Steamy Sisters (Steamy Springs)

by Jennifer Kitt

  “Where the hell’s the guard?” asked Richard.

  “I don’t know,” replied Katherine. “ But I’ve got an uneasy feeling about this. My panties are on the desk over there.”

  “What?”

  “Somebody put my panties on the desktop. And they’re soaked with brandy.”

  “Brandy?”

  “Yeah. There’s something wrong here. I think we should leave. Get back to town.”

  “You think?”

  “It’s for the best,” said Katherine. “Maybe it’s something and nothing. But this, and the mirror. I don’t know!”

  “The weather’s pretty bad outside. We could always put in a call to the sheriff’s office. You know him, don’t you?”

  “He’s an old family friend,” said Katherine, searching for the phone. “He’s been sheriff of Steamy Springs for years.” The phone was upside down on the floor by the side of the desk. She picked it up and dialled. Nothing. She tried again. Still nothing. There was no dialling tone. The connection was dead.

  Richard got up from the chair and followed the phone cable to the wall. It was plugged in. “Looks okay. Maybe it’s the snowstorm. He peered out of small window. It was dark, but he could see that it was still snowing heavily.

  “Do you have your cell?” asked Katherine.

  “I left it with my work stuff, in the lounge. Yours?”

  “Same.”

  “Right. Let’s go and try the cells. If we still can’t get hold of anyone, we’ll try and get back to town. Sound okay?”

  “Yeah. Sounds good.”

  “We’ll have to take your SUV. I don’t think my Porsche is going to make it in this weather.”

  “We should be okay. I’ve got snow tyres,” said Katherine. “Even if we can’t get to the town, we can make it to the the next hotel down. The Mountain Inn’s only about a half mile away.”

  “Okay,” said Richard, taking hold of Katherine’s hand, leading them to the lounge.

  As they left the guard’s office, Katherine glanced at the video monitors. “Oh my God!”

  “What is it?”

  She pointed towards the screen “One of the cameras is focused right on the kitchen table.”

  “Shit,” said Richard, “He saw everything.”

  They ran into the lounge and went straight over to the sofa, looking for their cellphones. They were missing. “I’m sure it was just here, on top of these papers,” said Katherine

  “Mine as well,” said Richard.

  “Maybe we can…” She stopped in mid sentence as the lights went out, and the double doors of the lounge slammed shut.

  “Looking for these, are you?” said a voice from by the door,

  They could see somebody standing in the semi-darkness about twenty feet away. His body barely visible in the firelight, his face obscured by shadow. He was holding something up for them to see.

  “Who are you?” said Richard.

  “Shut the fuck up, builder-boy.”

  “Is that you, TJ?” said Katherine, standing close to Richard.

  “You know its me, sugar. Who’d you think it was?”

  “What are you doing, TJ?”

  “I’ve come to claim what’s mine.”

  “Put the light back on and give me the cell,” said Richard.

  “I don’t think so,” said TJ Squires, throwing the phones into the corner of the room. “I may not have your college education, but don’t take me for some stupid fucker. Got that?”

  He moved closer to them, and they could finally see him.

  “What the fuck are you up to?” said Richard, in two minds as whether to try and hit the guy.

  “Richard. No,” shouted Katherine, spotting the glint of metal in one of his hands. “He’s got something. A knife.”

  TJ Squires held up the large cleaver and swiped it through the air, backwards and forwards. Making a hissing sound through his teeth. He laughed. “Still feeling brave, builder-boy?”

  Richard backed away at the sight of the cleaver. It would take his hand off if he tried to wrestle it from him.

  “Why are you doing this, TJ?” said Katherine, trying to reason with him.

  “You should know, honey.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Think.”

  “I have no idea.”

  “You just fucked this asshole. Not just once. Three times,” shouted TJ Squires. “You fucking betrayed me.”

  “What?”

  “You belong to me, bitch.”

  “You’re deranged,” said Richard. “She barely knows your name.”

  “She’ll know me soon enough.”

  “Don’t do anything stupid, TJ,” said Richard, trying to calm him down.

  “Fuck you,” said TJ Squires, and he lunged at Richard with the cleaver.

  Katherine screamed as Richard dived to one side and on to the floor, narrowly avoiding the blade hacking into his arm. Katherine backed away behind the sofa, trembling.

  Richard tried to get to his feet, but wasn’t quick enough. TJ Squires was looming over him with the cleaver. Richard edged backwards along the floor, trying to escape this madman.

  TJ Squires looked at the bloody towel around Richard’s foot and kicked it. “Not the only blood you’re gonna spill tonight.”

  “For fuck’s sake. Why are you doing this?” shouted Richard.

  “Didn’t I make myself clear?” said TJ Squires. “You messed with my woman. And now I’m gonna remove the offending piece of your body.”

  Richard’s eyes filled with fear, and a cold sweat formed on his brow.

  “That’s right, builder-boy. Maybe I’ll slice it off ,” said TJ Squires, running his finger along the cleaver’s blade. “Then I’ll fry it on the fire there, and she’s gonna fucking swallow it whole, since she likes the fucking taste of it so much.” He pointed the cleaver at Katherine.

  Katherine held herself tight, trying to control her trembling

  Richard managed to scramble to his feet, but was now backed into a corner. He picked up a chair and held it in front of him. TJ Squires took a swipe at the chair, and cut one of the wooden legs clean off. The cleaver was razor sharp. If it could do that to wood, bone and flesh was not going to be a problem. Richard couldn’t see a way out. Desperately, he threw the chair at TJ, but he deflected it away with just a shrug of his powerful shoulders.

  TJ Squires had the architect cornered like a hunted fox. Now he was going to rip him apart, before burying him in the foundations.

  Richard was defenceless. Whatever he did, he’d get some part of himself sliced open. There was no hiding from the cleaver.

  TJ Squires took one final look at Richard’s eyes, wanting to see the fear. He lifted the cleaver high in the air, preparing to swing it down on Richard’s head. He pivoted his torso so as to put the maximum amount of force into his blow, and his arm began its downward swipe. He then let out a dreadful scream.

  Katherine smashed the red-hot iron poker into the side of TJ Squires’ head. The force of the blow knocked him sideways, and his swipe at Richard missed, embedding the cleaver deep in his own thigh. There was a cracking of bone and sinew, and blood spurted out and around the room. TJ Squires squealed like a wounded animal.

  Katherine hit him a second time. Straight in the face. The heat of the poker searing his flesh, the strength of the strike, cracking his face open. TJ Squires slumped backwards and crashed to the floor. He was out cold.

  Richard and Katherine didn’t want to wait around and see if he was dead or not. They picked up their cell phones, found the car keys, and bolted for the door. They jumped into the SUV, Richard driving, Katherine making a call to the Sheriff’s office.

  The snow was still heavy, but the SUV handled well. Richard was used to driving in the mountains in winter. Ten minutes later they were at The Mountain Inn, relieved to see the place alive with people. They were welcomed by the staff, who Katherine knew, and were ushered quickly into a private lounge.

&
nbsp; Twenty minutes later one of the Sheriff’s Deputies arrived to talk to them, explaining that another four officers, including the Sheriff himself, had gone up to The Spa in the Clouds.

  They sat together on a sofa, both feeling lucky to be alive. Richard put his arm around her and she put her head on his chest. All they could do now was wait.

  Chapter Six

  TJ Squires lay on the bed in his cell at the State Penitentiary. After attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon , and violation of his parole, he wouldn’t be going anywhere, anytime soon.

  He didn’t remember much about the night he was arrested at the hotel. He’d woken up hours later in a cell at the county jail, with his thigh bandaged up, a broken nose and cheekbones, five missing teeth, a ten inch diagonal burn across his face, and the mother of all headaches. He was still getting the headaches now.

  He was probably looking at twenty years, every day of it on twenty-three hour lockdown. He cursed that bitch of a boss and her asshole boyfriend, and he vowed that one day he’d get his revenge.

  “I declare The Spa in the Clouds officially open,” said Katherine Chase, cutting the ribbon in front of her. The assembled guests clapped and cheered, eager to look around the new hotel.

  Robert Chase put his arm around Katherine. “Well done, Kate. I always knew you’d pull it off.”

  “Thanks Daddy. Do you like it?”

  “It’s great. A fantastic addition to the family empire.”

  “I hope it will be,” said Katherine. “Me and Richard are really going to try and make this the place to be.”

  “Don’t go putting my other hotels out of business,” said Robert, laughing.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” said Richard. “And talking of other properties, I hear you’re planning building some luxury lodges on the other side of town.”

  “Could be.”

  “Need an architect?”

  “You offering?”

  “Well, I’m gonna be around here quite a bit from now on,” said Richard. “I’ll need something to keep me busy.”

  “ You’re moving your office from Tahoe?”

  “That’s the plan,” said Richard, looking at Katherine. “Now that I’ve got a reason for staying in Steamy Springs.”

  “Let’s talk about it next week,” said Robert Chase, seeing an old friend over the other side of the room “You two enjoy your party. The real hard work starts tomorrow.”

  Katherine locked arms with Richard. “Well, we did it. Finally.”

  “You did it,” said Richard. “It was your project.”

  “Couldn’t have done it without you, though.”

  “We make a good team, huh?”

  “Yeah, I think we make a pretty good team,” said Katherine. “And not just at work, either.”

  Unlawful Entry

  Chapter One

  Jessica Chase left the small boutique clutching a bag containing her purchase, and made her way back to her Jeep. As she was crossing the road she heard a voice call out to her.

  “Hey Jessica. You been buying something to surprise me with?” said a man, leaning out of the window of a Chevy Tahoe.

  Jessica turned quickly to see who it was, her long blonde hair swishing through the air and falling around her shoulders. Her eyes settled on the Chevy and its driver, sunglasses covering his eyes. Who was it? She wasn’t sure.

  He lifted up the dark shades and smiled. “Recognize me now?”

  “Caleb?”

  He nodded.

  Jessica hurried over to to the SUV, slightly bemused that she was feeling excited to see him. “Caleb. Is that you? I haven’t seen you in…what…two years?”

  “Been a while, Jess,” he said. “Too long.”

  “What are you doing? Did you leave the Sheriff’s Department?” she said, gesturing at the blue Chevy he was driving.

  “No. Still there.”

  “You on your day off?”

  “No. I’m working right now.”

  “Last time I saw you , you were driving a black and white.”

  “Yeah,” said Caleb. “That was back when I was on Patrol. I just made Detective. About three months ago.”

  “Congratulations,” said Jessica. “So. Are you on a stakeout or something?”

  “Nah, I was just passing, when I saw you go in the store.”

  “You don’t miss much. Guess that’s why you made Detective so quickly,” said Jessica, looking back at the lingerie boutique she had just come out of.

  Caleb laughed. “You know all the residents know each other’s business in Steamy Springs.”

  “You’re right. Sometimes I think I should stay in LA.”

  “Can’t keep away though, huh?”

  “Guess it’s in the blood.”

  “Well, your family do own just about everything in the town.”

  “Not everything,” replied Jessica. “Just some of it.”

  “Most of it.”

  “Okay. Most of it,” said Jessica, letting the shopping bag twirl around her suntanned legs.

  Caleb nodded. “You must have finished college by now. You coming back home? Or staying out in California?”

  “I don’t know. Haven’t made up my mind yet. I’m just back for the summer,” she said. “ Maybe I’ll stay. Depends.”

  “Depends on what?”

  “You’ve sure become nosy since you made Detective,” said Jessica. “You weren’t this chatty with me when we were at high school. Or when you were Patrol Officer Blake.”

  “Yeah. It’s difficult to switch off,” said Caleb. “This job’s all about asking questions.”

  Jessica looked at his bare forearm resting on the window frame, shirt sleeves rolled to the elbow. He looked like he was still in good shape. And tanned. “So what assignment are you on at the moment then? Apart from watching women entering and leaving lingerie stores. The Sheriff’s department widened it’s remit has it?”

  “You know we’re interested in anything and everything that goes on,” said Caleb, “You never know. There could be a theft from that store some day. I’ve gotta know my patch.”

  “I can assure you, I didn’t steal this,” said Jessica, one hand on her hip, and her other outstretched arm holding the bag, the handles resting on her upturned palm.

  “I believe you,” said Caleb. “But I might have to examine the contents of the bag.”

  “I don’t think so, Detective Blake,” said Jessica, trying to sound offended, but finding it hard to suppress a laugh. “Some things are private.”

  “Caleb nodded. “Lucky guy.”

  “Who?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Women do buy these thing for themselves, you know. It’s not just for the benefit of some guy.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Whatever?”

  “Yeah. Whatever you say,” said Caleb. “But I’ve been past that shop plenty of times. I’ve seen the kind of stuff they’ve got in the windows. Exotic. Who knows what else they’ve got inside. Maybe the Sheriff’s Department could source their handcuffs from there.”

  “It’s not that kind of store. Just sexy lingerie and clothes That type of thing. Cute stuff.”

  “Cute stuff! As I said, lucky guy.”

  “Okay. I think we better end this conversation here and now,” said Jessica, glancing at her watch. “I’ve got an appointment.”

  “That’s too bad. Maybe we can continue this some other time.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.” said Jessica “I’m free for most of the holidays.”

  “Okay. I’ll work something out.” Said Caleb, grimacing slightly. “I’m a bit busy with work at the moment, especially with the Economic Forum on. There was another break-in last night.”

  “Where?”

  “Some banker’s lodge. On the edge of town. Must be worth millions.”

  “Same as last year, huh?”

  “Yep,” said Caleb, straightening his tie. “With all the big shots in town this week, the Sheriff’s cancelled virtua
lly all leave.

  “You on the case?”

  “Uh-huh. I guess it’s my chance to show the Sheriff he made the right decision making me Detective.”

  Jessica nodded. “Any leads?”

  “Not as yet. We’re keeping an open mind on whether last years burglaries are related to last night’s”

  “Could be the same guy. It was during the Forum last year as well, wasn’t it.”

  “Yeah. When all the rich Wall Street types are here.”

  “And their wives, with their million dollar jewellery.”

  “Rich pickings.”

  “I remember daddy talking about it last year. He was worried it might damage the tourist trade in town.”

  “The Sheriff’s going to be meeting with your father later. Tell him to beef up the security at his hotels.”

  “He’s out of town at the moment. But I heard a whole load of delegates checked in at the Rocky Mountain Lodge yesterday,” said Jessica. “My sister’s new hotel’s got a few VIPs staying too.”

  “The Spa in the Clouds?”

  “Yeah. They’ve only been open three months. Last thing they need is any trouble.”

  “Especially, after that crazy security guard with the meat cleaver they had there,” said Caleb, stroking the light stubble on his face. “Your sister sure gave him a beating with that fire poker. Don’t mess with the Chase women, huh?”

  “That’s right,” said Jessica. “We can look after ourselves if we have to.”

  “I never doubted it,” said Caleb, looking Jessica up and down. She really was a beautiful girl. He’d been in love with her since their school days. Every guy had. He was a year older than her, and one thing or another had always stopped him asking her out on a date. If he was honest, he’d been a little intimidated by her. By all the Chase girls, in fact. They were the four most stunning sisters you were ever likely to meet. And their old man was the multi-millionaire who damn near owned most of the resort. Steamy Springs should have been named Chaseville. The family had built the town from nothing. And now it was up there competing with Aspen for the swishest resort in the Rockies title. For all their money, though, they were a down-to-earth family. There’d been no private education for the girls. Old man Chase still drove around in an old Ford. They didn’t demand any special treatment. Respected the independence of the Sheriff’s Department. But, they were super-rich, nevertheless. Most folks were intimidated by that kind of money. The Chase’s could definitely look after themselves. Caleb just wished that one day he’d get the chance to look after Jessica. Also, no other girl could fire him up the way she could. Just the sway of her hips or a fleeting glance from her blue eyes was enough to do it. She was walking viagra. A steroid shot to his cock. She was so hot, she should be on prescription. Caleb’s mind was now miles away, dreaming about removing that pretty little summer dress she had on.