3. Preys and Predators; The Outsider View Ratings Mature

How it all ended up

The Outsider View

1.

I'd rather spend a day on the hills on my bike than spend a day in the office. More so when Heidi comes a calling with cases that baffled even the best of us. Nothing like the fresh wind and beautiful sunlight on the face while I gunned the 250cc up the hill slope. I was in my riding gear with the words on the back that said it all; I am free.

The tune spoiled my day; it was my office calling. I thought I had left the world of communications behind, but they had me tracked. Of all the infernal gadget; the frigging GPS above me told them where I was.

"Heidi, you might as well have the cam in my bedroom for nightly previews." I muttered to myself before I open the flap on my portable. She answered on the first tab.

"I don't give a damn if you think the hills are your fortress of solitude but right now, you are needed in the war room. We got a major case which required your expertise. So git here or stay out forever."

Give a lady the majority and she would hold your knuckles up your end fisted. An hour later, I was in the war room still dressed in my riding gear and covered with masculine scent that could had driven a mare to ride for the fences.

"Mephisto, finally you made it." Heidi the Demonic Conjurer in her Sunday best stood there by the drawing board, holding the electronic pad while six of our best sat there in an assortment of dressing from casual to funeral dead tights, earnestly trying to hold their attention on her briefing.

"The Mayor..." I cut in rudely, as it was my name in the office vines; the man who out shoot the judges. "I heard it on the radio. My bike do carry one. Send me the briefs while I changed."

I left the war room for my own. I have my personal office; a twenty by twenty five room with the rows of law books and my orchids collection. There is the oak long desk and the high back leather chair, with three visitor chairs. I have no discussion table but I treasured my long couch with the high fidelity hifi set for my sleeping hours. I striped off my rider gears and walked to my personal wash area; the bowl with the faucet and personal Mickey Mouse towels. I wiped myself clean and reached for the cupboard that hold my working clothes; three sets of similar suits courtesy of irate clients that had spat or threw their coffee at me during bad days.

"The briefs are on the table." I heard her come in when I hitched up my pants. She does not knock nor she mind seeing me in the buff. Others would had being more courteous to stepped out, but not domino Heidi. She would had spank me if I had not the fruits of Eden hanging below my torso. I did not thank her but walked over to looked at the notes while buttoning my shirt. I had heard the gist of it on the radio.

"Where is she held?" I asked her.

"7^th Precinct. I had called the detective; we are on the case. Morales was the one who took my call." Heidi replied.

I be darned. Morales was a tough bitch to handle. She would do anything to get at me, or more so at Heidi. They were lovers until Heidi bust the officer reputation in court for over handling of the witnesses. It ruffled their relationship and shelved their bedtime tales. I grabbed my bag and stuff the notes in. I was in the Precinct in half an hour later. One thing the city never allowed was the ease of the traffic when you are in need of one.

"Your client is in the room. She had not said anything yet that made sense." Morales; lady with the badge, in her late thirties and had a raspy voice with a frame that a quarterback had mistaken once too often to end with a bad sprain on the back. The detective led me to the room which I asked for private client counselor discussion. Morales knew the drill; she turned off the mike and camera.

"Darcy, your father called me. I am Jimmy Landon, your attorney. You may speak to me now." I looked at the seventeen years old senior student who was arrested in the apartment with her body covered in blood while standing over her friend, Debbie Stand who was dead with multiple wounds. The only missing evidence was the weapon.

"Talk to me, Darcy Malone." I repeated myself to her, while taking the seat next to her. We had our back to the mirror which I believed was watched by Detective Morales. "The truth or anything that would allowed me to help you."

"I did not do it. It was ....." Darcy paused in her words. "It was not a man. God, I never felt ....."

The client took hold of her hands to cover her face. Suddenly she pulled away and stared at the hands.

"The blood....it was everywhere. God, I did not kill her. It did." Darcy screamed out and shot off from her chair to huddled at the corner. Detective Morales barged in with no knocks and I stared at her.

"Get out now or I would have you on charges." I was not threatening. I was stated my case against her. She knew it that

I would do it the moment I stepped out of that room.

"Fucked you, Jimmy." Morales stormed out. I walked over to Darcy and sat down next to her.

"Who was it?" I asked her when I leaned close to her.

"The devil himself. It was there. It killed Debbie." I knew then that my case was going to be a long one. I got up and called Heidi.

"Tell the Mayor to place the deposit for one hundred thousand. Non refundable. I would do the case." I looked back at Darcy.

"Darling, you ain't alone anymore. I would find the devil for you. It would be hell to freeze when I am finished with it." I left the room with strict instructions that my client would be released on bail, and Detective Morales was to be placed on charges of intimidation on my client. They did not called me the Bastard for the lack of my father's name in my birth certificate.

I met the reporters on the station steps, with one particular reporter having pushed her way forward asked me the silly question.

"Mr. Landon, how does it feel to be out of your break? Was it the Mayor who made you come back? Didn't you said you were on sabbatical leave after your wife's death?"

I looked at the raging red head with the locks of her hair reaching below her shoulders. Marlene had that same style; flair wide on the pillows when I kissed her. I once told her, that if Samson had the hair for strength, she had her's for love. I loved her hair then.

"Mr. Landon, would it be no comment again? Surely,m you had something to add." Another blonde asked me. Same hair style. I looked to three more and saw the same styles but with differing shades. So the Gods are playing to my sentiments.

"No, I have a comment. All of you should not patronize the same stylist. Its look ghoulish with your looks." I done my statement and stepped into my car. My driver drove off leaving six ladies looking at their hair styles.

God, I hate copycats.

2.

I looked at the frame picture of Marlene, taken when we were on holiday in the woods; the week before she died. I had won another case, air tight by the DA with every shred of evidence pointed to my client. It was a wrapped up case with a silver notch to the DA list of achievements until I came in as substitute lawyer when the original was admitted in sick for a few days. I declined the re-examination offered by the DA. I had sat there and listened to the closing presentation, and then I stood up to looked at the client. My conclusion started off with this statement.

"You are all misled by the devil in disguise." The juries were taken aback. It helped when you saw among the juries are members of the faith and held display on their bosom. "All the evidence pointed to my client were laid by the accused."

It took me half an hour to turned their thoughts on who the DA had placed evidence to implicate my client. It was the works of greed for power financed by evil manipulations of the devils. I showed them during the examinations, evidence were shown yet none was acknowledged by my client. It was purported to be used in the killing, but by whom was the deciding evidence unproven then. I got the case thrown out on technicalities. Jason Brown, the DA approached me after the case. He accused me of misleading the juries. It was then I threw the other evidence to him.

"You should not had kept things secret from your wife. She was faithful to you for years, and yet you kept these from her." I threw the photos to him. He saw the images and glared at me but I had walked away. Jason Brown would had to answered to his wife and the new DA soon on charges of fabricated evidence, and adultery. Sometimes, its best that not the things you did should be told to your wife or your ex-mistress. They are like harpies when scorned; your souls would be ripped by them.

I took Marlene for the holiday as it was long overdue, and it was also long overdue for her. She was with our child; a happy moment for us. We held each other that week long stay, feeling each other warmth and the child. I left her there on an urgent call to the nearby shops; had some engine trouble and was delayed for over two hours. In that time, Marlene was murdered in the most drastic manner; she was mutilated with the embryo removed and placed at her side like a momento. I never could placed the scene off my mind for weeks; I gave up on my work and bought myself a bike. I went riding for days and nights, got involved in brawls and ended up in jails until I found the hills. It was the only place I could relaxed. I rode there daily and rested till the sun was down.

"Jimmy, you cleared to come down from your hill?" I looked to the voice. It was my secretary, Stephanie; young intern who showed her skills and promoted to my secretary. She walked up to the desk and tapped on the files there.

"Its all there, and have you read it?" Besides Heidi, Stephanie was the other one who could dictate my work. I looked to the files and nodded.

"Any news on the weapon?" Stephanie shook her head.

"The report showed the details as torn flesh with claws. They indexed it as wild animals mauling." Stephanie read from her electronic pad. "Innards were partially devoured or removed. Like...."

Stephanie knew my thoughts. It was the same as the ones done on Marlene. Besides that was four more murders in the last six months. Then my secretary told me of a visitor.

"Special Agent Starling is here to see you." Stephanie frowned on her expression. She doe that for two reasons; bad food and FBI. I asked to admit in the agent.

"Mr. Landon, taking for seeing me on a short notice." I looked at the lady dressed in the business dark pant suit and white blouse. Her cleavage was seen by a glimpse but she had it well covered with her buttons. I heard of Ms. Starling, serial killer profiler and with some fame attributed to a particular Hannibal Lecter who was at large.

"How may I assist the FBI, Ms. Starling?" I asked her while she adjusted herself on the leather seat. I did made sure the padding are hard so that the visitors would stay too long.

"We are taking over the case from the local precinct. Ms.Malone is under our custody now." The agent made known her point towards me. "We have assigned some people to watched over her..."

"Protection team? I am slighted by your remark, Ms.Starling. Surely house arrest would be the better term." I interjected with a smirk look on my face. "Ms.Malone is a witness, not the killer."

"We had your statement on our file. At this stage, we ...."

"Do not assumed the worst lest it be your nightmare, Ms.Starling." I interjected in again. "I have my client's interest when I took on the case."

"If we are going to debate on the case, could we go on personal level with the names. Call me Clarice. And I would referred you as Jimmy." Ms Starling was trying to get me to drop my guard on her.

"I am afraid as this is an office, we would best be referred to by the standards required of this office. Unless you are willing to discuss it over with me this evening over dinner. I could assured you that I cooked a fine dish of Sauerbraten with the side dish of Kohlroulade, along with fine red wine from the same valley."

"I am fine with a hot-dog and coffee, thank you." Ms.Starling refuses my offer. "We could do it on the corner street down below."

"So be it. Lunch with you on street corner would be like dinner on the Seine." I stood up while grabbing my coat. My lady had stepped to the doorway, with her three inch high stilleto that amazes me how deep they will digged into my mattress. I cringe on the thoughts of them scraping my marble flooring at the kitchen. Truly love making had eroded in choices with fine flooring nowadays.

We had our battle of opinions over the hot dogs but she still not spill her coffee over my shirt. I learned from her that the murder had occurred in three neighboring states with the same M.O. The difference was that this time, they had a witness to it. I threw in the motion that this could had been a copy cat which was why my client was the witness. She rebuked me back.

"Or your client had not planned this one well?" She had touched on a raw nerve there. I knew of her experiences with Mr. Lecter but I was no novice in it.

"Touche, Ms.Starling but we are not fencing here." I looked to her eyes; beautiful hazel ones. With the red hair, it stand out like gems. "I am proposing a joint effort. Au pair between us to find the truth. At my end, my client could be what you presumed or innocent as to my view."

She agreed and even took up on my offer for dinner, to be set when she felt she was ready to try meals. She had not eaten in anyone's kitchen since Mr. Lecter escape. I nodded to her request. After all for my german recipes, I needed more time to gather the ingredients and to blend them well. I was left holding onto my half consumed shriveled hot dog at the park when my portable rang.

It was Morales. She wanted to meet.

"Do you like to dine on German food?" I asked. She declined my bratwurst; I guessed I should had offered her knodel instead.

3.

Detective Morales was enraged that they took her off the case. She sat there on the hard wooden seat at the Italian cafe while I nursed my second consummation of coffee for the afternoon. The lady officer was dressed in a light blue blouse with jeans with the pouch slung across her chest. It would had not been distracting if she had one a bra but the distinct outline of her nipples looked appetizing. God, I missed Marlene more than I know.

"Jimmy," She was into first name since we met at Heidi's party during better evenings. "I want in on this case. I could scent the murderer."

"Jenny, please do force yourself on me. I can't help you." I looked into her face. "The FBI have strict codes on their jurisdiction. No locals unless they requested for it."

"No, Jimmy. I meant I worked for you free lance. I would be your ...informer. I would sniff the bastard out." She leaned forward and grabbed my coffee. She took it and gulped it down. There goes my booster shot. "I am in regardless of your approval."

One thing about Morales, she was the domino in the game. I nodded and offered to pay for another cup when she dropped me the hint.

"Meet me tonight at the murder scene." Morales slide herself off the seat. "After nine."

She had shot off while I was holding my five dollars. The owner walked over.

"I doubt she would do that for five dollars but I could served you another cup." I smiled at the owner.

"Blow it hot please." I replied.

At that evening, I had settled for my own chinese takeaway dinner before dumping the leftovers to leave at nine. I hate to come in this late but the last few months of biking had got me refreshed to it. I rode the bike to merged with lighter traffic until I hit the basement of the apartment block. I took the lift from there to the apartment. The yellow band was still attached to the door but there was no officers around. I tried the door and found it unlocked. I crouched to go in and close the door back. I heard the sound in the adjoining bedroom which was where Debbie was murdered. By instinct, I locked the door and reached for the thick hardcover book on the cupboard next to the door. I walked silently towards the bedroom, which the door was ajar. I pushed it open ever slowly to avoid any creaking sound. I saw the blood stains on the bed cover with the chalk markings on the floor. Other than that, the room looked like any room with the built-in closet and dresser with the small writing desk. The lamp on the bedside was turned on. So was the bathroom light that lighted up part of the bedroom. I moved towards it, and was to slide the door when it opened by itself.

It was Morales dressed in a t-shirt and her scanty panties. She stepped in and smiled at me.

"I took a shower. Had not one yet since last night." She stretched herself, straining her body that gave me the looks that would had made me do perverted urges.

"I needed to be cleaned to catch the scent." I stood back and let her continue her work. She walked around the room on her bare soles, and sniff at the things there. I moved to the window and drew the drapes. I looked out to the skyline, while she pranced around. I could see her from the reflection in the window.

"Do you do this often?" I knew it sounded silly but it was amusing to ask.

"Sometimes. I do it alone but today is an exception. I know you. And Marlene." Darned fidelity code killed my urges.

Suddenly she shouted out.

"I got a new clue." She held up a strand of hair from beneath the bed. "Its a wolf."

I turned my back but she had ran to the bathroom. I could hear her dressing while I thought of more logical explanation. She stepped out dressed in that afternoon clothes while she tucked the t-shirt into the bag.

"I bought that today." She smiled at me. "Do you want to use the bathroom?"

I nodded. I had one too many coffee that day.

"The strand was from a wolf." Morales told me. "I know how to find the wolf."

She looked to me. She then reached out with her hands to pat mine.

"If we find the killer, it may lead to Marlene' killer. Or it may not." She looked into my eyes. "But I need you to swear to me."

"No," Morales held back her words. "I need you to be my attorney. That way we have client and counselor privileges."

I looked to her confused. She glared back at me. She had hazel eyes too. I think I am either in love with hazel eyes, or I needed to have my eyes checked. I shook my head.

"No, Jimmy. You must. For your sake and mine." Morales then continued. "For Marlene."

I nodded. She led me to the basement to her car. I was to get in when we were shot. The bullet had missed me and stuck at the car boot. Morales pulled me down for cover while she reached into her pouch for her gun. It was a Beretta. She crouched up and looked for the shooter.

"Come on out. I can smell you." She shouted out. "yo lucha como un guerrero ( Spanish for fight me like a warrior. )".

"No, puta. No nos gustaría mostrar a los no creyentes ( Spanish for No, bitch. We would not show ourselves to the unbeliever )" The reply came from somewhere in the basement.

"Entonces ven a verme en el escenario ( Spanish for meet me in the arena. )" There were sounds of running and then silence. Morales leaned down and told me to wait for her call. She took to the car and left me standing there. I walked to my bike and mounted it.

I reached my house and saw the car in the porch. I walked up to doorway and found it unlocked. I opened it and walked in. The living area was lighted and so was the kitchen. I took my walk to the living area and saw her sitting there cross legged on the couch. She was dressed in one of my shirts which reached her thighs. She was holding a glass of red wine.

"The door was not locked and you were not in. I had my dinner; prepared it myself. Solid protein meal. Never knew you were a vegetarian too." I smiled at my guest. I do hold a stock of greens for the days when I was in the mood for it. Something that Marlene got me to indulge in. But meat was still my preference with the fine garnishing.

"Oh, I spilled the milk on my suit. I took the liberty of borrowing yours." She pulled at the lapels. "Larger than expected".

She offered me a glass which I walked over to accept while sitting next to her on the couch. She looked wonderful with the hazel eyes and red hair that looked like it was roughed up for the evening. I took a sip of the wine; my finest, she had taste.

"Too dry for you." She asked. I shook my head and took a second sip.

"So, Ms.Starling. Would it be formal or informal the coming discussion?" I looked to her eyes. She smiled. She then leaned over and whispered to me.

"The name is Clarice. And I would like to do some cross examination on you."

Coffee, scanty panties, being shot at, and then wine with my shirt where I knew the locations of the buttons, with an absence of leave makes one worked harder through the series of time in the night. She was invigorating while I was insatiable in my lust. She screamed 'mein gott' several times that I believe even the devil would had knocked his horns on the wall from hearing it.

4.

The next day, I was in my office when the call came through. It was Mr.Emilio Hacin. I had some cases which I did for him regardless of his background. We are the attorney of law not moral adjusters. Mr Hasin called to said his son was found dead in the warehouse at the pier with the purported self confession that he killed Ms Debbie Stand. There were incriminating evidence that linked him to the murder; her earrings and a self confessed love letter, his phone with photos of her. Mr Hasin' son was also a classmate of the deceased. The surprising part was they also found a werewolf mask there that the father said a similar one was owned by the son for Halloween.

"Mr Landon, if my son killed the bitch, why did he killed himself later? He could had all the bitches in the school if he wanted." I listened to the upset father. Nobody likes to lose their child at all. Not even when they are murderers.

"Would you take my case? I want those officers sacked and then I would exert my own justice."

"No, Mr. Hasin. I won't take it. I am representing the Mayor's daughter and there would be a conflict." I had placed the phone down when the father began to speak in gibberish terms. It was then Stephanie comm me to said that Ms Morales was on the line.

"Jimmy, we solved the case. But we handed it over to the FBI for processing." Morales was happy on the phone. I was glad that there were two ladies very happy that day. The other had left my couch before dawn. She had cited work but we did had another quick one. She left the scratched marks with her stileto on the kitchen flooring.

"Jimmy, I got good news." Heidi busted in to my office. "Under hypnotism, Debbie remembered her killer. It was one with a werewolf face. And guess what, they found Hasin son with such mask. I tell ya, these youngsters are too many role playing that even an adult like myself gets turned off. A fuck is still a fuck without clothes for me."

I kept on my smile for her before she realized that I just came back from the hills.

"Pardon me but get yourself a lady to fuck. You need one to remember Marlene." Heidi was without doubt unforgivable but you can't sued her for telling the truth. "I could arranged one for you but leave me out."

I would had thrown her the phone but she had left the building by then. However the phone did ring then. It was Clarice.

"Hello, Mr. Landon. We caught the copy cat. But we are on the trail for the real one. The subject struck at DC. I am leaving for there now. Thank you for last night." The lady never gave me a chance to thank her before she hung up. I guessed I am not the serial killer she would love to nab.

I got up and changed into my riding gear. I told Stephanie I would be away for a few days. I dropped by at the hut in the woods and walked to the grave that had marked my wife's remain. I left her a bouquet of roses and sat there next to her. Just like what we did before watching the scene below us from the hill.