by Sasha Winter
“Okay, you’re right,” she said with a nod. “I’m sure you’ll catch him soon, and then you can get a good night’s rest. Listen, I’ve got a couple of things to wrap up in the kitchen, then why don’t we head off to mine and pour a glass or two?”
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day,” he replied. “I’m sorry, Erin, I wanted our first days together to be full of nothing but happy memories.”
“And they are, Tom! Do I look unhappy to you?” she insisted. “We’re not responsible for the evils going on in the world.”
Seeing him manage a bit of a smile at last, Erin hoped that her words were offering some comfort, and she left him there to make sure everything was switched off and put away. Suddenly the challenges of running her own business seemed light against the task of tracking down a serial killer who was threatening to strike again at any minute. Tom was clearly being put though all kinds of rigors with this case, some of which she did not yet understand, though mostly she was just pleased that he had come to confide in her rather than going home instead to collapse on his own bed.
“Do you know why he attacked poor Nana?” she called out from the kitchen but, on turning round, found that Tom had in fact followed her there, deciding he couldn’t be without her for too long.
“We’re looking into it,” he told her. “To be honest, though, can we talk about something else for a while? I just think my brain will explode if it isn’t allowed to think about something else for a couple of hours.”
“Sure thing,” she replied, “that way your thoughts will be renewed when you come back to it. Why don’t you think about me instead—if I’m worth thinking about?”
Erin mimicked a sad face, alluding to the lovemaking they’d had and pretending to make him feel a little guilty that he hadn’t been thinking about that instead for the last forty-eight hours, rather than being obsessed with some serial killer. Tom smiled and then stepped up to put his arms around her.
“You know, seeing you again is like being reunited with my own sanity,” he said, then reached down and planted a kiss on her lips.
Erin had been holding a kettle in her hands, which she then sought blindly to discard on the work surface so she could reciprocate and put her arms around him in return. Passion grew between them as their senses recalled shared pleasures of the flesh, and Erin had to reach out once more in order to push the kettle out of the way when she realized Tom had undone and slid her jeans and panties down as far as her cowboy boots would let them. Managing to avoid either of them getting burnt in the process, Erin then allowed Tom to lift her up onto the same work surface, her legs wrapped around him as much as she could as he unzipped his own jeans and thrust inside her, hard and fast.
It was slightly awkward, slightly clumsy and fiendish… but that was what was so good about it. However inconvenient her kitchen was for screwing, it was going to be overcome anyway by their desire. Erin felt unbalanced, but Tom was so strong that it was okay.
Packing everything away had usually marked the hour when she began to feel lonely and long for love and attention. Now her ideal man had turned up and she knew it would be a long time before being taken spontaneously by him, wherever they might be, became inconvenient. Let everything else take second place, as long as he doesn’t burn your ass on the cooker, she thought as an orgasm built within her core.
Only once he’d reached his own climax did they open their eyes and look at each other properly. Life had returned to Tom’s eyes, and his color looked healthier too.
“You were supposed to slap my wrist and tell me to wait until we got back to your place,” he said.
“Cat got my tongue,” she replied.
“Don’t worry though,” he assured her, “there’s plenty more where that came from.”
“Then, if you can bear to keep your hands off me for twenty minutes, let’s get home and pick this up again….”
***
Now decorated with a full blanket of snow, Cold Lake was still and quiet, perhaps due to people sheltering inside from the freezing wind, but also out of fear and uncertainty. There was a killer on the loose, and no one was untouched by the shadow his presence cast.
Dark times also bring people together, however—friends, families and lovers. Young love was no different in this respect, and Erin took great comfort in having met Tom during such a dark time for the community. Whatever happened, she was sure he would protect her and, as strong as he was—and armed as well—she even fancied it would be him that brought this sicko down. Also, knowing how affected he was by the killings, she made a promise not to hold him back for fear of losing him. The thought was too terrible to imagine, but it was obvious that fixing this was something he needed to do for himself and that he wouldn’t be able to move on until it was mission accomplished.
Despite being his girlfriend now, she still felt a little divorced from the whole story, however. So many nasty and vindictive acts were reported on the news that, for some reason, encountering a local version going on in close proximity still felt like just another news story. A very small percentage of people would be directly affected by it and, although she was now sleeping with one of the key officers on the case, it would still be something she heard about when he came home from work, rather than directly experiencing it in her own life.
Or at least this was what she thought until they got to her place, and she turned around after putting her key in the door to see Tom wandering away and lingering to peer at something round the side of the property.
“You see a raccoon or something?” she asked.
Tom didn’t respond straight away, pausing before taking another step then stopping again to say ‘Stay close to me’ and continuing to walk in the opposite direction to the different style of Italian cuisine she was planning on giving him on the couch just a few feet away.
Following to see what drew him, Erin found that she would have to redefine her own connection with the wider world upon seeing that her lover was looking at bear tracks.
Oh god…
What followed made what cops did in the movies look pretty accurate, meaning it felt pretty surreal to Erin, but the cold focus and poise of Tom ensured that she was now also taking the discovery deadly seriously. Although the tracks were leading away from the house, Tom insisted he go first and check the interior anyway, telling her to keep close behind and close the door after her. With his gun drawn, Tom then proceeded to check every room and window of the house, at last concluding that there had not been a break-in. Having him present to establish this brought some relief, but Erin’s nerves were still fraught at knowing there had been a bear in the vicinity, and it was clear that Tom was not thinking this to be some coincidental crossing of paths with a wild bear—out near the bakery maybe, but not so far into Cold Lake.
Tom didn’t stop there, and he told Erin to stay inside and keep the doors locked. He then disappeared for ten minutes to check out the trail, before returning to confirm that where they led was inconclusive.
A sex-athon after that proved a little out of the question. There were important questions to answer, and Tom was insistent that he should stand guard all night, regardless of how much Erin advised him he would do better with some sleep. Instead, the night was far more laid-back.
Erin thought for a while to try and calm Tom’s wariness with a movie, but anything she had was either distinctly girly or had cops in it, and so she concluded would be too close to home. In the end they cuddled up together on the sofa and drifted off to sleep. As long as she was in his arms, Erin knew she wouldn’t have nightmares about savage bears and what they were capable of.
Fangs and claws were a long way away, and Tom was there to protect her even if they somehow arrived.
10
Two police cars were outside Erin’s house pretty much as soon as dawn’s light broke. Tom had wanted molds of the paw prints taken as soon as possible so they could be compared to those at the other crime scenes. He was pretty certain by then that the s
ame bear who had killed four people and tried to kill Nana had been checking out Erin’s property, but he was maintaining a discipline to thoroughness so that strange coincidence or unfortunate oversight couldn’t catch him out later. No longer in any denial that this case was now personal to him, Tom wanted to be armed with as much transparent information as possible.
By then, he knew, there would be numerous such mini-investigations going on within a fifty-mile radius. He wasn’t leading the investigation (except maybe in his own mind), but resources had been drawn in from neighboring forces to bring this terror to a speedy end—though he was central enough to affairs and knew the first names of everyone involved in logistics, and so fancied he could adopt a position of semi-authority so long as he didn’t step on anyone’s toes.
As he went about gathering these extra details together, Tom lifted Erin from the sofa and carried her upstairs so she could get a few hours of sleep in the bed. She didn’t stir, and he wished he could crawl in with her and give in to unconsciousness, but his mind would not rest until this threat had been extinguished, and—he was sure she wouldn’t mind—the strongest, and so probably most expensive, espresso sachets found at the back of one of her cupboards would be integral to keeping him going.
By the time nine A.M. came round, Tom had already received confirmation that the paw prints were an exact match with those at other crime scenes, and he had more than enough information to give Jake another call and further stress that this case had changed its nature—as well as obtaining any additional updates the sheriff might have.
His superior had also had a predictably late night, after a day overseeing a number of road safety incidents, attempting to source cover for Nana and also keeping track of any bear sightings or attacks.
“Jake, this thing is becoming even more out of hand,” Tom began when Jake answered his call.
“You’re telling me,” the sheriff replied, “I’m in front of the damn national media at eleven. You get that? First time for me—feel bad I haven’t even been able to go and see Nana yet.”
“You’re keeping the guard on her though, right?”
“It’s a forty-eight hour guard, Tom, then it’s reviewed.”
“No, absolutely not, Jake. That guard has to stay and anyone connected to the forces should not be out alone. Plus,” he went on, talking over Jake’s attempt to interrupt, which was something he’d never done before but hoped would make sure his attention was unwavering, “our loved ones, Jake; friends and loved ones should be warned and kept out of harm’s way as much as possible.”
“What are you saying?”
“I had my suspicions after what happened to Nana. That wasn’t typical,” Tom explained, “but I’m certain now. The killer is out to get anyone working for the local forces, or even those who are dear to them.”
“Go on,” Jake said, surprising him then in not offering a devil’s advocate (maybe Jake had similar suspicions).
“You know pretty little Erin at the bakery?”
“The one with the big…”
Tom’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. Well, I’m at her house now.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because we’re something of a… partnership now.”
“You what? You mean you and her…?”
“Yes, that’s right. So I’m telling you before it becomes office gossip.”
“You sly old dog, my friend!”
“Never mind that. Outside her place last night there were bear tracks; I’ve had them checked already and they’re an exact match with our killer. The bastard was checking out Erin’s place as well as choosing to target Nana.”
“So you think it’s someone you know?”
“No, not at all. Erin and I have told no one about us, but we could’ve been seen together, especially if this guy’s been watching officers to see who their loved ones are. He didn’t start out this way, so it’s probably not a vendetta, but maybe he’s enjoying the media attention or something and so decided to start toying with us.”
“He’s got an ego we can work on then. We’ll close in on him pretty soon, I can feel it. I just hope we get to him before he kills again.”
“That’s right, but we need to warn everyone in a uniform that they and their loved ones could become a target. Nana was a big part of our operations and Erin would have been very vulnerable coming home alone at night if I hadn’t have been here.”
“She’s not the only one who’s vulnerable,” Jake replied.
“How do you mean?”
“I mean some paw prints have been found outside of my ranch house this morning. How about that?”
“You’re kidding me…”
“Clearly my arsenal here isn’t that off-putting after all, but I wish I’d got the bastard in my sights—then again I might have been paranoid about shooting you.”
“Ha! Don’t worry, I ain’t going anywhere near that right now.”
“Anyway, I think you’re absolutely right. Everyone needs to be aware and on their toes—and Nana’s guard stays there until she’s safe at home again, with reinforced locks and a security light.”
“Seriously Jake, don’t take any chances with that wife and kids of yours. Get them staying with their cousins in Oregon or something.”
“Yeah,” Jake replied, thoughtfully. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Without distractions, you and I can round this fucker up, while knowing our loved ones are safe.”
“We’ll get him—and we’ll get a guard on Erin too when you’re not there. After the last kill, and Nana, more and more resources are coming our way.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“All right, let’s keep each other updated if we hear anything else. Otherwise I’ll catch you after the media thing.”
“You got it.”
At least dealing with the media was one part of this storm that Tom didn’t have to deal with. He didn’t relish Jake’s role there and couldn’t help but wonder what his friend would say if asked whether there were any bear shifters who happened to be working for him as well as the one trying to kill his staff. The whole scenario had the potential to look far worse depending on how the press chose to report it—and they were not exactly fans of avoiding sensationalism if it drew attention to their work.
Still on edge, but feeling a bit more secure about some of the procedures that were being put in place, Tom decided to wake Erin with some toast and coffee. On entering the bedroom he found that she had already begun to stir, having heard him talking on the phone, and he could see that she was slightly apprehensive about asking him in case there was more bad news to break. Tom was no longer looking to hide any of the complications from her, however. Whether she had clued in to it or not, Erin was now part of his professional responsibility as well as being a personal one. What he was about to suggest would come sooner than she had expected, regardless of how crazy about each other they were, but he wasn’t going to take any chances for the sake of shyness.
“How you feeling, Erin?” he asked.
“Still a bit sleepy,” she said. “Almost feels like my mind doesn’t want to wake up, in truth. Do you still think those tracks could be the same as… as the killers?”
“They are,” he said. “I’ve already had a cast of them taken, in fact, and an exact match has been confirmed.”
There was an ominous silence as this news sank in. Even though he was concerned as to how she would take it, Tom’s experience had taught him that difficult discussions need to be had a portion at a time. Babbling out some plan about how he was going to protect her before she even knew what was going on would only lead to more anxiety and risk harming the confidence she would have to place in him.
“Why would it want to be sneaking round my place, of all people?” she asked at last.
“Erin, I don’t want you to worry,” he reassured her. “Lots and lots of procedures have been put in place or are being put in place. The public is going to be protected from this threat and you will ge
t extra special attention because he’s been around here. You also have me, and I’m going to be a pain in making sure you are not put at risk, though I hope by now you understand why.”
“So…my bakery?”
“I know—it’s inconvenient. But I want you to only work peak hours, when there are lots of people around, and to never lock up without me or another armed officer around. We can get you that kind of protection in case he does try to target you.”
“And when I’m not at work am I locked in with my own firearm or something?”
Tom took a deep breath. “Erin, I want you to move in with me,” he replied. “Not permanently, of course, just for a while.”
“You…I’m sorry?” Erin replied, as if she had misheard him.
“I know it sounds incredibly quick. We’ve spent three evenings together, and you’re the best thing to happen to me in a long time, but I know you wouldn’t be thinking of taking that step already.”
“It’s because of this bear shifter thing?”
He nodded. “Erin, I want to protect you as much as possible. You live alone here and I won’t be able to sleep at night for worry if we’re not together. As for the days—well, we can plan them a day at a time to make sure you’re safe.”
“But won’t I get in the way?”
“Not at all, it would simplify our operations, in fact. Otherwise you would need some officer with a gun who you’ve never met watching over you anyway. Also, it’s partly my fault anyway.”
“How do you mean?”
“This case is a strange one. We’re pretty sure this guy is targeting either the police operations, or their loved ones to try and disrupt or upset us. He’s trying to get clever and vindictive at the same time.”
“A real psycho, huh?”
“Exactly,” he said. “Listen, Erin, I’m not in charge of this investigation. Even Jake has his superiors, and I suspect there are even FBI on the way here. Getting you to move in with me is my way of still being able to call the shots—as far as your wellbeing is concerned at least. And we can try to work together and keep your bakery open as much as possible. The alternative could be someone trying to move you hundreds of miles away, which is what Jake is doing with his family. Anyway, we’ll probably catch him soon, might just be for a couple of nights…”
