Brenda Novak - The Perfect Murder

Resisting the urge to grab her clothes, Latisha drew a careful breath so she wouldn’t disturb Wesley. She and her sister were alive. For now that was all that mattered.

“Am I too heavy on you?” he muttered.

She froze. He wasn’t asleep, after all. And that was something her boyfriend might’ve said to her. “No.”

“That was freakin’ amazing,” he gushed. “You did great.”

How did she respond to such praise? She hadn’t done anything at all except lie still and let him use her.

“It wasn’t that bad, was it?” He rose up to see her face, and the entreaty in his expression surprised her. “No big deal, right?”

She could tell he wanted to believe it. He preferred not to acknowledge that what he’d done was one of the worst crimes imaginable.

She resisted the temptation to make him aware of what his actions made him. No self-respecting cop would’ve done this, yet he prided himself on his police background more than anything. But she was afraid he’d get rid of her that much sooner if she did. The memory of him standing in the doorway with that gun, which he’d since unloaded and hidden under the mattress, was too clear in her mind. She had to outsmart him, had to play him better than that. Chances were she’d gain more by winning his friendship. Someday maybe she’d be able to get a bullet or two from his pocket, where he’d dumped them, and load that gun he’d put under the mattress…

“You said if I slept with you, you’d let us go,” she whispered.

“You rejected that offer.”

She swallowed hard. “But…I came in here with you last night.”

“Only to save your skin. That’s not the same.”

“So…will you ever let us go?”

He was lying down again. When he didn’t answer, she tilted her head to look at him and found him watching her. “Of course. Someday,” he said.

But he didn’t mean it. He hadn’t asked if she was on the pill, hadn’t bothered with any birth control. That alone told her he didn’t expect her to be around long enough to worry about getting her pregnant. Marcie had been right from the very beginning. He had no intention of letting them go. Their only chance was the one Latisha was taking. If she could make him want her, make him like her, he might keep her around and, in time, maybe she’d be able to create an opportunity for escape.

Or an opportunity to put a bullet in his chest.

“Are you ready to do it again?” she asked.

He raised his head. “You want more?”

Her muscles tensed with revulsion. “Why not?”

“There you go, girl. Doesn’t hurt a damn thing, does it.” He smiled eagerly. “Give me a few minutes to rest.”

When he eventually rolled on top of her, she hummed silently to herself, swimming in that same deep imaginary pool where she could feel nothing but the water swirling around her limbs. She and Marcie would get away. Wesley was human.

That meant he had weaknesses.

The pressure Jane felt to work fast made their day at the casinos seem interminable. She knew from what she’d witnessed at TLS that real investigations weren’t like what she saw in the movies. They could be tedious. But this was her first experience feeling such intense personal responsibility to see that the case moved faster.

“We’re getting nowhere,” she complained to Jonathan after they’d spent several hours asking dealers and waitresses at each casino about the picture Sebastian had given her. Some said they’d never seen the man, others said they couldn’t be positive-too many people passed through a casino to remember them all.

“You ready to give up?” he asked.

“I’m not sure what to do.” She stood amid the flashing lights and clattering slot machines of Thunder Valley, gazing down at the photograph. “Maybe Sebastian’s Wesley Boss isn’t my Wesley Boss. Maybe I’m using the wrong man’s photograph.”

“Or maybe we’re asking the wrong dealers.”

“You think we should wait until later?”

“We don’t know when he gambles. If it’s at night, it makes sense to ask the dealers who work that shift.”

She’d already thought of that, but waiting meant they’d lose even more time. Marcie had been alive when she called. Was she still alive? What about Latisha? “If I need to come back, Kate will have to stay at my in-laws’ again,” she mused.

“I’d offer to make the rounds for you but I promised Zoë I wouldn’t work tonight,” he said. “My hours have been crazy lately.”

“I can do it,” she told him. “Kate loves it at the Burkes’.”

A security guard gave them a funny look, as if he suspected them of trying to do something wrong. What, exactly, that might be, Jane couldn’t figure out. They weren’t even gambling. Maybe he’d seen her flashing that picture around and didn’t like it. She always felt so watched in a casino. It made her uncomfortable. But the fact that they’d caught this guy’s interest gave her an idea.

Stepping around Jonathan, she approached him. “Sir, could you help me?”

Bushy salt-and-pepper eyebrows like those of an old-time sea captain jerked together above murky gray eyes. “With what?”

After introducing herself and Jonathan, she explained their purpose. “Have you seen this man?” she asked once he understood.

He studied the photograph, but ultimately shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not.”

“Is there any way we could view the security tapes to see if he’s been in?”

“I’m not the one who can give permission for that. I’m guessing you’d need to contact the police and have them get in touch with management.”

“There’s already a detective on the case. I could talk to him, see what he can do,” she said. But this was such a long shot. Would there be probable cause to get a court order, if one was necessary? And was it the best place to spend their time, anyway?

“Although…” Security considered the picture again. “I suppose I could check the tapes myself.”

Jane exchanged a glance with Jonathan. “Would you mind?”

“How far back do you want me to go?”

“Would six weeks be too long?” Jonathan asked.

“Nah.” He clicked his tongue. “But I’d have to do this on my own time, so it could take a while.”

More discouraging news. Maybe David could shorten that time frame by gaining access to the tapes, but he’d have to work it out with the tribal council. Jane assumed they had jurisdiction. “We’d appreciate whatever you can do.” At least it was a start.

“No problem.”

She handed him the picture, along with her business card. “You can reach me here if you find anything.”

“Will do.”

Jane’s cell phone rang as they walked out of the casino. “It’s Skye,” she told Jonathan in disbelief.

He seemed just as surprised as she was. “Calling from South America?”

“Must be.”

When she hesitated instead of answering, he stopped. “Aren’t you going to take it?”

Jane wasn’t sure she wanted to. So much had changed since her friend and boss had left. She was searching for two kidnap victims, had made love with someone she’d just met-and she might be pregnant. She didn’t want Skye to know about these things, did she? How much could she tell her?

“Jane?” Jonathan prompted.

“Of course.” She punched the talk button before the call could transfer to voice mail. “Hello?”

“How’s it going?” Skye asked.

Jane tried to put a smile in her voice. “Fine. What about you?”

“Could be better. We still haven’t found the child we’ve been looking for. It’s so difficult when you don’t speak much of the language.”

To escape the noise, Jane stepped away from the automatic doors but remained under the overhang to avoid the rain. The worst of the storm had passed, but it continued to drizzle. “How much longer do you think it will take?”