Stone's Mistake

by Adrian J. Smith

  “Did you grow up here?” Morgan asked, wanting to start some sort on conversation to take her mind off the fact she couldn’t keep her eyes off Fiona.

  Fiona nodded. “Born and raised. I did go to college in DC, though. That was an expensive four years to come back and be a cop.”

  Morgan snorted. “I get it. My masters was more expensive than my undergrad, but still not sure it was all worth it.”

  “You have a masters?”

  Morgan nodded. “In psychology and in law. I did a double-whammy, because you know, first born always the over achiever.”

  “You have siblings, then?”

  Morgan grunted. “Eight.”

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “No. I’m not. There are nine of us.” Setting her coffee down, Morgan took out a towel from the bottom drawer next to the sink and dried the dishes Fiona had cleaned. “How about you? Siblings?”

  “Just one.”

  Something on the edge of Fiona’s tone that had Morgan’s shoulders tensing. When she risked a glance at Fiona’s face, it was hard set. There was certainly a story there, but she didn’t feel close enough to try and pry it out of her. They finished dishes and settled in on the couch. Morgan struggled to keep her eyes open even with the added caffeine to her system. It wasn’t long before she felt a hand on her foot, and when she popped her eyes open, Fiona stared directly at her.

  “What?” Morgan asked, grouchy and grumbly.

  “I think you should go to bed.”

  “Don’t wanna.”

  “Morgan, come on.” Fiona gripped Morgan’s wrists and dragged her up to stand.

  Together they walked slowly toward the small bedroom in the back of the apartment. Fiona watched Morgan as she slipped under the covers of the unkempt bed, the light from the living room filtering through into the dark of the bedroom, backlighting Fiona so it made it hard for Morgan to see her face. They stared each other down. The pit of Morgan’s belly twisted, but she couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad sensation. Breathing deeply, Morgan stayed completely still and wondered what Fiona was thinking.

  “Do you want me to stay?” Fiona’s sweet voice barely filtered over to her.

  Morgan’s mouth dried instantly. That was why she hadn’t wanted to go to sleep. That was why she’d pushed herself to stay awake for hours beyond when she should have. But she wasn’t sure she had the courage to ask for the help. Fiona must have sensed her turmoil, because she shifted her feet and pointed out the door.

  “I’ll just crash on the couch.”

  Morgan let out a heavy breath. “No. Stay here. I promise. No funny business. I just—I—”

  “I get it.” Fiona slipped her shoes off and walked around the bed after turning the light off for the hallway and leaving the light on in the living room. She slipped under the covers on the other side bed, turning on her side. Morgan flipped to face her.

  It was the first time she fully relaxed in days. Staring into Fiona’s eyes in the middle of the night, knowing nothing was going to happen, knowing she was only there for comfort and peace. It was perfect. Before she knew it, Morgan was slipping into a restful sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When she woke up, Fiona was still asleep. Her hand ached from being clenched into a tight ball. The sun still wasn’t up, as was her norm for waking so early. Morgan suspected Fiona was not the same. She wanted to move, get out of the bed, maybe sneak in a shower even though she wasn’t supposed to, but she certainly didn’t want to wake Fiona. It was a work day, and no doubt she’d have to get up soon enough, trudge back home to get clean clothes, and head in to the office.

  “You’re staring,” Fiona muttered.

  Morgan rubbed her lips together, surprised Fiona was awake. Her heart lodged itself in her throat, and she wasn’t sure what to say. Fiona groaned and stretched, rolling from her side onto her back and stretching her hands up and toes down. Her shirt rode up on her belly, exposing sweet, glorious, and no-doubt hot-to-the-touch skin. Morgan swallowed.

  When she looked back up, Fiona stared at her with a knowing gaze. “Do you always wake up this early?”

  “Every morning,” Morgan confessed. “You don’t?”

  Fiona snorted. “Not quite this early, but early enough.”

  Neither of them made to move. Morgan wanted so badly to reach over and brush her fingertips along Fiona’s belly, curious as to what it would feel like. When she caught Fiona staring at her again, she flicked her gaze back to Fiona’s face and dared herself to keep her eyes there.

  Fiona let out a sigh and turned back onto her side, resting her head on her hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “About what?” Morgan’s voice was harsh when she spoke, but she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t mad at Fiona, she was mad at herself, and she was certainly lost to what Fiona would be sorry for.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you back sooner.”

  “Why? It wouldn’t have made any difference. I was in Seattle. You were here. I was with a lunatic. You, obviously, were not.”

  Fiona’s lips thinned. “What do you mean with?”

  “Doesn’t matter. You have nothing to be sorry for. I was calling to see if you had any more insight into our killer. I think I found out enough for the both of us. I’m rather glad you weren’t with me.”

  “I wish…”

  “No, you don’t. Just drop it.”

  Morgan spun on her other side and sat on the edge of the bed. Whatever they were talking about, it was far too intimate for her likes. She had to get out of the situation, put some distance between the two of them. Morgan went to the bathroom and splashed freezing cold water on her face. She dried her skin, and when she faced the door, Fiona stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms over her chest.

  “I’m in a relationship,” she confessed.

  Biting her lip, Morgan shook her head and clenched her jaw. Of course, Fiona was seeing someone, of course, she probably should have asked before kissing her at a crime scene and all but begging her to come stay the night at her place—not that she had any designs on the evening, but still. Nodding, Morgan stayed put.

  “We’ve been…I don’t know how to explain it.”

  “Then don’t. Unless you’re in an open relationship, there’s nothing else to talk about.” Anger flared in the pit of her belly, and had she not been so hurt by her own stupidity, she would have realized before she spoke that her anger would come off as an attack.

  Fiona didn’t budge from her spot, completely blocking the escape. Morgan could push past her if she wanted, but she didn’t want to touch Fiona, didn’t want to make any type of physical connection. Morgan’s breathing came in short rasps. She had not expected this type of conversation either. She was pretty sure they had put to bed any kind of potential relationship the last time they’d chatted in person, and with her last disastrous attempt at anything relationship wise, Morgan certainly didn’t want to step anywhere near a relationship with a twenty-foot pole.

  Fiona moved forward and reached for Morgan’s hand, but Morgan jerked out of Fiona’s reach. She sent Fiona a look, telling her to back off to which Fiona complied. “My relationship is complicated.”

  “I don’t do cheating.”

  Fiona nodded. “I understand.”

  “And to be quite honest, the last thing on my mind right now is a relationship of any kind. I need…I need to get my life on track, be back at work, get these damn staples out of my head and stitches out of my hand, and maybe some legit therapy before I even think about a relationship.”

  Fiona’s brow furrowed, and she cocked her head to the side in curiosity. Morgan ignored her. She really didn’t want to get in to how she met Lollie and why they were in a hotel room together, naked, or why Lollie wanted to kill her. Clearly Fiona didn’t have the whole picture, whoever had told her what was going on had not spoiled that surprise, and Morgan would much rather leave it alone.

  “I think you should leave. I need to get ready for my
interview, anyway.”

  “Okay.” Fiona licked her lips. “Okay, but I want you to know you can call me tonight if you need me to come over again. I will come, Morgan, okay?”

  “Fine. But I won’t be calling.”

  Fiona took one step closer, this time grabbing Morgan’s wrist in a tight grip. She leaned in, her voice firm for the first time since Morgan had met her. “Don’t be a stubborn fool just because you think it’ll make you stronger. It’s okay to ask for help.”

  When she stepped away, Morgan knew what everyone else saw in her. Fiona wasn’t just a smart and damn good detective, she had the hard side that came with the job, the jaded edge all law enforcement knew far too well. She wasn’t innocent. She had seen things she wanted to forget, done things she wanted to forget, just like Morgan.

  With a breath, Morgan nodded and brought her free and injured hand up to slide it against Fiona’s cheek. She was right, her skin was soft, smooth, and hot from sleep. Looking into Fiona’s eyes, Morgan nodded. “Yeah. I know. I may not want to admit it, but I know. And thank you for coming last night. I…I needed it more than I could probably ever admit.”

  “Any time.” Fiona turned her cheek into Morgan’s palm and let out a very slow breath as she closed her eyes.

  Morgan stepped away and around Fiona, going to her room to get her clothes out for the day and try to remember to change out the laundry before she left. Before she knew it, she heard the click of her front door, and Fiona was gone without another word. When she headed out to her living room to make sure she was alone, she smiled at the coffee maker bubbling as it brewed its life-giving elixir.

  ###

  Her interview with Taylor had gone well. She didn’t have any more information to share that he didn’t already know, and she wisely kept the fact Lollie had called her twice afterward to herself. Lollie still hadn’t called even three days after the interview when Morgan was officially cleared after speaking with a psychologist. She was finally back at work.

  Surprisingly enough, Taylor let her stay on Lollie’s case, although Pax would have to do everything with her from there on out. Officially, their serial killer was their top priority while the human trafficking case took the backseat. There were still agents working the other case, but she and Pax were in charge of Lollie’s case.

  Morgan sat at her computer, with her ever present blue-toned coffee mug next to her. It was still full with one teaspoon of sugar in it, steaming when she turned on her computer and waited for Pax to arrive and get to work himself. She was so happy to be back in the office, back in the routine of life, back to what she wanted—normal.

  She hadn’t called Fiona again. That had been a rat trap she certainly did not want to step into. She did not mess with other people who were already taken, no matter what arrangements they had unless it was in a completely open relationship that was confirmed and well thought through. Whatever relationship Fiona was in was her business, but Morgan would have none of it.

  With a week behind her, she’d finally been allowed to shower, and it had been glorious. Pax had made a comment about her smell the other night when he and Mel had dropped her by some dinner. Mel had elbowed him hard in the gut, but he ignored her. Morgan was glad to be clean and in fresh clothes and at her desk.

  Running searches on the information they had wasn’t hard. Figuring out a way to find a phone number by a different means than they already had was another issue entirely. As much as Morgan wanted to run the cell phone number, she knew questions would be asked if she did, questions she certainly did not want to answer. If she did, she’d be thrown off the case in two-seconds flat without a second thought.

  Pax set his briefcase down on the table top and plopped into his chair. “You coming?”

  “Coming to what?” Morgan asked, not glancing up at him.

  “Our vow renewal.”

  “You actually planned that thing?” Sending him a sidelong look, Morgan shook her head.

  Pax shrugged. “Yeah.”

  “When is it?”

  “Next month.”

  “I guess. Do I have to wear a dress?”

  “Wear whatever the hell you want. It’s not a big formal thing.”

  “Okay. Just tell me when and where and I’ll go. Do the kids know?”

  “God no. They can’t keep a secret worth shit.”

  “You have a good Christmas?”

  “As good as expected.”

  “Santa bring you something big?”

  He frowned at her. “No, but the kids have a whole new room devoted to the shit they got.”

  Chuckling, Morgan turned to her computer. “I’m running the cards we found on her along with the names of her victims, but I doubt we’ll find anything. Lollie is smart.”

  “Smart and fast if you didn’t get her.”

  “I didn’t shoot,” Morgan chastised. “If I’d shot her, she’d still be on the ground, but she had a knife and I had a gun.”

  “I would have shot her.”

  “You weren’t there.”

  “I didn’t screw her, either.”

  “Pax!” Morgan spun and glared at him. “That was uncalled for.”

  He shrugged.

  Morgan shook her head. “No. No, I’m not doing this. You don’t get to be an asshole about this. If you have a problem with the fact I slept with a woman—”

  “I don’t care about that. You slept with a suspect.”

  “I didn’t know she was a suspect. If I had known, I wouldn’t have done it. I thought I was having a nice little fling while I was out in Seattle for a week, away from home, something to burn off some energy and steam, maybe get back in the game.”

  “Get back in the game?” He jerked his head and shook it at her. “You thinking about dating someone, Stone?”

  Morgan let out a breath. “Not now.”

  Focusing on her computer, she effectively ended the conversation. Immediately, she stopped and looked at him. “Pax, look at this.”

  He leaned over her desk, his eyes squinting at the screen. “Shit.”

  “Yeah.”

  Morgan scrolled down the crime scene report to the photographs. Sure enough, there was a woman lying on the ground, blanket on top of her, but blood everywhere. The walls were covered, the carpet covered, the bed she was laying next to covered. “She’s mad.”

  “Maybe, but either way, we’ve got to get there. Where is it?”

  “Missoula, Montana.”

  “Yeehaw,” Pax muttered.

  Morgan scrunched her nose. She’d been to Montana before, once, with a boyfriend more than a decade ago. They’d thought it’d be a good idea to visit the national parks. It had not been a good idea. Morgan had ended up working because some idiot thought it was a good idea to shove their newly-married wife off the side of one of the cliffs, and federal ground meant federal investigation, and since her supervisor had known she was already out there, she got called back from work. Needless to say, there was more than one breakup involved.

  “Gonna talk to Taylor?” Morgan asked Pax.

  “Yeah. You gonna go?”

  “Don’t know if he’ll let me. The last time I left…”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  Pax and Morgan walked into Taylor’s office, Morgan’s chest tight with tension. She forced her shoulders to roll and relax, but it was still hard to breathe. Morgan let Pax do the talking.

  “There’s another murder.”

  “Already?”

  Pax nodded. Morgan watched their boss. “Missoula. We’re pretty sure it’s connected but can’t be positive until the autopsy report comes back.”

  “Follow it,” Taylor ordered.

  “Like to Missoula?” Pax asked, his eyes going wide.

  “Yes. It sounds like she’s escalating.”

  Pax nodded and turned. Morgan remained rooted on the spot, looking from Pax to Taylor. She wasn’t sure if she was allowed to go yet. She was still on semi-restricted duty with the staples and whatnot, but this was her case,
and she wanted to bring Lollie in. When Taylor raised his chin to her, he lifted one brow in a question.

  “Am I going to?” Morgan asked, her voice coming off a lot more intimidated than she really was.

  “Did I say you were staying behind?”

  “No?”

  “Then get.”

  Morgan grinned and turned on her toes, heading out of the room. She was back. It was perfect. She and Pax would go to Missoula, and she would find Lollie. If she got there, maybe they could get Lollie’s number off their newest victim’s phone then they’d be able to track it. The only downside was Lollie had called Morgan’s personal cell, and that would no doubt come up as soon as they ran a trace. Pushing the worry from her brain, Morgan headed to make their next plans for investigation.

  Pax was already on the phone making their flight reservations. Morgan pulled out her personal cell and stared down at it. Taking a risk, she pulled up Fiona’s number and simply typed, “Headed out of town. Got a new lead. It’s fresh. Thanks again for the other night.” She hit send, pocketed the phone, and packed up her desk. They were leaving soon, and she didn’t want to waste another minute.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  With her last fling out of the way, Lollie took the car, switched plates, and drove straight out of town. She didn’t even bother to look back. Something about Missoula gave her the creeps, so she wanted out as soon as possible. She drove south and east again, following the highway until she felt like she was far enough away she could stop for the night.

  Bozeman was unlike Missoula in its majesty. These mountains were completely covered in snow, and there were piles of it along the sides of the streets. Lollie pulled into the mall on the outskirts of town. It was run down, but perfect for finding someone else she could meet. Lollie was always looking for places to meet people. She loved talking to new people, getting to know them, making intimate connections.

  She grabbed some coffee and a fluffy salted pretzel and sat down on a metal chair in the center of the mall. The phone in her pocket called to her, and she pulled it out. She wasn’t one to play games on a device or scroll through social media. In fact, she didn’t even have social media. It had never interested her. But suddenly curious, she wanted to know more about her mysterious Morgan. It seemed like a contradiction for a woman of her personality to have a gun in her room, and to know how to use it, and Morgan had known.