Reclaiming Love

by Shirleen Davies

  “It’s not Deke’s fault, Adam. I believe whoever is doing this would’ve found a way to get to me, even if it wasn’t destroying my home. We can’t change what he did.” She stepped next to him, letting her hand move up to his shoulder, then his neck, feeling the tension in his muscles.

  “No, but we can find the S.O.B. and put him in jail.” He let his head drop forward, allowing her fingers work their magic on his neck and upper back.

  “Take off your shirt and sit down. You’re as tight as a drum.”

  He removed his shirt and lowered himself onto the bed as she climbed behind him, using her thumbs to push deep into his tissues, enjoying the sound of his groan. She felt the tissues relax and let her hands move to a kneading motion, her palms pressing into his shoulders and upper back.

  “Where did you learn to do this?”

  “I took a class while in school. One of those extension courses.”

  “Who did you practice on?” he asked, his voice lowering, becoming hoarse.

  “Anyone who’d let me.”

  She could hear a difference in his voice, the stress giving way to a tranquil peace.

  “Okay, lie on your stomach.”

  He didn’t say a word, just did as Julia instructed, stretching out on the mattress, feeling her move behind him. She started at his shoulders, continuing to knead and massage, working her way down in long, sure strokes. Her fingers caressed his skin at times, then pushed deeper to relax tense muscles. His eyelids grew heavy and yet his body felt sensitized, fully in tune with her touch.

  Julia moved lower, kneading his lower back, hearing his breathing slow until certain he’d fallen asleep. She drew a leg over him, rolling off the bed when a hand snaked out to grab her wrist.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, pulling her back to him, wrapping his arms around her.

  She sighed as his lips swept kisses along her neck, across her jaw, until he’d captured her mouth. The kiss was slow, his tongue sending shivers of desire through her. He increased the pressure, his mouth becoming insistent, claiming hers with a deep hunger, setting her body on fire.

  Her hands moved up his back to his neck, her motions becoming almost frantic as she shredded fingers through his hair, holding him to her. The heat in her body increased, creating an aching need for more.

  He broke the kiss, moving his lips down her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat.

  “Adam,” she breathed out, pushing into him, trying to get closer. “I want…I…”

  He chuckled softly. “I know baby. I know.” His hand moved to the top of her blouse, releasing one button then another, before releasing the front clasp of her bra and pushing the fabric aside, letting his gaze wander over her. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered, as he continued his slow ministrations, not stopping until they both found release before drifting off to sleep.

  ******

  “We just received the information, Chief.” Olander handed Adam the transmission from the Internet service provider, showing an address.

  Adam scanned the document. “Do you know this address?”

  “It’s the library.”

  Adam grabbed his hat and started for the door. “You coming?” he asked Olander when he noticed the officer hadn’t moved.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then get moving.”

  They didn’t need a car. The library stood a block away from the police station on a quiet street, lined on both sides by evergreens. Built in the fifties, it stood three stories high plus a basement. Adam remembered exploring the basement with Julia, finding all kinds of treasures before the head librarian found them and booted them outside. They’d been banned for a month. He wondered if she was still around.

  “May I help you?” A young man stepped up to the information counter, his eyes glancing at Adam’s badge.

  “I’m Police Chief Monroe. Is the head librarian in?”

  “I’d be happy to help you, Chief Monroe.” A woman walked up next to Adam. “She isn’t here right now, but I’m her assistant, Mrs. Johannsen.”

  “Nice meeting you. This is Officer Olander.”

  She smiled at the man and nodded. “How can I assist you?”

  “May we talk privately?”

  “Of course. Follow me.”

  It didn’t take Adam long to explain the situation, omitting names and specifics about what had been sent.

  “The computers we offer for library use don’t allow users to access the Internet, except for partner sites such as other libraries. I don’t see how anyone could establish and use an email account from here.”

  “What about employee computers?”

  “Yes, they do have access, but I can’t imagine any of them being involved. Most have been here for a long time.”

  “May I see a list of employees, including when they were hired?” Adam asked.

  Mrs. Johannsen let out a sigh, opened a computer program and generated a list. “Here you are.”

  He scanned it, noting just two men, both in their sixties. “You’re absolutely certain there is no other computer a patron could use that might have full access?”

  Her eyes widened, brows rising. “Well, there is one old machine that does get used on occasion by people needing to do a little more research while they’re here. We offer it on a limited basis and only to locals we know.”

  “May we see it?”

  They followed her to an office behind hers which held a few bookcases and a desk, upon which sat an old computer.

  “Let me turn it on. I don’t believe it’s been used since yesterday.”

  “Do you keep a log of who has access?”

  She shook her head. “Really, there are perhaps six or seven people who use it, and that’s spread out. Most are older people without a computer at home plus a couple others.” She turned as the young man poked his head into the office.

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Johannsen, but Mr. Farrell is asking if he may use the computer.”

  Adam’s head jerked at the science teacher’s name.

  “Please tell him I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Mrs. Johannsen turned back toward the men. “It’s ready now if you want to check it.”

  “What I’ll need to do is take it back to the station so our computer expert may check it. But, I would like to ask about Mr. Farrell. Does he use this computer often?”

  “He’s probably the most frequent user, maybe once or twice a week. His house is quite far out of town and the Internet access at the school can be quite slow. He does research here, using this for additional searches when he can’t find what he wants in books.”

  “Besides today, when was the last time you saw him?”

  “Let me think. Maybe last Friday.”

  “Olander, shut down the computer. We’ll need the whole set up back at the station so Vic can check it out.” He shifted his attention to the librarian. “I’d like to speak with Mr. Farrell for a moment. May I use your office?”

  He followed her to the front, spotting Mr. Farrell speaking to another gentlemen.

  “Mr. Farrell?”

  “Ah, Adam Monroe. That’s twice in just a few days. How are you?”

  “Good. May I have a word with you, in private?” Adam asked, noting the other gentleman excused himself.

  Farrell eyed him, not at all certain he wanted any further discussions with the police chief. “I have little time today, but I could set up a time to talk. Perhaps tomorrow?”

  “Today, Mr. Farrell. Now. We can talk here or go to the station, whichever works better for you.”

  “All right, if it must be now. Let’s get it over with.”

  Adam closed the door behind them, indicating a chair to Farrell and taking Mrs. Johannsen’s chair for himself. He watched as Farrell crossed one leg over the other, then switched legs as his gaze wandered everywhere except toward Adam. He let the man stew for a minute before starting.

  Finally, Farrell broke
the silence. “What did you need to speak with me about?”

  “What do you use the library’s private computer for? The one in the back room.”

  Farrell’s brows knitted together in confusion. “The computer? Research on various science topics.”

  “You can’t use any others?”

  “Access at the school is inordinately slow. It takes four or five times as long to find what I need than when I come here.”

  “And at home?”

  “I live almost fifteen miles from town. Since I do a great deal of fact checking here at the library it makes sense to use their computer. It’s free and Mrs. Johannsen is quite gracious in letting me use it. What is this about?”

  “Have you ever used this computer to establish an email account, send messages?”

  “Never,” he huffed. “Why would I do such a thing?” Farrell fidgeted, uncrossing his legs and crossing his arms.

  “You’ve never set up an email account, using it to send harassing emails?” Adam kept his voice calm, his body relaxed, watching Farrell’s agitation grow.

  “I believe this conversation is over.” Farrell started to stand.

  “Sit down, Mr. Farrell. I found you outside Ms. Kerrigan’s home the night a set of explicit photographs were left at her door. You had no witnesses to confirm your reason for being there, but I let you leave. Now we’ve established that the library computer you’ve had access to has been used to set up bogus email accounts. Accounts used to send harassing emails and photos to Ms. Kerrigan and others.” At least that’s what Adam hoped Vic would determine.

  “That’s horrible, but I can assure you it’s not me.” His already agitated voice raised an octave as he spoke.

  “You’ve known Julia Kerrigan since she took your classes in high school. You would have been twenty-seven or eight at the time, and found yourself attracted to a beautiful student ten years your junior. You couldn’t have her but you fixated on her, didn’t you?”

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  “And you followed her. Took pictures of her with someone else. Pictures that are now being used to harass her and those she loves.”

  “Never! I’d never do anything like that. Besides, I’m not…” Farrell clamped his mouth shut and sat back in his chair.

  “Besides, you’re not…what?” Adam leaned forward, placing his arms on the desk.

  Farrell raised a hand, wiping away the moisture forming on his forehead. “Nothing.”

  “What aren’t you, Mr. Farrell?”

  He shook his head, not wanting to discuss it any further.

  “All right. I guess we can finish this discussion at the station.”

  “No. Wait.” Farrell clasped his hands in his lap, his eyes darting around the room before his gaze focused on Adam. “I’m not attracted to women. I’m gay. Have been since high school.”

  A burst of air escaped Adam’s lips at the announcement. He hadn’t seen this coming.

  “Do you have anyone who can confirm where you were yesterday?”

  “The school can verify I was on campus most of the day. I came here for a short time yesterday, as Mrs. Johannsen will confirm, then went home.”

  “Can anyone verify you were at home, all night?”

  “Yes. My partner and I were together from about five o’clock until I left this morning. I never left the house.”

  “I’ll need your partner’s name and a way to contact him.” He waited while Farrell wrote down a name and phone number. “Thank you, Mr. Farrell. I appreciate your cooperation and hope you will understand the need to keep this meeting confidential—for Ms. Kerrigan’s sake. I’ll be back in touch if I have more questions.”

  ~~~~~

  Chapter Thirteen

  Adam’s mind raced through other possibilities. Before leaving the library, he’d obtained a list of everyone who accessed the computer with approximate dates over the last two weeks. Olander had already begun matching it to the list of people still living in the area when Julia and he attended high school.

  He grabbed his phone on the first ring. “Monroe.”

  “Hey.” Julia’s voice triggered a mix of anticipation and warmth to flow through him. “I have some news. The insurance investigator did his inspection this morning. Apparently I have coverage for a rental unit while my house is being repaired.”

  “All right…” He’d hoped she would stay with him, but knew his studio would feel cramped within a few days.

  “It’s a set amount per day, but I’d be able to rent a two bedroom with it. He estimates the repair work at two to three months, but will wait for the contractor’s report. What do you say?”

  “Are you asking me to move in with you?” He smiled, hoping he’d read her right.

  “Well…yes. I just thought…I guess I’m not certain what I thought. You can certainly keep your place.”

  “Sounds good, sweetheart. When can I move my stuff?”

  He could hear her let out a breath. “Tonight after work.”

  “That quick, huh?”

  “It pays to know people,” she joked. “Caly manages the property, so I have immediate access. It rents mainly to tourists for a week up to three months. The owner’s unit is vacant and he has no plans to come out this summer. He lives in Seattle and has already given his approval.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “At the office. Why?”

  “I don’t want you at your place alone. Meet me at the studio at six. I’ll pack what little I have then we’ll go to your house to pick up anything else you need that’s salvageable.”

  “All right. See you at six.”

  “And Julia?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.” He didn’t wait for a response, seeing Olander coming toward his office.

  “I have something you need to look at, Chief.” He dropped a plastic evidence bag on Adam’s desk containing what appeared to be a credit card case. “Here, you’ll need these.” Olander handed him a pair of gloves.

  Adam slipped them on and pulled out the contents of the case, his eyes widening at the name on the cards. “Where did you find this?”

  “In Ms. Kerrigan’s living room, under a pile of books and cushions. I took it because of the contents, thinking Ms. Kerrigan would need it back. I didn’t check the name on the cards until now.”

  “I’d better call Julia before we do anything further. Keep working on the list—”

  “It’s done.” Olander handed the final cross-matched list to Adam. “He’s on it.”

  Adam scanned the list which contained just four people—one he’d already eliminated, one lived in a retirement home, and a third was a female in her eighties. He held the card case of the last person on the list in his hand.

  “All right. Let’s not jump to conclusions until I’ve spoken with Julia and done a little more checking.” He looked up at Olander. “This is between us until I get more information.”

  “Right.”

  He grabbed his phone, waiting for Julia to pick up.

  “I’m heading out to a meeting. What’s up?”

  “Is there any chance Mark may have left his credit card case in the living room at your house?”

  “None. He came to my house once to pick up a sign for an event. I don’t believe he even came inside.”

  “How long ago was that?” Adam slid the case back in the evidence bag, tossing the gloves in the trash.

  “Maybe a month ago, but I can check my calendar.”

  “No need right now. As long as you’re certain he would not have left it in your house.”

  “Absolutely. Why?”

  “Olander found it during his investigation of the vandalism. He thought it was yours until he went through it today.”

  “Mark? You think he’s the one doing all this?” Disbelief and shock laced her words. “But why?”

  “I won’t know any more until I speak with him.”

  “He’ll be at the meeting I’m going to. What shall I do?” Julia fel
t the blood drain from her face at the realization the man she’d been dating might be capable of the actions against her and Adam.

  “It’s important you act normal, as if you know nothing of his possible connection. He may be able to explain it all. Where’s the meeting?”

  “City Hall.”

  “I’ll be waiting for him when the meeting ends.”

  ******

  Julia’s hands felt clammy by the time Mark entered the room. All chairs except for one across from her were taken. She’d hoped he’d sit where he couldn’t watch her, gauge her reactions to the many questions running through her mind about the emails, photos, and destruction. Her brain couldn’t stop asking why he’d jeopardize everything in an attempt to humiliate and discredit her.

  “I heard about your house, Julia. Do they have any idea who did it?”

  Mark’s question jerked her gaze toward him. Something in his eyes caught her attention, warning her to say little.

  “Not yet.”

  “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  She nodded, feeling her skin crawl, not believing he felt an ounce of remorse for the damage.

  “Shall we start the meeting?” The Downtown Business Alliance committee chair passed out folders, then began discussing open actions for the Fourth of July celebrations.

  Julia found it hard to keep focused as the meeting progressed, glad she held a minor role in the celebration. Each time she glanced up, Mark’s eyes were on her. She squirmed, wondering if he had any idea who would be waiting for him after the meeting.

  ******

  “I’ll take Olander with me.” Adam finished briefing Mayor Timmons on what they’d found and who they suspected of the crimes.

  “I still can’t believe Mark would do such things. Other than college, he’s been in town his entire life, getting involved in civic issues, as well as being a positive force on the City Council. His father retired a few years ago, lives not far from my place.”

  “He hasn’t been proven guilty yet, but everything points to him. The truth is, it makes sense given his interest in Julia. He didn’t have a chance with her in high school and they attended different colleges. It appears he bided his time once he returned home, perhaps not feeling the rush since I wasn’t around. He finally got his chance with her, then I returned. I’ve worked similar cases in Washington and it still makes no sense how an otherwise sane person would snap to this degree.”