Chapter Fifteen #2
“I’m Bernadette Wesche,” she offered. “I own the place, so yeah, I worked with her. This is one of our other associates, Merle Aristide. They basically told us she was dead.”
Oh, leave it to the media not to be delicate and to charge around like a bunch of bulls in china shops. That sounded about right for them.
“I’m sorry they dropped that on you. I imagine that was painful.”
Both women nodded.
“We knew she was missing, since her husband came here, but we didn’t know she died,” Bernadette admitted.
Because the women appeared to be willing to do the interview, Dannie pulled out his notebook and started making notes to share later with the Feds. Hopefully, they wouldn’t mind that he jumped in at this opportunity.
And that his partner didn’t kill him.
This was like it was meant to be.
“Oh, it was shocking, but I think we pretty much assumed as much when she went missing.”
Yeah, he bet. From what the husband had told them yesterday, that wasn’t normal behavior.
“How long did she work here?” he asked, covering his bases.
Bernadette considered his question.
“I’m going to say going on six years. Phylis had a way with the customers,” she admitted. “I hired her on the spot when I saw her helping someone in our store. She was fabulous at merchandising and had a knack for it.”
He kept going.
Because he didn’t think that would have anything to do with her being killed. This wasn’t going to be about someone picking her because she could match a sweater with slacks on a mannequin.
Call it a hunch.
He went a little deeper.
“Was anyone bothering her? Or did anything suspicious happen before she went missing?” he asked. “You know…like her behavior changed?”
Merle shook her head.
“I was working with her the day before she went missing. She was going home each night, and the only thing she was excited about was the girls’ outing.
Phylis was a creature of habit. She liked to head home after work and chill out.
She told us that it was a good thing her husband worked night shift because then she didn’t have to talk when she was at home. ”
He imagined.
“Speaking of her husband, how about her relationship with him? I spoke to him when he called it in, and he was crushed. Did she ever mention any issues?”
Bernadette gushed about the man.
“Dave was her soulmate. They felt the same about each other. He would get up early from sleeping and bring her flowers randomly. What guy does that anymore?”
He didn’t comment because he did. If you wanted to keep a lady, you learned real fast how to be a gentleman.
“Yeah, Dave is a sweetie,” Merle said. “The reporters came in and said that she was found with two other women. Is that true?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Yeah, that’s why the FBI is handling this.”
Both women looked upset.
“She was a sweetheart,” Merle admitted. “I’m going to miss Phylis.”
On that, Bernadette agreed.
“And no one was bothering her?” Dannie asked, really needing them to think about this long and hard. Even the slightest thing could help them out. “Don’t hesitate even if it seems insignificant.”
His fingers were crossed that he’d find a lead.
Merle was honest.
“I mean, we have cunty customers all of the time who are rude and obnoxious, but no one out of the ordinary. Phylis was literally the calmest person in the world. You couldn’t upset her. She was honest, loyal, and did the right thing repeatedly.”
The other woman went there.
“Once a guy dropped a hundred-dollar bill on his way out, and she chased him down in the snow. She was special,” Bernadette admitted. “I would love twenty Phylis’ working here,” she admitted, and then added the other woman so she didn’t feel left out. “Oh, and Merle’s too.”
He listened as they rang up the things.
“How long were she and Dave married? I don’t want to go to his house and bother him with these kinds of questions. As you can imagine…”
Oh, they got it.
“I think around ten years this June,” Merle said. “She was working overtime to pay for a cruise to the Bahamas,” she said. “They couldn’t have kids, and she wanted to give him a good memory. Dave worked hard for them at the plant.”
Yeah, they sounded like a solid couple.
Then what got her ears removed and her remains dumped on a reservation? Yeah, this was the oddest case.
For.
Sure.
He hoped the Feds could solve it.
When Bernadette gave him the amount for the purchase, he slipped the Fed’s card through the scanner and then paid.
As they bagged up, Merle was honest.
“Do you know who hurt her?” she asked. “The media said she was mutilated,” she said, whispering.
Oh, boy.
“No, but the FBI will figure it out,” he said, hoping he didn’t just lie to the two women.
Merle wiped her eyes.
“Okay,” she offered. “We’ve been friends since high school. I’ll miss her. When I moved away after high school, she kept in touch, so when I came back, we reconnected immediately. I can’t believe she’s…”
They both looked at her.
“I can’t do this. I should go home!”
The woman broke out in tears and waved her hand as she hustled away to a back room.
Dannie apologized.
“I’m sorry for upsetting her. That wasn’t my intent,” he admitted.
The older woman reassured him.
“They were close. Merle and her husband spent a lot of time with them. She’ll be okay. It’s slow today with everyone going to the memorial at the school. I know it’s not for Phylis, but what we all need right now is healing.”
On that, he agreed.
Because he felt bad, he made a promise.
“When the FBI figures this out, I will swing back in and let you know who hurt your friend,” he offered. “Please tell Merle I keep my promises.”
She patted his hand.
“Thank you,” Bernadette offered.
Taking the bags, he headed out, and there was one more place he needed to stop for things for them. Then, he’d report in and try to get Leah on the case too.
He wasn’t sure which would be more difficult.
Finding this killer.
Or getting Leah access to help.
It looked like he was going to find out.
* * * Blackhawk & Cantrell * * *
Hotel
Same Time
In The Shower
It caught him off guard.
Truthfully, Ethan hadn’t expected to be pulled into the shower, but that’s exactly what happened.
When his mouth was covered with Gene’s, and he held him to his body unrelentingly, there was no point fighting it.
Instead, he fell into that mating of mouths and enjoyed the ride.
Honestly, there was no place he’d rather be.
Well, maybe out of his clothes because these were now soaking wet. Still, Gene kept catching him off guard with sweet, romantic things.
Like this.
“Gene,” he whispered into the kiss, as his man kept his un-casted arm around his body, and his other out of the shower.
The bigger man couldn’t help but crave moments like this with him.
Gene was so moved by the heart that he had to share this moment with Ethan. He loved him more than he’d ever know, and he only hoped the man understood that.
This was eternal.
It was rooted in his soul that on the day they were both born, the universe tied them together in a bow. This was the kind of love he’d always wished for, and it stumbled into his life as a partner at the FBI.
Gene couldn’t imagine a moment without him.
“I love you,” he whispered into the kiss, as he surfaced for air, and nothing more.
Ethan moaned, his whole body coming alive as they were pressed together in the shower.
Ethan held onto him, the strength of his body giving him such a feeling of safety.
In his arms, nothing mattered, and nothing would hurt him.
He.
Was.
Home.
Truthfully, there was nothing better than being with him.
“I love you too,” Ethan admitted, pulling off the shirt he’d been wearing. When he did, Gene’s eyes tracked his movement, and he felt the most delicious feeling of desire.
He.
Was.
Wanted.
This man craved him, and for that, he was damn lucky. No one ever made him feel like this, and he was grateful that instead of being angry with him, Gene chased him down.
Yeah, he wouldn’t run away from Gene ever again.
How could he?
That absence didn’t make the heart fonder. It broke it. Ethan would fight to stay by his side.
Forever.
Staring into his eyes, Blackhawk said two things.
“You now have my heart,” he admitted. “And don’t get that cast wet.”
It made Gene laugh.
It was so unexpected.
“So bossy,” he said. “Here’s a thought, use your mouth for something else,” he stated.
Oh, well, he knew what he could do.
Starting at his neck, Ethan left kisses and bites there, turning his man on. Oh, he knew his erogenous zones, and what got Gene going.
Basically, him breathing.
That was all it really took.
As he bit him on the neck, the big man’s body shook from that sensation.
“God. I love my life,” he stated. “If this is a late adrenaline crash, have at it,” he stated.
Oh, it was more than that.
This was Ethan’s way of promising him forever. He was sealing it with sex.
Why the hell not?
As Gene leaned against the shower wall, Ethan moved down his body, teasing him with hands and mouth. When he kneeled in the shower, in front of him, Gene couldn’t look away.
His man was sexy when he was wet.
As his mouth engulfed his erection, Gene shook.
Yeah, that was the best feeling in the whole world, next to love.
There was no doubt there.
As he blew him, Gene kept his arm on the shower-curtain rod, protecting the heart Ethan drew him.
Like he protected his real one, he’d keep this one safe too. When this cast came off, he was getting that section of his cast saved and framed.
Forever.
It wouldn’t last as long as their love, but he still wanted to keep it.
As Ethan blew him, he knew when his man was close. Gene’s leg was shaking, and his dick was so incredibly hard.
Dragging his teeth across his sensitive flesh, that was all it took.
Gene exploded.
Thankfully, the wall held him up.
“Oh, fuck,” he muttered, as the room spun, and Ethan swallowed his cum.
When he opened his eyes, the love of his life was staring up at him, grinning wickedly.