Aries

by WL Knightly

  “You think the person got dumped here?” He started walking, and Darek hung back a little to let him lead. Max did the same.

  “We’re just covering all bases, but you finding shoes down here, doesn’t that seem a little odd?”

  “We find all kinds of things down here.”

  Darek could imagine and figured if Finn had been dumped, perhaps his luggage had too. The car was empty, and his girlfriend said he’d checked out of the hotel in her original statement.

  The man took them to the edge of the water and pointed down where concrete had broken away, leaving an exposed drainage pipe. “They were hanging there. I had to get my umbrella and pull them up, but I got them. They almost fit and everything.”

  While Max wandered away, checking along the edge, Darek offered the man his hand which he took with widened eyes. “I tell you what. I’ll get you a new pair to replace these. I’ll even bring them out here myself. But you keep an eye out, okay?”

  “Thank you, sir. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” He turned and headed back to his tent while Darek joined Max.

  Before he got to the other side of the crates that were stacked up and near an old shipping container, Max called out to him.

  “Darek! I think I’ve got something!”

  Darek hurried over and sure enough, down in the water where some ropes and old pulleys were hanging, a hand was visible. Somehow in the movement of the water, the person had gotten caught up in the tangled debris.

  “Call the boys. Get them down here.” He looked below the surface of the water to see a ghostly pale image just beneath the surface.

  Max made the call, but Darek couldn’t wait to find out, he grabbed hold of the ropes and pulled the tangled mess up until Finn’s face was just below the surface; a gunshot wound on his head. “It’s our guy.” He turned and looked over his shoulder at the men on the dock. “Round them up for more questioning. They had to have seen something they’re not talking about. And get the one with the shoes. I don’t trust that he didn’t know about the dump.”

  11

  Seth

  Keeping two women happy was a chore, and he was damned tired of trying to please everyone. Kari had gotten up from the dinner table in a snit when Gretta called about another event and locked Seth out of the bedroom. As he lay on the couch, fairly certain he was going to have to choose his battles and make that his bed for the night, his phone rang.

  Bay had the worst timing.

  “I was just about to call you,” Seth lied.

  “Yeah, I wondered if you had a price for me yet? It’s not like you to drag your feet, especially when it concerns you making money.”

  “I’ve decided that I can’t possibly let it go for less than five hundred grand.”

  “Are you out of your mind? I’m not paying you that.” Bay’s voice cracked.

  “Well, as it turns out, our friend Alan owes back rent on his lease. I could cut him completely out of the deal, but I’m trying to be fair about this.” Seth didn’t really care about being fair, and he laughed knowing that Bay was going to be pissed.

  “That doesn’t sound too fair. It sounds like you’re trying to test the waters. I have news for you. I’m not new to this game.”

  “Well, if you want the property, it’s what you’ll pay. And I think that since this was your idea, you must want the property bad.” Seth sat up on the couch and got to his feet to pace the floor.

  “It’s cute that you want to play hardball with me, Seth. But I’d think long and hard about it. You know, long and hard as your cock was down Finn’s throat.”

  Seth stood still, his back stiffening. “Very funny.”

  “I’m not laughing. And strangely enough, neither are you. I think you need to consider who you’re dealing with before you do something you’ll regret.”

  “I don’t know what you think you know, but you are way off base. Finn and I shared my wife, that’s true, but that’s all that happened. You might consider your own reputation.”

  “My reputation will survive, but your political career won’t. Even speculation can damage that. It’s so fragile. Especially before it even has a chance to blossom. I’ll cut you off at the knees.” Bay’s voice was menacing enough that Seth knew he meant business. In his mind, he could see that pale-haired boy in the moonlight, the one who had something on him.

  “Stop being absurd.”

  “Look, I’m not trying to steal your fucking land, Seth, but I do expect a fair deal. I suggest that you go back to the drawing board, and I’ll call you back later when you are in your right fucking mind.” The phone went dead, and Seth threw it on the couch.

  “Asshole!” Finn had run his mouth, and that wouldn’t do. He was going to have to call him up and give him a piece of his mind.

  He dialed Finn’s number, but he still wouldn’t answer. He wondered why he would rat him out this way. Seth vowed to make both men pay. If Gretta found out, he could lose her. She wasn’t likely to want to help him in his campaign, much less fuck him again, and he needed her in his life. He suddenly realized what he had to lose. All of his dreams, all of his aspirations, they could be down the tube if anyone wanted to run their mouth. Reputation wasn’t everything to some.

  He thought of Finn on his knees and wondered if he had done the same thing for Bay all these years. It was just like that motherfucker to be one step ahead and needing to have what he had. They’d been playing that game for years now, and he was sick of it. It wasn’t like he was jealous of Finn. It wasn’t like there were any emotions involved. He just liked sex, and that was all there was to it. He also liked to dominate other men, which had always been a huge turn on, but it was obvious he was going to have to clean up his act, and that was where Gretta came in.

  She was one secret he could keep. His best interest was hers as well. And if she learned anything from Finn running his mouth, Gretta was safer for his reputation, especially since she was so vested. The rest of his games were going to have to stop, though.

  He was hard thinking about her, and only she would do for the moment.

  He went to the bedroom door and knocked. “Let me in, Kari Lynn!” He prepared himself for a fight and wondered if he was going to have to try and pick the lock or beat the damned thing down, but he’d get in there somehow. He needed his keys off the dresser, as well as his wallet, and he couldn’t get to Gretta fast enough.

  Her footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and then he heard the lock on the knob rattle. He turned the knob and sure enough, it opened for him. “I see you’ve come to your senses. It’s not a good idea to lock me out, darling.”

  “I want to call Jasmine and play.” She lifted her chin defiantly.

  “Too bad. I’m going out.” He didn’t really care what she thought about him leaving or if she knew where he was going, but her games were going to have to end soon enough. They needed to keep things squeaky clean.

  “You’re going out now?” She folded her arms. “So what? I still want Jasmine to come over with or without you.”

  She really thought she was showing him, but he still had the upper hand. “We’re going to have to talk about some of our arrangements, I’m afraid. The people we let in, the ones we trust from now on.”

  Her mouth popped open with shock. “Where are you going? To see that campaign manager of yours? If she’s going to be your new fling, then I want permission to play with Jasmine whenever I want. She’s got some friends, too; I think it would be fun. Maybe I need something new, too.” She seemed nonchalant but mostly like she was trying too hard.

  Seth laughed. “It’s cute that you’re trying to get me to confess by giving me options, but the fact remains that I’m not cheating. As a matter of fact, if you’d listen, you’d know that I want quite the opposite for us. It’s time to settle down, Kari. It’s time to make babies and a home and be a regular family. I can’t hold an office while my wife is at home being passed around like a common whore. Now, I’m going to work on my campaig
n so we can start a family.”

  She looked away, and he pulled on a clean shirt as he waited for her to state her defiance. Instead, her chin lowered, and she seemed to deflate before his eyes. “You promise you’re not messing around, Seth? It would just kill me. It really would.” Tears filled her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away.

  He softened his voice, giving her the tender moment that she needed. “Why would I need to? I have the hottest wife in town, and you’ve let me explore all I want. We’ll have to stop including others, but you and I can still be adventurous. You just need to stop being so defiant and insecure and trust me.” He couldn’t tell her that her dominant husband was actually into submission as well. He’d never considered himself a switch until he met her, but if he had to put a label on himself, that was what he was. He just wasn’t quite prepared to be proud of it just yet but hoped maybe one day when he felt Kari was ready, he’d let her in on the secret too. He grabbed his keys and wallet and breezed past her to find his shoes.

  “It’s hard being alone when you’re out spending time with Gretta. Are you sure you have to go?”

  “I need to take this campaign seriously if I’m going to win.” He could barely look her in the eye, so he busied himself with his shoes until they were on. He didn’t want to lie or make her the enemy, but he needed something she couldn’t give him.

  Kari grabbed his arm on his way back out of the room. “Can’t she come over here?”

  “Another night. I know. How about I give you her number, and you can call her and invite her over for dinner one night? Then you can see that we’re all business.” He couldn’t believe he was following along with Gretta’s suggestion, but this was just what was needed to get Kari off his back.

  Her tone softened a bit. “I’d like that. I can try a few new recipes and show off the house a little. I’ve not gotten to really let anyone see it. We’re always going out.”

  “Then this is the perfect opportunity, and I tell you what. I won’t even mention it, and it can be your surprise. I’m sure she’ll like to be welcomed.” He was not only going to warn Gretta but thank her with about nine inches of appreciation.

  “I’m glad we’re not fighting anymore.” She went up on her tiptoes, and he met her mouth with his as she threw her arms around his neck. “And I was just kidding around about Jasmine. She’s got a new boyfriend, so she’s been busy with him lately. I’m not sure if we’ll see her again anyway. So, if some time for just the two of us is what you think it best, then I’m prepared to give it a shot. I just don’t know about the whole baby thing just yet. It’s a little soon, and I don’t want to be rushed.”

  “We’ll talk more about it later. It’s something to consider.” He gave her a wink and then patted her bottom before pulling away to get ready. He was glad she was in a better mood, but he needed to go and work off a little of his tension.

  He needed Gretta’s sturdy frame and stern, commanding voice. He needed to have her above him, putting him in his place. The shit with Bay was just humiliating enough that it had triggered something inside of him.

  He hurried to get his things and headed out the door. In the car, he called her, and when she answered, he didn’t mince words. “I need you right now.”

  Gretta gave a soft chuckle that was so seductive he couldn’t wait to get to her. “This is going to get out of control, and you know it. Besides, won’t your wife be suspicious?”

  “She just kissed me goodbye and is going to invite you over for dinner later. So just let me worry about her. Can I come over? I really need to talk to you about my position.” He chuckled, hoping his trip out wasn’t for naught.

  “I’ll unlock the door,” she said. She hung up the phone, and he put his foot on the gas.

  12

  Darek

  There used to be days when Darek didn’t hate his job or mind going into work, but since the Zodiac case turned his life and his career upside down, Lizzy was the only thing that made it bearable. With her gone and having to face the aftermath of Finn’s murder alone, it was going to be a long fucking day.

  While he waited to go in and see Finn’s body and speak with Dr. Cobb, he tried to think of a better way to spend the time than calling up Edie and asking the grieving woman more fucking questions. But it had to be done. He needed to know if there was anything else he could look for in order to find Finn’s mystery mistress. She had to know something more about Finn’s last few days.

  Darek took his phone out of his pocket and took a deep breath to prepare himself for what he knew was going to be hard. But then, Dr. Cobb opened the door to his office and waved Darek over.

  The rings under the old man’s eyes were a lot darker than normal. “Sorry about the wait. I’ve had to deal with more paperwork from that pileup last week. Three dead on the scene and then two more passed in the hospital, and they’re trying to rush me. Everybody wants answers.”

  “I appreciate you giving me your time, Doc.”

  He led Darek through another double door to the autopsy room. “Well, I have to say, this case of yours gets more and more interesting and confusing each time we get a new victim. As I’m sure you could tell on the scene, this one was shot through the left temple. His Zodiac mark was on the shoulder, as was Tad Halston’s. I’m still waiting on word from Dr. Anders over at the prison, but I believe he told me that man had a fresh burn on his shoulder. Underlying tissue showed a past trauma, almost as if he had covered something up. I thought I’d go down and have a look myself. There might be a way to determine if there was a scar there before the recent trauma took place.”

  “You mean like he could have tried to burn over a Zodiac branding?”

  “Yes, exactly that.” He walked over to the cold storage and pulled out a tray that held Finn’s body. He was sickly shades of blue, yellow, and green, and some of his flesh was as white as a fish belly. Darek tried not to look too hard or breathe too deeply.

  He turned his head to catch some fresh air. “We already know he’s involved in the Zodiac murders somehow and that he’s not the killer, so knock yourself out, but I don’t think it will make too much of a difference at this point.”

  Darek thought of what a waste Logan’s death was. The guy was so talented, so much like Finn, who had been doing well for himself with his writing. They had been the creative Zodiacs, and Darek had always wished he had that kind of artistic talent. He raked his hand through his hair. Two more were gone, and Tad’s loss was fucking hard enough. This case was wearing on him more and more each day, and he didn’t know how much more of it he could take.

  “No harm in being thorough,” said the Doc, who turned Finn’s head to get a better look at the exit wound.

  Darek cleared his throat, which has suddenly choked with a lump the size of an apple. “Absolutely. What else can you tell me about this guy? Any strange marks anywhere else? On his ankle?” He wanted the attention away from Finn’s face.

  “No, nothing. He wasn’t held like the girl. Just a clean, close-range shot to the head. He most likely knew the killer, too.”

  “Why would you say that?” Darek was always eager to hear what the doctor had to say.

  “Naturally, Detective, I can only speculate. But by the position of the wound and the fact that there were no other marks on him, I think he was sitting down, maybe in a car with someone. I don’t think he saw it coming, either.”

  Darek knew the doctor was onto something and offered up his opinion. “If he’d been standing, he might have wounds elsewhere. And most likely, he’d have been shot in the back of the head or the face. So, this was most likely someone he knew.” Bay was the first person to come to Darek’s mind.

  Dr. Cobb met Darek’s eyes and he gave a slight nod. “At least this poor bastard wasn’t stabbed to death; I get a lot more sleep when all I have to analyze is a single bullet, as opposed to forty stab wounds.”

  “I bet.” Darek rubbed his shoulder and knew his stitches were well past due to come out, but every time he tho
ught about removing them, he just wasn’t ready. The itchy reminder made him glance down at Finn’s brand. His H-like mark, the symbol of Pisces, was pale and sickly. Darek stared until it was a blur, the colors blending together until strangely, the skin around it looked nearly normal.

  “Are you all right, Detective? Do you need some air?” Dr. Cobb’s voice sounded distant.

  Darek looked up. The room around him and Dr. Cobb came back into focus as the man grabbed his arm. Darek hadn’t even realized that he was blacking out, or that he was about to fall until the man had hold of him. “I’m sorry, Doc. I guess I should have eaten something. This case is wearing on us both I’m afraid.”

  Dr. Cobb’s eyes filled with concern as he turned Darek loose. “It happens, man.”

  Darek stepped away from Finn, and Dr. Cobb closed the storage.

  “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to head out, Doc. I have to call this one’s girlfriend and get more information.”

  “Don’t let it all get to you, son. I know it can be tough, seeing people ripped apart, beaten, shot. I see it day in and out. You need to put some positivity in your personal life to give it balance. Find yourself a hobby, something fun. Maybe find a good woman, or two. It will help.” He patted Darek’s back and then walked away, leaving Darek to think about Lizzy.

  He missed her company, and her absence was partly why his mood was going to shit.

  He walked out of the office and headed across the lot to his car. He got in and sat there a moment until he got his nerve up. He couldn’t believe he’d had another spell. His appointment with his psychiatrist couldn’t come soon enough.

  Finally, he decided he’d better call Edie and get it over with so he could go on with his day. He dialed his phone, and it didn’t take but two rings for the woman to pick up.