by Milly Taiden
Searching for the interior light switch, he glanced down the side panel by the door, feeling for buttons or toggles. Movement outside the windshield at the edge of his headlights caught his attention, but not in time to keep from hitting the moose or elk or giant deer darting across. He slammed on the brakes, but the SUV’s front end bashed against the giant creature’s hind quarters, sending it sprawling on the road.
White-knuckled fingers clenched around the steering wheel, Andrew sat stiff-armed, choking down breath while he stared wide-eyed at the downed critter. After a few seconds, the four-legged animal sprang up and rushed back into the forest.
Heart pounding in his head, Andrew let off the brake and rolled forward. Thank God he hadn’t killed it. He’d had enough death and surprises to last a lifetime.
Pulse still ringing in his ears, he stopped the truck again and patted the floor mat with his fingers until touching the hard plastic of his smartphone. Snatching it up, he laid the device in his lap and proceeded much slower than he originally had.
Coming up suddenly behind him, headlights in his rearview mirror reflected into his eyes. Before he realized, the lights were on his ass. For a second, he thought the vehicle was going to crash into him. At the last second, the car veered into the other lane, revealing a bigger truck behind it.
The duo were so close together, he didn’t know there were two until the first pulled to the side and zipped past. The larger truck had barely missed his bumper as it slid to the side and raced by.
Damned for going too fast, damned for going too slow. He needed to get back to the cabin.
The racers’ taillights disappeared around another curve and Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. When coming out of the forest, his phone beeped, indicating a signal. Thank God. He pulled off to the side and dialed 911. After fifteen minutes of describing where he was and where the cabin was and how he knew about the emergency if he wasn’t at the cabin, he had to find a place wide enough to turn his boat of an SUV around.
Continuing along the road, he saw flashing lights ahead on a straight section of blacktop. A second car with siren and lights stopped at the site. Andrew slowed and drove by.
The side of the road had a steep drop-off where the emergency vehicles had stopped. In the gully, a car laid on its hood, smashed against a tree. With four first responders on their way down the side, it looked like the rescue would be over momentarily.
He wondered if the car was one of the two racers who passed him several minutes ago. Served them right for wrecking, as long as no one was injured too badly. Those two could’ve killed someone or some animal easily.
With the accident scene behind him, he kept his eyes looking for a side road or driveway. Moments later, a fire engine buzzed past. Finally seeing a scenic pull-off, he did a three-point turnaround and retraced the road on the opposite side. This time, he could see the wreck site a quarter mile from the location, bright flames lighting the area.
He stopped when reaching the site, a man in a brown officer’s uniform scowling at him from the lane. Andrew rolled down the window.
The officer came up to him. “Good evening, sir.”
“Good evening, Officer,” Andrew replied.
“Did you by chance see anything concerning this accident?” the officer asked.
“I’m not sure if it’s related,” Andrew started, “but a couple vehicles nearly ran me over chasing each other not too long ago. One was a car and the other was either a dark truck or SUV.”
The officer nodded. “Everything fine with you?” he asked.
Andrew was taken aback with the question. Did the man know about all the hell he’d gone through this evening at the cabin? “I’m good. Thanks.”
The officer glanced at the front of Andrew’s SUV and nodded. “Drive carefully on the roads, sir.”
Andrew inched by, watching the firemen douse the flames that had engulfed the tree the car was wrapped around. Not seeing an ambulance or any sign the driver was pulled to safety, he assumed the worst. He sighed. Another death tonight.
Arriving at the cabin, he noted two of the state park’s SUVs parked out front. Response times rivaled those of the city. But then, when someone called saying there had been an animal mauling, that tended to create some concern, he was sure.
Inside, the girls sat on the small sofa while one of the rangers stood asking questions. Alexandra got up to greet him with a hug while Nina continued with their story of the evening.
“Thank you for going out to make the call,” Alexandra whispered to him.
He kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome, love. Is there a second park ranger here?”
Alexandra nodded. “She went out to find Sholes’s body.”
He cringed inside with the thought of what she’d find. Alexandra took his hand and led him to one of the upholstered seats and they settled in for a marathon of Q and A.
25
The next morning came quickly. Too quickly for the night Alex and the others had. She was eager to get home, but not eager to get out of bed to get there.
The park ranger they told their story to last night was laughing his ass off by the time they’d gotten through the part of Leslie’s attempt to kill her, then Jack’s, and then those two hooking-up, to next have her boss who was embezzling from the company show up. Then to top it all off, Andrew’s deranged, lovesick secretary changing her mind to go back to her husband.
The ranger fully believed it because “someone can’t make up something that fucked up.”
Yeah, Alex hadn’t thought it was that funny at the time. Maybe after she slept for a week—in Andrew’s bed. Make it two weeks.
After packing everything into the back of her car, the three stood over the place where her boss’s body was, or close to it. Even though the man had tried to kill her, she forgave him. Nina had convinced her that except for the bomb and holding her hostage and the trying to kill her with a rifle, Sholes was a really nice guy. She laid a handful of pinecones and pretty leaves on the spot since wildflowers were forbidden to pick.
Nina said she’d take care of the fallout for Sholes’s death. She’d get with Sholes’s wife and determine what to do with the company and funeral. The office would probably be closed for several days, and if not, payroll wasn’t due for another week. Nina told her to not worry about coming in for a while. It wasn’t like she had an office to go to either.
Alex finally got the peaceful alone time she’d needed on the long trip home. Andrew led the group in his black SUV. Alex laughed when she read his license plate. Did he think he was some great baseball player or something? AROB—AROD? The comparison wasn’t even close. AROB was way better than AROD.
Just outside the city, her phone rang.
“Hey, babe. How’re you doing back there?” he asked.
“Enjoying the view from the rear like usual,” she replied. He had one of the best asses she’d ever had the privilege to touch. And because of that, she didn’t mind walking behind the guy all day. By his silence, she knew she had embarrassed him.
She pictured his rosy cheeks and that adorable boyish smile he had when she caught him off guard of his macho man-image. With a sigh, she let her heart swell. Funny how things worked out. All for a reason.
“Yeah, okay. Now I’m almost afraid to ask you the question I called to ask.”
“Oh, yeah?” she said, “What would that question be?”
“What would you like to eat,” he asked.
Alex burst into laughter, big gulping breaths. “You know me so well already, my love,” she replied. “I’d like a big hot dog on a hot body.”
“That’s what I figured you say.” She heard the grin in his voice then clothes rustling over the line.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He snorted. “Readjusting my pants. Someone put naughty pictures in my head of eating wieners, and my wiener decided he liked that idea.”
“Oh, he does, does he?” Alex commented, trying to keep her racing hear
t in check. Thinking about his cock in her mouth was making her hot and heavy, too. “Where would you like to go?”
“Besides my—our—bedroom, I’d like the little café down from my high-rise. They have great soup and breadsticks.”
Hmmm, breadsticks, Alex thought. She could do that. And she caught that little slip with “their” bedroom. Had the time come to take the next step? Were they ready to live together? She loved him, but was that enough for her to give up her place, her freedom? Yes, it was.
“Alexandra?” She heard her name, forgetting she was on the phone.
“The café would be perfect. I’m starving, now that I think about it,” she replied, trying to play it cool. “Nina turned off, so it’s just us.” She followed Andrew down to the small eatery that didn’t look like much but was to die for. They’d beat the noon rush and found easy parking in the front. That was when she saw the damage to his truck.
“Hey,” she said, taking his hand after parking, “what happened to your truck?”
Andrew turned to study the SUV’s front. “I hit some giant moose on the road when driving around to call 911.” The passenger-side headlight casing was shattered, most of it gone. The bumper was bent in with scrapes here and there. The metal grill had some damage as well.
“Wow,” Alex said, “are you sure there are moose in New York? Looks like you hit a car, not an animal.”
“Maybe it was an elk. It was huge,” he said.
“Did you kill it?”
“Amazingly enough, no. It got up and shot back into the woods.”
“That’s good,” Alex hated to see animals that had been hit and killed along the side of the road. It broke her heart every time.
With a sigh, Andrew pulled her toward the café entrance. “Come on, I’m starving.” They ordered sandwiches and side cups of fruit and sat next to the window overlooking the parking lot.
The food tasted so good. Alex hadn’t eaten since dinner last night and that was interrupted by several uninvited guests.
“So,” Andrew said, “what’s next?”
Alex’s swallow stuck in her throat. Somehow, she knew he didn’t mean after they were done eating, but more along the lines of how their lives were going to come together now that they had professed their love.
Would he ask her to give up all the independence she’d built for herself, give up her self-identity and friends to be with him? She remembered how Jack demanded all her time when she wasn’t working. He wanted to know where she was even when they weren’t together. What she did on her own time was her own business. The man didn’t seem to understand the concept of privacy.
Andrew hadn’t pushed to have her by him 24/7, but she wanted to be. That was the difference between Andrew and Jack. Alex could see herself building a life with Andrew and being his partner. She liked that more than the idea of being alone, of coming home to an empty apartment with no happiness.
Just as she was about to answer, Andrew looked out the window and frowned. She turned to see what he saw and noted a middle-aged gentleman checking out the damage on the SUV. The man hadn’t touched his truck, but Andrew’s vehicle was none of his business.
Andrew put his sandwich down, ready to stand, but when the man headed toward the café entrance, he remained seated.
“Do you know that person?” she asked.
“No, never seen him before,” Andrew said.
“Maybe he owns an auto repair shop,” she said, “and wants to give you a great deal.” He raised his brow at her and she could only laugh at his cuteness.
The man stepped inside, removed his aviator sunglasses and looked around. If she didn’t know better, the man seemed like a detective on one of those cop shows. To her surprise, the guy fixed his eyes on Andrew and walked toward them.
“Mr. Carter?” the stranger asked, his eyes darting to her briefly.
“Yes,” Andrew said.
“Is that your vehicle out front with damage?”
“Yes,” Andrew repeated. “Do I know you?”
The man offered his hand which Andrew took. “No. I’m Detective Hudson. NYPD.”
That explained it, Alex thought. The park rangers must have contacted the local police about Sholes’ death. But why was the detective interested in Andrew when Sholes was her and Nina’s boss?
“Mr. Carter,” the detective continued, “I see you have a lot of damage to the front of your vehicle.”
Andrew glanced out the window. “Not a lot, but enough I need to find a repair shop.”
“What did you hit, Mr. Carter?”
Alex didn’t like the way the detective sounded. Something was up. When Andrew’s eyes narrowed, she knew he thought the same.
“I hit an elk last night,” Andrew said.
The detective’s eyes widened. “Elk. Really? That animal hasn’t been in New York in over 150 years.”
Andrew glanced at her. He said, “Maybe it was a moose then. I’m not a wildlife biologist.”
“You admit to being in the state park area, then?” the detective pressed.
“I never said I wasn’t. Why?” Andrew asked. “Just say what you need to, Detective.”
“All right,” the detective pulled handcuffs from a pocket. “Andrew Carter, you are under arrest for the murder of Jen Ortiz.”
26
Andrew had a million questions to ask, but he’d learned from the few legal suits brought against his company that he was to keep his mouth shut and answer nothing until his lawyer was present.
It was all he could do to control his temper as a grumpy female police officer moved him through the booking process, including taking fingerprints and his mugshot.
Instead of the jail cell he expected, he was taken to a small room with a table and a few chairs. The oversized mirror on the wall told him this was an interrogation. According to TV, interrogations came before an arrest. What proof could they possibly have on him? Good thing his alibi was solid. Nina and Alexandra, and the park rangers, would vouch for his whereabouts last night. And today they’d been on the road, just reaching the city.
His hands and feet remained free as he sat at the table in the white room by himself. He glanced at his watch and frowned. He and Alexandra should be home in his bed, in the middle of some righteous sex. Instead he was in police custody while his love sat in the department lobby awaiting the bail announcement.
After what seemed like forever, Detective Hudson walked in with two Styrofoam cups of coffee. The cop set one in front of Andrew. He almost laughed at the gesture. The first thing that went through his mind was they were trying to feed him truth serum. He took a sip of the atrocious black water and nearly gagged.
“Damn,” Andrew said, “you trying to kill me or question me?”
The detective chuckled. “Budget doesn’t allow for your fancy shit, Carter. But it is a bit worse than normal.”
The door rattled and a tall man with white hair pushed it open with his back then turned to reveal a carry-out drink container with three coffees in his hands.
“Turner, thank god,” Andrew said.
“Always good to see you, Andrew,” Turner replied. “Too bad it’s never on a good occasion.” Andrew realized that was true and made a mental note to have his lawyer over for dinner and introduce Alexandra. Turner set the cardboard box on the table and doled out the trio of beverages. The detective sipped from the new paper cup.
“Christ, Carter,” the detective started, “if we get this expensive coffee with you, we need to find more reasons to bring you in.”
“Right,” Andrew said, “not funny.”
Turner added. “Give me more of a heads up, if you would, Detective. We’re lucky today. The line for coffee was short.”
“Detective Hudson,” Andrew said, “this is my attorney, Turner Rayfield.”
“Figured as much,” Hudson mumbled. Turner took a seat next to Andrew.
“So, Detective,” Turner began, “what do I owe the impromptu drive downtown to?” He turned to Andrew.
“Oh, your female companion has a very nice voice even when in a panic.”
“I’ll introduce you later. She’s probably in the front waiting.” Andrew ran his hand through his hair. He was ready to have this over with. The little rest he and Alexandra got last night was wearing thin.
The detective opened the file folder in front of him on the table. “Mr. Carter, you are here for the murder of Jen Ortiz.”
Andrew dropped his arm on the table. “She can’t be dead. I saw her yesterday.”
Turner raised a brow, clueing in Andrew that he needed to keep his mouth closed. “Continue, Detective,” his lawyer said, “I would like to hear how Mrs. Ortiz died.”
“Late last night,” the detective looked at Andrew, “Mrs. Ortiz was killed in a car wreck. Her car exploded.”
Andrew’s stomach churned. What a terrible way to go. Hopefully, she was unconscious from the crash before. He dropped his face into his hands. Even after Jen tried to hurt Alexandra, he never wanted anything bad to happen to his ex-secretary. She was going back to her husband to try to make their marriage work.
“Where were you last night, Mr. Carter,” Hudson asked, “between six p.m. and nine?”
Andrew glanced at Turner who nodded approval to speak. “I was two hours north of here at a cabin in the state park with my girlfriend and her cousin.”
The detective glanced up from his papers. “Are you aware, Mr. Carter, of where Mrs. Ortiz’s wreck happened?”
“No,” Andrew said. “As I said, I wasn’t in town.”
“Mr. Carter, her car wrecked in the state park.” Hudson watched his face for a reaction. Andrew didn’t know what to think. Then he did.
“Oh my god,” he said. “Was that Jen on the highway?” Andrew sprang from his chair and paced the small space. That wreck he saw on the highway when looking for a cell signal was Jen. And if the car that wrecked was the one of the two that zipped past him...
“Who was chasing her?” he blurted.
Hudson raised brow. “I didn’t mention that. How did you know?”