“I missed you too.”
With as much as haste as possible he lowered her to the floor and sought out his clothes.
“You don’t need those,” she said taking his hand and leading him towards her bedroom.
Heavy limbs and uncertainty followed him as he followed her, and before he could regain control of his senses, she teased him with her mouth until he was ready again. His only thoughts were of lust. All the sensible notions had flowed from his mind and rested between his legs.
As they lay side by side breathless and satisfied his rationale began to return. He needed to get out of here, and fast. The first thing on his mind was calling Cooper and confessing his sins. Now he needed to find a tactful way of taking his leave without raising her suspicion. When she spoke, he almost couldn’t answer.
“How’s your case going?”
Digging deep, he found his resolve and keep his expression blank. “Not very well actually.”
“Oh, that’s no good for you. I must say though I hope you don’t find him. The more dead drug dealers the better.”
The edge to her voice raised his suspicions and encouraged his hunch. Thoughts of their conversations filled his mind and with dread he realised that no matter how much he tried to tell himself it couldn’t be her, there was no denying what could be the truth.
“I must say I’m not sorry to see scum like this dead, but no-one can take the law into their own hands.”
“Of course,” she said with a shrug and the edge to her voice seemed to have dissipated. “I’m just going to go shower. Don’t go anywhere. I might want to have my way with you again later.”
“I’ll be right here.”
Once he heard the shower running, his thoughts wandered to Cooper’s words at the scene, along with the evidence at hand. Her hatred for drug dealers and need for justice outweighed any doubts he had about her innocence. Just because she seemed like a sweet girl who was dynamite in the sack, didn’t mean she wasn’t capable of redemption.
He’d let the wrong head do the thinking and the anger he felt towards his stupidity and lack of judgement weighed heavily on him now. His life was the job and he’d let an infatuation stand in the way of doing it properly. Well he wasn’t going to let that happen again. The only thing he could do now was redeem himself and the best way to do that was find the evidence that would tie her directly to the murders and end this once and for all. With his resolve now firmly in place, Lucas decided to take a look around while he was waiting. What did he really know about her besides every inch of her body?
He opened a few drawers here and there, not sure what it was he was exactly looking for. While poking around in her cupboard, he found just what he hadn’t anticipated and definitely hadn’t wanted to find.
18
To Catch a Killer
His breath caught and Lucas cursed his stupidity again. The gun and a wish list were together in a box. The first four names, crossed through in red, were the names of their drug dealing victims. The weapon matched the calibre bullets found at the scene, while her motive had been obvious from the first moment. Until they compared the weapon to the evidence it was purely circumstantial but with the list there was no denying it. Annabelle was the vigilante. Bringing him here and seducing him, had it been her plan from the beginning? What the hell was he supposed to do now?
After taking note of the next name on the list, Lucas reluctantly put the gun and list back into its box. With haste he located his clothes and had almost escaped when she returned from the bathroom.
“Where are you going?”
With his shield up and his face blank he hoped he hid the rampant emotions surging through his veins. “I have to get up really early tomorrow. I’ll call you.”
Driving home he wondered just how they were going to get around this now. They didn’t have enough to search her premises for the evidence he knew it contained. Had he just jeopardised their whole case so he could get laid? He would have to face the ramifications with Cooper in the morning.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Hudson, what were you thinking? Wait don’t answer that I know exactly what you were thinking about. You’re not a goddamn green rookie, you’re a detective. To think I picked you to partner with me because of your impeccable record, your test results, and everything about you as a cop. Then you go and do this!”
Lucas waited out his tirade.
“I’m sorry, Cooper, I honestly thought she had something useful for me, until I got there, then I found out what it was. I ... lost control, something I rarely do. I ... she ... I wasn’t thinking, not with the right head anyway. She obviously knew what she was doing before she invited me over. I should’ve stopped after that first time but I didn’t want to believe it was her.”
“Fucking oath she knew what she was doing!”
“I’m sorry, Russell, all I can say is, it won’t happen again.”
“You should have called me.”
His rant was beginning to wind down now.
“I didn’t want to bother you at home. I have no life so I thought I would handle it.”
“All we can do now is build a case against her and hope she doesn’t become suspicious or the gun will be gone for good.”
“So, what if she calls again?”
“You’ll have to act dumb and play along. I’m sure it won’t be too much of an inconvenience jumping in bed with her again.”
“Yeah, well, no,” he mumbled sheepishly, averting his eyes.
“You’re way too valuable as a cop for me to report this. I’ll keep this to myself if you do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“I’m due to retire in just under two years from now. I want you to listen and learn what I teach you. I want you to become the best detective you can. You need to learn to be tough, hard-hitting and unwavering. Learn that every pretty face isn’t necessarily innocent and every creep isn’t a crook. I need you to take some of the load. I’m tired and seen way too much. You need to keep a clear head and focus at all times. You cannot be fooled by a pretty face, ever. I know about your reputation as a ladies’ man and by all means, if that’s what toots your horn, go right ahead but do not let it get in the way of doing your job ever again. Clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Good, now I have an idea.”
All had gone to plan thus far. Annabelle had called again and he played along. It was time to catch a killer. Lucas checked his pocket to ensure the recording device was in place and knocked on her door.
“Well, hello there, detective,” she cooed. “I’m still a little mad at you for running out on me last night. I hadn’t finished with you.”
“I promise I won’t tonight,” he replied, he hoped, with conviction, as he swallowed down his contempt. Could he put the plan into action without having to sleep with a killer again?
“Come here, handsome.”
She took him by the hand and led him towards her bedroom. Damn, he really didn’t want to have to do this.
“How about we talk for a bit? Get to know each other some more.”
“What is there to talk about? I’ve been thinking about last night all day.”
Knowing he couldn’t push it, he allowed himself to be led. He merely hoped Cooper wouldn’t record this part. His earpiece crackled and Cooper’s voice came through.
“Don’t worry I won’t record this bit.”
He laughed to himself. Can he read my thoughts too?
Discreetly he removed the piece from his ear before she noticed it and placed it in his pocket with the hi-tech recording device. He then went through the motions as she removed first her clothes, then his, and when she kissed him the bile rose in his throat. Sending his mind elsewhere he thought of someone else. Stacy, Olivia, one of his conquests, even the sweet Leah. At least his guilty conscience would outweigh his disgust. She took him in her mouth and he pretended to enjoy her offerings. Wanting to get it over as quickly as possible he took command and was able to finish the job
with haste, while still keeping her satisfaction. He made all the right noises as his heart went black. Everything that had occurred in recent years, the things bringing him back to the light, disappeared now and indifference took permanent residence. Never had he felt such loathing and regret.
“Hmm that was wonderful,” she told him.
How much acting had gone into her performances during their past encounters? He’d never had a bad report in the past and always considered himself a considerate lover but her exuberance had probably been melodramatics, this dented his ego, albeit slightly.
“You’re not too bad yourself.”
He waited, looking for a way to draw the conversation in the direction it needed to go. Deciding to try false compassion he began, “Even though it was a long time ago now I still miss my parents every day. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose your brother so young.”
With false sincerity he idly ran his hands along her smooth skin and almost choked on his revulsion.
“I miss him every day but I lost him at fifteen, when the drugs got him. He was never the same after that.”
“It must have been exceptionally difficult not knowing exactly who provided the drugs which killed him.”
“Yeah, it sucks. I know there’s no-one to blame except Billy but I can’t bring myself to do that. He was an addict, a product of them. So, instead, I blame every scum sucking dealer out there.”
“I know what it’s like to lose a loved one without justice, without anyone to direct the hatred at.”
“You do?” Her tone was almost hopeful, vulnerable. No Lucas, focus, she is anything but.
“Yeah, when my parents were ... killed.” He paused. “They never found who did it. It was part of the reason I became a cop. I often wonder though, if I found the killers, what I would do ...”
His hatred for her threatened to dissolve his tenacity to find out the truth. The thought of the confidence he’d shared with her way back on the first night turned his stomach. If only he hadn’t shared the details of his life with her. Instead of sharing real and painful memories now, he could have given her a different story, one that wasn’t real.
“I think about it all the time. I want to blow them all away.”
“Yeah me too,” he lied. “I was hoping being on the side of the law would help but it hasn’t, all it’s done is make my thirst for revenge even stronger. The inadequacies of the law and the system frustrate me.”
“If you could find them, would you do it?”
“Without hesitation.” His lies crushed his chest.
“What if I could find out? I know people on the streets.”
“What do you mean?” She was going to tell him!
“I obtained a list of every dealer who could have or did supply Billy.”
“What are you doing with it?”
He feigned excited interest now. Teasing her between her legs with loving strokes as though impressed by her, he offered her an encouraging smile.
“I’ll show you but first I want you to keep going with that ...” He did as asked and brought her to a swift climax with his fingers. She lay panting for a moment, what an actress. “Hmm, I definitely want you hanging around for a while. Maybe, when we find out who your parent’s killers are, we could play and work together.”
Jumping up from the bed, she went to the cupboard and came back with the box. He couldn’t believe he had convinced her to reveal to him, a cop, what she’d done. Was he really that convincing? Maybe he was in the wrong profession.
“I know I must be crazy to trust you, a cop, with this, but after telling me you want redemption for your parents and seeing the hurt in your eyes, I want to help take it away. You are also exceptionally handsome and good in bed.” She grinned. She was truly crazy.
“I bought this on the black market. It’s unregistered of course so it’s untraceable. The list is from another source, an addict friend. When you came to see me that first day I was scared. I really thought it was all over until I noticed the way you looked at me. I saw sadness in you and I craved to take it away. We can do that together now, by locating and shooting those maniacs who killed your parents, just like I’ve been killing the dealers, one by one.”
He was taken aback for a moment as her manically laugh echoed around him. Did she just confess? Was it really that easy?
“So you did kill them?”
He actually sounded surprised. It seemed he was better at this than he thought he would be. The grit and resolve he proudly carried around resurfaced and any light in his heart turned black again, just like the fury he felt at himself and her. Just as he’d said to Cooper, he would never let emotions or desire cloud his judgement again. All he had wanted was to serve the law and give his life to justice but at the first sign of a pretty face he’d caved. His disgust over his lack of strength pushed away the last of his compassion.
“Yes I did.”
It was that easy. Her delusion clouded her judgement. She almost looked proud of herself and he thought she expected him to be too. With complete disbelief, he got up, found his pants, pulled handcuffs from the pocket and walked towards her.
“Annabelle Richardson, you are under arrest for the murders of Aaron Clarke, Leroy Delaware, Scott Parsons and Peter Thompson. Get dressed so I can cuff you.”
He felt ridiculous reading her Miranda rights while he was still naked. Surprisingly she got dressed as asked but when it was time to cuff her she kicked and fought against arrest, screaming obscenities at him. Gone was the seductress and in its place was a completely deranged grief stricken banshee. He pulled on his clothes moments before Cooper entered with two uniforms.
“Good job, Hudson, can’t believe you got her to cave so easy. You must be one hell of a lay!”
19
Maggie
Many things changed for Lucas after that night. His heart became closed and cold. His disgust at himself and with Annabelle swore him off for good. Instead he focused all his emotion and energy into his work. The lesson learnt with Annabelle would live with him at every interview and interrogation. His manner became indifferent, unemotional and tough. Cooper, although concerned about his decision to distance himself from any type of relationship, was proud of his progression. He said numerous times that when he retired Lucas would only continue to rise. His reputation and results spoke for him now.
Lucas worked extensive hours, long after his shift ended and spent his only free time with his family, at the gym or alone in his apartment. While one part of his life was positive and successful, the other was a shell without life. Try as she might, Carrie couldn’t bring him back. Loneliness became Lucas’ only companion. His journal his only confidant giving him some solace as it had in the past.
The Montgomery’s were the only family he had or would ever have now. He knew his vow to remain aloof and closed off to all relationships worried Carrie but there was nothing she could do. The Lucas she thought had been returning was gone now for good. In his place, a tough, reserved and unemotional detective, except of course with his niece and nephew, where a slight glimpse of the passionate, kind and considerate man could be seen.
Almost two years after the Annabelle incident, it came time for Cooper to retire. The respect and esteem he had for his partner was paramount and Lucas was saddened by his impending absence. He’d learnt much from Russell and had done as promised that day, made his partner proud. Russell Cooper couldn’t have been happier with the detective Lucas had become and said so at his retirement speech. Although drunk and in need of a warm body, Lucas abstained despite the offers. There had been no-one since the frenetic Annabelle.
Lucas nursed a killer hangover all of Saturday and then spent his Sunday with the Montgomery’s, giving little thought to who had been assigned as his new partner.
Monday arrived. It was time to meet his new partner. The only thing he knew was, whoever it was, had recently passed their exams and this would be their first assignment as detective. It was an honour that af
ter only two years he would be the senior partner. He hoped they wouldn’t be as stupid as he’d been.
Thinking of this only reminded him of Annabelle and how she was the last girl he’d slept with. He missed sex, very much, but every time he even considered the idea, bile rose to greet him and he could never go through with it. There had been plenty of offers and a few kisses exchanged here and there but when it came to the deed, he’d bowed out each and every time.
When he arrived Captain Shaw beckoned him to his office, time to meet his new recruit. He entered to discover an exceptionally attractive blond. Her short hair framed her striking face. Her eyes a bright blue and her body athletic yet curvy on a tall frame. Taken aback for a moment, his mind, for the first time in months, years, reacted to her beauty and sent graphic images of exactly what he desired to do to her.
“Hudson,” Shaw broke through the sexual adventure in his mind. “This is Maggie Hayward, your new partner.”
No! How the hell am I supposed to stay focused now, she’s too damn hot.
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” she told him as she stepped forward and offered her hand. “Your reputation precedes you. I look forward to working with you.”
With a nod he took her hand, which was surprisingly soft. Focus!
Maggie nervously stood as she waited to meet the highly regarded Lucas Hudson. She could hardly believe it when told she would be partnered with him. His arrest record, interrogation skills and sixth sense were definitely well known and talked about within the precinct. She heard many stories about the elusive Hudson while on patrol and not all of them were about his detecting skills.
Locker room stories abounded regarding his talents not only on the force but in the bedroom. Usually ignoring such banter she’d begun to listen since deciding to sit for her detective badge. If the rumours were actually true and if she were fortunate enough to be elevated to the gold shield floor of the building, it would be interesting to see if Hudson was as attractive as implied. She’d heard many girls talk of his escapades and most had sampled the wares. She wondered if he was really that good. Upon hearing she would be partnered with him her excitement became the overriding feeling, there would be much to learn from him.
Hudson Page 10