Remember Me (38 page)

                                                      Chapter 31

“So, when do we leave on our trip to Mexico?” Cynne' asked, keeping her eyes straight ahead as she tried to keep from looking at Raidon. She just knew that if she looked at him one more time, she would lose total control of herself and burst into gales of laughter yet again. She needed a diversion.
The little demon-boy, Danny, had plotted and executed his revenge on Raidon for ratting him out to Sister Kathrine earlier in the day. On the field trip, everyone had been on the first floor of the Southwest Virginia Museum, listening to stories about life in the coal camps in the 1800's. Danny, the malignant little spirit, had seen that as a perfect opportunity to slink away and sneak up to the second floor, where a work crew (who had been on lunch break at the time) had been painting. Raidon had been standing next to her, and he seemed to actually be enjoying himself, and was even developing a warm rapport with the other children, when all of a sudden, from the second floor balcony, little Danny had dumped an entire gallon of blue paint out of a bucket, directly onto his head.
“
THAT BRAT!!!!
He's a menace to all decent people!” Raidon had screamed as he wiped paint from his eyes and pointed an accusing finger up at the balcony, where little Danny was laughing fiendishly. “I bet if you shaved all his hair off, you would find three 6's on his damn scalp!” he had raged, so angry that he was actually shaking. “He's a serial killer in the making!! Mark my words, give him a few years, and his bad ass will be on America's Most Wanted!”
Unable to keep from thinking about it, Cynne' finally lost it again, just as she had feared she would. Laughing fit to be tied, and with tears partially blinding her, the Hummer slowly wandered onto the shoulder of the road, and she yanked the steering wheel quickly to the left, bringing the behemoth onto the pavement again.
Dark eyes narrowing, Raidon glared at her in smoldering silence, unable to see the humor in the situation. Here he sat, in his underwear, no less, wrapped in an itchy wool army blanket, with the seats and floor of his precious Hummer covered with heavy polyurethane plastic. His one-thousand dollar jacket was destroyed, it was in a heavy trash bag in the back, and to top things off, he looked like one of the Smurfs. “Just what's so damn funny?” he finally demanded, her mirth irritating him. “Did I laugh at you when you were dancing around like MC Hammer, trying to get away from a harmless little snake that was a hundred times more frightened than you were?”
Wiping her eyes with the back of one hand, her mirth subsided somewhat, but not by much. “Yeah, right. Maybe you didn't, but at least my moment was over quickly. You're brooding so much about this, it makes me wonder who's the bigger child. And by the way, you DO know one of the teachers snapped a picture of you standing by the bus in your undies, don't you?” she taunted. Deep inside though, she really couldn't blame him for being so angry. She knew he was right about Danny being a little bad ass, but she also believed that most of his misbehavior was a direct result of the horrible abuse the boy hand endured at the hands of his mother, and her too-frequent loser/criminal boyfriends.
“I'm not being childish!” he replied in a whiny voice.
His tone, one completely uncharacteristic for him, nearly sparked another laughing fit from her. “Listen, I'll run into the Family Dollar store and get you something to wear. You can shower at my place, to get all the paint off. I'll even make you dinner, how does that sound?” she replied
Placated for the moment, he simply mumbled his thanks and stared out the window in brooding silence, idly wondering how much time he could get in jail for taking a belt to the brat's ass.
Granddaddy Bishop was right! Kids, these days, anyway, need a maintenance ass-whooping every once in
a while
, just as a reminder...
he thought sourly.
                      
******************************************
As she finished setting the small bistro table, Cynne' thought it would be the perfect evening to take advantage of her screened-in patio. The reason she had bought her home to begin with was because the area was secluded and peaceful. Most mornings she would go out on the patio to have her coffee, and on occasion would even see small deer or raccoons emerging cautiously from the forest, then meandering through her large back yard.
Going back inside, she once again thought about Raidon, then giggled. He had been in the shower for at least half an hour now, and occasionally she would hear muffled cursing coming from the bathroom. At least she had found clothes in his size at the dollar store. She had bought him underwear, socks, a white tee shirt, and jogging pants. She had refused to take his money for the purchases, assuring him that she felt somewhat responsible for dragging him along on the field trip in the first place.
And we can't have you running around here nekkid now, can we? But I just bet you've got a body that would make a woman weep with lust....
she thought, then shivered at the mere thought of seeing his fine body bare.
In an effort to quell her naughty thoughts, she shook her head and hurried into the kitchen. Opening the oven, she pulled the lightly-browned rolls out and carefully placed them on a hot pad, then brushed the honey-butter mixture she had made earlier on them.
“MMMM... something smells good, what's for dinner?”
Turning, she saw him standing in the doorway, now completely free of the blue paint, and she smiled warmly. His silky raven hair was still wet, but neatly brushed down to his shoulders, and the sweats and short-sleeve tee shirt she had bought him fit him like a glove. She could feel her face heat up as lust pulsed through her
. Damn, those clothes REALLY show off that muscular body. Not an ounce of fat on him, either
... she thought. Glancing down at the bulge in his jogging pants, she found herself wondering if his package was as nice as the rest of his body.
Me likie...me likie a lot..
...
She
thought, then, without even realizing it, began licking her lips slowly.
“Earth to Cynne'....my eyes are up here.” he taunted.
Flinching, she felt her face heat up approximately one hundred degrees as she realized he had caught her staring at his nether regions. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she turned away, still too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “Uhhhhh....baked chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, with the skins and smothered with real butter, green beans from my very own garden, homemade rolls, and strawberry cheesecake.”
Hearing the pleasure and pride in her voice, he just knew his mother would love her. The delicious aromas in the kitchen made his stomach rumble as he reflected on the fact that if it weren't for his mother, he would never have a real meal. He had always looked forward to Sundays, where he always took meals with his adoptive family. “You know something? You're the total package, girl, you've got it all. You're smart, loyal to your friends, you're beautiful, and from the smell of things, an excellent cook, too. For the life of me, I can't figure out why some lucky man hasn't snatched you up and locked you away.” he said, turning on the charm.
Turning to look at him, the lovely, shy smile she had been wearing earlier vanished. “I don't want a man to 'snatch me up', thank you very much.” she said slowly.
Stepping closer to her, he looked into her eyes and smiled faintly. “So, you prefer women, do you?” he taunted.
Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, she muttered, “Leave it to a man to think that just because a
woman
doesn't need a man to complete her, she's a lesbian!” Putting several rolls into a small basket, she continued her lecture. “For your information, smart ass, I prefer men.” she replied, although she really wanted to say,
Actually, I prefer YOU
. “I just don't want some man completely taking over my life, thinking I have to put up with, well, never mind. Let's just say that I learned from a young age what abusers and users most men can be.”
Oh, so someone hurt her...
he thought, then wisely changed the subject. “Can I help you with anything there?” he asked.
“Sure, you can grab those glasses, the ones already filled with ice.” she replied, pointing at the counter. “There's some sweet tea in the refrigerator, in a plastic gallon jug. Grab it too, and bring it out on the patio.” she said as she grabbed the basket with the rolls and strolled outside, then returned to the kitchen and grabbed their two plates off the warming tray.
Once they were both outside, she waited until he had finished pouring tea for the both of them, then put the plates down on the table. “Be careful, the plates are hot.” she warned, and was both surprised and pleased when he pulled her chair out for her, waiting for her to be seated. Mumbling her thanks, she unfolded her napkin and put it in her lap, thinking all the while that she had really been missing a man's attention in her life lately, as much as she hated to admit it.
Sitting down opposite her, Raidon thought to himself how easily he could get used to things like this. She had lit five citronella pillar candles on stands, making for a quiet, nice, relaxed atmosphere.
“All that's missing is some good music." he commented as he grabbed the pepper shaker and began sprinkling some on his mashed potatoes.
Not saying a word, she got up and went inside, and seconds later he heard soft, smooth jazz floating down from the outside speakers that were mounted overhead.
Stepping back outside, she smiled. “How's that?” she asked as she sat back down, the sudden strange look on his face inexplicably exciting her.
“Keep this up and you'll never get rid of me, like it or not.” he replied slowly. “And I'm the kind of man who never gives up on what he wants.”
Blushing, she avoided his gaze and stared out at the backyard, trying to convince herself that he was only flirting, and didn't really want her.
He probably has an address book full of skinny, beautiful woman...
she thought, although her body would hear none of it. She knew in her heart that if he made just one small gesture, she would drop her panties before he could even say “Let's make L.....”
Note to self: Keep this man at a distance, or you'll completely lose yourself in another man, again..
She
thought.
                              
*************************************
Detective Jeanine Rhodes sat in the lobby of the Flagstone Inn, blown away by the opulence of the place, thinking that it truly was a playground for the wealthy. Mentally, she went over all the evidence in the Cassandra Mortensen case, evidence that clearly implicated Brett Parker. Especially after reviewing the findings of lab technicians about the medicine/poison he had been 'prescribing
'
the poor woman. During the course of her investigation however, she had been continually amazed and astonished at how loyal the rest of doctor Parker's patients were to him. It seemed he had singled out Mrs. Mortensen only, for whatever reason, to play his sick, twisted games on. Earlier, a warrant had been issued to search the man's office, and the DEA confiscated not only all of his medical records, but had seized the stash of illegal, potentially lethal drugs he had kept there. Afterwards, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Spotting Granger walking into the lobby with his arm wrapped protectively around the woman she'd glimpsed in the hospital, Mrs. Cassandra Mortensen, she had to concede that they made a lovely couple, and it was clear from his behavior that he was a man deeply in love with his wife. Rising to her feet, she made her way toward them hurriedly. “Mr. Mortensen!” she called, then slowed down to a walk as they both stopped, then turned to face her.
“Ahhh, Detective Rhodes. I assume you're here to talk to my wife.” Granger smiled, already up-to-snuff on the progression of the investigation. The Sheriff had called him personally, informing him an arrest warrant had been issued for Brett Parker.
“Yes, Mr. Mortensen. Uhhh, I understand you've already been informed of Mr. Parker's impending arrest? Well, we may be a small department, but I have all the confidence in the world we'll have him in custody within the next twenty four hours.”
Cassandra touched Granger's chest, then looked up at him, seeming to draw strength from him, and it was clear to Jeanine that the two had gotten over the past problems that had made her run when Granger had first found her. “Why don't you go on up to our suite, I know you have business you want to take care of. The detective and I can talk at the restaurant.” she said.
At first it seemed as if he would refuse, but after a moment he simply nodded, then leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Alright, but remember, we're planning on taking your mother to an early dinner.” Running a hand up her arm, he kissed her softly on the lips, then left.
Cassandra turned, leading the way to the restaurant. “We can have some tea, if you'd like. They have some nice blends there.” she said conversationally as they made their way across the crowded lobby.
Jeanine nodded, and as she followed it did not escape her attention how the staff tripped all over themselves to greet the woman they now knew as Granger Mortensen's wife.
It's true, wealth has
its
privileges!
She
thought as an uncharacteristic twinge of jealousy wormed
its
way through her stomach. But, to be fair, the woman didn't seem the least bit fazed or condescending, and actually stopped and took the time to make small talk with the staff members. Now feeling thoroughly ashamed of herself, she thought,
Oh Lord, please, please don't let this job turn you into someone as cynical as good old Kojak....