Deadly Affairs

Chapter 1

He pulled into the garage and closed the door. The last thing he needed was his car to be recognized at his lover's home. Dawn would be waiting, and knew their time was limited.

With a confident stride, he made his way to the kitchen door. Once opened, the scent of banana bread hit him. She'd been on a pumpkin spice kick lately—and was obsessed with jarred candles. The new aroma was a welcome change of pace.

His eyes lit up the moment he saw her. She was the only thing he’d thought of through his earlier meetings and workday that seemed to drone on endlessly. Hey, babe.

Hey. Her words were cool and detached. Normally, she'd jump into his arms. He leaned in for a kiss, but she drew up her hand to put space between them. Wait.

What was this bullshit? He furrowed his brow. Dawn?

Dawn balled up her fists. Don’t. I need to stay strong. The truth is...anyway, I’m torn. I want to do the right thing, but I love you. The choice wasn’t easy, but I have my integrity.

Integrity? Funny coming from a woman sleeping with a married man. Whatever was bugging her, he’d quell the fire and get back to business.

She avoided eye contact and nervously glanced at the floor. This is hard to say. Painful, even. Just know that I love you. I’m not doing this to hurt you.

And I love you. What’s going on? His voice hitched.

Her words came out rushed. We need to talk. I can’t dangle from this cliff anymore.

He glanced at his watch. They didn’t have a lot of time. A distraction was the last thing he needed. What he wanted was to hold her close, smell the heavenly scent of her skin, all peaches, cream, and baby powder, and to make love.

Besides, the last piece of jewelry he gave her was supposed to subdue the are you leaving your wife or not conversation. Come on. This was bullshit.

He said what she needed to hear. Told her he loved her. Surprised her with jewelry. It did the job. Would they be going down this rabbit hole yet again? About what?

She swallowed hard and summoned her courage. I overheard Tommy. He didn't know I was there.

He cocked his head. What does your brother have to do with anything?

Dawn took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. It was as if something lodged in her throat. She forced the words out. I know about the drugs.

A storm brewed in his eyes. Drugs? What the hell are you talking about?  

I know about the black-market stuff, the smuggling, all of it. Her heart slammed against her ribcage with the force of a sledgehammer. I can't do this. This isn’t okay. It’s wrong.

He reached up and stroked her cheek. "Baby, I'm not sure what you're insinuating, but you're obviously mistaken. I have no idea what you're talking about, or why your brother would even mention my name. I don't even know him. Whatever this nonsense is, you're confused. Whatever you thought you heard, it has nothing to do with me."

I can't pretend. Please don't do this. I can't erase what I heard. This is too big. Too much. I’m giving you a moment to collect your thoughts. I’m going to the police. Her hands trembled. She shook her head, then pulled her arms tightly around her body. I'm sorry.

He glared straight through her. You're crazy. Seriously, crazy. You've known me for how long? Dawn, I adore you. Why would you say such a thing? This is so off base, I'm not even sure what to think. Do you realize what you're saying? Do you realize what you're accusing me of? It's insane.

She bit her lower lip, trying to stop the quiver. Anxiety pulsed through her veins. This is so hard...

Hard? Bullshit. This is nonsense.

He had a family. She needed to at least give him time to talk with them. There were kids involved. I can't pretend that I don’t know. When I heard the truth—it crushed me. Look, I've never liked my brother being involved in the lifestyle he is, but it doesn’t change my decision.

He clenched his teeth. This is a mistake.

She couldn’t look at him. She’d go weak in the knees—apologize, beg him to forgive her. No. There was no denying the facts. She knew right from wrong. If she looked the other way, she'd hate herself for ignoring the truth. She forced her gaze up to meet his. Don't lie to me.

Silence.

Dawn—

Don't, she whispered.

In an instant, his fingers clawed at her throat. He wrapped his massive hands around it, and with every ounce of anger, he squeezed her tender flesh, refusing to let go.

She thrashed, trying to free herself. She swatted at him in desperation, trying to pull him off her. Her eyes bulged. I can’t...breathe.

Rage tore through him. He held fast and squeezed tighter. If he held on long enough, he’d crush her windpipe.

Dawn kicked him. Nothing helped. He was too strong.

Everything faded to black.

It took longer than he’d expected, but once he'd started, he couldn't stop. His hands wrapped tightly around her neck like a python working on its latest kill. She slumped and hung like a rag doll.

Panicked, he jerked away.

Her body crashed to the ground like a sack of potatoes. 

She was listless at his feet. A wave of nausea crashed over him. He buckled at the knees and screamed. No! I'm so sorry, baby.

Collapsing to the floor, he placed her head into his lap. All the color drained form his face, as the world moved in slow motion. Oh my God, what did I do?

He slid his fingers over her neck, in search of a pulse.

Nothing.

He glanced at his watch. How much time did he have? A tsunami of grief washed over him.

What now?

There was no valiant effort to start CPR. There'd be no emergency call placed to 9-1-1. Nothing. He rubbed the back of his neck and stared at his dead lover.

It was over. He had to do it. It’s not like he had a choice.

He lifted her head from his lap and shifted away.

His mind was a carousel stuck on high speed.

If anybody found out, he'd rot in jail. He’d never to see his wife or kids again. His career would be finished.

No. He'd manage this, just like he managed everything else in his life.

He refused to let this one little blemish destroy him. He'd figure it out. He was smart. He just needed to... yes. Dispose of her body. Clean up behind himself. It would be a cold case never solved. He could do this.

With new resolve, he looked around. He couldn't leave her there. He'd need to drive her deep into the woods, into territory where nobody would find her. And if they did, there'd be too little to find.

His heart thumped loudly. The ideas came faster than he could keep up with. He knew what he had to do. It wouldn't be easy, but the alternative would certainly be worse.

I'm sorry, baby. There's no other way.

He slipped into the garage in search of the blue tarp, the one he'd used when he helped her paint the living room. He'd need to gather her body and deal with the evidence.

Another glance at his watch left a pit in his stomach.

She'd have to wait in the trunk of his car until he could finish the deed. It's not like he could dispose of her in one piece. No, he'd need to make it difficult for her to be identified. If he could take care of it this evening, he'd be able to do it right.

He grabbed a hammer from the toolbox in the garage and dragged it back in with the tarp. With a wincing blow, he slammed the hammer against Dawn's throat, making sure her windpipe was completely crushed. Again and again, he banged the hammer. His stomach twisted and rolled.

Wrapping her limp body in the tarp, he lifted, then carried her to his car. He placed her on the cool cement floor before digging into his pocket for his keys. Popping the trunk open, he pushed things around and then wedged her tightly into the space that remained. With the trunk closed, he sat on it for a moment and rubbed his temples. This wasn't in his plans. Why did life have to be so complicated?

He calmly walked back inside and dug out a bottle of bleach that sat under the kitchen sink. He'd mop the floor and make sure there was no trace of him there.

It was going to be a long, ugly night. There were so many things to do.

Chapter 2

Alex Ramsey stared down at the dead body. He'd seen plenty in his time, but this, this was unusual. He took a few steps back and paced. The woman was decapitated. Her hands and feet had been cut off, and the parts were missing.

They torched her, too—it wasn’t pretty.

Her extended abdomen told him she'd been dead for a couple of days. Probably no more than five, or she'd have taken on a wetter appearance and the odor would be stronger. Another telltale sign was that the areas of her skin that hadn't charred looked marbled.

They'd label her Jane Doe until they learned her identity. If a hiker hadn't stumbled across the body on his hike, she might have decomposed enough to be untraceable.

Alex had his work cut out for him.

Not a sex crime. Her clothes were intact. Normally, victims were found naked if they'd been sexually assaulted before being killed. Why bother redressing them? Maybe they thought clothes would help ignite the flames better, but either way, this didn’t look like a rape case.

The suspect knew the victim. The way they'd tried to rid the body of identity—it was personal.

Alex stepped in closer, then leaned down. Jagged flesh. Maybe a hunting knife or a saw. It wasn't a clean cut.

He'd smeared a line of Vicks VapoRub under his nostrils before getting too close. He'd been privy to the foul odors of a decaying body in the past and picked up a couple of tricks to make the job easier.

He recoiled at his first murder scene of a rotting corpse. The memory of the pungent odor flashed back, far too realistic for his liking. He'd learned the lesson fast and always kept the rub handy.

Bryce Mitchell snapped pictures of the dead woman's body. He studied the angles, the sloppy slicing of the neck and limbs, and the way a trail of grass had been pushed down. They may have carried her part of the way, but at least toward the portion they stopped at, they'd been dragging her. The ground behind them showed wear.

He followed the trail until the flattened grass stood upright. Fallen leaves may have tainted the path, but when he brushed them away, it went a little farther.

The sun bounced off something shiny. A tiny glint jumped out at him. He called out, I think I've got something over here.

Alex joined him.

Bryce pointed to the shiny object and pushed the leaves gently to the side. He snapped a couple of pictures, then looped it with a pen and pulled it from the ground.

Alex pulled out a small evidence bag from his jacket pocket and shook it open. Nice find.

Bryce dropped the piece of jewelry into the bag. A necklace. We'll get a better look at it in the lab. Maybe we can find something that’ll lead us somewhere.

They must have done the butcher work here. Don't you think? Otherwise, the necklace would be long gone. My guess is that they got her out here, and then finished the job in the cover of the woods or darkness, Alex surmised. Not much blood. Our victim must have been dead for a while.

Sick fuck, Bryce added.

Cam, you got this? Alex called over his shoulder.

Cam moved closer and documented the latest information. He jotted down times, locations, and conditions of everything found at the scene of the crime, especially when it came to evidence.

Alex sketched out a couple of details and noted measurements, then went back to examine the body once more. Once everything was documented and photographed, they'd wait on the medical examiner.

Mason Ridge was a large suburban community in Pennsylvania that sat just outside of the city. With more trees and parks, it offered a family vibe for those who commuted into the busier hub of Philadelphia. The stretch of woods where they found the body was part of a large county park and situated in the middle of the suburbia. Alex had spent endless hours hiking those park trails and fishing at the lake in his youth.

Only the section that they were investigating wasn't actually a trail. It was off the beaten path, tucked in the back, and would have taken a bit to get to. The person who moved the body had to be in good physical shape to have pulled that off. Most likely they'd made their move under the cover of darkness.

***

Alex grew up with one goal in mind. He'd find justice and make things right in the world. Sure, going the vigilante route was tempting, but he wanted to be on the clean side of the law.

When his brother died, all he wanted was revenge. Knowing the bastard would rot in jail didn't feel like enough of a victory. Sure, he was tried and convicted, but it didn't bring his brother back. There was a hole the size of Jupiter in his heart that never truly healed. The day his brother died was the day he saw his future.

Most figured he'd never amount to much. He'd been running around, not taking school seriously, and found trouble a good deal of the time, but not after that. It was the turning point that straightened him on a path that would lead him to his career. He'd been on the force for longer that he'd ever done anything. He wasn't good at sticking with stuff, but this, this grabbed him with a ferocity that held his attention.

It was his meticulous nature that helped