No Ordinary Killer (24 page)

Megan bolted to the window and slightly raised the
mini blind. “I saw him there yesterday when you … when we were enjoying
ourselves. I don’t think he can see inside. I can’t see who he is, but he’s
definitely watching my suite. I’m guessing the killer hired him to watch me and
make sure I stay put and keep writing.”

“I think you’re really in some deep shit this time,
girl. Do you think Cooper has anything to do with it? He must be totally pissed
with you. I know I would be.”

“Who are you … and why do you even care?”

“I’m the guy who likes fucking you. Nothing more and
nothing less. Once my wife has her baby, you won’t see me again. Simple as
that.”

Megan stomped within inches of him and jerked the mask
from his face. “I knew it was you, Sparks. You shouldn’t have mentioned your
wife having a baby.”

“What the hell did you do that for? Christ, Megan,
this changes everything.”

That seemed much too easy. She’d tried taking the mask
off him so many times and he’d been ready for her. Megan placed her palm on his
cheek. “I think you wanted me to see you. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to
touch your face? To feel your lips against mine without these restraints? I’ve
tried imagining what you’d look like. I’ve longed to have the cold, impersonal
mask gone … replaced with tenderness and honesty.” Sliding her hand behind his
neck, she pulled his lips into hers. Slow and tender quickly turned into
devouring and demanding.

He moved his palms inside her robe and quickly tossed
it to the floor. She tore at his shirt, throwing it with one hand while working
at his belt buckle with the other. They didn’t stop kissing as though it was
the one thing they’d deprived themselves of for four years and they couldn’t
get enough.

They stood naked, devouring each other as though for
the first time. He may have said she would never see him after the baby was
born, but his kisses told her the truth. Dennis Sparks was in love with her.
She was stimulated by the idea. Cooper’s brother-in-law had been her lover and
no one suspected a thing. This was exciting, naughty, and forbidden … making it
totally an aphrodisiac.

He touched her everywhere with urgency and tenderness.
She sensed a difference in how he made love, this time with purpose. She
responded to his needs as well as encouraged those of her own. They were sexual
soul mates. He lifted her and pushed her into the wall. She wrapped her legs
around him and pulled him in as deep as she could. His thrusts banged her in a
rhythmic beat and their lips never parted. Together they danced harder than
ever before.

It went on and on … they couldn’t seem to get enough
of each other. Finally they shuddered in unison. Breathing heavily and panting
he remained inside her. Usually, to her disappointment, he’d pull out and
disconnected the intimacy. Today he was giving her more than she’d ever asked
for. She responded to his kisses, some soft, some hard, all with the unspoken
words of branding. “You will never stop coming to me. Tell me you love me,
Dennis.”

“I love your lips. I love your breasts, hips, legs and
butt.” He gripped her buttock and pressed into her. “I love the taste of you. I
love being inside you. I love the heights we reach when fucking. I can’t get
enough of you …and you can’t get enough of me. I don’t think that’s love. I don’t
want to have a home and babies with you. That’s not who you are. Candy is.”

“Your kiss says otherwise. I feel your passion and you
can’t make love to someone like you just did … without loving them. I felt your
love, Dennis. Don’t tell me it was just sex, because I don’t believe it.”

“Believe what you want. I won’t leave Candy for you.”

“So what are you saying?” She unhooked her legs,
pushed him away just enough until her tip-toes reached the floor, sliding
against his skin all the way. His excitement throbbed between them as she
seductively moved. “I can guarantee you right now that you couldn’t stay away
from my bed for more than one week. It’s not just my body, but the excitement
of
me
that brings you back. You may
not want to love me … but you do. You want to be that perfect husband and
father. Your marriage has been crumbling for years. Why else do you think you
come to me seeking comfort, passion, and a friend?

“You really think a lot of yourself, don’t you? I’m
not going to hurt Candy by letting her know about us. If anyone at the station
found out, I would be an outcast. Even worse, they’d know it was me who gave
you the files for
Malicious Intent
. I
won’t put myself in that position.”

“But you do love me, don’t you, Dennis?” She leaned
into him and pulled his lips into hers. He responded with a kiss that nearly
triggered a climax. He pulled her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
They fell together and drowned in the pleasures only they could give each
other. Better than words, Dennis showed her his love.

* * *

“I have no idea what someone would wrap in a buffalo
skin,” Dallas said, leaning closer. “I mean … this is a cabin, so it must be
something important to the settler to have hidden it there. I love Native
American things … so I’m hoping for an artifact of sorts. How about you?”
Dallas glanced over at Cooper. He looked as tired as she felt.

“I’d be mighty happy if it’s not the skeleton of a
beloved dog or … fetus. I’d guess this is too small for either, though.”

“Eww, Cooper that’s a dreadful thought. Now I’m afraid
to look.” She leaned her right shoulder into him, and watched as he slowly
unfolded the skin.

“Would you look at the size of this nugget?”

“Is that thing really a gold nugget?” She gripped it
into her palm and flipped it over toward the firelight. “Look, there’s some
quartz on this side. Holy crap, this is gorgeous. You have any idea how much
this weighs?” She handed it back to Cooper.

“Wow. I’ve done some prospecting and have only dreamed
of finding such a fine specimen. I’d guess it weighs a bit over a pound.”

“Do you realize what it’s worth? Gold is running
around eighteen-hundred dollars an ounce.” Dallas reached over and picked up
the hide. “Look at the underside of the buffalo skin, Cooper.” She spread it
out on her lap the best she could.

“Here,” he handed her the nugget. “It looks like some
sort of map. Damn, this thing really looks old.”

She laughed and pointed to the drawing. “And X marks
the spot,” she shook her head and laughed again.

“Hey, don’t laugh. Where do you think they got
expressions like that from? Look at this thing. This here is a rock outcropping
and over here is a grove of cottonwood trees. This here says
Cadotte Pass
, and over here
Blackfoot River
, and to the left here
its looks like … can you read that?”

Dallas turned the skin toward the fire. “I think it
says
Beartown Mining Camp
. Dang, I
don’t remember a camp named that in this area. I love studying old ghost mining
towns. Are you familiar with it?”

“We have one more thing in common. I love going to
ghost towns. I was planning on picking a couple to check out this summer.
Before the kids were born, I would pick three every summer and check them out.”

Dallas smiled and traced a line running west. “Did
Megan like going?”

“Hell no. Her idea of a trip was to Hawaii or Vegas.
Hotel not a tent. A plane not a canoe. Why I every married her … I’m sorry. I
shouldn’t say things like that.”

“It doesn’t really bother me, Cooper. You have a right
to say how you feel. You’ll heal a lot faster if you let it out. There’s a
reason the marriage failed. Compatibility is a biggy.”

“Faithfulness is an even bigger biggy.”

Dallas laughed. “We’re clear on the biggies then.”
Cooper laughed loud and heart-felt.

“You know what we got here, don’t you?”

“Let me guess—an old map of this area … let’s say in
1892,” she pointed to the date in the upper right corner.

“Right—a map. But this is a gold map.”

“Gold map?”

“Dallas, this nugget came from some place on this map.
And as you so cleverly pointed out earlier—X marks the spot.”

“No way. You really believe we’ve found a genuine map
where there is gold the size of this nugget?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. When this case
is over and behind us … I mean really way behind us … you, the twins and I are
going to check this out.”

“Oh, we are, are we? You might consider asking me if
I’m interested or would even want to be a part of this venture you have in
mind.”

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Well, would you consider doing this with Tina, Tucker
and me?”

“Hell yes. But we’ll have to do a lot of investigating
first.”

“Investigating?”

“You know, check out these towns and the notes on the
map. Things change over the years. These streams shown here, as well as the
Blackfoot River … may have moved and changed in terrain over the past … what …
hundred and twenty or so years.”

“Wow, this is fascinating. I wonder who this cabin
belongs to.”

Dallas leaned into Cooper. “I’m guessing it falls in
Bureau of Land Management or it could be county property. I’m hoping it’s not
privately owned.”

“I’m beat. Let’s zip this nugget in my jacket pocket
and we’ll stuff this map inside your jacket pocket.”

“What about the fleas and spiders you warned me
about?” She couldn’t help smirking.

“Yes, well about them … I hadn’t considered the frozen
ground. I can safely say you shouldn’t have to worry about them.”

“Why do men always have an answer for everything?”

“Would that be considered a sexist comment, the exact
kind of thing you so thoroughly chastised me for earlier today?”

“Fair enough. Let’s call us even, then. I hate to
admit it, but if I don’t get some sleep pretty soon, I’m going to just drop
from exhaustion.” Without a word he lay down and offered his arms up for her to
snuggle into. With her head across his arm, she pressed her back into his chest
and curled her legs into the curve of his. He conveniently, or possibly by
accident, allowed her injured shoulder to rest against him, away from the hard
board wagon. It beat the crap out of the dirt-packed frozen floor. The warmth
and sound of the fire worked its magic and she allowed herself to drift away
from it all.

* * *

Cooper worked the boards loose from the window area.
Did the killer expect us to freeze to death
during the night? Did he think we wouldn’t notice the rigged door in the dark
and we’d blow ourselves up?
Either prospect wasn’t one Cooper cared to
think about. What the killer hadn’t expected was for them to have the means of
light and seeing their predicament. Also the killer wouldn’t have expected them
to build a nice fire that not only kept critters at bay, but kept them from
freezing. After removing the fifth board, Cooper was ready to wake Dallas.

He wanted to let her sleep more, but the early morning
light reminded him they needed to leave and put as many miles away from the
cabin as they could. “Wake up, Wonder Woman. Your escape awaits you.” Her
groggy, where-am-I expression made him smile. “I woke thinking ‘oh shit it’s
not a dream’, too.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself. You wouldn’t
happen to have an egg sandwich and cup of coffee by any chance?”

Cooper couldn’t help laughing. “I’ll get right on
that. In the meantime, I do have an open window that beckons our departure.”

“You’re kidding.” The pain in her shoulder showed in
her face as she sat, then rose from the makeshift bed.

“There’s a road out around front and I figured we’ll
follow it. I mean, it has to lead to civilization somewhere. First sign we find
will help us get our bearings.” He waited for her to move to the open window.

“Not bad for a city boy. If you want to go through first,
I’ll let you help me out second. Please don’t drop me this time.”

“Now wait one minute,” he said moving through the
rough opening and edging to the ground outside. “I didn’t drop you either time.
You need to work on your
grateful
skills
.”

“My
grateful
skills
? Now I think I’ve heard of everything.”

Cooper loved the sound of her laughter. He waited for
her to sit on the sill edge then reached for her waist and pulled her through,
careful of her injured shoulder. She nestled against him and he drew her close.
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “That beats breakfast any morning.”
He set her feet on the ground.

“Can’t say I agree with you there. I’m starving.”

He headed for the road in a fast pace, knowing their
stamina would deteriorate as the day and grueling terrain took its toll. Dallas
followed stride for stride. “You okay? You’re awfully quiet.”

“Let’s see, my shoulder is killing me, it’s colder
than my freezer out here, I’m tired at what … five fricking in the morning, and
I’m hungry. What could possibly not be okay?”