Blood of the Falls (Twelve Oaks Farm Book 4)

by Teresa Greene

  Eyes still on the closed door, he exclaimed, “Wow!” He wet his lips with the tip of his tongue as if he had just eaten a scrumptious meal. “I’ll miss all that fire and spirit. She’s one hell of a woman. I find that hillbilly thing so sensual.”

  Mouth pulled back in a snarl, Lacy snapped, “Yes, and she deserved better than you. She really fell for you.”

  He gave an elaborate shrug of his shoulders. “And for that I’m sorry. Even though it is difficult to believe, I love her.”

  “So you keep saying.” Lacy wasn’t ready to give up. “Please, Chad, I implore you to tell me where Elizabeth Cooper is buried. She had long, dark hair and eyes. She went missing January 23rd.” He said nothing. He just sat there staring at her. “Please tell me, Chad. Did you abduct her and then kill her? She was outside the Wild Tiger Bar when she disappeared.”

  He leaned back in the chair letting out a deep breath, then folded his hands on top of the metal table. “I’m sorry, Lacy. I can’t tell you.”

  “After you make your little deal with the District Attorney, I hope you get shanked or whatever it is they do to people in prison. You deserve to die.” She stood to leave.

  In a forceful voice, Chad ordered, “Wait! There is something I’d like to ask you.”

  Curious, Lacy sat back down. “If you are going to ask about Michelle, she is doing fine. She won’t let a man like you ruin her life.” Her stomach churned and knotted. It took a great deal of control not to scream at him. “Time will pass and so will her memories of you.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. But I would like to know who threw the rocks at the waterfall. Someone or something hit me with a rock.”

  She raised a perfectly arched brow as she twirled the ruby ring on her left hand. “Something?”

  “Yes, something. I looked everywhere and I didn’t see anyone.”

  “Rocks don’t fly around all by themselves, Chad. Maybe you are losing your mind. Could be you are seeing things. Maybe it was one of your victims back from the grave to haunt you.” Lacy wasn’t about to tell him Hilda threw the rocks to save her life. Without a doubt Chad would have killed her that day if Hilda wouldn’t have intervened. With a smile on her lips, she stood and walked out the door.

  The moment she stepped from the room, tears slipped over her cheeks. She hated him as much as she hated Bret Robertson; neither deserved to live. She wished Chad would have died the day at the waterfall, She wished she had seen his blood at the falls.

  ****

  It was late by the time Lacy and Michelle pulled into the parking lot of their apartment. Dylan’s car was in its usual spot. Several times he had called and left texts but she ignored each one. By now he had heard that she and Michelle had gone to see Chad Grey. Stomach jittering, she dreaded the confrontation she knew was coming.

  Lacy cut the engine and took her time putting her keys in her purse. “Maybe you should take the car and go for a drive.”

  Michelle blew out a long breath. “I’m not leaving you to face Dylan alone, especially when the whole idea of going to see Tommy was my idea.” This time Michelle didn’t bother to correct herself. Maybe it felt better to call him Tommy because then she was remembering how he portrayed himself when they were lovers. “I’ll tell Dylan it was my idea and you accompanied me for moral support.”

  Of course he wouldn’t believe her. Dylan knew the importance of discovering where Elizabeth Cooper was buried before Bret made a deal with the District Attorney. Thoughts of him being released from prison early caused her heart beat to increase. The knots in her stomach intensified. “I want to talk to Dylan alone.”

  “Hell no!” Michelle opened the door and made a bee-line for their apartment. She was already through the door before Lacy made it to the curb.

  The door stood open so Lacy stopped in the threshold. Dylan sat on the sofa with his arms crossed over his chest. Michelle sat on the coffee table. The look on his face caused her to tremble. “It was my idea to go see Chad Grey. I needed to talk to him. I had so many questions I needed answered.”

  His eyes fixed on Lacy still standing in the doorway. “I don’t believe you.”

  She leaned over and placed her hand on his arm. “Please don’t be mad at Lacy. I swear it was my idea. I begged her to go with me.”

  Eyes still on Lacy, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to meet with Grey?” It felt as if her tongue was swelling. Her throat was dry and she couldn’t seem to speak. “How do you think I felt when I got a call from one of the guards at the prison informing me the woman I am in love with went behind my back?” He stood and with stiff movements, crossed to the door. In an ominous tone, he replied, “I don’t like being betrayed. I don’t appreciate the woman I love keeping secrets from me.”

  He tried to move around her, but Lacy placed her hands on his shoulders. “Let me explain, Dylan.”

  He jerked away from her and shouldered his way past. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

  “Dylan, wait!” She watched until he was engulfed in darkness. Michelle took her hand. “I’m sorry, Lacy. Give him some time. I’m sure he’ll listen to reason when he calms down.”

  Dylan forgiving her was doubtful. She had really messed up this time. She didn’t know if she’d ever get him to forgive her. What was worse, going to see Chad had not accomplished anything. In fact, it had done more harm than good. She and Michelle didn’t discover where Elizabeth’s body was buried. She felt a sense of loss like she had never felt in her life.

  Chapter Five

  Lacy felt the place next to her. Dylan never came home last night. She knew he was going to be angry with her, but had no idea she was going to push him into leaving her. She needed to get to class but didn’t have the strength to get out of bed. She had ruined everything. Keeping Bret Robertson in prison wasn’t worth destroying her relationship with Dylan. He was the most important person in her life.

  She buried her face in Dylan’s pillow. It smelled of him and his scent intensified her misery. Memories of the last time they made love assaulted her. The feel of his hands on her body, the feel of him making love to her. Every time they made love was a new, wonderful experience. He had changed her life giving her love and fulfillment.

  A soft knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts. “Come in.”

  Michelle came into the room on bare feet and sat on Dylan’s side of the bed. It looked as if she had slept no better than she had. Her eyes were swollen and her tee-shirt rumpled. “I’m so sorry, Lacy. All this is my fault.” Lacy patted her hand.

  She pressed a hand to her churning stomach. “I’ll talk to him, Michelle. Don’t worry about Dylan. I’m sure I’ll be able to talk him into forgiving me.” The words gave her little comfort. Dylan was madder than she had ever seen him. She wondered where he had spent the night. The only logical place was Stan’s.

  “Go get ready for class, Michelle. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” She opened her mouth to protest, but Lacy placed her pointer finger over her lips. “We can’t go back and change what we’ve done. But I believe everything is going to be okay.”

  Gnawing on her lip, Michelle did her best to smile. “I’ll go get a shower.” She stood and walked to the door. She turned around and stared hard at Lacy. “Dylan loves you. Never doubt that love.”

  “I know.”

  Lacy had plugged her phone into the charger on the side table in case Dylan called last night. She picked up her phone and called him. It went straight to voice mail. “Please call me, Dylan. I’m worried about you. Please, forgive me.”

  She ended the call and then called Beth. Her sister answered on the second ring. “Where are you?”

  “I’m on my way to work.”

  Lacy threw back the covers and got out of bed. She moved to the window and opened the blinds. Early morning sunshine filled the room. She willed Dylan to appear on the sidewalk in front of their apartment. Seconds passed but Dylan never appeared.

  “Are you still there?�
��

  “Yes, I’m here. Can you do me a favor?”

  Concern in her voice, Beth asked, “Sure, honey. What do you need?”

  “Will you please talk with the District Attorney? Ask if he’ll wait a few days before he makes a deal with Bret.” Lacy had never felt this vulnerable in her life. Not only was she worried about Bret getting out of prison, she may have lost the man she was madly in love with. She tried to push Dylan from her mind. Dealing with one problem at a time, she prayed Beth would be able to speak with the District Attorney in her behalf.

  “You know how hardnosed Marshall Blake can be. Besides, the Coopers are putting a lot of pressure on him to find their daughter’s body. You may be fighting a losing battle.”

  “Please, Beth. If anyone can get him to give me more time, it is you.”

  Beth let out a loud sigh. Lacy held her breath and waited. “I’ll give it a shot, honey.”

  Lacy heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Beth. I’ll owe you one.”

  “What are big sisters for if not to help out in a pinch?” She hesitated. “What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?”

  Lacy crossed to the mirror and grimaced at her reflection. She dragged an unsteady hand through her hair. Dark circles under her eyes proved she hadn’t slept. She turned her back to the mirror and propped her bottom against the dresser. “I’m going to see if Richard might be able to help with locating Elizabeth Cooper’s body. He’s in California and will be there for a few days.”

  “Yes, Grace told me he was in California. How do you think the Coopers will feel about a psychic getting involved?”

  “I’ll just have to convince them to give it a chance.”

  “Good luck with that, Lacy.”

  Lacy looked at the clock on the table by the bed. She would have to hurry if she was going to get to class on time. “I’ve got to get to class. I’ll call you later to see how it went with DA Marshall Blake.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you later. Bye, honey.”

  Hopefully, Beth would be able to get the DA to postpone his deal with Bret.

  By the time Lacy got out of the shower, she was a wreck. She checked her phone and Dylan had not returned her call. Again she tried him. “Please, Dylan, give me a call.”

  As usual, all kinds of scenarios began to run through her mind. What if Dylan had gotten drunk and had an accident last night? Maybe she should call the hospitals in the area. No she would have gotten a phone call if he had been taken to the hospital.

  What if he returned to one of his whores last night to spend the night? Could be he spent the night at Malory’s. She had really worked herself into a frenzy by the time she opened the refrigerator to get out two bottles of water. She slammed the door to the refrigerator and almost screamed when she turned and ran right into Michelle.

  “You look terrible.”

  Lacy handed her one of the bottles of water. “I feel terrible. I should have told Dylan we were meeting with Chad Grey.”

  “After what happened with Bret, he would never have given his consent. He would have forbid you to go.” She unscrewed the lid and took a sip of water. “He loves you so he doesn’t want you to be upset. You have to admit it wasn’t an easy thing to sit across from the person that almost killed you.”

  “No more secrets. From now on I’ll tell him everything.”

  Michelle tapped her water bottle against hers. A smile tugged at her lips. “Best way to have a strong relationship. But then what do I know about relationships. I was engaged to a serial killer.”

  “At least you can joke about it.”

  Lacy’s heart jammed into her throat. First she had to get Dylan to talk to her. So far he was being very stubborn. If he didn’t answer his phone by the time she was finished with her last class, she would go to the bureau and insist he talk with her. If all else failed, she would elicit Josh’s help. She wouldn’t give up until Dylan forgave her.

  ****

  Just like a woman to be late. Dylan looked at the clock over the counter. He had been waiting for Malory for fifteen minutes. He didn’t have patience for her nonsense. Bret Robertson was no longer his case so he was doing his own investigation to see if he could discover who the other young women were that he might have drugged and raped. Hopefully Malory had found out something. There were others and he had to find them.

  He thought about the fight he had had with Lacy. He couldn’t believe she had gone behind his back to meet with Chad Grey. But then he was doing the same thing meeting with Malory. It would devastate her to find out he had met with Malory behind her back.

  His phone vibrated. He looked at the screen and saw it was Lacy. He wasn’t quite ready to talk with her so he ignored the call. Tonight he would take her out to dinner and they would have a serious conversation. Together they would have to make some ground rules about their relationship. He would be honest with her about Malory. She needed to know he was still using her as one of his informants.

  The bell tingled over the door and Malory stood in the doorway, a huge eye-popping yellow purse dangling from her arm. Matching yellow shoes with spiked heels tapped over the black tile as she crossed the room and slipped into the chair next to him. She placed the purse by her chair and ran a hand over her dark hair. A huge sapphire ring sparkled from her right hand. “Hello, Dylan.”

  “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.” He wished he could have convinced her to meet him somewhere off Duke’s campus, but she insisted on meeting him on her terms. He couldn’t convince her to meet him at the bureau.

  She placed her hand over his letting her gaze travel over him. Her hand rested lightly, possessively. “I’ve missed you.”

  He pulled his hand away. “Let’s get something straight. I’m with Lacy. I told you on the phone I need information.” For months she had been his lover. While she was great at sex, that was all it had been. He had no feelings for her other than to gain information.

  Her eyes flickered with annoyance. Red painted lips pouted prettily. He remembered what she could do with those lips. Sex was her main occupation in life, second partying. Well, he guessed partying and sex was kind of in the same category. School was the third most important thing in her life. She was bright and beautiful but she let her desires get in the way of being successful. But then she would probably screw her way to top of the ladder at some big firm. More than likely she would find a way to be successful. “You don’t miss me just a little bit?” She held her thumb and pointer finger about an inch apart.

  He disregarded her comment. “Have you found out anything?”

  She rummaged through her purse until she found the photos he had given her of the jewelry Robertson had stolen as mementos from his victims. She flipped through until she found the picture she was looking for. She leaned in so close pressing her breast against his arm. He got a great view of her cleavage. Strong perfume assailed his senses.

  “Someone recognized this necklace. They said it belongs to Tonya Callicutt.”

  “Do you know her?”

  “No, but I asked some questions and discovered she is a student at NC State. Long blond hair, kind of shy. Sounds like Bret’s type.” She placed the other pictures back into her purse. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend and keeps to herself most of the time.”

  Excitement coursed through him. Could be Robertson also drugged and raped her. He needed to prove he was a serial rapist before the DA made a deal with him. A man like him didn’t need a get out of jail free card. “Thank you, Malory.”

  She placed her hand on the sleeve of his white, starched shirt. She slanted a look from under her lashes. “When you get bored with Lacy, I’ll be waiting.”

  “I love Lacy. I’ll never get bored with her.” Malory was great at finding out information. The last thing he wanted to do was make her angry. He needed her. The only reason she was still feeding him information was because she thought she might have a chance with him. While he had enjoyed sex with her, she was nothing compared to Lacy.

/>   “You and I are more compatible.” Her voice poured over him like sweet honey. Deep down he knew her type. He had dealt with women like her all his life. Inside she was cold and unfeeling.

  “I want to be friends.”

  “You played me like a violin. Made me believe you had feelings for me. Now you treat me like something you scraped off the bottom of your shoe. You screwed my brains out and now you only want me for information.”

  “Get this straight in your pretty little head. As I’ve already explained, I was doing my job. I’m a FBI Agent trying to find evidence to put a serial rapist away. Do you want to help me or not?” She remained silent. “If not, I can find someone that will.” He started to stand but Malory placed her hand over his.

  “Yes, I want to help.” She leaned in so close he could feel her breath on his face. “I get the picture. You only want me for information. I can live with that.”

  ****

  Class had been brutal. Lacy couldn’t concentrate because she was worried about Dylan. Twice she had slipped out of class and called him, but he still wasn’t answering. Why wasn’t he answering his phone? Could be he was in the middle of an investigation and couldn’t answer his phone. Then again maybe he wasn’t ready to forgive her.

  She tapped in Molly’s number. No answer. She tossed her phone back into her purse and screamed in anger. She needed some caffeine. Hopefully, she had time to make it to her favorite coffee shop before her next class.

  It was hot. Sweat dripped between her breasts as she hurried along the sidewalk. Not many people were out and about so she was making good time. The overhead bells tingled when she opened the door to the coffee shop. Business was slow and only one customer was in front of her. She should be able to get her coffee and easily make it to class.