Blue Mirror (Corsair and Xana)

[Xanaphia]

Claudia stumbled into Joe’s arms, clinging to him like a lifeline. The humiliation of him seeing her like this gave way against the relief that he was here right now, when she needed him.

“Shit! Are you all right?”

“I…” Was she? She was alive, and even walking, if only barely. And she’d consented to the night, and even enjoyed herself, at first. Now she felt used. Dirty. Cheap. “Can you take me home? Please?”

Joe helped her into the passenger’s seat, but even sitting ached, right now. It was impossible to relax, even as exhausted as she was. She could still feel the killer inside her, even though all the men had come in her, several times. He’d made sure to make himself known.

“He was there, Joe. The man from the visions. The killer. I saw him, I…” Her words died away before she could admit to fucking him, but she suspected Joe would piece that together. He didn’t have to know he made her cum, multiple times. “He was there…”

Joe had to help her up to her apartment, and then into the bathroom. Standing was still agony, but the hot water was a brief reprieve from the pain. From the shame of going along, even after she’d wanted to stop.

Joe had set out some clothes for her to change into once she got out. Casual pajamas, a tank top and shorts, and it was just want she wanted. It felt oddly intimate to join in her living in her pj’s, which didn’t make much sense. He’d slept in her bed nearly every night of the past two weeks, and they’d been naked for almost all of that. Still, despite how awkward it felt, she joined him on the couch, and slid up beside him. She had to be close to see what he was doing on his laptop, after all. “Find anything?”

Quite a bit, as it turned out. The building she’d been taken to was the main office for McAllister Group Holdings, LLC, some financial firm of sorts; she didn’t really get the finer details. Joe scrolled through board members, and she began to recognize the men she’d been with, and put names to the faces. She identified the CEO, Lennox McAllistar, the older man who’d captured her attention. Jacob Tolver, the man who’d picked her up. Alton Drew, the one who fucked her second, with his frigid wife Wendy. Samuel Johnson, the tall black man, and Erik Schaffer, the one who might have been gay, and…

“Wait,” Claudia said aloud, touching her finger to his laptop screen, “That’s him. That’s…” Matthew Kelly, posed with his pretty younger wife. He had a cocky smirk on his face, the same cocky smirk he wore as she recognized him that night. As she came around him, and he came inside her.

With a new lead, Joe dug into his research. She tried to keep up, following along for a time before exhaustion caught up to her in a big yawn. Still, she stayed beside Joe, but stretched out onto the remaining space on the couch. It wasn’t the time to rest, not with a new lead to follow, but she was too tired to keep her eyes open. And yet…

“Don’t leave. Stay with me, for awhile longer? Please?”

 

[TheCorsair]

“Can you take me home? Please?”

She sounded exhausted. No, not exhausted. Beaten. Luke something had broken in her. “Fuck that,” he snapped, digging out his badge with one hand and supporting her with the other. Rage ripples through him, a primal fury that he didn’t care to examine. “We’ve got probable cause, Claudia. Point out the motherfucker that did this, and...”

And something in her expression stopped him. Whatever exactly had hapoened in there, it was... what? Consensual? Did she even know? He wondered about that, even as he half-carried her to the car and got her seated. She waited until they were on the road to speak again. “He was there, Joe.” No need to elaborate on who he was, but she did anyway. “The man from the visions. The killer. I saw him, I…”

Her condition and her cover story told the tale. She’d been picked up as a hooker, and put in a position where she had to, Well, be a hooker. And it was more than one man, clearly. He gripped the steering wheel hard, knuckles white, wanting to kill someone as she fell silent.

“He was there…” she repeated, voice listless.

They didn’t speak again, not as he helped her into her apartment and her shower, then dug out bedclothes for her. And then he fired up her laptop and started researching McAllister Group Holdings, the company that used the skyscraper as an office. It was their best lead.

“Find anything?” Claudia asked, taking a seat next to him.

He jumped, startled at her arrival. “Yeah. Their c-suite. If the bastard was there, it seems like..,”

“Wait.” She tapped the screen. “That’s him.”

“Matthew Kelly,” Joe mused aloud, then pulled up Google. “Hmmm... Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President Of McAlister Group since 2914. Undergraduate degrees in linguistics and theology, MBA, multiple certifications in, uhm, computer and computer security stuff. Married to, uhm, Chi-Lai Angchuan-Kelly. She, uhm, is CEO of some virtual assistant company operating out of Bangkok.” He stared at the Asian woman next to the perp. “Think she knows about his hobby?”

Claudia yawned. He glanced over, saw the exhaustion writ in her features, and closed the screen. In response, she leaned into him. “Don’t leave. Stay with me, for awhile longer? Please?”

“All right.” Sliding the laptop onto the coffee table, he helped her to her feet. “But you need to get some sleep, all right?” With that he led her into the bedroom and tucked her in. Then he crawled in next to her, stifling a yawn. “I’ll just... stay. A little longer. All right?” Her response was a soft snore. A moment later, he was asleep as well.

 

[Xanaphia]

According to her phone, it was after noon before Claudia woke up again. Joe had an arm around her waist, and the urge to settle back into sleep was strong. He stayed, even slept beside her without the excuse of sex wearing them out. He stayed, even after she’d spent the night with a dozen other men.

I don’t want a relationship. That was she had said to him, after that first night. She’d meant it then. But now, as she snuggled in closer to his comforting warmth? She didn’t know, and she didn’t like not knowing.

She lay in bed a while longer, soothed by Joe’s soft, even breathing, and disturbed by the memories of the past night. She was fucking sore, but heat still coiled tight between her thighs. Would it take much, to get Joe hard right now? Would he try to resist her, out of concern for her physical and mental state? It would hurt like hell, but that felt good sometimes too. Maybe she deserved the pain.

Instead she eased out of bed, trying not to wake Joe, and headed for the kitchen. It might have been 1 PM by now, but she’d just waken up, so as far as she cared, it was breakfast time. So she cracked a couple eggs over the skillet and sizzled some bacon. Once the coffee was ready, she popped a couple Advil, and convinced herself she was already feeling better. And as Joe walked into the kitchen, that thought didn’t feel like much of a lie.

“Hey, you hungry? I got some eggs and bacon going; did you want toast too?” She passed him a mug and poured him some coffee, just resisting the urge to plant a kiss on his cheek as well. The entire situation felt entirely too domestic, so she cleared her throat and got on with the business at hand.

“I doubt we will be able to use anything that happened last night to our benefit. They made sure to get my consent, right up front. Wouldn’t be surprised if they keep a video recording of it, to protect themselves. But hey, we got a name and a face, right? That’s a step in the right direction.” She laughed bitterly, sliding a sunny side up egg onto each plate.

“So, any ideas on how we approach Mr. Kelly?”

 

[TheCorsair]

Joe dug into the coffee first, before hitting the eggs. “Gonna be tough, going after Mr. Kelly,” he said thoughtfully. “Real goddamn tough, because we have no probable cause. I mean, Ewan Dowling is the closest to a suspect we’ve got that we can prove, right? Do they know each other?” He chewed a bite of egg. “Fuck. He wasn’t there last night, was he? I mean, I don’t know if he’d have recognized you, but...”

He let it hang in the air as he ate some toast. “But that video is bad news, if it exists. Particularly with the cash I saw stuffed in your purse.” He hadn’t gone looking, but it had been hard to miss the crumpled, stained wad of hundreds when he’d dug her keys out. “It’s the kind of thing that gets IA looking into things, you know? And... fuck me.”

He drummed his fingers on the table, trying to decide how to say what he’d just thought. “And... if Kelly goes after you? That video, it would make you look like you’re turning trucks on the side. He drops a couple hundred on you when he’s finished, and it’s he said she said whether it was rape or prostitution.”

He grimaced. “Whatever we come up with, I should probably be the one to talk to him.”

 

[Xanaphia]

“Agreed,” Claudia said, staring at her reflection in her cup of coffee. Agreed, but maybe not for the reasons Joe would figure. Because she didn’t think she could trust herself around him.

Besides, the thought that if he did rape her, he’d likely get away with it made her nauseous enough to push aside her half-eaten food. Hell, it would actually even worse than that, wouldn’t it? Because he wasn’t just a rapist, but a sadistic killer as well.

“He’s smart. Smart will make it hard to pin him down, but it also makes him arrogant. He’s going to mess up. and we’ll be ready bring the full weight of the law upon him.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent digging into both Kelly and Downing, and before long they found their connection. Mc Alistair Group had arranged the start up capital for Ewan Downing’s BME. Kelly had been directly involved in that deal, and they even had a couple pictures of the two men together. It wasn’t enough to get a warrant on, but it was a starting point to piecing everything together.

“Maybe we can put some pressure on Downing? Though, that could backfire, if he goes back to Kelly with a warning that we’re onto him. I just don’t like the idea of waiting around for him to kill again.”

 

[TheCorsair]

“You know,” Joe said slowly, “maybe letting him take a message back to Kelly would work.” He tossed a stress ball up in the air, then caught it. “The son of a bitch thinks he’s getting away with things right now, right? He’s confident, because he thinks he’s in control.” He caught the ball again. “If he gets rattled, he’ll make mistakes. And then we’ll have him.”

He sat back up. “Then, once we figure Downing’s delivered the message, I go talk to him directly. Tell him it’s a routine matter, eyewitness placed someone matching his description near a scene, just a few questions, yadda yadda.” A laugh. “Rattle his cage a little more. Plus, maybe I’ll get lucky and spit some good old fashioned probable cause.”

He set the ball diwn. “Either way, we need to stop the undercover work. All it’s doing is putting you in increasing risk - last night went bad, Claudia. And it could get a lot worse.”

 

[Xanaphia]

Claudia nodded along as Joe suggested using Downing to their benefit. “That’s a pretty good idea, Joe.” She slid her laptop onto the coffee table. “I mean, it’s also our only idea, but at least its decent.”

She made her way to the fridge as Joe worked out how he could corner Kelly, maybe get him to admit something, or to make a mistake. A beer sounded amazing right now, as lingering ache throbbed with each step, but she reached for a bottled water instead, and swallowed half of it down before she could change her mind. She brought back another as she joined Joe on the couch.

“Either way, we need to stop the undercover work. All it’s doing is putting you in increasing risk - last night went bad, Claudia. And it could get a lot worse.”

She pulled her legs up against her chest. Was he just worried about her? Or was he jealous? Did she want him to be jealous? Did she want him to care, as more than just a friend and a partner? “I… I guess you’re right. But it did get us the identity of the killer. Who cares about my comfort when we might be able to save the next woman’s life?”

 

[TheCorsair]

“Because you could be the next woman,” Joe replied flatly. “I mean, yeah. Serve and protect and all that. But if he recognized you?” He let the question hang for a moment, before answering it himself. “If he recognized you, then you’re not just a cop putting herself in harms way anymore, Claudia. You’re a target.”

He grimaced, watching her reaction. “And even if he didn’t recognize you, he might recognize you from last night. Enough to decide he wants another piece of you. And we’ve seen what happens to those women.” He made a gesture. “And you’re tough. But are you tough enough to fight off three or four men at once? Because those are shit odds.”

And because I don’t want you to end up dead. But he didn’t say it, didn’t even try to reflect upon it. Because things got complicated, if he followed that thought. Far more complicated than ‘partners with benefits’ needed to get.

“So, yeah,” he finally said. “I go rattle Downing’s cage, and then we see what happens next.”

 

[Xanaphia]

Joe gave voice to the obvious danger she was in if she played the bait anymore. She could be raped, gangraped by multiple men, and then murdered like all the rest of the victims. He didn’t mince words, because that was the kind of guy Joe was. That was what she liked about him, even if she detested it right now.

But when he fell silent, a tension lingered between them. A tension full of unspoken words. Words she couldn’t bring herself to say. Words she wished he would say. Their eyes met, thoughts and emotions fighting their way to the surface, but then he turned away. There would be no feelings between them, no connection. Just sex. But not tonight.

“So, yeah,” he finally said. “I go rattle Downing’s cage, and then we see what happens next.”

“Alright,” she murmured with a listless nod. Then she forced herself up, unwilling to wallow in self-pity. Even if there wasn’t much she could do for the investigation, there were still things that needed to be done. Like the dirty dishes in the sink.

“Maybe you should sleep at your place, tonight. I mean, it’s been what, almost two weeks?” She didn’t look at him as she spoke, just focused her attention on the dishes in the sink. It was hard enough to throw him out. Not because she didn’t want him around, but because she did. Because it had been nice to sleep beside him this morning, and to wake up beside him. Because he had been there when she needed him, and she didn’t want to need him again.

 

[TheCorsair]

Claudia turned to wash the dishes, leaving him feeling like he’d fucked up royally. But... what was he supposed to do? She - both of them, really - had been clear on not wanting a relationship. Just a good partnership, and a good friendship, and scorching hot sex. Was that what he wanted, though? “Claudia...”

Whatever he was going to say was lost in her next statement. “Maybe you should sleep at your place, tonight.” The words were flat, and she didn’t look at him as she spoke. “I mean, it’s been what, almost two weeks?”

“I...”. Irritation flared up, driven by what he didn’t know. “Yeah. I probably should. Got laundry and... stuff. To do, I mean.”

The scrape of wood on linoleum was loud in his ears as he rose. “Hey,” he began, unsure still what he was going to say. She didn’t turn, and his shoulders slumped. “See you Monday,” he added into the emptiness. “We can plan our strategy then.”

All he heard as he let himself out was the thunder of blood in his ears. And his own voice, alternating between angry demands to know what her problem was, and angry I distanced that he was a fucking idiot. “Monday,” he mumbled, starting his car. “I’ll talk to her Monday.”

They just needed a little space. So why did it feel so bad to drive away?

 

[Xanaphia]

Claudia didn’t look at Joe as he left her place, because her resolve with crumble if she did, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away the glow of his headlights as he started his car. He was just doing what she asked, so why did it hurt so fucking much? She followed his car as it pulled away from her place, and disappeared onto the street, until tears stung her eyes and blurred her vision. Idiot. She was a fucking idiot.

Frustration drove her to pull her laptop back out. It took some navigating to find a site dedicated to casual encounters and instant hook ups, but she settled on bedpage.com, and whipped a quick profile.

Curvy redhead looking for something quick and dirty.

No names. No strings. Just hard fucking that leaves us too exhausted to move afterwards.

The cursor hovered over the post button, but Claudia hesitated. Guilt surged through her, as if she were cheating on Joe. But they weren’t together, and it was therefore impossible to cheat on him. If only the logic could break through her feelings.

She didn’t want someone else. She wanted Joe, wanted to text him right now, and beg him to come back. Wanted to apologize for sulking and kicking him out. And all that lead her to finally click the post button. Because she wanted more than just sex from him now, and the only way to get over that was to get under someone else.

But she wasn’t up to hook up tonight. So she closed her laptop and flopped into bed.

She woke up, alone, and it was hell to drag herself out of bed. But she’d see Joe at work, and despite herself, she did want to see him. Wanted to talk to him, just not about her feelings or where they stood. Still feeling guilty over kicking him out the night before, she decided an apology was in order. But the apology she could manage was a large coffee form his favorite place.

It didn’t mean anything; it was just coffee. Just a minor peace offering. But Joe walked into the precinct, and her heart jumped in her chest. She jumped up with it, and had to force herself to walk over to him with a semblance of casualness.

“Hey,” she called, just restraining her excitement, and passed him a cup. “I got some coffee this morning, and figured I’d get you a cup as well. The good stuff, too, not that shit they serve here.”

 

[TheCorsair]

He spent the rest of the day restless in his little house, rattling around feeling empty and unsettled. More than once he would turn to say something, only to be reminded that there was nobody to talk to. So he ordered pizza and ate the whole thing without planning to, while binge watching something in Netflix he didn’t really pay any attention to. He was five episodes in before he realized it was s show Claudia liked.

It was hard to fall asleep, too. His bed felt empty. His house felt empty. There should be a weight and a presence next to him, hogging the blankets and snoring gently.

It was a relief to get into the office the next day. A relief to see Claudia walking towards him - a relief that he wasn’t sure how to handle. “Hey,” she called, handing him a cup. “I got some coffee this morning, and figured I’d get you a cup as well. The good stuff, too, not that shit they serve here.”

“Hey, thanks,” he grinned, shaking a bag. “I grabbed breakfast at that bagel place over on third. Picked up an extra sandwich for you - Denver omelette on an egg bagel.”

Everything felt somehow better, more normal, as they walked over to their desks. He sipped his coffee and unpacked the bagels, then fired up his computer. “So, for the cage rattling... maybe I just go straight in and talk to Downing? Just routine, need to ask a few questions, that sort of thing?”

Before she could respond, he glanced around. “And... you all right?” he asked, lowering his voice. “You know. After everything that happened?”

 

[Xanaphia]

Breakfast was a sweet surprise, leaving Claudia to speculate wildly about what it meant. Was he apologizing? Just being nice? Trying to get back into her pants? Then he leaned in, and she did too, hopeful and nervous.

“And... you all right?” he asked, lowering his voice. “You know. After everything that happened?”

“Yeah, for the most part.” That question didn’t quite clear anything up. Was he her partner right now, or did that come from somewhere else? “I just, uh, I think my heater is broken. Got really cold last night.” She met his gaze again, held it for two heartbeats, until she was sure he got her meaning. Until she was sure he felt the same way. Then she stood.

“I was going head down to the cold case room, and see if we don’t have any unsolveds that match our current cases. Want to join me, before you go rattle Downing?” It had been her intention, honestly, to do something with herself to avoid running into the killer again. And it just so happened that the cold case room was in the basement, and didn’t get a lot of traffic. Maybe they could get a chance to talk; maybe she could smooth things over. Maybe she could be honest, with him and herself. Maybe she could pull him into the bathroom down there and get off together real quick.

The walk towards the elevator was full of fantasies and tension, but once they were alone behind the closing door, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Sorry, about last night.” She flashed him a lopsided grin, “Things sorta changed between us, didn’t they?” Fingers ran through her loose hair, to shake out what exactly she wanted to say. “I blame you. You didn’t tell me you were going fuck me so good I was going to develop feelings.” God, that was dumb line, and she winced and blushed at the same time.

“I don’t know how to do this Joe. I can’t stand most people, but I like you. And I really don’t want to fuck this up.”

 

[TheCorsair]

Joe watched Claudia's ass roll as he followed her to the elevator, thoroughly enjoying the view. What he didn't expect was what she said as the door closed. He listened in surprise, uncertain what to say. "I, uhm," he began. "Uh... that is..."

Swallowing nervously, he ran his fingers through his hair. "Lok. I, uhm, I don't know just what we have. But... I don't want to fuck it up either. I just... I dunno. I'm developing... feelings, myself. And it kind of... scares me. I'm not really a feelings kind of guy, you know?"

That was an understatement. His last three girlfriends had broken up with him because he'd been - in their words - a "macho asshole". And inattentive. And working bad hours, and a host of other reasons. "So, uhm, I don't actually know what to do in a... relationship."

The door slid open, revealing the cool concrete expanse of the basement. A uniform carrying a box stepped aside as they exited, then stepped in. Biting his lip, he glanced along the hallway. Nobody in sight. "But;" he added, grabbing her arm, "I know what I want."

He spun her, pushing her backwards through the restroom door - the men's room, he noticed idly. Kicking the door shut behind him, he pressed her backwards into the wall. "I want you," he breathed, mouth hot on her lips. The feel of her breasts, firm and warm beneath the fabric of her shirt, drew a hungry animal sound from his throat. "Right now," he added, tugging her shirt upwards to feel the heat of her skin on his fingers

 

[Xanaphia]

Claudia’s head nearly spun from how quickly they gone from confessing burgeoning feeling for one another to kissing madly in the precinct bathroom. She was still processing Joe’s nervous admission when his breath tickled her face and his hands groped at her breasts. She didn’t want to think, not right now. Didn’t want to worry or care or agonize over what it all meant.

One perky, erect nipple peaking out from beneath her lifted shirt and above the cups of her black bra. Joe bent her back, bent them both so he could taste her, feast upon her, and her toes curls in her shoes. She also caught sight of the door behind him, and a current of worry stabbed through her. She wasn’t interested in cutting this moment with him short in the case they got caught together. “Come on,” she urged, dragging him into the last stall.

It was a cramped affair, but with all the practice they’d gleamed from their trysts in her shower, they made it work. With one foot on the toilet seat, Joe spread her open enough to fuck two of his thick fingers into her dripping cunt. With one arm around his shoulder for balance, she worked open his pants, and stroked his cock until it twitched and throbbed in her palm. Claudia was kicking off her shoes and slacks as Joe grabbed two handfuls of her ass, lifting her up and then letting her sink down his swollen shaft.

Pinned between the hard wall and his hard body, there was nowhere for her to go but to the base of his length. Claudia cried out from the pressure of his cock splitting her apart, until Joe shoved his tongue just as deep into her mouth, just muffling her moans of pleasure. Slick muscles clenched him and her thighs gripped him tighter with each thrust, greedy and needy for his touch.

Was it better because she confessed her feelings for him? Or Because he felt the same way? Or because she’d spent the last night alone, feeling like an idiot for pushing him away? She didn’t care to analyze it, not while Joe’s delightful rhythm wrung breathy moans from her throat. “Don’t stop…” she gasped, heels digging into his ass to keep him hilted deep within her, “Don’t…”

 

[TheCorsair]

Had he hone insane? Fucking his partner was risky enough in their off time, in private? But I’m the precinct? Where a little bad luck could reveal everything - literally? It was crazy.

But then, Claudia seemed to have a talent for making him crazy.

He was deep in her, his fingers sticky with her lust on her skin, and it wasn’t enough. He needed more of her, more of her slick heat gripping his shaft. More of her mouth hot and wet around his tongue. More of her body, warm and yielding against his. “Don’t stop,” she moaned, legs tightening on his ass with each thrust, taking him deeper. “Don’t...”

“Not... not fucking... going to...” he growled, listening to the slap of skin on skin. Listening to the gasps she uttered as his thrusts drove her into the painted cement wall. His tongue left a trail of saliva on her as he tasted her throat, and he bit along the throbbing pulse beneath her skin. “Not... till...”

He heard the door creak open. As he did he covered her mouth with his, sealing her desperate cries with his tongue. In an agony of suspense and lust he held himself rigid, fighting the urge to drive into her as he listened to the footsteps. Listened to the stall door next to them open.

 

[Xanaphia]

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Claudia had been so close to her climax, and now she was holding her breath to hide from meddler in the next stall. Aching, trembling muscles demanded release, and defied her better sense that didn’t want to get fired. Joe flexed within her, involuntary most likely, but she couldn’t help but clench back against him. His throbbing seemed to match the rhythm of her heart beats.

Without the momentum of Joe’s thrusts, her legs lost purchase around his waist. She had to squeeze him tighter to hold herself up, pulling him even deeper inside herself until his head was grinding her far barrier. Then she clenched again, and he twitched in response.

All she could do, all they could do, was kiss, hungry lips and tongue acting on the desire their bodies couldn’t. Even then, she had to hold back her moans, her sighs, her whimpers as his shaft throbbed within her sensitive slit.

The toilet flushed, and she relaxed, just a touch. They’d be safe, soon. But then that asshole took two steps towards the sink and turned on the faucet. Really? They were stuck in the bathroom with the one guy on the force who actually practiced good hygiene?

 

[TheCorsair]

Holding himself still was the hardest goddamn thing he’d ever had to do in his entire life. Every movement of Claudia’s threatened his control as she clung to him, tight and hot against him as she struggled to maintain position without moving. Her hands fisted in his hair as she muffled her sounds of delayed pleasure with his tongue, her mouth demonstrating how much she wanted to be fucked. And all he could do in response was tighten his hands, digging his nails and fingertips into the flesh of her ass as he strained to hold her up.

Fuckhead out there was taking his goddamn time with his personal hygiene, too. Over the throne of his blood in his ears, he was sure he could hear the man singing ‘happy birthday’ under his breath. He just had to listen to those PSAs, didn’t he?

After an eternity of anxiety and pleasurable torment, the water stopped. The door opened, and then closed.

The sound was like a spur. Joe hammered himself brutally hard into Claudia, driving the breath from her in agonized gasps as he slammed her into the wall. Frenzied and on edge from the enforced delay he climaxed in the fourth strike, forcing his tongue deep into her mouth as he emptied himself into her.

“Fuck,” he gasped when he could speak. “That... was fucking hot.” He kissed the sweat from her throat, drinking in the salt film on her skin as the last of his cum spilled into her. “We... we should probably... get dressed...”

 

[Xanaphia]

Claudia clung to Joe as he set her down, arms tightening around his neck as shaky legs found the floor. She didn’t want to let go, not while satisfaction flooded her veins and ecstasy trembling through her nerves.

“That... was fucking hot.”

“More than worth the of risk of getting fired,” she laughed, leaning into his chest.

“We... we should probably... get dressed...”

“Yeah…” She nodded in agreement, but didn’t move. Instead she enjoyed the heat of his presence, and the pressure of his hands on her hips. Another kiss lingered between them, tempting them both with a second round, until she completely pushed herself away. “Go, go ahead. I think I need a minute to catch my breath…”

Once she had, they went through the files in the cold case room. It was a slow process, digging through each box and reading each file, just to find a case that might have matched up with their current cases. After an hour, Joe left to see Downing again, and Claudia worked through the room alone.

The entire exercise nearly felt like a bust, until she stumbled upon one case. Not technically an unsolved murder, since defense attorneys had been able to muddy the waters on what the exact cause of death was. They argued it was an accident, based on intoxication, but there was evidence of foul play as well. And after a google search confirmed the her suspicions, the pieces began to come together.

She sent Joe a text. Hey, do you remember that case out of Eminence University, ten years back? The Adrianna Kale incident? She was sure he had; it had been national news, after all. A young college student had been found dead, and all the evidence had pointed to a gang rape and murder. She’d last been seen at the Delta Iota Kappa fraternity, known for its deep pockets and high society connections. The investigation was botched by authorities and stonewalled by the University, and in the end, the only person who served any time was her boyfriend, one Jeremy Sanal. And even he had gotten off on a ridiculously lenient charge of reckless endangerment for getting her drunk and leaving her alone in a house full of men.

As it turns out, Matthew Kelly was a member of that fraternity at the time of her death. How much do you want to bet that he was involved? Another piece, bringing the greater picture into focus. It still wasn’t enough to prove anything, but maybe tugging on that string would unravel the entire case.

How did it go with Downing?

 

[TheCorsair]

Downing sighed as Joe entered his office. “I still have nothing more to say to you,” he declared, before displaying a smirk. “Unless that partner of yours has...”

“Where were you three nights ago,” Joe interrupted, “between the hours of 11 pm and 3 am?”

“Changed her... what?” Downing’s brain caught up with Joe’s question. “I don’t understand.”

Settling into a chair, Joe made a show of opening his notebook. “Three nights ago,” he declared, “a black BMW i8, license plate KTU-219, was caught on camera near a crime scene.” Which was true enough. There’d been a mugging near a stop light with a camera in it - but Downing didn’t need to know that. “Your car, right?”

“Well, yes,” Downing confirmed. “But I fail to de...”

“You rented a vehicle suspected of being used in a crime I’m investigating,” Joe pointed out, smiling at the man’s worried expression. “So I just need a few answers to some routine questions.”

-*-

Joe grinned as he walked out of the office. It was always fun, fucking with someone like Downing. Watching the man squirm as he explained how he’d gone out for dinner and a few drinks, and then have to scramble when he’d been asked where. Not that Joe planned to follow up, not yet at least. This was all about shaking the man up, and it had worked.

His phone buzzed as he entered the elevator, and the question made him laugh. Well and truly rattled, he replied. Wanna grab lunch?

-*-

Meanwhile, a message dropped into an inbox on bedpage.com: Got a big African dick just waiting to wreck a hot little ginger butch. HMU if DTF.

 

[Xanaphia]

Lunch sounds good. Meet at Scholtzky’s Deli?

Claudia arrived first, and ordered a turkey club for herself and a roast beef for Joe, and a couple drinks and chips for both of them. And she grabbed a table, because they still hadn’t gotten a real chance to discuss their relationship or whatever. Just to lay out some rules and expectations. Were they dating, were they exclusive, were they going to fuck in the basement level bathroom every morning? It didn’t have to be a big serious conversation, and she wouldn’t push it if he didn’t seem into it.

Since she was still waiting on Joe to arrive, she pulled out her phone. An email notification alerted her to the message on bedpage.com, and despite her better sense advising her to ignore it, she clicked through. The message was crude, yet appealing, and the accompanying picture attachment further tempted her. Yeah, he probably could wreck her, couldn’t he?

Joe walked up then, and closed the page on her phone in a surge of guilt. Would it be cheating? Maybe. But, dammit, if Joe wanted her all to himself, he better damn well say so. And this was his chance.

“Hey,” she acknowledged, forcing herself to stay seated, and resisting the urge to hug or kiss him. Even if they were… well, seeing each other, at least, they still couldn’t be public with it. Not where someone from the station could see them. “So I thought I might follow up on this new lead. You know the chief medical examiner, Rielle Leonhart? She went to Eminence around that time too. I might see if she knows anything that didn’t come up in the first investigation.”

 

[TheCorsair]

The deli was busy but not crowded as he walked in, weaving around the last of the lunch rush. Claudia was already waiting for him, and the sight sent an unexpected surge of emotion through him. Were they a couple, now? It sure seemed that way. Although they were a couple that couldn’t be open about it.

“Hey,” he replied, grinning as he took his seat. “Cold case files turn up anything else interesting? Or are you trying to work that Kale angle?”

A mouthful of sandwich kept her from responding right away, but there was a gleam in her eye he recognized. “You are. So...” he grinned again, “spill it.”

“So I thought I might follow up on this new lead,” she replied.

“Tell me more.”

“You know the chief medical examiner, Rielle Leonhart?”

“Kinda, yeah. We never talked much.” He picked up his sandwich. “She thinks I’m a jerk. Imagine that. Me.”

“She went to Eminence around that time too. I might see if she knows anything that didn’t come up in the first investigation.”

“Hm. Not bad.” He chewed down a bite of sandwich. “Statute of limitations is up on rape, but if we can get something we might be able to connect him to the murder. Which could open up a warrant.” He thiught about that. “Have to be good, though. Judges don’t like issuing warrants against rich bastard on cold cases.”

 

[Xanaphia]

“Yeah,” Claudia agreed, finishing off the last bite of her sandwich. “I am mostly just hoping she can give me something that might make a couple of those frat brothers turn on Kelly. Which is going to be a difficult task, because they’ve already stuck close together. But one of them is running for election, and just the hint of reopening an investigation during campaign season might be enough to get him to turn on Kelly. I just need something juicy and relevant to rattle him with.”

“But enough about work.” She flashed him a flirty smirk, and trailed the tip of her foot over his shin and calf. Leaning in closer, she pitched her voice, low and sultry, for his ears. “This morning was… fucking incredible. If I didn’t need this job, I’d suggest a repeat, or maybe a standing appointment.” She laughed into her closed mouth, and cleared her throat. “But, as much as I enjoyed that, it didn’t quite settle things between us. So…” The words died off in a shrug and bitten lip.

Dammit, she thought this would be easier to do, after their earlier confessions. But that message she received weighed on her mind, so she needed to know where they stood. “I mean, I guess we’re together?” The last word carried her uncertainty, it’s meaning vague enough to fit all sorts of definitions. And the fact that they couldn’t be open about their relationship was another complication. Leaning back in her chair, she shrugged again. “I don’t know, am I over thinking this? Do you just keep spending the night, but with more cuddling now?”

 

[TheCorsair]

“I mean, I guess we’re together?” Claudia said uncomfortably, shifting gears from turning him on by bringing up the morning’s sex in the bathroom. “I don’t know, am I over thinking this? Do you just keep spending the night, but with more cuddling now?”

“I...”. Joe took a bite of his sandwich, chewing methodically to buy a little time. “I... think we are.” After a moment, he set down his sandwich and sighed. “It’s just, I don’t know. I’m kind of shit at relationships, you know? Like, the last one I had ended in a screaming fit and thrown dishes. That kind of shit.”

He looked up from his food, and managed a sort of half smile. “So, I think we’re in a, a relationship. But I feel like, if I actually say that, I’ll fuck it right up. And I don’t wanna do that, you know?” A chuckle. “So I’m probably overthinking this, yeah.”

He felt an impulse to take her hand, but checked it. The deli was public, and they weren’t the only officers who used it. So he made a show of reaching for the ketchup, and let his hand stroke over hers as he did. “But, yeah. I think we’re in a relationship. If, that is, if you think so too.”

 

[Xanaphia]

“I’m kind of shit at relationships, you know? Like, the last one I had ended in a screaming fit and thrown dishes. That kind of shit.”

Claudia laughed, “Yeah, I remember Aurelia.” Joe flashed her a half smirk, and she couldn’t help smiling back at him. Damn, he made her feel like an idiot at times. In the best possible way.

So Joe worked through his concerns, and ended it with a subtle caress and nervous admission. “But, yeah. I think we’re in a relationship. If, that is, if you think so too.”

"Let's not complicate things. We like each other. And we want to spend time together, but we can't been seen in public together. So... Why don't you keep coming by each night and fucking my brains out? Maybe bring a change clothes so you don't have to rush off in the morning? We’ll figure everything else out along the way."

By now, she was done with her lunch, and filled her empty chip bag with her trash. “Anyways, back to work. Did you want to join me as I talk with Rielle? If she has anything useful, you can use it when you go rattle Kelly’s cage.”

---

Rielle was typing when they arrived, and she spared them but a moment’s glance. “Detective Ross, Nader, what can I do for you?”

Claudia took a seat across from her. “I was hoping you might be able to shed some little on an older case.”

“Older case?” Rielle stopped working and turned towards them. “I thought you two were working the SERIAL KILLER TITle?”

“We are. But I think we found a connection the Adrianna Kale murder.”

“What?” Rielle’s expression dropped at that name. Hey eyes darted away, and her mouth tightened into a thin line. That brought up something for her. “What about it?”

“You were a student there at the time of her death, weren’t you?”

Rielle nodded, but still didn’t meet her gaze. “Yeah, I was a senior.”

“We are just wondering if there is anything you know about the case that didn’t make it into the official file. Stuff you might have heard around campus.”

“Well, there is one thing.” Bingo. Rielle rubbed one arm with the opposite hand. “There was a rumor going around about the frat. Delta Iota Kappa. People said that part of the initiation was bringing a girl by the frat house and getting her drunk, so all the frat could run a train on her.”

“Yeah,” Claudia prodded, drawing closer to Rielle.

“It wasn’t just a rumor. It happened to me.”

Oh shit. “What?”

Rielle didn’t speak for a moment, but closed her eyes tight. “It was two years before Adrianna died. My boyfriend at the time was rushing Delta Iota Kappa, and right before he was initiated, he brought me by. Told me it was a meet and greet. I didn’t party much, but with my boyfriend there, I felt safe. He kept encouraging me to drink, and didn’t want his future frat brothers to think I wasn’t fun. At some point, we snuck upstairs to have sex, which was fun and daring, until we got caught.”

“They told us to keep going, and pulled out their dicks to jack off. I didn’t want to, but my boyfriend held me down and forced himself on me until he finished. And while I lay there, in complete shock and humiliation, the next guy climbed on top of me, and raped as well. They took turns using me, for most of the night. The laughed and took pictures and two or three would hold me down if I tried to fight back.”

Claudia swallowed hard. “You never reported it?”

“No. I had gone to a frat house and gotten drunk. What did I think would happen?” She hugged herself tight and shook her head. “No, I just wanted to move past it, to pretend like it never happened. And it’s my fault Adrianna died.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, she probably went through the same thing I did. Or, worse, I guess. And If I had spoken up about what happened to me, even if nothing came of it, maybe she wouldn’t have gone to that party. Maybe she wouldn’t have trusted her boyfriend, and maybe she wouldn’t have been alone in that house with all those men. It might have ruined my reputation, to say something, but maybe she’d still be alive.”

“It’s not your fault, Rielle. It was the men at that party who hurt you, and it was the men at that frat who killed Adrianna. And we are going to get them, and make them finally face justice.”

“I can’t testify. I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“You don’t have to. We are going to see if we can’t get a frat brother to flip on our suspect. Can you at least tell us who your boyfriend was? The one that let the others rape you?”

Rielle didn’t speak for a long time. Long enough that Claudia worried she’d broken the poor women, and that this whole visit had been a bust. No, they got good information, even if Rielle couldn’t go on record. It just might be enough to chip away at the case.

Finally, Rielle sighed deep, and spoke. “Matthew Kelly.”