Payback

by Charlotte Mills

  That explained Helen’s continued personal phone calls. And why she had been called out to the fire scene. Curiosity prevented her from filtering her next words before they left her mouth. “Why were you…?” She let the question hang.

  “My mother was a drug addict. She fell off the wagon one too many times, and Social Services took me away.” Helen took a sip of her wine.

  She swallowed hard as she studied the woman opposite her. She was so impressive. Regardless of her bumpy start, Helen had built a great life for herself. Was that what drove her? She noted that Helen hadn’t even mentioned her father. She decided to shelve that question for another time.

  “Julia was like the mother I never had. She was warm and kind. I owe her everything. Looking after her now is the least I can do.”

  “That must be a great comfort to her.” She realised too late what she had said. Maybe Julia didn’t even recognise who she was anymore. Hastily, she tried to repair the damage. “She must be very proud of you, what you’ve accomplished, I mean,” she said.

  Helen grinned as she took another sip of wine. “The irony is, Julia never wanted me to join the police force. She wanted me to become a teacher or doctor, neither of which appealed to me. I knew from an early age that I wanted to make a difference in my own way.”

  She was speechless. The guilt she felt ate her up all over again. She hadn’t been honest with Helen on so many levels. She didn’t even know where to start to make it right. Was making it right even possible?

  “Would you like more?”

  “No, thank you. That was wonderful.”

  Helen smirked at her. “You’re most welcome. Shall we move somewhere a bit more comfortable? Bring your wine with you.” Helen stood. Grasping her own glass, she approached the wood-panelled doors on the right side of the room.

  She was surprised to see the doors disappearing into the sides of the walls, exposing the large sitting room beyond. It was cosy with dimmed lighting and plump sofas either side of a large fireplace.

  “Wow! That’s amazing.” She looked in awe at the doors just poking out of the ends of the walls as she moved into the room.

  “Shall we finish our tour?”

  “Sure.” Putting her glass down on a small side table next to the door that looked like it led back into the hallway, she turned the knob, but nothing happened.

  “Uh, sorry, I keep forgetting. That door’s locked, I’m afraid. Julia’s hidden the key somewhere. I still haven’t found it yet.”

  “Oh.” She turned to see Helen only inches behind her. The ends of Helen’s mouth quirked up in a smile as she placed her glass on the side table next to hers.

  Helen reached out, placing her hand on Kate’s arm. “So, how are your injuries healing?”

  “Maybe you should inspect them and find out,” she challenged, grinning as the raised eyebrow appeared on Helen’s forehead.

  “Maybe I will.”

  Helen moved closer, forcing her back against the door. One hand roamed up the side of her neck, while the other moved to caress the side of her face. Helen held her gaze for a long moment before moving forward, pressing their lips together. Her response was immediate: she ran her tongue along Helen’s bottom lip before slipping it inside. Their kisses quickly became ardent. The guilt she felt from their earlier conversation faded a little as Helen’s lips evaporated any clarity of thought, but the gravity of her lies were beginning to weigh her down.

  The weight of Helen’s body as she pressed against her was exhilarating. She slipped a hand beyond the waistband of Helen’s jeans. Her fingers gently skimmed over the surface of the underwear she found. The pads of her fingers found the damp patch between Helen’s thighs, forcing a moan of approval to escape her lips. She knew she was just as wet. The interplay between them during their last exchange in Helen’s office had been a little unbalanced. She took action to rectify that. Turning her body, she quickly switched places with Helen, pressing her firmly against the door. This woman had a way of making her feel so hot with the slightest of touches or looks. Now she was on fire for her.

  She dropped to her knees and slowly removed Helen’s jeans and underwear, depositing kisses along the exposed skin as she edged towards the small mound of curls at the apex of her thighs. Her hands ran up the inside of Helen’s thighs. Glancing up, she met hooded eyes before focusing on the glistening folds in front of her. Slipping her tongue between them, she got a taste of Helen’s excitement. Using her hands, she parted Helen’s swollen lips, exposing her fully as she pushed her stiffened tongue inside, exploring her completely.

  Her focus moved further up as she found Helen’s hardened clit, she swirled her tongue around it several times before sucking it into her mouth. At the wobble in Helen’s legs, she moved her hands to a more supportive position on either side of her hips.

  The raspy moans coming from Helen were driving her crazy. Helen buried a hand in her hair, holding her in place as she pushed her hips forward, thrusting herself deeper into her mouth.

  “God, Kate I…I might collapse.”

  At that declaration, she pressed Helen firmly against the door, making Helen come against her mouth with a hearty cry.

  Helen’s back slipped down the locked door. She landed on her haunches. Her legs felt wonky. “Jesus!” she managed as she caught her breath.

  Kate remained kneeling on the floor in front of Helen, watching as she rested her head back against the door.

  “I didn’t realise I was going to be dessert,” she sniggered as she pushed against the door, managing to grab Kate’s hand to ease her way forward.

  “That’s what happens when you don’t provide any.” It was all Kate managed to say before Helen crushed their lips together. Her lips instantly surrendered against Helen’s insistent tongue.

  The flavour of her own juices, mixed with korma, dominated her senses as she consumed Kate’s mouth. She frantically undid Kate’s trousers and knelt in front of her. She wanted to feel her. She couldn’t wait any longer. Groaning at her own success, she quickly pushed them down, underwear and all, exposing Kate’s body to her greedy eyes. She dipped a hand between Kate’s thighs and quickly found the wetness she sought, coating the ends of her fingers.

  Moving forward, Helen’s body pressed against Kate’s pushing her onto the rug covering the floor.

  “Lie back,” Helen whispered as she kissed her way down Kate’s neck. She watched from her high position as Kate adjusted her body below. As Kate settled back, she reached forward, slipping off her boots before pulling off her trousers and underwear.

  A groan escaped Kate’s throat as Helen settled on top of her.

  Helen was in no rush for this to end. She wanted to savour every second of it. She pressed the lower half of their bodies together as she hovered above Kate. She ran her hand under Kate’s T-shirt, feeling the tightness of her stomach muscles as Kate tensed, seeking release, pushing her hips forward. Inspecting a little higher, she found a lacy bra. She cupped her right breast feeling the hardened nub of the nipple beneath. It made her mouth water at the prospect of putting her lips on it. She pushed up Kate’s T-shirt and kissed a trail to the delicate bra she had exposed.

  Kate pulled at her T-shirt to assist Helen’s exploration, releasing a gasp as soon as Helen latched onto her nipple. As she moved down Kate’s body, Helen left a trail of cool skin in her wake. She gave Kate’s bruised hip attention next as she circled it with kisses.

  Helen moved lower, gently blowing cool air over Kate’s moist, hot lips, as she continued to tease her mercilessly. She grinned as Kate thrust forward in the hope of gaining some contact.

  Helen pulled back for a few seconds before slipping her tongue between Kate’s moist folds, lapping at her ample juices. Hearing Kate’s groans of approval brought a smile to her lips as she made her way to her now-swollen clit, sucking it firmly into her mouth, assaulting it with her tongue. Hele
n used her hands to spread Kate’s legs wide in preparation for her next move: She replaced her mouth with keen fingers so that she could move her body above Kate’s once more. Focusing on Kate’s breasts, she quickly sucked a hard nipple into her mouth as she plunged her fingers deep inside Kate.

  Kate’s hips were out of control, thrusting in time with Helen’s relentless searching fingers.

  Helen pulled her lips away to place kisses along Kate’s jaw and neck.

  “I love how wet you are,” she whispered. Helen could feel her own orgasm surface for the second time as she rubbed her hot centre along Kate’s thigh. Her fingers continued to pump into Kate as her hips rotated furiously.

  It sent her climaxing first, pushing against Helen’s fingers with what must have been her last ounce of energy as she came with a shudder.

  The vibrations around her fingers sent Helen over the edge. She came against Kate’s firm thigh, collapsing on the floor next to her.

  Kate’s hips continued to flinch under Helen’s gentle touch. Her fingers were still inside as she nuzzled into Kate’s neck, satisfied for now.

  Chapter 18

  As she stood at the window sipping cold water, the foxes frolicked through the dark gardens below. The red glow that covered the younger cubs was missing on the larger fox; it was darker in colour, black maybe. She wondered if they suffered the same fate as black sheep, ostracised family members. Was that what she was? Forced out of her job, distanced from her family? Now that she had been parachuted into an unfamiliar environment, she felt even more alienated.

  “Kate?” a voice called in the distance. “Marco?” the voice continued, now with the addition of light footsteps.

  “Polo!” she replied.

  “Marco?” The voice was closer this time.

  “Polo!”

  Arms wrapped around her from behind as Helen cuddled up to her. “What are you doing out here?”

  “I was thirsty. Then I saw the foxes in the garden. There’s a black one. Have you seen it?”

  “I know. He’s been coming through here for years. They come through from the fields behind the pub.”

  Helen’s arm snaked around her. Her hand plucked the glass of water she’d placed on the windowsill. She watched as it was returned as few seconds later half its contents now missing. Turning she faced the warm-bodied water thief behind her.

  “Are you pulling rank on me, Guv?”

  “Who, me?”

  Helen’s feigned look of innocence needed some work, she reached up and stroked the side of her face with the back of her fingers. It took her a second to realise that Helen was naked. This woman was beautiful, warm, caring; she was perfect for her in so many ways. Why did she have to meet her now?

  “What are we doing here?” she asked in a quiet voice.

  “Well, if you’re requesting diagrams and instructions, I’m not sure you need them after last night.”

  “No. I mean—” Her sentence was cut short as Helen swooped in, capturing her lips, preventing any further question of their situation.

  Helen pulled back for a second and said, “We’re having fun. Seeing where it goes, aren’t we?”

  That was true of their situation, but Helen only knew half the story. She was falling for Helen. Hard. “Yes. But—” She tried again, unsure of what she actually wanted to admit.

  Helen ran her hands up the sides of her body. Slipping them under her T-shirt, she quickly found her breasts, caressing them softly as Helen found her lips once more.

  “You have a very persuasive argument,” she managed to say between kisses.

  “I know,” Helen said with a grin as she took her hand, leading them back to the bedroom.

  Snuggling deeper into the pillow, as she heard the soft padding of bare feet on floorboards. She wasn’t ready to get back to reality just yet. She wanted this dream to last a little longer. With the addition of movement on the bed, she felt a smile develop on her face. A warm body enveloped hers, covering her exposed back where the sheet had slipped. A knee slipped between her parted thighs as Helen stretched over her to whisper in her ear, “We need to get up now, Rip Van Winkle.”

  “Are you sure?” she murmured. Her voice felt raspy from sleep. Warm lips fell upon her neck, bringing her to life. She turned her body, forcing away Helen’s knee as she settled on her back. “You know, when you’re the boss, you get to set the rules. No one will have the balls to ask why you’re in…” She stopped in mid-sentence with a grin. “I was going to say ‘late’, but I mean on time in your case.”

  Helen rested her upper body weight on her arms as she looked down at her.

  She toyed with the sash of Helen’s robe. “You smell so good.” She carefully untied the knot, allowing the robe to fall open.

  “We don’t have time for that now,” Helen said with a grin.

  “We don’t?” She reached into the gown, and Helen’s body tensed. Slipping her hands around Helen’s waist, she pulled their bodies together. “Are you sure?” she whispered before their lips met in a crush. The feeling of skin-on-skin contact was invigorating.

  She used all her strength to flip them over, giving herself the upper hand, then devoured Helen’s lips as her free hand tugged at the robe, exposing her naked body fully. Slipping a knee between Helen’s thighs, she parted them. One way or another, she would be first into work this morning. Removing her attentions from Helen’s lips, she moved down her body, gently nibbling at warm, pert breasts as she kissed her way towards her target. She pushed Helen’s thighs further apart and settled her body between them. With her thumbs, she separated Helen’s outer lips, exposing her hot centre.

  The break in contact must have made Helen come to her senses. She started to sit up.

  “We… I—”

  She took Helen’s clit into her mouth

  “Oh, fuck!” Helen collapsed back onto the bed.

  She moaned her approval at Helen’s expletive as she continued to swirl her tongue around the hardening nub. A cool hand made its way into her hair as Helen thrust herself forward, encouraging her to press harder. A flood of juices met her lips as Helen’s gasps and groans continued to fill her ears.

  Helen’s back arched off the bed with a final thrust as she came. She went with the movement, holding on to drain every last drop of pleasure from her before easing off, allowing her to catch her breath.

  She gently kissed her way along Helen’s thighs, across her stomach, sending Helen into a lethargic state of torpor. Realising Helen had drifted off, she stealthily climbed out of bed, covering up Helen before tiptoeing to the bathroom for a quick shower. Helen continued to doze.

  “I’ll see you at work,” she whispered before depositing a final kiss on Helen’s lips. She chuckled to herself at the thought of being the first to arrive at work, regardless of her slightly underhand approach.

  Chapter 19

  The office was almost empty when she got there. Great! Hardly any witnesses to even see her arrive before Helen. Settling at her desk, she found the file from the crime scene techs that Helen had left for her. Sipping her customary morning cup of tea, she read through the file. The paint residue found on the trolley was in the process of being tracked down to a manufacturer. So far, all they could say was that it was silver. Turning to the list of contents that had been found in Sandy’s trolley, her eyes stopped halfway down.

  KPG 17: Photograph—Figures seated around a table, unnamed, blank on back.

  KPG 18: Photograph—Unnamed male and female, blank on back.

  Evidence of Sandy’s fancy woman, maybe? She flipped through the rest of the file. Unfortunately, copies weren’t included. She needed to get a look at them to confirm who Sandy’s last lover had been. Last love. All in all, Sandy had had a pretty sad life. She imagined him feeling unfulfilled in his professional life, and having to run away from a fraud investigation resulting in disconte
nt in his personal life too.

  She knew she was projecting her own feelings on the case. She didn’t even know Sandy, but she did know what it felt like to be discontented with parts of her life.

  There was a photograph of the scene of the incident and the location of where Sandy’s trolley had been found in relation to the road. Someone had thrown it a distance, down a banking, away from the road, no doubt hoping it wouldn’t be found. They had gone to such lengths to hide the body, but not his belongings. Why? Panic, maybe? If so, it was the first sign of that.

  After her conversation with Helen the other day, the lack of skid marks stood out to her like a beacon. Did it show intent? Maybe Rutland Lane wasn’t the location where Sandy had met his end, just where his stuff had been dumped. She picked up a pen to made a note to ask Helen about it when she arrived. Her head filled with the image of Helen lying back on the bed, her dressing gown in disarray as she wrote the note.

  Looking through more photos, she saw that a small piece of silver plastic had been recovered from the right-hand side of the road. According to Forensics, it was possibly from a lower bumper, or skirt, from a vehicle.

  The lack of skid marks still bothered her. Had the driver been so intent on hitting Sandy that there had been no shock factor as they had knocked him for six? Maybe it wasn’t premeditated, but it surely showed intent.

  The sharp sound of the swinging blind on Helen’s office door across the hall drew her attention from the paperwork. Getting up, she quickly made Helen a cup of tea as a peace offering.

  Tentatively knocking at her half-open door, she could see that Helen was already on the phone. As she placed the tea within her reach and backed away, she spotted the raised eyebrow and pursed lips aimed in her direction.

  Helen placed her hand over the mouthpiece as she looked at her. “Don’t run off,” she said, keeping her voice low.