“Your brother kept a .50 in his closet. He claims it’s for his safety, but as it’s not registered and he bought it from a trunk, he’s in pretty deep shit. I’m sorry I’m so crude Sam, but you should know that your brother won’t get off of this easily.”
I nodded, perplexed. This was so much more trouble than I’d believed Noel could get himself into. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for my mom, as she’d be devastated.
Jared phoned Aidan to make sure Steven nor Noel saw us meet; after confirming they were in another part of the station, guarded and away from the entrance hall, Jared led me through the now familiar street into the station and towards the office where Aidan, Captain Nicholson and Violet waited. I took a deep breath and walked in.
“Violet Christie,” the tall, slim, red-haired woman said, stretching her hand forward to shake mine.
I smiled tightly at her and proceeded accordingly.
“I’m Samantha Pearson, but call me Sam. Hello Captain Nicholson, hi Aidan,” I said, looking at each of them as I mentioned their names.
They bowed their heads at me and nodded at Jared. We sat around a desk; I looked expectantly at Aidan, but when I realized he wasn’t going to talk, I turned to look at Captain Nicholson; he stared at Violet, so I looked at her.
“Having you here Samantha, is certainly new. I mean, I don’t share information with anyone who’s not the Law, and you’re a sibling of a suspected murderer, as well as of a suspect in another investigation. The only reason you’re here is because Aidan said you’re a victim, you’re reliable, and you’re seeking the truth.”
“Of course. I don’t have an excessively close relationship with Noel, Jared can tell you about it. And Kelly…I’m seriously interested in finding out what’s going on. If my sister tried to kill me, I want to know. I’ll sign confidentiality agreements or whatever it is you need to convince you that I’m only here to help.”
Violet nodded, pleased with my statement.
“Can we get this going?” Aidan asked impatiently.
“Considering the evidence and Noel’s convenient amnesia, Tank is pretty convinced neither jury nor judge will let him walk, so he’s looking for a plea.”
“What about motive?” Jared asked.
“During the interrogation,” Violet explained, “Noel confessed to having slept with Susan a few years ago.”
“What?” I inquired, surprised; Susie had never mentioned anything about sleeping with Noel.
“Does it piss you off?” Jared asked me, and I slowly shook my head.
“I don’t mind that they hooked up, but that Susie didn’t tell me…It’s just weird, we shared everything with each other.”
“Apparently not everything,” Aidan said in a low voice, but then looked at me with sympathetic eyes. “Maybe she didn’t want to risk hurting you. Noel said Susan had begged him not to tell you anything because she wanted to avoid straining her relationship with you over a one-night-stand.”
I nodded sadly, also confused by Aidan’s attempt at easing me out of my shock.
“So, will you offer him any deals or will you take the case to Court?” I asked Violet.
“Considering there’s many charges against Noel, besides the murders, we’ll offer twenty-five years in prison, with the possibility of parole after seventeen years. There’s a violent nature in him that simply cannot be ignored. He murdered two women, has a DUI record, is related to both drug use and traffic. If we go to a judge, he’ll get a life sentence. If we take the case to a jury, he won’t get a single sympathy vote.”
“Okay…What about reason for killing Olivia?”
“Maybe they were having sex, he pulled the tie too tight and she suffocated. Or maybe she wanted to leave; Noel tried to stop her, became too violent and accidentally killed her. Maybe there’s another reason, and Noel will explain it. The thing is, Samantha, as long as there’s physical evidence, motive is unnecessary. It could have been a spur of the moment thing, or something planned; at the moment of the conviction, the difference won’t be that much, especially considering the other charges. If it was only one murder, it would make a difference, but under the circumstances, it doesn’t.”
“I understand. How do we proceed now?”
“You return to your place or to visit your sister, whatever you want to do, but with Jared’s company. Aidan will contact Samaire and Ben to find out if any further evidence has come to light, or if there are any news. Violet will start filing the charges. I will do what I have to do,” Captain Nicholson explained.
I nodded and looked around expectantly. Aidan stood up, grabbed his coat and a few folders that were lying on a desk, said goodbye and left. After a few minutes, Jared received a call from his brother, explaining it was the best time for us to leave unnoticed. Violet smiled at me and told me to keep everything to myself; only Jared was allowed to say what had happened.
By the time we left, Noel had been taken to a holding cell and wasn’t in the mood to receive anyone, so he refused my attempt at seeing him.
I called Rod and handed the phone over to Jared. My step-father talked and my alleged boyfriend listened.
Once he hung up, Jared explained that Rod had already spoken with Steven, so they knew that Noel was pretty much fucked up. Jared had told Rod that by the time we’d gotten to the station, Noel was already in his cell, and Steven had left, so we hadn’t had a chance to meet either of them.
Jared drove us to my apartment while I remained silent. When we got there, he ordered some Chinese food and by nine we’d finished our dinner. I returned to my room, changed into my pajamas, got into bed and wept quietly as I fell asleep.
12
As I moaned, Jared knocked on the door and let himself in. He walked over to the side of the bed where I lay, and dropped on his knees. His right hand removed a strand of hair that had fallen over my face; then he softly grabbed my hands and kissed them. Jared’s eyes pierced into mine. Without letting go of my hands, he kissed my forehead; then he wiped my tears with his lips. I closed my eyes and felt his mouth pressing mine. I kissed him back and felt my whole body heat up. Jared’s lips became alive, and they danced with mine. He parted my lips with his and his tongue probed into my mouth. I moaned as I took it in and brushed it with mine. I hadn’t been kissed with such care and hunger in a long time.
As our kissing turned much more passionate, I felt him release my hands; instinctively, they wrapped themselves around his neck, caressing it as well as the top of his back.
A gush of cool air made me realize he’d removed the covers from on top of me, and I shifted in unison with him as I lay on my back and he gently positioned himself over me.
Every inch of my body stiffened at the pressure, but immediately relaxed. Jared felt amazingly good on me; I was safe, horny and with an urgent need to be physically closer to Jared.
His hands ripped my shirt apart while mine quickly unbuttoned his; our mouths stuck together as we went bare. He got rid of his pants in a swift movement and I did the same. I felt a flutter when I noticed he was quite proportional.
My heart pounded in my chest; I felt Jared’s pulse quicken as I held his neck while we kissed. Our breathing grew uneven, stressed, and we simply couldn’t get enough of each other.
“Sam,” Jared whispered, pulling his mouth away from mine, making his lips travel over my neck, up to my ear and focusing on my lobe.
I squirmed with pleasure, clamped my hands over his hair and wrapped my legs around his waist. I could feel Jared’s manliness, and was swept over by a heat wave.
Jared’s mouth moved back to cover mine and we continued kissing. His hands traveled over my body and made my stomach flutter violently. I was in heaven.
I moaned and opened my eyes. Confused, I looked around. My bedroom was dark, my legs were wrapped around a pillow, and my chest moved unevenly, clearly agitated. I sighed, cursed, thought about the splendid dream I’d had, and fell asleep again.
I thought I was still dreaming, but as I cracked m
y eyes open and dazedly gazed around my bedroom, I saw Jared sitting on the other side of the bed. I raised my eyebrows quizzically, waiting either for an explanation or the kinky dream to continue.
“Good morning Sam, you slept a lot. I guess you were exhausted.”
I nodded and sat up. I closed my eyes, smiled faintly and yawned. I rubbed my face and looked at Jared, who beamed at me dazzlingly, causing images of my dream to flash in my mind. Great.
“Yes, I guess. Did you sleep alright?” I asked.
“Yes, thank you. I’ve brought you breakfast,” Jared said as he lifted the tray from the floor and placed it on my lap.
“Thank you Jared, this looks great,” I replied happily as I looked at my yogurt with cornflakes and cup of steaming coffee. “Any special reason for this treat?”
“You overslept and I didn’t want you to waste time doing something I could do, so once you’re done with your breakfast, you can pop into the shower, change clothes and be set to go.”
“How late will I be?” I asked fearful; I hate being late, no matter what sort of appointment it is.
“If you hurry, we’ll be there at half past nine,” Jared replied after considering the time it took for us to get to Orchid Books.
“That doesn’t sound so awful,” I said as I started eating.
Jared grabbed the remote control and turned the TV on; he selected a news channel and sat on the bed by my side.
I smiled as I drank coffee and tried focusing on the news, but the fact that Jared was on my bed, at my side and that it felt completely natural and comfortable, wouldn’t leave my mind.
Five minutes later, I took a quick shower. I changed into black pants, a deep purple ruffled blouse and black blazer.
Jared drove as I sang what we heard on the radio. I’m a terrible singer, but I thought I could really pull it off. I managed to get Jared singing along, so by the time he parked, we were both chanting and laughing.
Annie greeted us and then let us know that there had been no calls during the previous afternoon for Maggie or me.
We found Maggie sitting behind her desk, looking a bit better than Monday morning. She smiled faintly when she saw us.
“His Sam, hi Jared. How are you?”
“Fine, how are you? Feeling any better?” I asked.
Maggie nodded.
“Yes, thanks for letting me leave, it was very good for me.”
“I’m glad,” I replied earnestly.
Jared smiled at Maggie and she blushed a bit. The effect Jared had on women was amazing, and I found it very funny, though slightly irritating.
“Any news for me, Maggie?” I asked, drawing the attention they were setting on each other on me.
“Nothing. I saw Jared fixed you up for Thursday morning with Andrea. I spoke with Mark as soon as I got in, and he didn’t say anything regarding you or your work, Sam.”
“Great, thanks. Jared, will you be joining me in my office or will you be hanging out around here?” I asked, my voice harsh, and I wondered why my tone had turned cold.
“I’ll go with you honey, of course,” Jared replied as he winked at Maggie and then walked into my office.
“I’ll continue reading Kelly’s manuscript. Let me know if anything happens or anyone calls.”
“Sure thing.”
I entered my office, hung the blazer behind the chair, placed my purse on the desk, and sat down. Jared smiled at me, easing me out of whatever I was feeling that made me so irritated.
Before I got to the second page of the fourth chapter, Jared’s phone rang and he said it was Aidan, which meant the call had to do with one of the ongoing investigations. I tried concentrating on Kelly’s manuscript, but after reading the same paragraph three times without grasping a single concept, I gave up.
“Sam, I’ve got to go down to the station,” Jared said once he’d hung up.
“Okay. Does it have anything to do with Noel, Kelly, Susie, Sandy or me?” I enquired, surprised by Jared’s perplexed face.
“I’m not really sure yet, that’s why I have to get there now. The thing is, you’ll have to go over to Aidan’s place now.”
“Excuse me?” I replied, baffled.
“You won’t remain here on your own. Aidan is still in his apartment so he asked me to drop you off there.”
“Why can’t he come here?”
“He’s caught up doing paperwork, and besides, it would be very suspicious if he just happened to be here, don’t you think?”
I nodded with reluctance.
“Great; now that we’ve agreed, get your things and I’ll drive you over. I’ll pick you up when I’m done, okay?”
“Whatever you say Jared; I’m pretty sure what I want doesn’t matter much,” I replied dryly.
“We are allowed one pit stop, if you want some coffee. Otherwise, Aidan will be pleased to see to all of your needs.”
“Yes, right, and elephants will become pink and learn how to sing,” I mumbled sarcastically.
Jared looked at me and burst into fits of laughter. He stared at me with funny eyes, which I wasn’t sure tried to show flirt or mockery.
“You should know Sam, you look adorable when you try to sound annoyed and irritated, honestly.”
Flirting, then.
I blushed a bit, the exact opposite of what I wanted my face to be. Wonderful.
I stood up, gathered my things and left my office, followed by Jared. I asked Maggie if she’d read Jared/Allie’s manuscript, and when she replied she hadn’t, I told her that that, plus a final read of Andrea’s soon-to-be-book, were to be her activities for the day as well as the following one.
Before we could take off, Maggie handed me a manuscript Mark had had delivered to me; it had just arrived, marked as a priority, so I’d have to push back Kelly’s book a couple more days. Maggie added Max had called to set up a meeting with me, but I told her I wouldn’t see him until after reading the book and talking to my sister. Then, we left.
“What do you have to do at the station?” I asked Jared as he drove.
“Captain Nicholson called me. There’s been another murder that appears to have the same mo as Susan and Olivia’s murders.”
“So Noel is cleared?”
“Not really, Sam. Samaire was checking the time of death. Details have to be confirmed regarding the death. Ben was working on traces and phone records, hoping whoever killed this woman left evidence.”
“I see. Does Noel know about this? Or Steven?”
“No; the fact that the mo may be the same is confidential information regarding the new case. If Samaire and the crime scene unit confirm the link between the three cases, then we’ll inform them.”
“Okay. Who’s the victim?”
“I’m breaking protocol here Sam; the family hasn’t been informed yet, and I do trust you, but if anyone finds out you knew before the family was told, I’ll be in a shitload of problems.”
“I understand. Just tell me, did I know her? Did she work at Orchid Books or at James & Walker?”
“No. Aidan cross-checked the victim with Susan, Olivia, Sandy, Kelly and you, and so far, there were no matches whatsoever.”
“Okay, thanks for that. I know it’ll sound awful, but I’m a bit relieved.”
“It’s completely understandable Sam, you’ve had enough deaths around you for a while.”
“And near-death-experiences.”
“Exactly. Anyway, as soon as I can tell you her name, I’ll call you, okay? Aidan will fill you in once he’s given permission to do so by the captain.”
“Great. Were there any more leads in Sandy’s case?”
“Aidan can answer that, I can’t. And just to make matters clear Sam, even if Noel isn’t found guilty of Susan and Olivia’s murders, he’s still got charges for drug possession, which won’t be easily dismissed.”
“Right, I’d somehow forgotten about that. It’s weird, as he’d always been a drinker, I hadn’t really pictured Noel as a junkie as well, but I guess you c
an never be a hundred percent sure, right?”
“Yes,” Jared said as he pulled over; he looked at me and caressed my cheek. “I’m truly sorry for everything that’s going on, Sam. I wish I could make it stop, and I hope you know I’m doing the best I can to get to the bottom of the situation, and so are Aidan, the Captain, Ben, Samaire, Riley and everyone else who’s involved.”
“I know Jared, thanks,” I replied as I nodded and smiled faintly; Jared’s reassurance was working on me.
Jared grabbed his cell phone, pressed the recall button, waited, and said “Sam’s coming up”; he hung up and handed me a set of keys.
“It’s the fifth floor. Aidan’s expecting you. I’ll call you as soon as I have any news, okay?”
I nodded and got off the car. Carrying a heavy bag with two manuscripts while opening the door wasn’t particularly easy, especially as I heard my cell phone ring and cursed because I wouldn’t manage to answer the call.
I rode the elevator feeling mildly exasperated, hoping answers would be found soon. I didn’t care much about who was guilty, I only wanted to know the identity of all the killers; then I’d worry about why they’d done it and the effect it had on my life.
As I got out of the elevator I noticed Aidan was looking at my clumsy movements. I flashed a mad glance at him; he flickered a crooked, teasing smile and moved forward to help me.
“Thank you Aidan,” I said courtly as I straightened up, placed my bag by the door, and straightened my outfit.
“You’re welcome Samantha,” he replied as he grabbed my bag effortlessly with one hand and guided me in with the other.
Surprisingly, I found myself captivated by Aidan’s apartment. I was so caught up staring at the luminosity provided by the huge windows, the simplicity and functionality of the furniture, the combination of dark colors on some walls with the lack of actual doors, which provided a lot of space to the apartment, that I didn’t hear Aidan close the elevator and then entrance doors.
“Do you like it?” Aidan asked, standing behind me; his scent made me shiver; it was sour, completely different from Jared’s.
Blood Ties Page 13