“You’ll get a date and meet Annie and me,” Blake repeated deadpan.
“I’m on my way over there to break your nose, smartass.”
Blake laughed and agreed to a date, but not the broken nose.
On Thursday night, Katie folded herself into Colleen’s tiny Ford Fiesta, and they sped off to the maintenance garage. Nick and Blake were already there and waved them into an empty bay. The two women exited the car to music blaring from an old stereo.
Blake wasted no time reaching in and hauling Colleen into a hug. She accepted and then twisted and had Blake’s arm bent behind his back. “I’m not so easy, lover boy,” she grinned into his face. “If you ask nicely, it might go better.”
“Watch this,” Nick said, moving closer to Katie. “Those two have been sparring since high school.”
Blake suddenly dropped to a squat, spun a half-circle, and came up holding Colleen’s arm behind her back. He grinned into her face. “Can I please have a hello hug?”
Colleen tilted her head, appreciating the move. “You need to teach me that one.”
“Do I get a hug, first?”
As Colleen wrapped herself around Blake, Nick turned to Katie. “How ‘bout me? Do I get a hug?”
Katie gave Nick a platonic hug--nothing like the one Blake was receiving. When Nick pouted, Katie was tempted to try again, but the moment had come and gone.
She blew on her hands to keep them warm and busy. “So, what are we doing here? You said you desperately needed help.”
“We do. Blake and I have to hang the town’s holiday displays,” Nick explained. “Each one needs to be checked and ready to go the weekend after Thanksgiving.”
Blake grabbed Colleen’s hand and headed toward the Skid Steer. He loaded a six-foot crate and showed off twirling circles. Colleen chased beside him and managed to jump aboard. Her bark of laughter eased Kate’s nerves, and she settled in to have a good time.
Blake set the crate down near Nick and took off to gather the next one. Nick undid the clasps, and Katie stuck her head in the box, eyeing the four-foot-high, green and wire decorations. Some were shaped like stars, others like candles. Each was wrapped in white lights with big rope at the top of each. Katie fingered one of the loops and looked at Nick questioningly.
“The loops fit over the top of the light poles,” he explained, opening yet another crate.
Colleen found a ball of mistletoe and held it over her head. “Wanna kiss me, Blake?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.” He jogged over, caught Colleen by the waist, and laid her backward into a dip, capturing her lips in his.
“Wow. That’s some mistletoe,” Colleen laughed. “You should try it, Annie!”
Nick retrieved the decoration and chased Katie. “Yeah, you should try it, Annie!” She laughed and ran slower, letting him catch her. Nick lowered the mistletoe to shield their faces and leaned in, “Ready?”
Katie licked her lips, “Oh yeah.”
Colleen and Blake yelled, “Get a room!” which had Nick and Katie pulling apart.
The evening ended with late-night pizza and beer—an easy camaraderie Katie was getting used to quickly.
After they cleared their mess, Nick offered to drive Katie home.
“That works!” Colleen answered for Katie. “I’ve got to get home to Josh, anyway.
Nick and Katie headed out, still joking about Blake. “He’s in way over his head!”
Chapter 62
As was their habit, Nick walked Katie to the back door and waited while she fished out her keys. “I’ll stay here until I see your lights come on.”
Tired of worrying and spending solitary evenings at home, Katie pulled Nick toward the stairs. “Why don’t you walk me all the way this time?”
As she was about to open the apartment door, Nick angled their bodies, so her back was against the wall. Looking into her eyes, he bent his head and kissed her with such longing, she couldn’t breathe. Her hands bunched in his shirt, drawing him closer. Nick pulled away, laboring to get his breathing under control. He smiled and said nothing more.
Katie stared at him. He’ll wait if that’s what I want. She smiled and opened the apartment door fully. “Let’s go inside.” She pulled two longneck bottles of Bud Light out of the fridge, holding one out to Nick. “Beer?”
He nodded and took off his jacket, hanging it over the back of one of her new stools. He wandered toward the living room and saw her touches here and there: colored bottles on an end table, a curled piece of driftwood on the coffee table, and books displayed here and there. A curious, green tree frog hung from the edge of one of the curtains, but still no TV.
Katie dimmed the living room light and stood with her hands clasped awkwardly together. Nick took them in his and led her toward the couch, gauging her body language, and making sure he wasn’t going too fast.
She nodded as though she’d heard his thoughts.
Nick set aside his beer and sat beside her on the couch, kissing and caressing her face. “I’m falling in love with you.”
“I feel the same way.”
Nick’s hands drifted through her hair and down her neck, teasing her shoulders and moving in excruciating circles across her ribs. His right hand stopped over her heart and stayed there. He closed his eyes. “I feel your heart in my hand.”
She’d never known a man could light so many fires with just a touch or a few sincere words. Katie snuggled into the cushions, and he followed her, covering her body with his. He stretched to taste her lips again, and she melted under the heat of his tongue. With her mind in a blur, she surrendered to wherever Nick decided to take them.
His talented fingers inched below her shirt, pushing the thin material upward.
Rising slowly from the couch, she allowed Nick to peel it away. She suffered no shame, just a buzzing in her ears and a need to feel him beside her, on her, in her. She reached for his shirt, tugging at buttons, and letting her hands roam across his stomach and up to his chest. The hair there was deep russet, shining brighter red where the light captured and held.
His fingers journeyed over her breasts at the edge of her lacy bra. He followed the material to her shoulder and eased each strap off and undid the clasp. He pulled the bra free, letting it fall to the floor. He stayed half crouched between her legs, gazing at her curves, and the shadows cast by the moonlight filtering in through the curtains.
When Katie blushed and covered herself in embarrassment, Nick lifted her hands away. “Don’t hide from me. You’re gorgeous.”
Feeling her tense as he kissed the top of each breast, Nick leaned back to see her face. “If I forget to tell you later, I’ve had a great time already tonight.”
Katie laughed. It was exactly what she’d needed, and she relaxed.
His mouth came to hers again and brought a quiet sound of pleasure. She moaned when his lips slid down the base of her throat and moved lower to cover a nipple.
Her skin was hot, and Nick ran his tongue from below her breast to just inside her jeans. Her pulse jumped as he found her secret places. The taste of her grew warmer until he wondered how he wasn’t consumed by her heat.
Katie reached for him, hungry to taste as well. Her mouth traced along his jawline, running down his chest to follow the line of fine hair from his tight stomach to his waistband.
Their moves were impossibly slow as if they swam through water. Nick’s body trembled for hers. Katie felt his muscles tense under her hands.
Nick could hardly bear to wait any longer. “I want you, Annie.”
“I want you too.”
He undid her jeans and pulled them slowly from her legs. He traced a line from her heel to her hip and cupped her center. Katie cried out, arching helplessly at such a soft caress.
She pulled his belt free. Nick shook with anticipation, and Katie was awed with her power over him. He pulled his jeans off, and Katie watched in fascination, taking in his length and muscles earned from hard work, not weights at the gym. She reached for him, but he shook his head sli
ghtly.
Fearing she’d done something incorrectly, Katie sat back. “What’s wrong?”
“Umm. Protection. We need protection.” Nick turned aside, fumbling in his jeans pocket. Katie heard the crinkling of a package opening and dropped her head to hide a smile.
Nick rolled back toward her and, in one smooth move, had them both lying on the couch once more. He kissed her, building up the heat again. Their senses filled with each other's scent: new wood and musk for him, and mint and flowers for her.
Fingers explored, and he found her center again, damp and ready. She wrapped her hand around his ready erection and squeezed gently. Nick rose over her, waiting for her beautiful green eyes to open.
She smiled up at him, and he slid into her with one powerful stroke. He willed himself to stop so their bodies could adjust to the new texture and feel of one another. He slipped deeper, and she rose with him, fell with him, and recognized her own need building.
She rode a wave of sensation: their labored breathing, a slight sheen of sweat, Nick’s soft words, skin sliding against skin. Katie gripped his hips, groaned as she was swept up in a tidal wave of feelings she’d never experienced with Jack. Her body quivered, pulsed, and crested. “Oh, God, Nick. Oh….” She shuddered twice.
Nick’s world wavered. He buried his face in Annie’s hair and lost himself. Forever.
Minutes ticked by, with their breathing filling the silence. When Katie shifted, Nick flipped their positions so he wouldn’t crush her.
Stretching, Katie tangled her legs with Nick’s. His arms wrapped around her and he held her, content to stay there for the next two or three centuries. “I could get used to this,” Nick mumbled into her shoulder.
Katie sighed, but a tiny niggle of fear ran through her brain. Oh God. Jack’s still out there. What am I going to do?
Chapter 63
Early on Sunday morning, Jack intentionally messed up his hair and glued on his fake mustache and sideburns. Slipping on a baseball hat and false glasses, he decided he didn't look too out of the ordinary. He was down to the last few stops along the southern bus route, which ended near a highway. Jack had a good feeling about the day. He was nursing a headache, but he’d learned to live with those.
At a stop near Georgetown, Jack noticed a branch of Katie’s bank directly across from the bus stop. He scanned the area, noting a run-down motel called City Manor. It was too much a coincidence to ignore, and Jack headed toward the motel.
Jack introduced himself to the manager, “Greg Landis, Private Investigator.” He handed over one of the false business cards.
“I’m Chad Johnson. Can I help you?”
“I’ve been working a case for months and wondered if you’ve seen this woman?” Jack showed a picture of Katie.
Chad leaned in to see it better. “Hey, that’s the woman who disappeared, right?”
“How about this woman?” Jack showed the photoshopped picture of Katie, with darker hair and glasses.
Chad widened his eyes. “That’s Anne. Why do you have her picture?”
Jack went on high alert, and he made up a quick lie to keep Chad talking. “Well, it turns out she’s missing, too. I think this may have been the last place she was seen. What can you tell me? Time is critical.”
Chad didn’t ask why a private investigator was involved. He’d never heard from Anne, and his bruised ego was soothed by the notion it hadn’t been purposeful. “That’s Anne. Anne Morrison. She stayed here a couple of nights.”
Jack jerked his head toward Chad. “Morrison?” Same as Cassie. I’ll be God damned. Jack shook his head in appreciation. Smart move, sweetheart.
Jack settled in to chat, buying Chad and himself lousy coffee out of the motel vending machine. Jack read the situation and offered a few compliments. “She’s a good looking girl. I bet she liked you.”
Chad disclosed her job at the bank and her gray Nissan.
“Well, Chad no one at the bank location has ever heard of her. She’s missing, and we need to understand the situation. You understand?”
Not willing to be disloyal to Anne, Chad offered excuses instead. “Well, I’m sure there’s an explanation. She even rented an apartment.”
“Do you remember where?”
“Sure. Ashley Commons. It’s not far from here.”
Jack scribbled the name down.
“She’s never there, though. I’ve gone by a few times.”
Jack worked to stay congenial. “Well, I’ll check it out myself. You’ve been a big help, Chad.” Jack thumped him on the back, and resisted the urge to punch Chad in the face for even daring to look at Katie, let alone pursue her. As he drove away, he spoke the name “Ashley Commons” into Google Maps and followed the directions.
The apartment manager remembered Katie too.
“She put down a deposit and never came back. Non-refundable.”
He dug for the file. “Here it is. Cassandra Anne Morrison.”
For a hundred bucks, the sleazy manager gladly gave up a copy of the lease agreement. As expected, it contained all the pertinent information.
Jack rubbed his hands together in glee. “Gotcha.” He peeled off the stupid mustache and headed for home.
Armed with Cassie’s full name, birth date, and social security number, Jack logged on to AnnualCreditReport.com. He completed the online form, using the address from Ashley Commons. The program asked if ‘he’d’ lived there for two years. When Jack clicked ‘no,’ it asked for a previous address. Yanking out his phone, he typed in the Morrison’s address.
As the credit report page processed the information, Jack laughed aloud and guzzled his second drink. A message appeared on the screen, “Your report will be finalized and sent to the email address indicated in 3-5 business days. Use passcode XWbJ39DcC to open.”
“Shit!” If he was lucky, he’d have information by Wednesday. Jack didn’t believe much in luck and figured it would be Thursday or Friday. Looking at his calendar, he flung his glass. “Goddammit. Thursday is Thanksgiving.” He doubted the report would show up on a holiday, either.
He poured another drink, talking to himself, “What am I supposed to do ‘til then?”
Unwilling to wait, he headed toward the Morrisons. Anger and humiliation had him banging on their front door, rather than using the doorbell.
Bob yanked open the door with a scowl.
Jack started in immediately, “Katie stole Cassie’s identity. Has she contacted you?”
Bob bristled at Jack’s tone. “You came here two months ago, asking questions. What the hell is going on?”
Julie came to the door. “Who is it, Bob?” Seeing Jack, she frowned.
Bob and Julie stood side by side, barring the entrance.
“I know you helped her!” Jack screamed.
Bob leaned forward. “You’re not going to come to my house and dishonor my daughter’s memory or accuse us of anything. Do you understand me?”
Julie interrupted. “We haven’t seen Katie in months. She’s a lovely woman, and I hope she’s all right, but we have nothing to say.”
“What about Katie using Cassie’s name? How could you not know?” Jack glared at them.
Julie clapped her hands on her hips and shot back, “We have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I trust the police have this information?” Bob asked. When Jack said nothing, Bob added, “Well, they will. We’ll be calling them immediately.”
Julie tugged at Bob’s arm. Long married, he understood the signal and closed the door.
Jack drove away with no new information and a foreboding he’d hear from the police. He wasn’t wrong. Hopkins and Darrow were working on another case but sent Randy Fairchild out to Jack’s house, again.
Fairchild didn’t waste time on niceties, “Got a call from the Morrisons.”
Jack nodded. “I was upset.”
“According to them, you were angry and making accusations. Why are you still trying to find Katie?” He waited, eyebrows at at
tention, ready to write down whatever Jack had to say.
Jack ran his finger through his hair, grabbing at handfuls. “I want my life back. If she wants to be gone, fine. But make it official, get a divorce, move on. I’m sick of this shit.”
Randy wrote it down and headed back to the precinct. Jack had been warned.
Chapter 64
Katie woke on Thanksgiving morning feeling blessed. Carrying her coffee to the second bedroom, Katie admired the second crate full of books that had arrived the day before. She sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling the books out one by one. Despite Giovanni nagging her into getting insurance on the truck, her little account was growing. There was no reason to believe she couldn’t keep adding to her savings.
Life was good. I have friends and, more importantly, Nick. The two were getting more serious and spending all their free time together.
Yet, Katie still debated telling him her real story. He needs to know. She was afraid--afraid she’d waited too long, afraid of his reaction. Soon she told herself.
She called Aunt Susan, needing to hear her voice.
“Oh, Katie-girl, I’m so glad you called. Things still okay?”
“Better than okay,” Katie filled her in on her two jobs, her apartment, her friends.
“Any men down there?” Aunt Susan asked.
When Katie hesitated, her aunt pounced, “Oh-ho. Tell me everything!”
They talked so long Katie worried she’d run out of minutes on her phone.
“You need to tell the truth, Katie. This is a bad way to start what seems like a good relationship. Jack came here weeks ago looking for you. He’s still out there.”
Katie's head dropped to her chest. “I know.”
Jack received Cassie’s credit report on Friday. The county office was closed for the holiday weekend, so he settled in to read. The report showed a credit check by Don Connelly in some town called Bluff Creek. There was a vehicle registered too. “A God damned pickup?”
Jack drove an hour and a half, cruising through the old section of town. It was a sorry-ass collection of businesses with only a few restaurants and stores, most of which were already closed, including Connelly rentals. Jack shook his head in disgust.
There Was a Crooked Man: A Psychological Thriller Page 31