Coal Miner's Slaughter

by Elise Sax

  “This scared me,” he said. “Normally, I’m the one who gets hurt. You’re not supposed to get hurt.”

  “The chickens saved me. And the Pooper Basket. I forgot about that. I’ll have to thank Rocco and Mabel.”

  Boone kissed the top of my head. “I take back everything I said about those chickens.”

  “I heard a rumor about you.”

  “Whatever you heard, it’s not true.”

  “I heard that you stayed here all night.”

  “Oh, well that’s true,” he said.

  “And that you didn’t let me out of your sight, and you had puppy-dog googly eyes for me.”

  “That might be true too,” he said, giving me a squeeze. “I think we’ve reached the end of our courting, Matilda.”

  “Are you breaking up with me?” I wouldn’t blame him if he did. I was a lot of trouble and dangerous for his health.

  Boone turned on his side and pulled me closer so that our noses were nearly touching. “Never. I wanted you the first time I ever saw you.”

  “I was wearing a towel. You would have wanted anyone if they were wearing a towel.”

  “And you attacked me with a butter knife,” he added, remembering.

  “I forgot about that. Wow, I’m a monster.”

  “No,” he said, kissing me. “I half-fell in love with you that night. By the time you almost killed me with a rattlesnake in your car, I was head over heels.”

  I stopped breathing. “What does that mean, head over heels?”

  “Love, Matilda. It means that I was head over heels in love with you.”

  “How about now?”

  His eyes were big and dark and focused entirely on me. “Madly in love with you. Can’t-live-without-you in love with you. Romeo-and-Juliet in love with you.”

  “Those are all really good in love with yous. I’m going to tell you a secret. I love you too. You accept me for who I am, and you’re really hot.”

  Boone arched an eyebrow. “How hot? Does my hotness make you hot for me?”

  “It might be the pharmaceuticals running through my veins, but I wouldn’t mind going all the way with you right here and now.”

  Boone’s eyes widened even more. “When you say all the way, do you mean all the way all the way or sort of all the way all the way?”

  “I mean, gymnastics, work up a sweat nakedness. I mean, body parts inside party parts. Tongues tasting every inch of each other. I mean, out-of-breath, eyes rolled back in our heads, ecstasy all the way.”

  “That’s my favorite kind of all the way,” he growled and pulled me under him. He began to ravage me with his mouth. My body roused to him. I raised my knees, letting him settle between my legs. It felt wonderful. The best kind of medicine. The hospital really should have used this kind of therapy instead of IVs and CT scans.

  Boone unhooked his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. This was really happening. It was more exciting than a new Star Wars movie. It had been a long time coming, but we were finally going to seal the deal, consummate our relationship, and have a huge orgasm. Nothing could stop us now.

  Then, we were stopped.

  The door opened, and Tilly and Silas marched in. “What kind of medical procedure is this?” Tilly demanded. “You can’t do this in front of the new mayor!”

  Boone flew off of me like he had been electrocuted.

  “I didn’t see anything,” Silas said. “For the love of God, cover yourself.”

  Boone threw the sheet back on me, and he buttoned his pants.

  “Are you crazy? Why are you doing this here?” Tilly asked. “They charge a thousand dollars for an aspirin. I can only imagine what they charge for what you’re doing.”

  Tilly was wearing a Tilly for Mayor. I don’t shoot people. T-shirt. She handed me a flier. “There’s a special election in a couple weeks. You’re my campaign manager,” she told me. “And our house is election headquarters.”

  “Our house?” I asked.

  “When are you getting out of here, boss?” Silas asked me. “I’ve started on the story, but I need your personal angle. We’re going to do a special edition for the paper, and Klee arranged advertising out the wazoo for it. We’re going to be rich.”

  I liked the sound of that. “I’m ready to get out of here right now,” I said, excited.

  “That’s what I like to hear. Jack is leaving too. It’s all hands on deck. Goodnight has become the news center of the planet.” Silas’s eyes flicked toward Boone, and I got the impression that Silas had more to tell me but was keeping quiet for some reason.

  Silas, Jack, Klee, and I worked all day and evening on the special edition. Nora fortified us with tamales, and Jack’s mother brought dessert.

  “Thank you for my son,” Susan blubbered and took me into a bear hug when she delivered brownies to the office. “He told me that you saved him.”

  “It was nothing,” I said, honestly. I had put Jack in danger, and I didn’t think I had done anything heroic. But Susan loved me now. As far as she was concerned, I was a good influence on her son, and he was free to work for me as long as he wanted.

  “And I know you won’t let him slack on his studies,” she added, arching an eyebrow. Jack had found an acceptable online school, and I was responsible for making sure he took time out of every day to do his schoolwork.

  I had been an orphan my whole life, and now I had a huge house full of people I was responsible for. I couldn’t have been happier.

  We were all paperboys the next morning. It took all of us to fulfill the high demand for the special edition. The entire town couldn’t wait to read about an old murder, a new murder, and lots of sex. Tilly offered a Tilly for Mayor button with each paper she handed out.

  When we were finally done, the sun was getting ready to rise, and Adele opened the diner early just for us. We pushed two tables together and sat down. Tilly ordered pancakes. Jack ordered French toast. Klee ordered poached eggs on toast. Silas and I ordered eggs Benedict. And we all ordered coffee and orange juice.

  As we ate, customers walked in, and each of them was excited to talk to us about the story. Klee scooped up a bunch of subscription orders, taking advantage of Goodnight’s newfound enthusiasm for the news.

  When everyone scattered to go home a few hours later, Silas took me aside in front of the diner.

  “We’ve got things to discuss, boss,” he whispered.

  Uh oh. I hoped he didn’t want a raise. “We do?”

  “The FBI took their balls and went home.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Silas adjusted his stained tie. “It means they were embarrassed that one of their agents was playing spank the skank, so they made an excuse and packed up.”

  My heart sank. My euphoria had turned into despair. “What about the serial killer? What about the abducted girls?”

  “I want to talk to you about that too.”

  Chapter 17

  That night, Tilly was out at a town hall meeting, making big promises to locals if they would vote for her. Silas decided to skip his evening bath. I had taken the dogs for an early walk, and now they were sound asleep, curled up by the fireplace in the living room.

  The cold weather had returned, and it looked like it was going to freeze overnight. I threw some logs on the fire and opened a bottle of wine in the kitchen. I enjoyed the welcome moment of peace in my home. There were no more exorcists, naked carpenters, or HPA members threatening to take away my home.

  I should have felt peaceful. But I couldn’t shake what Silas had told me. The FBI had called off their investigation. We had hit a dead end, and I had let down the abducted girls, who I was sure were still out there, needing my help.

  “There you are.”

  Boone walked in. He was barefoot, wearing jeans and no shirt. His expression was a hundred percent predator, and his eyes were entirely focused on me. He communicated exactly what I was feeling in one look.

  “Aren’t you cold?” I asked.

  He laughed. “Ther
e’s not enough ice in the world to cool me off, Matilda,” he croaked.

  Taking two large strides into the kitchen, he swept me up to him. He held me against his broad chest and cupped my face with his hands. It felt so good to be held. Safe. Loved.

  “Here we are,” he said.

  “We’ve got the house to ourselves.”

  He pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was deep and slow. We explored each other with our tongues. He groaned with desire, as I kissed him hard, my desire increasing. His hands dropped to my waist, and I snaked my arms around his neck. I felt his arousal against my belly, which spurred my arousal. The kiss was sublime, but I ached for more.

  Boone was impatient, too. He ended the kiss and took my hand. “This is great, but you don’t mind if we move this to your bedroom, do you? I like that you have a lock on your door.”

  I totally agreed. I didn’t want Tilly walking in on us again.

  We walked into the bedroom, and Boone closed the door. “Get naked,” he ordered.

  My body reacted to his words, heating and tightening. My fingers reacted, too, making quick work of my clothes. I wasn’t the least bit shy or self-conscious in my nakedness in front of Boone. He eyed me like a lion eyes a gazelle, and he took off his jeans without breaking his gaze.

  He walked toward me, pushing me backward until I fell on the bed. And then his body was on mine, and his knee was separating my legs.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed.

  “You’re not so bad, yourself,” I moaned.

  His hands explored every inch of me, and his mouth followed his hands until it found the space between my legs, making me tremble and bringing me to a long, shattering climax. My body shook with my release, and after, I fell back and draped my arm over my eyes.

  “That was unexpected,” I breathed.

  “Really? That was exactly what I expected,” Boone said, moving up my body, tasting me with his mouth and tongue.

  “That was the first time for me.”

  Boone stopped. “What did you say?”

  “That was the first time for me. No one ever did that to me before.”

  He rested the side of his head on my chest, and I ran my fingers through his thick hair. “That’s hard to believe,” he said. “How could a man resist tasting you? You’re so juicy and sweet. It may have been the first time for you, but it won’t be the last.”

  Boone moved on top of me, and settled himself inside me with a moan. His breathing grew ragged, as he tried to slow things down. But it was no use. I wrapped my legs around him, urging him to speed up.

  We fit together, perfectly, as if we were made for each other. I reveled in his hard body sinking into my soft one. As he thrust faster, he kissed me, and I was swept up once again toward a climax.

  “A two-fer?” I cried out. “This is the best sex I’ve ever had!”

  Boone groaned loudly as he drove his body into me one last time before finding his own release.

  After, he held me to him, our limbs intertwined, our bodies touching, as if we were both afraid to break contact.

  “This was so much better than courting,” I said.

  “Dinner and a movie can kiss my ass. Getting naked with Matilda is much better,” Boone agreed.

  I didn’t want to talk too much about my previous sex life, but I had never experienced sex like this before. Before, sex was always an out of body experience, but with Boone, it was the most intimate experience of my life. I had completely welcomed him into my body, and when we were together, I felt like we were one person, like he was an extension of myself.

  “Is it always going to be like this?” I asked him.

  “No. It’s going to get better. This is forever. Speaking of that…”

  Boone peeled his body off of mine and leaned over the side of the bed. Finding his jeans, he dug in his pocket and palmed something. He dropped to the floor, kneeling with his elbows on the bed.

  “What’re you doing?” I asked.

  Boone ran his fingers through his hair and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “I bought this in Albuquerque that day I told you I was going to a meeting there,” he said.

  “So, you lied to me.”

  “Oh, yes. I’m a really good liar.”

  “You’re lying,” I said, smiling.

  “No, I’m telling the truth about lying.” He laughed, and we locked eyes. His filled with desire and passion, and I was sure that we were going to go for another round of lovemaking, but he had something else to tell me.

  “Matilda Dare, I never want to be without you. You make me happy. You make me a better man. Yes, you’re dangerous, but I love me a dangerous woman.”

  “What’s happening?” I asked, suspecting that something big was happening.

  “I’m telling you that I love you and want to be with you forever.”

  “Oh,” I breathed. My heart was beating in my chest, like it was on a parade on the Fourth of July.

  Boone opened his hand. There was a beautiful diamond ring on his palm, and I had a pretty good idea that it was my size.

  “Matilda, will you marry me?” he asked.

  I jumped on Boone. “Yes!” I cried, covering him with kisses. He put the ring on my finger, and we looked at it together, as if it was our newborn baby.

  The idea flitted through my mind that I was already married. I had been trying to get divorced, but my murderer husband was making it difficult.

  However, at that moment in Boone’s arms, wearing Boone’s ring, I believed that anything was possible and everything would work out. My happiness was forever, as well as our love. I had found my happy ending. I had never been more sure of anything in my life.

  A few hours later, Boone and I were still in my bed. We had made love two more times, and Boone had fallen into a deep sleep. I was wide awake, of course, watching him sleep. He was snoring very softly, and he was sleeping on his side, snuggled under the covers.

  The house was quiet. Tilly had come home a couple hours ago, but she had gone right to bed. She was probably worn out from her campaigning to become mayor. I wondered what her reaction would be to find out I was engaged. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone and flash my ring at the whole town.

  Things were finally working out. The Gazette was making money. We were fully staffed. The house was taking shape. And I was in love.

  Inga could rest, now that her killer had been found and arrested.

  But the serial killer was still out there, somewhere. And now it was up to me to track him down. The FBI was gone, and Amos was on leave. It was now or never. I mentally gathered the clues about the serial killer.

  One of the dead girls had told me that the serial killer was close. That made sense, of course. And then there was the profiler report. The killer was smart, educated, charismatic. That narrowed it down a little.

  It wasn’t much in terms of clues, but at least it was a start. As soon as the sun rose in the morning, I was going to start looking for the killer, and I was determined to find him. It was my first priority. I wouldn’t let anything distract me.

  Abbott scratched on my door, and I opened it. Abbott and Costello were waiting for me, eager for me to take them for a walk. “I’m engaged,” I whispered, showing the dogs my ring. “I don’t think engaged women are supposed to walk in the middle of the night.”

  They didn’t care. They gave me their most soulful stares, which melted my resolve.

  “Fine,” I said. “Let me get dressed. Don’t wake up the man of my dreams.”

  I dressed for the cold and added a parka. Outside, Abbott ran ahead, while Costello stayed at my side. The air smelled like snow, and steam came out of my nose when I breathed. There was a full moon and a sky full of stars, which lit the night and threw shadows in every direction in the forest.

  We walked for a few minutes, and I enjoyed my feelings of serenity and happiness. Up ahead, Abbott howled. Suddenly, Costello stopped walking and froze in place. He stared ahead into the forest and grow
led.

  The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and despite my warm parka, my skin erupted in goosebumps. “What is it?” I asked the dog. He continued to stare forward and growl.

  I should have turned around and run back home, but something inside me made me keep walking. Once again, my curiosity was stronger than my survival instinct. In other words, I was stupid.

  I walked a couple steps and heard a noise. Costello stopped growling and whimpered. “Who’s there?” I called.

  In the distance, Abbott howled, again. Costello and I exchanged a look. “Who’s there?” I called, again.

  I heard the crackle of leaves on the forest ground, as if someone was walking toward me. Costello rubbed up against my leg, and I stopped walking. “Anyone there?” I called.

  A figure appeared from the trees. It was a woman.

  “He’s closer than you think,” she said. I shivered with fear but stepped closer to her in order to get a better look.

  It wasn’t a girl. It was a woman. Beautiful and blond.

  And I knew her.

  “Amy?” I asked. “Are you Amy Goodnight?” Amy was Amos’s dead wife. The woman who went missing and was found dead in the forest by my house a couple days later by her brother-in-law. Boone. Boone found her.

  “You know who he is,” she said.

  “Who?”

  “You know.”

  I knew. She was talking about the serial killer. But that would mean…

  “Amy, how did you die? What happened to you?” I asked.

  “I found out the truth. I saw. I saw everything,” she said. “And then I was over. Can you see him? Why can’t you see him?”

  “Who? Who is it?”

  “I saw everything, and that became my fate,” she said.

  “The serial killer murdered you,” I breathed.

  “An accident. I saw. It wasn’t his plan. Find him. Why haven’t you found him?”

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  “He’s closer than you think.”

  “Tell me who it is,” I pleaded.

  “You know. You know who it is.”

  Her image shimmered in the moonlight, and then she was gone. I called for her, but she had disappeared.