Eleven Days: An Unexpected Love (55 page)

Raymond's mind
was
thinking a mile a minute. He scratched
his
head then said. "I'm going to try a theory. I want you to act out t
his
killer's movements from start to finish. Pretend you're using the Remington R700
with
a Millet TR1 scope. Show me how you
would
shoot." Raymond carefully shut the windows. He too saw the glare, but everything happened so fast he didn't have time to react. He felt some guilt as well.

Colby precisely went through all the motions as if he
was
setting up the tripod and putting the gun together, loading the bullet. Then he pretended he sat in the chair and waited for
Lana
to
make
her
appearance on the porch.
When
she
sat in the chair on the porch he set the sights, then opens the window, and shoots. The killer did do one thing
that
Raymond hoped he
would
do. It's the same thing Colby did. He took
his
gloves off to pull the trigger. Many shooters get used to shooting
with
out a glove and he hoped t
his
shooter did the same thing. Colby used
his
right hand to pretend to push the window open. Colby pushed it from the hinge side instead of opening the window from the middle. Colby grinned.

Raymond looked at Colby. "Did you touch the window?"

"No sir I did not."

"Let's get forensics here."

When forensic arrived they dusted the other side of the window, the hinge side. It looked like they got three fresh and clear fingerprints. Raymond
got
excited. "Process these immediately. And before you leave I want you to scour the grounds for anything; gum wrappers, cigarettes, candy wrappers. And you may check down the side of the far window for rope marks or anything unusual." Raymond stood there for a few minutes and looked at Colby. "Colby, I just had a thought."

"So share it." Colby
packed
up what few cases they got out of the car.

"How
could
he possibly
know
Lana
would
sit
on the porch?"

Colby thought for a minute. "If the Marshals allowed someone
that
's being protected to go outside, they
would
only allow them to walk around in the least vulnerable place. In t
his
case it's the porch."

"I agree, so don't you think it's someone who knows the routines an
d policies of the marshals? How could
t
his
hit man know what we
would
do?"

"Oh shit Raymond, you don't think a marshal or law enforcement had anything to do
with
t
his
?"

"Think about it. When we move someone in protective custody we will go miles out of our way if we think it's the best and safest route. How
would
t
his
guy know if
Lana
would
come out
and then sit on the
porch? You can see for yourself in the pictures
that
tripod
was
never moved.
It stayed in one spot from the minute he set it up
on the tripod
. The whole time it looked like he pointed it to the porch
," said Raymond.

"You're right,
that
tripod
was
locked in on the porch. To add to t
his
theory all the beach chairs are all at the opposite end of the house. Most people
would
think if
she
went outside
she
would
be sitting on one of the chairs basking in the sun. They are at the opposite end of the house. But the tripod
was
set directly at the porch and not at the beach chairs. Who do you think is involved?" Colby asked intently listening.
If the culprit
was
a marshal, he wanted the first punch.

"I'm not sure anyone is, but I'm sure whoever shot
Lana
has knowledge about the marshals. Colby don't let me forget to tell Ken so he can add
that
to
his
computer."

"I won't."

The forensic people were driving off as Colby and Raymond headed back to the house.

Chapter 35

3:20p.m.

The room
was
quiet
with
the exception of a few machines running and making a humming sound. It's amazing how all these machines could keep someone alive or at least make their quality of life better. He
was
thankful they were there to help
her
breath.

It seemed strange how t
his
little girl laying
t
here
was
nonexistent in
his
life two weeks ago. He had grown to love
her
during t
his
very short time. He couldn't wait for
her
to
open
her
eyes. H
e needed to hear
her
sweet voice again
.
"Hey baby, I hope you can hear me. I want you to get better so we can go on our trip to Hawaii. I
thought
about
us
going there for a honeymoon, and staying through next year's winter months. What do you think about
that
? We might be able to bring over our families and ge
t married on the beach
. You like the beach and the warm sand sounds pretty good right now. Honey, there is so much I don't know about you and I want to know everything, your favorite color, baseball team, your favorite food, and your favorite movie. Please wake up and tell me these things." As he gently rubbed
her
arm, he noticed a little blood on
her
fingers. He went and got a towel and cleaned around
her
arms and neck and face. He couldn't bear to see the gunshot wound,
that
would
be too much. While cleaning the neck area Mike saw the bruise from the shot went all the way up to the ear area. The pain
Lana
was
going through brought waves of guilt through
his
heart.

"One more thing honey, I want thank you for saving Joe's life.
That
's the most selfless heroic act anyone has ever done. Joe is torn up about it, but Raymond told him
that
's just how you are. He told him
that
's the mother instinct in you. I think it's your love for mankind, and your love for Joe."

Mike paced around the room about fifty times waiting and hoping. The doctor came in during
his
evening rounds. Mike asked. "How is
she
doing?"

The doctor checked the chart and gave
Lana
an examination, then smiled while answering. "I think
she
is doing better than expected. All
her
vitals are great and
her
heart is strong. There doesn't seem to be any internal bleeding and
she
seems to be doing better than I had hoped."

"So why is
she
still in a coma?"

"It is probably caused from trauma and lack of blood. If all goes well
she
should come out of
that
in a few days if not sooner. To be honest, I don't think I have ever seen someone fight so hard
to live.
Do you have any other questions?"

T
his
next question
was
n't important to him, but he wanted to know so he
would
be able to answer questions for
Lana
. "How will
her
quality of life be after t
his
?"

"The same," the doctor said as he wrote in
her
chart.

The doctor didn't understand how important
that
question
was
for Mike.
Lana
loved life and he didn't know how
she
would
cope
with
bad news. It didn't matter to him and he already reconciled
with
himself he
would
take
her
any way he could have
her
, whole or not. "
That
's such good news. I know
Lana
will be happy to hear
that
."

"
She
will have to take it easy for awhile, but then
she
can resume life like normal. We had to remove the kidney, but
she
will function just fine
with
one.
She
won't feel comfortable wearing a bikini, but
that
's minor."

Mike grinned and shook the doctor's hand. "I don't think
that
will bother
her
in the least. Thank you so much."

"You are welcome, and just let the nurses know if you need anything. I'll see you in the morning, and maybe our sleeping beauty will be awake."

"I hope so, and have a good evening."

Mike walked over to the bed and told
Lana
the good news.

Chapter 36

5:20 p.m.

Raymond
was
on
his
way back to the house and
his
phone rang. "Hey Ken what else did you find?" Raymond liked Ken's calls because every time he called he had some good and interesting news. T
his
software
would
change the way all law enforcement tracked killers.

"When will you get back?"
Ken asked.

"
In about five minutes, what do you need
?"

"I will have to show you, hurry."

He looked at Colby and said. "Hurry, Ken has something he wants to show us."

Colby pulled up so quickly when he slammed on the brakes the SUV fishtailed. The normal time from the Lighthouse to the beach house
was
about eleven minutes and Colby made it in seven.

"What so important
that
you have to show me immediately, I
was
nearly killed getting here." Ken glanced at Raymond and Colby, and Colby just smiled.

Ken turned the laptop around for Raymond to read about the new
s
himself. He glanced around the screen trying to figure out what he
was
supposed to be
reading. After looking all over the screen and he finally found what Ken wanted to show him, then he read:
After careful analysis of the data input, one suspect found in files; Angelino Marquit.

"How in the hell do you know
that
?" asked Raymond, excited they finally got a break.

"As I told you agents have been entering cases and information and fact from years of investigations and the computer analyzed all the information and it came up
with
t
his
man's name. I entered the shooting and the sperm and the airport and everything else. Angelino Marquit is the only name
that
popped up when I put in the long distance shooting. The computer looks at anyone
that
can shoot
that
distance and Angelino Marquit is the only one
that
can. Or at least the only one who can shoot
that
distance and also fit all other data entered. Raymond we are really lucky, sometimes there's several names or none." Ken
was
so proud of himself. Ken
was
grinning as he starts typing information in the computer and he then turns it around for Ken to see. "Do you want to know more?"

"Hell yes."