Moon Shadow
Chapter Five
“So what did you think of Mr Anderson?” Joey asked Pacey as he drove to the Riverside Café, a usual hangout for the two.
“I didn’t like him. There’s something about that guy I just don’t trust.”
“The infamous Witter intuition strikes again!” Joey laughed.
“Hey!” Pacey looked insulted. “If I remember correctly the Witter intuition has never failed and has save that gorgeous butt of yours on several occasions.”
“Well as much as I do trust your intuition we do still need evidence and I’m not about to put Mr Anderson on the guilty list as yet. Although, I do admit, it does seem like Mr Anderson wasn’t telling us the whole story.”
Pacey smiled triumphantly as he parked the car. “Glad to know you see things my way.”
“I wouldn’t go that far!” Joey protested as she opened the door. “So you buying lunch?”
“Isn’t it your turn?”
“Nope, I distinctly remember it being your turn.”
“Fine. But I swear you cheat. I don’t know how but somehow I swear it’s always my turn and never your turn.” Pacey grumbled as they entered the café. “Hey Sean.”
“Pacey, Joey. How are you doing today?” Sean the owner of the Riverside Café greeted the two detectives.
“We’re fine. So how’s business?” Pacey answered.
“Not bad. Not bad. So you two having the usual?”
Pacey and Joey nodded affirmative. They chatted with Sean while they waited for their orders before finding a corner booth.
“Hhhmm.” Joey’s eyes dilated, as she smelt the delicious aroma of food. “I didn’t’ realize how hungry I was.”
Pacey watched fascinated as Joey’s pink tongue peeked out of her mouth, licking her lips, before she opened her mouth and took a bit of her sandwich. Some mayonnaise fell to the side of Joey’s rosy lips and just for a second Pacey had the biggest urge to leap across the table and lick the mayonnaise off Joey’s face.
“Pacey. Earth to Pacey. Calling Pacey.” Joey waved her hands in front of Pacey's eyes. “What’s up with you? Aren’t you hungry?”
He took a deep breath and tried to control his insane, hormonal urges. “You...uh…have some food…” Pacey gestured to the direction of the offending mayonnaise.
“I’m such a slob.” Joey laughed before she took a sip of the diet coke.
Once again entranced, Pacey watched as Joey’s lips wrapped themselves around the straw and began to suck. Pure bliss seemed to overcome her face as she sighed a little and drank the cool beverage. He watched as she swallowed and quickly diverted his attention to his food, trying to ignore the wanderings of his mind.
“So what do you think Pacey?”
His head shot up at the sound of Joey’s voice. “What do I think about what?”
“You’re acting so spacey today. What is wrong with you? I’m the one with the lack of sleep. Not you.”
Pacey thought back on the dreams of Joey that had haunted him last night. Images of her naked body wrapped up in his arms as they brought each other closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy. He had definitely had trouble sleeping last night.
“I didn’t get much sleep.” Pacey explained, somewhat lamely.
“Another one of your countless bimbos keeping you up?” Joey asked mischievously.
“Actually.” Pacey grinned as he lowered his voice. “I think it was all those dreams about you in that leather skirt.”
Joey flushed a little and scowled, unhappy to be unnerved. “You hate it when I’m on hooker detail.”
“That’s because that gorgeous body of yours isn’t for sale. I claim all rights.” Pacey joked before becoming serious. “I just don’t like you being out there, in the middle of the night on one of those streets, being solicited by strange men.”
“I can take care of myself Pace. Besides there’s backup.”
“I know you can take care of yourself Jo. It’s just that I don’t trust anyone else to look out for you. I’m your partner, your welfare is my concern.”
“And I wouldn’t want anyone else looking out for me but you.” Joey replied seriously with a gentle smile of trust on her face.
They fell into easy chatter discussing the case among other things before finishing up lunch and heading back to the car. Half way back to the station Pacey and Joey received a message from dispatch saying that the missing Miss Louisa Holt had just appeared at the Parker mansion. Making a detour, Pacey and Joey headed back to the scene of the crime.
*****
As their car entered the Parker’s driveway, Pacey’s eyes narrowed
as he and Joey saw two very familiar figures exiting the Parker mansion.
“What are you doing here?” Pacey growled at Chris and Drue.
“Had an interesting chat with Miss Louisa Holt.” Drue answered. “Quite the looker I might add.”
“This is OUR case.” Pacey interjected angrily. “What part of that sentence do you not understand? You have no right to just come barging in, besides don’t you have some paperwork to do?”
Drue scowled. “I knew you were behind the sudden load of paperwork Captain just dumped on us. But for your information, Captain actually sent us to interview Miss Holt.”
“Yea right.” Pacey scoffed.
“I’m speaking the truth, Witter. No matter how much you might hate it, the Captain’s decided to assign us to the Parker case as well, to assist the too of you. I’m not making this up, after what happened this morning you don’t really think we’re that stupid.”
“Well you both look like morons.” Joey replied and Pacey smirked.
“We are on this case.” Chris stated. “So it looks like all four of us are going to be working together. Why don’t we go back to the station and we can discuss what we discovered?”
Still unhappy with the turn of events but with no other choice Pacey and Joey headed back to the car and back to the station.
*****
“So how was the interview with Miss Holt?” Captain Hutchinson demanded
as soon as he spotted Chris and Drue.
“Captain, can Joey and I have a word with you?” Pacey interrupted.
Nodding his consent, Captain Hutchinson led them into his office.
“Look Pacey, Joey, I know what the two of you are going to say and I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it Cap. This was our case.” Pacey spoke angrily.
Captain Hutchinson rubbed his forehead before he yanked opened his top drawer and grabbed his bottle of medication and swallowing two pills. “It couldn’t be help. The media is having a field day with this case. Mr Jerome Parker’s death is big news. I have the politicians and the men upstairs screaming for some results and the DA demanding that they want a suspect in custody as of yesterday! Drue and Chris are relatively free and I need results. Pacey, Joey, you’re the best detectives I’ve ever worked with but a little help won’t kill you. So for my sake try and work with Drue and Chris.”
“Fine.” Pacey relented. “But I’m not happy about it.”
“Joey? Is it okay with you to work with Chris and Drue.” The Captain asked, concerned.
“It’s fine.” Joey sighed.
“Good. Now that’s settled I want to hear how the interviews at Parker Enterprise and with Miss Holt went.” Captain Hutchinson got out of his seat and opened the door. “Valentine, Wolfe, in my office!”
Chris and Drue entered the Captain’s office where they began to discuss the case. Pacey and Joey expressed their reservations about Mr Anderson while Chris and Drue divulged their experience with Miss Louisa Holt.
“Gorgeous woman.” Drue said. “Was appropriately saddened to hear about the death of Mr Parker.”
“You think it was contrived?” Pacey asked.
“Possibly.” Chris answered. “There was something a little fake about her. She seemed a little more interested in checking us out and getting cozy with the two of us rather than discussing the details of Mr Parker’s death or their relationship. She claims she was with a friend around the time Mr Parker was killed.”
“Did you check it out?” Captain asked.
“Yeah, the friend conveniently claims she was there with Miss Holt.” Chris continued. “But, something just didn’t ring true. Anyway Miss Holt and her friend both had the look of women who had spent the night and most of the morning partying.”
“Do you know where?” Pacey inquired.
“No.” Drue answered. “We’re guessing local clubs.”
“Moon Shadow.” Joey stated. “Try Moon Shadow. It’s a stripper club that Miss Holt tends to frequent or so it is rumored.”
“Okay. Chris, Drue, I want
the two of you to check out this Moon Shadow.” Captain instructed. “Pacey,
Joey the ME report should be done by now. I want you to go down to the coroner’s
and find out exactly how Mr Parker died.”