by Gerri Hill
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kayla rolled her head slightly, shocked to find herself pressed against a warm body, her arm draped across a slim waist. She opened her eyes, seeing the barest hint of daylight breaking the darkness outside. She was tired and her eyelids were heavy. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and snuggle closer to the woman next to her.
Murphy hadn’t exactly offered her bed last night, and Kayla had made a half-hearted attempt to find another one to sleep in. The first bedroom she’d gone into did indeed have furniture, but the bed was covered in only an old quilt. There were no sheets and she was too tired to look for some. So while Murphy showered, Kayla had gone into her bedroom and simply crawled under the covers, the scent of Murphy lingering on the pillow she used. Her intention was to stay awake, of course. But the sound of the shower was lulling her to sleep and even though she pictured Murphy naked and dripping wet, it wasn’t enough to keep her eyes from closing.
She smiled now as that image came back to her. Would Murphy be as lean and toned as she imagined? Would she still be soft to the touch? She couldn’t stop her hand from moving…slowly, surely as it snaked under Murphy’s T-shirt. Warm skin under her fingertips sent her heart racing. Was it six? Six thirty? Should they be up and on their way to the station? The murder investigation faded from her mind as quickly as it had come. She didn’t care what time it was. She was too tired to care.
Her hand settled just under the swell of Murphy’s breast. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. They hadn’t even kissed yet. No need to rush things.
* * *
Even though Murphy knew exactly who she’d fallen asleep with, it was still a shock to wake and find a warm hand mere inches from her breast. She moved her own hand, touching Kayla’s fingers. Her eyes slipped closed again as she moved Kayla’s hand up to cover her breast. Kayla’s fingers closed around it and she let out a quiet moan.
“We don’t have time for this,” Kayla murmured.
“I know.” Murphy rolled her head toward Kayla. “It’s just been so long since someone’s touched me.”
Kayla shifted, her eyes fluttering open, meeting her gaze. “When’s the last time you made love with someone?” she whispered.
Murphy looked into those eyes, trying to see past them, trying to recall the last woman who’d touched her. No name or face would come to her.
“I don’t know. It’s been a really long time, I guess.”
Kayla’s eyes gentled and she leaned forward, brushing her lips against her own. “When this is over with, I want to spend hours making love with you.”
Murphy was suddenly afraid this would never be over with. She rolled them over, holding Kayla beneath her as her hips pressed down. She found Kayla’s mouth, their moans mingling as they kissed. Kayla’s thighs spread, inviting Murphy closer. But T-shirts and underwear got in the way, hindering her desire to touch. No, they didn’t have time for this. She should stop. Kayla, however, pulled her closer, her tongue dancing around Murphy’s, her hips pressing upward.
Before she knew what was happening, Kayla had pulled her T-shirt off, her hands going to her breasts, thumbs raking across her nipples. God, were they really going to do this? Murphy had no more time for thought as one of Kayla’s hands cupped her from behind, then slid inside her underwear, caressing her hip.
“Take these off,” Kayla whispered.
“We don’t have time,” she protested weakly, even as she was helping Kayla push them down.
“We’re going to make time,” Kayla countered.
Murphy found herself on her back, completely naked. Kayla knelt over her, pausing to remove her own T-shirt. When Murphy’s hands lifted to touch her, Kayla captured them and held them behind Murphy’s head, her mouth silencing any protest she might have.
“Pretend you’re handcuffed,” Kayla whispered into her mouth, she then moved lower, her lips and tongue swirling around her nipples, one…then the other.
Murphy tried to remember the last time she’d been this aroused, but no memory would come to her. It was just Kayla—here and now. She longed to touch her, but she kept her hands over her head, letting Kayla have her way. A hot mouth was locked on her breast and a hand slid across her belly, then lower. She moaned in anticipation, imagining Kayla inside her. She was wet, she could feel it against her thighs, and she opened them wider, silently urging Kayla to touch her.
Kayla paused, her fingers brushing lightly, teasingly against her. Murphy groaned in frustration. Then her hips jerked as Kayla’s fingertip found her clit.
“You’re very wet,” Kayla murmured. “I like that.” Her fingers slid into her opening, then back out, back to tease her clit once more.
“Please…” she whispered. It was all she could do to keep her hands off Kayla. If she didn’t end this torture soon, she’d—
The phone’s ringtone was sharp, loud, and it pierced the quiet sounds of their lovemaking.
“Oh…God…no,” she groaned as Kayla’s hand stilled.
“Don’t move,” Kayla whispered as she reached across Murphy to grab the phone. She took a deep breath, then answered. “Hello.”
Murphy turned her head, burying her face in the pillow. It would be Earl. Time to go to work.
“Okay.” A pause. “Yes, I’ll let Murphy know.” Kayla lay back down beside her. “You were right. We didn’t have time for this.”
Murphy only sighed.
Then Kayla rolled toward her, her mouth teasing her own. “We could shower together.”
Murphy smiled. “You enjoy torturing me, don’t you?”
Kayla’s tongue ran across her lower lip. “I want to hear you scream.” She sat up and pulled Murphy with her. “Come on. Let’s hurry.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Murphy sat at the desk, her eyes moving across the words on the screen without seeing them. No, all she saw was Kayla’s mouth at her breast, Kayla’s hand between her legs. It was probably the quickest shower she’d ever taken…yet it was one she would most likely never forget. She looked up, finding Kayla watching her. They smiled at each other…the slow, gentle smile that new lovers shared.
Oh, yeah, she was ready for this case to be over with. She was ready for normal again—something she’d hoped to find when she’d first moved to Sawmill Springs. What she hadn’t thought she’d find was a lover though. And she was definitely ready for that too.
First things first, however. Earl had spent a fruitless night—morning, really—waiting for Ned to show back up at the cabin. At seven, when there was no sign of him, he’d come back into town. Ned’s house was still empty too. So, according to Kayla, Earl was planning to meet with Sheriff Ramsey this morning. Her gut told her Ned and Charlotte were long gone, but Kayla didn’t think so. She didn’t think he’d leave without the money.
So then where was the money?
She turned her attention to the notes once again, absently reading through them—notes she’d made and had already gone over countless times before. She went back to the beginning, to Guy Woodard’s murder, reading through what little facts they had. The notes on Lance Foster weren’t much more detailed. They had more questions than answers. She stopped when she came to the list of foreclosed properties they’d pulled. The only one that was linked to Guy Woodard and the bank had proven to be a dead end—a dilapidated mobile home sitting on a long-forgotten lot. She tilted her head as she stared at the description of the property. Why was it forgotten?
“What is it?”
“Why do you think this property,” she said, pointing at the screen. “This foreclosed property we looked at that day…why do you think it’s still sitting?” She looked at Kayla. “I mean, we saw it, yeah, it’s junk. But it’s got a water well, it’s got septic, there’s electricity there. Haul off the trailer house and you’ve got a nice piece of property with utilities.”
“Are you looking to buy? It’ll probably be cheap.”
“Right. So why hasn’t it sold?”
“What are y
ou thinking?”
“The bank owned the property. We couldn’t find where it had ever been put up for auction or for sale. But what if it had?” She leaned forward. “What if it was a transaction done, you know, under the table or something? What if Lance Foster bought it?”
Kayla nodded. “Okay, yeah. I think maybe we’re reaching here, but if you’re right and Lance did buy it, then it would be a perfect place to hide…whatever it was he needed to hide.” She picked up the phone on the next desk. “I’ll call Kabir. He can hack into anything. I’ll see if he can find the title or deed or whatever.”
“It’s Saturday morning,” she reminded her.
Kayla smiled. “So I’ll sweet-talk him.”
She laughed quietly. “Yeah, I hear you’re pretty good at that.”
* * *
Kayla had no luck finding Kabir, however. All of her contact information for him was on her phone, which Uncle Ned had snatched. She finally tracked down someone who had his cell number, but she was told he was in London on assignment. No wonder he hadn’t answered any of her emails.
Murphy came back in carrying two cups of coffee. She let her eyes roam over her—the jeans loose enough to be comfortable, tight enough to show her curves. They weren’t enough, however, to keep Kayla from picturing Murphy as she’d been that morning…naked, wet, wanting. Oh, the quickie in the shower wasn’t nearly enough to assuage her appetite. No, quite the opposite, in fact. All it did was fan the flame. She could have spent hours making love. She wanted to spend hours in bed with Murphy. And as soon as this was over with, she hoped to do just that.
“What?”
Kayla smiled, forgetting that she’d been staring. “Just…remembering our shower,” she said quietly.
Murphy met her gaze, holding it. “I’d really like for you to stay with me again tonight.” She smiled quickly. “You know, maybe go to bed about eight or so.”
Kayla laughed. “I was thinking seven sounded good.”
“Seven sounds great.” Murphy wiggled her eyebrows teasingly. “Don’t forget your handcuffs.”
“Oh, honey, don’t you worry.” Her voice lowered to a near whisper. “I’ll have you begging.”
Murphy’s expression turned serious. “You don’t need handcuffs to make me beg.”
The look in Murphy’s eyes made Kayla want to forget where they were. That look made her want to get up and go to her. Go to her and kiss her, touch her. It made her want to unbutton her jeans and slip her hand inside. She stood up, afraid she might do just that when the outer door opened.
They both turned, finding her father standing there. He looked…well, he looked awful. Lines of worry etched his face. His normally clear, sharp eyes were cloudy, tired.
“Anything?” he asked gruffly.
She shook her head. “You?”
“Hell, got Ramsey’s guys all on alert. He put the BOLO out.” He took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair. “On both vehicles. Charlotte’s too.”
“Have you been in touch with Boyd and Wayne?” She turned to Murphy. “That’s their sons,” she explained.
“I drove by both of their houses on the off chance that Ned’s truck was there, but no, I didn’t stop in. Hell, what would I tell them?”
“Dad, you can’t keep this from them. You can’t keep it a secret any longer.”
“It won’t be a secret for long. As soon as Timmy hears the BOLO he’ll be on the phone to his Uncle Ray. Won’t take long for it to spread all over the goddamn town.”
“What about Kabir?” Murphy asked.
Kayla shook her head. “No. He’s out of the country.”
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“I worked with him. A computer whiz. A hacker.”
He raised his eyebrows. “For what? I thought Kimbro was handling all that for us.”
“Kimbro is working off a warrant,” she said. “Kabir wouldn’t have those restrictions.”
“Damn FBI thinks they can hack into anything,” he muttered. “No wonder nobody trusts them.”
“Murphy had an idea. I wanted Kabir to check it out.”
He looked at Murphy. “What?”
“There’s a piece of property that the bank owned—foreclosed on. We went out and looked at it after Lance Foster’s murder.”
He nodded. “I remember. The old Schneider place. What about it?”
“Well, there’s no record that it was put up for auction. No record that it was ever sold.”
“Yeah. So?”
“Maybe Lance Foster bought it,” Kayla said.
He frowned. “Are you trying to say that you think this might be the secret place where he’s got money hidden? Out at that old dump?”
“It’s a dump, yeah. But you take off the house and you’ve got a nice wooded lot, five acres. You’ve got septic and a water well.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Murphy? You going into the real estate business?”
“I’m saying, there’s no reason that it wouldn’t have sold. Which makes me think that it did sell.”
“And you think Ned knows this?”
“He seemed pretty sure that he knew where the money was hidden,” Kayla said. “If that’s the case, he may have already found it.”
“It won’t hurt to go take a look, Earl.”
He looked between the two of them, finally nodding. “I guess it beats sitting around here waiting on Ramsey to call. My stupid, goddamn brother,” he mumbled with a shake of his head. “I still can’t wrap my head around all of this. Are you sure he—”
“We’re sure, Dad.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Even though her father had wanted to go in Murphy’s truck—less conspicuous, he’d said—they took his patrol car. She’d convinced him they needed as many resources as they could get. She let Murphy ride in the front with him despite Murphy’s offer to sit in the back. Sitting behind them gave her the opportunity to observe Murphy freely. And observe, she did. Murphy was all business and looked very much like the detective she used to be. When she’d shoved the Glock into the leather holster at her waist, she positively oozed with confidence. Murphy’s walk had just enough swagger to make her look like…well, dare she say a badass? Oh, she loved looking at Murphy in her uniform, but this…this was something else entirely.
“You know this is probably a waste of our time,” her father said for the second time.
“We got no other leads,” she said.
“You call this a lead?” he scoffed.
She didn’t reply. No, it wasn’t a lead. It was a hunch. It was a long shot. At least it would eliminate the one possibility that they had. Kimbro was doing a title search, which he said could take days. Her suggestion was to call Lance’s wife to see if she knew of any property he owned, but her father didn’t want to involve her. “She ain’t even buried him yet. No sense in getting her involved in this mess.”
She was going to have to be involved very soon anyway, but Kayla let him have his way. This mess, as he called it, was going to turn into one giant scandal once everyone in town learned that Lance Foster, Guy Woodard and Floyd Niemeyer were mixed up in dealing drugs. Mixed up deep enough that it got them killed. She sighed. Killed by the police chief’s brother, no less. How in the world was her father going to survive this? Would he resign? Would he be run out of town like he’d first feared? He’d been the chief for a decade and a half. Whenever a new mayor was elected, they’d not deemed it necessary to appoint someone else, leaving her father to run things as he always had. What now? Would a new mayor want him out? Would he appoint Pete Wilson to replace him? If that was the case, what would she do? Would she want to stay in Sawmill Springs and work for someone other than her father?
Her glance slid to Murphy. What about her? Would she stay on? Their romance was in the early stages, just budding. Could it survive a move of one or both of them? She put a halt to her thoughts. She was getting way ahead of herself. Speculating on the future would do no good.
“Ain’t seen a single car since we left town,” her father said. “Whole damn county is probably there for Guy’s funeral.”
“I guess a lot of people are more curious about what’s going on than they are grieving,” she said. “Won’t you be missed there?”
“I should be there, yes,” he said. “But I imagine that by the time the funeral rolls around, it’ll be spreading like wildfire that Ned is our only suspect. I think I’d just as soon not be there for that.”
“Might be good to be there,” Murphy said. “Show everyone that you’re still in charge.”
He looked at Murphy sideways and laughed. “In charge? Not with the way you two have been trying to boss me around.”
“Sometimes you’re too close, Dad. You let it get personal.”
“Hell, yeah, it’s personal. That’s my goddamn brother! My only brother. Your first instinct is to protect, you know.” He shook his head. “I tried to protect him, all right. Had him under goddamn police protection. Wait until that gets out. I’ll be the laughing stock.”
“I was under the impression that we were keeping a close eye on him, not protecting him,” Murphy said. “Apparently your instincts were right. He needed to be watched.”
“You trying to put some kind of a fancy spin on it, are you?”
“Well, there’s only been the three of us involved in this. Don’t know how much of a spin it’ll take. As far as anyone needs to know, we were keeping Ned under police surveillance.”
Kayla would have hugged her if she could have. Her father needed to hear that. Her father needed to know that they had his back. For all his bravado, she could tell he was worried, not only about Ned, but about himself too. If he lost his job, there’s no way he could continue to live in Sawmill Springs. What would he do?
Her father slowed as he approached the property. She saw immediately that someone had been there. Murphy did, too.
“Weeds are mashed down on the driveway,” Murphy said quietly.