Benji glared at him too. Then, his focus was back on Emma. “I know who you are. If you think I’m afraid of you because you’re some rich bitch who gets what you want, I know the truth. All you babes are just good for one thing.”
“What’s that, Benji?”
When the man dropped profanity toward Croft’s wife, Chris Ford thought the man beside him was going to go through the glass after the suspect.
“Take it easy, Croft. He’s trying to piss her off. Emma is a good cop. She has this. I doubt this is the first time a suspect said that to her.”
Greyson tried to breathe.
“Oh, you think that’s all women are good for?” she asked, pulling out the pictures of his dead girlfriend. “I don’t know, Detective Westmore,” she said to her partner. “I think that sounds like someone who could do this to women.”
With that, she slid the pictures across the table toward him. There sat his dead girlfriend staring back at him.
It got the response they wanted. The man looked visibly shaken.
Then, to punctuate it, she slid the other pictures of the dead women they had pulled from the desert. “What’s wrong, Benji? Did we screw up your plans and find your playground?”
He glanced up in horror. “I didn't kill those women! I didn't even kill my woman!”
“Well, someone did, and you coming at two cops in your apartment, like some hopped up druggie, didn't help your case out. That’s why you’re in bracelets and sitting across from us in interrogation.”
“Why are you doing this?” he asked, his eyes filling with tears.
His demeanor immediately changed, and neither Brynn nor Emma could tell if it was an act. If the man was on steroids, this could be an emotional rollercoaster or total BS.
“This is my fault,” he stated.
That had everyone’s attention.
“Tell us why, Benji,” Emma stated.
“About four months ago, I had an affair. It was only for a couple of nights, and Lidia found out. I thought she forgave me, but she obviously didn't.”
That was funny, since they never told him she was out having sex.
“How do you know she was killed during an affair?” Brynn asked, pointing at the picture.
He took a deep breath. “That’s a church, isn't it? I recognize the inside of a confessional. I’ve seen a few over the last half a year.”
“Yes, it is. You better explain, and fast. You’re moving up the suspect list pretty quickly. In fact, you’re at the top,” Emma warned.
“When I first met Lidia, she told me that she liked kinky sex.” Suddenly, he stopped. “Can’t I talk to a guy? Talking to women about this is weird.”
Emma leaned forward. “Know what’s even weirder? Sharing all the intimate details with your cell mate on death row.”
That changed his mind pretty fast.
“When we first started dating, she liked wild sex. Lidia would go to church with me on Sundays and then whisper dirty things in my ear.”
He stopped talking again as a red flush covered his skin.
“If you think neither one of us has ever had sex, let me reassure you that you’re not telling us something we’re not familiar with,” Emma offered, trying to build a rapport with the man.
He pushed on. “She told me she always wanted to do it in a confessional, and she actually tried to get it to happen. I just couldn’t. That’s church, man. It’s not a place you whip out your junk and fornicate. My mother would bitch slap me if she even knew I contemplated it.”
Well, at least they knew the man had some morals.
“I can tell by that picture that she was out trolling for men. Lidia is wearing party clothes,” he offered. “She didn't wear makeup when we went out. I told her it made her look slutty. She was out with a man, wasn’t she?”
Emma nodded.
“This is all my fault,” he said again, lowering his head to the table. “I cheated, so she was paying me back. When Lidia found out that I was screwing some girl who came into the club I bounced at, she was furious. It took me a month to get her back. She made me move in with her, telling me she could keep an eye on me. Who would have thought that I should have been the one watching her?”
Then, like a switch was flipped, he stood, nearly flipping the table. “Who did this? I’m going to kill him!”
Here was the rage.
Emma took control. “Sit your ass down!” she stated, pointing at the chair as she too stood. “You’re going to act like you’re supposed to, or I’m going to bitch slap you.”
Benji Johnston sat.
Behind the glass, all three men relaxed.
“You’re in enough trouble, so you’re not going to act like a fool in here. I don’t care what you do at your place of employment, but this is my house. You’re going to respect it,” she stated, pointing at her badge. “Got it?”
The man nodded.
“We need to ask you if you knew any of these women,” Brynn asked, pointing at the driver’s license photos. “Did Lidia hang out with them?”
He studied them. “Not that I knew, but then again, my woman was out getting boned in a church. I didn't see that one coming either.”
“We’re going to run you, Mr. Johnston. If we find anything on your cell records that says you had contact with even one of these women, you’re going to jail.”
The man didn't flinch.
“Do you know anything about a company that goes by the name, ‘Perfect Indiscretions’?” Emma asked.
He shook his head. “Should I?”
Emma stood. “Take him back to holding.”
“Wait! Are you really arresting me?” he asked.
“Hell yes, we are. You tried to attack two female detectives when we’re running an investigation where someone is killing women. What do you think?”
The man said nothing.
With that, Emma and Brynn headed out. In the hall, they saw their men waiting for them.
“Had to watch, huh?” Emma asked, grinning at her husband. The entire time, she could feel his eyes on her.
“Yeah, it makes me all hot and bothered when you interrogate a suspect,” Croft offered.
Ford rolled his eyes. “Good one, Emma. Do you think he’s the one?” he asked, following them back to the conference room.
Once inside, she noticed that Paris and Tessa were still working on pulling information.
“I don’t know, so I’m going to confer with the FBI profiler.” She told him all about the man’s temper and admission of infidelity.
Paris weighed it. “That’s a tough one. With his lack of respect for the opposite sex, yes, he could be our killer. With his lack of control, I doubt it. This killer is methodical. He’s picking the same kind of women. Brown hair is his lure, since that’s all these women have in common.”
“That we know so far,” stated Croft. “We could be missing something.”
He agreed. “True, but I have to base it off what we do have, and that’s not a lot. We do know he’s violent and his temper is a big issue.”
“From what you’ve found on him, could he be the killer?” asked Brynn.
Tessa spoke up, “He graduated high school in the bottom of the class. He didn't go to college, but instead went to work in clubs. He’s been a bouncer and a gym rat ever since. If you’re looking for him to be a mastermind, I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Paris agreed. “He’s more likely to get in your face. This killer isn't aggressive. He’s a sexually addicted lunatic.”
“Is that your professional opinion, Doctor?” Emma asked. “I didn't know experts in deviant behavior used the term ‘lunatic’.”
He laughed. “For a lack of better words, he is.”
“Okay, so he’s slipping down our list,” stated Captain Ford. “What’s your next move, Detectives? The new commissioner is breathing down my neck.”
Croft thought about it. “I have this gut feeling that we need to pick apart that online business.”
“But we
can’t yet,” Curtis reminded him. “I’m all about hacking, but we’ll blow Emma’s case.”
Ford didn't want that.
“I think we need to cut out for the night,” Croft stated. “We really can’t go any further, not legally.”
They were all good with that.
“We’ll work on it from home,” Paris offered.
Croft had a better idea. “How about we have dinner at our place, and then go swimming?” he offered, knowing his team had earned it.
Curtis glanced over at Brynn. “I think we need to talk and recoup from last night,” he stated. “Can we get a rain check?”
Brynn agreed. “We have some other issues to deal with this evening.”
Yeah, the fact that they were married.
Greyson glanced over at Paris. “Are you up for a swim? I don’t think you’ve been getting your exercise in the last few days, and those qualifications are coming up fast.”
Paris didn't mind. In rehab, he liked using the pool, since it gave him more mobility. “If Tessa is up for it, so am I.”
“Count us in,” she stated, grinning at him. She loved having downtime with Paris, and in a pool… it was that much more fun.
They glanced at Ford, offering it up.
“Thanks, but I have a date, so I’ll say another time.”
Emma honed in on that one. “Ohhhh a date. With who?”
He laughed. “I wish it was with the opposite sex. I have to meet with the commissioner tonight. He’s making me go to some police function. I’d rather be with a babe.” Yeah, not that he’d seen that kind of action in a very long time. His sex well had run dry.
Croft snorted. “Well, next time, Chris.”
The man agreed before heading out.
“We’ll meet back here in the morning to get ready to head out for the search warrant,” Croft said, standing up. When he held his hand out for Emma, she immediately took it.
“See you at our place,” he offered. Then, he glanced over at his partner. “If you need me, call.”
Curtis was grateful. He didn't know what was going to happen. Normally, he’d be heading to the condo, since he just moved back in, but now he was a married man.
Holy shit!
That scared the crap out of him.
“Thank you, boss.”
When they were gone, he glanced over at his new wife. “Want to go get something to eat, and then talk?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Well, it was a good start.
He guessed.
* * *
He’d sent the request to the next one.
It was only a matter of time.
He’d been watching her for a while and knew that she liked to have lots of sex.
She was young, and he wasn’t surprised. In fact, it helped her fit the bill much better. When he saw her profile online, he knew the truth.
This woman was going to get her wish.
She liked wild men, and now it was time to give her the biggest gift, right before he took her life.
At first, there was remorse with the other women. Now, there was only need.
It was growing--filling him.
While he knew he should stop, lay low, and move on, he couldn’t. They needed their deepest fantasies filled, and he was going to do it. For this next one, he wouldn’t dress like a priest, or take her to the church.
Instead, he’d just use her up like she deserved.
She was a gold-digger and liked it a certain way. Now, he knew her fantasy, and soon, she’d learn about his.
Then, they’d make the night magical.
It was going to be heaven.
He couldn’t wait.
* * *
Brynn and Curtis sat in a pizza place that they often frequented. This was where they had their first date after she’d been shot.
It was special to him, because it reminded Curtis that love did exist. Now, he was staring into the face of doom, and he couldn’t help it.
He had so much more to lose now.
It wouldn’t just be a girlfriend, but a wife.
“So,” he said, not sure where to take this.
“Yeah, so.”
It was awkward.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I don’t know which one of us suggested marriage, but I’ll take the blame.”
“So, you think it was a mistake?” she asked, sipping her soda. Just the idea made her heart flip. While Brynn wasn’t sure, she’d always relied on Curtis to guide her. He was a pretty stable kind of guy.
Decent.
Hardworking.
And now her husband.
“I don’t know what to think, Brynn. I woke up married, and have this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.”
She didn't speak.
“We were doing so well, and now this is a bump in the road.”
Brynn laughed. “A bump? We got married, Curtis, while drunk. That’s not a bump. It’s a big hole, and we fell into it headfirst!”
He saw it coming, so he opted to face it. “Do you want a divorce?” he asked.
This was going to be tricky. “I don’t know. Part of me wants to go back and erase all of this, because we were happy. Yet, part of me wants to stick around and see if we will still be happy. I talked to Emma today, and she told me that it’s just a piece of paper, and it really doesn’t change anything. She insisted that if we were working before, then we should still work.”
He wanted to kiss Emma for trying to save his ass. She was just like a mom should be. He owed her.
“What do you want, Curtis?” Brynn asked.
“Honestly?”
She nodded. “Please. I need to know what you’re really thinking.”
“I would have married you one day. I love you, Brynn. I always have. So, to me, this isn't a huge issue. Was the timing right? No, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t think you would have eventually been my wife.”
That touched her heart.
She loved him too.
“I just wish we did it the right way. I feel like we missed out on a wedding, an engagement, and the proposal. I can’t imagine I was all that suave, hopped up on tequila.”
“I understand.”
“I’m scared,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t break his heart. If she told him it was over, he’d crumble.
“About which part?” she asked.
“I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and tell me goodbye. We did that once, and I never recovered. If this was all up to me, we’d be celebrating what happened, not sitting here worrying about it.”
“I love you, Curtis. I’m not mourning the loss of being single, but I do miss that I won’t get that proposal and white dress. A big part of me wishes we still had that.”
Curtis understood. Brynn had family, and she would want to share it with them. He only had his grandmother and the Crofts. “Well, what do you want to do?”
“I need some time to adjust to this. Can we sleep on it and maybe let it settle for a couple days? I feel off balance, and I don’t want to do the wrong thing.” Already, she was uneasy and felt trapped.
He understood, but his face must have said it all.
Gently, she reached across the table to take his hand in hers. “It’ll be okay, Curtis. No matter what, we’re both adults, and we’ll work through this.”
That didn't give him much hope. Instead, it filled him with dread. He’d honestly been hoping that Brynn would tell him that she was happy to be married to him.
Unfortunately, ‘letting it settle’ didn't sound like it was going to be a good thing.
Not for him.
Why wasn’t he surprised?
* * *
Before reaching the house, he called his brother to warn him that they had people coming over. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed by his brother and boyfriend, but he didn't want to out them further, if they weren’t ready.
When he told them to stay, he was a little disappointed that the two men had decided t
o run for it, rather than face the truth.
But that had to be their decision.
At home, Greyson went to call the local pizza place, but Emma stopped him. Instead, she wanted to cook. That meant one of two things. She was trying to monitor his eating again, or she wanted to think things through.
He was hoping it was the later.
Croft really liked cholesterol.
As she moved around the kitchen, he watched her. Beneath her cut offs and t-shirt was a bikini, and he couldn’t wait to see which one. Emma was his girl, and she liked to dress for him. Whether it be a sexy swimsuit or a feminine dress, it was always a pleasure to watch her move around their home.
“What are you thinking about?” he finally asked.
“This case. I feel like I’m missing something,” she stated.
He understood. “We’ll get it,” he promised.
Emma believed him. “What are you thinking about?” she asked, glancing over at him. Greyson was watching her like she was prey. It immediately heated her body.
Dear God, she couldn’t get enough of him.
“You. I was thinking about the bikini unveiling, and if I was going to get lucky tonight.”
She laughed. “You get lucky all the time, so odds are in your favor.”
He grinned wickedly. That was the best part of living in Vegas. He was always a winner when it came to his wife.
The roguish smile reminded her of a sexy pirate. “Want to help me?” she asked, pointing at the fixings for a salad.
Greyson didn't hesitate. He’d chop vegetables if he could stand next to a barefoot and sexy Emma. Hell! He’d eat scorpions to do it too.
As she sautéed some chicken, he leaned down to nip her neck. When she shivered, he couldn’t help himself. “Want to make out with the chef?”
Emma laughed. “I’m the chef.”
“Oh, well then I’ll answer the question. Yes, I want to make out with you.”
With that, he placed the knife on the counter and pulled her into his arms. “I missed this. I never thought I’d care about moments like these, until they were gone,” he whispered, trying to seduce his wife.
Heaven is Weeping (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 5) Page 27