First Thrill

by Steve Richer

  “I had a really good time today,” Jeff regretted saying a second too late.

  She was reading Jeff’s agenda like a highway billboard. It was one thing to act friendly and cooperative in regards of a case they were both investigating, but it was quite another to volunteer to show her the sights. In her experience, guys never just wanted to show her the sights.

  “So did I.”

  It had been such a long time since Jeff had had a first date that he wasn’t too sure how to proceed. He wanted to make the relationship evolve, but had no idea how to go about it. It wasn’t sex he was interested in. He wanted to touch her hand, to feel the softness of her skin.

  He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, to smell the perfume of her neck. He wanted to kiss her. He needed to sample the nectar of her lips. He had to feel her body against his, if nothing more than for the human contact. He had to hug her and his willpower was failing him.

  “Are you going to write your article now?”

  “I’m gonna try. I’m gonna go over my notes, try to make sense of ‘em.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  If she had been aware that this was a date, a kiss, if only a peck, would be almost mandatory. All he would have to do was to lean forward and, like a dance move, she would follow his lead. But in the circumstances, any attempt would brand him a clumsy fool.

  He cursed wordlessly. I’m just a young George Costanza with hair, I’d have more of a chance with a ripe watermelon.

  She noted the hesitation in his eyes. It flattered her. He wasn’t such a bad looking guy. There was a certain charm to him, especially when it was apparent he wasn’t trying to impress her.

  She could see he desired her, but she also observed he didn’t want to impose himself on her. She saw in that the mark of a gentleman her mama had taught her about. It was certainly a change over that cheating scoundrel Willard.

  She hadn’t been with a man since she had left him six months ago and she was genuinely considering Jeff as a possible mate. She thought the way he gazed at her was sweet. Only she couldn’t compromise her inquiry by getting involved with the lead investigator. Not right now anyway.

  “Well, thanks for the tour. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  After she closed the door, he knocked himself on the forehead with his right hand; he had omitted to make new plans with her. Whispering insults directed at himself, he left the hotel.

  Bradford Harker had been lured to Ottawa by the promise of an extra hundred thousand dollars. It was definitely his last time.

  The entire operation would have netted him a round million in the end, a cool number to retire on. He was sitting in his car across the street from Jeff’s building. It was past 11:30pm and he had been there for more than an hour.

  When he first had gotten there, Harker had gone over to the building. His intention wasn’t to kill Jeff right away, but rather to inspect the edifice’s security measures.

  It would be a charm to enter. There was a single lock on the front door and there were no security cameras. There was an intercom which Harker had tried by calling an apartment at random and the sound quality was so bad that tenants buzzed visitors in without really knowing who they were. There was an elevator as well as a nearby stairwell. His mark lived on the third floor and during his visit inside he had located the apartment.

  As much as he was in a hurry to complete his assignment, he couldn’t just barge in and shoot the target. There could be all sorts of unforeseen problems. Surveillance was the most boring part of the work. It was uninteresting, wearisome, and tedious.

  His car was parked on the street next to dozens of others and it didn’t shout for attention. The goal was to be discreet while finding as much as possible about his mark. Was Riley alone, did he have a roommate? At what time did he get in? When did he leave for work? Did he have a dog and if so what kind?

  His eyes were glued to the third floor window. The light was still on but he saw no movement. It was terribly boring. At least he had brought entertainment. Since it wasn’t recommended to read while doing surveillance work, Harker had popped in an audio book. He wasn’t paying much attention to the actor’s voice though. His mind wandered off to his SAS days.

  He had seen a lot of action and everybody he had shot had deserved it. It was moral work. And he’d had many great moments as a soldier of fortune. There had been a few rescue operations for kidnapped children in Asia, a raid on an African compound to detain a rebel leader, and the less impressive courier missions he had conducted for Israeli intelligence in the Middle East. But most of the money came from illegal operations.

  It was over now. Jeff Riley would be his last murder.

  He had enough money to retire. Maybe he would become a travel agent or a tour guide. He would get rid of his guns and travel with his own passport. He could taste the fancy drinks with umbrellas in them. He bit into his chocolate bar and leaned toward the car stereo to start the CD back at the beginning.

  AUGUST 12

  MONDAY

  Chapter 42

  Jeff couldn’t sleep. It was past midnight and his eyes couldn’t be forced shut. He’d had problems with insomnia in the past and he usually kept a bottle of Nytol in the medicine cabinet. But now he was out, there wasn’t one little blue pill left.

  There was nothing on TV, it was too late to start a movie, and he didn’t feel like reading a book. He was tossing and turning and he couldn’t concentrate on anything. Anything other than Chasey. He put his clothes back on and two minutes later he was out the door.

  It was uncouth to appear unannounced and even ruder to do it in the wee hours of the night. Jeff didn’t give a damn. He needed to see Chasey like a drug addict needed his next hit.

  What she would think of him for waking her didn’t matter much. He was being selfish. It was like a wound he needed to tend to before he could do anything else. It was becoming a medical condition.

  He hopped into his second-hand Geo Tracker and sped to the Travelodge. He found a parking space on the street and then rushed up to Chasey’s room. The elevator wasn’t climbing fast enough for him. Chasey answered the door after the second knock.

  “Jeff, what are you doing here?” she exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

  This he hadn’t thought of. He had no excuse, no rehearsed speech that could justify his presence. He was there to put an end to the uncertainty. He noticed she was wearing an oversize T-shirt, but her hair wasn’t disheveled.

  “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “No, I was still working on my article.”

  “Oh,” was all Jeff could think of.

  He had to jump in, to open the gates of his heart, but he was speechless. His mouth was dry and his hands were sweaty and cold. He realized he had come here on impulse and he was trying his damnedest to find a way to back out. On the other hand, he had to confess, it was like pulling out a tooth: you’d better do it quickly and get it over with.

  Becoming aware of the Jeff’s unease, Chasey smiled. Out of context, she might have thought Jeff was weird and bent on stalking. But she had noticed how he had acted earlier this evening. She thought it was sweet that somebody got this nervous over her.

  “You want to come in?”

  “Sure,” he answered too rapidly.

  She stepped aside and he walked in. He could barely believe he was in the room she slept in and that she was wearing her nightie in his company. She closed the door and went back to the desk where she sat on the chair facing Jeff. She crossed her legs. He could see her soft thighs and it took all his might to control himself.

  “Did you get any new information?”

  “No,” he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “My mama taught me not to entertain boys after midnight, especially in my bedroom,” she said with a crooked smirk.

  Jeff barely heard what she said. He was consumed by his anxiety and he was searching for a delicate way of letting her know of his feelings for her.

&n
bsp; She noticed the look on his face. “You okay? You look as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”

  He stood up and began pacing. “Chasey, I forgot to tell you something when I was here earlier.”

  “What’s that?”

  He stopped moving and gazed into her eyes. “I’ve never seen a creature more beautiful than you are. I thought so in Emmetts Run, and I think so here, and I just can’t get you out of my mind. I think about you morning, noon, and night. I… I, uh… you have this effect on me, I become this inarticulate fool. It hurts when I don’t see you.”

  Chasey hadn’t moved a muscle. “What were you expecting by coming here and saying this?”

  Jeff opened his mouth but he had no words to speak. He looked down at the floor.

  She smirked. “Relax, it’s just a joke.”

  She stood up and took a few steps toward Jeff. She reached for his hands and brought them up. He couldn’t believe what was happening. Was it a dream? He was finally touching her hand and it was the single most satisfying moment of his life. She continued to get closer.

  “Angels aren’t half as stunning as you are,” he whispered.

  Truly flattered, she closed the last gap between them and moved in for the kiss. Jeff was afraid to take the lead and let her command the operations. Her lips brushed his, sending waves of bliss through his body. When he was more comfortable, he slightly protruded his tongue and caressed the smooth line of her jaw with his fingertips.

  Having somewhat quenched his lust, he pulled his mouth away from hers and headed for her neck. He nibbled his way up her neck and reached her ear lobe. Taking in her sensuous aroma, he blew gently into the shell of her delicate ear. He felt her shiver as he let go of her hands and began to elusively stroke her face.

  His eyes were open and he saw that hers weren’t. She was bathing in the pleasure he was giving her. He kissed her cheek, chin, and finally returned to her inviting lips. Their tongues intertwined. Jeff was so happy he was seconds away from shedding tears, something he wasn’t even embarrassed about.

  Chasey pulled away first and Jeff almost panicked, thinking this could be the end. She addressed his concern by taking his hand and bringing him along with her toward the bed. She smiled at him as she unbuttoned his shirt.

  He was really glad he had come here after all.

  Harker woke up just in time to spot Jeff park his vehicle and enter his building. He wondered what had made his mark seem so happy. It was like he was prancing out of his car.

  “I’m a brick-hooouuuse,” Jeff sang, cannibalizing The Commodores’ smash hit.

  The sun was fully up and he still only had slept a couple of hours, yet he had never felt more alive. It was better than Christmas and his birthday rolled into one. He entered his apartment after waiting against the wall for some movers to pass by. He had never felt such joie de vivre.

  It wasn’t about getting what he had wanted, but rather that he had wanted the right thing. It wasn’t about having slept with the most fantastic woman he had ever encountered. It was that her smile alone could propel him to the utmost end of the bliss spectrum. He executed a few more dance steps around his apartment.

  “I’ve been really tryin’, baby,” doing his best Marvin Gaye impression. The happier he was, the more mangled his singing became.

  He jumped on the couch and screamed “Let’s get it on!” He repeated the chorus again sliding on his knees across the kitchen linoleum. An idea then struck him. He jogged to his CD collection next to the television and selected his Best of Motown album. He popped it in and grooved with the music.

  The volume was quite high and he knew it wasn’t the first impression he needed to project onto his new neighbors, but Jeff was surfing on a cloud and no common sense could have brought him back down. He was on such a high that he decided to commit his experience of the past week and a half to paper. Bellamy hadn’t asked for a report yet, but when he did, the document would be done with. Let’s get it on!

  Chapter 43

  The hitman saw the moving van as an opportunity. Outsiders were in the building and one more wouldn’t ring any bells.

  He picked up the weapon he had bought locally, illegally, and left the confines of his automobile. He walked slowly to the front door of the building and waited until a couple of movers stepped out of their van, holding boxes. Harker let them walk ahead of him until they reached the door and opened it, at which point he quickened his pace to hold the door open for them. It was courteous without bringing too much attention on himself.

  He saw them walk to the elevators, one of which was locked open for them, while he headed toward the stairwell. He climbed the steps two-by-two.

  He pulled out the ancient Colt .45 and screwed in a sound suppressor he had brought from home – he had been stuck with a large supply of them. He shoved the weapon back down his pants, but in the front this time. With one hand he held his windbreaker shut.

  As he reached the third floor, he could hear The Temptations blare out one of their greatest hits. It was perfect, thought Harker. The noise would cover his tracks. He turned the corner and headed toward apartment 316.

  What he saw deflated him.

  Apartment 314 was where the movers were going. The door was open and a lady ushered the movers in. She didn’t close the door as she was waiting for other people to bring in more furniture.

  It was too risky, he had too much to lose. If one of the movers or new tenants remembered him from the scene of the crime it could spell trouble, even if he had traveled on a false identity. He walked past the apartment and disappeared through the emergency staircase at the end of the corridor.

  Chasey had had a great night. She had brought Jeff to her bed because he had flattered her and she had felt like it after a lengthy dearth period. She had been aware that Jeff had feelings for her, but she was surprised by the intensity of them.

  The man was in love with her – it was obvious now – and it was a peculiar sensation. With Willard, there had been familiarity but never had they ever pretended to be in love with each other.

  Now there was a man who did love her and she wondered if she was open to that. Was it what she was looking for at the moment? More than that, she was curious if she was even worthy of the way he felt about her.

  Her feelings toward him had greatly evolved when she noticed how he had been so attentive. It had caught her off guard. He’d been concerned with pleasing her and, she was shocked to realize, that was more than anybody had ever done for her. It showed how deeply he cared for her.

  She didn’t know how their relationship would turn out, but she was willing to invest more into it.

  She had slept until eight o’clock and then, after a quick shower, she returned to her article. One thing that made or broke articles was confirmation. Corroboration from a highly-placed official could go a long way. A good quote could open doors for her career; it proved she was a good reporter who could talk to the right people.

  She could have asked Jeff to get her in touch with his boss, but it was something she wanted to do herself. She had gotten most of her information from him and she needed, for journalistic purposes, another source.

  There was a directory in her room and she found a phone number for the RCMP headquarters in Ottawa. She remembered Jeff saying he was working in the International Liaison branch and she asked to be connected with this service. Another receptionist from International Liaison and Protective Operations came on the line.

  “I’d like to get in touch with the head of the department please.”

  “May I ask the object of your call?”

  “I’m a reporter from North Carolina and I’m doing an article regarding one of your cases. I’ve been in contact with one of your officers, one Jeff Riley, but I’d like to get confirmation from a department head.”

  “I’m sorry, what did you say the officer’s name was?”

  “Jeff Riley. Why, is there a problem?”

  “Well ma’am, it�
��s a rather small division and I don’t know anyone by that name.”

  Chasey froze. “Are you sure?”

  “Ma’am, I’m typing on my computer as we speak. I’m checking the employee directory and there’s no one by that name in this division or the entire force. Do you still want to talk to my boss?”

  She didn’t hear the question. She was already in the process of hanging up. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Jeff had lied to her.

  How could a man who had been so warm and considerate have lied to her? What had his agenda been? What part had she unsuspectingly played? There must have been a reason why he had called her to this town. Who was he if he wasn’t a cop?

  She was scared and it was a first for her.

  It took a few hours for Chasey to react. At eleven o’clock, she decided to confront her fear. She grabbed the phone book and went down the list of Rileys. She found a Riley, J. F. and the phone number matched the one Jeff had given her back in Emmetts Run. She wrote down the address in her notebook and ordered a taxi driver to take her there.

  Jeff was about to leave for a short visit to the office to see if he could be helpful in some way. He had finished his report and hopefully it would be proof of his professionalism. He was ecstatic when he heard Chasey’s distorted voice through the intercom and eagerly buzzed her in. He unlocked the door and began pacing.

  Spending the night with her had been amazing, but the fact that she came back to him now was even more marvelous. He picked out a CD of mellow songs he had downloaded off Napster. Maybe if the mood was right they could get it on again.

  The moving company’s van was finally gone. Harker had seen little movement from his mark’s window, but he knew he was in. He had seen him enter with no evidence that he had gone out again. Besides, his car was still parked in the same spot.