Scene of the Crime: Black Creek

What she wanted to focus on most of all was what came next in their quest of catching the eye of a killer and hopefully getting him off the streets before he killed again.

It would be nice if they’d gain his attention today and he’d try to strike at them tonight, before she had to climb into that bed with Mick.

* * *

“I THINK OUR FIRST order of business is to take a little stroll down Main Street,” Mick said once he’d hung his shirts and shorts in the closet. “A fish has to see the bait before he’ll bite on it.” He checked his watch. “We can take a stroll, visit a couple of shops and then end up having a nice intimate dinner at the Love Nest Fine Dining Restaurant.”

“Somehow it’s difficult for me to imagine love nest and fine dining in the same sentence,” she said dryly.

Mick laughed and grabbed her by the elbow. “Come on, my lovely new bride. It’s time to get to work.”

He felt the tension that radiated from her at his simple touch. As they left the cabin he released his hold on her elbow and instead grabbed her hand with his. “You’re going to have to do better than that, cupcake,” he said beneath his breath as he squeezed her cold, lifeless hand.

Her cheeks grew pink and she returned his squeeze. He knew this all was going to be difficult on her. She obviously hated him. It was like she blamed him for somehow taking advantage of her the night they’d fallen into bed together.

He wasn’t about to take on that responsibility. She might protest that she’d been drunk, but the bottle of wine had been small and she hadn’t appeared inebriated in any sense of the word. It had been mutual desire, not booze, that had driven them into bed together.

As they left the Sweetheart Suites grounds and hit the main drag, they joined a throng of couples wandering the street and drifting in and out of shops. Laughter filled the air and everywhere Mick looked there were public displays of affection.

As they walked he glanced in the shopwindows they passed, not looking inside the stores themselves but rather eyeing their reflection in the glass to see if anyone in particular followed them.

It was probably too soon for that, but he did wonder if one of the agents from the cabin next to theirs would be shadowing their movements. He hoped not—a stranger walking the streets alone in this town of couples would possibly draw some attention and might scare off the person they wanted to follow them.

He consoled himself with the fact that neither of the murdered couples had been killed outside of their rooms, so he seriously doubted they had an FBI shadow. They would be closely monitored when in their cabin, but there was no reason to believe that any danger would come at them on the streets.

He noticed that Cassie appeared hypersensitive to their surroundings, her gaze flitting first one direction and then the other, as if expecting the killer to jump out at them.

Pulling her closer, he slung an arm around her shoulder, instantly rewarded by her stiffening against him. “You need to relax,” he murmured softly in her ear. “Right now you’re acting like an FBI agent on the hunt. Remember, that’s not our role here. You’re a newlywed. Try to look happy.”

She looked at him, her blue eyes simmering with emotions he couldn’t begin to discern. “Sorry.” She drew a deep breath and her body next to his relaxed. Her gaze softened as her lips curled into a smile that instantly fired a ball of heat in the pit of his stomach. “Better?” she asked.

He was almost breathless. He nodded and got them walking again. For the next few minutes they nodded and greeted other couples they passed as Mick kept his attention off Cassie and instead got the lay of the land.

The center of town was basically three blocks long, with side streets sporting signs pointing to other charming shops and eateries catering specifically to newlyweds that were located off the main drag.

On the surface the town appeared to have already made the transition from Black Creek to Honeymoon Haven, but there were definitely signs of a town divided.

The bank and the grocery store weren’t the only buildings that still held their Black Creek identity with the town name plastered across the front of their buildings. The post office, a Chinese restaurant and a dress boutique all still held the Black Creek name.

Flyers stuck to street signs they passed protested the new name and asked for the mayor’s resignation. “Looks like trouble in paradise,” Cassie said apparently observing the same things he had along the way.

“Mayor Jamison definitely appears to have his hands full,” Mick agreed. He pointed just ahead and on the opposite side of the street where a storefront at the very end of the block was plastered in the same flyers and large signs that read Stop the Madness.

“Looks like a place we should check out,” Cassie said as she moved from beneath his arm. He was surprised to realize that he’d enjoyed the warmth of her curves against him and the clean, slightly floral scent that emanated from her.

He followed just behind Cassie as they crossed the street, unable to help but notice the slight sway of her hips beneath the tailored slacks. It was obvious she was much more relaxed without any physical contact between them. That was definitely going to have to change.

He hurried to catch up with her as they reached the building. The doors were locked, but a sign indicated that it was the headquarters of an organization fighting the name change of the city.

A metal rack just outside the front door held flyers and Mick picked one up, folded it up and tucked it in his back pocket to look at more closely later.

“How about we find that restaurant and grab some dinner.” Cassie nodded her agreement and they started back the way they’d come, seeking the Love Nest Fine Dining, a place where both of the murdered couples had enjoyed a meal.

He once again took Cassie’s hand in his as they walked. She was still tense, as if she didn’t like the feel of his skin against hers.

He shot her a quick glance and she looked neither happy nor honeymoon-like. He released a deep sigh. “Am I going to have to remind you all the time that we’re on stage here, that you have to play your role at all times? I know you don’t like me, but you’ve got to suck it up and pretend otherwise.”

She sidled closer to him. “I’ve just been focusing on everything and everyone around us.”

“I told you that’s not our job. We need to give the impression that we’re focused only on each other. Remember, we just got married and can hardly keep our hands off each other. We don’t want to screw up this assignment because of personal issues.”

“I don’t have any personal issues with you,” she protested.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her in disbelief. “Is that your final answer?”

“If I say yes do I win a chance at the speed round?”

He smiled. “Nah, I just get the satisfaction of knowing we don’t have any dramatic baggage lingering between us.”

They stopped at the door of the restaurant and Mick looked at her expectantly, surprised to realize he wanted an answer from her. He wanted to know why she’d been so cold toward him after the night they’d shared together, why she’d acted so violently after they’d made love. He’d thought about it far too often in the months since it had happened.

Her gaze skittered away from his. “That night was a mistake, Mick. I just don’t like to mix business with pleasure,” she finally answered. She looked back at him, a touch of steely strength in her eyes. “Now, let’s leave it at that and get on with our assignment.”

He wasn’t really satisfied with her reply, but recognized that she had no intention of talking about it any further.

The Love Nest Fine Dining Restaurant was comprised of semicircular booths covered on the outside with a faux strawlike material that gave them the impression of nests.

Mick requested seating by the front window and they were led to one of the “nests” where they could be seen by people out on the street while they enjoyed their meal.

It took only a few minutes for them to order a glass of wine and then select their meal from the menu, which offered meals for two to share.

When the waitress left, Cassie leaned toward Mick. “Did you notice anyone suspicious? Anyone paying special attention to us?”

He couldn’t help but smile at the eagerness that lit her eyes. Only somebody like him could get excited about catching the attention of a killer.

“I didn’t notice anyone.”

“I don’t think we have a tail,” she replied. “I guess since the murders were accomplished in the cottages where the couples were staying they decided not to put a tail on us when we’re out in public.”

“That’s the same conclusion I came to,” he replied.

“If the first two murders were about two weeks apart, then our killer should be ready to pop off again.” She paused as the waitress arrived at the table with their drinks.

“Tell me, Cassie, what made you choose to become an agent?” he asked once the waitress had gone. In the time they’d spent together working previously they’d never really had a chance to talk about their personal lives.

They’d worked the case hard and then had celebrated with the fall into her bed. She’d then kicked him to the curb and there had been no time for really getting to know each other. He figured this was as good a time as any to find out more about her. Maybe sharing a little bit between them would loosen her up a bit.

She neatly aligned her silverware next to her plate before looking at him and replying. “Unlike a lot of people who enter law enforcement, I didn’t have any family members who worked in the field and none of my family had ever been victims of a violent crime. It was the discipline that drew me, the knowledge that there were definitive rules to adhere to and set procedures to follow. I like that in life. I like structure, both in my professional and in my private life.”