© 2000

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Chapter 5
Friday, April 30, 1999
12:15 am

Nobody partying in the club was reacted when an obviously tense couple entered the Superclub Krome and began to look around. Both gay and straight couples looking for swapping or a diversion for a few hours were a dime a dozen in this place. As were couples who didn't get along too well until they had a few hits under their belts. The fact that the couple was extremely attractive was also nothing to cause more than a few interested glances to be tossed around as attractive people were also a dime a down in this rich, beach community and especially in this trendy party place. If anyone had known they were cops, however, they might have elicited more interest. The cops themselves, however, were too intent on their case and ignoring the uncomfortable tension radiating between them to appreciate the fact that their all-too-personal battle was helping them to blend in.

Having already decided the flashing a picture of either of the local victims around would immediately ruin their cover and their chance at getting answers, Cassy and Tom pushed their way through the crowd towards the back bar where, according to Cassy's friends, they might be able to hook up with the real party that went on downstairs. The combination of thinking about what she and Tom had to do to be invited and the feel of his hand on her lower back as he guided her through the crowd made Cassy's stomach flutter.

'It was just a dress rehearsal, that's all,' she told herself for the hundredth time since getting into the taxi for the ride downtown. As soon as she got to the bar she forced all thoughts of the personal out of her head. They were there to do a job.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked Cassy's chest. She was wearing her red dress.

"A margarita on the rocks, no salt and a screwdriver," Tom ordered drinks and warned off the younger man at the same time. To bring his point home he slid his arm around Cassy's shoulder and pulled her against him. Both their hearts pounded at the contact.

"I like salt Tom," Cassy opined breathlessly.

"But I don't," he murmured and ran a finger over her lower lip to make his point - if she had salt on her drink he would taste it on her lips. The moment the bartender looked away and went to make their drinks his finger dropped from her lip and he resumed his canvassing of the room. Cassy blinked and dragged her gaze away from her partner to look around for herself.

Somewhere behind the bar there was a door that led to a basement where the rave crowd hung out when there were no raves going on locally. Tonight, again according to Cassy's friend, there wasn't a rave planned. As Tom felt Cassy pushed against him by the crowd he sincerely hoped their efforts paid off.

"We need to separate," Cassy whispered into his ear.

"Why?" Tom asked, biting back the first response that popped into his brain. And the competing one that his body had come up with.

"So we can ask questions," she said with an impatient sigh, which was not completely for the benefit of people standing too close.

"Try to stay within sight, we don't know that the crimes don't happen at places like this," Tom told her in a low tone.

"It's not Monday," she pointed out.

"Doesn't mean nothing will happen," Tom warned ominously, clearly worried about their being separated as much as he welcomed the physical reality. As far as Tom was concerned it wasn't a good idea for them to be separated in a place like this. Especially not since someone who knew about the crimes had their eye on her and with her in that outfit.

"I can take care of myself," Cassy reminded him, in a voice loud enough to carry to those standing close to them. Partly to initiate them going their separate ways and partly to remind him that she too was a cop.

'And so it begins,' Tom thought to himself in resignation. As much as Cassy claimed to despise his hunches, so far all of the events that had unfolded were backing up his feeling that this case was going to be a disaster, even if they caught the killer before he struck again. Killers, he corrected himself. Ironically, he was pretty sure that even Cassy would agree with that hunch now.

He watched, almost dispassionately, as Cassy took a small sip of her drink and licked some droplets off her red lip. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man standing on the other side of the bar eyeing her. Unconsciously, Tom's hand strayed up her bare back and pressed her closer to his side.

"I'll be right back," Cassy announced and pushed him away with a glare.

Tom watched as the man with black hair who had been watching her also left his place at the bar and headed for the restrooms.

Tom willed himself to stay rooted to his place. For want of something better to do with his hands he picked up his drink and pretended to take a sip as he continued to study the crowd.

"Looks like your girlfriend likes her space," a female voice interrupted his thoughts.

"My wife actually," Tom corrected her, flashing the wedding band he had donned for the night.

"Too bad," the woman pouted and tilted her head so that her lush black hair fell over her cheek.

As she had planned Tom's eyes followed the movement of her hair and then followed her shoulder length hair down to where it met her bare shoulders and then the rest of the way down.

"Why is that bad? I like my space too," Tom flashed her a seductive grin.

"Oh. My name is Talia," she held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you Talia, I'm Tom. The missus is Cassandra and actually she's just feeling a bit on, uh, edge right now," Tom felt like retching as the completely false words fell from his lips.

"I might know of something that could help her take the edge off," she said after studying him for a few moments.

"Downstairs?" Tom asked meaningfully.

"You've heard of it?" Talia was suddenly wary.

"That's why we're here," he slid his fingers over her bare arms. "Sometimes my wife and I need a little help, if you know what I mean."

"Hmmm, when your wife returns why don't you join me. And her friend," Talia's suspicion disappeared.

Tom followed the direction she was looking in and found the man from the bar draped all over his wife.

Partner!

"That's Ralph, my husband. I saw him eyeing your woman and thought I'd see if you were interested in playing with us. I think I have my answer," Talia said seductively as she eyes Tom's hand still resting on her upper arm.

Tom smiled as his stomach rolled over. These hardly seemed like the people who attended raves, they seemed to be interested in their own type of party. He hoped this wasn't dead end. But then again they could be their pair of perpetrators.

"What do you and your husband do for day jobs?" he asked suddenly.

"That's a strange question. Actually, Ralph is a doctor and I'm his nurse. Our patients should see us now," she laughed, not caring enough to ask what Tom and Cassy did for a living. A fact that Tom was grateful for since he didn't think he could stand to tell more lies than absolutely necessary.

What lies were "necessary" was not a topic that he wanted to address for another few hours. Decades actually, would have been better.

With a last serious look at Cassy, Tom plunged headfirst into the act.

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11am

"Stop looking so glum you two. So you didn't find anything yet, you did make a drug bust," Harry admonished his tired officers.

"He was hoping they were our perps, but instead of predatory sex killers they were swingers who ran the biggest viagra drug ring in Palm Beach," Cassy couldn't suppress her grin.

"You thought they might be able to tell us something too," Tom reminded her.

"Enough already," Harry sneered at his bickering team. "You can play your games later. Right now we still have a killer to catch. Get back to work."

Cassy and Tom nodded and headed back to the interrogation room.

"I don't think last night was a good idea," Cassy told Tom as soon as she was sure no one could overhear them.

"I agree," Tom looked confused.

"About the choice of clubs. The crowd was too old. I thought John would have guided us to a younger crowd," Cassy clarified her statement, but was unable to meet Tom's gaze. Sooner or later they would have to talk about what had happened, but it would have to wait until after the case.

"I don't think it was so bad. The rave crowd might be younger, but the guy your pal mentioned as hanging around is older," Tom pointed out.

"But he probably wouldn't hang out at clubs like that. He has a problem getting women without the drugs and assistance, why would he show up at a place where serious games are played? Maybe he doesn't go out at all?" Cassy shook her head.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, we had to go there to find out what was going on in that room downstairs," Tom tried to make her feel better.

"Don't remind me. Viagra?" Cassy's face screwed up in disgust.

"You've seen the stats there have been plenty of Viagra related deaths in sex clubs in California," he pointed out.

"I know, I just didn't want to see it. Maybe we were there on the wrong night? I still think we need to look more to the college bars tonight," she shook off her feelings of repulsion.

"Sounds almost like a hunch," her partner teased.

Cassy shot him a quelling look before turning and continuing down the hall without him.

"Well it did," Tom yelled at her.

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8:00 pm

"Looks like the FBI agrees with your hunch," Tom announced as Cassy let him into her house.

"I saw the profile of the female accomplice too. And it wasn't a hunch it was deductive reasoning," she countered.

"Whatever. Looks like we're going to some college bars tonight. Think I should wear my football jersey?" Tom asked with a grin.

"We're not going," Cassy told him.

"What? What do you mean? Listen if this is about last night..." Tom began.

"No! It's not last night. I asked Harry to assign some younger looking cops. They're going to wear wires and we'll listen in," she interrupted.

"You didn't like this idea to begin with did you?" Tom sighed and looked around. 'How,' he wondered, 'did she get Harry to agree to this? Now how are we going to keep an eye on her?'

"Not exactly. I think we should be out there asking questions, I just realized we might stand out too much among the college crowd. I've arranged for us to re-interview the boyfriends of the victims that had ones tomorrow. Harry said we'd better prepare tonight. So you can still stay here and keep an eye on me if you want," she told him.

"How did you know?" Tom had intended to deny her statement, but realized it would be futile. She knew him too well. And Harry.

"Because if you had gotten the tip on your phone and men were turning up dead I would be worried too. Do you want something to eat or drink?" she asked him before turning around and heading for the kitchen.

"Some cola would be great. What munchies do you have?" he put his files down on the dining room table and settled down to get to work.

Cassy noticed that he had been careful to keep his gaze from coming anywhere near the stairs.

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9:10pm

"I have to tell Virginia," Tom tossed his pen down and rubbed his eyes.

"I know," Cassy whispered. "When do you plan to tell her?"

"I keep thinking I should wait until this case is over because there's no way she's going to let us remain partners once she finds out. I know I shouldn't wait, but at least she left town this afternoon for a modeling shoot on some island out in international waters. I probably would have told her," Tom said quietly, a flush of shame, and something more, burning his cheeks.

"I know you would have. You're an honest and loyal man," Cassy resisted the urge to take his hand into her own.

Tom snorted and stood up and walked to the window where he looked out at the churning and roiling ocean.

"You are, what happened between us..." Cassy broke off, unable to find the words to explain what it was herself.

"You don't need to try and explain things to me Cass, I started it. I know what I did and I know how wrong it was. I'm engaged to be married and I should have...I should have resisted," Tom balled hands into fists at his side.

Cassy stood up and studied Tom's tense back silently for a few moments.

"Is that the only reason that it was wrong?" Cassy asked quietly.

"What?" Tom swung around to face her.

"Is the fact that you're engaged to someone else what made it wrong?" she repeated softly.

Tom stared at her, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for an answer to her question.

End of Chapter 5