by Robin Hicks
"About nine months ago. He's been quiet, nothing else on him. He had still claimed his innocence the whole time, and he had no other priors."
"Ok thanks Alex, we'll go see what we can find on our lover boy. By the way, Jamie and Trish are having a party in two weeks, you gonna be there? You've missed the last two or three. Makes me think you don't love me anymore." Koty grinned.
"What are they celebrating now? Did they buy new dishes or something?"
"You know them; they come up with some excuse or another." Koty laughed.
"Well…is this pretty lady going to be there?" She asked smiling at Laney. Once again, Laney felt a blush hit her face, and Alex laughed again.
"You Detective Jacobs are going to be sooo much fun. I'll see what I can do, now get out of my lab, I have work to do…"
As Koty and Laney got into Koty's jag, Laney laughed. "I bet she is a riot at parties, and ain't she a handful?"
"Yeah, but she's harmless. She just adores Kasey though. I think if it came down to it, she would do me bodily harm if she thought for one New York second, that I hurt Kasey."
"Yeah, I bet she could do it too." Laney laughed.
""Don't you doubt it for one second."
"You two ever…you know?"
"Oh please Jacobs. I thought you knew me better than that?"
"I do, I was just trying to get a rise."
"Well it worked."
"Good, I got to keep you on your toes. By the way, what was it that she called you when we got there?"
"Oh, you mean mujer alta?"
"Yeah, what does that mean?"
"Tall woman."
Laney burst out laughing. "Well that you are sweetheart that you are."
"Hey Jacobs, ever looked in the mirror? You are almost as tall as I am."
"Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades Silvers, you're still taller than me."
"Women"
"Oh yeah. Now take me by Starbucks, I really need some coffee."
"That sounds like a plan to me. Then we'll check with Jason to see who's car little Miss Preston was driving. I find it a little odd that somebody took the time to put a white rag in the window of the car. Don't seem like they were in too much of a hurry to get away."
"Yeah, I kind of thought the same thing. You think that maybe these two knew each other?"
Koty turned into the parking lot of Starbucks, and up to the drive threw. "I think it's worth checking out. Something is off with this…"
The car turned out to be registered in Kelly's father's name. James Michael Preston, some big shot corporate boy who owns a home in Courthouse Pines.
Kelly's mother, Leanne Preston, and her father had been divorced for six years, and Kelly has lived with her father since he won custody of her. Leanne still resided in Virginia Beach, and was at the precinct when the two detectives arrived…
"Mrs. Preston, I'm Detective Silvers, and this is my partner Detective Jacobs. Please have a seat." Koty directed Leanne, and another woman that was with her.
"Detectives, this is my partner Dylan." Koty gave a knowing smile.
"Is there any news yet on my daughter?" The woman said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Not yet Mrs. Preston. What can you tell us about a Trent Falens?"
"Trent? What does my daughters' ex boyfriend have to do with this? I think he's out of prison now but I don't believe they have seen each other. Why?"
"We have reason to believe that Trent Falens was in your daughter's car before she disappeared Mrs. Preston. Did she have that car before he was sent to prison?"
"No, she just got it for her seventeenth birthday. What makes you think he was in the car detectives? Did you find something that belonged to him?"
"You could say that. How violent do you know this man to be, has he ever hurt your daughter?"
"Trent Falens wouldn't hurt a hair on my daughters head detective. Trent is not a violent person. Contrary to the time he spent in prison, he did not rape that girl. I believe that with everything that I am.
"My daughter told me he was with her that night. Trent wouldn't let her speak up because she was only fifteen, and Trent was eighteen. The alleged rape happened at 3:00 am, my daughter had snuck out of the house to be with Trent. Her father would have killed them both. She wanted to testify, but Trent told her he would say she was lying. He knows my ex husband well.
"The young lady that accused him of raping her was very jealous of Kelly and Trent's relationship, and swore she would come between them, and so she did."
Laney was writing all of this down while she watched the other woman Dylan silently rub Leanne's back as she spoke. 'Wonder if this is why she lost custody of Kelly. That would have to suck.'
"Mrs. Preston, do you think it's possible that Kelly, and Trent may have set this up since she is still a minor? You know, because of her father." Koty hated to ask that question but it was one that was bugging her.
Leanne sat there stunned for a moment. "I would hope not, but I honestly can't say for sure. You don't know James. He is an unbelievably controlling man. God only knows what he would do if he caught them together."
"Would he harm your daughter Mrs. Preston?" This came from Laney.
"Oh. No, he wouldn't, but he would Trent if he found him. Kelly turns eighteen in two months. There will be nothing he can do to her then, maybe that's what they are waiting for if it is a set up. God, I hope it is a set up."
Koty leaned back in her chair and studied the couple. "I don't want you to get your hopes up on this Mrs. Preston this is just an angle that we are looking at. Do you know of anywhere they may go to hide? Maybe some of their mutual friends or something?"
"Well, I may know of a few places…"
Chapter Twenty Three
"Mmm, that feels good Baby. Right there…that's it right…ooh."
"Koty, if you want me to scratch your back, you are going to have to sit still, and stop wiggling." Kasey laughed at her lover as she always acted like a kid when she got her back scratched.
"But Baby, it feels so good." The tall detective whined.
"I know Honey, but it's hard to get the spot if you don't sit still. So how was your day? It must have been something because I heard from Alex. You don't have to go to the lab often."
"Yeah, they found a young girls car on the highway with blood in it. We already have a pretty good lead on it though, and with some good luck, things will turn out ok on this. Too early to tell though. How about you? How was the clinic?"
"Not to busy. Chris left early though, she wasn't feeling too well. She was a little nauseous so I told her I could handle it, and that she should go."
Koty turned to face her lover with concern written on her face. "Is she alright? Should I go and check on her?" She stood and would have walked to the door if Kasey wouldn't have reached for her hand.
"Honey, come here. Chris is pregnant. Pregnant woman get nauseous. It's very normal sweetheart I promise. Now come back here and sit down. Remove your shirt, and let me massage your shoulders. You've done gone and gotten yourself all tense."
Koty turned back to the doctor with a smirk on her face. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll remove my shirt if you remove yours."
"Well in that case, we may as well move this into the bedroom Honey." Kasey said as she slipped her finger through Koty's belt loop, to lead her towards their bedroom…
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Laney eased her long frame into the large tub in her bathroom. 'God I love this big tub, and whirlpool jets!' She had poured plenty of Lavender bubble bath into the steaming hot water, and couldn't wait to soak her tired muscles.
"Oh God this feels good." She leaned back, closed her eyes, and let the last week seep from her body. This was just what she needed. She was very glad that this new house came with the extra large tub…
Soft lips worked their way down to her breast, and then stopped to feast. With barely controlled desire, Laney pulled the head closer to her, wrapping her hands in soft b
londe hair.
Laney whimpered, and a soft cry of 'please' escaped her throat. The blonde head obeyed, and slowly kissed its way down to the hidden treasure awaiting her.
Laney's hips bucked, and strong hands grabbed her hips for better control. Once the blonde woman had Laney exactly where she wanted her, she slowly lowered her head to taste the nectar of the beautiful woman below her.
It wasn't long before Laney was taken to heights she had never been to before. Thrashing and bucking wildly, Laney finally released.
"Oh God Randi!!!"
Blue eyes flew open as water was sucked into her lungs. Laney gasped for air as she tried to figure out what just happened. "Oh shit!" Was all she could pretty much say when she realized she had just came while dreaming in her bathtub.
She had just came while dreaming of Randi Daniels in her bathtub. "Oh shit!" She said aloud again. She looked around and there was water all over the floor around the tub. 'From my thrashing no doubt!'
"Oh man, oh man. What in the hell am I going to do about this?" She wasn't even sure she would be able to stand right now because she still felt the arousal between her thighs. 'This. Is. Not. Fair.'
Slowly, she climbed out of the tub and reached for a towel deciding to clean the mess up later. She mumbled a thank goodness for tile floors under her breath then walked to her bed to lay down.
"What are you doing to me Randi Daniels? Why me?" Just then, the phone rang.
"What?" She answered harshly to whoever the unlucky person was on the phone.
"Um…Lan…Laney?"
Randi. 'Shit!' Laney didn't know how to respond. After what happened in her tub, she felt like Randi would know exactly what happened. She was sure she would be able to tell just by hearing her voice.
"Laney…are you alright?"
Nothing.
"Laney sweetheart, talk to me! What's wrong?"
"Um, Randi hi. I'm ok, un…I was just napping." 'She called me sweetheart again.' "What can I do for you?" Laney knew she was being short with the younger woman but she couldn't help herself. She didn't know what else to do.
"Well…I was just calling to see how you were doing, but I see I've caught you at a bad time so I'll let you go."
"No wait. Wait Randi, I'm sorry." 'It's not her fault you are having these dreams.' "Like I said, I was napping and I'm trying to get my mind together." Laney lied.
"I'm sorry to wake you Lane. I really just wanted to see how you were doing and to say hi. It's nothing important. Did you have a bad day or something? Is everything ok?"
"Everything's ok. I just took a hot bath, and like a kid, they always seem to put me to sleep. What about you? You sure you're just calling to check up on me, or is there something on your mind."
'Hmm, well detective, there is always something on my mind but we won't go there.' "I really did just want to check up on you." 'And to check you up!' "I have tickets to the Tides game this Saturday, and if you are free, I wanted to know if you would like to go with me?"
"Um…Tides huh? Can I let you know by tomorrow night?"
"Yeah sure, that would be fine. Night Lane."
"Night Randi…"
Laney hung the phone up then pulled the pillow over her head. "God Randi, what am I going to do with you?" 'You are single handedly turning my life upside down. You continuously push your way into my personal space, you look at me as if you are looking into my soul, and your touch…just a simple little touch to the arm or hand, makes me come alive.'
"Makes me God damn crazy is what she makes me!" The tall detective threw the pillow across the room then stalked to the kitchen bare assed naked, to pour a glass of wine.
Why not go to the Tides game with Randi? Laney loved baseball, though if they happen to be playing the Richmond Braves, she and Randi will just have to fight or something. Laney liked the Tides, but the Braves were her team…
Chapter Twenty Four
Randi hung up the phone from talking to Laney then leaned her head back against the couch. 'What am I going to do about you detective?' I can't get you out of my mind. Hell, I don't want to get you out of my mind.'
Randi knew it was possible that she was falling in love with the detective. She also knew that there was a good possibility that Laney would not return her feelings.
'She is straight.' Randi's mind piped in.
"Maybe not."
'Do you forget that she was married?'
"That doesn't mean a damn thing and you know it. Lots of people that are gay have been married."
'She told you she was straight when the two of you met. Do you not remember that?'
"YES, I remember that all too well thank you very much. Maybe…maybe she just doesn't realize it yet. I can't be wrong on this damn it! I need her in my life. We belong together. I know it, and so do you, so just shut up and leave me alone."
Randi knew she had never really been in love before. Oh, there were women she had been with that she cared deeply for but had never felt that connection. Not like she did with Laney Jacobs.
From the moment she had seen Laney in the antique shop she had felt a shift in her heart. Even though she didn't care much for cops, she knew that this cop would be different.
'I could look into those baby blues forever. They call to me. She needs someone to care for her, and hold her. Someone to tell her just how beautiful she is. I am the person to do that.'
Randi was tired of being alone. She was tired of coming into this empty house every night with no sounds unless she played the stereo or television. She wanted human contact. She craved it.
When her brother Boyd died, she was left by herself. No family left to call her own with the exception of Jodi. Jodi had been her best friend forever, and was the closest thing to family she had. Everyone thought they were sisters.
She had no desire to contact her father. He was just a tool to help in her creation as far as she was concerned. Any man who could up and leave his children like that with no contact, no letters, and no calls could just burn in hell.
The blonde knew that she looked like her father from a picture that was still in the old photo album in the bookcase. Same blonde hair, same green eyes, even the same nose, though her father was much taller. Her height she got from her mother.
Her mother had spoken very little of the man when they were growing up, and somehow both Randi, and Boyd seemed to understand that he was a sore subject. Even their friends never brought up the subject of their father. They just seemed to know that it was taboo or something.
Neither child seemed that interested in his whereabouts. They did know that the man had hurt their mother badly by leaving, and they were angry at him for this. What they didn't understand is why she never seemed to be interested in anyone else or never remarried.
She seemed happy enough as time passed by just spending time with her friends. That is, when she had spare time from working so hard between all of the jobs the woman had. It wasn't until later, when Randi and Boyd were both working that she was able to really start to go places with her friends.
She still missed her mother so much. They were close friends as well as mother and daughter. She could tell her mother anything, and did. The day she told her about her sexual preference, her mother had hugged her, and told her that she knew. She knew, and it was ok.
Her mother had asked her if Jodi and she was a couple. "Mom, Jodi's my best friend, that's it." She and Jodi almost crossed that line once a long time ago. Fully undressed, and in each others arms, they both busted out laughing then pulled away from each other.
They climbed out of bed, got dressed in their t shirts and shorts. Climbing back into bed, they cuddled up, and held each other until they fell asleep. That's the way it's been every since. They have slept together many many times, but only to hold and comfort one another, or after a night out and one was too drunk to drive home.
Randi reached over and picked up a picture of her mother off of the end table by the couch. "I wish you were here right now Mama. I really
need you. I miss you and Boyd so much."
Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she buried herself deeper into the plush cushions of the couch, clutching her mother's picture to her chest. That's how she was when she woke up several hours later, still holding the picture…
Randi climbed into the steaming hot shower, and just stood there for several minutes trying to wash away the melancholy that she was feeling. Hopefully the tall detective would take her up on her offer for the baseball game this weekend.
The blonde needed to be around her, and would come up with any excuse she could think of to make that happen. Hell, she was damn near tempted to go camp out on the detectives doorstep, but she didn't want to seem desperate. 'I'm starting to get desperate though.'
After five minutes of just standing under the spray, the shop owner reached over and shut off the water to the shower. She grabbed a towel from the rack to rub her body down then her hair. Tossing the towel on a chair by her bed, she climbed under the sheets then turned off the lamp on the night stand.
Randi tossed and turned all night long. She had dreamt of her mother, her brother, and of losing them all over again. After the third time of waking up crying, she finally decided she may as well stay up.
"Cripes, I'm gonna be totally useless at the shop today." She made a pot of coffee then went to pick out something to wear for the day. Something comfortable. Yes…
Knowing Jodi wouldn't be back to work until the end of the week, Randi probably would have called in. She had to go in and at least open. Linda could run the shop during the day since Monday was one of their slow days, then all she had to do was go in and close up afterwards. 'Now that sounds like a good idea to me…'
Dawn hadn't even come yet and the blonde had already been awake for two hours. She had consumed three quarters of the pot of coffee, and she was ready to bounce off the walls. She hated mornings, and usually wasn't a pleasant soul until around 9:00 am.
This was a new experience for her to see the sun rise, or at least it hasn't happened in a long time, and normally it was because she hadn't been to bed yet. 'Maybe I can come home and take a nap later.' "Yeah Right, when was the last time you were able to do that Rand?"
