Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 36

At six-thirty the next morning, Sally found herself knocking on Jerry's door. Though he didn't open it and only spoke through it, she determined he would be willing to come over before seven-thirty. "Thanks, Jerry." She said. "I just have to leave earlier than I thought, but wanted to be there when you show up."

"I get it," he said through the door. "It's really no problem. I just need a quick shower then I'll be over."

"Thanks again, Jerry." She returned. "See you in a little while."

*****

Jerry waited for the door next door to open and close before he let out his breath. He hated living like this, but there really was no other way. He had to keep up the charade, after all, No one could know what the CEO and Founder of NextVector Securities really looked like, or really did. Sally was the only one who knew his face, and he was still lying to her. As he put the finishing touches on his ensemble, he looked in the mirror and said out loud to himself, "I'm glad showing up this early won't earn you a black eye, but then again..." He laughed a hearty laugh. "No one would ever really see it, would they? You recluse!" he said as he cleaned up his mess in the bathroom.

*****

"You have less than two hours to finish the work," Michael Paul said to the coroner from his position on a table next to the body double. "My Intel tells me that someone is going to come looking for this body soon, and I'd rather not be in this position." He laughed, as the wig was placed on the dummy and the artist compared her work against the model. It was obvious to him that she liked what she saw, but it was too soon. Memories of Jeanie were all too fresh.

Seeing her struggle by his hand was something he didn't want to see over and over every time he shut his eyes. But it was unavoidable now. He only prayed Detective Johnston and Detective Loveridge could keep her safe. It was obvious that the strange man at the warehouse was telling half-truths, and it was up to the captain to fill him in.

"I'm almost done, Sir," the artist said, putting the last touches on the chest wound. It was above his heart and clean enough do do some damage and rightly placed enough that the damage would have been near immediate. "If you stop talking, I'll finish faster!" She scolded him. "Exit wounds are trickier than entrance wounds, and since your bruise is in the back, I have to turn the dummy."

"Sorry. I'm anxious to get to the barber." They both chuckled.

"You need to hurry," Captain Vanderson's voice announced him before either one of them saw him. "I want this wrapped up in less than an hour, if you can, Madeline."

"I would if Paul wasn't so rakish." She laughed.

"It's a defense mechanism, really." The captain answered for him. "He can't afford to be normal right now."

"Ain't that the truth." Paul grumbled.

"Madeline, I have some papers for you to file when you're done. Confidentiality and things like that."

Madeline pushed her blonde, swooping bangs out of her face and looked at the captain with concern. "Okay, but I don't talk anyway, Captain."

"I know. That's why I hired you."

Madeline went back to painting the body double, the dummy. "If you want me to finish this pretty quick, you both need to stop talking and let me work." She said. "You're in no position to tease me any way, Detective. You're very vulnerable right now as it is." She held her paint brush to her face and raised an eyebrow at the men.

"And cold," being scolded by an artist was not on his list of things to do today, so Captain Vanderson left the morgue. "I'll leave you to it, then. Have fun."

Michael Paul snorted as Madeline took a closer look at the body. She wanted it to be perfect. It had to be perfect.

*****

Kristin woke to the sound of running water in the bathroom. The blackout curtains were still drawn, so she didn't immediately know what time it was, and she didn't want to look at the clock. She thought it was odd that the top blanket of the hotel bed was folded over to cover her. And was that singing? He didn't have a pop star's voice, but it wasn't' unpleasant. She hadn't moved since she woke, but wanted to listen to Heath sing for as long as she could. She wasn't quite sure, but it sounded like the chorus to "Cell-block Tango" from the musical "Chicago" the movie had Renee Zellwegger, Richard Gere, and Katherine Zeta-Jones. "He just keeps getting more and more interesting," she thought, "though I'm pretty embarrassed by my behavior last night." She took another deep breath as the shower turned off and Heath stopped his vocalizing.

It was a matter of minutes before Heath stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed, complete with his leather jacket and seeing that she was awake, wished Kristin a good morning. "You'd better hurry if you want breakfast," he said. "Service is going to stop in about forty-five minutes. Can you be ready in ten?" He smiled at her, quickly easing her nerves.

Kristin only nodded as they locked eyes for a few moments. She wasn't sure what was passing between them, but it was comfortable. "I can be ready in less than ten," she said, as she sat up.

Heath crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed. "Listen, Kristin." He said. "Last night, we both said things that were very...sensitive." She nodded. "I meant what I said, that I liked calling you Sugar." He let his gaze feel like it was invading her personal space, but she didn't move. "But we need to be fully aware of the things around us and if we let our feelings get in the way, something bad might happen."

The whole time Heath was talking, Kristin felt comfortable. Not vulnerable, like she had last night, but in a place where she knew she was safe. His gaze, where last night she felt was invading her whole person, this morning was one of protection and gentleness. "I understand, Heath. I'll try not to get carried away."

They sat in companionable silence for a minute longer before Kristin said, "If we want breakfast, I'd better get dressed, huh?"

Heath reached up to twist a piece of her hair between his fingers and could only nod. It was another minute before she stood.

Kristin took her suitcase into the bathroom with her so she wouldn't have to look at him again for the next eight minutes. She knew she could be ready before then. She just had to kick it into high gear.

When she came out less than ten minutes later, as promised, Heath caught his breath. It wasn't like she had gone to any extra lengths to look stunning, she was dressed simply, in a sundress, with light make up, but she was beautiful all the same.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

Offering her his arm, he didn't' trust himself to say anything for fear of turning himself into a bumbling idiot.