James Andrus: The Perfect Woman

“Just a sleep aid. Don’t worry, I’ll change them up to be more effective and not build up a tolerance.” Dremmel pulled off the wool blanket to look at her naked body. She made no movement and didn’t try to turn or hide any part of her. “I have to make my best guess on the dosage based on your size and shape.”

“You look as if you appreciate nice shapes.”

He smiled at this woman’s wit. He scooped the powdered pills into the paper cup of water and turned toward her. He thought, she might make a good subject after all. He probably could keep both of them safely.

He held up her head for her to drink the drugged water and caught the slightest look from her and then saw Stacey peek across the room at them. They had a plan. They were involved in a conspiracy against him.

Right then he realized the detective couldn’t be part of the experiment.

This would be her only dosage.

It was dark by the time Mazzetti caught up to John Stallings at a deserted Chevron station a mile from William Dremmel’s address. He still felt the sting of not identifying Dremmel after he talked to him at the community college. He’d fucked up and couldn’t deny it or blame someone else. All the clues added up and he fit perfectly into them, but Mazzetti hadn’t seen it. He needed a guy like Stallings to point him out.

Before Mazzetti was completely out of his car, Stallings said, “Where the hell you been? We gotta get moving.”

“You gave me a lot of things to check, and I got ’em all right here.” He held up a manila folder crammed with papers.

“Did you tell the L.T.?”

“We got to confirm a few things before we get all the troops out here.”

“Tony, tell me this isn’t a glory grab on your part. We’re talking about Patty here.”

“Don’t pull that shit on me, Stall. You’re the one who says too many cops slow things down. Now look at what I found.” He laid the folder on the hood of his car and flipped through the first few pages. “This guy has never been arrested. Works part time at the community college and part time at this little drugstore chain.”

“Yeah, I knew all that.”

“Did you know one of his coworkers died the other night.”

“How?”

“The chick that was electrocuted over in Durkeeville. We thought it was an accident but there were some suspicious circumstances.”

“Like what?”

“She stepped in a puddle and supposedly pulled a CD player into the water at the same time.”

“And you guys closed it out without investigation. Jesus, you and your clearance rates.”

“Hold on, Stall. You’ve seen the squad. We got shit going on. There hasn’t been time to talk about murders when it looks like an accident.”

Stallings held up a hand in surrender. “You’re right, Tony. What else do we have on this guy?”

“Lives with his mother who gets disability. No police or fire service calls to the house or about the family.”

“Nothing?”

“Not even a noise complaint.”

“They’re either the perfect neighbors or someone’s keeping a low profile.”

“You been by the house?”

“Yeah, there’s a minivan in the carport and lights on in the main room.”

“Could it be the vehicle from the beach cam?”

“Looks like a million other vans.”

“You got any ideas?”

Stallings was a little surprised that the King of Homicide would ask for ideas. “It wouldn’t hurt if we got a good look at the house quietly, then decide if we need to take action.”

“Like get a warrant?”

“Tony, there won’t be time for a warrant if we see something that tells us Patty’s inside. We’ll have to act.”

“Didn’t you learn your lesson the last time we did that?”

Stallings was about to just move forward without him, then realized the homicide detective might have a point. An image of Maria flashed in his head as he was trying to decide what he should do about a warrant. He’d lost his decisive edge and did the worst thing any cop could do. He just stood there.

Patty Levine had swallowed the water and realized how smart it was to put powdered pills in water and make someone drink it. That way they couldn’t spit out the pills and the broken tablets acted faster with no time release. She recognized the familiar taste of the Ambien. The bitter stinging aftertaste on her tongue gave her confidence. This asshole had looked at her and thought two would knock the shit out of her. She wasn’t sure what the Oxycontin added in might do, but the two Ambiens wouldn’t beat the adrenaline pumping through her right now.

She lay perfectly still with her eyes closed as he heard Dremmel move around the room. He talked with Stacey for a few minutes longer. Patty listened but really didn’t pick up much. It sounded like a checkup at the doctor’s office.

Despite her heart starting to race at the prospect of her escape attempt, she forced herself to breathe normally, throwing in a little fake snore after a few minutes. It was so relaxing she almost made herself nod off for real; the Oxycontin apparently increased the effect of the sleeping pills. She fought the urge to give in to sleep, if not for herself, then for the girl across the room who was counting on her.

Then it happened. First she sensed her captor close to her. So close she felt his breath on her neck. He was checking to see how soundly she was under. She wanted to surprise him and take a bite out of his face as he leaned in close. She could imagine tearing his nose off or taking off part of his ear. But that wouldn’t stop him. Instead she kept up the steady breathing and now closed her throat so there was also a slight snore.

Then she felt him stand up and start to fiddle with her handcuffs. He inserted a key and they notched open three clicks giving her wrist a wide birth.

She had a decision. Act now and use her hands while he was close or stay silent and try to slip out while he was out of the room.

Patience had never been one of her virtues.

John Stallings shushed Tony Mazzetti as they crouched in bushes on the side of a house directly across from the residence of William Dremmel. Mazzetti had kept blabbing about all the things that were wrong with this plan. Stallings had already explained that gathering intelligence on the house was the most important thing they could do right now. He didn’t want to have to say it again.

Instead, Mazzetti said, “Stall, this is bullshit, slinking around like some kind of pervert. What do we do if someone catches us?”

Stallings just stared at him for a minute. “Tony, we badge ’em, you moron. Now shut up and let’s see what’s going on at the house.”

The house was quiet as they sat in the bushes, a cool breeze kicking up from the east. Fifteen minutes of surveillance produced no information, but this was about Patty, and Stallings was prepared to stay all night if it meant saving her. The thought made him a little guilty as if he was choosing her over Maria, but he knew his wife was safe. He couldn’t say the same for Patty.

Mazzetti leaned in and said, “We should let the L.T. know what the hell is going on.”

“Go call her.”

“You don’t have to stay. There ain’t shit going on. C’mon Stall, this is degrading.”

“Welcome to police work, Tony.”

Mazzetti grunted and started to move when Stallings grabbed him by his arm. “Take another look, Tony. You notice anything about the house we could throw in an affidavit for a search warrant?”

Mazzetti turned his eyes to the house and studied it. Concentrated hard on the older home. Then shook his head. “What do you see, Stall?”

“The path leading to the front door. Wouldn’t you call that decorative sand on each side of the walkway?”