Slasherazzi (4 page)

The door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open and stepped into the cool shade. Rows of pews led up to a raised platform where the main altar stood proudly. Only a single woman moved about the hall, carrying several Bibles in her arms as she headed for a door on the far side. She paused, her head turning to us as we strolled down the aisle.
“Can I help you?” she asked. “The Reverend won’t be in for another hour yet.”
We walked up to her, and I held up my badge for her to see. Tanya mirrored the action. “Detective Beckman, and this is my partner, Grissom. We have a few questions if you have a moment.”
“Oh!” The woman bent slightly to place the Bibles on a nearby seat before straightening up and brushing down her pastel yellow blouse. “Of course. My name is Judith. Judith Williams. I help look after the place. I’d be happy to help any way I can.” She smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She brushed at a rogue strand of graying hair that had fallen over her face.
“We have a few questions about one of your pastors, a Mr. Robert Pearson,” Tanya said.
“Bob?” Judith asked, narrowing her eyes. “Is this about those ridiculous accusations again? I swear some people just never give up. Look, I’ll tell you exactly what I told the young officer last month. Bob would never do something so…so…disgusting. He’s a kind, gentle man.”
“That’s not why we’re here,” I said, averting my gaze from hers for a moment before meeting it dead-on. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Pearson was murdered last night.”
The color drained from Judith’s face, her mouth parted slightly. She all but collapsed into the nearest seat, her shoulders slumped and head resting in her hands. Tanya took up the spot next to her, placing a hand on her back.
“We’re very sorry to have to break the news to you, but it would really help the investigation if we could ask you a few questions,” she said softly.
Judith sobbed and sniffled as she sat up. She nodded weakly.
“Did Mr. Pearson have any enemies?” I asked.
Tanya handed her a tissue, which Judith dabbed at her eyes. “There were people who believed he was guilty of molesting that young girl.”
“Did any of them ever make threats against him?” Tanya asked.
“A few. Most just moved on to another parish.”
“What kind of threats?” I asked.
“Mostly just notes asking him to leave. But a couple tried to assault him outside the church on his way home one night.” Judith paused, her gaze darting up to meet mine. “You don’t think one of them could have killed Bob, do you?”
I shook my head. “It’s doubtful. Did he ever receive any death threats? Phone calls?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Have you noticed anyone loitering around the area? Maybe someone who recently joined the congregation?”
“No.”
“He might have tried to blend in. Wouldn’t have done anything to draw attention to himself.”
She lowered her head again, the muscles in her face trembling. Her chest heaved as she cried once more.
“Alex,” Tanya said, giving her one last rub on the back before standing. “I think that’s enough questions. Thank you for time, Ms. Williams, and our condolences. If you think of anything at all, please give us a call.” She handed Judith a card and gave a firm squeeze of her shoulder.
The woman showed no sign that she had heard any of those words, but she did grip the phone number tight in her hand. I turned and walked briskly to the doors, taking a moment to pause as I crossed over the threshold and into the stifling air.
“What do you think?” Tanya asked.
“I reckon we got nothing.”
“But then we already knew that,” she replied.
I nodded in agreement. After a month of avoiding capture, it would be too easy if the killer started making rookie mistakes like letting people connect him to the victims. He would have been more likely to watch from a distance, waiting until his target left for home before following him.
“I wonder if he really did molest the girl,” Tanya said.
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. The only important thing now is whether or not the killer believed it.”

The sky had darkened and bled to a deep red by the time I pulled up outside Vince’s apartment block. I killed the engine and slumped down in my seat to stare up at the sky. History was repeating itself again. Vince and I would always get back together with the promise that we would change, but in the end, it was only our breakup count that grew.

So what was I doing back at his place?
I picked up the bag of Chinese takeout from the passenger seat and climbed out onto the sidewalk. I paused at the large blue door and pressed the bell for number twelve on the intercom.
A buzz came shortly after, accompanied by a click as the lock released. I went inside and up a flight of stairs, stopping outside Vince’s apartment.
“Last chance to turn back,” I told myself quietly. I waited again before finally steeling myself to rap my knuckles against the door. A few seconds passed before the door opened. Vince had on a pair of dark blue sweatpants, and judging from the clear outline of his cock leaning toward his left leg beneath the cotton, that was all he had on.
He smiled and opened the door the rest of the way, stepping to one side so I could move past him. His chest was bare, a few water droplets still dripping from his hair to meander down the tight muscles of his torso. I placed the bag of food on the first surface I could find, a small stand that held a phone and the latest copy of the Tampa Tribune, with Vince’s latest headline and a color photo of the late pastor staring up at me—Slasherazzi 5, Tampa Police Department 0. I dismissed the pang in my chest and turned to Vince. His back was to me as he closed the door. I moved up behind him, pushing his body up against the hard surface. He grunted as I leaned into him, reaching one hand around to stroke my fingertips against the bulge of his cock.
“Fuck the food,” I whispered, my lips capturing his earlobe. His hips rocked, grinding against my dick, which was suddenly begging for release from the jeans that grew tighter by the second.
“If that’s what you want,” Vince replied, reaching back to grip my waist and hold me up against him as he continued the slow, torturous rubbing of his ass up and down the length of my cock. “I’d rather you fuck me, though.”
I snickered and ducked my head down a little to kiss and lick at his neck, while my hands began to travel up over the taut skin of his abs until they found two small patches of soft pliable flesh. I took each nipple and rolled them between my thumb and forefinger. Vince let out a loud moan, bracing his hands against the door to steady himself.
“Shit,” he gasped.
With one foot, I nudged his legs apart until they were spread across the hallway, with Vince leaning forward, his ass pushed out in invitation. I thrust my hips against him, the friction almost unbearable.
“Come on, Alex. Fuck me,” he pleaded. “We’ve got all night for foreplay.”
“True.” I gave one last pinch of his nipples, leaving him panting for breath as I turned toward the bedroom. “Don’t move.”
The condoms and lube were still where we’d left them, haphazardly tossed onto the bed amidst the rumpled sheets. I grabbed them and strode back into the hall. Vince hadn’t moved, still assuming the position like a criminal ready to be frisked. I unbuttoned my jeans and slipped them down over my hips along with my boxers, leaving my hard dick to brush the soft material of his sweatpants, pushing up against the firm muscle beneath. Within seconds, I had the condom out of its packet and rolled down over my cock. My fingers slipped beneath the elastic waistband of Vince’s pants and exposed his round, tanned ass.
I squeezed a small amount of lube onto my fingers and circled his tight hole before forcing my way past its resistance. Vince groaned and pushed back against me.
“Alex, please.”
I smirked and continued the slow fucking, twisting my finger inside him until the muscles eased enough for me to stretch him with a second digit. With the bottle of lube in my other hand, I drizzled it generously over my cock and tossed the container to one side.
“Ready?” I asked, smothering the cool liquid across the latex.
“Just hurry up, will you?”
I chuckled and withdrew my fingers from him, wiping the excess lube off on my jeans before gripping his hips and holding him steady. My cock lined up at his entrance, I thrust in deep. We groaned in unison, the heat of his ass clenching down on me.
I pulled out slowly, then shoved my way back through the tight muscles, repeating the motion until the tension eased and my dick could slide easily into him. His hips moved with me as I began to increase the pace, slamming into him. I took hold of his waist with both hands and pulled him back into me as I thrust forward. He gave a sharp cry, tilting his head back.
“Oh yeah,” he breathed, balling his hands into fists against the door and his head turning to one side. One jade eye caught mine, holding my gaze. Another forceful drive of my cock and he sucked in his lower lip, stifling the moan. No doubt he was wary of people that might be walking down the corridor hearing more than they needed to. Not that it would have made any difference with the sound of our flesh smacking together echoing inside the narrow hall of his apartment.
I grunted, digging my nails into his skin. A drop of sweat trickled down my spine while a second meandered past my temple. Heat flushed my cheeks, and I drew in short, sharp breaths. My balls tightened, as did the coil in my gut. The pressure inside grew until it came crashing through me. My legs shook beneath me as I held myself deep inside Vince, panting to regain my breath. Blood pounded through my skull, carrying with it a haze that blanketed my mind.
When my heart had calmed and I could string together more than a single word in thought, I placed two fingers around the condom at the base of my cock and pulled out completely, drawing a disappointed whimper from Vince’s throat. I quickly tied the rubber and threw it down with the lube.
“Turn around and put your hands behind your back,” I ordered.
Vince obeyed, his dick jutting out beneath his sweatpants. I hooked my fingers around the waistband and let it bob free, a single drop of pre-cum dangling from the tip. Stepping in close, I captured his lips with my own and wrapped my fingers around his shaft. The soft skin slid over his hard cock just as easily as our slick tongues glided over each other.
I drew back first and ducked my head down to capture his left nipple as I continued to jack him off. He thrust into my hand, the motion of his hips speeding up the more I sucked on the sensitive skin and worried it gently between my teeth. I tightened my grip, twisting it over the head and smothering a large bead of ejaculate. Vince groaned and writhed, his body twisting and shuddering.
“You gonna come for me?” I asked, releasing his nipple and moving back up to the juncture of his jaw and neck, where I kissed and sucked. Vince nodded, his hands moving from behind his back to hold onto my shoulders as his cock twitched in my hand. His body trembled, and his mouth opened wide. I took the opportunity, smothering his cry before it had a chance to fill the small space. He bucked against me, riding out the climax and grunting into the kiss. His fingers gripped my shirt, pulling it tight across my skin as his body stilled. He turned his head to one side, gasping for breath.
I leaned against him, happy to bathe in the afterglow of our orgasms and the heat that radiated between us. Sex was always something we were good at together. Both of us enjoyed it immensely, and that was a huge bonus to our relationship. But now, I couldn’t help wonder if that was exactly Tanya’s point. I sighed, my body almost melting into Vince.
“FYI, you’re cleaning that up,” he drawled with a lopsided smirk. I pushed myself away from him and glanced down at the dark blue carpet where a trail of white stretched out about four feet down the hall.
“Damn,” I muttered. A long string of cum still dangled from his half-limp cock. I scooped up the drop with two fingers and brought it up to Vince’s mouth. His tongue darted out to clean the sticky liquid from my skin. “Well, that’s my part done. I’ll go heat up the food.”
“Bastard,” he replied.
After warming the food, we sat down on the gray fabric couch in front of the TV to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Vince still wearing only his sweatpants. I kicked off my shoes and laid them to one side, putting my feet up on the coffee table as I tucked into my Lo Mein noodles. Vince finished his meal first and sprawled out across the couch to rest his head in my lap.
“Hey,” I grumbled. “Don’t be getting comfortable.” He patted my knee. “Oh, I plan on doing just that.”
I reached over him to set my noodle box down and grabbed the remote, hitting the power button.
“Come on, Alex, I was watching that,” he moaned, pushing himself upright.
“We need to talk first.”
Vince cast his gaze to one side and sighed deeply. “I know, but shit, do we have to do this right now? I was enjoying just hanging out.”
“Just wanna make sure we’re both on the same page, that’s all,” I replied. “I don’t want us to end up repeating the same mistakes.”
Vince scooted closer, placing one hand on my knee. “What the hell, we were losing the game anyway. I'm listening.”
“I like you, Vince. I really do, but when you go into 'job-mode', it's like you're a different person, and you'll do anything to get a story, even if it means hurting me. I need to know that our relationship means more to you than furthering your career.”
We'd never really talked things through before— maybe that was where we had gone wrong—and instead, we shouted and argued, only to come back together after some time apart. And God, it felt so good to finally get it off my chest, like a weight being lifted and making it easier to breathe. I only hoped I hadn't laid it on too thick as the silence between us was starting to feel a lot more foreboding. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, until finally he spoke.
“I'm sorry.”
I exhaled and took hold of his hands. He stared at me, the green of his eyes reflecting the orange light of a nearby lamp.
“It's just journalism was something I always wanted to do,” he said, turning his gaze to the floor. “I really tried, but I was going nowhere. I only ever got short columns in the middle of the paper. No one knew who I was. Then I stumbled on some of your notes, and suddenly, I was going places. I wanted to keep that momentum going, and I guess I kinda got addicted to that rush. You have no idea how good it felt to finally be recognized.”
“That's not really an excuse.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “I thought if I explained you might understand. It's the same for you, right? You're always trying to outdo the competition, to find that one clue that will solve the case and get you promoted.”
Becoming a detective had meant busting my ass to show I could do my job better than the others. It meant spending long hours at the office and in the field— searching for witnesses and clues, trying to slot the puzzle pieces together before another dead body showed up. I’d blown off more than a few dates with Vince during our relationship because I’d been so focused on my job.
“I guess we’ve both let our jobs get in the way,” I said, reaching out to cup his cheek. He closed his eyes and rubbed the side of his face against my palm. “I think this time we both need to get our priorities straight. And we need some rules, too.”
Vince opened his eyes and nodded. “Okay. No more trying to get information out of you for my articles. But if we bump into each other at a crime scene, I’m still allowed to interrogate you for a comment.”
“And I reserve the right to say ‘no comment.’ Well, actually, I’m pretty certain I’m banned from making public comments after what happened today. The captain saw my little outburst on the news.”
Vince grimaced and sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Yeah, I can imagine that didn’t go down too well. If you ever do comment, I’ll try and make you look good. As for you, I’d rather you spent less time thinking about putting other men in handcuffs. Doesn’t do much for my ego, you know?”
I snickered and shoved Vince’s shoulder. “Idiot. I’m trying to be serious here.”
“And so was I, mostly.” Vince shuffled closer again and took hold of my hand. “It’s just that there were times when you would spend your whole day at work and I never got to see you. Made me wonder how much you wanted to be with me, and if I had to start killing people for you to give me some attention.”
I lowered my head and exhaled loudly. “I’m sorry. I just get so caught up sometimes because I hate the thought of letting the bad guys get away.”
“And what about me? Do you want me to get away from you, too?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Okay, so how about we promise to always make time for each other? I’ll understand if it’s an emergency, like a body showing up, but I need to know our relationship is important to you.”
“It is,” I replied, meeting his gaze again. “From now on, I’ll keep my overtime to a minimum, and I won’t keep cancelling our dates.”
He smiled and leaned in to press his lips against mine for a quick, chaste kiss. The tang of his lemon chicken was left behind, along with a warm, fuzzy sensation that rose up from within my chest.
“Thanks for tonight,” I said, lifting my hand to stroke the back of his head. “We should have had this talk a long time ago.”
“Well, now that we got that out of the way…” Vince patted my knee, then quickly reached for the remote to turn the television back on. In the time we’d taken, the Buccaneers had caught up and managed to pull ahead by two points. “All right, we’re back in the game,” Vince cheered, raising one fist into the air.
I struggled to hold back a laugh, and Vince glared at me briefly before settling back down across my lap. “Yeah, looks like we are. Let’s hope it stays that way.”