by Taylor Lee
Sky smiled, admitting that she had to force herself to leave the Larson, McClellan office to come to the Shipwreck. She wouldn’t have left, except that she believed she’d gotten as much information as Lars Larson could give her. Jude had put the fear of God and the law into the frightened man the day before. After spending four hours going through the files, hunting for clues, Sky decided Lars was telling the truth when he said that neither he nor anyone in his office had access to the Parker siblings’ personal accounts.
Seeing the women at the table calling out to her, welcoming her, Sky was glad she had come. She never had women friends before. Actually, she’d never had any friends, women or men, until Jared and Hailey. Now six short months after she made the extraordinarily difficult decision to leave the Northeast and the dominion of Morton J. Hughes, here she was, about to join a group of noisy women at a raucous happy hour at the pub. Add to that, these women were her friends, and all seemed genuinely pleased she was joining the party.
Sinking down beside Hailey, who wrapped her arm around her and squeezed her shoulder, Sky allowed herself to add to her reverie the most surprising fact of all, that in addition to having friends, she also had a lover. And not just any lover—the single sexiest man who had ever walked the earth. Even as she said it to herself, Sky’s heart flipped. God, it was a wonder she’d gotten anything done today. Nothing like trying to concentrate on spreadsheets or the hideous information Shirley Martinson had given them when all her mind and body wanted to do was to revel in the night she had spent with Jude.
But Sky admitted ‘reveling’ was challenging. As hard as she tried to focus on Jude’s words of praise and encouragement, she couldn’t stop thinking about their conversation about her father and mother. She’d lain in Jude’s arms, not only talking about growing up with her despotic father, but also describing the woman who had left her when she was a small child. Amazing. She never talked to anyone about her mother, or the fact she was certain her father had run her off when she failed to meet his impossible standards.
Skylar acknowledged that since moving to Duluth it was becoming easier to block out her father’s disparaging litany of her shortcomings. She’d even begun to look in the mirror and instead of seeing the academic freak with the ugly glasses and misshapen clothes, she occasionally glimpsed a pretty woman. A woman who looked a lot like her beautiful mother. Sky felt her face flush, remembering the exciting things her commanding lover had encouraged this new woman to do. Not the least of which was waxing her pussy.
Sky felt her cheeks flush hotter when Hailey whispered, “Just so you know Sky, you aren’t getting out of here tonight until you tell me how he responded to your little surprise.”
Sky didn’t need to hear Mitzi’s whoop to know that it wouldn’t be long until she was outed.
“What surprise, Hailey, and who is the he you’re talking about?” Mitzi glanced from Hailey to Sky, her eyes dancing with excitement. “Damn, Skylar Hughes, if you confirm the gossip that has been positively flying around the precinct and tell me that you and Jude Justice are truly—”
A sultry voice interrupted Mitzi’s excited inquiry. “Now, now ladies, if you want to know the very latest about that serious hunk of a man, Detective Jude Justice, the most reliable source is yours truly.”
Shock skittered across Skylar’s tightly strung nerves when Jerri Ross pulled out a chair to their table and parked her curvaceous ass into it. Waving a careless hand at the waiter, the voluptuous woman called for a glass of wine. Her eyes blazed with malice as she focused on Skylar, then she turned to the surprised women who were staring at her.
Addressing Mitzi, her voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’m not sure what news you’re hearing, Officer Olson, but I can assure you that if it’s about Detective Justice, you can believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. I’ll grant you that Jude has been known to stray—he’s always had a penchant for the pitiful ones who run after him—but he always comes back to the real thing…me.”
She ran a long, bright red fingernail around the rim of her glass then dipped the tip of her finger in the fragrant wine and licked it off seductively.
“Just to prove the point, I was at Clem’s Fish Shack last night. Clem told me that once Jude deals with a troublesome issue, he plans to take his yacht on an extended excursion down the Great Lakes. According to Clem, Jude made no secret of the fact that he would have a special companion on that excursion.”
Jerri paused dramatically, then lowered her eyes as if deciding whether if she should say anything else. Apparently deciding that the news was too good to keep secret, she purred, “Which explains the enticing message he left for me today.”
Knowing that she was making a complete fool of herself, Skylar also knew she wouldn’t be able to breathe if she didn’t get away from the simpering woman smirking at her. Not bothering to offer an excuse, she stood up and simply said to her surprised companions, “Excuse me. I need to leave.”
Sky wasn’t sure how she got to the door without falling or how she got in her Spider and pulled out of the lot before the loud pained wail escaped her throat. Now she knew how an animal caught in a vicious trap must feel like.
***
“Goddammit, Hailey, tell me exactly what she said.”
Ignoring his brothers’ concerned glances, Jude barked into his phone, “And for Christ’s sake, Sky believed her? Goddamn Jerri Ross. That lying bitch! Where is Skylar, Hailey? And Goddammit, don’t tell me you don’t know!”
Jared grabbed his arm and said firmly, “Hey, bro, that’s my woman you’re yelling at.”
Jude slammed his eyes shut, then nodded at his glaring brother and said softly into the phone, “Dammit, Hailey, I’m sorry. It’s just that…Christ, Sky is so fragile. And that viperous bitch Jerri Ross…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, just handed his phone to Jared. He waited until Jared had finished talking with Hailey and then reached for his phone. Hitting the number one key, he strode to the door, not wanting his brothers to hear what was sure to be an agonized conversation. He reached her sweet, shy voicemail message and knew that of course Sky wouldn’t answer his call. He was starting out the door when Jared caught his arm.
“Hang on there, buddy. Stop for a minute and take a breath.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Jared? Goddammit, can you believe what that fucking bitch implied? Yeah, I told Clem that I was going on an excursion, but I’m planning on taking Sky!”
At the injustice of the situation and how far from the truth Jerri’s wicked tale was, a surge of anger swelled in Jude’s gut. How could Sky have believed that bitch? Jude knew he wasn’t making sense, but he was almost as angry with Sky as he was with Jerri.
He whirled on his brother. “Dammit, Jared, I don’t get it, man. After the night we spent together, how could Sky believe what that vicious woman said? Christ, I’ve never had a night like we did. What kind of a duplicitous asshole does she think I am? That we could have shared what we did, all the while I was planning an excursion with Jerri fucking Ross?”
Jared grabbed his arm and held it. “Take a breath, Jude. We both know what Jerri the Juggernaut is like. We know she’s insane, living in a dream world she created, but she can be damned convincing. Hell, she actually believes that you like her—as a person, not as a convenient fuck. And you said it yourself, Sky is fragile. She doesn’t believe it, Jude. But you gotta know that Jerri’s attack must have gone to the heart of her insecurities. Hell, man, Hailey told me what she and Sky did yesterday. Jesus, Jude, do you have any idea what it took for someone as shy and unworldly as Sky to get her pussy waxed because you asked her to?”
At the gasps from Jake and Jorden, who had stayed out of the crisis, Jude acknowledged that Jared was right. Sky was already frightened by everything transpiring between them. She had to be. He huffed out a hard breath and turned to his brother, who was watching him warily. “You call her, Jared. She’ll answer your phone.”
“Only if yo
u can control yourself, Jude. She’s gotta be shattered. Not only did Jerri slam her in the gut, but she did it in front of an audience of Sky’s friends. Can you imagine how humiliating that was? Damn, Jude. Sky is the most private person I know.”
Jude nodded in agreement then ordered curtly, “Call her, Jared. Now!”
Jared shot a glance at Jake and Jorden then punched in Sky’s number. He put it on speaker and held it up for Jude to hear the ring tones. When Sky answered, he glared at Jude then handed him the phone, indicating that he should leave it on speaker. Snorting at his brothers, Jude frowned, but left the line open. “It’s me, Sky. Don’t hang up, baby. We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk, Jude. I…I can’t. I’m too upset.”
“Yeah, darlin’, I’m upset too. But, Jesus, baby, after the night we had, you honestly think that I…” Ignoring Jared’s frown, Jude barreled ahead. “Sky, I gotta ask. How could you possibly believe that bitch?”
Jude stopped, acknowledging Jared’s warning hand on his arm, but it was too late.
Sky’s voice was shrill. “How could I believe her? The woman that you fuck on a regular basis, Jude? Who happens to be six feet tall and gorgeous? A runway model? Make that a lingerie model! Gee, Jude, I wonder why anyone with a brain in her head might believe that what she said was true.”
Sky took an audible breath then said more calmly. “Are you telling me you didn’t say the things she said you did? That you didn’t leave a message on her phone this morning?”
“Stop, Sky. Yes, I said those things and yes I did leave a message for her this morning—”
Skylar’s voice rose. “Please, Jude, don’t try to explain. I…I don’t want to hear it. The same morning you got me to confess personal, private things about my family that I never told anyone, you reach out to Jerri Ross, that horrible woman?”
“That’s enough, Skylar. You know that’s not what I’m saying. Listen up, baby, I’m coming to get you. Now.”
His heart tripped when her voice broke and it was obvious she was crying. “No, Jude, you’re not. I don’t care what you said to her Jude. I…I can’t handle it, her, you…God, it’s too much.” She added with a sob, “Dammit, Jude! I need…I need to be alone.”
Jared raised his hands and shook his head. He murmured softly. “Don’t, bro. Listen to her. She’s scared.”
Jude closed his eyes and did his best to calm his breathing and tamp down his agitated response. He nodded to Jared and heaved a heavy sigh.
“Okay, Sky, I hear you. I won’t come and get you tonight. You need time and so do I. But do know the next time we are alone together—and, Skylar, we are going to be alone together—if not tonight, then tomorrow night, and every damned night after that. And, baby, we’re going to deal with this shit the best way I know how. We’re gonna get those ugly tapes out of your big brain if I have to beat them out! Do you hear me, Squirt?”
When she didn’t answer but her sobs were audible, Jude said, “And yeah, baby, I did tell Clem that I was going to take my yacht down the St. Lawrence Seaway on an extended vacation. I also told him that if she agreed I planned to take the most exciting woman in the world with me—which is you.” He paused then added, “One more thing, Skylar. I did leave a message for Jerri fucking Ross this morning. I told her that if she ever called me again I was going to get a restraining order and if she violated it, I was going to throw her ass in jail.”
Chapter 30
Sky heard someone knocking on her bedroom door, but ignored it. She knew it was Jude, but she couldn’t talk to him, not yet. Rousing up she glanced at her phone, startled to see it was half past three in the morning. The knocking on her door persisted.
“It’s me, Sky. Jared. Open the door, sweetheart, I need to talk to you.”
Sky jumped out of bed and rushed to open the door, shocked at the grim expression on Jared’s face. She stumbled back. It was though a giant claw had reached into her chest and squeezed every drop of blood out of her heart. She barely heard her choked entreaty. “Jude…is it Jude?”
Jared grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms. “God, Sky, I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to scare you. Jude’s okay. Honest, Sky. He sent for us.” Jared held her gaze, his dark emerald eyes so like Jude’s, were flashing with an emotion Skylar couldn’t name.
“It’s Blake, Sky.”
She tried to respond coherently. “Blake? I…I don’t understand. He wants to talk, now? Jude wants me to talk to him now…at 3:30 in the morning?”
Jared shook his head. “Blake can’t talk, honey. He’s…dead. Sky, Blake hanged himself.”
***
Skylar stared at the body swinging from the chandelier. The scene looked eerily familiar. Sky decided it was the bungee cord around his neck. It ensured that the body would bounce slightly as it swung in gentle, concentric circles. Of course, the fact that Blake’s body was hanging from the same chandelier that had held his parents’ bodies also contributed to the familiarity of the scene. Skylar didn’t know how long she stood there staring at the body when she felt his arms around her. She didn’t have to look up to know who was holding her. She just leaned into him, praying that he would never let her go.
“It’s my fault, Jude. I…I shouldn’t have let them take him. I should have insisted—”
Jude’s voice was weary. “Don’t, Sky. Don’t do that to either of us. If it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine. I let that fucking woman control the situation, set the course. I should have put him in protective custody when I couldn’t justify arresting him.”
Sky shook her head. “No Jude. You’re right. We couldn’t have stopped him. He was so far gone he didn’t know what he was doing.”
Jude snorted. “He’d have to have been a goddamned zombie not to know that he was climbing up on a stool, putting a fucking bungee cord around his neck, and kicking away the stool.”
“That’s what I mean, Jude.”
As she said it, she looked up at Jude for the first time, and remembering her resolve to distance herself from him she stepped back, pushing him away. To her dismay, his eyes flashed knowingly and he jerked her back up next to him. His low commanding voice sent unwanted shivers skittering up her spine.
“Oh no you don’t, Squirt. Pulling away from me isn’t an option.”
When she tried to jerk free, he tightened his grip. “I told you last night, Skylar, we’re going to deal with this. And we will. You hear me, baby?”
Jared came up behind them. His slight frown confirmed he overheard Jude’s warning. “Uh, Detective, the guys want to know if we can take him down.”
Without looking at his brother, Jude shot Sky a narrowed gaze and released her arm. His voice was cool. “That’s up to Ms. Hughes.”
Sky moved to the other side of the body and quickly became absorbed in her analysis. Something wasn’t right. She’d known the minute she entered the room. But she’d been so shocked at the sight of Blake’s body, and, she admitted, her need for Jude’s arms around her, that she’d missed the critical first clues. She stepped back, then stood for a moment staring up at Blake’s face. She frowned, trying to decide what was wrong. After a long moment, she knew what had captured her attention. Unlike his parents’ tortured expressions speaking to the horror they had endured, Blake looked almost peaceful.
“What is it, Sky?”
Skylar startled. She hadn’t realized that Jude and Jared were standing beside her, studying her. As they waited for her to answer, Jude’s frown was searching, professional.
“It…it’s his expression. He looks calm, peaceful.”
Jude nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right, he does.”
“Maybe because he wanted to die? Hell, isn’t that what suicide is all about?” Jared asked.
Jude shook his head. “No, Sky’s on to something, bro. No matter if you want to die, a rope, or in this case, a cord around your neck has to be terrifying, at least for that moment before you choke to death.”
Sky continued staring up at
the body. “Who found him, Jude?”
“Charlotte and Alicia. They were at Alicia’s and heard something over the garden wall. The house was supposed to be empty. They came over to investigate and found Blake.”
“Was he already dead?”
“Yes, Sky, he was. The doc says he’s been up there at least for a couple of hours now.”
She nodded. “Where are they now, the sisters?”
“At Alicia’s house. All three of them are. Dr. Martinson and one of the medics are with them. They were pretty hysterical when I left to come back over here.”
At that moment, Dr. Evans joined them gazing up at the twisting body. He looked from Jude to Sky. “Are you two finished? Can we take him down?”
Jude shrugged. “That’s up to Skylar.”
Sky faced the doctor. “Yes, you can bring him down.” She added, “How soon can you have a preliminary tox report, Dr. Evans?”
The wizened coroner nodded in agreement. “Yes, Ms. Hughes. I agree. That will be important. I’ll rush it, but it will be preliminary at best.”
Jake joined them, an annoyed frown tightening his grim expression. “Sorry to do this to you, Jude, but the media whores are on my ass. Any chance you can join me on the firing line? They’re convinced I’m holding out on them.”
“Fuck ’em.” Jude snorted, then relented. “Okay, bro. No one should have to face those vultures alone. Not that we can tell them anything, but at least I can help you hold them at bay.”
Sky touched Jude’s arm. “Is it okay if I go over to Alicia’s, Jude? I would like to know more about how they found him.”
Jude frowned and shook his head. “I’d prefer that you wait for me, Sky. Those women are challenging as hell under the best of circumstances. But like you, I have a lot of questions that only they can answer. Give me ten minutes with the media scum and then we can both interview them.”
***
“Help me out, Marion. I understood that Blake was sedated, unable to talk to us, much less come over to your parent’s house.” Jude’s question was matter of fact, but his grim expression telegraphed his seriousness.