Chapter 33
The following week produced nothing new in the way of evidence or leads. No cold cases from across the country led to anything of use. As the days crept by, the detectives got pulled further and further away from the case.
Like the other team members, Pepper and Wallace got antsier as time went by with nothing from The Sandman coming in. Everybody had the feeling it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped-or in this case, another twenty-year old blonde.
They all went about their business, one ear always tuned to any new developments that might come in. Some made their required court appearances, with most in and out of the office investigating other cases. The mid-April weather had brought the usual mix of rainy and sunny days, with new green shoots sprouting out of the ground and waving their greeting in the spring breeze. The dull greyness of the long winter had finally ended, replaced by the green of the impending spring.
Pepper and Shauna saw each other whenever their busy schedules would allow. They took in another big family meal at Pepper's parents' house, only this time little April insisted that she wanted to sit next to Shauna.
April brought the new kitten, Cookie, who ran all around exploring the house before spotting Rosie, curled up in one corner of the couch, watching the bouncing little intruder through slitted eyes. After the usual sniffing introduction, Cookie wanted to play and started badgering Rosie, who gave the little pest a few well-placed swats across his head. But as the family settled down to dinner, they looked over to see the worn-out Cookie passed out in a little ball on the cushion next to Rosie, who was busy grooming the sleeping kitten, her tongue running back and forth over his glistening fur.
Pepper was happy to hear that things were working out well with the catering company now that Shauna was on board and able to help his mother out with the cooking. Grandma Dot had been busy signing new clients, and the upcoming months were busy with events at the Convention Centre, hospitals and the university. Now, wedding season was just around the corner.
Nobody asked Pepper about the case, knowing he wasn't allowed to say much anyways. They talked about everything else, for which he was grateful.
A comment Grandma Dot had made during dinner had stuck with him. "When you're a chef, nobody wants to invite you for dinner," she complained. "They find it intimidating. It's nice to eat someone else's food for a change."
Pepper thought about it and wanted to repay Shauna for the meals she'd cooked for him, so he told her he wanted to get dressed up and go 'someplace fancy' for dinner. She deferred to him to make the choice of restaurant, and he selected the Black Trumpet on Richmond Street. He made reservations for Friday night, and then fretted like a schoolboy on his first date as he tried to figure out what to wear. He decided on his trim-fitting navy suit with a crisp open-collared white shirt. Freshly shaven and actually finding the time to get a haircut, he picked Shauna up shortly before their reservation at seven. Her house on Cartwright Street was almost within a stone's throw of the restaurant.
"Wow," was all Pepper could say as she opened the door. She was wearing a black bandage dress which came about halfway down her thighs. The horizontal panels of the dress hugged her shapely body, and Pepper had a hard time keeping his eyes from roaming. Her legs were bare, but they gleamed, as if she'd put some form of lotion on them. Looking down further, he saw that her feet were encased in classic black high-heeled pumps, the shoes making her legs look even longer and more toned than usual.
The top of the dress was sleeveless, with a scooped front that ended in the middle at an inviting V, giving him a teasing glimpse of her cleavage. He drew his eyes upward. Her red hair was tied up in a loose bun at the back of her head-what she later informed him was called a chignon-a term he'd never heard before. The loose bun allowed stray tendrils to lie against her neck, drawing his eye to the soft skin there. A glittering necklace circled her throat, matched by sparkly drop earrings that looked wonderful with her hair pulled back.
She was wearing more makeup than usual, her eye shadow done up in smoky pink and bronze tones, making her emerald eyes look sexy and alluring.
Pepper had to breathe deep. The gorgeous creature facing him stopped his heart. The dress, the shoes, her makeup-the whole outfit made her look incredibly sophisticated and glamorous, and it made him wonder what this beautiful woman was doing with him.
"You don't look too bad yourself," Shauna said playfully, stepping forward to give him just the hint of a kiss on his cheek, being careful to avoid getting any lipstick on his collar. She eyed him up and down, liking the look of the narrow cut navy suit and oxblood lace-up shoes, making him look very Italian. "Nice suit. Very nice. And I like the haircut. I didn't know I was dating such a hipster."
"Roberto at Five-Star Barbers had time to fit me in today, so I figured I'd try to look my best. But looking at you, I feel like I'm playing in the minor leagues."
"Well, I think you look gorgeous," she said, stepping up close to him, her hands toying with the lapels of his jacket as she looked up into his eyes. "We'd better go-we don't want to be late for our reservation." She gave him a toying smile as she reached for her purse and wrap.
Pepper had to take a couple of deep breaths to get himself under control before he could move. Shauna put on a loose dove grey wrap, and Pepper held the door of the Mini open for her as she slid into the passenger seat, unable to take his eyes off her shapely legs as she drew in one after the other.
"Easy boy, easy," he said to himself as he walked around the car and got into the driver's seat.
It was just a hop, skip and a jump from Shauna's house to the restaurant, and he found a parking spot near Victoria Park within a hundred yards of their destination. Richmond Street was busy with Friday-evening revellers. People roamed up and down along the row of restaurants and bars celebrating the end of the work week. Students lined up outside many of the drinking establishments, anticipating the upcoming end of term.
The hostess checked their reservation as they entered the restaurant and led them to their table. Shauna looked around curiously until they took their spot at a table adjacent to the two-sided fireplace on the main floor. This was one of Pepper's favourite spots. The two-story restaurant had been in the renovated old building on Richmond Street for almost twenty years now. The space was divided up into a number of rooms of various sizes, giving it a cozy and intimate feel. The designer had given it a modern eclectic look, the furniture, fixtures, and artwork giving it an asian vibe. And the food was never a disappointment. With Shauna being a chef, that was the number one priority in his mind when it came to choosing a restaurant.
"This place is really nice," Shauna said, her eyes looking from one thing to the next.
Pepper looked across at her, watching as she checked out the restaurant.
"What?" she said, looking across and seeing the smirk on his face.
"You...you look absolutely fantastic. I'm so glad we're here." He reached across and took her hand.
She leaned forward and stroked the back of his hand with her other hand, her long slender fingers sending shivers up his spine as her eyes met his. "I am too. This is nice."
The moment was interrupted as the waiter came up and spoke to them about the evening specials and asked if they had any questions about the menu. They ordered wine and perused the menus as he backed away. They split an order of the tempura maki rolls for an appetizer, and both of them felt adventurous when it came to ordering their entrees. Shauna chose the Muscovy duck breast, while Pepper decided to try the espresso-rubbed striploin of venison. They sipped their wine and talked until their appetizer arrived. Shauna loved the maki rolls, which were one of Pepper's favourites. Their entrees came, timed perfectly to appear after the waiter had removed the empty tray of appetizers.
"Oh my, this duck is fantastic," Shauna said, closing her eyes blissfully. Pepper was equally impressed with the venison, and the two of them ended up sharing their entrees as they passed their forks back and forth acros
s the table.
"That was delicious. My compliments to the chef," Shauna said to the waiter as he cleared away their empty plates.
"I'll be right back," Pepper said, getting up to use the washroom. When he returned, he saw the back of a man standing at their table talking to Shauna. She was looking up and Pepper saw her smiling and laughing at something he said. From the back, the man looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn't until he got closer that he realized who it was.
"Scot," Shauna said, a smile on her face as she gestured towards the man standing next to their table. "Your friend stopped by to introduce himself and say hello."
"Good evening, Scot," the man said, emphasizing Pepper's real first name.
"Drummond, what are you doing here?" Pepper said cooly, his lips set in a straight line. As other patrons looked over, he slid calmly into his seat, not wanting to make a scene.
"I was having dinner with a friend," Drummond replied, gesturing with his head to an area of the restaurant back towards the front door. "I noticed you over here earlier and thought I'd come over and say hello. You had stepped out for a moment, but I did get to introduce myself to Shauna, who is really quite charming."
Pepper felt himself go cold as he looked up at the professor. He wanted to take a sledgehammer and pound that smarmy look off his arrogant face. Instead he sat on his anger, knowing no good would come of starting any kind of confrontation. For all he knew, his lawyer might be his dinner partner, and Drummond had just come over to bait him into doing something stupid. "Well, that's nice of you to say, Professor, but we don't want to keep you from your dinner." Pepper nodded to the other part of the restaurant, letting Drummond know the conversation was over.
Drummond also knew how much he could push, so he turned to Shauna. "Of course. It was so nice to meet you, Shauna," he said, reaching out and gently tapping her shoulder. "Perhaps we'll meet again some time."
"It was nice meeting you too, Robert. Enjoy the rest of your evening." As Drummond turned and walked away, she looked across at Pepper, the smile vanishing from her face. "Scot, what's wrong?"
"I?I just don't like that guy too much, that's all."
"He seemed very nice to me. What's that all about?"
Pepper knew he had to give her something, and he didn't want his mood to spoil the rest of the evening. "It's just that we've had a bit of a disagreement on a few things before, and I know it bothers me more than it does him. Anyways, it's not important. How about coffee and dessert?" He smiled as he leaned forward, happy to see her smile come back.
They took their time over their coffees and shared a slice of caramel cheesecake with a dollop of coconut sorbet on the side. It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal. On their way out, they walked past Drummond's table. Pepper held Shauna's arm as they passed. Pepper looked at Drummond's guest, noticing an attractive-looking woman in her mid-30's. He especially made note of her hair colour-blonde.
The hostess helped Shauna on with her wrap, which she pulled close to her body as she took Pepper's arm once they were outside. The chill night air settled down over them. She leaned up and pecked him on the cheek, causing him to look over at her.
"Take me home, Scot Pepper," she said, giving him an inviting smile as she snuggled up close to him.
Once they were in her house, she pulled him into the bedroom, undid his jacket and slid it off his broad shoulders. As she stood close, the scent of her perfume drifted into him. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her up against the wall. Her lips turned up to his as he lowered his mouth. Her body responded to his as she pressed herself against him. She nipped at his lip as she kissed him back. His hands slid down, caressing her breasts before sliding lower to lift the hem of her dress.
They made love all through the night, the intensity of their lovemaking overcoming Pepper's concerns about Professor Robert Drummond, The Sandman, and everything else, even if just for one night.
PART SIX
SCARY MONSTERS (and SUPER CREEPS)
David Bowie
Every Breath You Take Page 55