"Don't answer that Jake.. please!" she pleaded. Her gray eyes were soft as she gazed up at him, her hands grasping his shoulders tightly. She was begging him to finish what he'd started. For years she'd dreamed about this and now his fucking cell phone was ringing.
"Francesca" he purred. "I have to..."
His voice broke as he slid his hand down to the floor and fished for the phone. Frankie nibbled his neck and chest as her fingers glided down his bare back towards the waist of his jeans. "Shaw" he groaned out between pants of breath. He gave Frankie a look that said to stop. She just smiled and slid her fingers into his jeans to cup his buttocks with a squeeze. Before he could stop himself, Jake groaned loudly into the phone again and pushed up off of Frankie. "Yeah Shay..."
Shay quirked a brow on the other end of the phone... he sounded out of breath. "You okay there, Jake? I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
Jake gave Frankie an apologetic look as he sat down at the table near the window. "No, you didn't interrupt anything. I just had to run for the phone.."
"Listen... Frank finally spilled his guts. Jake... he had a message from the killer in the form of a slide show. It showed photos of the LeighAnne and Darinda. They defy description."
"Why didn't he tell us, Shay? That's evidence and he's smarter than that."
"Emotions rule the brain, babe. He was definitely not in his right mind. There's something else..."
"Have a feeling I know. He dated Nessa Skinner in High School. Did he tell you that?"
Shay nodded as if Jake could see her. "The beauty queen, too."
"Damn. What is this guy trying to do? Wipe out everyone in Frank's life?"
Shay opened her mouth to respond, but didn't speak. The thought that had been pricking the back of her brain surfaced again and she shuddered. Would he come after her?
"Shay?"
"Yeah, Jake?"
"Be careful."
"Will do. Hurry back."
*********
Frankie sat up as Jake talked with Shay, pulling her shirt up over herself and wrapping it tight around her as she scooted up to the head of the bed. Nothing... Her eyes lowered to her hands as they twisted together. Jake was brushing off their close encounter as nothing and lying about it to Shay. Shay... SHE was on the phone and he'd rather talk to her... With her shoulders sagging slightly Frankie reached for the phone and dialed Frank's office line.
"Forrester."
"Hey Cody."
"Hey yourself Frankie. You OK? You sound kind of.."
"I'm fine. Put Frank on, I think we got something." Frankie kept her voice low so as not to disturb Jake's conversation. As she waited, she pulled her knees up under her chin and wrapped her free arm around her shins. All of a sudden Frankie felt rather used...
"Francesca?"
"Hi Frank. Look... about this case."
"I'm glad you called. Are you all right? You sound a bit defeated."
"I'm alright Frank. It's just..." she sighed and looked back at Jake as he talked to Shay. "Is there something you should have told me and Jake before we landed? Like, say, dating Nessa Skinner in High School?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry Frankie. I should have told you. You should also know that I dated Miss Carruthers for a while before she became Miss Illinois."
"Yes, you should have. I hope you've told this to your wife." She sighed a moment and then brought up the courage to tell him the rest. "Frank, we got another problem and another piece of the puzzle. One - the puzzle... I found something on the inside of Skinner's lips. It looked like blood and I gave it to the coroner to run his testing on. As soon as he finds something out, he's going to call me."
"Good work. Maybe this killer got careless and left a part of himself behind."
"Which brings me to the problem."
"And that is?"
"Shay, your wife."
"Not again Francesca..."
"No... THINK! If he's killed your high school sweetheart, Carruthers, and then Darinda.... Jake and I have a feeling that Shay might be on the list too!"
Again there was silence. "Oh God Frankie." was all he said in a hushed whisper. "Shay is on the phone with Jake right now. Look, I want you two back here tomorrow with all the files and reports."
"All right Frank. We'll see you back at your office. And I know she and Jake are talking." Her voice was bitter almost. "She kind of interrupted..."
"Interrupted...?"
"Ah... She... he.."
"Francesca?" Frank was concerned now. He caught the catch in her voice at the mention of Jake and Shay. It wasn't possible.... was it?
"Never mind Frank, it's not that important. Look, I'm gonna go. Talk to Shay, let her know what we suspect and be real protective of her until we get back." She hung up the phone and wrapped her other arm around her shins, hugging herself tight.
"Francesca?" Jake had finished his phone call with Shay and walked over to Frankie.
"I think you'd better go Jake. We've got to fly back to Chicago tomorrow; Frank wants us back. I'm tired, I need some rest."
Jake stepped back and looked down. Slowly he reached out to touch her hair. "Francesca... please."
"Good Night Jake."
Jake sighed and picked up his shirt and leather jacket. What did he do now? he thought as he closed her hotel room door behind him.
As he left, Frankie leaned over until she was curled up in the sheets and stared sobbing her heart out. For one brief shining moment she thought that she'd finally gotten into Jake's heart... only to be pushed aside by work and Shay Donovan. Suddenly she knew what Shay was feeling when she saw Frankie getting as close to Frank as she had been lately.
*************
