Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
“Holy sugar cookies!” Ami jolted upright and frantically turned to look beside her. The place in her bed was empty and the subject of her dreams was nowhere to be found.
Kenneally? In her bed? That was some dream. She let out a huge sigh of relief and lay back down, pulling her soaked gown away from her skin, hoping to create an air flow.
She wasn’t sure what had come over her to cause such a sex-filled dream. Her and Kenneally? Talk about your compromising positions. Did she secretly want that for them? Had his brief kiss brought on that dream? Or had it been the wassail that they’d drank after the turducken dinner at the marketplace that evening before heading home? Whatever it was, she had to get her thoughts in check and fast. He was here to protect her, not get romantically involved with her. And did she really want to go down that road one day?
Unable to get comfortable, she turned on the bedside light, got up and padded across the bedroom to her bathroom. She turned on the shower, deciding to take a lukewarm shower to cool off. She’d just toweled herself off and put on a clean gown when she heard a knock at her door.
“Ami, is everything okay?” Kenneally’s deep voice called from the other side.
She froze, then glanced around frantically searching for her robe. “Yes,” she called.
“I thought I heard the shower,” he said. “It’s two in the morning. Odd time to be taking one.”
“I couldn’t fall asleep. Thought it might help.”
“Ah. Okay. Night then,” he said.
“Wait, what are you still doing up?” she asked, going to the door where she spied the robe hanging from a hook. Pulling it on, she cracked the door a wee bit to peer out at him. “Are you okay?”
“That turducken we had for dinner gave me indigestion,” he said. “I was looking for something to ease the discomfort.”
“Did you find the antacid in the cupboard over the dishwasher?”
“I did.”
“Good.” She started to close the door but stopped. “Wonder why it did it tonight and not Saturday?”
“Maybe what I had for lunch didn’t agree with me either?”
She thought about that for a moment. They had eaten breakfast and lunch from the diner today. It was rare that she ate all three meals away from home. Maybe that was why she’d had such a naughty dream tonight. “It may have been lunch more than the turducken. I’ll cook for you tomorrow and make sure you have healthier meals, so this doesn’t happen again.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’ll survive. And preparing meals shouldn’t always fall on your shoulders.”
“I appreciate your sentiment, but I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy the pleasure you get from it,” she said, opening the door in time to see his smile widen.
“You do?” He asked, and she could almost swear he was blushing.
“I do,” she said. “Your being here has filled a void in my life I hadn’t realized needed filling. And I don’t think it could have been done by just anyone.”
“Ami,” he said.
“I know what I’m saying, Kenneally. And if that scares you, I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me, Mayor.”
“In a good way, I hope?”
“A very good way,” he replied, stepping closer, close enough to run his finger down the side of her cheek. “And your confession doesn’t scare me at all. I’m not going to run scared because you say you enjoy my being here with you.”
“Good because I think we’re both mature enough to not play games,” she said.
“I never play games,” he assured her. “I can’t understand why you aren’t with someone. You’re such a wonderful person.”
She smiled. “Thank you. But it isn’t always easy to find the right person.”
“And while I can’t understand,” he said, “I also thank my lucky stars that you aren’t with someone because then I wouldn’t stand a chance with you if you were.”
“Is that so?” she said.
He nodded.
“And you think it’s that easy?”
“I think it could be if you are open to it,” he said stepping closer to her. “What do you say?”
She looked up at him and all she could think about was that dream she had about them. Her cheeks warmed. Did he know what she’d subconsciously been thinking about?
“Kenneally, people are dropping like flies in town. I don’t think this is the right time for us to get distracted.”
“That sounds like an excuse to me,” he said. “But you’re right. This isn’t the time.”
She sucked in a breath, grateful he saw reason, and edged back into the room to close the door. “It’s late. Let’s talk more about this tomorrow.”
“I still think your running away.”
“I’m not.”
“Looks like it to me,” he said before she shut the door in his face.
She could hear his rich baritone chuckle through the door, and it made her feel things she shouldn’t. Regret. Remorse. Something warm in her nether regions. Damn. He was right. She was running away from him. And using what was going on in town as an excuse. When all she really wanted was to fling herself into his warm arms the way she had been doing at every bad occurrence lately, but how could she now that he’d kissed her? Clearly, she’d been sending him the wrong signals without realizing it. When all she’d been wanting was comforting arms. Wasn’t it?
Confusion about her motives clouded her head and she slowly went back to her bed, crawled in, and turned off the bedside light. But she was still unable to fall asleep and she lay there tossing and turning with Kenneally on her mind until exhausted, she fell asleep.
Kenneally was up, dressed and downstairs to an empty kitchen the next morning. He started the coffee and decided to put on some eggs and make toast believing that Ami would appear about the time everything was done. But she didn’t. He was finishing up when she finally walked in with dark circles under her eyes even though she had put on her make up.
“You don’t look like you slept well,” he said.
“I didn’t.”
He got up from the table and put bread in the toaster and poured her a cup of coffee, handing it to her. “I hope it wasn’t anything I said last night.”
“A dream I had had earlier before I saw you,” she said.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
Her curt response bothered him, but he let it slide as he scrambled two more eggs while the toast was down, and she settled at the small table. He plated the eggs and toast and brought them to her.
“Hopefully today will be a quiet one for you,” he said.
“I doubt it,” she said. “There’s bound to be fallout from the murders yesterday to deal with. I expect Harold will call at some point with the cause of death for both. We’ll know if the pattern was the same as the others.”
He nodded. “I know you’ve had a lot to deal with the last few weeks.”
“They have, but I shouldn’t have expected my job as mayor to be so easy,” she admitted. “That was one mistake that I made going into office. I realize that now.”
She ate in silence for a few minutes, finishing her plate. “I better go brush my teeth. Simpson will be here to pick us up soon.”
“I’ll clean up,” Kenneally said. He normally detested doing household chores at home, but for some reason he didn’t mind doing them here. Was it because he wanted to please Ami? Or was it because she did things for him effortlessly and he wanted to chip in where he could?
He wasn’t sure, but he knew it gave him pleasure to do them for her. And that had to mean something.
As he worked, his thoughts went back to their conversation from the night before and how he’d put his feelings out there. He truly hoped that she would not let what was going on in Dixie keep her from exploring the possibility of something between them. He really felt there was something there. It was evident every time he held her in his arms when she sought him out for comfort at a crime scene. He just hoped she would do it when they weren’t at one too and see they could be good for one another.
He refused to overstep or push himself on her. So, for now, he would play it by ear, treading lightly waiting for a sign.
Simpson picked them up and then it was work as usual for Ami until she got the dreaded call from Harold that she had been expecting.
“I thought you’d want to know that the cause of death for both Connor and Becky was cyanide poisoning like Judson, but it was put in their respective dishes,” he said. “That means the killer snuck into the kitchen while the food was being prepared without either of them noticing. Then the killer returned once they had eaten the meal and died to sever the body parts.”
“There was plenty of blood on Connor’s pants so don’t you think that the killer had to be close by watching this whole time?” Ami said. “To sever the penis as soon Connor collapsed?”
“That is one theory,” Harold said.
“It’s all gruesome no matter which way you theorize it,” she said. “No chance you’ve located either penis or tongue yet?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think you would have. I’m sure they will turn up at the next crime scene just like Tilda’s was left in the center piece of the table,” Ami said. “Very clever of the killer dropping items at the next location.”
“Yes. I agree,” Harold said. “Which shows that Gertrude was not a part of the original plan.”
“So, you believe these were premeditated?” Ami said.
“Definitely.”
“It makes you wonder what is behind it all,” Ami wondered aloud.
“I’ve questioned the motive as well,” Harold said. “Only time will tell.”
“Very true,” Ami agreed. “I’ll let you get back to work. Thanks for calling.”
“Sure thing,” Harold said. “Hope to not see you before Saturday night’s reunion.”
“Same.”
Ami hung up and got back to work, but her thoughts went to the reunion and hoped Harold was right that they wouldn’t have another murder before then. She needed to put the finishing touches on her welcome speech and she needed to try on her dress to make sure it still fit since she hadn’t worn it in a year. The last thing she needed to do was have to go shopping at the last minute. She made herself a note to do that first thing when she got home that evening.
Her phone buzzed and she picked it up. “What is it, Selena?”
“Poppy Hebert is here to see you. Do you have a few moments free?”
“Of course. Send her in,” Ami said. She straightened up her desk the best she could before the door opened and Selena showed Poppy in. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Thank you for making time to see me,” Poppy said. “I meant to come by right after Patricia approached me about taking over Tilda’s position on the city council and managing the cookie crawl. I wanted to thank you in person for giving your vote of confidence in me replacing her. I know how important this fund raiser was to her and I wanted to assure you that I will do everything in my power to see that this year will go off without a hitch.”
“I’m sure you will,” Ami said. “I never had a doubt in your ability. And I should have reached out as well, but things have been crazy as you well know. Please, have a seat.”
Poppy settled on the small couch and Ami joined her.
“I’ve looked over the schedule,” Poppy said, “and it looks as if the crawl will end way before the enforced curfew time so we should be good. Everyone will have ample time to return to their homes before curfew.”
“Excellent,” Ami said. “Thank you for checking on that. I hadn’t had time to double check it yet.”
“I’m looking forward to working on the city council with you and the others,” Poppy continued. “However, I must admit I did have reservations at first.”
“You did?” Ami was surprised. “I always thought I had your support.”
“Yes,” Poppy said. “These killings looked as if they were directed at the mayor’s office at first, and I was leery to get involved, but now it looks as if it might have something to do with our reunion.”
Ami tilted her head. “You’re right. They all graduated together.”
Poppy nodded. “Two years ahead of me, but I remember their class and how they were friends. Judson and Tilda dating. As well as Connor and Becky.”
“The sheriff and medical examiner have both mentioned that to me since the deaths,” Ami said.
“It’s kinda ironic that the murders are happening this year, right before their twenty-fifth high school reunion,” Poppy said. “Makes one wonder why now? What sparked it to happen.”
Ami nodded. “It does.”
“I guess we’ll never know the answer until the murderer is caught,” Poppy said.
“No.”
Poppy got to her feet. “I should be getting back to my shop. I don’t like to leave it in the hands of my girls too long. They are good, but during the Christmas rush, it can get harried.”
“I understand,” Ami said. “See you Sunday.”
After Poppy left, she thought about their conversation and how Poppy believed the murders were connected through their relationship in high school. It wasn’t something that Ami hadn’t thought of as well. She was almost certain that she had discussed it with Tom and Harold as well at one point or another. It seemed she’d even asked both men if they recalled anything from the past high school days that could have made someone want to seek revenge on Judson, Tilda, Connor and Becky, but they hadn’t come up with anything. If Poppy had suspected anything she would have surely mentioned it.
Ami tapped her ballpoint pen on her desk as she thought about this longer. Unable to get it off her mind, she called the sheriff and was surprised when it went straight through to him.
“Tom McManus,” he said.
“I didn’t expect to get you,” Ami said. “I thought you’d be out taking care of a traffic jam or something.”
“It must be your lucky day,” he said. And they both laughed.
“Not sure about that,” she said. “I wanted to run something by you.”
“Okay.”
“I was chatting with Poppy Hebert, and she brought up a good point,” Ami said, “that all the murders except for Gertrude appear to be connected because they went to high school together.”
“Yes,” Tom agreed.
“I know we’ve talked about this before, but are you looking into that?” she said.
“We are,” he assured her, and she heard the frustration is voice. “But as much as I hate to admit it, we’ve not made any progress. We keep hitting a brick wall. Other than the obvious connection there doesn’t seem to be any other evidence to back it up.”
“Our killer is tricky and smart. It’s frustrating and I know you’re working your butt off on this case,” Ami said.
She heard some relief in his sigh.
“Thanks, and you’re right I’m damn frustrated in trying to figure out who is behind these killings. Without DNA all we can do is speculate.”
“You’re going to solve this case, Tom,” Ami assured.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said, sounding more confident. “This guy will slip up and when he does we’ll get him.”
“Or her. It could be a woman,” Ami said.
“I doubt it.”
“I beg to differ,” she argued. “The severed penis angel makes me think it’s a female taking revenge. Lorena Bobbitt did it.”
“But her husband survived and had his penis surgically reattached,” Tom said.
“Only because she told the police where she threw it and they recovered it in time to reattach,” Ami pointed out.
“It doesn’t explain why Tilda and Becky’s tongues were cut out,” Tom said. “Nor why these parts are being left at the next crime scene. Is this killer whacked or taunting us?”
“Maybe a little of both?”
“I don’t know, but I’m over this,” he proclaimed. “I’m ready to call in the criminal investigations division of the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations.”
“No Tom, we don’t need those bureau know-it-alls coming into Dixie at Christmas. We’ll handle it even if Kenneally has to call in the help of more Brotherhood Protectors.” Ami said. “I know it has been rough, but he’s here to help. Use him if you need to.”
“I hear you Ami, but I may have no other choice if another murder takes place before we find the killer,” Tom warned. “It may be out of our hands. I’m getting calls from the Governor’s office demanding we get results down here.”
“You hadn’t told me that, Tom,” she said. “Then you do what you have to and I’ll back you no matter what.”
“Thanks for understand,” he said. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Same.” She hung up and thought more about what he’d said about needing to bring in the LSBI because the governor was pushing it. It irked her that he’d by-passed her office and went straight to the sheriff, but maybe he felt that was what he needed to do.
And then there was what Poppy said about the connection between the murders being related to the graduating class and those involved with the class reunion. If she made that connection would others?