Come on, come on, come on, come on!
"Someone looks impatient." Zak chuckled as I stood by the SUV ready to leave.
"Yeah, come on, lets go. The sooner we are there-"
"The sooner we can get back to bed." He whispered into my ear.
"The sooner I can find out information hunny. Besides, you haven't got the stamina." I retorted knowing that it would get under his skin.
"I've been in the rodeo a long time." He hushed pulling me into his side and nuzzling into my neck making me smile.
"And you're still riding a pony." I teased.
A yelp left my lips as he bit my neck, I slapped his arm and pulled away with a sad face "That one hurt."
"I'm sorry baby." He apologised, but the twinkle in his eye said different.
"Lucky I love you."
He sighed resting his forehead against mine "Love you also. You gonna follow my orders when we get there?"
"Don't I always?" I countered.
"Not all the time... You need help, ask. Billy and Jay are there already. They flew in and headed straight over there. Bacon is coming with us, to help you. Okay?"
"Put each other down!" Bacon hooted making me grin and step out of Zak's arms.
But his large hand grabbed the scruff of my jacket and pulled me into him giving me a hard kiss he let go, leaving me a little breathless.
"Get in." Zak whispered, as he got in I slapped his butt and shot into the car so he couldn't return the favour.
The drive to the mansion was an update time, Zak went over bits of information as well as inform us we had a few extra people helping us out. But he wouldn't say who.
The suspense!
Pulling up outside, I pasted myself to the window looking at it.
"How can this place be so... So beautiful and be so dark?" I asked.
"Sometimes, the beauty is to hide the horror." Aaron replied. That thought settled into my mind as we got out.
The Hodel Mansion is where Dr George Hodel tortured and killed Elizabeth Short, according to his son. Aaron's comment played over in my mind, closing my eyes I tried to imagine what it would have been like back at that time.
A house like this, a name such as a Doctor was highly respected, if single women would have tried to land him as a husband. However they got a monster instead..
I'd read information that she was here or reportedly missing for 6 days before her body was found. Was she here for those 6 days being tortured?
My mind plucked the image of the ligature marks on her ankles and wrists. The once black bouncy curls were matts, her flawless facial skin hacked at cruelly to disfigure her.
I gasped and shot away from fingers that went around my neck, spinning I found Zak looking at me alarmed.
"Jesus.." I breathed holding my chest to make sure my heart didn't escape my rib cage.
"Are you okay? I was just checking you're wearing a rosary?" He asked looking concerned. I nodded pulling it out with the talisman Aaron gave me earlier.
"Good... You keep it on and if you can help it. Don't touch anything, this is unfamiliar ground."
"Zak it's impossible for me to do my job if I can't touch things." I explained.
"Well... Just don't tap into anything unnecessary."
I frowned not understanding what he was going on about.
"He means try not to overwhelm yourself with whatever you're feeling. Doesn't take a genius to work out you're already opening yourself up." Aaron answered making me look at Zak.
"I- sorry. Sorry you're right." I nodded clearing my mind. I moved the talisman on my chest with a little frown.
"Burning?" He asked making me nod.
"Yeah, how did you know that?"
"Mine did too, you're holding negative energy, my advice? Let it go before we head inside, otherwise you might bring home more than Zak and dirty washing."
Before I could answer Zak dragged me away and put me around the side of the car.
"Clear your mind." He ordered.
"H-how?"
"Like how we meditate, go somewhere calm in your mind, clear it."
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply before I found myself on a beach, the waves lapping the shore gently, the sun setting and sand under my feet.
Feeling calm, I opened my eyes to see a small smile on Zak's lips. "Please take time out when you need." Placing a kiss on my forehead we went back to work.
*********
I stood in the corner of the room quietly behind the cameras watching Zak. I couldn't help feel a sense of pride when I saw him working, this job was made for him as he started off his interview with Steve Hodel, Dr George Hodel's son.
"You have been an investigator in law enforcement for how many years?" Zak asked.
"I was 24 with LAPD, 18 with homicide." He answered.
"You have a lot of information about this murder case, to speculate that your father, Dr George Hodel. Tortured and killed Elizabeth Short, in this house."
"I do absolutely and the evidence that been accumulated over the years proves it. This was our home, we lived here from 1945-1950. I've written books on the subject over the last 15 years and we've now been able to establish that this was the original crime scene." Steve replied.
"And do you believe that there were others that were tortured and killed in this house?"
"Yes. We have 9 women that present serial type killings in the 1940s. 3 - 4 of which I believed to have happened at the mansion."
"Talk me through the details of how Elizabeth Short was killed?" Zak asked as they took a seat.
"They estimate around a 4 hour torture, she was probably drugged, tied up. She has ligature marks on he hands and feet, her mouth was nearly cut ear to ear. And then ultimately her body was surgically bisected."
"Where in this house do you think she was tortured Steve?" Zak asked.
"LAPD suspected back then that she was bisected in a tub. The reason that they knew it was a skilled surgeon was the fact the operation was taught in the 1930's. Called a Hemicorporectomy and you have to go between the second and third lumbar vertebrae and it's the only way you can divide the body without going using a saw to go through bone. The detectives in 1947 had no doubt it was a skilled surgeon." He explained.
Zak looked down at his hands which he had held close together, "So your father killed the Black Dahlia."
"There's no question, it's without reasonable doubt that's why it makes it one of LAs most horrific homicides."
"Was he arrested?"
"He was about to be arrested but he fled." He replied.
Coward.
"He was tried for incest with his daughter Tamar in 1949."
"Your sister?"
"My half sister, Tamar. Yeah. She was 14."
Sick bastard...
I cranked my head away taking a step back feeling anger push up into my body. It felt like serious heartburn that I pressed my hand to my chest to relieve it.
"Shortcake?" Bacon whispered gently.
"I'm okay." I answered quietly.
"Tamar had an experience here.. is that right?" Zak asked pushing his fingers to his lips in concentration.
"The house had been vacant in 60-70's when Tamar broke in the house to revisit and she was in the basement. And she related an incident where she saw an apparition of a woman. She didn't think it was Elizabeth Short but she did think it was someone else. I believe that there were 3 -4 women murdered in this house." He answered causing Zak to shake his head in disgust.
As Zak wrapped up Steve's interview, Fauna Hodel arrived, Tamar's daughter.
"Hey." Zak whispered making me look up at him.
"What happened?" He asked pulling me away with my hand gently.
"Huh?"
"Back there."
I shook it off "Nothing. I'm fine."
"I can tell when you lie. So don't lie to my face." He answered making me swallow.
"Okay, I felt a surge of aggression, it came up in my chest, it was like heart burn but.."
"But what?"
"But it felt like I wanted to explode with rage. I'm okay now, it's passed."
"Take a break." He ordered.
"Wh-what?"
"Take a break. You can come back in after this second interview. Bacon, you stay with her outside until I have finished."
"Not a problem."
"W- I have a job to do." I reminded him.
"Go outside... Or I'll send you back to the hotel."
I narrowed my eyes at Zak instantly. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me." He answered holding my glare. I huffed before opening the door.
"This isn't over." I warned making him grin.
"Never is." He winked as Bacon moved us out.
I sat with Bacon outside looking at the stars before letting out a hard sigh.
"He does it because he cares." Bacon spoke making me look over at him.
"I know, I love him for it too but sometimes..."
"Sometimes you wish he didn't care?" He frowned.
"No. Just that he wasn't so protective. If I have got this whole sensitive thing going on, which by the way I'm still denying... Partly. Don't you think I should be in there learning to harness it?"
Bacon took a drag of his cigarette thinking about my question.
"Yes-"
"See!"
"But not with this location." He added making me slump. "This is pretty dark here. All contained in a mansion, that doctor was one sick guy. I can't imagine hurting anyone, let alone torturing them for 4 hours." He shuddered.
"That's because you are different, you're a gentleman. Like the rest of them in there.. Dr George Hodel has something wrong with him.."
"Mentally?" He asked.
I scoffed "He would have played that card. But no. I don't think it was medically mental. I think he did it in belief he got some higher power from it."
"What makes you say that?" Zak asked almost making me fall off the hood of the SUV.
"What?" I asked looking at him as he stepped over the wall coming to the side of the car.
"What makes you say that?" He repeated.
"I.."
"Robyn." Zak spoke moving between my knees so that I couldn't slip off the car.
"Okay.." I rubbed my face a little concerned at how bad this was going to sound.
"So I've been working on this a lot..."
"Glued to the laptop." Zak commented.
"Yes. Well, I have kind of build up a little profiling in my mind."
Zak's lips held the smirk, he found it amusing.
"What's funny about that?" I asked folding my arms.
"Babe, you're not FBI."
"Do you want to hear it or not?" I snapped.
"Dude shut up, I wanna know. Go on Robyn." Bacon encouraged.
"Okay. Well, this wasn't an impulse kill, it was never an impulse kill, I don't know about the others but the Black Dahlia one certainly wasn't. Besides looking at George Hodel, I've looked at other serial killers and killers. There's a pattern in impulse killers." I explained.
"Go on." Zak answered showing more interest even seeing a little pride in his face.
"Impulse killers, usually have some drug or alcohol abuse history. That teamed with rage is a dangerous concoction. They commit murder right? But they are sloppy, they don't cover their tracks that well. Leading to them being caught. The whole "blind rage." Scenario. After they are in shock themselves at what they have done. Maybe they felt weak but in that moment, they felt nothing but power."
"You said George wasn't an impulse killer." Zak frowned.
"He's not. This, all this is premeditated, call me mad. But remember what Aaron said? Beauty can hide the horror? Zak, George's family were living in that house around the time Elizabeth was killed. In what? 1947. Steve just told us from 1945-1950 that they lived there. George Hodel was a murderer, no doubt. But he also knew how to control what he was doing, he knew exactly what he was doing when be brought the women to the house. Impulse, it's in the word. It's quick. Watch."
I pulled Zak's phone out and tossed it to Bacon without looking causing Zak and Bacon to gasp. Bacon caught it.
"Impulse, quick, sudden, unplanned.. I knew he'd catch it. Premeditated killers plan, George had her for how long? 6 days? Tortured her for 4 hours. But here's my gripe. He drugged her. Now you can't just jab someone like they show on the movies, unless it's an epi-pen or a diabetic pen. He had to have all that medicine, needles. Then to administer the dose. You gotta put on that band, find a vein, and give the drugs. He wanted her alive, tittering between what she would have thought was death when in fact he was getting some sick amusement from it. Maybe he cut her face after, maybe he done it before, but there's also a possibility that she was alive when he started cutting her up. He's a skilled surgeon, Steve said it himself. If he wanted her dead then he would have done it within the first few hours, he would have cleared the scene and covered his tracks."
I noticed Dan had came and stood beside the SUV with his phone to his ear listening.
"All this was for control, Tamar? The incest trial, okay he was acquitted. But there's no smoke without fire. You hear about it now on the news, some sicko keeping his children as sex slaves and locking them in basements. How Fauna was named by George's instructions? It's all control, the drugs, the killing, Tamar, Fauna. Hell even being a surgeon. He used to help people, maybe even brought a few back to live, but something... Something changed in his mind and I think it was the power he felt when he did good. The euphoric feeling he got. Maybe he started as an impulse killer, but got lucky. He was never caught, it's in his soul then, that feeling of power. Like an addict he probably wanted it again, so he did it again, only this time he got better, and better and then he learnt to harness the sick kick he got by drugging his victims. "
"So if he got so good, how come he was a suspect?" Zak asked.
I smiled "The procedure he did was taught in the 1930's. Nobody fresh out of med school is allowed to cut people up. So they knew they were looking for a surgeon, with impeccable skills, older and knew the procedure well.... George Hodel. But don't forget, George was already in hot water regarding Tamar. A bit of fishing around and he found himself a prime suspect. But... Skilled surgeon, maybe dealt with the police throughout his career, a reputation with them, he made a friend. A friend who then tipped him off about him being in the frame. Which led him to flee." I finished.
I looked around at the small group who had gathered to hear my opinion. "She's right." Steve spoke.
I looked at Zak who had a twinkle in his eye making me shrug. "I am banning you from the laptop, TV. Any device other than that camera." He spoke making me giggle. "Cause that shit was weird, but so fucking clever."
"Make a hell of a police officer, you got a good mind. Homicide would be impressed." Steve smiled making me grin.
"Well she's my photographer, I don't intend on losing her." Zak spoke pulling me in closer to him.
"Now does all that seem funny?" I asked Zak as everyone went back with food for thought.
"No. But it makes me wonder what goes on in that mind of yours and if I'm going to be on your hit list."
I frowned "I don't have a hit list. I have a tap list, and I've already tapped that ass."
He laughed softly angling his head up for a kiss. "I'm taller than you." I grinned.
"I know, makes a difference than having to crouch down to your short ass height." He mumbled as I gave him a kiss.
"It's not normal being 6foot. And it's definitely not normal being so handsome."
"Talking about a murderer and now I'm handsome. Maybe you're gonna be a cannibal.." He teased.
I moved my hair to the side showing the hickey. "Vampire."
Zak moved my hair back into position and played with my rosary for a few minutes whilst in thought.
"Penny for them?"
"You wouldn't leave me... Would you?" He asked as I rubbed my eye.
"For what?"
"The law enforcement. You still got time, you heard Steve and I know you wanted to be one."
I smiled "Sure it's an interest, mainly brought on by Jim, I owe him, a lot. But I always always had a passion for these." I picked up my camera.
"My mom and dad always had one, a few happy memories were caught on one of these. Memories that I've forgotten but I've got proof, you know?"
Zak nodded understanding.
"So no, I wouldn't leave you for a second. Because my love for photography started before my dream of being a police officer. Besides only uniform I'll ever be putting on is in the bedroom." I answered wiggling my brows.
"Hmm... Now that is what I'm talking about." He grinned.
"Pervert."
"You love it." He whispered making me giggle. It wasn't long before he was called back for his third and final interview.
"Ahh. You stay." He pointed to me.
"What?!"
Zak came back just as quick, "Please stay because right now all I can think about is you in a uniform. And I can't hide everything in camera."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh." Giving me a kiss on the cheek he was gone again. Leaving me to look back up at the stars.