Melody Jade Allen - Dead Breath

“Someone strangled her.” Adrianna answered. “Our people are checking her room, but… All the fingerprints were deliberately erased, so the killer obviously tried to cover up the tracks.”

“Wait…” Mireya raised her hand. “Someone called me from her cell phone this morning. I thought she wanted to talk, and I came here. I didn’t know that she…”

“Her cell was stolen, but we will try to track where the incoming call came from.” Adrianna said. “Tell me, when did she return?”

Adrianna knew Leandra from the beginning of her friendship with Mireya, but they almost didn’t communicate with each other – different interests, different opinions, and even a mutual friend couldn’t make them at least “just friends”.

“She said she came back yesterday.” Mireya answered. “Can you check it out?”

“Of course we can. So, she called you?”

“Yes, she did. It was too sudden.” Mireya chuckled. “After so much time, our conversation took only a few minutes and now… I didn’t even ask why she came and…” Mireya felt the current pass through her body. “I left her room when we talked, and she just locked the door.”

Adrianna raised her eyebrows inquiringly.

“Well, it was strange of her.” Mireya looked along the corridor. “What if her killer was there when I was outside? I could stop this one?”

“Or this one would have killed both of you. All right, listen to me…” Adrianna took Mireya by the shoulders. “Theoretically, you are the last one who saw her alive. And sorry, that makes you a suspect. You need to go with me to the station; our people have already checked the video surveillance cameras. Mireya, the time of Leandra’s death coincides with the time of your visit. I’m afraid you need a lawyer.”

***

Arriving at the police station, Mireya passed through a typical working chaos – the detectives’ desks were clogged with documents, phone calls did not ever stop, the sweet smell of their favourite donuts and coffee spread, it seemed throughout the building. Adrianna led her to the interrogation room, where there was a silver table and two chairs, also cameras and microphones that recorded everything was happening in it.

“Is it all so bad?” Mireya asked, sitting down at the table.

Adrianna sat down in front of her, opening a folder for entries. “That’s what we have – you left Leandra’s room, the time of your departure coincides with the approximate time of her death. After you left, someone left her room, but a couple of hours after she left, and it wasn’t Leandra because the door was opened with an electronic key, but someone hacked it to open it; the sensor still worked. So Leandra wasn’t alone there. The cameras were turned off when that unknown came out and left the hotel.”

“The police think it was me?”

“Listen. In her hotel room, all fingerprints were erased, except from a glass of water – there are yours and Leandra’s on it. Yes, the detectives believe you could leave after you committed the murder, but then you came back to cover up the tracks and therefore found a way to turn off the cameras.”

Mireya chuckled. “So I did not turn off the camera before committing the murder and just so quietly left the body of the murdered friend? But then I came back and… Heck! I decided to cover up the tracks, hiding myself. God, that sounds stupid!”

“Maybe it does.” Adrianna wrote something down. “We checked her calls out. Leandra called only you while being in Los Angeles. You were the last one to see her… except her real killer. And there are your fingerprints. But Mireya…” Adrianna leaned back. “All of this is not enough to charge. We need a motive and a weapon of murder.”

Mireya shrugged her shoulders. “We did not communicate for several months, I had no offense – I knew her nature. I was surprised, but not overwhelmed by her decision to suddenly move to Las Vegas, so I probably did not have a motive?”

“Probably you don’t?” Adrianna agreed.

“Okay, what about a weapon of murder?”

“It was a denim belt.” Adrianna said after a short pause.

“A denim belt?” Mireya repeated. “Well, that’s very original. So, am I the main suspect now?”

“That’s partly.” Adrianna smiled sympathetically. “Do not leave the country until the end of the investigation.”

“The country? Wow. I thought, usually the police order not to leave the city limits. Why there are such privileges for me?”

“We are going to Las Vegas.”

The bright lights of Las Vegas night greeted them.

Mireya and Adrianna left the airport and were sitting in the backseat of the taxi; they studied the information that was obtained during the investigation. Leandra lived in a multi-story elite hotel, which was paid for by someone named James Smith. Of course, the name was fake as well as its bank account, which suddenly ceased functioning in the early morning. But it was only the beginning of the road.

Casino-Hotel Domiani Grand Plaza included a lot of slot machines, gaming tables and other gambling entertainment on each of the floors. Standing in front of it, Adrianna was talking to someone from the staff; Mireya was inspecting the streets that were saturated with the smell of hot asphalt and stuffy air. Tourists, police, entertainment… Everything seemed like some kind of game like in an epic action movie about casino players who arranged this beautiful life around themselves.

A few minutes later, Adrianna and Mireya got on the 31st floor of the Domiani Grand Plaza, where Leandra lived on. Her room 31-18 was just next to the rooms of Adrianna and Mireya.

“I’ll see you in the morning, when I get a search warrant.” Adrianna said and handed Mireya a key with number 31-20.

Las Vegas had a special reputation as a “city of gambling” and was kept afloat by an endless flow of tourists, so that’s why the local police agreed to cooperate with Adrianna even though it wasn’t about her jurisdiction.

Mireya entered her room and switched on the light; she felt the shivers covered her skin – a two-story room in gold and red colours, huge royal bed, kitchen, spacious dining room, and expensive furniture were in front of her, welcoming with brilliance and order, also showing a dazzling appearance on the city. For a moment, Mireya forgot herself, feeling like a princess in a fairy-tale castle. She thought it odd that Adrianna would allow her to accompany her on the investigation – too much was allowed for the prime suspect, given her private hotel room and lack of 24/7 surveillance – but she wanted to believe there was a good reason for that.

Her senses were distracted by the mobile phone, which began to vibrate in her pocket. Reluctantly, she pulled it out and looked at the caller’s name – Leandra.

Mireya retreated. Leandra’s mobile phone wasn’t found in her hotel room in Los Angeles, perhaps that the killer is contacting her? Feeling that she almost pressed the button of the nuclear bomb, Mireya decided to press the green button. “Hello?” She said to someone at the other end of the line.

“Mireya! I’m so glad to hear you; we have not seen each other for so long!” Leandra said from the other end of the tube.

Mireya’s hands trembled. “Who the hell are you?”

“You’re asking the wrong question, dear. But you need to find the right one. He’s still here.” Leandra coquettishly said.

“What?” Mireya put her hand to her forehead. “Who?”

“His name is Tom. He will like you!”

“Who are you?”

“Take care of yourself.”

A knock at the door made Mireya jump up because of her own surprise, she looked at the display again – the call was interrupted.

“Mireya, are you all right?” Adrianna said behind the door.

Mireya opened it, still trembling.

“What happened to you?” Adrianna looked at her, entering and closing the door. “You look like a ghost.”

“I think I just talked to this one.” Mireya exhaled. “Someone called me on her behalf.”

For a couple of minutes, Adrianna listened to the repeat of the last call from Mireya’s phone, analysing the details and thinking about the theories. She already asked her colleagues to track the call.

“So what do you think?” Mireya asked, sitting in a wide soft armchair.

Adrianna spread her hands. “Of course, this is not Leandra. All the rest can be the result of excellent computer skills.”

“What you mean?”

“There are programs, Mireya, that are able to copy someone’s voice, replacing them with your own. Whoever it is, he or she certainly wants to either confuse us or frighten you.”

“Me?” Mireya giggled. “Well… Yes, that’s just a problem – it’s unlikely that someone from Leandra’s friends knew about me. And who is Tom?”

“If it’s her friend or maybe a boyfriend, we’ll find him. But if it’s just a random name, then it’s unlikely that it will give us a result.” Adrianna looked at her wristwatch. “It’s too late night already. See you in the morning?”

Mireya nodded.

The morning will have even more questions.

Through the huge window, Las Vegas lights lit up the bedroom that was filled with the silent ticking of the outdoor clock and serene tranquillity. Mireya slept on a soft airy bed, covered with a warm blanket. Her dream was always sensitive, and when she heard something approaching, she opened her eyes… Something made her rise abruptly; sitting on the bed and covering herself with a blanket up to her face, Mireya examined the darkness breathing heavily. Nothing strange… probably it was just a nightmare.

“Please don’t be afraid.” A man’s voice said from somewhere.

Mireya froze.

The bathroom door was opened. A young guy with brown dark hair went out with his hands. “I will not hurt you.”

Without knowing the reasons, Mireya did not feel fear. She stared at him. “Who are you?” She noticed some Rock band badge on his black leather jacket.

“My name is Tom. Tom Walt.”

“Oh…” Mireya shuddered a little. “How do you know me?”

“I worked with Leandra Ray. She was a girlfriend of my brother, they broke up a few weeks ago, but she said she needed help. She asked if she did not contact me until tonight, I would have to find you. She gave me information about you.” He smiled a little. “Don’t be scared, there are just your full name, phone number and address of your work.”

“Well… It’s impressive.” Mireya hesitated. All this was quite unexpected, but she must cope with it. “Did you call me?”

“No. I thought it would be too strange to come out of the phone.” Tom ran a hand through his hair. “My friend tracked your name in the bases of airlines and even railways. I thought I would have to fly to California, but… you’re here. What happened?”

“Wait… you don’t know?”

Tom shook his head.

“Leandra was killed.” Mireya told him the whole story, which began with Leandra’s phone call.

Tom nodded understandingly and fell in his own thoughts, he walked around the room. “Then I don’t understand… why did she ask me to meet you? She… she knew what would happen?”

“Maybe she suspected so?” Mireya pulled up the blanket; she wore a transparent pink shirt. “Could it be related to her work?”

Tom sighed loudly. “No, I don’t think so. I mean, she didn’t do such serious things. She wasn’t even involved in reading other people’s messages or e-mails, although many people think so. She only tracked phone calls and operations on bank cards. Although… even if there is a danger… Our employer never communicates with dangerous people; it could create problems with his illegal business. And if Leandra did something, Mireya… It was something out of the picture.”