Tate Valley Sexy Suspense Series (Books 1-3)

by Stacy-Deanne

  “Hello, Eli.” Alexis smiled.

  He rubbed his hand. “Did you find out who killed Alicia?”

  “Nadine Williams was found dead in a junkyard earlier today,” Penelope said.

  He fell against the door. “What?”

  “She’d been beaten to death like Alicia,” Alexis said.

  “Jesus.” He wobbled and held the door for balance. “We prayed for Nadine to be okay. My father and I didn’t want the Williams family to go through what we’ve been going through.” A tear appeared in his eye. “Who would do this to two innocent women?”

  “Where’s your father?” Penelope asked.

  “He’s at the church.” He checked his watch. “He’s doing bible study tonight. He should be back in about thirty minutes or so.”

  Alexis pointed inside. “What are you doing here by the way?”

  “I’m cleaning the shed out back.” He pulled at his dirty shirt. “I just came in for a breather when you guys showed up.” He wiped sweat off his forehead. “Dad’s been on me for months to clean it out for him and I’ve needed something to keep my mind off Alicia—”

  “Are you all right?” Penelope moved her hair out of her face.

  “Sorry.” He sniffled. “I just keep thinking about her. What can I do for you?”

  “We wanted to get more personal information about the family so we can make sure we know as much about Alicia as possible,” Alexis said. “We think that might help us finally come up with a substantial lead.”

  “Yeah, we feel like we don’t know enough about the family,” Penelope said. “Seems like details are popping up suddenly and we want to have everything straightened out.”

  “Okay.” He scratched the back of his head. “Please come in.”

  They did.

  He closed the door. “I’ve been doing some digging on my own to find out what might’ve happened to Alicia.” He held his waist. “I didn’t expect to come up with anything and I haven’t.”

  “We spoke to her trainer, Angel Page,” Penelope said. “He told us that Alicia got a twenty thousand dollar inheritance from your mother when she died.”

  “Yeah.” He put his hands in his pockets. “She left us forty thousand. We each got twenty.”

  “Do you still have your money?” Alexis asked.

  “God no.” He sighed. “Things went haywire after she died and dad got into all these financial problems. He kept needing money and I kept giving it. Twenty thousand dollars isn’t much when you’re constantly spending it.”

  “You gave your dad all twenty thousand?” Penelope gripped her holster.

  “He needed it and he’s my father so I helped him out.”

  “Alicia gave him ten thousand dollars too,” Alexis said. “Is that correct?”

  “What does this have to do with my sister’s murder?”

  “How bad are your father’s finances?” Alexis asked.

  “He’s in really bad shape. He was desperate and got in with this two-bit loan company and borrowed thousands from them, ended up gambling it away, and now he owes them, too.”

  “Gambling?” Penelope stood back. “Is he addicted?”

  “He’s thousands and thousands of dollars in the hole.” Eli scoffed. “I’d say he’s very much addicted to it. That’s always been an issue, even when Mom was alive. Now, would you mind telling me what my dad’s finances have to do with Alicia’s murder?”

  Penelope touched her lip. “Why didn’t either of you tell us about the inheritance before?”

  “I don’t know.” He scratched under his arm, spreading the smell of sweat. “I guess you can say it was the last thing on Dad’s or my mind. All we cared about was finding Alicia’s murderer. Could you for once tell me how this ties together? I’m stumped.”

  “We spoke to Omar Silva again,” Alexis said. “He’s the guy we told you Alicia had been seeing.”

  “That married guy that you say got her pregnant?” He grimaced. “Sorry son of a bitch. He hasn’t even said anything to my dad and me about Alicia. How much could he have cared for her to not even send us his condolences?”

  “We thought Omar might’ve been our guy, but after talking to him again we don’t think he had anything to do with Alicia’s death whether he had motive or not.”

  “We heard that on the day of Alicia’s death…” Penelope exhaled. “Your father kept calling her and we think it’s because he wanted money. Could that be true?”

  “I don’t know why he’d call her, because she told him she wasn’t giving him any more money.” Eli looked back and forth at them. “She wanted to go to L.A. She was saving the rest so she’d have money to get settled after she moved.”

  “What were the conditions of your mother’s will?” Alexis asked. “For example, if anything happened to one of you…who gets the money?”

  “Whoa.” He held his hand out to Alexis. “Wait a damn minute here. I don’t like where this is going. What are you trying to say, Detective Adams?”

  “I’m not trying to say anything. I asked you a question. Who gets the money if you or your sister dies?”

  “Don’t do this.” He backed up, holding his head. “Don’t…don’t go there, all right. I know what you’re trying to do and you’re dead wrong.”

  “What are we trying to do, Eli?” Penelope approached him. “Get to the truth?”

  “This isn’t the fuckin’ truth! You’re just digging into stuff but you have no idea. He never would hurt Alicia.” He hit his chest. “Never!”

  “Who’d get the money?” Alexis asked.

  “Pastor Bellows would get the money,” Penelope said. “Wouldn’t he?”

  “He didn’t do this!” Tears popped from his eyes. “This is my father! How could you even suggest such a thing?” He pushed past them. “Get out!” He ripped the door open. “Get…”

  Pastor Bellows stood on the porch with his key in his hand. A weary expression came over his face when he looked at the detectives, yet he didn’t seem shocked. He seemed like he’d expected their visit.

  Eli pulled him inside. “Dad, they’re outta their minds. They’re trying to say you killed Alicia for her money!”

  “We didn’t say that,” Penelope charged Eli. “We asked a question.”

  “Bullshit you didn’t say it.” Eli swung his arm. “You said it in so many words.” He pulled his dad in front of him. “Tell them this is fuckin’ insane. If this is what they come up with then no wonder they haven’t solved the case. Tell them they’re wrong, Dad.” Eli shook him. “Tell them!”

  Pastor Bellows avoided eye contact with his son.

  “Dad?” Eli got closer to him. “Say that they’re wrong.” He pushed the pastor in front of Alexis and Penelope. “You tell them they’re wrong!”

  Pastor Bellows shook in place.

  “Tell them!” Eli hit his father in the back. “You tell them you didn’t do it!” He swung him around. “You tell them!” He cried like a two year-old. “Tell them.” He pushed his face in his father’s chest. “You tell them!” He waved his arms while Pastor Bellows held him. “Tell them.”

  “I…” Pastor Bellows closed his eyes as tears fell. “I can’t, son.”

  Alexis held her breath.

  Penelope gaped, touching her stomach.

  Eli moved away from his father. “What…what are you saying?” he whispered. “Because you can’t be saying what I think you’re saying.”

  “I am.” Pastor Bellows sobbed into his arm. “God forgive me.” He moved his arm across his face as he cried. “I did it.” He lifted his red, torn face. “I killed Alicia.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “This…” Eli fell against the wall. “This can’t be happening.” He slid to the floor and landed on his butt. “Am I fuckin’ dreaming?”

  “Pastor?” Penelope pulled him toward her. “Why? Why did you kill your daughter?”

  Eli held his head, rocking.

  “I’ve gotten in a desperate place,” Bellows whispered. “And I don’t kn
ow how to get out of it. Sometimes the devil takes over.” He wiped tears. “What some don’t realize is that he’s already within us, but it’s God’s strength that keeps him at bay.” He looked down at his son. “I became weak and I couldn’t fight the devil within me any longer.”

  “I…” Eli propped his knees up. “I can’t believe this. No one will ever make me believe this.”

  Pastor Bellows knelt beside him. “I’m sorry. I think about it now and I don’t know how I could do it.” He looked at Alexis and Penelope. “I didn’t plan it. I only wanted to talk to her. I knew she hung out by Soviet Avenue so I drove around that evening and I saw her walking.” He lifted his arm. “It was as if God put her there for me to find because he knew I needed her.”

  His twisted justification repeated in Alexis’ mind.

  “She was walking behind some buildings and I caught up with her behind Kel’s.” He lowered his arm. “In my head, the devil was telling me I couldn’t leave until she agreed to get that money. He kept telling me how I’d lose everything I’d worked for. I’d lose the church. My reputation would be ruined and all that stood in my way was that ten thousand dollars.”

  “You owe much more than ten thousand dollars.” Penelope’s voice shook.

  “But that ten thousand would buy some breathing room that I desperately needed until I could find the rest.”

  Eli dropped his head.

  “I begged Alicia to let me take her home and for her to give me the money.” Bellows stood. “She refused. She was drunk. I tried to take her house key so I could go get the money myself. She started screaming and I was afraid that someone would hear.”

  Eli sobbed.

  Bellows took a deep breath. “I punched her and she fell. But she’s one hell of a fighter.” His lips trembled. “And I was proud of that. She punched me back and I grabbed her and slammed her against the building.”

  Alexis covered her mouth.

  “I told her I didn’t want to hurt her.” He wiped a tear from his lips. “I told her I just wanted the money and I didn’t understand why she couldn’t give it to me! She knew what I was going through. Why wouldn’t she want to help me? It made me so mad that she didn’t care about all I was going through. I told her to give me that key a final time. She cursed at me so I got the shovel from the backseat of my car.”

  Penelope gaped. “Shovel?”

  “Why did you have the shovel in the first place?” Alexis whispered.

  “The next day we were going to have a rummage sale at the church.” Bellows stared at her. “I have many shovels so I decided I’d donate one for the sale.” He looked at his son. “Eli knows I have a funny memory. I’d have forgotten if I hadn’t put the shovel in the car ahead of time.”

  “How convenient,” Eli whispered.

  “I didn’t intend to hit her with it.”

  “But you got it out of the fuckin’ car, Dad!” Eli yelled. “Why would you…” He choked up. “Why would you grab a shovel if you weren’t gonna use it?”

  “I was just going to scare her but she started screaming again.” Bellows hugged himself. “I begged her to be quiet and before I knew it, I’d hit her with it.”

  “God I…this can’t be happening.” Eli laid his head in his lap.

  “She seemed unconscious so I took the key.” Bellows made a snatching motion. “When I turned she grabbed my leg, I freaked, and I hit her again.” His hands shook. “But she kept getting up so I hit her again.” He swallowed. “She tried to get up again and I hit her with all of my strength until she was out.”

  Penelope turned away with her eyes closed.

  “She was dead,” Bellows whispered.

  “Am I supposed to believe…” Eli looked up. “That you killed your daughter for ten thousand dollars?”

  “I didn’t plan it.” Bellows closed his eyes. “I just couldn’t stop what was happening and before I knew it, it was too late.” He touched his stomach. “I loved her so much.”

  Eli scoffed, shaking his head.

  Alexis ignored her disgust enough to ask a question. “What happened after you killed Alicia?”

  “I left, and as I was driving through the neighborhood I saw a blue van going toward Kel’s. Of course at the time I didn’t know the young lady was Nadine Williams and that she was a friend of Alicia’s. I was worried she would see what had happened or that maybe she’d seen me. I followed her back there. Nadine saw the body and flipped. She started crying and screaming.” He stood back. “She took out her phone and I figured it was to call the police but she didn’t make the call. I guess she was too afraid or confused.” He wiped more tears. “She left and I followed her. I thought she was going to the police station but she ended up going to her place. I went up to her door as if I didn’t know what was going on.”

  Eli blubbered with his face in his palms.

  “As soon as Nadine answered the door, I grabbed her by the neck and shoved her inside. I punched her out before she could scream.” Bellows wobbled.

  “Go on,” Penelope said.

  “I didn’t intend to kill her!” He sniffled. “I swear I didn’t, but I was afraid. I couldn’t be sure if she’d seen what I’d done with Alicia or not so I had to do it.” He looked at his son. “I had to.”

  Eli turned away. “Don’t even look at me.”

  “Afterwards…” Bellows moaned. “I put Nadine in her van and drove it to the junkyard. I…I beat her until she wasn’t moving anymore.”

  “You mean until she was dead?” Penelope asked.

  He nodded. “I know the man who owns the junkyard and I knew he wouldn’t be there for some weeks so I felt I had time to stash her for at least a few days until I figured out how to get rid of her body.”

  “Jesus,” Alexis whispered.

  “For someone who claims he didn’t plan this stuff you sure do act quickly under pressure,” Eli said.

  Bellows kept his head low. “I wanted to go back and move Nadine but I was too scared, so I never did.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Penelope ogled Bellows. “I truly don’t know what to say.”

  “I do.” Alexis grabbed her handcuffs. “Markus Bellows, you’re under arrest for the murders of Alicia Bellows and Nadine Williams.”

  * * * *

  That night, Alexis lay naked on her bed as Kevin’s powerful hands smoothed strawberry-scented message oil over her chest.

  “Mm.” She drifted into another fantasy of them making passionate love. “Thank you for this,” she whispered. “I’m always tense but my skin melts whenever you touch it. You definitely have the magic touch.”

  He poured oil into his palm and drizzled it between her breasts. “There’s nothing more I’d rather be doing right now.” He rubbed his hand in a circle across her breasts, teasing her nipples.

  “You see me shivering?” She closed her eyes. “You should know exactly how I feel.”

  “I could do this forever.” He massaged both breasts, her nipples slipping against the softness of his hand.

  “God.” Alexis sucked on her index finger, fighting her unwavering orgasm. “Shit, I’m gonna come already.”

  He snickered. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” He sat in between her legs and rubbed oil over them.

  Alexis shook, stroking her nipple.

  “Ah, yes,” Kevin whispered. “I like it when you play with your tits like that.” He caressed her pussy then brought his hands over her stomach.

  “Ooh.” Alexis clenched her buttocks together.

  He slid his large hands back to her breasts, worked them with more oil and then played with her navel. “You’re so sexy.”

  She grinned with her eyes closed. “Sexy Lexi, right?”

  “You got that right.” He massaged her arms. “Keep your eyes closed.”

  “What are you up to?” She folded her arm behind her head, the aroma of strawberries overtaking her senses.

  “Sh.” Kevin’s moist tongue brushed her clit.

  She tangled her fingers in
the sheet, swaying to the motion of his mouth.

  “Mm.” He stroked her slippery stomach while sucking on her tit bud.

  “Yes. Suck my clit. It’s what I’ve been waiting for.”

  “Me too.” He licked her pussy lips.

  Alexis moaned, rocking faster.

  Kevin lifted her leg over his shoulder, his mouth going one hundred miles an hour.

  She preferred slow oral, but Kevin was such a skillful lover she found it hard to subdue her arousal no matter how patient they were.

  “I love this pussy.” He smacked his lips as he suckled her. “My mouth was made for it.”

  She smiled.

  “Wish I could bottle it up and take it with me.” He licked her soaked hole. “Damn, look how wet you are.”

  “I told you…” She panted. “I was gonna come the minute you touched me.”

  “I see that. Let’s see if I can suck it dry.” He plunged his lips to her tender opening.

  Alexis moaned, nearly ripping the sheet off the bed. She glanced at his forehead now shiny from oil. “God, you look so sexy shining like that.”

  “You’re swelling.” He tapped her hole with two fingers. “It looks like it’s talking to me.”

  “It is.” Alexis turned on one side and propped her arm under her head again. “It wants you inside right now.”

  “Does it?” He took off his black, jockey shorts and crawled behind her. “I want you so bad.”

  Alexis held her breath, awaiting his entrance. “Go in slow.”

  He let out a loud breath that caressed the back of her neck and eased his dick inside her.

  Her body clenched on its own at the tender invasion.

  He propped her leg up on his, drilling his dick between her skin.

  “Right there,” she demanded. “Keep it like that. Yes.” She reached back, grasping his hair. “Kevin!”

  “What?” He sucked her shoulder, stroking her breast.

  Alexis gyrated, squealing.

  “You want this dick so bad, huh?” He kissed her cheek. “You like the way Daddy fucks you?”

  “Fuck me!”