Scorned

by Andrew Hess

  Claire blushed playfully, letting the word thanks slip silently from her lips. She let a slight pause linger before displaying the bottle of wine she had hidden behind her back.

  “Claire, you didn’t have to do that.”

  “I wanted to start the night off right. And after what happened on our last date, I figured one of my favorites would be a better option.”

  Ron graciously accepted the bottle and stepped aside, permitting Claire to enter his home. The immaculate white tiled floors paved the way to a sitting room. A beige suede couch sat idly by in front of an electric fire place with a soft bear skin rug resting at its feet.

  “Dinner is just about ready,” Ron said. He laced his fingers around Claire’s as he escorted her to the dining room.

  The table wasn’t long, but could comfortably fit a party of ten. The amber colored wood was lined with a white cloth down the center. Half of the table remained empty while the other had a bouquet of red roses in a crystal case. A pair of candles burned brightly next to it. Plates and silverware were placed at the corner, forcing the dinner companions to sit very close to each other. Soft classical music played in the background, although Claire couldn’t pin point where it was coming from.

  “Do you like it,” Ron asked.

  “I-I-I love it.” Claire was smitten with the idea that someone would go to such lengths to impress her, and she was impressed. Ron DeMarco’s charm was winning her over, calming the raging inferno inside, and made her forget why she was there in the first place.

  “Come; have a seat. Our appetizers should be ready any minute.”

  Claire sat in the chair seated at the corner of the table that Ron pulled out for her. She lowered herself to the seat as Ron eased the heavy wooden chair closer to the table. “Thank you.” Claire eyed up to the bottle of wine. “Should I get us started with a toast?”

  Ron’s devilish grin broadcasted his lustful desire. The night was going better than he could’ve imagined. “Here, allow me.” DeMarco popped the cork and carefully measured the wine until both glasses were full. The deep reddish purple color swirled around the crystal stemware. “What should we toast to?”

  “To a night neither of us will ever forget.” The glasses clinked together hiding Ron and Claire’s wicked intentions.

  ************************************************************

  Claire cautiously picked through the appetizers Ron set before her. The manicotti looked delicious, but she couldn’t help but be defensive, knowing full well each bite could be laced with a drug guaranteed to knock her out.

  “What’s the matter? You don’t like it?”

  “Sorry, I’m just not a big pasta eater.” It was true. Claire tried to stay away from carbs for the most part, with the exception of the random times she caved in for a slice of pizza. Ever since she started working out, she had been very health conscious about what she ate.

  Ron had a disappointed look on his face. “I can whip up something else if you’d like. I can get you a salad, cut up some fruits and vegetables.”

  Wow; Claire thought. Way to show off your culinary skills; salad or fruits and vegetables. She did everything to hide the smirk from Ron and covered it with burying her face in a napkin. “No, that’s quite all right. I can wait until dinner.” Claire gripped the stem of her glass and swirled the wine a little more. Dinner is the perfect time to strike.

  Ron shoveled the remaining scraps of his food into his mouth. “I’m terribly sorry you didn’t like the manicotti. It’s one of my favorite dishes and thought you’d enjoy it.” He shrugged it off and returned the plates to the kitchen.

  This is it, point of no return. Claire reached into her clutch and pulled out a small bottle of crushed pills. She poured a little into Ron’s wine glass and made sure to stir it with her fork gently as to not make a single sound. Ron returned moments later with both hands clutching dishes. “Oh that looks delicious,” Claire said excitedly. “What is it?”

  “This is my lemon chicken with twice baked potatoes and grilled asparagus.” He placed one plate in front of Claire with a look of pure delight on his face. “I think you’ll really enjoy this.”

  Claire couldn’t help but consider Ron had done something to the food. He had done something to her drink the other night at the restaurant and narrowly escaped by the skin of her teeth. She needed to be the first to strike.

  Claire wrapped her fingers around the stem of her glass and raised it again. Another toast was boarder line excessive and could think something was off with the drink. Ron eyed her suspiciously, but enjoyed watching her devour her wine.

  “Everything all right,” he asked while taking a sip from his glass.

  Claire got up from her chair and sauntered over to Ron. She stared deeply into his eyes and let her tongue snake out and wet her bottom lip. “I was just thinking we could shake things up a bit.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “How about we have a little dessert before dinner?” Claire ran her fingers along Ron’s chest and hooked them around his neck. She brought him closer as her lips met his. The sensation repulsed her, but she didn’t let him know that. She broke away from the kiss.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, just wanted a little more wine first.” Claire poured a little more than a shot of wine into her glass and threw it back in one gulp. She backed away slowly, not taking her eyes off of him for a moment. “You want me, come get me.”

  Ron chugged his glass of wine before chasing Claire into the living room. His hands grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. His lips crashed against hers. Claire didn’t know how far this would go before the pills took effect. She needed to play into the role of the seducer, the woman that was the center of Ron DeMarco’s lustful intentions who happened to realize she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Her hands ran up and down his back, avoiding moving to the front. She refused to break his embrace or the kiss. But all it did was egg Ron on more. His hands traveled from Claire’s hips to her backside, cupping his hands under her ass.

  Claire yelped in surprise but tried to cover it up with a moan of pleasure. Ron hardly noticed and continued exploring her body with his hands. He reached for the hem of the dress and began dragging it up Claire’s front. It was above her belly button before she realized what he was doing.

  This was the plan; right? Seduce DeMarco, give him what he wanted to stall him until the drugs kicked in. Claire was apprehensive about letting him remove her dress. He’s already seen you naked. Stop being a baby about this.

  The last thought that entered Claire’s mind was the one to send her over the edge. Remembering he had seen her naked, that he had drugged her and done god knows what to her fueled her desire for revenge and to do whatever it took to get it.

  Claire pushed Ron’s hands away and broke the kiss. He was panting from the heart pounding, breathtaking lip lock. He was loving this side of Claire and wanted more.

  “What’s wrong,” he asked.

  Claire shook her head and pushed him down on the couch. Her hands grabbed the hem of her dress and hoisted it over her head. She was standing proudly in her rose red bra with black lacing and matching panties. She straddled him and started to grind.

  “Tell me; when was the first time you knew you wanted me?”

  “That day we met in the conference room at the hospital.” He was enjoying himself and could feel his manhood pressing into Claire.

  “Be honest with me. I know that wasn’t the first time we met. I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

  The drug took hold of Ron. His head tilted to the side. His eyes squinted at the woman that sat on top of him. “What?”

  Claire rocked her hips from side to side faster. “I know we met once before, but I can’t remember what happened.”

  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ron tried to push Claire aside, but was becoming too weak. Claire shoved him back down on the couch and kept him in place.

  She lowered her
self and whispered into his ear. “I know what you did to me six months ago. I know you slipped something into my drink that night.” She stopped moving and stood above him.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” He tried to get up, but Claire shoved him back against the cushion. The effects of the drugs were running through his blood stream.

  “I have the video to prove you were there that night. You were watching me and were right there when I ordered my drink. The tape showed us dancing. You were all over me that night.” The deviousness in Claire’s eyes demanded the truth.

  The light in DeMarco’s eyes returned, making Claire wonder what he was thinking about. The satisfied smirk couldn’t be contained as verbal diarrhea spewed from his mouth. “You looked so damn good that weekend. All of the guys agreed, you were one of the hottest girls at the conference. They all wanted a piece and had a bet going on who could get you in bed first. When I saw you at the bar that night, it was just perfect. Your body looked hot in that black dress. I just knew I had to have you.”

  Claire kept a hand pressed to Ron’s chest, slowly curling his shirt around her fist. “And you thought the best way to do that was to drug me?”

  His hand stroked the side of Claire’s arm gently. “You were so sexy that night. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you; the way you danced; the way you grinded on me. Damn, I couldn’t resist.” Claire’s hand balled the shirt around her fist. Pure hatred emanated from her eyes. “Then we got back to the hotel and had a night that I just couldn’t get out of my head. You had such a nice body and felt so good.” It took everything in Claire not to hit Ron, but knew that would only lead to evidence linking her to his soon-to-be death. “I mean, you looked good then, but you’re a complete knockout now.”

  Claire’s other hand hovered above Ron’s neck, resisting the urge to lock her fingers around his throat and squeeze with all her might. “I had no memory of anything after that drink. I woke up in a strange bed naked and alone.” A tear trickled down her cheek. Ron’s eyes closed, yet the smile remained. Claire’s words barely reached his ears. Her right hand swiftly swung, connecting with sting across Ron DeMarco’s face. “You fucking bastard. You took everything from me.” He couldn’t smooth talk his way out of this one. In fact, there was no response from him at all. Claire stared at DeMarco’s motionless body. “Now, I’m going to take everything from you.”

  Claire slipped her dress over her head, feeling the snug fit around her body as she hurried back to the dining room. The bottle of wine stood in front of their entrées. The irony of the situation put a devilish grin on her face. Ron DeMarco’s fate was sealed when he drugged Claire’s drink. It was fitting that he should die in a similar way.

  Claire gripped the bottle and dripped a steady stream of wine in front of the liquor cabinets, leading the trail to the front door. She retrieved her clutch from a nearby end table and found a book of matches hidden between her cell phone and her driver’s license. With a flick of her wrist, she struck the side and ignited the flame that would inevitably seal her fate. “This is where I take back my life.” She glanced back at Ron one last time. “And yours end.” The match fell from her steady fingertips, setting the trail ablaze. She waited for the flames to take vengeance on the man that ruined her life. The building inferno consumed the living room within minutes. Claire returned to her car, hearing the satisfying sounds of Ron DeMarco screaming in agony as the flames tortured him until justice prevailed.

  Chapter 34-Ali

  Denied again, well…partially denied. The A.D.A. refused to grant us the arrest warrant, but permitted us to search Dr. Cain’s house. It was easy to find. It was the only house that was starch white with emerald green shutters. They were still perfect in color, showing no dirt. It had to be costly to keep up that maintenance. We waited until eight at night, thinking she would be home by then. To our surprise, inside the house was shrouded in complete darkness. It took away our chance to question her, but made the task of searching her house a lot easier. People hate when cops serve them a warrant. The idea of someone, even a cop, looking through their stuff is highly intrusive. Once they see us coming, they try to hide anything that could be misconstrued or incriminating.

  “Looks like no one’s home,” Rodney said as we stepped out of his squad car. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

  We walked up to the front door and rang the bell. There was no answer and no movement. We rang it again and got more of the same. Finally I banged my fist on the door. “Doctor Cain, open up. This is the police.” Still no reply which we anticipated. “Doctor Cain, we have a search warrant.” Formalities aside, it was time to enter the house. I nodded to Rodney and James, letting them know my intention. “Doctor Cain, we are coming in.”

  James took position in front of the door and kicked it in. There wasn’t a single light on inside the house, putting us at a distinct advantage. “I got this.” A small beam of light clicked on behind us. I turned to my left and found James holding a thin flashlight. “

  And here I thought you were just happy to see me.”

  “Ali, I’m always happy to see you.”

  “Get a damn room already,” Rodney joked.

  Heat rose within me, making my cheeks feel like they were on fire. James seemed to shrug it off and kept up with his search to turn on the lights. The beam fell along the wall, locating a switch several feet from us. The house lit up instantly. The lights blinded us momentarily while we discovered the dark wood floors, the suede couch, and walls that had a stonework appearance.

  “How do you wanna split this,” I asked.

  “Ali and I will take the bedroom and bathroom. James can take the kitchen and the living room.” James looked at Rodney questioningly. “What? You think I’m going to trust you two in a bedroom together?”

  The comment should’ve made me blush, but this time was different. I was sick of being the butt of Rodney’s joke. “He’s just jealous because he hasn’t gotten any since his wife found out she was pregnant.” Rodney’s eyes burned with anger. Shit, that was low even for our usual banter. Rodney clenched his jaw tightly and stormed off to the bathroom area. Not a single word of rebuttal, not even one retort, joke or spout of anger.

  “The fuck’s gotten into him,” James asked.

  “The hell if I know.” My eyes followed Rodney, but I stood by James in the living room. “Let me straighten him out. See what you can find in here and the kitchen.”

  Detective Thornton stared blankly at the kitchen. “What do you think I’m gonna find in there, a recipe for making roofies?”

  “Humor me.”

  James reluctantly agreed, giving me the chance to check on Rodney. He was already working in the bathroom. Hairbrushes were cast aside, tiny boxes and bags were dumped on the floor, and cabinets were thrown open. He was in the middle of emptying the vanity cabinet when I walked by. The anger and hostility in his eyes demanded to be left alone. The more I thought about it, the more I was willing to oblige. Instead of interrupting Rodney, I decided to check on Dr. Cain’s bedroom. The door was already slightly ajar and the light from the hall allowed me to easily locate another switch. The scene before me was a bit unsettling. “Guys, I think you need to see this,” I shouted.

  James and Rodney ran through the doorway one after the other. Their eyes were glued to the same mess of clothes, scattered shoes and half packed suitcases that sat on the bed. “Looks like the good doctor was planning a little getaway,” James said.

  “Or planning her escape,” Rodney commented.

  I pulled out my gloves to search the room for anything incriminating, finding nothing that could link Dr. Cain to either homicide. All that was found were clothes, some DVDs, music and books. We dumped her suitcase on the floor. A bag full of toiletries spilled onto the floor.

  “That’s one room down,” I said. “You guys find anything yet?”

  “Just razors, shaving cream, facial and hair products. The garbage was empty and everything looked like it was just cle
aned.”

  “I didn’t find anything in the kitchen cabinets,” James replied. “The fridge was pretty empty. Although, I didn’t have time to search the trash or the living room.”

  “So let’s rip it apart and see what we come up with.” I was determined to find something to help point us in the right direction; something that can let us get the arrest warrant. I decided to take the kitchen and look through the garbage. James offered to do it for me, but I thought he would be best used to move some of the furniture around.

  I entered the kitchen and began my search in the lower cabinets. A tall yellow bin sat underneath the sink with a tall black bag sitting inside. I pulled it out and dumped its contents onto the floor. A hollow tube sound emanated from the pile of garbage. While sifting through the pile, I found two orange prescription bottles with the labels peeled off. This was the evidence we were looking for. This was another big break in the case. I quickly removed two plastic bags from my pocket and placed the pill bottles inside. There were one or two tablets left in each. There was no telling what they were or why they were sitting in the garbage, but it definitely looked bad for Dr. Cain.

  I re-entered the living room finding the couches and recliners moved. James and Rodney were prying open a small box. Its contents contained pictures of our suspect at a bar dated six months ago, a letter addressed to Claire, and a mystery disc thatpiqued our curiosity. We played the disc on her TV and watched the security footage from another club. Claire was dancing with a drink in her hand. The camera showed a man in the distance watching her until she approached the bar.

  “Looks like the good doctor is taking a walk on the wild side.” Rodney’s comments were getting tiresome.

  “What are you fifty,” I asked. “No one talks like that anymore.”

  He made a face and kept his focus on the video. We kept watching the mystery man make his move, eventually slipping something into Claire’s drink. Later the video showed the two dancing very close and intimate. But Claire didn’t look like she was enjoying herself. In fact, she appeared to be barely conscious.