“It’s not just that, man. There are some things you can’t put a price on.” Tim groaned. “She loves her work. It’s her...”
“I really hope you know what you’re doing.” Jon interrupted. “I hope you don’t regret this. Anyway, what do you need me for?”
“Let’s say he may need some…” Tim paused, “persuading.”
“What do you mean?” Jon squinted at him. “You want me to rough him up?”
“No, dumbass,” Tim grumbled. “I can do that by myself. Just make sure you get your laptop.”
“I really should teach you a thing or two about computers.” Jon pointed out. “I don’t need to come with. Hacks can be done remotely. All you have to do is call me. I don’t know about you, but I think we should do this again. You saw it; we make a good team.”
“That we do.” Tim smiled. “Don’t tell me you’ve already found your next victim.”
“I wish.” Jon said with a sigh. “But I’m sure I’ll find something, soon enough. What about you? What do you have in mind?”
“I don’t know.” Tim attempted a serious tone, as his smile slowly faded. “Going legit felt pretty good: I didn’t have to look over my shoulder; I met some nice people…”
“Shitty paycheck,” Jon interjected. “Look, we’ve just committed the perfect burglary. We were fast, accurate, professional… No witnesses. No fingerprints. Even the bomb we used is untraceable. I bought it off a Cuban lowlife in Miami. I know you, Tim. You’re only saying these things because you met her. She made things interesting, didn’t she?”
“It’s a lot more than just ‘interesting’.” Tim disagreed.
“Just think about it.” Jon urged. “It would be great to work with you again.”
“Yeah, I feel the same about you..” Tim’s smile returned to his face, as he offered his hand for a handshake.
“Good luck.” Jon’s voice became lower, as he shook his friend’s hand. “If you change your mind…”
“I know where to find you.” Tim finished his sentence. “Goodnight, buddy; I’ll call you tomorrow.”
The two men exchanged a cordial hug. Eager to break the Josephine the news of his success, Tim left his friend’s house in Queens, swelling with pride. After all, Jon was right: they had stolen more than a million dollars, without leaving any clues. Nobody would even suspect them.
Teaming up with Jonny? That sounds fantastic. The guy’s a computer wiz. But, I don’t think Joey’s going to like that. I’m coming home to you, baby.
24
Tim caught himself dreaming about a new life, on his way back to Manhattan. As intriguing as his friend’s suggestion had sounded, he was not convinced that going back to breaking into people’s houses was an option. He had always enjoyed the thrill; he loved the rush that burglaries gave him, but he no longer desired that. Tim had found something different than just a temporary sensation: the possibility of having a normal life, with a loving woman by his side. So far, such thoughts had not even crossed his mind. It was then that he realized just how much power Josephine had over him. Tim had never allowed anyone to have control over his life; yet, for her, he would gladly make an exception. To him, the idea of being with her made it worthwhile.
It was 5:00am when he walked into his sister’s apartment and, as one would expect, it was completely dark. Josephine was not in the living room. Tim went to the bedroom adjacent to Caitlin’s but she was not there, either. Immediately, he started worrying about her. But, it didn’t take him long to discover what had transpired. There was a white, thick envelope in the living room, behind the armchair, one that he had failed to notice earlier. He bent down and picked it up. The envelope front read. He tore it open only to find a letter:
“To Tim”
“My dear Tim,
I read what happened in North Haven. It’s all over the internet. It looks like you and your friend were successful. I’ll never know how people can do such things. Aren’t they afraid of getting caught? Or of prison, maybe? I’m not judging. It’s just that I could never do what you did tonight.
A few minutes ago, I received a phone call from the University of Paris. I applied there, on the day that you and Laura visited me in my lab. They love my work. They said that they would be happy to have me on board. That phone call made my decision so much easier…
You see, I wouldn’t have accepted that money. I just couldn’t. You have every right to be mad at me; I agreed to this and I’m the reason you did it for, but I could never live with myself, knowing that I took someone else’s money. It’s not right; it’s unethical, even. It doesn’t matter who you stole it from. The only thing that matters is that you stole it.
When Paul mentioned that you’d be working at the facility, I lost it. I started yelling at him, thinking that burglars are terrible people. But, you’ve been proving me wrong, since I met you. And tonight, you did the noblest thing anyone’s ever done for me. You risked your life, so that I could keep my job. You could have been shot or arrested, so that a crazy scientist like me could keep experimenting on her chimpanzees. My God, what did I put you through? I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for making you do this…
Please, forgive me, Tim. Not just because you committed a crime for my sake. I’m very sure you don’t regret it; that’s the kind of person you are. Forgive me, for not having the heart to say ‘goodbye’ to you in person. I know it’s a lot to ask. Leaving you is a horrible thing, but, you should know that it’s perhaps the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do. It really breaks my heart, knowing that I will not see your face tomorrow morning: the face of the man who stood by me; who gave me hope; who did everything in his power to make me happy, even though he didn’t know me that well. If only I could go back in time… That way, I would do what you suggested sooner and spend some more time with you. God, what I wouldn’t do to see you again… Touch you… Kiss you… Feel you.
I’ll never forget you, Tim Shaw. I will never forget the outlaw who stole my heart and went out his way for me. He will always be the man of my dreams. I was able to have him for a short while and, although reality drove us apart, he will always hold a special place in my heart. He is the sweetest, bravest and toughest man I’ve ever met. I will miss him, much more than words can say.
Love,
Josephine
Tim’s world fell apart. Two tears spilled from his eyes and rushed down his cheeks, as her letter slipped through his fingers. Losing her was too much for him to bear. He dropped to his knees, squeezing his eyes shut, wishing that he could see her one last time. Tim felt someone staring at him, but he didn’t even have the heart to turn to see who it was. Only when he felt Caitlin’s slender arms being wrapped around his neck did he discover who it was.
“I’m sorry,” She whispered, resting her head on his back. “I liked this one; she was nice.”
“Why did she leave, Caitlin?” He heaved a long, painful sigh. “Tell me why.”
“I read her diary.” She stated, caressing his shoulder. “She left it in the bedroom. I tried to talk to you when you came in, but you didn’t hear me. I saw you reading the letter; so I got curious.”
“It’s ok,” Tim whispered. “Just give me an answer.”
“It’s pretty clear, big brother,” said Caitlin, voicing her opinion, and leaning back. “She felt guilty about this relationship. It’s weird, though. The handwriting is the same and yet, this letter and her diary seem like they were written by two different people.”
“Care to explain?” He complained, a groan of frustration leaving his mouth.
“Well…” She started in a high pitched voice. “In her journal, she just says that she lusts over you. She tries to remain dignified. She uses fancy words, not everyday language. But with this letter?” She paused and pointed at the piece of paper on the floor. “This letter was written by a woman very much in love. There’s a lot of emotion in it. She’s different; she speaks freely. She sounds like an everyday woman.”
“She’s go
ne.” Tim croaked, looking down at her over his right shoulder. “What difference does it make?”
“Oh, my God…” Caitlin whispered, reaching her arm towards his face. Cupping his cheek, she ran her thumb across his cheekbone. “This is the difference, Tim. There’s still love there. You’ll find each other again.”
“I don’t think I want to hear this.” He grumbled, standing up to his impressive, 6’2” stature. “She’s on her way to France, Caitlin. I can’t leave the country. Term of my parole, remember? But even if I could, I wouldn’t follow her. She didn’t talk to me; she just up and went away.”
“You’re right about that,” Caitlin nodded, rising from the floor. “I was there when she got that phone call. She went to the kitchen; I couldn’t hear what she said. She was really upset when she came back. Last night, she kept asking questions about you. She wanted to know more about your childhood. And guess what? She did the same thing tonight.”
“Stop it, ok? Just stop!” Tim cried, his watery eyes dark with sadness. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“Yours!” She affirmed, raising her tone as well. “I’m just trying to make you see that it’s not over between you two.”
Overwhelmed by frustration and sorrow, Tim spoke no more. The air around him had become too thick; he felt like he was drowning. Desperate for some fresh air, he turned his body left and marched towards the door.
“Tim, wait!” Tim kept walking as if he heard no words coming from his sister. He would not stay there any longer. Slamming her door behind him, he once again got lost in his thoughts…
“There’s still love there” my ass. If there was any love, she would have said something to me, she would have trusted me. She wouldn’t have left. Damn it, Joey… I put my trust in you and you just… walked out of my life. Why did you say ‘yes’ when I asked you out? Why did you make me believe I could have a future with you? Stop asking these questions, Tim. You’re never going to get any answers…
25
Two days passed since Josephine’s departure, but to Tim, they felt like an eternity. He would not leave the house: he hardly ate or slept; and stayed up all night, reminiscing about their few, happy moments together. His argument with Caitlin was followed by many more. He accused her of being unable to understand him, while she maintained that he could not see beyond his pain.
Tim was so devastated that he would not think about anything else, other than Josephine’s act of betrayal. His plan to meet with Maddox and his quest to find Paul Jitter’s killer fled his mind. After all, the idea of doing those things for someone who had abandoned him felt nonsensical.
The night of the burglary kept replaying in his mind. Tim even hid away his sports bag, in an attempt to forget everything about it, to no avail. Everything was still very fresh and, one of the things that hurt him the most was Jon’s words:
“I hope you don’t regret it.”
It annoyed him that his friend could consider that possibility, while he was simply unable to. Blinded by despair and his feelings for her, he had made a decision that could well get him into trouble. But there was something else that broke his heart, even more than that: Up until he met Josephine, he had never been in a serious relationship. They had all lasted a few days and did not end well. He was hoping that a relationship with a woman unlike any other in his life would last much longer, but, once again, he was bitterly disappointed.
“Yeah, you were different. But the outcome is even worse. I believed in what he had…” He thought to himself, gazing outside Caitlin’s living room window.
“Tim, there’s someone here to see you.” His sister’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “She said her name was Laura.”
“What?” He exclaimed, turning to her. “You didn’t buzz her in, did you?”
“Actually, I did,” she replied, a hint of regret in her voice. “Listen, I’m going out. I’ll see you later.”
“Damn it…” Tim hummed, as Caitlin made her way out of her apartment. He didn’t even have time to prepare himself for a meeting with the woman who had shut down Josephine’s research. Only seconds later, she was standing under the doorframe, with a blissful smile on her face.
“Tim!” She chirped. “It’s good to see you again.”
“What are you doing here, Laura?” He murmured, gazing down at the floor.
“Tell me I didn’t see that.” Laura’s voice dropped down an octave, as she took a few, confident steps towards him. “The big, macho burglar who grabbed me by the throat can’t even look me in the eye? How the mighty have fallen…”
“How did you find me?” He asked, still unwilling to face her.
“That was easy,” She smirked. “You had put your sister down as an emergency contact. What’s going on? I don’t see her anywhere. Where is she?”
He would not dignify her question with an answer. Tim bit his lower lip, rolling his gaze up to meet hers. However, his prolonged silence gave him away.
“She left you.” Laura concluded in a firm voice as she looked deep into his eyes. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Trust me; if you found out about the things she’s done, you’d never want to see her again.”
“Talking trash about her? Again?” His voice was dripping with sarcasm. “I thought you’d already told me everything you knew about her.”
“I thought so as well.” She maintained. “But, I ran into a case of a mysterious death in the facility yesterday. I wasn’t here; I was in Italy at the time. I asked my father about it. He wouldn’t tell me, but I insisted. It happened about ten months ago. It turns out your precious doctor was the one who was responsible.”
“Why do you say that?” Tim put a little force in his voice.
“Well…” Laura gave a short laugh of derision. “The official story is that the poor guy got electrocuted by accident. But, the truth is far more disturbing. You see, your sweetheart left a cage door open on purpose. The freed chimp set free the rest of the chimps. When that guy walked through that door, he pulled a gun on them, but he didn’t get a chance to shoot. Three of them jumped him. They carried him all the way to the bathroom and put him in a bathtub full of water. The fourth put a hairdryer in the bathtub; the guy got fried. Now, you may wonder just how the hell could those chimps recognize a gun and know the effects of electricity. The answer’s quite simple.”
At that moment, she pulled her cell phone and a small pack of pictures out of her coat pocket. Josephine’s shaking voice filled his ears.
“I’m so sorry; I felt like I had no choice; we needed some results. I and my team agreed to use gene therapies to increase brain mass. Larger brain means more protein. As a side effect, the chimpanzees became smarter…”
“Here.” She added, handing the pictures over to him. Shivers went down his spine, as he laid his eyes on the first one. It depicted a man in a security uniform, lying in a bathtub, with multiple, deep lacerations on his wrists and his shoulders.
“The guy’s name was Jackson Davis. He didn’t have any family. This helped my father cover it up. The bad publicity could destroy us.” Laura sighed. “He allowed her to continue running her research lab, on one condition: that those chimps be put down; they were too dangerous. So, she poisoned them.”
The realization that he had fallen in love with someone as ruthless as her, hit him like a battering ram. He finally understood what she meant on the night of their date, when she said: “I’ve done things I’m not proud of.” Once more, she had not been completely honest with him. More than that, she was not the angel that he believed her to be. Instead, Josephine Taylor was just another woman who would do anything to achieve her ultimate goal.
“Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about her.” Laura stated, reaching out her hand to touch his. “You still owe me a date.”
“We’ve been over this.” Tim finally uttered.
“I’m not your boss anymore.” She lowered her voice to a low, husky whisper, running her thumb across his wrist. “I’m just a girl, who wants to
go out with a boy. What do you say?”
He couldn’t deny it to himself that she had a point. Certainly, he hadn’t forgotten about her, mischievous actions, but, for the third time in a matter of a few days, the air around him had become too thick to breathe. Tim was so distraught that he would have agreed to anything, just to get out of the house.
“Ok.” He said with a nod. “Let me grab my coat.”
26
Tim was somewhat surprised, when he noticed that she had driven there in a black Lexus. Still, he didn’t have the heart to ask Laura why she had preferred a car like that to her limousine. Despite her best efforts to start a conversation with him, he hardly spoke. He was still in shock, unable to wrap his head around Josephine’s actions and only opened his mouth when he absolutely had to. Tim wasn’t even curious about their destination. The only thing that mattered to him was getting some fresh air.
Lower Manhattan was bustling with life, adding to his profound pain. The memory of his day with Josephine quickly returned to his mind. There had been people and bright lights everywhere. He had been happy. He had not resembled the broken man that he was now. Tears welled up in his eyes within just a few minutes. Preoccupied with complaining about the heavy traffic ahead of them, Laura didn’t even notice it.
You’re so far, yet I feel you so close to me, Joey. Everywhere I look, I see those big, beautiful eyes of yours. But still, you weren’t any different than everyone else, baby. You’d do anything to succeed, wouldn’t you? It doesn’t matter if you get someone killed in the process. ‘It’s unethical to use stolen money’. You couldn’t be honest, not even in that letter. You could have said that you were leaving because you found a better job there…
Eventually, Laura entered a noisy neighborhood and pulled over outside of a large, yet closed bar. It was dark and the neon sign over the glass façade was off as well. Tim decided to keep his mouth shut and waited for her to unlock the door.
Filthy Desires: A Romantic Suspense Collection Page 186
