by S. E. Duncan
“You need to open the cupboards and look around, Ella. Mom and Dad hooked us up. She probably didn’t want you at a laundry mat in the middle of the night, and she was probably worried about me wearing clean underwear. The closet next to the fridge has a stacked washer and dryer.”
“I don’t know what you see in him,” Ella said to Sarah. “I’ll see you two later.”
Ella grabbed her pocket book and keys and called Burke on her way down the stairs. “Hey,” she said when he answered, “do you want to meet me somewhere for dinner?”
“Absolutely! Where do you want to go?”
“How does Angelo’s Pizza sound?”
“That sounds great. See you in ten minutes?”
“Fabulous!” Ella executed a perfect pirouette before getting into her car.
~~
After Ella and Burke had placed their order he asked her how everything had gone with the new apartment.
“It’s actually really nice,” she told him. “Aunt Rachel and Uncle Ben went above and beyond the call of duty. I got another little surprise today. My cousin Jeremy is dating my best friend Sarah.”
“Really?” Burke raised his eyebrows. “How did that come about?”
Ella recapped the conversation she and Sarah had in the dorm room before moving her things to the apartment.
“So how about you and I,” Burke pushed. “You told Sarah about us, but when are you going to tell Jeremy? Even though you’ve moved into an apartment, I need you to be accessible. I’d still feel a lot more comfortable if you were staying with me.”
“Sarah is probably spilling her guts right now. If not, I’ll tell him tomorrow. Besides, we’ll be together so much you’ll be sick of me.”
“Never,” Burke said and squeezed her hand. “I want you to come to work with me tomorrow. How about I pick you up at eight o’clock?”
“That sounds great. I’ll text you the address, okay?”
After they finished eating and talking for a little while, Ella went back to the apartment, and Burke headed home.
He had a feeling sleep would come a lot easier for him tonight if she was lying next to him.
Chapter 8: Just Another Day At Work
Ella awoke with a start to the sound of her cell phone ringing. She fumbled around on her nightstand and then grunted “Uh” into the phone when she finally found it. Opening one eye, she looked at the clock and saw that it said 3:42 AM.
“Hi,” Burke said, “are you awake?”
“It is so nowhere near eight o’clock, or even seven-thirty, which is when I would have started scrambling around in anticipation of you being here at eight o’clock.”
“Well, I have to go out into the field to examine a body. I just got the call, and I told them I was bringing the new intern with me. That would be you. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Suddenly Ella was fully awake. “Fifteen minutes?! Great, what does one wear to go see a body?”
“Just throw on some jeans and a t-shirt. Oh, wear comfortable closed toe shoes. It’s in the woods.”
“Got it, I’ll meet you at the door. Don’t ring the bell; Jeremy is sleeping.”
Ella got off the phone. She ran into the bathroom, washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on mascara and lip gloss, and then threw her hair up into a messy bun. Back in her bedroom she pulled on a pair of jeans and a vintage Ramones t-shirt. She stepped into a pair of comfy plaid sneakers and went to the front door to wait for Burke.
As soon as she saw him pull up she went outside and locked the door behind her. She jogged down the stairs, got into his truck and buckled her seatbelt. “Let’s go,” she said.
“Cool t-shirt. I actually got to see them in concert you know. They played Lollapalooza in 1996,” Burke said as he handed her a cup of coffee.
“I’m so jealous! I love them.” Ella took a sip of her coffee. “Okay, before we get wherever it is we’re going, fill me in. I want to know what to expect and what I’m supposed to do.”
“Some campers found a body in the woods and called the department. The crime scene has been taped off. They call either Carl or me in before anyone touches anything so we can do a cursory exam of the body. Tonight I was on call. At this point there’s no telling what the deal is. I get the call and I meet someone out there. I’m hoping there’s only one cop right now, and you can keep him busy while I do my thing.” Burke waved his fingers at her. “It only takes a couple of minutes. I’m probably dreaming, there are usually several cops; but with it being so early in the morning if we’re lucky we’ll catch it just right. There’s a good chance the other officers will have taken the campers to the precinct to get statements and call their parents. I understand they were minors. I’d just like to know as soon as possible if it was another Demon attack.”
“How do you want me to keep him busy?’
“Flirt, ask questions, do the girl thing.”
“How very sexist of you. If he asks me out it’ll serve you right!”
Burke just winked at her as he pulled onto a dirt road. Actually, the term dirt road was very generous. It was more like parallel tracts overgrown with weeds and brush in the middle. A little ways in they saw the flashing lights of a patrol car. Burke and Ella got out and walked over to the lone uniformed officer.
“Hi Mark,” Burke said. “This is Ella, the intern who’s working with Carl and me. Homicide here yet?”
“Not yet. I called Detective Brady just before I called you, but he hasn’t arrived yet.”
“I’m just going to have a peek; I’ll leave Ella here with you for now.”
“All right, everything’s exactly as it was when we got the call. All I did was tape it off. I was waiting for you and Detective Brady.”
“Thanks,” Burke said and walked over to the body.
Burke hurried and knelt next to a young lady who appeared to be in her late teens. She was lying face down with her head turned oddly sideways; her neck was probably broken. She was filthy and badly bruised. Burke laid one of his hands lightly over her temple and the other over the parietal and frontal area of her head. He closed his eyes and waited.
~~
Suddenly he was running through the woods, absolutely terrified. He slipped and fell, then staggered back up. Branches were scratching his face and legs, and he couldn’t see where he was going. He knew someone was chasing him, and they were getting closer. Suddenly everything was silent. Burke turned in a circle not sure the best direction to run, but knowing the silence was bad and stopping was even worse. Burke screamed when the man stepped out of the trees.
“Why you runnink, doll? I said I wuddin gonna hurt ya,” he slurred.
Burke got a good look at the guy. He was in his late teens - maybe twenty at the most - about six feet tall, light brown hair, green eyes, and obviously drunk. He lunged forward and grabbed Burke by the hair, pushing him to the ground.
“Please Danny, you’re drunk and this has gone too far! Just stop now and take me home. I won’t tell anyone.”
Danny smacked the girl hard across her face. “Shut up!” He yelled. He tore the girl’s panties and proceeded to rape her. She was screaming and crying, and in his attempt to quiet her he broke her neck.
Burke let go of the girl’s head and took a deep breath. It hadn’t been the Demon, but something pretty close in his opinion.
~~
Burke looked up just as Brady was walking toward him. “Hello Burke, hell ova good morning, this kind of call. So, what do we have?”
“I’m pretty sure broken neck is what did it. I’m also going to need a rape kit by the looks of things. We need to bag her hands, of course. Maybe she clawed the bastard. She looks young, probably a minor. She’s pretty beaten up.” Burke gestured towards the bruises running up and down her arms.
Brady circled the body then knelt down for a closer look. “The kids who found her are locals. I’m going to go chat with them. Mark said he and Steve thought they seemed nervous in more than a ‘we just found a body’ way
. Maybe they knew her. I’ll leave Mark here with you while you do your thing. Watch him with your hot intern. I can smell the pheromones from here.” He smirked at Burke then stood up and walked away.
Burke jumped to his feet and looked over toward where Ella and Mark were standing. That dumbass was actually flexing his bicep for her. “Ella,” he said, “come on over and I’ll let you give me a hand.”
Ella excused herself from Mark and went over to where Burke stood by the body. “Watch your step,” he warned as he handed her a pair of gloves. “Help me bag her hands, and then we’ll get her ready for the guys to take to the M.E. office. Good job over there by the way.” He grinned and motioned with his head towards Mark.
“Jealous?” she teased.
“Of Mark? Not a chance. Anyway, I got what I needed and it wasn’t the third. I’ll tell you more about it when we’re done here.”
When Burke and Ella were finished, they watched as the body was loaded into the back of the van to be delivered to Burke’s office. He’d be busy with the autopsy for the rest of the day. Ella looked at her watch. It was almost seven o’clock. “Do you want me to go into the office with you today?” she asked as they got into Burke’s car.
“No, it’s okay. I prefer you to go out to my house and train some more. Work with the knives; you’re better at throwing them than you think you are. You just need a little more practice. It’s really important for you to be proficient with them. I’ll drop you off there if you like, and we can have breakfast before I go into the office.”
“I’d really like to run home and take a quick shower. I feel a little grubby. I didn’t think seeing something like that would bother me, but it kind of did.”
“It always bothers you. It should bother you. That doesn’t make you weak, Ella; it makes you compassionate. She was a living, breathing, young girl, and she was brutally murdered. All we can do is try to catch the bastard who did it to her. I’ll take you to your apartment and then we’ll go to my place, okay?” Burke reached over and squeezed Ella’s hand.
“You said it wasn’t the Demon, but do you know what happened?”
“It was someone she knew - her boyfriend probably. He was extremely drunk. He was chasing her, then knocked her down, raped her, and broke her neck.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Yes it is. There’s something else I want to talk to you about,” Burke said as he pulled in front of her apartment.
“Jeremy’s not here,” she commented, noticing that his truck was gone. “Come on up, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Remember I told you about the second victim the Demon killed while you were sick?”
“Yes,” Ella answered.
“Well, he was killed over there,” Burke pointed behind them, “on the running and biking paths in the city park.” He took the key from Ella and opened the door for her. “I really don’t feel comfortable with you living here.”
“Burke, the first victim was killed on campus when I lived there. It’s a coincidence; I didn’t live here at the time the second victim was killed. This is a great neighborhood, and you can’t watch me 24/7. Besides, am I not supposed to be the one who kills the Demon? I can’t be scared all the time, and you’re not helping my confidence any. Plus it gives me a little peace of mind that if Jeremy has to be here, I know where he is - most of the time anyway.”
Ella was in her bathroom with the door cracked open so she could talk to Burke. She started the water, took a quick shower, and came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Burke sat on the bed staring at her.
“Maybe there’s another way,” he said. “Maybe I should send you someplace safe and try to take care of this myself.”
“What? Why would you even say that?”
“Because I can’t lose you, Ella!” Burke was off the bed and across the room in an instant. He had Ella against the wall and his face buried in her hair. “I just can’t lose you. I’ve lost so much and I need to keep you safe.”
Ella could hear the anguish in Burke’s voice. “Burke, you said yourself we’re in this together. What’s gotten into you?”
Burke pulled away so he could see her face. He clenched his teeth and shook her once by the shoulders. “Hearing that young girl screaming has gotten into me! Thinking of all the terror and torment of every victim I’ve ever touched has gotten into me! Being in love with you has gotten into me!”
Burke ripped Ella’s towel away and kissed her roughly. He reached down, unbuttoned his jeans and kicked out of them and his boxers. He pulled her legs up around him and entered her hard, pushing her against the wall. Burke thrust into her again and again. He kept his face buried in her neck. He could feel angry tears behind his eyes, and that pissed him off even more. He knew he should stop, but he couldn’t. She was his and he would take her. Ella buried her fingers in his hair and held him close. She knew he needed this, and she gave herself to him completely. Burke came violently and just stood there leaning into her, not ready to separate, wanting to remain one with her as long as possible. Then he felt her gently kiss the top of his head.
“Fuck, Ella, I’m so sorry,” he murmured and carried her back into the bathroom. He turned the shower back on. The water was still hot. He stood her in the shower, pulled off his shirt, and got in with her. He held her close as the water ran over both their bodies. Maybe it would wash away his pain.
“Did I hurt you?” he finally asked her.
She took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes “No,” she whispered, then kissed him long and gently. She reached down between his legs and rubbed her hand against him. She wanted him to know he hadn’t hurt her, and she wasn’t upset or angry. Burke began to get hard again. Ella stood with one foot on either side of the bathtub and pulled him towards her. She slid down onto him and he reached around her, bracing one hand against the shower wall and the other across her back. He moved slowly, taking his time with her. His thrusts were more gentle as he kissed her neck and face. He took her breast into his mouth and teased her as she curled her arms around him. Letting her head fall back, Ella moaned with pleasure and as her excitement mounted, she moved faster against him. Burke watched her with satisfaction as she squeezed her legs tighter around him and bit her lip. He trust deeper into her and came with her as she cried his name. He slowly lowered her until her feet were on the floor of the shower. Once he was sure she was steadily balanced, he took the soap and gently washed her body, then his own. Pulling down the showerhead, he rinsed them both before shutting off the water. After wrapping a towel around Ella he got one for himself.
“I really am sorry,” he said again.
“Stop saying that. You didn’t hurt me, and what are you sorry for anyway? Are you sorry for telling me you love me and that you worry about me?”
“You know that’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then just stop saying you’re sorry. And I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to get through this somehow. We’re going to get through this together.”
There was a sudden knock at the bedroom door. “Is everything okay in there?”
Ella and Burke looked at each other. “Just a minute,” Ella called. It’s Jeremy, she mouthed to Burke.
Fucking fabulous, he thought.
Ella and Burke quickly dried off and got dressed. They exited the bedroom and there stood Jeremy in the middle of the living room with his arms crossed.
“Jeremy, this is Burke. Burke, I’d like you to meet my cousin, Jeremy.” Ella said.
Burke stepped forward and extended his hand towards Jeremy.
“Jeremy…” Ella warned.
Jeremy took Burke’s hand and squeezed it hard as he shook it.
“Nice to meet you,” Burke said.
“Who are you and what’s going on here?” Jeremy barked.
“Jeremy!” Ella scolded. “Cut the crap. This is Burke Gellar, and you might as well know we’re seeing each other. He’ll be coming around here a lot, so stop being an ass.”
“He was sorry he accidentally hit me in the chin trying to undo my front hook bra,” Ella said sarcastically.
“Oh,” Jeremy said looking back and forth from Ella to Burke. “Rock on dude, I hate those damn things. Want a donut?” Jeremy pointed to the box on the kitchen bar.
“No thanks,” Burke replied.
“We just did a field exam of a body and ran back here to take a shower. Burke has an autopsy to do and I’m supposed to observe.” Ella said as she slipped into her shoes. They made a quick getaway while Jeremy was still processing the idea of watching an autopsy.
~~
Burke and Ella drove to his house. “I’m starving,” Burke said. “Let’s have some breakfast.”
They went into the kitchen. “Sit down,” Ella told him. “I’ll make breakfast.” She got some eggs and shredded cheese out of the refrigerator and put some bread into the toaster. She poured them each a glass of orange juice and brought Burke’s over to him at the table. She kissed his cheek.
“You never really gave me the chance to tell you that I love you too. So I’m saying it now Burke Gellar - I love you.” Ella felt a mild shock of electricity move through her body.
“What in the world was that?” she exclaimed.
Maybe you should sit down, Burke said. Only, he hadn’t said anything. She had heard him, but he hadn’t said anything.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she slowly lowered herself into the kitchen chair next to Burke.
“Ella, there are still so many things about our people, our culture, and our world in general that I haven’t had a chance to explain to you. It was probably only the second day that you were here that I began to have feelings for you. I started to feel very protective of you. I felt like I would do anything to keep you safe and you were rapidly becoming the most important thing in my life. I had never felt such a great need to care for and protect anyone or anything. Our people don’t fall in and out of love like the people of Earth. I really don’t even like to use the word love. It’s almost a joke on this planet; people say they love ice cream, then use the same word to express their feelings for each other. On Quintar we call the person we love Hutsool. It literally means ‘heart and soul’. We believe that we each have a soul mate - someone to complete us and make us a better person than we were without them. When two soul mates find each other and express their love, they become bonded. It means that you will never be alone.” Burke slid off his chair and knelt on the floor in front of Ella. He took one of her hands and placed it over his heart, then covered her heart with his hand. “We expressed our love for each other. We’re bonded now.” We can talk to each other telepathically. Not to anyone else, just to each other. Burke added silently. “We can’t read each other’s minds, just talk to each other. And we have to be close, just like when I’m talking to you out loud you have to be close. I can’t talk to you if you’re at the apartment and I’m here, for example.”