Double Dilemma

by Tara Nina

  “We’re investigating Earl Lightfoot, Ms. Cloud,” David said then smiled, complete with dimples, and turned on the all-American boyish charm. “We were told you were the person to contact who would help us in this matter.”

  “John Eagle told us Lightfoot is no longer listed as a member of your tribe,” Jack stated the moment she let go of his hand. “According to John, you’re the newly instated Chief of the Chilhowee Lake Cherokees and would have access to pertinent information pertaining to the members and former members of this tribe. Chief Cloud, may we please have your insight on why Lightfoot left?”

  The petite woman abruptly sat in her chair and stared through her thick, silver-rimmed glasses at them. Several seconds lingered and David feared they failed. She huffed as if the decision weighed her down, then she leaned forward and tapped on her keyboard.

  “I will answer your questions should you ask the right ones.” She looked from one to the other. “Be careful what you ask, you may not want to know the truth you seek.”

  Anger heated David’s insides. Every signal this woman sent made his fears for Emma Jean’s safety increase. What in the hell had Lightfoot done that had this woman speaking in cryptic tones? It took everything inside him not to reach across her desk, confiscate her laptop and read the file for himself. Instead, he balled his fists at his sides and stared directly at her. He had but one pertinent question.

  “Did Earl Lightfoot murder someone?”

  “In a sense,” she replied, “yes.”

  “In a sense,” David snapped. “It’s either yes or no.”

  “Not where Lightfoot is concerned.” She glared at him. Her jaw tightened and David knew he shouldn’t have raised his voice. “I’d appreciate it if you took a seat. I don’t like being hovered over.”

  “I apologize if I got out of line,” he said. He took a seat in the chair Jack offered him and saw Jack pull one over for himself. “You see, Lightfoot is employed by a friend of mine. I’m just trying to do a background check.”

  “Ah,” she replied in a more relaxed, knowing tone. “A woman is involved and you fear for her safety.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, Detective Delaney, you don’t have anything to fear in Earl Lightfoot.”

  “Could you please be more specific?” Jack interjected politely. “I’d like a thorough account of what happened to get Earl Lightfoot to leave the tribe.”

  “Gentlemen, what I have to say is a very sad tale of a love affair gone wrong.” She deliberately turned her laptop showing them nothing but a screen saver of floating flowers. The two looked at each other then back at her.

  “I grew up with Earl Lightfoot. We were best friends. I don’t agree with what happened to him and urged the council not to vote against him. At that time, I wasn’t Chief and held no pull in the final decision.” David saw the twitch in her jaw and heard the hissed intake of air as she said her next words. “Earl didn’t deserve what happened, but that bitch Kimberly Stillwater just wouldn’t let it go. She sat on the tribal council and insisted on him being excommunicated.”

  “Kimberly Stillwater?” David asked.

  “Earl’s former fiancée’s sister.”

  “Lightfoot was engaged. Where is this woman now?” Jack flipped open his pad and pulled out his pen.

  “She’s dead.”

  “Lightfoot killed her?” David questioned, sitting upright in his chair. The woman on the phone was right.

  “Not intentionally. It was a freak accident. The coroner determined her death was caused by an aneurysm that burst in her brain.”

  “If Lightfoot didn’t murder her, then why was he excommunicated?”

  She leaned forward and knotted her hands on her desk. It appeared as if she chose her next words carefully. “It was what they were doing within the boundaries of tribal lands when the aneurysm burst that led to his excommunication.”

  Julia Cloud stood, walked over to the file cabinet and unlocked the bottom drawer. She pulled out a metal box and set it on the desk in front of them. Before she turned the combination, she stared at both of them.

  “What I’m about to show you hasn’t been seen in three years. The day after Charlotte Stillwater died, Earl Lightfoot brought this to me and asked me to keep it locked up so he would never harm another being because of his obsession.”

  Three turns of the combination and the lock sprang open. Julia Cloud lifted the lid and both men were surprised, but not overly astonished, at what they saw. She removed the items carefully and placed them on her desk. A black leather flogger, a neatly coiled rope, oils, a silky soft eye mask, a red ball gag, hand and ankle cuffs connected by chains, along with a multitude of other sexual paraphernalia including nipple clamps and a vibrating studded cock ring.

  “Earl had a sexual fascination Charlotte didn’t understand. And the one time she agreed to please him in this manner,” Julia’s tone shifted to one of deep sadness and her head shook slowly, “she died. Earl took her death hard. Kimberly didn’t help matters. She went after Earl with a vengeance and proclaimed it was his sexual deviancy that killed Charlotte. According to her, if he hadn’t forced Charlotte to play his sick games, the aneurysm would never have burst. Unfortunately in his weakened state of mind, Kimberly’s twisted claims scarred Earl’s psyche into believing the hype. The day of his trial before tribal council, he bowed to Kimberly’s torrential pressure and announced that he murdered Charlotte and voluntarily excommunicated himself from the tribe. There was no formal vote against him. No one has seen him since.”

  David noticed the way she absently fingered the straps of the leather flogger. The lost look in her eyes spoke volumes as he drew an obvious conclusion. “Were you and Earl lovers?”

  It didn’t appear that his question shocked her. No, instead she held a gaze on him that shone with pure heat and desire he knew wasn’t meant for him.

  “No,” her voice turned husky. “We weren’t lovers. We were sexual partners. Earl liked to occasionally be dominated by a woman and I liked to dominate.” Without warning, she lifted the flogger and slapped the desk so hard it vibrated everything on the desktop. “Still do.”

  “Chief Cloud.” David stood and forced a smile. In his opinion, they had enough information and from the look in her eye, it was best if they left before she tied them up like hogs. “Thank you for your time. You’ve been most helpful.”

  “Yes, thank you again.” Jack showed no hesitation in following him out the door.

  The moment they were safely in the car and on the road, they burst out laughing.

  “Do you think she wanted to tie us up and spank us?” Jack quipped.

  “I think she wanted to do more than that,” David replied, regaining his composure. He deepened his Southern accent as he spoke. “But if anyone’s gonna tie me up, it ain’t gonna be her. It’s gonna be Emma Jean.” He grinned at Jack and wagged his eyebrows.

  “I feel the same about Shelley.”

  Silence fell between them for several long seconds. Then something David wanted to know resurfaced.

  “What happened in the Marines that turned her around and convinced her to help us? It was obvious she planned to throw us out until you said you and John Eagle served together.”

  He noted the long hesitation in Jack before he got his answer.

  “Eagle and I were on night patrol when we were ambushed. A grenade landed in the jeep. We jumped out seconds before it exploded. I tucked and rolled into the brush. Eagle wasn’t so lucky. He landed at the feet of our three attackers. They just started shooting. The moment the first shot rang through the air, something snapped inside me. All I vaguely remember is rushing them, shooting and screaming.” Jack’s hand shook as he ran it through his hair. “When I got to Eagle, he was bleeding from everywhere. I patched his wounds as best as possible, lifted him onto my shoulders and carried him with my gun at the ready to safety.”

  David could barely speak past the lump in his throat. Here beside him sat a true war hero and Jack never said
a word. “How many miles did you carry him?”

  “Five and a half at a steady run before reinforcements from our troop met me.”

  “Damn. I’m glad you’re my partner,” David forced out on a heavy breath. “I guess he spread the word about your bravery to the whole Native American Nation.”

  “I really wish he hadn’t.” Jack leaned back into his seat. “Much of my time over there is something I don’t care to remember.”

  “Understood.”

  David let Jack be. It appeared from his eyes-closed, seat-reclined position, the man didn’t want to talk anymore and David didn’t blame him. He sent a sideways glance at Jack and knew his issues were minimal compared to Jack’s. It seemed there was much about his partner he didn’t know, but he was damn glad to have him at his side.

  Chapter Six

  “Hi, Earl,” Emma Jean greeted him as she entered the store.

  His stance automatically stiffened and she smiled inwardly. Was he as excited as she about their next round of play? Earl gave her a quick nod in response, but didn’t look her way. It appeared as if he intently focused on the task of completing a transaction with the only customer in the store, instead of meeting her gaze.

  Was he embarrassed about what happened between them? God, she hoped he didn’t pull away from her because of it. That would throw a kink in her birthday ménage a trois plan and that just wouldn’t do. She’d had a taste of them both and intended to enjoy them together. She slid in behind the counter and stood next to him as he handed the customer their purchase.

  “Thank you, come again,” Emma Jean said with a smile.

  “Oh, I will.” The woman replied ecstatically, then turned and exited the store with a large purple bag in hand.

  “You handled her well.” Emma Jean turned to face Earl and closed the distance to within millimeters. She ran her fingertips up his arm then traced his jaw ever so lightly. “I think you liked being in charge while I was out.”

  Heat radiated off him. His eyes narrowed and she noted a hitch in his breathing. The moment the tip of his tongue nervously darted across his lower lip, Emma Jean’s desire for Earl kicked up another notch. She was ready for round two, but sensed his hesitation.

  Don’t push him. Let him make the next move. Emma Jean listened to her inner voice of reason even though it went against the needs of her libido. The moisture within her folds hinted at how much she wanted to shove him onto the stool, free his cock from his jeans and ride him until they both were sated. But she resisted.

  “Let’s see how well you handled your assignment.” Emma Jean turned, slid from behind the counter and walked toward the storeroom. At the doorway, she paused and shot him a look across her shoulder that she hoped melted his invisible sexual barrier. “If you missed even one package, you will most certainly have to be punished.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw him visibly shiver and it sent a thrill to her core. She’d found a man who reacted at as high a sexual level with simply a well-spoken innuendo as she did. They were a well-matched pair. She couldn’t stop the smile. If this morning’s actions were any proof, she’d taken a step in the right direction at setting whatever ailed this man free. Now if she could only get him to continue, the birthday gift to herself was a definite reality in her near future. Just the thought ignited a roaring heat to sear the insides of her veins, making it her turn to shiver from head to toe.

  At the sight of the neatly stacked packages on the table, Emma Jean was impressed. Earl filled and packed every order. He managed to do it all, while watching over the store and helping customers. Earl was truly a gemstone in the rough and she was the jeweler who planned to buff him until he shined. She glanced at the clock and frowned.

  It was after one.

  “Earl, did you miss the pick up?” She moved to the doorway and met his tentative gaze. Taking on a naughty yet authoritative tone, she crossed her arms over her chest, arched an eyebrow and said, “If you did, you need to be properly punished.”

  “No.” He paused and cleared his throat. “I called to verify the time and was told they’re running behind and will be here by three.”

  “Nevertheless, I expected those packages to be gone by one.” She walked over to Earl, cupped his chin in one hand and grabbed his ponytail in her other. She tugged lightly, bringing him down to eye level. “First you misled me into thinking sex with you would kill me. It didn’t. And now you missed a deadline that I gave you. Expect your punishment after business hours today.”

  She released him, turned and marched to her office without so much as a glance his way. Her insides knotted and tingled with excitement. Playing this dominatrix role turned her on more than she expected. To add to the effect, she made sure to slam the office door behind her.

  Emma Jean flopped into her chair and spun it around. Life at the moment was good. Two men, two different sexual experiences and a birthday wish she intended to fulfill. Yep. She sighed. Life was good and forty wasn’t looking so bad after all.

  * * * * *

  The coroner’s report confirmed Julia Cloud’s statement concerning Earl’s fiancée, Charlotte Stillwater’s death. She died of an aneurysm, which burst in her brain. David sat back in his chair at his desk. Her death was ruled an accident. So why did Earl excommunicate himself from the tribe? David flipped through the notes Jack had written during their visit with Chief Cloud. One name stood out.

  Kimberly Stillwater.

  She had to be the reason Lightfoot left the reservation. David leaned forward and began a new search on his computer. If his suspicions were right, Kimberly Stillwater was more than likely Emma Jean’s mystery caller. Chief Cloud did state this woman went after Lightfoot with a vengeance. Maybe she never stopped.

  He ran a routine background check and found she’d moved several times over the past three years. Upon comparing Lightfoot’s limited information, he noted she seemed to be following him from place to place.

  Was Lightfoot aware of this?

  Had this woman intentionally trailed Lightfoot from place to place? He continued his search for information on Kimberly Stillwater. From what he could find, she seemed to have disappeared after Lightfoot’s last move. Had she followed him here or had she given up her pursuit and returned to the reservation? David had a sinking feeling she hadn’t.

  Where was she now and was she dangerous? This thought made his gut clench. What would happen if Emma Jean got between this Kimberly person and whatever it was she had intended for Earl? If she even had something planned for Earl. God. He sighed as he scrubbed his hand down his face. The detective side of his brain had shifted into overdrive and was creating scenarios without anything other than circumstantial evidence. He laughed softly at himself.

  How had his thoughts gotten so far off track? Then it hit him. These ideas were instilled by the jealous words of a woman scorned. And deep down, he guessed that was exactly the definition of Chief Julia Cloud, a woman in love with a man she couldn’t have. He’d seen it in her eyes. She’d claimed they were just sex partners, but David knew from experience, with most women sex and love linked hand in hand.

  David glanced at the clock and saw it was late afternoon. It wouldn’t hurt to stop by Devilish Delights and ask a few questions. And in the process, he’d get to see Emma Jean. Just the thought of her made the blood pool in his penis. Damn. The thought of sex with Emma Jean initiated an instant response from his cock. Never had that happened to him. She made him hunger for her in a way he’d never wanted another woman. She’d opened his eyes to a world of sexual foreplay, sex toys and hinted at an array of positions he’d dreamed to attempt with the right partner.

  In his mind, Emma Jean was the right partner. Hell, he’d even admitted he’d let her tie him up if she wanted. Never had he made a statement like that to anyone. He sat back. Did he truly trust her enough to let her tie him up and have her way with him? There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in his thoughts when he admitted to himself he would let Emma Jean do w
hatever she wanted to him, whenever she wanted.

  “Hey, David,” Jack called as he walked into their cubicle with papers in hand. David sat upright and shifted in his chair, glad Jack couldn’t read his thoughts. “You might want to see this. I found something interesting pertaining to Lightfoot. When we got back, I took it upon myself to help you out. I made a few phone calls and did some digging into the former addresses you had on him.”

  David took the papers and skimmed through them. Disbelief filled his thoughts and a knot formed in his chest. Several odd incidences occurred at each residence where Lightfoot had lived. Mrs. Winters, owner of the two-family home where Lightfoot lived above her, reported the strangest account. It was as if the place became haunted when he moved in, she claimed. The banging of pots, rattling of chains and unexplainable power outages were easily dismissed as practical jokes.

  Reading further, the last occurrence scared him. It was the possible arson and murder case that perturbed him the most. Over in Jacksonville, Lightfoot rented a room in a local boarding house, which burned to the ground. An elderly man died in the accident.

  “You think Lightfoot set this?” Jack asked.

  Though David wanted to hate Lightfoot, he couldn’t. Something in his gut led him to believe someone else was behind these actions and he was simply a victim in a mad woman’s game of vengeance. Maybe the overactive detective side of his brain hadn’t been wrong after all. “No, I don’t.”

  He stood, grabbed his gun from the bottom drawer and slipped on his coat. He looked Jack straight in the eye and said something he never thought he’d say.

  “I’ve got to see a man about a ghost.”

  * * * * *

  “How dare you sully my husband’s desk with those foul pictures?” Penelope Pickford screamed in a cold, straightforward tone. “Get out. I wish I’d never gotten involved with you. Get out!”