A Snow Covered Nightmare: Refuge Series Book Two

by Debbie Zello

  “Why? I thought we got sort of close last night and again this morning.”

  “That’s what I want to know. I’m not a complete prude. I’ve had some experience and I’m not above learning. But what you did last night and this morning was special. It was different and I loved it. So, what was that?” she asked completely seriously. He burst out laughing and had to put his cup down to keep from spilling it.

  “Am I to take it that you had fun?”

  “Holy crap…yeah!” He loved the look on her face. It said so much, silently.

  “How do I explain men to a woman,” he mused, taking a moment to think. “A boy on his first date begins his play-book. It’s the sequencing of his moves, so to speak. He puts his arm around the girl and kisses her. She doesn’t slap him or run away, so he mentally writes that down.

  “The second time, maybe he slips in some tongue. Bingo, she’s with him and that goes in next. Now he has three moves. Now the hand creeps down to feel a boob. If she doesn’t bite him or move the hand back to the safety zone, that goes into the book. By the time he hits paradise it goes something like this.

  “1) Arm around her~kiss her.

  2) Slip in the tongue.

  3) Left boob.

  4) Right boob.

  5) Lick, suck, pinch.

  6) Head slowly south to the warm climate.

  7) Take off her clothes, your clothes, condom, promised land!

  “This works for them and they never deviate from it. Sometimes for their entire sexual life. They rush through, believing the woman wants the end as much as he does. For them it’s the orgasm. What they fail to realize and what the woman rarely confesses is, it’s the beginning that gets them. The part they rush through. Edging her and keeping her there, now that’s what a woman wants.

  “What I do differently than most boys do, is that I lost my play-book years ago. I might start by massaging your feet or shoulders. Maybe kiss your belly before moving up or down. I don’t begin the same way twice. If sex becomes boring, one of two things happens. One of you cheats, to find something different, or you stop the sex altogether. I don’t care for either of those options.

  “I don’t rush through the good stuff, the arousal, the wanting, just to get quickly to the act itself. I savor every moment individually, as if you are going to stop me right there. Then I don’t race down the mountain only to find myself at the bottom.”

  “I think I’m turned on again,” she murmured absentmindedly.

  “Perpetually aroused? You might be a keeper,” he said as if he had any doubt already.

  “All teasing aside. How many women have you done this with? Once this gets out, you’re going to need a lot more condoms.”

  “A real man knows that it’s not his orgasm that he should count, but hers. It’s not how many women he has slept with; it’s how many times he can please the one woman he is with. That’s where the counting should be.

  “You can sleep with hundreds and never satisfy any of them. What good does that do? What kind of lover does that make? Besides, I never kiss and tell,” he said smiling. Briah had that faraway look on her face, mostly because she was far away. She’d had orgasms with Connor. She’d felt a slight pulse now and then. What she had with Aiden was more like the Space Shuttle launching. She’d felt the earth tremble.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  “I think you should lecture or give classes or something.” He woke the neighbors with his howling laughter.

  After their heart-to-heart, they went skiing. The snow was wet and sticky as spring was approaching. This would probably be their last run of the season. It was just as well for Briah, as skiing was relegated to second place, now that she had discovered making love with Aiden. It would still be her quiet, free place, but given the choice, there would be no question which she would pick.

  Monday morning, Aiden got up early, to go back to his place to shower and get dressed for work. It was just as well as he had run out of condoms. He had left Briah sleeping, placing a note on his pillow before walking out. Even in sleep, she was so lovely.

  As Aiden had suspected, David’s attorney pulled strings and got his arraignment booked on Saturday morning. A bail was set at five million with the stipulation he surrender his passport and driver’s license. That way he couldn’t take a domestic flight, either. It didn’t prevent him from being driven away, but it was something. It took the attorney less than two hours to assemble the cash and get him released. Because of the circumstances surrounding the heinous nature of the crime, the judge did allow the ankle bracelet. Lastly, he was given a restraining order to stay five-hundred feet away from his wife. He was heard muttering to his attorney as he was handed the restraining order, “Five-hundred feet won’t save her if I find her.” This was documented by the bailiff who heard it.

  So far, David had no idea there was an eyewitness. The longer it stayed that way, the better. Unfortunately for Briah, the DA had to turn over the nature of the evidence against him in discovery. The bastard had the right, under due process, to know the evidence collected against him as well as where it came from. That meant the testimony of the eyewitness. Not her actual name, thank God. But any private eye worth anything would put two and two together and look for Dan’s secretary.

  That’s why a few days after he interviewed her, he drove to Aspen. Aiden’s brother managed a ski lodge there. He had Briah registered there for the week. Her bill reflected meals, lift tickets, drinks and she even bought new clothes. She had quite a week’s vacation.

  Memories fade, especially about dates. If any of her neighbors were asked if she were away, none of them would be able to pinpoint a week of someone else’s life that accurately, from months ago. He was very sure this alibi was sound.

  Aiden was very good at anticipating a direction that might be taken long before the voyage had even begun. He gave her what she needed to stay alive long before she needed it.

  Aiden looked up from his computer to see Pete walking in with two coffees. He placed one of them near Aiden’s hand. “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown.” Aiden joked.

  “I’m bribing you so I can get all of the dirty details. Who is she and how was she?”

  “So, all this time when you’ve been pissing on my leg and telling me we’re like brothers, you haven’t learned anything about me? She is none of your business and neither is what we did or didn’t do. I had a very nice weekend. How was yours?”

  “I don’t remember much of Saturday. I was trying to keep my eyes closed all day. Sunday, I nursed myself back to the living. Today I’m having new carpeting installed in my mouth.”

  “Sounds about right. Did you hear about our VIP?”

  “Yeah, I called in yesterday to get the deets. I hear he’s sporting some very attractive jewelry on his ankle. I hope they put it on extra tight. I hear he likes his shirts that way.”

  “He does. Blain is going to the judge today to ask for expediency. He’s asking for two months but thinks he’ll be lucky to get three. So that puts us in July. The trial should run two weeks without any delays once the jury is seated. So, I’m hoping for an August sentencing.”

  “My summer is over, thanks to you. I love how you just tick the weeks away. I really hate that about you!” he said taking his seat. “Now what is next, Sherlock?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe we should work on one of the other fifty open cases we have,” Aiden said looking at his files.

  Briah was walking on the clouds. Even the news that Kyle had either spent or smoked all of the money he had taken from those poor people, didn’t crush her high. The e-mail from the DA informing her that David had in fact made bail slowed her momentarily. In spite of everything, her multi-orgasmic high sustained her. How Aiden hadn’t been scoffed up and tied permanently to a bed by now, was beyond her reasoning.

  She had about two weeks left of her three-month stint in the fraud division. She had continued looking for a job but nothing had panned out so far. The job marke
t was still depressed in much of the country. Fast food places were hiring at minimum wage and part-time. She could collect more on unemployment, which technically, was what she was. Her phone rang. “Hello, Briah Spencer, fraud division.”

  “Briah this is Chief Wesson. Do you have a minute to stop by my office today?”

  “Yes, sir, I can come down right now.”

  “Good, I’ll see you in a minute, then,” he said hanging up. Briah stood and fixed her skirt, smoothing out the wrinkles from sitting. She walked to Ernie’s door and said, “Chief Wesson just called. He wants to see me. I’ll be right back unless I’m being arrested.”

  “You’ll be right back,” Ernie said. Briah walked out and took the stairs to the first floor. She strolled into the outer office as Jean said, “Go ahead in, Briah. He’s waiting for you.”

  “Thanks.” She walked in. “Hi Chief.”

  “Briah, please sit down.” She sat opposite him.

  “What’s up, Chief?”

  “I’m told you have about two weeks left with us.”

  “That’s right. Then you’ll be well rid of me.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk about. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you. Your attitude and competency, everything is top shelf. So I have a proposition for you.”

  “Go on, I’m listening.”

  “We always have someone out around here. Vacations, sick time, weddings, funerals, and even jury duty. I want to hire you as our permanent substitute.”

  “Really!”

  “Not so fast. You’ll be all over the building like dog shit on a shoe. You’ll be learning every secretary’s and assistant’s job in every department. You’ll have to jump in at a moment’s notice. You’ll be working every day but you may not know where, until you come in. I think you’re crazy if you take this, but if you want it, it’s yours.”

  “I want it!” she said and then she did the professional thing. She got up and kissed him on the cheek.

  When she got back to her office, she went immediately in to see Ernie. “Did you know about this?”

  “I did. All of the department heads know. We had a meeting with the chief a few days ago. He checked the budget and told us this morning.”

  “Thank you. I know it’s because of you.”

  “You’re wrong, sweetheart. It’s because of you!”

  Chapter Nine

  “What do you mean you had to put her on the list of potential witnesses? Her name, her real name!” Aiden yelled.

  “Look, she is on there as a character witness for Dan. I did it to throw them off her scent. I listed Jane Doe as the eyewitness and Briah as a peripheral witness. They’ll check and see she was on vacation just as you fixed it. They won’t have a clue about her until she appears in court. It’s perfect, don’t you see?” Blain pleaded.

  “Fuck, she’s going to lose it. Her anonymity was her shield; she hid behind it. She could sleep at night. With her name out there she’s got a target on her back.”

  “It’s done. I faxed it this morning.”

  “You are a god damn idiot, Blain. I bring you everything on a fucking silver platter and you somehow manage to tarnish it. Now I have to tell her. Thanks,” Aiden said sitting at his desk. Blain walked out leaving Aiden to seethe a while longer. He was sure that soon Aiden would see the benefit in what he had done.

  Aiden went over his options. If he went to tell her and she lost it, she would be embarrassed. If he called her that could be worse. He decided to e-mail her, that way it could sink in slowly.

  First, he explained the trail at the resort so she had an alibi in place. Then he explained what Blain had done. He told her he thought it would work out this way and then he pressed send. A few minutes later, his phone rang. He felt it sounded angry. He picked it up and said, “Dead man walking, here. How may I help you?”

  “I’m very afraid. I’m scared to death, actually,” her voice was so small as she spoke.

  “Then it’s my job to make you feel safe in my arms.”

  “I’m in a bad mood too.”

  “I’ll take it as a personal challenge to improve that.”

  “How do you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Fix things, make things seem better than they really are,” she said sniffling.

  “Are you crying?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry I made you cry.”

  “It’s not you. It’s the whole screwed up circumstance.”

  “Can you meet me in the chief’s office in ten minutes?”

  “I was just there a few hours ago.”

  “I know, smart girl, congratulations. It’s not about that.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you in ten.” She hung up and went to freshen up in the bathroom. A few minutes later, she walked in to the chief’s office. Aiden was sitting on the corner of Jean’s desk chatting. Jean smiled and said, “Twice in one day, Briah. That’s some kind of record!”

  “I guess.” Aiden stood and grabbed Briah’s hand. She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. He just smiled and began to walk into the chief’s office.

  “To what do I owe another visit, Briah?”

  “I have no idea, chief. This is a command performance for me.”

  “Aiden? Care to enlighten me?”

  “Yes, sir. What would you say if I told you that I want to date Miss Spencer?”

  “I’d ask if that was already the case.”

  “Yes, sir, it is,” Aiden said.

  “How long have you been dating?”

  “Casually for about two months. We’ve gotten closer in the last two weeks.” Briah felt a little like a ping-pong ball being bounced back and forth between the two men.

  “While it would have been nice to be told sooner than this, there is no impediment to the two of you seeing each other. Your investigation ended before you began. So there isn’t any conflict. I wouldn’t take an ad out in the paper but it’s fine with me.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Aiden said pulling Briah out into the hall.

  “Why did you do that?” she asked.

  “I couldn’t let you cry without kissing you. I couldn’t kiss you without telling him about us. So here we are,” he clarified. Her tears began to fall. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think you are the sweetest man that I have ever met.”

  It didn’t take long for Pete to put two and two together. The next morning, after everyone saw Aiden kissing Briah in the hallway just outside of the chief’s office the day before, Pete walked up to Aiden’s desk. “Bro, tell me, was Briah the promise you were in such a hurry to get to?”

  “Are you learning impaired? I’ve already told you that I’m not answering that question. First of all, it was you that said I had a promise, not me, remember?”

  “You didn’t say that you didn’t.”

  “I also didn’t say that I had won the lottery, that doesn’t mean I did. You gotta get a life and stay out of mine, bro.”

  “I can’t, yours is far more interesting, especially since that sweet filly came into it.”

  “You’re trying my patience. Don’t you have some work to do?” Aiden said exasperated.

  Briah began her new role in the department spending two days learning in each division and then moving on to the next. She was so busy mastering every different aspect of the individual offices that it kept her mind off the pending trial.

  David’s defense agreed to the expedited trial which somewhat surprised everyone. They usually didn’t go along with what the prosecution wanted just for the sake of argument. A date of July sixth was entered onto the docket. Jury selection would begin that day.

  Blain didn’t notify Briah of the date right away. Over the years, he had discovered the less time he gave witnesses to dwell on the inevitable, the better. He could prepare her for her testimony in two days.

  He thought they could pick the jury in one day, then the trial could begin on the eighth, with opening statements. That would give them the w
eekend to prepare her.

  He wasn’t happy when the news of Aiden and Briah’s alliance hit his desk. Thank God, they had gotten together after the investigation was concluded, or much of her testimony could be suspect. Nonetheless, he should be prepared for that to come up at trial. He wasn’t going to be caught with his pants down.

  Aiden was sitting at his desk when his cell rang. Looking first to see who was calling he scowled before answering, “What’s wrong?”

  “Two guys were just here asking questions about Briah.”

  “Okay. You went with the story, right?”

  “To the letter. They asked if they could speak to the maid that cleaned her room. I told them she no longer worked for us with the summer cutbacks. I told them she went back home until the fall.”

  “Quick thinking, Lou, thanks.”

  “How is she doing?”

  “Good. The chief gave her a permanent job so she is in the building with some seventy cops all day. Then mostly with me at night. I took the detail off her a few weeks after the murder. We’re sure they don’t suspect that she knows anything about what happened. They might believe she knew about the affair. The funny thing is it’s just the opposite,” Aiden said.

  “If anyone else shows up I’ll call. When are you going to bring her up to meet us?”

  “As soon as this whole mess is over with. The Feds want to talk to him now. I guess his wife has been very helpful with information about some of his other adventures. When the murder trial is over, they are going to slap him with multiple charges.”

  “I like it when the bad guy goes down. Talk to you later,” his brother said.

  “Thanks again. Bye.”

  That night, as she lay in Aiden’s arms, Briah told him all about Connor. He listened carefully as his fingers lazily stroked her arm. When she finished, she let out a big sigh. “You did the right thing by leaving. What that policewoman said probably saved your life. When they start killing pets, they move it to a personal level and they don’t usually stop before they hurt you. You’re far enough away that he won’t bump into you on the street. Then your low profile is busted wide open by a murder case.