Dead Breath. Melody Jade Allen
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are almost there.” Tom told her and with a sign to follow him, he headed for this house.
They entered its open door, the concierge at the entrance was dozing, being on his chair and seeing them he only nodded slightly and closed his eyes again. Mireya and Tom entered the elevator and got up to the 17th floor. The apartment number 121.
Tom stepped to the door and began to open it. Mireya’s cell rang again. “Give me a couple of minutes?”
Tom nodded.
Mireya walked away and accepted Leandra's next call.
“I insist that you visit my new house on wheels!” Leandra spoke this time against a background of many voices. Mireya recognized this day – they were in college and Leandra told her about the new purchase, her new home on wheels and how she was glad to finally leave the room in the hostel.
“And, by the way… I got a wooden box.” Leandra continued. “Well, you know, it’s a musical box, but it keeps a secret. And in addiction, it was done in a hand-made master from Arizona. You must see it, Mireya. Someday this day will come.”
The call was interrupted.
Mireya and Tom entered Leandra’s apartment, which until now was filled with the smell of her perfume. Mireya closed the curtains; Tom lit a few sconces that lit up the room. The apartment wasn’t big – just a living room, a small bedroom, a bathroom, and a cramped dressing room. She had a counter with books, between which there were frames with photos, and Mireya saw herself on one of them… this summer day, they were happily hugging each other against the background of new Leandra’s house on wheels. It was a happy summer.
“So, I think…” Tom said, “…you need to search her bedroom – I don’t want to touch her underwear, so I’ll take the living room. And by the way, I’ll give you the honour of looking her dressing room.”
“Thank you, I’m flattered.” Mireya said with sarcasm in her voice. “We will search the rooms together. That will be faster. And we will be at each other’s sight.”
“Do you think I can hide something for myself?”
Mireya shrugged her shoulders.
“All right, Lady.” Tom spread his hands. “If you wish so…”
They began to examine every inch of the living room; Mireya found several albums with photos, empty diary, and laptop with only a few films, music, and minor notes. Her gaze fell on a book called Midnight Wind, which was so beloved by Mireya and she gave it to Leandra for Christmas. Mireya smiled inside and went to the counter with the books she pulled a hand to her gift. Taking it into her hands, she flipped through several pages; Leandra used their general photograph as a bookmark and highlighted some quotations with a transparent marker. She was going to put the book on its place, but noticed what she had heard a few minutes ago – the music box. It was the box that Leandra showed in her new house on wheels. Mireya took it in hand. An ordinary box with girlish attributes inside – a mini hair brush, hair clip, hygienic lipstick… Leandra insisted that this box keeps a much bigger secret than it shows. Mireya forgot about these words long time ago, but someone reminded her… Obviously it was not in vain.
“I will take it.” Mireya said and put the box back in her backpack.
“Okay.” Tom agreed. “Will we continue?”
Follow-up minutes, after almost an hour and a half their search didn’t any another results – everything was just the stuff of a classical resident of Las Vegas. Nothing superfluous, mystical and mysterious.
“Are we done?” Tom asked, coming to the door.
Mireya looked around for the last time. “Yes, completely.” They left Leandra’s apartment, taking with them the first answers…
Chapter 5
In the morning at the Los Angeles police station, Adrianna studied Leandra’s biography comparing it to the biography of Mireya; it seemed to her these two girls were like two opposite shores of different oceans, but still they were really friends. Good friends.
“Hale?” Captain Locke walked past her. “Go to my office right now.”
When Adrianna entered Locke’s office, he went down into his seat and looked at her as if expecting some explanation. Adrianna was silent, waiting for questions or answers.
“I have to get you away from Leandra Ray’s case.” The Captain said.
“What…?” Adrianna stepped toward him. “Why? What did I do wrong?”
“People above me talked about it. They learned about your friendship with Mireya Rothe who is currently on the wanted list.”
“Do they consider me an unreliable worker?”
“They gave me to understand that. They suspect you may have an unofficial connection with her and you can deliberately hide her current location and moreover, they assume that you could help her escape. After all, you violated the protocol, leaving the suspect alone with herself.”
Adrianna nodded. “Yes, I admit my mistake. But Sir, I want to prove her innocence, but I would never insist on her being released from responsibility.”
“That’s much the better for you.” The Captain got up. “They don’t insist on your removal yet, but trust me it’s only a matter of time.”
“I understand. But can I continue for now? Do we have something new?”
“Yes, and you will not like it.” The Captain took the document from his desk and handed it to the detective. “Look at it. This is an extract of Leandra’s e-mail. She corresponded with someone with a non-tracked email, and it was a person with MJR initials – Mireya Jalinda Rothe.”
Adrianna grinned. “This is only speculation! Even the judge would not accept it! And you know, I had a friend named Michael Jerry Rogers. Maybe it’s his fault, eh?” Adrianna felt her blood getting hot.
“Adrianna, calm down.” The Captain raised his hand. “I want to clarify – it’s all really conjectures, but if it was Rothe, we will prove it.”
“How?”
“According to information from the messages – read this dialogue that you see before you.”
Adrianna looked down at the document in her hands,
Leandra: “You know, I like living in that house on wheels. Sorry you’ve been there only a few times.”
M: Well, my room in the hostel was not bad either.”
Leandra: “By the way, how is our mutual friend?”
M: “We will not talk about it. I’m going to attend a lecture about psychology in Seattle. August 26th. Will you make me a company?”
Leandra: “Only if I’m not the third extra.”
M: “Of course you are not! (smiley) You are the only one!”
Leandra: “You’re cute! Okay, I have to go. I’ll see you at the party tonight. Do not forget about the bikini! (winking smiley)”
Adrianna looked at the Captain. “Have you checked everything?”
The Captain crossed his arms. “Yes, Adrianna, we checked it out, comparing the time of correspondence between events in the life of the victim. It was a couple of days before Leandra Ray moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. There are general photos in her social network. She and Mireya Rothe were at the party of their common friend Tim Murray. A party with a bikini. The house on wheels, owned by Ray and Mireya Rothe, of course, visited it. And by the way, judging by another correspondence from Facebook, Mireya flew to Seattle on August 26 for a lecture on psychology and returned the next day, there’s even a picture of how Leandra meets her at the airport. Then… a few months later all the messages became hostile.”
“What exactly was said in them?”
“That Leandra made a serious mistake, decided to return once again. And that she would pay for what she did if she really did