Weddings Can Be Murder

by Christie Craig

  Rolling over, he spotted his photo album on the bedside table. And panicked.

  If the cops came back and saw his album, they would know. He sat up so fast, he felt a little dizzy. His eyes darted to the closet, the closet where he’d hidden the gun he’d used on Tabitha and the knife he used on his brides.

  He had to hide them. If the cops came back, if they searched his house, they would know he wasn’t normal. And they would send him back to the hospital.

  The headache returned and started to drum harder. No! He couldn’t let the pain come back. Couldn’t let the laughter start again. Focus. He had to think of how he was going to stop the police from knowing it was him.

  He started rocking, but not too hard. Rocking helped. He was a smart man. Even the doctors had told his mom. People with his condition were gifted. He could do this. He’d find a way that people wouldn’t know he’d done this.

  Rolling out of bed, he found a pillowcase and dropped the gun, the knife, and his photo album inside. He would find a place to hide them. Hide them really well.

  Carl woke up when Katie’s naked warmth snuggled up to his side. Having slept alone for so long, not counting dogs, the slightest movement woke him up. Not that they’d been asleep long. He’d made love to her two more times after his embarrassing Johnny-come-quickly episode.

  As for that, he knew the episode wasn’t all his fault. Her X-rated dish game had done him in. He’d been lucky he hadn’t shot his wad when she’d given the spoon a blow job.

  She stirred, her hair caught in his chin stubble, and her breasts brushed against his side. His dick swelled and he wondered if she could handle another go at it. Three times, and he still felt desperate to be inside her.

  Maybe it was because he hadn’t had any in so long. No, truth was she was the best piece of ass he’d ever had. Piece of ass. The words rang crude in his head. She’d been so much more than…than that. She was…Brushing her hair back, the sight of her sweet face had his lungs calling in for a sick day. She was not a piece of ass, she was…so damn innocent.

  Emotion—deep, intense, and soul shattering—took the place of oxygen in his lungs. What the hell had he done?

  Fuck. Shit.

  Sunday night, when they’d been locked in that room, he’d told himself this could not happen. That it had mistake stamped all over it in huge block letters. And yet, he’d done it anyway. He’d let the organ between his legs convince him that as long as he’d gotten the green light from her, he could proceed with a clear conscience.

  Well, where the hell was his clear conscience now?

  Fuck. Shit.

  He gripped his shoulder. Hadn’t failing Amy been bad enough? At least Amy’s life had been screwed up before she’d met him. But Katie…Katie was the type of woman that men should never fail. And he would fail her, because that was just what he did. He’d failed his mother. He’d failed Amy.

  He closed his eyes. Katie watched The Brady Bunch and rocked sick babies. The framed pictures of her family flashed in his head. She’d lost everyone she loved. So innocent, and he’d barged into her life and took some of that innocence away. And for what? What was he going to do for her?

  Oh sure, he wanted to protect her. But he’d also wanted to fuck her. And he had. He’d fucked Katie over really good.

  He groaned. What the hell had he done?

  Katie rolled over and blinked at the sun streaming in the window. Her eyes shot open. For a second, she didn’t know where she was, then the tinge of soreness between her legs brought it all back. Deliciously back.

  She smiled into the spray of sun, and wanting to study him sleeping, she rolled over, and…No Carl.

  She sat up. The sheet slipped down her breasts. She recalled telling Carl she was getting her gown; he’d refused to let her go. I want you naked all night, he’d insisted. But ahh, now she had a little problem: her clothes were in the hall bathroom.

  The smell of coffee reached her nose. She swung her feet over the bed. Tiptoeing into the master bath, she spotted her clothes from last night neatly folded on the bathroom counter. And tossed in the corner of the floor were his khakis and pink shirt.

  The memory of their clothes piled together on the dining room floor flooded her mind. There was something almost disturbing at the sight of them now. Hers, folded and neat, separate from his. She had the oddest desire to throw hers over with his, to rejoin them. Then another plan hit.

  She donned Carl’s pink shirt. Let him see that she didn’t mind wearing pink, either.

  Searching, she found some toothpaste and a comb. She gave her hair a few passes, and finger-brushed her teeth—no, she wouldn’t use a guy’s toothbrush until she slept over at least three times; it was a rule she and Les had devised—then she tiptoed into the living room. Empty living room.

  She moved to the kitchen, and her heart gave a squeeze when she saw him. Wearing Dockers and a white button-down, his back to her, he poured himself a cup of coffee. Tiptoeing in, she cupped his bottom and whispered, “Need help washing dishes?”

  She felt him tense. Then she heard someone behind her.

  “That’s my husband’s ass you’ve got your hands on.”

  Katie jumped back, and Ben Hades swung around. Katie swung to face his wife. “I…I thought—”

  The woman, with short brown hair and soft green eyes, started laughing. “Don’t worry, I’ve pinched Carl’s ass more times than I can count.”

  “A subject I don’t care to talk about,” Ben Hades piped up.

  Katie swung back to Ben and quickly reached up to close another button on Carl’s pink shirt. “I…”

  “Their asses aren’t identical.” His wife walked over. “Turn around,” she told her husband. He did, and she ran her hand down his bottom.

  “If you’ll notice, Ben has fuller cheeks here.” She patted her husband’s tush. “Carl’s butt is thinner and more tapered.”

  “Are you done playing with my ass?” Ben looked back.

  His wife laughed. “I’m Tami.”

  Katie managed to smile. Ahh, but on the inside, she was still dying. “I think I’ll go—” She backed up and nearly tripped over the two dogs. Her face burned with embarrassment as she ran into the hall bathroom.

  Ten minutes later, dressed and nose powdered, she planted herself on the toilet, stared at the door, and waited. Waited for Carl to appear, laughing about her mistake, and offering to help her make a better impression on his sister-in-law.

  A knock came at the door. Thank God. She pulled it open.

  Ben’s wife stood there, smile in place. “You okay?”

  Katie took a deep breath. “I’m just trying to pull myself together after making an idiot out of myself by grabbing your husband’s ass.”

  Tami chuckled. “Seriously, I’ve pinched Carl’s butt more times than I can count.”

  The warmth in Tami’s expression took Katie’s humiliation level down a notch. “Speaking of Carl, is…is he here?”

  Tami’s expression tightened. “Uh…he had to head out. He asked us to come by. Ben needs you to look at some mug shots and then…I’m supposed to drop you off at his dad’s.”

  “His dad’s?” Had that question sounded as unsettled as Katie felt?

  Tami’s brow furrowed. “Yeah.”

  “I see.” She didn’t see.

  Katie fought back the rising emotion in her chest. Disappointment. Maybe even a little anger. Sure, she understood he had to work, but would it have been too much to ask for a simple good-bye, a see you later and thanks for screwing me three times last night? Okay, maybe she was overreacting. Maybe he’d tried to wake her. That had to be it, right?

  “Do you need some coffee?” Tami asked.

  “I’m fine,” she lied when she saw the look on the woman’s face. Pity? Why would Carl’s sister-in-law pity her?

  Sitting across from Ben again in the same room she’d sat in before brought back a lot of things for Katie to worry about. Things other than a missing lover or the unexplainable pity
in his sister-in-law’s eyes.

  Duh, she’d been so busy having sex, she’d forgotten that she had a serial killer after her.

  Ben spread some pictures in front of her. “Do you recognize the guy who delivered the flowers to your house the other day?”

  Katie studied the images. “I think it’s this guy. But I only saw him through the peephole. Joe could probably tell you.”

  “Joe?” Ben asked.

  “My fiancé.” Katie blushed. “Ex-fiancé.” Did Ben know she’d been engaged? Oh, hell.

  Much to Ben’s credit, he didn’t smirk or seem to judge her. But should she be judging herself?

  Ben passed a note pad over to her. “We’ll need his contact information.”

  Katie wrote it down, then glanced at the photographs. “I thought you guys were thinking the DJ, Will Reed, was the one.”

  Ben frowned. “We’re looking at four suspects.”

  “All the guys working on the wedding?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Is there anything you can remember about any of them that may help us?”

  Katie sighed. “I never met any of them, except the DJ the other day. I either hired them over the phone or dealt with assistants. At the florist, I was working with…I think her name was Sarah. And I only met Todd Sweet’s assistant.”

  Then Katie remembered her initial reaction to Will Reed, the DJ, when she showed up at his house yesterday. “This may be nothing, but I kind of got the creeps from the DJ when I was there. He made some flirty remark and the music he was playing made me think about the phone calls I’d received with the music.”

  “We’re looking at him real close.” Ben glanced at Katie’s purse hanging on the chair. “We’re going to have to confiscate your phone. Just in case someone calls.”

  Feeling as if the conversation was winding down, she asked, “Tami mentioned something about my going over to your dad’s place. Do you think…I mean, do I really need to do that?”

  Ben leaned back in his chair. “If I said no, my brother would kill me.” He sighed. “Carl’s determined to keep you safe. And he was adamant about you going to Dad’s.”

  Katie didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. But the questions ran like kittens chasing butterflies in her mind. Did that mean he cared? Did it mean he would be at his dad’s when she got there? Did it excuse him for not…not at least kissing her good-bye this morning?

  “And honestly,” Ben continued. “I think it would be best. Besides, my dad is looking forward to seeing you.”

  Tami met Katie in the hall. Ben had insisted Katie ride with her to the police station in case the killer knew her car. “I’m sorry you had to wait,” Katie said.

  “It was nothing.” Tami held up a romance novel. “I brought my book. I hope my husband wasn’t too hard on you?”

  “No.” Katie smiled. “Ben seems like a nice guy. And in spite of how it looked this morning, I’m not interested in him.”

  Tami laughed and dropped her book into her purse. “I have orders to take you to Dad’s house. However, I’ve got to pick up Ben junior from school, and thought we could grab a bite to eat.”

  “Sounds great. I’m sorry for…messing up your day.”

  “Actually, it’s nice to get out of the house. We just moved, and all I’ve done is pack or unpack for weeks.”

  They went first to pick up Ben junior from kindergarten. Katie was able to spot him right away. She probably would even have been able to pick him out if she hadn’t seen his photograph.

  “He really looks like his dad and uncle,” she said as the boy carrying a Batman backpack came running toward the car.

  “And he’s just like his dad.” Pride rang in Tami’s voice.

  Ben junior, aka Benny, crawled into the backseat, chattering so fast Katie could hardly understand.

  “Calm down,” his mom said. “And say hello to Miss Katie. She’s…a friend of Uncle Carl.”

  Benny buckled himself in, then looked over at her. “Are you my uncle’s new girlfriend?”

  Okay, nothing like being put on the spot by a five-year-old.

  “Benny, it’s not polite to…to ask questions.”

  “Sorry.” Benny bounced in his seat. “Amy used to be his girlfriend. I used to catch them kissing all the time. But she left and when he went to find her he got shot.”

  “Benny.” Warning rang in Tami’s voice.

  Katie glanced at Tami, wishing she’d explain. But no explanation came.

  Tami rolled her eyes. “Kids.”

  Over lunch, Katie and Tami discussed safe topics—Katie’s job, Tami’s new house—while Benny played in the restaurant’s indoor playground.

  “So, do your parents live in town?” Tami asked.

  Katie picked up her tea. She hated explaining it and went for the short version. “My parents have passed away.”

  “Oh,” Tami said. “They have you late in life?”

  Katie relented and told the long version. The pity in Tami’s expression reminded Katie of a similar look this morning.

  “I’m sorry,” Tami said, and then came the dreaded silence.

  Katie bit her lip to keep from asking if there was something Tami wasn’t telling her about Carl. Maybe even ask her about Carl’s old girlfriend, and about his getting shot. But those things Carl needed to tell her. Right?

  If he chose to tell her. Or maybe he wouldn’t. Like he hadn’t chosen to say good-bye this morning. Every few minutes, Katie reminded herself that she’d entered into this fling with Carl knowing it wouldn’t last.

  However, Katie didn’t know how to do flings. She’d had four serious boyfriends in her life, and they had all started out the way normal relationships should: two people getting to know each other, learning about each other’s lives, learning to care about each other, and then falling into bed. Katie wondered where she might find some information on the proper etiquette for flings. Maybe in flings, men weren’t expected to speak to their lovers on the morning after.

  Katie felt her face flush with both embarrassment and—okay, she’d admit it—anger. At the police station, she’d expected Carl to call. Just to say hello or something.

  “I’m sorry I brought your parents up,” Tami said.

  Realizing Tammy was reading something into Katie’s silence, she looked back at Ben. “He’s so cute.”

  “You want kids?” Tami began stacking the dishes.

  “Two.” Katie spoke on automatic. “A boy and a girl. Two years apart. In a house with green shutters, out in the suburbs.”

  “And a white picket fence.” Tami laughed.

  Katie grinned. It hit her again, how mismatched she and Carl were. Everything she wanted, Carl called crazy.

  Tami’s phone rang and she glanced at Katie as she spoke. Katie’s stomach clenched, and in spite of her last thought having been that her night with Carl had been a big, huge mistake, the idea that it might be him had her heart singing with joy.

  “I stopped off to get Benny.” Tami frowned. “We’re having lunch. I didn’t know I had to get permission.” Tami hung up.

  Katie waited for her to say the call had been from Ben. Because if it had been Carl, he would have asked to speak to her, right? Tami didn’t offer the information, so Katie put her head on the chopping block and asked, “Ben?”

  The look of pity jumped back into Tami’s eyes again. “Carl. He’s pissed that I didn’t take you straight to Dad’s.”

  Was he waiting for her? “Is he there?”

  Tami blinked. “No. He said he’d spoken with Dad.”

  Thirty minutes later, they knocked on Mr. Hades’ apartment door. Mr. Hades answered with what Katie thought of as a come-on-in smile.

  “Come on in,” he said.

  Had she called the situation right or what? Now, if she could just figure out what name to call his son. Oh, a few were coming to mind. But Rays didn’t use that kind of language. Unless it was really worthy. And she hadn’t yet figured out if this was worthy.

 
; “Mi casa es su casa,” Hades senior said. Then he picked up Benny and gave him a whirl. “How’s my favorite grandson?”

  “I’m your only grandson.” Benny laughed.

  “Dang, you’re smart.” Mr. Hades turned back to Katie. “Put your things in the extra bedroom. I changed the sheets.”

  Sheets? Did that mean…Deep breath. So, she wasn’t here just for the afternoon? Which meant Carl didn’t want her staying at his place. He was…dumping her. Katie tried not to react to the pain slicing at her heart. Tried. But from the way Tami looked at her, Katie figured she’d failed miserably.

  “She didn’t bring her things, Dad,” Tami said, frowning.

  “We can run and get them later. Or Carl can bring them by.”

  Carl was really dumping her. Welcome to the one-night-stand club. Or better said, welcome to the Poked List, a voice whispered in her head. Maybe the situation was worthy of some bad language, after all.

  Why had he done this? Had she said something, done something wrong last night? Of course, how was she to know? She didn’t know the fling rules—the let-me-screw-you-a-few-times-and-that’s-all-I-want rules. Oh, God, she’d been such a fool.

  “Nice place.” Katie pretended to look around. Then her gaze caught on all the framed pictures of Carl and his brother. His face, his gorgeous fucking face stared at her. Just like that, she knew she couldn’t do this. Couldn’t stay here.

  She faced Tami. “I really need to get back to my car.”

  Carl pulled into the florist’s parking lot. Today, he’d gone to talk to Mr. Sweet at Sweet’s Bakery and hadn’t found him home. He’d interviewed Mr. Sweet’s neighbors and got the usual he’s a nice, quiet neighbor crap.

  He’d also spoken to the neighbors of the photographer, Mel Grimes, who’d been equally glowing. Maybe too glowing. Which upped Carl’s suspicion of the photographer. According to the old lady who lived next door to Grimes, the guy never brought home women and never dated.

  Carl remembered the nude photographs displayed on the man’s wall. Something told him that the man who’d taken those pictures had a sexual interest in women. And if he had a sexual interest in women, why didn’t he date? Then again, Carl had himself gone thirteen months without dating. Maybe Grimes had his reasons.