Hunter's Way (16 page)

“I’ll be back by one, Tori. Promise.”

“No problem, Sam. I’ll wait.”

Samantha gave her a quick smile, then walked out beside Robert. Tori sat back down in her chair, reaching purposefully for the file that she already knew by heart.

“She calls you Sam?”

“Yeah. It’s kinda grown on me,” Samantha admitted. They were walking down the street to the corner deli. She was starving. She would have tuna on rye, she decided. Wonder what Tori would like? Ham and cheese? No, probably turkey.

“Samantha?”

“Hmm?”

“I asked, when are you going to tell me where you were this weekend?”

“Oh.” She hesitated. “Actually, I went out with Tori on her boat,” she said.

He nodded. “You seem quite fond of her.”

“Yes. She’s grown on me, too. Remember that first week? I was ready to shoot her.”

“I remember. So, what did you do?”

“On the boat? Fished, mostly.”

“Fished? Do you like to fish?”

“We didn’t really catch anything, Robert.”

“I see you got some sun. I’m glad you weren’t stuck in a dark theater,” he said dryly.

“I’m sorry, Robert, but I just needed to get away. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks.”

“What better way to relax than being with your partner, who you were with every day last week, discussing your case some more,” he said sarcastically.

“Actually, we didn’t even mention the case.”

“So, you just spent two whole days with a woman who is practically a stranger, and you didn’t even discuss your case? What in the world did you talk about?”

“Why all the questions, Robert?”

“I just can’t imagine what the two of you talked about, that’s all. It’s not like you have a lot in common.” He paused and Sam finally glanced at him. “She’s gay, you know.”

“Oh, thanks Robert, for enlightening me. Of course I know she’s gay. I’m wondering how on earth you know this.”

“You’re kidding, right? Besides the fact that it’s common knowledge, just one look at her would be enough.”

“Robert, I thought you wanted to have lunch to talk about us, not my partner.”

“I do. I’m sorry. It’s just, when you took off like that, it was so unlike you.”

“I know, Robert. I’m sorry I did that.”

They stood in the line that had formed and Samantha wished she had declined his offer of lunch. What they needed to discuss couldn’t be done here.

“Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?”

“You just freaked me out when you started talking about marriage and kids and
grandchildren
, for God’s sake.”

“I didn’t mean that we should get married next week and start having kids right away, Samantha. I just wanted you to know how I felt.”

She nodded. “I know how you feel. But my career is important to me, Robert. And I’m not going to put it on hold to stay home and play mom.”

“If that’s how it came across, I’m sorry. I never expected you to give up your career.”

“Yes, that’s how it came across. You’re up next,” Sam said, turning him around to face the counter.

“What would you like?” he asked.

“Tuna on rye and turkey on wheat,” she said.

“Two?”

“One’s for Tori. She wasn’t leaving for lunch.” She watched as his jaw clenched, but he nodded.

“And one for your partner,” he murmured.

Tori looked up as Sam walked in alone. Without conscious thought, she smiled at the other woman whose blond hair was an unruly mess around her face. Sam tried to tame it with her fingers, then she met Tori’s eyes and smiled.

“Hey.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Lunch. Eat,” she said, placing the bag on Tori’s desk.

“You brought me something?” Tori tore into the bag, then grinned. “Gee, thanks, Mom,” she teased.

“You do realize that the only time I see you eat is if I bring you something, don’t you?”

“I recall cooking for you the other night.”

Sam smiled as she sat down. “Yes, you did. And burgers, too. I had been craving a burger all day.”

“So, you and Robert work things out?”

“Not really. We talked about us without really talking about us, you know?”

“Status quo?”

“I guess. But Tori, I just couldn’t tell him. I didn’t want to hurt him.”

Tori nodded and took another bite.

“I know what you’re thinking. I’m weak.”

“I wasn’t thinking that and it’s hardly my business, anyway.”

Sam picked up the thick file on Tori’s desk and flipped through it. It was all in order again, with the brief notes from the profiler on top. Tori was extremely organized, she’d found out. She glanced up, watching Tori finish her sandwich. She looked adorable with mayonnaise lodged in one corner of her mouth. Then a tongue slipped out and captured the mayonnaise. Sam stared.

“Hey.”

“Hmm?” Sam murmured.

“Ready?”

Sam pulled her gaze away from Tori’s mouth, meeting dark eyes. She watched as one eyebrow arched.

“What?”

“Belle’s?” Tori prompted.

“Oh, yeah… right.” Sam shook herself. “Belle’s.”

Chapter Twenty

“Margarita, on the rocks,” Sam said. She had been waiting nearly fifteen minutes for Amy. She would start without her. But just as the waiter brought over the tall glass, Amy walked through the doors. “Hang on, my friend is here.”

“Sorry I’m late. Judge Carmen was on one of his soapboxes,” she explained. “Mmm, that looks good. I’ll have the same.” She set her purse on the corner of the table and moved her chair closer, resting her elbows on the table. Then she tilted her head, moving her red bangs out of her eyes. “You look great. You got some sun,” she noted. “How did you manage to drag Robert out of the house?”

Samantha smiled and shook her head.

“I didn’t. He wanted to spend Saturday afternoon in a theater, or worse, in his apartment watching movies.” She shrugged. “I wanted to be outside.”

“And?”

“And I went out on a boat, on a lake,” she said.

“Where? Who with?”

“Out on Eagle Mountain Lake. Tori’s got a cabin cruiser out there,” she said as casually as she could.

“Tori? As in your partner? The psycho woman you ranted about that first week?”

“The same. Once you get to know her, she’s really not all that psycho.”

“So you ditched Robert and went out on a boat with her? I bet that went over well.”

“We had a fight. Saturday at lunch. I left and didn’t tell him. When I got back Sunday evening, he had left twelve messages.”

“You spent the whole weekend with her?”

“It wasn’t really planned. But I was having such a good time out there, I didn’t want to come back.”

“You spent the night on a boat? That does sound like fun.”

“Yeah. It was. I’m not sure Robert’s forgiven me yet.”

“What did you fight about?”

“Grandchildren.”

“As in… yours?”

“Yes. He started talking about getting married and having kids. He implied that my career would hinder that.”

“You’re joking. Robert? But he knows how important this is to you.”

“I thought he did.” She paused as the waiter brought Amy her drink, then continued. “He said that any decisions I make regarding my career should be based on our future together, meaning house and kids. I needed to be at home more if we were going to have kids.”

“And did you tell him that maybe he shouldn’t be trying so hard to make partner at his firm?”

Sam smiled at Amy. As much as she liked Robert, Amy hated any mention of double standards when it came to men and women.

“Amy, I don’t think Robert’s the one for me,” she said quietly. “I try to picture being married to him and it doesn’t feel right.”

Amy reached across the table and took Samantha’s hand.

“You had a disagreement about your career. Now you know how he feels and he knows how you feel. You just have to talk about it and come to an agreement that works for both of you,” she said.

“Amy, it’s not about that. I’ve been feeling this way for months, now.”

“Months? But you said you loved him.”

“I do love him. He’s a sweet man and he’ll make a good husband and father. I just don’t see me in the picture.”

“Maybe the whole marriage thing is scaring you.”

“I’m not in love with him, Amy,” she admitted. “I thought maybe I could be, eventually. But I’m not. I know that.”

Amy leaned back in her chair, staring at her. “You’ve been going out for two years. You’re just now realizing that you’re not in love with him?”

“I don’t need you to judge me, Amy. I just need to talk about it.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I mean, it’s not a whole lot different than me and Eric. As long as we’re just dating, everything will be fine. But as soon as he starts getting more serious, I know I’ll bolt.”

“But I doubt you’d let two years go by.”

Amy leaned forward again. “What’s really wrong, Samantha? I mean, you and I could always talk about anything. I get the feeling that you’re skirting around the problem here, and you’re afraid to talk to me.”

“No. But how do you tell someone who says they love you and want to marry you that you’re not in love with them?”

“I don’t know. But I do know this. The longer you drag this out, letting him think that you have a future, the harder it’ll be.”

“I know. And last night, he cooked this wonderful meal for me, candlelight and wine.”

“So you’re still sleeping with him?”

“That’s just it. I faked a headache and went to bed early.”

“You don’t even want to have sex with him?”

It was Sam’s turn to lean forward. “Amy, it’s gotten to where I can hardly stand his touch,” she whispered.

“Well, you’ve got to tell him, Samantha. When’s the last time you’ve slept together?”

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. Three weeks? A month?”

“Surely he knows something’s wrong.”

“Yes. I know he does. I feel like such an ass. I don’t know what’s wrong. Well, I do know what’s wrong. My body tells me that he’s not the one and I can’t go through the motions anymore.”

“You’ve been faking it?”

Samantha blushed. God, was she really having this conversation with Amy?

“I thought it would pass.”

“Well, I’m not taking sides here, but you’re hardly being fair to him.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve never faked it.”

“Of course I have. But not in a very long time and certainly not with someone I’ve been dating two years who wants to marry me.”

“Amy, you’ve never dated anyone more than two months.”

“And that’s because when I have to start faking it, I know it’s time to move on. Jesus, Samantha, this is Robert we’re talking about. The guy you’ve been practically living with.”

“You’re not making this easy,” she said quietly.

“I know, honey. I’m sorry.” Amy squeezed her hand again. “Maybe it’s just the stress of your new job. Maybe you need to give it some time, huh?”

Sam was about to protest, but she let it go. It wasn’t her new job. This restlessness that she felt had been growing for months, eating at her little by little. And now, it was nearly unbearable. There was something missing-and Robert was not the answer.

Chapter Twenty-one

The ringing pierced her sleep, and Sam reached out and punched her alarm. The ringing continued. She opened one eye.

“Four?” She grabbed the phone and pulled it under the covers with her. “Yeah?”

“Sam?”

She sat up.

“What’s wrong?”

“We got another girl.”

“Oh, no.” Sam tossed the covers off and walked into the bathroom. “Where?”

“Downtown. You know the Starbucks on Main?”

“Yes. I’ll be right there.”

She splashed cold water on her face and ran wet fingers through her hair. She looked frightful but knew she had no time for a shower. She quickly pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt and hurried out. She wondered what time Tori had gotten the call. She sounded wide awake on the phone.

The streets were empty at this early hour and Sam made it to downtown in only fifteen minutes. Flashing lights of the police cruisers lit up the sky and she parked on the street, showing her badge when someone tried to stop her.

“I’m looking for Detective Hunter,” she said.

“Down the alley there.”

“Thanks.”

She found Tori bent over the Dumpster, peering inside along with Rita Spencer from the medical examiner’s office. She joined them, glancing inside.

“Jesus,” she whispered.

Tori glanced at her and nodded. The condition of this body matched that of Rachel Anderson.

“Run her prints first thing, Rita. We’ll be at Belle’s.” She nudged Sam and Sam followed her down the alley. “Got another footprint. Heel this time.”

Sam looked where she pointed. Going away again.

“There’s something else.” Tori pointed to the side of the building.

Spray painted in black was the word Genesis. Sam raised her eyebrows.

“Phil Collins?”

“Your brother is a priest. You don’t know?”

“Bible?”

“Yes, although I’m not exactly well versed. Rita says the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is in the book of Genesis.”

“Okay, forgive my ignorance, but what does that have to do with our case?”

Tori grinned. “Sodom and Gomorrah. The alleged birthplace of homosexuality.”

Samantha raised her eyes questioningly. “And?”

“You really don’t have a clue, do you?”

Samantha shrugged.

“The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is often used as an example of the
evil
of homosexuality… and God’s punishment.”

“Ah. Well, okay then. A guy spurned by a lesbian or a guy doing the Lord’s work. Either way, he’s a nutcase.”

“Could be both,” Tori said. Then she reached out and tucked a stray hair behind Sam’s ear. “Woke you out of a dead sleep, huh?”

“A margarita-induced sleep, thank you.”

“Oh? Happy hour?”

“Yes. I met Amy. Happy hour turned into dinner.”

“Sorry. But I thought you’d want to be here.”

“Yes, I’m glad you called. You shouldn’t be the only one up working at this hour.” Then Sam stared at her, taking in her perfect hair and clear eyes. Even her jeans looked pressed. “How do you manage this?” she asked, pointing at her.

“What?”

“You always look so good. Don’t tell me you had time for a shower?”