Well, here it finally is- the second Dave and Tanya Lynn story. Sorry for the long wait, but I have been spending a lot of time figuring out how much of me Tanya Lynn is, and it is still ongoing. This will probably be reflected in the story. If you have not yet read the first story, Murder in Pink, I suggest you do so, as I will go with the assumption that the reader is familiar with all of the characters introduced there. This story is somewhat like that one in that it has a predetermined beginning and end, but will play out as it goes along and where I feel the characters are taking me. The building this is based on is a building I worked in as a security guard in Albuquerque for three years, but it was six years ago and I am sure there have been changes in security, especially post-9/11, so I don't feel I am giving away secrets. As always, helpful comments are appreciated, and I answer all comments where email is provided. This will not be a classic whodunit like the first, but again, I will end the next to last chapter with a warning that the mystery is about to be wound up and the main villain revealed. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it. Peace, Tanyalynn
Murder in House
by Tanyalynn
Cast of Characters (see previous story for regulars like Dave/Tanya, and Steve)
Bob Monroe: building manager and local real estate mogul- friend to Dave and Tanya although he doesn't know they are the same person.
Brenda Monroe: assistant and wife to Bob and head of leasing and company that does cleaning in building.
Barbara Davis: building management secretary and as might be expected, the one who is really in the know of what is happening most of the time.
Tom Paulson- building maintenance man
Frank Martinez: head of cleaning crew and poker playing buddy of Dave's
Chico Padilla: proprietor of store in building lobby
Mike Thomas- site supervisor of National Protection Services, providers of building security guards
Dan O'Rourke- weekend night security guard
Cathy Taylor- weekend days security guard
Mark Johnson: head of renovations to offices on 14th floor.
Various office building inhabitants
Well, it was the next day. I woke up in Tanya's apartment to find Steve gone. We had made out for a while, but neither one of us felt comfortable enough to take it further for now. I knew it was time for Dave to put in an appearance for a while and went to the office and switched over to him. I felt strange removing my breastforms and vagina, as I had spent more time as Tanya than I had in a while and gone through a lot. I had my regular security meeting with the building management that morning and dressed in a rare jacket and tie. I walked into the management office, which took up most of the first floor and said hi to Barb, the secretary, and walked back to the conference room. Barb called the day security guard to watch the phone and came back and joined us. Tom, Bob, Brenda, and Mike, the site supervisor were already there. They all asked how my trip had been, since this was my cover for my absence during the prolonged events in Murder in Pink, and I said fine.
I guess at this point, I should talk about the building itself. It is an eighteen story building in downtown Albuquerque. The second through sixth floors are a parking garage. I kept my own car on the fourth floor. I had been a tenant there since I had left the police to become a private eye a few years ago. After some observation of daily goings on at the building had helped them to nail a thief, I had been asked to consult on security. The building was made up of offices with lawyers and consulting firms and government offices. I consulted with the management and also did periodic surprise checks on the security guards at night and on the weekends.
One of the main subjects of today's meeting was the promotion of the site supervisor. He was becoming assistant manager of his company's Albuquerque office and we would need someone else. I said that I recommended Cathy, the weekend day guard. She was very familiar with the building and popular with the tenants. There were almost no preventable problems on her shift. The only possible conflict was that her live-in boyfriend Dan was the weekend night's guard and would have to work under her. I felt that this wouldn't be a problem as they were a good couple and not the type to get hung up on it. It was decided that I would come in on Sunday afternoon and talk to her about it.
We then took care of other building business and then Bob invited me to the Cattleman's Club for lunch. This was the place in town, so I never turned down an invitation to lunch. The only aggravation was that it was a men's club, so I couldn't go as Tanya unescorted. I had thought of a lawsuit, but it wasn't worth it. After a thick steak, we got down to our other business. Bob was the head of a group that was bringing a collection of priceless papers from the founding fathers of our country to town. Like me, he was very conservative and believed that they showed that our government was never meant to get so big and powerful and controlling so much of our lives and these papers would help bear it out. They would come downtown to the convention center in a specially disguised armored van. We discussed alternate routes for it and then went back to the office. I went upstairs and said hello to my secretary and went into my office. I checked my mail and then went into the room between Tanya's office and mine and into hers. I wasn't staying long, so I didn't change. After checking her mail, I went out to meet with a couple of potential clients and then went home.
I was cooking dinner for my girlfriend, and knew I would have to deal with the potential intimacy that was developing between Steve and me (as Tanya). I think the fact that I made Italian, her favorite, which made her suspicious. She asked, "alright, what's wrong" and I told her as I finished cooking and she made a salad. I told her all of it, including the rape. She was rather quiet during dinner and then said, "I always thought I could deal with your dual identity, but now I don't know." She thanked me for dinner and left with only a kiss. I knew she was in shock, so I let her go. I curled up with my brand new copy of James Patterson's "The Big Bad Wolf" and read until I went to sleep. In the morning, on Saturday, I went to meet a friend of mine at Golden Corral for breakfast. It was a long tradition, back to when it was all we could afford. I then went to the airport to meet the plane carrying the papers, only to learn that they were delayed until tomorrow afternoon. I was annoyed and decided to take the Tramway to the top of Sandia Peak and hiked around for the day. I decided to spend the night reading again after a good supper at Anita's, and went to bed. I woke up in the morning and got the Sunday paper and went to breakfast. I cleaned up my apartment and read all day until it was time to go to the airport. I showered and put on a suit and went to meet the plane and the armored van.
At first, things went off without a hitch, but then there were problems. The van was a little late. There was also something about it that bothered me, but I couldn't figure out what. Bob and I would follow the van in his black SUV. It all seemed to be going ok until we were downtown. At the corner of Lomas and Edith, a car came screaming out of a side street and hit us just behind the back door on my side. I knew they had been aiming at my door, but Bob had seen them coming and floored the accelerator. I shook off the shock and when I saw three men getting out of the car with guns, managed to get out my pistol and deflated the airbag with one bullet and Bob's with another. We had shot together, and he had been in Nam, so I tossed him a hideout gun I had as we dove out of the truck on his side. We made short work of the three men, who were out in the open and expecting us to be helpless. I immediately called for help, and when the cops arrived, we immediately started a search of downtown for the van. The problem was, on Sunday, there are few people around. A complete search of the area yielded nothing. Then, my pager went off. It was the number for the office building security with a 911 next to it. I remembered I was supposed to talk to Cathy about the supervisor's job and had forgotten it. I rushed over there, hoping nothing was wrong and found her boyfriend Dan there, and in shock. Steve was also there. He had been just about to come help with the search for the van when this call came in. a tenant had been on his way out of the garage and had been looking for Cathy to open the door when he found her. As I looked at her lying on the floor of the vacant office on the first floor, with her uniform torn off and hands tied behind her, I swore I would find her killer.
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