“Funny, you don’t look like the Three Little Pigs.”
The sound of her voice caught their attention. “Huh?” Seth said.
Billie crooked her index finger at them in a “come hither” fashion. All three children scampered to their feet and followed her back to the kitchen. She stopped just short of the mess in front of the back door. “You guys know better than this. Let’s get it cleaned up, okay?”
“Aw, Mom,” they said together as they picked up their things.
Soon the mess was organized and put away. The children dispersed to the living room to resume watching their show, and Billie went upstairs to change out of her work clothes. She met Cat coming down the stairs. She stopped her in mid-flight and, without saying a word, took Cat’s hand and led her back up the stairs to their room. She closed the door behind them.
“Is everything all right?” Cat asked.
Billie backed Cat up against the door. “Everything’s fine. I just need a little help getting out of these clothes. Know anyone who can do that for me?”
“I might.” Cat pulled her head down for a kiss.
Billie groaned as she allowed Cat’s tongue to force her lips apart for an invasive kiss before moving to her chin and ear. Billie tilted her head back to give Cat free access to her neck and willed her legs to support her as bolts of desire shot from her neck to her groin. She wrapped her arms around Cat and grasped her firm bottom to pull her in closer to her own heated center. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” she whispered.
Cat reached down and lifted Billie’s skirt. “I don’t know… Let’s see.” She pushed Billie’s panties down and slid her hand between the wet folds. Billie moaned. The invasion was sudden and deep, and Billie’s knees buckled. “Oh God.”
In one swift movement, Billie found herself swung around and trapped between the door and Cat as the invasion continued. Billie pressed her head against the door and held onto Cat’s shoulders as her body surrendered to wave after wave of convulsions, each leaving an intense feeling of warmth and lightheaded euphoria in its wake.
As the last of the tremors left her body, Billie rose back to her full height and pulled Cat close to her. “I love you, Cat. Let me show you how much.”
Just then, a knock was heard on the door behind them. “Mama?”
Billie groaned and lowered her forehead to Cat’s. “Tonight… I promise,” she whispered.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Cat said.
Chapter 11
Cat and Billie decided to treat the kids to pizza and miniature golf that night. After two complete games, they called it quits and started for the parking lot. On the way, Seth bragged about his winning scores.
“Hey, when you’re good, you’re good,” he said.
“You cheated,” Tara said.
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did not.”
“Well, I think you all cheated,” Billie said.
Cat gave her a hip check while they walked along. “You’re just mad you got the worst scores.”
“Yeah, Mommy, even I beat you and I’m just little,” Skylar said as she walked along holding Billie’s hand.
Billie leaned down and scooped her youngest child into her arms. Skylar instinctively wrapped her legs around Billie’s waist and her arms around her neck. Billie planted a loud raspberry into Skylar’s neck as the little girl giggled with glee. Addressing all of them, she said, “Well, I was at a disadvantage.”
“Oh, really?” Cat’s eyebrows raised into her hairline.
“Yes, really. Those little clubs are too short for my height.”
“Face it, Mom,” Seth said. “You just stink at miniature golf.”
“I’ll show you who stinks, young man,” Billie said as she put Skylar down and reached for him.
Seth grinned and took off at a dead run toward the car, with Billie right on his heels. Within seconds, she had him thrown across the trunk of the car and had tickled him into submission.
As Seth recovered from his torture, Cat and the girls approached them. A movement to Cat’s left caught Billie’s eye. It took a few seconds for her brain to register the car speeding toward her family.
“Look out!” she shouted.
Billie ran toward them as Cat turned to see the car bearing down on them. She grabbed the girls and thrust them toward Billie before the car clipped her on the side. Billie watched helplessly as Cat spun around and crashed to the ground while the car sped away.
“Cat! Oh my God! Seth, take the girls to the car.” Billie ran toward Cat. She reached her in seconds. “Cat, honey, are you hurt?”
Cat was conscious and lying on her side with her upper body propped up on her hands. “The girls?”
“They’re okay, thanks to you.” All three children ran to them. Skylar cried and Tara picked up stones and threw them in the direction of the car that had long sped away. Seth knelt beside Cat and took her hand.
“Seth, I told you to get the girls into the car,” Billie said.
“They wouldn’t go,” Seth said as he held Cat’s hand.
“Are you hurt?” Billie asked again.
“I don’t think so.” Cat tried to sit up but fell back and grasped her hip. “Well, maybe. Help me up.”
Billie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “Maybe I should call an ambulance.”
“No, I’m all right, I don’t think anything’s broken, just bruised. Give me a hand here.”
“Seth, get the other side,” Billie said as she offered her hand to Cat. With Seth on one side and Billie on the other, they helped her to her feet as she tested her weight on her legs. Skylar stopped crying and had wrapped herself around Cat’s waist. Billie peeled Skylar off Cat and picked her up.
Skylar rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. Billie whispered in her ear, “It’s okay, Sky… Mama will be all right, I promise.”
Between Billie and Seth, Cat was able to limp to the car and climb into the front seat. Soon the family was headed toward home. Billie glanced at Cat during the ride and noticed every bump caused her to wince in pain. “I’m taking you to the hospital, and I don’t want an argument.” She held up her hand when Cat started to interrupt. “You’re a doctor for Christ’s sake. You know you could be hurt worse than you think.”
Ten minutes later, Billie and the kids sat in the emergency room while Cat was being examined. At Billie’s request, the receptionist called the police to report the incident. The police officer was just beginning to interview Billie when Cat hobbled out of the examining room on crutches.
Billie rushed to Cat’s side and helped her to a chair.
“Mrs. Charland, is there anyone you’re currently at odds with?” the officer asked.
“I can’t think of anyone who would want to hurt me,” Cat said.
“I can,” Billie said, “but he’s in jail, so it couldn’t be him.”
“Can you tell me what type of car it was?” the officer asked.
“Yeah,” Seth said. “It was a black 2005 Buick Regal.”
The officer raised his eyebrows.
“Trust him,” Billie said. “He’s a huge race-car fan. He knows his cars.”
“Okay, then,” the officer said. “I’ll let you know if we find anything. Have a nice evening.”
“Seth, keep an eye on your sisters for me while I bring the car closer to the door, okay?” Billie said.
Seth nodded and Billie ruffled his hair. She placed a light kiss on Cat’s forehead and said, “I’ll be right back… Don’t move.”
* * *
“Okay, bed for you,” Billie said as she helped Cat hobble into the house.
“I don’t need to go to bed. I’m bruised, not sick.”
“True, but I still think you’ll be more comfortable in bed with your leg propped up.”
“Fine, but I don’t think I can maneuver the stairs. I guess it’s the guest room for me for the next few days.”
“Fair enough,” Billie said
. “Seth, do me a favor and fill the tub for your sisters’ bath while I make Mama comfortable. It’s late and you three need to get to bed.”
With baths over and children tucked into bed, Billie joined Cat in the guest room. When she entered the room, she noticed the deep frown on Cat’s face as she massaged her leg. She sat on the edge of the bed and pushed Cat’s bangs out of her eyes. “Hurts, huh?”
Cat nodded.
“I’ll get you a couple of painkillers.”
“All right.”
Billie made the rounds of the house to turn off lights and lock the doors. She took a couple of extra-strength pain relievers from the medicine cabinet. As she passed through the dark living room on the way back to the guest room, she noticed the red light blinking on the answering machine. She pushed the play button. A man’s muffled voice came over the speaker.
“Tonight’s accident was just a warning. Next time, I won’t be so easy on you. Back off.”
Billie was stunned. Back off? Back off from what? Realizing she still held Cat’s painkillers in her hand, she rushed to the guest room. She handed the pills and water to Cat and paced at the foot of the bed while she waited for Cat to take the meds.
Cat set the water glass on the nightstand and turned to Billie. “You’re pacing like a caged animal. What’s wrong?”
Billie stopped. “What happened to you tonight was no accident.”
Cat drew her brows together in a frown. “What do you mean?”
“Come with me.” Billie helped Cat to her feet and offered her arm as support while Cat hobbled beside her toward the answering machine.
“Listen to this.” Billie pushed the Play button. She could see the fear in Cat’s face.
“Who is it?” Cat asked.
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. Here, let me help you back to bed.”
Billie resumed pacing once Cat was settled in.
“What are we going to do?” Cat asked.
Billie stopped. “Where’s the letter you received in the mail?”
“You mean the one Brian sent? It’s in my purse near the telephone in the hall.”
“I’ll be right back.” A few moments later, Billie stared at the envelope as she sat on the edge of Cat’s bed. She narrowed her eyes into slits and pulled the letter out of the sleeve. She unfolded the letter and read it out loud.
“You two sick bitches disgust me. It’s a sad day when a woman needs another to find the kind of fulfillment that can only be provided by a man. I’m sure your sick kind of love is a direct result of not being able to satisfy a man. You are sorry excuses for women. You will always be the weaker sex—in every way. You are inferior. You are living in sin and raising children in an environment filled with evil lust. I’m of a mind to write a letter to the editor condemning your sick relationship. How dare you thrust your evilness upon the rest of us by changing the laws to legalize your putrid lifestyle? You deserve nothing short of death. Watch your backs and mind your own business, or you just might get what you deserve.”
Billie frowned. “Brian didn’t write this.”
“What do you mean?”
“This isn’t his handwriting.”
“Are you sure?”
“Honey, I lived with the man for three years. I’m sure. This is not his handwriting.”
“Oh God. Do you mean there’s someone out there stalking us? Billie, the kids… I…”
Billie climbed into the bed beside Cat and pulled her into her arms. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’ll think of something. First thing in the morning, I’ll see if I can put a trace on this letter to find out where it came from. I have an idea who might be behind this. I’ll investigate it as soon as I get to work tomorrow.”
“You know who’s behind it?”
“I said I have an idea. I don’t want to say anything until I’m sure. Right now, you need to sleep. How do you feel?”
“The meds are starting to kick in. The pain is still there, but manageable.”
“Good. Lie down then. Let me hold you while you sleep. I love you. I won’t let anyone harm you or our children. Trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
* * *
As soon as she got to work the next morning, Billie checked the e-mail Jimmy sent to her on Roger McBride. He was Billie’s primary suspect. The McBride case was the only one she was working on at the moment, and the warning to mind her own business was loud and clear in the letter. The file attached to the e-mail was organized in descending order, with the latest offenses listed first. The most recent entry was his arrest for spousal and child abuse, followed by several entries over the past three years for aggravated assault involving barroom confrontations. Without warning, a name jumped out at Billie and hit her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her… Brian Charland.
“Bingo,” she said out loud as she read how Brian had been a passenger in the car when McBride was issued a speeding ticket at age 16. There’s the connection, she thought. She logged off her account and grabbed her car keys. Moments later, she pointed her car in the direction of the prison. Brian had a lot of explaining to do.
An hour later, Billie sat across the table from him. She noted the long, angry scratch that ran down the left side of his face. Good girl, Cat.
“What do you want?” he asked. “You and your girlfriend have caused me enough trouble already.”
“Wife, Brian. She’s my wife.”
“You’re a sick bitch… you know that?”
“Look, I’m not here to talk about my love life. I want to know why you sent those photographs and that letter to Cat.”
“Go to hell, slut. I don’t have to answer your questions.”
“Okay. Have it your way.” Billie rose to her feet. “I’ll be back in about an hour with your mother in tow.” She started walking toward the door.
“Wait,” Brian said. “Jesus Christ. Do you have to be such a fucking bitch? She’ll rag on me until the day I die if you get her involved in this, and you know it.”
Billie walked back to the table, leaned over it, and supported her weight on her hands. “I only want answers. My family is in danger here, and I’ll do anything to protect them, including getting your mother involved. Have I made myself clear?”
“Shit.” Brian pushed his chair back violently and walked to the opposite side of the room. He ran his hand through his hair as he went. “Shit,” he said again.
“Well?”
He gestured with his hands. “All right… all right. I didn’t write the letter. Roger did. I did give him the pictures though. Actually, I had my lawyer get them from the safe deposit box and send them to Roger.”
“You kept them in a safe deposit box?”
“Of course. They needed to be where I could access them without you knowing where they were.”
“Now who’s the sick one?” Billie sat down and clasped her hands in front of her on the table. “Why did you give them to McBride?”
“With the kind of record Roger has, he’ll end up here for a very long time if you convict him of beating his wife and kid. He was desperate. When he discovered your last name was Charland, he called my parents looking for me. My mother told him where I was, so he contacted me to see if I knew you. When he found out you were my ex-wife, he asked for my help to stop you.”
“And you were oh-so-eager to help him, weren’t you?”
“Why not? You never did me any favors. In fact, I’m locked in here today because of you.”
“You’re locked in here because of your own deviant mind. You are one sick bastard. Don’t you care you’re hurting your son and daughter as well?”
“They’re not mine anymore. You saw to that when you forced me to sign the papers giving them up.”
Billie stood. “Just so you know, Cat was almost run down by a hit-and-run driver last night. I have reason to believe it was McBride. That makes you an accomplice. I’d advise you to get a life and stay out of mine from now on, or I just might decide to tell the authorities you’v
e been aiding McBride. Do I make myself clear?” Billie started to leave and stopped at the door. “And by the way, that scratch on your face… It didn’t happen, right?”
He looked at her for a long time. She stood firm, refusing to break the stalemate. Finally, he lowered his gaze and said, “Right.”
Chapter 12
Billie called Cat on the way back to the office from the prison.
“Hello?” a voice said from the other end of the phone.
“Jen?” Billie asked.
“Hey, tall, dark, and dangerous. What’s up?”
“I’m calling to see how Cat’s doing.”
“She’s being a cranky bitch. How do you put up with her anyway?”
“I figured she might be. Are the kids driving her nuts?”
“No. The kids have been good. They’re all in the family room playing. She’s just tired of being stuck in bed.”
“Did she tell you what happened yesterday?”
“Yeah, she did. It’s kind of scary. That’s why the kids are downstairs and not outside. She didn’t want them out in the open.”
“Good move. I’m hoping it won’t be for long. I’m on to a lead I think will solve the problem. I just called to tell Cat about it. Is she asleep?”
“Hell, no. She’s in the guest room plotting ways to make us all as miserable as she is. Hold on while I get her for you.”
A few moments later, Billie heard the click of the phone.
“Billie?”
“Hi, love. I just called to see how you’re doing and to give you some news.”
“How am I? I’m going out of my mind. I hate this. Christ, I can’t even go pee without help.”
“You need help to pee?” Billie said, chuckling.
“It isn’t funny.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I called to tell you I’ve confirmed who the stalker is.”
“Who?”
“Roger McBride.”
“McBride. Isn’t he the one you’re prosecuting for beating his wife and child?”
Unchained Memories Page 8