by Sara York
“Marissa, it’s--”
“No,” Marissa cut him off, anger flashing in her eyes. She pulled her bag off the back of her chair and turned to leave.
Tony jumped up, sending his chair tumbling over behind him. He reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. She struggled against him, pushing him away.
He whispered the horrible news in her ear, “It was Kelsey. I couldn’t tell you over the phone. Her name hasn’t been released to the press.”
Marissa stilled in his arms. Her body crumpled. Finding the small of her back, he pulled her closer. The swell of her breasts pushed against his chest, igniting a fire that burned hot for his wife. He cupped his free hand behind her head. Part of him wanted to tilt her head back and kiss her soft red lips, like he had when they were first married, before life got in the way and his priorities were mixed up.
Her body turned to dead weight. She’d fainted. A moment of shock and hesitation passed quickly, the he picked her up and threw her arm around his shoulder, nestling her head against his chest. With her feet dangling, Tony carried her to his car. Placing her gingerly on the passenger seat, he strapped her in and drove to the only place he could think to take her. Home.
She shook with grief when he carried her into the house. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was hold and protect his beautiful wife. It had been ages since he’d held her in his arm. His pride and her anger had kept them apart. He breathed in her scent and the memory of the last time he’d held her close flashed in his mind. It was they day before she left. They’d made love for hours. He shivered with expectation and emotion.
Heat stirred within him. Would she willingly go upstairs and let him explore her body in the bed they used to share? A warning flashed in his mind. Marissa didn’t want to share his bed right now. With a gentle hand, he lowered her feet onto the thick, plush carpet covering the living room floor. She sighed as she sank down, still leaning on him for support.
The air between them crackled with pent up frustration. Marissa’s chest rose and fell in rhythm with Tony’s, pushing her rounded breasts against his chest, driving him insane with each intake.
He saw the need in her eyes and knew she felt his erection. His lips moved involuntarily to hers. He would stop if she pulled back, but it would be difficult. Surprise flashed through him as she pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his. Relief flooded his body. She wanted him too.
Driven by blinding need, Tony pulled at her shirt, popping off one of the small blue buttons in the process. Marissa trailed her fingers down his neck to the first button on his shirt. She hesitated then pulled the cloth, exposing a triangle of his skin to her touch. Fear shot through him. Would she want to stop? Had he pushed too hard? His fear was short lived when she pulled at the buttons, freeing his chest for her kisses.
Tony groaned. A fire burned along the trail of kisses she laid across his skin. He crumpled to the floor, pulling her with him. Her legs were toned. That was different. Pleasure rippled through him. She’d been working out. He pushed his hands under her skirt, revealing the uncovered swell of her bottom.
“You wore a thong?”
“Don’t talk,” Marissa directed as she pulled fiercely at Tony’s belt.
Tony chuckled as he played with the thong’s strap. The thin strip of material enticed and enflamed him, leaving him wanting to posses her now. He had bought her a thong six months ago. Had she worn it for him?
Her fingers latched onto the key of his zipper, sliding it down slowly so her hand rubbed against the bulge at the front of his pants. She was torturing him, and he loved it. The vibrating pulse of his pager brought her head up. Disappointment clouded her eyes. They both knew he would answer the page.
Tony grabbed his cell phone and punched in the call back number. “Santos here.” He watched as Marissa straightened her clothes and reached for her shirt. Energy drained from him. His hope faded. They would have to wait for any reconciliation.
He was tired of waiting. Marissa would be gone before he got off this call if he didn’t act fast.
“I’ll call you back,” Tony said before he flipped his phone shut.
“Who was that?”
The accusatory look in Marissa’s eyes irked him. Trust had always been a big issue for her. Tony shut his eyes and shook his head. Anger wouldn’t win her back.
“Marissa, I’m sorry about that call, but I’m on duty.”
“Who?” Her voice was edged with a steely resolve she hadn’t shown the first seven years of their marriage. Then Ashley was gone and everything changed for both of them.
“It was Sekorski. He wants to talk.”
The lines of tension relaxed on Marissa’s face. She still didn’t trust him, but did he blame her? Deep inside, Tony knew he was a big part of their problem. If only he had given more when they’d lost Ashley. After her death, his analytical cop mind had taken over. The softer parts of his inner man shifted and became harder. Sex was just sex. Without the caring behind the act, it had meant nothing to either of them.
“Marissa, I didn’t intend to bring you back here today.”
“Really?”
“Go look in the bathroom. The mess ought to prove I wasn’t planning to bring you home.”
“Home? This isn’t home anymore,” Marissa spat the words out. Her face was flushed with anger.
“No it isn’t, because you’re not here,” Tony yelled. He paced around the living room, searching for something that would fix this situation.
“Don’t start with me.”
The indignant slant of her chin ripped at Tony’s heart. He wanted to push harder to get her back. Win at all cost, never back down, had been his motto. Now he knew better. She had a choice, and he didn’t want to force the issue. His shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m trying, Marissa. I’m honestly trying to change.”
“When is the funeral?”
Tony sighed. He wanted to force her back to the subject of their future. Instead, he answered her, careful to keep irritation out of his voice. “It’s not here. Danny took her back to Oklahoma. Chief Scott doesn’t think he’ll be coming back.”
“That bad?”
Looking at Marissa, Tony weighed the risk of telling her about the murders. Before the big blow up, Marissa had been solid, but now she was gone. What if she slipped up? He wouldn’t know about it for weeks, or months, based on how infrequently they talked.
Tony closed his eyes for a moment. His heart ached to trust her with this information. He longed for the days when she would open her arms and draw him to her. Would telling her how much he wanted her make it easier for her to accept him back in her life, or would she see it as a ploy to get her into bed?
Tony spoke, trusting her with this case before he could change his mind. “Worse than bad. Don’t leave your doors unlocked for a minute. It’s not only unlocked doors that are a problem. This guy is smooth.” Tony walked over to her, taking her hands in his, wanting to feel a connection while he talked. “Both women opened their doors for this killer.”
“How do you know that?”
Tony blinked. He’d said too much. He stepped away from her as self-disgust soured the words in his mouth. He was using this case to draw his wife closer. Fear about this case shouldn’t be the reason he won her back.
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose before he continued. “Marissa, you’re tearing me apart. I want to tell you everything, but this case, it’s different than others. If I told you what we know and it ever got out--”
“You think I would rat you out to the press?” Marissa’s voice was cold.
“No, I know you’d never do something so callous. But baby, if it got out I would have to tell the chief I told you. I don’t want you to have to go through questioning just because I told you a very sensitive piece of information.”
Tony’s cell phone rang, cutting their conversation short. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the display.
“It’s Sekorski again. I have to take it.”
&n
bsp; “I’ll catch a cab,” Marissa said as she grabbed for her purse.
“No,” Tony said forcefully.
“I don’t--”
“Marissa, I am not going to send you home in a cab. Give me five minutes and I’ll drive you back to your car.”
“Fine. I’ll just take a look around.”
“Don’t look too closely at the kitchen or the bathrooms,” Tony added as he flipped his phone open. “What’s up?”
“Come by at three. I’ve already contacted Rex.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Why’d you hang up on me earlier?”
Sekorski’s question caught Tony by surprise. He was uncomfortable discussing his relationship problems with anyone, and Sekorski was a work acquaintance, not a close friend.
“I’m with my wife.” Tony watched as Marissa peeked around the corner into the kitchen. He had warned her not to look.
“Oh, I see,” Sekorski said.
“It’s not like that,” Tony shot back. Marissa cocked her head towards him. Anger had gotten him in trouble in the past. He blew out a slow breath, concentrating on the floor at his feet.
“Hey, you’re on lunch break with your wife. What more needs to be said?”
Tony rolled his shoulders, releasing his tension. “I’ll be there at three.”
“See you then.”
Tony flipped his phone closed and pocketed it. A shiver snaked up his spine, lifting the hairs on his neck. Whipping around, Tony searched for a cause. He moved towards the window, looking out onto the street, but saw nothing. Maybe it was just having Marissa back in this house that had him off.
He turned, expecting to find her eyeing him suspiciously, but she wasn’t there, the room was empty. Tony searched for her down the hallway without success. Instinctively, he knew where she would be. Ashley’s old room. He took the stairs two at a time and found her with her head down, studying a photo album that hadn’t been boxed up and put away.
His heart tugged in his chest. How had Ashley died? Was their suspect playing him? Or was this guy giving him clues to a death that had almost destroyed everything he held dear? Putting up a few emotional shields, Tony moved towards Marissa. He held his arms out and wrapped them around her, pulling her close. “Baby, I miss her too. I miss her too.”
A sob shook Marissa’s shoulders. The pain of their loss still cut through to the core of their relationship. Tony took her chin in his hand and forced her to look him in the eye.
“I am not going to give up on us. We were too good together, and we aren’t done yet.”
“Tony, I--”
“Shhh, I need to work on a few things, I know that.” Tony pulled her closer, kissing the top of her hair. He breathed in deeply and savored her scent. When he spoke next, his voice was thick with emotion. “You and I belong together, and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen. Come on, I’ll take you back to your car.”
“Tony.”
“Yes?” His heart fluttered in his chest. Expectation filled his mind. If she came home they could be sleeping together tonight in the same bed. Excitement charged through him. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, to hold her, to make love to her over and over again.
“Give me two days before you call me again.”
Her words were like a pinprick in a balloon. The air went out of his lungs. The chance of reconciling this week was gone. Marissa was leaving him again and there was nothing he could do to stop her.
“How about tomorrow?”
“I need some time to think.”
“Fine.” Tony’s voice came out harsh. He cringed, knowing Marissa might take his tone as a sign of belligerence. He followed up with calm words. “I’ll give you two days to think about us. But while you’re thinking I want you to remember that I love you, and I want you back in my life.”
A single tear traced down her cheek, Marissa jerked her hand to wipe it away before Tony could reach out to smooth the dampness across her soft skin. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. Wiping the tears from her eyes was his job. He was supposed to be her hero, not her enemy.
A sinking sensation settled in his stomach, bringing home the feeling he’d been cheated. It was up to him to make this right.
****
The satisfaction was almost complete, but something was lacking. The killer had watched Tony make an ass of himself again. That was it. He should have brought a camcorder and then he would have the full satisfaction of showing Tony what a total ass he really was.
He would love to follow Detective Tony Santos around, catching all of the horrible mistakes he made. Show him how fake his life really was. Santos was the loser, and soon enough, he would know.
Marissa had been upset. Tony might have stripped her down to almost naked, but she was sad, very sad. He would make it better. He had watched with awe through binoculars. The skin on her ass was perfect, creamy and smooth with no dimples. It made him want to bite her. He would rip her flesh from her rump.
Longing pulsed through his body, making him wish he were with her right now. After the truth came to her, she would hardly be recognizable.
Tony had pawed her perfect flesh. A man like Tony didn’t deserve a woman like Marissa. How could she have chosen such a total loser? She could have done better.
His tongue twitched at the memory of her breasts. He wanted to lick them and feel them rise to his touch. He would play with her first, making her realize her mistake of choosing Tony.
She would be like hot honey in his hands. He could taste the sweetness of power on his tongue again. He wanted her bad, but not yet.
Discipline was the key to his operation. And if anyone could find fault with him it was for his extreme discipline in this operation.
Tony needed to learn his lesson first. He couldn’t be allowed to walk around thinking he was great. Detective Tony Santos wasn’t great or even good. He was just a careless cop who couldn’t even keep his wife satisfied.
The killer would satisfy Marissa and make Tony understand.
Chapter 9
Acrid fumes of formaldehyde and blood hung in the air at the city morgue. The cheeseburger and fries Tony had downed in a rush sat heavy in his stomach.
Had he delayed telling Marissa about Kelsey he could have enjoyed Manny’s famous fish tacos, but not telling her wasn’t an option.
No food. No relaxing. No sex. Tony rolled his shoulders as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Stress was a common side effect in police work, but Juniper wasn’t a common town. It was quiet and quaint, not a place where multiple murders occurred in one week. The quick clip of shoes behind Tony brought him out of his self-pity. Turning towards the noise, he found Rex smiling like a Cheshire cat.
“I am seriously worried about you Rex,” Tony said as his friend approached.
“What? Ain’t no big.”
“This morning you were guarded, didn’t show any emotions. This afternoon, you’re the total opposite. What gives?”
“Like I said, no big.”
Rex buzzed past Tony, leaving a fresh shower scent in his wake. The smell of Irish Spring soap was unmistakable. Wariness wrapped its cold fingers around Tony’s chest. Why would Rex shower in the middle of the day?
Gone were the days where life functioned on an even keel. Marissa was the key. In the past when Rex was acting strange, Marissa would solve the puzzle.
“If it gets to be something you want to talk about...”
“I know. You’re available.” Rex smiled his overly charming grin. That smile had saved his hide on many occasions.
Frustration pulled at Tony. “Yeah, something like that.”
Rex pushed through the door to Sekorski’s office. Tony followed a few steps behind. He took one look at the medical examiner’s face and knew this meeting wasn’t going to be a revelation of good news.
“Rex. Tony. Glad to see you. You didn’t invite anybody else to this meeting?”
“No, just us two,” Tony replie
d, glancing over at Rex. A somber expression covered the zeal that Tony had detected just a moment ago in the hall. A Chameleon came to mind. Had Rex always been this changeable in the past?
“Good, I want this kept between the three of us.”
“Oh damn, Sekorski, don’t tell me it’s bad.” Tony ran his hand down his face. Disappointment over the case rose in his chest. They needed a break, not trouble.
“Santos, I’m not even sure I want both of you here.”
“What does that mean?” Tony shot back, not liking the threat of being excluded.
“Someone took a fiber.”
“What?” Tony exploded.
“I found one lousy fiber on Angela Longfellow. A piece of carpet, or maybe some upholstery from a car, I don’t know, but it was something.”
“What’s wrong then?” Tony asked.
“It’s gone.”
“Shit.” Rex slammed his fist into his hand.
“What do you mean gone? Sekorski, evidence doesn’t just stand up and leave.” Tony’s voice thundered.
Sekorski shrank back and moved over to a tray on his desk. “Everything pertaining to the Longfellow case was here, in my office, except for the brown liquid. I took an early lunch break. An hour, maybe an hour and a half, and when I came back the fiber was gone.”
“Was that the only thing missing?” Tony asked, his mind clicking into gear.
“That was the only unique piece of evidence we retrieved from her body. She was cleaner than my mom’s kitchen. Somebody used bleach to scrub her down. Her teeth had been brushed and flossed too.”
“Strange. Why brush her teeth and why bleach?” Rex asked.
“Brushing the teeth, I don’t know. I did find toothpaste residue and a small amount of water in the back of her throat. If she’d been conscious, she would have spit or swallowed. Flossing is easy to figure out. He wanted to get rid of any skin she’d bitten during the crime. I found a fiber from the floss stuck in one of her back teeth. Reach brand, cinnamon, non-waxed.”