BETH
There was nothing better in the whole world than making love with Mick St. John. This was the obvious conclusion I reached as I lay in his arms, covered in a fine sheen of perspiration. We had reached another milestone—and not just how the sex kept getting better. We had made love, but he had refrained from biting me. The only trouble was that as soon as we were sated sexually, he'd had to jump up right away and find satiation gastronomically. Some men have to smoke or sleep afterwards. My vampire had to go get some blood from the fridge. He'd brought it with him when he'd come over earlier, saying he'd wanted to try an experiment. I was more than willing to be his guinea pig. He must have downed two bags of O positive before rinsing his mouth out and coming back to bed.
"I can't believe that actually worked," said a surprised Mick as he slipped back under the covers of my bed. He pulled me back to his side, and I reveled in the heaven of his naked body entwining with mine. "I admit that my focus was sometimes divided because I made myself think of what was in the refrigerator rather than what was beneath your skin."
"You mean, you were fantasizing about a blood bag? Should I be jealous?"
He laughed. "You've got nothing to worry about, believe me. Nothing tastes better than you," he said, settling on top of me again, nuzzling my neck. "Next time, I could leave the blood by the bed so I don't have to leave you, unless that idea grosses you out."
It kinda did, actually, as did seeing him drink it out of a glass, or shooting it directly into his veins. I shivered, but didn't want to dampen his excitement that he was at last able to control himself with me. "Do whatever you want, Mick. Either way, I get what I want." I used my finger to trace the cleft in his stubbly chin, remembering with a thrill the feel of that stubble on various sensitive areas of my body. Truth be told, I enjoyed the sensuality that his biting me brought, but there were, of course, drawbacks to that, mainly the physical dangers of blood loss and the possible—though unlikely--accidental turning.
But as he began to move against me, I could feel the clear benefit of his not biting me making itself known again beneath the covers. "Hmmm…"I murmured against his lips. "I'm liking these experiments of yours." By then, he was kissing my neck, moving slowing up to my ear, and working his way back down toward my waiting mouth—when the phone rang.
"Don't answer it," he said between kisses.
But the phone was insistent. "Let me at least see who it is," I said, trying to maneuver my way from beneath 170 pounds of vampire to the bedside table. I saw that it was Ben Talbot.
"I have to get this, Mick. It's work."
He sighed and moved off me so I could sit up. "Of course you do."
"Sorry to bother you on your day off, Beth," Ben said, not sounding sorry at all. "We picked up a suspect in the Riley murder. I thought you might want to sit in on the questioning."
"Sure," I said. "The police finally got enough evidence to arrest someone?" Both the police department and the DA's office had been desperately trying to find who had killed the wife of a city councilman, James Riley. Lisa Riley had been found strangled in the couple's back yard a few days before. Of course, James Riley had been the obvious suspect, but he had a very public alibi for the night in question; he had been present at the city council meeting till long past the coroner's estimated time of death.
"This guy's still actually just a 'person of interest,'" Ben said. "But it's someone you know."
"What?" I said in disbelief, my mind racing, scanning through the names of people who might have had something to do with this. "Who is it?"
"Just get down here as soon as you can." He hung up. I sat a moment, still trying to piece together what he'd said.
"Any ideas who it could be, Beth?" I realized, of course, that he'd heard every word of both sides of the conversation. He sat up too, a very sexy masculine contrast to my feminine sheets.
"No, but I'd better get down there." I reached for his cheek. "I'm sorry, Mick."
He kissed my palm and brushed back my hair from my eyes. "You really need to become self-employed. As for me, I guess I could do some work of my own awhile."
"Okay. I'd better take a quick shower." I wrapped my arms around him one more time, kissing his smooth neck and shoulder. "Damn! What I wouldn't give for a whole day in bed with you."
"You tell Talbot that that's two he owes me. That guy must have radar." Here we go again, I thought, smiling. Mick acted jealous of Ben, but it was just that he seemed to always call at the most inopportune moments. Mick was starting to take it personally.
He didn't want to let my hand go as I got out of bed. I leaned down and kissed him one more time, his lips making my heart flip. "I'll call you later," I told him. I smiled as a spate of various frustrated cusswords followed me into the bathroom.
I left my place about twenty minutes later, my heart still fluttering after that last touch of his mouth. Mick was already gone, but had left a goofy picture of a broken heart on my pillow. Downstairs, in my car, I realized in wonder that my hands were still shaky. I'd never felt like this with anyone. I couldn't get enough of him. I knew I would have the image of his naked chest and that gorgeous face of his in my mind the rest of the day, most likely distracting me from my work. I felt really stupid for leaving that to go to work, but I was still the new kid on the block in the DA's office, and not quite in the position to blow it off when the boss called me. I smiled at the thought of Mick's reaction. I felt his pain, believe me. I pulled away from the curb into traffic, and headed for the office.
When I got there, Ben was holding a phone in one hand, and tapping at his computer with the other. He waved me in through the open door of his office and I sat down in front of his desk. When the phone call ended, he smiled in welcome.
"Beth, thanks for coming in." He led me to the interrogation room. Carl was already there, and I could see, through the one-way glass, a man about my age, blonde, handsome. And my cousin, Richard Turner. "Ricky" to me. I hadn't seen him in about a year, which made me feel a little guilty. I wasn't close to my extended family, and mainly remembered Ricky from summer days at the beach, and occasional family get-togethers. Ricky was my Uncle Mason's only son. I was an only child too, so Ricky and I had always been able to relate to each other in that way. But Ricky hadn't done this, that much I was pretty sure of, even though I hadn't yet heard the evidence against him.
"You were seen exiting the back yard of the Riley home earlier on the day of the murder," Carl was saying.
"Yeah, I was there that morning. My company does their landscaping. I was there making sure some trees the Riley's had ordered had been planted properly. Standard procedure."
"So, the rest of your crew wasn't with you? You were alone?"
"Yes," he replied. I knew he realized how bad this was sounding. "Again, standard procedure with my business. I'm very hands-on. If I can't be there when my crew is working, I go when I can and check things out on my own. Ask anyone who works for me."
"We will, Mr. Turner, I assure you. Now, did you see Mrs. Riley while you were there?"
"Yes. She had seen my truck drive up and stepped out her back door to talk to me. I told her why I was there, and she said she was happy with the work we'd done. I looked at the trees and left."
"About how long did that take?"
"Maybe ten minutes, tops."
"Anyone else know you were going by the Riley place that morning?"
Ricky thought a minute. "I don't remember telling anyone specifically. But, again, her house was on my list of recent work orders. It would have been logical that I go there."
"How long has your company worked for the Riley's"
"On and off for about a year."
"How well did you know Mrs. Riley?"
"I'd only talked with her about her yard. On most all occasions, her husband was present."
"But not on the morning of the day she died?"
"No."
I turned to Ben. "I hope you seriously don't think he had anything to do with this."
"I'm sorry, Beth. I know he's your cousin, so I thought you might be able to help us out here. What kind of guy is he?"
I didn't hesitate. "He's a good man, Ben. Worked his way from the bottom of this business. I remember him mowing lawns and doing yard work when we were kids. He always wanted to own a landscaping business. My family is very proud of him for pulling his life together after…." I stopped, realizing who I was talking to.
"After what, Beth?" I knew if he had Ricky in here, Ben already knew about him.
"After the accident."
"The juvenile courts ruled it wasn't an accident, Beth. He served three years in juvie for murder."
"Juvenile records are sealed," I reminded him. "How did you get access to that information?" Of course the DA's office would know; who was I kidding?
"You won't be able to use his old record against him."
"I know that, Beth. That's where you come in."
"Me? Don't you think this is a little bit of a conflict of interest for me?"
"I trust your integrity. I brought you in to this office because of your desire for truth and justice."
"And the American way?" I said a little sarcastically. I tried to calm down. "Ben, this hits a little close to home for me. All I can think of now is to get Ricky a good lawyer."
"Look, I want to get the person who did this. If your cousin isn't the one, then I don't want to arrest him just to put someone in jail. I know this is a high-profile case, but I hope you believe in my integrity too."
"But no one's going to believe I don't have a personal interest in this. I really think I should stay out of it."
"Beth, do this as a favor to me. And to your cousin in there. I honestly believe you won't try to cover up the truth, no matter which way it goes. If you can clear him, we can move on to the next suspect."
I stared at Ricky through the glass. He looked so lost, much like he did after he got out of the juvenile detention facility. He must have felt that his past was catching up with him, just when he had finally seemed to put it behind him.
"Can I get Mick St. John to help me?"
"Sure. Off the record. Whatever it takes, as far as I'm concerned."
"I am calling a lawyer for him. Can I talk to him?"
"Yeah, but make it brief. Despite my faith in you, I don't want anyone thinking I'm giving the guy special favors because he's related to one of my people." I thanked him and went in to the interrogation room just as Carl was leaving. He nodded to me in passing, a sympathetic look on his face.
Inside, Ricky looked up at me in surprise.
"Beth Ann? What are you doing here?" I smiled at the old nickname. Only my family still called me that now. I went over to him and hugged him tightly. I was truly happy to see him, even under these circumstances.
"Ricky. I work here now. BuzzWire just got too tabloid for me." Our happiness at our reunion suddenly faded as we remembered why we were both here.
"This looks bad for me, doesn't it? They know about…what happened before."
"Yes, Ricky. But I'm going to do my best to clear you. You haven't been arrested yet, so take heart in that. Do you have a lawyer? I can only do so much for you, and I'm not an expert on the law."
"No, I hadn't thought to call one yet. They said they just had a few questions. You think I need one?" He sounded genuinely scared. I sat down and reached for his hand. "Maybe you won't in the end. But it doesn't hurt to have one handy. I know a good one, in case you don't."
"Only one from my juvenile trial. I'd welcome any suggestions." He paused a moment, not welcoming those memories from the past. "Have you called my mom?" Uncle Mason had died when Ricky and I were about ten, leaving Aunt Becky to handle raising a young son by herself.
"No. I figure you'll call Aunt Becky if you feel you need to. No use worrying her needlessly, right?" The poor woman had been through so much when Ricky had been put on trial and sentenced. Her only little boy. Only he had been fifteen at the time, and convicted of murder.
"I'd just as soon not tell her at all. How are you going to help, Beth? I don't have anyone to back me up on my story."
"I have a friend who I think can help. You just sit tight, and try not to worry. I'll need the names of the people you work with, and any other relevant information. I'm sure the DA's office is going to also have access to all that, but trust me, Ricky. I'll get you out of this. Now, they can only hold you twenty-four hours without charging you, so that doesn't give me much time." I squeezed his hand, and took out a notebook from my purse. With Ricky's help, I began writing down ideas, ever mindful that Ben and Carl were listening to every word.
About a half-hour later, I gave Ricky more promises I hoped I could keep, then I left the building and took out my phone. My first call was to Simone. I know she mainly handled business interests of wealthy clients, but she was also licensed to be a defense counsel. Maybe she would make an exception for me. I wasn't disappointed.
"Beth, good to hear from you. What's up? Vampire problems?"
I chuckled. "Not this time. Well—" and I remembered Mick, laying sexily in my bed. "At least nothing I can't handle right now. No, I'm actually calling you on a legal matter." I explained the situation about Ricky. She had of course heard about the councilman's wife, and, after hearing what they had on Ricky, she agreed to see him for me.
"Thanks, Simone. I'm also going to see if Mick can help. I'll call you later and update you on what we find."
"Happy to help, Beth. Talk to you soon."
Next, I punched my speed dial for Mick. I couldn't help how my heart sped up when he said my name.
"Beth. I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon. Are you done for the day? I bet the bed is still warm."
I laughed, picturing him naked again. "I wish. No, I need a favor." Before he could engage his dirty mind in exactly what kind of "favors" he could fulfill for me, I explained the bare bones of Ricky's problems.
"Where can we meet?" He didn't even hesitate in agreeing to help me. My body flooded with warmth at the idea that this man loved me without reservation. I gave him the address of Ricky's business, and he said he'd be there within minutes.
Ricky's was still a fledgling business, but it made me proud of him to see two green work trucks, "Turner's Landscaping" emblazoned on them, parked in front of a small trailer that served as his office. A storage building stood off to the side. There was also a squad car there, its occupants no doubt questioning Ricky's employees. I pulled into the gravel driveway. I'd beaten Mick, but not by much. His old Mercedes pulled in beside me. He got out to join me, dark sunglasses shading his eyes, even though we were parked in the shade. He leaned down and kissed my cheek before we went in by way of hello.
The two uniformed policemen carried a couple of boxes. They had just finished, apparently. I recognized them, and they me, but they went on past us and out the door to their cars without a word.
"Well," said Mick. "There go your cousin's records. I hope his employees still feel in a helpful mood."
Inside the trailer was a counter, and behind it was a young woman who looked pretty shaken. She pulled herself together and tried to smile at the sight of us.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Hi. I'm Beth Turner. This is Mick St. John. Ricky is my cousin. We're here trying to help him." The woman looked suspicious for a moment, then something seemed to dawn on her.
"Oh, I recognize you from BuzzWire. Ricky is always bragging about you when we watch your reports. So, you're Beth Ann. It's nice to meet you, but I'm sorry it's like this. I'm really scared for Ricky. Are you here to get his story out?"
"No, not exactly. I mean, not in the way you think. I'm not with BuzzWire anymore. Mick and I are trying to do some investigating on our own. I know in my heart Ricky couldn't have done this. And you are?"
"Oh, sorry. Janice Miller. I guess I'm the receptionist slash dispatcher. I do most of the accounting too. I'm pretty sure Ricky would have been there the day that woman was killed, checking on some work we'd done there. He's always so worried the customer won't be satisfied." And then she broke down.
Mick took off his sunglasses, his natural compassion taking over. "Hey," he said. "We're going to do our best to get him out of this." He fished out an old-fashioned handkerchief from his inside jacket pocket and passed it over to her. She took it gratefully. I really love this man, I thought fleetingly. Then Mick was in full detective mode.
"So, did Ricky ever mention anything about the Riley's—either one of them?"
"Not really," Janice said, after sniffing a little and blowing her nose on the handkerchief. "He said they were nice and not too picky about things like some clients. Other than that…"
"How often did you guys work for them?" Mick continued.
"About once a month they needed something. Usually the whole crew was in on it. Sometimes, just Richard." She looked surprised at her own words. "Richard is a good man. He never would have done anything like kill someone. I mean, what's his motive here?"
"You're right," I chimed in, not correcting her. Ricky had obviously not shared his childhood mistake with her. "We are just trying to get the full picture here. If Ricky didn't do it, someone else did, and they're still out there." I looked at Mick. I couldn't think of anything more to ask her. He shook his head slightly.
"Well, here's my card. Please call if you can think of anything more." I gave her my new DA's office card, fresh from the printer's.
"You work for the DA's office now? I thought you were trying to help Richard."
"I do. And, I am. He's my cousin, and I love him. It's in the best interest of the DA to find the right killer, and I'm going to prove that Ricky isn't it."
"Good luck, Beth Ann. Let me know if I can help you. Oh—here." She offered back Mick's hanky. He smiled.
"Keep it."
We stepped back outside. Mick's first words were: "Beth Ann?"
"Yeah, my middle name is Ann. My family still calls me that, so she knows me by what Ricky calls me, I guess. It makes me feel like a child, so I don't use it anymore." He was smiling.
"I never knew that. I like it. Beth Ann." He tried it on for size. "I can see you as that."
"Don't even think about it, Michael. Or is it Michelangelo? Mickey? Come on, Mick has to be short for something." By then, we had reached our cars. He was not taking the bait.
"Nope. Just Mick." He smiled innocently and put his sunglasses back on, so I could no longer see his eyes. His lying eyes, I was sure.
"Where to next," he asked, changing the subject.
"The crime scene." I gave him the address.
"I'll follow you." As soon as we were both back on the road, I called him.
"Yes, Beth Ann?"
"Micah? Mitchell? Mikhail? McKenzie? Macduff? McClintock? M--?"
He hung up on me. I laughed till my cheeks hurt. I looked in the rear-view mirror, and he was laughing too.
We reached the Riley's house to find the usual yellow police tape surrounding the entire yard, front and back. The police had apparently finished their business earlier, when the body was first discovered. Mick walked the perimeter, pausing now and then to sniff the air. My own personal bloodhound.
"Anything?" I asked him.
"No. Let's go in." He held the tape up so I could slip through first. The taped outline of Lisa Riley's body was near a newly planted tree in the backyard. Mick kneeled down beside it, touching the ground, smelling handfuls of dirt. "Nothing," he finally said. "No blood usually with a strangulation. It's hard to get a feel for anything—it's been too long." He stood up and brushed off his hands. We walked to the house. Looking around first, he picked the lock.
We surveyed the interior, but found nothing out of the ordinary. A modest home, simple furnishings. No, the yard was the showplace of this house. Outside there had been beautiful bushes, flowers, trees. A large, ornate white gazebo by a pond with coy fish swimming lazily around in it. This had to be Ricky's doing.
"No blood in here, either. It doesn't appear that anything was disturbed inside. I'm betting the entire crime took place in the yard." We opened a few dresser drawers, looked in cabinets and desks. If there had been anything of value to the case, the police had already taken it. I looked at my watch. Time was running out, and I felt we had gotten nowhere.
"Let's go to the morgue. She hasn't been buried yet, has she?"
"I don't think so," I told him. We headed back to our cars.
"You want to ride with me," asked Mick. I couldn't pass up the offer; I was dying to be alone with him.
He opened the door for me and he got in and drove toward the city morgue. I hoped Guillermo was working. I had my own contacts, but Guillermo was Mick's friend, and likely would be the most help, what with an additional vampire nose on the case.
"You haven't told me Ricky's prior record," Mick said on the way.
"No, I haven't. Ricky served time as a juvenile for murdering a classmate. They'd been fighting over a girl. Ricky started punching the boy and knocked him down. He never got up again. They never told me if it was the fall or the punches that killed him, but I guess it didn't matter. Ricky was convicted all the same."
"Poor kid. I suppose Talbot dug up that piece of info and pounced."
"Yes, he knows, but can't use it, of course, if there is a trial. It's hard to ignore it though. I guess I don't blame him for his suspicions."
"Do you really think he's innocent?" He looked over at me, gauging my reaction.
"Yes, with my whole heart. Ricky made one mistake, and I know it was an accident. He served his time and has become a successful contributor to society. It is so sad that all that could be taken away." Not for the first time that day, I felt my eyes water. Mick reached over and took my hand. He drew it to his lips. "Your judgment on this is good enough for me. Hopefully, Guillermo can shed some light on Lisa Riley's death."
"Thanks, Mick. You're helping me means more than you know."
"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, or anyone you care about. You know that by now, don't you?"
"Yes, and I love you for it." He smiled sweetly at me.
"I love you too," he said, and kissed my hand again. Every time he said it, my heart leaped as it did the first time I ever heard those words from him. We drove on in silence, and I took the time to stare at his handsome profile. There was nothing I didn't love about this man. His compassion, his humor, his sense of morality, and even the fact that he was a vampire. His superhuman strength and powers had saved me a million times, and now he was using it to save my cousin--a man he didn't even know--just because I asked him to. Oh, and the fact that he was the sexiest man I had ever seen was beside the point. I smiled at the thought. He caught me staring and smiling dreamily at him.
"What's that grin all about?" He asked, but I had the distinct impression that he had read my mind.
"Just drive, St. John. Your head is big enough as it is."
Guillermo was working in the morgue. He didn't seem surprised to see us.
"You guys working the Riley case?"
"Yeah," I said. "How did you know?"
"Word gets around."
"Vampires are the worst gossips," Mick supplied.
Guillermo was pulling out Lisa Riley's body. I never liked looking at corpses, especially those who had died a violent death. I could see the obvious strangulation bruises at her neck. I shivered. Mick's hands suddenly appeared at my arms to steady me.
"Definitely a human crime," Guillermo was saying, "in case that was a question."
"Good to know. Anything else you can tell us?" Mick asked.
"Yeah. She had had intercourse the day of the murder, probably right about the same time she was strangled. Maybe it was an accident, after all. Some people get off on that kind of thing."
"It wasn't rape?" I asked.
"No, it doesn't appear to be."
I turned to Mick. "Talbot didn't tell me she'd had sex. It wasn't in the news reports either. I wonder why."
"He knew it wasn't rape, so they were probably keeping that from the media to help narrow down the suspects. I bet Talbot was hoping you'd get Ricky to admit to an affair with her." Well, that made sense. I felt a little deceived by Ben, and angry at the fact that he was using me to entrap my own cousin.
"We'd better let Simone in on this bit of news. Thanks, Guillermo."
"No problem. Mick, you on for Josef's poker night?"
"Yeah, but I might have to skip it if I'm still working this case."
Guillermo turned to me with a speculative glance that made me blush. I'd made quite a splash at their last poker game. "How about you, Beth?" I don't think he could help how his eyes dropped to my chest at the memory.
"I don't think so," Mick answered for me, steering me toward the door. "See ya, man."
I got off the phone with Simone as we sat in Mick's car.
"She said Ricky had already submitted to a DNA test when they first brought him in. They've put a rush on it. I have no clue where to go next, Mick."
"How about that witness who saw Ricky leaving the back yard?" I took out the case file and looked up the name and address. It was the Riley's next-door neighbor.
Maggi Collins answered the door. She was about sixty years old, with her California tan and chicly spiky platinum hair. She wore all pink, and nails to match. We introduced ourselves.
"What can I do for you, hon?" She asked sweetly.
"We're here investigating the Riley murder. I know you've talked to the police and the DA's office already, but we're just following up on a few things."
"Sure, just come on in." We did, and after refusing offers of fresh iced tea, we sat on her flowered sofa. I noted that her front and side windows were without curtains, offering a clear view of the Riley house. Mrs. Mason's little white poodle came into the room, sniffed at Mick, growled, and ran back out. Apparently dogs didn't like vampires either. Mick shrugged at my smirk.
"Mrs. Collins," Mick began, "what did you see the day Mrs. Riley was killed?
"I saw that Turner Landscaping truck parked there all morning. Then, later that night, all hell broke loose, with an ambulance and several police cars roaring in when poor Lisa's body was found by her husband."
Mick and I looked at each other. Ricky had said he was there only about ten minutes. I felt my stomach dropping.
"You're certain about the timing on that?" I asked.
"Yes, because I saw the truck pull in when I was drinking my morning coffee, and leave when Young and the Restless was halfway over. That'd be about three hours, I guess."
"Did you hear any unusual noises coming from their back yard?"
"No, not till the ambulance came."
"How often did you see the landscaping truck there?" Mick asked.
"Once a week, at least. They were always doing something with that yard. Sometimes it was a group of workers, sometimes just that Turner man." Another contradiction of what Ricky and Janice Miller had said.
We asked a few more benign questions and said our polite goodbyes.
"I don't like this, Mick," I said as he walked me to where my car was parked next door. "I'm going back to talk to Ricky some more. Maybe I just misunderstood…."
"Beth, I don't see how you could have gotten it this wrong. Ricky's not being honest with you. Why do you suppose that is?"
"You're thinking he might have done it, aren't you?"
"It looks bad, Beth. But still, the coroner's report said she was killed in the early evening. Looks like he was gone before noon. It could have been anybody."
"But he's lying to me." I felt the knot in my stomach growing, and I knew Mick's detective side was very suspicious. I needed to be alone for awhile, then I did need to confront Ricky.
"Thanks for your help today, Mick. I'm sure you've got other cases to work on."
His lips moved to a straight line. "Are you dismissing me now?" He was hurt.
"No. No, Mick. I didn't mean that at all." I reached up and touched his cheek. "I really am grateful for your support. And your willingness to tell it like it is. I just need time to sort this out in my head. I don't know what to believe. My heart is saying one thing, but my head…" I sighed, and felt a tear sliding down my face, which I angrily brushed away.
"Hey, it's okay. I understand. I've got stuff to do, myself. But I'm just a phone call away, remember that."
He bent down and kissed me sweetly once, and hugged me tightly. His strength was reassuring. He opened my car door for me, then leaned down through the window for another kiss. "Call me," he whispered. I watched his cool swagger as he went back to his car, shielding his face with his hands. I sat there a moment, then headed back to see Rick.
Ben was just coming out the door as I was going in. "Did you find out anything?" was his loaded question.
I didn't let him know all I had found out that he hadn't bothered sharing with me.
"Nothing new. Can I see Ricky again?"
"Sure. That lawyer you got him is in there with him. She's a feisty one." I smiled in agreement, wondering how fast it would take Josef to rip his head off. He directed me to a private meeting room, unmonitored to protect lawyer-client privilege.
I greeted Simone warmly and sat at the small table with them. I wasn't in the mood for niceties.
"What are you keeping from me, Ricky?" I asked him.
"Nothing, Beth Ann. I promise."
"I've discovered two things that contradict your statements: first, you were there longer that morning than you said to the police, and second, you were sleeping with her, weren't you?"
Ricky looked surprised, but not shocked. "You're wrong, Beth Ann. I'm telling you, I didn't kill that woman."
I looked at Simone. "Have you looked at the Coroner's report yet?"
"No, I asked for it, but since he hasn't been formally charged, they're not letting me see it."
"It would seem she had had sex with someone near the time of death. Most likely it was consensual."
"It wasn't me, "said Ricky. I felt myself not believing him. It's funny how your childhood memories distort things. Despite Ricky's past, I had always felt he was incapable of hurting anyone on purpose. I hated being wrong. I'd had enough. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and I wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl into bed. I was also starving, having skipped lunch. I glanced at my watch, surprised to see it was almost five o'clock. Quitting time. I stood up.
"Call me when you hear something, " I said to Simone. I couldn't look at Ricky another minute, so I left.
I went straight home. I had treated Mick like crap today. I felt the tears flowing down my face. I was a coward. I didn't feel like facing him, though I knew I owed him an apology. I settled for leftover take-out, a glass of wine, then a hot bath. I tried to read awhile, but couldn't focus. I checked my e-mail. I called my mother, but didn't mention Ricky. Or Mick. Mick was my own private secret from the world, and I wasn't ready to share him yet. And since I couldn't tell her everything about him, I didn't trust myself to mention him at all. As far as she knew, I was still grieving for Josh. By the time I hung up with Mom, it was nine o'clock. I turned off my lamp and surprised myself by falling asleep almost immediately.
When my phone rang the next morning, it was nine o'clock. I was seriously late for work. Simone was calling.
"Hi. Any news?"
"Yeah, Beth. The news isn't good. The DNA tests just came in. It was Ricky's evidence on her body. When they confronted him with it, he broke down and confessed. He said she wouldn't leave her husband for him, so he got angry and lost control. He didn't mean to kill her. I tried to get him to keep quiet, but he wouldn't stop. There's not much more I can do for him now. Ben Talbot got a signed confession." I was quietly crying. For my lying cousin. For my poor Aunt Becky. For Lisa Riley and her family. For myself, whose trust was betrayed both by Ricky, and by Ben.
"Beth? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just angry at myself for my misplaced trust."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. He's your cousin. You love him and wanted to believe in him. I don't blame you for being upset."
"Well, thanks, Simone. I really appreciate all you did."
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more. Take care, Beth."
At that moment, I felt an overwhelming desire to be in Mick's comforting arms. I washed my face, brushed my teeth and hair, threw on some jeans and a t-shirt, and was out the door in about ten minutes. On my way, I called Ben to tell him that I didn't feel much like coming into work today. He seemed to understand.
The tears were still falling when I knocked on Mick's door. No answer. I knocked again, harder, then realized he was likely still in the freezer. He generally went to bed just before dawn if he didn't have to get up early for work. This must have been one of those days, because his car was parked out front, and there was no light under his office door down the hall. I dug in my purse for the remote, and let myself in. It was strange being in his apartment with all the blinds closed and no lights on. No gas fire burned in the glass lava rocks. It had always amused me that a vampire, so vulnerable to fire, always had a cheery one blazing in his living room. But that was Mick—still wanting to hold on to the trappings of humanity. I went over to his office door, and lightly tapped. As I suspected, he wasn't there. I climbed the stairs to find the room I'd never actually been in. The room where my vampire slept.
MICK
Sometimes, when you're a vampire, you find yourself in a weird place between deep sleep and full-consciousness. It must be the fight or flight instinct. That's why I rose so fast and banged my head on the freezer door when Beth whispered my name.
"Damn! I reached up and pushed the door all the way open and sat up to see her there, laughing despite her red eyes and puffy face.
"Oh, Mick! I'm so sorry!" She reached out to rub the lump on my head, which was already healing as she touched it. "I didn't mean to wake you. At least, not so suddenly that you—" And then she noticed I was naked. Her blotchy face reddened even more.
"Yes, I sleep in the nude. I can't stand anything to be on when I'm in freezer mode. Hand me my pajama bottoms, please." She gave them to me, then looked away while I put them on. I'd made love to the woman several times already, and she was still embarrassed to look at me naked. I climbed out of the freezer and walked over to her, remembering that she had looked like she'd been crying. A lot.
"Hey, sweetheart. What's wrong?" It was sinking in that she had felt comfortable enough to use the key remote I gave her. Even though she was upset, the idea made me want to smile.
"It's Ricky. He confessed to killing Lisa Riley. DNA proved it." I wrapped my cold arms around her. She shivered once, then held me tighter.
"I'm sorry, Beth." I couldn't think of anything else to say. I had had a feeling he was guilty, but her faith in her cousin was so strong, I hated to see it crushed like this.
"I'm sorry I woke you," she said against my bare chest. "I couldn't think of anywhere else to go. I had to see you. To be with you." The next thing I knew, we were kissing, and what I felt from her was both desire and desperation. The inside of her mouth was so hot to my recently frozen body, I kept trying to deepen the kiss even more, wanting to give her whatever she wanted of me: comfort, forgetfulness, love, passion—I would let her use me. Okay, I wasn't completely altruistic here. I wanted her with everything that I was. I pulled away and caressed her face, looking into those blue eyes that held me in her power.
"Come on," I whispered. I led her down the hall, to a room I rarely entered. This room had a bed. I had ordered it after my first night on the couch, when I was human for a few days. By the time it was delivered, I was a vampire again, but didn't have the heart to send it back. I still had the hope that someday I would find the "cure" again. In the meantime, there were still other uses of a bed, besides sleeping.
"I'm sorry there are no sheets. It's from my recent human days." There were pillows that had come with the mattress, and a blanket I'd thrown over it, so it wouldn't look so forlorn.
"That's okay," she said, backing me toward the bed. Next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, and Beth was on top of me. For as long as I could stand it, I would let her take the lead. I basked in the feel of her warm hands gliding all over me, her soft, wet lips on mine. I watched her tug off her t-shirt and bra, then stand up a minute to take off her jeans and panties. There must have been something in her then that needed to find some control in her life. I was happy to allow her to work out those frustrations on me. She pulled off my pajama bottoms, then climbed back on top of me, seeming to revel in her power over me, in her dominance. I have to say that this side of Beth was very appealing. I reached up to caress her breasts, pleased at her moaning reaction.
When she took me inside of her, I let her stay on top, practically out of my mind with what she did to me. I wasn't used to forceful Beth, but I liked it. She was beautiful in her passion, and I could have gone on forever, just enjoying the sight of her long blonde hair falling behind her as she leaned back slightly, her lips parted and panting. I held on to her waist as she moved, unsure that I was going to last much longer, when suddenly she cried out and shuttered around me. I immediately followed after, her name a gasp from my lips. She fell forward on top of my chest, and I could feel as well as hear the erratic pounding of her heart. Her neck, now so close to mine, was a great temptation. My fangs and eyes had changed in those last seconds, and I tried to breathe deeply to control myself.
"Beth," I whispered urgently. "I'm sorry, but I need to go—" I needed blood as soon as possible.
"No," she said, "don't. Here—" She held up her arm to my mouth.
"Are you sure?" I asked, looking into her eyes with my vampire gaze. She nodded, and I bit down near her wrist, hearing her quick intake of breath. As her blood filled my mouth, I felt myself filling her body again. I drank as little as I could get by with, then detached from her arm, but not from her body. I flipped her onto her back in a movement that took her by complete surprise with its swiftness. It was my turn to dominate. I was amazed that I could do this again so soon. I was pretty sure it was some sort of personal record. Not bad for an eighty-five-year-old man. When finally we were both completely spent, I lay there, dazed.
"Oh my God," I laughed. I felt her smile against my chest, where she had curled to my side and thrown one side of the comforter over her. My desire for blood, however, was still unsated. I made a quick trip to the refrigerator again. When I got back, Beth hadn't moved a muscle.
"That was quite a show, McCloud. Or is it Macbeth? McDonald? McClain?"
"Where are all these Scottish names coming from?" I asked between chuckles. She was undaunted.
"Macario? That's Spanish. How about Micleshevski? That's Russian. Or—"
I shut her up with a kiss. When she was suitably stifled, I pulled away and smiled. "That's enough, Beth Ann. Be quiet for a minute, and I'll tell you."
I saw her lips come together to form an "m", but she laughed and was silent at my warning look.
"You were right on your very first guess." I watched her trying to remember. I could almost see the wheels turning in that crazy brain of hers. Then, it dawned on her. "Michael?" she asked.
I nodded. She seemed a little disappointed for a minute, then smiled brightly. "Michael," she said. "Like the angel. You have always been my guardian angel, Mick. Michael suits you."
Beth was such a romantic. Another reason I loved her.
"I prefer Mick, though. A much cooler version of Michael. I mean, Mick Jagger wouldn't have gotten nearly as far if he'd gone by his real name, plain old Michael. No one ever called him an angel."
"Okay, Mick it is. But if you ever call me Beth Ann again, I'll think of some names for you that are far less complimentary than Michael."
"Fair enough," I said. We lay there, basking in the afterglow awhile, until Beth said:
"I'm really going to have to have it out with Ben Talbot. I resent how he used me to try to get Ricky to confess. Even though he was right, it still pisses me off."
"I can understand that, Beth," I said. "I'd probably feel the same way. Talbot strikes me as a guy who is after the truth, no matter how he gets it. I don't like his methods, but I understand them. The guy constantly pisses me off too, but I think he's actually a pretty good ADA."
She turned to look at me in surprise. "You're defending him now?"
"No, but I'm saying I get where he's coming from. The ends don't justify the means—usually. I'm not one to throw stones where that is concerned. Where he really messed up in this is not sharing his information with you; not trusting you enough. I guess you have to decide if you can work for a guy like that."
"You think I should quit?" My first inclination was to shout YES! She might be mad at him now, but his looks might go a long way to helping her get over it. And I'd seen how he looked at her.
"I think you should go with your gut. Do you like what you're doing enough to put up with Talbot?" She was quiet a moment. I had heard her heart lurch at my question, then slow to a calmer rhythm.
"For now," she finally said. "But I need to lay down some ground rules. He may decide I'm not worthy of his trust, after I confront him."
"Hey," I told her, turning her face to mine. "Don't ever compromise. Tell him what you want and if he doesn't like it, fuck him."
"What?!" She laughed. "Are you giving me permission?"
That didn't quite come out like I had intended. I laughed. "Well, I didn't mean that literally." I pulled her beneath me so I could feel her soft warmth. And she could feel something else all of a sudden.
"You're kidding me, right?" She asked, but her heart was picking up speed as my hands began to wander. I hoped she wouldn't mind the lingering taste of blood on my lips. Between deep, drugging kisses that she didn't seem to mind, she whispered: "You better be ready to run to the fridge again, because I'm about tapped out here."
I moved to kiss her recent wounds on her arm. "I can move really fast if I want to."
"Let's start out with slow, St. John. We'll work up to fast." And that's exactly what we did.