Sinner Repent

by Morgan Kelley

  “Come in,” he called, as he glanced up from the file he was studying.

  Yeah, this day was just getting worse.

  The one person, who he absolutely didn't want to see today, was Reverend Higgins. To make it worse, he brought his backup, too. One of his congregation members was standing in the doorway, blocking his escape. If the day wasn’t so shitty, Quinn might have been entertained by getting a visit from the ‘Baptist Mafia’.

  The man had horrible timing.

  “Sheriff, do you have a minute for a concerned citizen?”

  Quinn muttered under his breath, but motioned for them to enter and have a seat. He was already aware that it wasn’t going to be just a social call when the Reverend dropped his Bible on his desk. It wasn’t shocking. If you were going to be one of the religious hit men, then you definitely would be packing biblical heat.

  “What can I do for you both?”

  “Well, Sheriff, we have some information about the slayings of those two Christian girls, and thought you might be interested.”

  Quinn sat up straight, giving them his attention. Of course, he was interested in details that would put this case behind them. “What do you have?”

  “It was a full moon the other night. It’s common knowledge that the local witch is out casting her spells against the townsfolk. She could have needed the girls for an offering to her Lord.”

  Shit!

  This was exactly what he was expecting. In fact, it was the same old bullshit that the reverend always threw around.

  “Are you referring to Susie Barnes?” he asked, sitting back in his chair. So much for helpful leads, he certainly wasn’t falling for this one ever again.

  “She’s a devil worshipper, and we have two dead girls.”

  “Reverend, just because she isn’t Christian, doesn’t mean that she’s a killer.” Both men looked horrified at his words.

  He had to be kidding.

  “She’s a blasphemer and is doing her black magic in our Christian town. You need to go out there and check on the things she does. I’ve seen her parading around her property. Did you know she walks around that circle of hers naked in the moonlight?”

  Quinn could have asked why he was staring at a naked woman when he was married, but why go there.

  “Well, hell, Reverend! It’s her property, and she lives far enough back that she can dance on it naked if she wants. I sometimes take a leak off my back porch, but that doesn’t make me a serial killer.”

  “You’re going to ignore me, aren’t you, Sheriff?”

  Quinn had no choice. “Yeah, I do believe I am.”

  The reverend sputtered at his blatant disrespect. “If you were a member of The Church of the Shepard, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

  “Now, Reverend Higgins, are you telling me that being Catholic isn’t Christian enough for you?” He enjoyed how the Reverend gasped, before he and his deacon grabbed the Bible and made their escape.

  “Come on, Reverend! We should leave this non-believer. Why we ever thought that he would care is beyond me,” said Deacon Jones, as he ushered the reverend from his office.

  When the door closed, Quinn had to laugh. Not only did he have a serial killer, but now he had the Baptists in an uproar over a Wiccan businesswoman.

  Great.

  It was official. Today sucked.

  He refocused on his work, only to see that his smart phone was blinking. Quinn opened his mail and was surprised to see a message from Callie. His heart started to pound.

  Quinton,

  Thanks for lunch. It was my favorite. Stop trying to bribe my secretary.

  Callie

  Quinn experienced a wave of hope. If Callie was really angry, she wouldn’t have sent him an email. He smiled, knowing that he needed to try a little harder. Finally, he decided to kill two birds with one stone.

  Quinn made the call.

  “Hello.”

  “Susie, it’s Quinn. I have some questions to ask you.”

  There was a pause. “Okay, what’s wrong?

  “I just got a visit from Reverend Higgins again, and this time he swears that you’re our killer. You’re not sacrificing women to the devil, are you?”

  Susie laughed at his question. “Damn! You caught me, Sheriff. I tried to sacrifice men, but they were just too strong for me to overpower and drag to my lair.”

  “Well, if it’s possible, can you stop it please? Your wicked worshipping might get me fired,” he added, laughing.

  “Sure thing, Sheriff. I’ll get right on that. What else can I do for you?”

  “I need to impress a certain woman who is pissed off at me. The flowers were nice, but I really need to pull out all the stops this time. What do you recommend?” he asked, hoping Susie could bail his ass out one more time.

  “Well, there are some lovely rose bushes that just came in. I know the last time Callie was here, her heart was set on some deep dark red ones for along her fence. I just may happen to have two of them. Oh look! I haven’t unpacked yet,” she hinted.

  “Good, I’ll take them. Can you charge my card and have them delivered?”

  “I sure can. Do you want a message, Sheriff?”

  Quinn thought a minute. “Yeah, this is what I want the first one to say.” He told her what to write. “On the second one, please put down that I’m an idiot.”

  Susie laughed. “I’ll send them over in twenty minutes.”

  “Thanks Susie, and please, no more dancing naked outside either. You know that’s pushing the law, even on private property.”

  Susie snorted. “Oh, okay. I’ll make note of that. No more worshipping freely in America on private property.”

  Quinn hung up the phone, knowing that request had a snowball’s chance in hell. At least his mood was a little brighter. Going back to work, he hoped time would move quicker, and the day wouldn’t continue its downhill slide. He really wanted to see Callie again, and soon.

  Hopefully the roses worked.

  If not, Quinton Gaines was out of options.

  * * *

  Wednesday Afternoon

  Callie finished with her last patient and rubbed her throbbing temples. She longed to go home, get changed, and pop a couple of aspirin. As she moved to her laptop, so she could shut down for the night, she saw that there was an email waiting for her. Opening it, the laughter bubbled up and made her smile.

  Callie,

  What will it take to get you to forgive me?

  Quinton

  Okay, Callie was mildly entertained, yet part of her didn’t want to forgive him. She really wanted to be pissed at Quinn and his antics. He was bossy, arrogant, and needed to realize that she wasn’t his personal property.

  Well, maybe she could forgive the last one. Callie wouldn’t mind belonging to the sexy sheriff. A girl would be crazy to put up a fight on that one.

  Grabbing her keys, Callie entered her waiting room only to find Marti was waiting with two pots of the largest, most beautiful rose bushes she had ever seen.

  “Damn it,” she muttered, knowing who was responsible. The man had a way of getting it right. It was like the universe was conspiring against her.

  “Want the cards, or do you want to run off and marry that sexy man right now? I vote for option two because I’m ready to knock you over to get to him myself.”

  Callie sighed, taking the two white cards from her secretary. Opening the first one, she read it.

  Callie,

  I’ll trade you dinner for a rose bush. I’ll even beg if that’s what it’ll take.

  Quinton

  Then, she opened the second card.

  Callie,

  I’m an idiot. Will you please forgive me?

  Quinton

  Callie knew the sheriff had once again managed to charm her into forgiving him for being a Neanderthal.

  She smiled at Marti, as she picked up the first pot. “Can you help me get these to my car?”

  “Sure thing, Doc,” she replied, lugging
the roses outside. From the look on her boss’s face, it was evident.

  Love was in the air.

  Oh, this was going to be fun to watch unfold.

  * * *

  Quinn checked his email every five minutes until he realized that it was finally time to escape. Shutting down his computer, he grabbed his hat on his way out the door. His plan was to swing home, get Zeke, and head to Callie’s. Hopefully, she wouldn’t put up too much of a fight when she was tossed over his shoulder and dragged back to his place.

  Yeah, that just screamed ‘bad idea’.

  Yet, he was willing to do it. He only hoped he could afford the flowers it was going to take to forgive him for this one.

  He suspected it was going to be brutal.

  * * *

  ‘The Brethren’ sat in the shadows outside ‘Ollie’s Wilde Hare’, watching the woman who was destined to be their gluttony.

  Every evening was the same. She would head into the bar for an evening of booze filled debauchery.

  Her fate was sealed.

  On her way home, they would take her and cleanse the town’s sins. This was a long time coming, and before the night was over, they would have claimed their third of the seven.

  It was all working out perfectly.

  “You chose well,” said the leader.

  “I’ve learned from the best,” was the reply.

  Crouching down, there was that moment of pure revelry, before they made the next sinner repent.

  * * *

  Wednesday Evening

  Callie moved around her house, cleaning up any remnants of smashed glass and splintered door. Both had been repaired, and Callie was more secure knowing that Quinn would be stopping by her house for dinner.

  Well, she assumed he would be. Since he had swapped the roses for a meal, it was almost a done deal, and that was a very good thing. In all honesty, she hated being there alone.

  It wasn’t the same without him lumbering around her personal space. She had come to enjoy it.

  Heading to the kitchen, Callie put on an apron and slowly stirred the pot of sauce that she had quickly defrosted from her well-stocked freezer. As the meatballs began floating in the burgundy-laced deliciousness, she knew that dinner would be ready soon. All that was holding it up was his arrival.

  When she heard Quinn’s truck pulling up, she removed the apron and straightened her sundress. At the door, she patiently waited for him to knock.

  It was time to take Marti’s advice.

  Quinn hopped down from the truck and tossed a few balls into the yard. It occurred to him that Callie might not want his mangy mutt in her house. It was best to give him something to entertain himself with, that didn’t involve her flowerbeds. Zeke didn't seem to mind as he ran around the yard, chasing balls.

  Quinn was edgy. The hours away from the doctor, and the quaint little house, had been tough.

  Walking to Callie’s door, he knocked. When she opened, he was glad that he went home to shower and shave. As always, she looked beyond beautiful. As Callie stood there in her pretty sundress, his heart knocked in his chest.

  Damn it!

  She looked good enough to eat. What he wouldn’t give to have her on the menu for tonight.

  Callie opened the door wide enough for him to walk in. When she glanced out into her front yard, at the monster playing with the balls, it was hard not to smile. The man and his mutt were taking over her life. Yet, she didn't mind.

  “Sorry about Zeke. He wanted to come with me,” he offered cautiously.

  Callie patted his arm reassuringly. “That’s okay, Quinn. I don’t mind him. He sort of grows on you.”

  Quinn checked out her derrière as he followed her in. He was at a loss. Here, she was beautiful, smart, could cook, and would tolerate his dog. Those were all the requirements on his list for the perfect woman. Okay, there were a few more that had to do with sex, but he was still working on checking them off.

  Maybe one day, he’d get lucky.

  Literally.

  Following her into the kitchen, he suspected that he was in some serious trouble. When the woman he lusted after slipped into the pretty, feminine apron, Quinn knew he was a goner.

  “Thank you for the roses. I planted them by your other peace offering,” she stated, pouring two glasses of red wine for them. “I hope that you like Italian,” Callie said, opening the pot. That action alone caused the kitchen to fill with the smell of fragrant sauce.

  “I love it,” he replied, inhaling.

  “I made tons of sauce from my tomatoes and herbs last fall, and froze it, so I wouldn’t have to be making more every time I wanted pasta,” she added, dipping a spoon into the pot, and then blowing on it to cool it down for him.

  He couldn’t believe how comfortable this whole thing felt. For Christ’s sake, she was letting him taste sauce off a wooden spoon.

  This was like a really good dream.

  “Is it okay?” she asked. The look on his face gave her all the reassurance she needed.

  “That’s damn good, Callie,” he answered, moving toward her to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. “I could get used to this,” Quinn admitted.

  Shit! Where had that come from?

  Callista didn't say a word because she couldn’t find a suitable reply that didn't have her shrieking like a teenage girl. “Let me start the pasta,” she offered, dumping it into the boiling water.

  “You know that we have to talk, Callie.”

  “Yeah, I figured this was all the calm before the storm,” she answered, moving to the door to let Zeke in. When she called to him, he bounded across the yard at her voice.

  Quinn was moved by the sight.

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  “We need to discuss the possibility of you coming to my house tonight, so I can keep an eye on you.”

  “Well, I want to talk to you about how you decided that I couldn’t help you anymore.”

  “No, it’s not negotiable.”

  “Well, then,” said Callie, grabbing an oatmeal cookie for Zeke before continuing, “neither is the issue of me going to your place.”

  “Damn it, Callie!” he blurted, only to earn a growl from his dog. “Traitor,” he muttered, as Zeke moved closer to the woman.

  “If you let me help you, I’ll stay at your house. I won’t even put up a fight.”

  “Not happening.”

  “Fine, then I’ll stay here. I have my gun, and I’m a damn good shot.”

  “So I hear,” said Quinn. “Your fiancé told me all about it.”

  She could hear the animosity in his voice when he brought up Luke. “I have excellent eye-hand coordination, so really I’ll be fine here alone. I mean, what’s the worst thing that could happen?” She watched his face and knew that she had won. The mere idea that she could be taken by the murderer had him all worked up.

  “Fine. If you’re going to help me, then there needs to be a few rules.”

  “Okay, big guy, spill them,” she said, picking up her wine. Her grin of victory was being hid behind the rim of her glass. This proved that the bigger the man, the easier they were to crack.

  “I drive you to work and pick you up every night until this is taken care of.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. “But I’m not working the rest of the week. Friday is the Fourth of July, and I got all my appointments in today so I could have tomorrow off.”

  “I see,” he said.

  “I’ll go to work with you tomorrow. I might be able to find something in the files.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  She smiled. “Is there anything else?”

  “You stay out of trouble. I don’t want to see you get hurt. I care about you.”

  She stared at him when he said the words. Instead of commenting on them, she simply agreed with him.

  “Anything else?”

  “I think that’s it,” Quinn said, as he watched her feed his dog a cookie. It was clear that Zeke was madly in love with her. He
was looking at her the same way he did.

  Like she was the sun.

  They were both royally screwed. Life, since they ran head first into Doctor Callista Carter, was never going to be the same again. He only hoped his heart didn't get the shit kicked out of it.

  “Okay, I agree to your conditions.”

  “That’s it? Just like that?”

  “Yes. I just didn’t like the idea of you bossing me around this morning. All you needed to do was be rational and calm.”

  “So, you’ll pack a bag and come to my house?”

  “Uh huh.”

  Quinn felt his chest loosen for the first time since he got the call last night. “That was painless,” he said, suspiciously. “In fact, it was way too easy. What gives?”

  “Well, actually, I had my bag packed before you got here.”

  “Why?”

  Callie laughed. “You would have just carried me off over your shoulder, like a prisoner,” she said, giving Zeke the rest of the cookie.

  “So, you tricked me?”

  “Possibly, but I prefer the phrase outmaneuvered,” she began, but then screeched as he moved, assaulting her mouth with his. Callie could smell the scent of the soap on his skin and her head began to spin wickedly out of control. When he released her, she had to brace herself against the counter so she wouldn’t fall.

  “That’s for tricking me,” he stated, trying to calm down. Kissing her was devastating to his body. He was well aware that his hormones hadn’t been this wild since he was sixteen.

  It felt damn good.

  She quickly changed the subject. “Are you ready for dinner?”

  “Yeah, I’m starving,” he said, except he wasn’t referring to food. As he watched her stir the sauce, realization dawned.