This is stupid, Micki thought, sitting up, listening to the damned plink of water dripping into the porcelain. She closed her eyes tightly and craned her neck toward the ceiling. Now or never.
She threw off the blanket and stormed out into the hall. She angrily twisted the handle of the sink to a definitive “off” position before marching to Savannah’s door. She raised her fist, ready to pound, ready to have the conversation they needed to have.
And then she froze. She contemplated going back to her bedroom but couldn’t will her feet to move. She sighed and rapped lightly on the door with her knuckle. If Savannah was already asleep, then it would be that much easier to—
“What is it?” came the response from the other side of the door. Cold, aloof.
“Can I come in?”
No response.
Micki huffed and opened the door, the room in total darkness. It took Micki a minute to adjust to it before sitting down on the edge of Savannah’s bed. Savannah pulled her foot away to ensure there was no contact.
“Why are you angry with me?” Micki asked softly.
“I’m not.”
“Don’t do this. Please. Just tell me the truth.”
“It’s very late. There’s no reason your insecurities can’t wait until morning.”
“You know what?” Micki asked, standing up. “Fine. Try to get a good night’s sleep, you coward.”
Savannah shot up like a bullet. “What did you just say to me?”
“I just called you a coward.”
“I think you should get out of my house. Now. You need to leave.”
“No, actually, I don’t. I’ll go back to the guest room and lie there, staring at the ceiling for the next five hours until I have to get up. Just because you’re emotionally stunted and can’t have a conversation with me doesn’t mean that I’m just going to run away like a little bitch. I’m here for a reason, and that reason hasn’t changed.” Micki stood indignantly, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
Savannah was up in a flash, nose to nose with Micki, so close that Micki could taste the mint of Savannah’s toothpaste. “Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like that, in my house, no less? You’re a child, a thug, a ridiculous caricature, and you have the audacity to call me emotionally stunted? You, Mackenzie Blake, are a joke. Get out of my house.”
“No.”
“Get the fuck out of my house.”
“Make me.”
Micki stood her ground, allowing Savannah’s words to roll off of her like raindrops. There was nothing in her venom that hadn’t been spouted off before. Only this time, Micki didn’t feel as if she really meant it. She was pissed off, and anger was Savannah’s most readily accepted emotion. She needed to push her into expressing whatever else she was feeling, and she’d experienced enough as a police officer to know how to do that.
“Make you?”
Micki could see the flash of Savannah’s eyes in spite of the darkness.
“Yes, you heard me. Make. Me.”
Challenge accepted. Savannah breathed deeply, ready to lash out once again. She got as far as pushing Micki by the shoulders, but Micki’s strength outmatched hers. Micki grabbed her wrists and held tightly.
“You’ll have to do better than that.”
Micki could feel the rage seeping through Savannah’s pores. Savannah tried to pull back her wrists, using every ounce of her strength, but again, Micki was stronger. She brought up her knee, but Micki jumped back in time, still clutching Savannah’s wrists.
“Let go of me.”
“Talk to me. Stop running away from your emotions and talk to me about what’s going on between us.”
“Fuck you.”
“If you can promise not to hit me, I’ll let go of you.” Micki couldn’t help the tingle of fear that Savannah was going to haul off and knock her out once she let go.
“No.”
As Micki was trying to figure out her next move, adrenaline must have kicked in. She felt Savannah surge forward, her legs wrapping around Micki’s waist. Micki nearly fell backward, letting go of Savannah’s wrists and latching on to the underside of her thighs to find her balance. Before letting her regain control, Micki’s self-defense mode took over, and she turned quickly so that Savannah’s back was up against the door.
“Nice move,” Micki whispered against Savannah’s mouth, which was just centimeters from her own. Her hands free, Micki knew Savannah had the ability to push herself off, pull Micki’s hair, or take any number of actions that would cause Micki to lose her current state of domination. She found it interesting that Savannah chose not to pursue any of them. Her hands stayed on the back of Micki’s neck.
“Put me down,” Savannah snarled, her breath hot and furious as Micki pinned her to the door.
“Kiss me.”
Savannah let out a cruel laugh. “If you honestly think—”
Micki didn’t let her finish, bringing their lips together in a flash of heat and ferocity. She felt her stomach somersault as Savannah kissed back after a beat, roughly, with a clash of teeth and a strong bite to her lower lip. Micki kneaded her fingers into Savannah’s thighs; Savannah pulled sharply on Micki’s hair. Time stood still. The fury and rage that existed just minutes before had transformed into unmasked desire. They only broke when the need for oxygen outweighed the need for each other.
Micki rested her forehead against Savannah’s, sharply taking in breath after breath. Savannah did the same. Micki was still unsure of what, exactly, had just happened.
Loosening her grip, Micki allowed Savannah to slide down to the ground, though she didn’t move away. Her hands traveled from Savannah’s thighs to the small of her back, where they gripped tightly. Savannah’s hands were still tangled in Micki’s hair.
“Okay, yeah. That was unexpected.” Micki breathed out, a strangled laugh accompanying it.
Savannah turned her head to the side where she also huffed out a breathy chuckle. “What the hell was that?”
“A long time coming.”
Micki smiled again but let it fade when she searched Savannah’s eyes. There was something there, yearning, maybe; fear, definitely. Micki tilted her head slightly to the side, her eyes falling back on Savannah’s full lips.
It was Savannah who brought them together again, her hand falling from the back of Micki’s hair to the nape of her neck, where she pulled just enough to make her intentions clear. Their lips met again, this time soft and slow. Micki pulled Savannah forward so that their bodies fit snugly together, stomach against stomach, mouth against mouth.
If her focus was able to multitask for even a second away from Savannah’s melting mouth against hers, Micki would have laughed at the number of banalities she had been reduced to in the last thirty seconds. She saw fireworks; her stomach quivered with butterflies; her fingertips were electrified; she tasted heaven. But it was true. It was all fucking true.
Savannah gasped lightly as Micki pressed them together even more closely. Micki was pretty sure that every ounce of vitriol that had been coursing through her veins was gone, vanished, replaced with liquid heat. Her mouth was scorching at the touch of Savannah’s lips. It wasn’t enough.
Savannah dropped her hands to Micki’s stomach, tugging gently on the bottom of her tank top. Micki shifted, allowing Savannah better access without breaking contact. She laid both hands on the sides of Savannah’s face, positioning her exactly how she wanted her, dizzy with desire. If she didn’t slow it down soon, any kind of conversation would be left choking on dust.
Whoop whoop whoop whoop!
They broke apart immediately. “Lock yourself in El’s room. Now!” Micki grabbed the fire poker that Savannah had conveniently left behind the door in her room and took off down the hallway as Savannah ran into Eliana’s room.
Whoop whoop whoop whoop!
Micki flew down the stairs two at a time, landing hard on the bare soles of her feet. She saw the door cracked open and ran through the downstairs, the fire
poker held steadily above her head. She checked inside each room, quickly opening closet doors and looking under furniture. Nothing. She went back upstairs, looking in every room for sign of movement, of anything out of the ordinary. Eliana’s door was still locked. She ran outside, down the front stairs, trying to catch a glimpse of someone, something, running or driving or even just standing there mocking her. Anything.
The night was calm and still around her. A strangled “No,” shrouded in anger, erupted from her throat. “Come on, asshole!” she yelled into the darkness. “You want to play? Let’s fucking play!” She slammed the fire poker against the tree in Savannah’s front yard, the reverberations shaking her body.
A few minutes later, Savannah made her way down the stairs and out the front door.
Micki was walking back toward the house. “I mean, is it a fucking ghost? What the actual fuck is going on?” she shouted, turning to Savannah, her face blanketed with red streaks.
“I don’t know,” Savannah said.
“Mom?” a tearful voice called from inside the foyer. They both ran in to find Eliana standing there, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Mom, Micki, what’s happening?”
“It’s okay, El, it’s okay. Something set off the motion detector, and the alarm went off.” Savannah glanced down to the spreading dark spot on the front of Eliana’s mermaid pajama bottoms.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it! I’m not a baby; I just got scared, I’m sorry!” Eliana began to cry again.
Micki rushed over to her and knelt down, bringing her in for a hug. “Hey, El, don’t be sorry. That kind of stuff happens. It’s not a big deal, I promise. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that, I’m sorry. I just got scared, too, but we’re okay.”
Savannah’s eyes filled at the sight of her petrified daughter. “Come on, honey, let’s go get you cleaned up. Micki’s going to make sure everything is safe, okay?” She held out her hand to take Eliana to the bathroom.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” she asked, running a hand across her sniffling nose.
“Of course. We can all sleep in my room tonight, how does that sound?” Savannah asked, looking directly at Micki. Micki could feel hot tears pooled in her own eyes.
Eliana just nodded, making her way back up the stairs. She didn’t let go of Savannah’s hand.
Micki walked behind them, the fire poker still in her grip. The door had new locks. The windows were locked from the inside. The basement bulkhead was padlocked. The slider had a security bar mounted in the middle of the glass. There was no sign of forced entry. Unless Savannah’s stalker was David fucking Copperfield, there had to be an entry point they’d overlooked. Micki sighed deeply and decided she’d go door by door and window by window again once Savannah and Eliana had fallen asleep. Micki put her hand on the small of Savannah’s back as she and Eliana snuggled beneath the blankets.
Once she was sure they were both asleep, Micki slid out of the bed, careful not to make any noise. She tiptoed out of the room and closed the door as quietly as possible. She listened for a second to make sure neither one of the stirred. They didn’t.
As she began to check each room again, frustration built. She was better than this. She’d been able to solve cases more involved than this one, so what was she missing? The same twinge of fear that she was too involved with Savannah and Eliana, that she lacked the distance needed for a sharp perspective, reared its ugly head again. She shook off the feeling, trying to focus on the entry points that she must have missed. She squeezed the bridge of her nose, trying to decide what to do. It’s too late to go backward. Micki looked upstairs to where Savannah and Eliana were sleeping and pressed on with her search.
Chapter Seventeen
Micki sat at her desk, her eyes heavy and blurred. Every time she thought about that kiss between her and Savannah, Micki’s stomach dropped as if she was riding Space Mountain. Maybe it was a fluke. They were both angry and passionate, and they both crossed that very fine line from time to time. She berated herself for acting like an adolescent yet again, but Savannah seemed to bring that side out of her. Neither of them brought it up. Everything was a big question mark.
Micki yawned. Eliana had tossed and turned all night, making sleep near impossible. David Shaw, Savannah’s ex-boyfriend, sat in the waiting area looking at his cell phone. When he had finally returned Micki’s call earlier than morning, letting her know that he was back from Jamaica, he’d offered to come into the station instead of Micki paying him a visit at his house.
She called David over from the waiting area and asked him to have a seat.
“Before we begin, Officer, uh, Chief, I’d like some clarification. I’m very uncomfortable with being a suspect in something I have no involvement in. What exactly is going on here? Is Savannah okay?” David shifted in his seat, tapping lightly on his knee.
“Just protocol, David. We have to look closely at anyone that Ms. Castillo had a strong personal connection with. Nine times out of ten, these aren’t random acts. A stalker someone has never come across in person is incredibly rare. At this point, we’re just looking to rule you out. She is okay, yes. You returned yesterday, correct? Can you tell me where you were last night?” Micki leaned forward, making direct eye contact with him. David Shaw was tall and handsome, his shaggy blond hair making him look more like a surfer than a bank supervisor.
“Well, I went to the Early Bird Kitchen for some pie. And then I went home.”
“Were you alone?”
“Yes. I did see Savannah’s assistant Chloe on the way.”
“What kind of pie did you have?”
“Lemon meringue.” David crossed his legs, relaxing his posture.
“What time did you leave the Early Bird?”
“I don’t know. Maybe five?”
“And what time did you arrive home?”
“Chief, I didn’t look at my watch.”
“Approximately.” Micki didn’t break eye contact with him.
“Seven?”
“How did you get home?”
“I walked.”
Micki raised her eyebrows. “It’s still a little chilly to be walking, no?”
“I wanted some fresh air.”
“Okay. Thank you for your time. One last question. I know we touched briefly on this in our previous conversation, but would you say that you left things with Ms. Castillo on a positive note after the dissolution of your relationship?”
David blanched, which Micki noted on her pad. “Positive meaning that I was happy that things ended? No. Positive that there were no ill-harbored feelings between us? Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
“Did you have a close relationship with her daughter?”
“Not really. Savannah kept that part of her life at a distance. She was afraid Eliana would get hurt if things didn’t work out. I guess she made the right decision.” David shrugged.
Micki felt a wave of privilege that she’d been able to develop a rapport with Eliana that Savannah didn’t seem to mind. Not that they were together, but still.
“Have you tried to contact her recently?”
“No. We’re not really friends anymore.”
“Do you have any ideas about who could be doing this to her? Was there anyone that you felt hung around too much or was too involved in her life?” Micki watched his reaction, which didn’t change. He seemed impassive.
“No one really stands out. Maybe her old assistant. He used to worship the ground she walked on. But I think he moved. She had this ex-girlfriend that she kept in touch with. Cori. Have you talked to her?”
“I have, thank you. Is there a reason you think it could be her?”
He shrugged again. “She was kind of infatuated with Savannah, too. It’s like she has this hold on people. It’s probably because she’s so cold and shut off most of the time that when she finally thaws, you feel like it’s some great distinction. That you’ve broken through. You know?” David smiled and shook his head.
“Do you f
eel that way?”
“I did. But once we split up, that was it. I doubt if she’ll ever really settle down with anyone. She’s too closed off.”
Micki bristled. That was really none of his business. “Thank you for coming in. I appreciate your time. If you could leave me the name of the airline and hotel you stayed at in Jamaica, that would be great. Who were you traveling with?”
David nodded, smiling half-heartedly. He scrawled some information onto the index card Micki had passed him. “My father. Golf down there is amazing this time of year. I hope you find out who’s doing this. It’s a shame what she’s been going through.”
Micki perked up. “Has she talked to you about it?”
“No, no, as I said, I haven’t spoken to her. But it’s a small town. Word gets around. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”
Micki watched as David walked out the door and made another note on her pad. She underlined David Shaw a few times before throwing her pencil down on the desk. She didn’t like his indifference or his blasé attitude toward the whole thing. He was the second person to mention Jamie as someone who might have a motive to do this to Savannah, but Micki couldn’t make him fit. Maybe a trip to Connecticut would clarify a few things.
* * *
“So, I was thinking, maybe we should invest in something a little more high-tech,” Micki said, swallowing a large bite of beef stew. “This is so good. Pass the rolls?”
Savannah handed her the basket of bread. “What kind of high-tech? Laser beams?”
“No, just like, cameras and stuff. I know a guy.” Micki shrugged, turning her attention back to her meal.
“Of course you do. I hate that I have to do this. I feel like a prisoner in my own home.”
Secrets in a Small Town Page 11
