by Debra Jupe
The woman exhibited pure stamina. She’d worn him out. In a good way. He nestled into the hay, pulling the covers to his neck, not quite ready to answer her bid. Between rests, they had sex the entire afternoon and well on into the evening. Yet he couldn’t get enough of her. He definitely made up for the last four months. He’d hope to continue his catch up mode throughout the night, and for once, he didn’t think she’d argue with him.
He rolled in her direction, prepared to let her have her way with him yet again. “Mmmm, okay. Now I’m ready.”
“Yeah, you are.” A beefy hand gripped his arm and jerked him to his butt. “Time to get up, lover boy.”
Jack’s eyelids flew opened. A light shined into his face, blinding him. The person holding the beam, pushed hard into his shoulder. “What the fuck?” He squinted putting a hand in front of him, while trying to wiggle free of the uncomfortable grasp. “Who the hell are you?”
Silhouettes of two large men stood on either side of him. A glimmer sparked from one’s chests. Uniformed men. Shit. They’d been found. He hoped Katie stayed calm and didn’t do anything stupid, like put up a fight. So far she’d remained silent.
“You Jackson Pharrell?”
“Yeah,” he answered, in his best tough guy voice. “You’ve neglected to mention your name.”
“Byron Klix. Deputy Byron Klix.” Klix released his shoulder and stepped back. “We’re here to take you home.”
Jack smiled and gestured at his lack of clothing. “I’m not dressed for travel.”
“Not my problem, stud. You’re wanted for questioning in Hazel Nutt’s murder.”
“I’m the one who found her body, and I’ve already told the police everything I know.”
“We’re aware.”
“So why do they need to speak with me again?”
“You’re with Katherine Drapier, right?” The deputy holding the light moved the cylinder closer to Jack’s face, causing him to blink repeatedly.
Katie. Jack’s lips dropped into a frown. She’d fallen asleep in his arms. Naked. The normal Katie would be screaming, fighting for cover with these two goons being this up close and personal. She was awfully damn quiet. Too quiet.
“Where’s your girlfriend, Romeo?”
Jack glanced to Katie’s side. His throat tightened. An upsurge of rage filled his chest. She’d done it again.
“Good question.”
“You’re hiding her,” the second cop accused. “Tell us where she is or you’ll be in a lot more trouble than you already are.”
So close. He thought he may have a shot of getting his life on track and return to Dallas, and live the way he used to. He squinted at the dent she left in the hay. He’d been screwed again. By another woman. One of these days he’d smarten up.
He shook his head. “Guess she took off. Don’t ask me where, cause I have no clue.”
“I bet you don’t.”
Jack shrugged. “You can search me.”
A shit-eating grin spread across Byron’s face. He nudged the other guy. “I don’t think he knows, Pete.”
Pete chuckled. “You mean to tell me, she flew the coop and left you?” He gestured at Jack’s nakedness.
“Either that, or I’m doing some very strange stuff by myself.”
“Seen weirder,” Pete the deputy commented. “Hope you had a good time.”
Jack didn’t respond. Fantastic and beyond is what he had. Unfortunately the ending was the all too common crash and burn.
Byron threw his half dried pants into his lap. “Get dressed,” he told him. “We’ve got a long trip ahead, and though I’m tempted to take you in like that, I’m prone to believe you’ve been punished enough.”
****
Seated in the back of a cop’s four-wheeled drive, Jack stared out the window with a deep frown. Where’d Katie go? He assumed she’d remained on the property since her vehicle hadn’t moved. Though he’d overheard a conversation between his new friends, a search warrant, along with the tow truck had been called. A forensics team would be leading the pack, and they’d find the evidence against her soon. Yeah, he was wading knee-deep in shit, but his situation didn’t compare to Katie’s plight.
He leaned into the seat as they maneuvered the muddy drive. Why did he even care? She’d used him, leaving him to deal with the consequences. Just like Jenna. Except, what happened between them didn’t possess similarities to Jenna.
This seemed…real. But that’s crazy, because here he was, being hauled away in a county car while she hid somewhere on the premises, probably watching him leave. Maybe even doing that cute thing with her mouth, when she wanted to smile, but tried not to.
Stop thinking about the good stuff.
Several automobiles passed them on the dirt road of the Drapier property traveling in the opposite direction, heading for the house. Jack swiveled his head as they went by. Unmarked cars.
“What’s going on?” he asked, casually. “Looks like a swat team swooping in.”
“Yeah, we reported your girlfriend missing while you changed. Ask if we should do a search, seeing as her cars still parked, figured she’s hanging around somewhere. Sheriff said authorities from your hometown are on the way, and for us not to do anything. Since this is a high profile case in your region, it’d look better if they found her.”
“Surprised they didn’t have one of you stay behind. You know the area.”
A sheriff’s department car turned the corner as they entered the main road. “Sheriff is handling this one himself,” said Byron sarcastically.
Jack nodded. “Likes the glory, huh.”
“Apparently wants his fifteen minutes.” Byron sighed. “Only reason we showed is because we happened to be in the neighborhood when the call came in.”
Jack frowned. “Any idea who turned us in?”
The deputy shook his head. “Think someone you know guessed your whereabouts. We were supposed to watch the place until the big guns arrived. Only by chance we found you asleep and,” he chuckled, “bare assed.”
“Never going to live that down.”
“You’ll be the top story at Peeper’s Bar for a while.”
Pete twisted to give Jack a onceover. “You seem like a smart guy. Young, successful. I bet you got the ladies coming after you from every direction. How’d you get taken in by this one?”
“I consider myself intelligent. Except with woman,” Jack shook his head with a cynical laugh. “I’m dumber than most.”
“Don’t feel bad,” Byron said. “All of us have been tempted by a primo piece of ass.”
Jack bit his tongue. Though not in his best interest to alienate these guys, he wanted to tell them Katie wasn’t a hot lay. She was a special lady. Although she’d screwed him, in many ways, he didn’t think of her as a causal sex partner, which frightened him more than made him furious over his current position. He stared out the window as they pulled onto the main highway.
He needed to keep his head on straight and concentrate on his future instead of worrying about her. She had her family, and their bank account. She’d probably come out of this with nothing more than a tap on the wrist. He, on the other hand had no one. The Drapier’s might help, seeing his state was because of their daughter. But he didn’t have their name behind him to get him completely out of this sticky situation. He was on his own.
****
Katie peered outside the window as the vehicle drove away with Jack in the backseat. She bet he was livid, believing she deserted him, letting him take the blame.
Nothing could be further from the truth. She intended to return to the barn.
Like why wouldn’t she, after they’d spent a glorious afternoon in each other’s arms. She wanted more of him, and got the impression he felt the same.
She’d dressed, and gone inside, needing to use the bathroom, leaving him to rest before the next round. That’s when she heard the car drive up. Alarmed, she’d peeked outside into the darkness. The SUV left their headlights on, and the occup
ants carried a flashlight. Both gave her enough light to see they from the sheriff’s department, which meant one of two things. Someone reported some strange activity at Nana’s and they were here to investigate, or they’d come for her. The latter seemed the most probable.
She’d continued to observe through the glass, thankful she didn’t flip the switch, leaving the room dark. The men milled around the property, neither inspecting any buildings. She thought they may be off the hook. It appeared by chance one shined his beam inside the barn.
He’d motioned to his partner. They disappeared. Not long after they escorted Jack outside, wearing his wet clothes. One brought him into the house and vanished toward the back. The other guy stood at the SUV, holding a mike to his mouth. Jack reappeared, redressed, with a jacket. He and the cop trudged past the rooms, and outdoors where they put him into the car, thankfully, not handcuffed. Then they drove away.
Surprised the deputies didn’t search anymore, she slipped out of the bathroom, and onto the porch. Her first instinct was to run to her jeep and escape. But what about Jack? She couldn’t leave him in the counties hands. Yet, if she made an appearance they’d arrest her. Those guys weren’t here to discuss the weather.
Headlight flashes flickered from the drive. Several cars approached. She backed against the far wall, sneaked toward the front door, and she crept inside. Hurried, she flew up the flight of stairs, into her dad’s old room and sprinted to a filmy coated floor to ceiling window that faced the outer property.
Uniformed officers emerged from their vehicles. Her life had turned to shit and it was about to hit the proverbial fan in the matter of seconds. If they had a warrant, which she assumed they did, they’d come in to investigate, and they would find her.
Her grandmother’s closet. The entire floor lifted and provided a tunnel as a getaway. She and Aaron used to play inside. An escape hatch built by her ancestors, supposedly to flee from any enemy attacks during some war. It may still be usable. If the passageway remained clear, she could disappear. All she had to do was get there before they came in. She rushed to the stairwell opening and stopped.
This wasn’t about her anymore. Jack was in trouble because of her. The right thing would be to call her parents, and tell them to contact Cruz, and then give up to the authorities. She retrieved her phone from her pocket, engaged the battery, and pushed the on button. The display lit up. Knock’s came from the front of the home.
“Katherine,” someone called. “Sheriff’s department. We know you’re here, so open up.”
Barely breathing, Katie strained to hear. Faint voices drifted through the wind, but she couldn’t catch a word. After a long pause, they banged again. She didn’t move. Another stretch of nothingness followed. She’d left the screen unlocked, and door unlatched. They simply opened up and walked in. Footsteps resonated below. No time to make any calls, but she needed a lawyer to meet her at the police station. She scrolled to Jules number and typed a message:
Help! About to be arrested.
She pressed the send button and prayed Jules wasn’t too busy to check and read her texts.
Sounds came from the foot of the stairs. “Katherine?” A light shimmered up the stairway. She took a deep breath, put the phone back into her pocket, and stepped into the doorway.
“Yes?”
“Hands up where I can see them.” Katie gulped. The officer had a gun pointed right at her chest. “Slowly, come down.”
The rest of the events were nothing short of bizarre. Holding her hands high in the air, she descended, stepping carefully. Her heart thumped at top speed, as she made her way down, cautious not to perform any action perceived as threatening and provoke the person aiming the firearm to shoot.
Once she reached the bottom, the officer lowered the pistol. Relief swept through her. Her reprieve was fleeting. Immediately, another deputy grabbed her arm and jerked around.
“Place your hands flat against the wall and spread your legs wide apart.”
Katie followed their instructions without comment. They patted her down, removing her phone from her pocket. Breath held she kept her entire body motionless as a stranger’s fingers gripped into her skin. The person touching her stepped away.
Slightly violated, Katie released a loud sigh, and blinked hard. Tears brimmed, though she was uncertain if she needed to cry from fear, release, or something else. Either way, she preferred not to show infirmity in front of what looked like an entire army of law enforcement.
An officer yanked her arms behind her back. Solid steel gripped her wrists, trailed by a decisive click that rendered her defenseless. “Katherine Elizabeth Drapier. You’re under arrest in the murder of Hazel Nutt,” the deputy told her and continued by reading her rights. “Do you understand?”
After she affirmed she understood, and she would speak to an attorney, she was roughly guided through the house and outside to a waiting car. She bit her lip, as she passed a group going through her jeep. The officer guiding her, shoved her into the backseat of a sheriff’s department vehicle, and left her alone to stare a mesh partition.
So this is what it felt like to be a criminal. She’d only thought losing her job, being a possible murder suspect and, going into hiding because of it was humiliating. This experience sank below demeaning, and the worst was still ahead. She hoped Jules received her texts and able to get her some help.
Two officers got into the car, both sat up front. Within seconds they’d left the property and the mayhem behind. Other than speak on the radio, no one said a word. She couldn’t think about her situation, if she did, she’d burst into tears.
Her focus remained on Jack. Why did they take him? Other than coming with her, he had nothing to do with Hazel’s death. Maybe they questioned him and released him. She had to know.
“Where is Jack? Jackson Pharrell. He was with me.”
Neither answered her.
“Come on, innocent until proven guilty, remember?”
“Oh, we have proof against you, lady.”
The other officer laughed. “Don’t think daddy’s friends in high places or his millions are going to get you out of this one, sweet cheeks.”
“I’m not discussing anything until I speak with an attorney.”
“Then be quiet.”
“You can at least tell me about Jack. What happened to him?”
“Any plans you made with your man are going to have to be put on hold for a while.” She chuckled. “I mean forever. Your shady lawyer boyfriend is considered as a co-conspirator in Hazel Nutt’s murder. He’s going to rot in jail. Just like you.”
Chapter 21
Katie needed to sleep. The drive was long, tedious, and impossible to rest in the backseat, especially with her hands restrained behind her. The officers transporting her could care less about her wellbeing, which added to the unpleasantness. Once they arrived at the police station, her capturers almost drug her from the car, and brusquely escorted her through a backdoor, void of any onlookers or reporters hanging around the entrance. A new group of law enforcers took over the moment she entered the building. While her scenario didn’t get more enjoyable, this unit appeared professional, unlike the “tough bunch” that brought her in.
“Ms. Drapier,” said the formable looking detective who’d met them. “Take the handcuffs off,” he instructed. The cop whipped her around a little harder than necessary. “Easy,” the investigator charged. “We don’t do that kind of stuff in this office.”
The deputy looked peeved but complied. Within moments he’d removed the bonds. She rubbed her chafed wrists, wondering if asking for something to sooth the irritation would be worth the effort. The new detective introduced himself, though she forgot his name the second the introduction was over. He guided her into a less crowded section of the station, and relieved her of all personal items, followed by a request that she sign for them. Next, he directed her through the photographed and fingerprinting process. Then he sat her in an empty office and explained she’d been off
icially booked. After the formalities were completed, he went to the other side of the desk to sit.
“Any questions?”
“What’s going to happen now?” she asked timidly.
“You’ve requested a lawyer, and from my understanding, he is on the way. Once you confer with your attorney, we’ll interrogate you. Then you go to a jail cell. The prosecutor’s office will decide if we’ve built a strong enough case against you, and what charges to file. Several things can occur after. You could be arraigned which, means you’ll go before a judge and plead guilty or not.”
“I’m not.”
The detective eyed her. “The prosecutor might take the facts before a grand jury, and let them determine if enough information has been gathered for a trial. Or he may conclude he doesn’t the evidence isn’t sufficient to hold you at this time, and release you, with the option of arresting you again if more proof comes to light.” He hesitated. “Anything else?”
“What about bail?”
“Usually set at the arraignment, which will occur anywhere between forty eight to seventy two hours.” He cleared his throat. “If a judge sets a bond.”
“So until then—I’m going to jail now?”
“Yes.”
“Are my parents here?”
“I understand they are in the waiting area.”
“Can they visit me?”
He shook his head. “Not at this time.”
“I need to know what happened to Jack.”
“Who?”
“Jackson Pharrell. He was with me, and taken away before I was, um, captured. Is he here?”
“Can’t discuss him.”
She swallowed the argument that’d lodged in her throat. She needed to know what happened to him, but she was in no position to help herself, much less give Jack assistance.
“The cell has a bed, right?”
“Yes ma ‘me,” he answered almost gently. “Would you like coffee or a cold drink?”
She shook her head. “A bathroom?”
He rose from behind the desk and called a female officer, who took her to the ladies room. She stood watch, after instructing Katie not shut the stall door.