Tarot's Touch

by L. M. Somerton

  Higgs nodded. “You’re right. He’d be out now with time off for good behavior.”

  The CCTV footage didn’t show them anything that they didn’t already know, but now that Alex recognized the man, he could easily see past the beard and mustache in the grainy images.

  “Well, now we know who he is, let’s get an address.”

  “On it, boss.”

  Alex grinned. The satisfaction of finding a new lead had everyone motivated.

  Conor nudged him and drew him away from the others a little. “You know what this means, don’t you?” His face was pale and his voice trembled. “It means that this guy is after you.”

  Alex rested a calming hand on Conor’s shoulder. “Stop worrying. Desmond is all kinds of crazy and that gives us an advantage. He’s clever, but he’s an exhibitionist and that makes him careless.”

  “The hit and run was meant for you.”

  “I don’t think so. The best way for Desmond to get at me is through you. It would have taken him about five minutes to work that out. I’d bet good money that it was him following you the day you bought the tarot cards at Arcania. It’s why you’ve been getting the letters and why the van hit you. I don’t think he meant to kill you either. He was just making the point that he could.”

  Conor sighed. “Some days I hate this job. How many more psychos are there in your past?” He didn’t wait for an answer but headed back to his desk. Alex watched him go, wishing that he could give him a hug.

  Within half an hour, the team had identified an address for Shane Desmond, gathered a team of uniformed officers to assist with the arrest and were on their way in a couple of unmarked cars. Desmond’s home was on a quiet country lane a couple of miles outside the town. The car and van carrying the team stopped down the lane. It was dusk and there was no street lighting so it was getting a bit hard to see. The rambling, run-down house had a garden full of rusting abandoned cars and some old corrugated sheds. The paint on the main building was peeling and guttering hung loose in a couple of spots. The place was a wreck.

  Using hand signals to direct his men, Alex got them to fan out around the property and cover the exits as best they could. A single light glimmered in an upstairs room then abruptly went out. Alex, Conor and Matt froze in their positions near the front of the house. Alex gestured and they crept closer. A loud crash and the sound of breaking glass pulled his attention to the side of the building. A man leaped from a window and ran for the trees. The need for silence gone, Alex barked out, “Get after him!”

  Conor and Matt were first in pursuit, long legs eating up the ground. Alex would have preferred to lock Conor in the car but knew he had to let him go. He turned his attention to the house. A sharp kick was enough to push in the rotten front door. The smell of damp and decay assailed his nostrils as he pushed his way inside with a couple of constables close behind him. Focusing on the needs of the search of the premises let him push Conor to a corner of his mind. Conor was a good detective. He would be fine—nothing else was acceptable.

  * * * *

  The terrain was horrendously difficult to run through. The scraggy woodland was littered with fallen branches. Debris and brambles caught at Conor’s clothes. Matt Naylor ran a few yards to Conor’s left, Higgs was somewhere behind them and two uniformed officers had taken a wider track to try to circle around the fugitive. Conor could see that they were gaining on the stumbling figure in front of them and called out, “Stop! Police!” The command rang out loud and clear but had no effect. Conor swore as a branch raked his face, slowing him down momentarily.

  Desmond tripped, righted himself then ran again, but Conor and Matt reached him before he could get any distance on them. Matt took a flying dive, grabbed the man’s ankles and they both crashed to the ground. Conor scrambled over them, grabbed Desmond’s arms and had him in cuffs with a knee in his back before he could draw enough breath to curse them. He and Matt exchanged a smile between gasps for air.

  “What it is to be young and fit.” Sergeant Higgs wheezed up next to them.

  “Well done, boys. Nice job.”

  Conor hauled the guy to his feet and shoved him back toward the house while Higgs read him his rights.

  “Where’s the boss, Sarge?” Conor asked as they made their way back through the woods.

  “He seemed to think the two of you could cope and took the rest of the team into the house.”

  Conor smiled to himself—it was nice to know that Alex did sometimes remember that he was quite a good policeman.

  He handed Desmond over to two uniformed officers waiting outside the house then made his way through the hall and up the rickety stairs. He found Alex searching a bedroom. A half-packed duffel bag sat on the unmade bed. Cupboard doors and drawers stood open.

  “Looks like we worked it out just in time, sir. Desmond was about to run, wasn’t he?”

  Alex turned. “Fuck, Conor, you’re bleeding.” Alex’s hands were immediately on his face, checking the wound.

  “It’s just a scratch. I got attacked by a tree.”

  Alex visibly relaxed and gave Conor’s hair a quick stroke. “You got him okay?”

  “Sure. Matt Naylor must play rugby. He did an amazing flying tackle.”

  “That lad would make a good addition to the team…”

  “That would be great, I really like him.”

  “And you wouldn’t be the baby anymore.”

  Conor smiled shyly. “Well, there is that.”

  Alex chuckled. “Well, I think we can leave this place to the SOCO. Let’s go and round up the others.”

  They left the room as it was and went downstairs and back out to the garden. Alex picked a couple of men to wait at the house for the crime scene team and the rest of them packed into their vehicles and headed back to the station.

  * * * *

  The little convoy of vehicles pulled up outside the station and everyone piled out. Conor stared at Desmond as he was escorted inside, wondering about his motivation for committing such terrible crimes. The man showed no emotion as Higgs booked him in and took him away to an interrogation room.

  “I’m going to join Higgs and conduct the interrogation,” Alex said. “The rest of you are free to go on home.”

  He left Conor and the rest of the team in the incident room. There was a sense of quiet celebration in the office. It was late but no one wanted to leave. They needed to know that the case was closed, Conor most of all.

  It was close to midnight before Alex returned, looking tense and exhausted.

  “He’s confessed to both murders… You can crack open the orange juice.” Alex’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  Conor cheered with the others but he spotted that all was not well with the man he loved. Alex was far too subdued for someone who had just cracked two major cases. It was time to go home and get the full story. They stayed long enough to share a celebratory drink before slipping quietly away.

  It wasn’t until they were home, showered and tucked up in bed that Conor asked the question. “So, are you going to tell me why he did it?” He snuggled his head into Alex’s shoulder and waited patiently.

  Alex ruffled his hair. “You were right, love. This was about me. I was Desmond’s target and two innocent people died because of it.”

  Conor tensed at his words then hugged him tightly. “Tell me. It will help.”

  Alex sighed. “Desmond was released from prison a year ago. He’d served his sentence and despite concerns about his mental state, they let him go. He came back here specifically to kill me and he took his time planning it. It wasn’t enough to get me—he had to play games along the way.”

  Alex tightened his grip on Conor’s hair a little. “He was at the opening party for Leather and Lace, as you know. While he was there, he got talking to Adrian Hamilton who told him about his investigation into the tarot fraudsters. That gave him the seed of an idea and when the shop went up in flames, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to frame someone. Who it was made no d
ifference to him.”

  Alex shifted his weight and hugged Conor tighter. “He wanted to distract us, but also build a case against someone else. Only Sam Teller and Adrian Hamilton could identify him. After the fire, Sam was the ideal first victim. Desmond knew we would link the arson and murder and then follow that track. He had to get rid of Hamilton because he would have been able to tell us about the questions Desmond had been asking at the opening. It was pure coincidence that Sam Teller turned out to be related to the subject of Hamilton’s exposé. When we arrested the arsonists, Desmond must have known that it was only a matter of time before they convinced us that they weren’t murderers. The third tarot card was a warning—an arrogant fucking declaration of intent. He failed with the hit and run—you were right, he did think that you were me—and I dread to think what might have happened if Matt Naylor hadn’t had his wits about him on his beat last night. Desmond could have got clean away and carried on plotting.” He shuddered. “It was a bit too close for comfort, love. I can’t get the ‘what ifs’ out of my mind.”

  Conor planted a soft kiss on Alex’s shoulder. “Now what? He’ll be put away for life, won’t he?”

  “I imagine his lawyers will plead insanity. He’ll be sent to Broadmoor for psychiatric assessment before any trial.” Alex kissed the top of Conor’s head. “I hate that you got hurt because of me.”

  “I got hurt because a psychotic killer tried to commit murder, Alex. How is that your fault?”

  “But…”

  “But nothing. If our positions were reversed, you’d be mad as hell if I blamed myself.”

  Alex didn’t have an answer for that. “I hate it when you’re right. You’ll get all assertive and bossy now, won’t you?”

  Conor kissed him hard. “Why don’t you try to fuck me and find out?” He squirmed and fought but eventually let Alex pin him to the bed. “Now show me who the boss is. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Alex’s eyes narrowed. “You asked for it, brat. You’re going to remember this for a week!”

  “Mmm. That’s what I was hoping.”

  Epilogue

  Three months later

  On a warm Cornish afternoon, Alex stretched his gloriously naked body and looked down at his fiancé. Conor was in the position Alex loved best, kneeling on the floor with his hands tightly bound behind his back. His rigid cock stuck straight out from his body, held that way by a silver tongue cock ring that had been a pre-wedding gift from Alex. It fitted snugly around his cock and balls but had a contoured tongue that reached back to gently massage his perineum. His legs were spread wide, held that way by the spreader bar manacled to his ankles. His thigh muscles visibly flexed as he fought to keep his balance.

  Alex gripped Conor’s dark hair and began to fuck his mouth, thrusting deep into his throat. He pulled out long enough to allow him to breathe, then did it again. Despite his position, Conor relished the taste of Alex and lapped at him with his tongue, squeezing with his lips as he pulled out.

  He gave Alex a wicked grin as he cursed at the sensation. “I thought you were in control, my love?”

  “Oh, you’ll pay for that.” Alex pulled Conor to his feet and had him bent over the bed in short order.

  “Christ, that ring looks good on you. I want you to wear it this afternoon.”

  Conor whimpered at that thought then yelped as Alex’s slippery cock plunged into his arse with little ceremony. Then all he could think about was his intense desire to come as Alex subjected him to an eye-watering pounding. The tongue of his cock ring was rubbing hard, just touching the edge of his stretched hole. It was absolute torture and he had no shame in begging for release.

  “Please, Alex, get me out of this thing… I have to… Oh, fuck!”

  Alex came inside him with a hot gush and collapsed against his back.

  Teasing words sounded in Conor’s ear. “Are you feeling a little frustrated, sweetheart?”

  Alex helped him stand then sat him on the edge of the bed before kneeling and sucking on his rigid dick.

  “Alex, please! Stop… I need to… Oh Christ, you bastard!”

  Alex kept sucking happily then reached to unlatch the ring. Conor screamed and pumped ropes of creamy cum into his welcoming throat before collapsing back onto the bed. He barely registered Alex unlocking his ankles and turned without protest so that his hands could be released. Alex gathered him into a hug and kissed him gently. “Still want to marry me?”

  “Yes. Then I can kill you and cash in your life insurance, you sod.”

  Alex nibbled an ear lobe then nipped at his lip. “Okay. But only if you kill me with sex.”

  Conor groaned. “Jesus, Alex, what time is it? Oh shit, we’re supposed to be picking up Maggie and Rory in an hour. Get in the shower!”

  Alex gave him a sexy grin. “I love it when you get bossy.”

  “Alex!”

  Conor’s cottage was a legacy from his grandparents and he loved it dearly, but it was very basic. It was probably a good thing that the solar heated shower was only big enough for one at a time or they would never have been ready. They took it in turns to shower, maneuvering around each other in the tiny bathroom as they shaved, and cleaned their teeth. Dressing didn’t take long. Alex fiddled with Conor’s bow tie and kissed him. “You look stunning. Now I just have to get you to the venue without running into any trouble.”

  Conor kissed him back. “You scrub up pretty well yourself. And what kind of trouble could we possibly find between here and the hotel?”

  “Don’t say that! You’re tempting fate. Now we’ll probably get into a road accident whilst avoiding a runaway horse carrying smuggled drugs to an opium den.”

  Conor rolled his eyes and pushed Alex toward the door. They had a wedding to get to.

  * * * *

  “I’m so glad we had Maggie as our wedding planner. Everything’s perfect.” Alex slipped his arm around Conor’s waist and gave him a squeeze.

  “She loved doing it for us. You know that.”

  As Conor’s surrogate mother, Maggie Penrissen had taken on the role of chief wedding organizer with relish. The hotel they had chosen from her suggestions was old, ivy covered and had a breathtaking view of the sea.

  “The setting couldn’t be any more romantic, could it?”

  Alex looked around at their guests gathered on the hotel’s long terrace. Mulled wine had been served and the sun was just starting to set, casting the whole scene in an amber glow.

  “It’s beautiful, love. I suppose we should mingle. My mother is giving me one of her looks.”

  Conor chuckled. “We should be more sociable, shouldn’t we? All these people are here for us, after all.”

  Alex and Conor wandered amongst their guests. Alex’s entire extended family was there, along with Robbie and Jamie, Agnes and Ruby, their colleagues from work and Conor’s Cornish friends. Higgs had brought his wife, and Matt Naylor’s pretty girlfriend hung off his arm, chatting animatedly with everyone. Rory Penrissen walked over to them.

  “How are you two doing? Nervous?”

  Alex tucked Conor against his side. “Of course. I don’t want to get his name wrong or mess up the words.”

  Conor smiled. “As if you would. I’ll probably fall on my face walking up the aisle.”

  Rory guffawed. “You can hold each other up! I’m going to start shepherding people inside. It’s almost time for the ceremony. You two can hang back out here for a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” Conor turned into Alex’s arms. “This is really it, isn’t it?”

  Alex kissed him, long and slow. “Husband has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

  “Break it up, you two. You’re not married yet.” Higgs’ gruff tones interrupted the moment. “I don’t want to ruin the evening, boss, but Shane Desmond was being transferred from Broadmoor to Long Lartin yesterday. The prison transport got into an accident with some sheep somewhere in the Cotswolds and well, the long and the short of it is…he got away. He’s on the loose.”


  Conor went cold. “You have to be fucking joking. That’s only a few hours away from here. He could come after Alex.”

  Alex wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “They’ll find him, love. Don’t worry. Don’t let it spoil the day. How could he know where we are anyway?”

  Conor blinked. “The wedding was announced in the local paper, Alex.”

  Higgs grimaced. “He’s been free for more than twenty-four hours. He could be anywhere.”

  Alex scowled. “I refuse to let anything get in the way of this wedding.” He kissed Conor hard. “I’ll be damned if I’m letting you get away from me now. Let’s get inside. We can worry about Desmond later. Higgs, could you ask Robbie to come out to the hall for a moment?”

  Higgs hurried off. “What are you up to, Alex?”

  “Just a little bit of contingency planning. Nothing for you to worry about.”

  They went inside the hotel’s spacious hall. Double doors opened in to the room where the civil ceremony would take place. Rows of seats full of guests filled the large room. Conor grabbed Alex’s hand and held on tightly as they waited for their guests to settle. The room was full of greenery and flowers, candles flickered and the remains of the setting sun shone through the leaded windows. Robbie eased his large frame around the door. Alex whispered rapidly in his ear. Robbie nodded, grinned then slipped outside, disappearing around the corner.

  Conor didn’t have time to ask Alex what was going on because Alex gave him a little tug and they were making the short walk to the front of the room. Conor gripped Alex’s hand tightly, determined not to let go for a moment. They took their places and before Conor could even think about panicking, he was repeating the words the registrar read out and Alex was sliding a ring on to his finger. Conor was proud that his hands didn’t tremble too much as he slipped an identical band onto Alex. The official part of the ceremony was quite short but friends recited poetry, and Rory read out a few telegrams and emails. It was almost a relief to get to the end without incident.