Deep Trauma

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

That Wednesday, Riley once again seated herself in booth 18 at Abe’s. She was early. It was 6:45, and the sky was slowly growing lighter. She couldn’t help but notice the place wasn’t as busy during the week as it had been during her previous visit on Saturday. Cedrick, in his red-and-white checkered apron, was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was his day off.

Riley ordered a coffee from a short waitress with pink hair and matching cat-eye glasses. She sat watching the parking lot out the window. The leaves on the trees outside had turned with the fall weather, their muted colors soft in the growing dawn light. There was a definite chill in the air.

She was on her second cup of coffee when Themis finally showed up. This time, she wasn’t alone. To Riley’s dismay, she saw the girl walking in with Holly. She was even more surprised to see how relaxed Holly looked when she spotted Riley from across the restaurant. Themis and Holly both smiled and waved as though nothing at all was strange about the two of them being together. They stopped at the deli counter to point at something under the glass before making a purchase and heading over to the booth where Riley was waiting.

“They have the best pastries here,” Holly crooned a moment later, slipping into the seat across from her. “How are you, my dear?”

Riley wasn’t sure how to respond. She sat back in the booth with her arms crossed over her chest, as if observing the scene from a distance.

“I know you two have met,” Themis interjected as she pulled off her denim jacket and scooted into the booth next to Holly. “So I’ll skip the introductions.”

Riley was at a loss. Had she misunderstood what she’d seen a couple of nights ago when she’d been spying on them at the shelter in Santa Monica? Both Themis and Holly were acting as if they had nothing to hide, which was odd as Holly had distinctly given Riley the impression she’d never heard of Themis or the Avenging Allies. But here they were, the two of them together, as if there was nothing to question.

“So, how do you two know each other?” Riley began, not wanting to disclose that she had already discovered they were well acquainted.

“Oh, Bella and I go way back,” Holly said, placing an arm around the girl. “We once had a shared passion for saving teens from being trafficked by the gangs in Venice. But more recently, she’s been our private sleuth. She’s a tremendous help to the shelter, tracking down missing kids and reuniting families where it’s been appropriate. Haven’t you, Bella?”

“Bella?” Riley questioned.

Holly ripped off a piece of her pastry and popped it into her mouth. “Will you get us some coffee, dear?” she said, catching the eye of the pink-haired waitress as she passed by.

“Well, you didn’t think Themis was my real name, did you?” Bella gave Riley a crooked smile. “That’s just a holdover from my days as a student of Greek mythology. Citizen sleuths need their anonymity more than most. I thought that would be obvious.”

Riley did her best not to look duped.

Holly placed a hand adorned with several rings across her heart. “I’m so sorry, Riley. I had no idea that my Bella was your Themis. We’ve always been on a real-name basis, and to be honest, if I’d ever heard the term Avenging Allies before you mentioned it, I’m sure I would have remembered such a cheesy moniker. Sorry, Bella, but really? Avenging Allies is just so cliché,” Holly said, putting an arm around the girl again and giving her a squeeze. “I was completely in the dark, Riley. Honestly. Bella filled me in on her meeting with you last Saturday. And, of course, I told her you had been at the service for Lexi and that we’re friends.”

For some reason, Riley bought every word Holly was saying. Maybe it was just easier, she told herself, to believe the woman she’d thought was her friend had simply miscommunicated than to think Holly could have played any part in a series of brutal, cold-blooded attacks.

“Now that we have that out of the way,” Bella said, rolling her eyes at Holly. “And by the way, Avenging Allies is a great name, in my opinion. Cedrick, my partner, chose it for us once we started focusing on LGBTQ hate crimes.” She puffed her cheeks out in frustration before adding impatiently, “Forget it. Let’s get down to business.”

“Coffee first,” Holly insisted, holding up her empty cup and waving down the waitress again.

“After what happened to Sofia—” Before Bella could go on, her eyes filled with tears. She palmed her sockets, as though trying to stuff the tears back where they came from, and took a moment to compose herself. This surprised Riley. She’d pegged the girl as all business, no emotion, but clearly, she’d misread her.

“I called Bella as soon as the police showed up at the shelter on Monday afternoon,” Holly filled in for Bella, passing the girl a handful of napkins from the dispenser at the end of their table. “I was a mess when I heard the news about Sofia. It’s just unbelievable. A nightmare. And, of course, the police were asking if I knew of any family, how old she was, how long she’d been at the shelter. I can only assume it was you, Riley, who told them of her link to us.”

“It was,” Riley confirmed. “Believe it or not, I recognized her shoes from the day before, at Lexi’s service. She and the baby were my patients on Monday. So I know what she’s going through, and you’re right, Holly—it’s an absolute nightmare.” Riley paused, assessing whether Bella was ready to hear more; judging from her reaction, it seemed she was close to Sofia. “I’m obliged to privacy with my patient’s details, of course, but I know I’m not telling you anything you haven’t already heard on the news. The only thing I can add is that I had a chance to check on the baby last night after work. She’s doing better than I expected. I wish I could say the same for Sofia.”

Holly put her hand over Bella’s and squeezed it gently. “I knew with Riley’s connections at the hospital we’d get the scoop.”

Riley had wanted to say more. She’d wanted to tell them it was miraculous Sofia’s baby had lived through such trauma. She’d wanted to tell them that after the head injury Sofia had sustained, she would probably never hold her daughter in her arms, and the chances of her ever having a normal life were slim. But more than any of that, Riley wanted to tell them both that if it was the last thing she ever did, she would help bring to justice whoever was responsible for the horrific crime.

“We need a plan.” It was Bella who broke the silence in the wake of Riley’s update. The despair that only moments ago had colored her tone was replaced by something that sounded like determination. “By now, it’s obvious to all of us that these freeway crimes are linked and probably the work of the same person or people. Maybe a gang—”

“First things first,” Holly interrupted, turning to Riley. “Do you have any updates from the medical examiner on the victim you came across last week? The press still hasn’t released an ID. We need to know how this individual is tied into all of this.”

Riley weighed her options. Things were moving fast now. It was clear Bella and Holly expected her cooperation. How accommodating did she need to be, and what exactly was she going to get in return? Only moments ago, their honesty had been in question—and to some degree, it still was. The night she’d eavesdropped on Holly and Bella could have very well been the night they concocted the story about Holly being entirely unaware of the Avenging Allies. How could she not have known about the group? But, in fairness, Riley realized that if Holly didn’t know Cedrick, perhaps it was possible she hadn’t heard of Avenging Allies before Riley mentioned the group.

“Yes, I agree, first things first.” Riley placed both hands on the tabletop. “I’m happy to tell you both what I know, but I need some gaps filled in, if you don’t mind. Let’s start with you, Bella,” she said, turning to the girl. “I might be a little rusty on Greek mythology, but I’m slightly sharper in other areas. How are you and Cedrick gaining access to information about this case from Detective Roberts?”

Bella’s amber eyes flashed with displeasure. She answered only by chewing on her cheek.

“Oh boy, here we go,” Holly sighed, throwing up her hands. “I suggest we order breakfast first, ladies; I have a feeling we’re going to be here a while.”

Holly was right. Breakfast seemed to make everything better.

Bella clarified her relationship with Cedrick. They had met in a college classroom three years previously at the state university in the Valley. Cedrick was an IT whiz kid, it seemed. Bella didn’t outright admit he had been hacking into his mother’s work laptop, but that was the revelation Riley took from their discussion. That news prompted Riley to make a mental note that, in the interest of transparency, she needed to disclose to both Bella and Holly that she’d paid Detective Roberts a second visit on the day after Sofia’s attack. That tidbit surfacing without her admission wouldn’t do much to build mutual trust.

By the end of breakfast, some of the dust had settled. Riley gained clarity on the link between Bella and Holly. They had known each other since Bella, as a runaway, had lived at the shelter in her early teens. They had both known Lexi before she began working at the center. Holly didn’t know much about Sofia’s past, except that she didn’t fit the typical profile of kids who showed up at the shelter. She had apparently come from a life of privilege.

“I can still remember the morning she arrived,” Holly said, leaning back in the booth. “She must have been about five months along, so I guess it was almost three months ago now. But she was so thin you would never have known she was pregnant. She was wearing a pleated dress with a bow at the collar and those Prada pumps. She had a small carrying case with her—Gucci, I think. And she looked like she’d just stepped off a bus from Bel Air. She was very naive or maybe just very young. I’m not sure I ever got an answer from her about her age. She didn’t have a cell phone or an ID. Of course, I didn’t pressure her. Most of these kids share information when and if they feel safe. I figured it would just take a little time, but she never did seem to warm up to me.”

“Did she ever get close to anyone at the shelter? Did she develop any friendships?” Riley cut in, remembering the smoking man she’d seen at Lexi’s service and how he had seemed so interested in Sofia.

“She was very dependent on Lexi. Excessively so,” Holly replied. “I got the sense Sofia was perhaps on the autism spectrum. High functioning, artistically gifted, but in some ways very socially withdrawn. Sometimes that’s a reflection of abuse or trauma. I didn’t know her well enough to make the distinction. But Lexi had been counseling her.” Holly’s gaze drifted; it was clear the topic stirred up memories. “It set Sofia back, what happened to Lexi. It set us all back, but I got the sense it really shook Sofia. Poor kid. She seemed even more withdrawn after Lexi’s murder. And, of course, that was understandable.”

“And that’s when I met her,” Bella chimed in. “Right after Lexi’s murder, when I opened my investigation, Sofia was one of my first interviews. I would agree with Holly—she was very affected by losing Lexi, but more than that. She seemed afraid to be without her. So I started going by every day. It cost me a fortune in gas, but I just had to check on her. I brought her sketchbook paper sometimes; that seemed to cheer her up. I think she began to trust me, but she never talked about her past. Occasionally, I’d get her to take a walk on the beach with me, but she wouldn’t go anywhere on her own. She told me once Lexi had warned her never to leave the shelter without an escort.”

“What reason would she have to leave the shelter?” Riley leaned back into her seat.

“Well, there were the prenatal checkups, for one,” Holly noted. “Once we realized she was pregnant, that is. Lexi didn’t want her taking the bus alone. In the beginning, Ms. Maria, our housekeeper, was going with Sofia to the clinic in Venice, but I put a stop to that when I realized it was Javier who was actually escorting her.”

“Javier?” Riley raised an eyebrow.

“Ms. Maria’s son. He lives on the property with her, out back, just off the alley. He’s been with us a few months now—helps with odd jobs and maintenance. I checked him out. He’s here legally. I’m very careful about that sort of thing. We can’t afford to take any risks with immigration. Seems like a nice enough fellow, but it’s my responsibility to keep our kids safe, and I just thought it best not to encourage a relationship there.”

“What were things like between Javier and Lexi?”

“Lexi?” Holly’s eyes narrowed with curiosity. “Why do you ask?”

“I mean, did they ever interact?” Riley clarified. “Was there any . . . tension there?”

“No,” Holly said with confidence. “As far as I know, they had no need for interaction, and besides, Lexi got on well with everyone. She was just so good at reading people. And Javier has never given us any trouble. He keeps to himself mostly; he does his job well. From time to time, he disappears for a day or so, but that’s never interfered with any of his responsibilities.”

“What can you tell us about the victim in the morgue, Riley?” Bella pressed. “Any updates since we last chatted?”

“Yesterday I was told that identification was imminent. I think there was a hit through missing persons, so the medical examiner is just waiting for confirmation and for the family to be contacted. I’m guessing we’ll have an answer by Friday. Early next week at the latest.”

She paused for a minute, twirling the end of her braid between two fingers. As soon as the victim’s identity was released to the press, so would information on the victim’s gender identity—especially given the relevance of that information to recent unsolved cases.

It seemed safe, then, to share what else she’d learned.

Riley leaned in. “What I find most interesting about the victim,” she began, eyeing Holly and Bella, “is that, like Lexi, they were transgender.”

Holly turned to Bella, her lips parted as if she were about to speak.

But Bella jumped in. “What are the chances?”

“I have an awful feeling that when we get an ID, Riley, we’ll find that this victim is somehow tied to Lexi and Sofia.” Holly bit down on one of her perfect long fingernails. “Or maybe linked to Lexi somehow through the trans community.”

“If we’re totally objective,” Bella countered, “the only common ground between Lexi and Sofia was the shelter. So it’s possible this person was a former resident of the center too, maybe someone previously acquainted with us.”

“Agreed. Too much coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences, Holly,” Bella asserted.

“Nor do I.” Riley took the plunge. “I need to let you both know I’ve learned of another connection that has me concerned. I have reason to suspect that Javier has ties to the man I interacted with on the 101 the morning of the second murder. The man who then staked himself out at my house the night you and Cedrick came by and alerted the LAPD to his presence, Bella.”

Bella’s mouth formed a perfect O. “How the hell—?”

“What?” Holly said, spitting a mouthful of coffee back into her cup. “You’ve seen them together? When? Where?”

“Suffice it to say, the detectives on this case are aware of my suspicions about Javier,” Riley went on, skirting how and when she had gained her insights, “and I imagine they are already looking into him. I don’t want any of us getting in the way of their investigation. I think we need to keep a low profile, and, more importantly, we need to be careful not to tip Javier off that he may be under surveillance.”

By the time the three of them left Abe’s that morning, they had all agreed to use an encrypted app Bella recommended for communications. They shared contact information and agreed to talk again when Riley learned the identity of the victim at the morgue.

In the meantime, Bella would go through Sofia’s belongings at the shelter for any clues about her family of origin, and Holly would explore the shelter’s records, including Lexi’s clinical notes on Sofia’s counseling sessions.

An investigation into Sofia’s attack would no doubt be underway already. Which meant they had to move quickly before any of those items became the targets of a search warrant. Holly would gently press Ms. Maria for any information she could learn about Javier’s activities and connections away from the shelter. And Riley would keep them all updated on the condition of both Sofia and her baby.