by MA Comley
“It’s amazing.” She turned to face him.
Morris wrapped his strong arms around her, almost crushing her in the process. “You’re amazing,” he said.
She sighed breathlessly.
He bent to kiss her. Then without saying another word, he took her hand and walked through to the bedroom, which was the ultimate in bachelor-pad masculinity. His sheets were black, the carpet was black, and even the walls and the furniture were black. But it didn’t look cold or dreary. Instead, it looked stylish, as if it had been successfully lifted right off the pages of a design magazine.
Morris lowered her onto the bed, and with a few deft movements, he managed to disrobe her. She let out the breath she’d been hanging onto as his fingers worked their magic. He asked, “Everything all right? Do you want me to proceed?”
“Of course. Everything is just…wonderful.” Her hands began to clumsily search for the buttons on his shirt, but he tapped her fingers away.
“I want to feel you naked beneath me before I take my clothes off. You’re beautiful. I can’t believe you’re going to be all mine.”
The thing was, neither could she. The way his eyes were eating into her flesh sent a shiver shooting through her. Oh, how I’ve longed to be loved and adored this way.
Once they were both naked, their lovemaking was frenetic and wondrously breathtaking.
He cradled her in his arms and ran a gentle hand over the curve of her breast as he spoke. “That was wonderful. You didn’t disappoint at all. Not that I thought you would.”
“It was truly magical. Better than I could have ever hoped it would be. You’re a fantastic lover,” she added shyly. She’d never uttered that word before, and it tickled her tongue.
He laughed. “It has been said before, many times. Tell me, how many dates have you had with the agency?”
She sank her fingers into the hairs on his chest. “You’re my third date,” she lied.
“Did you sleep with the others?”
She sat up and stared down at him. “No!”
He smiled and settled her back down beside him. “All right. I was only asking. There’s no need to snap my head off.”
A chuckle followed his chastisement, and everything between them was fine once more. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologise, little one. We’re just getting to know each other. It’s going to be wonderful learning about you and your needs and desires. Where do you see yourself ten years from now?”
“I haven’t really thought about the future,” she admitted, tilting her head up to look at him.
“Then you must start. Our future is in our own hands. I can see our partnership growing to such an extent that we exclude all others from our lives together.”
What a declaration that was. It wouldn’t bother her in the slightest if she cut herself off from those surrounding her. She craved excitement and could tell that she was about to get it by the bucketload with her adorable new man. She felt herself falling deeper into the love zone, where she’d never contemplated visiting before. “Sounds idyllic, just you and me enjoying each other’s company, without intrusion. I’m so lucky to have found you, Morris.”
“I’m the lucky one, darling.” He pulled her close and kissed her until she almost stopped breathing. Then he made love to her with an urgency that left them both gasping for breath. She cuddled up to him, satisfied and elated to have found such a kind and considerate man who loved her for her. They drifted off to sleep, their arms wrapped around each other.
Bella woke a few hours later to find herself alone. She sat up and surveyed the room. He was nowhere to be seen. She listened for signs of him using the bathroom, but again, nothing. His dressing gown hung on the back of the bedroom door, so she slipped it on and went out into the living room. He was standing naked at the window, with the French door open wide and the cool breeze lifting his hair. She crept up behind him and put her arms around his chest.
Startled, he almost shot over the balcony. Turning sharply, he slapped her hard around the face, not once, but twice. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she touched her stinging cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You stupid, bitch. Don’t ever creep up on me like that again. I hate surprises. You hear me?” He sneered, digging his fingers into the tops of her arms.
She winced and looked down at his fingers. What the hell has happened to him? What have I done to upset him so much? “Yes, I’m sorry.”
His face moved closer to hers, and his lip curled up. “And for Christ’s sake, stop fucking saying you’re sorry.”
“I’m so…” she began before realising her mistake. His fingers dug harder into her flesh, and she cried out. “You’re hurting me.”
As if a light switch had been turned on, he released his grip and gathered her in his arms, running a soothing hand over her head and down her back. “It’s me who should be apologising. You scared me. I think I must have been sleepwalking. I do that occasionally.”
With the back of her hand, she wiped the tears that had settled on her cheeks. “It’s okay. It was my fault. I woke up and was scared when I didn’t see you lying beside me.”
“Forget all about this. Let’s go back to bed, and I’ll make it up to you.”
She smiled broadly as he took her hand and walked her back into the bedroom. It wasn’t long before his sensitive touch returned and wiped away the memory of his angry outburst. She felt safe again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lorne spent the morning twiddling her fingers, waiting for Katy to call about the laptop. Forensics had promised to squeeze it in as a favour to Katy. The case couldn’t progress until they found out what was in Karen’s files. She started pacing the kitchen.
“Can’t you do something useful? Like make lunch or something?” Tony teased, whipping her on the backside with a tea towel.
“I suppose that would be a smart idea. What do you fancy? Cheese on toast?”
“Sounds great. With added onion and Worcester sauce?”
“Of course. Go and see if Charlie is ready to eat, will you?”
“I guess I don’t have to ask where she is. If I thought that agility course would keep her out of our hair for this long, I would have constructed it months ago.”
Lorne laughed. “You don’t mean that. I hope it’s not going to prove to be much of a distraction for her. I’d hate her neglecting her duties to the other dogs.”
“She’s taken more than a shine to Rusty. That’s for sure. Maybe we should consider her keeping him.”
Lorne bent down and stroked Henry. “What do you think about that, boy?”
He yawned and flopped back on the tiled floor, expecting a tummy rub.
“That dog is so laid-back, he’s telling you he wouldn’t mind.” Tony walked past her and out the back door.
“We’ll let her wait a little longer before we break the good news, eh?” She leaned forward and cuddled her furry best friend. “No dog could replace you, hon.” He licked the side of her face and looked over at his bowl.
Lorne stood up, her knees cracking in the process, and laughed. “Are you hungry, too, mate?”
Henry licked his lips and sat up. Before she had a chance to put his meat and biscuits in his bowl, the phone rang.
Lorne answered the phone in the lounge. “Hello.”
“Are you sitting down?”
“I am now. What’s wrong, Katy?”
“First of all, I have good news. Forensics have managed to get into the laptop.”
“That’s brilliant. I sense some bad news coming my way. What is it?”
Katy exhaled a heavy sigh. “Karen’s body was fished out of the river earlier today.”
Unexpected tears misted her eyes, and Lorne was rendered speechless for a few seconds. “My God!”
“Yeah. Which means that this will now be treated as a murder enquiry. We’ll have to hang on to the laptop, I’m afraid.”
“Christ, of course. Any clues as to how long
she was in the water? Was she killed before, and her body dumped? Or did she lose her footing and fall in?”
“We’re not sure on anything right now, Lorne. I’ll keep you informed as and when I get any news.”
“Has her sister, Stacy, been told yet?”
“Yes, someone told her within half an hour of the body being found. We identified her by using the photo you showed me over the weekend.”
“I’m glad I could be of help in one way, at least. Anything else I should know? Like where was the body found?”
“Lorne, you can’t proceed with this case.”
She puffed out her chest and straightened her back. “I know I can’t officially, Katy. Just humour me, will you? Where was she found?”
Katy lowered her voice to tell her the exact location and then said, “I’m just informing you, Lorne, that from your point of view, the case is closed.” Katy spoke to someone else, “Yes, sir, right away.” Then she returned her attention to Lorne. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll ring you later when I have a spare minute.”
“Okay. I appreciate the call.”
Lorne hung up and sat there with the phone in her hand for another five minutes, contemplating if she could have prevented Karen’s death. She heard footsteps coming up the hallway and looked up to see Tony standing in the doorway.
She held up the phone and then replaced it in its docking station. “Karen’s dead.”
“No! How?”
“They’re not sure yet. Katy’s going to call me later. Her body was found in the river.”
Tony threw himself down on the sofa next to her and flung an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t even go there, hon.”
“If only we had been able to get into that damn computer. There’s no chance of that happening now.”
“You can’t blame yourself. I won’t let you. Do they know how long she’s been dead?”
“Not yet, not until the post has been carried out. It doesn’t stop me from wondering, though.”
“I know. It’s human nature. I doubt if you could have made a difference on this one, sweetheart. Maybe she was already dead before Stacy even got in touch with us.”
“And maybe she wasn’t,” Lorne replied sadly. She leaned against his chest, and he kissed her forehead. “Katy had Roberts hanging around, so she couldn’t speak for long. She said she’ll ring back later—” The phone rang, and she grabbed it. “Hello.”
“It’s me. Just a quick call. It looks like Karen was into Internet dating. Gotta fly.”
Lorne stared at the phone in bemusement.
“Who was that?” Tony asked, frowning.
“Katy. She must be on her way to a meeting.”
“Well, what did she say?”
Lorne shook her head. “She said that Karen was into Internet dating. Forensics must have picked it up. I think I’ll take a ride out to see Stacy, you know, to offer my condolences. She is still our client.”
“Hmm…I know that look.” He wagged his finger at her. “Now don’t go sticking your nose into where it’s not wanted. It’s now a murder enquiry, remember?”
Lorne placed a hand on her chest. “Who? Me? Now would I?”
Tony stood up. Lorne followed him to the kitchen. “Can we at least have lunch before we venture out across the streets of London?”
“Yep. We’ll have lunch, then I’ll ring Stacy to see if it’s convenient to drop by.”
• • •
Two hours later, they were in the midst of a traffic jam. “I knew we should’ve waited until this evening.”
“Stop moaning and take a chill pill.” Lorne giggled when she voiced Charlie’s current favourite saying. “We’re only ten minutes away.”
“Ten minutes! More like an hour if this queue is anything to go by.”
The journey ended up taking them another thirty minutes. “Park here.” Lorne pointed at a gap between parked cars. It would be a tight squeeze, but she had faith in her husband’s driving abilities. Tony parked the car, and they walked across the road to Stacy’s house. She was looking out the window, waiting for them. Stacy waved and opened the front door. Her eyes were puffy and red.
Lorne placed a hand on Stacy’s forearm. “I’m so sorry.”
Stacy led them through to the lounge and then collapsed on the sofa. She covered her face with her hands as the tears started to flow. Lorne sat down beside her, uncertain whether to put a comforting arm around her shoulder. She barely knew the woman, but her heart ached for her losing her sister in such dreadful circumstances.
“I’ll put the kettle on.” Tony said, his awkwardness showing in his voice.
“I’m sorry. I keep telling myself that crying won’t bring her back, but…”
“It’ll help ease the pain. I’ve recently lost my father, and it’s hard to keep the emotions buried. I’m not sure you should, really.”
Stacy reached for a couple of tissues on the side table next to her, then delicately blew her nose on one and wiped her eyes with the other.
Lorne patted the back of Stacy’s hand. “Do you feel up to talking?”
“Yes, I’ll see how I go. Have you heard how it happened?”
“Not yet. Look, I wanted to ask if you knew that Karen was using the Internet for dating.”
Stacy turned her head sharply to look at her. “What? Karen would never do that.”
Lorne nodded reluctantly. “That’s what forensics found when they carried out a preliminary check on her computer.”
“But she wouldn’t do it. We discussed this awhile back, and the idea of it repulsed her.”
“Well, it’s hard to disagree with the facts.”
Stacy’s eyes creased up at the side as she thought something over. Then she clicked her finger and thumb together. “Wait a minute. Last year, she had this crazy idea about writing a book. Is it possible that she was carrying out some form of research?”
Tony entered the room, carrying a tray with three mugs on it. He set the tray down and sat on the chair opposite the women. “What was that?” he asked, handing Lorne a mug of coffee.
“Stacy thinks that maybe Karen was doing some kind of research for a book.”
“Interesting. We need to see if Karen had actually started a manuscript then.”
Lorne nodded. “Excellent idea. We might get some clues from that. If one exists, of course.”
Stacy sighed. “I’m not sure she got around to starting anything. As far as I was concerned, it was all pie in the sky, just some idea she had.”
“So you really can’t tell us any more than you have done? For instance, which dating agency she might have registered with?”
“No, nothing. It was all a big secret. What a mistake that was. Do you think she met someone, and he turned nasty when she started bombarding him with questions?”
Lorne shrugged. “It’s a possibility. Who knows? Do you think she would have used a local dating agency?”
“I have no idea. I presume the likelihood of that happening would be yes.”
“What do you think, Tony?” Lorne asked her husband, who appeared to be deep in thought.
“I would hazard a guess of that being correct, considering where she was found.”
“Then that’s where we’ll start. When we get back, we’ll track down all the dating agencies in the London area and go from there. Do you think Karen’s friends are more likely to know what she was up to and maybe what progress she’d made on her book?”
“I wouldn’t have thought so. Karen didn’t really have any friends outside work. We spent most of our spare time with each other.”
“What about your parents? Are they still alive?”
Stacy smiled sadly. “We lost Mum in a skiing accident a few years back, and Dad has Alzheimer’s and is in a care home. I see him regularly, a couple of times a month. We both used to visit him. Shit! How am I going to tell Dad…?” Stacy began crying again, and Lorne tried to comfort her.
“I’m sorry, Stacy. That’s go
ing to be an awful job for you to tackle on your own.”
“I’m not sure Dad will understand at all. He’s deteriorated considerably over the last year.”
“Maybe one of the nurses or the people who run the home will help you break the news to him.”
Sniffling, Stacy replied, “I can only ask. Any idea how long it will be before I can bury Karen?”
“I don’t, I’m afraid. It depends what the post mortem shows up. These things can take a week or two to sort out. I’ll get Katy Foster, an old partner of mine in the force, to give you a ring. I think she, or at least her team, will be taking up the case. She’ll be able to give you more of an idea than I can.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate that.” Tears started falling onto her cheeks again. “The thought of her being cut open abhors me. I know they have a job to do to try and find clues as to what happened to Karen, but…”
“I know it sounds distasteful, but without carrying out post mortems, seventy per cent of the murders in this country wouldn’t be solved.”
“I understand, sort of.”
They finished their drinks in a subdued silence, and then Lorne and Tony stood up to leave. “We’ll go back and do some digging.”
“So you’re still working on the case? Won’t the police take over now?”
“I want to do it. I never like to leave a case unsolved.”
Stacy showed them to the door.
“I’ll be with you in a minute,” Lorne told Tony with a raised eyebrow, expecting him to understand that she wanted a private word with Stacy before she left.
Tony took the hint and headed back to the car.
“I wanted to reassure you that I won’t be expecting any form of payment from you, Stacy. As far as I’m concerned, the case is still open, and I intend to keep on it until your sister’s case has been closed.” She wanted to add, Until your sister’s murderer has been put in prison. But Lorne had to check herself because she didn’t know how much Stacy had been told about Karen’s death.
Stacy gasped. “I can’t expect you to do that, Lorne.”
“Nonsense. It’s the way I work. Never like to leave a case unsolved.”