by Riley Moreno
‘Who knew that Tristan Kincaid would speak so knowledgeably about babies?’ Bruce said. He groaned suddenly.
‘What is the matter?’ Tristan asked, concerned.
‘The wound. It hurts.’
‘I wish I had driven my sword into Lydell’s heart months ago. How much we all would have been spared. He was mine to kill out on the darkened moors outside Duffries.’
‘Ashley told me that you were mindful of the fact that Lydell’s blood flowed through our veins and you spared him because of that.’
‘Yes. I kept hoping that he would turn from his wicked ways and accept you and Ashley as his own.’
‘A man like him? I knew he could never change,’ Bruce said, wincing from the pain.
‘Rest now,’ Tristan said.
CHAPTER VII
Ashley awoke to a sense of déjà vu, the sound of bagpipes filling her ears and making her senses soar. She remembered that first time when she had just come to Scotland, and encountered Tristan at the Highland Games. She wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn’t made that visit and she shivered at the thought. She reached for Tristan by her side but he had probably risen already and was getting prepared for the Games. Still undisputed champion, Tristan Kincaid seemed to grow stronger with each passing year, and more determined to prove himself.
Ashley jumped out of bed and raced through her ablutions. She saw that Laren had laid out an arisaid of Kincaid tartan for her to wear and she pulled it on and slipped her feet into a pair of ghillies. As she dressed she felt a stab of nostalgia which was rapidly replaced by happiness as Tristan breezed in. ‘Hurry now, my love. Kirk is so excited that he is going to see his father compete.’
‘I am too,’ Ashley said, brushing her hair, ‘ I keep remembering the first time I saw you at the Games.’ Tristan’s eyes roved over her lovely face.
‘How do you stay looking so beautiful?’
‘How do you stay looking so handsome?’ Ashley countered, running her hands over his hard chest and the muscles straining against the fabric of his white shirt. He wore a kilt that matched her arisaid and she ached to slip her hand under it. Tristan looked down into her eyes. ‘Go on then, my love, I know what you’re longing to do.’ Ashley dimpled up at him. ‘You do know how to read my mind, Tristan Kincaid.’ She ran her hands up his thighs but her hand stopped short of his aroused manhood. ‘Not now my darling. Christy told me that Bruce, Leana and Callum are here already, waiting to accompany us and cheer you on. And also - you need to conserve your energy.’
‘Hmm…do you think your husband incapable of taking you now and then taking home the trophy later?’
‘No,’ Ashley said, ‘But I don’t want to distract you this morning.’
‘Mama! Dadaidh!’ Vivienne said, running into the room. Tristan laughed and swung her up in his arms. Vivienne had dark hair and blue eyes like Tristan’s, and her dress matched her eyes. Ashley reached up to kiss her and planted a kiss on her husband’s lips as well.
‘The Games! Let’s hurry to the Games!’ Kirk shouted gleefully, running in behind Vivienne.
Tristan winked at Ashley. ‘Yes, now we have to wait till later!’
xxx
Double Dosage
By Riley Moreno
Chapter 1
Gloria frowned at the squeak that jumped out of her swivel chair when she swiveled. She was still checking it out, swiveling slightly back and forth when Gladys barged into the office, her heavy footsteps banging on the old grey tiled floor.
“I got news from Lucy concerning the Jindal account.” Gladys said, talking and walking past the door in one breath.
This announcement pulled Gloria out of her investigation, momentarily, “Yeah? Well what does she have to say?”
Gladys cringed inwardly at the look that hung in those beautiful caramel eyes; such a shame. “She dropped us. She is going with the Dillinger firm just across the corner.”
“What?! What do you mean dropped us? I spoke with her a few days ago, and I’m telling you we were fine!” Gloria squealed, slightly embarrassed at how precariously close she was to whining, “hmmh, I mean did she give any reason for the sudden change of attitude?”
“Uh Gloria c’mon it’s okay to feel sorry for yourself; I feel bad too. It’s been two months since our last real case, and it gets disheartening.”
The squeak of the swivel chair was nigh sorrowful as Gloria sighed and sank into it. The august offices of Patton and Patton could not go on like this for much longer. “So what else we got?”
“Well there is always Mrs. Murkowski’s cat,” Gladys replied curtly as she took a seat in the wooden chair on the client’s end of the modest office table. “You could do what I suggested earlier.” Gladys’ two hands played nervously with each other as she pretended to observe an interesting square inch, just behind her hands on the office table.
Gloria sat up right with a snap, he elbows upon the table, “Mrs. Murkowski’s cat is always in the broom closet, looking for the first opportunity to get out of the garlic-scented houses, and away from that eccentric, old woman. You on the other hand are crazy.”
“Oh come on how difficult can it be?!” Gladys chipped in insistently, unable to keep the giggle out of her voice.
“I mean who lives with that amount of cats? She is a quirky old cat lady, and I don’t wanna hear any more of this soothsaying nonsense.”
“She has the gift-I mean, how else can you explain the things she says?” Besides you can’t just sit around and do nothing; we have to turn over all bricks-or stones! I forget what the expression is.”
“Leave no stone unturned,” Gloria said helpfully in tandem with the, now, ever-present squeak. She pulled her swivel chair closer into the table, her brow donning the look of someone deep in thought, her caramel brown eyes intense. “Uh-uh, no way.” Gloria said at last, shaking her head vigorously from side to side as she pushed her chair behind, ignoring the squeak as she rose.
Gladys rolled her eyes in frustration, “You know for a second there, I thought I had actually convinced you about something for the first time in your life.”
“Keep trying little sister-you’ll get there someday, I promise.” Gloria said as she rounded the table and headed for the coat rack that held her jacket.
Gladys stood as well, her tight-fitting leopard striped blouse, mingling nicely with the black pants that she wore. Gloria could not help but admire Gladys’ sense of style, which today accentuated her voluptuous figure. They were twins, but the comparisons ended there.
“Do you know what the problem with smart people like you is? You never know when you are in over your head, and what’s worse? Even if you did, you wouldn’t ask for help. So where are you going now?”
Gloria swung the pragmatic, rather than attractive jacket over her round shoulders, “Off to the police station; doing some real positive action like.”
“You wanna forage their cases. Okay I’ll just man the phone then, on the off chance that our luck begins to turn.”
Gloria had expected nothing less, and smiled at the remark; she was the part of the duo with all the energy when it came to such matters, while Gladys handled the social, and public relations issues with something akin to genius.
As if on cue the phone went off in Gladys’ office in the outer room. “Right, some ailing customers in dire need of our expertise.” Gloria said with no intention of keeping the smug smile out of her face. “Enough with this voodoo.”
Gladys went over to the phone in her own office which constituted the reception area. A few yesses and sympathetic sounds followed, before the phone came gingerly down upon its cradle.
“It’s Mrs. Murkowski; she says her cat has gone missing again.”
Gloria was still rolling her eyes as Gladys pulled an umbrella and handed it over.
“What is this for?”
“In case it rains.”
“The old lady tell you that?”
“Hmmh hmmh.”
A few min
utes later, Gloria cursed into the slight drizzle that surrounded her, dropping delicate, white grains like diamond dust upon her jacket, causing her to marvel, and wonder why she had not taken the umbrella Gladys had offered. Already more than a block from her office, she looked up at the continuously darkening sky with disbelief, the dark clouds stern-looking; diamond dust settling upon her soft brown features. Sighing, she hailed for a cab, ruing the extra expenditure.
She had gotten into the cab not a moment too soon, and now she listened to the rain as it pelted the top of the cab, and watched it stream down profusely along the glass windows as the cab sped like a capsule through water to cover the four, traffic ridden blocks towards the police building.
The police building, an impressive structure dedicated to the safety of the precinct was threatening to most people, but Gloria felt quite at ease, even nodding a few times at some people as she navigated the crowds of the reception area on her way to the elevator. She squeezed through a closing door to join a few people going to the higher levels of the building. She punched the button for the third floor just as the doors closed on the huge expanse of the reception area.
Lieutenant Bill Eko saw her round the corner to flow in like a breeze into the crowded, desk ridden hall located outside his office. She was already making a bee-line towards him when he waved her over.
She gave him a hug on both cheeks as he received her just inside his door.
His eyes were keen, never leaving her face as he pointed her to one of the two seats before his desk, taking the other one for himself.
Lieutenant Bill had been a friend to the Pattons for longer than Gloria and Gladys had been alive. Gloria counted him a friend in need.
“So to what do I owe the pleasure-or at least I hope it’s a pleasure; it’s been a while since you last came into my part of the world.” He asked, slowly, the smile on his face belying the layers of wisdom hinted at by the knowing sparkle of the eyes set within his narrow wrinkling face.
“Oh just passing through the neighborhood; missed you Uncle Bill!”
“Bull!” He said cutting her off, his blue tie with shite stripes resting smoothly along his rotund belly. “And you’re lucky I can’t see you blushing.” He leaned back into the chair he was sitting in. “How’s the firm?” he asked, unable to keep the laughter from his eyes.
“Oh Uncle Bill I just need a few cases, you know; continue to build my reputation…I thought you could help me out with that.”
“Rough patch I see; happens to the best of them.” He said knowingly. He shot her a classic Tommy Lee Jones look from where he lay back.
“Don’t give me that look, I can do this!”
“Brains like yours, five years tops, you could be senior detective.” He persisted.
“You know why I don’t want that. This is what I want instead, and you gotta help me if you don’t want us moving into your house in the near future.”
She put her chin out, and gave the best defiant gaze she could muster against his know-it-all stare. It was a no-contest. “Look anything okay, Uncle Bill.” She implored, hoping to corner him emotionally.
“No way; I work with homicides, and deal with psychos whom I wouldn’t let my enemies touch with a thousand-foot pole. There is no way I would drag you into that. What you need is exposure; you may have what it takes to investigate, but you got to bare your guts out there for people to see. If you got out more like Gladys then maybe; people got to have you on their lips. Think Jim Rockford.”
Gloria stifled a laugh, remembering her father’s and Uncle Bill’s obsession with seventies television shows. She did not know how credible their claim were that those were the inspirations behind their joining the force, but she had always been willing to play along.
“Yeah by the way Gladys extends her greets.”
They spent a while catching up on the three months since they had last seen each other; willingly so on Gloria’s part. She had known this man all her life and she knew she was on the right track with him when he started small talk. She drummed her hands eagerly on the laps as he finally woke up to round his desk.
He pulled two green, elaborately decorated tickets from his drawer and handed them over. She was wondering about the gesture, as well as the expensive scent that lingered with them when he returned.
“I’ll ask around for cases I can hand over to you girls and still sleep at night; mean time you gotta do this right. This is a business, and the customers have to know where the goods are. I’m too old for this shintzy stuff; not the same since Lucy passed away-your pa too. “
Gloria suddenly felt guilty. Neither she, nor Gladys had had much time for Uncle Bill that year, and with the passing of his wife two years previously,, followed by his best friend of forty years, their dad, she could only imagine how lonely life out of the office could have become for him.
It must have shown on her face because he waved her sentiments aside, “Oh don’t worry about me; retirement is due by year’s end, and it’s only set to get worse; might as well get used to it. You on the other hand can acquaint yourself with the type of people with enough secrets on the line to need services like yours. Who knows you might even meet someone interesting enough to actually keep you interested long enough to earn your number.”
Gloria shook her head at the Tommy Lee Jones sitting before her again, “Or you could find a rich old lady who has the hots for tough guys with a lot of stories about life on the beat.” She said teasingly, “You know I’m not lucky at relationships.
“I know you never really tried! What happened to the last one?”
“Well among other things, he could not shake off the notion that Nicaragua was a cigarette. Plus he kept making passes at Gladys while pretending he couldn’t tell the difference! Like c’mon, really?!”
“Could’ve fooled me; you two are twins after all.”
“Nuh-uh, call me a hopeless romantic, but if I end up with a guy, then he has to view me as one in a million-not one of two.”
They both laughed at this as he saw her off at the door. She had not gotten exactly what she had set out for, but it was good seeing Uncle Bill again, plus she knew he was right about the advice he had given. He usually was.
“Hey my wrinkles don’t allow me to show it but I am proud that you girls are doing your own thing; God knows your dad and I wanted to start but we were too scared to take that plunge; life without a steady pay check can be hard to envisage when you got a family to support, but you girls are young and chasing the dream.”
“Yeah we keep thinking Jim Rockford and Remington Steele.” Gloria joked, standing at the door.
“Yeah,” Lieutenant Bill Eko sighed, “And maybe he would still be here if we had tried.”
Gloria caught a glimpse of the two framed pictures that hung on the wall behind the desk; one of a petite woman who had been Mrs. Rose Eko, and her father, in full uniform, his hair still black from his younger days. The same caramel colored eyes stared down at the two of them at the door.
“He always said he would take that picture to his grave-we had just made detective. The wives were so proud.” They both sighed but they had both come to terms with the hurt of that night when he had been gunned down in cold blood following a tip-off to some suspects by fellow officers. His two girls had never been able to look at the police force the same again, even though the culprits now lay behind bars. His friend Lieutenant Eko, with whom he had been working the case, had still been on leave mourning his just departed wife.
“Your old man’s ability to see the bright side of everything kept me sane all these years; need him now more than ever!” He said matter-of-factly, “I couldn’t let the picture go.”
Chapter 2
Gloria and Gladys, the Patton twins, giggled as they elicited appreciative glances from people scattered about the red carpet that led up to the mansion I which the soiree was taking place. The slow, confident poise with which they carried themselves was a brain child of Gladys, and belied the nervous tug
in Gloria’s belly- she was a fish out of water.
Gloria was sure there had to be at least fifty people in the foyer, the low buzz belying the number, but also an indication of the class of people now spaced about in the large room. These were the movers and shakers of the city, the crème de la crème.
Gladys was immediately sucked into the mix, her short-sleeved, pink ball gown, designed to hug her in all the right places, and replete with edges that shone in the glittering lights above, caused her honey brown skin to assume an inner glow- or maybe it was just her sparkling personality that drew the attention of at least five distinguished looking gentlemen in the crowd. Gloria stayed back, wanting to admire the foyer which she thought showed great taste in its furnishing. She stuck to the edges of the room, keeping a friendly smile on her face, and nodding whenever appropriate, but she observed, and admired everything from the sparkling chandelier to the drapes that weighed a ton, and covered windows that stretched upwards at least twice her height. She grabbed a glass of wine from a passing tray, and stood to sip as she continued to observe.
She was especially impressed by the crowd in attendance, and agreed inwardly that therein indeed, did lie, like gold amongst sand, the sort of clientele that private investigators day dreamed about. She mused about the income bracket of the party’s host, but quickly made up her mind that this was most likely a fund-raiser by some organization for some cause or the other. That would certainly explain the guests.
She raised her glass at a few prominent police captains, and tolerated the police chief, smiling and nodding understandably when he came over; Uncle Bill would have fitted quite well into the crowd. She stifled a giggle by quickly taking a sip when she spotted Gladys in a circle of men, all eating out of the palm of her hand, and laughing at her every joke. You had better be handing out complimentary cards Gloria thought jovially, raising a glass in salute. She slowly shook her head as an aversion at one of the poor chaps who up until then had not been able to break into the inner circle around Gladys, but had followed her gaze to quite unexpectedly discover an identical copy on the not so far end of the room; quickly summing it up in his wine-doused mind as a welcome dose of serendipity. She stifled another laugh in her wine glass at the sight of confusion on his flushed face. It was either he had not understood that she was not interested or had thought her nay as yay in reverse, for he started coming over, flush faced and sure-footed.