With that, the grieving Mrs. Kelsey appeared in the elevator doorway. There was nowhere for her to go.
“Mrs. Kelsey, I’m so sorry. There was no way I could warn you about the visitors.”
“It’s fine, Randall,” raising her hand to stop him from saying anything else.
“Mrs. Kelsey, we are so sorry for your loss,” said one of the patrolmen. “We have been trying to find you. The Medical Center said you never arrived. What happened?”
“Never mind, officer.” she said abruptly. “Please take me to the Cromwell Police Department. I need to talk to Detective Clayton.”
One of the officers turned as they were leaving the hotel and said to the clerk, “We’ll deal with you later.”
Once back at the precinct, Teresa was greeted with condolences on her husband’s death by most of the department. All except for the two people heading up the case.
“Right this way,” Lake said, as he led her to an interrogation room. “My partner and I would like to ask you a few questions.”
“Do I need a lawyer?” she snarled.
“I don’t know, Mrs. Kelsey. Do you?”
“You are not under arrest and may leave at any time,” Reese interjected respectfully. “We just want to ask you a few questions about your husband’s death. Is that all right with you?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know much. I panicked when I saw him on the floor like that. I was scared there might have been someone still in the house. I called the police. I was hysterical. Allen came just after the rest of the emergency response team arrived. He took me out of the house. That’s really all I remember. I didn’t see anyone or hear anyone. When can I see Martin?”
Ignoring her well-rehearsed statement, Lake asked, ‘Why didn’t you go to the hospital with the paramedics? Better yet, why didn’t they take you to the hospital in the first place?”
“Because I asked them to take me to my hotel where I could rest without people hanging over the top of me asking me all kinds of stupid questions. I needed to think how I was going to handle an onslaught of reporters and still plan my Martin’s funeral.”
“Your hotel?” Detectives Lake and Clayton asked in unison.
“Yes, the Strasburg Hotel is mine. Is that so damn hard to believe?!”
“No. We just never knew you were the owner Mrs. Kelsey,” Reese gently patted her hand to comfort her.
“Did your husband know Adam Chandler?” Reese continued.
“I know my husband was fooling around on me. We were hoping to work through it all. I also know his wandering eye led him to the Chandler house quite frequently. Adam Chandler seemed to know who would pay for the women he provided. I think he was running a brothel. I think he was paying women off the streets to service men at his home. Not that he had to pay. Adam was a very attractive man. Suppose he could get anyone. He might have had something to do with all of this. Do you think you should talk to him? I know my husband would frequent his home, or whorehouse, as I call it. I want to see Martin now.”
“We are so sorry,” Lake said. “But the medical examiner is not finished with the autopsy and we need to find the cause of death.”
“Cause of death?” Teresa said exasperated. “Detective Lake, are you sure you know what you are doing? Could it possibly be the 10-inch butcher knife that was stuck in his heart? Idiot!”
“Mrs. Kelsey, please be civil,” Clayton admonished. “We are all trying to be patient with you. Detective Lake does know what he is doing and that, Mrs. Kelsey, is trying to find the person or persons that murdered your husband. Now let’s try to get through this mess.”
“Bullshit!” Emerson bellowed. “Teresa you are a pain in the ass…my ass to be exact! This can go either way. You can help us or we can throw your snooty butt in a cell until you can learn a little respect. Got it?!”
She put her head down for a brief second and apologized. All while thinking to herself, he is going to be a problem.
“We have more questions to ask you,” Clayton said. “Would you like a cup of coffee or a drink of water before we begin?”
“Thank you,” she smiled at Reese. “That would be nice.” She glared at detective Lake. Not that he cared.
Clayton had an officer bring in a cup of coffee for Teresa. She took a long sip and winced at its bitter taste.
“Now, are you comfy?” Lake was tired of her nonsense.
“I’m just fine detective. Ask away.”
“Where were you before you found your husband on the floor?”
“You know? I believe I will wait to answer any of your questions. That is until I have my attorney sitting by my side. I would like to go back to my hotel. You know. The one that I own.”
Lake sneered at her. “You are free to go. We will be in touch again soon. You and your lawyer.”
On the way out of the precinct, Teresa looked back and said to them both, “I expect to see my husband by morning.”
She walked out the door, thinking to herself. Did they really believe I would fall for that good cop bad cop thing?
Chapter 19
Kei Lien, very weak now from hunger and plain old exhaustion, went to the old barn where she was supposed to meet Daniel. It was getting closer to daylight and she knew she had to find shelter.
She found the bag of food that Daniel had left. At least she hoped it was Daniel. Cheese and crackers tasted fresh enough. Although she wasn’t sure about the juice, she figured what could it hurt. The sugar made her feel more alive and yet ready for sleep. She climbed into the loft and covered part of her body with the old hay that remained there after the barn was abandoned. Sleep came quickly.
Dreams and nightmares rolled into one. Fears of someone lurking over her…touching her…entering her…causing her pain. Pain inside her tortured body and pain in her heart. She jumped out of her sleep screaming, “I’m sorry!”
“I’m right here. No one will ever hurt you again. I promise.” Standing over her was a man in a Santa Claus suit. Could this be real she thought or was this part of her nightmare? She scrambled to her feet and began to run to the end of the loft. She stopped at the edge, turned around, and he was gone.
Chapter 20
Daniel went back to the barn to see if Kei Lien had been there the night before. He found the empty container of orange juice and the insulated bag had only wrappings from the cheese. She had been there. Now angry with himself for not staying longer, he hit the barn door with his fist. He heard rustling of the hay above in the loft. He climbed the ladder slowly to see who, or what, made the noise. He yelled, “Who the hell is in here?”
An old drunk rolled out of the hay scaring Daniel causing him to nearly fall off the ladder.
“I’m looking for a friend of mine. I was supposed to meet her here.”
“No one here but me.” the drunk muttered, falling back into the hay with a thud.
Daniel left not knowing if it was the drunk or Kei Lien that ate the food.
Chapter 21
After Kei Lien got her bearings, she decided it wasn’t safe to return to the barn alone and headed out to find Daniel. She found the walk back was a bit more calming to her soul. She remained hidden as best she could, but enjoyed the sounds of the squirrels rustling around, watching the birds soaring from tree to tree and the fresh smell of the earth.
She finally made it back to the neighborhood, but the problem was she couldn’t remember which house she had gone to the night before. She had been so frightened she had not even paid attention. It was sheer luck she even ended up at Daniel’s house. She began sneaking through the backyards of the houses on her street. Trying to avoid being seen, she crawled through shrubs, bushes and trees leaving scratches on her arms. Eventually, she ended up in her own backyard and saw all the police cars. She was sick to her stomach and feared they would see her. Yellow tape surrounded the home. The home she was brought up
in and often prayed she would find a way out of. Staying out of sight, she slipped back into the prickly bushes and continued her search for the house where Daniel lived. Not easy from the backyards. She came upon a back porch a few houses from her own. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Daniel sitting in a rocking chair, drinking something out of a mug.
Daniel saw her immediately through the rustling of the bushes. “Kei Lien,” he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Stop. I’ll come to you.” He checked to see if his father was near and then jumped off the porch without touching a step. He climbed into the shrubs not really knowing what to expect.
Kei Lien was shaking with fear not understanding what was happening all around her. The fear of not knowing what would become of her now. Who would take care of her? She was scared of what her father would do to her this time if he found her. The last time she ran away, she came back only because of what she had seen and her father punished her for making up such stories. He took a belt to her bottom and that aroused him. Once again, he had his way with her. She was now afraid that Daniel might want to hurt her too.
“What happened to you yesterday? Why didn’t you come to the barn?”
“I did go to the barn, but it was late and you weren’t there.” Hanging her head low she told Daniel, “I was late because after you left, I made my father dinner and expected him to go right to sleep. But he came to my room instead and made me do the bad things to him. I can’t remember. I don’t want to remember anymore Daniel, I don’t. I heard a lot of voices and knew I couldn’t take one more Santa gift. So, I ran to my bedroom and crawled out through my window. I started running. I was trying to be really quiet, but I was crying. My legs hurt all over. I didn’t know where I was, so I just ran up to a house and started knocking on the door and ringing the bell. I don’t remember too much after that until a man in white tried to pull up my dress. I kicked him hard and was able to run away. I kept running. When I went to the barn, you weren’t there.”
“Did you find the bag of food I left for you?”
“I found a bag with some orange juice and some other stuff. I had hoped you left it for me. Thank you. I ate and then was so tired I fell asleep in the hay. I’ve been hiding ever since.” She was crying again.
Daniel took a step forward to comfort her, but thought she might run again. “I know a place you can go until we figure this out together. It’s not real nice yet, but I’m sure we can fix it enough for you to be safe for now. It’s an old run-down cabin about three miles into the woods. I’m going to try to make it a nice home again someday. If I bring some stuff from here, I’m sure you will be safe.” He knew the cabin wasn’t ready to live in. He just wanted her out of the mess where her father had been found dead.
“I think I know that place. I don’t know how I remember it. I almost went there last night to hide, but I was so hungry and tired I didn’t think I could make it that far.”
Daniel found it odd that she would know about the cabin, but decided not to question her. “You must be hungry again by now. Stay behind the shrubs while I get some food for you. Okay?”
She nodded her head yes, all the while wondering if Daniel was safe to tell things to. Would he call the police? Would he really bring her food? Would he help her? Would he tell anyone what he saw and heard through her open window? She took the chance and waited for him to return.
Chapter 22
“Daniel, what the hell are you doing? What’s all that for? I probably shouldn’t even ask, but I will anyway. Who and what are you hiding?”
“Please, just trust that I know what I am doing, Dad. Probably for the first time in my life. I promise I will replace everything I take from here when I go to the store. I just can’t go right now. Okay?”
“Just tell me. Is she all right?”
“She will be.”
“You do know that the detectives aren’t accusing her of anything, that I’m aware of, and just want to make sure she is Mr. Chandler’s daughter? They, like myself, are worried about her physical and mental state. Does she even know that he’s dead?”
Daniel didn’t know how to respond to that question. He wasn’t so sure if she wasn’t the one that killed him. And if she did, did he want to know?
“I have to go. Love you.”
“Be careful son. I love you, too.”
Daniel left through the back door with all that he could carry for now. He was pleasantly surprised to find Kei Lien still hiding in the bushes.
“Ready? We need to get some food and water into you before we take that hike into the woods.”
Chapter 23
Chief Medical Examiner Sara Hunter and Bill Oosterhout finished the autopsies on Adam Chandler and Sergeant Kelsey. The findings were so different from anything that they had ever seen. The results were more of a guess than a conclusion. It was either the result of the knife wound to the heart or the hole in the brain. It was hard to say which one was the fatal blow. Either could be lethal, both combined definitely were. It appeared that both murders occurred within a very short period between the two locations. The only thing different between the two bodies was what they found in Chandler’s brain. A dog tag with one word Santa.
“Do you think the lab has anything that would change our findings?” Bill asked.
“I’m hoping for a miracle, but I highly doubt there will be any other evidence to verify which came first, the chicken or the egg. Or, in this case, the brain or the knife. Put them away for the night. I’m ready for a hot bath and a cold glass of wine. Then, maybe sleep. I wish there was a better answer to all of this. It will be dreadful to tell the relatives.”
“The police and the press won’t be happy either. One for the books. I’m going to start with a cold beer and then a shower. If I take a bath I may drown. See you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
Chapter 24
“We need some sort of diversion, Boss.”
“I know. Who do we know that would be able to make up a story about an unsolved third murder?”
“I can do that,” offered the third person in the room. “I can even get a body for you.”
“Really? And just which cemetery do we dig up to get one?” the Boss asked sarcastically.
“We don’t need a cemetery. I know a place where there are a few buried bodies. Shallow graves. Easy to get to.”
“Okay,” pausing for a moment, “if you say so. Now, where do we stage these bodies and how many are there?”
“Six,” he grinned, allowing drool to run down his bottom lip.
“Stage? Stage! That’s it, Boss!” exclaimed his cohort. “What about the Bradford Theatre? Talk about an encore performance.”
“Yes! We could display them as a family wrapped in Christmas paper on stage in front of a fireplace prop. How do you know you can get six bodies?”
“I know because I put them there.”
“So, you’re sure you can find them?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, let’s get those lame brained detectives in such a tither that they will be running around like chickens with their heads cut off.”
Chapter 25
“I need a drink.”
Clayton knew that meant Lake was looking for company for the evening. It was their secret code.
When Emerson reached Reese’s apartment in the park district of Cromwell, he did the traditional, you know who knock at the door. Reese still looked through the peephole anyway. Force of habit. She opened the door. He grabbed her around her waist while kicking the door shut with his foot. His mouth was planted on hers in a split second. He walked her to the bedroom never once removing his arm from around her waist. Once there he said to her, “Is this all right with you?”
“Absolutely detective. And by the way, hello, come on in.”
Emerson gave her a quick grin and proceeded to remove her T-shirt. And with one f
lick of his fingers, her lace bra was now on the floor. He grabbed her breast and rubbed her nipples until they were hard, the feeling made her rise on her toes and lean in for more. He kissed her neck and bit a little on her ears at the same time. She began to unbutton his starched white shirt and loosened his tie enough to pull it over his head. He then unzipped his suit pants and let them fall to the floor. His boxers were next.
Reese was kicking off her sandals when Emerson reached inside her jeans to feel the warm and moist spot, he called his happy place. He then inserted his finger as she moaned for more. He removed her pants with one hand. Her lace panties with the other, while she searched between his legs for what she wanted. He then picked her up and positioned her on the bed. He got on top of her and entered his happy place, moving in and out of her carefully while she almost demanded for him to go deeper and harder. But he wasn’t ready for her to finish yet. He removed his penis and grabbed on to her nipples. Nibbling on them, then kissing her from her beautiful neck down to her even more beautiful thighs, lingering between them for quite some time. Reese was about ready to explode when he finally re-entered her with absolute need and desire. This time he took long and hard strokes to make them both moan and finish together.
No words were spoken during this passionate meeting of bodies. Reese wanted to say I love you, but knew there wouldn’t be a return word of affection. Because of their careers. At least she hoped that was the reason. They stayed attached to each other until he softened and then rolled off her. Exhausted. Reese got into the shower while he slept. She was just about to get out when the shower door opened.
“I need to shower, too,” he said with a mischievous wink.
“I thought you were asleep.”
He then rubbed the bar of soap on her wet body and then on himself. He then picked her up, wrapped her legs around his waist and positioned her near his once again aroused manhood.
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