Rain Shadows

By Victor A. Ayala

Anna a pretty young teenager, had taken the time from her high school studies to take her seven-year old sister out for a walk in the rain. Darkness came early in the wintertime and the girls were playing in the rain puddles when a car hurdled through the darkness and rain and struck Anna.  It was first thought that Anna was killed by a hit and run driver, but maybe she wasn't.  As the investigation into her death proceeded, there was found to be more to it then at first concluded

• Language: English
• Publisher: Victor A. Ayala
• Release date: Oct 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781539711919

Book preview

Chapter One

It was a glorious day in the City of Angels, better known to many as Los Angeles.  A rain shower was washing the city streets and walkways clean.  Residents of all ages were out of their houses choosing to walk to the corner grocery stores instead of opting for their normal means of transportation, the automobile.  Seniors were strolling with neighbors they had not talked to for weeks, pre-teens were bare headed and without jackets, teens were seeking out others who could be coaxed out of their homes to meander about without a destination in mind.  Angelinos did not have many days of cleansing rain to enjoy each year.  Those remaining months of 1972 would have many rainy days.

Anna Leal, a pretty young teenager, had taken the time from her high school studies to take her seven-year old sister, Tina, for an adventure in the rain.  She had wisely demanded that Tina wear her calf high rubber boots, knowing puddles of water and running rain had to be run through and jumped in. Anna, unplanned or planned, had run into friends while on her and Tina’s adventure. Discussions of importance took a back seat because each of them had to inform the others of the latest gossip. The darkness of evening was upon them and the city street lights were beginning to light their way home through the rain shadows created by them.  Tina had not tired of placing one foot on the street curb and with her other foot skipping along in the rain water of the gutter.  Anna held the hand of her little sister while she walked on the grass between the sidewalk and the concrete curb.  They performed a sort of herky-jerky performance while moving along the street.  The two sisters were having a great time, laughing as Tina tried her best to splash her big sister with the stomping of the rain water.

Neither of the sisters heard the car that was slowly coming up behind them.  It was when the car accelerated quickly that both heard the roar of its engine at full throttle.  Anna, instinctively pulled Tina by her arm, lifting her as high as she could, then swinging her toward the sidewalk.  At the same time as the little girl’s forehead struck the edge of the sidewalk, the car was upon them.  It had stopped after having struck Anna.  Anna looked over at her little sister lying stunned on the grass next to the sidewalk.  She heard the car door open and watched a figure come around to the front. All she could see was a dark shadow through the crystal-like rain drops.  Anna started to ask for help for her little sister, but then recognized the figure and said, It’s you....!  Anna was unable to utter any other words before the object held in the hand of the figure struck her.  She never felt the other blows, or the gentle rain drops to her face as she lay on the wet grass next to her little sister who was now beginning rise up.

Across the street from where Anna lay, an elderly lady had been admiring the first rain shower of the year. She smiled as she watched a young girl holding another by the hand as they both enjoyed the rain shower by frolicking in its water which now ran speedily down the street.  The senior’s heart seemed to stop as she watched a car jump the curb behind the two girls.  It appeared the car had run them down.  She was frozen in place by the scene which was unfolding in front of her. A lone figure exited the car which blocked her view of the two girls.  A short time had elapsed as the driver disappeared into the shadows of the rain and behind the hood of the car, before reappearing a minute or two later. She watched the dark figure climb behind the steering wheel and haphazardly maneuver the car back onto the street. A distance of about one hundred feet had been covered before the car and driver disappeared into a curtain of rain.  Turning back to the scene of where the two girls had been seen last, the elderly lady was now able to make out the figure of the little girl.  She was standing by the prone body of the older girl.  Still frozen in place, the senior was finally jolted out of her trance when the little girl began to scream.

A scream of pain and fear was the first indication to others that the evening’s serenity had been shattered by a tragedy. Neighbors stepped out onto their front porches and saw the small figure of a little girl, still screaming, standing next to what appeared to be the body of a young woman.  The first neighbor lady to reach the little girl was immediately embraced by Tina.  Tina, pointing at the prone body of Anna, kept saying, My sister, my sister, help her.  The neighbor lady, still held tight by Tina, was trying to blot the dripping blood from the wound to Tina’s forehead.  It was a futile effort, the blood was mixing with the rain and Tina’s tears now that the little girl was bent over sobbing her heart out. The mixture covered most of her jacket.  Within minutes a police car arrived.  Neighbors recognized Tina and called her parents immediately.  They arrived within minutes, by that time a crowd had assembled.  One neighbor had checked Anna for any signs of life, there were none.  Tina was wrapped in a blanket and moved to the nearest front porch.  When the medics arrived one of them respectfully informed Anna’s parents that there was nothing they could do, Anna was gone.  The other medic tended to Tina’s wound before transporting her to the hospital. Anna’s father, with tears in his eyes, requested her mother accompany Tina in the ambulance while he remained with Anna.  The mother was torn between which daughter she should remain with.  She conceded with her husband’s wish and rode with her youngest to the hospital. Police requested the crowd to back away from the scene and asked someone to shelter Anna’s father in their home while they conducted their investigation and the coroner had completed his duties.  More than one of those at the scene volunteered their home as a sanctuary for Mr. Leal.

An hour or two passed before the police informed Anna’s father of what they believed had happened.  They said it appeared she was struck and killed by a Hit and Run driver.  He was told it would be best to return home and he would be informed of all details of the crime as they came to light.  Anna’s father, with a neighbor by his side, walked the block back to his family’s home. At the same time he arrived home a police car pulled into his driveway with his wife and Tina.  His emotions were torn between joy and sorrow.  His heart lifted upon seeing his youngest step out of the police car without assistance and his wife by her side. Upon entering their home, they found their other children had gathered in the living room along with many of their extended family.  Nothing was said as each was embraced by all who were there.  Dancing shadows of the outside rain had been replaced with the darkness of grief within the home of the Leal family.  Hector Leal, Anna’s oldest brother, voiced, Whoever killed my sister will pay.  His mother told him, with tears in her eyes, My son, now is not the time.  Silence enveloped the living room as each family member tried to gain some kind of solace by attempting to make sense of what had taken place that evening.

Panic was beginning to creep into the mind of the driver who had just killed Anna.  People living in the neighborhood, glanced out of their windows when they heard the roar of unrestrained loud mufflers that ebbed and flowed as the car careened from one side of their street to the other.  All the driver could think of was, what should be done next?  There was no remorse for the death of Anna.  Self-pity was the only emotion felt as the driver sped away through the rain drenched city streets.  A small strip mall was the place chosen to ditch the car.  It was driven down a narrow lane behind the mall, then parked near some commercial dumpsters.  The dumpsters helped block the car from the street view of any pedestrians who happened by that early evening, and were out to welcome the first rain showers of the season.

Calmness was beginning to replace the panic of the driver as that person exited the car.  The knit watch-cap was pulled down over the ears and the driver set off at a brisk pace toward the driver’s own car which was parked in the mall’s front lot.  The driver wanted to arrive home, before others might have questions about being away.  Still there was no remorse over the death of Anna.  She deserved to die, she was a witch, was what kept repeating itself in the mind of the driver all the way home.

The clerk of the local liquor store exited the store’s back door to dump the day’s trash.  He noticed the blue two-door hard top parked about 50 feet away from the dumpsters and thought it a little strange, but being a clerk in a liquor store he had witnessed many weird situations.  He did not give the parked car another thought as he went back to the process of closing up the liquor store for the night.  It would be in the wee hours of the morning that the parked car would cause any attention.

Police had gone from house to house on the street where Anna had died.  Several of those residents had reported they had seen and heard a blue two-door hard top leave their street at a high rate of speed creating the unmistakable sound of glass packed mufflers.  The officers knew they were searching for a young adult’s car.  It was early the next morning, about 1 a.m., that the police and firemen were called to a fire behind a strip mall about two miles from the Hit and Run crime scene.  The firefighters were able douse the fire before the car was totally engulfed in flames.  Color, make and style of the car was easily identified.  It was believed that the car involved in Anna’s death had been found.  Police detectives would confirm their suspicions the same day.  The car belonged to one Robert Lansky Jr., a seventeen-year old who lived within a few miles of where the car had been found.

Car and debris were loaded up on a truck and delivered to the police garage where what was left of the car would be gone over with a fine tooth comb.  On the morning after Anna had died the police had received a report saying Robert Lansky Jr.’s car had been stolen the evening before.  The seventeen-year old Lansky was known as Junior to his friends and family.  The detectives had arrived at the Lansky home after it had been confirmed the car was owned by Junior. The area the Lansky family lived in was considered to be upper middle class.  Junior as well as his parents were home when they came to question him.  Senior answered the door and invited the two detectives in and escorted them to the living room where his son. Junior, daughter Lea, and his wife were waiting. The interior furnishings of the home matched the upper middle class expectations of what the detectives had assumed.  Senior had been called, informing him that Junior’s, reported stolen car, had been found.  One detective observed the demeanor of the family members while the other questioned Junior.  The mother placed her hand protectively on the shoulder of her seated son.  The detectives first question was, When was the last time you saw your car?

I parked it in our driveway in front of the garage yesterday afternoon.

"When did you discover that it was missing?’

First thing this morning.

Does anybody else have keys to the car?

Only my dad and I.

Nobody else.?

No, sir.

Could I see those keys?

Senior reached into his pocket and came out empty handed. Junior looked down as he said, I have the bad habit of leaving my keys in the ignition.

I see, said the officer as he reached into his own pocket and came out with a picture of a scorched set of keys.  He asked Junior, Is this your set of keys?

Junior sheepishly answered, Yes, they look like mine.  That’s how they were able to steal my car.  Dad, I know you keep telling me to never leave my keys in the car, but it was parked right in front of our garage.

Senior, looked at his son with disgust and did not say a word.  The questioning began again as the detective changed subjects and asked, Did you leave your home at any time between parking your car last night and noticing it gone the next morning?

No, I was home all that time.

Our mechanics have told us that your car mufflers are louder than normal, is that true?

I guess so, all my friends have the same kind on their cars.

Would you have heard your car driving off?

Not if I was taking a shower or listening to music with my headphones on.

What time did you go to bed?

At about mid-night, it was right after the late show.

Okay, that’s about all the questions I have for now.  We will be getting back to you soon.  Junior’s sister spoke for the first time and said to no one specifically, Is this finally over?  No one answered her.

Nothing had been said to the Lansky family about the death of Anna Leal.  Once the detectives arrived back at their station house they typed up their report on their meeting with the Lansky’s.  Their boss was all ears as the two discussed the case with him.  Two important points stood out.  One, Junior was home, supposedly, all evening and night.  Anna died about 7:00 p.m.  Two, his keys were, supposedly, left in his car’s ignition. They asked their boss if there was sufficient evidence to arrest Junior.  The answer was an emphatic No.  They were told to find more evidence.  The two detectives hit the streets once again, hoping to turn up something that would point to Junior as the one who was driving his car when it struck Anna Leal.  Their boss told them it was a good thing they had not mentioned that Junior’s car had most likely been involved in a Hit and Run death.  A rock solid case against Junior had to be achieved before arresting him.  This would not give him time to fabricate a scenario of innocence.

They questioned those witnesses, who lived on the street, who had heard or seen something the evening Anna was killed.  They were told nothing new.  They had no choice but to question one witness who was yet to be interrogated and that was Anna’s seven-year old sister, Tina.  Tina had spent only a few hours in the emergency room while her scalp wound was attended to.  Her parents were told by the E.R. doctor that Tina might need a few days to remember all that had happened.  After returning home with Tina, the police phoned and  Tina’s parents were asked if they could ask Tina a few questions in their presence.  Her father asked them, Will it help them find out who killed our daughter, Anna?

We certainly hope so.

"Then I speak for my wife and me, the answer is