by Lolah Lace
“Do what?”
“Stay with the convo, bro. Do you even go to class? Keep up. Let me talk slow. Why. Did You. Stab. Keisha? Give me a good reason and maybe we could make a deal. I’m sure you can think of something.”
Marcus shook his head in disbelief. “I told that sell-out, light-skin bitch I didn’t do. Ain’t nothing changed officer.”
“Not for me. But I see a life sentence in your near future.”
Marcus chuckled. “Nah, not today. I have rights. Slavery is over Massa, us Black folks can read now. You can send that hot lady cop back in here. My eyes hurt from looking at your pale, pasty ass.”
Detective Crane stood there with his hands on his hips. He didn’t have any idea if they were barking up the wrong tree. He did know all the murders where connected. How did Marcus tie in with victim number one, Kelly White, or victim number two, Christy Toliver?
CHAPTER 17
The sun was out and brighter than usual. It was one of the hotter days of the summer. The air conditioner was on full blast at the Hinsdale Police Department. Detective Johnson stood by the door of the conference room gazing across the long, dark, rectangular table that housed ten plush office chairs. Seated at the head of the table was Dr. Mark Gardner. Dr. Gardner was an older Caucasian man with thick gray hair that matched his well-trimmed mustache and beard.
Detective John Turner sat on one side of the table. Lt. Meyers sat alone on the opposite side.
Tami turned her attention to Dr. Gardner “We’re just waiting on one more person.”
Dr. Gardner nodded as Tami looked up at the wall clock above his head. Mike Crane rushed by her and into the conference room.
“Sorry I’m late.” Mike took a seat next to Lt. Meyers.
Tami wondered why Mike was late. Was he with a bimbo? Did he have a late night with some bar tramp? The green-eyed monster reared its head, and she hated to admit that she gave a damn. She checked her emotions as she walked over to the table.
“Okay, this is Doctor Mark Gardner.” Tami gestured as she introduced the doctor. “He is a specialist for the FBI Behavioral Science Unit. With the recent murders we’ve been having, I called Dr. Gardner so he could consult with us and maybe shed some light on the type of person or persons we should focus on during this investigation. Dr. Gardner, please take over.”
Tami took a seat next to John.
Dr. Gardner pushed his wire-framed glasses up his nose with his index finger. “Well, okay here goes. I’ll just tell you exactly what I do first. I study the techniques of serial killers, their patterns, commonalities, things of that nature. Detective Johnson has supplied me with all the physical evidence you’ve gathered in these cases. I’ll just go over some of my findings and if you have any questions just jump right in and ask. I’ll start with the killer himself. He is a hedonist or a lust killer. He fantasizes about the victim, hunts them, kills them, and then goes through post kill, which is a form of depression—an emptiness that makes him need to kill again and again. Similar to an addict’s withdrawal from drugs and alcohol.”
Detective Turner was the first to ask a question. “When you say he fantasizes about the victims, are we to believe he knows them?”
“Possibly. In this case, all the victims are of mixed race. How can he tell this unless he has had some previous contact with these women? The victims are half Black, half White. That is certainly not visible to everyone. He had to have stalked them before and maybe talked to them to know their racial background. So he could well be someone they all knew, associated with or came into contact with. I generally believe he is not a stranger. All the victims live or worked in close proximity to one another. He covets what is tangible.”
“Dr. Gardner, do you believe these are hate crimes?” Lieutenant Meyers inquired.
“No, absolutely not. I’ve come to this conclusion due to many factors. The perpetrator, he covered the faces of all three victims as if he was ashamed and somewhat remorseful. Maybe he couldn’t bear to see their eyes looking up at him. The stab wounds were inflicted in the victim’s while he stood behind them, he can’t see them and see their life being extinguished. Hate crime scenes are very different. They want you to see what they have done and they leave the victims’ bodies on display openly ridiculing them. Most hate crime perpetrators don’t have any contact with the races they despise, or contact, as I stated earlier. This guy knows or has had some contact with his victims, other than the day he murdered them.”
“This guy. You believe it’s only one person?” Turner asked the question Tami was thinking.
“I would venture to say definitely one man.”
“What about the people we questioned?” Turner was really asking the hard-hitting questions. “Do any of them fit the profile?”
“My opinion is this; out of all the statements I read, I wouldn’t bet money on any of them. There is something missing, something that just doesn’t hit with the suspects you’ve questioned thus far. There are elements that don’t add up, puzzle pieces that are missing.”
Mike had peacefully listened to Dr. Gardner’s findings, but now he had questions of his own. “What about the last victim’s boyfriend, Marcus Dixon? He slapped her around and threatened to kill her in front of about thirty people two days before she was murdered. He knocked her around and was verbally and physically abusive to her. We’re holding this kid with no physical evidence and you think it’s not him.”
“Nothing is one hundred percent, of course. It could be him. But where is the evidence to support he knew the other two victims? The same guy did all three. That is a fact. These crimes were committed by the same person.”
Tami had information about Marcus Dixon that Mike wasn’t aware of. “Mike, Marcus got out on bail this morning. His mother is employed at Cochran’s firm.”
“That’s just great. Our one viable suspect has a big time hotshot criminal lawyer from one of the best firms in the state.
Tami glanced over at Mike. She loved when he had this fire in his eyes, the zeal to close a case and lock the bad guys up. She missed that about him. They hadn’t mentioned the one intimate encounter they had at her place. Maybe she had been too hard on him.
Trying to deny her feelings was becoming more difficult. It was easy when he was back in Oakbrook, and she was right here in Hinsdale. They were working on this case together. He was part of the team. It hurt to see him. She wasn’t over him no matter how much she tried to deny it.
*****
The informative day with Dr. Gardner had been long and insightful. Tami was happy to finally get home and take a shower. The hot water felt so good she vowed to take an extra five minutes under the jets. She raised her hands to wash the shampoo and conditioner out of her hair.
She heard a sound and stopped for a moment to listen. Tami wiped away the conditioner residue that had run down her neck and bare shoulders. She paused when she recognized the sound of her doorbell. The shower steam soon subsided and she tiptoed out onto the furry bathmat.
The doorbell rang again as she grabbed her robe off the back of the bathroom door. Tami quickly made her way down the staircase. She tied the belt on her robe as she approached her front door. She looked through the peephole and sighed. She coaxed herself into remaining cool as she unchained and unlocked the door to see Mike standing in her doorway.
He gave her a quick once over and involuntarily licked his lips. It was a gesture Tami had seen many times before, a gesture that made her nipples pucker. Mike stepped inside and took a seat on the couch. Tami locked the door and joined Mike. She didn’t have the will to yell at him for showing up unannounced. Mike made himself right at home as usual.
“I was in the shower. Don’t you have a cell phone?” She tried to hold back her hostile tone.
“Yeah.”
“You think you might want to use it sometimes?” Tami tried to keep her tone playful instead of bitchy.
“Tami, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”
“Really. You t
hinking. About what?”
“When we were together, why didn’t I ever meet your family?”
Tami took some time to answer him. “My father is dead, and my mother is the devil. You know that. Case closed.”
“You have more family. You told me your grandmother raised you. I never met your grandmother. Why?”
“I don’t know. I never thought about it.” Mike didn’t believe her, and she didn’t believe herself.
“Were you ashamed of me?”
Tami’s eyes rolled of their own accord. “Would you spare me, please?”
“I’m asking you a serious question.”
“I’m not and never have been ashamed of you. It’s just more complicated than that.”
“No, actually it’s not complicated at all.”
“I’m a nutcase. I’m one nervous breakdown from being medicated. Why would you want to deal with that?”
“First, that’s not true.”
“Yes it is.”
“You are the most together and stable person I know.”
“It’s all an act. I’m a great actress. I am far from stable.”
“Okay, fine. Well I’ve dealt with it, with you, and your perceived instability all this time.”
Tami took a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of Mike. She had so many things she could say to him, but that just wasn’t going to happen. For once she was afraid. She didn’t share her feelings. She just coped with them. She had been doing it for as long as she could remember. There was no way she was going to spill her guts and make herself vulnerable.
“Mike, what do you want from me?”
Mike reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. “This is what I want.”
Panic set in but curiosity always won out when it came down to it. Tami took the box from his hand and opened it. Her face and eyes were overwhelmed. It was beautiful that much was true.
“I’m confused. What is this?”
“What does it look like?”
“I don’t know. It looks like an engagement ring.”
“Now I know why you’re a detective.” Tami wore a mask of pure confusion. “It’s a diamond engagement ring. I wanted cubic zirconia, but the sales guy talked me out of it.” Mike joked to hide his trepidation, his fear of rejection.
“This looks expensive.”
“I saved a little here and there. You can do that when you don’t have any real bills or kids around town.”
“Right.” Tami’s heart picked up, but she was determined to hide it from Mike. This was a big step.
“I want you to be my wife.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I will not take no for an answer. If you say no I have two words that might change your mind.”
“Two words that might change my mind?”
“Yes, two words.”
“What words?”
“Murder, suicide.”
“I believe you would do something like that.”
“Well.” Mike shrugged.
“This case, I’m taking it very seriously and very personally. I’m biracial. I need to focus all my energy on catching this asshole. You should do the same. Do we have time to think about something this permanent?”
“I’m working hard on this case. What does that have to do with my proposal?”
“We weren’t; we aren’t even together anymore.”
“But we could be. We could be together forever.”
“We had drunken sex once, and now it’s forever?”
“It could be. Everything is not a fight. You know that I love you, and although you never say it back to me, I know you love me. I don’t know why you hold back. I’m getting to a point where I don’t care anymore. I just want you. Do you want me? Do you want to be with me?”
“I want you, yes. I don’t want to screw this up, us up, and I know I will.”
“I’m tired of breaking up. I want to stay together forever.”
“I’m not stable the way you need me to be.”
“I don’t care. I want you to be my wife.”
“I need time. I can’t just—I need time.”
“How much time?”
Tami thought about it. “We can discuss this matrimony stuff after we catch this asshole.”
“Don’t blow me off.”
“I’m not. I promise after this case is over, okay?”
“Okay, after the case.”
“Can I keep this?” Tami held the ring up in the air.
“Yeah sure, it’s paid for.”
“Really?”
“Check this out.” Mike spread his legs and pointed down to his crotch. He waved Tami over with his hand. “Have a seat.” He patted his thighs with both of his hands.
Tami gazed at Mike pretending to be unmoved by his words. He was the sexiest man she had ever been with, and it hurt trying to pretend otherwise. Her body just felt right with his.
She stood and untied the knot in her robe. She placed the ring box on the coffee table and slowly walked three short steps to stand in front of Mike.
Mike’s eyes moved from her face down to her partially covered breasts. She knelt down in the open space between his legs. Unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants were accomplished without any difficulty.
Mike intently watched as she rose to climb on top of his hips straddling him. His hand glided inside her robe, and he placed his hands around her waist. She closed her eyes as she lowered herself securely on top of his waiting erect member.
“Mmmmhhhhh,” She moaned as his thickness filled her and held her tightly in place. They opened their eyes at the same time and exchanged lust-filled smiles. Mike slid his hands up and down her back pushing and pulling until he rid her of her bathrobe. She enjoyed how full she felt with him inside her. She rocked her hips back and forth grinding harder with every repetitious motion.
Mike nipped at her neck, and he pulled her forward. He traced his lips to hers and sucked her tongue deep into his mouth. He pinched her nipple with one hand and grabbed a fistful of her hair with the other. He pressed her into his mouth and kissed her with a hunger she missed but never forgot.
With a swift nudge, Mike pushed Tami flat on her back onto the couch. He stood to relieve himself of his pants. He reached behind his neck and pulled his shirt above his head. He looked down at Tami’s nude body. He thought she was perfection. He wanted to get down and dirty but something held him back. He had formed a newfound connection with Tami. He didn’t want to spoil the moment.
He promised himself he was going to give it to her hard the next time. Maybe the couch wasn’t the best place. Maybe after an engagement ring wasn’t the right time.
“Hey.”
He smirked as he gazed down at her. “What’s up?”
“Come.” Tami raised her hands in the air.
“What’s that?” Mike pretended not to hear her.
“Mike, come here.”
“I didn’t hear the word please.”
“Pleaseeeeeeee.”
“Please what?”
Tami’s eyes drifted down to Mike’s generous erection. “Please come here.”
“And what?”
“Fuck me. Please.” Tami’s lips mischievously curved.
Fire burned in Mike’s eyes. Her words turned him on. They were precisely what he wanted to hear. Mike angled his body above hers and lowered himself so that he was hovering over her. He reached out and seized both her wrists in one hand.
He glanced down to make sure he really had her restrained. Mike hiked her legs up with a harsh jerky motion. He released her wrists and lowered his face to hers. They were face to face. Mike was trying to see into her soul. He grabbed her by one wrist and pulled her up to a seated position, while moving to stand before her.
He reached behind her and strummed his hand down her spine. Tami couldn’t help but arch forward. He slid his hand up her back and entangled his fingers in her hair. He twisted her hair in his firm grip and tilted her chin
up. Her mouth opened. She closed her eyes and felt Mike pulling her face directly to his ready cock.
He tenderly guided her face to his waiting member. Her tongue danced on the bottom of his cock. She slowly went face-first over the shiny tip of his manhood. His cock felt warm in her mouth. His clean, veiny, bare skin tickled the back of her throat.
Mike held one of his hands on her hair and roughly reached down to cup her breast with the other. Mike leaned into her mouth, while her tongue massaged his girth and length. Tami had mastered the art of taking all of him deep into her throat. Mike was the man that trained her in the art of deep throat. She had to admit she started off rocky but now considered herself a professional.
Tami gasped for air as her mouth bathed him completely. Her heart raced as she got entirely rapt in the moment.
“Suck it up.” Mike groaned into the air.
His words gave her the incentive to pick up the pace. She bobbed on his cock and tried to bring him to bliss.
Without warning, Mike popped his solid pole from her lips. Tami’s eyes opened as she wondered in surprise
Before she could analyze his actions, he lifted her up by her shoulders. He swung her around. Mike plopped down on the couch. He held her in the air and guided her legs to straddle him then lowered her exposed pussy down on him. His hands went everywhere on her body. She was being ravished. She felt him jabbing inside her from underneath.
She wanted to join in, but his pace was much too fast for her to keep up. One relentless thrust knocked a moan from her diaphragm that made its way through her lungs and seeped through her lips.
“Shit,” Mike said and Tami took this is a declaration that he was close to the finish line. He moved slowly at first, and then he found a hard rhythm that literally made Tami whimper.
She tried to stop moaning. The moans turned into screams as the pounding became rougher. The screams unleashed a fury in Mike that could only be described as animalistic. Tami’s body vibrated with pleasure.
Mike grunted as he slammed their bodies hastily together. He growled as he reached his climax. Tami’s orgasm spilled out of her and she collapsed forward locking herself into his shoulders. Mike stayed inside for a moment, savoring their warm, wet connection. He rested his head on the back of the couch and relished the aftershocks that surged from her inner core. To Mike, it was a brief reminder of what they shared—love. He wished she could see it.
