Page 80 of Triggered By Love
“Do we have the contents of the trash bag as evidence?”
“What for?” Blade asked. “You know how many people are mugged in that neighborhood? We don’t do a full investigation for every assault.”
“Thanks,” Jason said. Whether Blade thought so or not, he was going to assume Ivanna’s attack was related to the work she was doing for Avery.
He put his lead foot to good use and sped toward New York City. He’d skip the hospital for now. Ivanna and her family needed time together, and he was sure Avery would get an update once there was any news.
After pulling halfway up the curb near the brownstone, Jason buzzed the supervisor and showed him his badge. He was quickly let into Ivanna’s apartment.
The supervisor followed him in. “Miss Chu never had any bad habits. I’m sure she’s not on drugs.”
“She’s injured badly,” Jason said. “Let’s pray she’s okay, or this might turn into a murder investigation.”
“That’s horrible. This apartment is safe. Very safe.” The supervisor took off his mesh baseball cap and wiped his forehead.
He waited quietly while Jason examined the cramped apartment. Strings of beads hung from mug hooks underneath the cabinets, and glitzy pieces of fabrics and material were arranged in an organized manner over a worktable.
The sewing machine in the corner had a headband with scraps of fur attached to it. A leather cuff was studded with bits of bone and metal spikes interspersed by fishbones.
A set of two metallic sleeves hung from the bedpost. They were made of a mesh of anodized aluminum scales knitted together with yarn.
A headdress consisting of a band made with tubular beads featured a row of spiked quills over the top and tufts of feathers on the sides.
“These are interesting,” Jason said. “Is Miss Chu into theater of some type?”
“Maybe. She’s an artist and does a lot of props.”
“Can you describe any visitors or friends?”
The supervisor shrugged. “She has two sisters and a mother. A few friends.”
“Any boyfriends?” Jason walked toward a covered easel in the corner of the bedroom. He lifted the cloth. “Like him?”
The man gaped at the unfinished painting of the nude male. “Maybe, but I really don’t know.”
Jason took a picture of the man in the painting. He had a slim, athletic build, with a straight, well-balanced nose, long stringy hair, and tanned skin. The painting was unfinished, and there were several areas that looked like it had been painted over.
After flipping through the mail on Ivanna’s sewing desk, Jason asked to see the trash area.
“Usually, our residents throw their trash down these chutes,” the super said in an apologetic tone. “But someone stuffed sofa cushions down the chute, and we haven’t had a chance to fish them out so we padlocked them.”
“She went down these steps in the back,” Jason said, going down the metal staircase to the alley.
“Yes, there’s the dumpster near where she was found.”
“Any idea where her trash bag landed?” Jason put on gloves and took out an evidence bag.
“It could be anywhere. The policeman threw it back in.”
The super didn’t leave his side as he fished through the dumpster, checking each plastic bag until he found one with Ivanna’s junk mail.
His heart beat excitedly, but he appeared casual as he put the entire bag into a sealed evidence bag and hopped the low wall separating the alleyway from the street.
“You ought to put a gate here,” he called back to the supervisor. “Make it safe. Real safe.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Avery paced backand forth inside the apartment she’d considered her home. When she first moved into the Melbourne Building, she’d loved the high ceilings, the detailed crown moldings, and wainscoting on the wall. She’d admired the old-world style of the fixtures and window frames.
