Traffic Stop (22 page)

Ryan felt the phone vibrate at her hip, grabbed it, and flipped it open in one movement.

“Thomas.”

“Oh, don’t you sound all butch and sexy?” Tobi purred.

Ryan knew the heat in her chest and neck were working their way to her face, so she turned her back to the rest of the office before responding.

“Stop that,” she replied hoarsely. Hearing her in that husky low voice sent tingles down Ryan’s spine. “Do you have any idea the hassle I would get if anyone saw me right now?”

Tobi laughed and responded, “Oh, baby, tell me more.”

“You are so bad,” Ryan exclaimed, giving Tobi a few minutes to quit laughing. “What are you up to?”

“Not a whole lot. Your mom and I watched TV for a while, and now she’s puttering around in the kitchen doing something. I was reading and thought I’d take a few minutes to see how you were doing.”

“I got assigned to desk duty, so I’m doing fine.”

“Desk duty? Is that because of what happened yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, honey.”

“Don’t be; it gives me time to do more checking on our friend Sylvia Hyde. It also means I’ll be home on time tonight.”

“That was going to be my next question. So, I guess I’ll see you in a little bit then.”

“That you will. I should be home in about forty-five minutes.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

Ryan hung up and turned back to the computer, keying in a few more numbers before sitting back and waiting. She jerked forward and stared at the screen. She couldn’t believe what she saw next to the flashing cursor.

“What the hell?”

yan, why aren’t you out of here yet?”

“Come take a look at this, Jake.”

R He stood behind her and glanced over her shoulder.

Pointing at the screen, he asked, “You mean this?”

“Yeah.”

“It says he’s deceased. What’s the big deal?”

“Look at the date.”

“January 16, 1997…I still don’t get what this is about.”

Ryan turned to face him and replied, “Jake, the computer says that this man is dead, but that is the exact name and birth date that comes up when I put in one of the phone numbers from Sylvia Hyde’s phone records.”

“Maybe Geraldo Santiago needs to be looked into a little further,” Jake said, frowning.

“My thoughts exactly. However, I need to get home before Tobi starts wondering where the hell I am.”

“C’mon, I’ll walk you out.”

Ryan and Tobi headed home after a short conversation with Grace. On the way, they decided to just order a pizza for dinner.

They sat curled on the couch together while waiting for the delivery guy to bring their dinner. Sitting side by side with her arm over Tobi’s shoulders, Ryan sifted her fingers through Tobi’s hair.

“So, you had a good day then, huh?” Ryan asked.

“Yes, your mother is great. She’s so easy to talk to, and I love spending time with her. Not to mention all the wonderful pictures she has shown me.”

“Pictures? What kind of pictures?”

“Oh, you know, just some of you growing up and of the family.” Tobi looked at Ryan since she sounded almost upset.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just wondering which pictures she showed you. I was such a gawky girl.”

“I thought you were cute. You just finally grew into those long legs of yours.” Tobi saw Ryan’s teeth pulling on her lower lip and sat up a little straighter.

“Ryan, is something else wrong?”

“No, I was just thinking is all.”

“Okay, well, do you want to share what’s on your mind?”

Ryan removed her arm and stood up, pacing across the living room. She walked to the bookshelf and ran a finger across it before turning back to face Tobi.

“It’s this whole thing with this attacker and the phone calls, Tobi.” Ryan threw her arms out in frustration and then swung around to face the bookcase again. She rested her hands against a shelf and dropped her head a little. “It just seems so strange. It’s like the pieces are there, but we aren’t making the connection.”

Tobi moved toward Ryan and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Did something else happen?”

Ryan turned and let her arms relax over the top of Tobi’s shoulders. “I got Sylvia Hyde’s phone records. There were several numbers that appeared more often than any others. When I plugged them into the computer, one of them came back a little odd.”

“What do you mean, a little odd?”

“The name that matches the number was of a man who apparently…isn’t alive.”

“How can that be?”

“I don’t know. It’s one of the things that Jake and I are going to check into. It’s got me curious, though.”

“I can see why. Just be careful, okay?”

Ryan leaned down and kissed Tobi on the lips. “Always.”

Tobi returned Ryan’s kiss and felt arms enclose her and pull her tight. Ryan nibbled on her lip, waiting for Tobi’s mouth to open before sliding her tongue inside. As the kiss heated up, Ryan could feel Tobi’s nipples harden against her. Ryan rubbed her palm across Tobi’s breast and gently squeezed. Tobi moaned and walked her backward toward the couch. Just as Ryan felt the back of her knees bump against it, the doorbell rang.

“His timing is impeccable,” Ryan said.

“Absolutely.” Kissing Ryan one last time, Tobi stepped around her to get the door. She heard a thump and turned back to see Ryan face down on the couch and groaning. Laughing, Tobi opened the door to fetch their pizza.

While Ryan cleaned up the pizza mess, Tobi squatted down before the stereo and turned on a soft, slow tune. She stood back up and walked over to Ryan, who was leaning against the wall watching. Tobi turned down the lights, took her hand, and pulled her to the center of the room.

“Dance with me?”

“Um, Tobi, I really don’t dance very well.”

“Put your arms around me and just move with me,” Tobi said, positioning her arms across Ryan’s shoulders and sliding her fingers into the hair on the back of her neck.

Ryan nodded and placed her hands on Tobi’s waist. As Tobi’s hips started moving, Ryan watched her feet and slowly moved with her.

Tobi slid her hands down Ryan’s chest and wrapped her arms around her. She smiled and laid her head on Ryan’s shoulder.

They danced for some time before the words of the song started sinking in, making Tobi’s feet slow down until they were almost standing still. She could feel Ryan’s heartbeat beneath her ear as they listened. The lyrics spoke so strongly of the heartache Ryan had been through; the moments of crying and of needing a friend to comfort her from the hurt. Tobi wanted to be there to always kiss away Ryan’s tears.

Tobi looked intently into Ryan’s eyes and could see the emotion mirrored in them.

Ryan leaned in and kissed Tobi with all the heat and passion that she was feeling as the last verse played.

Tobi hummed with the music and whispered in Ryan’s ear as the song ended. “I’m going to stand by your side, so you’ll never feel alone.”

Tobi took Ryan’s hand and tugged her to the carpet. She knelt in front of Ryan and took her face between her hands and sent a searing kiss across her lips. Tobi tangled her hands in Ryan’s hair, tilted her head back, and bit her chin softly before moving to nuzzle her neck. Tobi heard the moan deep in Ryan’s throat as she took an earlobe between her teeth and gently blew in her ear.

Mother of God! Ryan is going to send me over the edge without
even touching me!

Ryan yanked Tobi into her arms, and they tumbled back until Tobi came to rest fully on top of her. Ryan groaned quietly, and Tobi shifted her body, so she was lying mostly next to her, realizing they had forgotten about her sore ribs.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Tobi said, moving a tress of hair behind her ear.

Ryan’s head was resting in the crook of Tobi’s arm as she caressed Ryan’s mouth with her own. Tobi moved a hand gradually up her thigh, dipping her fingers underneath Ryan’s shirt to stroke the hard, yet smooth surface of her abdomen. Ryan trembled slightly below her and Tobi could feel the ridges of goose bumps forming on her skin.

“Cold?”

“No,” Ryan rasped. “I love you, Tobi.”

“I love you, too, baby.”

“Make love to me?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Tobi said, grinning.

Tobi helped her sit up and stripped her shirt and bra off. Ryan laid back down as Tobi nuzzled her chest, taking in the scent that was distinctly Ryan.

Ryan’s nipples were hard, and she was breathing heavily.

Tobi curled her hands inside the waistband of Ryan’s jeans, popped the button, and slid the zipper down. Each click from the teeth on the zipper sent Ryan’s libido into overdrive.

“Raise your hips, honey.”

Ryan lifted her hips and Tobi slid the jeans and panties down inch by agonizing inch. Tobi brushed each knee with her lips before stopping at Ryan’s ankles to remove her shoes. She tugged each sock slowly from Ryan’s feet and grinned while tossing them aside. Tobi nipped at her toes then grasped the legs of her jeans and pulled them off. Tobi ran her hands back up over Ryan’s ankles and gathered the silky panties in her fingers. She removed them with ease and laid them aside.

Tobi caressed the soft skin around Ryan’s ankles and shifted to enclose strong calf muscles within her palms. She squeezed gently before sliding her hands up and over Ryan’s knees to the inside of her smooth, warm thighs.

Ryan whimpered as Tobi’s hands moved up and over her pelvis without making contact with the part of her that needed it most.

Tobi supported herself above Ryan’s hips and leaned down to run her tongue across Ryan’s navel. Ryan quivered as Tobi’s tongue traced a path around her navel, up her abdomen, and into the valley between her breasts.

Ryan drew her breath in sharply when Tobi moistened one nipple and then the other with her tongue. Tobi rolled a nipple between her fingers and gently bit down on the other.

“Please,” Ryan said in a voice hoarse with desire.

Tobi slowly kissed her way down to the thatch of soft curly hair between Ryan’s legs. The scent of Ryan’s arousal spurred Tobi along. The smell was driving her insane, and Tobi couldn’t wait another minute to taste her. Tobi ran her tongue the full length of Ryan’s moist folds and gently flicked the hardened nub.

Sweet Jesus!
Tobi’s own heart rate skyrocketed after one delicious sample of Ryan.

Ryan arched her back and groaned at the sweet torture Tobi was wreaking on her.

“Baby,” Ryan rasped. “Please, I need you.”

Ryan bent her knees and gave Tobi her complete trust by dropping her legs wide open and exposing herself. Tobi kissed each thigh before returning to Ryan’s heated center. She slid a finger then two slowly inside while sucking on the bundle of nerves, threatening to send Ryan over the edge.

“Oh, God, Tobi…honey, that feels so good.”

Tobi twisted her fingers a little and again stroked her tongue across Ryan’s hard clit as she felt the inner walls enclosing her fingers tighten. Ryan threaded her fingers through Tobi’s hair and pulled her closer as the orgasm tore through her, and she cried out.

As Ryan’s body relaxed around her, Tobi moved up next to her and cradled Ryan in her arms. Tobi looked down into closed eyes and waited for her breathing to slow before speaking. Ryan opened her eyes as Tobi’s fingers brushed across her cheek.

“You are so beautiful, Ryan,” Tobi said as she leaned down to kiss her lips. “I love you.”

Unfocused eyes settled upon Tobi’s as Ryan’s mouth opened slightly. “I love you, too.”

Ryan rolled them over and looked down at her. “Your turn,”

she said as her hands went to Tobi’s clothing.

Several hours and a few rug burns later, they fell into bed, completely satiated.

A call to David Hyde confirmed that Cynthia Raleigh was indeed the same Cindy he was referring to. Now to figure out exactly how Geraldo Santiago figured into the picture. Ryan logged into the computer and typed in Mr. Santiago’s information.

She was slowly reading through it when one particular item jumped out at her. She glanced back over the details she had written down the day before, and noted a discrepancy in the addresses. One was what came up from the phone check, and the other was the last reported address that was showing up today.

Ryan wrote the other address down and browsed through the rest of the information. According to this spreadsheet, Mr. Santiago died from several gunshot wounds; one to his head had ultimately claimed his life.

“This just doesn’t make sense,” Ryan said quietly before clicking a few more keys. There were statements in the report that the death appeared to be a hunting accident. “What kind of accident has
multiple
gunshot wounds?”

“Keep talking to yourself, and soon they’ll think you’ve really lost it.”

Ryan looked up and saw a smirking Jake standing next to her.

“Hey,” she said, slapping his leg.

“Hey yourself. Whatcha got there?”

“It’s the information on Geraldo Santiago. It says he died from multiple gunshot wounds during a hunting trip.”

“Multiple?” Jake asked.

Ryan only nodded in response. “Jake, do you think it’s just a coincidence that his name appears on a phone bill that belonged to a woman who is now dead, too?”

“Anything is possible at this point. Did you get an address?”

“As a matter of fact, I got two.”

“Two?” Ryan held up the paper showing two addresses and Jake continued, “Well, we’ve got time, why don’t we go check out at least one of them?”

“Sounds good,” Ryan said as she grabbed her jacket to follow him.

“Turn here,” Ryan said as the street came into view. “It should be down on the left.” They had decided to check the address that coincided with the phone bill first and see what they came up with. They stopped and looked across the street at the front of the house. It appeared badly in need of repair. Shutters dangled off their hinges, and the screen door had a large rip through the center.

The house itself needed a paint job. Various bags of detritus sat in the yard, and layers of trash were strewn across the porch.

“You ready?”