Justice Served: A Barkley and Parker Thriller (13 page)

“It was no trouble,” she said sincerely. “I’m
only sorry I didn’t get the information to you sooner.”

Ray sat the folder on a table near the door,
not wanting to even think about it for the rest of the evening. Not
when there were more important things on his mind. Like the super
fine lady before him.

“I’ve always thought it would be really
romantic to live on a boat,” gushed Carole as Ray gave her the
grand tour, inside and out. It was not as large as some of the
houseboats, but still had more than enough room to allow for
freedom of movement and fair sized decks and cabin quarters. He’d
recently had new carpet installed and put in hemlock paneling and
cabinets himself. Log furniture was accentuated with a few pictures
on the walls and central air kept the living space comfortable.

“Oh, it can be romantic,” Ray told her,
having come full circle to where they began the tour. “Especially
when the sun’s setting, and also in the dark of night when the moon
is overhead. But there are other times when the high winds and
rising waters make you want to be anywhere but on a houseboat. But
I can’t think of any place better to live, in Portland anyway, than
on the water.”

Carole was thoughtful. “Maybe someday when I
retire from the bench I’ll get the nerve to buy myself a condo
right off the ocean in the Bahamas or Hawaii. Or maybe the Cayman
Islands. That’s probably the closest I’ll get to being on the
water.”

Ray grinned, happy just to watch her sensual
mouth move, seemingly with no effort. “That’s cool,” he said, and
imagined himself retiring with her anywhere she wanted to go.

After a moment or two, Carole said: “What I
can do to help?”

“There are plates and glasses in the cabinet
in the kitchen,” he said. “And silverware in the dinette, if you
want to set the table.”

“One set table coming right up,” she said
cheerfully.

Ten minutes later, they were eating and
chatting like old friends or lovers.

Or new ones.

“So what made you decide to become a cop?”
asked Carole, sipping wine.

“I often ask myself that very question,” Ray
mused, “and have come up with more than one answer. I guess at the
time it seemed a better bet than joining the service like my old
man, who made a career of it. And later, I thought I could make a
difference in someone’s life as an officer of the law,” he added.
“Not really sure I have, though.”

“I think we all make a difference in
someone’s life,” she stated. “It only takes one person to make it
all worthwhile.”

Ray peered at her. “Is that why you became a
judge?”

Carole stuck a fork in her salad. “In a
manner of speaking,” she said. “I suppose I wanted to make
something of myself beyond what was expected of me. I also wanted
to put myself in a position where I could do some good in getting
criminals off the street.” She paused. “Sometimes, though, they
have a way of slipping through the cracks, no matter what—”

Ray knew she was referring to recent
defendants who had walked, only to wind up dead.

“Don’t blame yourself for a system that
doesn’t always work, even with the best of intensions,” he told her
sincerely, cutting off a slice of well-done steak. “You can’t put
all the bad guys away, any more than I can catch them all.”

Carole lifted her wine. “Maybe if I had put a
few more away, they’d still be alive today...”

“Or maybe they would have ended up killing
their girlfriends and wives—or making them wish they were dead,”
Ray countered. “How the hell do we really know? In any event, I
think this so-called vigilante killer was prepared to carry out
these executions whether the victims were on trial or not. It
wouldn’t have taken much for them to find some assholes who fit the
bill. The truth is, none of us can predict when a serial killer
will decide to go after someone or when, where, or why. All we can
do is try to catch the son of a bitch before he—or she—kills
again.”

“You really think you’ll catch this one?”
Carole asked bleakly.

“Count on it.” His jaw tightened. “Serial
killers, regardless of the reasons behind their crimes, can never
simply walk away. They keep upping the ante, playing with fire,
pressing their luck, till they shoot themselves in the foot, so to
speak.”

“You make it sound almost like a game, Ray,”
Carole said, chuckling.

“It is in a way,” he told her. “Only the
stakes are high for all sides.” Ray drew a breath, exhaling slowly.
“At the end of the day we can only hope there are more winners on
the side of real justice than losers.”

“I’ll drink to that,” she seconded, raising
her glass.

Ray held up his own glass, spying the glint
in her inviting eyes. He knew he was beginning to like Carole
Cranston more and more. For better or worse. But right now, all he
could think of was for better.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

They went out to the upper deck, bringing the
wine with them. The lights of boats taking advantage of the calm,
warm night could be seen on the river.

Carole felt comfortable with Ray Barkley,
unusually so with someone she barely knew. He was charming, caring,
tough, and could stand on his own two feet. He wasn’t pushy,
obnoxious, arrogant, or otherwise a bastard like so many men she
had gone out with.

She wondered if their connection had more to
do with their professional lives or their personal desires.

“Is there anyone special in your life, Ray?”
Carole asked nonchalantly, though she sensed the answer. He didn’t
seem to be the type of man who would be with her now if there was.
Aside from that, there were no signs the houseboat, neat as it was,
had a woman’s touch to it.

“Not at the moment,” he said calmly. “Was
married once, but it ended in disaster. It took a long time to get
over her, but I did. I’ve moved on with my life. What about
you?”

Carole had expected the question and was
prepared to respond. That didn’t make it any less difficult.
I
hate talking about myself, especially the past, which I’d rather
leave alone.

“I’m not seeing anyone right now,” she told
him candidly. “I was married once, too. I met what I thought was
the perfect man when I was in college. Only he turned out to be not
so perfect.” A knot formed in her stomach, but she wanted to
finish. “He ended up a drug addict and eventually committed
suicide—”

Carole could see that this took Ray by
surprise.

“I’m sorry,” Ray said in a low, melancholy
voice. “It must’ve been pretty hard on you?”

“It was,” Carole admitted, thinking back, and
even now. “I never saw it coming till it was too late.” She sipped
her wine. “On the bright side, it propelled me to go on and finish
law school, pass the bar, and work for the D.A.’s office for a
while, before becoming a judge.”

“Something good definitely came out of it
then.” Ray ran a hand across his head. “I hear you’re one hell of a
judge, Your Honor.” He smiled at her.

She smiled back. “I’m sure you’re one hell of
a detective, Mr. Barkley.”

He laughed. “I try to hold my own out there
on the mean streets of the Rose City.”

“You mean when you’re not holding your
partner,” she inquired jokingly, adding quickly: “I meant in the
line of duty.”

That is what she meant, isn’t it?
There was no reason for Carole to believe any hanky panky was going
on between Ray and Detective Parker. But then, anything was
possible. And, either way, it wasn’t any of her business what he
did on or off the job. Or who he did it with.

Ray leaned towards her, and said smoothly:
“If anything it’s Nina who holds me up—in the line of duty. We may
not see eye to eye on every tiny thing, but she’s got my back when
the going gets tough.”

“That’s nice to know.” Carole wished she had
someone who would watch her back and be there when the chips were
down or when the sun wasn’t shining. Someone like Ray Barkley.

Carole gazed into his amazingly compelling
gray eyes. She felt a bit lightheaded from the wine, but in a nice,
mellow way. He was becoming more desirable to her in ways she
hadn’t felt in some time.

“Looks like we’ve both had it rough when it
comes to relationships,” she commented.

“I try to think of it as learning experiences
in life
and
love,” Ray uttered, “that can prove to be useful
in the long run—”

Carole found herself drifting towards him,
their fingers touching, caressing one another’s. “How about in the
short run?” she said sotto voce.

Ray put his hand to her cheek, sending
electrical charges into Carole’s face and then coursing throughout
her body. “That, too.”

Their eyes met and both knew what was about
to happen, encouraging it through the flicker in their
connection.

Carole did not try to fight her growing
feelings for this man that went beyond merely wanting his body. She
knew there were implications down the line that would have to be
dealt with. But, for now, she saw only an inner need they both
shared and wanted to be appeased—through each other.

“Do you want go back inside?” Ray asked her
eagerly.

“Yes,” she answered softly.

* * *

She felt herself slowly sinking onto the bed
while in Ray’s arms. Her head rose upwards so her mouth was
perfectly aligned with his. They kissed. It was a light brushing of
the lips that ignited embers within.

Carole pressed for more, prying Ray’s mouth
open for a deeper, more intimate kiss. He responded by putting his
tongue in her mouth and holding her tightly against his rigid
body.

“I want you,” he whispered huskily into her
mouth, the words echoing in Carole’s ears.

“You can have me,” she gasped back, barely
able to contain her unbridled desire.

Ray put a hand on Carole’s full breast,
fingers grazing her nipple, sending a torrent of fire burning
within, before he moved to her other breast and nipple, having the
same effect. Another hand went under her dress. Roaming, deliberate
fingers moved effortlessly inside her panties and into her. It was
all she could do not to have an orgasm on the spot.

She hadn’t realized until now just how much
she had needed someone. How long it had been since there was anyone
to interest her. Or anyone she wanted to be interested in her.

Caught up in a dreamlike state, Carole had
barely been cognizant when Ray buried his head between her open
legs. She came instantly and with a flurry.

Then it happened again, as he seemingly knew
exactly what it took with is mouth and tongue to bring her to this
state of euphoria.

She went with it, enjoying every moment, and
then some. Her mind tried to keep up with the pleasures of her body
this man feasted upon.

When her turn came, Carole unfastened Ray’s
trousers and took all of his erection in her mouth. His breathing
quickened and a low groan erupted as she brought him to climax in a
matter of minutes.

Without a word between them, they removed
their clothes and began to make love, as if totally in tune with
one another. Carole started on the bottom and ended up on top. Her
thighs clenched and her body gyrated as another wave of orgasm hit
her like a bolt of lightning. Every cell in her body seemed to come
to life. It was as if she had been awakened from a deep slumber to
find herself in the firm tentacles of a man bent on satisfying her
every whim and doing so masterfully like a seasoned pro.

Ray held onto Carole like a lifeboat while
they kissed, fondled, and caressed, and slammed into each other
like battering rams. Her every move led to a counter move on his
part, as if a game of chess. Only there would be no losers. Just
winners.

At last, a powerful mutual release gave way
to an easing back down to earth. A calming of the river. A softness
of breath. A time for reflection. Contentment.

Carole lay in Ray’s powerful arms for a long
time afterwards, savoring the moment and the man. She felt a little
embarrassed about what had happened, as if it had been her very
first time. Or perhaps because of the length since the last
time.

But the better part of her knew it was
something she did not regret. Ray had been everything she had
hoped, and much more. She wondered he if thought the same about
her.

I’ll just be happy that we enjoyed this
wonderful night together, without looking too far ahead.

When Carole left early the next morning,
there were no promises or expectations. No declarations of love and
commitment. No talk of further meetings. Each agreed to let the
dust settle and see what happened. When and where.

Deep down inside Carole knew she wanted to
see Ray Barkley again and again, each time soaring to new heights
and new possibilities with this fine and very sexual man. But the
little girl in her knew that when you played with matches you could
easily get burned. Just as when fate was tempted, the results often
proved disastrous.

In spite of any other feelings she might have
for the detective, no matter how strong, she might do well to
remember that.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“You look positively glowing this morning,
Barkley,” Nina said with amusement, blocking his path as he headed
for his office. “Or should I say like a man who got some last
night?”

Ray yawned, ignoring her suggestion. “Rough
night.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Worked on some stuff around the
houseboat.” He somehow managed to keep a straight face as he went
into the office. She stayed hot on his heels as if his shadow.

“Like I’m gonna believe that for one second,”
Nina hummed wryly.

Ray couldn’t help but chuckle. “You can
really be a trip sometimes, Parker.” He rounded on her, feeling a
bit guilty in doing so. The last thing he wanted was to cause a
rift between them. But now was not the time to tell her about his
escapades into the wee hours of the morning with Carole Cranston.
He was still trying to come off the high himself and not even
wanting to think about any future lows that might come out of
it.