by Alexa Land
“Sure. If the victims didn’t have families and no one reported them missing, a serial killer could absolutely go unnoticed.”
“Do you think that’s really what happened?”
“I think there’s too much of a pattern there to ignore the possibility. And maybe this new information will prompt the department to put more resources on your case.”
“It’s odd. Why would they always disappear on a Thursday?” I asked.
Kieran shrugged, then pointed over my shoulder. “Maybe that’s why.”
I looked behind me at a big, beat-up garbage truck working its way noisily down the alley beside Havilland House. Thick metal arms slid into the pockets on either side of a blue dumpster, then hoisted it up and shook the contents into the top of the truck. A loud whirring sound indicated a built-in trash compacter going to work. Today was Friday, garbage day in this neighborhood.
“Oh God,” I murmured, a trickle of horror running through me. That could have been my fate. The man that hurt me threw me away like trash in a dumpster. If the garbage truck had gotten to me before that homeless woman, I would have been crushed with tons of garbage and hauled off to the dump. My body would never have been recovered. No one would have even been looking for it.
“Hey,” Kieran said gently, his hand on my arm. “You ok, baby?”
I nodded, then cleared my throat and turned back to him. “So what do we do now?” I asked.
“Let’s meet when I get off work and brainstorm. And of course you should call Uncle Ray and tell him what you found out,” he said. “By the way, the reason I wanted to meet you here was because I need some more flyers, I ran out. Do you have some?”
“Sure,” I said, and pulled a stack of papers out of my backpack. Even though he wasn’t assigned to the case, Kieran had been helping in an “unofficial” capacity, asking questions and putting up flyers around town. Ray wasn’t thrilled about Kieran’s involvement, unofficial or otherwise, but he was a realist. He knew the department’s budget was too tight to assign a lot of personnel to a cold case with so little evidence. So he’d begrudgingly decided to look the other way while Kieran helped me.
He took the stack of papers and rolled them into a tube, tapping them on his palm. He wanted to say something to me, and was working up to it. I knew the signs. Finally he said, “So…if I asked you to stop distributing flyers and asking questions, would you?”
“Why?”
He grinned at that. “It’s never just a yes with you.” Then he said, “If you’re right about the serial killer angle, then this case is far more dangerous than I realized. I was already nervous about you going into the roughest parts of the city and asking questions. But now, if there really is a serial killer out here and you’re distributing his photo and stirring things up, what’s to stop him from coming after you? You’re the only real evidence in this case, and eliminating you would mean he gets to remain a free man.”
That thought was nothing short of horrifying. But I took a deep breath and said, “This man may have killed two boys, and almost killed me. Maybe there were more victims too, other boys that we don’t even know about. You have to know I’m not going to stop looking for him.”
“Please, Christopher. This is a matter for the police. It’s not your job to bring him to justice, it’s ours.”
“The police don’t have the time or resources to canvas like this.”
“They’ll allocate resources now that you found this new information. You can step back, you’ve done your part.”
“There’s more I could be doing.”
Kieran sighed and dragged a hand over his mouth. And then he tried a different approach. “You’ve been out here every day this week. You’re missing classes, and I know how important school is to you.”
“I talked to my teachers, it’s fine. The main thing I’m supposed to be doing right now is my junior project, and Hunter and I have been meeting regularly to work on that.”
“Please go back to your regular life, Christopher. I’m begging you. I’ll take over the canvassing.”
“You can’t. You’re not even supposed to be helping me, this isn’t your case.”
“Then I’ll take a leave of absence. I’ll do it as a civilian, just like you’re doing.”
I grinned at him and said gently, “Why do you think I’d want you out here in harm’s way? I’m no less worried about you attracting the attention of a killer than you’re worried about me.”
“But I’ve been trained for this! If he comes after me, I’m equipped to handle it.”
“Go back to work, Kieran, we can talk about this tonight.”
“Will you be done for today at least? Please? Go back home for the time being.”
“Actually, I’m meeting Hunter on campus in about an hour, so I was ready to wrap it up today anyway.”
“Thank God,” he murmured.
“I’ll see you tonight, Kieran,” I said, reaching out and giving his arm a little squeeze. “Be careful out here, ok?”
“Always am. Be careful too.”
Chapter Sixteen
I’d called Ray Nolan right after speaking with Kieran and told him what I found out. He’d made arrangements to meet with Jeffrey and hear his story, but that wasn’t happening until Monday. Today was only Saturday, and I was in a funk.
I didn’t know what to do about my case, where else to distribute flyers or who else to speak to. Knowing that a potential serial killer could be out there, and knowing I might be the only one who could put him in jail, had added a whole new sense of urgency to the case. I had decided to cancel my meeting with Hunter yesterday, despite what I told Kieran, and had gone up to every single rent boy I could find, showing each one the sketch of my attacker. And today, I’d turned around and done it all over again, just in case there were a few more boys on the street that I’d missed on Friday. That got me nothing but exhausted, and I was rapidly running out of ideas.
On an unrelated note, this was also the day of the New Artists Show. The incident with Ian still stung. And knowing the show was happening today was just really depressing somehow.
Everything was feeling just a little out of control at the moment. I needed a job. I needed to focus on my schoolwork. I needed leads on the case. Hell, while I was listing stuff that needed fixing, how about the food issues that threatened my health on a daily basis? There was so much in my life that I needed to address. But instead, here I was, lying in bed feeling sorry for myself and staring at the ceiling. It just all seemed so overwhelming that I didn’t know how to approach any of it.
Well, even if I didn’t know how to help myself, I did know how to help other people, and I’d done something yesterday afternoon that I felt good about. I’d placed a call to the accountant in Macon, Georgia that administered my trust fund. My father employed him to pay the annual taxes on the account and ‘manage my portfolio.’ I had instructed him to liquidate the entire account, and have all of the money deposited anonymously into the account for the Havilland House Fund. It wasn’t enough, it wouldn’t save the Havilland. But it would make a difference. The accountant had freaked out, of course. But it was my money and my decision, a fact that I reminded him of repeatedly before he finally agreed to do as I asked.
When I had told my father I’d never touch a cent of his dirty money, I’d meant it. But I decided to add an addendum to the end of that sentence: I’d never touch a cent of my father’s money for personal use. Giving it to a community center was something else entirely. I wasn’t going to be stubborn enough to let that money go to waste, not when it could be doing some good.
Knowing the trust fund was gone was a relief somehow. I had always felt I should do something about it, but had never figured out what until now.
There was a knock at the door, and I rolled off the mattress and went to answer it. Kieran was dressed up in the grey suit he’d worn to Charlie’s wedding, his blue eyes sparkling. He looked incredibly gorgeous, and I told him that as I stepped back and let him in.
“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” he asked, taking in my sweats and bare feet. “I told you I was taking you out.”
“I know, but I’m really tired. Can we just stay here and curl up on the couch and watch movies instead?”
A little crease of concern appeared between his eyebrows. “Were you out canvassing again today?”
“Yeah, all day. I just got home a little while ago.”
“I thought we talked about this.” We actually had, for quite a while last night.
“We did. And I told you that while I appreciated your concern, I had to keep going on this.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your stubbornness could get you killed. You know that, right?”
“I’m not stubborn, I’m tenacious. And please don’t be mad at me. I’m too tired to argue with you.”
He sighed and relaxed his posture, pulling me into his arms. “Well, as long as you’re too tired to argue with me, I might as well make a confession. I did something yesterday afternoon that’s going to piss you off.”
I kept my arms around him, but tilted my head back to look up at him. “I don’t know if I want to hear this.”
“I went to Sutherlin and paid your tuition for next quarter.”
“Damn it, Kieran!” I let go of him and took a step back.
“I know you didn’t want to borrow money from me. So, now you haven’t. Consider that just…a random act of kindness or something.”
“An eighteen thousand dollar random act of kindness? Are you kidding?”
“I knew you’d be pissed, but it’s worth having you mad at me. I believe in you, Christopher. I believe in your talent, and I want you to be able to continue your education.” He grinned at me and added, “And if you feel the need to punish me for going behind your back, I’d like to suggest that wooden paddle you keep with your sex toys.”
“I would never actually use that on you when I was pissed off, just FYI.”
“Come on, get dressed. We’re expected somewhere, and you can be mad at me on the way.”
“I really don’t feel like going out. And by the way, I’m paying you back, every cent. I have some money in savings that I was going to put toward my tuition, I’ll start with that. And as soon as I find a job, I’ll begin making weekly payments.” I sighed and added, “I really wish you hadn’t done that.”
“I don’t want you to pay me back, and I know you didn’t want me to do that. But I’m doing it again next quarter, and the one after that, and the one after that, right up until you graduate.”
“And you call me stubborn!”
“You are!”
“I’m going back to bed.”
“No you’re not,” he said gently.
I glared at him, and he smiled at me sweetly. “I hate it when you tell me what to do in such a nice way that I feel like an asshole for arguing with you,” I said.
“Come on, baby. There’s a big surprise waiting for you. Get dressed, and let’s go.”
“A surprise? Because spending a huge chunk of your inheritance on my tuition wasn’t enough? Now you’re doing something else for me?”
“The surprise isn’t from me, it’s from Dante and Charlie. I’m just supposed to get you there. In retrospect, telling you about the tuition payment probably shouldn’t have happened until after I’d delivered you where you need to be.”
I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest, and Kieran added, “Charlie’s so excited. This surprise means a lot to him.”
“Really?” I asked, grinning a little despite myself. “Playing the best friend card? You know I wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”
“No, you wouldn’t. So come on, get dressed and let’s go. For Charlie.” He was grinning, too.
I felt my resolve weakening, and reached out and ran his blue silk tie over the palm of my hand. “What am I going to do with you, Kieran?”
“You can let me take you out, and then bring me back here afterwards and spend all night punishing me,” he said, his voice low, a sexy half-smile bringing out his dimple as he held my gaze steadily. “Actually,” he added, “we still have a little time, I’m early. You could begin punishing me right now if you wanted to.”
A shiver of desire skittered through me, but I said, “I’m serious about not playing at punishment when I’m actually upset with you.”
He sank to his knees and rubbed his cheek against the bulge in my sweats. “Yeah, but we both know it wouldn’t really feel like punishment to me anyway.”
“Stop being so sexy when I’m trying to be mad at you.” I ran my palm over his short hair as he kissed my cock through my clothes and grinned at me. “Damn it,” I murmured, before bending down and kissing him deeply. Then I said, “This is just sex. Not a punishment, not anything else. And I’m still upset that you went off and paid my tuition when you knew that I didn’t want you to do that. Just because we’re about to fuck doesn’t change anything.”
“Yes sir,” he murmured, and then he smiled at me innocently and asked, “How do you want me?”
Lust rocketed down my spine, straight to my cock. “Oh sure, now you’re submissive. But then you go off and defy my wishes.”
He was fully embracing his inner sub now, though. “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t mean to be defiant. I just want to make things better.” He rubbed his cheek against my cock again, his hands sliding up my thighs.
The full truth of that last statement really resonated with me all of a sudden. That was exactly what he’d been doing, just trying to make things better. And that was a huge part of who he was, a giver through and through. I sighed and said, “Promise me you’ll talk to me next time, before running off and doing something that drastic.”
“I promise.”
I bent down and kissed him again, and said softly, “Thank you, Kieran.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“Paying my tuition so I can stay in school.”
His eyes went wide, his face lighting up with a big smile. “You’re thanking me?”
I nodded. “It still makes me uncomfortable, you know I hate feeling indebted to people. And I’m going to pay you back, every single cent of that money. We can draw up that loan agreement we talked about a while back and set up a payment schedule.” I ran my hand over his cheek as I said, “But the part of me that isn’t freaked out by this is grateful. You’re a very sweet, if occasionally stubborn person, Kieran.”
He chuckled and said, “That’s a pretty fair assessment.”
“How much time do we have before this surprise that you’re taking me to?”
“Well, the surprise really doesn’t get started until you get there,” he said with a shrug. “So I suppose you could take your time. You know…with whatever it is you need time for.” He grinned at me innocently.
I took his hand, led him to the bedroom, and stripped us both naked, then guided him onto his back on the bed. After prepping him gently, I rolled on a condom and sheathed myself in his body. I held his gaze as I moved in him slowly, deeply, our connection so intense that a tremor went through him. He parted his lips, his breath coming in short gasps, and I slid my arms behind his shoulders, holding him as I took him. It was the exact opposite of the kind of sex he’d probably been expecting, but it was so right in that moment.
“I belong to you, Christopher,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. “Every part of me, for as long as you want me.”
“Oh God, Kieran.” I kissed him as passionately as that very first time.
Later, when we’d both finished, I held him in my arms and murmured, “And now I really don’t want to get up.”
That prompted him to roll out of bed, pulling me to my feet with him. “I’m so excited for you to see this surprise,” he said. “I really hope you’re going to love it.”
He picked up his shirt, which was draped over the corner of the headboard, and hesitated before saying, “This is going to sound really lame, but thank you. You know, for that,” he said, tilting his head toward the bed.
“The way you take care of me absolutely amazes me. And I just want you to know I’m grateful for it.” He grinned embarrassedly and quickly changed the subject by saying, “Ok, enough awkward speeches. We’ve got places to go and people to see!”
I pulled him to me with a hand on the back of his head, and kissed him deeply. Then I said, “Do I get any hints about this surprise?”
“Nope.”
“And it’s a get-dressed-up kind of thing, obviously,” I said, indicating the shirt he was pulling back on over his broad shoulders. “I don’t actually own a suit, though.”
“I only own two kinds of clothes: jeans, and this suit. I’m probably over-dressed. You should feel free to wear whatever you want.”
“Well, that’s not entirely true,” I said, pulling on a pair of briefs from the dresser. “You also own a really nice reindeer sweater.”
He beamed at me and said, “Oh, don’t start teasing me about Rudolph, because I will retaliate. I’m not above wearing him in public to humiliate those around me, as you well know.”
I laughed at that and said, “I’m actually quite fond of Rudolph. Don’t ever get rid of him.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, baby,” he said. “Someday we can hang that sweater above our mantel as a reminder of where it all began. Think that red nose will still be blinking fifty years from now?”
That was actually a hell of a statement, but I decided not to read too much in. Instead I said lightly, “I think you just suggested that we have your sweater taxidermied and mounted over the fireplace. Poor Rudolph!”
He laughed at that. “I was picturing it framed, but you have something with that idea. I bet a skilled taxidermist could get ol’ Rudolph looking awesomely lifelike.”
When we finally made it downstairs, I was shocked to find a black town car waiting for us. The driver put down his Kindle and came around and opened the door for us, and I glanced at Kieran with a raised eyebrow. He said, “Don’t look at me. This was Dante’s idea, he thinks parking is going to be problematic where we’re going. That guy really doesn’t do anything halfway.”