Gently laying her down, he kissed her deeply, urgently. Their tongues danced upon one another’s like there was a celebration; like a homecoming of one who was lost.
He allowed his one hand to roam her body. He remembered all her curves well. She felt good. Soft. Smooth.
When she started running her hands through his black, wet hair, he moaned. He was about to lose it and they barely got started. It was time to slow down just a little and regain some control.
Sammy broke their kiss and looked her in the eyes. This was home. How lucky he was to have her here again. Her gaze seemed to speak the same.
She pushed his head lower. He knew what she wanted. As he lightly kissed her neck, her back arched upward. He trailed down further. First, kissing the other side of her neck. Then her throat. He did small, quick pecks along her collar bone. She gently nudged him even lower.
His mouth licked and nibbled the exposed skin that he cupped together. He could tell she was pleased. After a while he moved lower still, grazing her tight belly. Her moaning was music to his ears, better than anything he could play on his guitar, far better than anything he could blast from his speakers.
Little by little she parted her legs. It was time. He couldn’t wait to feel her warmth once more. First, though, another kiss. He needed one more go-ahead signal to be sure this was real because it sure felt like he had died and gone to heaven. As their lips joined, it was sweet.
But then he felt something. Something wasn’t right.
* * *
She abruptly kneed him off, letting her true colors finally show. Although, she had to admit she was enjoying herself. Perhaps a little too much. But it made her lose focus. She had to remember why she came.
He rolled to the floor, confused. His hand covered the area she had just stuck a needle into. He was angry. “What the fu –” he started. He shook his head, probably trying to regain composure. He tried again. “What the fu –” He growled, not able to finish his train of thought. A third time he tried. “Fu –”
She let out a simple, evil laugh. “What? You can’t say it now? We used to do it all the time.” She was enjoying herself and the view. She would miss that body, and the way he made her feel. Maybe she should have let him finish; have one more moment of pleasure. He was one of the best lovers she had ever had. Too bad he wasn’t good at anything else. And it was too late now anyway.
Sammy winced in pain, his naked body curled up in a little ball. She could see his breathing get harder. Beads of sweat were popping out along his forehead.
Buttoning herself back up, she watched him. His body convulsed a little. Tints of blue plastered his face, sure signs he was about to die any minute. He huffed heavily. Then nothing. She thought for sure he was a goner. But he managed another breath. A few seconds passed. Nothing. A minute passed. Nothing. Sammy was dead.
Unlike the others, his eyes didn’t close. They remained open, glassed over, looking right at her. She liked to think he wanted her to be the last thing he saw. It was kind of sweet, really.
She stood up and straightened herself back out. When everything was back in place where it should be, she lightly kicked Sammy’s body. “Now you can’t cause any more trouble.”
Her purse was still around her shoulder, crossed over her chest. She was lucky he never asked about it or messed with it. If he had, things would have gotten real interesting. She got out a card, the lipstick, and a pen. #4 was written in large print, followed by the name Margaret. Finally, she sealed the card with a kiss, using the lipstick that would become famous when all was said and done.
Seeing as Sammy was naked, she couldn’t stick the card into his pocket. But oh well. This time around, things were going to be a little different anyway. She was going to leave a little something extra for the cops to have fun with, to get the ball rolling a little bit.
After thinking about it, she decided to leave her card right between his legs. It was still technically hidden, but would become visible once the body was moved. It was kind of nice being able to see him and his manhood without him being able to do a thing about it. Yes, she was going to miss him.
The extra stuff she was going to leave for the cops she decided to place on the couch. This way it wasn’t too close to the body, but close enough. Her goal wasn’t to have this be a dead giveaway. She wanted the cops to work for answers. But she still wanted the answers to be found.
When all of that was said and done, she wiped a few areas up. She didn’t stop until she was satisfied. The thought occurred to her that this would be the last time in his place. She had to take a moment to let that sink in. What a shame.
“Bye, Sammy.” She closed the door behind her.
A single tear almost threatened to fall down her cheek, but she wished it away. Now was not the time to turn soft. There was still a long road ahead of her.
CHAPTER 14
C
assie got into her old beater car. She didn’t know where to go or what to do, but it had to be something, somewhere.
Her emotions were a wreck, a rollercoaster of ups and downs. One moment she was okay. Another moment she was bursting out in tears. She’d have times where she was numb, completely separated from any pain she could feel. Occasionally she felt afraid. Sometimes she was confused. It was all so weird. How could she feel a myriad amount of emotions over one person?
Being close to the shore, now was a good time as any to take a ride down Shoreline Drive. She’d get to see the beach on one side. The other side would remind her of what she’d probably never be able to afford. Yet, the houses were something she always liked to look at. Each one was unique. They gave Cassie something to dream about.
The beach wasn’t very busy this Sunday afternoon. There were more surfers than anything else. She slowed down for one group to cross the road. The man second to the last, the one with a teal and white surfboard, looked exactly like Parker. She even shook her head and refocused her eyes to be sure she saw him correctly. There was no way it could be Parker. Parker was dead. Had been for two days now. When the group had passed by, making their way down to the choppy waters, she realized it was indeed not him. This guy had a tattoo on his upper left shoulder. She knew for a fact Parker didn’t.
She continued her journey to nowhere. On the left was her favorite house. It was a two-story gray and brick house with windows upon windows upon windows. The sunrises from their view must be breathtaking. It came complete with a three-stall garage, a professionally landscaped yard, and even had a flag proudly waving from a pole in the middle of the front yard. She’d give anything to live there or at least spend one night in such an immaculate house.
Cassie slammed on her brakes. She had looked too long on her dream house, totally missing a blonde-haired skateboarder whooshing across the road.
Parker?
The man looked at her, clearly upset that she wasn’t paying attention. He even flipped her the middle finger.
She stood there, mouth open, trying to catch her breath as she watched him roll away. No, that wasn’t Parker either. She had to get ahold of herself. Be more careful. Really, she just had to get over him. But, how could she? Her eyes began to mist up. As thoughts of everything he was to her flooded her mind, her broken heart broke even further. It was like she had hit a new low. Somewhere below rock bottom. Tears fell in rivers.
Someone from behind her beeped their horn. She jumped. Looking in the rearview mirror, there were three cars behind her, waiting for her to start moving again. She used the palms of her hands to wipe her eyes. It didn’t stop her from crying, but she could now at least see enough to get moving and please those behind her.
Still not sure where to go, she made a turn for downtown. She chose a street not so busy so that she wouldn’t have any of the mishaps she had before. Little by little, the houses got smaller, more reminiscent of the average working person. The beach behind her faded.
Up ahead there was a jogger with her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. At first, Cassie t
hought nothing of it. She never made a habit of gawking at people. However, the closer she got, there was something that seemed familiar to her about this woman. She eventually found out that it was none other than Ms. Keaton!
Cassie slowed down to a crawl. She rolled her window down and called out her teacher’s name. She didn’t look her way, totally oblivious to anyone riding along next to her. So, she called out her name once more.
Ms. Keaton looked sideways a smidge. Cassie tried smiling as she waved. She could tell it finally dawned on her who was in the car.
Taking her earbuds out, Laura cocked her head to the side. “Cassie? Is that you?”
“Hi, Ms. Keaton.”
Laura walked up to her car and leaned down into the window. “What brings you – wait, have you been crying?”
Cassie appreciated her concern. “Yeah, I’ve, uh, been a mess lately.” She giggled a sad, little giggle. Again, she wiped her eyes free of the water that filled them.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She waved her off. “You’re busy. I couldn’t possibly waste your time.”
“Hey, wait a minute! You wouldn’t be wasting my time. I’ve always got time for my students, especially one I’ve known a long time now.”
Cassie thought about it for a split second. She really did need someone to vent to. A shoulder to cry on would be nice.
Before she could answer, Laura said, “Come on. Let’s go somewhere to chat.”
And before she could reply, her teacher got into the passenger side of her car.
“Where should we go?” Laura asked.
“Um, I don’t know.”
Pointing up ahead, she said, “There’s a little café a couple of blocks from here. Let’s go there. It’ll be my treat.”
Cassie checked her surroundings and inched forward. She followed her teacher’s directions and parked in the back. The two of them headed inside and took a seat along the side to hopefully not garner a lot of attention.
The interior of the café was cute and cheerful. The yellow walls with white panelboard really brightened up the place. Coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla scents permeated the establishment, making Cassie feel at home. It felt cozy, and she was certainly grateful for the light crowd.
A waitress came by to take their order. Laura passed, saying she was still full from lunch with her boyfriend, but she encouraged Cassie to get whatever she wanted. She decided on a slice of tiramisu. It was the house special, and the counter they passed getting to their seat showed only two slices left. Two very mouth-watering slices.
Not much had been said between the two women. But when the tiramisu was placed before Cassie and she began to eat it slowly, she little by little started dropping hints as to what was going on. It was like the delicious piece of cake was something she could hide behind as she told her story.
“I’m beginning to think you had more than just a crush on Parker,” Laura commented.
Cassie started to slightly shake, a fresh batch of tears running down her cheeks.
Laura put a hand on Cassie’s. “What’s really going on?”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She had to tell her secret. She thought it was something that she could keep hidden forever. But with Parker gone, it was proving to be hard to do.
Ms. Keaton’s jaw dropped. The more Cassie shared, the lower it went. “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize that you and Parker were – does your Aunt Marissa know?”
Cassie shook her head.
“You poor thing.” Laura squeezed Cassie’s hand, leaving hers on top for a while. “I can’t imagine going through something like that.”
Cassie continued to cry a little, but she felt better. A huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
Laura blew out a sigh. “Wow, I need a drink. And not the kind that’s offered here.”
Cassie slightly laughed. “Thank you for listening.”
“You’re welcome. And let me just say, things make way more sense now.”
“I kind of wish I had said something before.”
“Hey, everyone copes differently,” her teacher acknowledged, adding, “I do think you should let your aunt know, though. I’m sure she’d be able to give you some tips on how to move on from this. Maybe even give you good ideas on how to cope with your loss.”
Cassie nodded. “I’ll think about it. I just don’t want her thinking less of me.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. She’ll love you just the same.”
Cassie’s lips slanted upward on the one side.
There were a couple crumbs of the tiramisu left on Cassie’s plate. She used her finger to snag them up.
“Was it good?” Laura asked.
“Very,” she said mid-chew.
“You going to be okay?”
“I will.” Cassie took a deep breath and saw the time on the sunshine clock on the opposite wall. “I should probably get going. Want me to give you a ride home?”
“Sure. That would be nice.” Laura smiled at her.
The two of them headed out after Laura left a ten-dollar bill on the table. The ride home was a lot more upbeat than the previous hour had been. They made small talk regarding the weather, what they did over the weekend, and plans for the upcoming holiday season.
Cassie interrupted her teacher when they turned onto her teacher’s street. “Whoa, did you see that?” She was referring to the sky-blue mustang they just passed. It was shiny, and its windows were tinted so no one could see inside. There was fire along the hood in a darker color, a navy blue or perhaps even black. Cassie had a thing for cars, admiring the classics, or even drooling over the newer sports cars that ruled the road in Crimson Shores.
“See what?” Laura looked up from her phone and all around to find something of importance.
“That car!” She exclaimed, eyeing it from the side mirror. It was slowing down to stop at the corner. She noticed there were two bumper stickers on the back. One was a caduceus symbol. The other had the letter ‘I’, followed by a human heart, ending with the word ‘Medicine’.
“What car?”
“That blue mustang that we just passed!”
Laura shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”
“Well, it was a really pretty shade of blue! I’ve never seen it that color before. Definitely a custom job with all the fire.”
Her teacher didn’t reply.
“And so shiny!”
“I didn’t know you were into cars,” Laura commented.
“Well, I only like the ones that stick out. You know, the older ones or most expensive ones,” Cassie replied with a giggle.
Once they got to the duplex, Laura got out of the car. After shutting the door, she leaned down into the open window. “Thanks for the ride, Cassie. I hope you can get a little rest now that we’ve talked.”
“No problem. I hope so, too.”
“And if you’re not in class tomorrow, I’ll totally understand.”
Cassie smiled. “It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure.”
“Tell me about it.”
The two smiled at one another. When her teacher left, Cassie rolled the window up and left. She decided to take another ride down Shoreline Drive. For a while she’d imagine she lived in that gray and brick house with tons of windows. She’d imagine she had tons of money, enough to drive that sky-blue mustang she saw just a few minutes ago. She’d imagine the windows down and her hair blowing around. Her sunglasses would be on, and she’d be on top of the world.
It was a far cry from her current situation, but that little daydream helped her feel slightly better. She started to believe things could only get brighter from here.
CHAPTER 15
D
etective Kojak arrived in his office early Monday morning. Although, it felt as if he had never left. Since the death of a local college student, found by a nighttime janitor, he had been working harder than ever to put an end to the murders. Not that this one could be ruled a murder yet.
But all the same traits were there. It was a man and there was no evidence of foul play. But the detective wasn’t dumb. There couldn’t be this many people dying without a cause. He was willing to bet the autopsy report would come back showing he had a heart attack. That heart attack, though, must have been caused by something. And anytime now, he’d find out the truth.
Kicking the door shut behind him, he sat at his chair, carefully placing his coffee onto the desk. It was a cup that almost overflowed, but he was going to need it. Now was not the time to get tired. He opened another packet of sugar and poured it in. This must have been the fourth or fifth bag. He wasn’t sure, and he wasn’t counting. Usually he kept adding until the coffee tasted just right. Other’s had teased him of drinking sugar with a little bit of coffee, but he didn’t care. They could drink their coffee their way, and he would drink coffee his way. And that was with a lot of sugar.
Detective Kojak sipped the hot drink. Perfect! It was just the right temperature and just the right amount of sweetness. Now it was time to get down to business.
The first thing he was going to do was go over any new information that had arrived since he had left the office last night. On the corner of his desk was a stack of papers. There had to be something in there that offered more details on all that had been transpiring as of late.
He was in luck. Results of Parker Manscotti’s autopsy had come in. This was something he didn’t think he’d see until later today or even tomorrow. Not wanting to spend a lot of time on this, he only opened it to check for a few things. If they were as he figured they would be, that would prove Parker’s death was, in fact, a murder, and that he was, in fact, another victim of this Margaret.
Scanning the results, Detective Kojak saw that cause of death was a heart attack. But awaiting toxicology results, death was ruled as pending. No surprise. Looking at all the marks on the body, there was in fact a small prick in the neck. Same as the other two. The detective closed the folder. He had seen enough.
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