by Joanne Ellis
“Sure, where are you going?”
“To ask Chelsea the same question. I think I found a connection.”
“Lucas,” she called out as he turned to leave. “Are you sure? I mean, after this morning and yesterday.”
“I need to make up for my mistakes, Maggie. Make amends with her.”
“Ok, I trust you. Thousands wouldn’t. Keep me posted.”
“Will do,” he called out as he rushed out.
* * *
The sun streaming through the window stung Chelsea’s raw eyes as she opened them. She blinked a few times as her head thudded out its own drum beat. Disorientated, it took her a moment to recall what had happened and why she was in bed, fully clothed.
Elle.
With dread, she dragged herself up and looked at the time. It was still morning. She must have dozed off after the detectives left.
Detective Lucas Hudson, so that was his name.
His gruff manner lingered from the previous day but that didn’t reduce her attraction to him. Some things go beyond reason. The way his eyes penetrated her, as though looking right into her soul. Scary. Enticing. Unnerving. He’s rude and abrasive, not you’re type, no matter how sexy he is. Don’t be silly, he doesn’t even like you.
He’d made that crystal clear.
The doorbell jolted her out of her reverie. Chelsea was greeted by four Crime Scene Techs and two officers, who’d been sent over by the detectives. She showed two of the techs to Elle’s room while the other two fingerprinted the living areas. The officers stood at the entrance.
Chelsea determined to do something with her day, to keep her mind from wandering. Although she felt hollow and tears hovered beneath the surface, Chelsea tried not to think about the aching pain in her chest.
She proceeded to the kitchen to make some coffee. Perhaps some caffeine would shake the fog from her head. She brewed her favourite blend and the aroma lifted her spirits a little. Her mind wandered as she prepared her coffee. She was running though her orders for Bloom to ensure everything was completed for the next day when a thought jumped into her head. Mrs. Sheridan!
She dialled Clare Sheridan’s number to find her, as expected, full of anguish.
“Mrs. Sheridan, I’m sorry about Elle. If I’d gone to the police sooner...”
Elle’s mum was quick to reassure her. “Chelsea, you couldn’t have known. Elle ... well you know …” Her voice caught and she cleared her throat.
“I do. I ... if you need anything.”
“I’ll ask.”
“Yes, please.”
“I will. You’re sweet. Thanks for calling, Chelsea. Take care. Are you still in the house?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe it isn’t safe to be there.”
“Mum and Charlotte are coming over and I am surrounded by cops.”
“Chelsea, are you sure? He could have keys, anything.”
That scared her. He could. “I’ll think about it carefully, Mrs. Sheridan.”
“You do that.”
Talking to Elle’s mum had really upset her. Her heart ached at the senselessness of the world that took such a wonderful daughter and friend. And Mrs. Sheridan was right. He might come back. No, why would he?
She shivered and allowed a few tears to escape before wiping them away. Tears for Elle or tears for herself? Both. Things were never going to be the same. It hurt too much to think about it all now.
She poured herself another cup of coffee as the first did little to help her think. As she headed upstairs, to sit out on the balcony, the doorbell rang again.
What now? Should she answer it? Of course she should. The place was crawling with cops.
Chelsea opened the door to discover Detective Hudson standing there with a solemn face and remorseful eyes. His attitude appeared so changed from their previous meetings that she became confused.
“How can I help you, Detective Hudson?” she asked cautiously.
“Please, call me Lucas,” he replied with a crooked smile. “I was wondering, if it’s all right, could I ask you a couple of questions?”
What a smile. How could she resist that smile? Why hadn’t he done that before? And his eyes seemed to have taken on an amber hue.
Chelsea, what has gotten into you?
“Sure come in. Would you like some coffee?”
“Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”
“I was just about to go upstairs and sit on the balcony, to keep out of the way of ...” She pointed towards one of the techs. “Do you mind if we sit up there to talk?”
“I don’t mind. Wherever you feel most comfortable, Chelsea.” It felt nice to say her name again.
Lucas watched her small, sexy form as he followed her through the living room, which he’d only glanced at earlier that day. The furniture was modern but welcoming and the couch just begged to be snuggled into. With her.
She walked into the kitchen which was separated from the living room by the stairs running up the middle of the house.
He passed the table he’d spotted earlier with the paper coffee cup. His memory had served him well and the cup was in fact from the Coffee Break Café and sat exactly where he remembered it. Lucas gestured to one of the techs to bag the cup.
“How do you take it?” she called.
“Milky and sweet, thanks.”
She emerged with two steaming mugs of coffee, passed one to him, their fingers touching as she did so sending a jolt up his arm, before proceeding up the stairs. Lucas climbed up behind her so transfixed by the lure of her body that his mind clouded over completely, full of her.
Stop acting like a school boy with a crush, Lucas. You have a job to do.
The stairs led up to a setting much like downstairs. The top level was split into two halves with a bedroom on each side and what appeared to be another bedroom and a bathroom in the rear. At the top of the stairs, a large window gave a fantastic view of the city.
He assumed Elle’s bedroom had been to the left as there were two techs collecting evidence and fingerprinting there. He gave them a nod as he went past while Chelsea went to the right, through her bedroom and out a sliding door. Lucas strolled out behind her to discover the same sensational view from her balcony as he’d seen from the window.
“This is a beautiful house you have here.”
“Thanks,” she said with a weak smile. “I’ve always loved living here but now well …”
“It’ll get easier.”
“I hope so. Now what did you need to ask me Detec ... I mean, Lucas?”
The sound of his name on her lips was intoxicating. She is intoxicating.
“I noticed a coffee cup from the Coffee Break Café downstairs. Was it yours?”
“Um no, it was probably Elle’s ...”
“Do you know if she went there often?”
“Yes, most days, I think. She started a new job a few months ago in the same group of shops as the café. Um, Dazzle was the place she worked. Anyway she used to go and have a coffee before work or when she went on a break. She ate lunch there a bit too.”
“Do you think she might have met the new guy she was seeing there?”
“It’s possible. Now that you mention it, about a month ago she told me about a blond guy who worked there or he might have been the owner,” she paused. “Knowing Elle and it being a month ago, she could have moved on. She was a ….free spirit.” She gave him a brief smile.
His heart lifted into his throat. He cleared it and continued.
“Did you ever go to the café with Elle?”
“A couple of times. She sometimes came and helped me at my shop and we went and had lunch there. She always talked about the food.”
“You have a shop?”
“Yes, I’m a florist.”
“That would explain the gardens.”
She smiled again. “I guess it does but I’ve been neglecting them lately.”
“You can’t tell. They’re … nice.”
“Why, Lucas, you
do have a soft side after all.”
Did I just blush? He cleared his throat again. “Thanks, um, can you think of anything else about the café that might be helpful? Did you ever see the owner?”
“No ... Wait! I’m sorry, I just remembered. I haven’t been thinking very clearly. She told me about meeting someone when she was leaving one day. She said she ran into him as she was coming out and she talked about him a bit that night. How could I have forgotten this? I don’t know if it was the same one who owned the cafe or a different man. I don’t remember what she said about the café owner and it could have just been someone else that worked there. I hope that helps.”
Stop rambling Chelsea.
“Very helpful, thanks.” He smiled.
“Do you have any more questions?” she asked as she placed her now empty coffee cup on the table.
He followed suit. “Um no, I think that’s it for now. We’ll go to the café and check it out. I might have more questions after that.” He paused. “Um, this morning and yesterday, I was rude.”
“Yes you were, why?”
“Because I … because …”
“Because what, detective … ?” She cut him off and a little frost returned.
He wanted to answer but his traitorous mind went blank. His eyes moved to her lips and he wanted to taste them.
“I don’t understand it myself.”
A playful smile danced on her face.
Does she feel it too? He took a deep breath.
Then something surprised him. She took a step forward. “What is it?”
He knew she now wanted him to touch her. She does feel it too.
“I … no, I really can’t explain …”
That smile again. Encouraging him.
“… I can only show you …”
Her hand reached out towards him, bridging the short distance between them before returning to her side. “Show me what, Lucas?” Her tone suggested she understood and her eyes reflected his sentiment.
It was now or never.
“This.” He took the final step towards her and placed his hands lightly on her waist. Pulling her towards him, he stooped down to kiss her softly but he craved more. She feels and smells so good. He wrapped his arms around her, lifted her slightly from her feet, bringing her tight against his body and deepened the kiss.
Chelsea’s mind went blank as she melted into his arms. He feels so good. How does he do this to me? She lost all control of her hands as they wound around his neck. Her fingers dove into his hair.
He groaned and she felt his tongue ease against hers. Her tongue came to meet his and she moaned audibly. Her pulse raced as a fierce surge of electricity shot through her. His tongue against hers, his soft lips and hair, his strong arms around her waist, caused desire to overcome her and she groaned again. At that moment she couldn’t even imagine their lips parting.
Stopping abruptly, he lowered her to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a husk laden voice. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
His sudden backtracking shocked her to inexplicable outrage and she fixed him with an icy glare. “That’s right, you shouldn’t have. I hope you got what you came for. You had better leave before I report you.” She wasn’t sure whether she meant it or not. She was lost.
So was Lucas. He stared as her for a second, mumbled an apology, and left.
Chelsea stood there visibly shaken, as shaken as she had been when she had been told that Elle wouldn’t be coming back. She knew exactly what the emotions were that he had stirred within her, but it had been a long time since ... However, this was no whimsy. She’d let him in and now she was on fire. How could he make her feel ablaze one moment and then like ice the next?
Chelsea decided this could not happen again. She was not going to get involved with this gruff detective and then hurt by him, no matter how sexy he was.
* * *
Lucas stormed out to his car. What was he thinking? She was part of an ongoing investigation. He had just put his job on the line – for what, green eyes and milky skin? Well, there could be worse reasons but, no, he wasn’t going to get involved. He wasn’t going to get close to anyone and certainly not someone relating to a case. It’s just chemistry. She’s out of my system now. Wasn’t she?
No, he realised she wasn’t, not now that he’d tasted the pout of her lips. She wasn’t going to leave his mind in a hurry, however much better it would be if she did.
* * *
Lindsay has turned out to have no fight at all and this is making me more anxious to have the real thing, the real spoilt bitch. She just sobs and her screams are just not the right ones.
I must be patient, make it right for when I have my way with the princess.
I think it’s time to make my presence known to her with a nice little chat.
She’s home, so now might be a good time to see how she has been affected by her loss, to see how she feels about losing someone she cares about.
Ah here she comes now, out on the balcony. It’s so convenient that she likes to sit out there so I can watch her. Who is that with her? Oh, the detective who thinks he’s going to find me. Well think again!
Wait, what is she doing? Is she kissing him? That tramp, I knew she wouldn’t be waiting for me to come to her! What a betrayal, I think that has just bought her an extra day of pain.
I must keep it together. I have to go to my mundane job, keep up appearances otherwise someone may get suspicious if I don’t turn up. If it weren’t for that drab job I wouldn’t have found all these lovely ladies to play with now, would I?
I have to go now, princess, but soon I’ll get to see your blood spill.
Chapter 10
Suspect
Thursday
Maggie was talking with Detective Peterson, one of their extra manpower, when Lucas entered the precinct.
“Hey, tough guy, how are you?” asked Andrew Peterson.
Lucas always thought Andy looked more like a soldier than a cop. Medium height with a short blond military style cut, friendly blue eyes and a stocky, well built physique. His precision on the job made him an excellent detective.
“I’ll be better when we catch this guy,” he replied.
“I’ve just been filling Maggie in on our interviews with Elle’s family. Greg and I are about to go and speak with her friends and then start a canvas of the street.”
“Great, thanks, Andy.”
“Catch ya later.” He waved as he headed out to join his partner.
“So, how did it go with Chelsea?” Maggie asked, her tone wary.
“I think we might have a lead regarding the Coffee Break Café,” he replied with renewed energy, trying to put Chelsea out of his mind. “Were Libby and Kate customers like Elle?”
“Yes, they both had coffee there most mornings on the way to work. It’s a popular place and the food is supposed to be good.”
“Did the victims’ friends know if maybe this mystery guy of theirs worked there?”
“I asked but none of them knew.”
“Chelsea remembered Elle talking about a blonde guy who either worked there or owned the place.”
“Let’s check it out while we’re waiting for the reports from David and the findings from Chelsea’s house.”
“I could do with a decent lunch, so we could grab a bite while we’re there. We don’t get much time to eat good food on this job.”
As they pulled up, Lucas pointed out where Elle worked and how close it was to the café. They walked in to find a trendy but cosy atmosphere and one free table.
“Can I help you?” a perky blonde waitress asked.
“Yes, can we get a table for lunch?” Lucas gave her a crooked grin.
“Why certainly, big guy,” she said. “Have the table over there by the window. I’ll come back and take your order in a moment.”
“Do you have to melt all the women we meet?” Maggie asked.
“I was simply warming her up, ready to ask her some
questions.”
“I think you are going soft on me, Hudson.”
“Never happen.”
The waitress returned with her notepad in hand.
“What can I get for you?” she asked, looking at Lucas.
“I’ll have a black coffee and garden salad,” Maggie answered, diverting her attention.
“Sure and what can I get for you?” she said, turning to Lucas again.
“Um, I’ll have a burger and coke, Laura,” he replied, reading her name tag. “If it’s at all possible, when you come back with our food would you be able to answer a few questions?” He showed her his badge. “We’re investigating the murders of three women.”
“Oh how awful.” She paused. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to help though.”
“We believe they used to eat here.”
“Oh, ok, I’ll be back with your orders shortly,” she said flashing her smile at Lucas again.
“How can you eat that stuff all the time and stay thin?”
“Good metabolism, I guess.” He shrugged.
“Yeah well, it pisses me off. If I ate that stuff, I’d have to spend an extra hour on the treadmill.”
“I still go to the gym sometimes too, when I have the time.”
“Yeah, but if I ate like you, I would live there.”
He shrugged again.
As they waited, Lucas perused the room, taking in every face. There were several blond men and brunette women in the cafe, lots of potential victims and perps. Were they looking in the right place? It would certainly be an easy venue for the killer to meet his vics, especially if he worked here. Disgust turned his stomach.
When Laura returned with their meals, she pulled up a chair.
“Ok, shoot.”
Maggie pulled out the photos they’d obtained of Libby, Kate and Elle.
“Do you recognise these women?”
“Sure, that’s Elle!” she said pointing to the photo. “Oh God, that means she’s dead?”
“Yes, I’m afraid she is,” answered Lucas. “Did you know her well?”
“Oh my God! I just can’t believe it. She’s so nice. This is awful.”
“Are you ok?” Maggie said.
She looked absolutely stunned, sitting there holding her breath. “Yes, I think so,” she said, and started to cry. Maggie placed her hand on the girl’s arm to comfort her.