THE MASTER OF MURDER : The New Town

by James Tayler

  “Clint, please forgive me.”

  There was a sound at the doorway and she looked up to see a police officer, his gun drawn.

  “You all right, miss?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s the intruder?”

  Judy nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying. “I thought he was an intruder. He isn’t. He lives here. This is his house.”

  The policeman holstered his weapon as the second officer joined him. “Who are you?” the first asked.

  “Judy Garret. I’m a P.I. Mr. Adam here hired me to provide security.”

  The officer smiled. “You certainly did that.” he knelt down to look at Adam’s head. “He took a good whack, Eddie,” the policeman said to his partner. “Better call for medical Assistance.”

  “That won’t be necessary officer; it’s just a scratch I can get my housekeeper to attend to it. But I know one thing for sure, that I’ve got a real woman to handle my security.”

  “I say amen to that.” the officer said. “How come you got bashed?”

  “Just as my housekeeper and Judy saw I too heard someone lurking in the dark so I slipped out of my room to investigate and saw a woman disappear into the dark side of the house, that was just when you buzzed, perhaps the intruder cold feet.” Adam informed the officers.

  The officer picked up the gun lying on the floor. “This what you hit him with?”

  She nodded, biting her lip.

  “You’re licensed?”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t suppose you have an ID.”

  “In my room. Do you want me to get it?”

  “Well, no, forget it.”

  Adam was mumbling again, trying to lift his head. “Tina? Tina?”

  “You just relax, sir, your little girl is in safe hands, your housekeeper is with her, whenI looked in she told me she didn’t want her to be disturbed.”

  Adam was still feeling a bit groggy, he tried to focus on Judy. “You clobbered me?”

  She nodded. “I didn’t know it was you.”

  Adam smiled and said. “Remind me to announce my arrival with a fanfare, from now on.”

  Judy grimaced. “Why didn’t you use your key and come in the front door?”

  Adam winced. I was testing the security.”

  Judy shook her head. “I believe you know now that it works.”

  “Can we assume this was an accident, then? The officers asked.

  “More like a case of gross stupidity on my part.” Adam admitted and thanked the officers.

  When the officers were gone, Adam reached over and touched her fiery cheek with his hand. “Guess I don’t have to worry whether you’re tough enough for this job anymore.”

  She bit her lip. “You aren’t angry?”

  “I haven’t decided.” Then he smiled. “Maybe I can find a way for you to make it up to me.”

  About then, the housekeeper and Tina came in. The housekeeper immediately set about examining Adam.

  “All I need is an aspirin and a bandage,” he told her.

  “Pappa, what happened to your head?” the little girl asked her father.

  “I had a little accident, angel, nothing serious.” He said, “I wish you would go and sleep in Judy’s bed with her tonight.”

  “Oh, I would love to, papa.” She said and crept up to Judy.

  The Confrontation.

  The next morning, after an early breakfast, Judy drove with Adam and Tina to the hospital in Adam’s car. She was a little apprehensive about seeing Adam with an injury. Entering the house in the dark the way he had may have been a foolish thing to do, and under the circumstances Judy couldn’t be blamed; but it didn’t stop her from feeling badly.

  Worst of all, the incident had changed the psychological balance between them; now she felt an obligation to show compassion. Adam had been an unwary victim who had suffered at her hand.

  Judy was driving in silence. She was still feeling guilty of the whole incident. Just to break the ice between them she questioned him. “How are you feeling?”

  He grinned. “Like I’ve got a hangover with no fun to show for it.”

  “Do you want my resignation?” Judy tried to keep her voice even and controlled, but it was all she could do to keep from holding her breath.

  Tina was sitting up beside her father and playing with his fingers. He stroked her hair, which Jean had again fixed into a single braid like Judy’s. “To the contrary, I’m considering giving you a raise. If I’d been a bad guy, I’d have wanted you to do exactly what you did.” He said, “you convinced me beyond doubt that you can handle any situation that called for action, that is all that matters, as a matter of fact I am now prepared to put into practice the suggestion you made the other day about us posing as lovers in public to flush this woman out in the open.”

  “He extended his hand toward her and Judy inched close enough for him to touch her. He rubbed her fingers affectionately with his thumb. She knew it was the wrong thing to be doing, but she told herself she didn’t want to offend him, considering…..

  “I shouldn’t have been sneaking around the way I was,” Adam said with a glance at Tina, “but I was feeling a little paranoid and wanted to check out the house.”

  “Why?”

  “I believe that this woman has been following me for some time and is bound to strike at any moment.”

  Judy, too, looked over at Tina to make sure she wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.

  “It is best that we as far as possible be together wherever we are so that I can be at hand to protect Tina.” She told him, the sooner we get this woman out of the way the better.”

  As the entered the hospital a nurse came to the door. “The doctor will be in to see you in a few minutes,” she said. “I’m afraid your family will have to wait for you in the visitors’ lounge.”

  Adam caught Judy’s eye. “You see, darling. Word of a relationship travels fast in this town. We make a commitment, have our first tiff, make up. Next thing you know it’ll be in all the gossip columns, blown completely out of proportion.”

  “Don’t worry, though,” he went on. I’ll have my publicist put out the usual denials.”

  Judy felt her cheeks flame.

  Adam laughed and Judy was so embarrassed that she could have slugged him. But amid the joking an idea occurred to her. And she realized it would fit into their plans perfectly.

  “Clint,” Judy said, growing so excited she could hardly contain herself, “I know you were kidding….what you said just now about your publicist….but I think it’s a terrific idea. I think you should do it!”

  He looked at her like she was crazy. “What are you talking about?”

  “Remember when I told you I thought it would be a good idea to transfer Barbara’s hostility to me? That my plan was to draw her out?”

  “Yes….”

  “Well, this is the perfect opportunity to do that. We might as well spin out a tale. Like you say, have your publicist report that you’d had an altercation with your live-in lover, that we’ve kissed and made up and that we’re happy as can be. It’ll make good press and Barbara is sure to see it.” She beamed happily. “With any luck, it’ll incite her against me.”

  “Wonderful. She might shoot you. Then where would we be?”

  “Don’t be silly, Clint. I can take care of myself.”

  He took hold of her hand again and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. Judy extricated her hand once more. “It’s only for effect…part of the story we’re putting out for public consumption. Our actual relationship has got to be professional, nothing more. I intend for this live-in lover business to be an act. You of all people ought to be able to understand that.”

  “Sarcasm,” he retorted mildly.

  Judy was up very early the next morning, before anyone else. She went down to the gate to get the morning paper and installed herself in the kitchen table with a cup of instant coffee. Adam’s publicist had done her job. There was a brief news stor
y on page three about Adam’s injury. The gossip columns were full of juicy tidbits about a lovers’ quarrel and reconciliation.

  That evening Adam decided to take his daughter, Tina to a shopping mall along with Judy. It was another way of getting the gossip crowd to learn about his so called connection with Judy, which the news paper had highlighted in the gossip columns.

  Judy was getting ready to wear something glamorous which she felt would be fitting for the occasion, but Adam thought otherwise.

  “Wear something real sexy and provocative. This kind of the opening shot of the campaign, and we’ve got to capitalize on it. The news value will diminish rapidly, Sydney suggested we pull out all the stops.

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Maybe I should plan on doing a striptease on the table. Do you think that would please Sydney.”

  Adam shook his head with mock seriousness. “No, that might be a little too much.”

  Judy turned on her heel and marched into the room. She was back in a few minutes clad in a stretch denim pants and a shirt with the top two buttons undone revealing her ample bosom and cleavage.

  Adam came in after a few minutes. He had on a blue blazer and open-necked pale-blue shirt. When he saw her, he stood still and stared.

  Judy popped up from the sofa. “Ready?”

  His mouth was almost hanging open as he watched her make her way across the room. She stopped in front of him, looking almost defiantly into his eyes. Adam took half a step back and surveyed her. “Judy, you definitely look like a woman who could clunk a guy on the head and have him coming back for more.”

  “Isn’t this what you wanted?”

  His eyes roamed over her delightedly. “Yes, but I didn’t ….imagine anything so sexy.”

  As they got out from the car in front of a large department store almost as large as Harrods or Wal Mart, with Tina hanging on to her father’s hand. Judy heard Adam’s name on people’s lips as the general excitement rose. Some young girls gave an excited squeal. They were all trying to crowd around their celebrity. Some were trying to get Adam’s autograph and some other’s trying to get a glimpse of Judy, the supposed to be live-in lover of Adam.

  “Kiss her,” the photographer prompted, orchestrating the scenario a bit.

  Adam complied, kissing Judy on the temple. His hand was around her waist and he was pulling her against his body. They looked into each other’s smiling eyes.

  “It’s a hell of a lot more fun in private,” Adam said under his breath.

  “I see what you mean,” Judy responded, without breaking her smile.

  As the crowd was clamoring to get close to Adam. Judy noticed from the corner of eye a woman rushing towards them like a bull in a China shop. The woman was young, attractive and a red-head. Judy’s instincts warned her, She immediately realized that the woman to be Barbara and she was rushing toward them.

  Judy pushed Adam aside to avoid any kind of danger to him. Adam was out of balance, he went reeling into the arms of some bystanders. Noticing this the red-head changed directions and making her way towards, Tina, perhaps with the intension of grabbing the little girl.

  No sooner Judy pushed Adam aside she planted herself between the rushing woman and Tina. Seeing her progress barred the red-head stopped in her track three or four feet away from Judy. It was the first time that Judy had a clear look at Barbara.

  The red-head dipped her hand into the handbag that she carried and came out with a shiny steel bladed ‘Rambo’ type of knife which was glinting in the morning sun.

  Barbara was wielding the knife in front of her menacingly screeching through her clenched teeth. “Bitch! You are the one who’s trying to steal the man I love.”

  Judy was really and truly composed. She realized that not only her life was in danger but also the lives of Adam and his little girl.

  Judy gave Barbara a cynical smile, she wanted to draw all her wrath towards her, she wanted the girl really riled so that she would lose her head and attack her.

  The bystanders were stunned by the action of the red-head, non was prepared to make any move toward the knife wielding woman, they all stood gaping with their mouths open.

  “It takes one bitch to recognize another bitch, you butt peddling slut.” Judy hissed.

  “I’ll never let you have him,” Barbara said and made a lunge at Judy’s belly with the knife. If the knife had made contact, Judy would have had her guts spilling on the pavement. She side stepped and fended the thrust deftly with her right hand. As she had no time to draw her 9 mm pistol from her own handbag. She had to use all her martial arts prowess to defend herself.

  Striking the attacking woman’s hand aside Judy leapt in the air and gave the woman a flying kick. It was a savarte Kick, a French martial arts technique which she had learned during her training. It caught Barbara square on the jaw. Judy’s three inch steel heeled shoe made contact with Barbara’s jaw with a crunching sound. Judy’s assailant went sprawling and fell to the ground to remain motionless like a block of wood.

  As the red-head remained motionless on the ground in an un-gaining posture. The stunned crowd finally got their breath back. With one big action the all cheered Judy.

  Just then two burly police officers pushed their way in front of the cheering crowd. “All right what’s going on here?” one of them asked.

  Before Adam or Judy could explain an elderly lady who had witnessed the entire incident spoke. “Officer! This crazy woman attacked these people without the slightest provocation, if only she had her way, you would have had a dead woman at your feet instead of the mad woman.” She said and turned to address Judy. “Young lady, you were brilliant, you really acted like a pro.”

  As Barbara regained consciousness she was hand cuffed and taken to the police. As the jubilant crowd dispersed having witnessed an action similar to a movie scene, Adam, Judy and little Tina returned home without further incidents.

  That night Adam brazenly walked into Judy’s room to thank her for her brave act. “If my wife had been there instead of you, I’d probably be dead or my little girl harmed, I came here to thank you and reward you for your brave deed.”

  Adam walked up to Judy, wrapped his arm strongly about her waist, bending her backward, in a rush of lust, so that their hips pressed tightly. “What a woman.” He said huskily. “My woman.”

  Under her gripping hands. Judy could feel the soft flesh of his shoulder muscles. The huskiness of desire showed in her voice as she said. “Come on. Dinner can wait.” She took his hand, though he knew the way to the bed as well as she did. Adam lagging momentarily to drop his dress. Judy went on, feeling wetness between her legs, the clothes uncomfortable on her body because she wanted to be naked with a naked man. Always so wonderful, she told herself, to experience such desire, with a man at hand to fulfill it. It was the best part of making love to a divorced man.

  THE END