“Fine by me,” Maggie said.
“But Captain, we’re not getting anywhere and with Lindsay missing...” Lucas began.
“That’s an order, detective. No arguments.” He walked off before Lucas could protest again.
“Looks like I can catch up on some lovin’.” Maggie winked at him.
“Please spare me the details.”
“Aw come on, don’t pretend like you don’t remember.”
“Hmm, we did have fun.”
She smiled at the memories. “Yeah, anyway, why don’t you ask Chelsea out and have some fun too?”
“I might do just that,” he said. “I need to see my family as well.”
“I know it’s probably not wise as far as protocol is concerned to date her, but I won’t tell.” She winked. “Wouldn’t be the first time you broke the rules anyway.”
“No, it wouldn’t.” They shared a smile.
“Shall we meet with Peterson and Stewart and go through what we have?” Maggie said.
Lucas and Maggie located the detectives and they gathered round the white board displaying Libby, Kate and Elle’s photos and constructed a list of all the consistencies between the cases:
Cause of death
Chest wounds
Similar dump spot (except Elle behind shop)
Flour transference
Coffee Break Café
Adrian Matthews
Mystery Man
Possessions left at premises
IDs on body - how and when is killer taking this?
Noted also was the blond hair found on Kate’s body, and that the fingerprints found with no matches to the database were present in all three of the victims’ houses.
The detectives also included the kidnapping of Lindsay in the list, even though she had not been discovered dead yet. They hoped she wouldn’t be moved over into the column with the other victims. However, the longer it took to find her, the more likely it was that she would turn up dead.
The similarities between Libby, Kate and Lindsay were also discussed and listed. They then added Chelsea’s photo because she could possibility be a target. The similarities between Chelsea and the victims were strong and, until they knew for sure she wasn’t in danger, they were taking it into consideration.
The big question was why these girls? Did they have a link to Chelsea? Why choose girls of similar appearance? These were questions that were on each of the detective’s minds. Lucas grew increasingly concerned as the meeting went on.
What puzzled them the most was the relevance of RICH BITCH and the perp’s motive. None of the girls came from any kind of money. Lucas added that perhaps this could be linked to Chelsea too, in that, from what she’d told him, her family might be wealthy.
They surmised that the victims could be merely practice runs for the perp’s intended goal, his grand finale, Chelsea. Was it her he wanted? If not, why did the victims resemble her and why kill Elle and change his MO? Lucas volunteered to look into this further by finding out who might want to harm Chelsea and in turn find a potential suspect. It was a long shot but worth following up.
The team also decided not to rule out Adrian Matthews until they obtained a DNA sample, confirming things either way. Peterson and Stewart were assigned canvassing areas and people to interview over the weekend.
After the meeting, while Lucas and Maggie were checking over their notes once more, before heading home, Lucas’ phone rang. He glanced at Maggie before answering.
“Hudson.”
“Hi, Lucas, it’s Chelsea.” His heart did a little flutter.
“Hey there, how’re you doing?”
“Better now my family is here,” she replied. “Um, I called to... talk to you about something.”
“What’s up?” Maggie packed up to leave.
“Um, I’ve been receiving some phone calls.”
“What kind of calls?” he said abruptly, stopping Maggie in her tracks.
“Well threatening ones but I’m not sure how seriously to take them. Probably just someone playing a joke, but my family insisted I let the police know, so I’m calling you.”
“What was the content of the calls?”
“I have written them all down and when they occurred. Would you like me to read them out to you?”
“No, I’ll come over. I have to talk to you anyway.”
“Okay, sounds ominous,” she said half joking.
“I’ll be there in an hour,” he said and hung up.
“Was that Chelsea?” asked Maggie.
“Yeah, she’s been receiving calls.”
“Hmm, maybe we’re on the mark with her being a target.”
“Unfortunately, it’s looking that way,” he said grimly. “Have a good one, see you Monday,” he called over his shoulder as he raced out.
Chapter 14
Stalker
Friday
Almost an hour later, Lucas arrived at Chelsea’s. He’d gone home to shower and change first and had deliberated over what to wear for far too long. As he stood at her door, he realized how nervous he was about seeing her again. He took a deep breath and rang the bell. He heard a voice call out ‘I’ll get it,’ but it wasn’t Chelsea.
The door opened to reveal a stunning, leggy, strawberry blonde, giving him the once over. If his mind hadn’t been so preoccupied with Chelsea, he would have welcomed her in a shot.
“Well, hello there, handsome,” she said in a deep flirty tone. “You must be Detective Hudson.”
“And you must be Charlotte.”
“That I am. Aren’t you just good enough to eat?”
“Charlotte,” Sarah scolded as she came up behind her. “Stop flirting with the man and let him in.”
“Of course, silly me, come in, detective.”
“Lucas, please.”
“Well, you’ve obviously met Charlotte. I’m Sarah Summerville.”.
A beautiful, short, petite woman with striking green eyes and strawberry blonde hair extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Ma’am.”
“Please, call me Sarah, Lucas.” She smiled. “Chelsea is upstairs. She’ll be down in a moment.”
As she spoke Chelsea descending the stairs caught his eye. Her jeans hugged her petite curves and her legs were covered to her calf with brown boots. A deep green flowing shirt brought out the rose in her cheeks and lips. Her long hair was loose and shone under the overhead lights and he felt a compelling need to touch it. Her pure sexiness erased all rational thought from his mind. Desire overcame him as her scent filled the air. As she approached, his eyes locked on hers and he couldn’t pull them away.
Chelsea saw Charlotte mouth ‘wow’ behind Lucas’s shoulder as she walked towards them. She kept her face even as she looked at him and instantaneously her eyes became glued to his. They all just stood there for a moment as the electricity passed between Chelsea and Lucas.
“Chelsea,” said Sarah breaking the silence, “do you have your list there for Lucas?”
She nodded and handed him a piece of note paper. He scanned down the page reading her small neat writing and then locked eyes with her again.
“I wasn’t sure how seriously to take them but by the look on your face, I assume I should be.” He nodded. He still couldn’t speak. “Is this because I resemble the other girls?”
He nodded again, not breaking eye contact.
“Why would someone want to hurt Chelsea?” said Charlotte.
He cleared his throat and dragged his eyes from Chelsea’s and put on his detective face.
“That’s what I’m here to find out.”
“Charlotte,” said Sarah turning to her daughter, “we should get going if we don’t want to miss the start of the movie.” She dragged Charlotte towards the door.
“Okay, Okay,” Charlotte replied before giving Chelsea a wink over Lucas’ shoulder. “I guess you’re not coming then, Chelsea?”
“No, I guess not, Charlotte,” she replied glaring at her sister before returnin
g her eyes to Lucas.
“We’ll be back in a few hours, Chelsea. Can we get anything for you while we’re out?” Sarah asked.
“No, thanks, Mom,” she said. “I don’t think we need anything.”
“We’ll see you later then. Say goodbye, Charlotte.”
“Good bye Charlotte,” she said with a smirk and followed Sarah out to the car.
“Can I get you anything?” Chelsea asked him.
“No, thanks. Can we sit down so I can ask you some questions?”
“Sure,” she said leading him to the couch. It was as comfortable as he imagined it would be.
“Do you have any ex-boyfriends who might want to hurt you?” Lucas asked getting straight into it, even though he did not want to hear about her relationships with other men.
“I’ve only ever had one serious boyfriend - well fiancé actually - but I can’t imagine why he would want to hurt me,” she told him. “Wesley left me about a year ago and I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”
The hurt in her eyes stabbed his heart with jealousy. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I thought we were happy, but he simply disappeared, and I never saw him again.”
“Were you living together?” he asked.
“Yes, we were living here and then, after he left, Elle moved in,” she said.
“Did you go to the police?”
“Yes, but they didn’t seem very interested in finding him. They said his father was dead and that his mother had left her husband many years ago. They didn’t think anything had happened to him, just that he must have just taken off. They seemed to think I was better off without him.”
“And his friends?”
“I didn’t know any of his friends. I don’t think he had many, he was pretty shy.” This piqued Lucas interest, but he had to be thorough and ask further questions.
“Have you had any other boyfriends or high school sweethearts?”
“No, I don’t really date much,” she said, blushing. “At school I wasn’t very popular.”
“Why’s that?”
“In Tidwell, about a quarter of the families are what some people would call well off and ours is one of them. As I told you last night, my family worked very hard to get where they are. We were the minority, so we were singled out.”
“So, you’re rich then?”
“Um, if you want to call it that, my family has money,” she said. Her face became guarded and Lucas knew he’d hit a nerve.
“Would you say you’re rich personally?”
“No!” she said indignantly. Her eyes became cool and a flush filled her cheeks. “I have never taken anything for granted. Sure, I didn’t want for anything, but I am not the rich brat I was often referred to as. I have made my own way and bought my own business and do not in any way accept anything from my parents. They own this house, but I pay half the rent, well now the full rent. My parents don’t want me to, but I do. I would never rely on them for money.”
“Was Wesley – what’s his surname?”
“Robinson.”
“Was he envious of you or your family?”
“Not that I was ever aware of. He did seem a little awestruck by our family’s house, but he never indicated he was jealous. Why are you asking me about this? How is it relevant?”
“Hey, I’m not having a dig at you. I didn’t really want to have to tell you this but—”
“What? I can handle it,” she cut in, her chin set.
“The words ‘rich bitch’ were cut into the chests of all three girls before their throats were slit.”
An expression of horror emerged on her beautiful face and her eyes dropped to her shaking hands. He mentally kicked himself. What made him tell her that?
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to tell you but there is a reason I’m asking you about this,” he said softly as he took her small hands in his.
“These murders,” she said with a catch in her voice, “you think they could be because of me? Elle is dead because of me?”
“This is not your fault. It’s this sick bastard’s fault, whoever he is.”
“I hope I don’t know anyone that would do this,” she said in a small voice.
“Me too. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he assured her, a lump rising in his throat. “We have to be realistic and look at the connections, try to work out who it could be. You only knew Elle and you don’t seem connected in any other way to the others besides your resemblance to them and via the café. Now that you’re getting calls, we have to work out why you may be a target.”
She looked up at him. “I really don’t know, Lucas.”
The forlorn expression in her amazing green eyes was too much. He lifted a hand from hers and lightly ran it over her hair and down to stroke her face. Pink rose in her cheeks as he leant forward to kiss her gently on the lips.
His tenderness surprised her and the intensity in his eyes caused her to blush. The touch of his lips sent an instant fire through her body. Wanting more, she threw her arms around his neck and brought his mouth back to hers.
With a groan, he intensified the kiss, pulling her up with him as he stood. He hoped she would wrap her legs around him again and she didn’t disappoint. His groin tightened, and he knew tonight he was not going to be able to stop.
Chapter 15
Passion
Friday
With passion driving her Chelsea ran her hands across his hard chest and shoulders longing to touch the skin underneath his t-shirt. She groped at it and was rewarded with a smooth taut body beneath. She lifted her hands to bury them in his hair and they became lost in the thick waves. She urged her tongue against his, craving more. She couldn’t get close enough to him.
He could feel her nipples harden against his chest as he carried her towards the stairs. She teased his bottom lip with her lips and tongue as he navigated her upstairs. When they entered her room, he swiftly removed her shirt and explored her soft tawny skin with urgent, tender hands. He went with her as he placed her gently on the bed and sought her lips again. Her delicious scent surrounded him, and he craved to taste all of her.
Chelsea’s hands roamed his chest and back before slipping off his t-shirt. She lost control of her hands exploring his honey colored skin. Her craving to touch every part of him took over.
His hands roamed her body while he kissed her hungrily. He trailed kisses slowly across her jaw and down her neck, inhaling her scent. He took one rosy nipple then the other into his mouth.
She arched her back in response, squeezed his shoulders and sighed out a moan. Her hands roamed to his hair again, gripping it with ardor.
He continued his trail of kisses down her body and removed her pants before removing his own. His mouth teased and kissed her inner thigh. She moaned again as her breathing intensified.
Lucas brought his mouth back up to hers as he slipped his fingers between her legs. She groaned into his mouth and while continuing to massage her, his mouth came down to taste her nipples again.
As she arched her back and cried out, he lingered for a moment, teasing her with his fingers before moving his hand to caress her body. He brought his mouth back to hers as he plunged inside her. She gripped his shoulders while he cradled her head. Their mouths remained together as he eased into a leisurely rhythm.
“Oh, Lucas,” she breathed out her pleasure as he gradually increased the intensity.
He brought them both to the brink and back, wanting to prolong the feeling of her. When she arched up to meet him, he slowed the pace, so he could bring her to the peak of desire once more. He kissed her neck and face as she gripped his back. Gradually he intensified his movements and when, for the third time, she tensed, arched her back and cried out with intense pleasure, he groaned along with her, united in pleasure.
Spent, he flopped down beside her, pulled her in close and caressed her hair while he attempted to reclaim his breath. Her pleasure-filled panting almost had him wanting to start again.
<
br /> “Now that was much better than I imagined,” he said huskily looking down to gaze into her eyes.
“Yes, it was,” she said with a contented smile, her eyes melting into his.
“I aim to please.”
“I’m very pleased,” she said, running her fingers over his chest and stomach.
He lay for a few moments enjoying her gentle touch, before sitting up. He took her hand, grabbed the covers from the bed and led her outside onto the balcony. He sat down on the chair and gestured for her to sit on his lap. Once she did, he wrapped the covers around them.
“It’s so beautiful out here at night,” she said.
“You’re beautiful.” He kissed her tenderly.
“You’re not too bad yourself.” She smiled.
He cleared his throat. “Chelsea…”
“If you need to ask me more questions, you can. I’m feeling pretty relaxed right now.”
“I know it’s not the best time, but we have to find out who might be doing this.”
“Please ask and get it over with.”
“Are you absolutely sure that Wesley wouldn’t be doing this?” She nodded. “Do you know much about his family - why he may have been envious of you and your family life?”
“The only things I know about his family are what the police told me. I really can’t imagine it could be him. He was sweet and never seemed to be bothered by anything. Like I said, he was a little in awe of my family’s house but never gave any indication during our three years together that he was jealous in any way. We were getting married, what was mine would have been his. I believe he left me because either he couldn’t go through with the wedding or perhaps, he just didn’t actually love me. Besides it’s been a year, if he really felt that way, wouldn’t he have done something before now?”
“Resentment builds over time and a lot of planning would have gone into this.”
“I still think you’re looking in the wrong direction.”
“Well, all right, what about people you went to school with or grew up with? Was there anyone in particular that seemed to have singled you out?’
“No, it wasn’t just one person, and it was a long time ago.”
Rich Girl (Broken Wishes Series Book 1) Page 10