Bad Advice

by S M Mala

  The hairs stood on the back of his neck when he saw how many of them called her obscene names, wanted her to catch a terminal sexual disease not to mention illness. What really upset him the most are the ones that wished she would die a painful and violent death involving some sort of sex act.

  Scottie glanced up as she dispensed ice into his glass while he continued to read. He quickly blocked copied and forwarded to his email address before deleting it from her ‘sent’ box.

  ‘Whiskey doesn’t really appeal to me, unless it’s in an Irish coffee,’ Ruby said loudly.

  Getting up quickly, he walked towards her as she handed him the drink.

  ‘Thank you.’ Taking a quick sip, he grinned at her pouring out a glass of wine. ‘I know you don’t want me to say it but some of those emails aren’t really very nice.’

  ‘I know,’ she sighed and took a sip of her drink, putting the glass down and moving closer.

  Ruby shoved her hands under his t-shirt and he closed his eyes, feeling her stroke his skin. Slowly she pushed up his top until it was off. Then she started to place little kisses on his chest, licking around his nipples before gently biting them.

  ‘You’re not going to distract me,’ groaned Scottie, wanting to take her straight to bed.

  ‘Good.’

  Ruby started to kiss down his stomach. He took a sip of his scotch and felt a warm embrace inside as well as outside when she got to his fly, undoing the buttons and putting her mouth firmly at the end. Then she sunk to her knees.

  ‘Oh fuck!’ he heard her say, seeing she was wincing in pain.

  ‘Let me-.’

  ‘No, I’m fine.’

  As much as he was enjoying her blow job, Scottie could tell she wasn’t comfortable but her mouth started to work wonders.

  ‘Let’s go to bed,’ he whispered.

  Looking down, he could see she was trying to stand. He instantly wanted to help her.

  ‘I’m perfectly capable of getting up onto my own two feet.’

  Ruby crawled towards the cabinet and yanked herself up, flashing him a bright smile. He watched her take off her trousers and then vest. It was when she started to go towards the stairs, she was hobbling worse than before.

  ‘Don’t say a word,’ she said seriously. ‘I’m trying to be sexy and ignore the limp.’

  ‘Fine by me,’ he grinned and looked down at his dick which was standing to attention. ‘This certainly isn’t going limp.’

  At a snail’s pace, she managed to get to the stairs and then bent her knee to mount the first step. That’s when he tried not to laugh at her wincing in pain. Scottie knocked back his whiskey, took off all his clothes and went closer. Ruby decided to use the railing to go up, one stair at a time.

  Letting her manoeuvre, he watched her get to the top, looking completely exhausted, then flung her head back in triumph. Step by step, he got closer and when he got close enough, he put his hand out to stroke her face.

  ‘Enough with your temptress technique. Those sexy little plasters on your knees are turning me on. Let me take you to bed and kiss you better,’ Scottie grinned, leaning forward and undoing her bra then caressing a breast in his hand, sucking gently on the nipple.

  Ruby rubbed his head with her hand as he scooped her in his arms and took her into the bedroom.

  ‘You’re only doing this because you know it’ll take me another fifteen minutes to get to bed.’

  ‘That’s true,’ he grinned and gently lay her down, pulling off her knickers.

  For a moment, he took in the sight and wanted to make love to her all night then he glanced at her knees. It was only a couple of days ago she’d been hurt and he couldn’t shake off the words in the email.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked as he let out a deep sigh. ‘You look a little peed off.’

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘I’m waiting for some hot loving from the copper who sorted out my car. Thank you for arranging to get the new glass fitted.’

  ‘I’m good like that.’

  He leaned down and kissed her lips gently, feeling her hand pull the back of his neck. Scottie moved closer until he lay on top. Ruby was running her hands up and down his back, squeezing his bottom as their tongues were entwined. His hands started to caress and stroke her body, his mouth travelling all over her neck until he sucked on each of her breasts.

  There was a low groan. He looked up and her head was thrown back. Very carefully he touched her stomach then reached for her pubic bone, stroking the fine hair and holding her crotch in his palm. Squeezing gently, he started to massage her lips and slipped a finger in as she clenched it with her hole.

  There was no doubt she was ready but he wanted to make her come. He circled her nub, feeling the wet moisture coming from her and started to rub her off slowly.

  ‘That’s good,’ she moaned then his face met hers and he pushed his tongue into her mouth, all the while picking up speed.

  Using two fingers to rub her off, he stopped when she was on the edge, pushing them inside, stretching her. After three times he decided to make her come so pushed hard on her nub, rubbing until he watched her close her eye, arching her spine.

  ‘Oh god!’ she screamed out, her hips moving frantically with his fingers.

  She shook underneath him, trying to gulp for air.

  Scottie shoved himself inside as she gasped again. He started to make love. She opened her eyes. He stroked her face while balancing on his other arm, his mouth sucking and pulling on her bullet hard nipples. Then he leaned back taking each of his palms and pulling her inner thighs taut, humping her hard and fast, hearing her juices squelch while watching her breasts bounce to his rhythm.

  It took a matter of seconds until he felt his orgasm shoot through him and he came with a loud and deep groan, but still he kept pumping away until he gently flopped.

  ‘That was good,’ Ruby whispered, pulling his face towards hers as she kissed his lips. ‘I love having sex with you Scottie, do you know that?’

  ‘That’s good because you’re going to be doing that for a long, long time.’

  Suddenly something twisted hard in his gut.

  The fear that Ruby might be the next victim.

  Eighty three

  As she opened her eyes, there was no Scottie. The only evidence he had been in the bed was the dent in the mattress and pillow plus the room reeked of sex. Ruby let out a happy sigh then remembered it was the funeral of Chonika and felt sick.

  Something started to rise in her throat. She breathed through her nausea and slowly got up.

  Showering and putting on his bath robe, which smelt of Scottie, Ruby slowly descended the stairs. Her knees were less sore but the skin was healing up and it pulled. Knowing he’d gone to the gym, Ruby walked to the kitchen and smiled.

  Scottie had cut a heart out of a slice of bread and left it by the side.

  ‘Romantic copper,’ Ruby whispered, making a cup of tea and toasted her love gift.

  It looked like it was going to be a nice day. She called Hugh.

  ‘Hello,’ he said, answering immediately. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘I’m at a friend’s house and it’s perfectly-.’

  ‘Which friend?’

  She noticed the accusation in his tone and knew something was bugging him.

  ‘Why do you want to know? I rang to speak to my son,’ she quickly replied. ‘I’m not in the mood to play games so let me talk to Theo.’

  ‘That Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Scott, you never told me he was good friends with Sebastian.’

  ‘What’s that got to do with anything? Anyway, you’re the shit hot journalist so I thought you’d have picked up on it.’ Ruby let out a disgruntled sigh. ‘Can I speak to my son?’

  ‘What’s going on with you and him? Don’t think I didn’t notice the way he was looking at you,’ Hugh hissed.

  ‘Good!’ she laughed. ‘I love the idea he might have been ey
eing me up. Let me speak to Theo. I’m not in the mood for one of your jealous spats.’

  ‘I’m not jealous!’

  ‘Then keep your nose out of it,’ Ruby said quietly. ‘What I do is nothing to do with

  you.’

  ‘You’ll find it is. Theo!’ he bellowed. ‘It’s your mother.’

  In the background, she could hear her son walking towards the phone.

  ‘Hi mum!’ he said a bit too cheerfully.

  ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m just going to my room, dad,’ her son replied and she knew something was up.

  ‘Did you say anything to your dad about Scottie?’ she calmly asked. ‘I won’t be mad if you did.’

  ‘He kept asking me questions,’ he whispered. ‘About him and if he’d been round before. I said he had been with that woman, the one you don’t like.’

  ‘Anything else you care to add?’

  The silence on the other end of the phone spoke volumes.

  ‘Listen Theo, I’m not mad it’s just that woman, the one I don’t like, she’s Scottie’s boss and she’s not going to be happy we’re going out with each other. We were trying to keep it secret but, hey, I don’t mind people knowing. It’s just Helen Trott might not be too happy.’

  ‘Dad was talking to someone called ‘Helen’ last night,’ her son chirped up. ‘Do you think he told her?’

  ‘You know what? I’ll find out soon enough.’

  After chatting to Theo for another forty five seconds and realising he’d rather get ready for school, she waited for Scottie to come back.

  The door was flung open and he stood there, panting and sweating. She wanted to laugh at how red his face was.

  ‘You must really like exercise,’ she laughed. His smile lit up the room within a second. ‘And you must change your sheets. I’ll do it when we get back.’

  ‘You’re a sight for sore eyes,’ Scottie gulped, walking closer to her and took off his t-shirt, wiping his face before kissing her. ‘And you smell good.’

  ‘Which you don’t,’ she lied, inhaling his very manly fragrance. ‘Go and get showered then I’ll make us some breakfast.’

  ‘I have to go straight in. I’ve arranged for a cab to pick you up and go to the cemetery. Larry will take you to Diane’s. I’ll meet you later.’

  ‘I think you need to know something,’ she grimaced, looking into his bright blue eyes. ‘Hugh knows about us, mainly due to being a suspicious fucker that he is and Theo let something slip. The ex might have told Helen Trott last night that something’s going on. I’m not sure but Theo thought he was speaking to her.’

  Her heart wrenched for him as his face screwed up in pain.

  Ruby knew it was worse for him than her.

  ‘You know I love you very much,’ she said gently. ‘But don’t put your career on the line for me. If she goes ballistic then take it all in, say it’s a fling or something. She’ll understand that and-.’

  ‘It’s not and there’s no point lying. If she asks me, I’ll tell her,’ he said quietly and Ruby could see he was worried. ‘What else can I do?’

  ‘We could keep it secret as we have done and play it down,’ Ruby replied then felt a little bit sick as her toast began to rise in her throat. ‘I don’t want any hassle, not right now.’

  ‘The most important thing to me is that you’re safe,’ Scottie said in all seriousness. ‘We’ve not really spoken about what happened on Tuesday. It was done to scare you and it worked. I’m worried you might be a target and, to me, the priority is to make sure no one hurts you or anyone.’

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded, knowing he was right and was only speaking the truth.

  ‘What do you think I should do?’ Ruby asked, looking straight up at him. ‘I’ll listen to you.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Scottie replied, shaking his head. ‘I’ve got to figure this all out and I know the answer is staring me straight in the face, it’s just working out the riddle.’

  ‘I think it’s a Samaritan,’ she said loudly. ‘The victims would have known them and that’s why they let them in. And with Chonika, considering they didn’t leave the message on her lips, I think that was an accident. Maybe they thought it was someone else and did the deed before realising the mistake and-.’

  ‘But who were they intending to kill?’

  Ruby sat on the sofa and wondered if it was supposed to be her and realised Scottie was thinking the same thing.

  The congregation was extremely large in the church and there were press everywhere. She managed to track down Diane and Annette, noticing the television news camera crews.

  ‘This place is heaving,’ she said, looking at the African contingency all dressed in their finery. ‘Her family have done her proud.’

  But nothing could disguise the anguish of their pain from anyone.

  After kissing and hugging her colleagues, she stood next to Annette and managed to get squashed by the side.

  ‘Are you okay?’ she whispered to the older lady. ‘Was anything damaged in the attack?’

  ‘Just the window, nothing extensive,’ she sighed wearily. ‘Have you heard about Mick?’

  ‘What? He got punched or something? Wish it was me.’

  ‘You might want to punch him when you hear what he’s done. That little bastard has only gone and sold his story to the newspapers. Spouting out how he could have been the potential next victim and saying about his assault,’ she hissed, shaking her head furiously. ‘After all the things he said about you, he’s making money out of this! He’s an absolute little shit!’

  ‘What paper?’ Ruby asked, knowing the answer as soon as Annette frowned. ‘My ex-husband’s?’

  ‘Yes and Ruby? I know you were terrorised on Tuesday. I hear the police were crawling all over the car park. Are you alright? You look a little peaky.’

  ‘Just grazed my hands and knees nothing more. Some people are just idiots.’

  ‘Be careful,’ she said, squeezing Ruby’s arm tightly. ‘This has all taken an unexpected turn for the worse.’

  The sobs were loud throughout the service and Ruby couldn’t hold back her tears. There was a picture of Chonika looking so beautiful on the coffin. That made everything feel a little bit more pronounced and the situation real.

  As they followed the procession to the burial site, she noticed Scottie standing next to Helen Trott. They were keeping in the background but she was gobsmacked by how handsome he looked. The man was radiating an incredible glow.

  Diverting her eyes, she focussed on the pebbles on the path, standing near Diane.

  Ruby put her head up to see many people gathered around the hole and felt an unbearable sadness for something that was so wrong. To take an innocent life.

  Glancing over, she noticed Annette was weeping into Gary’s chest. Diane’s face was awash with tears.

  All Ruby wanted to do was run as far as she could to forget about what was going on. Then, by accident, she caught Helen Trott’s eye. The look could have immediately put her into the same grave as Chonika.

  She recognised that expression so well and wanted to laugh then she caught Scottie looking at her.

  There was a strong spasm in her chest and for a moment Ruby couldn’t breathe.

  It felt like happiness and nausea combined.

  In all this mess, she was hopelessly in love with the man in the shiny uniform who was trying not to smile. Helen Trott turned her head to look at Scottie, who had diverted his eyes and was staring at Diane.

  The whole thing was a farce.

  And she desperately wanted to know what Scottie was going to do.

  If anything at all.

  Eighty four

  ‘It’s got to be a Samaritan, or someone who knows them,’ Scottie said an hour later, back in the office as Dave ate a sandwich.

  ‘That’s a large link there.’

  ‘Have we checked if they emailed anyone, called certain people? Did anyone contact them to meet up? I don’t think we’ve dug deep enough
. And Chonika? I think that was a genuine mistake and they were aiming for someone else.’

  ‘Like who?’

  ‘One of the others who work at that branch,’ he replied and gulped hard.

  Dave stopped eating and looked at him, taking a sip of his caffeine laden energy drink.

  ‘Are you worried about one person in particular?’ asked Dave, looking sympathetically at him. ‘If you’re involved with her you can’t continue on the case and, being that your cousin works there too, I’m surprised you haven’t been pulled off.’

  Scottie took off his jacket and loosened his tie. He sat down and picked up his sandwich.

  ‘And mate, that incident on Tuesday with Ruby Marquis and not letting Commander Trott know, that’s only going to make things worse. If she is an intended victim then we need to protect her.’

  ‘I am protecting her.’

  ‘By allowing her not to report it?’ he frowned. ‘I know she was part of the team that caused all that trouble years back. I also know who her stepfather was and her connection to the Commissioner. If she’s the real deal then you’re going to have to come clean.’

  Gulping hard on his food, Scottie knocked back some water and frowned.

  ‘You’re right,’ he sighed, putting down the sandwich and leaning back in his chair. ‘I should tell the Commissioner what’s going on and face the music.’

  ‘What are you really worried about?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know. Losing this job, colleagues turning their back on me because of who Ruby is and-.’

  ‘Blokes getting jealous you’re getting laid by a drop dead gorgeous woman? I think you can handle it.’

  ‘But Commissioner Trott? I’m not quite sure she can.’

  ‘And Ms Marquis ex-husband, Hugh Yates? You know his paper has been sniffing around and they paid that Mick Dawson for an interview which was published today. There’s big speculation that we’re not trying hard enough to find this serial killer and we’re doing lip service by parading our poster boy instead.’

  ‘He said that?’

  ‘In black and white,’ grinned Dave, eating another sandwich. ‘I think he’s got it in for you which means the big bosses are going to question everything. When they do, you’re going to have to come clean.’