Chapter Nine
After the police were notified and word had circulated about the third victim, the art class abandoned for the night. Students gathered around the crime scene jostling to get a better view, despite being warned by the officers to remain behind the yellow tape. As he was the person to discover the body, the police questioned David for around one hour, most of which he spent subtly trying to spot Meaghan in the thickening crowd that gathered near the taped off crime scene. The routine questions didn’t bother him. He knew that if they became too suspicious he could easily enthrall the officers and convince them that he wasn’t a threat. It wouldn’t be the first time. His ability worked well unless he tried it on the blind or vision impaired. He assumed that Meaghan fit into that category despite her attention to detail on the canvas, because he’d tried on more than one occasion to compel her, to no avail.
One policeman, an inspector by the name of Palmer, seemed particularly interested in his whereabouts this evening. What disturbed David more than the officer’s interest in him was his pre-occupation with Meaghan who had suddenly appeared at the front of a crowd of students. Terry Palmer stopped questioning mid-sentence and looked directly at her, his attraction obvious to David who heard the distinct change in Palmer’s heartbeat. He sensed the rise in blood pressure. The cop lusted after her and David experienced the overwhelming compulsion to tear him limb from limb. Despite his effort to remain calm, tension built in his muscles. His hands clenched and unclenched by his sides and he was aware that the tone of his answers had become noticeably terse. She was his woman and this man had no right to be staring at her with such obvious interest. He cut interview short.
“I have nothing else to add. Perhaps you could badger someone else for a while.”
“Taking that tone with me isn’t going to speed up the questioning process, Mr. Corel.”
“I’ve told you all I know, Inspector. I fail to see how asking the same questions ad nauseum is going to help your investigation. I assure you, my answers will not change despite your failed attempt to confuse me into altering my story.”
David noticed his interrogator still peering over his notepad in Meaghan’s direction; she appeared to be embarrassed by his attention, keeping her head down and looking around the crowd.
“If that’s all…”
“I haven’t finished yet, David. I may call you David?”
“No. You may not.”
“Fine … Mr. Corel. I’ll need a number where I can reach you.”
David reached into his inside jacket pocket and handed Terry a business card. “This is my lawyer’s number. If you have any more questions, I suggest you set up an appointment.”
“At this stage, you don’t need a lawyer, Mr. Corel, but if I have any more questions, I’ll definitely give him a call.”
It had not escaped David’s attention that while the inspector addressed him, he did not take his eyes of Meaghan. The officer’s pulse raced, his heart practically beating through his shirt as he watched her maneuver through the crowd. David tapped into the inspector’s thoughts which made matters worse when he heard the man think, oh god she’s beautiful and when Palmer’s thoughts became lascivious, it was more than he could bear. His inner demon screamed at him. Destroy this man. Unbidden, his incisors lengthened. He kept his mouth shut until the anger subsided long enough for him to regain control. Taking another approach, he told the inspector,
“I’m sorry, Inspector Palmer but it’s been a long and distressing night. Finding dead bodies is not a habit I enjoy despite the sudden regularity.” He offered his hand and a firm handshake. “If you’ll please excuse me, I’m anxious to take my fiancé home.”
“Your fiancé?”
David noticed a hint of pleasure in Terry Palmer’s voice. Was it possible that he had misread the man’s reactions?
“Yes. She’s an art student here and I’m sure the experience has upset her. I’d like to get her back to our home and tuck her in for the night, if that is all right with you?”
David didn’t wait for an answer. He rushed past the crowd of students to where Meaghan waited behind the yellow tape. In one fluid motion, he jumped the tape, cupped the back of her head in his palm and kissed her. He took his time, holding her tight despite the mortified look on her face. Her eyes as wide as saucers. Students wolf-whistled. Some whispered. He knew he’d made a foolish mistake. In one act he had publicly humiliated her, his kiss tantamount to placing a scarlet letter on her clothes. It insinuated a mentorship based purely on sexual attraction. He’d acted in jealousy, laying claim to her as though she was a coveted possession. From the crushed expression on her face when he released her, he knew he may have thrown away any chance to be with her. Although she allowed him to take her hand and lead her to his car, he realized that she only tolerated this last act of intimacy to prevent a further scene. His heart warned him. It’s the beginning of the end.
****
For the entire drive home, Meaghan had sat silently, although at times David sensed that she was on the verge of telling him off. Her body trembled, her cheeks flushed. Her mouth would open slightly, only to close again without uttering a word. She sat, hands in her lap, her body language warning him that she was out of bounds. She shut him out emotionally and physically. His insides turned to knots, twisting until he felt nauseated, empty. Hungry? The moment they reached home and he stopped the car, she flung open the door and made a dash for her cottage. He ran after her, catching up within seconds and held her shoulders by the shoulders. She spun around and slapped his face. He could tell by Meaghan’s facial expression that the strike had been intended to cause him some physical pain. She seemed disappointed by his lack of reaction.
“How could you?” she screamed in frustration. “You’ve ruined everything!”
“I’m sorry. I know what I did was unforgiveable but by the end of the week the class will have forgotten all about the kiss.”
“No.” She shook her head as she wrung her hands. There was more to her anger than he could comprehend. He listened while she vented. “I’ve spent the entire semester trying to blend into the background so people won’t notice me and now … now you’ve made me the center of attention.”
David tried to understand why assimilation was so important to Meaghan. It didn’t make any sense to him. Why would a woman as beautiful as Meaghan not want attention? He watched her as she appeared to have some type of meltdown. She was wringing her hands and tugging at the elastic that held her hair in neat braids.
“Do you know how stupid I feel wearing braids at my age?” she dragged her hands through her hair until the braids disappeared. Waves of pale blonde cascaded down her back. Her words seemed to less aimed at him and more to do with some inner turmoil. “Forced to wear these ridiculous glasses when my eyes are perfect.”
Suddenly she stopped, as if she realized that she had said too much. Her hand shot up to her mouth and her eyes widened in horror.
****
“Wait. Let me get this straight. You wanted to look young so no one would notice you? Why would you do that?”
“I … I just wanted to concentrate on my art without any distractions,” she mumbled, inwardly cringing at her feeble excuse. Even worse, her stomach lurched. She’d noticed an odd smell in the air back at the campus and it became worse in the car despite the air-conditioning. It affected her viscerally, making her nauseated and she swallowed the copper tasting lump in her throat.
“Meaghan. I may be a fool for you but I’m no idiot. What’s going on? ”His voice sounded firm but gentle as he reached for her.
She stepped away.
“Oh, I don’t know what I’m even trying to say anymore,” she answered, trying to distract him from his line of questioning. “I’m upset, that’s all. Doesn’t it even bother you that the whole class thinks we’re sleeping together? We haven’t even had sex yet.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Meaghan knew she’d set herself up. The yet reference did not go unnoticed. David smiled and moved towards her. She tried to make a speedy escape.
“I can’t discuss this with you. Besides, I’m upset and I want to go to bed.”
“Do you want some company?” The touch of his hand on her cheek shot a surge of electricity through her body, reminding her of the lesson he had promised to teach. She wanted, no needed to accept his offer. Get a grip girl! You’re angry with him. She followed the line of his gaze as it drifted from her face, over her breasts. Be strong.
She watched his expression change. His hooded eyes tightened as his eyebrows narrowed into a scowl.
“Meaghan, this looks like… How did you get blood on your skirt?”
Meaghan looked down and, to her horror, noticed a large blood stain on the hem of her dress. Bile rose in her throat. She covered her mouth with her palm.
“I have no idea how that got there,” she told him honestly, but this time, she could tell that he was less inclined to believe her. His expression hardened. He looked not only disappointed but furious. Something inside warned her of the danger.
“I want to go inside now.” She tried to leave but he snagged her by the wrist.
“What were you doing at the murder site?”
“I wasn’t,” she protested. “I was in class the whole time.”
“No more lies!” The volume and tone of David’s voice terrified her. She tried to pull away but his vice-like grip cut off circulation to her hand.
“Let go of me. You’re hurting me.” She informed him to no avail. He neither released her nor lessened his grip.
“Where did you go tonight?”
“Nowhere. I never left the class. Let me go, David!” She struggled against his grip. Pressure built around her wrist. She heard a loud crack and then came the pain … the pain was excruciating.
“That’s a lie!” he bellowed. His voice resonated across the driveway. Neighborhood dogs barked. “After I left you, I looked in the window and you were gone.”
Meaghan tried to think. Had she left the building? Her heart pounded with fear, her wrist throbbed and she struggled to breathe. She gagged every time she looked at the stain, a reflex she had developed back in the orphanage. Suddenly she remembered.
“The only time I left the room was to use the ladies room. I was only gone for a few minutes.”
She knew the answer didn’t explain the blood on her dress. David opened his mouth to question her further when they were joined by Anna and Derrick.
“Is there a problem here?” Derrick asked.
“Yes.” Meaghan took advantage of the opportunity by pointing out, “Your brother has broken my wrist.”
David released her. His angry expression changed when he looked to her waist where she cradled her swollen, bruised and misshaped wrist with her other hand. He lowered his chin, ran his fingers through his hair, and when he looked back up, she could swear she saw tears in his eyes. He reached for her. She pulled away.
“Come inside and I’ll ice and bandage that for you,” Anna offered, but Meaghan waved her off with her good hand.
“I’ll be fine. I just want to be left alone.”
She ran to the small cottage before anyone could argue, locking the door behind her. As she stood with her back against the solid wooden door, she remembered the strength of David’s grip and wondered if it would be enough to stop him if he decided to attack her during the night. Got to get away. But how? Without a car, she had no way of leaving besides she could still hear voices outside. David and his family were still standing in the driveway discussing her.
She considered ringing Terry for help. No. He would already be upset that she had drawn attention to herself at the campus. Telling him that she’d now blown her cover and probably alienated their lead suspect, would force Terry to pull her of the case. Tears threatened behind her eyes. She’d worked so hard to prove that she had what it takes to make an undercover cop. Now she was sure that all she’d proven was her own incompetence.
The pain in her wrist distracted her from her thoughts of being murdered in her sleep. She headed for the bathroom to run her hand under cold water and remove the bloody dress. To her horror, she realized that the blood had soaked through, her legs stained pink with the victim’s blood. Her body heaved and she barely made it to the toilet. She struggled out of her dress and turned on the shower faucets, anxious to remove the stain from her skin. The dress would be dispatched to the garbage as there was no way she would be able to remove the mark. Besides, how could she scrub at the blood when she could barely face it let alone touch it.
Now you listen here. She told herself as she showered, scrubbing her skin with a loofa until it was almost raw. It’s not over till it’s over. There has got to be a way to turn this around. She remembered the look on David’s face as he gripped her wrist. The throbbing pain reminded her of his anger. Could she muster the courage to continue with her charade? Would he even give her the opportunity?
Washing her hair proved difficult and she suspected that he had indeed broken a bone when she noticed how black and distorted her wrist looked in the harsh bathroom light. Wrapping a towel around her body as best she could, she located a first aid kit in the well equipped kitchen and bandaged her wrist. She applied an ice pack over the bandage to reduce the swelling. A rumbling in her stomach directed her to the well-stocked kitchenette. Unfortunately, the only thing she could find and manage to eat with one hand was a banana, so she ate it, washed it down with a glass of milk, and retired early, taking her side arm to bed. Just in case.
During the night, she tossed and turned, pondering her mistakes and unable to tolerate the physical and emotional pain. How could I be falling in love with a man who I now know for sure is capable of being a killer? She cradled her injured wrist to her chest, torn between self-preservation, duty and the completely idiotic reasoning of her heart. The internal dialogue between her brain and gut relentless. You only think you love him because you lust after him. He could be the killer. Be smart. What if he attacks you again? Could you draw your gun fast enough to protect yourself? Why risk your life for a case, even if it’s your only chance for promotion? Get out of here before he kills you too.
She held her hands over her ears, squeezed her eyes tight shut and tried to block out the voices of reason. I just don’t get that killer vibe about him. I can’t imagine him deliberately hurting anyone. Her wrist throbbed in protest giving her brain ammunition to use against her. That’s because when you’re around him, all you can imagine is his talented hands on your body. Try imagining those same hands around someone’s neck, squeezing the life out of them.
A howl pierced the silence of the room, drawing her attention back to her surroundings and the gun beneath her pillow. She reached for the cold metal and wrapped her fingers around the handle as another wail shook her to the core. How was that even possible? The animal followed me here? Sliding her body across the bed, she broke into a run the moment her feet touched the floor. After taking a deep breath, she drew back the curtains, scanned the dark garden and gasped. A pair of red, unblinking eyes stared back at her from behind the heavy foliage of ferns. She closed her eyes tight, wishing the creature away and when she opened them, it was gone.
****
By the time the sun began to rise next morning, she had reached a decision. Rather a flesh and blood killer than risk being attacked by whatever the hell had followed her here. Living close to David not only gave her the opportunity to either convict or exonerate him, it’s heavily fortified grounds offered more protection than her run down, gang run neighborhood. She sighed and lay back on the bed. Who are you kidding? She already loved this place with its beautiful gardens and view of the beach. Living here, close to David was a dream come true. No … more than a dream. A fantasy come to life. Especially if he followed through on his next lesson plan. He had promised bare flesh and she had a feeling that he was a man of his word. Worse still, after all that he had done to her: the damage to her wrist, the humiliation at the campus in front of her classmates, teachers and even her boss … damn it, she still wanted him.