ROMANCE: Mr. Mystery: (New Adult Bad Boy Romance) (Contemporary Mystery Short Stories) (8 page)

“My friends and I have been hanging around up there.  Nothing crazy.  We just like to go.” 

“Did you paint Satin Lives on the wall?” Laura hoped not.  He looked like a smart boy.  She didn’t want to think that he would make such a poor spelling error. 

“No,” Dustin snorted, “that’s been there.  And it’s stupid.”  Laura nodded. 

“Ok.  So you guys just decided to make up the troll?”  Dustin shrugged again, knitting his fingers together. 

“It wasn’t supposed to be anything big.  It was just fun.  You know, there are bridges in the park.  Trolls live under bridges.”  Laura nodded.  She got his point.  “So we just started putting random stuff up there.  I brought one of my dad’s old clubs out there.” 

“And you never saw anything weird?  Or anyone?”  Dustin shook his head. 

“Nope.” 

“Did you see the news about the woman’s body being found?” 

“Yep.”  Dustin told her.  “I didn’t think I should come talk to you then because we didn’t know anything.  Ummm,” He looked around, “should I have?”

“Well, we wouldn’t have minded hearing from you as soon as we found everything.”  Laura advised him gently. “But I’m glad you came in when you did.  Where did you find the note?”

“In the thing where I kept the sign in book.” 

“Just today?” 

“Yep.” 

“Why’d you go up today?”  Dustin leaned back in his chair.  He extended his hands, and then let them drop back into his lap. 

“We just did.  We uh…. we….”  His voice trailed off awkwardly.  He looked down at the table top again.  “We uh…just wanted to uh…see if there was anything still there.”  Laura really hoped he meant his own stuff and not the murder. 

“And the note was the only thing?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Did you see the news about the other murder?” 

“Yeah.  That’s what made me go to the cops when I found the note.  They were still in the park.  It wasn’t hard to find them.”  Laura was certain it wasn’t.  Since the discovery of the other body, they were keeping a close eye on the local parks. 

“Ok, Dustin,” Laura stood up.  “I’m going to go check with Detective Lewis about your parents.  Once they get here, we’ll have to get their consent to give you a handwriting test.” 

“Huh?”  The boy looked confused.  “Why would you want to see my writing?” 

“Just to make sure that you didn’t write the note.”  He looked startled.  Laura wasn’t entirely sure if it was fear or guilt.  Though she had a suspicion it was the former. 

“I didn’t write it!  Why would I do that?” 

“Dustin, I don’t think that you did.”  Laura advised him gently.  “But just in case anyone ever asks Detective Lewis or I if we checked with you, we have to be able to say that we made sure that you didn’t.  We just have to do our jobs.”  Dustin didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. 

“Ok.” 

Out in the hallway, Laura met Steve. 

“His parents are on their way.  Did you find out anything?” 

“I don’t think he really knows anything.”  Laura glanced back into the room.  “But we have to get the parental consent for a handwriting evaluation.  Just to make sure.”  Steve agreed. 

“Boys will be boys.  You never know if they’re just out looking for attention.” 

“Exactly.  Especially because he saw the news reports about the other body.” 

“Oh hell.  Ok. I’ll stay here and wait for the parents.  Why don’t you head back to the hotel?  You’re looking a little…peaked.” 

Laura lowered her head.  She had a sudden reminder of just why she looked like that.  She didn’t know what had gotten into her last night…besides tequila.  She was working a case.  She couldn’t believe that she had let her professional judgement slip so rapidly. 

“Um, yeah….ok.”  She was all right with getting away from him.  It was becoming abundantly clear how well they worked together.  It was too natural.  She was letting her guard drop again.  This was the Steve she knew…the Steve she had fallen in love with. 

“Go.”  He reached out for her, and then stopped.  He used his outstretched hand to awkwardly pat her shoulder.  Laura smiled just as awkwardly, and then turned to head out to her car. 

******

Someone was once again knocking on her door.  Laura lifted her head wearily.  She’d napped, but she felt so dirty she didn’t even know herself.  She’d been thinking of a shower, but she didn’t have the energy.  But out of obligation, she dragged herself to the door. 

Steve stood on the other side of the door. He was holding a bag from a fast food restaurant, and a drink holder with two Styrofoam cups in it. 

“Hey.” 

“Oh…hey.”  Laura’s hostility towards him had dropped since that afternoon.  “What’s going on?” 

“I…thought you might be hungry.  So I brought you some grease.”  He smiled, holding out the bag.  Laura gave him a soft smile in return. 

“Ok.  Come in.”  He did so without hesitation.  Laura felt relieved.  They needed to talk.  With everything that had gone on between them, she’d managed to lose herself.  It was all that she had thought about lying in bed that afternoon. 

Steve was already setting up burgers and fries on the desk in the corner of the room.  He dragged two chairs over, one across from the other. 

“I guess this is the dating life of cops, huh?”  He put a straw into the cup before offering it out to her.  Laura took it. 

“I didn’t realize we were still dating.”  Steve sat down.  He began slowly unwrapping his burger. 

“Laura…. I…. I’m so sorry.  Things with Stephanie…”  He shook his head.  “I don’t know what I was thinking.  She and I were working that one case, and we were spending time together….  She feels as bad as I do.  We know we were wrong.” 

Laura sat down across from him.  She picked up a French fry, eating it.  It was the first time all day that she was hungry. 

“What’s the saying?  Once a cheater always a cheater?”  Steve frowned. 

“Laura.”  He set his burger down.  “Please.” 

“If I hadn’t seen your text messages, would you even have told me?”  She remembered the day that she had found those all too well. 

“Honestly,” Steve shrugged, “I don’t know.  Because as much as I wanted to be honest with you, I knew that you would react exactly as you did.” 

“You know me so well.”  Laura ate another fry.  “You always have.”  Steve nodded, returning to his burger. 

“Laura, I love you.  Stephanie isn’t a woman that I want to be with.  I want you.  I love you.”  Laura bit her lip.  She had to tell him. 

“I slept with someone else last night.”  Steve’s face hardened. 

“You?  Who?” 

“That one State Trooper detective.  Jones.” 

“Him?”  Steve looked as though he might fall out of his chair.  “What on earth did you see in him?”  Laura shrugged. 

“Nothing, really.  I was drunk.  He…thought we should drink.” 

“So he got you drunk and had sex with you?” 

“No, no.  Don’t say it like that.  That’s not how it happened.  I went along with it.”  She shrugged, staring down at her food.  “I don’t know what I was thinking.  You know me, I never do things like this.” 

“No, you don’t.  I’m completely shocked.”  Steve took a sip of his drink.  “But I get it.” 

“You do?”  Laura was glad one of them did.  “Then please explain it to me.” 

“You’re hurting.  And you’re hurting because of me.  I did this to you.  Because I did an asshole thing.  And I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”  Steve was staring at her.  It distracted her from her food.  “I won’t ask you for your forgiveness, Laura.  But I can only hope that you would be so generous to me.  But if you won’t be, I’ll understand.” 

Laura felt tears prick into her eyes.  This was the Steve she had always known.  She’d met him on a case so many years ago.  He’d been as sweet tonight as he’d always been those years.  He was the only man that she could think of marrying.  He understood her career passion, and her crazy schedule.  He was so wonderful.  Could she really hold this mistake against him forever? 

Laura leaned across the desk.  She kissed him softly. 

“I don’t know that I can forgive you.  Not yet at least.  But I know that I love you.  That the man sitting in front of me right now is the man that I fell in love with.”  Steve took her hand. 

“So does that mean I get a second chance?”  Laura kissed him again. 

“What do you think?” 

******

Their food had been forgotten.  Steve had pulled her to him.  He was kissing her with long, sweet kisses which made her feel like she hadn’t in years.  She wondered if she had been wrong to doubt him…wrong to walk away from Philadelphia.  It didn’t really matter now.  He had followed her here…and he was here now.  That was all that she cared about. 

They’d moved to the shower.  Laura had needed it.  She couldn’t handle another moment feeling so dirty.  She felt better with his hands on her.  That seemed to replace everything. 

Their wet bodies modeled together.  It felt glorious to press her wet breasts against his chest.  She liked the friction of her nipples against his hard muscles.  She liked the way his hands cupped her ass as he lifted her up.  She let her hand slide between their bodies to guide him into her. 

His body felt perfect and right in hers.  This was how it was supposed to feel.  She wrapped both legs around him as he supported her.  She clung to him.  The water gushing down on them made the moment even more erotic. 

Afterwards, he carried her to the bed.  They made love again.  This was more traditional.  He’d settled over her.  She was amazed that he was ready for her again so quickly.  But she didn’t argue.  She simply moaned as he pushed into her. 

Her hands tangled into the sheets as he pushed himself deep into her.  His lips fell slowly over her skin.  Laura was close.  She cried out as the sensation hit her body, shaking around him.  Steve cried out into her ear as he came.  Afterwards, she held him against her, quietly stroking his hair.  This was perfect. 

******

Laura awoke early the next morning.  This time, she wasn’t alone.  Steve was curled in his proper place beside her.  She watched him for a long moment.  His eyes flickered open.  Slowly, he smiled. 

“Good morning.” 

“Morning.”  Laura leaned over to kiss him.  “We should get busy.” 

“We weren’t busy all night?” 

“We were off the clock last night.”  Laura tucked herself securely into him.  “Today we have a potential serial killer to catch.” 

“Speaking of which,” Steve wrapped his arms around her, “you’ve heard about the Greensburg case, right?” 

“A bit.”  She really only knew what Jones had told her.  “I haven’t read the file.” 

“It was pretty much exactly the same-minus the troll aspect.”  Steve laughed at his own comment. 

“Mm,” Laura nodded.  “Jones said they’ve found a few bodies like this lately.” 

“I guess a few covers it.  There was one who was found up in North Park last spring.  But she was found in the lake, so she may or may not have been strangled.  She had bruising on her neck but there was also water in her lungs.” 

“And the other body?”

“Moraine State Park…up in Butler County.  She was found on the shore.  She was clearly strangled, but the killer used a rope instead of his hands.” 

“Unlike our troll victims who were strangled with bare hands.”  Laura sat up.  Talking about the case made her ready to get to work. 

“Yep.”  Steve sat up beside her. 

“How did you know?” 

“Know what?”  Steve smiled.  He tucked her hair out of her face. 

“About this case.  You seem to have really done all of your research.” 

“What do you think I did all day after you left?”  Laura raised an eyebrow. 

“You used a serial killer case for the two of us to get back together?” 

“Well, I didn’t really know it was a serial killer case.”  Steve got up and went into the bathroom.  He left the door standing open.  “But I didn’t want you going off to another part of the state without me.” 

“I can investigate cases without you.”  Laura got up.  She started pulling clothes out of the closet.  “I’ve done it before.  I carry a gun.  And I know how to use it.” 

“I know that.”  Steve came out of the bathroom, this time wearing boxer shorts.  “ But at the end of the day, I enjoy our team work.  I guess I thought that maybe…if I could show you how good we were together…”  He reached for her.  Laura let him pull her against his mostly naked body.  “I thought that I could prove to you that we were meant to be together-even if I’m an idiot.”  Laura shoved his chest. 

“As long as you are willing to own that you will always be an idiot for what you did.”  Steve was momentarily silent. 

“What about Stephanie?” 

“What about her?” 

“Do you think you can….”  He hesitated.  “Forgive her?” 

“Why do you care?”  Laura took a step back.  “Why do you care if she and I are friends or not?” 

“Because she admits that she made just as big a mistake as I did.”  Laura was suddenly suspicious.  And uncomfortable.