Its been a while since I posted a chapter in this story but I've regained enthusiasm for it.
Kate was lovely and warm when she awoke the next morning. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly and she found to her delight that it was still early and she had a bit more time before the alarm would sound.
As she became more conscious she began to realise why she was nice and warm. Steve was still asleep and was now spooning her, his body a solid presence behind her which felt both foreign yet welcome at the same time.
She shuffled slightly and Steve's arm that was resting around her waist instinctively pulled her closer to him and Kate couldn't help but smile a little at his reflexive action. She missed this close contact sleeping alone as a single woman. Steve was obviously enjoying himself as well, Kate decided if it was what she thought it was that was prodding her in her lower back.
The silence of the dawn was shattered by a ringing noise and Kate's first thought was that it was the alarm. She raised her head off the pillow and saw her phone was silent. It was then she realised it was Steve's phone.
"Steve," Kate urged, hoping to wake him before the phone stopped ringing. "It's your phone,".
"Wha'?" he asked sleepily.
"Your phone is ringing," Kate repeated.
"Shit!" Steve said, now wide awake. He released his hold on Kate and turned around to answer the call. "Hello?".
"Hi Steve, sorry to call you so early," Matt Luckie said on the other end of the line.
"It's ok," Steve said as he wiped the sleep out of one eye.
"I've just received a case I'm afraid," Matt continued.
"Right," Steve said. "What is it?".
"Thought I'd explain on the way," Matt said. "How about I pick you up in about twenty minutes,".
Steve looked at his watch. It was just past six am. His day was starting very early. "Sure," he replied. "I'll get ready," he continued before both men hung up. "I've gotta get up," Steve informed Kate as he looked across at her with a touch of jealousy. She was nicely huddled under the duvet, snoozing with no need to get out of the nice warm cocoon that they had created.
"What is it?" she mumbled sleepily.
"Dunno," Steve replied as he stretched. "Luckie's picking me up," he continued as he wearily got out of bed.
Trudging to the wardrobe he found a suit to wear before heading to the bathroom to change. He glanced in the mirror and saw his sleepy reflection staring back at him. Last night had caught up to him. He was going to need a coffee to wake himself up before Matt picked him up he realised. He could not let Luckie see him like this.
First things first though, Steve thought. His bladder needed draining before a quick shower. Lifting the toilet seat he took himself in hand and closed his eyes whilst he tried to pee. Except he couldn't.
Looking down, it suddenly dawned on Steve that he had an erection. The first he could recall in a few years. His urologist had told him he couldn't find a cause for his erectile dysfunction when he had gone to seek advice. He assured Steve they would come back. Worrying about it was making his problem worse and that he just needed to relax which was harder said than done.
"Shit!" Steve exclaimed rather loudly as he realised the doctor was right.
"You alright in there?" Kate asked sleepily from the bedroom
"Errr…..yeah," replied Steve as a smile formed on his face. For the first time in a long time there was a glimmer of hope he might be able to function normally again. It had just taken lying next to Kate to realise it, recalling they had been curled up together when the phone went off. Her backside pressed in to his crotch…..
His penis twitched in his hand at the thought before he remembered he only had twenty minutes before his temporary boss picked him up. He had a job to do. Daydreaming about Kate's arse would have to wait. Steve quickly felt his erection begin to soften. He just hoped that this wasn't a one off he hoped as he was finally able to pass urine.
A quick shower and change into his suit later and Steve was leaving the bathroom with a small spring in his step. He felt a lot lighter after that longed for bodily function had returned, albeit briefly. The solution to his problem, didn't notice as she was burrowed under the duvet.
"I'll give you a call later to swap notes," Steve said.
"'K," murmured Kate.
Without thinking, Steve bent down to give Kate a kiss to the top of her head which was the only part of her body visible above the bedclothes. He froze when he realised what he had done. This was becoming a bit of a habit and he was going to have to try and grow out of it. Kate however didnt seem to notice and slumbered kn. "See you later," he said before quietly leaving the bedroom.
Descending the stairs, Steve entered the kitchen and headed straight to the coffee maker. He found a flask and the machine soon whirred to life as it deposited it's much needed fluid in to the receptacle. A dash of milk and the lid screwed on, Steve saw he had less than five minutes before his lift arrived so headed outside to wait.
Matt Luckie's car soon pulled up to the curb and Steve jumped in the passenger seat. He saw Matt glance at his flask. "Needed something to help wake up," he explained.
"Me too," Matt said, indicating a similar flask in the console between the two front seats. "Bit hung over if I'm honest," he admitted.
"Yeah," Steve agreed before he took a gulp of the warm fluid. "So where are we headed?".
"The cemetery," Matt replied. "Grave digger noticed a recent grave had been….disturbed was how it was described to me over the phone,".
"What does that mean ?" Steve asked.
"I don't know," Matt replied. "They didn't want to tell me over the phone which is worrying," he warned Steve.
"Right," answered Steve a little warily as he wondered what they were about to stumble in to.
The cemetery was warming with forensic scientists as Matt and Steve pulled up. Matt flashed his ID card and they were directed to a parking spot.
Getting out of the car, it was easy to tell which grave had been disturbed due to the number of white suited people swarming around. Disturbed appeared to mean 'dug up', judging by the large pile of soil that lay in a haphazard heap created by the person who had attempted the unsanctioned excavation.
Glancing at each other, Steve and Matt started their walk over to the site. It had recently been raining and the ground underfoot was slightly muddy and soft.
A long strand of crime scene tape that was strung up between some grave stones and fluttering slightly in the gentle breeze halted their journey and there was a brief pause as they ducked under it.
As they approached the grave in question, forensics people looked up briefly and gave the officers a solemn nod. Despite wearing face masks, Steve could tell they all wore grim expressions on their faces.
They reached the side of the grave and Steve and Matt looked down. Steve was totally unprepared for what he saw. He had seen some sights during his police career, but nothing like this.
The coffin in the grave had been forced open and the deceased pulled out. She had been turned on to her front and her face which was starting to show signs of decomposition was turned to the side. Her hair had been cut off in a very savage way. Clumps of it lay around the corpse whilst what remained on her head was a mess. Her hands had been pulled behind her back and Steve could see that all her fingers had been removed.
But the worst part was that the dress that she was wearing had been pulled up around her waist at the back revealing her bare backside. Steve couldn't help the bile rise in his throat as he wondered what the hell had gone on here.
NB I'm taking inspiration for this crime from the XFiles if it seems a bit familiar