by Jamie Hill
A cat rubbed against Mel's leg and she jumped. "Jesus!" She watched the animal leap on the bed and curl up between the pillows. "I'm just not a cat person, I guess. I certainly don't want one sleeping on my bed."
Nate grinned as he walked past her. "Glad I'm not a cat."
She laughed and followed him out. "That makes two of us!"
Mel phoned Stone with instructions while Nate directed the uniformed officers. He drove back to the office and they entered the police department, making their way to the interrogation area on the first floor. "I asked Stone to send Reeder down with some photos," she told Nate. "We'll watch while you question Masters."
Nate slipped his bulletproof vest off and straightened the collar on his shirt. Together they stood in the viewing room watching Masters through a two-way mirror.
Reeder joined them, setting a folder on the table and looking at the suspect. "Slimy little bug. You like him for this?"
"I did," Nate said. "I still think there's something to the connection. But after looking at his house, I'm not sure he's our guy."
"He could have another place," Mel suggested.
Nate nodded. "Have someone check with Shelia or Juicy Fruit. Find out where their stylist took them for playtime after the hair was done."
"Will do." She texted Stone.
Reeder made a face at Nate. "Find out if this is our guy, or we need to keep looking. The brass wants to know."
"So do I." Nate grabbed the folder and left the viewing area. He reappeared in the interrogation room a few seconds later. "Hello, Tony." He took a seat across the table from the nervous man.
Mel and Reeder stepped closer to the mirror so they wouldn't miss anything.
Masters squeaked. "Who are you? What am I doing here? I demand some answers!"
"Of course." Nate flipped a business card onto the table, near the hook to which Master's cuffs were attached. "I'm Supervisory Special Agent Nathan Willis of the FBI. We're here to help solve the murders of several local women. All the bodies have been found in your neighborhood, the Oldtown area. Today we discovered another connection. We think you've done the hair of all our victims."
Tony shook his head. "I knew about that girl, Donna. But she's the only one. And that was a coincidence! I've done a lot of women's hair."
"I'm sure. A lot of the working girls, especially. You had an arrangement with them, didn't you Tony?"
His face fell. "They told you. Yes, okay, we traded services. But it was all on the up and up. And they came to me. I never looked any of them up. Ask them, they'll tell you. They came to me. They wanted what I could give them."
"I'd like to ask them, but a bunch of them are dead, Tony. So tell me, why did you pick the ones you did? What was special about Donna Leonard, Rhonda Jensen, Linda Mains and Sissy Warsaw?"
A look of confusion crossed the man's face. "Who? What are you talking about?"
"They're the ones you killed, Tony. So what happened? They change their minds about your little role-playing games? Or did the games get out of hand?"
"Killed? Me? I never!" He laughed nervously but there was no mirth in it. "You got the wrong man, Agent Wills."
"Willis," Nate corrected. "As in 'Whatchu talking 'bout Willis?'"
Masters stared at him blankly.
Nate smiled. "That was funnier in my head. Okay, so we were getting to the part where your games got out of hand. What did you use to kill them, Tony?"
"I told you I didn't kill them! I don't even know them."
Nate grabbed the folder he'd set down. "Maybe this will refresh your memory." One by one, he pulled close up photos of the women out and set them in front of Masters. "Remember Rhonda now? How about Linda? Do you remember Sissy? You said you remembered Donna."
Masters appeared shocked then genuinely revolted. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"Don't you dare puke in here." Nate scooped the photos up and put them away. "Shut your eyes and take a breath. Jesus, if you could live in that pigsty of a catshit house, a few gory pictures shouldn't bother you."
Masters' eyes popped open. "Did you hurt my cats? You better not have touched them. I swear I'll sue."
Nate stood. "Your freaking cats are fine. I wish I could say as much about these women."
"I told you, I didn't kill anyone. We had an arrangement. They couldn't afford to pay. I was helping them out."
"Damn, how noble that sounds. You never thought about helping them out by giving them free services? That would have been noble."
The man simply stared at him. "They didn't offer their services for free. Why should I?"
As Nate turned to leave he looked in the two-way mirror. "Good point." He walked out.
Mel looked at the door and when Nate walked through she said, "He seems pretty genuine."
"Pisses me off to say this, but he seems damned genuine," Nate agreed.
"Fuck!" Reeder shouted at no one in particular.
Mel's phone rang. She raised her eyebrows at Nate then turned away to take the call. "Curtis."
"Hey, it's Stone. Coupla things. Skinny Sheila confirmed the address Masters took her to as being his house, so he's got no other secret pad."
"Okay." Mel hoped the other 'thing' was better news.
"Zybowski got fingerprints, there's a ton of them so I'm not sure how much that'll help. Scraped some stuff for DNA. But the big news is, he did a Luminol test and we found not so much as a drop of blood in that smelly house. One suspicious spot about the size of a dime near the litter box. God only knows what that might have been."
"Negative on the Luminol test," she repeated, and saw Nate begin pacing the floor. "Thanks Stone. See you back here."
"You bet."
Mel ended the call and relayed the rest of the information to her boss and Nate.
"Double fuck!" Reeder swore again.
Nate raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Okay, take it easy. There are still things we can do." He looked at Mel. "Get Becker tracing those uniforms. Thrift shops, Salvation Army stores, whatever you got around here. I still like the beauty school connection. I'm going to have my analyst check out everyone else who works there, students included."
His comment triggered Mel's memory. "There was another man at the school today, short with messy hair. Did you see him? He started to come out onto the clinic floor until he spotted us. He retreated right back into the office or wherever it was he came from."
"Yeah, I saw that. I'll mention him." He turned to Reeder. "Can you hold Masters overnight?"
"For what, being a slimeball?"
Nate shrugged. "Surely exchanging sex for hair services is at least a misdemeanor in Kansas. You ought to be able to charge him with something."
"We can keep him twenty four hours, then we'll either have to charge him or let him go."
"That works. Let's get busy." Nate grabbed his vest and headed upstairs.
Again, Mel hurried to keep up.
While Nate went straight to the war room, she stopped at her desk and checked for messages. She'd just hung up her phone when Vince Tanner stepped in front of her.
"Hi Mel."
"Oh, hey Tanner," she replied absently.
"Expense reports were due today. When I didn't get yours, I took the liberty of logging on to your computer to download it. I hope you don't mind, but I knew how busy you were."
She stared at him. "You logged on to my computer and downloaded personal information? I'm not sure that's within the scope of your responsibility, Tanner."
"I have clearance and access to everyone's computers, Mel."
"For serious business, sure, or in case of an emergency. I don't believe this was either. I was coming back today. I would have gotten it to you."
He smiled nervously. "Well, now you don't have to. All taken care of."
She frowned, but decided to let it drop. "Don't ever do that again."
"Yes Detective," he said sharply, and as he turned to leave added, "Touchy, touchy."
She thought for a moment about reporting his be
havior, and again decided it was best to let it go. Tanner could be an ass, but he probably meant well.
Stone returned and dropped a load of paperwork on his desk. "Long day."
"Long disappointing day," she added.
"Masters isn't our guy."
"I don't think so. We need to get Becker checking thrift shops for those uniforms."
"It's nearly five-thirty."
Mel nodded. "Why don't we pack it in for today? This will all be here waiting for us tomorrow."
"Yes it will." They walked to the war room where Nate and Marshall conferred.
"It's getting late," Mel told them. "We can pick this up again in the morning."
Marshall grabbed his jacket. "I'll be here. My captain says I'm yours for the duration if you want me."
"We want you," Nate piped up. "We need all the help we can get."
"Good deal. He was on his way out when Becker joined them. "I'm taking off," he told her. "Good work today, Barbie."
Her usually perky expression turned serious and she stepped directly in front of him. "I don't care what you call me behind my back. Well, I do care, but I can't do anything about it. But if you ever call me Barbie again to my face, you're going to be glad you had twins your first time around. Because I'll take your balls and twist them so hard…." She squeezed her fingers into a fist.
"Whoa, sor-ry." Marshall raised his hands in surrender. "Didn't mean anything by it. Won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." She turned and walked to the other corner of the room.
He screwed his face up and adjusted his trousers.
Mel chuckled and noticed Nate unsuccessfully holding back a laugh.
"I'm outta here. Night all." Marshall left.
"Good night, Brady," she called after him.
Stone smirked. "And on that pleasant note, I'm gone too. Later gators." He exited the room.
"Later," Mel replied.
Becker returned with a pleasant smile on her face. "Anybody want to grab some dinner before going home? It was a stressful day. We could all use a chance to unwind."
Mel glanced at Nate. My thoughts exactly. But her idea of unwinding didn't involve dinner, nor anyone besides her and Nate.
He shook his head slightly.
Mel looked at Becker. "Thanks for the offer Sam, but I think I'm just going to call it a night. I'm beat."
Nate scooped up an armload of files. "And I've got a lot more work to do. But thanks. Have a good evening." He reached for his suit coat and left the war room.
"Oh, okay. See you tomorrow." Becker left.
Mel exhaled a sigh of relief and gathered her things. She caught up with Nate near the elevator but with another officer on board, they didn't say much on the ride down. In the parking lot, they reached his car first and stopped. She batted her lashes. "See you at home?"
He moved a step closer to her and glanced around. There were several people in the lot, including Becker who climbed into her car a few rows over. He pulled back and grinned. "I'll be right behind you. Which is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to be."
"Sweet talker." Mel winked and turned to find her car. She added extra swing to her hips, knowing he'd be watching.
"Asking for trouble," Nate called after her.
"Hope you're up to the task," she replied without looking back.
She heard him mutter, "Damn straight I am," then heard his car door slam.
Mel laughed and climbed into her own vehicle.
In her house, she stooped to pick up the mail, flipped through the envelopes and set them on the buffet. Nate closed doors behind them and set his folders down in the same spot. She led them into her room where they faced each other and without speaking, removed their guns and secured them in the nightstands.
"I could use a shower to rinse off the grime of the day," he said, poking his head into her master bathroom. "I think there's room enough for two in there."
Mel grinned. "Sounds like a plan." Watching each other, they undressed and stood face to face.
"Damn, you're beautiful. Hope you don't get tired of hearing that."
Her heart swelled. "Why would I ever get tired of hearing such sweet words? I was thinking the same thing about you." She ran a hand over his stubbly cheek.
"I could use a shave," he admitted.
"No way." Mel captured his face in her hands. "I love the beard. Please don't shave it off."
His eyes twinkled. He leaned forward and their mouths came together. Mel swooned and leaned into him, skin on skin. She became aroused and it was obvious he did, too.
He pulled back and whispered, their lips touching, "We better hit the shower or we'll never make it in there. I could take you right here and now."
"I could let you." She sighed with pleasure and led them into the bath. After turning on the faucet and checking the temperature, she stepped into the tub/shower combo and tugged him in after.
He tossed a foil packet into the soap dish and picked up the green bar of soap. Mel twisted her ponytail into a bun and clipped it up out of the way. As water poured over her, Nate used the soap to lather her up, leaving no inch of skin without suds.
She writhed with pleasure at his ministrations until she could bear no more. Reaching for the soap, she began lathering him. Her touch must have inspired the same reaction in him. After a few minutes he groaned and reached for the condom. "Enough already," he growled in her ear. "Need you now."
"Whatever you want, baby," she murmured and let him take the lead.
He sheathed himself and spun her around so she faced the wall. He pried her legs apart and bent her forward, taking her from behind with one smooth stroke.
Mel gasped and clutched the shower wall. "Yess," she hissed.
Slow, steady strokes worked into deep, fast pummeling. Mel couldn't see him but heard his shallow, panting breath. He's close. The mere thought sent her reeling over the edge into bliss so divine, she never wanted it to end.
Nate shouted his release and grasped her firmly. When they were both spent, his body pressed hers against the wall. He cleared his throat and pulled out quickly. "Uh, sorry."
Mel's limbs were rubber. She could barely move but managed to face him and smile. "Sorry for what? Giving me one of the top five orgasms of my life? No need to apologize, believe me."
He peeled off the used rubber and reached around the shower curtain to dispose of it. "Top five? Damn, I thought I'd rank a little higher."
She laughed. "Don't worry. After this weekend, you hold all the top five spots."
He grinned and rubbed his nose against hers. "You hold the top spot for me, too, gorgeous. No, I was apologizing for smashing you into the wall."
Wrapping her arms around him, she snuggled her face against his chest. "I didn't notice. I'm supremely happy right now."
"I'm close, just have this one small problem."
She looked at him. "What?"
"We're losing the hot water! It's freaking freezing over here!"
She felt the chilly water that pelted his back.
She fumbled for the knob and turned the heat up. "There's a couple minutes of warm water left. Hurry and clean up, and we'll get out."
"That's better." Nate sighed. They washed each other once more, then found a couple of towels and dried off before stumbling to the bed.
"Hungry?" she asked as she tossed the covers aside.
"Maybe later. I'd rather lie here a while and hold you, first."
"I totally agree."
Nate released the clip in her hair and tugged out the ponytail holder. He smoothed the locks around her shoulders and pulled her into the curve of his arm as they lay down. Using his one free hand, he tossed a sheet over them.
Mel cuddled close, deciding that in his arms was her new favorite place to be in the whole world. A thought struck her and she inhaled with fear. Tomorrow is Tuesday. Five days. A tear escaped and before she could stop them, more followed.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Nate touched her chin and brou
ght her gaze up to meet his.
"I just realized. Tomorrow makes five days."
He wiped the tears away with his thumb. "I know. I'll call my chief in the morning. I think I can get a couple of days extension since we're so close on this thing."
She shook her head. "I'm not talking about the case. Right now, I don't care about the stupid case. I'm talking about us."
"I'm sorry." He kissed her forehead. "I'm sure it seems cold, but I have to care about the case. It's what brought me here. And it's got to be the center of my focus. Once we wrap it up, then I can move on to other important matters. Like finding out how long the commercial flights take between Wichita and San Antonio. I doubt they'll let me use the FBI jet on the weekends."
Mel perked up. "Weekends? So, this doesn't have to end when the case is over? Because if it did, I was starting to hope we might never solve it."
Nate squeezed her arm. "Don't ever say that. We've got to get that madman off the streets and you know it."
"I know." Mel sniffed. "I'm just not ready to let go of this." She corrected herself and said what she really meant. "I'm not ready to let go of you."
He rolled on top of her and kissed her long and hard, pausing only long enough to catch a breath before doing it again. Within moments he'd retrieved another condom from the nightstand and they were as one, with passion like she'd never felt before burning inside her. She craved him, needed him, and took all he had to offer. When they finally collapsed onto the bed, sated and exhausted, Nate spooned her and buried his face in her hair. Mel heard his rhythmic breathing and thought he'd fallen asleep. She closed her eyes, drowsy and content to do the same thing.
She heard him whisper, "I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to let go of you."
Her eyes popped open. She smiled, and closed them again.
It seemed like mere moments later when she woke to her phone ringing. She grabbed it and squinted at the clock. Six-thirty a.m. Mel groaned. "Curtis," she snapped into the phone.
"Please don't tell me we have another one," Nate muttered next to her.
"Shhh," she motioned to him. There was hesitation on the other end of the phone. "Yes, hello?"
"Detective Curtis? This is Rayelle, um, Juicy. From downtown, you know?"
Mel forced her thoughts to focus. "Of course. Rayelle is a pretty name. Can I call you that?"