft lime colored mark on her hand as she looked at his picture showing the exact same mark on his right hand.