Carol Shenold - Tali Cates 02 - Bloody Murder Read online

  And my son had some notion he was a vampire. I smiled to myself, picturing a gothic novel with the heroine swooning in the arms of the dark stranger à la Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey.

  Aiden tilted his head. “What’s so funny? Share the joke. You don’t get to sit there like a Cheshire cat without telling me what’s going on.”

  I polished off the rest of my steak, already thinking ahead to dessert. Their flourless chocolate cake was out of this world. They made it with espresso and fresh whipped cream on top. “I have to tell you about the kids. It was funny, once I got over the shock.” I told Aiden about the conversation—and the mirror.

  Aiden threw back his head and burst out laughing. His laugh was full-bodied, rich, and echoed through the room, making everyone around him smile, though they had no idea what the joke was.

  He finally caught his breath. “I thought it was strange to see a nice antique leaning against the garage. In fact, I started to come over and ask about it when I saw you and the boys out there. That’s hysterical. I need to start dressing in black and really make them worry.”

  “Especially on Halloween night, it would make their holiday. Now, if you could find a way to change into a bat and fly away…”

  He looked at me across the table and I felt as if I were going to take flight myself. His eyes drew me outside myself and into another world where I didn’t have to be in control, I could simply enjoy sensations coursing through me. A place with no children, no responsibilities, just the two of us. I wanted to be swept up and away into that existence, soar above obligations, death, worry of the here and now.

  “Would you like some coffee or dessert?” Aiden offered, plunging me back to earth.

  Suddenly cake was the last thing on my mind. I wanted dessert all right. I wanted him. I’d turned into the town slut, ready to sleep with the next stranger who came along, and I didn’t care.

  I smiled at him, meeting his eyes for a second before looking away from the intensity reflected there. “No. Not quite the dessert I had in mind.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You’re certain,” he said, reading my thoughts. “You don’t know me very well.”

  I felt a chill. Maybe I blew it and he didn’t feel the same way, had no intention of getting serious with some small-town single mother. He might be repulsed by me, feel sorry for me. Oh God. What a mess.

  I met his eyes again, afraid of what I would see there, but all I saw was tenderness and something stronger I couldn’t identify. “You can take me home. We can call it a night,” I offered.

  “Or we could drive around. It’s clear with a full moon coming along. Let’s go out to the lake. I love the view at night.”

  Aiden stood up and held out his hand. When I took it, all the earlier feelings shot through me, stronger than ever. I’d make him want me. I wouldn’t do my usual thing, over-thinking every move. I’d let our relationship happen naturally.

  We drove out to the Love Lake Pavilion. It was dark and empty with a moonlit view of the lake. A pier led out past the lighthouse. We stood on the end of the path, water sounds whispering around us, moonlight glowing on the waves. A light breeze lifted my hair.

  Aiden kissed me. I felt the way I had as a child, on a swing, when I plummeted forward from a really high push. He pulled back to look me in the eyes, caressed my cheek, ran his fingers down the side of my neck and around to the front. I gasped as fire followed that line, and kept going, past my breasts, down to the core of my being. I stopped breathing, gasped for air. He kissed me again, became more insistent and my body matched his, pressing toward him, into him as if I wanted to meld into one being.

  As we kissed, Aiden continued caressing me, driving me wild with feather-light touches everywhere that seared flesh, through clothing, hot tingling. I became wild with the desire to shed clothing, feel his touch without barriers, but I was too weak, too breathless to do anything about it.

  Aiden must have felt the same as one minute we were by the lighthouse, the next lying on a blanket on the pavilion floor, our clothing in piles. My mind couldn’t fill in the gaps—where the blanket came from, where the clothes went—and didn’t care. Sensations stronger than I ever remembered flew through my body, down all the nerves, all culminating in one area. I shifted my hips, attempting to move closer. I couldn’t wait, but he drew back once again, tracing fire from my neck, around my breasts, over my stomach, around my labia, driving me to more uncontrollable desire.

  I reached down to move one of his hands where I wanted it to go so badly, but he grabbed both my wrists and held them over my head, while continuing to touch and stroke me in ways I’d never imagined. I arched and moaned, closing in on an orgasm. He opened my labia, letting air currents play around, heightening the sensations more than anyone ought to be able to survive, but they kept on building. I heaved with desire, my entire body arching until my back should have broken. Then he inserted himself into me.

  In spite of my frantic movement, he took his time, moving so slowly I could have died in the intervals between strokes. He let go of my hands and I clung to his back, matching movement to movement. His motion accelerated, my moans became cries, uncontrollable sobbing as I climaxed and built toward another climax, my heart pounding itself through my chest. I spun off into space, through galaxies, the fire becoming the sun. We thundered into fulfillment at the same moment, crashing back to earth for a soft landing next to each other.

  I breathed as if I’d run a marathon, trying to slow down, consciously making each breath take a little longer. Aiden lay next to me, breathing normally, watching my face. As I became aware of where we were, what state we were in, I blushed as if I’d never had a man. My God, I had sex next to the lake, in the pavilion, like some horny teenager.

  I probably had splinters in my butt.

  What if one of the deputies who routinely patrolled the lake came by? What if some kids I knew wanted to neck in the pavilion? I rolled over to grab clothes. How could I have gotten so carried away? This wasn’t me. I was a mom, not a sex machine. What on earth had I been thinking? I’d known this man for two days. How ridiculous.

  How damn desperate.

  Aiden had a faint smile on his face, as if he could read my thoughts. “It’s all right, Tali. You are allowed feelings. No one can be in control all the time.”

  I dressed fast as I could. “I can,” I snapped. “I have to be, it’s my job. I’m a mom and an example. The last time I dated a stranger was a disaster and now look what’s happened.”

  He pulled on his jeans, a scowl crossing his face. “Right. Look what’s happened. You enjoyed yourself. Our Tali isn’t allowed to have fun, fulfill a desire or anything else human? You’ve turned the gift of fulfillment into an act of depravity. That’s insulting.”

  I stopped jerking my clothes on. “You’re insulted? Here we are like two adolescents, so desperate to find a place to be together, we’re willing to have sex on a hard wooden floor in full sight of anyone who might come by, and you feel put-upon?”

  “Tali, we were together. I didn’t take you against your will. You appeared to be as enthusiastic as I was.”

  “That’s precisely the problem. I should have better control. How can I set an example for my kids, expect them to make good choices, have self control, if I don’t exhibit it myself?”

  We both finished dressing without any more words and Aiden took me home. I jumped out of the car and ran into the house before he could come around to open the door.

  Chapter Seven

  I tossed and turned, dozed, dreamed weird things, woke up, dozed again. Aiden, Theresa, creepy feelings at the dressing room, everything passed in and out of my thoughts. Exhausted, I’d just about fallen asleep for the third time when I heard a noise. The clock shone four a.m.

  I’d checked on Sean but not Cass or Mumsie. Mumsie slept like the dead. She’d never be up this early. I pulled on my robe and looked around for a weapon. If someone broke in, they’d have a problem. Anger still ran through me when I thou
ght about the time someone painted witch on the front of the house a few months ago. I grabbed a giant carving knife as I crept through the kitchen, past the sliding door in the dining room, which was secure. I stood in the alcove next to the laundry room trying to hear any noise from the green room. A faint rustle told me someone was there.

  I shivered, imagining any number of things, none of them pleasant. Dang it, the boys had me spooked. This was ridiculous.

  I walked into the room and stood on the landing as my daughter, Cass, and the new boyfriend left nothing to the imagination with their antics on the couch. That was how Aiden and I must have looked.

  I yelled. “Cassandra Mary Cates, put your clothes on, right now. You too, young man. What do you think you’re doing? Sean could walk right in on you. It’s not as if there’s a door you can lock, or a door at all.”

  “And how long were you sneaking around watching us?” Cass jerked on her jeans. “That’s sick. Besides, you have no right to spy on us.”

  “As long as you’re living with us, you have no right to act as if you’re the only one in the house. Banging around the house at four a.m., scaring me to death, is not considerate. And if you are going to do something requiring privacy, for God’s sake and mine, find some.”

  “I can take care of that. I’ll go home with Chase. He won’t be so picky, will you Chase?”

  So far, Chase had not said anything, and he grew pale at Cass’s question. “Well, honey, I have a roommate, you know, and I don’t think you could bunk with the two of us, not that it wouldn’t be nice and all that, but I don’t think you’d like it very much…” He trailed off, looking guilty and sneaky at the same time. What the hell was he hiding? I was so tired of secrets and mysteries.

  Cass whirled on Chase. “You go then, and sleep with your precious roommate. I wouldn’t want to bother that arrangement.” Venom dripped from the words and he stepped back.

  Chase reached for her hand and she jerked away. “Cass, you know I didn’t mean it that way. Listen for just one minute.”

  “Don’t slam the door on the way out,” I said, ever the good hostess, and I left them to finish their argument. Chase looked more puzzled than angry.

  Cass needed to learn to think things through, but I was angry at myself for overreacting. I had to stop screaming before I turned into the fishwife she thought I was. Aiden would say I had the right to get angry and show emotion but showing, expressing negative emotion was never encouraged when I was a child. Holding it all in was a difficult habit to break.

  Since sleep had deteriorated into an impossible dream, I put on some coffee. It was a warm October. Sometimes we didn’t get a hard freeze until Halloween. I could put on my robe and sit on the deck. I didn’t want to hear the yelling in the living room, which wouldn’t last because I’d go in there and kill them both if they didn’t cool it.

  After I brewed a pot dark enough to stand on its own, I took a large cup outside and sat at the picnic table, looking over the edge of the deck toward the football field. I inhaled the aroma of the rich, strong coffee. I always spent too much money on good coffee, and then I’d add whipped cream to the top.

  The full moon lit the yard until the house felt dark. Everything stood out in stark detail: tree leaves, grass, even pecans hiding from the squirrels. I jumped at a movement until I identified a possum walking across the far end of the field. An early-bird wren called and a cardinal answered.

  I faced a long day with the Duchess Contest this afternoon and the Queen Contest this evening. Errands stared me in the face—pick up trophies, check on flowers, make sure I had judging sheets for each contestant, enough fill-in talent.

  Mothers were sure to call. “Can Darla change her song? She picked a new one to sing. Can you come get the tape for the new song and give it to the sound man?”

  Angst would rule when I said, “Bring the tape when you come and give it to the sound person then. It will work.”

  Somehow I wanted to repair what tentative relationship I had with Aiden. My hesitation wasn’t his fault, or his problem. I couldn’t blame him because my hormones were raging and I was on him like a duck on a black bug. He shouldn’t have to deal with my lack of self-control.

  I sipped on my coffee and watched the red sun take a last peek over the horizon before it popped up all the way to gold-tip the grass and cast shadows that snaked across the yard. I mentally planned the day. First, listen to messages, then get dressed and show up at Blooms to make certain flowers arrived on time today. No more waiting on Miss Incompetence to deliver on time.

  I dressed in my jeans and tee uniform, discreet jewelry—not. I like gaudy so people look at the jewelry, not me. I jumped into my beloved red Cruiser and nearly had a heat stroke. Shit, today was going to be one of those North Texas October days that feel like high summer. I should have guessed by the thunderstorms that the weather was going to change one direction or the other.

  The morning sun glared off car and shop windows, warning of things to come. Specifically of heat to come on a muggy day with the moisture left over from yesterday’s thunderstorm. Poor kids. Maybe we’d get some cloud cover at least for the contest itself, or the girls and the audience would be miserable.

  I walked past my car and down to the flower shop. Inside, it was blessedly dark and cool. The scent of flowers filled the store, not cloying, just light and refreshing. Now this would be the place to work in the summer. How fun would that be, working with color and scent like that? The owner, Marilee, rushed in at the sound of the bell above the door. She looked distressed when she saw me.

  “Oh, Tali. I meant to call you. Ray stepped off the curb this morning and hurt his ankle. We thought it was sprained but when we went to North Texas Medical, they x-rayed and he has a fracture. He’s going to need surgery.”

  “Oh dear. I’m so sorry.”

  I couldn’t breathe. How was I going to find an emcee in a couple of hours, for both contests? Damn, what else can go wrong?

  No. Cancel the question. I don’t want to know.

  “By the way, would you like to fill in for Ray, since I now need an emcee? And who will be delivering flowers for the contest this afternoon and this evening?”

  She shook her head no. “Sorry, I have to take care of the injured hubby, but my daughter will be happy to do all the deliveries.”

  “On time?”

  “On time. I already talked to her about it. I can’t afford for her to lose us money right now, especially with the injury. We have to carry private insurance since we’re too small to qualify for group. It will mean a financial strain for sure.”

  I left the shop, potential emcee names flitting through my brain like birds trying to escape from cages. Most of the people who came to mind were already doing multiple jobs for the fair board. There must be someone I could use, who everyone would like and trust, who wasn’t already spoken for.

  Someone grabbed my arm and I whirled around. It was Cherilyn. Dang, If I hadn’t already roped her into being a judge, she could have emceed for me. “Come with me. You have to see this?”

  “Where are we going? What’s up?”

  “We’re going to the courthouse. Marcia’s husband has been arrested.”

  “You’re kidding. What about the kids if they’re hauling him away?

  “I’m not fooling and I don’t know. I’m not sure if there are any grandparents, aunts and uncles close by. They were new in town. They came with the first round of construction people working on the new prison outside of town.”

  “Wonderful,” I gasped, out of breath trying to keep up with Cherilyn’s long legs and sweating like gangbusters. “How did you hear about it?”

  “The girl who works at the funeral home called me. Evidently they picked up Don and the kids while they were casket shopping, and they’re due to arrive at the jail any minute.”

  “Oh, nice. Can’t they at least let the family grieve? That’s the shits. What’s JT thinking?”

  “Actually, that’s another thing
. The city and county are fighting over jurisdiction, both groups think it’s their crime. It’s the new DA who is behind this early arrest, if my resources are correct.”

  “Poor guy, poor kids.”

  When we got to the courthouse, Cherilyn pulled me away from the already formed crowd. “They’ll deliver him to the back and I want a picture.”

  “How did a queue happen so quickly? That’s morbid, and so is taking pictures.”

  Cherilyn looked at me. “Haven’t you ever noticed how crowds follow bad things, dark emotions? It’s a rule of the universe. And my job is to document what’s happening, good, bad, or ugly—and this is ugly.”

  Before I could answer, two city police cars pulled up and parked. Cherilyn zeroed in on a shot with her video cam and powerful zoom lens. I’d been prepared for the frantic paparazzi flashing instead of this intense and quiet moment as the dazed-looking girls were unloaded and bundled indoors.

  The crowd evidently clued into what was going on. Running feet pounded around the corner behind us as we, and half the town, gathered to watch.

  Someone yelled out, “Murderer.”

  “Didn’t you think about your children?” another voice screamed.

  Don didn’t look up when the officers took him out of the car. He stared down as he walked. He looked as if he’d lost his best friend and didn’t know what to do. He looked like a grieving widower.

  Waves of sorrow rolled off him and slammed into us as he walked into the building.

  I turned to Cherilyn as she lowered her camera. “Did you feel it? He’s truly grieving. I don’t think he killed anyone. JT has the wrong person and this will ruin Don’s life.”

  “If you mean this heat wave, yes, I feel it. As far as his guilt or innocence—thank God it’s not my decision. Gotta run to the office with this shot. I’ll see you later.”

  I stared after her, wondering where my friend was, the one who cared about stray kittens and fallen birds. Maybe this was a Laurel effect.