by WL Knightly
“Exactly,” she said. “So, I think the least amount of audience, the better. He’ll have enough of that in the media with the trial.”
Darek could see the case stringing on for months. “We’re going to have to work hard to get some solid evidence. There isn’t anything that would win right now. If this man gets reasonable doubt, or worse, goes for an insanity plea, which let’s face it, would be his defense’s best course of action, then we’re screwed. Especially if he keeps insisting that his followers are doing all the dirty work.”
“Manson was convicted and died in prison for having others do his bidding, so it’s a pretty safe assumption than Ken Sin, or Ophi, whatever he wants to call himself, won’t see the light of day for a long time.”
Their burgers arrived, and Lizzy’s eyes widened. “Wow, it looked smaller in the picture.”
Darek chuckled. “I thought you knew. We could have shared.”
She smiled and looked down at her plate, her smile fading as she seemed to contemplate something.
Darek felt the awkwardness creeping in and just when they had been getting along so well. He wouldn’t have suggested them sharing anything if he had known it was going to upset her. “I’m sorry.”
She looked up and smiled, waving her hand like it was nothing. “It’s fine, really. I just should have looked at the menu better.” She cut the thing in two pieces and then squished it down to make it smaller before taking a big bite.
She closed her eyes and made a moaning sound. “Good,” she said with a mouthful.
“It’s one of my favorites.” Darek bit into his too, and they ate and made small talk until both of them were full and his entire sandwich was gone.
“I can’t believe you can eat that much,” said Lizzy, staring down at her plate where half of her waffle burger sat mocking her.
“I’m stuffed, and I probably ate so much I could go back to sleep.”
“What are you doing with your day?” She looked up at him as she pulled off a piece of the waffle then popped into her mouth.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I might go see my mother.”
She nodded. “How is she?”
“Good, she’s really good.”
She let out a long sigh and called for the check. “Well, I guess I should take you home.”
Darek wished that things weren’t so strained, but at least she was back to being happy that they were working together. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
Chapter 18
Corey
When Justin invited Corey over for a barbecue, not only was he surprised that his friend told him to bring Brandy with him, but he realized it had been years since he’d been to a cookout.
As he and Brandy walked up to the house, her with a big bowl of potato salad and him with a loaf of French bread, he wondered what kind of meat was responsible for the delicious smells lingering in the air. With Justin, there was no telling, and he could be cooking anything from Aardvark to Zebra.
Brandy led him through the breezeway and to the back porch where the smoker was doing its duty, and Justin laughed with his guests, including the two women from the bar, Lolly and Beth, and a few employees from the store. Thankfully, Erma wasn’t one of them, but the older men, the two he’d met on the first day, were both there, sipping beers with their feet kicked up.
“You didn’t have to bring anything, but I’m glad you did.”
“I know how much you liked my potato salad,” said Brandy. She turned to Corey to explain. “He likes the southern recipe best.” She gave a wink.
Justin took the loaf of bread and placed it on top of the container. “Thank you, sir. Glad you could make it.”
Justin gave him a big, friendly smile, and for some reason, it lingered a little longer than it should, and Corey got a strange vibe from it. He looked down at Brandy, who looked like heaven in her little cotton dress and boots. She smiled up at him, and he shook off the strange feeling, thinking he was just paranoid again.
They made small talk with the guests, and soon, the feeling left him as they laughed and joked with the two old men who were telling stories about hunting Bigfoot in the pacific northwest.
Justin stepped over from the smoker where he’d taken out a large brisket and two racks of ribs and carved them up. “I hate to break up a good tale, but dinner is ready. Serve yourselves and make like this is your home.” He raised his beer as the others got to their feet.
Corey brought Brandy’s hand, which he’d been holding the entire time, to his lips and gave it a soft peck.
“We should fix our plates,” she said. “The sooner we eat dinner, the sooner we can get to dessert.” She wiggled her brows and smiled, and Corey thought she was the cutest thing he’d seen.
He followed her to the food line, and while they fixed their plates, both teasing and playing, he knew he was falling in love with her. He didn’t think he was going to be able to leave.
He had finally found a place where he felt like he belonged and a person that he felt like he could possibly spend the rest of his life with. It didn’t seem fair that he would have to give it up just to be on the run for something he did to save himself. He wished he could make it right and take it back, but that part of his past wasn’t going to change. All he could do now was try and make a better future.
He and Brandy sat at the picnic table and ate, and she even convinced him to taste the spinach that Justin had grown, even though it was the last thing he wanted to put in his mouth. They made small talk about conspiracies and UFOs and how aliens were all being covered up by the government.
When they were done, he and Brandy sat holding hands, listening to the old men who he’d learned were brothers argue over Area 51.
Brandy yawned and then leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Let’s go inside.”
“Okay.” He brushed her hair back from her face and got up, leading her inside. He looked at Justin, who sat up a little straighter in his seat and gave him a blank look before a sly smile turned his lips up in the corners.
When they were inside, Brandy led him to the back. “We can come in here. It’s the guest room, and I’ve stayed the night before.”
“Justin’s not going to flip out and beat my ass for being in bed with you, is he?”
“He already knows we’ve been together, silly. He’s not a dumb man, and he asked me if you were courteous and safe. I said yes and then lied about the safe part.” She pulled him down on the bed with her, then rolled over on top of him as his back hit the mattress.
“I like it here.”
“Do you?” She narrowed her eyes. “Does that mean you might stay?” She planted a quick kiss on his lips.
“What if I did? I mean, I could if I wanted to. If I had a good reason.” He wanted that reason to be her, and he wanted her to tell him she wanted him to stay.
She sat up, straddling his hips as she brought his hands up over his head. “I want to have a little fun,” she whispered. “Close your eyes.”
He did as she said and smiled when he felt something soft and fuzzy around his wrists. But then he heard the cuffs as they clamped tight around them. He opened his eyes. “What the hell, babe? Justin’s going to shit if he finds us fucking around with his toys.” He assumed the cuffs were for whatever kind of fun the man was having with Lolly and Beth.
But then she climbed off of him and got to her feet at the foot of the bed, not saying a word until she turned around. “Sorry,” she said with a somber expression, and then she opened the door.
“Don’t leave me here!” He was riddled with confusion, and even more so when Justin walked into the room and Brandy left, shutting the door behind her.
“What the fuck is this about? I didn’t do anything to hurt her. I swear. I actually think I’m in love with her, man, really. I want to stay in town and be with her.”
“Tell me why you came here.”
He felt the panic rush through him like a heatwave as his heart started to pound faster. “I told you w
hy.”
Justin came closer. “Don’t. I’m done with the lies. Brandy overheard you tell someone that you killed someone before they could kill you. She was scared to death, and when she told me what you said, I could only think of one person that could be.”
“I’ll explain everything, man. I was just scared to tell you before.”
“You killed Alan Lowe, didn’t you?”
“Yes, only because the killer was going to have him kill me. He killed Seth and showed up on my doorstep to take me out too. He didn’t want to, though. Neither of us wanted to play the game. We tried to fake my death, just like I told you, but then the killer wanted it on video. They said they would harm his kids. I knew that he wouldn’t risk them for me. And since he’d already killed Seth, what was one more body on the bone pile?”
“I called his wife when I heard.” Justin looked down at him like he was a piece of trash. “He had kids, a home.”
Tears stung Corey’s eyes. “I know that, and he was also a gambling addict who nearly destroyed their lives. Trust me, I know. I have to live with it.” He felt sick just thinking about the family and how devastated they must be. “Did you tell his wife what you knew? Is that what this is? Are you turning me in?”
“Fuck no. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t like fucking cops. And if you think I’d tell his wife anything, then you don’t know me at all.”
“What did you say?” He had to know how she was.
Justin sat on the foot of the bed. “She thinks he run off. She said their marriage was on the outs anyway, and she’s tired of letting him hurt the kids. She’s got a good riddance attitude, so it looks like unless the body turns up, you’re in the clear. You did hide the body, didn’t you?”
“Yes, it’s buried deep in the middle of nowhere. No one will find it.”
“Good.” He turned and looked Corey in the eye. “Don’t lie to me again.”
“I won’t,” he said, letting the tears slide down his face and wishing he could wipe them away. “I wanted to tell you the truth, but fuck. How do you tell someone that shit?”
Justin gave him a pointed look. “You told someone on the phone. Who was it?”
He didn’t have a problem telling Justin that. “Bay. He said that the guys want to meet.”
“He called me. Said Darek Blake is trying to gather everyone to tell us about the crimes. And I don’t know if you’ve heard, but they arrested some asshole who claims to be the thirteenth zodiac.”
Corey shook his head. “There are only twelve.”
“No, a couple of years ago, some scientist found proof of another sign. It was a big deal on the internet and then died down as quickly as it came. But supposedly, there is a thirteenth. The snake-bearer.”
“Why didn’t Bay tell me? He had to have known when he said Darek wanted to meet.”
He crossed his arms. “Because that’s Bay. Did he pull the information out of you, or did you offer it as soon as he called?”
Corey felt like an asshole. “He coaxed it out of me. Told me how I could trust him, and if I ever needed a lawyer, he’d be there. I thought with our pasts that it would be safe.”
“Oh, it’s safe. But I’m sure Bay not telling you was to keep you on edge and in the dark. If you knew someone came forward, you’d know that your days on the run are not as risky as you thought.”
“Can you uncuff me now?” asked Corey. His arms were falling asleep.
Justin shook his head with a straight expression. “No, we’re not done here, and frankly, I think it’s pretty funny.” He gave him a wide smile. “They want to meet in New Orleans. I told Bay I’d go if he paid for it, so if you want to head out with me, maybe we can work together to find this killer and save the rest of our boys.”
“Yeah, that’s all I want to do, man.” Corey didn’t want to see another of them die.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll call Bay and tell him I talked to you and that we’re in.”
“Does he know I’m here?”
Justin laughed. “Fuck no. I told him you called me from a motel in Colorado.”
Corey breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want anyone knowing where he’d decided to land. “Good.” He closed his eyes and squeezed them tight.
“Did you mean what you were saying, or was that just a bunch of bullshit? You know, about Brandy?”
“Yeah, I meant it. I guess I can forget it, though. She’s not going to want to be with me now that she knows what I’ve done.”
Justin smiled. “Talk to her. I think you might be surprised to hear her story.”
“She told me her story. She was abused, and you took care of her ex for her.” He still wondered if Justin had put the final nail in the man’s coffin.
He got to his feet and reached over to undo the cuffs. “As I said, talk to her. You two have a lot in common.”
Corey thought that sounded familiar. “That’s what she said.” He sat up and got to his feet.
Justin chuckled, then left him standing there to wonder.
Chapter 19
Darek
Darek rolled over and hit the snooze button for the second time. He had stayed up late planning the trip to New Orleans, and now that things were all set and the others were in, all he had to do was make the final arrangements with Bay so the meeting could take place over the weekend.
“You’re going to be late,” said Raven. “And you can’t even blame it on me this time. You could have if you’d come to bed with me, but no, you wanted to stay on the phone half the night.” She gave him a playful look, and he laughed at her teasing tone.
“I had shit to figure out. I may have a trip out of town soon.”
“Business or personal?” she asked as she put on her shoes.
He sat up, and his feet hit the floor. “A little of both if I’m lucky.” He didn’t want to commit to taking her, but he had thought about it.
“Well, I hope you get lucky then.” She grabbed her handbag off the dresser and walked over to give him a kiss. “I’ll be a little late tonight. I’m having drinks with an old friend after work.”
“Male or female?”
“Male if I’m lucky,” she said with a smile.
That earned her a big laugh from him and a slap on the ass. He had no room for jealousy but really hoped she was teasing. “Well, I hope you get lucky, I guess.” He got up and walked to the bathroom, but as he passed, she slapped his ass.
“I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Later.” She hurried out, and he headed to the shower to get his day started.
He couldn’t help but wonder if she was getting in too deep with him. They had not planned for things to be so familiar, that was for sure, but the circumstances had him feeling attached and entitled, and he wondered if she was feeling the same things. His feelings were even more confusing with Lizzy in the picture, and after that breakfast, he had been thinking about his feelings for her even more.
Being Monday, he wasn’t in any mad rush for work and finally made it there an hour later after more contemplation about him and Lizzy and what could possibly happen next.
It was even more straining, walking in to see that she was dressed up and looking like a million bucks. Her hair was up for the first time in weeks, and she had worn one of those tight pencil skirts that showed just the right amount of leg to make his dick hard.
“Good morning, detective. You’re just in time. I’ve called in a few people today for us to talk to, and the first one just got here.” She gave him a big smile, and he couldn’t help but take her in. His eyes lingered until she cleared her throat.
That got his attention. “Sorry,” he said. “It’s just, you look gorgeous today if you don’t mind me saying.”
She stepped closer, giving him a flirty smile. “I don’t mind at all. Are you ready?”
He couldn’t get over how happy she seemed, and he had a feeling that things were going to be getting back to the way they had been between them real soon.
She h
eaded down the hall, and he followed, allowing her to lead the way to the interrogation room where he was ready to see the first person they were going to question. With any luck, it wouldn’t take away from the distraction Darek hoped it had created in the case.
As Lizzy stepped into the room, Darek entered behind her, and his heart dropped to his feet when he looked up and saw who it was.
Raven sat on the other side of the table, dressed for work and looking exactly how he’d last seen her when she left the house, except for her smile, which was gone.
He turned to Lizzy as his pulse raced. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“I had her picked up this morning and brought in.”
Darek knew that her boss was probably going to fire her if she was late or no-showed one more time. “Did you at least let her call her boss?”
“I’m assuming she did.” Lizzy looked at Raven. “Did you call your boss? If not, you may want to let him know you might be a while.” She had the smug look of satisfaction on her face.
“I’ve already called, thank you.” Raven squared her shoulders and sat up in her chair. “Could you please tell me what this is about?”
Lizzy opened up the case folder and pulled out the composite. “Come on, Ms. Bishop. I’m sure that you already know all about this sketch. I have to say; it looks an awful lot like you, so my question is, is it? Do you know anything about the murder of Seth Stone?”
“No, I don’t.” She shook her head.
Lizzy leaned forward, and Darek could tell that she was trying to show she had the upper hand. “But you do know him, right?”
“Mr. Stone and I were acquaintances, yes.” Raven met Darek’s eyes, and her icy stare did nothing to make him think that he was safe.
“How well did you know him? Well enough to have an affair with him?”
Raven smiled. “I knew him and his wife well enough to have fun with both of them.”
Lizzy leaned back in her chair, and Darek could tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t expecting Raven to admit that so freely, if at all. Darek wished she hadn’t because he knew the next question.