on my hip and I stepped into his space.
He leaned back a bit and must have realized I wasn't enjoying the joke. His smile slackened and a gleam entered his eyes as they rested on my lips. He ran his fingers lightly up my arms, and I felt a shiver start deep within my body. I took a quick step back, my eyes locked onto his.
"I'll see you at the house later. I have to go back to Scituate around ten, if that's not too late?"
"Right, I'll be there.” I turned, opened the car door and slid inside, my nerves all a jingle. The motor rumbled as I started the vehicle and waited for Marcus to back into the street.
He drove away with a brief wave of his hand, and I headed home. I made a short stop at the market to pick up toilet paper and additional cleaning supplies. I remembered my promise to clean the upstairs before Aaron took residence. A good way to kill time until Richmond showed up .
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Chapter 5
The bathroom surfaces sparkled and the entire apartment was spotless when the downstairs door knocker thumped. I swiped the kitchen countertop one last time and raced through the dark rooms to peer down into the driveway from the second floor windows. The Crown Vic sat parked beside my car and Marcus Richmond stood on the doorstep.
I peeled latex gloves off my hands and sped down the stairs to open the door. It swung wide while I stepped aside as he entered the foyer and strode on into my apartment. With nerves taut, I closed the heavy front door and followed him. He glanced around a moment and then sat in the soft arm chair near the fireplace.
I'd simply tossed my goody bag and purse on the desk inside the living room door in order to save time and get the upstairs apartment straightened out. He glanced at the bag and then at me.
"Would you like some coffee or more pie?” I asked.
"No, just any information you've held back."
His short clipped words told me he was annoyed about something. I bristled at the change in attitude. My guess was that whatever had happened took place in between his two visits.
"I haven't held back. I had every intention of calling you, but you saved me the effort by stopping by my parents’ house."
"I guess it's a good thing I did, Lavinia."
Wow, he was annoyed, he'd called me by my formal name.
"What is it you think I haven't told you, Trooper Richmond?” Two could do this, I thought, slightly irked myself.
He stood and paced the room. It was apparent there was an issue, but he wouldn't share. I leaned against the wall and waited. When he didn't speak, I strode from the room and entered my bedroom to get the stones.
Aghast, I stood in the doorway. The room had been tossed and stuff was flung everywhere. The window next to the bed yawned wide open and the summer breeze flowed in. I knew I'd closed the window before I left, but I couldn't remember locking it.
Shit. I waded through the debris toward Livvy's trunk. It squatted on the floor, the same as before and I panicked over the small parcel of gems I'd tucked just under the trunk edge. I stared around the room and then back at the trunk.
Papers, photos and letters were strewn in a haphazard manner over the entire room. Tiny boxes and lids lay askew, tumbled in wild profusion across the bed. If they'd had any contents to begin with, they were empty now.
Marcus stood close behind me and I felt his warm breath tickle the hairs on my neck.
"What's this, don't you clean up after yourself Vinnie?"
At the sound of his voice, I uttered in bewilderment, “I went through the trunk today and found an item that I put aside for you. It took hours to look this stuff over and it'll take days before it's all done. But now, I guess we know someone else wanted a look."
I kneeled at the corner of the trunk, lifted it and slipped my hand underneath in search of the pouch. The small puffed envelope fit snug just under the bottom between the rim and the trunk floor. The trunk lid stood open when I'd left and still was.
He leaned back a bit and must have realized I wasn't enjoying the joke. His smile slackened and a gleam entered his eyes as they rested on my lips. He ran his fingers lightly up my arms, and I felt a shiver start deep within my body. I took a quick step back, my eyes locked onto his.
"I'll see you at the house later. I have to go back to Scituate around ten, if that's not too late?"
"Right, I'll be there.” I turned, opened the car door and slid inside, my nerves all a jingle. The motor rumbled as I started the vehicle and waited for Marcus to back into the street.
He drove away with a brief wave of his hand, and I headed home. I made a short stop at the market to pick up toilet paper and additional cleaning supplies. I remembered my promise to clean the upstairs before Aaron took residence. A good way to kill time until Richmond showed up .
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 5
The bathroom surfaces sparkled and the entire apartment was spotless when the downstairs door knocker thumped. I swiped the kitchen countertop one last time and raced through the dark rooms to peer down into the driveway from the second floor windows. The Crown Vic sat parked beside my car and Marcus Richmond stood on the doorstep.
I peeled latex gloves off my hands and sped down the stairs to open the door. It swung wide while I stepped aside as he entered the foyer and strode on into my apartment. With nerves taut, I closed the heavy front door and followed him. He glanced around a moment and then sat in the soft arm chair near the fireplace.
I'd simply tossed my goody bag and purse on the desk inside the living room door in order to save time and get the upstairs apartment straightened out. He glanced at the bag and then at me.
"Would you like some coffee or more pie?” I asked.
"No, just any information you've held back."
His short clipped words told me he was annoyed about something. I bristled at the change in attitude. My guess was that whatever had happened took place in between his two visits.
"I haven't held back. I had every intention of calling you, but you saved me the effort by stopping by my parents’ house."
"I guess it's a good thing I did, Lavinia."
Wow, he was annoyed, he'd called me by my formal name.
"What is it you think I haven't told you, Trooper Richmond?” Two could do this, I thought, slightly irked myself.
He stood and paced the room. It was apparent there was an issue, but he wouldn't share. I leaned against the wall and waited. When he didn't speak, I strode from the room and entered my bedroom to get the stones.
Aghast, I stood in the doorway. The room had been tossed and stuff was flung everywhere. The window next to the bed yawned wide open and the summer breeze flowed in. I knew I'd closed the window before I left, but I couldn't remember locking it.
Shit. I waded through the debris toward Livvy's trunk. It squatted on the floor, the same as before and I panicked over the small parcel of gems I'd tucked just under the trunk edge. I stared around the room and then back at the trunk.
Papers, photos and letters were strewn in a haphazard manner over the entire room. Tiny boxes and lids lay askew, tumbled in wild profusion across the bed. If they'd had any contents to begin with, they were empty now.
Marcus stood close behind me and I felt his warm breath tickle the hairs on my neck.
"What's this, don't you clean up after yourself Vinnie?"
At the sound of his voice, I uttered in bewilderment, “I went through the trunk today and found an item that I put aside for you. It took hours to look this stuff over and it'll take days before it's all done. But now, I guess we know someone else wanted a look."
I kneeled at the corner of the trunk, lifted it and slipped my hand underneath in search of the pouch. The small puffed envelope fit snug just under the bottom between the rim and the trunk floor. The trunk lid stood open when I'd left and still was.
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