I parked my car and approached her. As I did I was able to look her over without her knowing since she was so engrossed in her book. She was a beautiful girl with smooth dark skin, close cropped hair and legs that seemed to stretch on forever. She was leaned back with her back arched in a strangely feline position. As I got closer I saw that she was reading A Tale of Two Cities.
“You like Dickens?” I asked her.
She looked up blinking her enormous golden eyes in the bright sunlight. Those eyes made her look even more like a cat. She raised a hand to shade her eyes and looked me over before answering.
“Not really,” she said at last, setting the book aside, “but there ain't much else to do around here. Who're you?”
“My name's Killian Kendall,” I told her. Somehow I didn't think this young woman would be impressed by a reporter and I thought I would get farther with her by being truthful. “I'm a private investigator. Are you Olivia Purnell?”
“That's me. What's a PI doing looking for me? I stay out of trouble. I don't plan on staying here for the rest of my life.”
I smiled at her. “You aren't in trouble. I'm actually hoping you can help me with a case I'm working on. Can I ask you a few questions?”
She eyed me suspiciously. “Questions about what?”
“Caleb Cohen.”
“Oh, him. What, did you get my name from that reporter jerk? I really didn't know him that well, Caleb I mean. I don't know what I can tell you.”
“If you knew him at all you'll be one up on anyone else I've talked to.”
“Well, he was quiet…” she started and I joined in to finish in a chorus, “…and he kept to himself.”
She grinned. It was a beautiful smile. She patted the step next to her and I sat down.
“Yeah, ok. I see what you mean. Lemme think. He was in a few of my classes but we didn't exactly hang, you know? He's really smart, seemed like a nice kid. He always seemed like he was carrying around some weight on his shoulders, you know, serious and sad looking. I was really surprised when they said he did his dad like that. He didn't seem like the type to me, but I guess it's always the quiet ones, huh?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Oh, I get it. Y'all don't think he did it, do you?”
“That's what I'm trying to find out. If he didn't hang with you, who did he hang with?”
“Nobody. Like I said, he was always by himself; I guess you'd call him a loner. He ate alone, walked alone, sat alone, studied alone.”
“You never saw him with anyone?”
She thought a minute before answering. “Well…”
“Well, what?”
“There was one person but he talks to everybody so it's not like they were buddies or anything.”
“But he did talk to Caleb sometimes?”
“Yeah, but he's one of those guys who talks to everyone. You know, kinda…well let's just say he marches to the beat of a different drummer, or maybe a whole band-and it's all in his head.”
“What do you mean? Is he like, um, mentally challenged?”
She laughed. “No, he's not a retard. He's really smart, just…eccentric.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Eccentric?”
“Yeah, but that's all I'm saying. If you're going to meet him it would be better if you just made your impressions then. I will say he's quite unique.” She had a strange twinkle in her eye and a smile tugging at the corners of her full lips.
“So what's this guy's name?”
“We call him Finn, but his name's Finnegan Byrne. That's B-Y-R-N-E.”
“Finnegan?” I asked as I wrote it down in my notebook.
“Yup. Maybe you hafta be a bit eccentric with a name like that.”
“Hey, mine's Killian so I try not to cast stones. You know, people in glass houses…”
“Nothing wrong with Killian. I kind of like it.”
“Thanks. Do you know where Finnegan lives?”
“Not really. I think it's outside town, though, but I'm not sure.”
“Well, that was…vague.”
She smiled. “Well, that's your job isn't it? Can't make things too easy on you or you might hafta hire me for your fancy agency.”
I snorted.
“Hey, you think I'm kidding, but I'm looking for a job. I told you, I ain't staying here forever. I want out. I get good grade so I'll probably get a scholarship or something but I'm still gonna need money.”
“If we start hiring you'll be the first to know.”
“I better be. Good luck, Detective.”
I laughed. “Yeah, you too, Olivia. I'll let you get back to your book.”
“Whoopee,” she said dryly as she picked up the hardback.
“Thanks,” I said as I stood up and started away.
“No, thank you,” she said. She watched me walk away, following me all the way to my car with her cat-like eyes.
I had no idea how to find this kid Finnegan Byrne, but I figured Novak would have some ideas so I headed back to the office. Upon my return, I found my mentor standing in the middle of the parking lot staring up at the sky.
I parked and walked over to him, staring up in the general direction he was looking.
“What are we looking at?” I asked after a minute.
“See that hawk up there?” he asked.
I looked. “No.”
“Right there, on the edge of the roof, just sitting there.”
“That's a hawk? He looks kinda small to be a hawk.”
“It is small. It's a kestrel, very common.”
“So why are we standing out here in the heat staring at it.”
“Because it's there.”
“Ah.”
“And I needed a break from the office.”
“Oh.”
“Did you find out anything useful?”
“I think so.”
“Great, let's go up to the office and you can tell me all about it. It's hot out here.”
“Are we done looking at the bird?”
“Yes, we're done looking at the bird.”
I shrugged and followed him up to his office. Once we were settled in I told him about my conversation with Olivia Purnell and how she had given me the name Finnegan Byrne.”
“He should be easy enough to find. There can't be that many Byrnes' in the phone book. You'll just call them until you find Finnegan. That's about as Irish a name as Killian.”
“Shane is pretty Irish too, isn't it?”
“But not Novak,” he pointed out. “How do you feel about a trip to Washington?”
The sudden shift in conversation surprised me at first. “DC?” I asked.
“No, state. Yes, Washington DC.”
“Why are we going there?”
“It's our nation's capitol, a cultural center filled with national treasures like the Smithsonian Institute, art galleries, the National Zoo, etcetera, etcetera.”
“So, it's a pleasure trip?”
“Oh no, it's business.”
“But you just said-”
“I was merely pointing out some of the highlights of the city.”
“You are so maddening sometimes.”
“I try.”
“Would someone please tell me why we're going to Washington DC?”
“All you had to do was ask.”
“I-you-arg!”
“Temper, temper. You must have patience grasshopper. It is the most important tool in the PI trade.”
I released a monumentally put-upon sigh and Novak finally took pity on me.
“Very well, we're going to DC for one reason and one reason only.”
“And that reason is…?”
“Because that's where Rachel Cohen is.”
Chapter 19
“You found Rachel Cohen?” I asked, excitement filling my voice.
“Yes, or rather Rachel Shannon as she's known now.”
“Shannon?”
“Her middle name. She was born Rachel Shannon Gill. When she married Ira C
ohen she took the name Rachel Gill Cohen. When she ran she took her middle name as her last name.”
“How'd you find her?”
Novak pushed back in his chair with a smug expression on his face. “Traced every name I could think of using different combinations of all her names. It's not as easy as it sounds; do you know how many people exist with that combination of names? I came up with well over 150 and that was just a cursory search. I narrowed the search by eliminating people not in the right age range. Then I took a chance and narrowed my search to the tri-state area, especially looking at the DC/ Baltimore area. I figured she'd head for a city since that's the easiest place to get lost. I got a couple hits on a Rachel Shannon in DC. I have an associate in DC that I called and he went out and checked her out for me. He didn't approach her but she matches the description.”
“So we just drive up there and what, knock on her door?”
“Pretty much.”
“When?”
“I was thinking about tomorrow. We'll spend the night and come back the next day. You up for it?”
“Yeah, sure, whatever.”
“Great, go on home and get things cleared with your family.”
“Ok. What time do you want me here in the morning? Regular time?”
“That'll be fine. Oh, and your friend called. He left a message. It's on your desk.”
“Thanks,” I said. Friend? I couldn't imagine who it could be. I picked up the slip of paper of my desk and saw that it was Will. Now why was he calling me? I called him back.
“Hey Killian,” he said, “Do you think you could stop by sometime soon? I really need to talk to someone. I called Asher but he was busy so…”
“What's up?”
“I'd rather wait until you get here.”
“Ok, sure. I'll be there in a few minutes.”
“You don't have to rush out or anything.”
“No, I was leaving anyway. Is now ok?”
“Yeah, it's great.”
“I'll be right there.”
I yelled a good-bye to Novak and headed out. I arrived at Will's house soon after.
“Hey, Killian,” he said as soon as I was inside. “Thanks for coming over. I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, that's what friends are for, right?”
He gave me a weak smile and suddenly burst into tears.
“Will, what's wrong? Is the baby ok? Your mom?”
“There're fine,” he sniffled, “It's not that. It's just…Nikki came to see me this morning. It brought back a lot of stuff that I've been trying to forget.”
“Aidan?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe you shouldn't be trying so hard to forget him, Will.”
He looked at me with haunted eyes, “But it hurts so much.”
I crossed the room and sat down next to him on the couch and wrapped my arms around him. “I know, sweetie, I know.”
“I hardly ever think about him, I don't let myself think about him. I miss him so much. I dream about him every night. That he's there. Sometimes I wake up and my pillow is wet from my tears. Sometimes I wake up and think he's there next to me, in bed. I forget where I'm at, forget that he's dead.” His voice broke off in a ragged sob.
I held him tighter and rocked gently back and forth. He clung to me like I was his only lifeline.
“You've never said good-bye, you've never let him go,” I said softly.
“How? How do I let him go? I've never loved anyone like I loved him. I'll never love anyone like that again.”
“Don't say that, Will. You will love again, I know it. You're such an incredible guy.”
“Maybe I don't want to love again. I don't want to feel like this again, lose like that again.”
“Will, you have to heal, the wound is still fresh. What about Bryan?”
“What about him?”
“I thought he was interested in you, and I got the impression you might be interested in him.”
“I'm not ready for that yet. Bryan's nice, I do like him, but I'm not ready to be in another relationship. Maybe I never will be.”
“You will, you will.”
“I wish I was as sure as you are.”
“You have to let go, first.”
“But how? Tell me what to do.”
“I…I don't know. Do you still see your doctor?”
“Yeah, sometimes.”
“You have to let him help you.”
“Who would ever want me? I'm a 20 year old broken down widower with a baby.”
“Will, you are one of the sweetest, most awesome guys I've ever met. Anyone would be so lucky to have you.”
He raised his tear-streaked face to look me in the eye, searching my face to see if I was serious.
Then, to my complete and utter surprise he leaned in a pressed his lips against mine. At first, I was so shocked I didn't respond at all. He pulled back slightly and saw the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. Without thinking I leaned back in and kissed him again, more to reassure him than out of any romantic desire. He responded immediately and the kiss quickly grew more and more passionate. Suddenly I realized what was happening and pulled away abruptly.
“Will…” I started.
“Shh,” he raised a shaking hand to my lips and touched them lightly. “Don't say it, please.” He leaned in again and kissed me softly once more on the lips. “I shouldn't have done that, I know. I don't know why I did. It just…”
“It…it's ok.”
“You're the first person I've kissed since…”
“I know.”
“Thank you.”
“Um…you're welcome?” I said uncertainly.
He giggled a little. “Maybe that's just what I needed.”
“To kiss someone?”
“To feel desirable again.”
“You feel better now?”
“A little. Want to make me feel better still?”
“Um, how?”
He leaned in and kissed me again.
“Hey!” I protested, breaking away.
“Relax. It's ok. I know it doesn't mean anything. It's just a kiss, ok?”
Before I could answer, his lips found mine again. I had to admit, it was nice to kiss someone again. It had been a long time since Asher and I had kissed. I hadn't realized how much I missed it. Will was a very different kisser than Asher, more relaxed, less demanding. It was very nice, indeed. One of his hands slid up my side under my shirt and the other cupped the back of my head. He leaned into me and slowly lowered me back until I was lying on the couch with him on top of me.
“Where's your mom?” I managed to pull away long enough to ask.
“She at work.”
“Darin?”
“Asleep.”
He cut off any further conversation with his mouth. Before I knew it, my shirt was off and he was fumbling with the button on my pants.
“Will!” I gasped.
“It's ok,” he said hoarsely. His hands were shaking so hard he was having difficulty with the button, which gave me a few precious seconds to try and stop things before they went too far.
“What happened to it's just a kiss?”
“I want you, Killian. I need to do this, it's been so long.”
“Oh God,” I whimpered as he slid a hand down my pants.
“Please?” he whispered, his eyes burned into mine, begging me to say yes.
“I've never…Asher and I never…”
“I'll be gentle,” he said and leaned forward to kiss me again.
I felt the button to my pants finally give way to his insistence and he pushed them down impatiently. I was now lying under him in just my boxers. He sat up and pulled his shirt over his head in one fluid motion. His pants quickly followed.
Will has a great body. It was obvious he hadn't neglected it during his months of mourning. His chest was lightly toned, not overly buff, but defined. It narrowed to a flat, smooth stomach and even narrower waist and hips. His dark curly hair was tussled and his cheek
s were red with excitement. He was absolutely beautiful.
Almost as if I couldn't help myself, I reached up and ran my hand across his chest and down his stomach, stopped at the waistband of his boxers, where a very obvious tenting proved his state of arousal. He took my hand and slid it a little lower, wrapping my fingers around himself through the thin material of his underwear. His other hand slipped into the opening in the front of my boxers and grasped me. He softly stroked me a few times then lowered himself on top of me for another kiss.
My mind was racing in confusion. Part of me wanted him more than anything, the part of my that was responding to his gentle thrusting, but another part of me, my conscious mind, knew that what we were doing wasn't the best thing for Will right now-or for me either for that matter. I knew I should put a stop to it, but I was quite powerless at this point to do more than moan softly. His hands slid down my sides and slowly pushed my boxers below my hips. The only sound now was our breathing, which was coming in ragged gasps.
Suddenly we came crashing back to earth as the high-pitched wail of the baby pierced the silence. I felt Will's body tense for a second, and then he collapsed on top of me with a frustrated sigh. He got up and looked down at his erection with an almost comical expression of dismay, grabbed a shirt and pulled it on and then jogged out of the room.
I lay still for a second, alone in the living room, as it sunk in how close I had just come to losing my virginity on my ex-boyfriend's cousin's couch. I sat up and pulled my boxers back up and began frantically searching for my pants and shirt. I was on my knees in the floor looking under the couch for my shirt when Will came back into the room. He was holding Darin.
“Killian…” he began.
“You don't have to say anything,” I said quickly, cutting off any awkward attempts at an explanation or apology. “What just happened between us…happened. It's ok. We don't have to talk about it.”
“Maybe I do,” he said and sat down in a rocking chair and began to rock the baby.
With a sigh, I pulled my shirt out from under the sofa and yanked it on. I sat with my back against the couch and my legs pulled up to my chest. I really wished I had my pants on.
“I don't know why I reacted like that,” Will said softly. “I mean, I've always been attracted to you and all, but I never thought about…well, what we just did. I know I'm not over Aidan. I just finished saying I didn't want a relationship and then I practically rape you.”
All Things Lost Page 22
