Finding Elvis
(c) 2006 by Wine Maker

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the 
product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance 
to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is 
entirely coincidental.

Homicide detective Lieutenant Shauna Hawkins is in Vegas with her friends Ted 
and Lisa and has to find out just who got married last night. As a lesbian, that 
might be awkward. A series of dead bodies makes it a lot more serious. This has 
a real plot and three dimensional characters. It's more than just a wanker.


Chapter One: A Rude Awakening	2
Chapter Two: Family Counseling	16
Chapter Three: A busy morning	30
Chapter Four: The tangled knot	44
Chapter Five: When it rains	63
Chapter Six: Coming out	75
Chapter Seven: Fighting the system	95
Chapter Eight: Cementing the relationship	111
Chapter Nine: Taking control	126
Chapter Ten: Shopping trip	140
Chapter Eleven: Cleaning the Kat box	153
Chapter Twelve: Run over by the wagon	166
Chapter Thirteen: Reap the whirlwind	179
Chapter Fourteen: The finishing touch	194



Chapter One: A Rude Awakening
 
I hated not knowing how I'd gotten someplace, but that's how I woke up in a 
Vegas shower. My name is Shauna Hawkins, or as I preferred, Hawk, and I'm a 
Lieutenant in the Homicide Division of the Houston Police Department in Texas. 
Not that I was in Houston, or in uniform, when I woke up, mind you. Closing my 
eyes, I tried to remember what I could.
 
I remembered coming to Vegas last week for a vacation my captain had 
“suggested,” and I found the place was all it was cracked up to be, and a lot less 
than what I expected. Vegas was a huge contrast between high class and low 
life. Anything you wanted you could get, and it showed. Bright, fast and 
decadent: I loved it all and did it all, without doing anything illegal.
 
This vacation wasn't just your normal trip. The last week had been hell back in 
Houston. Ted Stansbury, Lisa Davis and I met, which was great, though it was in 
the worst possible way. Someone had tried to kill Lisa, and had killed her best 
friend, blowing up Lisa's car in front of both Lisa and Ted. I turned Ted and 
Lisa's budding relationship into a threesome when I poked my nose into the mix. 
The last few days had involved running for our lives and finding killers. I still 
wasn't sure how one white separatist group could infiltrate so many levels of the 
local governments back home without someone noticing. To my mind, there had 
to be more people still at work that hadn't been uncovered yet, but thankfully it 
wasn't my job to look into that mess. The Texas Rangers would get to sort that 
out. 
 
We'd hit all the big casinos and the famous Strip. Party-goers thronged the 
streets having a grand time. We didn't do anything very strenuous for a couple 
of days so that Ted could get back up to speed. He'd been pretty banged up in 
the mess down in Houston last week. Then we decided to have a big night out 
on the town and see what we could find to do while getting totally trashed but 
without getting arrested.
 
Perhaps it wasn't the best idea we'd ever had. At least, that was my thought as I 
sat in the shower. I felt like I had been run over by a truck and the bathroom 
reeked of worship to the porcelain god. Actually, I smelled that way, too. I 
groaned and pulled myself to my feet slowly. I was mostly dressed but my shoes 
and underwear were missing. My dress was messy, but mostly intact. I licked my 
lips and tasted pussy, so I must have gotten lucky. Lisa, I assume. Inside, I felt 
very, very moist. Ted must have really given me a good ride. 
 
I shook my head. It was still very strange how I, a life-long lesbian, had fallen 
even this far for a man. Life was stranger than fiction, I guess. As a lesbian, I 
had been with women, but never a man. Ted had changed that. Not that I was 
more interested in that than a fine woman like Lisa. It was just that my horizons 
had been expanded. While we were fighting and running for our lives, we grew 
closer and it just clicked. Her more than him, I admit, but I was developing a 
growing relationship with both of them. Mostly Lisa, but Ted to a lesser degree, 
had managed to attract me enough to overcome my ingrained aversion to men, 
and that still left me unbalanced. What I couldn't lose sight of was that I was 
simply a guest in their relationship. I could tell that they loved each other and 
the desire to find a woman of my own was again starting to poke at my surface 
thoughts, conflicting with the desire to keep getting closer to them. I hadn't felt 
that way since my last steady left me to start a family three years ago. Whatever 
happened, I didn't want to spoil our friendship and this didn't feel serious. 
 
As I climbed to my feet, I started to wonder why I was in the shower, but then 
shrugged. It was anyone's guess. I stripped slowly and carefully, holding onto 
the wall to keep the room from spinning. Turning on the water, I soaked my 
pounding head and scrubbed the worst of the stench off of me. I thought I had 
learned this lesson in college; hangovers should be avoided at all costs. I had 
only the very vaguest of memories of last night. Lots of drinking and walking 
(staggering really) up and down streets. Various clubs, cabs and throbbing 
music. And… I rubbed my head. And Lisa in a white dress. I bolted upright in the 
shower. A wedding dress! Why was I remembering Lisa in a wedding dress?
 
Still soapy, I turned off the water and slid into a robe before going into the main 
room. One of the two beds was still neatly made and the other was torn all to 
hell. Multiple limbs lay about the bed, tangled in the sheets. A woman's hand 
was on top with a gold ring on her wedding finger. Shit.
 
"Lisa. Ted. Wake up." I called out in a voice that made my head pound. Groans 
came from under the covers. I grabbed the duvet and flipped it back. Ted and 
Lisa were both partially naked and tangled together. She lay on top of him, her 
long blonde hair spread over his muscular torso. Ted had a ring on his finger, 
too. Double shit.
 
"Wake up." I shook them and they groaned. "I'm not kidding. Wake up." Nada. I 
pulled a mostly empty bottle of champagne from an ice bucket and set it down. 
Then I dumped the ice water on them. That did the trick. With screams, yells, 
and creative curses, both scrambled out of bed.
 
"What the hell was that about, Hawk?" Lisa moaned, grabbing her head. Ted 
didn't even try to speak; he just held his head as though it would fall off.
 
"Look at your hands. Both of you."
 
Lisa looked at her hands and focused in on the ring with a bit of confusion. 
"Where the hell did that come from?" Ted didn't seem to grasp the meaning of 
the ring either.
 
"I don't know, but I remember seeing you in a wedding dress last night," I said. 
"Did we visit one of those speedy chapels?"
 
Lisa blinked at me owlishly. "I don't know," she said. "I don't really remember 
much after we started clubbing. God, my head's pounding. I've never had so 
much to drink." 
 
I reached into the bed and picked up a used condom, with the end split, and 
tossed it into the trash. "Ted? How about you tell us what happened last night?" 
I asked.
 
He pulled himself together, though he was still staring at the ring. "I don't 
remember, either." He looked at Lisa. "Did we get married?"
 
Lisa picked up a towel and scrubbed her face. "I dunno, but I think the real 
question is who got married?" Ted and I looked at her, confused, until she 
grabbed my hand and put it in front of my face. 
 
I stared at the same style gold ring as they wore, snuggled onto my own ring 
finger. Triple shit!
 
"Hold it," Ted said. "Let's not get carried away, okay?" He scrubbed his face with 
his hands. "I need to shower and then I need to eat. Then we can figure out 
what we did last night. Care to join me, Lisa?"
 
Lisa waved him on. "Go ahead. I need to sit down and think. I'll shower in a few 
minutes." She dropped onto the edge of the bed. 
 
I sat down beside her and put my hand on her knee. "Lisa, this doesn't mean 
anything. I don't care if this is Vegas, you can't get married if you're drunk off 
your ass."
 
She looked up at me, her face a mask of uncertainty. "But, Hawk, I can see 
myself marrying Ted. I know it hasn't been very long since I met him, but I feel 
like I've known him forever. Even if I was drunk when it happened." She looked 
down at my hand. "And if I did, I don't know that I would want to back out, but 
what if it was you? I know you like Ted, but I can't see you marrying him. Not 
enough estrogen." 
 
I laughed and instantly regretted it as my head began throbbing again. "Ohhh, 
Jeeze. Yeah, I'm afraid as much as I like him, or you for that matter, it wouldn't 
happen. You're too in love with each other and I'm not that into men, even if it is 
fun with Ted. In my heart I know that if I ever fall in love again it will be with a 
woman. I just don't have the same kind of emotional connection with men. 
That's what comes from a lifetime of loving women. I like Ted, but I don't love 
him. You do." Inside, I examined the emotions our relationship brought up and 
was satisfied I was right. I didn't love Ted. I didn't even love Lisa. Well, I loved 
them as friends, but that was different. I was comfortable with them.
 
Lisa looked relieved, though she tried to hide it. I could see that she didn't want 
or need someone mucking up her relationship with Ted, and I had no intention 
of doing that to them. Sexual relationships formed in stressful situations usually 
don't last, but I wanted to keep the friendship, no matter how long we continued 
to have sex as a threesome.
 
"Don't stress, Kid. If it happened, I'll have it annulled faster than the Houston 
Texans can lose a football game," I said with a grin. "It's better odds on you and 
Ted getting married than me and him." I stood up and began gathering my 
remaining clothes. I found my shoes and underwear beside the bed and got 
them all together. The shoes went into the closet, the clothes into a trash bag 
for washing. I stood for a moment, looking at myself in the mirror. I saw long 
black hair and a body that was slim and muscular to the point of being more 
girlish than womanly. For the millionth time I wished I had bigger tits and then 
grinned. Where I would put them when I wasn't using them?
 
Lisa padded into the bathroom to clean up with Ted, and to talk privately about 
the situation. That was okay. I was a guest in their relationship and they had 
every right to be worried about this marriage thing. 
 
I had best start getting to the bottom of this. We had been toasted last night so 
there would no doubt be a wealth of clues around to help us sort out where we 
had been. God knows I'd investigated enough crimes to know just how big a trail 
drunks tend to leave behind, no matter how clever they think they are. We 
hadn't been trying to hide anything, I'm sure, so I should be able to reconstruct 
our trail. 
 
Searching around the room, as well as purses and wallets, turned up several 
items of interest: a memory stick for a computer (of which we had none), a 
matchbook from a club ironically named Memory Lane, and a receipt from Zales 
for three wedding bands. I whistled at the cost and the fact that the purchase 
had taken place at two in the morning. An all-night Zales? Only in Vegas. I set 
the evidence on the dresser and took a few minutes to ring up room service. 
 
"Front desk," a young sounding man said.
 
"Hi, this is room 236. Do you folks have a morning after kit?" I asked.
 
I could hear a whisper of humor in his response. "As in a hangover remedy? As a 
matter of fact, we do. Water, aspirin and vitamin C. I'll have some brought up, if 
you like. Breakfast, too? Something light?"
 
"Make it for three, cure and food. Thanks." I hung up and went into the 
bathroom, making enough noise so I wouldn't be spying on them. It turned out 
that they were already toweling off. 
 
"I ordered something for the pain and a light breakfast we can either eat or not. 
Ted, look, I realize that I'm a third wheel in this triangle and I don't want to lose 
our friendship."
 
He held up his hand and covered my lips. "You don't need to say anything, we'll 
sort this out. I like you, but I love Lisa. If it starts to be a problem, we can step 
back to just being friends, right? You can, too, and we won't be upset. Right, 
Lisa?"
 
With a sigh of relief, she nodded emphatically. “I have to admit that I feel really 
uncomfortable -- hell, worried -- with the idea that you two might have gotten 
married.” Lisa held up a hand to silence my attempt at speech. “I know that it 
doesn't seem likely, but I want to be honest.”
 
I nodded. “I can appreciate that. Say the word and I back off and we get 
platonic, okay? I need to finish my shower. I'll be out when I feel human again, 
so start eating without me."
 
As they went back into the main room to dress, I dropped my robe and stepped 
into the shower, turning the water up to the hottest temperature I could 
tolerate. I stood under the pelting heat, letting my mind clear.
 
Ted was right. This wasn't a life-ending crisis for any of us, but I was disturbed 
that I might have ever been drunk enough to get married to a man at all. That 
pointed out to me that I needed to re-evaluate who I was and what I really 
wanted out of life. I didn't give my word to anything lightly even when I was 
drunk. I had never felt so comfortable or relaxed around a hetero couple like this 
before. I had to be very careful if we were to get out of this as friends if, or 
when, we tired of the physical pleasures. This was complex and I had better 
keep my eye on the ball.
 
When I finally couldn't take the heat any more, I turned the temperature down 
and gave myself another good soapy scrubbing. Considering what I had looked 
like when I woke up, I decided to wash my hair, too. It would take a while to 
dry, but I bet people would appreciate me not smelling like stale booze and 
worse. Once I was done, I wrapped my hair in a towel and dried off. I slipped 
my robe back on and went into the bedroom. 
 
Room service had put in an appearance while I was out. Toast, eggs and juice 
were set out on the table and both of my lovers were already eating. A large 
glass of water and some pills were set beside my plate. I sat down and 
swallowed the pills and drank my water. I didn't know if I could finish all of my 
breakfast, but I had to eat something. 
 
Ted looked a bit more human than Lisa did, or than I felt for that matter. He 
looked at me over his toast. "I thought our sleuthing days were over. Guess I 
thought wrong. So, Hawk, what do we do first?" 
 
"The first thing we do," I said, sopping up my egg yolk with toast, "is not get 
carried away. I'm sure that nothing irrevocable happened. We just need to figure 
out where we went and what we did. 
 
Lisa nodded. "And then what?"
 
"Then, I track us down. We have some clues to work with already." I gestured to 
the receipt for the rings and memory card. "I looked through our purses and 
your wallet. Nothing convenient, like a license. We'll need a computer to look at 
the memory card. Since I can't imagine we found a computer to haul around, it's 
probably from a camera. Pictures should clear this up even more. I bet the front 
desk can point us in the right direction."
 
Ted looked at the clock on the dresser. "This town is awake all the time, but the 
people that were out late might not be up for a while. And don't forget we have 
to fly back to Houston tomorrow. So, that really doesn't leave us a lot of time to 
find answers."
 
"Yeah, but let's give it a try before we give up," I said. "Eat up so we can get 
moving."
 
 
We finished eating and dressed for a walk around town. I snagged up the receipt 
and memory card. When we made it to the posh lobby, I waved the card at the 
desk clerk. "Morning, Sport. I need to check this card for pictures. Can you point 
me to where I can get a computer to read it?"
 
He politely pointed out into the street. "Turn left and go up two blocks, Miss. 
There is a CVS Pharmacy that has a machine that reads them and lets you print 
the pictures you want."
 
"Thanks!" With that, I led the trio out and into the street. The traffic was light 
and the foot traffic was even lighter. 
 
"Looks like this town sleeps in," Lisa said, smiling at the doorman. 
 
"Yes, Ma'am. This place won't get rolling until dinnertime." He tipped his hat to 
us.
 
"Excuse me, who would have been on the door last night, late. Say a couple of 
hours before dawn?" I asked.
 
"That'd be Tim Weatherspoon, ma'am. He'll be back on shift again tonight at 
midnight."
 
"Thanks."
 
The air wasn't nearly as thick as the stuff we breathe in Houston, so the walk 
was rather enjoyable. Ted and Lisa had their arms around each other and I 
walked beside them. The CVS was impossible to miss. We strolled inside and to 
the photo department. As advertised there was a machine to check the card for 
pictures. 
 
I slid the card into the machine and it brought up thumbnails of about two dozen 
pictures. Damned if it didn't look like a wedding to me. I had it print them all so 
we could look at them more closely.
 
Ted and Lisa crowded around as the pictures began printing. 
 
"Oh, shit," Lisa said, seeing herself in a wedding gown. "Where the hell did I find 
a wedding gown in the middle of the night? And what did I do with it? It's not in 
the room."
 
Ted looked at another picture incredulously. "Is the minister dressed like Elvis? 
We were married by The King?"
 
When all the pictures were printed, it sure looked like a wedding to me. Ted and 
Lisa's. I let out the breath that I'd secretly been holding. Ring aside, it looked like 
I hadn't gotten hitched after all. Whew! That should make Lisa feel a lot better.
 
"Yeah, it sure looks that way," I said grinning. "I think I was the bridesmaid. I 
told you, Lisa, I'm going to find some nice woman to bowl over. Ted is your man, 
and yours alone. You want your ring back, Ted? Polygamy is illegal, you know." 
 
Ted rolled his eyes. "Keep it as a keepsake and when you do find that nice, quiet 
woman I'll laugh my ass off."
 
Lisa slapped his arm. "That's not funny, Ted!"
 
He raised his hands in self-defense. "Okay! I take it back! I'll just laugh the next 
time she gets sideswiped by something she never saw coming." Then he 
laughed. "Well, now what? The jewelry store or shall we start interviewing 
Elvises?"
 
"The jewelry store might be easier. We may have to come back tonight to catch 
someone that saw us."
 
 
We paid for the prints and made our way back to the hotel. The desk clerk called 
us a cab and we drove to the address on the receipt. Ted had the cab wait for 
us. The store was a swanky place. A man in an expensive suit met us at the 
door. 
 
"Hello, my name is Charles. How may I help you?"
 
"Yeah," I said. "I need to know which salesperson helped us with a purchase we 
made last night." I handed him the receipt.
 
Charles looked it over and handed it back. "That looks like Carl Daniels' employee 
number. Is there a problem?"
 
I smiled. "You could say that. My friends apparently got married and don't 
remember it. We're trying to trace our movements last night and we may have 
mentioned it to him. When does he come back on shift?"
 
He smiled, but it was restrained. "Actually, this isn't the first time I've heard a 
story like this. A number of people come in under the influence and purchase 
wedding rings. What's odd is that it looks like you bought three rings." He 
quirked an eyebrow. "Care to enlighten me about that?"
 
"Yeah, well, I don't really know. Ask me when I figure it out.” I responded.
 
"Of course. Come with me. I'll check the schedule to see when Carl's back on 
shift while we take care of this."
 
He checked a clipboard behind the counter and nodded. "It looks like Carl 
clocked out at eight am and will be back tonight at midnight. I'll call him after he 
has had some sleep and see if I can get you an answer before then. Do you have 
a number where I can reach you?"
 
"Call and leave a message for us at our hotel," Ted said and gave him the 
number. "Leave a message for Ted Stansbury."
 
"Of course, Mister Stansbury. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
 
"Do you know of any chapels where people get married by Elvis?" Ted asked.
 
Charles tilted his head back and laughed. "This is Las Vegas, Mister Stansbury. 
There are hundreds of them scattered across the city. Can you be more 
specific?"
 
Ted slid the pictures across to him and the man examined them before shaking 
his head. "I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I don't know the gentleman. He 
does look like The King, though. The thin King."
 
Ted scowled, but he didn't really mean it. "Thanks for your help."
 
We went back to the cab and I looked at them over the roof. "Not much we can 
do before we get more information. If it was real, it'll be filed at City Hall, but 
usually they're mailed in. So, it won't be there yet. This is our last day in Vegas, 
and I don't think we should let this mess keep us from seeing the sights."
 
Lisa nodded vigorously. "Yes. Let's go to the strip and see some more and this 
time no alcohol!" Then she looked at Ted. "By the way, if we did get married, 
this does not count as the honeymoon, Skinflint." She grinned. "I think Niagara 
Falls might fit the bill, though."
 
Ted rolled his eyes and laughed. "Get in."
 
 
We walked the strip, ate lunch and walked some more. It felt like I was back on 
the beat. The whole place was gaudy, even the cheap joints. I decided it was fun 
to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here. Give me Houston any day of the week. 
 
When it was getting dark, we took a cab back to the hotel and hit the desk clerk 
up for messages. Surprisingly, there was one for me along with the hoped for 
message for Ted. While Ted called the number on his, I read mine with growing 
confusion.
 
Detective Hawkins, you don't know me, but I have heard about you. We are 
staying here at the same hotel. I recognized you in the lobby yesterday from 
newspaper articles regarding your recent case in Houston. If it is not too much of 
an imposition, I would like to invite you and your friends to attend a private 
gathering in the main dining room tonight. I would be in your debt if you 
humored an old man like me this once. Please, bring your friends. I would dearly 
love to speak with you all. Eight pm. Hans Werner.
 
I looked up and glanced at the clock. About an hour till then. The name was 
flitting around the edge of my mind. It was elusively familiar. I leaned over the 
desk and waved at the clerk.
 
"Help me out. Hans Werner. Who is he?" I asked.
 
"Mister Werner is involved in a number of businesses. He is very wealthy and 
lives in Texas…"
 
I held up a hand. "That did it. Thanks, it's all coming back to me now."
 
I remembered him now. Hans Werner, billionaire. He was almost as rich as Bill 
Gates, if I remembered the article I had read a few years ago correctly. He came 
to the USA with his parents from Nazi Germany during World War II and built a 
small family fortune into one of the largest business empires in the world. Very 
reclusive. Very high society. Why did he want to speak with a homicide cop from 
Houston?
 
Ted interrupted my thoughts by hanging up the phone. "I have it. Carl said we 
were going to a place called "His Majesty's" over near the business district. We 
can catch a cab and be there in half an hour."
 
The desk clerk startled a bit at the name. "I'm not sure how much good that will 
do you, Mister Stansbury. His Majesty's burned down some time this morning. It 
was in the paper."
 
"What?" We all asked.
 
He reached under the counter and set the paper on the desk. The picture of a 
burned out building was on the cover. I read the story rapidly. The fire started 
about six am. No one was injured, but the police were calling it arson. 
 
We all looked at one another, a bit stunned. 
 
"Well," I said at last, "I hope Elvis left the building first. I guess that we'll have to 
track down the owner tomorrow and find out who was working last night."
 
Lisa looked a bit distressed. "But we have to be on the flight tomorrow morning! 
I have to be back to work."
 
I waved my hand. "I'll move my flight back and you two can go home. I still 
have mandatory off time left while they complete the investigation. I can track 
down the details."
 
Ted frowned. "You're sure?"
 
"It's fine," I assured him. "I love a good mystery. In any case, I have some news 
of my own." I passed them the invitation.
 
"Jesus!" Lisa said after reading it. "Do you know who that is? He's richer than 
God!" 
 
Ted nodded his agreement. "A very powerful man," he added.
 
"Do you want to go?" I asked. They nodded.
 
"We need to go start getting ready right now," Lisa said insistently, dragging Ted 
toward the elevators. 
 
I smiled at the desk clerk. "They act so married, don't they?"
 
He nodded and smiled, making me laugh. 
 
 
In an hour, we were dressed and outside the dining room. Lisa was in a sheath-
like dress of dark blue. She looked fabulous. I was in my uncomfortable heels 
and the only other dress I had. A little black dress. It was slit up the side high 
enough that I didn't dare wear anything but a thong and the neckline plunged 
low enough to show off my average breasts as long as I had no bra on. Like 
now. I would have rather worn the other dress but it was still nasty. Ted was in 
his nice suit.
 
The door was closed with a man in a suit standing outside it. He wore a dark 
suit, like the secret service wore. And he was carrying in a shoulder holster. I 
shook my head and took the lead, handing him my note.
 
"Detective Hawkins and friends. We're expected," I said confidently.
 
He nodded. "You're on the list, Detective. Please go right in."
 
"Thanks." I opened the door and we stepped inside. The room was filled with 
people. The glitterati. The cream of society. There were more noses in the air 
than I could count and my clothes seemed tawdry. Those closest to the door 
turned to sniff at us. I felt my temper start to fray. Lisa took my hand and led us 
in, looking around. 
 
We moved into the crowd but didn't mix. Oil and water, I suppose. People eyed 
us curiously, and we were quickly labeled as the help. That was obvious when 
some dowager asked me to be a dear and run to get some more champagne 
from the kitchen. My snarl was cut off smoothly by an older man in a sharp gray 
suit.
 
"Lieutenant Hawkins, I'm so pleased you could join me."
 
"Mister Werner?" I asked, a bit more abruptly than was probably wise with 
someone as powerful as he is, if it was him.
 
"Yes," he answered, unperturbed by my sharp tone. "Please, come and join me 
at my table. It will be less crowded and more peaceful." He nodded to the now 
simpering older woman and led us through the crowd that seemed to part before 
him like the Red Sea. "You must be Lisa Davis and Ted Stansbury. I am so very 
pleased to meet you all."
 
The table we were going to was the only one in the room. Six chairs were set 
around it, but no one was sitting at it. Hans pulled out a chair for me and Ted 
held one for Lisa. When Hans settled, a waiter appeared as if by magic to take 
our drink orders. 
 
"Can I get something to eat, as well?" I asked. "It's been a long day." 
 
"Of course! Anything you like," Hans answered. 
 
I ordered some wine and a sandwich. Ted and Lisa did the same. Hans ordered a 
brandy. 
 
"I'd order some Stansbury wine, but I doubt it is served so far from home," Ted 
joked.
 
"I've tried it and found it very good," Hans admitted. "You make a fine wine, 
Ted. May I call you Ted? Lisa? Shauna?"
 
They nodded and I shook my head. "Call me Hawk. Only my mother called me 
Shauna."
 
"Of course," he nodded. "Hawk it is. I'm sure you are wondering why an old man 
like me asked you here. I must admit it is all curiosity on my part. I do hope you 
don't mind, but I have always been fascinated by crime and conspiracy. I've read 
the stories of what happened back home, and when I saw you here I simply 
couldn't resist asking to hear about it in person. Will you indulge an old man in 
his whimsy?"
 
I felt what heat I had melt away. He was so much like what I'd imagine a 
grandfather would be that I couldn't hold his curiosity against him. A glance at 
Ted and Lisa told me they felt the same way. I nodded my head. "Sure. For you, 
anything."
 
The next hour went by quickly. We told our stories, ate his food and answered 
his surprisingly sharp questions. A woman in her fifties, dressed to the hilt, short, 
pencil-thin and (to my mind) arrogant, walked over to the table.
 
"Hans, the guests are getting restless. You should wrap up your little detective 
gathering and see to them." Her eyes raked over me and I could almost sense a 
silent sneer. An instant dislike gathered in my stomach.
 
Hans didn't seem to notice the byplay. "Everyone, this is my wife, Kat. I actually 
should tend to seeing more people." He stood up and shook each of our hands. 
"Thank you for coming on such short notice and indulging an old man." He 
turned to Kat. "Have you seen Gretchen? She's very late and I do hope she won't 
miss out."
 
The cold glitter in Kat's eyes flashed and was gone. "No dear, I suppose she 
must have found… other entertainment." This time, she did sniff.
 
Hans turned red. "I won't have that! Gretchen is my daughter and ever since her 
mother passed away, she has been… Never mind." Then he bowed to us. "Please 
stay and enjoy the party. Thank you again." He stalked off. 
 
Kat looked down her nose at us. "Yes, please stay as long as you like and enjoy 
yourselves. It's obvious that you won't get to mix with this class of people again 
anytime soon."
 
She stalked off at a tangent to Hans and I started forward, ready to tear a strip 
off her. Lisa grabbed me. 
 
"Let it go, Hawk. That won't gain you anything. What a bitch!" Lisa said.
 
"Screw 'em, let's blow this popsicle stand," I snarled, stalking back toward the 
entrance. People damned well got out of my way. A murderous glare pierced 
anyone too slow or too stupid to move fast enough.
 
The door opened as we approached it and I stopped dead in my tracks at who 
came in. Ted bumped into me and stopped to stare right along with me.
 
A tall woman, mid thirties like me, came in. She wore in a sheath dress like 
Lisa's, but in dark red. Unlike Lisa's hers was cut to flaunt her well-proportioned 
assets. The slits in the side came up so far she couldn't even be wearing a 
thong. The neckline plunged to the center of her stomach and showed a 
generous helping of her bra-less breasts. Generous breasts, shown almost to the 
nipples. Her blonde hair was piled high on her head and done in intricate rings. 
Her hourglass figure was hypnotizing, her legs long and shapely. Her creamy 
skin seemed to glow with health and she dripped sex appeal. 
 
Lisa poked me. "Close your mouth before something flies in, Hawk. You, too, 
Ted."
 
My mouth snapped shut, but I couldn't stop looking at her. She was like nothing 
I'd ever seen in person. I was so blown away that I gawked.
 
She smiled and walked slowly toward me. The sway of her hips flashed fire in my 
stomach. Her smile was like the sun. "You don't look like you belong in this 
gathering of old sticks." Her hand took mine, though I wasn't sure that my hand 
was answering my brain. "I'm…"
 
From my left, Kat zipped into view and almost shoved me back to confront the 
goddess before me. "Gretchen, you slut," she hissed. "Take your whore ass right 
back out that door this instant!"
 
Gretchen just smiled. "Well, well, if it isn't the wicked bitch of the west. Why 
don't you just run off and make sure Daddy hasn't hooked up with someone else 
and dropped your sorry ass." She looked at us and said, "Don't mind my step-
mother. A house fell on her sister."
 
Kat slapped her, hard. Gretchen turned back slowly and her eyes sparkled with 
hate. "If someone found you dead, would anyone care? I could kill you and no 
jury would convict me." She shoved Kat and the older woman stumbled back 
before howling and throwing herself into Gretchen. They went down in a tumble 
of scratches and hair pulling.
 



Chapter Two: Family Counseling
 
I shook myself out of my stupor and grabbed Kat, yanking her back. She fought 
and screamed imprecations at Gretchen. Ted and Lisa held Gretchen back after 
she took another swing at her step-mother. It looked like they had their work cut 
out for them. Gretchen was really straining hard.
 
"Enough! Ladies!" I shouted, to no avail as they both continued to struggle 
against our restraint. Gretchen was finally pulled back by Ted and Lisa's 
combined strength.
 
Kat turned to me and hissed, "Let me go right now or I'll see you broken so 
badly you won't be able to get a job waiting tables! Take your hands off of me!"
 
"No," I said firmly. Kat looked shocked, so I explained the word to her. She 
probably didn't hear it much, after all. "That means I'm not going to do it until 
you behave in a civil manner. I don't care who you're married to. You don't get a 
free pass to brawl in public. Calm down or walk it off. I don't care. But, if you 
keep fighting, I'll have to make you stop. Do you understand that?"
 
"You low-life peon!" she snarled. "I'll crush you and your piss-ant friends like an 
egg! You release me this very instant!" She began struggling again so I turned 
and gave her a light shove into the ring of spectators watching us in horrified 
delight. A curl of dark amusement touched my lips. Amazing how alike crowds 
were, no matter their social standing. They wanted blood. It must be the human 
condition.
 
"This fight is over," I said loudly enough to cut through the chatter. "Anyone else 
disturbing the peace will find their well-financed asses hauled off to the lockup 
and I assure you that the cuisine is less than one star. Move on."
 
The crowd came to its senses and began moving off, but Kat wasn't done. She 
started back toward me, murder in her eyes, but was yanked up short by her 
husband stepping through the thinning crowd and confronting her. 
 
"What in blue blazes is going on here?" he demanded of Kat. "I won't have this! 
These are my guests restraining you from fighting and screaming. I wouldn't 
expect that kind of behavior from a common showgirl. Both of you. Stop it this 
instant!"
 
Kat turned bone white, her eyes almost bulging from their sockets, and her 
mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Then she turned bright red, 
sending a scorching glare at Gretchen and myself before turning and stalking off 
in a snit. The remaining spectators pulled back from her like she had the plague. 
 
Hans turned his back on Kat and went to his daughter. "Gretchen, are you all 
right?" 
 
She shook off his hands. "I haven't been all right since you married that bitch, 
Daddy. Can't you see that she's using you? She doesn't love you! She only loves 
your money! She couldn't give a crap about anyone besides herself! How can 
you love her?" she asked with a bite of anguish.
 
I caught the unspoken part of that. How can you love her more than me would 
be more what Gretchen was thinking. I stepped back beside Ted and Lisa.
 
Hans wrung his hands. "It's complicated, Baby. I know she's abrupt, but 
underneath that she's a good person. I love her and you."
 
"She drove a wedge between us, Daddy." Gretchen stepped back. "I should have 
known better than to come here. She still has you wrapped around her little 
finger. You won't ever understand why I left or why I do what I do. Let me go, 
Daddy. Go back to your wife."
 
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she half turned before her father 
shouted, "Wait!"
 
He moved between her and the door. "I may never understand, you're right, but 
I still love you and I don't want to lose you again." He looked back at me and his 
eyes lit up in a way that filled me with foreboding. "I know what we need," he 
told her, his eyes lingering on me for a second more. Turning back to Gretchen 
he said, "We need someone to help us from outside the box. Hawk can do this 
for us."
 
My eyes bulged. "I can do what? Now, hold on…"
 
He rode right over my mounting objections. "Yes," he said with a headshake. 
"Perfect! She's a skilled negotiator and I think you'll find her more interesting 
than the last counselor."
 
Gretchen looked as astounded and just about as happy as I felt. "Daddy, I don't 
have the time to waste on working this out. I have a living to earn. Just mark it 
down that you tried and go back to her."
 
"No! I'll pay for your time. Your highest rate for the next seven days." His eyes 
glittered.
 
"I have clients already booked…" she started before he cut her off.
 
"This is business, I know. I'll pay the penalty of your choosing for you to re-
schedule those commitments. I want you to spend all the time you can with 
Hawk. It can't make things any worse, and perhaps it might help. I'll listen to 
everything she has to say. You do the same." He looked up at her. "You have 
nothing to lose. Please try this for us?"
 
I tried to form words of protest. "Hold on a minute there, Buddy! I already have 
a job and a life of my own. I can't just drop everything I'm doing when it suits 
someone else and I am not some kind of family therapist!"
 
Hans looked surprised. "One call and your employer will be happy to allow you 
the time, I'm sure. As for the rest, I will pay very well for your…"
 
I cut him off, trying hard to remain polite and not lose my temper any further. I 
was still blunt, though. "Look, Mister Werner, I'm not for sale to the highest 
bidder. You can't just wave a wad of cash under my nose and have me trot off 
to do your bidding. I told your wife I wouldn't bow and scrape to her and I won't 
do it for you, either." I waved my finger under his nose. "I do what I want, not 
what someone else wants me to do. You got that?"
 
Over his shoulder I saw a spark of intrigue slide across Gretchen's face. I 
suppose nobody ever talked to Daddy Warbucks like that before. Tough shit.
 
Hans held up his hands. "You're right. I wasn't thinking. You don't work for me, 
but I still think we can make this right and both get something we desire. What 
if I find mutually beneficial ways to work with your friends and I pay you the 
same as I pay my daughter?" He looked at Ted. "I know that I can help Mister 
Stansbury expand his business and I'll wager that Miss Davis would do much 
better in a partnership than working for the government."
 
Now I saw both of my friends startle and open their mouths to protest, but I cut 
them off. While I wouldn't let some rich guy push me around, I also knew my 
price when it was met. My friends would never ask for something for themselves 
and if a week of my time helped them, I'd do it. "That's between you and them, 
but since you'll do that for them, I'll agree. But I do have some business of my 
own to pursue. She can go with me while I take care of that, too. That's the 
deal. Take it or leave it."
 
As Ted and Lisa gaped, Hans smiled. "Excellent. Gretchen? Will you try?"
 
Gretchen looked at him and then back at me. She smiled. "For you, Detective 
Hawkins, I think I will." She looked back at her father. "I'll send the bill tonight. 
Payment in advance for all parties. I know you negotiate in good faith, but it's all 
off if they decline, so I suggest you convince these two nice people to take you 
up on your offer," she said, gesturing to Ted and Lisa. "And I'll get to know my 
new companion for the week. When the week has passed, I'll come and tell you 
where we sit. Deal?"
 
"Deal." Then Hans turned and took Ted and Lisa by the arms, dragging them 
back toward the table. "Come, we have much to discuss."
 
I chuckled at their discomfort and amazement before Gretchen held out her arm 
to me. 
 
"Shall we go get something to eat and talk about this, Detective?"
 
I took her arm and nodded. Perhaps a little time away from Ted and Lisa would 
be helpful. We all needed time to think. The possible marriage, the anxiety the 
threesome seemed to be feeling, and this family counseling thing had happened 
so fast. "Let's go." The touch of her skin felt hot under my fingers and my 
stomach lurched. This could be a very interesting week.
 
 
The hotel doorman called for her car and we waited in silence, eyeing one 
another, no doubt wondering what we had let ourselves in for. When the car 
came around, it was a sleek black Ferrari of some kind. It looked pricey. The 
leather interior smelled new. Like any other red-blooded American, I had to fill 
my lungs and sigh. The seat was warm and seemed to fit my butt like a glove.
 
I buckled in as she started it up. The engine sounded powerful. This car could 
probably take my bike any day of the week. "Nice car," I said. "Looks fast and 
expensive."
 
She laughed and slid out into traffic. Even with her dress mussed and her hair a 
disaster, she still seemed almost unearthly in the effect she had on me. I firmly 
told myself that this was not the time to fall for someone.
 
"It's a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Just on the market." She looked over when she 
stopped at the light, the engine growling powerfully under the hood. "Well, 
maybe not quite on the market just yet. Soon, though. I have a friend in the 
business and he got me one of the first ones. It is fast and worth every penny."
 
I rubbed the console. "You must do well, then. I know I couldn't afford 
something like this car. We were never properly introduced. My name is Shauna 
Hawkins, but I'd rather be called Hawk. I'm a homicide detective from Houston."
 
She reached out and took my hand over the stick shift for a moment that almost 
made my heart stop. "Gretchen Werner, black sheep. As you could no doubt 
tell." She looked over at me. "You do know that this whole arrangement has less 
than a snowball's chance in hell of working, right? That bitch has ruined my 
family and my father let her do it."
 
"I don't know anything yet," I responded. "So, where would you like to eat? 
Someplace quiet so we can talk." I looked over her figure as she drove the car. 
She was even hotter up close. "What do you do that has an income to pick up 
one of these?"
 
She glanced over at me, her eyes light blue under her lashes. "I'm an escort. 
Companion, and more if I choose. It pays the bills. You can't imagine what 
people will pay to spend some time with the daughter of one of the wealthiest 
men on the planet." A hint of bitterness crept into her voice. "Not that it would 
do them any good. I ran off to do this and he disowned me. Pleased the hell out 
of that hag he's married to. Without me in the way, she gets the cash in spite of 
the prenup. She got the only thing that meant anything to me. She got him. I'd 
rather let her have the money and me have him, but he won't let her go. I wish 
she'd just drop dead." Her voice had trailed off to a cold whisper.
 
"I don't think that you should say something like that. Karma is nothing to 
tempt. We should probably save talking about them until we get to know each 
other a little bit better," I added quietly. "And to answer your earlier question, I 
don't expect to make much of an impact, really. I can't imagine what he was 
thinking. I am not trained for this." Interesting. Mommy Dearest had been 
insulting and accurate when she called Gretchen a whore. A rare combination in 
a bitch like Kat.
 
Her cold face lightened a little. "Well, neither can I, really. Neither one of us is 
willing to compromise on the one issue separating us. Kat. We've had 
counseling. The best money can buy in fact, but you have to be willing to 
compromise to make it work."
 
As she took a corner just a bit fast, I held onto the seat. 
 
"Changing the subject again, isn't it a bit illegal to be more than just a 
companion?" I asked with a smile. "I'm not vice, but even I know sex for money 
is frowned upon. Not that I plan on turning you in, mind you," I added.
 
That elicited a laugh. "Actually, it's not illegal in some counties in the State of 
Nevada. I made an arrangement with one of the brothels that works for both of 
us. Las Vegas has a city ordinance covering solicitation, though. If there is going 
to be more than dancing and dining, I close the deal at my place. All 
legal."
 
I pursed my lips. "I didn't know that. Why the hell aren't there hundreds of 
bordellos out there, then?"
 
"Economics and political pressure brought to bear on the ones that do open. It's 
always cheaper to peddle less expensive nookie when you don't have the 
overhead of a real business. Add in the politicians and religious right and you 
have powerful people that can make doing business difficult." She looked over 
and smiled. "At least for the organized places. Most that have tried went under 
within a few years. People like me, well, I'm just too small to hit their radar. And, 
for a classy date, some people are willing to shell out serious money."
 
"Does it bother you sometimes? Selling yourself?" I asked. 
 
If she was offended by my question, it didn't show. "Actually, it's more like 
renting myself. Surprisingly, the sex is not as big a part of my business as you 
might think. I'd say that less than a third of my companions ask to have sex with 
me, and I decide if that happens." She shrugged. "Some take it badly, but then I 
never see them again and they get blacklisted by the all the high-end places. 
With the class of men we're talking about, it's not as much trouble as it may 
sound." She pointed to a Denny's on the corner. "Denny's coffee isn't bad and 
there's less chance of someone I know overhearing us. Here we'll just blend in."
 
I laughed. "Like we'll blend in anywhere dressed like this."
 
She smiled back at me and climbed out of the low-slung car, gathering the 
stares of several men. I almost laughed out loud when one man's obviously 
peeved wife smacked him in the back of the head. Gretchen used her keys to 
lock the door and set the alarm.
 
As we headed in I looked back. "Is it safe out there? For that kind of car? 
Someone could take it in plain sight."
 
She nodded her head and smiled. "It's possible, but if they do it's fully insured. 
It's a nice car but it's still only a car. If they want it, they can have it. With the 
tracking system in it, though, it's a good bet the cops will have them inside half 
an hour. Or so the salesman said."
 
I shook my head and smiled. "How can a woman in the world's oldest profession 
be so naïve? Anything man can devise, man can defeat." 
 
The server seated us and took our drink orders. Shortly, we were sipping our 
coffee and picking at nachos. I had used the last few minutes to try and get 
myself into some semblance of control. 
 
"So, Gretchen, if you don't think this has a chance of working, why even try?" I 
asked. "Why not just turn up your nose and walk out? Hell, why go to that little 
soiree in the first place?"
 
She bit into a nacho chip and crunched thoughtfully. "I went to annoy Kat. I 
hoped for a big fight, but you spoiled my fun," she pouted before grinning. 
"When you put her in her place, I thought she'd swallow her teeth. She hasn't 
been talked to like that since she was a showgirl, I bet." Her face darkened. 
"Since my idiot father married her money-grubbing, power-hungry ass."
 
She sipped her coffee and looked at me with some consideration in her eyes. 
"And that is why I agreed. I've never seen anyone else willing to stand up to her 
or my father. You seem mighty impervious to being bullied. Is that because 
you're a cop or are you a cop because you're that way?"
 
I shrugged. "I've always been stubborn, so I'll have to go with door number two. 
My family despaired of me before I took off. Now, both my parents are gone, 
and I wish I could have made things better before the end." I waved my coffee 
cup. "That wasn't some slick sell job, by the way. This situation just brought it 
back into mind."
 
"What was the wedge in your life?" she asked quietly. "If you don't mind my 
asking." She had the kind of voice that inspired trust and confidence. I guess 
that wasn't so surprising, really, given her choice of professions.
 
I spent a moment gauging her before I spoke. "I came out of the closet and my 
parents freaked. Started thumping their bibles and even called the minister over 
to try and cast out the demon inside me. It was like a circus with bad clowns."
 
Gretchen arched an eyebrow. "Ahhh! So you play for the other team. Very 
interesting. I've only dated men, but I was rented to you for the week so we'll 
have to see what happens."
 
I fixed her with a stern look. "I haven't ever paid for sex before and I don't 
intend to start now. I think you're gorgeous and I wouldn't kick you out of bed 
even for eating crackers, but I refuse to pay for sex."
 
"So, what you're saying is that you think I'm hot, but sex is out while I'm on 
retainer?" she asked archly. "Interesting. I like a challenge, but don't mistake 
me," her expression hardened a touch, "Daddy paid for companionship, not sex. 
If I choose to do more, that's my decision and it won't have a damn thing to do 
with money."
 
She sipped her coffee, her expression changing yet again, this time showing just 
a hint of shyness and making her look younger, even more angelic. "I horsed 
around a little, back when I was in high school, but nothing serious. Kissing 
practice and such with a close friend, but never anything more than a mild 
grope. Not that some men haven't encouraged me to do more with a woman of 
their choice, but none of them ever approached it in a way to make me want to 
try it."
 
I was about to speak when her bare foot rubbed my leg, sending shivers up my 
spine and making my stomach do a little dance. "That's not playing nice," I 
grumbled. And doesn't indicate a shred of timidity, I added to myself with a 
suppressed grin.
 
She pulled her foot back with a laugh. "Why? Are you in a committed 
relationship?" How did she look so angelic even with her hair looking like she'd 
just been in a WWE match?
 
I shook my head. "No, not committed. You met my friends before your father 
dragged them off. I've been…"
 
Gretchen arched her eyebrow again. "You've been what? With her? She's really 
good looking," she admitted, "but he was very easy on the eyes, too."
 
I cleared my throat. "Well, not exactly." I felt a little heat reach my face. God! I 
do not blush! What the hell was wrong with me?
 
Her other eyebrow joined the first. "Him, too? I thought you played for the other 
team?" A hint of a wicked smile crossed her lips. "Or is it both of them 
together?"
 
I sighed, and matched her infectious smile. "How do I get myself into these 
messes?" I asked rhetorically. "Yes, I was seduced by the Dark Side, but only 
because he's such a sweet guy. It's okay, but not like making love to a woman."
 
Gretchen smiled past my shoulder and I felt my eye twitch. 
 
"The waitress is standing right behind me, isn't she?" I asked, already knowing 
the answer. I turned in my seat and the waitress was blushing right behind me. 
Jeeze, this was Vegas. How could everyone here be so naïve? 
 
"Um… Can I, like, get you some more coffee or something?" she asked 
nervously. She was young and I swear young people were getting more and 
more incomprehensible every year. What the hell ever happened to proper 
grammar?
 
Before I could answer her, Gretchen cut in. "Some more coffee would be good, 
Sweetie. I'm getting real thirsty trying to talk this pretty woman into getting 
sweaty between the sheets with me."
 
The young woman (girl, really) blushed and bolted with a jerky nod as Gretchen 
started laughing. I kicked at her under the table. "That was so bad," I told her, 
"getting that poor girl all flustered like that! It'll serve you right if you end up 
getting decaf." I shuddered. "No, on second thought, I take it back. No one 
deserves decaf."
 
She laughed unrestrainedly for the first time since I'd met her. "I can't help 
teasing the lab rats. Couldn't you tell? I always have to push and poke, to get a 
reaction."
 
I was afraid the girl would spill coffee all over the table when she came back. 
Gretchen was no help either, smiling seductively at her. "What time do you get 
off tonight, Sweetie? Want to go dancing with us?" I thought the waitress would 
vapor-lock. There was no shame in Gretchen.
 
"That's enough," I said firmly and looked at the girl. "She's just teasing you. 
We're going out dancing, alone, and then I'm going to drag her home, alone, to 
lick her like a popsicle."
 
The waitress stepped back and her eyes bugged. She dropped tickets 
everywhere while trying to get ours. I couldn't help it. I joined right in with 
Gretchen's laughter as the girl rushed back into the kitchen.
 
"I take it back. We are so bad," I chuckled. "Is it the water around here? 
Everyone seems so naïve."
 
"I'm not naïve," Gretchen insisted. "I've been around the block."
 
"Hmmm. How much did that car cost you?" I asked.
 
"With or without the discount for services rendered?" she shot back, not thrown 
at all by my sudden change of topic.
 
"Fair market value, Sport," I laughed. "I want to know how much those gang 
bangers just boosted you for.”
 
She stood up with a squeak and stared at her car outside, all alone and 
unmolested. She frowned at me and swatted my hand. "Don't scare me like 
that!" God, her chest was hypnotizing. "Hawk. Hawk! Yoo hoo? Up here!" I 
looked up and blushed. If I blushed twice in 15 minutes then this woman was 
definitely getting to me. Her eyes twinkled. "Like what you see? Come on, let's 
blow this joint." She tossed a twenty on the table. "Just to make up for teasing 
her like that."
 
We went back out to the car and climbed in. "To answer your question, it's 
about a quarter of a million, I think. It's a business investment, though."
 
As she started up the car, I raised my eyebrow in disbelief. "Really? Uh huh."
 
"No, really!" she insisted. "With the level of clientele I work with, showing this 
level of affluence actually increases business enough to more than cover the cost 
of this car and the ones that came before it."
 
With a chirp of tires, she pulled into traffic and headed towards the strip. Now 
that is was dark, other expensive and fast looking cars were putting in an 
appearance. I think I even saw a DeLorean. The ladies of the evening were 
starting their shift, city ordinance or no. 
 
"How much do you pull in a year, if you don't mind my curiosity?" I asked at last.
 
"Let's just say I don't have to work this way and keep my class of living anymore 
and I haven't for years." She glanced over. "My rates are pretty high, but I don't 
have trouble filling my dance card for a half the nights in a week. I have a tiered 
rate that runs from four thousand an hour to forty thousand for twenty-four 
hours." She laughed at the look of astonishment on my face. "Look on the web. 
Porn stars get half that and advertise for anyone to see. The really classy women 
ask for more and get more business. I'm double their rate and the wealthy men 
pay it without a qualm. Daddy will be paying my base, and a fifty percent 
penalty for pre-empting my schedule like this, and another fifty percent levied on 
the higher rate if we decide to have sex, all for you to have the pleasure of my 
company for this next week." 
 
Now I almost vapor-locked. That was close to half a million dollars without sex! 
"Holy shit!" I exclaimed. "For that kind of cash, these guys could have women 
draped all over themselves. You're great looking, but why pay out that kind of 
cash?"
 
She smiled, not offended. "A few reasons. One, they think it is a rush having the 
daughter of Hans Werner on their arm, or in their bed if they can manage it. If I 
sleep with one of them professionally, it's even more expensive for them. Two, 
the more expensive something is, the more a certain class of men want it. 
Three, I'm a really good date. When I'm with someone, the world really does 
revolve around them. I'm interested in so many things I don't have to fake 
interest. I'll talk about everything from stamp collecting to bondage. And I dance 
really well."
 
 
She revved the car and powered across the street and into a club parking lot. 
She popped out of the car and handed the keys to the attendant. "Hi, Kyle! 
How's Jenny?"
 
The large black man grinned and took her keys. "Jenny's fine, Miss Gretchen. I'll 
tell her you asked about her."
 
She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "She's, what, five months along? 
Six? Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet?"
 
He shook his head. I couldn't tell with his skin tone if he was blushing, but I 
would bet money on it. "She doesn't want to know; says it would spoil her fun."
 
Gretchen laughed and shooed him away before she headed to the roped off area 
where a line of people snaked around the building. Another large black man, this 
one really large and bald as an egg, opened the rope for us. 
 
"Miss Gretchen, welcome back to Club Gitmo! You and your friend have a 
wonderful evening!"
 
"Thank you, Jimmy!" she said with a wide grin before making her way into the 
packed dance club. 
 
"Club Gitmo?" I asked her. "Like the place in Cuba?"
 
She nodded. "The owners liked the name and cribbed it."
 
The place was as hip as I could ask for, if I were about ten years younger, but 
that didn't seem to bother Gretchen. She moved through the crowd like a pro of 
the dance club circuit, greeting people and giving hugs to more people than I 
knew in the whole world. How many people did she know in this town?
 
As if she had read my mind, she turned to me and placed her mouth to my ear. 
"I have a really good memory, almost perfect. It really comes in pretty handy," 
she told me before she turned back to meeting and greeting.
 
When we finally edged our way up to the bar, we were wedged together face to 
face. She might not have any experience with women, but she knew how to 
work a man and that was serving as a fine substitute right now. Her soft breath 
caressed my cheek while those magnificent tits were rubbing right against mine. 
I know she could feel my nipples poking through my dress. In fact, it was 
suddenly obvious that neither of us were wearing bras and the cloth between us 
was so thin and silky that I could tell she was at least interested. I grabbed my 
lust with both hands and forced it down. I was not going to throw myself at this 
woman! I was not! I hoped. No! I wasn't!
 
She leaned in and spoke into my ear again, the only way I could really 
understand her with all the dance music. "Drink?" Her scent flowed straight from 
her hair to my pussy. I was drenched and I could feel my clit throbbing with 
desire. Oh God, this was going to be hard.
 
"Yeah, good idea," I enthusiastically agreed. It might give me some space to get 
a hold on my rampaging hormones before I took her in the middle of the dance 
floor. 
 
She ordered us two highballs and we sipped the tall glasses while I brought my 
body back under control. The warm feeling of the alcohol slowly spread fire 
along my limbs and the arousal started dampening down.
 
"Why are we here?" I asked her during a pause in the music. "Surfing for guys?"
 
She smiled that smile that made me want to be naked and rubbed herself 
against me. "No, silly. We're here to dance and I don't dance with other people 
when I'm out with someone."
 
My throat dried up and I had difficulty speaking. "Gre… Gretchen, this isn't a 
lesbian bar. They might…"
 
She laughed. "Silly, girls dance all the time. They even dance sexy sometimes to 
work up the guys around them." She trailed one finger across her pouty lips in a 
way that over-rode my senses and fired up my sex drive again. She leaned over 
and slid her lips across my cheek to my ear. "What's the matter, Hawk? Afraid 
you'll lose control? I can see you're attracted to me and that excites me. Dance 
with me!"
 
We shotgunned the last of our drinks before she dragged me out and onto the 
packed dance floor. I didn't know the number they were playing and I didn't 
care. It could have been a polka and I would have been out there shaking my 
thing with her. Maybe that drink wasn't the best idea. I wondered if what 
happened in Vegas really did stay in Vegas.
 
I had been right, I decided. She was a dancer, and she wasn't kidding when she 
said she was a good dancer. Her body moved with a kind of grace and ease that 
only many, many hours of movement can give. She danced like a kung fu master 
did katas, a master on the floor. She raised her arms over her head and danced 
seductively in front of me. I clomped and tried not to step on her feet. I felt like 
a complete idiot, but I didn't care. If idiocy was the price for this dance, I'd 
cheerfully pay it. That dress flowed around her lush figure in ways that would 
make a man blow his load just looking. If I'd had anything more than my thong 
on to give me more friction, I would have been in serious trouble. As it was, I 
ached with need as I watched her troll me in toward her, wrapping an arm 
around my waist. 
 
Her voice in my ear raised the heat in my loins. This shouldn't be happening, not 
to the old Hawk. I used to do the stalking. I had been the alpha. How the last 
three years had changed things. Before Ted and Lisa, I had just coasted and 
now another woman was calling the shots. If I was going to regain my self-
confidence in the dating game, I needed to get back on top. Figuratively 
speaking. I frowned. What had she said? Her eyes laughed at me and she 
repeated herself.
 
"You're really fit, Hawk. A hard body. I like hard bodies against my soft skin." 
Her smile curved her lips and she kissed my ear. Nipped it.
 
God! I wanted to touch myself, but I was not going to just roll over like this! I 
took charge and wrapped my arms around her, dancing with me controlling the 
tempo. She still managed to rub against me in ways that were probably illegal in 
public. She really was trying to seduce me! I felt like I was losing the control to 
keep from ripping that little dress off her and dropping to my knees right here 
with everyone dancing around us. I forced myself to pull back.
 
"Let's go back to your place," I said huskily. "Just to talk. I'm not this easy."
 
She pulled my arm close and started for the door. "You're the boss," she said 
back with the same heat in her voice. "And as long as you say no, it's no. But 
I've never had someone hold out for long when I say yes."
 
She leaned against me and whispered in my ear. "And just to be explicitly clear, 
I'm saying yes. Personal, not part of Daddy's deal."
 
I wondered if I had better call Ted and Lisa or at least leave a message. I wasn't 
sure I could keep holding out. If I caved, I wouldn't be coming home tonight. 
And if I did cave in, I wanted some time to get to know her right.




Chapter Three: A busy morning
 
Before heading to Gretchen's place, I asked her to stop by the hotel room so I 
could get my things. I left a note for Ted and Lisa telling them that I would be 
back in the morning to see them off to the airport. Whether Gretchen and I did 
anything or not, I wanted to have more than just my short black dress, and since 
I was already there, I just packed up all my other clothes. If I needed to, I could 
check into some other hotel.
 
The drive out of the city and to her place was an odyssey of quiet lust. Gretchen 
didn't tempt me overtly but her posture spoke volumes. She slumped lower in 
her seat than before, showing leg all the way up to her thigh. I desperately 
sought some means to break her hold on me. I recited the multiplication tables 
to myself, thought about my parents naked, and imagined Rosanne Barr without 
makeup and naked. I shuddered in revulsion at the last, but sighed in frustration 
as I realized the desire was still there, exuding sex and looking like an angel.
 
I was still wrestling with myself when my angel pulled into a driveway in front of 
a big brick and wood house. I shook my head. When had she become 'my 
angel?' I need to get a hold of myself. Forcing my eyes away from her thighs, I 
looked at the house. Very classy looking. 
 
When Gretchen unlocked the door and showed me inside, I was impressed. 
Tasteful elegance colored everything from the furniture to the artwork displayed 
on the walls. The subdued, clean and simple look spoke of a great deal of 
money. Our footsteps on the marble in the entryway were absorbed by the deep 
white carpets. 
 
"Come into the kitchen and I'll fix us a drink," Gretchen said with a smile. "You 
can tell me all about your other business since I'll be keeping you company while 
you finish it."
 
I nodded. "Okay, but make mine just a beer. I need to keep my head clear 
around you or I might succumb to your wiles." I smiled to keep it light, but in my 
heart I heard the truth of my words.
 
She laughed gaily and led the way into a spacious and modern kitchen. Opening 
the wine chiller, she pulled out some wine. "I don't have any beer in stock, so 
you'll have to take your chances. Surely you aren't threatened by little ole me?" 
she asked seductively, fanning her face with her hand and smiling the kind of 
smile that made my panties melt.
 
"Yes," I said hoarsely, my smile now strained. "You are dangerous to my self-
restraint. I want to say yes so bad I can taste it, but the answer must be no. I 
need to respect myself and you." I took the glass of wine she handed me and 
sipped the ruby liquid. 
 
She nodded and sipped her wine, still standing. "You seem like an alpha type - 
very assertive. You are probably like that about sex, too." Gretchen set her glass 
on the counter and stepped into my personal space, almost making me step 
back. She caressed my cheek with her hand softly. "That might be a challenge 
for me, Hawk. You see, I'm used to being the alpha in 'personal' relations. I go 
after what I like and make it mine."
 
Her touch roused a fire inside me that I couldn't deny, but managed to force 
back down. My pussy became wet almost instantly but I reined it in savagely. I 
reached up and pulled her hand down from my face and kissed her palm before 
letting it go. "No, not tonight. I want to, but I won't be rushed."
 
Her eyes sparkled with shock, amusement and a hint of admiration. "Well, I am 
not used to being fended off. At least it isn't usually easy to say no to this." She 
reached up with practiced ease and slid the dress off her shoulders, and it fell 
into a puddle by her feet. 
 
My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her body. Her hourglass figure was 
even more devastating to my resolve than I had feared it might be. Her 
generous breasts were high and firm, natural looking. Her narrow waist and her 
flared hips framed a neatly trimmed, and natural, blonde bush. The heels that 
were her only garment now and made her calves look good enough to eat. 
Without thought, I found my hands reaching for her, and I again forced myself 
to step back, bringing them to grip the counter. 
 
"Oh, God, that's simply not fair," I said, closing my eyes. "I think I better sleep in 
a separate bedroom. With a lock. And a heavy dresser blocking the door."
 
Gretchen laughed. When I opened my eyes, she had picked up her dress and 
was walking out. She returned in a moment, wrapped in a silk robe. "Okay, 
Hawk. You win this round. I'll stop teasing you and let you tell me the rest of 
your story." She sat at the counter on a barstool, her legs folded beside her 
almost demurely. 
 
Lord, she was so sexy I almost gave in. I picked up my wineglass and sipped it, 
looking at her face and trying to savor my victory while my body told me what an 
idiot I was being. I regretted the decision already but I refused to give in. This 
had become a matter of pride.
 
"The rest of the business is finding out if Ted and Lisa got married last night," I 
said gauging her reaction. "We were a bit toasted and the evidence seems to 
point that way." I related the details and I could see her struggling not to laugh. 
 
"I suppose I don't understand. If they were drunk, it's not binding. I know you 
know that, so there must be something else," she said. 
 
I raised an eyebrow. "They don't commit lightly. If they did get married, I think 
they'll try to make it work. They just need to know and I'm going to find the 
answers for them. They mean…" It hit me like a blow to the stomach, how 
important their happiness was to me. "They're my friends. I don't have many 
and that makes them precious to me. Would you stay married if you found 
yourself hitched unexpectedly?" I asked, turning the tables.
 
She swallowed more wine and swirled the glass while she considered her 
response. "I've been asked to get married by more people than I care to think 
about. All were men that want what they think I have, men that want to possess 
me or simply those that think they love me. I've grown leery of the thought of 
marriage." She set the glass down on the counter. "I couldn't get drunk enough 
to agree, and believe me, some men have tried that route, too. If I get married, 
I'll stick with it, though. Not that I see that in my future. Well, not unless 
someone as interesting as you comes along to sweep me off my feet and make 
an honest woman of me." She grinned. "What about you? If it had been you that 
woke and seemed to be married, what would you do?"
 
I rubbed my hand over my face. That was an interesting question. "It was 
almost me. It could've been me. I'm not a quitter. Marriage to someone like Ted 
might work for a while, but I don't love him, or at least not in the right way. I'd 
try to make it work, but I don't think it would last." I yawned and set the glass 
down. "Look, sorry to be a party pooper but I'm wiped out. Let's get some sleep 
and we can start again in the morning, okay?"
 
She rose to her feet gracefully and took the wineglass, rinsing them both out in 
the sink and setting them out to dry. "Let me take you to your room and you can 
get some sleep. I'll dream up a plan to seduce you while we sleep."
 
I shook my head and smiled. "You do that."
 
The bedroom was luxurious in a way that even the highest class hotels only 
wished they could emulate. Plush covers and pillows were scattered across the 
bed in a dark red wave. A delicate glass sculpture of a swan sat on a doily beside 
the mirror. No paintings, just soothing color draped the walls. The attached 
bathroom was a marvel all on its own.
 
Gretchen had mercy on me, keeping her hands to herself and her clothes on. 
"Goodnight, Hawk. Sweet dreams," she said with a smile that said she knew 
what I would be dreaming of, and then she closed the door behind her. 
 
I slowly stripped, putting my clothes in the chair, and padded into the bathroom 
to take a long, cold shower. I didn't expect it to help and I was right. When I 
was done, it still took an hour for me to nod off into a dream-filled sleep.
 
 
The next morning, after tossing and turning, I finally dragged myself out of bed, 
showered and dressed before heading to the kitchen. I found Gretchen already 
up and sipping her coffee. Her robe from last night was replaced by sweatpants 
and a ragged tee shirt proclaiming the benefits of aromatherapy. I had to remind 
myself not to jump her bones, because she was looking way too sexy. Her bare 
feet tapped on the stone floor to an oldie playing on the stereo: Jimi Hendrix 
asked me to excuse him while he kissed some guy. Okay, I know he said "kiss 
the sky", but I like my story better.
 
"Morning, sleepy! It's already eight am!" She beamed at me. Dear God, she was 
perky in the morning. Before coffee. Normally I hate perky at any time of day, 
especially mornings, but on Gretchen, perky just made her more human, more 
alluring somehow. I shook my head. I was in big trouble. "I figured we could 
stop by this really good kolache place I know and enjoy some good Czech 
breakfast,” she continued. "Do you want some coffee first, though? You look… 
um, not quite awake."
 
She poured me a cup with the right amount of creamer and sweetener already 
inside. She did have a good memory. I retreated to my seat, like a sleeping bear 
that had just awoken from the winter, greedily drinking in the fine bean.
 
"So, what first," she asked with a grin. "Pick up your friends and get them to the 
airport?"
 
I nodded. "Yeah. I'll call them and confirm the time, but I think they have to be 
there by noon. The flight is at two. I'll wake their sleepy asses up after I drink 
my coffee." An evil idea occurred to me. "Or we could go wake them up and 
drag them off to breakfast."
 
"Ooooo! I like that idea," she agreed. "I'd like to actually talk to them before 
they leave. I need to make sure Daddy is following through on his word," she 
smiled a shark-like grin, "and they can help me understand what makes you tick. 
That resistance of yours only makes me want you more. You know that, right? 
I'm going to keep chipping away at that "no" until I get what I want." Her eyes 
smoked at me.
 
There was no chance I could suppress that jolt of lust without the conflict 
showing on my face. Gretchen laughed, obviously enjoying my discomfort. I 
drank my coffee and commanded my pussy to heel. I'd need to send it to 
obedience school.
 
"I should just toss your sexy ass onto the couch and have my way with you." 
She perked up and licked her lips. "But," I said over my wagging finger, "I'm not 
going to give in so quickly. When I strike, you won't see it coming." I grinned my 
own shark-like grin. 
 
"Well! I suppose I've been put in my place!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "We'll 
see if you hold out or I get my way. Like I said, I love a challenge. Let me go get 
some clothes on. Want to come and watch?" she asked coyly. 
 
"Go get changed. I'm not that easy and you're not that innocent."
 
With a distinctly girlish giggle, she swayed back to the bedroom area. I shook my 
head and went to wander the house. It was even swankier than I thought last 
night. All feminine in ways my house couldn't match. Or perhaps it was in ways I 
couldn't match. A home was a reflection of the owner's personality, like Lisa had 
told me.
 
Gretchen found me in a room that I would have to call a library. It had a number 
of bookshelves covered with hardback books on all kinds of subjects. Physics to 
chess and painting to auto repair. I was leafing through one on ballroom dancing 
when she came in dressed in a casual blouse and blue jeans. 
 
"Ready? Since we may have company, we'll need something with enough room 
for everyone and their luggage. This way to the garage," she said, pointing off to 
the left side of the house.
 
The garage was much like the house, big and filled with classy stuff. All of it 
looked to be in great shape, but one had the hood up and a tool box beside it. 
 
"What's wrong with the Beamer?" I asked. 
 
"Something's wrong with one the lights. It goes out sometimes. Probably a 
grounding issue. I've been kind of busy lately, so I'll get it tracked down later."
 
I stopped and stared at her. "You work on cars?"
 
She stopped next to the Lexus SUV and opened the door. "Sure, the easy stuff. 
It's interesting and can be fun. Do you work on stuff?"
 
I climbed in the passenger side and buckled in. "I've done some work on my bike 
but not a lot. I mainly let the shop take care of most things."
 
Gretchen started the SUV and opened the garage. “You're a biker babe? A 
macho biker babe, I bet.” The grounds were much more covered in plants than I 
had noticed when we pulled in last night. She must have a nice contract with…
 
I looked at her suspiciously. "You do have a yard service, right?"
 
Her laugh lightened my spirits a lot. "Yes, though I have planted some flowers 
from time to time and I pester them shamelessly for the details of how it all 
works. Why? You looking to open a yard business?"
 
My response was cut off when she slammed on the brakes. As I was thrown 
against the seatbelt, I saw some guy in a brown bomber jacket standing in the 
driveway, snapping pictures of us. 
 
"What the fuck?" I popped the door open and slid out, already moving around 
the front of the vehicle.
 
I heard Gretchen telling me no, but I was already out so I might as well see 
what this guy was up to.
 
"You. What the hell are you doing? Shag your ass out of the driveway," I said 
with the hook of a thumb. "We've got places to be."
 
Moron boy took some more pictures of me and then grinned over his camera. He 
really should look into some laser whitening for his teeth. "Is she your bitch 
now? What's your name? I've never seen her sleep with a woman before. It's 
worth big bucks. Cough it up, Babe. Was she worth the money?"
 
Did you ever feel like your head was going to pop off your body? My blood 
pressure went right through the top of my head and I started for him. "Babe? I'll 
give you Babe!"
 
He danced back into the street outside the gate, keeping the camera out of the 
way. "No hitting! I'm on public property! Touch me and you'll face charges!"
 
Yeah, right. Damn perverts. I didn't know what his game was, but I wasn't about 
to let him fuck with us like that. He didn't even turn to run; he just snapped 
more pictures as I got into his face.
 
"You get the hell out of here before I call the cops and have your sorry ass 
tossed in jail, Perv. Give me the film."
 
He started laughing. That puzzled me more than it made me angry. I wasn't 
used to being laughed at while threatening someone. "Never happen. First 
amendment. It doesn't matter anyway. They all got some good ones, too."
 
I half turned and damned if there weren't two more people across the street in a 
car with a camera snapping away. What in the hell was going on? The sound of 
a car door slamming brought my attention back to that first guy. He was starting 
up a beat up Pontiac Firebird and was in motion before I could decide what to do 
about him. 
 
Behind me, Gretchen honked. I gave the other camera the finger and got back 
into her car. Gretchen was laughing. "Oh, Hawk, that is too funny! That'll be all 
over the papers tomorrow morning with some headline about us as a new item."
 
While she pulled out and onto the street, I looked at her incredulously. "What? 
Why the hell would any paper do that?"
 
Gretchen shook her head in disbelief and smiled. "How can any cop be so 
naïve?" she mocked me gently, paraphrasing my own words from last night. 
"The paparazzi hang all over people like me. Freelance gunslingers with a 
camera. And if you go after them, they swarm. I hope you can live with your 
picture in all the tabloids as my new lover." 
 
"You have got to be kidding me," I grumbled. 
 
"Nope," she snickered.
 
"Fine, let them say what they like. It won't tarnish my image," I decided. "Yours 
on the other hand, might just spin in odd directions."
 
"Oh, please! I've been photographed with a lot of people and it’s been rumored 
that I sleep with so many of them I can't even count the stories anymore," she 
retorted. "Let 'em go and just ignore them."
 
I shook my head. Amazing.
 
 
We were halfway to the hotel when my cell rang. 
 
"Hawk." I said into the handset.
 
"It's Lisa. How was your evening?" Her voice had a sly edge to it. "Did you make 
a new friend?"
 
"It was frustrating," I answered with a smile at Gretchen. "I'm being stubborn."
 
She laughed in my ear. "Really? I'd never imagined stubbornness to be one of 
your failings, Hawk."
 
"Is there a purpose to this call, besides slandering me, Sexy? Did you and Ted 
enjoy a night away from the old ball and chain? Oh, and we're on our way over 
to kidnap you both to breakfast with us."
 
Lisa's voice got lower. "Thank you for that, Hawk. I don't want to exclude you, 
but I needed last night alone with Ted to ground myself. And you might as well 
keep driving to breakfast. We're already on the way to the airport."
 
"What?" I asked, sitting forward with a frown. "Why? The flight isn't until after 
noon."
 
I could almost hear her shrug. "Plans changed last night. Late last night. It's your 
fault, really. I don't know what you were thinking when you dragged Ted and me 
into this, but Hans kept hammering and wheedling late into the night. I think 
Ted caved just so we could get some sleep. I gave in when he did, so we're off 
to Boston to talk about the details. I'll get you for this, by the way. We're taking 
a private plane with Hans and Brunhilda. She was worse this morning than last 
night. I'd have called you last night, but I was worried I might interrupt 
something juicy. Why are you stalling on her, Hawk? She's hot!"
 
"Well, just between you and me, I've been asking myself that very question. 
Hard-headedness, probably. It's only made me more interesting, I think." I said, 
looking at Gretchen. She looked back at me and licked her lips in a way that sent 
shockwaves through my body.
 
"Ooooo, you've made yourself hard to get. That is a real turn-on, you know. 
Look, Hans already called my temporary boss and had my leave extended. We'll 
call you from Boston after we get there. Do me a favor, though, you and 
Gretchen have fun, okay?" Lisa asked.
 
"I miss you guys already. I'll call as soon as I have information. I don't think it 
will take too long to nail this down. Be safe and slug that bitch for me."
 
"Tempting. I love you, Hawk. Bye."
 
I was so surprised by that statement that Lisa was gone before I could respond. 
Lisa loved me? Surely just as a friend, I told myself. She loves Ted. I tried to 
remember the last time someone had said that to me. Sliding the phone back 
into my pants pocket, I focused on Gretchen, instead. "Hans took them to 
Boston. Abort the pickup and make tracks for those kolaches."
 
Gretchen only nodded. "He can be very persuasive when he tries. Let's get 
breakfast and I'll just have to meet them some other time. They seem like nice 
enough people, but it's really you that interests me." 
 
She said it so matter-of-factly, I felt… I don't know what emotion it was. I was 
being stalked; and, in relationships like this, I was very much afraid she was the 
hunter and I was the hunted. I took a deep breath. "I'm just a cop. There's 
nothing special about me. You're the goddess."
 
She stopped at the light and looked at me. "Oh, please. I can't see one part of 
you that's normal or average. You're a dynamo of energy and determination. You 
tell people to jump and expect to be obeyed. People that cross you do so at their 
peril. You even stood up to Daddy and I've never seen anyone but my mother do 
that. You're not afraid of anyone or anything."
 
I blinked in surprise. "It's who I am. If I let anyone back me down, I'd be 
running for the rest of my life. Surely you know that just like I do."
 
She pulled through the intersection when the light turned green. "Sometimes. 
It's something I feel that we share. It's attractive. I can't wait until I wear you 
down and drag you off to my bedroom."
 
"When I make the call, we might not make it to the bedroom," I said before I 
could stop myself. 
 
She smiled. "So now it's when, not if. We're making real progress here."
 
I covered my eyes as she pulled into a bakery parking lot. "That slipped out. Can 
I have a do over?"
 
"Nope. You're committed now. Let's go through the drive-through, and we can 
get working on your mystery. I'm hoping to make an early night of it." The look 
she sent me caused my panties to smolder, and they would have caught fire if 
they weren't so wet. I was very afraid that if she touched me, I would cave, but 
she kept her hands to herself.
 
Ten minutes later we were on the road, eating steaming hot sausage and cheese 
kolaches. Sweet bread wrapped around sausage and cheese and baked. They 
were very good. I'd have to start working out or I'd weigh a ton. I could feel my 
thighs growing as I chewed.
 
Falling into the comfortable patterns of work, I took out my cell and started 
making calls. The city offices had just opened and were able to give me the 
owner's name and official contact business number and address. Antonio 
DiGeorgio. I made a side bet with myself whether it would be Big Tony or Little 
Tony. Men.
 
A call to his office got me his secretary. It seemed Mister DiGeorgio was in a 
meeting. Would I care to leave a message?
 
"No thanks. I'll call back."
 
I smiled at Gretchen. "Bingo. He's at his office." I gave her the address. "Can you 
get us there?"
 
Gretchen shook her head and turned on this little computer screen on the 
console. "GPS and directions via satellite and computer." She entered the 
address quickly and the little voice was directing us right to the office. I was 
impressed. 
 
The office building was a little three story affair that looked normal enough. We 
parked and went up to suite 201. The door confirmed it was the office of GL 
Enterprises. Call it a hunch, but I would bet good money that stood for 
Graceland. 
 
Inside, an older redhead sat at the desk typing on a computer terminal. She 
looked up at our entrance. "Good morning. Can I help you?"
 
I put on my best public relations smile. "Sure. We're here to see Mister 
DiGeorgio."
 
She kept smiling, but shook her head. "I'm sorry, but he's in a meeting. Can I 
take a message?"
 
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we need to see him. Tell him Detective Hawkins is here 
with an associate to talk about the fire at his property two nights ago." I kept 
that same smile in place. I didn't have any jurisdiction; but, I didn't think I would 
get any flack for putting a little pressure on this guy about a fire.
 
She blinked at me for a moment and then picked up the phone and dialed. 
"Tony, the police are here about the fire." She listened, and then hung up. "Go 
right in." 
 
I smiled more widely. Score one for me. "Thank you. Tell me, my partner and I 
were wondering, does he go by Big Tony or Little Tony?"
 
Gretchen cocked her head at me, but said nothing.
 
"Big Tony," the woman said uncertainly. 
 
"Thank you. You've been very helpful," I said. 
 
Knocking as I opened the door, we entered the office. It was big enough, I 
suppose, but all the pictures of Elvis and various people trying to look like Elvis 
kind of took the gravity right out. The man rising from behind the desk was big 
alright. Over six feet tall and going to seed. He was in a business suit a size too 
small, and he affected the same mutton chop sideburns as the Elvises staring at 
us from the walls. 
 
Tony extended his hand. "I already talked to the police, but I'm always happy to 
cooperate. What more can I tell you?" His accent was more Brooklyn than Vegas. 
At least it wasn't Elvis.
 
"I'm Detective Hawkins. This is my associate, Werner. We're following up on the 
details. It's all routine. Can we sit?"
 
"Sure. Park it." He gestured to two worn chairs in front of the desk and we sat.
 
"Let's start off with the simple stuff first. Who was in the place at the time of the 
fire?" I asked in my professional tone.
 
"Leo Giovanni and his wife. He did the marrying and she did the witnessing." He 
pointed to a picture of Elvis on the wall. Like I could tell what they looked like 
under that getup.
 
"What's their story?" I asked, looking at the picture anyway.
 
"Good question," he answered with a shrug. "I haven't been able to get a hold of 
him. He doesn't answer the phone or the door to his place. Your people are still 
looking for him."
 
That was interesting. I leaned forward and fixed him with my best skeptical 
stare. "That's interesting timing, don't you think? A fire, and poof, they're gone? 
You have any ideas about why they might move out on you or set fire to your 
place?"
 
Tony bristled. "Nobody said anything about setting fires. I'm sure this is electrical 
or something. I'm not sure where Leo went; but, I'm sure he wouldn't do that to 
me."
 
"Let me have his address again. In fact, let me have a copy of his employment 
application and emergency contact," I said.
 
Tony looked reluctant but called the secretary for the information. I asked a few 
other questions about the fire; but, I already had what I wanted. As soon as 
practical I cut the interview short with the promise to get back to him with any 
information I could find out, and I left with Gretchen. The application said Leo 
was from here in Vegas and gave several contacts and references.
 
In the car, Gretchen looked at me. "Won't we get into trouble for telling him 
we're cops?"
 
I grinned. "Probably not. I am a cop and I never said you were. I never said I 
was a cop from Vegas. For petty arson I doubt the cops here would care. Let's 
go check out the home address."
 
 
The apartments in question were pretty rundown. I spotted two drug dealers 
before we parked the car. They eyed the SUV from the cover of inter-building 
walkways. I climbed out and gave them my cop stare and they melted back into 
the darkness.
 
"How do you do that?" Gretchen asked. "You look at them and they run away. 
Like they know they're lower on the food chain than you."
 
"That kind can smell cop a mile away. Darwin at his worst. I just have to be me, 
and away they go. Come on." I led the way into building D. At D4, I knocked 
hard. No answer. I stepped to the window and looked in. Through the corner of 
the blind that was bent I could see that the living room, such as it was, was 
disturbed. I frowned. The place looked tossed. I knocked on the door again. 
"Mister Giovanni. Police. Please open the door."
 
While I was waiting for an answer I was beginning to suspect I wouldn't be 
getting, the door behind us opened. I looked back and an old Hispanic woman 
was coming out on her walker.
 
"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm with the police. Have you seen the Giovanni's recently?"
 
She peered up at me through thick lenses. "Leo and Marge? I saw them 
yesterday morning, early." She had hardly any accent, but did have a tremble in 
the voice that some elderly people had when speaking. "I was going out to my 
sister's house and that nice boy from building C drove me. I just got back an 
hour ago. Are they in some kind of trouble?"
 
I shook my head. "No, ma'am. Just routine. Do you know where they were 
going?"
 
She nodded. "Marge told me that they were leaving to spend some time with her 
mother."
 
I consulted my notes. "That's over on the other side of town?"
 
The woman smiled. "No, I don't think so. They've lived here several years, and 
I've heard Marge tell Leo more than once that she should go back to her mother 
in Boston."
 
Interesting. "Do you know what her mother's name is?"
 
She shook her head. "No, but I know Marge's maiden name is Lebowski. They 
left with all kinds of suitcases; so, I think they must be planning to stay a while."
 
I patted her shoulder. "Thank you for your help, ma'am. Have a nice day."
 
We walked the woman to a friend's apartment and then went back to the SUV. 
Gretchen seemed more impressed than ever. "That was just like watching 
Dragnet. You were so cool."
 
I shook my head and laughed. "Just the facts, ma'am. Let me call the numbers 
for references while you drive us out of this dump."
 
By the time we were back in safe territory, I had confirmed my suspicions. All of 
the contact information and references were bogus. A call to information had 
only one listing for a Lebowski in Boston. Paul and Helen Lebowski. 
 
I called the number and an older man answered. "Yeah?"
 
"Hi," I said brightly. "This is Susan. I heard Marge was back visiting you. Is she 
in?"
 
"Naw," he answered. "She's out with that no good slug she calls a husband, 
getting something for the guest room. Who did you say this was?"
 
"I'll just call back later. Let me surprise her, okay?"
 
He grunted, "Sure," and hung up. I smiled. Just my kind of guy. Few words and 
said what he meant. Odd that they were in Boston while Ted and Lisa were 
there; but sometimes the odds came out that way. 
 
"Looks like we are going to Boston, if you still want to go sleuthing around with 
me," I said to Gretchen. 
 
"Oh, I'm going," she answered. "Try to stop me now. Besides I can be a big 
help. I grew up in Boston and know a lot of people there, too."
 
"Then we need to pack. I'll call for flight reservations. Looks like we are going on 
a little trip." I started calling for tickets and she drove back to her place grinning 
like a kid on Christmas morning.



Chapter Four: The tangled knot
 
The airline tickets were not cheap, but we were able to fly out that evening. 
Since I hadn't unpacked after leaving the hotel, I was ready to go, and Gretchen 
kept a bag packed at all times.
 
Our flight took off late, as expected, and I dozed fitfully in the first class seats 
that Gretchen insisted we have. She insisted on paying, too, claiming it was a 
reimbursable expense. It just might have been for all I knew. I decided to take 
her word for it. In any case, it beat the hell out of flying coach with someone 
else's fat ass flowing into my space. 
 
I woke up as we began our descent toward Boston. I yawned and stretched, not 
as stiff as after the flight to Vegas had made me last week. Gretchen had either 
stayed awake or woke up before me. I glanced at what she was reading. A golf 
magazine.
 
"Golf? You've got to be kidding me," I said with a shake of my head. "I don't get 
that sport. Why bother? What's the attraction?"
 
She put the magazine back into the rack and focused her attention on me, her 
smile too bright for how tired I felt. "Golf is a good sport. No violence, lots of skill 
required, and luck plays a big role. That, and anyone can work hard and make it. 
Look at Dave MacDonald from Canada. He came out of nowhere to challenge 
Tiger Woods."
 
I raised an eyebrow. "So? It's still a sissy sport. Give me hockey any... Wait a 
minute," I said with a frown. "There was some kid in Canada named MacDonald 
that was being talked about in hockey a few years back. I think he was a Dave. 
Is it the same kid?"
 
Gretchen shrugged. "Maybe. I'll see if I can find out sometime. If it is, would that 
make golf more interesting to you?"
 
"Probably not," I admitted. "I just can't imagine golf players to be a very exciting 
lot."
 
"I hear his wife is pretty nice. Maybe golfer's wives would be more fun for you to 
meet," Gretchen said mischievously. 
 
I laughed. "They're probably as boring as their husbands." And I'm much more 
interested in someone else, right now, I added silently. "Let's worry about that if 
we have to storm a golf course."
 
"Fine," she said with a laugh. 
 
The plane touched down and taxied to the terminal. When they let us stand up, 
we gathered our carry-ons and went out into the airport. 
 
Gretchen insisted on staying in one of the attached hotels. I weighed Motel 6 
against the comfortable rooms they would have here, and agreed. I wondered if 
Ted, Lisa and Gretchen were making me soft or just plain corrupting me, but not 
so much that I voiced an objection.
 
With my thoughts thus distracted, I hadn't paid close enough attention to 
Gretchen as she was reserving the room, I decided once the guy showed us in. 
It had a single large bed and was exactly what I'd had in mind to avoid when I 
had vowed to keep my lust under wraps.
 
"Whoa! Hold up, Sport." I fixed Gretchen with a glare. "I don't remember a 
single bed being mentioned."
 
She smiled at the bellboy, and then looked at me with a smile that sent shivers 
down my spine. "But Hawk, I didn't think that would be a problem. We're both 
girls." She fluttered her eyelashes at me. "Surely we can sleep one night 
together without… disturbing one another." She handed the bellboy a bill, 
practically shoved him out the door and locked it behind him. She then turned 
around to smile at me with that air of angelic innocence that soaked my panties 
and set off all kinds of alarms inside me.
 
"You set this up," I accused her. "Dammit, I'm already having a hard time 
resisting your wiles, and now we're sleeping together?"
 
Gretchen crossed her heart. "I promised not to push, but give a girl her pleasure. 
If I can't sample the goods, at least let me tease and tempt them a little." 
 
Gretchen looked at the clock and it was almost eleven p.m. already. "I want to 
take the whirlpool for a quick spin to relax before bed. Join me?" She didn't wait 
for me to dither. She started slowly taking her clothes off in a way that made me 
drool. God was punishing me for something. I wasn't sure what, but it had to be 
bad. My eyes clung to her body as she slowly revealed it to me, her eyes never 
leaving my face. On the other hand, maybe God was rewarding me. Or both 
rewarding and punishing me.
 
I wanted to get up and grab her right there, and I knew that's exactly what she 
wanted me to do. That bit of knowledge gave me strength, and I decided I 
would show her that I could dish it out, as well as take it. With a smile, I stood 
up slowly and started unbuttoning my blouse… button by button. Gretchen stood 
naked before me, watching with interest. When I had removed my top, I slid my 
jeans down and stood there in my underwear. 
 
"Shall I get in the whirlpool like this?" I asked her. "Or do you want me naked? 
All you have to do is ask, and off come the clothes."
 
Gretchen laughed. "You aren't teasing me. Take it off, Baby!"
 
I unhitched my bra and dropped it beside the bed. Then I turned around and 
pulled my panties to the floor, giving her a framed view of my pussy. I expected 
some sign of appreciation, but not a wolf whistle. When she cut loose with that 
ear splitting whistle, I stood up and laughed. Turning slowly, I came to within a 
few inches of her, paused, and then headed into the bathroom. She was very 
good, but I could see the lust in her eyes, restrained by her will. I had her; now 
to not give in tonight.
 
Gretchen walked past me and started drawing water into the whirlpool bath. She 
sat on the edge as it began filling, looking me up and down like a woman eyeing 
various desserts on a dessert cart. I suddenly was worried that I might have 
gone too far, and she might just make her move.
 
"Down, kitty. No milk for you tonight," I said mock sternly. 
 
Gretchen held up her hands and grinned. "I see you have nipple rings. I 
considered getting some once, but decided against it. Do they hurt?"
 
"Only when they were first done," I replied dryly, causing her to laugh "After 
that, they are really nice during sex."
 
She looked at my breasts appreciatively. Then she turned the conversation to 
bath items and the sexual tension started bleeding out of the air. None too soon, 
I thought.
 
When the tub was filled, she slid in, and I joined her. The added element of 
slipperiness threatened my resolve. Her feet seemed to accidentally brush 
against my legs, but I was sure that it was intentional. I found my hand 
caressing my mound and had to force it away before I slipped all the way down 
the slope. Admittedly the hot water made my muscles relax. After twenty 
minutes, I stood up and started using the shower hose to rinse off. 
 
"I'm beat and we have work to do in the morning," I said.
 
"You go to bed and I'll be along in a few minutes. I want to soak just a little bit 
longer."
 
I nodded and stepped onto the bathmat to dry off. Wrapping the towel around 
me, I went back into the bedroom and considered whether or not to wear 
anything to bed. Dropping the towel on the floor, I slid between the sheets, 
deciding to sleep in the nude. If she made a move, I'd be in trouble, whether I 
had something on or not. 
 
Rubbing my hands along my body, I decided to take a few minutes for a quick 
orgasm to take the edge off. I rubbed two fingers along the length of my slit and 
closed my eyes. The vision of her standing in front of the tub swam into my 
thoughts, and I brought my other hand to my nipples. Twisting and pinching 
them, I sighed. The ramp up to orgasm came slowly at first, and then like a 
freight train. I clamped my mouth shut to strangle the groans as I arched my 
back and came. After a few moments of exquisite pleasure, I collapsed back onto 
the mattress. 
 
When I opened my eyes, Gretchen was standing in the doorway to the 
bathroom, her towel on the floor at her feet, watching me with eyes that 
smoldered. I jumped a bit at the surprise, and she smiled. Smiled like a hunter, 
lazy and arrogant in her supremacy. "I think that we won't make it back to Vegas 
before you give in to your desire, Hawk. Do you want me now? You can have 
me."
 
It was harder this time. Much harder, but I shook my head. "No sex for you 
tonight. Into bed, little slave girl. I flipped her covers down and scooted over to 
my side.
 
Gretchen swayed over and sat on her side of the bed, staring at me with an 
interested look. "Slave girl, eh? Should I start calling you mistress? Wear a collar 
in public? Let you discipline me?"
 
My eyes widened fast. This had just taken a turn to the kinky. "Ahhh…" Then I 
started thinking about what she said and I flushed. Leather I was into, but kinky 
sex games? "I, um, have no idea."
 
"If I was a bad girl, would you handcuff me and make me service you, mistress?" 
she asked in a sultry voice that shot a bolt of arousal through me. "Or sometimes 
I've found that those in positions of authority like to be dominated. Should I 
order you around in the bedroom? Make you serve me in private? Or should we 
take turns being in charge?"
 
I shook my head. "I've never tried any of that, and I don't know if I'd like it. Let's 
just table this, okay? I'm asking you not to push. Please."
 
With a throaty laugh, she turned out the light and slid under the covers. "I can 
wait, good looking. By the way, I enjoyed the show and can't wait to see you do 
that little dance under my hands."
 
I shivered and poked her in the side. "Play nice!" All that did was make her laugh 
harder. 
 
Gretchen finally let me be and snuggled into her pillow. She was softly snoring in 
less than five minutes. It took me much longer to go to sleep with her on my 
mind, but I managed it somehow.
 
 
When I woke up the next morning, I was briefly disoriented. It took a full minute 
for me to remember where I was. A glance beside me told me that Gretchen was 
gone. She was an early riser. 
 
I stumbled into the bathroom to take care of the morning rituals, and she wasn't 
there either. A quick shower and I dressed up in layers. It had been cold 
yesterday when we flew into Boston, and I'd bet it would be cold today. I might 
need to see about getting a coat. Vegas hadn't prepared me for this.
 
As I was tying my shoes, the front door opened, and Gretchen came in, dressed 
in that same ratty tee shirt and sweats from yesterday morning, but this time 
covered in sweat.
 
"Morning!" she said. "I've been working out. I missed my aerobics yesterday so I 
hit the gym. Be back in a bit. Order something for breakfast!" She dodged into 
the bathroom and I heard the shower kick on. 
 
By the time she was done cleaning up, I had room service on the table. We 
chatted about Boston as we ate and I started noticing a pattern. She was much 
more sexually aggressive at night than in the morning. There were no attacks on 
my virtue over breakfast. I filed that away for later use.
 
Throwing her napkin down on the table, she looked over at me with an evil 
twinkle in her eye. "I'd like to stop somewhere and do something that'll set 
Brunhilda off like a bottle rocket."
 
I narrowed my eyes. "That sounds ominous, and it's bound to be harmful to any 
possible reconciliation. Spill it."
 
Gretchen rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll just give it to Daddy as a practical joke and 
then tear it up, if you insist." She leaned forward and grinned. "I want to stop by 
the county clerk's office and get a marriage license."
 
I raised an eyebrow. "Going to just pick some guy off the street and convince 
him to sign on the dotted line? That will take some powerful persuasion, even for 
you, Doll." 
 
"Nope," she said getting to her feet. "This is Massachusetts. I'm planning to have 
you sign on the dotted line."
 
I knew that Massachusetts had legalized gay marriage, but this surprised the hell 
out of me.
 
"Me?" I squeaked. "We've only just met!"
 
She held out her hand, palm out. "It's just a license. It doesn't mean anything if 
we don't get it signed by a minister or justice of the peace and get it filed. It's 
not getting married. Your story yesterday put the germ of this in my head and I 
just have to see someone's eyes bug out."
 
I held her in my suspicious gaze as I stood up. "You're a practical joker, aren't 
you? I know your type, always doing something to set other people off balance. I 
should have figured. If we do it, will you sit down with me and talk about your 
Dad and his relationship with you?"
 
Gretchen scowled. "He doesn't have one with her in the picture."
 
"Bullshit. You two could have a relationship that doesn't include her, but it would 
take both of you agreeing to have time away from her and leaving her out of the 
picture while you're together." 
 
I forestalled her objection with my hand. "Just let it stew. You agree to think 
about it, I'll agree to help you play your joke. But no saying "I do." I'm not 
willing to go that far in helping the prankster out."
 
She perked up. "Deal. Where to after that? Finding your missing Elvis?"
 
"Yes, but first I think I need a coat. Let's find one on the way to get your silly 
license."
 
 
I tried to convince Gretchen that I didn't need an expensive coat, but that turned 
into a whole 'nother discussion when I found out she wasn't recommending an 
expensive one. The issue seemed to be that we had differing definitions of 
inexpensive. I wanted to get something for less than a hundred bucks someplace 
like Wal-Mart. She wanted something more in the four to five hundred dollar 
range. I stuck to my guns and we soon had a perfectly serviceable coat for me at 
my price. 
 
The next stop was the county clerk's office. Never having gotten a marriage 
license, I wasn't sure how many hoops would have to be jumped through or if 
we needed blood tests and stuff. It turned out that the process was simple to the 
point of being ludicrous. Fill out a simple application, pay the nominal fee and 
walk out with a license that was valid after a three day "cooling off" period. 
Gretchen folded it and stuffed it into her coat pocket. 
 
"Now, we have to find your dude. Lay on, MacDuff," she said with a grin. We 
waved down a cab driven by a nice Jamaican guy named Devon and headed for 
the address I had for our Elvis. Forty minutes later we pulled up to a small two 
story house just like all the other houses on the block. They sure did build small 
up here. I could barely imagine two people living in them, much less a family. I 
handed the cabbie his fare and a nice tip. "Keep the motor running and we'll be 
back out in a bit."
 
"Follow my lead," I told Gretchen as we stepped out onto the narrow sidewalk. 
"They might be resistive."
 
She nodded and we walked up to the front door. I knocked and put on my cop 
face. With a creak, the door opened and an older man looked out at me 
suspiciously. "We already have some."
 
He started to close the door, but I held up my hand. "We're not selling anything. 
Paul Lebowski? I'm Detective Hawkins and this is my associate. We're looking for 
your son-in-law, Leo Giovanni." 
 
Mister Lebowski stopped closing the door and snorted. "Why am I not surprised? 
I've told Marge she was an idiot for marrying someone like him, not enough 
forks in their family tree, if you know what I mean, but she ignored me. Like she 
always does. Comes from her mother's side of the family."
 
"Is he here, sir? May we speak to him?" I asked.
 
The old man sighed. "I wish he was. I'd like to see you grill the bastard, but he 
and Marge got all worked up last night when my wife told Marge that some old 
friend had called for her. Scooted right out the door like Satan himself was right 
behind 'em. Left most of their stuff, though. Figures. They're probably staying 
with some friends, cause they ain't got hardly no money till they get work. Even 
when they do, he pisses it away gambling." Belatedly, he frowned. "Can I see 
your badge?"
 
I nodded and pulled it out, displaying it for him. He pursed his lips. "Houston? 
You're a long way from home, Detective. What did Jackass do in Houston? I 
can't say as I've heard he was ever there."
 
I quirked a smile. "Actually, it's about one of the marriages he might have 
performed in Vegas. I just need to get some clarification."
 
"That seems a little odd to be a police matter."
 
"It involves some friends of mine," I said, glancing with a twinkle in my eye at 
Gretchen, "and my partner and I have firm ideas about getting married. Where is 
he, sir?"
 
The man shrugged. "I'll bet he's holed up some place with one of his old pals. 
He's from the less savory side of town, so I don't know, and frankly, don't really 
want to know."
 
"Does he have family here, other than you?" Gretchen asked.
 
"Sure. His momma lives over there, too, poor woman. I pity her for having had 
to raise a snake like him."
 
"Can you give me her address, Mister Lebowski? The sooner we can find him and 
clear this up, the better for all of us," I said.
 
"Let me go get the address," he said and closed the door.
 
I looked at Gretchen. "You think they ran to his mother's? That seems too simple 
to me."
 
She shook her head. "No, but if they're short on cash, he'll turn up there sooner 
or later. Besides, a stake-out sounds like fun."
 
I laughed at her. "That is so untrue. A more boring time you couldn't imagine. It 
might be days before we get a nibble. Still, it is the best lead we have. If we 
don't contact her, they might come to her after they get less spooked." I nodded 
thoughtfully. "You know, that's a good idea. We can spend the time talking 
about you and your father," I paused, "and about each other."
 
Her smile soured a little. "Let's talk about division of time. I'd rather talk more 
about you and less about Daddy. We do it in dribbles, okay?"
 
"Deal."
 
The door opened and Mister Lebowski handed me a torn sheet of paper with an 
address written on it. "There you go. Would you please give the bastard the 
rubber hose treatment? Maybe at least threaten it?"
 
I smiled at the old man. I was right, he was likable. "Count on it. If they call, 
don't tell them we were here, and we'll have a better chance of giving him what 
you want."
 
He grinned and nodded. "You bet. Good luck." He closed the door and we 
headed back out to the cab. "We'll need a car of some kind. Preferably 
something that will fit into the area and not raise eyebrows. Let's take a drive by 
the address and see what kind of rental might work."
 
Gretchen nodded and we slid back into the cab. "Okay Devon, take us by this 
address and slow down, but don't stop when we get there. I need to get the lay 
of the land.”
 
He grinned back at me, his dark face split by a brilliant white smile. "I thought 
you tell your friend to keep her hands to herself, Miz Hawkins. Surely one of you 
two fine ladies be de lay you be talkin' 'bout."
 
I fixed him with a scowl, but Gretchen's laughter took all the sternness out of it. 
"Do all you cabbies spy on private conversations? Hmmm? You just never mind 
about us and drive, Romeo."
 
"Yes, ma'am, Miz Hawkins!" he sassed me, not intimidated in the slightest.
 
"You just want to watch us make out in the back of your cab, you pervert," I 
grumped back at him.
 
"Wantin' to watch two fine women make out be no perversion! It be natural for a 
red-blooded mon! You two feel free to make out all you like, and pay no mind to 
Devon."
 
Gretchen giggled. "You'd wreck the cab trying to watch us, so you'll just have to 
wait till you drop us off, and then that can be your tip."
 
My eyes slewed around to her and I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut 
me off.
 
"Now, Hawk, Sweetie, I've been a good girl and not molested you, so you be 
good and help me tip Devon for all his dedicated driving," she ordered with a 
superior smile. One small step after another, she was getting me closer to what 
she wanted. Like taking a wild horse and getting it to let you pet it, one small 
gesture at a time, wearing down resistance and making it more comfortable until 
you're finally close enough to touch it. These last few days, she had subtly been 
coming closer and closer, circling gently but steadily closer. I had to turn the 
tables on this fast, or she would have me right where she wanted me before I 
made my move!
 
I smiled. "You're absolutely right, Gretchen. He's been great and deserves it after 
we get done. On the other hand, after that step-up in our relationship, I think we 
need to agree to be hands off until the stakeout's done."
 
She blinked back at me in surprise. "Why?"
 
"A stakeout requires attention, and we need to be focused on catching up with 
Leo. If we're necking," I said glancing up at Devon in the mirror, "or more, he 
might slip right by us." Devon just grinned and kept driving, listening.
 
Gretchen pouted, but nodded. "Okay, if I simply must, but I'll be thinking about 
it."
 
 
If anything, the neighborhood where Leo's mother lived was even worse than I 
expected from talking to his father-in-law. The cars were so low end, I didn't 
know if any rental place would have a car that wouldn't stand out. The house in 
question was part of a tenement row and was indistinguishable out from its 
neighbors. The street in front of it had a bunch of younger kids playing ball with 
a broom handle and what looked like a tennis ball. The next block up, some 
gang bangers eyed the cab going by with interest, the kind of interest that told 
me a stop would get me an offer of drugs. Some kind of place to grow up, with 
the dreary layer of poverty settling on everyone like smog.
 
"Devon, you know of a rent-a-wreck place? Some place that rents cars and that 
might have an old one that would fit in here?" I asked as we pulled out of the 
area.
 
"Sure, Devon help you find a good car to fit in, Miz Hawkins. I know just de mon 
and I get you de best deal."
 
Gretchen looked out the window as we drove, abnormally quiet. I finally had to 
put my hand on her leg to bring her attention back inside. "What's the matter," I 
asked quietly. Her eyes seemed a bit teary.
 
"I bitch about my problems, but they live in places like that. I'm such a 
hypocrite. I'm a little rich girl, whining about her Daddy and step-mother, while 
they live with gangs, drugs and poverty. I really am out of touch with the world." 
She wiped her eyes with a tissue from her purse. "I grew up in the lap of luxury, 
all my needs taken care of before I even felt them."
 
I nodded. "So you did. We don't get to pick our families and our childhood. You 
aren't defined by that, but rather by what you do. You don't like something? Try 
to fix it. Try to help someone. We might be the sum of our past, but the future is 
in our hands only if we reach out and take control."
 
Lisa called while we were halfway to our destination. She and Ted were settled 
in, but Hans had their time scheduled out pretty tightly. I decided not to let her 
know we were in Boston with them, since I knew that she would want to help. 
She and Ted had enough on their plate for the moment, so I'd just take the 
yelling when she found out. The call lasted fifteen minutes, and she sounded 
pretty happy, all in all. After the call I felt pretty good, but I missed her badly. 
The last few weeks had bonded the ‘us’ so much that I was only starting to 
realize how much a part of my life they had become. And I felt more than a little 
guilty at how rapidly I was becoming attached to Gretchen. Logically, I knew that 
it was a good thing from Lisa's perspective, but it was still emotional.
 
Gretchen was silent and thoughtful all the way to the used car lot. Devon pulled 
in and talked to a man that might have been his brother, dreadlocks and all. A 
little arm waving and both of them looking us over while they talked seemed to 
settle it. Devon waved us out. 
 
"Dis be my cousin, Dio. He has some old cars dat he can rent you dat will fit 
right in, don't you Mon?"
 
Dio nodded. "And I be happy to help you ladies. Come on into my office, and we 
talk."
 
I smiled at Devon and made my move. "You've been a big help, Devon. Let me 
get your tip." Without waiting, I struck, wrapping my arms around Gretchen and 
pulling the surprised woman into a powerful kiss. She melted into my embrace 
and wrapped her arms around me, our coats making noise as they rubbed 
together. I kissed her aggressively, almost possessively, my tongue prying her 
lips apart to taste her and invade her. She didn't object. Far from it, she kissed 
me back with a passion that surprised me. I needed to make my last move and 
leave her wanting. I was tired of her having the upper hand in these games. 
 
My lips left hers and I kissed down the angle of her jaw and onto her neck. The 
goose bumps told me that she was very sensitive there and I used my advantage 
ruthlessly, kissing, licking and biting her slender throat gently. Her body began to 
twitch and she moaned softly in pleasure, her fingers entwining in my hair. 
Perfect.
 
I broke off my attack and she groaned, trying to pull my mouth back to her skin. 
I grinned at her. "Nope, that's all until the stakeout's done." 
 
Her pupils were wide with desire, but she let me go. "Oh, you can fight back, I 
see. The tables are turned on the hunter, but I haven't given up the chase yet, 
Dear. I'm going to have you and it will be on my terms!"
 
The sound of one of the men clearing their throat startled both of us. We'd been 
so focused on each other that we'd forgotten where we were for a moment. 
Gretchen laughed. "We've got it bad. You satisfied with the tip, Devon?"
 
"Hell yes!" he exclaimed with a grin matched by his cousin's. "I drive you where 
you like and you can tip Devon like dat anytime!"
 
She slapped him on the ass. "Go on, get back out in your cab and make some 
more money." She opened her purse and tipped him a Franklin anyway. He 
started to decline, but she shook her head. "That really was my pleasure so it 
can't be your tip. We'll call if we need any more driving around."
 
He pocketed the bill and handed her a card. "You call me direct if you need 
Devon and he be dere." When he drove off, we made our way inside with his still 
grinning cousin. In fifteen minutes, Gretchen had left a deposit that was probably 
worth more than the heap itself.
 
The only thing holding the beat up Oldsmobile together was rust and Bondo. The 
interior looked like it had been used as a cage for a pit-bull and the smell 
seemed to confirm that theory. Dio started the car up and I thought it had 
exploded from the loud 'bang' and the huge cloud of oily smoke that belched 
from the tailpipe. I'd have been tempted to say it was running rough, but that 
would've been too generous. I think it was missing on at least one cylinder and it 
acted like it would seize up. 
 
"Dere you go, ladies! Dis car be de right one to fit in to dat neighborhood," Dio 
said as he climbed out and left the door open for me. "If she die, you just call 
Dio and he come get you."
 
"You're a real champ, Dio. Thanks." I slid behind the wheel and let it warm up. 
 
Gretchen slid in the other side and wrinkled her nose at the amazing smells 
coming from under the seat. Or was that from the seat itself? "You're safe from 
me making any moves on you in this thing, Hawk. I'd be afraid to take my 
clothes off. I might catch something. Speaking of clothes, I think I'll burn mine 
when we're done with this, um, car. People really drive pieces of crap like this?"
 
I grinned and nodded. "Hell, this is better than the first undercover car I had. It 
smells better, too." 
 
She shuddered. "Ugh!"
 
I looked at the dash and decided the car was as warm as it was going to get. 
When I put it in gear, I thought the transmission had fallen off or the driveshaft 
had blown a U-joint, but apparently that was just its way of finding first gear. We 
lurched off the lot and out into the street. 
 
When we arrived in the neighborhood and had parked, I started worrying that 
this was too low rent to really fit in, but decided I was just being critical. I 
parked up the street where we had a good view of the house. Gretchen rolled 
the window down, despite the cold. 
 
"Maybe the stink will freeze out of the air," she said optimistically.
 
"Dream on," I said. "If that doesn't work on something like a dead body, how 
could it work on something this much worse?"
 
"Shit," she said disgustedly. "I guess you're right. How long do you think it will 
be till he shows up? Tonight?" she asked hopefully.
 
"I doubt it. More likely tomorrow, or the next day. Good thing we have a lot of 
talking to do."
 
She sighed and accepted it. "At least we're being paid well for it, though after 
considering this car, I think he's getting off cheap."
 
She did get her way about that stupid prank, though. She pulled it out and 
dithered about letting it touch the dashboard before signing it on her knee. I 
rolled my eyes, shook my head and signed the paper. I eyed the form dubiously. 
At least no one would be signing the officiator and witness spots, so it wasn't 
any more than just a prank.
 
We talked late into the night, until it was clear Leo wouldn't be along. Gretchen 
was very disappointed to have another day in the car from hell. We drove back 
to the hotel and the doorman offered to have it towed to a salvage yard for us. I 
had to park it myself and pay him extra to make sure it didn't get towed. 
 
After the day we'd had, even Gretchen wasn't feeling too much like teasing. We 
scrubbed clean and put the clothes in three trash bags, one over the next. 
Gretchen mumbled her hope to wrap it up the next day and fell into sleep. I 
actually followed her swiftly into dreamland.
 
 
My estimate on the time required was low, but at least we got some serious 
talking done. I don't know if I helped with her and her father's problem, but I 
knew more about her than I knew about any friend I'd ever had. And that is 
what she was, I realized by the second day. A friend. I shared things with her 
that I had only shared with my former lover, Sharon, and then with Lisa. 
 
We were sitting in the car on Friday morning when a car that made ours look like 
a limo bounced up on the curb by the mother's house. The doors opened and a 
man and woman climbed out. The mutton chop sideburns made me sit forward. 
 
"Whoops! Here's our boy and the missus, unless I miss my guess. Showtime!" I 
crowed.
 
Gretchen looked at me, her eyes eager. "Do we go and confront them now?" 
 
With a shake of my head, I dashed her hopes. "No, we wait for them to come 
out and then we follow them back to their lair. Then we corner them. I'd rather 
not have a protective mother interrupting us."
 
Very reluctantly, she agreed. Very reluctantly indeed. 
 
Leo and his bride were inside about half an hour before they came back out, 
looking a bit sullen. At least he looked sullen. His wife just looked tired. When 
they started driving away, I knew we were in good shape to follow them unseen. 
There was no way they could see us through the cloud of smoke his car was 
puffing out. 
 
To my surprise, he headed downtown and into the county annex parking area. 
As they parked and both got out of their car, I made a left and parked in a no 
parking zone. "Let's go."
 
She looked at the zone as we climbed out. "We could get towed."
 
I nodded. "It could happen. At least we could take a cab, then." That possibility 
cheered her up considerably, and we moved out at a brisk pace, entering the 
building behind the couple by a minute or so. It should be easy to spot him in 
that canary yellow windbreaker he was wearing. 
 
"We may have to split up to find them," I told Gretchen. "For God's sake, 
whatever you do, keep that marriage license in your coat pocket; it might get 
filed by mistake."
 
Gretchen laughed at me and unzipped her coat. "You're so funny! Unless it's 
signed by a minister and witness it's not valid. Stop being so worried, Hawk, it's 
just a joke. You're safe."
 
I unzipped my own jacket and turned to tell her it wasn't funny when I saw 
Marge Giovanni coming out of one of the small offices behind us, close to the 
entrance to the building. She was getting into the elevator right across from us. 
With a nudge, we slid into the elevator with her. There was no sign of Leo, but 
he might have gone upstairs already. It didn't matter. If we followed Marge, she 
would lead us back to her husband. I suppose she could answer our questions 
just as well, but I'd rather ask them both before they knew we were after them.
 
She got out on the second floor and spent a few minutes looking at the directory 
of offices on the floor. It made me even more nervous when I remembered this 
was the same floor as the county clerk, but I dismissed the feeling as 
unwarranted paranoia. 
 
When her cell phone went off, she pulled it out and turned to move down the 
hall briskly, faster than the flow of traffic, listening to whatever her caller was 
telling her. I bulled ahead as she walked around slower people. Her back was to 
us so she would be none the wiser. 
 
I had just passed the tax collector's office when she sped up to a jog. I cursed 
and sped up. She couldn't be onto us, she hadn't even looked back. There was a 
crash behind me and the squawk of a woman. A glance back showed me that 
some guy in a black coat that was too big for him and a watch cap had came out 
of the tax collector's office and bowled Gretchen over. I almost stopped, but he 
was already helping her to her feet with profuse apologies, dusting off her coat 
while she sputtered and tried to get past him to catch up with me. 
 
That made it easier for me to forge ahead and follow Marge into the county 
clerk's office. She hung up her phone and stepped into line behind half a dozen 
other folk. A quick check of the line showed no Leo, so I stepped into line behind 
her. Gretchen came just after that in a huff, muttering under her breath about 
inconsiderate men. 
 
"You still have the license, right?" I asked, my paranoia showing. With a roll of 
her eyes, she reached into her coat and we could both hear the crinkle of paper. 
I sighed in relief.
 
She shook her pretty head and laughed at me. "You're so funny. Don't worry! It's 
all safe with me."
 
In ten minutes the line was down to one person in front of Marge. She pulled out 
her cell and dialed. "Honey, you need to hurry up. I'm almost to the counter." 
Her voice was moderately pleasant. She hung up after a moment and looked 
back at the door. Leo walked through it in his ugly yellow windbreaker and 
jointed her as the next window came open. 
 
We pulled out of line, but stayed close enough to listen in on them. We'd be able 
to corner them as soon as we were done. He reached inside the windbreaker and 
pulled out three or four marriage licenses. I could tell from my recent brush with 
one. I knew his wife was from here, so he must have graduated from some 
school of divinity around here and was probably licensed before they moved to 
Vegas.
 
He grinned at his wife and slid one over to her. "You forgot to sign this one. It's 
not valid without all the signatures and it would be a cruel prank to play on those 
poor young people to let that slip by."
 
She grinned back at him and signed it. Then she slid all of them to the clerk. He 
stamped them and signed off on them. 
 
"I'll want a certified copy of that last one. I need to make sure they have it as 
soon as possible. You won't believe how excited they'll be when I give it to them. 
Right, Baby?" His wife nodded and the clerk could care less.
 
He was paying the clerk and she whispered in his ear and headed back toward 
the exit. Gretchen started to follow her and I shook my head. "Let her go. He's 
the important one. We don't need to split up now.”
 
Gretchen nodded and let her go. It seemed like Leo couldn't count as it took an 
inordinately long time for him to pay the man. Finally done, he headed for the 
exit, slipping the copy he requested back into his jacket. 
 
I stepped in front of him and blocked his exit.
 
"Leo Giovanni, I'm Detective Hawkins. I'd like to have a word with you about an 
incident in Las Vegas."
 
He looked surprised, but I didn't get the rabbit-eyed, searching-for-escape look 
that I expected. "Sure, I'd be happy to talk with you, but I have to hit the can 
right now or there's going to be an accident. I can't wait another second." He 
bounced from foot to foot and I wavered. 
 
I remembered there were bars over the windows outside and slowly nodded. 
"Okay, but please make it quick. I'd like to get this taken care off as fast as I 
can."
 
With a smile that seemed a bit more than grateful, he stepped into the men's 
room right across the hall. I leaned against the wall on one side and Gretchen 
leaned against the other. "This is almost over," I said with a smile. "In a few 
minutes I'll have the real story of that night. It feels good. How did you like your 
first bit of police work?"
 
Gretchen raised her eyebrows. "Except for the car, it was great. With the car 
involved, it goes down to barely tolerable."
 
I laughed at her and leaned back, waiting. When it hit five minutes, I was 
starting to get worried. He should have been out by now and he hadn't snuck by 
us. I stopped the next guy to head for the restroom.
 
"Excuse me, our friend Leo is still inside and it's been a bit. Would you ask him 
how long he's going to be?" I asked.
 
The man nodded and went in. The door had barely closed when he opened it 
back up. "Nobody in here. Maybe he went out the other door."
 
With a cry of outrage, I pushed past the surprised man and through the second 
door into the men's room. Bigger than shit, there was a door on the other side of 
the restroom. A quick look around showed no one else there, though a 
suspiciously familiar black coat and watch cap were on one of the sinks, with an 
envelope on top of the neatly folded pile.
 
 "Gretchen, look through that stuff and meet me at the car!" I ran through the 
other door. Another fucking hall! Shit! I hauled ass back down to the stairs and 
got outside in time to see them accelerating away from the curb, with Marge in 
the driver's seat. Leo waved cheerily at me as I judged if I could catch that piece 
of crap on foot. No way. 
 
I ran for our car and heard Gretchen calling from behind me. I could listen when 
I was starting the car, so I kept going. That plan was squashed when I got 
around the corner and saw the car was already hitched to a tow truck and was 
being lifted. 
 
It was hopeless, but I knew I had to try. I got in his face and sputtered, "Jeeze, 
put the damned thing back down. I'm a cop."
 
He chewed his tobacco and spit on the car. "So?" The spit was probably an 
improvement for the car.
 
I showed him my badge. "I'm not bullshitting you. I'm really a cop, so drop the 
car back down."
 
He reached around and scratched his ass. "Hell, I believed you the first time. Still 
not gonna drop the car. You can pick it up at the county lot. Or save the money. 
It looks like it's worth less than the fees."
 
Gretchen huffed around the corner and leaned against the back of the car. 
"Dammit Hawk, I said stop. This is important!" Then she noticed the tow truck 
and shook her head. "Figures."
 
"This dick is towing us," I snarled, "and that asshole, Leo, is getting away!"
 
Gretchen stepped over to the tow driver. "If I pay you two hundred dollars will 
you drop the car and head on out?"
 
He looked at her and shook his head. "She called me a dick. That costs you an 
extra fifty." I ground my teeth, but held my temper as she paid him off. He 
stuffed the money into the back pocket of his coveralls and started dropping the 
car. Gretchen leaned her head against the wall while we waited. She looked... 
I'm not sure what she looked like, but she looked very unsettled, still breathing 
heavily. She should have caught her breath by now. I was about to put a hand 
on her shoulder when the rattle of chains drew my attention back to the tow 
truck. Our car, such as it was, was free. 
 
I walked around and climbed in the driver's door. Gretchen opened her door as 
the tow truck drove off, taking a deep breath and getting in. "We won't catch 
them now, it's been too long. I'm not sure what just happened, but something 
tipped him off. I've never been ditched so professionally. The thing I don't 
understand is why he even let us catch up to him, if he knew we were following 
him."
 
"I know why," she said, looking over at me. The look in her eyes scared me. 
Anxious, upset, embarrassed and angry. Those emotions and more. I was filled 
with dread. 
 
"Why?" I asked already knowing I wasn't going to like the answer.
 
"To make sure to get something filed. I'm just not sure how he knew. It's all my 
fault." She covered her face with her hands.
 
"What?" My eyes widened. "No," I said in a choked whisper as it dawned on me. 
"It's not possible."
 
She looked back up and pulled an envelope from her purse. "This was on the pile 
of clothes in the men's room.” She handed it over to me.
 
A scream of... Well, I don't know what of, ripped from my throat as I yanked the 
contents of the envelope out and stared at it. A certified copy of that damned 
marriage license signed by Leo Giovanni and witnessed by Marge Giovanni. All 
notarized and filed. Legal. There was also a note. 
 
Go back and tell your boss he'll get his money when I'm damned good and 
ready. And a piece of advice for free. Don't tail someone smarter than you and 
then tell a licensed minister how to screw with you while he's in the office right 
behind you listening. One of you likes practical jokes? Now the joke's on you. Go 
home and have that honeymoon you've always wanted. Elvis.
 
I stared back at Gretchen in shock. She laughed without humor. "Well, I never 
thought I'd be a virgin when I got married, but life's funny that way. Which of us 
carries the other over the threshold?" She pulled a folded piece of paper from 
her coat. A blank piece of paper folded up. "He switched it and I never 
suspected."
 
"Oh, my God!" I felt nauseous. "That bastard married us! We're married!"




Chapter Five: When it rains

I was still in shock when Gretchen leaned over, took me into her arms and held 
me. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never thought... I never thought this would 
really happen. It was just supposed to be a joke."

My thoughts ran around the inside of my head, like a dog chasing its own tail; 
going nowhere, but getting there really fast. I covered my eyes with my hands 
and pulled myself together. I needed to think, clearly and logically. Leaping up 
and trying to run away from this would be worse than useless, and panicking 
would solve absolutely nothing.

I took a deep breath. "I know," I said simply. "Neither of us thought this would 
happen to us, but it did." I fought down the frustration. "Frankly, neither of us 
thought, period. I knew that guy who bumped into you was probably trying to 
steal something, but it didn't dawn on me that it might be the license. I should 
have come back to help you. I should have been more concerned about that 
bump, and more suspicious of him, even if I didn't think he had a reason to be 
up to something, much less run. God! Who puts two doors going into a 
bathroom of all places?" 

With another deep breath, I uncovered my eyes and looked at the woman 
holding me. Her eyes dripped tears slowly onto my shoulder. Forcing myself to 
relax my taut muscles, I wrapped my arms around her and held her. "This isn't 
the end of the world. Shocking, surprising, yes, but fate sometimes plays tricks 
on those of us who think we're clever. That's us, by the way. You should have 
known better than to play this game. I should have known better than to let you, 
but I allowed my desire, for your body, and for you, to overrule my brain. This is 
my fault as much as it is yours." I frowned to myself. Why had I made a 
distinction between Gretchen and Gretchen's body? I filed that tidbit away for 
the moment.

Gretchen rested her forehead on my shoulder, missing my subtle distinction. 
"What do we do now, Hawk?"

I kissed the top of her head. "We pick ourselves up, and we sort ourselves out. I 
guess that conversation in Vegas was a bit prophetic: now that we're here, 
married, we both already know that we'll try to make this work. Right?" 

There was a flutter in my stomach as she looked back up at me. I didn't know if 
I wanted her to back out or not. I was afraid she would say 'yes,' and maybe 
even more afraid she'd say 'no.' I really didn't want to examine those feelings 
right now. I had said I would try, so dammit I would try. If she said 'no,' then...

Gretchen raised her head and nodded. "I don't quit. You're right, this isn't a 
disaster. I mean, it's not like one of us is pregnant or anything."

"Right," I laughed. "That would be a little much, all things..." A vision of that split 
condom on the bed in Vegas flashed through my mind. A moment's 
consideration and I dismissed the odds. 

My hesitation was short, but not short enough. Gretchen's eyes widened. "You 
don't think..."

I cut her off with a wave of my hand. "No," I said firmly. "I don't think so. Ted 
always used condoms. He's a thoughtful gentleman."

"Oh, Hawk," Gretchen said, pulling back and giving me a serious look from 
across the seat, "condoms are good, but they aren't a one hundred percent 
barrier. You're on the pill, too, right? You use spermicide? Condoms sometimes 
break or leak."

"Well, no. I react funny to the pill, and it never seemed like something I'd have 
to consider, until just recently," I admitted. "I tried taking them to regulate my 
period for a while and gave it up. And spermicide tastes nasty, doesn't it? I 
wouldn't do that to my sexual partners. I don't even remember having sex the 
night before I met you, and that's the only time I've even seen a broken 
condom. Even if it was in me, the odds of getting pregnant are..."

"One per customer," Gretchen said as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. 
"That was what, six days ago? That might be long enough for an over the 
counter pregnancy test."

"I don't need a test," I objected. "You and I have more important things we need 
to be doing."

"No," Gretchen said firmly. "More pressing, perhaps, but never more important 
than life. I'm invoking spousal privilege. We get this checked, and we get it 
checked now, not later."

"Spousal what?" I asked suspiciously. "What the hell is that?"

"Well," she began reasonably, "we've already established we're married. If one 
of us has something important going on, the other has a right to know about it. 
Besides," she added with a twinkle in her eye, "since you're the one that might 
be pregnant, that obviously makes you my wife. So as the husband, the head of 
our little family, I get to..."

"Oh, no you don't!" I half yelled. "You are not getting over on me so easily. You 
aren't my husband and you aren't in charge of this relationship! I do not concede 
'alpha' status to you. You can be the wife and I'll be the husband."

She pulled out a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes dry, laughing. "Now I 
know we'll be okay. If we were to go by money or social status, I'd still be the 
senior partner," she held up a hand before I could speak, "but you're right. None 
of those kinds of things can matter between us. Neither one of us can be in 
charge. We're either going to be partners, or this won't work." She smiled with 
that twinkle back in her eyes. "But, I'll still tease the hell out of you about it. In 
public when I can."

"You can take the money and that social crap and toss it right out the window," I 
retorted with a small smile. "I don't need your money and I settle social issues 
with a taser."

A tiny smile that mirrored my own flitted across her face. "Well, if you're my 
wife, then guess what? My money and my social status are part of the package. 
The flip-side is that, as your wife, I have to deal with you being a cop. I've 
watched enough TV to know that isn't easy, but I accept that you being a cop is 
part of your package." She looked at me with an intensity that made me squirm, 
and I suddenly realized that Gretchen and I had done something important, 
something exhilarating and terrifying and utterly wonderful; we had come to an 
understanding. I wanted to hold this moment, savor and extend it, but Gretchen 
wouldn't let me. "It's okay, though, Hawk," she told me, "I know all about cops. 
I watch Law and Order." One look and I knew she was serious.

"Dear God, help us," I moaned and covered my face with my hands again.

"What?" she asked indignantly.


I argued a little more about taking the test, but it was just a formality. Call it 
reflexive resistance. Gretchen had already won this round, and I was going to 
get a test. It couldn't hurt because I wasn't pregnant, so I figured it was best to 
just give in, get it done and move on to more important things. 

Gretchen insisted on getting that crappy car back to Dio's lot and having Devon 
meet us first, though. With all that was going on, I had forgotten how bad it was 
in this car. She could have this round, too. I didn't even try to argue about 
getting rid of it. 

Devon was waiting at the lot, chatting amiably with his cousin. When we pulled 
in and the car wheezed to a halt with a clatter, he looked in the window, his eyes 
wide with shock.

"Jesus wept, Dio! How you give dem dis... dis ting?" Devon demanded of Dio. "I 
give dem my good word!"

Dio held up his hands. "Dey say dey want low end. It don get more low end than 
dat! Dey could always tell Dio no."

I climbed out and gave the door a good slam. Rather than closing, it bounced 
back open and fell onto the ground with a crash. I considered giving it a kick, but 
I was afraid the whole thing would fall apart. Turning to Dio, I shrugged. "Sorry."

Both men burst out laughing. They were laughing so hard, they were holding 
each other up. I rolled my eyes in disgust before stomping past them and into 
the warm office. Gretchen followed me in and headed right for the restroom. 

"I'll be back. I need to ritually cleanse myself. We'll end up owning Devon and 
his cab with the fares we pay before I get into another junker like that!" she 
said, defying me to argue. 

Not that I had any intention of arguing. "Fine by me. We can lease him or 
something. It would be cheaper than buying another car. Besides, aren't we 
supposed to have a driver?" I teased. 

"You only think you're funny," she said and closed the door behind her. Firmly.

The outer door to the building opened and the men, still laughing, stumbled 
through. I laughed sarcastically back at them. "Ha, ha. Very funny." Dio slid 
behind the desk and grinned at me while Devon parked himself on the couch. 

"Dat is very funny," Dio insisted. "It was so funny, Dio won't even charge you for 
de damage."

"Charge us for…" I sputtered. "You should be so lucky," I finally laughed, 
shaking my head. "Gretchen is cleaning up, and then we'll be on our way."

Still laughing, he returned the deposit, minus fifty bucks. Reasonable, 
considering the car, I suppose. 

When Gretchen came out, she smelled better. Not clean, but better. I hoofed 
into the restroom and stripped off, doing my own whore bath. I stopped dead at 
that thought and then shook my head. Gretchen and I were going to have to talk 
about that business of renting herself, and I needed to get that word out of my 
vocabulary.

When I dressed and came back out, Dio was smoking a huge cigar and listening 
to Gretchen and Devon talk. The two were seated on opposite ends of the couch, 
facing each other. 

"Three months," Gretchen said.

"Dat's too short to be worth all de hassle," Devon responded. "Dere be a lot of 
disturbance to my life. One year."

"Six months," she countered. "We don't know how things will be until then."

"One year," Devon said firmly, "but wit a one week trial period. If you don't know 
by den, you not be de kind of woman I tink you are."

Gretchen pursed her lips as I sat on the edge of the desk and looked at Dio. 
"What's going on?" I asked him.

"She be hiring Devon to drive de two of you around," he said with a shrug.

"For a year?" I asked incredulously. "We won't be in Boston nearly that long. I 
have a job in Houston."

Gretchen looked at me and with a smile that was pure defiance, she nodded. 
"Done. You start now, Devon. We'll be picking up a car, and you can drop your 
cab back off at the, um, place where cabs go."

"Gretchen!" I screeched. "What are you doing?"

She smiled lazily at me. "Hiring a chauffeur. We'll be needing one."

"For a year?" I demanded.

"At least," she said seriously. "Though we still haven't talked about the little 
details like who will move where and how we're going to manage living together. 
Oh," she said with a smile, "I went ahead and told them we were married."

I choked and resisted the urge to strangle her. "You what!?!"

Gretchen held up a hand. "Stop. Part of you has it accepted it, but you need to 
get this through that stubborn head of yours. For better or worse, we're married, 
and I'm not going to hide it from the world. I mean it. This'll get out even if we 
say nothing, and I refuse to cower from the world. I take the lumps for what I 
do. Isn't it worth it to you?" Her eyes weren't teary now. They were hard and 
bright. She was pissed off.

I bit back the instinctive response and shook my head, backing down. She was 
right. "I didn't mean it that way. I still haven't thought it through that far," I got 
off the desk and moved to her, "but I'm not ashamed of you."

"Good!" she said perkily as she bounced up from the seat. "Then to get back on 
subject, we will have to have a driver wherever we move."

"Why?" I asked. "Neither one of us had one before."

"Neither one of us was married before. Now that I'm settled down, I need a 
driver," she insisted. "Besides, you told me we needed one just a few minutes 
ago."

"I was joking," I groaned. 

"Well, I'm not," she said with a saucy smile. "Now, Dio, if you will excuse us, 
Hawk and I have a lot to do and a short time to do it in."


Devon drove us to an upscale rental place, and Gretchen swished inside to rent a 
car. When the attendant pulled up with a black H2 Hummer, I shook my head. 
Low profile was not in my friend's personality. My wife's personality, I corrected 
myself with a self-conscious smile. That was going to take some getting used to.

Devon walked around the Hummer and whistled appreciatively. "Dis is very nice! 
I tink Devon will like driving you around." He popped the door open and looked 
at the instruments. I would have mocked his male habit of looking over the 
hardware, but I was too busy craning my neck to peer past his shoulder for a 
look myself.

Gretchen popped out of the front door to the rental place and waved us inside. 
"Come on. They need your information so you can drive that hunk of metal."

"Why a Hummer?" I asked as we stepped into the classy lobby. 

"I never miss a chance to thumb my nose at convention, and here in 
Massachusetts wasting gas is a sin. I," she said with a grin, "am a sinner with a 
capitol 'S'."

We handed the nice young man our licenses and in fifteen minutes, we were 
done. I followed Devon while he drove his cab back to the cab lot. He pulled up 
to the building and took a few minutes to show off his new toys to the men 
there. That would be the Hummer, us and his new salary. Men.

Eventually, the manly chest-beating ritual was done and Devon strutted to the 
driver's door. I climbed out and shook my head at him impishly. "So, were they 
more impressed with the car or with Gretchen?"

"What do you tink?" he said through a grin as he buckled in. 

I climbed in the back, and Gretchen joined me, stopping to adjust her sandal 
strap to the awed stares of her crowd of new fans. I could tell that she was 
gently shaking her ass at them before she stood up, as though nothing out of 
the ordinary had occurred. 

Gretchen smiled at me and looked at Devon through her eyelashes. "I think I 
know what they admire more now." She looked back at me coyly. "Your ass. I 
carry it around, but it's yours. Shall we make out in the backseat while Devon 
drives us to the pharmacy?"

"Pharmacy?" Devon asked, looking at us through the mirror. "Is one of you 
sick?"

"No," I said firmly. "It would just be a waste of time anyway. We've got a lot to 
do so let's just go to the next item on our list, Gretchen."

She shook her head. "Oh, no you don't. We have things to do, alright, and we've 
already been through this. The pharmacy first, and then off to see Daddy." 
Gretchen slumped into her seat. "If I can face him and tell him what happened, 
you can humor me in this one thing."

"What one ting?" Devon asked as he pulled out onto the street like a tank, 
dominating the road. 

"Never you mind," I said waspishly. "Girl stuff." Deep down, I felt the small voice 
of fear. I didn't want to face the possibility that I was pregnant. That would be a 
disaster of the first order. If I thought some segments of the lesbian community 
had rejected me for sleeping with Ted, that would be only a mild shockwave 
compared to the nuclear blast I would face if they found out I was going to have 
a baby. Thank God that was so unlikely.


I wasn't so sure twenty minutes later when Gretchen was reading the 
instructions on various over-the-counter pregnancy tests. She stood up from her 
kneeling position, a grin of triumph on her face. 

"This one says it can detect pregnancy six days after conception. That's today if 
he knocked you up the night before we met."

I winced. "Can we try something else other than 'knocked up'? That phrase 
makes me queasy."

"Sure, how about 'with child', 'expecting', or 'in the family way'?" Gretchen 
grinned sweetly. "I've got it… You've got a bun in the oven."

"You're a riot," I muttered. "Let's get this over with. I have more important 
things to do than waste time on fantasies." I snatched the box from her hand 
and stalked past her, ignoring her laughter behind me. I laid the box on the 
counter and smiled a strained smile at the woman pharmacist. 

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" the woman with the tag that identified her 
as Linda asked.

"A boy!" Gretchen answered before I could respond. "We'd like a big, healthy 
baby boy!"

"I am not pregnant! Jeeze! Why does everyone want this but me?" I complained, 
tossing money on the counter to pay for the test kit and stalking toward the 
ladies room. Gretchen skipped - skipped - along behind me and snatched the box 
back out of my hand.

"I get to read the instructions!" She said, ripping the box open and handing me 
the contents. "It says you pee on it and then close the little cover. In you go!" 
Gretchen shoved me into one of the stalls and I almost fell over the toilet. 

"Jesus, woman. Will you calm down? You're getting all excited over something 
that isn't going to happen," I said as I dropped my trousers and sat on the can. 

"Midstream," she advised me through the door. "Get a clean hit in the middle of 
the stream!"

Muttering imprecations, I doused it and closed the cover. I then stared at it while 
I finished my business. "What am I looking for here?"

"If it stays clear after three minutes, you're not pregnant."

After an hour, I looked at my watch and two minutes had passed. So far, so 
good. It was looking clear. Wait… Was that a line? No, it was just a smudge on 
the paper. Right? 

"Ohmigod!" I felt my stomach fall through the floor. "A fucking line."

"Woo Hoo!" Gretchen squealed. "I'm going to be a daddy! I need cigars!"

"You are not the freaking daddy!" I shouted. "Jesus, I am not the beta in this 
marriage!"

"Hey, all I know is that mommies get pregnant, daddies get to brag and I'm 
bragging!"

Was she dancing out there? She was! The woman was dancing over the worst 
disaster I could have imagined. I put my head in my hands. Pregnant and 
married. Dear God in heaven, what was I going to do?

"I can't wait to tell Daddy that he's going to be a grandpa!" She said, rattling the 
door.

"Hold on, hold on," I said, cleaning off. When I pulled my pants back up and 
opened the door, she yanked me out and spun me around squealing. "How long 
till we know if we have a boy or a girl?"

"How the hell should I know? Months, I'm sure. This stupid thing is probably 
broken. I'll test again later."

"Pessimist," Gretchen said, skipping back out the door and into the pharmacy. 
The pharmacist quirked her eyebrows and Gretchen gave her the thumbs up. I 
almost went over to beat her up when she started clapping.

"Do we have to do this?" I complained. "I don't want to do the happy-happy, 
joy-joy dance."

"Shut up and get out to the car, Little Woman. I get to do my dance cause I'm 
married and gonna be a daddy!" she crowed.

I pulled my hair and almost ran out to the Hummer. I slammed the door behind 
me and locked the doors. "Don't you dare unlock the door, Devon."

Gretchen tried the door and squawked in protest, knocking on the glass and 
demanding entrance. 

Devon raised an eyebrow. "Don you put Devon in de middle of your lover's spat! 
Let de poor woman into de car!"

With a scowl, I unlocked the door. "Nobody better give me any shit about this."

"Devon! I'm gonna be a daddy!" Gretchen said with a grin as she climbed in. "I 
need a box of cigars! Go to a place that sells good ones."

"Congratulations! Devon take you der right away!"

"This is out of control! Let's just let this go and pretend it never happened," I 
begged. "I should never have agreed to that stupid test!" I felt the edge of 
something. A feeling I rarely experienced. Panic.

Gretchen stopped and put her arms around me. "Shhh. It's okay. I'm sorry. I'll 
cut back." She held me as the shakes finally came over me.

"Oh God, Gretchen!" I sobbed onto her shoulder. "This can't be happening! I'm 
not ready for this! I don't know how to have a kid!"

Gretchen rocked me slowly and whispered comfort into my ear as I cried. I felt 
the car stop, but didn't pay it any mind. By the time Devon got back in the car, I 
had cried myself out. I felt drained, empty.

"Go to this address," Gretchen said to Devon, handing him a card. "And let's 
ease off on Hawk for a bit."

Devon nodded and started driving. Gretchen handed me some tissues and I tried 
to clean up.

"I don't know what to do," I told Gretchen. "This scares me like nothing else ever 
has. What if I screw up?"

"Then you'll be like every other parent out there," she said and blinked in 
surprise. "Well, I guess Daddy and I do have some talking to do."


The drive to the estate was quiet as we all were examining our own thoughts. 
When the Hummer pulled up to a massive stone and steel gate, I forced myself 
to focus on what was happening around me. There was time enough to panic 
later, in private.

Gretchen told Devon the code to punch in, and the gate swung open 
ponderously. The sculpted drive made all the ones I'd ever seen in movies pale 
in comparison. Then the house came into view. Dear God, it was a mansion. It 
was huge. Huge and elegant, with the kind of aura that only age and money can 
give a pile of rock.

Devon parked in front of the wide stone steps and opened the door for Gretchen. 
I slid out behind her and straightened my coat. 

Gretchen walked up the steps and was almost to the door when it opened on its 
own. I gritted my teeth when her evil stepmother came out onto the broad porch 
of stone. This was all I needed.

"Well, well," she sneered. "The tramp and her common little friend. You just turn 
right on around and get off our property. You're not welcome here."

Gretchen tensed up, but I pulled her back before she could tear into Kat. 

"Don't even start," I warned her. "Today has been the day from hell, and if you 
say one more thing, I'm not responsible for the bodily harm that befalls you. I 
mean it."

She chuckled in a throaty kind of laugh that just dripped contempt. "You think 
because you're getting paid like this whore it makes you something? You're trash 
and will always be trash."

I took a deep breath and half turned to look at Gretchen. "See how lucky you are 
that I'm here to keep you from doing something precipitous?" Then without 
further warning, I rabbit punched Kat right in the gut.

With a whoosh of air, she doubled over and I grabbed her by the lapels and 
dragged her face to within an inch of mine.

"That's my wife you're talking about, bitch. Keep a civil tongue in your head or 
I'll teach you a lesson that you'll never forget," I said in a voice so cold I was 
surprised her hair didn't turn into icicles. 

Kat's eyes widened and she struggled for breath. "No! You can't be!" She grew 
so pale I thought she would faint. Good. She yanked herself away and rushed 
back into the house like the hounds of hell were right behind her.

I frowned. "I can be scary, but not that scary. What the hell is going on?"

Gretchen snatched me into a hug. "You hit her! I'm so proud of you!"

The sound of footsteps on the foyer floor pulled both of our attentions as her 
father came into view. 

"What in the hell is going on here?" he asked, a confused look darkening his 
face. "Kat just ran up the stairs like she'd seen a ghost." 

Gretchen let go of me and held her father in an unexpected hug. "Oh, Daddy. I 
have such great news!"

He blinked in surprise, but his arms wrapped around Gretchen, a look of genuine 
pleasure on his face. "Tell me."

"We just got married and Hawk is pregnant!" Gretchen said as she kissed his 
cheek. 


Chapter Six: Coming out
 
To say he was surprised would be like saying that linebackers were a bit bigger 
than me. He didn't let go of Gretchen, but he did look like a fish out of water.
 
"Jesus, Gretchen! You're going to give him a heart attack!" I said with a shake of 
my head. "Look Hans, I realize this is a shock, but it just sort of happened. Are 
Ted and Lisa still here? This will be easier if we just go through it once."
 
Gretchen laughed gaily in her father's ear. My father-in-law, I thought to myself; 
this was going to take some getting used to. Hell, it would be easy to accept 
compared with getting used to the Wicked Bitch of the West as a mother-in-law. 
That went way beyond 'getting used to' and into the realm of 'life changing 
miracle.' I wonder how many other newlyweds took a poke at the in-laws on the 
same day they got married.
 
"I'm sorry, Daddy," Gretchen said, looking not a whit contrite. "I just couldn't 
help springing it on you like that," Gretchen laughed again. "Oh, you should have 
seen your face, Daddy!" She didn't give Hans a chance to respond, but turned 
and waved at Devon to join us. "Daddy, this is Devon, my new driver. Devon, 
while we talk, why don't you raid the kitchen for something."
 
Hans rolled his eyes heavenward, as if begging for strength. He placed his hands 
on Gretchen's arms, gently turning her back to him. "Hogwash, Gretchen," he 
said to her face. "You simply can't resist trying to shock me. You've been playing 
this game with me ever since you were a little girl, although I have to admit this 
is over the top, even for you. One of these days you'll find out that you've gone 
too far." He let go of Gretchen's arms and nodded to Devon. "Devon."
 
"I think we passed 'too far' several hours ago," I muttered to myself as I started 
past them and walked into the house. Stopping just inside, I looked around in a 
mixture of awe and mild repugnance. The entryway was marble, leaded glass 
and a mixture of antiques even I knew should never be in the same house, to 
say nothing of side by side in the same room. The difference between Gretchen's 
house and the entry was that a lot more money had been spent on just the entry 
and none of it showed the least bit of taste. While I was sure that every single 
piece was one of the finest of its kind, and that each likely cost more than I 
made in a year, the room as a whole clashed so violently that it looked gaudy in 
a way that made everything within seem cheap and showy.
 
"Who does your decorating? Anna Nichole Smith?" I asked, still turning my head 
from side to side. It was so awful I couldn't stop myself from staring.
 
Hans chuckled and shook his head. "No, Kat picked everything out. I admit it's a 
bit overdone for my taste, but I've learned to live with it."
 
"It looks like a Turkish harem scene in a sci-fi movie," Gretchen said with a sniff. 
"A bad movie. Done by people who think the Shriners are authentic Turkish." 
She stalked into the house like she owned the place, past the monstrous central 
staircase with the obligatory chandelier, veering to the right of the stairs and into 
a more intimate room. Hans and I followed her, eyeing one another curiously. 
Hans somewhat absently pointed Devon toward the kitchen, and he headed that 
way.
 
The room we entered was much more tastefully done. Dark leather seats were 
scattered around the room with small tables at strategic points. Gretchen picked 
up the phone and waited for a moment before speaking.
 
"Ivan," she said, "I need you to bring Ted and Lisa to the Brown Room. Thanks." 
She hung up, went to a bar and started pouring drinks. "That was Daddy's 
butler, Hawk. His name is spelled I-v-a-n, but pronounced 'Evon'."
 
"This will best be discussed over a drink. Daddy, I'm making you a single malt 
whiskey. I'll make it a double. I think you're going to need it. What do you want, 
Hawk?" Gretchen asked me with a raised eyebrow.
 
I sat down in one of the seats and sighed. It was soft and comfortable. The dim 
lights in the room contributed to making me feel more relaxed. I thought I could 
learn to really like the Brown Room. "I want the entire bottle," I told Gretchen, 
"but I don't think I should be drinking."
 
Gretchen nodded emphatically. "Right, I wasn't thinking. How about a soda?"
 
"Yeah, toss me a diet cola," I said with a sigh. I was really, really longing for a 
shot of something, anything, but with a baby inside me that wasn't going to 
happen. I stared at the can in my hand. This sucked.
 
A tall, almost cadaverously thin man, in his late thousands and dressed like 
Lurch, opened the door and led Ted and Lisa in. "Here they are. Welcome home, 
Miss Gretchen," Ivan said, in a voice from beyond the grave. He then wordlessly 
backed out and closed the door behind them.
 
Ted and Lisa smiled at me in surprise, and my stomach did a slow, queasy roll. 
Lord, this could go wrong in so many ways. I might be about to alienate my best 
friends forever. 
 
Lisa came over and hugged me. "Hawk, I didn't expect to see you up here!" She 
sat down in the chair that shared a table with mine. "I thought you were in 
Vegas looking for Elvis, but I'm glad you came to Boston. I bet you found out 
what happened, like we did just an hour ago." Ted sat across from us and 
crossed his legs, watching quietly. Gretchen took their drink orders and leaned 
them toward heavier stuff before sitting down next to her father.
 
"Yeah, well that's a story all its own," I said to Lisa, my eyes shadowed. "You 
first."
 
Lisa's eyes opened wide with concern. "That sounds ominous. Well, Ted's been 
calling the county clerk back in Vegas every morning to see if anything has been 
filed. It looks like a marriage certificate arrived by mail this morning. What would 
you do if I told you that Ted and you are married?"
 
"Throw up," I said sickly. "Please tell me you're yanking my chain."
 
Lisa threw her head back, laughing. "Relax! You're safe. It looks like I need to 
get used to being Mrs. Stansbury and you can stop looking for the missing Elvis. 
Ted and I have been talking the situation over and mutually decided to see how 
it works out."
 
"Oh, I wouldn't say that I can stop looking for Elvis just yet," I said quietly. "I 
need to find him so I can kick him in the balls. Well, I have some good news, 
some bad news and some really bad news. Which do you want first?"
 
Lisa's brow knitted in a frown. "That doesn't sound promising at all. Let's start 
with the good news, then."
 
I looked at Gretchen and Hans. She was posed in a relaxed posture, but I could 
see her fingers turning white with tension as she tightly gripped the glass. Hans 
was leaned forward, waiting. His eyes were bright, but I couldn't read emotions 
in them. I took a gulp of my diet cola and set it down on the dark stone coaster.
 
"The good news is that I got married to Gretchen this morning. I suppose it's a 
good thing I wasn't already married."
 
Lisa leapt to her feet, squealing, and yanked me to my feet and into a wild hug. 
"Ohmigod! Ohmigod! I never thought it would happen so quickly!" Then she held 
me out at arm's length and scowled at me. "Why wasn't I invited?"
 
I hung my head. "Because it just sort of... happened. I have a confession to 
make to both of you. Elvis ran here to Boston with his wife, and Gretchen and I 
followed them. We've been here looking for them for almost a week."
 
Lisa's mouth dropped open and she made an indignant noise. "Why didn't you 
call us? We could have helped you find him!"
 
"That's why I didn't call you," I admitted. "You two had enough on your plates 
without me disrupting you. I'm sorry."
 
Lisa shook me a little. "I'm not happy with that answer, Hawk. You should have 
called us anyway." She sat back down and wagged her finger at me. "Now, tell 
me all about your wedding and why we weren't invited. And you better make it 
good."
 
I looked at Gretchen for a moment, but she was no help. I threw up my hands in 
surrender. "We were going to play a prank on Hans," I said tiredly. "We picked 
up a marriage license to scare him with on Monday. It turns out the prank was 
on us. We tracked Elvis to the county clerk's office." I rubbed my face tiredly, 
wanting this be over and knowing I hadn't even gotten to the hard part yet. 
"Somehow, he spotted us and was listening when I told Gretchen not to lose the 
stupid license. His wife distracted us while he took it out of Gretchen's pocket, 
and they signed the damned thing and filed it right in front of us."
 
"Holy shit!" Lisa exclaimed with a shocked expression on her face. "Are you 
going to get it annulled?"
 
I shook my head and looked at Gretchen, feeling a smile come to my face for the 
first time. "I don't give my word lightly and my word is what signing that paper 
meant, regardless that I thought it would never get filed. We talked, and we 
agreed that we would give this a try." I looked at Hans, who looked like he had 
been run over by a truck. "Hans, I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you had in 
mind when you hired me to talk to Gretchen. Forget the fee. I'll understand if 
you're pissed as hell about this."
 
"Screw that, Hawk!" Gretchen objected. "You did exactly what Daddy asked you 
to. You convinced me to make a real effort to make up with Daddy, and I will not 
see you toss your pay away on principle."
 
Hans shook his head. "No, Hawk, Gretchen is right; a deal is a deal. Do you 
know what the most common trait shared by the wealthy people that made their 
own fortunes is?"
 
I shook my head. 
 
"Integrity," he said firmly. "When I make a deal, I stand by it even if it works out 
differently than I'd hoped." He looked at Gretchen, and his voice softened. "I'll 
be honest; I don't know how I feel about this. It's too sudden, too much for me 
to absorb quickly. What I do know is that I won't argue with you about it, no 
matter how I decide I feel. It's your life to do with as you choose. I think I've 
learned that much. I lost you once because I tried to make you see things my 
way, do things my way, and I'll not do that again." He looked back at me. "I'll 
welcome you to the family, Hawk, though I don't think Kat will be very happy."
 
Gretchen tossed her head and snorted. "Daddy, nothing I do will make her 
happy, so it's just something we'll have to deal with. You and I have both let Kat 
come between us, but Hawk has convinced me that we can make our 
relationship work if we focus on just you and me and not try to include her. I 
have to accept that Kat is a part of your life, whether I like it or not, and you 
have to accept she's never going to be any part of mine. If we can do that, if 
we're willing to try, then we'll make it." Gretchen looked so fragile right then, 
and I wanted to reach for her, comfort her. There would be time for that later. 
Right now, she needed to mend this fence, alone with her father.
 
Hans slowly nodded, thoughtful. "I think I can do that," I could see Gretchen let 
out a breath, "but there will be times that we'll be together, Kat and me, while 
you are there. I can't tell her what to do, anymore than I can tell you, so what 
should I do?"
 
"Let us settle it ourselves," Gretchen said bluntly, any hint of fragility gone. "She 
and I will never get along. And she will never accept my wife," she said with a 
smile at me. "We'll argue, we'll fight. That's obvious to anyone that knows the 
two of us. You'll have to stay out of it. I promise I won't start trouble, but I won't 
let her push me too far; and heaven help her if she pushes Hawk. Hawk pushes 
back."
 
Hans winced. "After last week, I don't doubt you may fight. Do try not to leave 
any permanent injuries." A smile ghosted across his face. "I'd like my wife back 
in roughly the same condition as you find her."
 
"Done," Gretchen said with a laugh before turning back to me. "Sorry for the 
interruption, Hawk. Go ahead."
 
I smile at her affectionately. "Thanks." I looked at Lisa. "Ted, Lisa, this might be 
awkward, but you have a right to know this, too. There's no easy way to say 
this, so… I'm pregnant."
 
For a moment, Lisa frowned as though not understanding what I was saying. 
Then her eyes flew wide in shock and she leaned back as though shoved in her 
chair. "What?!? You mean..." Lisa stared at Ted, whose open mouth spoke of his 
shock, as well.
 
"Yeah," I confirmed. "That's the really bad news. Ted is the father."
 
The silence in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife until Ted cleared his 
throat. "Well, this is a shock, but it was a possibility from the very beginning, I 
suppose. I guess one of the condoms didn't work as well as we'd hoped."
 
"I found one in the bed in Vegas after the night you two got married. It was 
split, but we had other things on our minds, if you recall. Lisa, I'm sorry." I 
looked at her beseechingly, feeling more vulnerable than I had thought possible. 
"I don't want to lose you as my friends."
 
Hans really looked bowled over, looking at each of us in turn, but saying nothing.
 
Lisa looked really troubled, but came over to kneel beside my chair. "I don't 
know how all of this will affect us, but I do believe that you don't want to come 
between Ted and me. You're going to have the baby, right?"
 
I closed my eyes. "Of course I am. Abortion isn't something I can do." I looked 
at Gretchen. "Even if I weren't married, I would have this baby. Since I'm 
married, Gretchen would chain me to the bed for nine months to make sure 
everything went well."
 
"Damned straight," Gretchen said firmly. Then she smiled slyly. "Not that I 
promise not to chain you to the bed anyway."
 
Hans rolled his eyes, this time his prayer for strength aloud. "Dear God, help me. 
Please, no details on your sex life." Gretchen just laughed.
 
Gretchen looked back over at me. "Hawk and I do have some negotiating to do 
about that, but we'll keep the details mum, Daddy."
 
"So, when you have the baby, then what?" Lisa asked again. 
 
"If you're asking if I want child support or something, the answer is no. If you're 
asking if I want Ted as more than an occasional lover if everyone agrees, the 
answer is no. I still would like to be part of your sex life, but no more than you 
are willing to allow and only if Gretchen approves. Like she said, we have some 
negotiating to do. On the flip side, though, I'll be raising the baby. Ted and you 
can be part of his or her life, in fact, I would want you to be, but it's my child."
 
"Our child," Gretchen said. "I'll tell you both the same thing I told Hawk; I'm the 
daddy, and I am as much a part of this as Hawk is."
 
"You aren't the daddy! I'm the alpha!" I retorted.
 
Gretchen just grinned and continued. "Look, if we can agree right now that no 
one is going to horn in on the other's relationship, I think we can settle the 
details when this all has time to soak in. Hawk and I will not be a wedge for you, 
and you will not be one for us. Agreed?"
 
Lisa looked at Ted and slowly nodded. "That, 'driving a wedge,' as you put it, 
was what I was really worried about. I can agree with your suggestions." She 
looked back at me. "I don't want to ruin our friendship either. I think we can 
make this work, as long as we all respect each other's boundaries we agree to."
 
Ted nodded, still obviously mulling fatherhood.
 
I almost collapsed with relief. "Thank God!" Climbing to my feet, I pulled Lisa 
into a hug. My legs felt all weak and wobbly. 
 
"Shhhhh," she whispered in my ear. "We'll make it. Sit down, and we'll fill you in 
on what's been happening with us."
 
I sat back down heavily and took a sip of my diet cola. I really wanted a whiskey. 
Sighing in frustration, I made a face. "Maybe one drink?"
 
"Oh, no you don't!" Gretchen said. "It's no booze and a healthy lifestyle for you, 
or I start looking for good chains, my pretty."
 
"Feh," I said sourly. "This is going to get tedious. Well, Ted, how are things on 
your end?"
 
"Could be worse," he said with a smile. "I could be pregnant."
 
"Bastard," I mumbled and bounced the cola cap off his head. "Keep working it, 
and we'll see whose ass gets kicked. I meant how are thing with Hans, bright 
boy."
 
Ted looked over to Hans, who nodded. "Well, we're still working out the details, 
but it looks like Hans will be funding a very large distribution deal for Stansbury 
Vineyards. Along with that, he's going to make a sizeable loan to expand the 
growing acreage. A lot. It takes seven years before new vines are really 
producing, and then it takes time to craft a fine wine, so he's making an 
investment that will pay off in a decade or so. I'm pretty pleased, since I have a 
new wife to keep in the fashion to which she'd like to become accustomed."
 
Lisa shook her head. "Funny man. On my side, Hans is making me a sweet offer 
of either a partnership in a very prestigious law firm in Houston or backing me in 
a run for the District Attorney's office in Galveston or Houston. Thus far, I'm still 
resisting his blandishments, but I'm weakening. He's playing me like a fish on the 
line."
 
"That's great!" I said. "You two deserve it." Then I looked at Hans. "Now what?" 
 
He smiled. "Now I get my revenge for you both springing all this on me. I'm 
having a social get together here tonight for an old friend who's running for the 
US Senate. I want to announce your marriage and pregnancy here tonight."
 
Now it was my turn to goggle. "Why?"
 
"That's simple," Hans said. "First, because it will get out anyway and it's always 
best to be as up front as you can be. If you two are not ashamed of it, I'm not 
going to be either. Second, I have wanted to see Gretchen married for years and 
I'm getting to be an old man." He smiled at Gretchen. "I was beginning to 
despair at ever having a grandchild. I'll be the first to admit that the, um, 
complexity of the parentage may present some interesting challenges, but I 
believe it can be worked out."
 
Hans looked over at Ted. "Depending on a number of factors, I suspect that the 
media will dig you out as a likely candidate for being the father. It might be for 
the best if that were disclosed up front. That sort of thing is done on occasion. 
From a legal standpoint, I believe you should make clear what limits you all wish 
concerning the child."
 
He looked around the room at all of us and smiled dryly. "I suppose with all 
these surprise weddings, no one has any prenuptial agreements?"
 
We all shook our heads.
 
"Then that makes things very interesting on a number of fronts for Gretchen. 
And in the spirit of all the surprises today, I think I'll announce my surprise after 
we make your announcements," Hans said with a smirk as he stood up. "It's only 
fair, really. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some things to get ready for the 
party tonight. Dress up."
 
I expected Gretchen to hound him for the details, but she just shook her head in 
exasperation, letting Hans escape. 
 
After he closed the door behind him, I threw up my hands. "Why didn't you 
tackle him and ask what that means?"
 
"Because I know my father, and I know it wouldn't do any good," Gretchen said, 
rising to her feet. "He is as stubborn as I am and if he says he'll announce it 
tonight, torture won't drag it out any faster. So why fight the inevitable? 
Besides," she smiled mischievously, "it's only fair to let him have some fun, too."
 
I leaned back in my chair. "I'm doomed to a life filled with pranksters for family," 
I moaned.
 
Gretchen gave me a wicked grin, but ignored me. "Ted, Lisa, I know we'll have 
many more chances to get to know each other, but I need to take my wife 
shopping. We simply have nothing to wear. Daddy can turn you loose in one of 
his cars and you can find some good places to shop here in Boston."
 
"Why can't they come with us?" I asked. "There's plenty of room in the 
Hummer."
 
She shook her head and looked at me pityingly. "Because they need time and 
space to talk about all this privately, Doofus. Not everyone is like you, bulling 
their way through it all in one sitting. Let them have some space to think things 
through without us breathing over their shoulders. Right?"
 
Ted and Lisa both nodded. "She's right, Hawk," Lisa said. "Ted and I need to talk 
about it so that we can be frank with each other, and that means we need to do 
it privately. You can take us shopping together later. Right now, I need to do this 
my way." She pulled me to my feet and kissed me on the lips. "It doesn't mean 
anything bad. I still love you. Don't over-analyze."
 
“Pots and kettles, Lisa!" I said.
 
Lisa just smiled. "Give Ted a kiss and get out of here. We only have a few hours 
to shop. Though, if you don't see us at the party until later, don't worry. We 
might be late."
 
Ted kissed me while Gretchen and Lisa embraced in a hug. "Don't worry, Hawk. 
Everything will be fine," he whispered in my ear before releasing me and giving 
Gretchen a hug as well. "You two have fun. Be back here before seven. That's 
when the party kicks off." They opened the door and walked out, arm in arm. 
 
"You think it'll be that easy?" I asked Gretchen.
 
She pulled me into a hug and kissed me lightly. "You think this is easy? This is 
the most complex, unlikely chain of events I could have ever imagined. Life is 
stranger than fiction. Come on. Let's go pry Devon out the fridge and get a move 
on. We need to get your hair done, find the perfect dress and go shopping for 
shoes." Then she kissed me again, but this time deep and hard, leaving me 
breathless. "And we need to stop at Victoria's Secret, too. Tonight's my wedding 
night and I want it to be perfect."
 
"My hair? What's wrong with my hair?"
 
 
The next few hours were a blur of motion and people. Gretchen took me to an 
upscale salon where she seemed to know everyone by name. It was like some 
kind of reunion. Everyone was hugging and laughing. When she told them I was 
her wife, and that we were going to a social to announce it tonight, everyone 
stopped in shock. Then she told them we needed to be dazzling and dressed 
fabulously before seven.
 
I have never seen people bustle into motion like that. Before I could protest, I 
was dragged off into a side room and my clothes were virtually ripped off my 
body. Measurements were taken and I was given a robe to wear. A man that 
triggered my gaydar off the scale came in and blanched at the sight of me.
 
"What?" I demanded.
 
"Oh, dearie, I need two weeks, not two hours."
 
He started running his hands through my hair and tisking. "You don't get your 
hair done, do you, darling?"
 
I snorted. "No, I just use scissors to take it off when it gets too long."
 
"Yes, that's obvious," he sniffed. "Well, thank God it's long enough to do 
something with. I should be able to make this work without losing more than a 
couple of inches in length. You should be glad Vanity is here to save you from 
yourself, Hon. Even then, it will take all my skill to pull this off."
 
I frowned at him. "No one else complains about my hair, and what the hell kind 
of name is Vanity?"
 
"That's because they're terrified you'll break them, you sweet brute. Gretchen 
told me how you punched her mother-in-law. I wish I'd been there to see it. In 
any case, I'm called Vanity because it's what I am and what I do." He struck a 
stereotypical gay pose, right down to the tilted head and limp wrist. I laughed, 
and after a moment, Vanity joined me. "Now, darling, you sit down here so I can 
salvage something from this."
 
I'm surprised I wasn't chained to the chair. He and his assistants, who seemed to 
ghost in and out, did things to my hair. Then they were rubbing my face down 
with something smelling of lime and almonds. When my robe was pulled open, I 
tried to balk and was told that he was gay and my virtue, such as it might be, 
was safe, "so shut up and let me make you beautiful for your wedding night." 
More lotions were spread over my skin, and I couldn't believe I actually sat still 
as he trimmed my bush while chattering away as though everything was 
perfectly normal. Perhaps it was, for him. 
 
When Vanity was done, women started in with clothes. First the frilliest set of 
black panties, that looked like they were made of silk, and a matching half-cup 
bra. Then came a parade of dresses, all in dark colors. Vanity kept saying no to 
perfectly good dresses, including a few that made me drool. None met his 
'vision,' though, and I was about to put my foot down when he finally found one 
he liked. A little black number that looked too small for me. 
 
"Put that on, Hawk. I think we can work with it," he said critically. 
 
I was afraid I was going to tear it when I slid it down my body. It dropped down 
to my mid-thigh and emphasized my smaller than average chest. I looked in the 
mirror and liked what I saw. "This works," I said, putting my stamp of approval 
on it. 
 
Shoes and purses came next and shortly the ensemble was complete. Makeup 
and the final touches were quickly applied and everyone except Vanity made 
their escape. 
 
"You look delicious, darling!" he exclaimed. "If I was even a little straight, I'd be 
drooling all over myself. Let's go show you off to your wife."
 
He led me out from the back room and into the main salon. Gretchen was sitting 
there in a sea green sheath of a dress and her hair was piled up on top of her 
head. The way her eyes lit up and then devoured my body made me shiver with 
need.
 
"God, Hawk, you look good enough to eat. I think we should just skip the party 
and go somewhere private to talk about our honeymoon," she said huskily. Then 
she stood up and came for me, her hands reaching to touch me.
 
"Oh, no," I said, grabbing her hands. "You told Hans that we would go, so go we 
will. But, you can dance with me till your legs fall off."
 
Her laughter gurgled in her throat. "Oh, this is going to be fun." She waved at 
Vanity. "Thanks, V. I don't know what I would do without your genius. Bill me!"
 
 
When we arrived back at the mansion, the party must already have been in full 
swing because there were cars and people all over the place. Uniformed young 
men and women parked cars and were keeping the drive clear for new arrivals. 
 
Gretchen climbed out and looked back into the Hummer. "Go out on the town 
and have a good time on us, Devon. We'll be staying the night, so you can call 
my cell tomorrow afternoon if you haven't heard from us."
 
"Have a good evening, eh," he said with a grin and drove off before someone 
tried to wrest the Hummer away from him.
 
At the door, we were checked against a guest list and admitted without incident. 
My sharp eyes picked out a couple of inconspicuous guards inside the door. 
Likely a ready response team in case someone tried to crash the party. I 
cataloged the heat they were packing with approval. I'm sure there were others 
scattered through the house, among the guests and out on the lawn. They 
probably had us identified before we stopped in front of the house.
 
Lurch was waiting just inside the door, as well. His eyes hinted at his disapproval 
before they moved over to Gretchen. "Miss Gretchen, Miss Shauna, the main 
party is in the Crystal Room."
 
"Hawk," I told him. "And don't call me Miss." 
 
He sniffed at me. He actually sniffed at me. "I don't use nicknames, Miss 
Shauna. It shows an inappropriate familiarity."
 
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away before I could grind my teeth 
down to the nub. I could tell that we were going to have trouble, and I didn't 
know what to do since he was too old to just beat into shape. Gretchen didn't 
even seem to notice how it riled me. She took my arm and virtually dragged me 
off behind Lurch.
 
The Crystal Room was huge and, as expected, glittering with crystal. An 
obnoxiously large crowd of men in penguin suits and women that were dressed 
to the hilt maneuvered in some complicated dance of conversation, dominance 
and challenge among each other. The women were a mixture of matrons with a 
haughty air and young women that fit more into the category of mistresses or 
escorts. That brought my eyes back to Gretchen. 
 
She smiled back, misinterpreting my glance. "Don't worry, Hawk. I know this 
looks intimidating, but it's not that bad."
 
Then Lurch cleared his throat. "Miss Gretchen Werner. Miss Shauna Hawkins."
 
I started to turn on him, but Gretchen just grabbed my arm and pulled me 
inside. "Did you hear what he just did to me?" I snarled, exasperated. "Now 
everyone will be calling me Shauna!"
 
"So," she asked with a smile as we started mixing with the other people. "It is 
your name, and I think it's very pretty. Like you."
 
I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I'm doomed."
 
A cheery man with short brown hair and a genuine smile stepped up to us and 
threw his arms around Gretchen while she made happy noises. 
 
"Uncle David! I didn't know you would be here! This is Hawk. I have the most 
amazing story to tell you, the best news!"
 
He laughed and kissed her cheek. "No time, Gretchen. The matrons are right 
behind me and I have to meet with the guest of honor."
 
He held out his hand to me and smiled. 
 
"David Stein. Gretchen's mother was my sister. It's a pleasure to meet any friend 
of hers." He kissed her cheek again and let her go with a wave as he dodged 
back. "Wait for me after the party."
 
Her response was cut short by the arrival of a herd of older women with young 
men in tow. Almost ruthlessly, I was split away from Gretchen and by some 
process of crowd movement I didn't quite catch, shuffled to the outside of the 
group. Gretchen squawked, and I started back in before it occurred to me what 
this was. These old women were trying to foist their sons on what they thought 
was a very eligible woman. 
 
With a grin and a wave at her, I let the eddies at the outer edge of the whirlpool 
push me clear. She rolled her eyes at me before succumbing to the people 
talking to her. I bet that would keep her busy for a few minutes. With a half 
turn, I spotted the wet bar and started for it before stopping in my tracks with a 
curse. No booze. I kept forgetting. 
 
I was still weighing my options when a woman in her late thirties or early forties 
stepped up beside me and handed me a glass of champagne. I turned and 
looked her over as she smiled at me. "Good evening," I said with surprise that 
someone in this crowd would even talk to me.
 
"Good evening. I'm Vanessa, Hawk. You don't mind if I call you that, do you? I'm 
Hans' chef. You've met my father, Ivan. I brought you a diet Sprite so you would 
have something to drink."
 
With a sigh, I sipped the Sprite. "Thank you. Yeah, I've met your father. Forgive 
me, but he seems to enjoy irking me."
 
Vanessa quietly laughed. "He does that with everyone. Contrariness was 
invented for him. Still, he has a good heart under that stony exterior. You'll see. 
Hans wanted me to make sure that you knew he was planning on making the 
announcement about fifteen minutes after you arrived."
 
"I really wish we didn't have to do this," I muttered. "Fine, that will make me a 
really popular person, I bet. I don't see this crew taking it too well."
 
While we were talking, a nice looking man in his mid-thirties stepped up behind 
Vanessa. "Your canapés are divine, as always, Vanessa. I'll have to keep working 
to get that recipe from you." His voice was a nice, deep tenor.
 
Vanessa turned with a wide and genuine smile. "Kirk, you devil. You know it's a 
trade secret, but I'll tell you what. If you win the election I'll give it to you with 
my compliments."
 
"Actually, I was hoping to make an attempt at getting it over dinner tonight, 
after the party," he said silkily. 
 
She laughed delightedly. "Kirk, you're the most eligible bachelor here at this 
party. Why would you want to go out to dinner with me? You must have asked 
me a dozen times in the last month."
 
"And you keep saying no. I'm not used to such stiff resistance and it entices me." 
 
"You, of all people, should know why I've been hesitant about dating," she said 
with a little strain in her voice.
 
Kirk's eyes glinted and his jaw firmed. He nodded. "Yes, I suppose I do." He half 
turned and looked over at the edge of the room at someone. "And believe me, 
there are ways to deal with people like him."
 
Looking over Vanessa's shoulder, I saw Kat locked in earnest conversation with 
an older man. They were hunched over a small table by the wall. He had 
distinguished silvering in his hair and an imposing face. His suit bulged around 
his waist, but it was obvious he used to have a decent figure. 
 
Vanessa turned and followed my gaze. "That's former Senator Cartwright. A very 
powerful man in some circles," she said without inflection as he looked back over 
the crowd with a predator's smile. He wasn't looking at me. He was looking in 
Gretchen's direction. Uh, oh. That didn't look promising. "Personally, I'm not very 
fond of the old bastard," she said. "He took me out once and it was not 
something I'd care to repeat."
 
"And if I have my way, you never will have to," Kirk said coldly. "That man is a 
blight on the face of the Earth and we would all be better off if he met the fate 
he so richly deserves. Don't judge all men by him, Vanessa."
 
Kirk shook it off and turned to look at me with a smile, reaching out to shake my 
hand. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Kirk Craig and I want to be your senator." 
That last was delivered with a smile and bit of ironic, tongue-in-cheek wit. I liked 
him.
 
"Then you better get ready to move to Texas, Kirk. I'm Hawk."
 
"I thought Ivan said you were Shauna," he asked, casually slipping his arm onto 
Vanessa's shoulder. She didn't shrug him off.
 
"Yeah," I muttered darkly, "he and I are going to discuss that later. Good luck on 
your run for senate."
 
When Cartwright excused himself from Kat's table, she had a smile of evil 
triumph on her face. Whatever she just did, it did not bode well for Gretchen, or 
me, I was sure. 
 
"Excuse me," I said to Vanessa and Kirk. "I see trouble coming. You should go 
tell Hans that sooner might be better than later on that announcement, Vanessa.
 
Without waiting for a reply, I dove back into the swirl of people around Gretchen 
and fought the current to swim deeper into the swirl. Outraged squeals and 
exclamations trailed in my wake. I ignored them and forced my way in. 
 
Through the crowd, I could already see that the Senator had cut through like a 
bullet through ballistic gel. He expertly plucked Gretchen from the clinging 
women and deftly guided her clear. He moved her to the far side of the group, of 
course, which only made it harder to force my way through. I set my drink on a 
passing tray and pressed on.
 
In the minute it took me to wade through them all, Cartwright had pulled 
Gretchen over to the more dimly lit area near the wall and was talking with his 
back to the room, blocking my view of Gretchen. As I approached, I could hear 
Gretchen responding to something he said.
 
"No, Everett, I won't. I'm not here to be your plaything and upping the amount 
of money won't change my mind. Just because we've had a professional 
relationship in the past does not allow you to put your hands on me and demand 
sex. Please take your hand off my breast." Her voice was calm and distant, with 
no anger. Firm, like one spoke to a dog. 
 
I felt like I had caught fire with anger. No one touched my wife like that. I 
grabbed his arm and spun him around with a cry of surprise ripping from his 
throat. "Didn't you hear the lady?" His hand was still on my woman, but had 
been pulled back to her shoulder. "She said back off. If you want to keep all 
those fingers, you pull that hand back right now."
 
Perhaps that was the wrong way to speak to the rich and powerful, but I've 
never really been good at knowing when to back off or be subtle. Cartwright only 
tightened his grip on Gretchen's arm. "This is between her and me, young lady. 
Go back to whatever man brought you here and mind your own business."
 
"Take your hand off of her," I growled out through my clenched teeth. 
 
Gretchen wrenched her arm free and slid between us. 
 
He glowered like a boxer in the ring. "You haven't seen the last of me. I get 
what I want and no two bit tart tells me no. There will be consequences." He 
stalked off and Gretchen held me back.
 
"No, Hawk. Fighting here isn't worth it. I'll deal with him, and he won't like it," 
she said with a cold look in his direction. "Besides, I can guess who set this up. 
I'm going to kill Kat for this."
 
I let her start calming me down. "I don't know about this, though, Gretchen. The 
thought of you sleeping with him makes my skin crawl. We need to have a long 
talk about your job."
 
She raised her eyebrow. "Certainly, Darling. We can talk about yours at the same 
time." 
 
"My job?" I asked incredulously. "What does my job have to do with this? This is 
about people like that porking my wife. Being a cop doesn't compare with 
something like that."
 
"Doesn't it?" she asked with a serious look. "You could come home dead some 
day. That seems to affect me a lot more than what I do affects you. People like 
him won't be porking me, as you call it. He's blacklisted as soon as I make a 
phone call. The other few I do have sex with are purely professional. Will you be 
having any sex with the father of our child and his wife? Will we? Hawk, I won't 
sleep with someone you object to, but I won't be told to change my life by 
someone else. Not Kat, not my father, not even you. You knew who I was, and 
what I was, when you met me."
 
"My job and your job aren't the same," I grumbled, "and neither is my sleeping 
with friends and you sleeping with clients." 
 
"No," she agreed. "They aren't. But we're both very stubborn people, so let's not 
start with demands and ultimatums. I said we'll talk about it and we will. We 
have a party and our wedding night to get through first, though."
 
"Fine, I won't make demands, but we are going to talk about this," I said.
 
 
It was more like half an hour before Hans was tapping a glass at the head of the 
room to get everyone's attention. My gut was clenching and I sipped at the latest 
in a row of diet Sprites that Vanessa had delivered to me. I was going to have to 
make a trip to the can soon, and I wished Hans would get moving.
 
"Everyone, I have several announcements to make this evening. May I have your 
undivided attention? Thank you!" He said, beaming at the crowd. 
 
Off to the right, I could see Kat glaring at us in sullen anger. What did Hans see 
in her? I smiled back at her, earning a snarl. She truly was the in-law from hell. 
 
Hans drew my attention back as he began speaking again. "You all know my 
daughter Gretchen." A murmur of agreement came from the crowd as he 
motioned for her to come up front with him. He slid an arm around her waist as 
she stepped up beside him. "I am pleased to tell you all that she was married 
earlier today in a private ceremony."
 
A flood of chatter and surprise came from the crowd as they did a collective blink 
and began looking for the spouse. I hid a grin about the rest of what Hans had 
said, because he was right big time. The ceremony didn't get more private than 
when even the happy couple didn't know.
 
"Allow me to introduce her spouse," he said with a smile at me.
 
I walked up and stood beside Gretchen, putting my arm around her waist with 
her father's. Hans was about to continue when Lurch stepped up and raised a 
glass. 
 
"A toast for the happy couple! To Gretchen and Shauna Werner!"
 
The crowd was dutifully repeating that outrageous toast and drowned out my 
protest. "I am not her wife, you cretin!"
 
His self-satisfied expression told me that it didn't matter how much I objected. 
He had planted the seeds and I'd be weeding the garden for the rest of my 
damned life, curse him. 
 
I waved my arms until the crowd calmed down. "We are not…"
 
Gretchen smoothly cut in and over-rode me. "What my beautiful wife means is 
that we haven't made a final decision on whether to share a last name or not. 
Let's just stick with Shauna Hawkins for the moment."
 
"Hawk!" I protested. "My name is Hawk."
 
"Not in this crowd," she murmured back. "They're as bad as Ivan. Good thing 
you have a nice first name. It'll be all over the social pages in the morning. You'll 
be lucky if you aren't Shauna Werner, too."
 
I groaned and covered my face. "That bastard. How does this stuff happen to 
me? What have I done to deserve this, God?"
 
Gretchen quirked an eyebrow at me. "I assume that was a rhetorical question?" 
she asked.
 
"Everyone," Hans said again, cutting off any reply I might have made "I'm not 
done yet. I have a few more important announcements." The crowd quieted 
down, wondering what other news could top Hans' first bombshell. I saw Senator 
Cartwright in the crowd, glaring. Surprisingly, it wasn't us he was glaring at. He 
was shooting daggers toward Kat who ignored him with more aplomb than I 
would have been able to.
 
"The next bit of big news," Hans said, "Is that they are expecting! Shauna is 
pregnant!" 
 
"Hawk," I protested into the confused good wishes. "My name is Hawk!"
 
"The child is obviously one that is provided via an alternate fertilization process, 
but it will be welcomed and loved by all of us as Gretchen's child of the flesh!" 
Hans exulted.
 
The crowd was looking less and less certain as the facts started sinking in. This 
might be the state where it was legal, but I could tell that it wasn't universally 
accepted. Murmuring was breaking out as they talked about us with each other. 
I wondered what rumors would be started before dawn.
 
"And last, but not least, I have one final bit of good news for the happy couple," 
Hans said, slipping in between us and sliding an arm around each of our waists. 
"I made a promise to myself a long time ago that when my little girl finally got 
married, I would show her and her spouse how much I was pleased to see it 
happen. At that time I had a trust created and I made arrangements to name 
them both as co-trustees of that trust this afternoon."
 
I frowned, not really understanding what he was talking about. Gretchen 
obviously knew more than I did, as she gawked at him in surprise. Whatever a 
trust was, that seemed to make up the minds of the crowd as they surged 
forward to heap congratulations on us both. 
 
I fended off the first couple and stuck beside Gretchen with a grip of iron as 
Hans abandoned us to the sharks. My mind rapidly became numb from all the 
smooth blather. It was only when I heard a nasty voice that I focused back in on 
the people around us. 
 
Kat leaned in and hissed at Gretchen. "Enjoy it while it lasts. I know something 
that will destroy your life and this cow's, too." She deftly avoided Gretchen's grab 
and pulled back into the crowd. Gretchen bulled after her and I tried to follow, 
but the people were too thick.
 
It took me several minutes to finally fight clear and by then, neither of the 
women were anywhere in sight. I roamed the room, looking without luck. Then I 
spotted Vanessa talking with Lurch, who was drying his hands with a towel. She 
looked worried. He buttoned the sleeves on his shirt and slipped his jacket back 
on as I walked up to them.
 
"Unbuttoning in a crowd? Pretty informal, Jeeves. Have either of you seen 
Gretchen or Kat?" I asked.
 
"I spilled something on my shirt," he sniffed. "The mistress went upstairs a few 
minutes ago," Lurch told me. "I'm not sure about Miss Gretchen."
 
I managed to nod my thanks and went out into the hall and up the stairs. This 
house was so huge; I still might not find them easily. I had just reached the 
second floor landing when I heard a blood curdling scream from down the hall to 
my right. I reached for my weapon, which of course I didn't have, and cursed. 
Then I bolted down the hall and to the only open door ahead. 
 
Inside the bedroom, I saw Gretchen. Her back was to me and she was backing 
up. 
 
"Gretchen?" I asked, looking around. She was backing up from the door to the 
attached bathroom. 
 
Gretchen half turned and my blood ran cold. In her hand was a kitchen knife. A 
long, bloody kitchen knife. Her face was white with shock, and she dropped the 
knife from her bloodstained fingers. I stepped up beside her and looked into the 
bathroom, my face grim. 
 
Inside, lying on the floor in a pool of blood was Senator Cartwright. He had been 
stabbed in the chest. To make a bad situation worse, Kat Werner was sprawled 
beside him, also stabbed in the chest. Both of them had their eyes open, staring 
in death with a horrified expression on their faces that I had seen in far too 
many murder victims.



Chapter Seven: Fighting the system
 
A shiver of horror washed through me as I turned back to Gretchen. Her right 
hand was smeared with blood and she was as pale as a ghost. My first thought 
was personal: how the hell do I get myself mixed into these unbelievable 
situations? I shoved that thought away. There would be time for personal 
thoughts later, but right now, as much as I wanted to sweep her into my arms 
to protect her, Gretchen needed Hawk the cop, not Hawk the wife. I shook my 
head. I couldn't believe I even thought of myself as the wife. Gretchen moved, 
stepping back again and reaching to cover her mouth. That focused me 
instantly.
 
With a quick step, I snagged her arm before she got blood on her face. Her eyes 
held panic and terror. "Gretchen, look at me," I said calmly. "Focus on me. Don't 
touch anything with your hands."
 
She swallowed and visibly brought herself under control.
 
"What happened here?" I asked, my cop voice cutting through her panic.
 
"I… I don't know." Gretchen tried to look back toward the bathroom, but I 
shifted a half step and blocked her line of vision. I needed her to focus on me, to 
tell me what happened, and I knew we didn't have much time. "I came up here 
to tear a strip off of Kat for that stunt she pulled with the senator. The door was 
open, so I came inside, ready to fight."
 
"Where did you get the knife?" I asked.
 
"It was on the floor beside the door," she said, looking at me trying desperately 
to control her panic. "Hawk, I didn't do this! I didn't know what was happening. 
I just picked up the knife and found them when I came in. I didn't kill them. I 
swear!"
 
An instinct I didn't even know I had within me wanted to grab her, protect her, 
and reassure her. The sound of running feet in the hall saved me from this new 
feeling, and a moment later one of the guards was at the door.
 
"Stop!" I told him before he could step inside. "This is now a crime scene. Call 9-
1-1 and tell them two people have been murdered. Don't let anyone in here 
without my say-so, and lock down the house. No one leaves. Understand me?"
 
The guard nodded, pulled out a radio, and spoke softly into it. Guests started 
coming into view in the hallway, but there was nothing I could do about that 
from in here, so I turned back to my wife. 
 
"When the police come I want you to cooperate, but do not answer questions 
until you have a lawyer. If Lisa and Ted are back, she can fill in as counsel until 
you hire one." I said softly. 
 
"But Hawk," she protested, "I didn't do this!"
 
"Keep your voice down, Gretchen!" For a moment, the cop and the spouse 
battled, and I allowed the spouse out for a moment. "Honey, I believe you," I 
said reassuringly. I sighed. That was all the time I could give to the spouse. 
"Unfortunately, the police won't believe you right away. Two dead bodies and 
you found standing over them with a bloody knife looks really bad."
 
She looked like she wanted to collapse, so I put my arm around her. "It's not 
going to be fun, but we can get you through this, if you listen to me."
 
A commotion at the door signaled the arrival of Hans, who tried to push past the 
guard and looked angry at being stopped. "What the hell is going on in there? 
Let me through."
 
"Let him through," I told the guard, "but clear these other people out of the hall 
and back down into the Crystal Room." Other guards courteously began herding 
the guests back out of the hall as I stopped Hans from going any further than 
the doorway.
 
"Hawk, tell me that this is not as bad as it looks," he said, looking at Gretchen 
who was trying to stand and keep her hand well away from her body. "Is 
someone hurt?"
 
"Yes," I said, grabbing him by his shoulders and turning him towards me. I 
hated this part. Regardless of how I felt about Kat, I had to remember that Hans 
loved her, and there was no easy way to tell someone that a loved one had been 
murdered. Without thought, I fell back into cop mode. "There's been a murder, 
Hans. Two murders, actually. Hans, I'm sorry, but someone has killed Senator 
Cartwright and Kat."
 
For a moment, he didn't understand what I had said. Then he puffed up and 
tried to get past me. "That can't be! I just saw her fifteen or twenty minutes 
ago."
 
I held him, keeping him from coming in. "Don't fight me on this, Hans. She's 
gone and I can't let you contaminate the crime scene."
 
Hans took a deep breath and tried to force his way past me again, so I pushed 
him back out into the hall. "You're lying!" he shouted. "Gretchen, tell her that 
she's wrong!" 
 
"Oh, Daddy," I heard Gretchen sob from inside, "I'm so sorry."
 
Hans bent over like someone had punched him in the gut. I held him up, my 
arms going around him. "Nothing I say can stop the pain, Hans, but you're not 
alone. The person that did this will be found."
 
He blinked and looked up. "Please. Please tell me it wasn't Gretchen. Please, 
Hawk."
 
"It wasn't Gretchen," I told him. "The police will probably treat it as though she 
did, at first, but I don't believe she did it for one second. You need to make a 
choice right now, Hans. Your little girl is in the worst trouble she has ever been 
in, and you need to decide if you believe her. Someone killed your wife, and 
fingers will be pointing at Gretchen as soon as the police get here. I'm a 
homicide detective, and I'm telling you that I have looked at the crime scene, 
and that I know your daughter. Given those two things, I don't think she did it. I 
believe her. Do you?"
 
He held his hands over his eyes for a moment and nodded. "I can't believe she 
would do this. Fight with Kat, yes. Kill her, no. And kill Senator Cartwright, too? I 
just can't believe it."
 
"Then tell her that," I said forcefully. "Right now she feels all alone and is afraid 
you’ll think the worst. You two need each other now more than ever. Tell her 
you believe her. Tell her, and then let someone take you back downstairs. She is 
going to need a good criminal lawyer fast. I'm sorry, but Kat is gone. You need 
to focus on the living."
 
His jaw firmed through the despair. "Yes." He stepped around me and to the 
door of the room. "Baby, I know you didn't do this. We'll fight this together. I 
love you."
 
Her face streaming tears, she started for the door and I had to keep her in the 
room. "I'm sorry, Gretchen, but you can't leave. Not yet." 
 
To my relief, Ted and Lisa arrived at the door just then. "Thank God! Ted, please 
take Hans downstairs and help him. Lisa, we need you now, and we need you 
badly." Ted led the now stumbling Hans away.
 
I quickly filled Lisa in, and she bore up under the shock pretty well. 
 
"You deal with your end, Hawk. I'll deal with protecting Gretchen. Now, shoo."
 
I left her talking earnestly to Gretchen and walked to the doorway. Kneeling 
down, I could see some blood on the carpet beside the door. From the general 
appearance, I guessed that this was where Gretchen had found the knife, just 
like she said. It looked to have been dropped here by someone on the way out 
the door. 
 
I stepped over to take a good look at the supposed murder weapon. A large 
bladed kitchen knife with a rough, easy grip handle. Zero chance for prints on 
that surface, though if the killer cut him or herself on the blade because of a slip, 
there might be some DNA.
 
Walking back to the bathroom doorway, I looked over the dead bodies with a 
professional eye. I was already walling off the feelings, the emotion. It didn't 
matter that I disliked both of them. It was my job to see justice done. Or, it 
would have been if this was my turf, not that I intended to let their killer escape 
just because it wasn't. It all depended on who the cops were that caught the 
case.
 
Without touching anything, it was hard to get a complete picture, but it looked 
like Kat went down first as her arm was under Cartwright. She had been facing 
the shower, I thought, from all the blood on the floor on that side. My take was 
that she fell and bled out in seconds. 
 
Cartwright had been turned mostly toward the wall away from Kat. At least, the 
way the blood spatter on that wall and portion of the ceiling were consistent 
with what I'd expect to see if he had been turned that way. CSI would be able to 
tell for certain.
 
I shook my head. Kat looked to be the first victim, but that just didn't sound 
right. Cartwright was a sizeable man, why kill Kat first? Also, if Kat had been 
killed while Cartwright was in the room, normal human instinct would be to turn 
toward the disturbance, not away from it. It just didn't seem to add up 
 
My thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the police. A uniformed woman 
came into the room and took in the scene at a glance. "Miss, please step away 
from there," she told me, and I didn't argue. She kept the scene clear until the 
detective arrived. He was a small black man in his late forties, his thinning hair 
turning gray. 
 
The detective gave us a cursory look and then looked at the bodies. "Officer 
Brighton, secure the crime scene and get all these people separated for 
questioning." He looked like a burn-out, one of those homicide detectives that 
had seen too much and were on their last legs. The kind of person that pigeon-
holed people and didn't dig too deeply for facts. Someone looking for an easy 
solution. I hoped I was wrong.
 
Lisa started the ball rolling by refusing to leave Gretchen. "I'm her counsel and 
where she goes, I go."
 
The still unidentified detective put his hands on his thin hips and cocked his head 
at Gretchen. "That's fast. Look here, girl, lawyering up is the worst thing you can 
do. Just cooperate and we'll get this sorted out. If you start off with a shyster, it 
only makes you look guilty."
 
"I don't think so, detective," Lisa said coolly. "Shall we let your people look her 
over so she can wash up?"
 
"In good time," he answered her huffily. "Officer, take this other lady out," he 
said pointing at me. 
 
"Sorry," I said, "I'm her other counsel and her wife. I stay."
 
He gave me a pissed look. "What is this, argue with the police day? Just go with 
the officer."
 
"I'm with her. You drag me out of here and you're looking at a shitload of 
trouble from her lawyers about stripping her of counsel," I said, crossing my 
arms. 
 
"I'm not questioning anyone yet," he said, peeved. "I have the scene to look 
over, and the techs will be here to go over all of you." He threw up his arms. 
"Fine, we'll start by questioning her, but not in here. Come with me."
 
He led us back into the hall that was rapidly filling with police and into another 
bedroom. He set one of the wooden chairs out so that Gretchen could sit in it. 
"You two sit on the bed."
 
I gave in and sat on the bed where Gretchen could see me, but Lisa pulled up 
another chair and sat beside her.
 
The detective pulled up a chair and flipped it around and sat with the back 
between his legs. A position of intimidation. "You three are getting on my last 
working nerve."
 
Lisa smiled at him. "I'm Lisa Stansbury, this is Gretchen Werner. The lady on the 
bed is Shauna Hawkins. Who are you, detective?"
 
"Detective Sergeant William Sweeny, Miss Stansbury. Now, Miss Werner, tell me 
how you got that blood on your hand?"
 
Gretchen stumbled through the same story I had gotten from her with Lisa 
keeping her to just the bare bones and blocking any more-in-depth questions. 
 
When she told him I had come in right after she found the bodies, Sweeny 
looked at me, his eyes hard. 
 
"It doesn't sound like you're counsel, Miss Hawkins. You smell like a witness to 
me," he said.
 
I opened my purse and pulled out my badge. "I'm on the job in Houston."
 
He took it and looked it over, his eyebrows rising. "Pretty odd that a homicide 
detective happens on a murder scene right after it happens."
 
I shrugged and took my badge back. "Call it a gift. Look, it's been an odd week. 
You've got her initial statement. Let the crime scene boys take her and get what 
they need. Then, you can grill me."
 
"Well, Lieutenant Hawkins, that's my call to make, not yours," he said, leaning 
his chair back. "I say when this is over."
 
He turned back to Gretchen and made her go through everything he had just 
heard. I know he didn't expect to get something new right now; he just wanted 
to prove his dominance. Gretchen held up better this time and went through it 
like a champ. 
 
When she was done, he turned her over to the techs, and Lisa went with her. I 
got up, flipped another chair around in front of his and matched the position of 
his seat, robbing him of his posturing. With the dress on, though, I had to sit 
side saddle. "Shall we take turns pissing on each other to prove how manly we 
are, or can we cut to the chase?"
 
Sweeny stood up abruptly, his face clouding with anger. "Don't you dare try that 
shit with me. Your wife is in a world of hurt, and you know I'm going to book her 
pretty little ass on two counts of Murder One. If the evidence plays out like I 
think it will, she'll go down hard. It looks open and shut to me, Miss Texas 
detective, so you go on back downstairs, and I'll try not to let your bullshit piss 
me off any more than it already has. And, you're out as counsel." He held up a 
hand to shortstop my objection. "You're a witness, pure and simple. Don't push 
me on this or I'll toss you in with her. Get moving and let me process my crime 
scene."
 
"Bullshit. The spatter evidence by itself points at another person as the perp," I 
snarled in exasperation.
 
"Tell it to the judge. Now get out," he huffed, rising to his feet.
 
Gritting my teeth, I backed down and walked out of the room. This wasn't going 
to be easy. Dick Cheese already seemed to have made his mind up. That meant 
he wouldn't be looking for evidence that pointed at anyone but Gretchen. In 
fact, he might suppress any exculpatory evidence he did find. Some people were 
like that. I needed to get on this right now. Time to talk to my father-in-law.
 
 
The guests had apparently already been processed and funneled out of the 
house. At least, if they hadn't all been processed and were still in the house, 
they weren't in plain sight. All the people that were visible were cops, medical 
examiners and a pair of people just coming in the front with crime scene jackets 
on. CSI... Crime Scene Investigators. Not as high speed as the television show 
make them out to be, but still damned impressive, when they put their minds to 
work and their tools to good use.
 
I stopped them just shy of the stairs and showed them my badge. "Excuse me, 
but one of the deceased is my mother-in-law, and the detective looked like he 
had already made up his mind. Do me a favor: look hard, and look twice at 
what's up there. I want to see the guilty person pay, whoever that turns out to 
be, but I don't want to see it done so fast that we miss something that doesn't 
fit the moment's favorite story. Okay?"
 
The two, a young Hispanic man in his twenties and an older white woman 
glanced at each other and then back at me. "We don't rush to judge, detective," 
the older woman said. "Rest assured that we'll do our best and we'll be 
thorough. The facts will speak for themselves."
 
I nodded. "That's all I wanted to hear. Thanks."
 
After they went upstairs, I started searching around and found Hans in the 
Brown Room with Ted. Hans looked like hell and I couldn't blame him. Ted had 
placed a stiff drink on the table in front of Hans, but it looked untouched. When 
Ted looked at me, I gestured with my head for him to give me some time with 
Hans. Quietly, he slipped out, leaving us alone.
 
I knelt in front of Hans and took his hand in mine. God knows I wished I had 
less experience in dealing with people who had just suffered a terrible loss, but 
in this particular case I was damned glad that I did know how to deal with Hans 
and how to help him get things moving.
 
"Hey. How're you holding up?" I asked gently.
 
"Not very well," he admitted, squeezing my hand a little. "I don't believe it. I 
keep telling myself that it can't be true, that it's all some terrible joke. When it 
sinks in, I don't know what I'll do." He laughed, a hint of despair creeping into 
his voice. "I'm lying. I don't know what to do even now. If I do what I did when 
my first wife committed suicide, I'll be angry with everyone soon enough. I 
prayed I would never have to go through this again."
 
"Look," I started slowly, "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. It's going to be worse 
this time. The detective is an asshole, and he's going to charge Gretchen. He 
might hem and haw, but he's already made up his mind that she's the killer. 
Gretchen is in the worst spot she's ever been in, and no matter how much we do 
to help, she's all alone in the crosshairs. Hans, I need to hear it again. Did you 
believe her when she told you she didn't do it?"
 
Hans stared into my eyes, his jaw working. At last, he nodded. "I know it looks 
bad, but I just don't believe she would kill two people. No matter how much she 
hated Kat, I just cannot accept that she would kill her even in the heat of the 
moment, much less go get a knife and track her down. And I know of no reason 
that Gretchen would have to kill the senator. Gretchen is innocent. I'm sure of 
it."
 
I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. If he thought she was guilty, this 
would be much harder. "Then we need to get busy because the clock is ticking. 
Right now, CSI is upstairs gathering evidence, probably from Gretchen. As soon 
as they finish, Detective Sweeny will tell her he's taking her to the station to take 
her statement. Or, if he's a major asshole, he'll just arrest her now. Either way, 
she won't be leaving the precinct house except to go straight to jail. He flat out 
told me she would be charged with two counts of murder in the first degree. I'm 
not sure about here, but in Texas that means the death penalty is on the table."
 
He shook his head. "Not here in the bastion of the left. I believe they have 
mandatory life without the possibility of parole. You can thank the kind of people 
that would elect someone like Cartwright."
 
"That's still nothing to court, if we can dodge the bullet. By now, the news media 
is on high alert and rushing here, if they aren't here already. They have some of 
the story, though probably not many particulars. We need to do something I 
never thought I would do. We need to spin the press before the police or district 
attorney has a chance to do it. You need to make a statement to the press 
telling them what happened and explaining about the terrible circumstances 
Gretchen is in. If you sit back with a 'no comment', the DA will fry you in the 
press. Start it off with how the police already suspect Gretchen, how you know 
she didn't do it, and how you're afraid that they will go for the easy target and 
charge her simply because you're both rich and famous. Play the Hollywood 
angle: the famous get charged so the DA can make a name for himself and run 
for Governor."
 
He blinked at me in surprise. "But, then we'll be at war with the district 
attorney."
 
I smiled sourly. "You think you aren't? Ten to one he's already been called and is 
on his way downtown. He'll be calling a press conference as soon as Gretchen is 
charged. He will want her. She's his ticket to fame. Take the initiative while you 
can."
 
He nodded.
 
"Second thing, call the biggest name lawyer you know and get him down there. 
Gretchen needs to have a herd of high-priced lawyers breathing down the cops' 
necks. If they want the time of day, they need a warrant. Everything she says 
goes through them, but they'll already know all that. Get them there before they 
have a chance to start questioning her. Have them push hard for bail. It won't 
be cheap or easy, but with connections, deep pockets and luck, we might get 
her released tonight. Speaking of connections, if you know people in power, call 
them. Have them all start putting pressure in various places. That might help tilt 
the judge that makes the call."
 
I shook my head and picked up his untouched drink. "To hell with no booze. I'll 
take my chances, and Gretchen can yell at me later. I'll drink this, but no more." 
It burned my throat in a comfortable way as I sipped it. "I'm telling you to do 
everything I always hated the defense doing: trying the case in the media, 
blocking the investigation, making me work for every lead. Isn't that just ironic?"
 
"While I do all that, what will you do?" he asked finally.
 
"I'll be making life a pain for Detective Sweeny. I'm going with Gretchen and I'll 
delay the proceedings as much as I can until her well-compensated mouthpiece 
gets there. Then I get busy in the morning tracking down the killer. Wish me 
luck." I tossed back the rest of the drink and set the glass on the table. Time to 
go find Gretchen and Lisa.
 
 
When I caught up with Lisa, she was waiting for Gretchen to dress, and a police 
technician was already bagging my wife's clothes. After the tech left, Lisa shook 
her head. "It's not good."
 
"No," I agreed. "Once she gets dressed, they will either take her into custody or 
take her down to the station for questioning and then take her into custody. I 
have Hans calling people and doing things."
 
"Hawk," Lisa said quietly, "this is bad. I'd charge her and go for the conviction."
 
"She's innocent, Lisa."
 
"Are you sure?" Lisa asked worriedly. "Hawk, you only just met her last week. I 
know you're married, but this is…"
 
I cut her off with my hand. "I know murder and I know people. I can read 
people pretty well and Gretchen is not a murderer. I'd stake my career on it. 
Besides, from the little I saw, I think the forensic evidence may help us, too. I 
need you to back my play, Lisa. Trust me. Trust her."
 
I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the bathroom door. "Lisa, I 
know you're not licensed here, but I'd appreciate if you'd stick with her until her 
merry band of lawyers get there."
 
She nodded. "I'll stick by both of you. I promise. Where did Hans and Ted get 
off to?"
 
"Hans is in the Brown Room. Ted left us there alone to talk for a bit, but I bet 
he's back there now."
 
"Good," Gretchen said, coming out of the bathroom dressed in blue jeans and a 
tee shirt. "Daddy needs someone with him."
 
I stood up and took Gretchen into my arms. She held me and then pulled back, 
scowling. "You've been drinking! Hawk!"
 
"Cut me some slack here, will you? This has been the day from hell," I said with 
an eye roll.
 
A knock at the door interrupted her no doubt hot retort. The door opened and a 
female officer looked at us, and motioned Detective Sweeny in. He upheld my 
low opinion of him by pulling out the cuffs with no foreplay.
 
"Gretchen Werner, you're under arrest for the murder of Senator William 
Cartwright and Katrina Werner. You have the right to remain silent. You have 
the right to an attorney…" 
 
He continued to read her rights as he cuffed her. She stood there stoically, 
looking regal. Several officers came in to escort her out.
 
"Chin up, Gretchen. We'll have you out fast," I told her. 
 
She blew me a kiss on the way out the door. "You better."
 
Sweeny swaggered up to me as Lisa followed Gretchen out. "I need you to come 
down to the station and answer some more questions, Hawkins."
 
I stuck my index finger in his face. "That's Detective Lieutenant Hawkins, 
Detective Sergeant Sweeny. Let's not get too familiar. I'm coming down to the 
station, but not to answer your questions. You have my statement and that's all 
you get until my wife's arraignment."
 
He sneered at me and poked me in my chest. "You'll do what I say or I'll haul 
your southern ass in as an accessory to murder."
 
Swatting his hand back, I poked him in the chest twice as hard as he had poked 
me. "I'm not your little push-over, burnout. Nothing I say or do will make this 
situation any better with you. If you could arrest me, you would have. You might 
be able to awe some society bimbo with that gold badge, but you don't impress 
me one little bit." I leaned in, glaring into his face. "I'll find the real killer in spite 
of your lazy ass. Get in my way and I'll walk all over you."
 
I left him standing speechless as I turned and stalked past the awe-struck 
uniforms. 
 
By the time I got downstairs, Gretchen was being put into a squad car, and Lisa 
was getting into a car that Lurch had brought out front. I slid into the passenger 
seat and buckled in wordlessly. 
 
 
We made the trip to the station in silence, each of us preparing for battle in our 
own way. The police station was like most of its ilk: drab and worn. 
 
Police streamed in and out of the front as we came in from the parking area. 
They kept us cooling our heels while Gretchen was processed in. They were 
taking her picture, getting her fingerprints and gathering basic information. They 
then parked her in a holding area to stew. It seemed that keeping everyone 
waiting was almost universally normal police procedure. I'd done it myself many, 
many times. Surprisingly, this gave me a sense of patience I normally didn't 
have. I was so intimately familiar with the process that my estimate was within 
five minutes of when they came to escort us back.
 
I half expected Sweeny to try and block my presence, but he didn't. The 
interrogation room felt as comfortably familiar to me as my house. Of course, I 
was the one usually asking questions. Gretchen was now dressed in an orange 
jump suit and shackled to the floor. No doubt that was to unsettle her and me. It 
didn't seem to be working on either of us.
 
She smiled at me as if we were in a diner. "There you are, Hawk. I was getting 
worried."
 
"No need to worry," I assured her. When we sat down on either side of her, I 
tipped back in the chair just a bit and smiled at Sweeny. "Time's short, little 
man. If you want to ask some questions, let's get started."
 
The flush of anger told me that he was not happy to have the rhythm of the 
questioning broken and his initiative taken away. "You'll be here until I say we're 
done." I could hear the unspoken "Dyke Bitch" at the end of that sentence. 
Good. I liked having an adversarial relationship with this guy.
 
"Wrong," Lisa said. "As soon as I say we're done, we're done.”
 
The glare between them was interrupted by a knock at the door. A uniform 
opened the door and let in a portly man in his late fifties. He looked a size too 
big for the suit and had the air of someone who was a bit disorganized. That 
was obvious when his briefcase popped open and dumped papers all over the 
floor. 
 
"I beg your pardon," he said as he set the briefcase down and started gathering 
papers. "I'm Danny Zieter, here for the defense. One of you two ladies is Hawk 
and the other is Lisa, right?"
 
I stood up and helped him gather up papers. "I'm Hawk. You can have my seat. 
I'm used to standing up and walking around in places like this. It helps me 
think." 
 
He laughed. "I like that. Hawk, we shall get along just fine."
 
Sweeny interrupted our little meeting with a snarl. "I don't care who represents 
who. Fine, Daddy Warbucks sent you. Let's get back down to business."
 
Zieter smiled at Sweeny in a friendly way. "Oh, I'm afraid not, detective. My 
client stands on her privilege to remain silent and we have an appointment in 
Judge Masters' chambers in half an hour. The District Attorney has already been 
notified. Here are the papers to present Gretchen Werner for her arraignment at 
that time."
 
Sweeny looked as surprised as I felt. In addition, he looked monumentally 
pissed. "That's crap. Masters is a day judge."
 
"I know," Zieter said with a smile. "He has agreed to come in and hear the 
argument for bail in this very delicate matter. Amazingly enough, District 
Attorney Danforth had almost the exact same reaction to the news. Thank you, 
Detective. I'll be consulting with my client now."
 
After he stomped out, Zieter laughed. "I love that. Pissing them off like that. No 
offense, Detective."
 
"You just go right ahead and piss them off as much as you like. I'll handle it," I 
said, already liking him. "What's the plan?"
 
"You two can step on out and harass the good sergeant and I'll talk with my 
client alone for a bit, if you don't mind."
 
Lisa and I were both used to this from differing viewpoints, so we weren't 
offended, and we left them alone. Sweeny was gone, so I couldn't piss in his 
Wheaties. Pity.
 
In ten minutes, Zieter was bustling out and herding the two of us toward the far 
end of the hall. "The judge's chambers are through here and up two floors. 
When we get there, just let me handle it."
 
"Will we get her out?" I asked, showing some of my worry. 
 
"Maybe, maybe not. It depends on all kinds of things, and I won't promise 
anything except to try my very best. I can assure you that my best is pretty 
good, though," he said with a wink.
 
 
The chambers were cozy, like those of most judges. The judge, on the other 
hand, didn't look like most judges. He looked like a quantum physicist, with a 
tweed jacket, bow tie and older suit. He looked like a geek that had let middle 
age catch up with him. 
 
The other man there looked like a used car salesman. His hair was slicked back 
and despite the grease, was a flat black that screamed bottle job. To top it all 
off, he looked smarmy, and arrogant. His stare at us spoke volumes. He felt like 
he had the upper hand and was going to crush us. An officer came through the 
other door with Gretchen in front of him. 
 
Once we were all seated, the judge spoke with a voice so deep, I had to look 
again to make sure it was him speaking. 
 
"Gentlemen, ladies, it's late, and I'd like to get back to my wife, so let's hear the 
arguments in a concise and brief manner. Save the grandstanding for a jury, and 
just lay it out clean and fast."
 
"Your Honor," said Danforth, "the facts couldn't be clearer. Gretchen Werner was 
found by her own wife standing over the bodies of her victims, with the murder 
weapon in her hand. Open and shut. The People request she be denied bail and 
remanded into custody immediately."
 
"Thank you, Mister Danforth." Masters looked at Zieter. "Your turn."
 
"Let me be just as concise, your Honor. My client did not kill anyone. She found 
the knife and then the bodies. That will all come out if this ever makes it to trial. 
My client is like anyone else, innocent until proven guilty. We ask she be allowed 
to surrender her passport and present reasonable bail until the police realize 
they have the wrong person."
 
"That it?" the judge asked both of them. "Fine. The court sets bail in the amount 
of ten million dollars, and Miss Werner will surrender her passport. Don't leave 
the area, Miss Werner." 
 
Danforth looked like he had swallowed his tongue. "Your Honor, this is unheard 
of! Ten million dollars is like pocket change to her family. She is a serious flight 
risk!"
 
The judge shook his head. "Not that her record shows, Counselor."
 
"Her record? Let's talk about her record, your Honor. The woman is a prostitute, 
pure and simple. Anyone that would sleep with men for money is not the 
bedrock of society," Danforth said with a sneer.
 
"Your Honor," Zieter said with a shake of his head, "Counselor Danforth surely 
knows that as an escort in the great State of Nevada, what she did or did not do 
in her professional capacity was completely legal and has zero bearing on this 
matter." 
 
"Agreed. Counselors, we will expedite the process and get this case on the 
docket as soon as possible. Have a good night." With that, he rose and exited at 
the door in the back of the room. 
 
The look that the DA gave us as he rose didn't bode well for our chances to get 
on his Christmas list. "I don't know who paid him off, but I'll see this overturned 
tomorrow." With that, he stalked out the other door. The police officer took 
Gretchen out, but Gretchen was smiling and gave us a thumbs up.
 
"Ladies," Zieter said with a smile, "this is why I love the law. Let's get your wife 
free and back home where she belongs." I shook his hand and hugged Lisa. This 
could have been so much worse, and I was thrilled with the ruling.
 
 
The police dragged their feet, and it was almost two hours later when we finally 
arrived back at the house with Gretchen. In the privacy of the back seat, she 
finally broke down in my arms and cried while Lisa drove. None of us felt like 
talking, so I just held her.
 
Lisa brandished a key to the front door and let us all in. "You two go get some 
sleep. Tomorrow we need to plan what happens next." 
 
Gretchen nodded. 
 
"Thank you, Lisa. I won't forget your help. Come on, Hawk."
 
She led me up the stairs and to one of the guest rooms. "I don't keep anything 
here, so this room is as good as the next."
 
She held me and whispered in my ear. "I'm so sorry that I dragged you into 
this."
 
Softly, I kissed her cheek, finally allowing Hawk the cop to slide away. Gretchen 
had needed me to be the cop earlier. Right now she needed me as her wife and 
friend. "We'll make it, honey. Let's just get what sleep we can, and tomorrow will 
get here when it does."
 
Gretchen nodded. "I just need to hold you now."
 
We stripped slowly and slid into bed. I held her in my arms as she cried again. It 
was almost half an hour before she finally dozed. Long after that, I lay with her 
head cushioned on my breast and stared into the darkness at the ceiling, 
thinking. I never felt it when sleep took me. 


Chapter Eight: Cementing the relationship
 
When I finally woke up the next day, I was alone, again. Gretchen must have 
slipped out while I slept. That woman was entirely too quiet.
 
I staggered into the bathroom and through a hot shower. When I was done, I 
found the new toothbrush left for me by the sink and finished my morning 
cleanup by making sure my breath didn't kill someone.
 
That thought brought back all the memories of the previous day. 
 
I didn't have any clean clothes, so I slipped into a robe and made my way 
downstairs, looking for the kitchen. I needed coffee and I needed it now. Then I 
needed clothes and food, in that order.
 
When I finally found the kitchen, I saw that it was as ridiculously huge as the 
rest of the house. All I noticed was stainless steel appliances, large swathes of 
marble counter tops and gleaming floors. I doubted I'd find anything in here at 
Sears or Home Depot. I more than half expected to find Lurch there, but he was 
nowhere to be seen. Vanessa, however, was there, putting some spices in a 
rack. She looked up and smiled at me.
 
"Good morning, Hawk. Can I fix you something to eat?" she asked.
 
I sat down on the bar stool and shook my head. "Coffee, please. Black with two 
sugars. Where is everyone?"
 
She busied herself with putting some coffee in a single cup brewer. "Gretchen is 
in the gym. Or at least she was half an hour ago. Hans is still asleep. His doctor 
gave him something and told me that he would be out most of the day. I haven't 
seen Ted or Lisa today."
 
I looked at the microwave, and it told me that it was almost one in the 
afternoon. "While we wait for the coffee, would you mind if I asked you some 
questions?"
 
Vanessa set down the rag she was cleaning the counter with and nodded. She 
tapped her fingers on the counter top in a soft tattoo. "Sure. I assume you want 
to ask about what happened last night, but I don't know how I can help. Since 
you saw, I mean, since you were there, I'd think you'd already know more about 
it than I do."
 
I laughed to myself. Unlike what you saw on TV, most people just couldn't bring 
themselves to talk directly about murder, especially if it was someone they'd 
known. As always, I was going to have to be the one to bring it up. "How was 
Kat as a Mistress of the house?"
 
Vanessa shook her head. "I don't want to speak ill of the, well, of her."
 
"You were going to say 'speak ill of the dead,' weren't you?" I asked gently, "but 
how can that hurt Kat now? Look," I said more bluntly, "I know it's hard to talk 
about, but someone killed her last night. It wasn't Gretchen. So that means I 
need to know who else she offended. Would you rather save her name or give 
Kat the justice that even she deserves?"
 
Vanessa looked indecisive for a moment and then nodded. "Well, that was plainly 
said, and I guess I have to agree with you. All right, then: Kat was a terrible 
boss. When Hans was around, she would be mostly tolerable, even to the staff, 
but when he wasn't there, she was a royal bitch to everyone."
 
I nodded. "I guessed that much. She and Gretchen didn't get along, I know. 
Who else did Kat have less than cordial relations with?"
 
Vanessa took my cup from the brewer and mixed in the sugar before handing it 
to me. I sipped it and gave her time to think about my question. She picked the 
rag back up and bunched it in her hands.
 
"Well, she didn't get along with my father, but he didn't kill her," she blurted.
 
I nodded. "I don't get along with a lot of people yet I don't end up killing them. 
All I'm working on is a list of people with information, and I'll talk with your 
father in due time. What about Kat and Cartwright? Did they know each other 
well?"
 
She nodded. "The Senator was a frequent visitor out here when he was in office. 
Courting Hans and Kat for donations, I think. Hans would be able to tell you 
more."
 
"Did they spend much time together?" I asked.
 
"Like what?"
 
"Like without Hans around. Was Kat sleeping with him?" I asked bluntly.
 
The lack of an immediate response told me the answer wasn't "no". After a 
moment, she shook her head and told me "no" anyway.
 
"Look," I said, "let me remind you that we aren't going to hurt her anymore by 
talking about her. I suspect Kat might not have always been loyal to Hans, just 
from her personality. If Hans knew about it and was okay with it, that's their 
business. I'm not making a moral judgment here. Even if you don't know it for a 
fact, do you think that she might have been friendlier with the Senator than 
Hans would approve of?"
 
She bit her fingernail and looked at the door worriedly, and then she nodded to 
me. "She might have been. The Senator had a way of putting his hands on 
women that he's been with, and he was pretty comfortable touching Kat." 
 
Recalling how he groped Gretchen, I gritted my teeth and nodded. "I know he 
did, and I'll be looking into who might have wanted him dead, too. Either one of 
them might have been the target, after all. Anyone else get it on with her or get 
into it with her on occasion?"
 
Vanessa shrugged. "She spent a lot of her time out, so it's possible. Other people 
got into it with her on occasion, though it would be faster to list the people that 
didn't tangle with her than the ones who did. That woman was a viper."
 
"Ah, we must be talking about the dearly departed," Gretchen said from the 
door. Vanessa jumped and got busy with the counter again. "Don't worry, I 
won't tell. Vanessa, that coffee smells wonderful. Would you make me a cup?"
 
"Of course," Vanessa answered, getting another cup from the cabinet. She was 
obviously still embarrassed that Gretchen had overheard her final comment. 
 
Gretchen was dressed in a robe just like mine. We'd both need to make a trip to 
the hotel to get some clothes. 
 
I reached out and took her hand. "How do you feel today?" I asked quietly.
 
"Better," she admitted softly. With a glance at Vanessa, she said even more 
quietly, "Yesterday seems almost like a bad dream, Hawk, though I know it's all 
too damn real. I feel badly that I'm not the least bit sad she's dead, even though 
Daddy is hurting so terribly, but a really big part of me is genuinely happy to see 
her gone. Cartwright was an ass, but I'm a bit sorrier to see him dead than Kat."
 
"That's straight from the heart," I agreed, "but don't ever say that to anyone 
else. The police already are focused solely on you as it is. Now, their blind 
stupidity doesn't mean I won't find the person responsible and see that they take 
the fall for what they did. As of now, Elvis is officially on the back burner. The 
police won't be looking for someone else, so I damn well better be. Besides, 
even Kat and Cartwright deserve justice. After all, if being an asshole or bitch 
was reason enough to be killed, I'd have been dead a long time ago."
 
Vanessa set Gretchen's coffee on the bar and bustled out of the room. 
 
Gretchen's face was momentarily haunted, but she visibly forced it off while 
taking a sip of her coffee. "I need to believe that the evidence will prove me 
innocent and that you'll find the person that did this. I have to believe that you'll 
save me, or I'll make myself crazy."
 
"I will," I assured her with a small smile, "but not dressed in a robe. We need 
our clothes."
 
"I already asked Ivan to go pick ours up," she said. "I expect he will be back in a 
little while."
 
I stared at her. "Ivan is handling my underwear? Ewwww! God knows what that 
pervert will do with them."
 
She laughed. "Ivan isn't a pervert! I don't know why you don't like him. He's a 
big teddy bear."
 
"He doesn't like me, and I don't like him. I think the two of us can work within 
those boundaries," I said. "You're obviously too accepting of some people, which 
is a good segue into another subject: you sleeping with people for money."
 
Gretchen rolled her eyes. "Be honest, Hawk. It's my sleeping with people you 
don't approve of for money."
 
I sighed, and then nodded. Never push an argument you know you can't win. 
"Okay, yes," I told her, "that's exactly what I mean. I don't want you sleeping 
with scum like Cartwright. You're my wife, right? I assume I do get some say in 
this?"
 
"Yes," she said, "you do get a say. As long as you don't lay a blanket statement 
on me, we can negotiate. Don't you know women are born negotiators? Toss 
anything out, and women will at least talk about it. So, lay it out and let's see 
what we can come up with."
 
I didn't expect to get into this so soon, but I turned in the stool and crossed my 
legs. I knew I'd have to pick my words carefully. "I think you know what I mean, 
Gretchen. I don't want you having sex without my agreement." I saw her face 
begin to cloud in anger, and I held up a hand. "That works in the reverse, too. 
You have a say on what I do there, as well."
 
Gretchen didn't appear entirely mollified, but she said gently, "I appreciate that 
you're willing to make this a two way street, honey, but there is a difference 
between who you sleep with and who I sleep with. The difference, Hawk, is that 
you know my sleeping with someone else is part of what I do for a living. And, 
I'll admit, I do it because I enjoy it. So, how about this for a compromise; if you 
say 'no,' it's no."
 
"Why can't it be, if I say 'yes', then it's okay?" I asked, almost petulantly. I 
sighed to myself. I knew I wasn't going to like the way this turned out, just like I 
knew I would accept it anyway.
 
"Because, that's you giving me permission and not just vetoing," Gretchen said 
patiently. She must have thought she saw something in my face because she 
said almost pleadingly, "I'm coming part way here, Hawk. Meet me. Please."
 
I opened my mouth to say something more, but closed it without a word. The 
outcome wasn't in doubt, so what made me want to prolong this? I threw up my 
hands. "Fine, but if it's someone you even think I might object to, you have to 
run it by me."
 
"Deal," Gretchen said with a smile. "Thank you, Hawk. Now, on yet another 
related subject, I'm sorry that I don't feel like consummating our marriage. I just 
don't feel like making love to anyone right now, but I've wanted you for a week, 
and even last night doesn't make that go away forever. I admit I'm highly sexed, 
and sex is comforting to me." She ran her knuckles across my cheek. "I suspect 
that sex with you will be so far beyond mere comfort, and after all this shit, I'll 
know that I need that. Not feeling like it, even with you - especially with you - is 
upsetting to me."
 
"Gretchen, honey, please don't worry about that. I want you, too," I admitted, 
"but the mood happens when the mood happens and not a minute sooner. Let's 
just strike when that moment hits us. If that's tonight, I'll be ready. If not, I 
won't be upset," I assured her.
 
"If I can interrupt, I have your clothes in your room," Lurch said from the door. 
 
Gretchen seemed almost grateful for the interruption. She didn't like feeling 
vulnerable, and I could tell she wasn't entirely comfortable showing that 
vulnerability to me yet. "Thanks, Ivan," she said. "Come on, Hawk. We need to 
dress, get something to eat and then get busy. What's first? Who do we grill?"
 
I shook my head. I could see that my solitary, lone wolf days were long gone. I 
was surprised to find that it didn't bother me as much as I had thought it would. 
Still, there were appearances to keep, so, "I'd argue, but I know I'd lose," I told 
her. "I suppose we'll do this together, but it's under my rules. I grill who I like. I 
looked at Lurch, "and I like you right now, Ivan. I have some questions for you 
about last night."
 
"I have a number of things to do today," he said with a sniff. "However, I'll make 
time to allow you your questions."
 
"That's damn big of you, Sport." I said, climbing to my feet. "We'll be back down 
after we dress. We'll eat first and then come looking for you."
 
He gave me another sniff. "I can hardly wait," he said as he strode from the 
room.
 
"See?" I asked Gretchen. "He doesn't like me."
 
"Gosh, I can't imagine why," Gretchen said dryly. "Come on, let's go dress. I'm 
getting hungry, and we have things to do."
 
 
Those 'things to do' were turned on their head when we came back downstairs. 
Detective Sergeant Sweeny was standing in the hall scowling at us. I scowled 
right back.
 
"You again? Gretchen has nothing to say." I told him. 
 
"You know, I have a real problem with some dyke bitch from Houston coming up 
here and sticking her nose into police business," he snarled. 
 
"Oh? Too goddamned bad," I said airily. "You have me and that means it just 
sucks to be you."
 
"Hawk! Detective! Enough!" Gretchen snapped from the stairs. "Detective, you 
know I'm not answering any more questions, so why are you here?"
 
Sweeny scowled at me again before stepping around me. "I'm here because I 
have a problem, and you're part of it. If you'll call off your attack dog, I'll tell you 
what it is."
 
"You have a lot of nerve, coming in here and talking to me and my wife like 
that," Gretchen replied with some heat, coming to my defense. "You've got ten 
seconds either to change my mind, or to get out."
 
"Ten seconds? Okay. Yesterday I had you in cuffs, and I thought you were a 
killer. Today, I think that you didn't kill them. My problem is what I think today 
doesn't change a damned thing," he said.
 
"What?" Gretchen said.
 
"What?" I echoed, a bit more upset than Gretchen.
 
"Ain't it a bitch?" he asked Gretchen, ignoring my outrage. "So, do you want to 
hear it all, or shall I leave you two alone to do whatever carpet-munching, legally 
married women do?"
 
My outrage didn't like being ignored. "How about I just beat the hell out of you 
now, and we call it even?" I asked, yanking him around and balling up my fist.
 
Gretchen slipped between us and forced him back. "No! Jesus, you two! Can we 
please reduce the level of testosterone in the air?"
 
I let her push me back and just glared at Sweeny, who was glaring right back. 
Inside, I almost laughed. Gretchen was right. We did look like a couple of dogs 
who wanted nothing more than to piss on something to mark our territory. "Okay 
Gretchen," I said. "If he'll stop that 'bad cop' bullshit, then I won't stuff my fist 
down his throat."
 
Gretchen looked at him. "Can we lay off the offensive comments?"
 
"Fine, for now, but it doesn't change facts," he said with a shrug. "In any case, 
CSI told me that they didn't think the evidence supported you as the killer. They 
actually said the evidence supported Cartwright killing Werner before he was 
killed by someone else, but, that doesn't matter because the DA is ignoring the 
evidence and proceeding with the case."
 
"What?" Gretchen asked with a high-pitched voice. "Why would he do that?"
 
"Because you're his ticket into the Governor's office," I said from behind her. 
"He's a political animal and you're a once in a lifetime target. He couldn't ask for 
better media coverage. 'Rich hooker, married to lesbian, kills Senator and step-
mother." I looked back at Sweeny. "So, what will the police do?"
 
"What can we do?" he retorted. "Charges have been made, the suspect arrested. 
That's it, unless the DA drops the charges. Will he win? Damned if I know. Juries 
are notoriously unpredictable. Officially, we have no choice but to continue to 
process the evidence and let the DA do his job."
 
Sweeny looked at me and gave me a crooked smile. 
 
"By the way, Hawkins, the DA has an even lower opinion of you than I do. He's 
all bent out of shape from what I hear. He said he has proof that Judge Masters 
was paid off and is going to move to have him removed and have the bail 
revoked. He will be at the State Appeals Court first thing in the morning."
 
Gretchen looked at me. "Can he do that?"
 
"You'd have to ask your lawyer," I said, "but he can try. Your man will be there 
to contest it. I don't think the DA will have much luck."
 
I gave Sweeny a gimlet eye. "We'll never like one another, so why are you telling 
us this? What is Gretchen to you?"
 
"An innocent woman," he said after a moment. "That burnout comment of yours 
really stung, Hawkins. Maybe it's truer than I want to believe." He shrugged. 
"You're right. I don't like you any more than you like me. I don't like what the 
two of you stand for, or the mockery you're making of marriage, but even then I 
couldn't stand back and say nothing. I figured I had to at least give you a heads 
up before I get back on the clock." He got up in my face, although the 
aggression was toned down. "Make no mistake, though," he told me, "the DA is 
going to have me digging for more evidence that supports his conviction rate, so 
get used to seeing me around." He backed off, and in a more conversational 
tone, added, "Oh, and one other little bit of news to add to in the mix; even 
before all the guests were identified and released, the guest of honor wasn't 
among them. Our wannabe senator had already split before the house was 
sealed. Interesting, huh?"
 
 
Sweeney finally swaggered out a few minutes later, but not before he'd turned 
yet another day of our lives upside down. There's nothing quite like being told 
you were innocent, but still going to be prosecuted, to get you nice and mad, 
and Gretchen was really mad. She stormed up the stairs, crying. Somehow, I 
thought the tears just pissed her off even more. She really didn't like looking 
weak in front of anyone.
 
I expected her to go into the bedroom, but she went up to the third floor 
instead. The room she went into was a large office, very modern in appearance. 
Clean, bright and although I had no idea why, totally enraging to Gretchen.
 
"Goddamn that bitch! How the fuck could she do this to me?" She snatched up a 
little crystal statue and smashed it against the wall.
 
I grabbed her hand and spun her to face me. "Gretchen what's wrong? What the 
hell are you talking about? Who did what to you? I thought you were pissed at 
the DA and Sweeny."
 
Gretchen clenched her fist and pulled her arm free. "Oh, I am, but right now I'm 
even more pissed at Kat." She waved her hands at the room "This was my 
mother's room, Hawk, the last little bit of her in this whole house! That bitch Kat 
took away everything that was my mother to me and turned the room into a 
fucking office for herself! This was the only place I could go to feel my mother 
near me when I was a little girl, and she's ruined it!" She bit out each word, 
working up her fury again. "That fucking bitch ruined it!"
 
She grabbed another little crystal thing from the desk and was about to smash it 
when I grabbed her again. Gretchen struggled, and I used my training to push 
her against the wall. She hit a bit harder than I intended, but I needed to break 
her anger. "Gretchen, stop it! You're out of control!"
 
Gretchen fought to break free, and her angry eyes smoked at me as I used my 
body to hold her pinned against the wall. Then the look in her eyes seemed to 
change, and she stopped struggling as she dropped the statuette onto the 
carpeted floor. "Who do you think you are, telling me how to feel?" Her voice still 
held anger, but now it was tinged with something else.
 
I relaxed my hold. "I'm your friend, and I'm your wife," I said, looking into her 
eyes. My own eyes widened as the change in her eyes suddenly became clear to 
me. She was aroused. 
 
Before I could say anything more, Gretchen grabbed my hair with her off hand 
and pulled my mouth to hers in a sudden kiss. A flash of heat rose inside me, 
matching her need, but I quashed it. This was not the time or the place for this, 
and angry sex wasn't good, right? I forced myself back from her lips.
 
"No, you don't…"
 
Gretchen surprised me, pushing me back and twisting me until she was holding 
me against the wall. "There you are, telling me who's the Alpha again." She 
pushed herself against me, the heat of her body completing my arousal. "I have 
some news for you, Hawk. In this relationship, I'm the sexual Alpha and the 
sooner you accept it, the happier you'll be." She smashed her lips into mine, 
forcing her tongue into my mouth insistently. 
 
My belly turned to molten heat, but I wasn't her plaything; she was mine. I 
forced myself away from the wall, not breaking our kiss, and her ass slammed 
into the desk. I heard something fall and didn't care. Gretchen growled into my 
mouth and grabbed my hair, twisting me around and sliding me onto the desk, 
sending half the contents of it crashing to the floor before climbing on top of me.
 
"Oh, no you don't. I know you want me as much as I want you," she said 
huskily. "And you…"
 
I knocked her elbow out from under her, and we rolled off the desk and, with a 
squeal of outrage from Gretchen, crashed to the floor. We scrambled to our feet 
and I grabbed her, clamping my lips to hers. Together, we crashed into the filing 
cabinets, knocking more papers to the floor and causing the smaller one to go 
over with a "whoomp" even the thick carpeting couldn't quite muffle. I pinned 
her and took her mouth with mine. I would have her on my terms!
 
"Mine," I said. "You're mine."
 
"Yes," Gretchen whispered. Then she half tripped me and sent us tumbling back 
into the desk. With the sweep of her hand, she sent the remaining stuff on it 
crashing to the floor while her hips pinned me to the desktop. "You know, I 
always thought my first time with my husband would be gentle and soft. I think I 
like this fire with my wife much, much more."
 
Gretchen grabbed my shirt and ripped it open, the buttons flying in every 
direction. Her eyes drank in my small, bra-covered breasts and she almost 
drooled with desire. 
 
I grabbed her hair and pulled her mouth down to mine, tasting her lips and 
forcing my tongue inside her mouth - not that force was really required. The 
exquisite dancing of our tongues stoked the furnace inside me, but I felt another 
emotion rising with it. Love. How I could be so attached to a woman I'd just met 
boggled my mind. I couldn't understand it, but I couldn't deny it, either. I'd have 
to figure it out later. Much later.
 
Gretchen's hands fumbled clumsily at my bra, a growl of frustration building in 
her throat. Dammit. I was falling back into the Beta and that simply wouldn't do. 
 
"Let me get it," I told her. She let me have some room and that was all the 
leverage I needed to send her tripping backwards. I was off the desk in a flying 
pounce, sending us both staggering into a fake tree, causing it to fall onto a no-
doubt expensive glass table with another loud crash. Using my knee, I forced her 
into the wall with an almost bone-jarring "thud". 
 
Gretchen's air whooshed out of her lungs and I used the momentary advantage 
to rip her expensive blouse down the middle and expose those lovely breasts, 
clad in a silk-looking black bra. As she struggled with me for control, I used one 
hand to reach around her and unsnap her bra with a twist. Some skills just had 
to be practiced until they became so natural that you could do them under any 
circumstances. Gretchen's weakness was that she simply didn't have that 
experience with women.
 
"What in the devil?" asked an incredulous male voice from the doorway. Both of 
us froze and then whipped our heads around to stare at Lurch, who was staring 
at both the destruction and our partly-clad state.
 
In tandem we shouted, "Get out!" And Gretchen added, "Please. And close the 
door behind you, thanks."
 
The goggle-eyed Ivan opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water for a 
moment and then he turned red, right before backing out and shutting the door. 
 
We both burst into laughter, but in Gretchen's case, it was half ruse. While I was 
distracted, she hooked a leg around mine and sent me crashing to the floor. The 
carpet was half covered with various objects and I felt my hip bruise on 
something. The floor driving the air out of my lungs took the fight out of me for 
the moment. 
 
Gretchen straddled my waist and whipped off her ruined blouse and her bra. 
Then she captured my hands while I caught my breath. Her blue eyes sparkled 
at me, as she bent lower and let her breasts sway across my nipples, through 
the bra I was still wearing. It felt like someone was twisting my nipples lightly. 
 
"I could still unseat you," I said hoarsely.
 
Gretchen laughed. "You could, but I think we're almost done with foreplay. You 
like it rough. I've never been into that before, and it'll be hell on the furniture, 
but I think I can get used to it."
 
"I'm not done with foreplay yet," I said and leaned forward, catching her nipple 
between my lips, sucking it and starting to nibble gently. A shudder of pleasure 
went though her body and a sigh escaped her lips. 
 
"Yes…" she hissed. "That's it, suck my nipple." 
 
Her hands loosened around my wrists and I took control away from her in a 
second, releasing my lip lock just long enough to roll her over on her back and 
slid one knee between her legs. I swooped back down and recaptured her nipple 
between my teeth and nipped her not so gently. 
 
"I'm the Alpha here," I growled and rode her as her body arched, not in an 
attempt to knock me loose, but in reaction to my attentions on her. She liked it a 
little rough, even though she might like to tell me that it was my kink. Some 
women liked their nipples in clamps. I did, sometimes.
 
"Shut up and bite my nipples," she growled. "We aren't going to settle this 
today."
 
With a gurgling laugh, I gave her what she wanted. I licked and sucked on her 
tender tit-flesh. They were so much larger than a mouthful, but I made sure my 
mouth made the circuit all over them and then, to test my theory about whose 
kink it really was, I leaned forward and clamped my teeth at the point where her 
neck met her shoulder and bit down gently.
 
Her hips jolted upwards and her sex rubbed against my well-placed leg. With a 
groan that was half pain, half pleasure, Gretchen began wildly rubbing her pants-
covered sex against me. Her hands fumbled again with my bra and finally got it 
loose. 
 
I sat back up, looking down at her. That long blonde hair was wild on the floor, 
her body flushed pink in arousal. Her breasts were capped with eraser-like 
nipples, hard and ready. The thing that held me, though, was her eyes. Ice blue 
and wild. Crazed with desire. Her pupils were fully dilated and she was panting 
like a steam engine.
 
"I love you," she said with those red lips, before she leaned forward to suck my 
nipple. My back arched and I fed what little breast I had into her mouth. My hips 
began to undulate in time with hers as we pleasured ourselves on each other's 
legs. Her eyes stayed locked with mine as she used my nipple ring to great 
effect, twisting her head from side to side gently. The stabs of pain and pleasure 
bled into one another and I threw my head back as the stabs traveled in a sharp, 
fast strike to my groin. 
 
While my eyes were crossed with pleasure, she rolled me over and attacked my 
pants like a starving woman. She ripped the belt off and threw it across the 
room. Something broke, but we didn't care. I lifted my hips in willing surrender 
as she pulled my pants down. She stared at my cloth covered mound and licked 
her lips. 
 
"I've never tasted another woman before," she said, her eyes bright. "I come to 
this, our wedding bed, a virgin for the pleasure of my wife." She bent down and 
inhaled my musky scent through my soaked panties. "You smell like me, a slut in 
need. That's what I am, you know. Your slut and I'll do whatever you want. Tell 
me what you want, Wife. Command me."
 
I groaned and arched my back. "Stop talking and make love to me!" 
 
Like a striking cobra, she attacked my stomach, her tongue doing perverted, 
wonderful things to my bellybutton. When she sucked on it, I felt the sensations 
all the way down my ass, and I groaned. Gretchen pulled my panties down and I 
helped her, wriggling my ass. 
 
Then I watched as she kissed her way lower until her lips were hidden by my 
freshly trimmed bush. Her hot breath sent jolts through me all the way up my 
spine. "Do you want me to kiss you?" she asked, her eyes aroused and needy on 
mine. "Tell me to lick your pussy."
 
"God!" I screamed in a mixture of desire, arousal, love and frustration. "Lick my 
pussy, Gretchen! Eat me!"
 
Gretchen kissed me full on my lower lips, her mouth opening and her tongue 
sliding inside me, exploring me. Her face was instantly drenched in my nectar. I 
don't know that I've ever been so aroused before. 
 
"So sweet," she moaned into my sex. "Yes…" 
 
She dug into me with her tongue and then slowly began working first one finger 
and then another inside me. Her lips teased my clit while her fingers rubbed my 
G-spot. 
 
I didn't even have time to build up before I exploded in her face. She rode my 
wildly convulsing body and just kept going. 
 
"Stop," I pleaded, "let me catch my breath."
 
"Oh, I don't think so," she laughed before licking my sensitive clit again and 
diving back in. Quickly, she had a chain of small orgasms shooting through me, 
one after another, each a little bigger than the one before. Not that I was in a 
position to judge, but for a virgin, it seemed her technique was improving really 
fast.
 
Just when I didn't think I could take it anymore, she slid her finger out of me 
and slowly worked it into my ass, sucking, biting my clit. My body went insane. I 
thought I'd had a stroke. My vision faded and the room was plunged into 
darkness, and the most intense orgasm of my life picked me up and threw me 
into the ceiling. I felt like I was in freefall, and then with a full-body shudder, I 
blacked out.
 
I know I wasn't really out, but I didn't remember her coming up to gently kiss 
my face, whispering that she loved me in my ears so softly that I was afraid I 
was hearing things. I could see her now, her face totally soaked in my juices, her 
blond hair in wild disarray. 
 
"Did you like that?" she asked, a hint of deviltry in her voice.
 
"You know damned well I liked it, Wench," I panted at her, before kissing her 
deeply. Pulling back, I found myself so hungry for her that I didn't even want to 
cuddle. "I need you, right now. Strip and climb aboard."
 
She laughed again and stood up gracefully. With her eyes never leaving mine, 
she slowly stripped herself of pants and the little black panties that matched the 
bra. Even from here, I could see the drops of moisture on her swollen labia and 
trimmed blonde muff. 
 
Gretchen swaggered over to me and swung a leg over my head, kneeling. "Now 
it's my turn. Eat me." She lowered her soaked sex into my face and I drank from 
her like a woman dying of thirst in the desert. Her clit was so large when it was 
aroused; it was like sucking a tiny little penis. I bobbed my head and blew her 
with my best technique. I had a stray thought that my time with Ted wasn't 
entirely wasted.
 
She shuddered over me and her hands tangled in my hair, grinding her sex on 
my face. I lost myself in the moment, and when she came, it surprised me. She 
threw back her head and screamed at the top of her lungs, her back arching 
spasmodically and her hips grinding us together like she was riding a wild 
bronco. 
 
Like her, I decided not to leave it with one orgasm, so I continued eating her 
with all my skill. Finally, she pitched forward onto her hands and knees and I 
slipped out from underneath her as she panted. I buried my face back into the 
sweet, sweet pussy from behind, making her moan in tortured pleasure. 
 
Then, I had my revenge. I slipped two fingers inside her tight pussy and then 
buried my face in her ass, my tongue rimming her sensitive asshole.
 
"God, yes! Fuck me. Lick my ass. Fuck my ass." She groaned in need. 
 
"Maybe next time," I murmured, "when we get some nice strap-ons. Now, shut 
up and come for me." I licked her wildly and pistoned my fingers into her until 
her breath caught and she wailed her pleasure again, this time not stopping until 
she collapsed in front of me.
 
I slid down beside her twitching body and held her as her breathing slowed. I 
kissed her face and whispered into her ears what she had said to me. "I love 
you, Gretchen, wife of my heart."
 
For what could have been minutes, or an hour, we lay sprawled together, spent. 
At long last, she levered herself to her elbow. "God, I can't believe how good 
that was. Thank you."
 
We kissed and held each other for a moment, and then she climbed to her feet 
and helped me up. "Now I'm thirsty and totally ravenous." 
 
Looking around us, we both stopped in amazement. The office was devastated. 
It looked like a tornado had gone through it. Things were smashed, scattered 
and one filing cabinet was on its side, papers spilling out.
 
Gretchen laughed. "I meant to trash the place, but this was better than anything 
I could have planned. Kat would have a shit fit if she were here, knowing how 
we did this. Thank you, wife of my heart." 
 
We dressed as well as we could, with our destroyed clothes, and slipped out of 
the office, bolting back down the stairs to our room and giggling like two 
wayward children.



Chapter Nine: Taking control
 
When we were finally cleaned up and back downstairs, it was time to look for 
Lurch. Having Lurch catch us in flagrante was going to make questioning him 
one of those interesting experiences I usually tried to avoid, but there was a 
price to be paid for anything worthwhile. The sex had definitely been worthwhile; 
hell, the sex had been both fun and fantastic, but there was a killer on the loose, 
and events were proceeding whether we liked it or not.
 
I turned to Gretchen and gave her my cop face. "Honey, I love you, but this is 
my interrogation. My rules, my way. Do not try to fight me on this. If you want 
to help me, keep him on the fire while I grill him. If you can't do this, go into the 
kitchen and talk to Vanessa, because I'm going to hit him a lot harder than 
Sweeny hit you. I'm going to be everything I'm not with you: I'm going to be 
offensive, hurtful, and unrelenting. You need to decide right now: are you in or 
out on the questioning of people you know?"
 
Gretchen swallowed hard. "I'm in. I won't interfere and if I can't help, I'll keep 
quiet or leave the room. Hawk, Ivan wouldn't do this. He couldn't. Look how old 
he is. Cartwright would twist him into a pretzel."
 
I stopped and put my hands on her shoulders. "Get that out of your head right 
now, Sweetie." I sighed and pulled her into a gentle hug. Pulling back, I said, 
"This is why I asked if you could stand being with me when I questioned people 
you know, and care about. When I interrogate a suspect, when any homicide 
cop interrogates a suspect, they are guilty until the facts rule them out. If you 
are going to be with me when I talk to them, you are going to have to accept 
that. I've seen old people who have killed before, and killed people that you 
wouldn't expect. It happens when this old, non-threatening person surprises 
them, and, Honey, Lurch moves more quietly than most. We have no choice but 
to grill Ivan and the rest of them."
 
Gretchen sighed, and then met my eyes. At her nod, I kissed her cheek and 
went into the main part of the house. "Ivan," I shouted. "Where the hell are you 
in this pile of rubble?"
 
"I'm here, Miss Shauna," he said from the doorway of the Brown Room. He had 
a duster in his hand, an apron around his waist and looked completely ridiculous. 
 
"Fine," I said brushing past him. "This will work fine. Gretchen, please close the 
door." I arranged the seats so one was away from a table, in the open and 
exposed. Two others went behind a small table. Emotional leverage. "Please 
have a seat. I'll try to keep the impact on your time as minimal as possible."
 
Stiffly, almost daintily, he sat upright in the seat, only occupying the forward 
edge. "I have already given a statement to the police, Miss Shauna, so I am 
uncertain what more information I can provide."
 
I tapped the table lightly with one fingertip. "I may not be on the clock, but it 
feels like it, so let's keep things more formal. I'm Detective Hawkins this 
morning, and we'll be going over that night from the beginning. Since I have no 
access to the official police records. What is your full name and where were you 
born?"
 
"Ivan Orlov, Detective," he sniffed. "I was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1936. My 
parents immigrated to the United States that same year."
 
"Fine, Mister Orlov, let's get down to brass tacks. After the announcements, I 
saw Kat and Cartwright, still in the room, so they must have left sometime after 
that point. Where were you after Hans finished speaking?"
 
Ivan adjusted his seat slightly and cleared his throat. "I returned to the serving 
area to make certain that the staff was prepared to serve the guests."
 
"Isn't that your daughter's job?" I asked.
 
Ivan shrugged, looking a bit more human with the simple gesture. I pushed that 
thought away and refocused. "No, not really," he said. "Vanessa prepares the 
food, and I see that the staff does the work required in a timely fashion. 
However, she was there."
 
"Did you see either Kat or Everett Cartwright alive after that?"
 
"Yes," he said testily, "I've already told you I saw Mistress Kat go upstairs several 
minutes before she was found dead."
 
"So you did," I agreed. "You also told me you spilled something on your jacket. 
Let's hear about that in more detail."
 
"One of the hired servers spilled champagne on my back, the clumsy oaf," he 
said dismissively. "It's a constant problem when dealing with temporary 
workers."
 
I leaned forward, lacing my fingers on the table in front of me. "The jacket is still 
here, I assume. I'll need to see it after we finish talking."
 
"Talking," he sneered. "We're not talking, Detective. You're questioning me in an 
effort to see how I fit as a suspect. Let's not be coy."
 
"You want plain talk, fine." I slitted my eyes and pierced him with a stare. "You 
look good for the part to me, Lurch. You had access to the murder weapon, and 
full run of the house. You also have a damned good motive."
 
"What motive would that be, Detective? Find me one person, other than the 
Master, who could stand the woman. You'll have far better luck finding ten 
honest politicians. To know her was to hate her."
 
I smiled without humor. "Oh, I believe you when you say you didn't kill Kat, 
Ivan. My instincts, and the evidence at the scene, support that Senator 
Cartwright killed Kat and then someone killed him. A source in the local PD tells 
me that CSI is backing that view of events. That still begs the question, how did 
he get a knife from the kitchen? Did someone get it for him and then follow him 
upstairs to finish him off after he did Kat? Was that you, Lurch? Did you give him 
a knife to get rid of a bitch you disliked and then kill the man that raped your 
daughter?"
 
He paled and recoiled from me, slipping back into the chair. Gretchen wheeled 
and stared at me. All in all, it was a good response to an educated guess. His 
reaction confirmed it, and Gretchen's told me that she had never guessed.
 
"What?!?" she exclaimed. "He did what?"
 
I tilted my head and looked at Gretchen. "Why don't we let Ivan explain that to 
you." Then I skewered him again with my glare. "Why don't you fill Gretchen in?" 
 
"Because it's none of her business or yours," he snarled back at me, his calm 
façade not completely shattered. "What that bastard did to Vanessa has required 
years of healing, and I will not see her dragged back into that morass of despair 
again."
 
"It's too late for that," I assured him. "His death makes both of you very nice 
suspects, so if you hope to clear yourselves, now is the time to be open and 
honest, at least with me. The sooner I can clear you two, the sooner I can find 
the killer. If, indeed, you are innocent."
 
He exclaimed something in Russian that didn't sound very complementary as he 
rose from his seat, his face a mask of rage. "How dare you come into this home 
and treat me and mine like this? You don't know us!"
 
I looked up at him, towering over me and smiled that cop smile. "I dare because 
it's what I do. Get off that fucking high horse of yours, give me some reason to 
clear you and you can get this pushy, lesbian bitch off your case. You don't want 
to tell me the details? Fine. General terms, then. What did Cartwright do to 
Vanessa?"
 
Lurch stalked over to the bar and poured himself a stiff drink. As we waited for 
him to make up his mind, the door to the room opened and Vanessa came in. 
 
"I'll tell you what you want to know," she said, her voice low.
 
Lurch spun and stalked over to her. "No! I won't have you put yourself through 
that again for this fucking bitch voyeur. Let her rot!"
 
Gretchen started to say something, but I put my hand on hers and shook my 
head. This wasn't the time to interject ourselves. Vanessa would more than likely 
bring Lurch around.
 
"If not for her, then for Mistress Gretchen, father." Vanessa's voice faded as she 
lowered it and pulled Ivan further away. Vanessa and Lurch argued quietly for a 
minute before he threw up his hands, took a stiff shot of the drink he'd poured 
and set the empty glass on the table. Vanessa sat in the vacated seat and Lurch 
stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders.
 
Vanessa's eyes were dark, I noticed. A match for the dark brown of her hair. She 
folded her hands in her lap and looked between Gretchen and myself. 
 
"This isn't something I ever wanted to have publicly aired out, but I can't let my 
father shield me from everything," Vanessa said quietly. "If I tell you, then you 
can move on and find the real killer, but I'll tell you now that the world is a 
better place without those vipers." All that was said in the same matter-of-fact, 
monotone, without heat. 
 
"I don't want to hurt you, and I'm sorry," I said gently, "but we have to know 
what really happened."
 
Vanessa sighed and closed her eyes. "It was two years ago. Cartwright had been 
coming to see Hans for several months about something political, and he kept 
talking to me so nicely. When he asked me to go to dinner with him, I was 
thrilled."
 
She wiped tears from her eyes and Gretchen rose to get her some tissues. 
Vanessa took them with a polite "thank you" and blew her nose. Gretchen knelt 
beside her and held her hand. She was so much better at the feminine support 
than I was.
 
"Dinner was wonderful," Vanessa continued, "but on the way home, I started 
feeling drowsy. I wasn't really sure what was happening when he detoured to a 
motel, but I didn't seem to have the energy to even talk. He… he got a room and 
carried me inside. I wanted to tell him 'no', but I seemed so disconnected."
 
Vanessa looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with the first anger I had seen in 
them. "Then he raped me. I screamed 'no' in my head, but it never came out. 
When he was done, he dressed me, carried me out to the car and drove me 
around a while until I started regaining some control. He kept telling me how I 
should just accept it, that no one would ever believe me and that he would just 
claim it was consensual sex."
 
Her father massaged her shoulders and glared at me. "That bastard raped her, 
Detective, and if I had killed him, I would shout it from the rooftops, proud of it, 
not hide it from you."
 
"I made him swear not to do anything when I finally told him last year," Vanessa 
continued. "It wouldn't help anything. It would only hurt him and me. No one 
would believe us."
 
"You also told Kirk, correct?" I asked gently.
 
Vanessa nodded. "He's really a bright man, and he knew something was wrong 
from the way I reacted to Cartwright. He wheedled it out of me over a several 
month period. Since he already guessed everything, it didn't make much sense 
to deny it. And still he keeps asking me out, knowing how afraid I am."
 
"Perhaps it's because he cares and wants to help you," Gretchen said quietly.
 
"So, knowing this," I asked, "why are you and your father a bad bet on this 
murder? Let's say Kat and Cartwright got into a fight and Cartwright killed Kat 
before his killer killed him. Catching him crouched over her body, why not pick 
up the knife and kill the man who raped you?" 
 
Vanessa gave me a feral smile. "Because, if I had caught him, I'd have screamed 
my head off and gotten him caught with blood all over himself. I'd have seen 
that bastard dragged through the mud and locked away for life by the state. All 
that pain and the media circus would be a hell of a lot more satisfying than this," 
Vanessa spat. "I don't believe in killing, even scum like him. I'd have wanted him 
to be raped every day for the rest of his miserable life in prison. Death was too 
good for the likes of him."
 
I couldn't argue with that logic. I believed her. That still didn't clear Lurch.
 
"And why not Ivan?" Gretchen asked, surprising me. "He could have done it in 
anger. I know I could have, knowing what I know now."
 
Vanessa looked at Gretchen and squeezed her hand. "Because he was in the 
serving area the whole time where I could see him. Servers went in and out, but 
I was there the whole time. I know he didn't kill Cartwright. If you believe me at 
all, you'll just have to accept that."
 
I debated that inside and decided, for the moment, to believe her. "Okay, if 
that's so, how did Cartwright get one of the kitchen knives? Or Kat? One of those 
two must have taken the knife up there."
 
Vanessa shrugged. "People were in and out of the serving room before and after 
the announcement, and in the kitchen, too. It's not like we were telling everyone 
to stay out. I don't know where the knife came from, but I'd be willing to bet it 
came from the kitchen proper just because there would have been fewer people 
in there after the food was ready."
 
I stood up and walked around the table, taking her other hand. "I'm sorry I had 
to drag you though this, Vanessa, but I had to know. I won't ask you to forgive 
me for hurting you like this, but I hope you understand why I did."
 
She looked up at me and smiled a small smile. "I do understand. It's because 
you love someone very much."
 
My lips quirked a smile and I looked at Gretchen. "That's true, but that's not why 
I did this. I had to do this because only the truth would let me look past you to 
others. Go ahead, cry, shout at me and hate me. I'll understand."
 
Vanessa rose and pulled me into a surprised hug. "I don't hate you." And as 
quickly as that, she turned and fled from the room. 
 
Lurch glared at me and followed after her, stopping halfway out to turn and sniff 
at me. "I am not as forgiving as my daughter, Detective, and I promise nothing. 
We will finish this at a time of my own choosing and in a manner that I find 
suitable."
 
Then he stalked out, his back stiff and vibrating with energy like a plucked guitar 
string. 
 
I shook my head and smiled, looking at Gretchen. "See what I mean? I just have 
a way with people that makes me so popular. You meld with them, draw them 
out, and I confront them and make them hate me so much that they spill the 
beans."
 
She stood behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her face 
in my hair, kissing the back of my head. "My job is compassion, yours is 
confrontation. I'd make a lousy detective, and you'd make a piss-poor consort."
 
I laughed. "That's blunt, but so damned true, love." My laughter died and I 
smiled ruefully. "I think I've cemented my piss-poor relationship with Lurch, for 
sure."
 
"Give him some space," she suggested. "He may come back around once this is 
all over."
 
"I'm not counting on that," I assured her. "He'll be looking for payback, and after 
all the grief he gave me last night, when he didn't have the same reason to 
dislike me, I can only imagine what form that payback might take." I shook my 
head. "In any case, we need to go make a house call on Mister Craig. Since he 
skated out before the place was sealed, I have some deep, burning questions for 
him."
 
 
Gretchen called Devon and had him pick us up in the Hummer. He looked 
somber in his new duds as he opened the door for us. 
 
I looked over the black slacks, shirt, tie and jacket. The polished black shoes 
completed the outfit, though they clashed pretty well with his dreadlocks and 
black shades.
 
"Dressing up?" I asked him with a grin.
 
"I was tinking dat I should upgrade," he said. "Devon hear about de whole ting 
on de news. I be so sorry, Miz Gretchen."
 
She shook her head and smiled for him. "You don't need to dress up, Devon. 
Just dress like you did before, and we'll be fine. If we need fancy, I'll take care of 
it ahead of time. And don't worry about me." She took my hand and kissed my 
fingers. "I'm in the best hands in the world."
 
I flushed with pleasure at the compliment and slid in back with Gretchen. "Thank 
you," I whispered in her ear.
 
"It's the truth, silly," she said with a smile.
 
Devon turned in his seat after he buckled in. "Dere be lots of people outside de 
gate. We have to make de run tru dem so strap in."
 
He was right; there were a lot of press out there. I pulled Gretchen down so that 
her head was in my lap as we made tracks through the flashing bulbs and talking 
heads. 
 
"Ooooo, I like this," she murmured. "This has all kinds of possibilities." Her hands 
reached for my belt and I pulled her up, laughing. 
 
"You're such a horn dog," I chided her. "This isn't the time or place for fooling 
around."
 
Gretchen melted against me and kissed my neck in a way that did all kinds of 
things to my stomach. "Oh, it might not be the time, but it is the place, I think," 
she whispered in my ear. "I think we should go out one night and see what kind 
of show we can put on for our loyal retainer."
 
"Ha! He'd wreck the car," I snorted. "Or want to join in. Or both."
 
"I don't know him well enough for that, yet, but we'll see," she confided. 
 
"Gretchen!" I said, blushing. "Don't be a slut."
 
"Oh, but I am a slut," she said seductively. "I'm your slut. I told you I'd do 
anything for you, but you're right," she said, sitting back up.
 
I exhaled in relief. 
 
"We still have to have a foursome with the father of our child and his wife first," 
she continued in a quiet, wicked voice. "We have to keep our priorities straight."
 
"Gretchen!" I hissed. "Not so loud!"
 
"Devon not listening," Devon said breezily. "He be driving."
 
"You were listening!" I said hotly. "Don't you pull that silent servant thing on 
me!"
 
Gretchen started laughing and I fixed her with a glare. "You think you're funny, 
but you're not."
 
"Oh, Hawk, you are so easy!" she laughed at me. "I can say the most 
outrageous things and you believe them all."
 
"So," I said with a squint, "you're joking about Ted and Lisa?"
 
"No," she said, "but I am joking about having sex with Devon. Sorry, Devon," 
she said more loudly, "but I don't want to make our relationship that murky. 
However, I do promise to see that you meet some nice girls on occasion to make 
up for it."
 
"Devon knew he be gettin' some serious perks, but dat be nice. Tank you," he 
said from the front seat while I blushed. 
 
"This is all a bit more open than I'm used to," I complained. "What if Lisa or Ted 
don't want to?"
 
"Silly girl, then we don't. But knowing you, I'd doubt it. Let's worry about that 
later."
 
"Dere be a car followin' us," Devon said, looking into the mirror.
 
I looked back and saw a familiar sight behind us. A beat up Pontiac Firebird. Our 
photographer friend from Vegas was back. With a smile, I sat back facing the 
front. "Devon, stand on the brakes."
 
"Excuse me?" he asked.
 
"Stomp the brakes hard," I said again.
 
He looked pleadingly at Gretchen in the mirror. 
 
She smiled wolfishly and nodded. "Do it."
 
"Okay…" he said and stood on the brakes with no warning as we were cresting a 
hill. The tires howled as we slid to an abrupt halt. 
 
Looking back, I saw the guy's eyes bug out, and the cigarette between his lips 
fall into his lap, as he stomped on his own brakes. That was gonna hurt. The 
Firebird screeched to a halt just a few feet behind the Hummer and I popped out 
the door and ran back. He was too busy swatting at his pants to pay me much 
mind when I got to the door and smiled in the open window.
 
"Hey!" I said brightly. "Fancy meeting you here!"
 
It looked like the cigarette was smoking under his butt from the way he was 
bouncing around.
 
"Goddammit, woman! What the bloody hell are you doing?" he snarled when he 
had put out the smoldering embers. Good thing he'd never notice it in that car. 
His pants, on the other hand, had some nice burns. I was right, that had to have 
hurt.
 
"Since you were following us, I decided it would be neighborly to stop and say 
'hi'. You know me, now who are you?" I asked in that same perky, fake-sweet 
tone.
 
"I don't have to…" he started and I just reached in and grabbed his shirt and 
dragged him halfway out of the car.
 
"Let's not be shy," I said to his face. "If we're going to keep bumping into each 
other like this, I want to know whose name to put on the marker when they bury 
your dead ass."
 
He blanched and struggled to get loose, but he just didn't have the leverage. 
"Luther! Luther de Silva! Let me go!"
 
"Luther," I crooned. "That's a really nice name for a piece of shit like you. You're 
getting on my nerve, Luther, and since it's the last one I have that still works, I'd 
rather not burn it out on an ass pimple like you. I can't stop you from following 
me in public, but if you keep getting within arms reach, I might just feel 
compelled to pull a Sean Penn on your scrawny ass. Am I getting through here?"
 
"Let me go, you crazy broad!" he shouted before I stuffed him back into the car.
 
Leaning in, I smiled a shark-like smile. "Do be a stranger, okay?" I stepped back 
as he threw his wreck into reverse and sped backward. It was a great escape 
attempt, right until the rear of his car slammed into the police cruiser that was 
just pulling up behind him. When the airbag in the cop car deployed, I had to 
laugh. He was screwed whether he ran for it or not.
 
I sauntered back to the Hummer and slid in. "That went well, don't you think?" I 
asked Gretchen. 
 
"Ohmigod! He hit a police car! Should we run?" she asked, her eyes huge.
 
"Nope. Devon, take us on out at a normal clip," I said, never taking my eyes off 
the scene playing itself out behind us. The uniform was out of his cruiser and 
pulling the hapless Luther out of his Pontiac. I strapped back in and laughed. "I 
love being me."
 
 
Some judicious calling around garnered the location of Senatorial candidate Kirk 
Craig. He was just wrapping up a speech at a rally on the far side of Boston, but 
would be back at his office in about an hour. I looked at my watch and smiled at 
Gretchen. 
 
"We have a little time to burn, so I think some shopping is in order," I purred. 
 
Gretchen frowned. "Shopping? At a time like this?"
 
"I am shocked," I told her. "I would expect a woman like you would always be 
open to the notion of shopping. Oh, and speaking of shopping, I need to stop at 
an ATM and check my balance."
 
She shook her head with that gleam in her eyes that I had learned meant 'watch 
your ass, Hawk.' "You might just be surprised," she told me. "Daddy said he 
transferred your pay yesterday, so the balance is probably a bit higher. Since we 
got married, I decided not to hit him up for the sex fee."
 
I shifted uneasily in my seat. "Gretchen, I really don't know about this. I don't 
think I should take the money. It feels crooked."
 
She rolled her eyes and took my hand in hers. "Hawk, did you hear Daddy 
mention joint control of a trust fund last night?"
 
I nodded. "Yeah, but I don't really know what that means."
 
"It means that he set aside a lump some years ago and has been the trustee 
until he decided to pass control of it along to us," she said. "I can assure you 
that you have much better odds that the trust fund has more money in it than 
your back account. Honey, you married into money and it's always going to be 
floating around. I'm not going to make a big deal of it and I don't think you 
should, either."
 
I felt my stomach do a slow roll. "Lord, I didn't need to hear that. How much 
money are we talking about? I know you told me how much was going to be 
paid, but other than remembering it was a lot of money, I've forgotten."
 
"I'll put in a call while you get Devon headed where you want," she assured me, 
"but it's not an issue between us. I'm well-to-do, too."
 
"Yeah, but that's your money, not mine."
 
"Yours, mine, ours, it's all the same," she assured me, that gleam back in her 
eyes. That didn't help make me feel better, at all. 
 
While she was talking on her cell, I told Devon to head to the nearest ATM, Bank 
of America preferably. He nodded and took a left at the next light and went 
several blocks before pulling up to the busy curb. 
 
I hopped out and stood in line at the ATM, whistling nervously. When my turn 
came up, I slid my card in and entered my pin number. Selecting the balance, I 
tapped my foot anxiously. I wasn't sure why this was rubbing me the wrong 
way. Shouldn't I be happy to not have to worry about money as much?
 
When the ATM spat out the piece of paper, I snatched it and looked at it. I 
blinked. That couldn't be right; someone had made a mistake, and Hans needed 
to call his accountant. 
 
The guy behind me shouldered past me to the ATM, reminding me that I needed 
to get the hell out of his way. I stumbled back to the Hummer and slid in the 
back, feeling a bit like I was floating. I knew the feeling, it was shock. Too 
damned many of the things that happened to me around Gretchen made me feel 
like that. 
 
"You look pale," she said, looking at me worriedly. "Did he not make the deposit? 
I can call someone and get it fixed," she assured me.
 
"Something's wrong," I agreed, "but it's an error on the plus side. Some bean 
counter added a zero or two. My account has just over a million dollars in it. 
Gretchen, this really makes me feel funny."
 
"Well," she said calmly, "let's see, what you should have had was seven days 
times forty thousand with a surcharge of fifty percent. In my head, that comes 
out to four hundred and twenty thousand. Let me call Daddy's accountant and 
see what the mix-up is. Devon, Hawk wants to go shopping, find out what she 
wants and get us there."
 
As she talked on the phone, I leaned forward and looked at Devon. "Devon, tell 
me I'm not losing my mind."
 
He grinned. "Hawk, you already lost your mind. Anybody dat know you know 
dat. You listen to Devon and he tell you how it is."
 
I took a deep breath and nodded, resting my arms on the seat in front of me.
 
"People, dey search all dere lives for love," he continued in a serious tone. "You 
done found dat, or so it looks to dis mon. Everyting else, dat be beside de point. 
Don let money make you lose sight of the woman back dere."
 
I blinked and chewed on that thought for a moment. Then, slowly, I nodded. 
"Thanks, Devon. That's exactly the perspective I needed. I need to sweat the big 
stuff, and the money is the least important thing here, not even close to 
qualifying as 'big stuff.' You've got a good eye for the ball. Tell me, why are you 
single again?"
 
Devon laughed. "Cuz no woman be crazy enough to keep Devon!"
 
I shook my head and laughed. "Fine, point made. Now, I need to find a place 
that caters to ladies' more intimate needs."
 
"Dere be all kinds of places like dat. Clothing, toys, people, video or 
gynecologist?" he asked matter-of-factly.
 
"Toys," I said.
 
"Devon know just de place," he assured me and pulled out into traffic.
 
I slipped my seatbelt back on and watched Gretchen as she listened to the voice 
on the other end of her call. She nodded occasionally and finally said, "That 
makes sense. I'll tell her. Now, can you give me the details on the trust fund?"
 
The voice buzzed for a minute with Gretchen's eyes growing huge and her hand 
clutching mine. "Are you sure about that," she asked, her voice choked. "I think 
there's a number out of place."
 
After a moment more, she nodded and thanked the person, hanging up. "Okay, 
now I know what you feel like."
 
"That sounds ominous," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Just what the hell does that 
mean?"
 
Gretchen took a deep breath. "Well, first things first. The deposit to your account 
is for services rendered and a success bonus, so the amount was correct. One 
million dollars. I suggest we let the family accountant help us with our tax return 
or Uncle Sam and the Commonwealth of Taxachusetts will eat us alive." 
 
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath of my own. "I won't let 
this be an issue, Sweetie. You are what's important, and if that means dealing 
with the stupid money, then I will." I opened my eyes. "Now, what has you in a 
tailspin?"
 
She nervously licked her lips. "I'm glad you aren't going to let money be an issue 
between us. I'm really glad, Hawk, because Daddy one-upped that deposit."
 
"What," I asked slowly, dreading the potential answer, "does that mean?"
 
"I can't really get my head around it, but he made a trust for me and my family 
when I was a baby. He seeded it with a lot of money and it's been off making 
little baby dollars ever since," she said, obviously stalling. 
 
"Stop dithering, Gretchen. Just come out and tell me what has you off your feed 
about it," I said practically. 
 
"Well, in the last thirty years, it's done really well for itself and us," she said, 
looking out the window.
 
"Gretchen!" I said, exasperated. "Just put it on the table." I was beginning to 
worry about what amount of money could possible make my rich wife dither.
 
Gretchen turned back to me and put her hand on my knee. "Hawk, the trust fund 
is worth a lot more than I have socked away. The two of us are joint trustees of 
a fund with more than two billion dollars in it."



Chapter Ten: Shopping trip
 
I blinked. I blinked again. "Two what?" I asked Gretchen.
 
"Billion. Two billion dollars. In the trust fund," she said in a small voice.
 
I stared blankly for a few moments as I tried to get an idea of that much of 
anything. I finally gave up and turned back to look at Gretchen. "That's actually 
not as much of a problem for me as a million dollars. Two billion is so big that I 
can't get my mind around it. It's just not real. Let's just let things settle down 
and deal with the issues at hand, then."
 
Gretchen took a deep breath and nodded. "That's probably best. So, where are 
we going while we wait for Mister Craig? His campaign office?"
 
I shook my head and grinned. "Nope. Shopping. For marital aids."
 
"Ooooo!" She grinned and nodded. "That sounds like fun."
 
 
Devon picked a nice place with a decent selection, and giggling like schoolgirls, 
we walked down the aisles looking at the various possibilities. It was like a Sex-
Mart or a sex superstore. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had blue-light 
specials. 
 
When we arrived at the "marital aids” section, the selection was incredible. Every 
shape and color was represented, as well as different materials that ranged from 
glass to silicone to hard plastic to "flesh-like". And then there were the specialty 
items.
 
"I never imagined that there were so many options," Gretchen admitted to me a 
bit wide-eyed. "Big, small, long and short. It's my turn to goggle; I can't get my 
mind around this. I think I'll leave this to you, Love. Surprise me."
 
"Don't tell me you've never used one." I said, putting on my most innocent tone. 
I thought I might be able to pry out a little information from her about some of 
those "business relationships". 
 
"Oh, I can't say never," Gretchen replied with a smile. "Just not often." She 
raised an eyebrow.
 
I laughed at getting caught, and picked up a fair sized double dildo. "Ever had 
two guys at once?" I asked slyly. 
 
She took it from me and shrugged. "Professionally? No. Those have all been one-
on-one."
 
"That makes me curious about your pre-business days," I said with a laugh. "Just 
how wild a girl were you?"
 
Gretchen laughed. "I had my share of boyfriends and some experience. I'm not 
asking about your previous lovers, though, so I'm not sure I want to tell you 
everything."
 
"Come on!" I said, grabbing her hand. "Give me a clue here. We're in the right 
place to get some gear if you have some, you know, kinky desires, 'fess up." I 
was surprised to find how much her answer meant to me.
 
Gretchen seemed to sense that, too, as she lay her other hand on top of mine. 
"Hawk, my work involves making other peoples' fantasies come true, both in bed 
and out," Gretchen said seriously. "I've never done anything that I didn't want to 
try, though there are some things that I wouldn't want to try twice. You get what 
you want to make your fantasy come true, and I'll tell you if it's something I'm 
not interested in."
 
I thwacked her on the head with the gel dildo I was holding.
 
"Owww!" she said, grabbing it from me. "What was that for?" She smacked me 
back on the top of my head.
 
"That was for insulting me, twice; you've already made my fantasy come true 
just by being here with me, and I'm not one of your clients. I want us to live out 
our fantasies, together." I said, snatching the dildo back. "I can't do this, and I'm 
not going to do this, in a vacuum. Maybe I shouldn't have been nosy, but neither 
should I have to pry your sexual history out of you. I don't want names; I just 
want to know what you've done, and what you like."
 
She was looking at the floor. "I'm sorry, Hawk. I'm not good at letting others in, 
letting others do for me what I do…" She stopped and looked up, her eyes bright 
with unshed tears. Then she gave me that predator smile that set off my alarms. 
"Do I get to ask the same questions?" she asked. "Quid pro quo?"
 
I stared at her for a heartbeat. For just a moment I had seen a tiny sliver of a 
different Gretchen than the one I had been getting to know, a more vulnerable 
one. Then the wall came back, as if she felt she needed to protect herself. I 
wanted explore this sudden vulnerability she had shown me, but something 
warned me not to push her about it. Not now at least, I told myself. Later, on 
the other hand…. I nodded firmly to myself. Oh yes, there would definitely be a 
later. 
 
I would play along, for now, and fall back on the skills my job had taught me to 
get another peek behind that wall. "Sure," I grinned. "I'm a wild and kinky girl. 
Let's start with your deepest, darkest fantasy." 
 
Gretchen quirked an eyebrow and her smile widened for a long moment, and 
then she pursed her lips. She took her time, appearing to actually consider my 
question. "Well, I'm still getting used to the whole girl-girl thing, so my fantasies 
at this point all seem to be man-oriented. Which do you want? With you or in 
general?" She wore a serious expression on her face, but her eyes gave her 
away. The damned minx was still teasing me!?
 
"In general," I replied blandly. Two could play at this game, I thought. "Don't 
worry, Honey, because you're not going to hurt my feelings. I asked and I want 
to know. You can toss in variations with girl on girl, if you like." I paused for half 
a second. "Or I can make suggestions, if you don't have the imagination for it," I 
added with a sly smile."
 
Gretchen gave me a very unladylike snort as she tossed her hair and looked 
around. No other shoppers were too close, but she lowered her voice anyway. 
"Okay, unimaginative me will just have to talk about a male-oriented fantasy 
then," she said. A smile told me she wasn't really insulted. She leaned in closer 
to me and said, "I really liked the sex we had in my Mom's old room, but I've 
been having hot flashes wondering how that scene would play with a man."
 
I blinked. "You mean fighting like we did? How we got physical, even a bit 
rough? Or are you talking about that? Rough? Or something more? I've heard of 
women that like to, you know, act like they're being forced."
 
She shook her head. "No, I'm not into the rape fantasy thing. I had a client that 
liked that, and it didn't do anything for me. Fighting for dominance and control, 
on the other hand, really torched my panties."
 
"So, you want to force…"
 
She vehemently shook her head. "No, I'm not into being the rapist, either. I'm 
talking about wanting sex, and then vying for control with your partner, trying to 
be the one who dictates the pace, the way it happens."
 
I let out a relieved breath. "That's kind of like domination. You're talking about 
more of a mental domination, a mind game that excites the body. Now that we 
know what we both mean, maybe we can just call that rough sex."
 
Gretchen nodded her agreement. "And it's not something I'm looking to get a lot 
of. A little would go a long ways, I think. I'm also not sure that my fantasy would 
work with a man, since men are so much stronger than women - tough ass, 
man-eating, female detectives excluded, of course." She gave me an openly 
teasing grin. "Okay, now it's my turn. What is your latest fantasy?"
 
I felt the heat crawling up my neck. "Ah…"
 
"You're blushing again!" Gretchen crowed, a touch of wonder in her voice. "What 
fantasy could ever get you to do that? What is it? Tell me!"
 
I mimicked her side-to-side glance, looking for people close enough to hear. 
When I did speak, it was even quieter than her confession had been. "You know 
when I said I wasn't looking to have Ted bend me over a desk? Well, I've had 
my own little hot flash thinking about just that. But," I said with a finger up in 
the air, "that is not my deepest fantasy, just the most recent. Since you asked."
 
Gretchen pulled me into a hug. "You don't need to be embarrassed to talk with 
me about sex, Baby. I'm not jealous. I will admit that my mind’s-eye view of that 
excites me. I'd like to hold you and kiss you while Ted fucks you." She whispered 
in my ear even more quietly, "and I could slide under you and we could sixty-
nine while he's inside you. I could lick his cock and your sweet pussy at the same 
time."
 
That lit a major burn in my pussy. I knew that my eyes were starting to lose 
focus in lust and I had to yank myself back under control. "I'm not embarrassed 
by the sex act," I protested, "I'm embarrassed because it's sex with a guy that 
I'm fantasizing about, and I'm just not used to that yet. We can talk about it with 
them - I really want to talk about it with them! - but we're getting off the 
subject. Next question: I'm sure you've given head and done all kinds of regular 
sex, but what about anal sex? If so, did you like it?"
 
"That's two questions," she said primly. "So I'll answer the last one. I liked it the 
one time that I agreed to do it. He was smaller than the average bear so I felt 
brave when he asked for it and agreed. It's not that it was more pleasurable 
than having a cock inside me the regular way, but it added another element. I 
felt like I was being dirty, slutty, letting a man fuck my ass. It also had an 
element of being under his control, but it was okay. I felt a little humiliated and 
used, but it only made me hornier. I'd do it again, though I'm not sure I would if 
we were talking about a big cock."
 
"I think we could find one that fits okay," I said with a smirk. "Your turn."
 
"Has Ted taken your ass?" Gretchen fired back.
 
I shook my head. "No. Not that I think I would mind, but we just never got 
around to it. I've had some lovers that used a strap-on to take my ass and I liked 
it a lot." I grinned. "Pretty much for the same reasons you just gave, as a matter 
of fact. Where do you draw the line? What do you not want to do?"
 
"Well," she said, her finger tapping her chin, "I draw the line at scat or 
watersports. Keep the bathroom stuff in the bathroom. I'm not into kiddies, 
baby-play, rubber, piercing, major bondage or pain, either. Though," she said 
with a twinkle in her eyes, "the little pain in the process of the office scene was 
just fine, and I really love your pierced nipples and labia." She shrugged. "If 
something else comes up that I'm not in favor of, I'll let you know. What do you 
not like?"
 
I shrugged. "Your list sounds about like mine. Though, I think a little pain can be 
a good thing. I like some twisting on my piercings. Other than that, put me down 
for the same as you, piercings excepted. Though, thinking about bodily fluids, I 
need some clarification. Does that count as an extra question?"
 
"Hit me with it and I'll let you know."
 
"I can't believe I'm asking this, but since I'm pregnant - which I still cannot 
believe! - that brings up the question of lactating. Are you going to want to not 
have sex with me when I'm fat, ugly, and leaking?"
 
Gretchen hugged me again and kissed me soundly. "That doesn't count as an 
extra question, because mama needs some reassurance. I won't shy away from 
you because you're pregnant, Baby. I don't know if I'll like milk right from the 
source, but I'm willing to give it a try. The one thing I do know is that I will not 
be put off because you're pregnant. That's our baby in there. You are the mother 
of my child and I will make love to you anytime you'll let me, right up to the day 
of delivery."
 
"I may be the mother," I growled, mock shoving her back, "but I'm still not the 
wife."
 
"We haven't looked in the paper, so we don't know how you're listed," Gretchen 
said sweetly. "My turn again. Since we dodged around your deepest, darkest 
fantasy, what is it? If you could do or have anyone, what would it be?"
 
I felt my face burst into flames. "I… I don't know if…"
 
Taking my face in her hands, she kissed me soundly. "I've heard it all, Lover. 
What was it you said? 'I want to know what you like and what you want to do 
with me?' Just tell me, Hawk, so I can do my part."
 
Taking a deep breath, I let it out in a rush. "I want to make love to you, Lisa and 
Ted all at the same time. I want all of you at once. I want to be sandwiched 
between two of you and have one of you in my mouth. I want to be the filling in 
the cake."
 
Gretchen smiled widely. "I think I like that plan. If they agree, I think we can 
make that fantasy come true. In fact, I think I might get in line for a serving of 
that. Maybe Lisa would like some back door action, too."
 
"I'll ask her. Gretchen, you mentioned being a slave earlier. Are you really into 
that?" I picked up a ball gag and butt plug with a horsehair tail and waved them 
at her.
 
She shrugged. "I've never tried it, either from the domination or submissive side, 
so I don't know. The gag I can figure out, but what’s the other for?"
 
I caressed her face with the hair. "It's a plug you wear in your butt for pony 
play."
 
She looked blank. "Pony play? Like riding me around or something?"
 
I nodded. "Nothing I've tried, but there's a community for that kind of stuff."
 
She shook her head. "Pass on that, but we can try some of the restraints if you 
like. How about you for bondage or domination? After all, you do have your own 
handcuffs," she said wriggling her eyebrows at me.
 
I laughed and shook my head. "No, I've never even considered it before."
 
"Then we'll give that a try sometime, but I think we have enough information to 
make some purchases, don't you?"
 
With a grin, I picked up a pair of strap-on harnesses that allowed for differing 
sized dildos. I added three pairs of heads for them in small, regular and large. 
And to the growing pile in the cart, I added a selection of toys for some mild 
domination. The final items were a small butt plug - no horse hair, thanks! - and 
a box of condoms that would fit Ted.
 
"It's a little late for those, don't you think?" Gretchen asked dryly, tapping the 
condoms. 
 
"For me, but not for you," I said.
 
"Maybe I'd like to be pregnant, too," she said in a voice that sent a chill up my 
spine.
 
"Why?" I asked, a little freaked out. "We're already going to have a baby."
 
She looked deeply into my eyes and smiled. "You never wanted to be a mother, I 
think. On the other hand, I've wanted it for as long as I can remember. I've 
always been afraid I'd never get to be one. It's close to my time, so it might 
happen. If it does, I get one of the long-held desires of my heart to come true. 
It's not like another child is going to cause us to starve, and besides, it's all in 
the good column for you. If it happens, I couldn't say I was the daddy."
 
I wanted to argue, but she shushed me with one finger and put the condoms 
away.
 
When we got back out to the Hummer, Devon tried to grab the bag, so I 
snatched it out of reach. "No peeking. This is official married people stuff," I 
growled. 
 
Devon grinned and started driving. "Unless you gonna take dem into de office, 
Devon goin' to see dem anyway."
 
Eyes huge, I considered my options and with a snarl, I tossed the bag in the 
front seat. "Fine, but I don't want to hear one word about them!"
 
They both laughed at me as we drove on. Devon's smirk told me he was going to 
ignore my warnings, and honestly, I didn't mind. His sense of humor appealed to 
me.
 
 
Kirk Craig's office was festooned with red and blue election posters of the 
candidate. It was also filled with dozens of young people copying papers and 
rushing about as we walked in. I snagged one.
 
"Kirk's office?"
 
"In the back," she said, before rushing off to do whatever unknowable task she 
was doing.
 
Gretchen followed me, and I waded through the people to the offices in the 
back. A woman in her early forties manned a desk with a computer and phone. 
She gestured to us to wait while she talked with someone on the phone. 
 
Looking past her, I could see Kirk in one of the offices talking on a cell phone. I 
waved and he motioned for us to come on back. When the woman turned to 
stop us, he waved for her to back off with a smile. 
 
His office was covered with pictures of him with various people, including Hans 
and the deceased Senator Cartwright. Thankfully, there were no Elvis pictures. 
He gestured for us to take seats and continued his conversation. It quickly 
became apparent he was finagling a large contribution from someone. When he 
apparently had an assurance of a donation, he grinned boyishly at us and said 
his good-byes, putting the phone on the desk and sitting on the edge of it 
himself. His expression sobered as he looked at Gretchen.
 
"Gretchen, I'm so sorry for the situation you're in," he said. "I know you didn't do 
this and if you need anything, all you have to do is ask."
 
I used my foot to push the door closed. "Since you're offering, I have a few 
questions, then, if you don't mind. Starting with why you ducked out of the 
house at the first sign of trouble. Why the fast escape?" 
 
Kirk shrugged his shoulders. "I'm running for public office, Shauna." I winced, 
but said nothing. If he wanted to talk, I wasn't going to let my name interrupt. 
"It's a tight race for me, especially since I'm running against an incumbent from 
the other party. The last thing I need is to have my name associated with 
murder. Any murder."
 
"You didn't like Cartwright, did you?" Gretchen asked. "I noticed some tension, 
but I wasn't sure why."
 
"He was a long-sitting Senator from the other party, and he had a lot of personal 
habits I found troubling. We've argued about a number of things over the last 
year."
 
"But, you have a more personal reason to hate him, don't you?" I asked. 
"Vanessa."
 
His face hardened. "Leave Vanessa out of this."
 
I leaned forward. "We're talking murder here, Kirk. Nothing is off the table. 
We've already spoken with Vanessa about this, and she told us what happened. 
How Cartwright used her. Raped her. This isn't about her. It's about you."
 
"Me?" he asked in a surprised tone. "You don't think I had anything to do with 
this, do you? Damn you! I don't like to have people come into my office and 
imply I had anything to do with a murder," he said angrily, rising to his feet. 
"This isn't about me; it's about you wanting to clear Gretchen. We both know 
that, so don't try to turn this all on me. I'm not the one the police are drooling all 
over themselves trying to hang." 
 
"No," I said, letting some of my frustration creep into my voice. "They want to 
fry an innocent woman, and you're here stonewalling. If you didn't kill him, tell 
us what you do know. Put us on the right track. Do you think Gretchen did it?"
 
Kirk stopped by the window and looked out. He ran a hand through his hair, the 
tension in his body obvious. He blew out a breath and slowly shook his head. 
"No," he said. "Beating Kat to a pulp and shoving her head in the toilet, yes. 
Killing her or someone else? No."
 
"Why don't you tell us what happened that night," I said quietly. 
 
"Maybe I should keep my mouth shut and call my lawyer," Kirk muttered. 
 
"Feeling guilty?" I asked him. "If not, please, just talk with us. With what 
Cartwright did to Vanessa, I can understand how much you'd hate him. If you 
killed him, I'd really understand."
 
Fire was building again in Kirk's eyes, but before he could answer, Gretchen cut 
in, undermining my whole drive to get him pissed off enough to lose his temper. 
"You love her, don't you?"
 
His hot retort to me was sidetracked by Gretchen's question. It took the wind 
right out of his sails. Kirk slumped a little on the edge of the desk. "Yes. Yes, I 
do. Cartwright hurt her so badly she won't even consider going on a date with 
me."
 
He looked back over at me. "I hated him, Shauna, and I'm glad he's dead. He 
was a monster that thought his political power, money and family connections 
protected him from any consequences. Whoever killed him was doing the world a 
favor."
 
"Did he know how you felt about him; about all of this?" I asked him. 
 
Kirk shook his head, that hint of a grin back on his face. "I'm a politician, so I 
can smile to his face, shake his hand and hate his guts all in the same moment. 
He may be in the other party, but I still have to deal with those in power or with 
political backing."
 
Gretchen leaned forward in her chair. "The DA is going to try and pin this on me, 
Kirk, even though the police have evidence that says I didn't do it. Can you tell 
me if you know of anyone else that might have wanted to kill either Cartwright 
or Kat? Or even just hated either of them really badly?"
 
He smiled a lop-sided smile at Gretchen. "As you no doubt know, the list of 
people that despised your step-mother was long and distinguished. Cartwright 
came in a distant second. Frankly, I'd have much more expected Kat to be 
murdered than Cartwright. What do the police have that the DA is ignoring?"
 
"The CSI's opinion is that Gretchen was not the killer due to evidence at the 
scene and on her person. Or rather, what was not on her person. There wasn't 
any blood on her, except where she picked up the knife," I said. "The DA is, 
however, a politician himself and will be trying hard to ignore that bit of evidence 
so that he can save the prosecution."
 
"I can't point you at a suspect," Kirk said, "but I can bring some pressure to bear 
on the DA. That might help."
 
"Thank you, Kirk," Gretchen said, rising to her feet. "I appreciate your help."
 
He looked indecisive for a moment and then spoke with a lowered voice. "Kat 
and Cartwright had some dealings. I wouldn't be surprised if you found 
something in her office."
 
I stood up and walked with Gretchen to the door. "We moved some things 
around in there earlier. We'll take a more thorough look tonight. Thank you."
 
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gretchen blush.
 
When we were back in the Hummer, Gretchen asked, "Do you believe him? You 
weren't as hard on him as you were on Ivan. You actually looked like you 
believed him."
 
I shrugged. "I don't know enough yet, but he's still my favorite by a long shot. I 
was easier on him because he wasn't as confrontational as Ivan was. He also 
doesn't get on my nerves as much. As far as trusting him, well, he said it 
himself. He's a politician who can smile and lie to your face." I shook my head. 
"No, it all comes down to motive. I'll still be digging for a motive, and once we 
know what that is, we'll know who. Motive is a lot easier to discover than 
guessing ‘who’ without knowing ‘why’. Though," I said with a mild glare, "you 
weren't supposed to interrupt my questioning and throw me off stride."
 
"Sorry, I just got sucked in. Do you have someone else in mind to look at next?" 
she asked.
 
"Actually, I think we should search Kat's office next. See if we can find anything 
in the Kat litter."
 
Gretchen laughed. "Kat litter? That's just wrong. Do you mind if we make a stop 
to talk with my Uncle David? He lives over on this side of town, and I never 
really got a chance to talk with him that night."
 
I nodded. "That's fine. He's on my list too, but not nearly as high."
 
Gretchen shook her head. "Is everyone a suspect? He's my uncle, Hawk."
 
"More murders are committed by relatives than you might expect, Honey. And 
since we're talking about your life, I'm not leaving anything on the table. It 
usually takes a strong emotional connection to kill someone. Like I said, he's not 
my favorite. Give ‘The Great Devon’ the directions, and let's go do this. Another 
thing I want to do is get together with Ted and Lisa."
 
Gretchen gave Devon the directions and then leaned back against the door, 
looking at me. "Do you think they know something more?"
 
I shook my head. "No, I just miss them. I want to sit and talk."
 
Gretchen smiled a wicked smile. "I bet talking isn't all you miss. Especially with 
that hot little foursome fantasy number you cooked up."
 
I rolled my eyes. "You really do have a one-track mind. Come on, Gretchen, I'm 
not panting to have Ted bend me over the desk and service me, if that's what 
you're getting at." Actually, I felt my sex moisten at the thought and firmly told it 
to heel. 
 
"Uh huh," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "That's okay, like I said earlier, we 
need to talk with them anyway and work out the boundaries between the father 
and mother of our child. And their spouses. Speaking of our child, you need to 
go see a doctor about that and make sure everything’s okay."
 
I felt my face redden. I couldn't believe I was embarrassed about Gretchen 
working out the details of our sex life, but I was. "Fine, you can talk to them 
about how they want it. I'll abide by whatever makes them happy. As for a kid 
doctor, why? It's only been a week. What can a doctor tell me?"
 
"He or she can tell you what you need to do and what you don't," Gretchen said. 
"Do some blood work or something. It just seems like the right thing to do." 
 
"Fine," I growled. "I'll see a blooming doctor."
 
She grabbed me into a hug and kissed me. "Thank you! I love you so much!"
 
Those unexpected words made me go all warm inside. "I love you, too."
 
 
When we pulled up in front of David Stein's house, it was readily apparent that 
he was firmly middle-class. After all the gargantuan mansions, it made me feel 
better.
 
David opened the door at my knock and had one of those mixed expressions on 
his face. Pleasure and pain. He rushed outside and enfolded Gretchen in his 
embrace. 
 
"Gretchen, I'm so sorry," he said. He pulled back and looked into her eyes with 
sadness. "After all this, I can't believe you even want to see me."
 
Gretchen held his hands and smiled at him. "I can't imagine anything making me 
feel that way toward you. You've always been there for me and I love you. Even 
this won't change that."
 
He shook his head. "I never imagined you taking it so well. Come inside. I'm sure 
you have lots of questions."
 
I looked at him and smiled. "Most people aren't so eager to have those kinds of 
questions asked, David. May I call you David?"
 
He nodded and led the way back into the well-decorated house. It was homey 
and well-lived in. Definitely not a show home. Pictures of people were 
everywhere. On the walls, on the tables, virtually every flat place. 
 
I stepped over and looked at one of a much younger David and a woman that 
looked almost exactly like Gretchen did now. A glance at Gretchen confirmed it 
when she smiled.
 
"Yes," she said, "that's my mother. I definitely took my looks from her."
 
David opened the door to the kitchen and ushered us in. "She looks just like 
her," he avowed. "Sit down and we can talk. Coffee?"
 
"Always," I said. "You don't seem surprised to see us and that has me curious. 
What made you expect us?"
 
Now he looked surprised. "I've been expecting you ever since this morning. I 
didn't figure it would take long for you to hear about my visit to the DA."
 
Gretchen's head jerked up. "You visited the DA? Why?"
 
David stared at her. "You didn't know? I never…" He shook himself and took a 
deep breath. "I went to the DA and confessed that I killed Kat and Senator 
Cartwright."



Chapter Eleven: Cleaning the Kat box

"What?" Gretchen exclaimed. "That's preposterous. Why the hell did you do 
that?" 

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," he said with a shrug.

I leaned my elbows onto the counter. "But, did you kill them?" I asked quietly. 
Admittedly, there were a few people that killed and that I missed as suspects, 
but David just never pinged on my radar. Frankly, I wondered if he was one of 
those who loved so deeply that he would confess to a crime he did not commit. I 
had seen it more than once.

"Oh, yes," David said with a nod. "Not that that cretin in the DA's office believed 
me." He looked at Gretchen and took her hand. "That woman your father 
married after your mother died. She killed your mother. I know it wasn't suicide. 
I've known it all these years, but I just could never do what needed to be done. 
Not, till that night."

Tears streamed down Gretchen's stricken face. "I don't believe you. You're lying 
to try and protect me. You couldn't hurt a fly and we both know it." I nodded to 
myself; Gretchen's words confirmed that David was indeed someone who loved 
Gretchen deeply enough to try and take the fall. The question was whether he 
was trying to take the fall, or if he really was the killer.

I had to find out. "If that's why," I said, "then tell us how you did it. And why do 
it with Cartwright there?"

"I saw Cartwright man-handling Gretchen earlier at the party," he said quietly. "I 
saw Kat send him over to Gretchen, and I knew she was trying to ruin her life. 
Again. After all the announcements, I saw them go upstairs, and I stopped by 
the kitchen. With everyone going in and out, it was simple to slip a knife into my 
jacket. Then I followed them upstairs."

"So you decided to kill them both?" I asked. "Right there on the spot?"

"That's right," he agreed calmly. "I found them arguing in the room upstairs, in 
the bathroom. I was into the room before they saw me and I stabbed Cartwright 
before he knew I was there. Then I killed Kat while she stared at me in shock. It 
was in revenge for my sister."

I reached under the table, took Gretchen's hand and suppressed a smile. The 
details I had seen at the crime scene told me Kat went down first, and like most 
cops, I trusted my instincts. "What direction was Cartwright facing when you 
stabbed him? Where did you hit him with the knife? And Kat?"

"I stabbed him in the chest, just like Kat. He was facing me in the doorway. Kat 
was behind him after he went down."

I did smile then. "I know why the DA sent you packing, David. The crime scene 
details tell a different story. What if I told you that Cartwright was stabbed in the 
back and Kat had her throat cut?"

He looked at Gretchen and shrugged, seemingly unruffled by my revelation. "It 
all happened so fast. Maybe he was facing away from me and I only thought I 
stabbed Kat. You're right, that's what happened. I'll have to amend my story 
with the DA."

Gretchen laughed and cried all at once, relief and anger warring on her face. 
"Liar! You are such a liar! That isn't what happened, and you didn't kill anybody!"

David deflated. "Why can't a man just confess to a crime and be done with it?" 
he grumbled. "Why the hell do they need all these stupid details? Can't you just 
accept I did it and move on?" Then he yelped as Gretchen kicked him hard under 
the table. "Yeow!"

"You're just saying this to try and take the blame away from me," Gretchen said, 
suddenly fully angry. "Goddammit, you're all that I have left of Mom, and you 
want to do this? I won't let you!" She leapt to her feet, yanking her hand out of 
his, and the chair she'd been sitting in crashed to the floor. "I won't let you!" Her 
hands were clenched into fists and her eyes streamed tears. "You take it back!"

I stood up and enfolded her in my arms. "Shhh. It's okay, Baby. He won't get 
blamed for this." I stroked her hair softly and kept her there with me. Today had 
opened my eyes to the fact that there was a woman Gretchen carefully hid away 
from the world. A younger, more vulnerable one that hid behind the hard shell 
the world saw.

Without warning, I found myself holding that hidden Gretchen, as she collapsed 
into my arms, her face burying itself in my hair. The emotion inside her came 
boiling out, and she cried. Her sobs tore at me in a way I never expected, had 
never experienced and had no defense against. Her pain ate at me, and I cried 
with her. This wasn't right. I was a cop and cops didn't cry like this. At least I 
didn't. Still, the ache inside me called back to her pain and we held each other.

Then David pulled Gretchen out of my arms and held her. A flash of anger and 
jealousy ripped through me, but I forced it down. I might love Gretchen and be 
married to her, but David was her family in a way I would never be. Blood and 
water. Inside and outside. I was used to being the outsider, but for the first time 
in a long time, it hurt.

"I'm sorry," he told Gretchen, taking her face in his hands. "I was trying to save 
you. I didn't want to hurt you." He was crying himself.

I turned away from them, hiding my face from her. I didn't want Gretchen to see 
me this way. I knew inside it was wrong, and she didn't need me adding to her 
problems. Right now, I had to be strong for her. I knew that, but it didn't make 
it hurt any less. I poured a cup of coffee and swallowed hard, finding a cloth to 
wipe my eyes.

When I had my face under control, I turned and watched them hang onto each 
other, using my coffee cup as a prop to keep my hands busy. They were 
speaking to each other, but too softly for me to hear. I had never been as close 
as they obviously were with any of my family. My parents had always been 
distant, even before they had known about my sexual preference. After, they 
had grown cold and even more distant. The little girl in me would have cut off 
her own hand to be loved by someone the way that David loved Gretchen.

I needed to get out of here, away from the raw emotion still spilling from them. 
The way I was feeling wasn't right, and I had to stop it and wash my face. I set 
my coffee down on the counter and handed Gretchen the rag on my way past 
her. "Here you go. I need to use the can, so I'll be right back." I said it with my 
head turned so that she couldn't get a good look at me, but also so I wouldn't 
have to see the love on their faces.

Locking the bathroom door behind me, I ran some water and splashed my face. 
The woman peering back out of the mirror at me had eyes red from crying and 
pain lines all around her mouth. The eyes could stay, but the lines had to go. I 
grabbed a towel and held it to my face, my hand guiding me to the toilet to sit 
on the closed lid. One deep breath followed another as I forced myself to 
distance these feelings. Hot tears burned my eyes and fought my control. I was 
such a heartless bitch to feel this way.

The rattle of the doorknob startled me so much I almost dropped the towel. "I'll 
be out in a second," I said, wiping my eyes again.

"Hawk, what's the matter?" Gretchen asked, her voice muffled by the door. "Let 
me in."

I got up and straightened my clothes. A glance in the mirror told me that my 
face was composed enough. I unlocked the door and opened it. Yeah, I looked 
better than Gretchen did, but not by much.

"I was just cleaning up."

Gretchen blocked my exit and held my shoulders, looking into my face. "There's 
more to it than that. Was it me? Did I upset you?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. I..."

"Stop," she said, her eyes sparkling dangerously. "I don't want you to do what 
David did. Don't lie to me. Never lie to me."

My hard-fought control went up in a puff of smoke. "Don't you dare accuse me 
of lying," I snarled, pushing her back, fighting for the hallway. Trying to, 
anyway. She forced me back into the bathroom and slammed the door behind 
her, falling back against it.

"Then don't make me call a spade a spade," she sparked back. "I can tell there's 
more to this and I want to know what upset you."

"Well, I don't feel like talking about it. It's not anything you did. It's my own 
problem, and I'll handle it myself."

"Bullshit," she spat. "If it affects you, then it affects us. Then it's our problem 
and we need to talk about it."

I gritted my teeth and stepped into her personal space, poking her generous 
breast sharply. "That's a big, steaming pile of bullshit, too! You feel free to hide 
behind your whoring around to hide something you don't want to talk about. You 
don't think I saw it in the store?"

She looked completely taken aback for a moment and then poked me back, a 
matching snarl on her face. "That was before you and me and has nothing to do 
with anything you did. And I'm not a fucking whore and if you call me one again, 
I'll kick your skinny cop ass. Do you fucking hear me, Hawk? Do you fucking hear 
me?"

With my face an inch from hers, I laughed mirthlessly with an intense pressure 
building inside me. I knew I was making a mistake, but at that moment, I didn't 
care, and couldn't have stopped myself if I had. "Oh, I hear you. What makes 
you think it has to be about you? Does everything have to be about you? Can't I 
have my own pain? Does the world have to be all you, you, you? I can take care 
of my own damn self without a fucking therapy session every time you think I 
have to share my goddamn feelings!" Fresh tears spilled from my eyes, and I 
shut up to try and hide. Hide the pain they represented.

Gretchen wasn't having any of that, though. "Then if it's not about me, tell me 
what it is?" she demanded.

"I..." Wiping away hot tears, I spun away from her. "Crap, this is so stupid. I was 
fucking jealous."

"Jealous?" she asked incredulously. "He's my uncle. I never slept with him!"

I laughed and the tears escaped my control. "Not that." I was on the razor's 
edge of hysteria. I took two gulping breaths to pull myself back from that edge, 
and then barely more in control said, "I never had any family that loved me like 
that. Never. It just hit me all at once and it's really fucking stupid." It came out 
angry and bitter.

Gretchen spun me around and I flinched, more than half expecting a slap. 
Instead she threw her arms around me and squeezed me with gorilla intensity. 
Part of me struggled briefly and then the floodgates opened and it was her turn 
to hold me while I cried. Her movements mimicked mine earlier, her hands 
caressing my hair, her voice whispering in my ear.

"That's over," she said so softly I almost couldn't understand her. "You have a 
family that loves you now. I’m your family, and I love you."

"You keep me out, too," I sobbed. "This isn't fair, Gretchen."

"Somebody once told me that life wasn't fair, but you're right," she admitted, 
kissing my wet cheek. "We're the same, you and I, hiding our hurts behind a 
tough and worldly shell. I'm worse off than you and for almost the same 
reasons." She wiped her own face. "I don't want to talk about it either, Hawk, 
but you're my wife, and you deserve better than that from me. We'll talk about 
this later, when we have more time. I won't promise to tell you everything, but I 
do promise not to lie to you. Will you promise me the same, Hawk? Promise with 
me that we'll never lie to each other."

I swallowed and nodded. "I promise. No lies with you."

"Now, we need to go out and finish talking with Uncle David," she said pulling 
back and opening the door. She paused. "First, though, there is one last thing I 
need to do to clear the air. Will you try to understand why and not get pissed off 
right away?"

Warily, I nodded, wiping my eyes and tossing the towel on the counter. My 
makeup was a loss.

Gretchen gave me a tender smile. "I love you." Then she slapped me. It wasn't 
really hard, but it caught me completely off-guard.

"Owww! What the fuck?" I asked, holding a hand to my stinging face.

"Wife or not, nobody calls me a whore. Don't ever do that again," she said 
firmly, pointing a well-manicured nail at my nose.

The anger that had been building swerved in a direction I wasn't expecting and 
didn't exactly welcome. I was still angry, but now I was aroused, too. This was 
too much like foreplay now. I really needed to figure out why I was reacting this 
way to rough stuff.

"Okay, I won't, but you better not ever slap me unless you're ready to deal with 
the consequences," I replied with a shark-like smile.

Gretchen's eyes grew huge, and she fled toward the kitchen with me hot pursuit. 
She never had a chance, really. I took her around the waist within five feet and 
took her down. With an "oof" I landed on top of her and pinned her voluptuous 
ass to the carpet, crouching over her stomach. I leaned over and licked her neck.

"No working me up where I can't have you," I purred. 

She laughed and I found myself joining her.

"Am I interrupting," David asked dryly from the door to the kitchen. "Do you two 
newlyweds need a room?"

I looked up at him and smirked. "No, not if she can stop hitting me, and hitting 
on me, in public." Since I had her pinned, I kissed her deeply and thoroughly 
before climbing off her breathlessly. Then I helped her to her feet and 
straightened my clothes. We looked - mussed.

I sighed. "We'll take care of that room thing later. For now, if we're all finished 
with the theatrics, let's sit back down and get on the same page." I gestured for 
David to proceed us and followed him with Gretchen, our arms wrapped around 
each other's waist.

David slumped back into his chair, his momentary chipper mood evaporating. 
"What now? I tried to help and that didn't work."

"I'm sorry, David, but that wasn't helpful," I said firmly. " I appreciate that you 
thought you were helping Gretchen, but we don't need that kind of help. First, it 
gives the DA another card to play in front of the jury: 'Gretchen was so obviously 
guilty that her own uncle tried to cover for her.' Second, there is still a murderer 
out there and having a fall guy just lets him or her off scott-free." 

David looked stricken. "I never meant to hurt you, Gretchen," he began.

I held up my hand. "That's water under the bridge now. We can't change it. We 
can only fix this by finding the real killer." I shook my head. "Look, with so many 
people in that building, it could have been almost anybody. So as I told Gretchen 
earlier, it all boils down to motive. Cartwright killed Kat. Of that I'm pretty 
damned sure. The real question, then, is who killed him and was he the target or 
just in the wrong place at the right time? The killer didn't bring the weapon to 
the scene, either Kat or Cartwright did, and I'm leaning toward Cartwright. 
Someone came in, found him over her body and took the knife and stabbed him. 
Pretty ballsy."

I rinsed out my cup, poured us each another cup of coffee and sipped mine, 
leaning against the counter. Now that we were back to talking about murder, my 
stomach settled and the uncomfortable emotions slipped back into the 
background. I shuddered a bit at the thought that they weren't going to stay 
there, but I knew Gretchen and I needed to air them out. Just not right now.

"Either Cartwright never saw his killer," I said after taking a sip to refocus, "or he 
trusted him or her. The blood patterns suggest to me that Cartwright was either 
turning away from where Kat fell or had already done so. That CSI report would 
be really helpful right about now."

"How can we get it?" Gretchen asked. "Can't my lawyer demand to see it?"

"Oh, he can demand it," I snorted, "it is exculpatory evidence, but that doesn't 
mean we'll see it any time soon, or even see all of it, for that matter. If it was 
Houston, I'd have a source on the inside to leak it to me." I smiled at Gretchen. 
"That's a big part of what I do, having a network of sources and stoolies to dig 
where I can't to get information. Here, I've got nothing." I tossed my hands in a 
throwaway gesture to emphasize my point. "I can't think of a way to get a copy 
out of there, but if I do, we'll give it a whirl then."

"Now what?" Gretchen asked.

"Now we say our goodbyes and go look through Kat's office. She might have 
pissed off someone other than Cartwright to the point they were willing to kill 
her, and Cartwright just beat them to it. Or, Cartwright and Kat could have been 
in something together that torqued someone enough to kill them both." I 
shrugged. "We may not find shit, but we won't know if we don't search the Kat 
litter."

David chuckled. "Kat litter. I like that."

Gretchen rose to her feet and hugged her uncle tightly, not allowing him to 
stand. "I'm still pissed at you," she told him, the mildest hint of anger in her 
voice, "but I love you anyway. Don't worry. Hawk will sort this out."

When she let him go, David stood up and held out his arms to me. I started at 
him, uncertain of what to do and Gretchen pushed me into his hug. Awkwardly, I 
hugged him back. At least he didn't kiss me.

Back in the Hummer and on the way to Hans' place, Gretchen and I eyed each 
other from our respective seats. I wasn't ready to talk, so I kept my mouth shut. 
It looked to me like she felt the same way. Devon must have sensed our need to 
be quiet, because he didn't even make a single rude comment about the goodie 
bag. That fragile peace felt like thin ice over a frozen river, but I thought it was 
strong enough to last out the ride.

It lasted until we pulled up to the gate to the property. "Is that..." Gretchen 
started.

"Stop the fucking car!" I shouted at Devon. He stood on the brakes and I popped 
out my door before we were even fully stopped.

Parked right there, beside the gate, was fucking Elvis, Leo Giovanni, leaning 
against the door to his piece of shit car. His grin at seeing me lasted right up to 
the point I punched him in the mouth. With a squawk, he bounced off the door 
to his car and fell over sideways. Then I started kicking him, though he used his 
arms to good effect in blocking me.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Stop!" he shouted.

Strong arms grabbed me and dragged me back from the bastard before I could 
give him the ass-kicking he so richly deserved. A glance told me it was Devon.

"Let me go," I growled. "I still have the rest of my can of whoop ass to hose him 
down with." Belying my words, I didn't struggle to get loose.

Devon held on and just laughed. "Hawk, you need Devon to protect you from 
yourself! I just hold on here a bit."

"Just watch where you put your hands, if you want to walk away with all your 
fingers," I said. He just laughed again, and I turned to give him a cold stare. He 
just grinned, shaking his head. I was growing soft, I thought to myself.

Gretchen stepped up beside us and crossed her arms, glaring at Leo 
dangerously. "You've got about ten seconds to convince me not to turn Hawk 
loose on you and then join in myself. You turned our lives upside down, and now 
you're here to what? Gloat? Do you realize how much trouble you've caused us, 
you sonuvabitch?"

Leo sat up slowly, wiping off his split lip. "You sure don't hit like a girl," he 
complained at me.

"Let me go, Devon, so I can show him what a bitch-slap really is. I promise I 
won't hurt his candy ass too bad," I assured Devon. Devon laughed again, but 
didn't let me go.

"Five seconds to pain," Gretchen told Leo.

"Okay! I'm sorry!" Leo exclaimed, raising his hands to ward off violence. "I didn't 
know who you were. I thought you were working for a guy I owed some money 
to and that it would be a kick to hitch you up."

"I'll show you a kick," I muttered and shook myself loose from Devon, though I 
didn't go after Leo just yet. "Is that it? You're sorry? That means so fucking 
much to us. Thanks."

"I'll make it up," Leo said somewhat desperately. "I'll do whatever I need to do 
to make this right. My wife was already pissed for talking her into doing this, and 
then she read that those two people died. She told me that if my prank had 
anything to do with it, she'd leave me! I'll do anything! Just tell me what I can 
do."

I started to tell him that he could go to hell, and that his wife would be better off 
if she left him, but Gretchen waved a hand and cut me off.

"You want to know what you have to do to make this right? I'll tell you what you 
can do to get a full pardon from Hawk and me ," Gretchen said.

"Fuck him!" I snarled. "I don't..."

"Hawk," Gretchen interrupted, "listen first! You might like this." She turned back 
to Leo and squatted, bringing her face closer to his level. "Here's what you have 
to do to get that free pass you're looking for, Elvis. I want the police file on this 
murder case, including the full crime scene report. All of it."

Leo blinked. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

Gretchen shrugged. "That's your problem, not mine. You told us not to play with 
the master, so here's your chance to amaze and astound us. Prove to me that 
you're the best con artist in the world by getting what I need to clear myself. 
That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Standing up, Gretchen didn't wait for a response from Leo or me before walking 
back to the Hummer and climbing in. I think both Leo and I were about equally 
stunned. I recovered before Leo, spat on the ground and jerked my head at 
Devon. "We're outta here."

Leo was still sitting on the ground, staring at us stupidly, as we drove through 
the gate and to the house. I looked at my wife with new respect. "That was 
good. No, that was better than good. We come out ahead whether he gets the 
stuff or not. I like it."

She grinned back at me, breaking the ice that had formed on the drive here. My 
heart did that little flippity-flop only Gretchen could get it to do. "I learned 
hardass from the best," she said humbly. Then her smile was back and she 
added, "besides he really pissed me off."

I laughed all the way to the front door while Gretchen gave some instructions to 
Devon, and he drove off. She bounded up the steps beside me and it was like it 
had been before the fight.

"I let Devon go for the day," she told me. "Either we'll be here for the rest of the 
day, or we'll find another ride." She glanced at her watch. "Dinner will be served 
in about an hour, unless the schedule went totally to hell. If so, we'll just have to 
make something for ourselves."

"That gives us some time to make a start on the Kat Box," I said with a smile. I 
opened the door and almost bounced off Lurch. "Jeeze, don't you ever make 
noise? Gretchen, can we please make a bell a required part of Lurch's uniform?"

Ivan sniffed. "Your hearing disorder isn't my problem, Miss Shauna," he said, 
echoing Gretchen's turn of phrase from outside the gate. That gave me a sudden 
insight that chilled me to the bone. I had no idea if I was completely off my 
rocker or not, but I suddenly realized that if she had been estranged from her 
father as a girl, Lurch must have filled at least some of the father role for her. 
My throat suddenly dry, I swallowed as he continued. "What is my problem, is 
what to tell Vanessa about your dinner plans. Is it too much to ask for you to 
call?"

Never in my life had I had anyone - not friend, lover and certainly not my 
parents - expect me to call and tell them if I was coming home for dinner. This 
was so outside my range of experience, I deferred to Gretchen.

She bowed her head and nodded, almost like a child caught being bad. "You're 
right, Ivan. I should have called. I..."

He rested his hand on her shoulder momentarily. "Don't be concerned, Miss 
Gretchen. You're under a lot of stress. I had expected someone else to take 
some initiative and think ahead." He glanced at me and sniffed again. "I was 
obviously attributing too much forethought and courtesy to the whole issue."

That pissed me off. "Like we don't have more important things to worry about 
than your bleeding cooking schedule. Should I just call you and give you our 
itinerary for the day, every day and adjust it as we go?" I asked sarcastically.

"That will work acceptably well," he sneered at me, turning on his heel. "If you 
can manage to remember. Dinner will be served in one hour at seven pm sharp. 
I won't ask that you dress up, but I do expect you to at least dress."

"Why that..." I said as I started after him, balling my fist as he escaped through 
the door toward the kitchen.

Gretchen laughed and held me back. "Hawk, he's baiting you! That's a good 
thing! He only teases people he really likes."

I turned and gave her the gimlet eye. "It looks like he feels about me like I do 
him," I said, not wanting to admit that I enjoyed a good rivalry. "He just wants 
to bait me. You don't really expect me to actually call that old mummy every 
day, do you? I'll shave my head before I just give in to him." 

Gretchen laughed and started up the stairs. "It's going to be fun watching the 
two of you spar."

I followed her, finding my eyes naturally gravitating to her shapely ass. The 
sway of her hips was almost hypnotic. I was suddenly hungry, but it wasn't for 
dinner. I needed to distract myself, or we wouldn't get any searching done 
upstairs. "What's with him and you, anyway? You two look bonded in a way 
that's just creepy."

She stopped at the second floor landing and waited for me. "After Daddy married 
Kat, I pulled back from him, and Ivan was the only adult I would have anything 
to do with. I followed him around and he helped me through adolescence. I 
suppose I picked up a lot of his ideas and values."

"So," I said with a sudden wicked smile, "that explains some of your more 
spectacular differences from society as a whole? Ivan laid the foundation and 
gave you the direction for your life? I would never have imagined he was a 
supporter of your work."

Her mouth dropped open and I danced past her with a laugh. "You!" she said 
and chased me up to Kat's office. It was still in the same disarray that we'd left it 
hours ago. The subtle smell of arousal permeated the air, still. I stopped dead in 
my tracks and took a deep breath, a low fire rekindling in my belly.

"We don't have time for that," Gretchen said with a laugh. "If you're a good girl, 
we can try out your new toys tonight."

Slapping my hand over my mouth, I stared at her. "Crap! We left them in the 
Hummer!"

She shook her head and pointed into the room. "You start looking, and I'll call 
Devon before he gets too far away. I'll just have him drop the bag back off."

"Oh, no," I said with a headshake. "He has to bring it in and put it somewhere 
safe, somewhere Lurch can't find it. I do not want him poking through it." I 
cocked my head to the side as a thought suddenly occurred to me. "On second 
thought, you're right. Have him drop it off, and make sure he delivers the bag to 
Lurch personally. That's a much better idea. You're a genius!" I gave her a quick 
smooch and turned back into the room to start looking while she laughed harder 
and called to make the arrangements.

The search of the room took most of the hour and I still couldn't believe how 
badly we'd trashed the joint. Broken crystal, fallen furniture and disarrayed paper 
littered the place. Thankfully, most of the paper was still in the filing cabinets. I 
had to get Gretchen to help me set the fallen one upright.

The interesting moment came when we broke into the locked desk. There were 
several file folders with detailed notes, receipts and even pictures of her meeting 
with several men at various places, including some motels. The men included 
Cartwright. 

"Blackmail material," I said, looking at Gretchen. "That's enough of a reason to 
get killed. The question I have now is, why? She had access to more money than 
all of them put together."

Gretchen pointed to one of them. "That's the Governor. The others are political 
figures of one kind or another. I'll bet that whatever it was she was getting, it 
was about power, not money."

I looked at my watch and pointed to the door. "Time to go wash up for dinner. 
We need to eat well, because I think we might be needing our strength tonight." 
I grinned devilishly and visibly shivered at the possibilities. 

With a matching smile, my wife led me out of the room to clean up and dress.


Chapter Twelve: Run over by the wagon
 
The main dining room looked as ritzy as the rest of the house, and of course, 
had crystal and silver all over the place. The polished table could have seated 
twenty people, but today only had four places set out. Ted and Lisa were seated 
close together on one side and the other settings were across from them.
 
Grabbing my chair in one hand, I moved my things so that I was sitting at the 
corner nearest them and Gretchen pulled hers next to mine. That put us at a 
comfortable distance from them when we sat down.
 
Lurch brought out the food, starting with a serving of baked fish. He rolled his 
eyes at our rearrangement of the seats, but said nothing. The fish was divine. 
With a wave, I pointed at my glass. "How about some wine?"
 
"What vintage would you prefer?" he replied in that snooty voice that implied I 
wouldn't know a fine wine from Mad Dog 20/20.
 
My smile widened and I gestured at Ted. "Work it out with the vintner, Lurch. I'll 
take whatever he thinks is good. And no substitutions or additions!" I warned 
him sternly. Gretchen laughed and added her vote to mine, as did Lisa.
 
Ted made a quick query and selected one wine from the short list Lurch gave 
him. With a glance at me, he smiled at Lurch wryly. "Bring two bottles, and we'll 
open them ourselves when we're ready."
 
After Ivan was gone, I looked at Gretchen. "See? Ted doesn't trust him, either. 
It's those beady eyes of his."
 
Gretchen shook her head. "You guys! And don't think I didn't notice you slipping 
the wine in, Hawk. You really shouldn't but I won't scream about it this time." 
Then she looked at Ted and Lisa. "The short story about us is that we're making 
progress. What have you two been up to today?"
 
"Ted spent the day with Hans, working out the final details of their agreement 
and getting the papers written up to the lawyer's satisfaction." Lisa grinned at 
her husband. "I'm glad I missed it."
 
Ted rolled his eyes with a smile. "I think we could review everything one last 
time for you, just so you don't feel left out."
 
"Bite your tongue," Lisa said, making a cross of her fingers and holding them up 
like she was warding off a vampiric attack. "I've got no desire to be buried in 
contract law." She looked back at us. "I spent the day in contemplation. I went 
to the park and wandered around, trying to decide what I want to do with the 
offer Hans made me. After a lot of soul searching, I decided I want to run for 
District Attorney in Harris County," Lisa said, glancing back at Ted, "so that I can 
be closer to home. I've decided to sell my house and move to the vineyard when 
we get back to Texas."
 
I nodded. That made good sense and Lisa would make a great DA. "You have 
my vote. Will you be moving your mom closer to you?"
 
Lisa's mother had been injured in a car accident a few years ago and was 
comatose, being cared for in a long-term facility. This trip out of Texas was the 
longest Lisa had been away from her beloved mother since the accident.
 
"I think it would be best to find a good place closer to Ted's home, our home - 
that is going to take some getting used to - so that I can visit her as often as I 
need to," Lisa responded. "Hans said he knows of some very good doctors that 
owe him some favors, so he will be getting some second opinions from them for 
me. It would be wonderful if she woke up," Lisa said wistfully. "I know it's not 
likely, but I can't give up hope."
 
I reached over the table and took her hand in mine. "Never give up, Lisa. In this 
life, anything is possible, and we have to believe that miracles can happen." It 
did for me, I thought to myself, and she's sitting right next to me. I gave her 
hand a final pat and let go. "If the deal is settled, though, then what's next for 
you two? Back to Texas?"
 
Lisa looked at Ted, obviously conflicted. "We want to stay here and support you 
and Gretchen, but at the same time I really need to see mother, and Ted has a 
vineyard to look after. I'm not just saying that I want to stay, either. I want to be 
here for you both, really. We both do."
 
Gretchen waved her hand. "I'm in good hands here. You two have your lives to 
get back to, so don't let us stand in the way of what you need to do. Hawk has a 
really good handle on things. Given your druthers, when would you head back?"
 
We were interrupted by Lurch bringing in wine and Ted pouring us glasses as 
Lurch left disdainfully.
 
"Tomorrow," Ted said softly. "I won't lie about it; we already have the plane 
tickets. We do want to stay, but we can't. I'm sorry, Hawk."
 
I smiled and shook my head. "I, of all people, understand that you have business 
to take care of at home. I'm getting closer to torpedoing this case against 
Gretchen every hour and I'm sure we'll beat it. I'll miss you guys, though."
 
Ted and Lisa looked at each other and then uncertainly at me and then 
Gretchen.
 
Gretchen smiled at them and sipped her wine. "If you two want to have Hawk to 
yourselves tonight, I understand. I can find something to do for the evening." 
Her voice was light, but I heard some pain in there.
 
"Actually, we're not looking for a way to lure Hawk off to have sex, Gretchen," 
Lisa said uncomfortably. "Ted and I talked about this for hours last night, and we 
decided that we need to get used to being married, having it be just the two of 
us."
 
Both of them were focused on Gretchen, and they didn't see how stricken I must 
have looked before a cold ache settled over me and I wiped the sudden pain 
from my face. My ears were filled with a roaring sound that had to have been 
coming from inside of me, since no one else seemed to hear it.
 
I swallowed and forced a small smile onto my face. Three years ago I'd lost my 
best friend when she left me for a man, for a family. I hadn't listened to all the 
hints she'd no doubt dropped me, and I'd lost her as a friend as well as a lover. 
 
It was all happening again, and this time I knew I'd better be able to handle the 
transition from lover to friend or I'd lose Lisa. And Ted. I'd screwed up again, 
somehow. 
 
It dawned on me as I took a drink to clear my throat of the massive lump in it 
that the issue must be the baby. By getting pregnant, I'd made them feel 
threatened. Oh, God. 
 
It took a couple of sips before I felt like I could speak in a normal voice. "I 
understand, Lisa, and it's okay."
 
Lisa smiled at me. "Thank you, Hawk. I do love you."
 
Yeah, as a friend. I got that. Life sucked. Taking another sip to give me room to 
maneuver, I put up a wall between the hurt and me. I needed to get away 
before I did something else wrong.
 
"I need to hit the ladies room," I said with the best smile I could muster. "I'll be 
back." 
 
I avoided looking at Gretchen as I rose and stepped out of the room. Not that it 
mattered, I thought gloomily; she'd use that damned emotional spidey sense and 
be pounding on the bathroom door before I could pull myself together. I needed 
to be where she wouldn't find me.
 
Making up my mind quickly, I dodged into the Brown Room and closed the door 
behind me. The lights were off, and the room was completely dark except for the 
moonlight coming from the window between the partly closed drapes. The room 
had an almost surreal air about it.
 
I walked to the window and stood there, bathed in the moonlight. It wasn't really 
a window I found, but a pair of glass doors that opened onto a small garden. 
The grounds were that ghostly shade that the moon gives the earth, washed of 
all color. The mansion blocked a good deal of the city lights.
 
For a few minutes, I watched the small trees blow in the breeze and let my mind 
empty. In the city, I was never alone. Even when I was home, the sounds of 
neighbors and passing traffic always intruded. Turning back into the room, the 
sudden lack of light turned everything into a deep, impenetrable gloom.
 
Feeling my way, I found the bar and grabbed a bottle of something. I didn't even 
bother to try and read the label. I could have my own pity party and let the 
others get to know each other without me. That would probably make it easier. 
Once they got to talking, they wouldn't even notice I was gone.
 
I opened the terrace doors and stepped into the night, closing the drapes and 
then the doors behind me. Once more, I was part of the night. Once I was 
outside, I saw a small table with some comfortable looking lawn furniture on the 
other side of a couple of trees. I hadn't been able to see them from inside the 
room. That was even better. The temperature outside was cold, but not freezing. 
The temperatures had risen some during the day. It was now in the fifties.
 
Not that someone hadn't thought ahead, I discovered when I set the bottle on 
the table. There were a couple of blankets in a zippered plastic holder in one of 
the chairs. I guess even in this weather someone liked being outside. If I got too 
cold, I could use one.
 
Taking the bottle in hand, I tried to read what it was, but the light was too dim. I 
did see that it was 25th anniversary, so it was probably expensive as hell. I 
pulled the cork out with my teeth and spat it out before taking a swig. It was 
some kind of whiskey. Smooth. Gretchen was going to be pissed.
 
I sat down and took a deep drink. These last few days had been so confusing. It 
had to be because I was out of my element. In a strange place. I shouldn't be 
having all these feelings. That wasn't me, wasn't the hog-riding Hawk with an 
attitude. That thought reminded me painfully why I was here, though. I had 
been an idiot to even shelter the notion that Ted and Lisa would want a third 
wheel in their relationship, much less a fourth one. Normal people wanted a 
husband or wife and a family, not someone hanging on from the outside. I was a 
threat to Lisa, and she'd had to make a choice. Not that I could blame her.
 
Taking another deep swallow, I felt the warmth inside start to push the chill out 
of my body. It wasn't so cold out here after all. I leaned my head back and 
looked at what stars I could see through the light pollution of Boston. It was 
about as bad as Houston, I decided.
 
Ted made Lisa happy, and I had a real bad track record with relationships. I'd be 
lucky if Gretchen stayed with me, really. She didn't know the real me. The 
pressure that my work put on everyone I knew. She wanted a child of her own. 
When would that come into play? Lisa and Ted wouldn't let that mistake happen 
again. I knew now that Lisa regretted it happening at all. That had probably 
been the deal breaker for us as a trio, and if I'd had my head out of the clouds 
and in the real world, I'd have known where this was heading. Where it had to 
head. Lisa and Ted were leaving me, and Gretchen would soon tire of me. As the 
desire for a child grew stronger, she would leave me, too. Leave me in search of 
a man that could give her what I could not.
 
Over the next half hour, I drank half the bottle and was filled with a warm glow. 
It wasn't real, I knew. But for now it would keep the pain at bay. Lord knows I 
should know that for a fact. I held up the bottle, feeling a little disconnected 
from my own body. This was therapeutic, medicinal.
 
A light came on somewhere behind me, probably in the Brown Room, but I knew 
I was safe in the shade of the trees. No one could see me out here. Not from in 
there, anyway. A small voice whispered how they were worried about me, but I 
dismissed it. It was probably just Lurch counting the bottles of booze. I grinned 
at the thought of how upset he would be when his count came up a bottle short. 
It would probably ruin his whole evening. After a moment, the light went out, 
and I was once more alone with the night. My grin faded with the light, and the 
dark again took over my thoughts, seeped into my soul.
 
The sound of a bird flapping its wings disrupted my ever gloomier thoughts. I 
looked around for it and finally spotted golden eyes looking at me from the tree 
across the glade. I had no idea what kind of bird it was, maybe an owl, but it 
was big. I raised the bottle to it and drank a salute.
 
"To us," I said, hearing the slur in my voice, "creatures of the night. Solitary 
huntresses!"
 
"Hawk?" A female voice called from somewhere around the house.
 
I clapped my hand over my mouth. Solitary hunters needed to remember that 
they had to keep their damned mouths shut, I thought quietly, hunched low in 
the seat. Maybe they would miss the table out here in the trees and go back 
inside. Go back to the laughter and warmth. Leave me alone to feel sorry for 
myself and the mess I'd landed my sorry ass into.
 
The sound of footsteps on the grass behind me told me that my luck had run 
out.
 
"Hawk! What are you doing out here?" Lisa asked, reaching down to touch my 
shoulder. Her fingers felt hot, like those of a lover. Like a ghost of what once 
was. "Oh my God, Hawk, you're freezing! Come back inside."
 
I shook my head and pulled the bottle from the table, taking a gulp that burned 
going down and exploded in my middle. The shaking my head part may not have 
been the best idea, because the world didn't really seem inclined to keep to strict 
up and down. "No, I'm fine. You go on back in and leave me be," I said carefully, 
so I wouldn't slur and make her worried.
 
"You're solid ice," she told me sternly and took the bottle from my numb fingers. 
"You've been drinking? You drank all this in the last half hour? Gretchen’s going 
to be furious. What’s gotten into you? Come inside. Now."
 
"No," I said mulishly. "I'm just in the way inside. Go back to Ted and forget 
about me. I'm sorry I screwed everything up, and I just want to be alone."
 
Lisa picked up the blankets and unzipped the bag, the noise incredibly loud in 
the quiet night. "If you're not going in, at least you can have a blanket to keep 
warm."
 
I didn't resist her covering me. I didn't feel cold. When I reached for the bottle, 
she picked it up and moved it out of my reach.
 
"You've had enough," she said firmly as she sat down, wrapping another blanket 
around herself. "Now, what are you all twisted into a knot about? Is it because 
we don't want to have sex with you tonight?"
 
"I drove you away just like I did Sharon," I said, leaning forward and snaring the 
bottle before she could get it back after putting on the blanket. I got one good 
slug before she again took it away from me. "It was getting pregnant," I assured 
her, so she would know I understood. "I know that frightened you, and now all 
you want is to be friends. I'll deal with that because I don't want to drive you 
completely away like I did Sharon." My eyes began misting and I suddenly 
couldn't see her clearly anymore. "You're my best friend. My only friend and I 
can't stand the idea of losing you."
 
I felt her arms wrap around me as the tears came. "Oh, Hawk, that's not what's 
happening. I'm not rejecting you. Ted and I just need space to get used to the 
idea of actually being a couple before we move forward. The whole way this 
developed - Vegas, Elvis, you and Gretchen, this thing with Hans and the 
murders - we didn't exactly have a chance to think about being married, to 
accept it in our hearts and in our souls. We know that you and Gretchen are a 
part of our lives, but Ted and I have to build a foundation for our relationship, 
our marriage, and define ourselves as the primary couple in our lives. To get an 
identity that is all us. We need to be the couple, you and Gretchen need to be 
the friends with benefits, and Ted and I have to know which is which. Then we 
can be with you and Gretchen. I wasn't saying no, Hawk. I was saying not right 
now."
 
Pushing her back, I wiped my eyes and stared at her. "You're still my friend? You 
still love me?"
 
She smiled through her own tears and nodded. "You're an idiot," she said 
tenderly. "A big, loveable, drunken idiot. If I didn't know about Sharon, I'd feel 
really pissed and uncomfortable, but I do understand. You need to do the same 
with Gretchen before you have sex with someone else, too, you know. Bond with 
her. Let your relationship become the center of who you are. Then you can open 
your arms to us and not be afraid."
 
I snorted and tried to get the bottle, but Lisa set it on the ground away from me. 
"She has sex with people for money." I said petulantly. "How does that fit into 
this mess?"
 
"Does it bother you?" Lisa asked, sitting back down, but keeping my hand in 
hers.
 
"Yes. No. Some," I admitted.
 
"Then ask her not to," Lisa said. "Ask her not to until you feel comfortable with 
it."
 
"She'll fight me on that," I laughed. "She said I knew who she was when we met 
and I can't tell her not to do it."
 
"She will if she loves you," Lisa said. "We talked about why we were saying no 
after you left and she agreed with us, so she does understand. Did you ask her 
to stop for a while or did you tell her to stop?"
 
I stared at her. "What's the difference?"
 
Covering her eyes with her hand, she laughed. "Hawk, I am at a loss. You're just 
you, and that's a fact. The difference is in how you approach the issue. If you tell 
her what she has to do, she's going to resist you. The harder you push, the more 
she'll resist. She's just as stubborn as you are, and it's a fair bet that she has 
some issues at the root of her behavior. Those are issues the two of you need to 
talk about honestly." 
 
"Asking her not to sleep with others is different, though. You are asking her for 
the time and space you need. Time and space to accept each other, establish 
your own foundations in each other, to become one with each other. She loves 
you, Hawk, with a depth of feeling I don't think you can even understand or 
believe in yet, and because she loves you, she will give it up without a second 
thought or moment's regret. But only if you ask her."
 
She stood up and tossed her blanket onto the table. "But you don't need to talk 
about it tonight, you certainly don't want to talk about it tonight, or you're going 
to get into a screaming argument. I'll talk with her before we go to bed. Before 
she goes to bed with you."
 
"I'm not going to bed," I protested, resisting a little as she pulled me to my feet.
 
"Oh, yes you are," Lisa said firmly. "You're staggering drunk, and when Gretchen 
finds out, she'll go from worried to death to pissed off in about three seconds."
 
"Well, then she can just suck my dick," I said blurrily. "I'm a big girl now, with 
big girl panties."
 
Lisa laughed and slid an arm around my waist. As we started walking, it quickly 
became evident that I wouldn't pass a field sobriety test. "You don't have one. I 
know. So don't fight about it tonight, Hawk. Promise me."
 
I mumbled something, but she shook me a little. "Speak up, Detective. I didn't 
quite hear that."
 
"Fine," I grumbled as she held me up with one hand and opened the door to the 
Brown Room with the other. "I promise. Unless she jumps my shit, and then all 
bets are off and I take her sexy body down hard. She'd like that," I assured Lisa. 
"She likes it rough. And I do have one. I bought us some toys at the store today. 
Back when I'd hoped..."
 
"Does she now?" Lisa asked as she closed the door behind us. "I'm glad you 
picked up some toys. Toys are fun. I'll hope you haven't broken them all when 
we get together in a few months."
 
"It's too hot in here," I complained as she helped me stagger toward the interior 
door, turning us in a half circle as I tried to escape back to the lawn. "Let's go 
back outside."
 
"No!" Lisa said and wheeled me around and back into the room. The darkness 
overwhelmed me and I almost fell over before she got me back upright. "You're 
half-frozen and completely drunk. That is not a good way to be outside when it's 
going to be freezing soon. Remember, you're pregnant and you don't want to 
risk hurting the baby."
 
I pulled her to a stop and half fell against one of the seats before sliding into it. 
Lisa made sure I didn't fall out of the chair and put me down firmly into the seat, 
leaning me slightly so I could rest against the arm of the chair.
 
"Will you love it?" I asked, wishing I could see her face. "Tell me you won't hate 
me."
 
"Oh, Hawk." She knelt beside the chair and kissed me. Not like a friend, but like 
a lover, her tongue hot and alive inside my mouth.
 
I grabbed her hair and kissed her as though I were a woman dying of thirst in 
the desert, just handed a cup of water to drink. When I came up for air, she 
pulled away.
 
"That's as far as we go tonight, but I do not hate you," Lisa whispered in my ear. 
"In a couple of months, as soon as Ted and I feel comfortable, and as soon as 
you and Gretchen feel comfortable, I promise we'll get together and do 
everything in bed you can think of. I love you Hawk. Not the same as I love Ted, 
but except for Ted, you're my best friend, too."
 
She stood up and caressed my cheek with her hand. "I'm going to go get Ted 
and Gretchen to help get you to bed. Don't you dare go back outside and no 
more booze for you. I don't want you falling over something and hurting our 
baby. Yours, Gretchen's, Ted's and mine. Our baby."
 
I swallowed and started crying. Dammit, I was a sloppy drunk.
 
Lisa kissed my forehead and went out the door. The light from the hall hurt my 
eyes, so I turned away and curled myself into a ball, crying in relief.
 
A few minutes later I heard the door open and could now see enough to tell it 
was Ted and Lisa. Lisa was speaking into his ear, softly but urgently. He nodded 
in agreement with whatever she was saying.
 
Then I heard Gretchen in the hall. "Where is she? Is she okay? Lisa?" The door 
swung wide and she hurried in, looking around. "Why are the lights out? Hawk?"
 
Suddenly, the room was filled with blinding light and I clapped my hands over 
my eyes. "Argh."
 
Gretchen snagged me half off the chair. "Oh my God, I was so worried! Where 
have..." She pulled back a little. "You smell like a brewery! Have you been 
drinking?"
 
"Gretchen," Lisa said, "Don't climb her ass tonight; she's been suffering from a 
personal crisis of her own. I'll explain what happened while Ted gets her into 
bed."
 
"Wait," I said, my voice sounding odd even in my own ears. "I have to say 
something." I uncovered my eyes and I could see Gretchen, kneeling in front of 
me, a mixture of worry and anger on her face. I took her hand in mine.
 
"We talked about each of us having our own problems," I said, hearing my voice 
slur and having to focus on speaking slowly and carefully, looking her in the 
eyes, "and I was run over by one of mine tonight. It's not about you. It was 
never about you. I'm sorry. I fell apart over a misunderstanding and the pain in 
my past. I understand you're mad. I deserve it. I deserve everything you do to 
me, but I need to know that you love me."
 
Gretchen's eyes widened and she pulled me into a hug. "Never doubt that I love 
you. I don't know why sometimes, but I love you and I'm loving you more every 
day. I don't want you to ever wonder about that." She pulled back and glared at 
me a little. "Even when I rake your ass over the coals for getting shit-faced and 
shutting me out. And for endangering our baby."
 
"Our baby," I said, waving an arm around and trusting the chair to catch me 
when the room spun. "Do you see the baby as all of ours?"
 
Gretchen quirked a smile. "Yes. All four of us. Lisa and Ted talked with me about 
it when you left for the bathroom and we're all on the same page." She blinked 
in surprise. "Is that what this is all about? You're upset because they won't sleep 
with us right now?"
 
Lisa stepped in smoothly. "That's enough for right now. I'll explain while Ted 
gets Hawk put to bed. He has some experience getting her in bed drunk."
 
"Too bad I won't get the same entertainment as last time," I said grumpily.
 
Gretchen searched my face and slowly nodded. "Okay, I'll tear a strip off her 
tomorrow." She leaned forward and kissed me even more thoroughly than Lisa 
had. "I love you more than anything or anyone, Hawk. Remember that when you 
pay the piper tomorrow, because we're going to hash this out. I won't have you 
running to a bottle and away from me. We're in this together."
 
Gretchen stepped back and Ted slid his arm around my waist and lifted me off 
the chair and into his arms.
 
I put an arm around his neck and protested. "I can walk."
 
Ted laughed and started out into the hall. "You're lucky I don't put you in a 
fireman's carry and paddle you after the scare you gave us."
 
I blinked back more tears and looked at his face as he carried me. "I can see 
some shircum…" I stopped and spoke slowly. "Cir-cum-stances. Times I might let 
you do that."
 
Ted just laughed harder and carried me up the stairs. Out of the corner of my 
eye, I saw an upside down image of Lurch. I think he was scowling at me.
 
"Stop here, Ted. I need to throw up on Lurch."
 
"We'll make a stop in the bathroom, but you be nice to Ivan," Ted said 
reprovingly. "He has your bed all ready for you."
 
"Be nice to him?" I asked. "Are you drunk, too?"
 
That burst of laughter kept Ted amused until we were in Gretchen's and my 
room. He set me on the bed and I promptly fell over onto my side. Undeterred, 
he started taking off my shoes.
 
"Will you take advantage of me?" I asked. "I think I'm properly drunk."
 
He smiled at me and slid his hands up my legs in a way that made goosebumps 
spring up all over my body. "No, though I wish I could. Hawk, Lisa's right. Once 
you're sober, you'll realize it, too. It's not forever. It's just a couple of months to 
let Lisa and me settle into our relationship, and to let you and Gretchen settle 
into yours. Gretchen's already agreed we can all take a cruise or something in a 
few months and make a big deal out of getting to really, really know one 
another. I'm not rejecting you and neither is Lisa. We love you, but what you 
have with Gretchen is special, and deserves to be treated as such. For this to 
work, Lisa and I have to be secure in our love for each other. Once we have that 
that, having sex with you and Gretchen will be about friendship and having fun."
 
I groaned and covered my eyes with my hand. "But Ted, it's just so… You're 
friends and you're family. I wish I knew what to do."
 
All the while he was talking, he continued to strip me out of my clothes, moving 
me as required to get everything off. When I was naked, he leaned over me and 
kissed me deeply, letting his hand dip between my legs to caress me gently 
once, lighting a low fire inside me that I wanted to quench.
 
"That's not nice," I complained, "if you're not going to ravish me."
 
Ted grinned at me and helped me stand up. "Time to go potty. You can dream 
about me bending you over a desk for a few months and that will just have to 
tide you over."
 
"Gretchen told you?" I asked, aghast. "That's not very fair." I let him help me 
into the bathroom and hold me upright while I peed.
 
When I was done, he took some toilet paper and wiped me clean, restarting all 
those warm, squishy feelings low in my belly. Although still woozy, it struck me 
as especially intimate. I opened my legs wider, but he stopped.
 
"You stopped," I complained again. "No fair starting and stopping."
 
"Any more than two shakes or five wipes is playing with yourself," he quipped. 
"Do you need to throw up?"
 
I shook my head and smiled at him. "No, I need to get off."
 
Ted helped me up and back out to the bed. He slid me between the sheets and 
gently covered me up with the blanket. Then he kissed me deeply and let his 
hand wander under the covers, to my sex. He kept kissing me hotly and used his 
fingers to good effect, rousing me higher and higher. In just a few minutes of 
panting, moaning and kissing I came with my back arched high.
 
Ted held me while I calmed. "I shouldn't have done that," he admitted, "but I 
needed you to be sure that there isn't a problem between us."
 
"If it’s going to cause trouble..." I started before he shook his head and cut me 
off.
 
"No, openness and honesty is the only way. I'll tell Lisa and Gretchen," Ted said. 
"You go to sleep and dream of Gretchen. She loves you a lot. You know that, 
right?"
 
I nodded, already feeling the arms of Morpheus pulling me deeper into some 
warm realm where I was comfortable and safe. "And I love her. And I love you, 
Ted. Just like I love Lisa. My family, with benefits."
 
Ted kissed my forehead and turned out the light. After the door closed, I 
drowsed and the world faded away into a cloud of peace.




Chapter Thirteen: Reap the whirlwind
 
It seemed like I'd only just fallen asleep when the house exploded in light and 
noise. It was after I sat bolt upright in bed, I discovered that it was only my 
head that exploded. I winced in pain and covered my ears as some horrible 
cacophony, at what sounded like 150 decibels, blared from the portable CD 
player sitting on the dresser. Standing next to the open curtains and window was 
Gretchen, dressed in her ratty workout gear. She grinned evilly at me.
 
"I'm working out in here this morning," she shouted. "Hope that's okay."
 
I stumbled out of bed, and the waves of noise - was that country music? - 
washed over me, driving me back at the same time I was trying to move 
forward. Gretchen's grin didn't waver as I reached her, but she looked confused 
when instead of searching for the off switch, I picked it up by the handle and 
staggered back to the wide open window letting in about three million candles of 
early morning light. Without further ado, I tossed it out the window and there 
was a crash, followed by blessed silence. Then I closed the curtains, shutting out 
that damned star.
 
"Hey!" she objected, "I liked that CD!" Then she rushed to the window, leaning 
out to look down at the rear patio, the curtain swirling around her. "There are 
other people around here! You could have killed someone!"
 
“Better them than you,” I growled. I sat on the edge of the bed and tried to hold 
my pounding head together with my hands and sheer willpower. "Tell me it was 
Lurch. Please. I need to start off today on a more positive note than I've had so 
far. And playing loud music when I feel like this - if you can call that music - is 
not being very considerate, given my head this morning."
 
Gretchen sat down beside me. "Well, you weren't very considerate last night, 
running out on me and getting drunk. Bad behavior shouldn't be rewarded and I 
won't enable you!"
 
I looked up at her astringent tone. Yeah, she was still pissed. Her smile looked 
too brittle to be real. This was still about last night. I sighed and covered my 
eyes. "Gee, Doctor Phil, do we really have to do this right now?" I muttered. "I 
feel like shit." 
 
"Do you want fake sympathy or honesty?" she countered. 
 
"Can't I have both?"
 
Gretchen took my hand into hers, turning my face to look at her. "Last night 
really upset me, Hawk."
 
"Me, too," I said, "but I know that's not what you mean."
 
"Dammit, we need to talk about this," Gretchen said quietly. "I don't like you 
shutting me out of your life when you're hurting. I don't like you drinking like a 
fish when life throws you a curve ball, either. Especially with you carrying our 
baby."
 
I took a deep breath and reigned in the initial urge to just lash out. "You're right. 
You don't deserve that. I could just clam up, but I won't. However, I don't feel 
like talking about it while my head's pounding. Your little demonstration of the 
pitfalls of getting sloppy drunk was effective, but it doesn't make me feel 
especially cooperative. So, you're just going to have to be satisfied with talking 
about this, and some of my concerns, when both of us are in the mood. Maybe 
tonight?"
 
She looked at me, her eyes opaque, telling me nothing, but then she nodded. 
"Tonight. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. We each get to unload about what we 
need out of our relationship, and we get to ask questions with a reasonable 
expectation they'll get answered. Deal?"
 
I nodded and felt like my head was going to fall off. "Only if I can get rid of this 
hangover. I'm going to shower."
 
Gretchen bounced to her feet. "I'll go bring some food back to the room so we 
can eat in peace."
 
"I'm not hungry," I grumbled, rising slowly and heading for the bathroom. 
Stopping in the doorway, I turned to look at my wife. "I love you."
 
Her smile lit up her face as bright as the dawn outside the window. "I love you, 
too. Oh, and Ted told Lisa and me that he, um, got you settled in to sleep. Don't 
worry about it. I'm not upset, and neither is Lisa."
 
I searched my foggy memories and then it came rushing back to me. His hand 
between my legs, fingers inside me, and his mouth on mine as I writhed under 
his touch. I flushed and looked at my feet. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, 
but I didn't ask for that."
 
Gretchen took me into her arms and kissed my cheek. "I know, Hawk. 
Everyone's okay with it. Besides, I think you needed that reassurance as much as 
he did." Wrinkling her nose, she pushed me into the bathroom. "Go shower. You 
smell awful. I'll have something out here to eat when you're done. Take your 
time."
 
"I'm not hungry," I repeated. "Just bring me some toast." Then I closed the door 
behind me and turned the dimmer switch for the lights to its lowest setting.
 
In the artificial twilight, I showered in the hottest water I could stand, for as long 
as I could take it, and then climbed out, dried off and sat on the can. The steam 
made my head feel better. A little.
 
The knock at the door jarred me awake. I'd apparently dozed while sitting on the 
toilet. Pulling off some paper, I cleaned myself. "I'll be right out. Hang on."
 
When I came back into the room, the drapes were only partly closed now and 
the lights almost dim enough for my eyes. A small table with two chairs had 
been brought in from somewhere, and there was coffee. I could smell it. The 
life-giving elixir of the gods. The steam rising from the cups beckoned me closer, 
like a siren luring sailors to their deaths. The hidden rocks that destroyed the 
sailors' ships were the various other foods, and they made my stomach do 
terrible things when I smelled them.
 
I snared my coffee and retreated from the table to sit on the bed. I gestured to 
the food. "That's making my stomach flip-flop. I just want toast."
 
"You need to eat something more substantial than toast, Hawk," Gretchen 
protested. "You've got to eat for two."
 
"When my stomach feels up to eating more, I'll eat more. Right now I want 
coffee, toast, aspirin and water." I sipped the coffee and let the taste and smell 
of it calm my roiling belly. "When are Ted and Lisa flying out? I'd really like to tell 
them goodbye and apologize for how I behaved last night."
 
"Don't I get an apology?" she asked with a harrumph, one hand firmly planted 
on her hip. "They have an early afternoon flight so I agreed to have you 
presentable by nine. That gives us about half an hour for me to eat and for you 
to absorb something." She took a small plate and put some toast on it, with 
grape jelly spread on it.
 
"What if I don't want anything on my toast?" I grouched. "Dry is good." 
 
"Eat the toast, Baby. You'll need the energy before we're done today."
 
She was probably right.
 
 
Half an hour later, we came downstairs and walked into the Brown Room. Ted 
and Lisa were there and so was Hans. I hadn't seen him since just after the 
murder, and suddenly I felt guilty for it. I walked over to him and wrapped my 
arms around him. "I haven't come to see how you're doing. I'm sorry."
 
Hans gave me a smile that had no life to it, but hugged me fiercely. "I've been 
working, so I've been avoiding everyone. I'll just stagger along until I get my 
feet back under me." He let me go and gestured for everyone to sit down.
 
I smiled at Ted and Lisa before pulling a chair next to Gretchen and sitting down 
gingerly. The aspirin was working, at least to the point that I didn't feel like 
someone should be chasing me with crosses and trying to drive a stake through 
my heart - with me more than willing to cooperate. Gretchen crossed her legs 
and took my hand in hers, paying attention to her father.
 
"I spoke with Gretchen's attorney this morning, and the news is mixed," Hans 
said. "The move to overturn bail was denied, obviously. However, he is still 
unable to shake any information loose from the police. Oh, and that police officer 
was by early this morning, and I sent him away rather than let him disturb you 
both."
 
"What more could he want?" Gretchen asked, exasperated. "Really now, what 
part of talk to my lawyer did he fail to understand?"
 
"He just wants to irritate you and piss me off," I assured her. "Standard 
procedure's to keep a suspect off guard. What I really need, Hans, is to get a 
look at the crime scene reports from the CSIs. Gretchen has one feeler out, but I 
don't consider it very likely to pan out. Is there any chance you might be able to 
get a copy?"
 
Hans shrugged. "Perhaps. I'll make some phone calls and see if someone might 
be able to help, but I'm not overly hopeful. If you can't get those reports, what's 
your plan?"
 
"The same as every day, Pinky," I said. "We try to take over the world." 
 
Hans blinked at me and Lisa giggled. "Can we have a puppy, Brain?" she 
quipped.
 
I shook my head and promptly regretted it. "Just kidding. The plan is to dig deep 
into who might have wanted to kill either Kat or Cartwright, starting with a more 
in-depth look at Kat's office and its contents. Did she have a safe or safe deposit 
box?"
 
Hans nodded. "She had a wall safe installed and hidden behind one of the 
paintings. It seemed a bit melodramatic to me, but she wanted it. I have the 
combination in my office. Let me go get it while you say your good-byes in 
private." He walked over and shook Ted's hand and received a hug from Lisa 
before leaving us alone.
 
A moment of awkward silence filled the room as I wondered what to say to make 
it right, to take us back to where we all should be. Lisa, in her usual 
straightforward manner, just walked over and gave me a hug.
 
"Don't obsess, Hawk," she said with a smile. "We talked last night and it's all 
okay. Just give us, and yourselves, some time and space. Get to know Gretchen 
and get her out of trouble. Then we can all take a cruise together and see what 
happens, okay?"
 
I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek. "I don't deserve such good 
friends. I really do love you both."
 
Ted pulled Gretchen to us and we had, of all things, a group hug. Never in my 
wildest dreams did I ever envision myself in a freaking group hug. There was 
just something wrong about the whole concept. What was even worse was how 
much better it made me feel.
 
Finally, I pulled back and wiped my face. "I'll miss you both. Call me when you 
get home, and then every night, so I can give you the scoop on what's 
happening here."
 
Ted grinned "Count on it." Then he furtively looked at his watch. "Lisa, we need 
to get moving if we're going to get to the airport on time." 
 
They both kissed me deeply and left me breathless. Then they repeated the 
process and kissed the shit out of Gretchen.
 
Gretchen was still flushed when we saw them out to the car where Lurch first 
held the door and then got behind the wheel to drive them to the airport. We 
stood there and watched them until they were out of sight. My wife kept her arm 
around my waist and hugged me tightly when they were gone.
 
"I already miss them," I complained.
 
"Stop whining," she said with a kiss. "You still have me. Come on, let's go see 
what that safe has in it."
 
Gretchen led us to her father's office, and we picked up the combination. The 
only problem was that when we tried it upstairs, it didn't work. Both of us tried it 
several times with the same results.
 
"Are we screwing this up, or is it just not working?" Gretchen asked.
 
I put my hands on my hips and stared at the recalcitrant door. "It's not working. 
I think it's different than the one she gave Hans. That makes the contents even 
more intriguing to me. We either have to guess the numbers or call a locksmith."
 
"Or see if it's hidden in here," Gretchen suggested, surveying the still rumpled 
office. "I can't see her memorizing squat. I really have to wonder what can be so 
important that it needs a safe with a secret combination. It's obviously more 
explosive than the blackmail materials she kept locked in her desk, but what 
could beat that?"
 
"Good question," I admitted. "Let's see if we can find a number written down or 
taped up somewhere. It's probably out of sight but not too far from where she 
sat."
 
It took almost an hour, but our perseverance paid off. Gretchen found the 
combination written on the back of a business card for the safe company in Kat's 
Rolodex. 
 
When Gretchen opened the safe, we saw that it had some boxes of jewelry, 
some cash and a large manila envelope. I took the envelope and opened it, 
pulling out a sheaf of papers. They were notes handwritten on very nice cream 
colored paper.
 
The contents, however, were far from pretty. Written on the expensive bond 
paper were detailed notes on how to commit murder, followed by an after action 
report on how the plan had worked out. Gretchen was looking at the jewelry, 
bitching that it was probably her mother's. I was grateful for having a few 
minutes to get my mind around what I was reading. Kat had written down her 
plan: to kill Gretchen's mother and slide into Han's life. She had used access to 
the house through someone in the maid service to poison her and make it look 
like a suicide. Bribed a maid for access. I hoped Hans was using a different maid 
service now, but I made a mental note to check. The after action report was 
written like a diary entry, with her gloating over her success. I couldn't imagine 
why she would have kept these, and I wished to hell that she hadn't.
 
Part of me wanted to hide this from Gretchen, to shield her from the pain this 
was going to cause, but she deserved to know the truth. It turned out that Uncle 
David was right all along. That moved him back up in my sights as a prime 
suspect.
 
"Baby," I said, "sit down. I have some bad news"
 
Gretchen frowned at me and sat. "It can't be too bad. Hagatha is dead." 
 
I handed Gretchen the papers, stood behind her, and put my arms around her as 
she read. She became more and more distraught as she read. I held her through 
that long, painful ride even as my head threatened to explode. When she 
reached the end, Gretchen turned in my arms, burying herself in my embrace. 
She railed against Kat, and then she cried like the little girl that had just lost her 
mother to a soulless beast. When her initial emotions were spent, I just held her.
 
"This hurts," Gretchen said, "but it doesn't really change anything. I already 
hated her, and she's still dead." Gretchen's voice was flat, emotionless now that 
she had cried herself out. I could feel her defenses going up to keep the world at 
bay. I guess we each had our own way of dealing with pain. Tonight, we'd talk 
about this, too.
 
"It changes one thing, Baby," I said quietly. "Your mother didn't leave you by 
choice. She was taken from you. She didn't just abandon you to take her own 
life. Keep that with you, please."
 
"And it means we have to take a closer look at David. He was sure she did this. 
What if he knew for certain? Giving the wrong details in a confession to a DA 
that wants to believe you're innocent goes a long way to providing cover. We'll 
have to talk to him again."
 
Gretchen stood up and hugged me. "I don't believe he did this, but if he did, I 
don't care. She deserved to die."
 
I couldn't argue with her about that. If anyone deserved a knife in the heart, Kat 
certainly did. "Let's call Devon and make another house call on Uncle David."
 
 
We went back by David's, but he was out. A call to his cell netted only his 
voicemail, so I left a message. Gretchen was abnormally quiet, sitting in her 
seat, brooding.
 
I put my hand on her knee and squeezed. Leaning over, I spoke softly enough 
so that Devon couldn't hear us. "I'm sorry, Baby. I wish I hadn't showed you 
that. Giving it to you didn't do anyone any good."
 
Gretchen swallowed, but shook her head. "No, I needed to know. It hurts now, 
but I'll be better for it later. The person we don't need to tell is my father. This 
would destroy him."
 
I sighed and shook my head. "I'm not going to fight you on this, but he deserves 
to know what happened. I won't tell him. Whatever you decide to do is how we'll 
play it."
 
She smiled at me through her fresh tears. "Thank you."
 
Tapping Devon on the shoulder, I pointed forward. "We might as well head 
home, Devon. This looks like a dead end."
 
"How is de search goin'?" Devon asked as he pulled back into the street. "De 
papers are still harpin' on Miz Gretchen and printing all kinds of garbage."
 
"It feels like we're close," I said, "but there's still some information missing. 
When I see it, I'll be able to point at the real killer. Until then, I can only stumble 
around a little. Find a paper stand, would you? I want to see what the news 
hounds have dug up. Every once in a while they have something useful."
 
Devon popped out of the Hummer, picked up a few papers and brought them 
back for us. Gretchen and I started scanning them, looking for information.
 
I had just finished the local paper when Gretchen started laughing. I looked over 
at her, surprised. I didn't think she'd be laughing for a while. "You got 
something?"
 
Her eyes twinkled at me as she handed a paper over. "Sort of."
 
It was the interior of one of the tabloid rags. A two-page, full color spread had 
almost nothing but pictures. Pictures of Gretchen and me, both together and 
alone. From all over Boston and the mansion. From my dress I could tell that 
some were from the night our nuptials had been announced. Someone had 
gotten inside the house.
 
The text of the article was suitably inflammatory and sensationalist. It said that 
she and... I clenched my fists. "I. Am. Not. Shauna. Werner. I'm going to kill 
Lurch, that skinny old bastard, as soon as I see him."
 
Gretchen pulled me to her and caressed my hair. "Now Hawk, let's not get too 
carried away."
 
As she held me, I kept reading about all the chaos of the double murder and all 
the slanderous innuendo about Gretchen. Then, with a growl, I went back to 
looking at the pictures more closely. One at the bottom of the second page made 
me curse.
 
"What?" Gretchen asked, looking at the picture.
 
It was of the stairs and showed me charging up. It had to have been when 
Gretchen screamed. I pointed to the lower left corner of the picture. Clearly 
visible, facing the camera, were Uncle David and our charming senatorial 
candidate Kirk. They were sipping champagne and just starting to turn toward 
the trouble. Their shirts and hands were plainly visible and blood free.
 
"That screws up my entire set of theories," I said. "These two were my strongest 
suspects, and now there's proof, in blazing color, that they didn't have blood 
splatter just after the murders. So, the CSI evidence excludes you, though we 
haven't seen it yet, and this excludes Uncle David and Kirk. Your father was with 
a crowd at the time. So that drops us back to Lurch and Vanessa, and I really 
don't think either of them did it. That leaves us with only the people who were 
being blackmailed. Shit! Shit! Shit! I hate having to start over."
 
"We'll figure this out," Gretchen assured me. "There has to be evidence that'll 
point us in the right direction. We just have to find it."
 
On the drive back to the mansion, we scrutinized every photo in the paper. It 
took me a minute, but I finally noticed that the reporter was the jerk who had 
been stalking us. I really wasn't sure if I was pissed about him getting in or 
pleased that he had given us evidence I'm sure he would rather not have let slip.
 
As we turned into the drive, I saw that Elvis was back. Man, that guy sure didn't 
learn quickly. "Let me break him this time," I snarled at Gretchen. "I really need 
to hurt someone and he's looking real good."
 
"Let's see what he's here for first," Gretchen said, opening her door. "He might 
actually be here with something useful and not excuses."
 
Leo held up his hand, trying to ward me off when I climbed out. "Keep her 
back!"
 
Gretchen struck a pose that was both superior and arrogant, looking down her 
nose at him. "Give me a reason, Leo. She really wants to kick your ass, and I 
need something good to keep her on a short leash."
 
Leo yanked open his car door and pulled out a cardboard box. "Here! Everything 
you asked for."
 
"Give me that," I said disbelievingly as I snatched the box away from him. I set it 
on the hood of the car and started going through the folders inside. I stared 
back at Leo, shocked. "It's a full set of CSI files, including pictures and notes, all 
photocopied. How the fuck did you get these?"
 
"I know you're not bitching 'cause I got what you wanted," he said with a little of 
his original cocky attitude. "Does it really matter? I delivered the goods. Hell, I 
probably got more than you expected." With bravery I would never have 
expected, he turned his back on me and faced Gretchen. "Are we square? Would 
you tell my wife that we're good?"
 
“What?” she asked.
 
“My wife won't believe me,” Leo said, “but she'll believe you. Can you call her on 
your cell phone? Please? I'd really like to get lucky again and she hasn't let me 
touch her since this all blew up.”
 
Gretchen looked at my still stunned face and nodded. "Fine.” She pulled out her 
cell and called the number Leo gave her. I assume Mrs. Elvis answered, because 
she told someone that everything was kosher now.
 
When she hung up, I had to snatch the box as he virtually dived into the car and 
started it up. He took off quickly, spraying us with dirt. I guess he wasn't as 
brave as I'd thought.
 
"Is it really all the crime scene information, Hawk?" Gretchen asked, looking into 
the box I was holding.
 
"Yeah, it is. Let's get inside and start looking over what the experts have to say."
 
We looked at reports for hours. Copies of crime scene photos and preliminary 
autopsy reports. I was so engrossed, I didn't object when Gretchen put food in 
front of me. A Big Mac and large fries with a monster coke. I should have been 
asking why the hell she had that here in a place with a cook, but I was just 
happy to see something familiar. I devoured the cop fare while trying to make 
sense of what I was seeing.
 
The initial summary said exactly what Sweeney had told us. The CSI team said 
the blood, or lack thereof, on Gretchen was inconsistent with her being the killer.
 
As for the rest, too much of the report was still preliminary. Toxicology showed 
that Kat was doing some recreational drugging. More than a trace of cocaine was 
in her system along with all the alcohol she could drink. I'd be surprised if she 
even felt the knife go in. Cartwright was drunk, but otherwise clean.
 
I picked up the snapshots taken of the scene and the bodies in the morgue. The 
photographer was good. It was almost as good as being there. I reached over 
blindly and grabbed some more fries. "I don't know what they put in these fries, 
but they are the best. Thank you for the food." I sat up and looked at her. "Hey! 
I said I wasn't hungry."
 
She smiled like the cat that ate the canary and pointed to the papers spread 
across the bed. "I know. Now, what does all that tell you?"
 
"Well, it's got some confusing stuff in the reports," I said, allowing myself to be 
distracted again. "Other than saying you didn't do it, the ball is still up in the air. 
However, all we really need to do is exclude you as the perp."
 
Gretchen vehemently shook her head. "No. I've already been convicted in the 
press, so I'm guilty until proven innocent. You know how this works. If I want 
my life back I need to be able to point at the guilty party."
 
I nodded and pulled a picture of Kat lying naked on the stainless steel slab closer 
to my face. "Do you have a magnifier? I need to look at this one closer." When 
Gretchen handed one to me, I looked closely at the picture of her chest. The 
ugly wound above her doctor-enhanced breast looked wrong somehow. Was it 
the wound or the blood? Both could tell me something about the height of the 
killer, if I looked at it right. This one looked like...
 
Abruptly, I sat straight up as the wrongness transformed itself into a theory.
 
I looked at the pattern of blood on her chest and then looked at several other 
photographs of her, including ones of her hands. I found nice deep gash on the 
inside of her right pinkie and ring finger. Then I looked at the same array of 
pictures for Cartwright.
 
I stood up and began sorting the pictures and reports into the folders they went 
in. "I need to fax these to a friend in Houston and make a call."
 
"Did you find something?" Gretchen asked eagerly.
 
"Maybe," I said cautiously. No need to get her hopes up if I was wrong. If I was 
right, the killer has been right in front of us all the time.
 
It took an hour before all the information had been sent, and I was stalking 
around the house waiting on a call back. I took the time to also make copies to 
take to the DA. Hector Santos, one of the Medical Examiners I worked with in 
Houston, was looking over the data and was late calling me back with his off the 
cuff assessment. I snarled my frustration and grabbed my coat.
 
"We're going to confront the bear in his den. Call Devon. We're going to the DA's 
office. Call your attorney while we drive. I've got enough here to get him off your 
back and the other will just have to wait."
 
She grabbed her phone. "Give me a hint!"
 
"Not till I know for sure. Come on." I almost dragged her out of the house to 
meet Devon. Once we were in the Hummer and on the way I set the box of 
copied evidence in my lap and closed my eyes. I was taking a real chance here. 
This could all blow up in my face.
 
We were pulling up to the DA's office when my cell rang. I handed Gretchen the 
box and opened the phone.
 
"Hawkins," I said, trying to hide the eagerness of my tone.
 
"Santos. You're still the queen of the crime scene, Hawk. Your read on the 
evidence matches mine. You owe me dinner."
 
He disconnected as I grinned wolfishly. Time to go pin the tail on the killer.
 
Gretchen ragged at me in the elevator for details, but I just smiled at her. "I'm 
only telling this once. It won't be easy to snap the cuffs on the killer, but I think 
it can be done. Let's hope your mouthpiece is here."
 
When we got to the tenth floor office, Zieter was sitting there, waiting. He raised 
an eyebrow and stood up. "I got him to see us, but he's not very happy about it. 
He thinks we're here to cut a deal. Are we?"
 
I smiled at him and shook my head. "Nope. We're here to get all charges 
dropped and put the finger on the real killer."
 
That got both his eyebrows up. "You think this is a crime TV show? You either 
have a signed confession in that box, or he'll laugh us out of his office."
 
"Close enough, Mister Zieter. Close enough. Let's go."
 
The secretary rose to stop me, and I just bounced her off my shoulder with a 
casual "Sorry" and opened the door. Danforth and Sweeney were sitting at the 
desk, and both startled at the door bursting open.
 
"I'm on time, right?" I said with a smile as Danforth reddened in fury. His 
secretary tried to explain, and he waved her out. Sweeney just smirked, a faint 
hint of approval in his eyes.
 
"This had better be good, Hawkins," the prissy DA said, sitting down without 
bothering to offer us seats. "Are you ready to cut a deal and save your wife from 
life in prison?" The word "wife" came out very distastefully.
 
"Nope. I'm here to put this case to rest." I tossed the box onto the desk in front 
of him and dropped into a chair, planting my feet on the arm of Sweeney's chair. 
"I have all the evidence I need to not only prove Gretchen innocent, but to also 
tie the killer up with a neat little bow for you, if you can figure out how to get a 
grand jury to indict. Although I've heard a decent DA can indict a ham sandwich, 
I'm sure even you can get one here."
 
Danforth snarled and grabbed the box, opening it and first growing pale and 
then red with renewed fury. "This is crime scene evidence and classified police 
reports! How the hell did you get this? Now you'll go to prison with her. We're 
done here. Detective, take her into custody."
 
"Hang on a second," Sweeney said with a quelling look at Danforth. "I want to 
hear what she has to say. Why is Gretchen Werner innocent? And who killed 
Senator Cartwright and Kat Werner?" His eyes showed some satisfaction, some 
curiosity, and... Did he just wink at me? He already knew Gretchen didn't do it, 
but the real story was going to surprise everyone.
 
"I know she didn't kill anyone because that's what your own CSI team says," I 
said with a shark-like smile that I turned on Danforth.
 
"You have exculpatory evidence in your possession that you haven't turned over 
to me and you're still hounding my client?" Zieter asked with a frown. "Danforth, 
you've got some serious explaining to do."
 
Danforth glared at us as though he would be able to incinerate us all on the 
spot. "I don't give a rat's ass what that report says, it's just an opinion."
 
"An expert opinion shared by at least one other Medical Examiner," I said to 
Zieter. "That part is firm. No way, no how, did Gretchen kill anyone."
 
Zieter glared back at Danforth, his fierce expression at odds with his usual laid 
back appearance. "I can have a motion to dismiss in the hands of the court in 
less than half an hour and I'll make you look like more of a fool than usual for 
your prosecutorial misconduct. Unless you drop all charges immediately."
 
It looked like he was eating glass, but Danforth nodded. "I suppose I don't have 
a choice." He picked up the phone and dialed an extension. "File a motion to 
dismiss the indictment against Gretchen Werner."
 
"I'll want a copy before they run off," Zieter said, settling back in his chair as the 
unwilling Danforth passed that along.
 
When he hung up the phone, Danforth snarled at him. "Satisfied?"
 
Sweeney cut in. "Not yet. If she didn't do it, I want to know what you saw in that 
evidence that we missed. Who is the killer?" He leaned forward, almost eagerly.
 
"The man in your lab is right when he said that Cartwright killed Kat Werner," I 
said smugly, "but he missed some subtle evidence that points right at 
Cartwright's killer."
 
I paused for effect and Gretchen smacked me on the back of my head. "Don't do 
this to me, Hawk. Who killed Cartwright?" she asked, exasperated.
 
I turned and looked at Gretchen and smiled. "Kat did."
 
Pandemonium erupted as everyone started yelling all at once and it took me a 
minute to get everyone to stop screaming that I was an idiot so that I could 
explain. I pulled the picture of Kat's chest out of the box. "The evidence is right 
here." I set it down in front of Sweeney. "Look at that knife wound. Cartwright is 
right handed. See how the knife went in? The edge is down and toward the 
center of Kat's breastbone, following the curve of her ribs. If the taller Cartwright 
pulled that knife out, why is the wound cutting down and twice as wide as the 
blade? The non-cutting edge would be taking the force if Cartwright pulled that 
knife out. It was pulled out from the left side, or in this case, from Kat's right 
hand. She reached up and yanked the knife that killed her right out of her own 
chest and stabbed Cartwright. She was so hopped up on coke that she probably 
didn't know she was dead till she hit the floor."
 
Sweeney picked it up and waved Zieter and Gretchen back so he could see it. 
Danforth shook his head. "That is the biggest bullshit story I've ever heard. You 
can't possibly expect anyone to believe that?"
 
I smiled sweetly at him as the door opened and the secretary brought in a paper 
and gave it to Zieter. "Since Gretchen has been ruled out as the killer, I don't 
really care what you think. I'm telling Gretchen what happened, and I'm just 
being nice by sharing that with the police." I turned back to Sweeney. "Look at 
the blood splatter on her upper chest. She was showing some nice cleavage that 
night and the rest of the evidence is on those fake tits. The size of the drops is 
consistent with splatter from a distance, not with blood from her own wound."
 
"Sure," Sweeney agreed. "She was laying on the floor when Cartwright bought it. 
The blood fell on her from above."
 
"If she was lying on the floor, then why," I asked, my expression victorious, "do 
the blood drops impact her breast and flow against gravity toward the nipples? If 
she were supine, the blood should flow towards her chin. But it doesn't, which 
can mean only one thing. She was standing when that blood hit her. She was 
stabbing Cartwright back even as she was dying. The evidence tells the story, if 
you want to read it. Those two sorry excuses for human beings killed each 
other."
 
"That is total crap!" Danforth snapped, standing up. "No one is going to believe 
that."
 
"Ask Sweeny what he has seen people hopped up on coke do. I've seen 
someone shot in the heart take the gun away from his killer and empty it into his 
murderer before he, himself, fell down dead. It's more than possible. I can see it 
in my mind's eye as clearly as if I were sitting there when it happened. 
Cartwright is humiliated again, this time in public, by Kat. He slips into the 
kitchen and hides a knife in his coat. He asks her to talk upstairs, and she 
agrees. They argue, he tells her what a bitch she is, pulls the knife and plunges 
it into her chest. Then, as he stares in smug anticipation, she gets pissed and 
pulls it out and plunges it right back into the drunk bastard's chest."
 
Danforth was obviously not buying it, but Sweeney looked thoughtful. It took 
almost an hour and a number of phone calls, but we walked out of that office 
with everything I wanted going in. Total victory.




Chapter Fourteen: The finishing touch
 
Sweeney walked out behind us and made eye contact with me. He jerked his 
head to the right and raised an eyebrow. I nodded and followed him, leaving 
Gretchen to settle the final details with her lawyer.
 
He stopped a few doors down and leaned back against the wall. "That was an 
interesting show, Lieutenant. You really think that's what happened?"
 
I shrugged. "It's the only story that fits, so I'll run with it."
 
He nodded and mulled a question before asking, "What would you have done if 
the evidence said she did it?"
 
"Thank God it doesn't," I sighed. I thought about it for a moment, but I already 
knew the answer. "I’d have hated it, but I would’ve turned it over to you."
 
Sweeney smiled and planted his foot against the wall. "I figured you would. It's 
good to know that you're a good cop. It makes me feel better about breaking the 
rules to see you get what you needed."
 
I narrowed my eyes. "What are we talking about? Telling us the report cleared 
Gretchen? That's more of a bent rule."
 
"Nah. I caught your boy, Leo, nosing around the precinct looking for 
information," he said with a grin. "After I sweated him a bit, I realized who he 
was, why he was hanging around, and what he was looking for. So I gave it to 
him and kicked his sorry ass out the door. Not that I'll ever admit it."
 
"Elvis?" I asked incredulously. "You gave the CSI stuff to Leo?" I wasn't easy to 
surprise, but Sweeney had just surprised the hell out of me.
 
"Yeah, I did. Otherwise you'd still be twisting in the wind, waiting for Jerk-off to 
hand it over. Hell, you'd be waiting for it for a long time. He really wanted this 
trial. Now he just looks like the idiot he really is."
 
"Yeah," I said, suddenly uncomfortable. Partly because I understood why he'd 
done it; Sweeney reminded me a bit too much of myself, a good cop pushing 
back against burnout. And partly because I dealt better with people when I 
didn't owe them. I liked it much better when they owed me. "Thanks. I won't 
forget it. If you need something, give me a call, and I'll see what I can do to 
even us up."
 
"We'll see," he said. His grin didn't waver as he pushed off the wall, and I 
realized that he knew exactly what I was thinking. He confirmed it when he 
added, "I like being in the plus column, so I'll just let it ride for now." He stared 
at me for a moment. "Don't make the mistake of thinking this makes us pals. I 
don't like you and I don't like what your kind are doing to the concept of 
marriage, but I couldn't let an innocent woman take the hit. You go home and 
take care of her. Remember her, and don't get screwed up at home like most 
cops do. Spend time with her. You've seen the job destroy relationships. It’ll 
happen to you, too, if you aren't careful."
 
I stared at him, totally at a loss for words. He fired off a casual salute, sauntered 
to the stairs and was gone before I could figure out how to respond. I shook my 
head as I realized I actually liked the son of a bitch.
 
Gretchen tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to look at her. "Zieter went 
back in to get certified copies of everything. He said he'll have them to us by 
tomorrow, and we can go home." She pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm so proud 
of you. You showed all of them who's the top dog."
 
"I just spotted the inconsistencies," I said with a shrug. "The CSI unit would’ve 
pulled that out in the final report. At least, I'm pretty sure they would."
 
"Well, I don't care about them," Gretchen said with a kiss, her eyes smoldering. 
"You're the one who found it first. You're the one who saved me, Hawk. Thank 
you. Now, let's go home so I can show you exactly how grateful I am. It's time 
to celebrate, honey!"
 
That sounded just right.
 
 
We were walking in the door when Lisa called to tell us they had made it home 
safely. She was ecstatic when I told her the case was closed and Gretchen was 
off the hook. She, just like Gretchen, told me she was sure I'd solve it. It was 
embarrassing.
 
I had just started to give Lisa the details when Hans came out and Gretchen 
rushed into his arms. 
 
"Daddy," she called, "Hawk did it. She solved the case! It's over!" 
 
Hans held her and I told Lisa and Hans what happened at the same time. Hans 
was obviously overjoyed that Gretchen had been cleared, but I could tell that the 
news about Kat killing Cartwright weighed on him, too. Gretchen must have seen 
it, too. With a look to me, she pulled Hans into the Brown Room - to talk, I 
expected. I was glad to see them taking the first steps towards repairing their 
relationship. It had taken years to destroy, and would certainly take some time 
to heal.
 
After another minute or two, I told Lisa goodbye and wandered up to our 
bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and thought about what Sweeney had 
said during his parting comment. Cop marriages broke up on such a regular 
basis, it was almost a given, a cliché. Homicide was among the worst for it, too. 
The days and nights were long, and family time was sometimes hard to get on a 
consistent basis.
 
I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, frowning, thinking. I was still 
there when Gretchen came in a little later. She sat down next to me and reached 
out for my hand.
 
"You look like you've been thinking," Gretchen said, her eyes twinkling. "Haven't 
you done your share of that today?"
 
I rolled over on my side and shook my head. "No. I've only just really started 
thinking." 
 
"Well, that sounds ominous. Why don't you elaborate on that."
 
"We were going to have our talk tonight, but I think I'm ready for it now," I said. 
"Something Sweeney said got me thinking about what I want and what's really 
important. I want to have my say before we start arguing."
 
"Are we going to argue?"
 
I nodded. "Yeah, we're going to argue, but probably not what you're expecting 
us to argue about." I sat up and pulled her into my arms and kissed her softly 
before I pulled away and got a chair to sit on. The back of the chair was placed 
defensively in front of me.
 
"You don't have to move," Gretchen objected. "We can both sit and talk on the 
bed."
 
"I want to be able to focus on what I'm thinking and saying, and I want us to 
have a good view of each other," I said. "Body language and all. The first thing I 
need to explain is what happened last night. Three years ago, I was in a 
committed relationship with another cop, Sharon. We lived together until she left 
me for another cop - a man - I think she'd been seeing him on the side for 
awhile. She wanted a family, and I couldn't provide that for her. I'm sure she 
dropped hints, but I just wasn't ready to listen. Or I didn't want to believe what I 
was hearing. When she left I was lost - adrift and devastated. I tripped over 
those emotions again last night."
 
Gretchen's eyes misted, and she nodded. "Lisa told me about Sharon. You felt 
rejected again."
 
I smiled sadly. "I should have known better, but I let my desires get in front of 
what was best for everyone. I wanted so badly to have all the people I love 
together and, in my usual way, I just bulled ahead until I ran into a wall."
 
"It’ll happen when the time is right," Gretchen reassured me. "Lisa's right. We 
need to establish ourselves as a married couple just as much as they do. Then, 
when we're solid, we can have sex with them, and it’ll be about fun and 
friendship."
 
I nodded. "I know, but you deserved to hear me tell you about Sharon, about 
why that landmine from my past went off last night." I felt tears sting my eyes 
and looked to the floor. Quietly, I added, "And part of me worries that one day 
you'll find someone to give you a family and leave, too."
 
"Oh, Hawk!" She jumped to her feet and pulled me into her arms. "No, don't go 
down that road. You're my family now, and you have our baby inside you. If 
you're worried that I might want my own rug rat, one way or another, I can get 
pregnant without having to be without you. I know it’s hard to understand, even 
for me. Even though we only met a few weeks ago, even though I’d never 
considered a lesbian relationship, I love you. I love you so deeply that I can’t 
imagine living without you."
 
I felt my stomach unknot slowly. I hadn't even realized it was all clenched up. 
Fighting back my tears, I held her and kissed her. "I suppose once bitten, twice 
shy," I said softly into her ear. Then I pushed back and looked into her eyes. 
"You thanked me for saving you, but Gretchen, in truth, you're the one who has 
saved me. Thank you for loving me, for telling me, for talking to me."
 
Gretchen hugged me tight for a long, long moment, and then she let me go and 
sat back down on the edge of the bed. "If we're having problems, Hawk, you 
won't have to guess. I'll be telling you, screaming at you, hitting you over the 
head if I need something or want something, and I expect the same in return. 
No psychic estrogen 'you should have known' or subtle hints. We both have to 
promise to just come out and tell each other what we're feeling."
 
I sat down again and gave her a lop-sided smile. "You've been less than 
forthcoming in the last week about some of the things driving you and so have I. 
I think the idea of either of us spilling our guts just because of this is wishful 
thinking. We’ve both built walls to protect ourselves and we're going to have to 
work our way past them."
 
"One step at a time," Gretchen agreed. "We each need to pick a place to start 
and let each other in as fast as we're comfortable with. Now’s my turn. I know 
you have issues with me sleeping with my clients."
 
I nodded. "Yes, I do, and you have issues with me telling you what to do about 
it. Well, I spoke to a friend," I paused, smiled as I realized how warm that word 
made me feel, "someone who loves me, and this friend explained something 
important to me. I'm not going to demand, but I do want to ask, ask you to not 
have sex with anyone but me until we are settled, until…"
 
"Okay," she interrupted me.
 
"Okay?" I parroted stupidly.
 
"Yes, okay" she affirmed. "I won't sleep professionally with anyone else from 
now on. Though, like Ted and Lisa, I hope we can find some interesting people 
to share with each other on occasion. I do like men, too, and I know I’m not 
alone in that,” she added with a wicked smile. “I'll cut back on my client list as 
well. Maybe even quit entirely someday."
 
I stared at her, my mouth agape. "Honey, that wasn't what I asked for! I…"
 
She placed a finger on my lips. She smiled serenely at me. "Shhh. It's okay, 
Hawk. I never would have offered it as long as you demanded it, but you trusted 
me - loved me enough to ask. I've never had anyone love me that much before. 
My clients will have to learn to live without me in their beds."
 
"Honey, I do love you, but I don't understand," I said. "Still, I don't think you 
need to make radical, life-altering decisions like this on the spur of the moment. 
Let's just go with things as they are for a few months and then talk about it 
again."
 
Gretchen said nothing for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. We said we would 
find someplace to start letting the other inside our walls. This is as good as any. 
You see, all my life, someone was telling me what I had to do, how I had to 
behave. When I was a kid, it was my mother and father and I did what they 
wanted, what they told me to do. Later it was Kat, and my father caved to 
whatever Kat wanted to do for the sake of peace." She wiped her face and 
stared at the ceiling. "I slept with one of my friends when I was fifteen. I 
discovered that I could get affection and feel loved even by someone I wasn't in 
love with. It became a means to control my own life, at least the aspects I could 
control. Defiance and connection; I had one only with the other."
 
I slipped off the chair and sat beside her, taking her into my arms. She wept 
softly, but she didn't break down.
 
"When I graduated from high school, I moved out and went to Nevada to put my 
mouth where my money was, so to speak," she said through the tears. "Just like 
you have associations with being a cop and they are important to you, being an 
escort has some for me. In a lot of way it was the happiest part of my life, until I 
met you."
 
"And that’s fine," I said softly. "Some things are too important to force on 
someone else. I'll support you in whatever you want to do in life, unless you plan 
to be a felon and then I'll beat you."
 
Gretchen laughed and hugged me again. "I'm sure you would, too."
 
Kissing her forehead, I pulled back a little. "That brings me to the next thing I've 
decided. You don't need to move to Houston, if you don't want to. I'm turning in 
my badge."
 
"What?!?" she said, alarmed. "You don't need to do that, Hawk. I'll worry, but I 
won't ask you to give up what you love. You don't have to do this just because 
I'm going to quit my job! Didn't you just say we shouldn't make rash, life-altering 
decisions?"
 
"I did, but you don't know what it's like being married to a cop," I said. "The 
hours I put in are killer. I've seen people who love each other get torn apart 
because of it, and I won't do that to us. There is nothing else I could do that's 
more important than us." I took a deep breath and covered her lips with mine as 
she started to speak. I kissed her enthusiastically and thoroughly, but I didn't let 
the kiss deepen or linger. When I broke off, I said, "No, it's the right decision, 
and it has nothing to do with what you decide to do about your job. I'd already 
decided before you walked in the room. I can find something else to do. I have a 
private investigator's license in Texas and can probably get one like it in Nevada. 
Vegas is your home and it's going to be ours as well. I won't ask you to leave it 
for me, even though I know you would."
 
"Well, I guess I can't make you," she admitted, "but I don't want you to resent 
me for this. If you do, I bet we can find something more classy than following 
cheating husbands around and taking pictures of them at sleazy motels. We can 
make this work in Houston, or you could transfer to Vegas and stay being a cop."
 
I shook my head. "No, since I'm going to have a baby, it's the right time. I could 
ask for a desk job and get it, but I'd rather walk out at the top of my game. If 
you want to stay in Vegas, we need to make a trip down to Houston so I can get 
some of my things and pack up the rest. And you need to see Ted's vineyard. 
That and meet his family. His brother, sister and host of nephews. Plus I've got a 
few friends to introduce you to, just so you have an idea of what being a 
'lesbian' is like."
 
"That should be educational. You don't need get rid of anything. Vegas will 
always be there and I’d rather live with you in Houston near our friends. We'll 
find a bigger place there and you should keep your place as a security blanket. 
God knows we all need a place to get away to at some point or another."
 
I laughed. "You haven't seen my couch. I think most of the furniture needs to be 
donated to Goodwill, even if we do live in Houston. There are some pieces I 
want to keep and some clothes and knick knacks. And my Harley. It's no sports 
car, but it's mine."
 
"Should I get a leather jacket or a shirt that says 'Hawk's Bitch'?" she asked with 
a laugh. "Or get my own bike and learn to ride? A tattoo, maybe?"
 
"I have one at home that says 'If you can read this, the bitch fell off'," I said with 
a grin. We laughed for a moment and then Gretchen surged to her feet.
 
"I think this is enough serious conversation for one day," she said imperiously, 
pulling me to her. "It's time to celebrate. Now we can get to know one another 
without some crisis over our heads. I told Vanessa to take Kirk out to dinner. I 
told her that he loved her and she needed to take a chance. It took half an hour 
of cajoling, but she's going. Then I told Daddy and Ivan to get out. Devon is off 
for an evening on the town with an old friend of mine that I think he’ll find 
entertaining, so that's everyone. We're here all alone. If the phone rings, we 
ignore it."
 
"Just one question. How’s your father doing?"
 
Gretchen sighed. "Not great. He is overjoyed for me and distraught over Kat. The 
fact that she could kill is making him second guess everything he ever thought 
he knew about her. The one thing I know about my daddy, though, is that he 
will work through it and come out whole. It helps that I'm back in the house, and 
happy." She cocked her head and looked at me. "We're all going to be happy, 
Hawk, and if you'll just shut up, I'll show you just how happy you can be right 
now!"
 
I felt my heart skip a beat and then speed up. A familiar warmth began seeping 
into my belly. "That sounds very promising. Did you get our bag from Lurch?"
 
Gretchen laughed. "Yes, and he was horribly embarrassed. You got him dead on 
with that call. I had him put the bag in the closet, right behind you."
 
"Then, let's get it out and give our toys a test drive," I purred. "I'm not letting 
you go for quite a while."
 
Gretchen grabbed the bag and set it next to the bed before taking me into her 
arms and kissing me deeply and thoroughly. Our bodies molded together tightly 
and I let my hands roam across her back and down to her firm ass. Her kisses 
became more heated and more aggressive as our embrace continued until I 
thought I was going to run out of air. 
 
I finally had to force her back so I could breathe. "God, I'm on fire," I moaned. "I 
want you so badly. I need you. I love you."
 
Gretchen took my face between her hands and kissed me softly. "I never 
expected to love anyone," she whispered. "I love you, Shauna." I decided then 
and there that Gretchen had an exemption to the 'No Shauna' rule. Hearing her 
use my name made me ache for her and turned me on even more.
 
With a slow certainty that hadn't been there the first time, Gretchen began 
unbuttoning my blouse, kissing down the side of my neck as she exposed my 
chest. Then she kissed down to the top of my bra-covered breasts, making me 
pant with desire.
 
"Let's see if I can manage this right this time," she said with a sly smile. Her 
hands encircled me and she had the bra loose in a few seconds.
 
"Passable," I conceded, "but you need to practice until you can do it one handed 
in the dark with your mouth full."
 
"Full of what," she asked, a glint of devilishness dancing in her eyes.
 
"This," I said, grabbing her and kissing her hard, my tongue forcing it's way in 
past her soft lips to possess her mouth, dueling with her lightning fast tongue. 
One of my hands pulled her blouse partly up and made room for my other hand 
to snake back and pop her bra loose with a practiced twist of the fingers. Then I 
let those same fingers trail up and down her spine, raising goose bumps and 
spawning delighted shivers throughout her body.
 
"You know just how to light my fire," she groaned, breaking our kiss to pull her 
blouse and bra off, showing me those wonderful pink-tipped tits. 
 
"Now, I'm going to make love to you slowly until I have you screaming for me to 
let you come," I said reaching over for the bag. "Close your eyes and give 
yourself to me," I whispered seductively.
 
Gretchen smiled and closed her eyes. They stayed that way right up until I slid 
the padded handcuffs through the headboard and snapped them around her 
wrists. Then her eyes popped open in a hurry.
 
I smiled my predator's smile, powerful and sure. "My, my, look what we have 
here - a beautiful woman totally under my control." The momentary tension in 
her body melted at once.
 
"Oh, please, Mistress Shauna. Don't hurt me," Gretchen said with feigned terror. 
"I'll do whatever you tell me, just don't hurt me."
 
"I'll do whatever I like, and you'll enjoy it," I assured her. “But there is one rule. 
If you want me to stop something, we need a safety word. The word for tonight 
is ‘orange’. That way you can have all the fun you want playing the scene and 
still stop me if you’re uncomfortable. Okay?”
 
Gretchen swallowed and nodded. 
 
"Now,” I said getting back to business, “the first thing I'm going to do is have my 
fill of these nice, firm breasts."
 
I kissed my way down her chest, using my teeth to gently nip her and my warm 
breath to tease her. I sucked her nipples to hardness and experimented till I 
found out just how hard to bite them to make her thrash around the bed and 
start begging me to do more.
 
"Oh, God!" she moaned, her head going from side to side, putting her hair into a 
state of wild disarray and her back arching with need. "I need you now, Hawk. 
Take me!"
 
I laughed throatily. "I don't think so. You’re completely in my power, and I'm not 
ready to let you come just yet."
 
She groaned in anguished need. "But Hawk!"
 
"Is my little slave girl going to be bad?" I asked sternly. "I don't think she wants 
Mistress Shauna to punish her, does she?"
 
Gretchen laughed and shook her head. "No, Mistress Shauna. I'll be good, but I 
need..."
 
I silenced her with a kiss. "This isn't about what you need, my little slave. I'll tell 
you when I'm ready to see you come, and it won't be anytime soon."
 
That elicited another anguished groan that I made louder by going back to her 
sensitive breasts. 
 
By the time I was done with them Gretchen had her legs clamped together and 
was thrusting her hips to get friction against her pants. I judged she wasn't too 
far from reaching glory, so I kissed my way down her belly and undid her snap 
with my teeth. As I pulled her zipper down the same way with an almost cruel 
slowness, she writhed uncontrollably. 
 
"Yes! Oh, yes!" she said hoarsely, her eyes wild in the tangle of blonde hair. "I'm 
so close!"
 
I chuckled evilly and took off her shoes, pants and panties. "I bet you are, but 
I'm not ready for you to come yet." The truth was, the scent of her arousal was 
making my mouth water and my clit throb. I wanted to dive in between her legs 
so badly that I almost gave in. But I didn't.
 
"Before I allow you to come," I continued, "you'll be seeing to my pleasure. 
Then, if you do well enough, I might, might let you come."
 
"Oh, God!!!" she almost screamed. "Hawk, please! Please?"
 
"Bad little slave," I said. "I'm not Hawk. I'm Mistress Shauna and while those 
restraints are on, you better keep that in mind." I stood up and stripped all my 
clothes off slowly while she watched me through lust filled eyes, panting heavily. 
My panties were so wet they clung to me.
 
Once I was ready, I climbed back on the bed and sat gently with my butt on the 
top of her breasts, my knees straddling her arms and head. I reached down and 
grabbed her hair with both hands and pulled her face to my sex, being careful 
not to hurt her.
 
"Eat me, slave," I commanded. "Make me come hard enough and you'll get to 
come. Fail me, and I'll just leave you chained up for the night."
 
Gretchen dove in tongue first, more ferocious than I expected. Her eyes burned 
into mine as she dug as deeply inside me as she could and then did all kinds of 
things to raise my heart rate. 
 
I threw my head back, grinding her lips into mine, mouth to sex, and rode her 
unabashedly for my own pleasure. In what seemed like less than a minute, I was 
struck by lightning, my body trembling convulsively as I came. As it steamrolled 
over me, I looked back down into her blue eyes, and she saw all the way into my 
soul.
 
Gretchen's head fell back to the pillow and she panted right along with me. 
Never taking my eyes off hers, I licked her neck and started kissing my way 
down her glorious body. "You've done well, my loyal minion, and now you will be 
rewarded," I purred.
 
Her entire body twitched under my touch as I made my way south with glacial 
slowness. As I settled between her thighs, Gretchen arched her back and thrust 
herself at me, groaning again with need. I kissed her inner thighs and damp 
mound. The heady scent of her arousal almost made me groan.
 
Spreading her labia with my fingers, I slowly ran my tongue from the base of her 
sex to her clit. I don't know what word to use for the sound she made, but I was 
willing to bet it meant she approved. When I slipped two fingers inside her and 
began thrusting, I discovered she wasn't just wet, she was soaked. I grinned as I 
continued giving her head. This was what it was all about. The feel of her heels 
rubbing my back and urging me on was the stuff dreams were made of.
 
Taking my time and slowing as necessary, I made sure it was a long, slow climb 
up the mountain for my wife. I wanted her to think she'd had a stroke when she 
came. She begged and pleaded with me, but I stuck to my guns. When she 
finally came, her heels beat a tattoo of unimaginable pleasure on my back; I 
thought her thighs would pull my head off my shoulders. She screamed and her 
body went crazy, twisting and trembling. 
 
When she collapsed, I didn't give her any peace. She told me to stop, but I 
sucked my way through her sensitivity and brought her to a simmering boil again 
and again. The orgasms coming one after another until she was in the groove 
and having the proverbial multiple orgasms. Then, after she was a pile of raw 
nerve endings, I kissed my way up her body and reached for the keys. She didn't 
resist as I freed her from her bondage or do more than make mewling noises 
when I took her in my arms to kiss her softly.
 
After a little while, when she could finally speak, Gretchen murmured in my ear. 
"I had no idea you could do that to me, Lover. If that's the reward, I'll be your 
little slave girl any time you like. That was mean, tying me up like that. I thought 
when you said some mild bondage, you meant me tying you up."
 
"Variety is the spice of life," I quipped. "You get to have your revenge the next 
time and tie me up for your pleasure."
 
Gretchen got up and stretched like a cat, and then pounced on me with all the 
energy that great sex can give a woman. Surprised, I struggled, but she had my 
hands locked cross-wise in the restraints before I could get any leverage. 
 
"Next time is now," she purred in her own pleased tones. "I'm not done with you 
yet, my pretty."
 
I watched her climb off the bed with some alarm. The cuffs didn't hurt, but I 
wasn't used to being helpless. Inside, part of me started to panic a little bit, but I 
quashed it. I trusted Gretchen with my life. The part of me that was used to 
being in control gave way to another part of me that wanted - no, needed - her 
to take me, to use me. 
 
"How does this thing fit on?" Gretchen said, picking up the mid-sized strap-on 
dildo. "Ah, I see. Never mind." She slid it on and stood there beside me, her 
artificial erection bobbing gently near my head. 
 
Gretchen grabbed my hair and used her other hand to rub the latex across my 
lips. "Suck my cock, Bitch." She said, both calmly and with a thread of lust in her 
voice. "Suck it like it was Ted's. Make it nice and wet, because in a few minutes, 
I'm going to fuck you with it."
 
I opened my mouth and took it partway in, making it slick with my saliva. The 
nerves that ran between my mouth and my pussy were working just fine, as I 
was suddenly on fire again. I bobbed my head and quickly found myself lost in 
the sensation of giving head. I was so into it. I was surprised when she pulled 
back and got on the bed. She rolled me over, so that the cuffs were uncrossed 
and I was on my elbows and knees. 
 
"Now, my love, now I get to fuck the shit out of you," Gretchen said as she 
settled in between my legs. "I bet you thought you would get to use this first, 
didn't you? Well, turn about being fair play. I thought I would learn all about this 
myself."
 
She worked the head of the lifelike dildo slowly up and down the length of my 
sex, thoroughly exciting me. Then, gently, she inserted it into me an inch at a 
time, one slow thrust after another, until its length was buried deep inside me. I 
found myself thrusting back against her and my internal muscles grasping the 
welcome intruder. Her hands grabbed me by the hips and she began fucking me.
 
The sound of her hips slapping against mine sent a blast of heat through me and 
I lost control. The feeling of being bent over and used was both humiliating and 
incredibly arousing. She kept up a running commentary on how sexy I was, how 
she enjoyed being inside me, how she was going to make me come so hard that 
the top of my head was going to explode.
 
She got her revenge on me for making her come again and again by fucking me 
right through my orgasms. Riding over my groans to take me higher and higher 
until I was on fire from the hair on my head to my toes. When she finally slipped 
out of me and allowed me to collapse, I was a twitching mass of flesh. 
 
I could hardly focus on her, but I saw her standing next to the bed and tried to 
raise my hands, to let her set me free. 
 
She leaned over and kissed me gently. "I see you want loose, but I'm not done 
yet. How can guys do this for so long? I have muscles aching that I didn't even 
know I had. This fucking business is more work for guys than I gave them credit 
for."
 
Watching on in a pleasure fogged, but confused state, I wondered what she was 
talking about. Gretchen pulled off the strap-on and replaced the thrusting head 
with the small one. My eyes widened in shock. She was going to fuck me up the 
ass!
 
"Uh, Gretchen…" I started. 
 
Gretchen covered my lips with her finger. "I'll be gentle, but right now, you don't 
have a choice. You're mine to use as I see fit. You're under my control, Hawk. 
Unless you’d like to call an ‘orange’ about it." 
 
Her voice rekindled the lust in me and I nodded, though I still had my 
misgivings. I'd taken it up the ass before, but it had been a while. She stepped 
into the bathroom and came back out with some water-based lube, using her 
hand to cover the small prick completely and jack off for me at the same time. "I 
want you to feel as good as I do, Hawk, and for that, I want to leave you so 
sated that you can hardly walk." 
 
As she moved back behind me, I buried my face in the pillow. Either I was going 
to scream in pain or pleasure. Maybe both. 
 
I jumped a little as her cold, slick finger worked inside me, lubricating my ass for 
her. I focused on relaxing the rings of muscle for the ride ahead. I blanked my 
mind and was pretty open when she began working the small dildo into me. The 
sudden feeling of fullness and her control made me groan in pleasure, but she 
instantly stopped. 
 
"Are you okay?" she asked with some concern. 
 
"Yeah, never better," I husked. "Go slow, but don't stop. I'll tell you when to go 
faster. 
 
Gretchen worked herself into my ass one thrust at a time until she was all the 
way inside me. Then she began slowly thrusting into me, letting me adjust to the 
feeling of fullness. 
 
In a few minutes, I was telling her to go faster and faster until she was pounding 
me hard and deep. The wild mixture of feelings that were rushing through me, 
along with the amazingly pleasurable sensations, made me do something I'd 
never done before, though I'd seen Gretchen do it. I threw my head back and 
screamed my pleasure.
 
My wife kept riding me, going so far as to reach up along my back and take two 
handfuls of my hair and pull my head back. 
 
"Take me," she screamed. "Take all of my love!"
 
The next orgasm, when it rolled over me, made my vision dim with its intensity. I 
collapsed under Gretchen and when I could finally focus, she had me out of the 
cuffs and into her arms. 
 
"Ohmigod, Gretchen," I whispered. "I've never felt like that before." Looking into 
her eyes, I smiled, at peace. "I love you."
 
She kissed me softly on the lips. "I love you, Shauna, wife of my heart. Now and 
forever."
 
And that was just what I needed and wanted to hear. I was home at long last.
 
The End