Total Surrender

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Oh, no,” she murmured.

  Oh no, was right. Mel’s wife Nadine was swinging gently with the breeze, anchored to the rafters by a noose surrounding her neck. Hunter used the microscopic camera attached to his shirt button to snap pictures. Someone had gone to great lengths to make Nadine’s death look self-inflicted, but this was no suicide. It was murder.

  Chapter Twelve

  Alerted by Mel’s uncontrollable sobbing, a crowd started to gather, and panicked voices filled the air.

  “Make sure no one comes in,” Hunter ordered while snapping pictures from different angles. When Talia made no move for the door, he glanced at her to find her eyes narrowed. “Please?” he tacked on.

  “Fine,” she whispered harshly. “But make sure you take many pictures. This is a crime scene.”

  She turned for the door but he grabbed her arm, stopping her. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “We don’t know who did this, Talia. We can’t give any indication that we suspect anything. I’m a bodyguard and you’re a socialite. Our objective is Margaret Conrad.”

  “But, a woman was murdered, Hunter.”

  So, she picked up on that, too. Not surprising. Talia was one of the most intelligent, observant people he’d ever worked with. “Yes, and we’ll investigate, but covertly. If we start asking questions and making accusations, we could lose our access to Margaret. She’s our top priority.”

  Talia inhaled and then released the breath. “You are right. We will take our cue from Elijah.”

  He brushed a quick kiss across her lips just because he couldn’t help it. She was so gorgeous when she was in work mode. He didn’t think she’d appreciate him voicing the compliment, so he turned back to the swaying body.

  Someone clearly wanted them to think it was a suicide, but they’d been sloppy in their planning. Besides the fact there was no suicide note, her shoes were on the wrong feet. One of her earrings had been ripped out, leaving a bloody lobe. Also, there was no stool or chair beneath the body. There was no way Nadine could hoist herself up without a booster. But the biggest red flag was that once a person stopped breathing, their bladder and bowels released. The floor beneath Nadine was dry. She didn’t die here. He’d bet once the noose was removed, they’d find that the bruising along her neck didn’t come from a rope, either.

  “Henry,” Talia called out. “The Lightkeeper is here.”

  Hunter nodded discretely, indicating he’d documented the body and the crime scene.

  Elijah rushed inside and stopped short. “Oh, Sister Nadine,” he murmured. “I knew she was unhappy, but I didn’t think she would resort to this.”

  “Nadine was unhappy?”

  Elijah averted his gaze from the body and nodded. “She’d been trying to have a baby and couldn’t get pregnant. She felt like a failure as a woman. Obviously, she couldn’t take the stress anymore.”

  Hunter covertly studied the man and though he acted upset, there was no shock or denial associated with finding someone you knew dead. Most people were horrified and throwing up was a common reaction.

  Elijah glanced at the door. “Mel isn’t doing well. We need to cut Nadine down from there and lay her to rest. We’ll bury her tonight.”

  That quick, eh? Did the man have a reason to fast-track the burial? Guilt, maybe? “I’ll cut her down,” Hunter offered.

  Elijah rested a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Brother Henry. That’s a generous offer and I appreciate it.”

  Though it went against everything he’d learned and practiced throughout his career, Hunter disturbed the crime scene. He found a knife in the kitchenette, drug a chair to the body and climbed up to saw through the rope. He kept one arm around Nadine’s cooling body. When the last thread snapped, he caught her dead weight, stepped down and placed her on the floor.

  “I’ll have two of the men head to the workshop to build a casket, and get others digging a grave. Since Sister Tina didn’t know Sister Nadine, it would be easiest on the others if she would volunteer to find something to dress her in for the funeral.”

  “I’m sure Tina would love to help. Do you need to notify anyone?” Like the police.

  Elijah shook his head. “Nadine is one of ours. We will take care of her.”

  #

  Talia’s eyes roamed the church as Elijah droned on about the virtuous Nadine. Many of the women were sobbing into tissues. A few of the men were choked up. Poor Mel looked catatonic.

  Everyone was putting on a grand show, but someone among them was a murderer.

  The only people who were in the clear were Hunter, Nadine’s husband, Mel, and herself. After introducing them to his wife, Mel had been with them the entire time, giving them a tour of the compound. Her eyes drifted back to Elijah. He’d donned robes of black trimmed in gold for the occasion. Could he be the killer?

  After Hunter had cut Nadine down, she helped prepare the body for burial. It went against her training and instincts to just box Nadine up and bury her, especially when her corpse could provide valuable clues as to who killed her. But Hunter was right…the main objective was Margaret. They’d documented the crime scene with photos and Nadine’s body could always be exhumed later for examination.

  She scanned the crowd again, her gaze passing over Rob before snapping back. A woman was sitting beside him, her face covered by a black veil. Margaret? She hadn’t been there earlier. Talia watched as Rob entered and he’d been alone. She elbowed Hunter.

  He leaned closer to whisper in her ear and the scent of him enveloped her. She wanted to fall against him and inhale. It was intoxicating. Mesmerizing. “I see her,” he said, snapping her from her lustful thoughts. “If it’s our target, she looks frail.”

  Talia agreed. The pictures they’d studied of Margaret showed an overweight girl with curly brown hair and a sweet smile. This woman was painfully thin, her brown hair dull and limp. What she could see of her face through the veil looked unsmiling and somber. Of course, it could be the occasion…not many people smiled at funerals. But what if there was another reason? Could she be suffering from an illness?

  Elijah wrapped up the eulogy and the haunting chords of Amazing Grace sounded from the organ. The woman playing was an incredibly talented pianist. Talia thought she could play in Carnegie Hall, she was that skilled. Instead, she chose to share her gift with a madman and his followers.

  After the last note sounded, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, hers included. Elijah dabbed at his eyes. “Let us now proceed to Serenity Park where we will lay Sister Nadine to rest. Brothers Rob and Clint will lead the pallbearers. Brother Henry, could I avail you to help? I could use some other volunteers as well.”

  Talia raised on her tiptoes to brush a kiss on Hunter’s cheek, disguising her true intent. “I will try to make contact with the target,” she whispered in his ear. He turned his head and his lips met hers, shocking her eyes wide.

  “Good luck,” he murmured against her lips before leaving to help carry the casket. She stood still as a statue, his kiss sending waves of pleasure through her veins. People were filing out of the pews. She shook her head and hustled out, headed directly for the reclusive Margaret. She caught up to her as she left the church with another woman. “Excuse me, I do not mean to interrupt,” she interrupted, “but I do not think we have met. My name is Tina. My husband Henry and I just joined the Lightkeepers.”

  “Welcome to our circle of light, Sister Tina. I’m Joan,” the other woman greeted.

  Talia shook her hand. Circle of light? These people were nuts. “It is nice to meet you, Sister Joan.” When there was no response, no words of welcome from Margaret, she prompted, “What is your name?”

  “Margaret.” Said in a monotone with no ounce of friendliness. Talia wasn’t deterred.

  “Oh, you must be Brother Rob’s wife. I met him when he brought my husband Henry and I to the compound.”

  No response. She would love to see the woman’s eyes, but the veil was just dark enough to disguise her features.

>   “Then you must have met my husband, too,” Joan chirped. “Clint.”

  “Yes, I did.” Joan looked to be at least ten years older than her husband, but her smile was friendly and welcoming.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’m not feeling well,” Margaret said. “I’m going to lie down.”

  Talia stepped forward. “I will walk you to your cabin.”

  “No, thank you. I would like to be alone.” Almost as an afterthought, Margaret added, “It was nice to meet you.”

  Talia watched her hurry away, disappointed that she didn’t get a chance to speak privately with her. “I hope she’s okay,” she murmured.

  “Oh, Margaret’s fine,” Joan assured her. “She gets this way sometimes. She’ll snap out of it.”

  She couldn’t speak to Margaret, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do a little investigating. “I do not know my way around yet. Do you mind showing me the way to Serenity Park?”

  “Of course, hon,” Joan said. “I’d be happy to.” She slid her arm through Talia’s like they were best friends. She resisted the urge to jerk away. Until recently, she didn’t have female friends, so she wasn’t sure how to react. Much like the male/female dynamic, the female/female dynamic was foreign to her as well. Apparently, she didn’t know how to interact with anyone. XX chromosomes, XY, it didn’t matter. Her dysfunction was an equal opportunity disorder. How depressing.

  “Sister Joan, tell me all about the Lightkeepers.”

  “Oh, it’s a wonderful community,” the woman gushed. “The Keeper of the Light is so wise and charismatic. God truly speaks through him. Everyone in the flock is caring and kind. I can’t think of a better place to live.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Since the beginning.”

  “How long is that?”

  “Oh, about a year,” Joan said. “I had just met Clint when he took me to the Church of Light. It was an awakening. My eyes were opened. I’d lived a shallow, greedy life that comes with having too much money. The first time the Lightkeeper spoke, I was hooked. When he built the compound, Clint and I, along with Margaret and her husband Rob were the first to join him.”

  Interesting. So, Clint had sought out Joan, much the same way Rob targeted Margaret. For her money. It looked like Rob and Clint were in on the scam with Elijah.

  “Is Nadine the first family member you’ve lost?”

  “Yes,” Joan said, with a sad sigh. “She could be a bit overbearing at times and,” she checked to make sure no one was listening before leaning closer and lowering her voice, “I’m pretty sure she had a thing for Elijah.”

  Talia’s brows raised. “Wow. Her husband seems very nice. He showed Henry and I around today.”

  “Oh, Mel’s the greatest,” Joan agreed. “So sweet and he’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Such a shame. Nadine was always trailing after Elijah like a puppy and baking him things.” She tsked. “She knew he’d taken a vow of celibacy and still she pursued him.”

  Elijah was celibate? Talia snorted in her head. She would bet her fake trust fund that wasn’t the case. The way he looked at her, undressed her with his eyes…no, she didn’t believe it.

  “Anyway,” Joan continued, “Mel really is better off. He deserves a woman who will appreciate him.”

  “How will he find her if there are only couples here?” Talia asked.

  Joan tilted her head, her brow furrowed in thought. “Hum, good question. I hadn’t thought about that. I have no idea.”

  Before they could discuss it further, they arrived at the park where the congregation had gathered to lay Nadine to rest. A grave had already been dug and the woman who had worked the piano like Mozart before, now wielded a violin like Vivaldi, playing a haunting rendition of How Great Thou Art.

  Talia and Joan stepped aside as Elijah led the procession carrying the casket. Her gaze was instantly drawn to Hunter like a magnet. He was so strong and handsome. When he caught her eye and smiled, she felt her heart back-flip in her chest. This was so not good.

  #

  Once Nadine’s casket was lowered into the earth and dirt was tossed on top, Elijah gave another rambling sermon about life and death and how God had called his special Lightkeeper home and how Nadine was now sitting by His side in Heaven. Mel wept silently throughout the service. Hunter’s heart went out to the man. He looked so lost and utterly devastated.

  He and the other pallbearers had a rough time maneuvering the casket into the ground without any equipment. They’d finally managed, but it hadn’t been easy. Thankfully, the hole had only been about three feet deep. Had it been the standard six, they couldn’t have managed without some kind of casket lowering device.

  The men who constructed the coffin had done a remarkable job in a short time-frame. Someone was an expert carver. An intricate flower design decorated the top, along with Nadine’s name carved in an elegant scroll.

  Now as he stood with Talia, he catalogued faces in the crowd, searching for anyone who looked guilty. Most of the mourners were weeping or bowing their heads in prayer. Both Rob and Clint didn’t look particularly broken up about Nadine, so they were automatically on the top of his list, but he didn’t have any evidence to back that up, other than they were both morons.

  Finally, Elijah ran out of steam and ended the service. Joan handed everyone a flower and they formed a line to toss it in the grave with Nadine. He said a quick prayer for her soul as he tossed his flower inside. Once the last person finished, the men who dug the hole filled it back in. Mel sobbed loudly as a couple escorted him from the park. Hunter held Talia’s hand as they made their way to their temporary cabin.

  “Brother Henry, Sister Tina, may I speak with you?” They turned at Elijah’s voice and waited for him to catch up. “Thank you both for helping our family through the ordeal. I realize you didn’t get the chance to know Sister Nadine, but you both stepped up during this emergency. You have proven that you are true Lightkeepers and your lights shine brightly, basking others in a comforting glow.”

  Gag him right now. Did this guy truly believe the drivel he spouted? “Will Mel be okay?”

  “In time,” Elijah murmured. “Brother Edward and Sister Florence are caring for him tonight.” He sighed deeply. “It will be a rough few days for Brother Mel, but he has the support of the family. It’s our first major crisis and I am proud of how the entire flock pulled together.” Elijah gave a funny jerk and Hunter would bet it was the vibration of a cell phone beneath his robes. Either that or he’d suddenly developed a case of Tourette’s Syndrome. “I’d like to meet with you both in the morning at my residence.”

  After they finalized the time, they bid Elijah goodnight and made their way to their cabin. A light breeze ruffled the leaves and twinkling stars were visible in between the soaring branches. The compound was larger than it looked from the pictures taken from the sky. They stopped a few times to interact with other members. When they were finally inside their own cabin, he was dismayed to realize there were no locks on the door. He didn’t trust these people, especially Elijah. The thought of being vulnerable during sleep didn’t sit well with him. He always slept with a gun within reach, and that was with a locked door and state-of-the-art security system.

  “I hope that Mel will be okay,” Talia said as she removed her shoes.

  “Me, too.”

  Until they could ascertain if the hut was bugged, they kept their chatter superficial. Hunter rummaged in his bag under the guise of looking for a shirt to change into. He dug into a secret compartment and found the palm-sized gadget that would detect any bugs or recording devices. It was a prototype that Tyler had invented. It was one-hundred percent accurate within a ten-foot radius, emitting two short bursts of vibration if a bug was detected. It continued with short bursts until the location was pinpointed. All from the confines of his closed palm so it wasn’t visible on any cameras. After sliding the battery in place, it vibrated instantly. He nodded at Talia, encouraging her to keep talkin
g.

  “The cabin is very nice and cozy,” she said, picking up on his intent. “We will be happy here.”

  Nice. A nun was nice. A frisky puppy was nice. Cozy. Hah. It was approximately the size of a hotel room…and not the one at the Four Seasons, but one of the chain hotels that dotted interstates across the country. This place was a step up from a dump. As soon as you walked into the door, a miniscule kitchenette with a sink, stove and fridge was positioned on the right, along with a table and pair of chairs. Across from the kitchenette was a seating area with a couch, recliner and a floor lamp. A queen-sized bed flanked by side tables was situated against the back wall, along with a dresser.

  He casually strolled, following the lead of the device. It guided him to the front wall with the door…which happened to be positioned directly across from the bed. There was a fire alarm positioned high on the wall. Bingo. A red light blinked every ten seconds. He spotted another alarm on the side wall, conveniently positioned next to the bed. He walked to it, and sure enough, the device indicated another camera. With the flick of his thumb he flipped a switch. This would tell him if there were cameras, listening devices, or both. The machine indicated this one was a camera only. He checked the other one. Just a camera, as well. He searched the rest of the cabin, including the bathroom. It was clear. Two cameras encompassed the entire living space, positioned so the sicko could watch couples having sex. The only privacy would be in the bathroom. Thank goodness for small favors.

  Hunter pulled Talia into his arms, loving the feel of her there. She fit. He nuzzled her neck, almost forgetting his intention. “Two cameras, both in the smoke alarms. No listening devices. Let’s make it look real.”

  “What do you—”

  He silenced her question with his mouth, fitting his lips to hers. He sifted his hands through her silky hair to hold her head in place while he plundered her mouth. Her soft moans of pleasure urged him on.

  It took a Herculean effort to pull away. He had to stop now before he couldn’t stop. He brushed a thumb across her plump bottom lip. “It’s been a long day. You can shower first and then we should get some sleep.” He almost yanked her to him again when her passion-filled gaze met his. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. The thought was heady, especially since until a few minutes ago, he didn’t think she even liked him. She nodded and turned for the showers.