GAME OVER

BY

DONALD WELLS

Also by Donald Wells

Blue Steele

Blue Steele - Bounty Hunter

Blue Steele - Broken

Blue Steele - Vengeance

Blue Steele - That Which Doesn't Kill Me

Blue Steele - On The Hunt

Blue Steele - First Capture

Caliber Detective Agency

Caliber Detective Agency - Generations

Caliber Detective Agency - Temptation

Caliber Detective Agency - A Ransom Paid In Blood

Caliber Detective Agency - Missing

Caliber Detective Agency - Deception

Caliber Detective Agency - Crucible

Parker & Knight

Game Over!

The Reynolds Family Saga

The Many And The One

Sins & Second Chances

Dry Adultery, Wet Ambition

Of Tongue And Pen

All Good Things...

Little White Sins

Everything New Is Old Again

The Light Of Darkness

Standalone

Redemption

Double or Nothing

The Fix-It Man

Watch for more at Donald Wells’s site.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Also By Donald Wells

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About The Author

COPYRIGHT

Further Reading: Thrillogy

About the Author

1

The Bennett Nursing Home, Washington New Jersey, 8:06 p.m.

Becca Conner was in a bad mood.

Tonight was the grand reopening of Taggart’s Bar & Grill and she had to work.

Her friend Ginny had called and told her how different everything looked, and she would know. Ginny had worked her way through nursing school while waitressing at Taggart’s.

Becca sighed.

I’m stuck here with all these zombies when I should be having a good time.

“Zombies” was how Becca thought of the patients, many of whom were comatose, and none of whom were ambulatory.

Becca was stuck working every Friday and Saturday night because she had only been recently hired, and so was handed all the worst shifts. However, the job did pay considerably more than the last one she had and she would be able to save enough to pay for more schooling and get her R.N.

Thump!

The sudden noise frightened Becca. It seemed to come from a room across the hall and two doors down, but the only people in that room were both comatose, and her supervisor, Mrs. Howard, was in her office watching TV, as usual.

Becca called out.

“Mrs. Howard, is that you?”

Thump! Thump! Thump! BAM!

Becca jumped out of her seat and stared at the open doorway leading into the room. It wasn’t so much the noise that frightened her, but the light.

The lights had come on in the room and the lights worked with a motion sensor to save energy. The only time they would come on would be if someone were moving around in there.

Through the open door, she could see Mr. Carroll’s feet and legs beneath the blanket, and they were as still as ever. Mr. Carroll had suffered a massive brain injury two years ago when he attempted suicide by ramming his car into a telephone pole. He hadn’t killed himself, but he might as well have, because although his heart still pumped blood, his brain was virtually dead.

Someone must be breaking in. Becca thought, as she stretched out over the desk, craning her neck while looking to the right in an effort to see farther into the room.

“What’s going on?”

The voice came from Becca’s left and startled her so that she let out a scream.

“Oh God, Mrs. Howard, you scared me to death.”

Mrs. Howard looked at Becca as if she were a simpleton.

“Why are you so skittish tonight?”

Becca pointed at the lit room, and as she did, more noise came from it.

“I think someone is breaking in.” Becca whispered.

Mrs. Howard, a sturdy woman of formidable bulk, began walking towards the door. When she reached it, she eased her head past the doorframe and peeked in with one eye. An instant later, she spun around and called to Becca.

“Call the hospital and have them send an ambulance. One of the patients has awakened from his coma.”

“What? I thought they couldn’t.”

“Just make the call, Becca!”

Mrs. Howard rushed into the room and helped the man, who had been attempting to lower the side rails on his bed. When she saw that his eyes were alert, she spoke to him.

“It’s all right. You suffered a terrible injury but you’ll be all right.”

The man grunted at her and raised a weak hand towards his face.

Mrs. Howard pushed the hand away.

“That’s a feeding tube. A doctor has to remove it, but in the meantime, please don’t touch it, you might injure yourself.”

The man nodded slightly, and then his eyes looked pleading, as he grunted some more, this time forming words.

The words were unintelligible due to the feeding tube and the raspiness of his recently inactive vocal cords, but Mrs. Howard took the tone as questioning.

“You were injured badly, a head injury, that was back in late August, it’s now May.”

The man’s eyes grew large with astonishment at the news.

Becca appeared in the doorway and stared in at them.

“The ambulance is on its way.”

After months in a coma, Nico Umbria was back.

2

Taggart’s was packed with happy couples on the occasion of its grand reopening.

The new owner and operator, Timothy Hearn, had gone to considerable expense in renovating.

The inside of the bar had been gutted and remodeled. The new seating arrangements were designed to accommodate more patrons, yet also left room for a small dance floor near the new bar.

Modern lighting and flat screen televisions gave the place a more contemporary look and even the menu has been upgraded. In addition, the old bandstand in the rear has been renewed and is a huge part of the opening’s success.

Four bands were hired to provide live music, all of them were local, and to Rick Parker’s untrained, but appreciative ear, the bands sounded good.

He was working, as was his girlfriend, Heather Jones. Parker had decided to work overtime when he learned that she had to wait tables. He wasn’t there as a detective tonight, but as just another cop.

He was dressed casually, jeans and a black T-shirt that had the word POLICE written on the back in bright yellow. His gun sat in a holster over his right hip and his badge was displayed on his belt.

Heather, on the other hand, was dressed in far less, as the new waitress costumes were much like the old ones, shorts and a top; however, Hearn’s choice of tops had plunging necklines and revealed a generous portion of cleavage.

Parker saw her and the other waitresses make frequent adjustments after they made any movement that required bending over, such as every time they delivered a meal to a table.

As if she were reading his mind, Heather joined him by the end of the bar and pointed at herself.

“Do I look like a floozy, because I feel like one,”

“I wouldn’t arrest you if I saw you loitering on a street corner, but that outfit does lack modesty.”

“I hate it, we all do, but I have to say, the tips are fantastic.”

“Are you still looking for other work?”

“Yes and no, I could get a job at the diner near my house tomorrow, but I’ll make as much here on the weekend than I would there all week, and medical school is expensive. There’s no way I’m going to let my mom pay for everything.”

Parker looked at her and sighed.

“I understand the finances, but I hate that outfit, and don’t think that I didn’t see that guy pawing at you before.”

“I handled it.”

“I know; I saw that too, it’s why I didn’t butt in.”

Heather leaned closer.

“How would you like to paw me after work?”

“Absolutely, but I thought you were going home?”

“I changed my mind, and besides, half my stuff is at your place anyway.”

A loud noise rose from the crowd clustered by the bar, and Parker looked in that direction.

“It looks like a fight.”

He rushed over and saw two large men in their twenties circling each other; one of them had a bloody nose, while the other man had an eye that was quickly swelling shut.

“Break it up guys and go home before you get into real trouble. I’ll even walk you out.”

The two men turned to face him and he realized two things at the same time. One, the men were brothers, locals who ran a gas station he sometimes stopped at, and two, they were both drunk,

The brother with the busted nose, the taller of the two, raised his fists and yelled.

“You can’t tell us when to go home, who the hell do you think you are?”

His brother forgot about their fight as well, he also turned his wrath on Parker.

“Let’s kick his ass, Billy.”

The man lunged at him and Parker stood still, but as the man grabbed his shirt with both hands, Parker shot a knee up into his gut. The hands left his shirt and the man began retching as he doubled over.

The tall one, the brother named Billy, throw a left hook aimed at Parker’s head. Parker leaned back to let the drunken blow fly past, and then sent a quick right jab to the man’s chin. The man fell to the floor, dazed, and landed beside his brother, who was in the process of throwing up.

Two cops in uniform rushed over, to make their way through the crowd watching the show. When they made it to the scene, they began cuffing the two men.

The cops were a male and a female, Ed and Sierra. They were the newest members of the force, but Parker thought that they both did their jobs well.

Sierra smiled at him as she hauled the much larger Billy to his dazed feet, to cuff him.

“Do you want to make the arrest, Rick?”

“Nope, they’re all yours,”

“We’ll charge them with drunk and disorderly and assault on a police officer,” Ed said.

“Skip the assault charges; I think the D and D will give them the appropriate amount of grief, also, drop them at the station and process them later, and oh yeah, place them in separate cells.”

As Ed and Sierra hauled the brothers away, Heather came over and took Rick’s hand.

“You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“I’m fine, but I’ll be glad when this night is over.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get off so that we could just enjoy it.”

“They’ll be plenty of opportunities, the summer is just beginning, and, I have a surprise for you later.”

Heather grinned. “What surprise?”

“I’ll tell you when we get home, but right now I better make the rounds. We’re a little short-handed until Ed and Sierra get back.”

“I’m taking a break at midnight; meet me at your car?”

“You got it.”

***

When Parker reached the bandstand area, he saw his partner, Joanna Knight, dancing with her boyfriend, Matt Hooper.

She smiled and waved over at Parker as she and Hooper danced to a Latin beat. Parker waved back, before continuing through the crowd and pretending not to see the marijuana being smoked.

He didn’t care about the weed. He had smoked his share while still a kid going to concerts at the old Philly Spectrum, and he hated to be a hypocrite.

At the rear of the crowd sat a new structure that granted its inhabitants not only a great view of the bandstand, but also a view of the lake. Parker thought that it looked like an overgrown lifeguard station.

Taggart’s new owners, Timothy Hearn and his bride, Rachel, were enjoying themselves up there as they looked down on all the little people.

Rachel Hearn, who was also Parker’s ex-wife, watched him as he passed by. She had a smile on her face, and after checking to see that her husband wasn’t looking, she sent Parker a wink.

Parker sighed, looked away from her, and went back to performing his duties.

***

With the night finally over, Parker and Heather returned to his home.

Over the last few months, Heather had been spending as much time there as at her mother’s house, as she and Parker had grown closer.

Heather showered first, and when Parker emerged from the bathroom, he found her lying in bed watching an old movie. He no sooner lay beside her, then she put her arms around his neck and smiled.

“What’s this surprise you were talking about?”

Parker reached inside his pillowcase, and pulled out plane tickets.

Heather’s mouth dropped open.

“The Bahamas?”

“Yes, have you ever been?”

“No, oh, but Rick you know I don’t have much free time.”

“I know, but look at the tickets, they’re for next month, and you will have a few days free then.”

Heather kissed him.

“Oh thank you for this baby, but there’s a chance I won’t be able to go.”

“Why? You won’t have school then,”

“No, but remember that I applied for that research project? If I’m chosen as an assistant than I’ll be too busy to get away.”

Parker hung his head.

“I’d forgotten about that, but maybe the start date will be pushed back again.”

“Or maybe I won’t be chosen to participate. I’ve made it past the first two rounds of applications, but there are still twelve of us hoping for three positions.”

“You’ll get it, and when you do, we’ll hold off on the trip. I know how important this is to you.”

“Important? Oh my God, it would be like a dream come true. Not only would I gain experience, but the position comes with paid tuition.”

“Great, then you can quit Taggart’s.”

Heather made a face.

“You hate it that I work there, don’t you?”

“A little, I mean you’re working for Tim Hearn and my ex-wife. Those are the last people I want you working for.”

“I know, but I really need the money.”

“I could help out.”

“I’m not taking your money, besides, you’re a cop; I know they don’t pay you a fortune.”

“That’s for sure, but the offer stands, and I still have a little money saved.”

Heather grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

“Enough talk,”

Parker lifted the cover and looked beneath it at the silk nightie Heather was wearing.

He then sighed while giving her a look of disappointment.

“What’s that sigh for?”

“I was hoping you’d wear your uniform to bed.”

Heather laughed.

“Oh, do you fantasize about that?”

“Actually, all my fantasies involve you being naked.”

Heather slipped out of the nightie.

“Well then, you’re in luck,”

3

Two weeks later, Taggart’s was still bustling with activity when Heather walked in to begin her shift.

The bartender called her over to talk.

“Hi Jerry, what’s up?”

“The boss lady wants to see you; she’s back in the office.”

“Mrs. Hearn? Did she say why?”

“Nope, she just told me to send you back there.”

“All right, thanks,”

She entered the kitchen and was greeted by several people, most of whom she had worked with for years.

Heather walked toward the office with a growing feeling of dread. She knew that Rachel didn’t like her, and that despite her recent marriage, she still had a thing for Parker. There was also a rumor floating around that Rachel wanted to fire her, but that Timothy Hearn wouldn’t let her.

Heather didn’t know if that was true, but as she knocked on the office door, she began to wonder if she were about to be let go.

“Come in.”

Heather stepped inside and found Rachel sitting on the right at a large desk, while on the left was a long sofa and a coffee table.

During the renovation, Patrick Taggart’s old office was converted into a pantry while a new addition was built on to add a proper office. The space wasn’t very big, but it did contain enough room for a small bathroom and a tiny kitchen set-up. It also had a separate entrance so that the Hearns didn’t have to maneuver their way through the kitchen to enter it.

As Heather walked closer to the desk, she noticed the room had a clean smell to it, an odor of newness, of beginnings. How ironic, Heather thought, when she figured her time at Taggart’s was about to come to an end.

“You wanted to see me Mrs. Hearn?”

Rachel stared up at her, and then smiled.

“Hello Heather, how are you?”

“I’m good, and you?”

Rachel sent her a smile with a bit of mirth in it and Heather’s heart sank. Not only was she about to be fired, but the woman was going to enjoy doing it.

“I am doing very well, thank you, but it’s come to my attention that you’re not happy here.”

“What do you mean?”

Rachel rose from behind the desk and Heather noticed that she was wearing a polo shirt that had the name Taggart’s embroidered on one side. The shirt was tight and along with the designer jeans she was wearing, Heather could tell that Rachel had a very good figure.

Rachel stood before her, looking up slightly, as Heather stood a few inches taller. That’s when Heather spotted the barrettes in Rachel’s blond hair. She wore a large, silver, horseshoe-shaped barrette on each side, and they sparkled under the ceiling lights.

“I understand that you and the other waitresses are unhappy with the new uniforms?”

“Oh, well, yes,” Heather looked down at herself. “They are a bit... immodest?”

Rachel smiled.

“Actually, I would say that it makes you look like a slut.”

Heather saw the glee in Rachel’s eyes as the last word left her mouth, but she kept silent, wondering what was coming next.

Rachel pointed to herself.

“The shirt I have on will be the new uniform top. I expect they’ll be delivered sometime this week.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely, we’ll also begin selling them at the bar. As I explained to my husband, the name Taggart’s means something around here, and I intend to market it fully.”

“These new shirts will be for everyone, even the waitresses?” Heather asked.

“Yes, does that please you?”

“Yes, and thank you,”

Rachel smiled, as if at a private joke.

“It’s the least I can do.”

“What do you mean?”

Rachel waved the question away.

“Nevermind, and please pass the word along to the other waitresses.”

“I will, is there anything else?”

“No, oh, but you are working until closing, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good, now please start your shift,” Rachel said, and again Heather saw the private smile.

As she opened the door to leave the office, Tim Hearn appeared, his eyes went directly to Heather’s cleavage.

“Oh, how I am going to miss these uniforms.”

“Hello Mr. Hearn,”

“Heather, please, call me Tim,”

“All right, but if you’ll excuse me I have to begin work.”

“Right, I’ll see you around,”

Heather squeezed past Hearn and went to her locker, where she grabbed an order book and her work apron. As she walked out into the bar and began taking orders from a table of six, she remembered Rachel’s wry little smile, and for some reason, it gnawed at her.

***

Hearn shut the door and sighed.

“I cannot believe that girl is wasting herself on that loser ex-husband of yours.”

“Oh don’t worry, that will be ending soon,”

“How do you know?”

Rachel smiled.

“Because I have a plan, and when I’m through she’ll want nothing to do with him.”

Hearn studied her for a moment.

“Why are you trying to break them up? You still want him don’t you?”

“We’ve been married for less than a year and I know that you’ve already strayed several times, so don’t preach to me. We both know that we’re not good at monogamy.”

“Parker may sleep with you, but he’ll never take you back.”

“I know that, and I’m very happy being your wife, I just can’t stand seeing him with that girl.”

Hearn walked over and sat on the edge of the desk.

“This plan of yours will really break them up?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me help you with it,”

“Why?”

“Well, the poor girl will need someone to console her, won’t she?”

“Yes she will, and if it’s you, Rick will be less inclined to ever take her back, so yes, you can help.”

“So, when does this plan of yours begin?”

Rachel stood and placed her arms around Hearn’s neck.

“I’ve already planted the first seed.”

***

Nico ran a hand through his hair as he looked at himself in the mirror. The man that looked back was barely recognizable.

His long silken hair was dull and half its normal length, having only eight months to grow back after the operation to remove the .32 slug that had penetrated his skull. He was skinnier than he’d been in years and looked as if he aged a decade, but at least he was alive.

He had no memory of the shooting, and couldn’t believe that he had nearly been turned into worm food by a ninety-nine-year-old man. He scowled, while thinking that if the old bastard hadn’t died of a heart attack that he would have killed him.

A lot had changed during the eight months he was in the coma. One of his girlfriends had moved away, taking his daughter with her, and he had no idea where she had gone. The mother of his other daughter had taken up with the man who owned the bodega in her neighborhood, a huge man who was an ex-wrestler. She was six months pregnant with the man’s child and said he treated her better than Nico ever had.

Learning of the death of his son’s mother shook him. Of the three women he had impregnated, she was the only one he ever had feelings for. She had overdosed on heroin, and his son was now in foster care.

It seemed to Nico as if the whole world had changed while he slept. Dos, the leader of a gang called Muerte Soldados or Death Soldiers, had been murdered by a rival gang, and the Muerte Soldados were no more, as their territory had been swallowed up.

Nico had grown up in that gang and the loss of it hurt deeply. It had been the closet thing he had to a family.

He limped back over to the chair in his cheap motel room, his left side noticeably weaker than his right. While in the hospital, he had heard the nurses talking about the re-opening of Taggart’s, and Timothy Hearn didn’t know it yet, but he was soon getting a new partner.

He picked up a five-pound dumbbell and began strengthening his left arm. Five pounds was pathetic, but even it was a strain. The bullet to the right side of his brain had rendered the left side of his body nearly unresponsive, and the months in bed had withered the rest of him.

They had given him a cane at the hospital, but Nico hated it, and preferred to walk with a limp, even though it left him looking more infirmed than the cane would have.

Someone knocked on the door. He placed the dumbbell out of sight at the side of the chair and looked through the peephole.

When he remembered who it was he was looking at, he smiled.

They never forget.

He opened the door and stared at the woman. She was good-looking, black, but her skin was so light that at their first meeting Nico had thought she was Hispanic. He knew who she was, but gazed at her in confusion anyway. The doctors must have told her that his memory was still foggy from his injury, and so he acted as if he couldn’t place her.

“Who are you?”

“Mr. Umbria, my name is Detective Knight; do you remember me, sir?”

Nico shook his head.

“I remember a big guy with dark hair, but I don’t remember his name.”

“His name was Detective Parker, he’s my partner. May I come in, sir?”

Nico let her in and waited, normally he liked sparring with cops, but he really was not himself and didn’t trust what he might say.

“We questioned you in connection with the murder of Charles Woolley.”

“Woolley?”

“Yes sir,”

Nico shrugged. The doctors told him that he could expect not to remember much of his recent past, and Woolley was a good part of his past to forget.

“I don’t remember him, but I really don’t remember much of anything that happened around the time I was injured.”

“I see.” Knight said, and Nico could tell that she was suspicious.

Nico lay on the bed and rested his head against the pillow.

“I need to sleep; can we talk some other time?”

Knight smiled at him.

“Oh we definitely will, get better Mr. Umbria,”

Nico watched her go, liking her rear nearly as much as her front. He closed his eyes and mumbled.

“Oh, I’ll get better, count on it, cop,”

***

Rachel walked over to the bar as Heather was picking up a drink order, and Heather saw that she was fiddling with one of the silver barrettes in her hair.

“Jerry, I’m going out for a while, and I may not be back before closing,”

“Yes ma’am, we’ll handle things,”

Rachel turned to stare at Heather, a smile playing on her lips.

Heather looked back at her. “Can I help you, Mrs. Hearn?”

“No.”

“All right... um, Jerry I need a Sea Breeze and a Kamikaze.”

“Coming up,”

Rachel took out her cell phone and paused by the door. When Heather finished delivering her drink order to the table, she saw that Rachel was still watching her, but now she also seemed to be discussing her with whoever was on the other end of the phone, and finding it all amusing as she laughed in a giggle. Just as Heather disappeared into the kitchen to pick up an order, she heard Rachel utter the words, “...absolutely clueless....”

When she came back out to the bar with her order, she saw that Rachel was gone, but she thought about what had just happened long after she left.

4

For the second time that day, Heather found herself called to the office; however, this time the request came from Mr. Hearn.

After knocking and being told to enter, Hearn walked over and shut the door.

“Hello Heather,”

“Mr. Hearn,”

“Why don’t we sit on the sofa and talk?”

Hearn sat down and Heather took a seat on his right. He was staring at her chest, as he always did, and she could smell a strong scent of liquor on his breath.

“You wanted to see me?”

Hearn smiled. “Who wouldn’t, you’re very beautiful,”

“Um, Mr. Hearn, I probably should be getting back out to the bar.”

“My wife went out earlier; do you know where she went?”

“No sir.”

“I do, and it’s not the first time she’s gone there.”

“Gone where?”

“Your boyfriend’s house,”

Heather shook her head.

“Rick isn’t sleeping with your wife.”

Hearn took a long swallow from a glass containing amber fluid; he then looked at Heather and shrugged.

“Maybe they just watch TV, but I doubt it.”

“I just spoke to Rick. He was alone.”

He reached into a side pocket and pulled out a money clip. After peeling off a hundred-dollar bill, he laid it atop her thigh.

“What will that buy me?”

Heather blinked rapidly. “Excuse me?”

Hearn laughed.

“You’ve got me wrong; I never pay for it. I was just attempting to compensate you for the money you’ll lose in tips by going home early.”

“You want me to leave early?”

“Go see for yourself, I’m sure she’s still there.”

Heather tossed the money on the coffee table.

“I should be getting back to work.”

“Suit yourself, but your eyes will be opened someday,”

Heather left the office and walked through the busy kitchen. When she reached the bar area, she told Jerry that she was taking a bathroom break, and then headed into the restroom, where she sat in a stall. She took out her phone to call Parker, but then put it away. They had spoken right before she’d been called to the office and she knew that he was home by himself.

As she sat there, she remembered Rachel’s sly little smile, and doubt began to creep into her mind.

***

Parker opened his front door and found Rachel standing there.

He had been in his basement workshop in the middle of a project when he saw the lights flicker. He had the basement lights connected to the doorbell in such a way that caused them to flicker whenever a visitor rang the doorbell.

Rachel reached over and brushed sawdust from his T-shirt.

“Hi Rick,”

“Rachel, is everything all right at the bar?”

“There’s no trouble, not yet, but that is why I’ve come to talk to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can I come in?”

Parker stepped aside and let her in. Rachel looked around and noticed the changes. She pointed at the floor.

“That’s a nice rug, did Heather pick that out?”

“Yes she did,”

She walked into the living room.

“You’ve painted, and such a feminine color, I take it that is also a change made by Heather?”

“What do you want, Rachel?”

“A drink of water would be nice for starters, and then we’ll talk.”

Parker sighed as he headed toward the kitchen.

“I’ll be right back.”

When he had disappeared from sight, Rachel reached into her purse and took out a pair of red, silk panties. She tucked them and one of her silver barrettes on the side of a sofa cushion, the left side, because she knew that Parker habitually sat on the right.

When Parker reentered the room, she was at the mantle, staring at a picture of him with Heather.

“Here’s your water, now why are you here?”

“I’m worried. Your partner called earlier and asked us about Nico Umbria, until she called, Tim and I thought he was still in a coma.”

“Why would you be worried about Nico Umbria? As I recall, he and your husband were friends, the type of friends that alibi each other.”

“Don’t be cruel, Rick, I’m really worried, what if Nico blames Tim for what happened to him?”

“If Nico threatens you or Hearn then call Jo, my partner is working that case, not me.”

Rachel moved closer.

“Don’t you care what happens to me? You know I still care about you.”

“Of course I don’t want to see you get hurt, but there’s no point in getting upset now, from what my partner told me on the phone, Nico Umbria is still recovering from the shooting.”

Rachel touched his cheek.

“Do you ever miss me, just a little?”

“Stop! Nothing is going to happen. You know I’m not the type to cheat and you have a husband at home waiting for you.”

“How do you know that?”

“How do I know what?”

“That you’re not the type to cheat. Are you telling me that if young Heather had come on to you while we were married, that you wouldn’t have bedded her?”

Parker considered the question seriously.

“I would have resisted the temptation. Other women approached me when we were married, and I always came home to you. I only wish you had taken our vows as seriously as I did.”

“That’s bullshit. I see the way you look at that girl. You have a thing for her that’s more than sex. What is it about her, Rick; does she make you feel young again?”

“You wouldn’t understand,”

Rachel pressed herself against him as her hand went to his crotch.

“Take me upstairs and I’ll make you feel like a teenager.”

He pushed her away and then stared at her.

“What is your problem? Does it bother you that much that I’m happier without you than I was with you?”

“That’s a lie!”

“No Rachel, it’s not a lie, and I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m sick of these little attempts of yours to drag me down to your level. If I did cheat on Heather with you, it wouldn’t make what you did all right, it would only make me wrong. Now, why don’t you go home, hmm?”

Rachel looked him up and down as her eyes narrowed in rage.

“You and that ginger bitch won’t last, you know that.”

“I pray you’re wrong, now c’mon, let me walk you to the door.”

“I know where the damn door is, Rick. I lived here for years, remember?”

She stormed out, and Parker watched her go, while thinking once again that Heather needed to find a new job.

5

Heather stepped out of her car and looked around for Rachel’s red Mercedes.

When she didn’t see it, she felt relieved, but also felt foolish for looking for it, but then, she felt foolish for even being at Parker’s house in the first place.

It was after two a.m. and she had just gotten off work at the bar. She should be parking in her own driveway, but instead she let Hearn’s words eat at her until she began to doubt what she knew to be true, that Rick Parker loved her, and that he would never betray her.

Not only should she be home, but she should also be calling Parker to let him know that she had gotten home safely. It was a habit he insisted on, no matter how late she worked or how early he had to rise the next day.

Would a man be so concerned about her and yet toss away everything they had for casual sex?

No.

But, what if it wasn’t casual? He had loved Rachel enough to marry her, had married her and built a life with her. Maybe a part of him found her irresistible. Maybe he wanted her back.

She drove home. Once she entered the house, she went to the kitchen, sat at the table, and called Parker. He answered on the third ring with a sleep-filled voice.

“Heather?”

“It’s me, I’m home safe,”

“Great,”

“Rick?”

She heard a yawn, and then the word, “Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She said nothing after that and so Parker spoke.

“Heather, are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, I guess I’m tired.”

“Me too, and I didn’t get to bed until after midnight.”

“What were you doing?”

“Woodworking in the basement, I’m making that vanity table you wanted.”

“Oh good, but were you really working all night?”

“Yeah, and I got a lot done too, I should have it finished by next week.”

“I see.”

“Oh yeah, Rachel stopped by. It seems she and Hearn found out that Nico Umbria came out of his coma.”

“That doesn’t explain why she was there.”

“She... nevermind, it doesn’t matter,”

“Does she come by a lot?”

“No, and I doubt she’ll be back.”

“Um hmm,”

“Is everything all right? You sound funny,”

“No, everything is good, now go back to sleep,”

“Okay, but give me a call tomorrow when you wake up,”

“I will, good night,”

“Good night,”

Heather hung up the phone and then sat there thinking for over an hour.

***

A few days later, Parker and Knight were called out in the afternoon to handle a missing persons call.

The person in question was a sixteen-year-old boy named Kevin Fidler. Kevin had Down’s syndrome and had wandered away from his mother in a supermarket,

The two rookies, Ed and Sierra responded to the call along with their respective partners, and Ed and the other cops searched the large supermarket for the boy as Sierra stayed with the distraught mother. Parker managed to calm the woman, and asked her to talk about her son.

“Hobbies and interests?” She said, in response to a question. “Well, Kevin really likes airplanes, and can name every one ever made. My husband and I gave him a ride in a biplane as a gift for his last birthday and he was happier than I’d ever seen him.”

Parker assured the woman that they would find her son and then he and Jo went off to join the search.

Jo spoke to Parker as he headed for the exit.

“You don’t really think he’s walking to the airfield, do you?”

“No, it’s much too far, but I did notice something as we drove in. The hobby store across the parking lot has a big model airplane display in its window. If I noticed it, maybe Kevin did too.”

Parker’s hunch was right, and he had Sierra bring the mother to the shop. It turned out that Kevin and the shop owner, an elderly man named Mr. Benchley, were getting along like old chums, as Kevin’s knowledge of airplanes fascinated the man.

After scolding him for walking off without telling her, Kevin’s mom tousled his hair.

“I should have known you were here as much as you love model airplanes.”

Mr. Benchley smiled.

“He told me that he can put them together fast, is that true?”

“Oh God yes, you should see his room, it looks like a miniature aviation museum, and before that he was into model cars.”

“You know Mrs. Fidler, I could use a boy like Kevin in the shop. My grandson used to put the display models together and keep things tidy, but he’s got a fulltime job now and can’t do it anymore, so what do you think?”

Kevin’s mom looked surprised by the idea.

“A job?”

“I could do it, Mom,” Kevin said, “You know I can put models together fast.”

“When and for how long would he be here?”

“Oh, let’s say three days a week, four, maybe five hours each, but the work hours are flexible, and I pay a little more than minimum wage.”

“All right, I’ll have to talk to my husband... but yes, that could be good for Kevin.”

***

Jo and Parker drove back to the station and caught up on paperwork to finish their shift. As they walked out together to go home, they talked about their day.

“That last call was probably the best we’ve had yet, and I was afraid it might turn out bad.” Jo said.

“Missing kids are always scary calls to get; it was nice to see a happy ending.”

Jo received a text, and then sent one back.

“That was Matt; we’re going out to dinner tonight with friends.”

“Anyone I know?”

“No, they’re a couple he went to college with,”

“Oh yeah, I think you’ve mentioned them before.”

“Matt and I are moving in together.”

“Really? I guess things are good then.”

“They’re excellent, and what about you and Heather?”

Parker gave Jo a funny look.

“I’ve something to show you; come sit in my car with me.”

Jo smiled.

“The last time a guy said that to me, he began unzipping his pants.”

Parker laughed as he climbed in.

“My pants are staying on, but take a look inside the glove compartment.”

Jo opened the compartment and saw a small, red velvet box. She took it out, opened it up, and gasped.

“Oh my God, are you going to ask Heather to marry you?”

“Yeah, I love her to death, Jo, and it kills me every time she leaves me to go home. I don’t want to live without her.”

“This is why you’ve been working so much overtime these last few months, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, my savings account is running on fumes, but I should have the mortgage paid off next year.”

“When are you planning to ask her?”

“Tonight, she’s making dinner for us at my house. I had planned to ask her when we went to the Bahamas, but it looks like that trip will be postponed.”

“That’s okay; you can go there on your honeymoon,”

“Do you think she’ll say yes?”

“Rick, that girl is crazy about you; I’d be shocked if she said no.”

“I am so nervous.”

“Don’t be, it’ll be fine,”

Parker put the ring back.

“So, who’s giving up their apartment, you or Matt?”

“Matt’s moving in with me, my apartment is bigger and it’s closer to his job.”

“I’m happy for you, Jo.”

“Likewise, and I can’t wait to see that ring on Heather’s finger.”

***

Parker arrived home that night and saw Heather’s car parked in front.

After putting the ring in his pocket, he entered the house. He had expected to smell food cooking and to hear the TV or stereo playing, but instead the house was quiet, he found Heather sitting on the sofa with her arms folded and her eyes red.

“Heather, honey what’s wrong?”

In answer, she pointed to the coffee table, and when Parker gazed down at it, he saw a pair of red panties and a distinctive horseshoe-shaped barrette that he recognized as belonging to Rachel.

When he looked back at Heather, he saw that she was crying.

6

Timothy Hearn glanced over at Rachel when the knock came on the office door, the one that opened onto the rear parking lot.

“Are you expecting anyone?”

“No,” she said.

When Hearn got up from the desk and opened the door, he found Nico staring at him.

“What are you doing here?”

Nico smiled.

“It’s good to see you too... partner.”

Nico walked in, his limp obvious, and sat on the sofa beside Rachel.

“You’re Timmy’s new wife, right?”

“Yes.”

Nico looked her over.

“He’s got good taste, very good taste, and I don’t know if you know it or not, but Timmy and I are partners, so expect to see more of me.”

She looked at him and then at Hearn.

“What’s going on, Tim?”

Hearn grabbed an office chair and slid it over so that he could sit and face Nico.

“I’m sorry about what that crazy old man did to you, and I’ll give you some money to get you on your feet, but things have changed. My lawyer told me if you were to claim to have no memory of what happened, that the cops would have a tough time building a case against you for Charles Woolley’s death.”

“But I do remember, and since you’re talking in front of her, I take it that your wife knows things too?”

“She had to get involved. I was actually with her the night that Woolley died.”

“Ah, so that means that I have both of you for an alibi.”

“I’ll give you ten thousand dollars,” Hearn said.

Nico laughed.

“Ten grand? Hell, this place must do that much a night, but I’m not greedy, so how about you pay me two grand a week, cash, so that I’ll leave you alone.”

“Two thousand a week? Nico, that’s crazy, no, I’ll give you the ten grand and then we’re through.”

Nico sighed dramatically as he shook his head.

“Timmy, Timmy, Timmy, have you learned nothing from the past? I drove the customers away before and I can do it again, or maybe something will happen to the little wife here.”

Anger flashed on Hearn’s face, but he kept his temper in check and spoke calmly to Nico.

“Don’t threaten her, and don’t threaten me, it’s stupid, Nico. We’re in the clear for a homicide investigation; the last thing we need is the police sniffing around. We’ll work out the money, okay?”

“It’s already worked out. Two grand a week for life, and I expect the first payment tomorrow.”

“That’s how you’re going to play this?”

“Why not? What’s a punk ass like you gonna do?”

Hearn shot out of his seat so fast that Rachel jumped. He grabbed Nico by the collar, lifted him off the sofa, and then punched him in the stomach, twice.

Nico fell to his knees as he tried to catch his breath, and Hearn punched him on the side of the head, sending him to the floor, where he lay on his back between the coffee table and the sofa. He was gasping for air.

Rachel brought her feet up to sofa, with her arms wrapped around her legs, in an effort to stay clear of Nico.

Hearn leaned over and laughed at him.

“Look at you, you’re a shadow of what you were, I knew that when you came limping in here like an invalid. Now listen to me, if I ever see you again, I will hire two punks just like you to beat you back into a coma, you got me?”

Nico nodded, he was still on his back, but his breathing was better. On the sofa, Rachel took in the scene with a look of terror in her eyes.

It took Nico nearly a minute to rise to his feet, and he had to use the coffee table to do it. He went hobbling back out the way he came in, but as he was closing the door, his eyes met Rachel’s, and she felt a chill pass through her.

Hearn spat at the door.

“That’s how you handle punks.”

“Tim,”

“What?”

Rachel shivered again as she remembered Nico’s eyes.

“I think you just made a big mistake.”

***

Parker picked up the items from the coffee table.

“I recognize this hair pin, or whatever you call it. Rachel bought two of these years ago while we were vacationing in Mexico, and I guess these panties are hers too?”

Heather wiped at tears, even as new ones took their place.

“Are you sleeping with her?”

Parker dumped the items back onto the table and then sat on the edge of it, so that he was facing her.

“I am not sleeping with her. She must have planted these things the last time she was here.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know. It’s like she’s determined to bring me down to her level, and she also can’t stand how happy I am with you.”

Heather stared at him.

“Timothy Hearn told me that you were sleeping with Rachel, but I didn’t believe it.”

“When did he tell you that?”

“A few days ago, and you did tell me that she was here that night. Did something happen, a, a moment of weakness?”

“No! Heather, I am not sleeping with anyone but you. I love you.”

She pointed at the table.

“Then why are those here?”

Parker took her hands in his and stared into her eyes.

“I love you and would never do anything to risk what we have, do you believe me?”

Heather stared back at him, then down at the table, before staring searchingly into his eyes once more.

She left the house minutes later, and headed off to find Rachel.

***

Hearn had left the bar after his encounter with Nico, but Rachel stayed in the office.

She was nervously pacing back and forth when Heather barged in from the kitchen entrance and tossed the barrette and panties at her.

They fell to the floor, and Rachel sent Heather a smile.

“Well, now you know,”

“He still says nothing happened, but I’m not a fool.”

“That’s debatable,”

“How long has it been going on?”

Rachel looked into Heather’s red eyes and smiled.

“It never ended. Rick and I can’t seem to live together, but we also can’t keep our hands off each other.”

“I loved him.”

“So, I loved him first.”

Tires screeched to a stop outside, followed by a horn blaring. Rachel looked out the window and saw Parker sitting in his Mustang. A moment later and he yelled for her.

“Rachel! Rachel get out here,”

She let the curtain drop back in place and turned to look at Heather.

“He’s mad at me now, but soon we’ll be having make-up sex.”

Heather’s face screwed up in pain.

“The hell with both of you!”

Rachel watched her run back out into the kitchen as Parker blew his horn again.

With a smile on her face, Rachel went out to see him.

“Hello Rick, what’s the matter, did you miss me?”

Parker jumped out of his car and grabbed her by the arm. He then looked around and realized that a couple returning to their vehicle were watching them.

“Let’s get inside so we can talk.”

Rachel went in first. She then lay back on the sofa, and as she did so, her skirt slid higher.

Parker spotted the barrette and panties.

“Heather was here?”

“She just left, and oh, she said to tell you to go to hell.”

Parker sat on the edge of the desk and sighed.

“Why did you plant those things at my house?”

“I was hoping they would have the desired effect, and did they ever,”

“Do you hate me, Rachel, is that it?”

The smirk left Rachel’s face and she went to him.

“I love you, Rick, and I know better than to promise that I’ll be faithful, but isn’t some of me better than none of me?”

“We ended a long time ago, and I love Heather now.”

“Don’t say that, and besides, she’ll never trust you again. She’s as self-righteous as you are.”

“She said that Hearn thinks we’re sleeping together, was he helping you to set me up?”

“He wants Heather, I want you, so we made a deal.”

“That’s some marriage you got there,”

Rachel began unbuttoning his shirt.

“Enough talk, let’s go over to the sofa and I’ll make you forget all about young Heather.”

“Get your hands off him before I shove those panties down your throat!”

Rachel spun around at those words and saw Heather walking out of the bathroom.

“But you, you left... I saw you.”

Heather walked past her and fell into Parker’s arms.

“What’s the matter, you don’t like being tricked?”

Rachel stared at Parker and then at Heather, who was looking back at her with sad eyes.

Heather shook her head.

“I can’t even be mad at you for what you did. I just think the whole thing is pathetic.”

“Don’t pity me you red-headed bitch, and you can kiss your job goodbye.”

Heather laughed.

“As if I’d keep working here, c’mon, Rick, let’s go home.”

They headed out the back door and Rachel called to Parker.

“I still love you, Rick,”

Parker said nothing, but just closed the door on her words.

At the car, he and Heather kissed.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“I should have never doubted you, even for an instant, but she nearly fooled me.”

Parker held up her left hand and stared at the engagement ring.

“Were you wearing this the whole time?”

“Yes, and she never noticed it.”

“Would you like to go tell your mother that we’re engaged?”

“Later, right now I just want to be alone with you.”

“I love you, Heather,”

She grinned.

“I believe you.”

7

Nico stumbled back into his motel room, his head pounding, his stomach afire.

He fell back onto the bed with a loud exhalation and gazed up at the ceiling, as his mind replayed the events of the last hour.

Timothy Hearn, a preppy piece of shit like Timothy Hearn, had not only disrespected him, but had kicked his ass in the bargain, and had done it in front of a woman.

There was only one way to pay back such behavior, but Nico knew that if he went after Hearn that the outcome would be the same. The coma had left him too weakened to compete physically in a fight, but then, who said it had to be a fair fight?

Nico lay in the dark plotting revenge, and as the plan formed in his mind, the thought of the anguish he would inflict on Timothy Hearn seemed to ease his own pain, and he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

***

The next day was a Saturday, and after sleeping late, Parker and Heather went to her house to tell her mother the good news.

Lyla Jones hugged her daughter, and looked over at Parker.

“You’ve known each other less than a year, you don’t waste time, do you, Rick?”

“I know a good thing when I see it.”

She opened her arms.

“Come here, you’re part of the family now.”

Parker hugged her and was surprised to see a genuine smile on her face when they parted. He had always suspected that Heather’s mother didn’t like him much, but news of their engagement seemed to sway her opinion the other way. Perhaps she only needed proof of Parker’s affection for her daughter before she would give her own.

As they ate lunch in the dining room, Heather’s mom gave them some news.

“You’re selling the house?” Heather said in surprise.

“Yes, you practically live with Rick now, and once you move out after the wedding, I’ll really have no need for a house this size.”

“Wow, it will be weird not to have the house to come to. I mean I grew up here, but I see your point.” Heather said.

“Your Aunt Jenny’s house is bigger than this, and with her kids gone and Uncle Bill passed on she’s been pretty lonely, and she asked me a few weeks ago if we’d like to move in with her. Now that you’re getting married, I just might take her up on that.”

“That sounds great, Mom, you and Aunt Jenny always were close, and that way you’ll be able to look out for each other.”

“What about that research project, have you heard from them yet?”

“Not yet, but the decision should come in the mail any day now. Oh, if I wasn’t so happy about my engagement I’d be a nervous wreck.”

“Don’t you have to work, or have you taken the day off?” Lyla Jones asked.

“I quit last night.”

“Why?”

Heather told her mother about Rachel’s scheme, and Lyla gave Parker a worried look.

“Just how crazy is this ex-wife of yours?”

“She’s not violent, and in time I’m sure she’ll move on, but I don’t want to talk about her, I just want to concentrate on Heather and our future.”

“A future that includes her becoming a doctor, correct?”

“Absolutely, I have no intention of derailing her goals; I also plan to take up the slack of her lost job so that she’ll have more time to study.”

Heather gave him a surprised look.

“I can find another job, Rick, the finances don’t have to fall on your shoulders alone.”

“I know medical school can be grueling, and once you intern you’ll start earning a salary again, but until then, I’ll cover our expenses so that you can concentrate on your studies.”

“All right, but hopefully I’ll get this position with the research project and have my tuition paid for by them. That will be a tremendous help.”

They stayed a while longer, talking and laughing, but then decided to go see a movie. They invited her mother to join them, but she declined.

After climbing into the car, Heather gave Parker a long kiss.

“What was that for?”

Heather ran a hand along his thigh.

“I don’t really feel like a movie, do you?”

Parker smiled. “No, let’s go home.”

“You know, I still have that slutty Taggart’s uniform,”

“Ooh la la,” Parker said, and Heather giggled.

***

Rachel left Taggart’s just after midnight. She locked the office door, but as she turned to walk down the stairs, she saw Nico leaning against her car. She jumped in fright, and found herself frozen in place.

“I’ve come for my money,” Nico said.

“The ten-thousand?” Rachel said, in a voice that was not much more than a whisper.

“Two thousand, two thousand a week, every week,”

“Tim won’t pay you,” Rachel said loudly, as her nerve came back,

“He’ll pay, one way or another, he’ll pay,”

Rachel searched the contents of her purse and took out a small canister of pepper spray.

“Don’t come near me,”

Nico’s eyes roamed over her.

“You are hot, Blondie; I think you and I could have a good time.”

“Go away or I’ll call the police.”

“We’re just talking, for now, just talking,”

Nico was still leaning against the car, and he looked so thin and weak that Rachel figured that even she good take him in a fight, but... she didn’t like those eyes. Nico’s eyes were full of malice, malice and determination.

“If I make Tim give you more, maybe twenty thousand, would you leave us alone then?”

“Two thousand, two thousand a week, every week,” Nico said, as if the words were a mantra.

Rachel opened her mouth to reply when Nico began shuffling away with that old man limp he now possessed. She watched him until he climbed into a rusted Chevy and drove off.

She went down the stairs, unlocked her car, and then froze. Lying on the driver’s seat was her wedding picture in its antique, silver frame. She and Hearn kept that picture on the mantle over their fireplace. Nico had been in their home.

Rachel tossed the picture onto the passenger seat and got in the car. After locking it, she took out her phone and called her husband to let him know that Nico was not backing down.

***

On Sunday, Parker and Heather met Jo and Matt for lunch, and Matt filled them in on the emergency call he had made that morning to Timothy Hearn’s home.

“Didn’t he have an alarm system already?” Parker asked.

“Yeah, but it was just basic and he and his wife admitted that they don’t always set it, they didn’t say so, but I got the impression that something scared them, and that maybe someone broke in.” Matt said; he was white, mid-thirties, with curly brown hair and emerald eyes.

“I checked and they didn’t file a report.” Jo said.

Parker leaned back, looking thoughtful,

“When she came to see me to plant those items, she also told me that she was worried about Nico Umbria, I wonder now if that was actually the truth. Maybe Hearn and Nico have had a falling out.”

“I upgraded their home system by adding more motion detectors, and I also installed deadbolts and window guards. I definitely think they’re concerned about something.” Matt said. “I’m also scheduled to add some upgrades to Taggart’s security.”

“Jo,” Parker said. “Would you mind talking to Nico again? I would do it, but the chief wants me to stay away from anything connected with Hearn. I even had to talk him into letting me work at Taggart’s on the night of the reopening.”

“I’ll go by his motel on my way to work tomorrow. Anyway, I want Nico to know that I haven’t forgotten him.”

“Thanks,”

Jo smiled as she reached over and took Heather’s hand.

“Look at that ring, and I hope you know you’ve made my partner a very happy man.”

“We make each other happy.”

“So, when’s the wedding?” Matt said.

“We’re not sure yet,” Parker said, “We have to plan it around Heather’s schedule, but once she gets a spot on the research project, we’ll be able to set a date.”

“You mean if I get a spot; it’s not a sure thing.”

Jo shook her head.

“Your student loans must be the size of Texas,”

“Don’t remind me, it’ll take me years to pay them off.”

Parker kissed Heather.

“We’ll pay them off, as soon as I finish with the mortgage next year, I’ll just aim that money at the student loans.”

Heather sighed. “I’m bringing so much debt to the marriage; it’s really not fair to you.”

“You have to put up with my crazy ex. I think we’re even.”

***

True to her word, Jo showed up at Nico’s motel room the next day. She parked in front of an empty unit so that he wouldn’t be alerted. She didn’t realize that the beat-up Chevy she parked next to belonged to Nico. He bought it at a gas station for eight hundred dollars cash, but since he didn’t have a driver’s license or insurance, he parked the car away from his door and mostly drove it at night.

Jo fastened her jacket, although it was late May, the night had grown chilly, and the temperature was in the fifties.

Nico answered her knocking and squinted at the bright daylight.

“I’m beginning to think you like me, Detective,”

“I do. I like you for the murder of Charles Woolley.”

Nico feigned shocked.

“Are you here to arrest me?”

“Just talk, may I come in?”

“I never say no to a beautiful woman.”

Jo entered and looked around; she had been standing on Nico’s left while outside, but now she saw the bruising over his right cheek.

“What happened there?”

“Timothy Hearn happened, we had a disagreement.”

“About what?”

“He owes me money, but won’t pay,”

“And so he assaulted you?”

“I won’t be pressing charges.”

“You don’t strike me as the type of man who would forgive so easily.”

Nico sighed and sat on the side of the bed.

“As you can see, I’m not the man I was.”

“On the outside maybe, but you’re still what you always were, which is the reason I’m here. Have you been harassing Hearn or his wife?”

“Of course not, why, was there a complaint?”

“No, but I’ve become aware of their uneasiness, and I think you’re the cause of it.”

“Despite our disagreement, Tim and I are still friends.”

“I’ll be keeping an eye on you, Umbria,”

As Jo opened the door to leave, Nico called to her.

“What?”

Nico smiled and patted the bed.

“Why not stay a while, you might like it.”

“You have got to be kidding.”

Nico laughed, and Jo slammed the door as she left.

***

At that very moment across town, Rachel was waking up. She was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes when the odor hit her.

“Oh God, what is that smell? Tim, Tim wake up,”

“Hmm? What?”

“There’s a bad smell in the house. Oh God, it smells like something died.”

Hearn sat up and yawned, but then gagged.

“Jesus, what the hell is that?”

They both threw on robes and slippers and left the room, searching for the source of the stench.

The smell was slightly more tolerable downstairs, but still they had to fight to keep from gagging.

They searched every room but found nothing.

Rachel’s eyes were watering as she spoke.

“When I was a kid, a mouse died behind the wall. This smells like that, only much worse.”

Hearn nodded in agreement.

“Something is definitely dead,”

They had finished their search in the kitchen, and had opened all the cabinet doors searching for a dead mouse, but found nothing.

“Let’s search the basement,” Rachel said.

Hearn opened the basement door and the smell intensified. Unable to stand it anymore, Rachel rushed to the kitchen sink and vomited.

“Oooh, there must be a dead body down there.”

“I was just down there last night,” Hearn said. “Remember? I brought up a new case of wine.”

“Go take a look.”

“All right,”

Hearn put on the light and went down. He saw nothing, and was trying to listen for movement above the sound of the furnace, which had come on because of the chill in the air,

It was in the furnace room that he finally found the source of the odor. Someone had moved one of the vent tubes aside and placed it back, but the grit and soot beneath it gave evidence to the act, and it was no longer sitting flush.

For a moment, he wondered if the alarm guy, Matt Hooper, had done it, but then remembered that he had been with Matt as he replaced the lock on the basement door, and that the man never went near the furnace room.

He whispered, “Nico,” and then grabbed at the tube to search it.

As the object bounced off his chest he cried out in surprise, but then stared in horror at the thing on the floor, a thing he recognized as having once been the neighbor’s cat, Dunkin. It was now a scorched and decaying corpse, and it took him a few seconds to fight back the bile in his throat.

“Tim! Are you all right?”

“Stay up there! I’ll be right up!”

He looked around and saw a beach towel. The towel still held grains of sand from a trip to the beach the year before. As he fought the impulse to vomit, he picked up the cat with the towel and saw that its head fell loosely. Nico must have broken its neck. He wrapped the dead cat in the towel, and then placed the towel, cat and all, inside a lawn & leaf bag.

On his way up the stairs, he stopped on the landing and, after grabbing a key that was hanging off a nearby nail, he unlocked the new deadbolt and went out the basement door, where he then shoved the bag in the trashcan.

After he explained to Rachel what he found, she turned white.

“Nico must have killed poor Duncan and stuffed him up there when he broke in.”

“Yeah, he must have thought it was our cat.”

“Tim, this is serious, maybe... maybe we should call Rick.”

“Parker? Screw Parker, I’ll handle this,”

“How?”

“The next time he comes by, I’ll give Nico his two grand, but then I’ll follow him and see where he lives.”

“And then what?”

Hearn stared at her.

“You don’t need to know what happens after that.”

Rachel hugged him.

“No. You’ll go to prison for murder.”

“I won’t kill him, but I’ll beat him badly.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

Hearn shrugged.

“I don’t know. Now get dressed while I air out the place, also, I need to call someone to get rid of this stink.”

Rachel followed him back to the bedroom, and despite what he said, she still feared that things could escalate. She dressed quickly, and after telling Hearn that she was going to have her hair done, she left home and went in search of Rick Parker.

8

Rachel arrived just as Parker was stepping out his front door. He was alone, as Heather had stayed at her mother’s house the night before.

She ran up to him and Parker let out a loud sigh.

“Why are you here, Rachel?”

“I need your help.”

He studied her, looking for signs of deception, and instead saw genuine fear.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”

“No, and I don’t want to.”

“Get back in your car and follow me, I’m going to the diner, but not the one near my job, the other one.”

“Why can’t we talk here?”

“Because you’re not welcome inside anymore, that’s why?”

“I’m not up to anything; I really do need help.”

“I believe you; now follow me to the diner.”

Parker called Jo and told her that he would be a little late, and then he called Heather. The diner he picked was near her house and he asked her to join them there.

“Is she up to more tricks?”

“I don’t think so, she looks scared.”

“I’m already dressed, so I’ll be right there.”

“Thank you,”

A few minutes after making the calls, Parker pulled into the diner, and as Rachel joined him, she saw Heather walking towards them.

“Why is she here?”

“Because I asked her to meet us, that’s why.”

“I don’t need everyone knowing my business, Rick.”

Heather held up her hand as she joined them.

“I’m not just anyone, we’re getting married,”

Rachel actually took a step backwards, as if the engagement ring were an evil talisman.

“Married?”

“Yes,” Parker said, “Now let’s get settled inside and then you can tell me what this is all about.”

Once all three had ordered coffee, Rachel told them about Nico’s demands, about the confrontation between him and Hearn, and all that had happened since. When she was done, Parker had a few questions.

“Why would Nico assume that Hearn would give him money?”

Rachel hesitated, if she told the truth, she would have to confess to being part of a conspiracy, a conspiracy that was linked to a murder.

“He’s not rational. Perhaps the injury to his brain has affected him.”

“Did he threaten you when he was at your car?”

“He implied that he was interested in me; I was afraid he might try and rape me.”

Parker tensed at those words, but then asked another question.

“Are you certain you or Hearn didn’t place that photo in your car for some reason?”

“Of course, why would we? And we sure as hell didn’t shove the neighbor’s cat in our furnace.”

“Do you want to file a report?”

“Can I?”

“Yes, but at this point I think all you could claim is harassment.”

“But what about the break-in?”

“You have no proof that there was a break-in, and a clever lawyer could claim the cat climbed into the furnace on its own. Cats are known to do weird things.”

Rachel wiped away a tear.

“Are you saying you won’t help me?”

“Hey, we had this conversation last year, remember? I told you then to come forward and tell what you knew, if you had, none of this would be happening right now, and still you sit here and lie to me, don’t think I don’t know that.”

“I didn’t come forward because you just wanted to put Tim in jail. You hate him for stealing me away.”

“Wrong. What I wanted was for you to help yourself, but instead you got in deeper.”

Rachel nibbled at her bottom lip as she wrung her hands together. She wanted to tell him everything, but feared the legal consequences to Hearn. She also knew Parker well enough to know that he would never help her to hide involvement in a crime.

“I shouldn’t have come to you. You care more about the law than you do me.”

He reached over and took Rachel’s hand. Heather’s lips came together in a tight line as she witnessed this bit of intimacy take place, but she said nothing.

“Listen to me, Rachel; I do care what happens to you. We’ll never be together again but that doesn’t mean that I want to see you hurt in any way. Do the right thing and tell Joanna Knight everything you know about the Charles Woolley case.”

Rachel shook her head. “I can’t.”

Parker released her hand.

“If Nico comes near you again when you’re alone, call me.”

“I’m afraid for Tim too.”

“I have the same advice for him, talk to Joanna, if he recants his alibi, then she’ll be able to arrest Nico.”

“And will Tim be charged too?”

“Maybe,”

“He’s going to try and handle Nico himself.”

“Bad idea, Nico Umbria is from the streets, he doesn’t fight fair, which I assume is the reason that Charles Woolley is dead, despite the fact that he was twice Nico’s size.”

“Will you talk to Tim, maybe try and warn him off?”

“Me? I doubt he’ll take advice from me.”

“Probably not, but will you try?”

Parker nodded.

“I’ll stop by the bar this afternoon, okay?”

“Thank you, Rick,”

“Yeah,”

Rachel stood and gave Parker a kiss on the cheek, and then she looked over at the ring on Heather’s hand.

“The diamond he gave me was bigger than that.”

“Your point?” Heather said.

Rachel looked surprised by the question, and then left the diner without another word.

***

Later that day, Timothy Hearn closed his front door as the last of the cleaning crew left.

He took a deep breath, and was satisfied that the foul odor of death had been eradicated. All of the carpeting had been cleaned along with the drapes and the blinds, and he had kept the windows open to air things out.

As he prepared to leave for the bar, he went about locking every window, and after that was done, he retrieved his baseball bat from the hall closet.

After donning gloves, he wiped the bat free of prints and sat on the sofa with the bat across his knees. He then wrapped a towel around the bat’s fattest end and secured it in place by using duct tape.

Afterward, he stood up and gave the arm of the sofa a whack. The towel cushioned the blow significantly, but still sounded as if it would deliver enough force to do harm.

He didn’t want to kill Nico, in truth, he knew that he couldn’t kill Nico, he was not the type, but he wanted to beat him so badly that he would finally fear him. He was also going to supplement the literal stick with a metaphoric carrot, by giving him five-thousand in cash.

He nodded to himself. This will work,

Nico wasn’t dumb, he would see that there was no future in harassing him further and he would leave.

Hearn carried the bat outside and tossed it in his trunk along with the gloves, after slamming the lid shut, he looked up to see Rick Parker pulling to the curb across the street.

As Parker approached him, he spoke.

“If you’re here to see my wife, she’s at the bar.”

“I’ve already seen her; she’s the one who told me you were here.”

“You’ve come to see me, why?”

“Maybe we should go in the house, hmm?”

“Whatever you have to say, you can say it right here.”

“All right, I’ve come to tell you that if you’re looking to take on Nico Umbria it’s a bad idea. The man will eat you alive.”

Hearn laughed.

“You obviously haven’t seen him lately; he’s little more than an invalid. The man can barely walk.”

“How many fights have you been in?”

“I’ve had my share, mostly bar fights in college,”

“Bar fights in college, against other college kids? Nico has never been to college. As far as we can tell, he grew up in a gang. If Nico thinks you’re gunning for him he won’t put up his dukes, he’ll pull out a knife, maybe even the same knife he used on Charles Woolley.”

“Rachel sent you here to talk to me, didn’t she?”

“She’s worried about you.”

“Maybe so, but you sure as hell aren’t, you’ve just come here to ask me to change my statement about the night Woolley died.”

“I know you were lying for Nico, that you were the one who hired him to harass the Taggarts into selling you the bar, well, now it looks as if you’re getting a taste of your own medicine.”

“Get out of here, Parker. I’ve got nothing to say to you.”

“I’ll leave, but stay away from Nico, Hearn. He’s more than you can handle.”

After Parker left, Hearn returned to the house to lock up. He was just about to set the alarm when he remembered something. He went back to the closet and grabbed a ski mask from the shelf, after locking up, he tossed the mask next to the bat in his trunk and drove to the bar.

As he motored along, he assured himself that he was ready for Nico, and tried his best to ignore the pit of fear in his stomach.

9

Hearn parked his car by the stairs that led to Taggart’s office, as Nico gave his horn a little, Toot! in order to get his attention.

Hearn approached Nico’s beat-up Chevy with trepidation, while reminding himself to act beaten and scared. The scared part didn’t require much acting ability at all.

“That trick with the cat was nasty, even for you.”

“But it got the point across, didn’t it?”

Hearn sighed.

“Two-thousand a week and you’ll leave us alone, right?”

“Absolutely,”

Hearn reached into his jacket pocket and took out a white envelope, while taking care not to grab the other one he kept there. The other one contained the five-thousand dollar consolation prize he planned to give Nico later, after he had beaten him to a pulp.

Nico took his time and counted the money. When he was satisfied, he sent Hearn a little salute.

“See ya next week,”

Hearn nodded, appearing dejected, and then he turned and headed for the office. As he climbed the steps, Nico drove away, and when he left the parking lot and turned left onto the access road, Hearn rushed back to his car and began following him.

Five minutes later, Nico made a traffic light that Hearn caught red, and he thought that he would lose him, but then he saw that Nico had caught a red light farther up the road, and he was able to stay with him.

When Nico parked in the Highway Motel and went into room twelve, Hearn knew he had tracked him to his lair.

He drove back towards the bar, smiling, and knowing that the next time he left the motel lot, Nico would be bloody, and all his problems would be over.

***

Parker filled Jo in about his meetings with Rachel and Hearn, and saw a look of disapproval.

“You need to stay out of this, Rick. You’re too close to the case.”

“I know, but Rachel needed help, and ex-wife or not I couldn’t abandon her, not that I did any good.”

“You’d better tell Heather about that meeting. If she hears about it from someone else she may begin imaging the worst.”

“I don’t have to tell her, she was there. I figured her presence would keep Rachel from playing games.”

“Smart move,”

“Thanks, but what do you make of all this?”

“It looks like Nico is putting the squeeze on the Hearn by using the only tactic he knows, intimidation.”

“And because Hearn has tied himself to Nico by providing an Alibi for Woolley’s murder, they can’t come in and ask for police protection, fearing that Nico will drag them down with him.”

“Exactly,”

“Rachel’s really gotten herself into a mess.”

“My guess is that Nico wants money, maybe Hearn will pay him off.”

“No, Hearn doesn’t seem to be taking Nico seriously; he thinks his injuries have made him less dangerous.”

“Do you think he’ll try and outmuscle Nico?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of,”

***

After the bar closed in the early morning hours, Rachel paced back and forth in the office as Hearn stood to go pay his visit to Nico.

“I don’t want you to do this; it’s dangerous,”

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to kick the door in on him while he’s asleep. It’ll all be over before he knows it.”

“What if you’re caught?”

“I won’t be. I’ll be in and out before the cops can get there.”

“Don’t do it yourself. Why not find someone and pay them to take the chance?”

“That’s how I got into this mess in the first place, by hiring Nico to do my dirty work. I don’t want to trade one thug for another.”

Rachel kissed him.

“Don’t go; I have a very bad feeling about this.”

“Would you tell Parker that?”

“Rick is trained to handle men like Nico, you’re not,”

“I’ll be all right; hell, the whole thing should take less than an hour.”

Hearn sent her a wink and left the office. He got to Nico’s motel within minutes and found it quiet. Even the office was dark, but he could see a blue flicker come from a back room, where the night clerk was likely watching TV.

He backed into a space several doors down from Nico’s room and popped the latch on his trunk. After donning the ski mask, he slipped on the gloves and grabbed the bat.

It actually took three hard kicks to force the door open, but then he entered the dark room and began rushing towards the bed.

Someone yanked the ski mask off, and when the stun gun blasted him from behind, Hearn dropped the bat and fell atop the mattress.

Nico gave him one more hit for good measure, and then went back to the door to close it.

Four doors down, a bearded man came out into the parking lot and looked around. He was only wearing a pair of blue boxer shorts and his feet were bare. When he saw nothing amiss, he shrugged and went back into his motel room.

Nico turned on the light by the bed, and saw Hearn struggling to sit up.

“Relax Timmy; the fun is just beginning.”

Nico duct taped Hearn’s ankles together, but when he went to tape his wrists, he found that Hearn had recovered enough to push him away. A third shot from the stun gun remedied the situation, and caused Hearn to drool so much that Nico had to dry his mouth with a corner of the pillowcase in order to get the duct tape to adhere properly over his lips.

Nico rested in a chair as he waited for Hearn to fully recover from the blasts, the exertion of taping Hearn’s ankles and wrists had made him sweat, but he felt good knowing that even in his weakened state that he was not someone to mess with. Timothy Hearn was about to learn that lesson the hard way.

“Feeling better yet, Timmy?”

Hearn grunted behind the tape, his eyes alternating between fear and anger.

“Look at you, a stiff like you thought you could take me because I’m not my old self? Hell, Timmy, you would have had trouble when I was still in the coma.”

Hearn was tapping his chin against his chest, even as he kept casting his eyes downward. Nico gazed at him curiously.

“What the hell are you trying to tell me?”

Nico removed one side of the tape and Hearn took a deep breath before speaking.

“Five thousand... there’s five thousand in my jacket... all, all yours, just let me go.”

Nico reached in and plucked the envelope free.

“I’ll consider this a bonus, but I still want the two large every week, of course, while you’re in the hospital your wife will have to make the payments. I’ll have her come here to make them, then maybe she’ll give me a different type of bonus.”

“I’m sorry I tried this, Nico, and I swear I’ll pay you from now on; just let me go, please? Just let me go?”

“No Timmy, you still have a lesson to learn.”

Hearn opened his mouth wide to shout for help, and Nico slapped his face shut, before putting the duct tape back over his mouth. Afterward, he reached down and picked up Hearn’s modified bat.

“I see you wrapped it in a nice fluffy towel. Well hell, I bet being smacked with this won’t hurt a bit, but let’s find out, huh?”

Using his right arm, Nico raised the bat high and brought it crashing down on the side of Hearn’s leg, just above the knee.

Hearn’s eyes bulged, and a muffled scream slipped out from the tape covering his mouth.

Then, Nico hit him again, and again, and kept hitting him until he dropped the bat and reeled backwards in exhaustion, his shirt soaked in sweat, his mouth gasping for breath, as he fell into the scarred wooden seat of the motel chair.

Atop the bed, Hearn was whimpering. He had one eye closed, both lips split open, and his scalp had a deep laceration. There were several broken bones in each hand, and beneath his clothes, numerous bruises were forming.

It took a while for Nico to recover from his exertion, but when he finally did, he picked up the bat and smiled at Hearn.

“Okay, that’s enough warming up. Now the fun really starts.”

With the first fresh swing of the bat, Hearn’s right arm broke in two places.

10

At 4: 47 a.m., Rick Parker entered the hospital with Heather at his side.

They met Jo by the nurse’s station, and she told them that Rachel was in the trauma unit, speaking with the doctor.

“Nico put Hearn in a world of pain, Rick. It’s one of the worst beatings I’ve ever seen.”

“What did he use?”

“A bat wrapped in a white towel, although the towel is red with blood now and the bat broke during the beating. The bat actually belonged to Hearn. He brought it to Nico’s motel and Nico turned the tables on him. He also claims it was self-defense, but there are ligature marks on Hearn’s wrists and ankles. The doctors also found glue on his skin; I’m thinking that Nico used duct tape to bind him.”

Heather made a face.

“You’re saying he taped him up and then beat him?”

“It looks that way.”

“Well, then it couldn’t be self-defense,”

“Nico claims those marks were there before he beat Hearn, said that Hearn and Rachel must be into kinky bondage games, but those marks are fresh.”

“How bad is he, Jo?” Parker said.

“Both arms are broken, all but one finger, several ribs cracked, a shattered collarbone, and deep lacerations on his scalp and face. His nose is particularly bad, and the doctors say he swallowed several teeth.”

Heather shivered. “I don’t like Timothy Hearn, but my God, he didn’t deserve that.”

“Did you get a statement?”

“No, he was too banged up, and now he’s zonked out on morphine. I’ll return later in the day and try and talk to him.”

“What about Nico, did you arrest him?”

“No, I’m waiting until I get a statement from Hearn, one that will hopefully include his earlier dealings with Nico. I doubt he’s still willing to offer him an alibi for the Woolley murder after this.”

“Don’t be so sure, he may now fear Nico so much that he’ll never talk.”

Rachel walked around a corner at the end of the hallway. When she spotted Parker, she ran into his arms, weeping.

“I told him not to go after Nico, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Parker eased her off and led her to a set of chairs, as Heather stayed behind with Jo.

“I’m sorry you have to go through this, sorry for you and Hearn.”

“The doctors say it will take months for him to recover, and that he’ll need plastic surgery too.”

“Nico Umbria plays in a different league. I told Hearn that.”

“Rick, I’m scared, what if he comes after me too?”

“He won’t. Don’t worry,”

Rachel moaned.

“Oh Tim, I... I love him, Rick, not as much as I love you, but I do love him.”

“I know, Rachel,”

After talking a little longer, Rachel left to return to Hearn’s side and Parker walked over to speak with Jo.

“I can’t work this case, only you can,”

“I know.”

“I told Rachel she was safe, but we both know that Nico is capable of anything.”

He leaned closer and both Jo and Heather saw the hate in his eyes.

“Ex-wife or not, if he harms her I will kill him.”

Jo reached out and gripped his arm.

“I’ll get him, Rick. One way or another, I’ll put him away.”

Parker exhaled loudly,

“Thank you,”

Heather took his hand.

“Let’s go home, baby, Jo will handle this,”

Parker nodded in agreement, and then he and Heather went home.

***

They arrived at Heather’s house at noon. Parker was taking a scheduled day off and the two of them were going to spend the time planning their wedding.

Heather’s mother was working, but Heather wanted to check the mail, hoping to receive her acceptance letter into the research program, however, when the mail came, she received disappointing news.

“I didn’t get in,” she said in a dispirited voice.

Parker took her in his arms.

“I’m sorry, baby; I know how much you wanted it.”

Heather sniffled, as she fought back tears.

“This would have meant so much to us financially, now I’ll be burdened with student loan payments until retirement.”

Parker kissed her.

“You won’t be burdened by anything. We’ll just have a debt to whittle down, and the two of us will pay it off together.”

“It’s just so much money, Rick, and it’ll be years before I make a good salary. How will we handle it?”

Parker led her to the sofa, where he snuggled with her.

“We’ll handle it; we’ll take it day by day, live simply and get to where we want to go. We’ll just handle it. People do it every day while earning even less than we do. All I care about is you. I have you and life is good.”

Heather stared at him, a look of wonder lighting her face.

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby, and we’re going to have a great life together,”

Heather balled up the rejection notice and tossed it onto the coffee table.

She smiled. “Let’s plan our wedding,”

***

Hours later, Nico Umbria sat in one of the white interrogation rooms at police headquarters.

He had slept the day away, and after teaching Hearn a lesson, some of the old cockiness was back, so much so, that he had decided not to ask for a lawyer.

Nico held up a hand to Joanna Knight, who sat across from him.

“Before we start, has Tim Hearn pressed charges?”

“No, Mr. Hearn has remained silent on the matter.”

“And that hot wife of his?”

“Mrs. Hearn has made a statement. Would you like to read it?”

Nico looked surprised by the offer.

“Sure, I’ll read it.”

Jo slipped a sheet of paper out of a manila folder and passed it across the table to Nico.

As Nico read it, a smile formed on his lips.

“She just backs up what I told you, that Hearn hit me first when I visited their office.”

“Yes, she says he struck you three times.”

“I wasn’t counting, but okay, sounds about right,”

“The doctors estimate that Mr. Hearn was struck over a hundred blows last night.”

“One or a hundred, he came at me with a bat and I defended myself.”

Jo smiled.

“If your goal was to make him terrified of you, it worked.”

“He just thought I was a punk because of my injuries, now he knows better,”

The door opened and a rookie cop, Sierra, handed Jo a sheet of paper. Nico leered at Sierra until she left the room.

“Damn, who does the hiring around here? Whoever he is has got an eye for tasty tail, you included, Detective.”

Jo held up the sheet she just received.

“We found the stun gun you hid in the trunk of your car, along with the roll of duct tape, and the prongs on the weapon correspond with the faint burn marks on the back of Timothy Hearn’s neck.”

Nico cursed silently. One of the other motel guests must have seen him driving the Chevy and pointed it out to the cops.

“I don’t know anything about a car, and Hearn could have gotten those marks anywhere.”

“There’s blood on the walls and ceiling of your room, cast-off from the bat as you continually raised it to strike. If you had only wanted to defend yourself, you could have disabled Mr. Hearn with the stun gun and then called the police.”

“The guy broke into my room in the middle of the night. Maybe I was too scared to think straight.”

“You weren’t scared; you were actually lying in wait for him, weren’t you? You knew that he would try something, didn’t you?”

Nico sent her a sly smile.

“There’s no way to prove that, and anyway, Hearn won’t be pressing charges.”

Jo reached into the manila folder again, and took out several sheets of paper.

“This is a second statement by Mrs. Hearn, in it, she details the conspiracy between you and her husband, the campaign of fear that was used to get Patrick Taggart to sell him the bar. She also states that she was alone with Timothy Hearn on the night of Charles Woolley’s murder, and that you intimidated Hearn into providing you an alibi.”

Nico’s look of self-assuredness slipped a bit, but he shrugged and smiled.

“The bitch doesn’t know anything. That’s... what do they call it, hearsay? And besides, she already told you cops that I was there with them, right?”

“Wrong. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Hearn ever gave a formal statement saying that you were present with them on that date. When you were rendered comatose last year, I suspended the investigation. Mr. Hearn did make a verbal assertion that you and he were together, but we now know from Mrs. Hearn that he made it under a threat of violence.”

Nico stared down at the table and was silent as he thought over his options. When he looked up, he was smiling again.

“Tim Hearn will still tell you that I was there with him. I own his ass now. He would blow me if I told him to.”

“You think he fears you that much?”

“After the beat down I gave him? Hell yeah, he’ll do anything I say.”

“You did beat him severely,”

“And you can’t charge me for it. There’s no way he’ll press charges, because he knows that even if I did time for it, that I’d be back. So, can I leave now?”

Jo stood.

“Yes, I think we’re done.”

Nico stood, and then looked on with wide eyes as Jo took out her handcuffs.

“Nico Umbria, you are under arrest for the murder of Charles Woolley. Please turn around sir, so that I can cuff you.”

“What?”

“We’re arresting you for murder based on Rachel Hearn’s statement, now turn around.”

Nico looked disgusted, but did as ordered.

“This is bullshit! Tim Hearn will back me up and then it will be our word against the wife.”

“I’m sorry to say that Mr. Hearn will be unavailable to comment.”

“Why?”

“Timothy Hearn is dead. He died earlier from a cerebral hemorrhage, a cerebral hemorrhage that the doctors say was a direct result of the beating you inflicted on him. Along with the murder charge, you’re also being charged with manslaughter in the death of Timothy Hearn.”

Nico’s mouth dropped open as the color drained from his face. Jo read him his rights, and then marched him into a cell.

11

In a plea bargain arrangement, Nico Umbria pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter in the deaths of Charles Woolley and Timothy Hearn.

Nico was to serve a maximum of only eight years; however, after arriving at prison he received a severe head injury during a prison riot, and later died. The doctors speculated that his earlier cranial wound contributed to his demise.

***

Rick Parker and Heather Jones married in a simple ceremony at her mother’s home.

The handsome groom and his lovely bride would later fly off to the Bahamas for their honeymoon.

***

Rachel Hearn became the sole owner of the bar named Taggart’s.

Two days after her ex-husband’s wedding, she sat alone at the bar drinking, despite the fact that it was only nine a.m.

In less than a year, she had divorced, remarried, and been made a widow. She had also gone from being a nurse to owning a bar and restaurant.

She was not good at being alone; she knew this about herself and also knew that another husband would be in her future. But, where to look?

The front door of the bar swung open and a man walked in. He was in his thirties, handsome, with dark hair and blazingly blue eyes.

Rachel pointed at the door.

“I thought I locked that?”

“Apparently not,”

“Who are you?”

The man walked over and offered her his hand.

“My name is Nate Taggart, my grandfather used to own this bar.”

“Oh, so you’re Patrick’s younger brother?”

“That’s right, from my father’s second marriage. Granddad left me the house and the land, but gave Pat the bar. I can’t believe he sold it.”

“He also moved. He’s living in Florida.”

Nate Taggart gazed around.

“The place looks great, much better than I remember,”

Rachel patted her hair in place and offered a smile.

“Tell me Mr. Taggart, are you visiting, or will you be staying?”

“I’m moving back, and call me Nate,”

She smiled at the new man in town.

“And you can call me Rachel,”

***

At that very moment, in a tropical paradise, Rick and Heather Parker had just finished making love.  Parker held his new bride in his arms and sighed.

“I am happier than I have ever been.”

“Me too, so what do you want to do today?”

“The same things we did yesterday and the day before, eat, sleep, and make love,”

Heather giggled. “I hope it doesn’t get too boring for you,”

Parker smiled as he ran a hand along her nakedness.

“Oh, I’m sure it will be murder, pure murder,”

AVAILABLE NOW!

PARKER & KNIGHT

BOOK ONE – MURDER!

BOOK TWO – HOMICIDE!

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About The Author

Donald Wells is the author of numerous short stories and novels, including The TAKEN! Series, The Caliber Detective Agency, Blue Steele, Monsters & The Reynolds Family Saga.

He lives deep inside a writing cave in the wilds of New Jersey.

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COPYRIGHT

GAME OVER!

Copyright © Donald Wells, 2014

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced,

distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system,

without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Did you love Game Over!? Then you should read Thrillogy by Donald Wells!

Thrillogy

by Donald Wells

Author of The Taken! Series, Blue Steele & Caliber Detective Agency

Thrillogy includes the following books

Taken! - Love Conquers All - Book 1

Twenty-three women are dead, murdered by a serial killer who shows no mercy.

All twenty-three women shared the same look as Karen Ryan and now Karen Ryan is being stalked, hunted like prey by a man who will stop at nothing to possess her.

Will Karen become victim number twenty-four?

Or does the prey hide a secret that will bring her predator down?

Blue Steele - Bounty Hunter - Book 1

When murder suspect Vincent Kane jumps bail, Blue decides to hunt him down for the ten thousand dollar bounty.

However, when Kane's guilt comes into question, Blue keeps searching for the man, but not just for the money. She wants answers.

Who really killed Vincent Kane's wife? Was it her lover, or is Kane far more devious then even the police suspect?

In the end, Blue discovers the truth and learns that the human heart holds many secrets.

Caliber Detective Agency - Generations - Book 1

From the plains of Texas in 1875 to present day New York City and the world, the name Caliber is synonymous with heroism.

After the death of his long-time friend and secretary Velma, legendary, octogenarian P. I. Jake Caliber is thrilled to meet Velma's young niece.

However, the beautiful, young woman hides a secret, and only time will tell if she's friend, or foe.

Christopher Caliber is the youngest member of the Caliber clan and unlike his tough as nails brother Jake the fifth, he has no plans to become involved in the family P. I. business.

However, fate has plans of its own, and when the young Caliber finds himself involved in a deadly situation, his choice is to act, or die.

After a dramatic confrontation, Christopher Caliber is reeling and unsure of what the future holds.

However, his future is even more uncertain than he realizes, because there's someone stalking him, someone who wants him dead.

Taken! Prelude!

The events in TAKEN! PRELUDE! take place before TAKEN! 1-6

How exactly was Jessica White chosen?

Why her, and how and when did he first gaze upon her?

Was she even his first victim?

TAKEN! PRELUDE! tells the unknown story of the first contact between Jessica White and her abductor, and reveals that the past mirrors the present.

Read more at Donald Wells’s site.

About the Author

Donald Wells is the author of The Taken! Series, Blue Steele, Monsters, Caliber Detective Agency & The Reynolds Family Saga.

When he's not writing he spends his time reading and when he's reading, he wishes he were writing.

A man of many talents, Mr. Wells invented the now much used term .com as well as the word "Dealy"

Before becoming a writer, Mr. Wells spent years as an aspiring pianist and was often known to spend hours at practice. If he had ever had access to a piano, who knows what heights he might have achieved.

A renowned Chocoholic, the town of Hershey, PA. is considering erecting a statue in his honor.

A little known fact: Mr. Wells was one of the original Back Street Boys.

Another of his talents is the writing of bogus biographies in the third person.

To learn about Mr. Wells' new releases and enjoy bonus content, please visit, www.donaldwells.com

Thanks!

Read more at Donald Wells’s site.