Lollie felt at home. Everyone smiled, nodded, looked her up and down. These were her people. Relaxing, she ordered a drink and waited for the very cute bartender to make it. After a taste of her drink, Lollie was satisfied and headed for the back of the room. She sat by herself on a long bench and watched the men, women, and queer-folk on the dance floor as their hips jived to the beat and their feet moved.
When a woman sat next to her and grabbed her hand, Lollie grinned. This would be perfect for the night. One night of distraction before she truly began her seduction of the intriguing Morgan she had met earlier that day.
“How are you?” The woman’s voice was low and right in Lollie’s ear.
Leaning in, Lollie turned her chin down. “Excellent, and how are you, love?”
“About to be better.”
Lollie wrinkled her nose as she smiled. It wouldn’t take long for her to seduce this woman and find a place to stay for the night, but every time she tried to focus on her, her mind whirled to Morgan. Morgan might just be her perfect match. They weren’t outright suited for each other. Morgan had been standoffish at first, but Lollie had pushed forward, and they’d found a way to chat amicably for a few moments before Morgan had rushed off.
She’d learned about Morgan’s life, Lollie had shared about hers, so they were well on their way to becoming fast friends and lovers if Lollie had any say in the matter, which she did. Focusing on the woman next to her, Lollie pressed her lips to her cheek.
“I’m not looking for anything serious,” Lollie said right into the woman’s ear.
“Then you came to the right place, baby.”
“Good.” Not worrying about seduction, not worrying about making an impression or leaving a mark, Lollie pressed her lips to the woman’s. If neither wanted a relationship, then sex they would have. They made out for near an hour on the bench. They got another drink, ground their hips together on the dance floor, and when Lollie was thoroughly worn out, hot and sweaty, they made their way back to the bench.
With a kiss to the woman’s cheek, Lollie begged off with the claim she had to get some fresh air. She headed outside and fully intended to go in and take her date home for the night. As soon as she stepped out into the light drizzle of rain, she pulled the napkin from her pocket and called Morgan.
Their conversation was short, but Lollie could tell Morgan was just as intrigued by her. They set a date for the next day. Lollie would have to go shopping beforehand to make sure she had the perfect outfit, but she would have the time to do that during the day.
With one last breath, she went inside. Finding her date for the evening, Lollie sidled up next to her and pressed her breasts against the woman’s arm. She didn’t care about her. She cared about getting off, getting high—which had been an offer already on the table—and finding a roof for the night.
Their tongues danced again, and Lollie heated their embrace. She slipped her hand against the woman’s thigh and brushed her fingers over her heated core. Oh yeah, they were both ready for their night together. With a laugh, Lollie pressed her mouth to the woman’s ear.
“I’m about ready to take this to a bed, how about you?”
“Absolutely, love.” With their fingers entwined, Lollie followed the woman’s lead. They paid their respective tabs and left the bar far behind. It had been a long time since she’d focused on her pleasure and not on her hopes of a future. Tonight would be perfect as a last hoorah before she threw off her old life and started fresh with Morgan tomorrow.
###
She met up with Morgan at the coffee shop they’d been at the day before. It was decently close for Morgan, apparently, and Lollie knew where it was. When she walked up, she gasped. Morgan was finely dressed in a black pantsuit that was cut just for her body. Her curves were slight but beautiful as the tight material covered her. Her dark brown hair sat short against her head, and she’d spiked it up as was the fashion.
Her crystalline blue eyes stood out in a sharp contrast to her darker complexion. It made her seem mysterious. Lollie’s stomach flipped. This woman was different than all the rest she had dated. With her heart in her throat, she walked up to Morgan and gave her a nervous smile, wanting to come off as insecure. She wanted Morgan to feel like the protector, the one she relied on, the one she went to with her problems. She discovered older women tended to like that.
“Hey there, stranger,” Lollie said in way of a greeting, her voice still husky from the smoke she’d inhaled the night before.
“Back at you,” Morgan answered with a grin. “This was perfect timing. I needed a break from thinking.”
“Tough day at the office?” Lollie reached out and grabbed Morgan’s fingers, finding physical contact always helped to draw people out of their shells.
Morgan glanced down at their hands, but she didn’t pull away. “You could say that. Mostly just a long day of slogging through the not so fun work and finding not a lot that made it worth it.”
“I’m sorry.” Lifting one shoulder in a shrug, Morgan shifted her stance. Lollie stepped in closer. “Where are you going to show me?”
“I thought, since you said you’d never really been here before, that I would take you down to the market, show you the piers, and maybe we could grab a bite somewhere down there.”
“Sounds good. Lead the way.” Lollie held her hand out for Morgan to go ahead, but she kept her fingers twined with Morgan’s. Together they walked hand-in-hand along the streets and down the steep hills until they came to Pike’s Market.
It was a bustle of people and energy. Even though the evening was late, there were still people about. It was a nice night, one of the few where it wasn’t drizzling or raining in the dead of winter, and it wasn’t too cold. Lollie still shivered to make the point Morgan would have to stick closer to her. She didn’t want her far enough away they would lose contact with each other.
Lollie wrapped her arm through Morgan’s and shifted her head onto her shoulder to make sure Morgan knew she was interested in more than friendship and she would rely on her wherever Morgan led them. They went in and out of a few shops, Morgan talking randomly about things she had bought at some of them.
They came out at the bottom of the market and along the piers. Morgan pointed her hand down the way. “There’s a seafood restaurant that way that’s pretty good if you’re into that kind of cuisine. I’ve been there a time or two.”
“I’d love to try it out.”
“Good.”
Before they could take another step, Lollie pulled Morgan to a stop. Her gaze flicked from Morgan’s eyes to her lips, and by the third time she did it, Morgan leaned forward like she’d hoped. Matching the angle, Lollie pressed their mouths together in a sweet and tender kiss.
Morgan pressed a hand behind Lollie’s head and held them together. Lollie didn’t deepen the embrace, sensing Morgan was very unlike Samantha in that she took her time and was hesitant in the beginning of a relationship. Holding still, Lollie smiled when they broke their embrace.
“That was nice,” Lollie whispered, fingering Morgan’s lapel.
“It was. Come on.” Turning, Morgan wrapped an arm over Lollie’s shoulder and hunched against the cool breeze picking up off the Puget Sound and walked toward the restaurant.
They ate well, laughing throughout the meal. Lollie didn’t make any further advances as she wanted Morgan to make the next move. It wasn’t until they were back at the coffee shop where they met that Morgan tugged Lollie in and kissed her again. Lollie folded her arms around Morgan’s neck, tilting so Morgan would have to lean over her and deepen their kiss.
She drew in a sharp breath, moaning lightly and dashing her tongue out against Morgan’s light-pink lipstick. When Morgan sighed and her shoulders relaxed, she knew she had her. Morgan’s lips parted, and together their tongues danced.
Lollie stayed as still as she could, reveling in the feel of Morgan against her. It was so different than all her other dates. Before everything was fast and heated. Morg
an was slow, calculated in every decision and move she made. Lollie enjoyed it. She knew whatever Morgan did, it was because she’d thoroughly thought it through. So when Morgan’s hand skirted against her back to her hip and then up to her breast, her heart raced.
This moment was so distinct compared to any other relationship she had been in. Maybe Morgan was the one. She’d wanted to be married and well on her way to kids by the time she was thirty. Maybe all she’d had to do was get to Seattle and find this lovely woman she held in her arms.
Lollie nipped at Morgan’s neck lightly when they broke apart and giggled. Then she pressed their foreheads together and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh sea air from the Sound as it blew in their direction. “I had a lovely evening.”
“I did, too,” Morgan answered.
Lollie remained plastered against Morgan. She didn’t want to move. She wanted this moment to last forever. It was damn near perfect. Once again, she slid forward and moved her lips against Morgan’s. Morgan responded in kind. Lollie threaded her fingers through Morgan’s short hair, reveling in the feel of the rough spikes against the palm of her hand.
They stayed that way for some time until Morgan’s phone in her pocket buzzed. On the third ring, Morgan pulled back and sent Lollie a look of apology. She glanced at the caller ID and then shook her head. “I have to get this. It’s work. I’m so sorry.”
Lollie swallowed but nodded in understanding. She didn’t want Morgan to think she was overbearing too early in their relationship. She wanted her to think they both had the freedom to continue their work and do as they pleased.
“What do you have?” Morgan said into her phone.
Curious, Lollie turned toward the road with her arms over her chest as she watched the traffic pass by. She listened in on Morgan’s half of the conversation, wishing she could hear whoever was on the other side. Maybe it was a woman, a woman Morgan had a crush on, and maybe they were planning a secret meet up after Morgan and Lollie went different ways. Shaking her head, Lollie pushed the thought from her head. While plausible, it was unlikely. Morgan seemed entranced by Lollie. There wasn’t likely another woman in the way.
“Really? Well, shit.”
Lollie looked over at Morgan and raised a brow. Morgan shook her head at her and walked a couple steps away, lowering her voice.
“I’ll get on it in the morning. Not much I can do about it now that it’s broke.”
Lollie’s heart rapped hard in her chest.
“Yeah. Thanks for the call. Yup. Talk to you tomorrow.” Morgan hung up and came back to Lollie with an apology on her lips and in her eyes. “So sorry, but it’s a good thing I took that call. It was super important.”
“What happened?”
“Just some idiot who didn’t listen to me.”
Lollie gave a wan smile. “That happens a lot when you’re the boss.”
“Hmm. Yeah, it does.” Morgan bit her lip. “I do have to get going, though. I have a super early morning now with some clean up to do. I had a lovely evening.”
“Sure you don’t want to extend it?” Lollie asked, hopeful as she reached for Morgan’s hand again.
Morgan gripped her fingers tightly and squeezed once before letting go. “As much as I would like to, I would seriously regret it in the morning.”
“Tomorrow then? It’s so lonely here not knowing anyone.”
Letting out a sigh, Morgan glanced at the phone still in her hand. “It’s going to depend on how much clean up I have to actually do. I’ll call you around lunch time and let you know, okay?”
“Sure.” Disappointment slipped into Lollie’s stomach, and she let it linger. She wanted to make this work, wanted Morgan to be the one, so she would play the role she needed to for now. Moving up on her toes, she pressed her lips to Morgan’s in a chaste kiss. “I’ll look forward to your call, then.”
“Tomorrow. I’ll call. I promise.” Morgan sent her a lopsided grin, kissed her loudly, and then turned, leaving Lollie alone on the street.
Lollie stayed put for at least another five minutes before she headed the opposite direction. If she wasn’t going to be staying the night with Morgan like she had hoped, she was going to have to find another home for the evening. It shouldn’t be too hard. The bar she’d visited the night before seemed like a good place to start again. Headed in that direction, Lollie made plans for how she was going to take the next step with Morgan.
Chapter Seventeen
Samantha’s murder had broken on the news the night before. Pax warned her it was coming, but still, Morgan’s heart clenched as it hit. It wouldn’t be long before her suspect stopped using Samantha’s cards like she had the previous victims, and she would lose track of her again.
With that in mind, as soon as Morgan walked into her makeshift office, she doubled down on her efforts. It didn’t take too long for the credit reports to come in, and in the last two days Samantha’s card had been used several times. Twice at a local bar Morgan had been to once or twice in her years in Seattle.
“Hmm…” She leaned in her chair and stared at her computer screen. The bar was known to cater to the rainbow community, and it wouldn’t be hard to figure out if anyone ran a simple Internet search. Two nights in a row, however, did not fit the profile of her killer.
In all the records of the stolen cards, her killer never frequented the same place twice. She always seemed to be looking for the next best thing, the new thing, whatever would hold her attention for the next period of time she hadn’t tried or experienced before. So for her killer to go to the same place twice was an interesting conundrum.
At least Morgan knew she was in the right city. Her heart fluttered as she ruminated. She was in the same place as the woman who had murdered at least five times and was no doubt searching for a sixth kill. Rubbing her lips together, Morgan wondered if she even saw it as killing or if there was some other twisted way she explained it all. If she could even admit it after the fact.
Remembering at the last minute, Morgan requested an update from her tech people on the tracing of the searches run on their victim names. The last she’d checked with them, they didn’t have anything, and she was sure if they did find something, they would call her, but she couldn’t help herself from checking in one more time.
She fingered her phone, debating once more if she should call Fiona Wexford or not. She’d never returned her calls earlier, and after her date the night before and her planned date coming up, Morgan wasn’t sure she wanted to. Clearly there was no interest other than professional, which it would be nice to discuss the case with someone else—at least, what she could discuss with Wexford that wouldn’t cross the bounds of confidential.
Shoving the phone in her pocket, Morgan leaned forward over her computer again. She’d gather up the rest of the credit records and head out to collect statements and footage if there was any. Last she remembered of the bar there was no footage to help protect the clientele but that didn’t mean they hadn’t added any in the last ten years.
Morgan stopped by the office of her long time friend, Geraldine, whom she’d worked with decades ago when they were both at the Seattle office. She knocked on the door with her knuckle and grinned when her old friend held up a finger and finished her phone call. Morgan leaned against the doorframe, crossing one leg over the other and her arms over her chest as she waited.
Geraldine was probably close to retirement by that point. She’d been Morgan’s mentor for years, even after she’d moved to Houston, Geraldine had been there for her. Zoning out and thinking about her case, she almost missed it when Geraldine waved her into the office.
“I was wondering how long you would hole yourself up in there before you ventured in here.”
“Not long enough I suppose.” Morgan grinned. She slid into the chair opposite Geraldine’s desk and folded her ankle over her knee. “I have an interesting case.”
“I’ve gathered.”
“Want to do some wandering today?”
Geraldine glanced at her computer, her phone, and then her watch. “I can join until lunch. After that, I have to be back for a meeting.”
Morgan’s nose scrunched as her lips upturned. “Perfect. We’re going to a gay bar.”
Geraldine’s face lost its smile, and she shook her head slowly. “Are you kidding?”
“Nope.” Slapping her hand on her knee, Morgan stood up. “But you already agreed, so let’s go. I’m driving.”
“You better not kill me.”
Chuckling, Morgan headed for the door with a much lighter step. She missed spending time with her friend, and she probably should have called her sooner, or even at all, to get her opinion on the case. Geraldine grabbed her wallet and gun before shutting her door. Together they walked down the hall. When Morgan hit the button for the elevator, Geraldine looked her up and down.
“Looking good, kid. Find anyone out in the windy city?”
“Oh, you know me, the wind blows me this way and then it blows me that way.”
“So that’s a no.”
“That’s a no.” Morgan laughed. “I did get married, though, didn’t I tell you that?”
“No!” With wide brown eyes, Geraldine turned on her.
“It lasted like a year. We were drunk and in Vegas on vacation. It was stupid. Tried to see if it would work out and gave up.”
“Stone, you’ve got a heart of gold and a brain of muck.”
“You know it!” Stepping into the elevator, Morgan pressed the button for the parking garage. “My killer is doing something different.”
“What’s that?”
“She went to the same place twice.”
“Interesting. Why?”
“Don’t know. Maybe her plans got messed up. Maybe she’s trying to expand. Or most likely, she didn’t find what she was looking for.”
“What makes you say that?”
Morgan shook her head. “Gut, mostly. Every time she’s been to a new city, she only makes a few charges on cards before it stops. Then usually within a week or three we find a body. I presume she uses the cards until she finds someone else who will buy her stuff and give her a room, and then she doesn’t need the cards anymore.”
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