Sarah Woods Mystery Series (Volume 6)

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  I examined the fifty-dollar bottle of wine in my lap. “Maybe we should’ve sprung for a better bottle. I have a feeling this crowd will be hard to impress.”

  “Who cares about the wine,” Carter said, peering out the windshield toward the massive house. “I can assure you, nobody will be concerned about the wine. They’ll be too busy checking out the new couple.”

  “I hope they have food. My stomach is growling.”

  “I’m sure there are plenty of snacks, Sarah.” Carter must’ve known it wasn’t the hunger aggravating my stomach. He squeezed my knee, trying to comfort me. “All we have to do is keep our eyes on Madeline. In fact, it might be a good idea for you to try and become chummy with her. Get her to open up and talk.”

  “I don’t think she’s here to make friends,” I said. “But I’ll do my best.”

  He took a deep breath and let it out. “I guess we shouldn’t waste any more time.”

  “I guess so.”

  Exiting the car, we noticed the lighted pathway leading to an anteroom. To my surprise, there was a handwritten note tacked to the door that read, please come inside.

  Carter pushed the door in, and we entered. The sound of voices and jazz music guided us down a hallway that eventually lead to an open concept kitchen sitting room with a long bar.

  I felt my knees weaken as all heads turned in our direction. There were four couples seated on plush sofas, gathered around a coffee table, a cozy, intimate setting. Somehow I had pictured this being more like a party, people standing around mingling.

  The redhead I recognized as Dr. June Porter set down her wine glass and headed toward us. “Welcome. What a pleasure to have some new faces.” She extended her hand with a big smile. “I’m June Porter.”

  As Carter and I took turns shaking her hand, we introduced ourselves. When I gave her the hostess gift, she set the bottle on the counter without a glance. “Let me introduce you to my husband.”

  The tall, striking man approached, gave me a smile and nodded as if in approval. “Bob Porter. A pleasure.” He took my hand and held it for a few long seconds, completely ignoring Carter. I was impressed that he didn’t feel the need to refer to himself as doctor.

  He exuded sexuality. The button-down shirt was open half-way, revealing a smattering of dark chest hair and firm pecs. His cologne was subtle yet enticing. As he gazed upon me, his eyes were wide and curious, as if he wanted to consume me.

  “Nice to meet you,” I managed to say when he finally let go of my hand.

  “Well, I hope we’ll get the chance to know each other better.” He gave me a wink as he turned to address Carter.

  June whisked me away. “Sarah, let me introduce you to the others.” With an arm around my shoulder, she guided me further into the room where the three other couples were sitting.

  It would be a struggle to remember everyone’s names, but I immediately spotted Madeline Kinlaw; long blonde hair, tight black dress, three-inch heels and a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger. The man beside her must have been her partner Zeb Nichols. He reminded me of a vampire with pale skin, dressed in black from head to toe.

  The couple sitting directly across from them was younger, late twenties I guessed. Dale and Willow Brice. They were dressed less provocatively, more suited to a casual dinner party. The third couple was Sandra and Earl Dotson. Probably pushing fifty, yet remarkably attractive and fit with the help of her boob job and obvious facial plastic surgery on both of them. Their faces barely moved when they smiled.

  “Let me get you a drink,” June said to me. “White or red?”

  “Red sounds wonderful,” I said.

  “Perfecto. I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable.”

  When she left, I just stood there, uncertain what to do next. With six sets of eyes on me, I felt like the elephant in the room.

  Zeb Nichols, AKA vampire, patted the cushion next to him. “Come have a seat. I promise I won’t bite.”

  Since Carter was still in the kitchen talking to Bob Porter, I decided it would be rude to reject his offer. I went to sit next to him and immediately felt trapped as he inched closer to me.

  “First time?” he asked.

  “Is it really that obvious?”

  “I was pretty nervous my first time, too. You’ll get the hang of it. Did your husband talk you into this?”

  “Carter? Oh, he’s not my husband. But to answer your question, we decided to do this together.”

  “How long have you been a couple?”

  “Six months.”

  I detected a few gasps from the crowd, and I immediately understood why. It probably seemed like a short amount of time to be in a relationship to start considering swing parties as a way to spice up our love life. “We’re still not sure if we made the right decision,” I added. “But why not give it a try?”

  Madeline placed her hand in Zeb’s lap. “To tell you the truth, Zeb and I aren’t a couple. Just friends. My husband is totally cool about it, though.”

  I feigned shock. “Really? Your husband is fine with you coming to these parties with another man?”

  “Sure. We have an arrangement. As long as he knows what I’m doing, he’s very accepting.”

  All I could picture in my head was Mr. Kinlaw sitting behind his desk, pale and shrunken, watching the clock and waiting for his young wife to come home.

  “So, I take it you all have done this before?” I searched the room and everyone nodded in unison.

  “There are four rooms here on the first floor,” Madeline said, pointing to a hallway like she was giving a tour. “Three are for private couples who prefer one on one. The third is a community room, where anyone can join in at any time. And just so you know, you can just watch if you don’t want to join in.”

  “I see.” Thankfully, June Porter returned with my glass of wine. I desperately needed something to wash down the lump in my throat. I practically guzzled the whole glass but stopped myself with a few sips to spare.

  Madeline chuckled, and when I looked over at her, she was staring at me, eyes wide with amusement. “Liquid courage is a good thing,” she said.

  Finally, Carter walked into the room and looked around. He seemed calm and collected as Bob Porter introduced him to everyone. I noticed the women eyeing him with fascination. I wanted to tell everyone that Carter was off limits, so don’t even think about touching him. Of course, I couldn’t do that so I bit my tongue.

  With an empty glass in hand, I stood up from the couch and said, “May I have a refill?”

  Carter came to stand next to me and whispered, “Maybe you should slow down. The night is still young.”

  He was right. My head was already spinning, but the wine wasn’t to blame entirely. I took Carter’s hand and squeezed gently, letting him know that I wasn’t comfortable with this scenario. As if he hadn’t guessed that himself.

  Just then, Zeb got to his feet and said, “I think I’d like to get this party started. Who’d like to join me?”

  Even though he had asked the question, his eyes were focused on Sandra. She stood up and smoothed out her red dress. “It would be my honor.” The two of them disappeared, hand in hand, down the hallway.

  Madeline stood up next. It was hard not to stare at her perfect body in that tight black dress. She didn’t have to say a thing as she turned and headed toward the hall.

  Dale and Willow Brice, the youngsters, followed her, along with Earl, Sandra’s husband. Since Carter and I were here to keep an eye on Madeline, we were obligated to follow, too.

  The “community room” was arranged with two king sized beds side by side and a small couch pushed up against the far wall, facing the beds. The only light came from candles, about a dozen of them, lining a shelf. A huge, floor to ceiling mirror comprised the entire wall to the right of us. Sensual music played in the background.

  Bob and June Porter came into the room as they all began stripping off their clothes.

  Yikes! These people didn’t waste any time
.

  Carter and I kept our distance as we huddled together on the couch. My heart was beating like crazy, sweat dripping from my temple as I tried to focus my sights on the floor.

  My throat began to constrict, and I desperately needed something to drink. Preferably, more wine. Better yet, a shot of tequila.

  “Try and relax,” Carter said to me with a gentle nudge. “Haven’t you ever watched porn before?”

  “That’s different,” I whispered. “How can you be so calm about this?”

  He gave me a warning look, and I knew I should stop talking. Carter was a master at containing his emotions, something I still needed to work on.

  Within a few minutes, everyone on the bed was naked, and I continued to stare at my shoes. This was more uncomfortable than I had imagined. Why was it so damned hot in the room? Finally, I stood up and told Carter that I needed to get a drink and left without waiting for his reply.

  Out in the hallway, I inhaled a full breath into my lungs like a drowning woman. I made a beeline for the kitchen.

  As I poured myself a glass of wine, I decided I would not return to the community room. I couldn’t. Besides, as long as one of us was keeping an eye on Madeline, what did it matter? Carter could keep the ten grand for himself. I didn’t care.

  As I sat at the counter sipping my wine, I gazed out the window and could see a light on in the house next door. A person was there, peering out. A young woman, I couldn’t tell her age, but she seemed to be looking right at me.

  The Porters obviously didn’t care about nosy neighbors, or else they would have covered the windows from prying eyes. Not that people were running around naked in the kitchen, but still...

  The young woman in the window must have noticed me staring back at her because the light shut off.

  I heard a sound and the door leading to the outside opened freely. Momentarily stunned, I watched as a tall man waltzed into the kitchen like he owned the place.

  “Hello,” he said to me with a curious grin. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

  I didn’t know what to say. As per the rules, he was not supposed to arrive after 8:30 p.m., especially without a lady to accompany him. Maybe the rules weren’t heavily enforced. “We haven’t met,” I finally said. “I’m Sarah.”

  He accepted my hand and kissed my knuckles softly. Stunned by this display of intimacy, I drew in a quick breath and pulled away slightly.

  “Julian,” he said, seemingly amused at my discomfort. “Julian Pike.”

  I’d heard the name before, but where? He was about my age, mid-forties and well-dressed with dark slacks and a white polo shirt. It was hard to tell if his skin was naturally dark, or he’d just come back from a tropical location. His brown eyes were the color of milk chocolate.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he said, glancing toward the bedrooms. “Where is everyone?”

  I jabbed a thumb over my shoulder and tried to act casual. “Oh, they’re busy.”

  That made him laugh. “I’ll bet they are. What are you doing out here in the kitchen all by your lonesome?”

  “I was thirsty.” I coughed into my fist just to demonstrate how dry my throat really was.

  He smiled and nodded, and I realized he was just messing with me.

  “Let me guess,” he said, rubbing his chin, giving me a good stare down. “It’s your first time.”

  It wouldn’t take a brain surgeon to figure that one out, but he seemed to act as if I should be dazzled by his brilliant observational abilities. “Yep, it’s true.”

  He placed his hands on my shoulders and huddled close to me, like a football coach. “Can I give you some advice, Sarah? Try to leave your brain out of the experience. Let your body do all the thinking.”

  Thanks for the pep talk, Freud. You really have me figured out. I cleared my throat and said, “Truth is, I think the idea of swinging was more enticing than the reality of it. Having casual sex with strangers seems so shallow.”

  He shook his head. “But how do you know unless you try? Like anything, you have to ease into it.”

  I wasn’t about to get into a discussion about the virtues of free love so I changed the subject. “By the way, why did you come alone? Your wife not feeling well? Wait, don’t tell me... she has a headache.”

  Julian inched closer to me, and I could feel his warm breath on my face. He fondled a strand of my hair and said, “She’s out of town for business. Besides, this isn’t the first time I’ve come alone. Bob and June don’t mind.”

  That’s when it came to me. The reason Julian Pike’s name sounded familiar is because I’d heard it on the news recently in a media blitz. “You’re that defense attorney,” I said, trying to recall the details from his last case. His client was a judge from Boston who allegedly raped an under-aged girl. He was found innocent after a lengthy, well-publicized trial thanks to Julian.

  He tilted his head and regarded me with a smile. “That’s right. I take it you followed the case.”

  “I couldn’t escape it unless I kept the TV turned off for two months.”

  He chuckled, clearly enjoying the afterglow of his victory. “Just doing my job.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “I guess someone has to defend killers and rapists.”

  He raised an eyebrow, probably wondering if he should take offense to my comment. If anything, he seemed to be aroused by it. “Tell me Sarah, what do you do?”

  Without hesitation, I said, “I’m a private investigator.”

  A spark flashed in his eyes. “Really? That’s funny because before I went to law school, I thought about being a private detective. I enrolled in one of those online courses for two thousand bucks. Once I paid, I never heard back from them. I figured, either I just got scammed, or this is my first case.”

  “Which was it?”

  “A scam, of course,” he said, with a shrug. “I never did get that money back.”

  I didn’t believe his story for a second. I suspect he was having a little fun mocking my industry. “Well, it’s been nice chatting with you. Don’t let me keep you.” I nodded toward the bedrooms.

  “Won’t you join me, then?”

  I almost laughed in his face. How could he actually think I’d be willing to jump in bed with him five minutes after meeting him? Then I had to remind myself - that’s what people do at swing parties. “As it turns out, I’m feeling a little under the weather tonight. I might be coming down with a cold. I don’t want to get anyone sick, so I’m just here tonight for the refreshments and sparkling conversation.”

  Unfortunately, he didn’t budge. “I’m quite content in the presence of your company. I have to say, though, you don’t look sick to me.” He glanced down at my wine glass, almost empty. “Let me get you a refill.”

  This guy wasn’t getting the hint. Did I have to come right out and say, leave me alone? “No, thank you. In fact, I should switch to water.”

  “That’s no fun,” he said, reaching into his pants pocket. He withdrew a small vial, opened it, and tapped out a stream of white powdery substance onto the back of his hand. “I’m willing to share if you’re interested. It’ll clear up your cold in no time.”

  “Cocaine? No thanks.”

  He gave a slight shrug. “Suit yourself.”

  With fascination, I watched as he snorted the stuff up his nostril, making a hideous sound as he did it. The effect seemed instantaneous. He blinked hard a few times, and his eyes and face lit up. It was like someone had turned on a switch and he became a different person. “Damn, I love this shit.” He dusted off his hand, returned the vial to his pocket and poured himself a whisky straight up. He downed the drink in two sips and poured himself another.

  Maybe he treated the cocaine as a form of aphrodisiac. Or this was his typical way of decompressing from a hectic work week. Either way, I just wanted to get away from him. “I should probably go check on my boyfriend. It was nice meeting you.”

  As I turned away from him and began heading out of the kitchen, he grabbed my forear
m. “Wait a second. We were just starting to get to know each other. Am I really that despicable?”

  “First of all,” I said, turning around to face him with a firm look. “I don’t like being manhandled.”

  With a sheepish grin, he released my arm. “I’m sorry. I just get excited when I meet a pretty lady. You should take it as a compliment.”

  “I already told you I’m not interested in hooking up with anyone tonight. You’re wasting your time with me.”

  Cocaine tends to make people hyper. I’ve never tried it, but I know the signs. Julian’s voice was getting louder as he spat out questions that didn’t make sense. I didn’t feel as if I were in any physical danger but the intense eyes were freaking me out. “Look, Julian, I’m not in the mood, okay? If you don’t mind, I’d really like to go find my boyfriend. He’s probably wondering what’s taking me so long.”

  He moved in and placed a sweaty hand on my shoulder. “If he was so worried about you, he’d be out here looking for you. He’s obviously busy. I mean, that’s why you came here. To be with other people. To experiment. I’d really like to experiment with you, Sarah.”

  His other hand found my waist, and he pulled me even closer. Our faces were inches apart. I resisted the urge to knee him in the groin. Instead, I pushed him away with the palm of my hand firmly on his chest. “You might be used to getting any woman you want, but I’m not interested. Are you hearing me?”

  He seemed dumbfounded at first and then let out a laugh, as if I were joking. “I see what you’re doing. Playing hard to get. Well, it’s working because I’m rock hard. See for yourself.”

  He glanced down at his groin and my eyes followed. Sure enough, there was a bulge in his pants.

  …and that’s when I heard a door open and shut. To my right, Carter had just emerged from the community room and was heading right to us, a troubled look on his face.

  “Sarah, is everything okay?”

  Julian took a step back and tried to hide his boner with his hand, but Carter didn’t seem to miss a beat.

  Carter approached quickly and sized up this stranger beside me. “Who are you?”