Chapter Four

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three|

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Chapter Four

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Suzy heard the front door slam shut, and tried again to pull the front of her shirt down. Her skin was still wet from the shower, and the new shirt was clingy. Getting a bra on was a challenge, but she expected that. The drama over this shirt though was ridiculous. It had better look fantastic on her for all of the trouble it was causing. She had been planning on making a nice dinner. Now, though, it looked like take-out. But at least she would look nice.

“Suzy! Suzy!!” The frantic sound in William’s voice startled her.

“Will? I’m in here.”

The door was thrown open, and Will rushed in. Suzy shrieked, and leapt back, then cried out as pain from her foot radiated through her leg.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Will questioned frantically. He searched her eyes, reaching up to push her hair back from her face. His hands dropped to her shoulders, then ran down her arms to her hands, looking for injury. He lifted her bandaged hand gently and turned it over.

“What happened?” he repeated, softer this time. He gently caressed the back of her hand.

“I’m fine. Will, what are you doing?”

“The blood- I thought—” He took a step back, still holding her hand, and looked her over.  A slow blush spread across his cheeks when he noticed that she was half undressed. She stood there in panties and a bra, her shirt stuck right below her breasts. His gaze lingered there, traveling down the soft, lightly tanned expanse of skin between the edge of her shirt and the lace top of her panties. She saw the path his gaze was taking, all but feeling the smoldering heat against her skin, and snatched her towel back off the rack to cover herself.

“I dropped a glass, and cut myself trying to pick the pieces up. It looks a lot worse than it really is.”

“There was so much blood. It was all from your hand?”

Suzy shrugged. “I stepped on a piece. I guess it bled more than I realized. I think it’s okay now, though.”

“And here I am making you stand on it. Turn around, Suzy.”

Suzy slowly turned, favoring her right foot, and he pulled down the back of her shirt, and then pulled the front down by the sides. The gentle touch of his rough hands sent shivers down her back.

Will had graciously turned his back, and she grabbed her pants from the shelf. She slipped them on, balancing awkwardly against the sink to take most of the pressure off her injured foot. Fortunately, they weren’t jeans; she had picked up a couple pairs of yoga pants at the store that morning.

Will turned back around, and reached for her. “Let me take a look at your foot.”

“Will, really, it’s fine.”

“Just let me take a look, please. For my piece of mind.”

He looked so concerned that she finally gave in. “Okay. A quick look.”

She hung the towel back up and took a few limping steps towards the bathroom door. Will saw the small wince she tried to hide, grabbed his medical kit from under the sink and stepped towards her, sweeping her up into his arms.

“What are you doing? William! Put me down!” she cried, struggling against him.

“This is faster.” He couldn’t stand seeing her in pain. Her arms reluctantly wrapped around his neck, and she set her head against his chest. It felt right; he pulled her a little closer and slowed his step a bit. When he set her down on the couch, it was with great reluctance. He sat down beside her on the footstool, and pulled her leg into his lap.

It was worse than he would have guessed, giving the casual way she had been acting about it. The cut was quite deep, and still bleeding.

“You’ll have to stay off of this for a while. Did you get all of the glass out?”

“Yeah. It was just one piece.”

“Must have been a big piece. Which cup did you break?”

She glanced down uncomfortably, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks, and he understood. “Ah. That one.” World’s Best Lover. It had been a gift from Izzie, celebrating their first year together. “I was meaning to get rid of it, anyhow.” He thought a moment, his brows drawn together. “What were you doing with it?”

“I was just surprised you still had it. I went to look at it, and it slipped.” Not entirely true. She might have knocked it aside with a bit more force than necessary while looking for a cup. She hadn’t meant for it to break, though.

Will nodded, accepting her answer, and then took some gauze, a container of ointment and a long bandage from the medical kit at his feet. The ointment was cool, and made her skin tingle. His hands applying it, however, were warm and gentle. She watched in silence as he held the gauze against the cut and wrapped her foot, taking every care to not cause her more pain.

He needed more moments like this, Suzy decided. Tender and caring. She would have loved writing this part; it had been well over a year since she had the opportunity to show this side of him. His fingers moved quickly across her foot, wrapping and then tying a knot. She winced and pulled her foot away.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“My apologies, Suzy, but it needed to be tight enough to bind your foot together.”

Her startled gaze flew to his face. “Exactly how bad is it? I thought it was just a cut.”

“You’ll probably be alright without stitches, but you will need to give it time to heal properly. No traipsing around town,” he said, gently pulling her foot back to his lap. He rechecked the bandage, and then slid out from underneath it. Using a pillow for support, he repositioned her foot onto the footstool. After that, he sat down beside her, taking her injured left hand in his. “Speaking of which, where were you earlier?” As he asked, he began unwrapping her bandages.

“What do you mean?” Her thoughts raced. How did he know?

He gave her a patronizing look. “I called. Did you check the messages when you got in?”

“No. I would have felt like I was snooping. And I didn’t plan on staying out as long as I had; it was supposed to be just a quick walk.”

“You must have been out there for hours!”

Suzy ducked her head, and mumbled a reply.

“Say that again?”

“I got lost.”

“You got lost? That settles it. You’re staying here. I’ll turn the den into a bedroom.” There were parts of this city where she’d be mugged, or worse, simply for walking down the wrong street. The thought of her wandering through the city alone worried him.

Suzy bit the inside of her lip to keep from grinning. Although it hadn’t been her goal when she had gotten lost, she was happy to have an excuse to stay. She had a lot of questions about her host and his world; staying with him was the best way to get them answered. A small voice in the back of her mind piped in, asking if there wasn’t another, more personal, reason she wanted to stick around. She ignored it. This was a research opportunity; nothing more.

Will gently pulled the gauze off of Suzy’s hand. The cut stretched from the crease near her thumb to halfway across her palm. It wasn’t nearly as deep as the cut across her foot, but it was still enough to hinder her. He soothed on some of the ointment, replaced the gauze, and began rewrapping.

“I’m sorry,” she said finally, after several moments of silence. He looked up from her hand, surprised by the concerned tone in her voice.

“For what?”

“Worrying you. Breaking your glass.” She gave a short, humorless laugh. “For leaving blood all over your home.”

“It’s okay.” He went back to wrapping her hand.

“It must have given you quite a scare, coming in and seeing the kitchen after all of the blood at the crime scene.”

He jerked his head up. “How do you know about that?”

Suzy looked as surprised as he felt. “I just briefly caught a glimpse of everything, as I said that. It was that bad, then?”

“Yeah. It was.” Will tied off the end of the bandage. “Listen, if I’m not home, don’t open the door. I don’t care who’s standing there. I don’t know how close we are to catching this guy, and I don’t want to come home to something more serious than a few cuts.”

Suzy regarded him in silence. His face was tilted downward, hair falling forward to slightly cover his face. She extended her good hand forward, cupping the side of his face. He slowly lifted his gaze, until she could see his eyes. His expression was carefully guarded, eyes dark and unfathomable.

“Thank you. I know you’d rather I wasn’t here, but I appreciate you looking out for me anyhow.” A flicker of something moved through his eyes, barely noticeable before it was gone again. He reached up, setting his hand on top of hers, holding it in place as if he was afraid she’d take it away from him.

–

Will’s heart thundered in his chest. Not want her here? What worried him was that he did. Knowing that she would be here when he got home was comforting and disconcerting at the same time. Getting attached wasn’t an option. He needed to send her back to her own world as soon as he could.

But when she touched his face, he forgot all of that. He was just another man, with a beautiful woman sitting on the couch beside him. One that he had known for less than a day, but still, she somehow fit him perfectly.

And she wasn’t for him. Suzy would soon be going home, and he would still be here, alone. With that thought in mind, he removed her hand and stood. “I’ll get the kitchen cleaned up, and then start dinner.”

–

He’d pulled away.

She knew he would; It was just the way he was. Private, hiding behind his carefully constructed walls. For just a moment, though, there had been something there. She could see it in his face, and felt a shadow of it in the back of her mind, through the strange connection they shared. There was a silent desperation to him, something that he kept closely guarded. What would it take, she wondered, to give him the peace he so desperately sought? A new love? A new career, one that didn’t ask so much of him? Or something else entirely, perhaps.

How long did she have here? Was it long enough to make a difference? From her place on the couch, she could watch Will as he began making supper. She watched him, her gaze speculative. Standing stiffly over the stove, all but radiating untouchability, he looked so alone. And Will, she decided, shouldn’t have to be alone.

********

Will cleared the dinner dishes from the coffee table, and then grabbed an extra pillow and blankets from the wooden chest in his room. He returned to the living room, and set the bedding down next to the couch. Suzy had turned the TV on while he had been cleaning up. When he walked back into the room, she turned the volume down and turned to look at him.

“I’d let you have the bed, but it might be easier for your foot if you didn’t have to worry about the stairs,” he said, taking the place beside her.

“This is perfect. Thank you.”

Will nodded. “You’re welcome.” He looked down at his hands, then back to her. “The case we’re working on, it’s really big. I don’t know if I’ll have time to work on getting you back until after this guy is found.”

“I understand.” She delicately nibbled on her lower lip for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more. Will waited, but she stayed quiet.

Silenced stretched out between them, not uncomfortable but not quite companionable, either. Will watched her from the corner of his eye while pretending to focus on the evening news showing on the TV. She had pulled a pad of paper and pencil off the light stand on her side of the couch, and was busy taking notes. His lips turned up in the slightest of smiles; she was making the very best of the odd situation they found themselves in. Her willingness to accept things as they were was refreshing.

“In breaking news tonight, it seems the Belhein Community Killer has struck again. Police were called to the scene of another brutal slaying-”

Will picked up the remote and shut the TV off. He didn’t need more reminders. Images of the crime scene had been playing through his mind all day. He’d barely touched his dinner, and he knew sleep that night would be nearly impossible. If he did sleep at all, he would see the young victim in his dreams.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Suzy asked softly, noticing the pain that flashed briefly through Will’s eyes.

“No.” He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to retreat to his bedroom and try to distract himself. Her gaze flickered for a moment, but she accepted his answer and returned to her notes.

Several minutes passed.

“It’s the third body we’ve found.” Will’s voice was startling in the quiet that had settled. “He’s merciless. These women are tortured; it’s just a game to him. This was the worst one. There was blood everywhere, and the look on her face…” Will broke off as Suzy slid closer to him. She slipped an arm across his chest and resting her head against his shoulder. He tensed for a moment, then relaxed, wrapping his arm around her and pulled her closer before continuing. He described the pictures of the woman’s friends and family along the shelves; the people left behind. Which, to go by the diamond on her left ring finger, included a fiancé.

“I was able to get into the killer’s mind this time. The other two times, I only got glimpses. This man is a monster. The way he plays with them—the pleasure he gets out of it—he doesn’t see them as real people. The things he was thinking while going after her were terrifying.”

Suzy was quiet for a long moment after he finished talking. He rested a cheek against her head, breathing in her soft scent. His shampoo, combined with a purely feminine smell. He didn’t know he was going to say anything until after he had started, but he was glad that he had. Izzie had never been interested in his work. The one time he had tried to talk to her about it, she told him that she didn’t want to know about the ugly world he was involved with. It had hurt a lot more than he’d let on.

Suzy’s calm acceptance, the way she sought to comfort him, was an unexpected gift. And she gave it freely, asking for nothing in return. Knowing that she shared his memory of the crime scene, through the strange bond they shared, made it mean even more.

–

Will shifted slightly and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her closer still. Suzy could feel it as he began to relax, letting thoughts of that afternoon go if only for a short while. She knew what his work with the local police cost him, knew about the late nights spent tossing and turning, ghastly images dancing through his mind. After his first case, a horrific double homicide, he didn’t sleep for a week. He barely ate. The case occurred shortly after he moved into town, and he was hired on by Captain Raimes the day Will led them to the killer’s home. He saw it as his way to put his talents to good use, making them more of a blessing than a curse.

“I understand why you do it,” she said, after a long period of silence, “but I still worry a little every time your phone rings.” It was true. Each and every time he was called into a case throughout the course of her stories, Suzy’s stomach clenched uncomfortably. Each case seemed worse than the last, and each put Will in danger. All it would take was for him to show up on the scene a little too early, or for a desperate criminal to decide to remove the man leading area law enforcement to his door. She had thought she’d had some control over the outcome, being the author. Learning that it had all been real, and that she had no control over the outcome, terrified her.

He set two fingers along her chin, and lifted her face until he could see into her eyes. “You worry for me?” he asked softly, his voice thick with emotion.

Suzy moved her head in a slight nod. Will leaned in towards her, and her eyes fluttered shut. His lips brushed against hers once, twice. The fingers on her chin traveled towards the back of her head, tangling in her hair as he angled her mouth, and he brought his lips down again.

His kisses sent fire running through her veins. His lips were claiming, meant to burn himself onto her very soul. She pressed closer to him, and he growled low in his throat, a primal sound of satisfaction and desire.

And then his lips were gone.

She reluctantly opened her eyes, meeting his shuttered gaze.

“This isn’t right,” he said, releasing her from his grip and pushing himself to a stand. “I should go. Goodnight.” He handed her the pillow and blankets, then headed quickly towards the back of the house and up the stairs. Suzy listened to his footsteps moving through the house, and then heard his door close with more force than necessary. Sighing, she pulled the blanket over her and grabbed her pen and paper from the light stand. Desire still spiraled through her, unrelenting. It was going to be a long night.

–

Will cursed.

He was ten kinds of a fool. What had he thought he was doing? A simple kiss, and what then? He couldn’t offer promises of a future together, and that’s what a woman like Suzy deserved. She should have more than a few stolen weeks while he figured out how to get her home. A woman like that was the kind that you settled down with, started a family with; he could do neither. His future was questionable, and children were out of the question. He wouldn’t risk spreading his unique genes on to another generation. Better that they died with him.

Right now, she’d be spreading out the blanket, plumping the pillows and settling down for bed. Probably jotting more notes down in her notepad before turning out the light. Then she’d fall asleep, and dream dreams untouched by the ugliness and cruelty in the world. The dreams of the innocent.

And he’d spend the night lying awake. At least, he thought wryly, it wouldn’t be the murder keeping him awake this time.

********

Suzy woke up in the morning to sun shining in through the windows. In the background, she could hear cars passing on the street and the shower running in the back of the house. She stretched, wincing as pain shot through her hand and foot. A cup of coffee was sitting on the coffee table. It was still hot, steam slowly rising from the dark liquid, with just the right amount of sugar and cream. William had been paying attention yesterday morning. The thought made her smile.

A sharp knock came at the door. Suzy waited a moment, hoping that Will would have heard the knock. When the second knock came, with the water still running in the bathroom, Suzy slowly pushed herself to her feet, and limped towards the door. She had been told not to open the door when he wasn’t home. As he was in the shower, close enough to hear her should she yell, she figured it was safe.

“Will, are you there? It’s Thomas. Open up!” The knocking came again as Suzy reached the door. A quick peak out the side window assured her that it was in fact Thomas Raimes, holding a stack of files under one arm and looking impatient. She swung the door open, and stepped aside.

“It’s about time. What-” Thomas stopped, and stared at her. “Hello, there. I was expecting William. Is he home?”

“He’s just getting ready. You must be Captain Raimes. Would you like to come in and wait?”

“Yes, please. And just Thomas is fine. I’m afraid you have me at a bit of a disadvantage. Will didn’t mention that he was seeing anyone.” He walked in through the door, still giving her a befuddled look, and she felt him watching her intently as she closed the door behind him and led the way to the living room.

“I’m Suzy Raymond, and Will and I aren’t seeing each other. I’m just staying until other arrangements can be made.”

Thomas lifted a single dark eyebrow, but said nothing. Thomas had always been one of her favorite characters to write about. He was a charmer; he had been blessed with stunning good looks, and a contingent of female admirers to prove it. His dark, wavy hair, blue eyes and confident smile had led to several broken hearts throughout the last fifteen years of his life. Unfortunately for the women of the town, he was completely devoted to his wife. They had gotten married at the end of the first of Suzy’s novels, shortly after Will helped to solve the first case, and they now had two young children.

“Have you known Will long?”

“A while. I’m not surprised he hasn’t mentioned me. I’m from out of town, but I was recently displaced from my home.” It was technically true. “I showed up here two nights ago, and Will insisted I stay.”

“Huh.” The corners of Thomas’s mouth tilted up slightly, revealing small dimples on either side of his cheeks. “That explains it then. He seemed very distracted yesterday. I was wondering why. It was you.”

Suzy laughed. “Guilty as charged, I’m afraid.” Then she blushed. “That was horrible. I’m sure you hear that a lot.”

“Yes, but very rarely from anyone so charming. Listen, we’re having a picnic this Sunday. My wife and I, I mean. We’re just having some friends over. You and Will should come.”

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

“We’d love to have you. Anyone that can fluster Will so soundly is someone that I want to get to know a little better. That man needs a good flustering once in a while.”

–

Will was surprised to hear laughter coming from the living room once he stepped out of the shower. It was a sweet, melodic sound. She didn’t laugh often enough, he decided. The sound made him smile.

A male’s laughter cut in, and he froze, then scrambled to get his pants on. Who was out there with her? It sounded too real to be coming from the television. He buttoned his pants, grabbed his shirt and hurried out to the other room.

As he drew closer, he recognized Thomas’ voice and slowed his pace. He pulled his shirt on over his head and ran his fingers through his wet hair in a futile attempt to tame the curls. When he walked into the living room, Suzy and Thomas both looked up.

“Good morning.” Suzy smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back. Her hair was mussed from sleep, and had been sloppily tied back, leaving tendrils hanging around her face.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but much better than last night.”

“I noticed the bandages,” Thomas commented. “What happened?”

Suzy laughed. “I’m a klutz. I dropped a glass yesterday, and then cut myself trying to clean up. I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about. I’m going to get dressed and make some breakfast. It was nice to meet you, Thomas.” She stood, careful of her foot.

“The pleasure was mine. I hope to see you this weekend.”

Suzy smiled, and then grabbed a bag of clothes from beside the television. Will watched her go, and then turned back to Thomas.

“What?”

Thomas had an amused expression on his face. At Will’s  question, he shook his head. “Nothing. We have the pictures, and I was able to get a rush job on some of the lab results. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting on the DNA from the cigarette butt. But here’s what we do have.” He handed one of the files over to Will. “We got a fingerprint that matches one found at the scene of the first murder, but we can’t find a match for it in our databases. We’re working through the federal records now. I somehow doubt it’s going to be that easy, though.”

Will flipped through the first file. There wasn’t much to go on that he didn’t already know. The photographs were in the second file; he set that one aside for the time being.

“If you need to go back to the scene, let me know. I’ll walk you through.”

“Thanks. I’ll drop these off once I’m done with them.”

Thomas nodded, and stood. “I’ve got to get into the station.” He walked out to the hallway, opened the door, and then paused and turned around. “Will, Suzy’s a great gal. And if you don’t take your relationship with her beyond ‘just friends’, you’re a fool.”

He stepped out and closed the door behind him. Will stood there, dumbstruck. Thomas had been trying to set him up with friends of his for the past few months. Will had refused. Now, Thomas had turned his matchmaking efforts towards Suzy. This didn’t bode well. He sighed. When had life gotten so complicated?

He had to clear out the den today, and get what they would need for Suzy’s room. The work would give him something else to focus on for a while, and he needed that. It might also give him a chance to get to know Suzy a bit, and give her a chance to get to know him. The day and a half since she had arrived had been crazy; they were due for a slow day. And, he hoped, maybe they would have time to figure out where this strange connection between them had come from. That was the most puzzling part of all this. Why her, and why now, when his abilities were going haywire and he didn’t know from one moment to the other what life would bring next?

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