Guilty Pleasure (23 page)

Nicole ran her hand over the coffin. She was
going to miss her friend.

“
I should have listened to
her,” Adam said.

“
Me too.”

He led her out of the church and to Nicole’s
Honda Civic. He opened up the passenger side door and let her in
then he went to the driver’s side and got in. He started the car
and took off down the road.

“
Are you sure you want to
do this?” Nicole said.

“
Yes.” Adam kept his gaze
on the road.

It had been two weeks since Adam stopped
Michael from killing Nicole. They stayed at Nicole’s apartment
together until they managed to sell all their possessions they
couldn’t put into a suitcase. Nicole talked with Detective Dane’s
partner Detective Lewis, she had to do something. She couldn’t let
Michael get away with framing Adam for all of this. She knew
Michael would do something even with him being in London. Nicole
wasted no time. Detective Lewis listened and took down her
statement. He talked with Adam as well. He quickly began an
investigation. Adam would still be under suspicion if Michael
produced evidence, but Detective Lewis assured Nicole and Adam that
he believed them. He would allow Adam to travel, but when and if
Adam was charged he would have to stand trial. They had no choice
but to agree.

Nicole stared out at the passing scenery.
She was numb and was still trying to process everything. How could
she not see the monster Michael was? And yet a part of her still
loved him, she hated herself for feeling that way. She teared up
thinking about Monica. She was so full of life and…she felt Adam
grab her hand. She squeezed harder. She was grateful for Adam.
First and foremost he saved her life. If he didn’t show up when he
did she would have died. He understood what she was going through.
He was the only one who could. They have to be here for each other.
Adam could still be framed for the murders if they weren’t careful.
They had to get out of Chicago. He helped her through these last
two weeks. She doubted that she could have made it if he wasn’t
there by her side.

“
We got about seven hundred
miles before we get to New York. You know I can do this
alone.”

“
No, I want to come with
you.”

“
Are you sure you just
don’t want to fly out there.”

“
I want to leave our stuff
in New York while we are gone.”

“
And if we decide not to
come back?”

“
I will fly back and get
what is important.”

Nicole looked over at Adam. “Thank you for
being there.”

“
I can say the same to you.
I will always be there for you, little Nicole.”

“
How we going to live once
we get there?” Nicole asked.

“
I will handle that don’t
worry.” Adam pulled over to the side of the road. “Nicole, when I
find him I’m going to make him pay. I want to see him
suffer…”

“
I understand.”

“
Are you sure he was going
to London? He might have changed his mind.”

“
No he wouldn’t change his
mind. But how are we going to find him?”

Adam pulled the car back on the road then he
gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Follow the dead bodies,” he
said coldly.

***

Rodney looked at the large manila envelope
that was delivered to him today. The messenger told him that Tim
Dane wanted this delivered to Rodney on this date. Rodney was
almost afraid to look inside the envelope. Whatever was in there
got Tim killed, and yet he owed his longtime friend and partner to
see what was so important that he felt the need to take this kind
of precaution.

Rodney didn’t buy that some random truck
driver with no priors or motive would just walk up to Tim and slice
his throat. Hell the truck driver had no known mental issues
either. Why was Tim in that warehouse parking lot in the first
place? He wasn’t on assignment. None of the circumstances of Tim’s
murder made much sense. But if the scene was set up whoever did it
did a fantastic job of it. The case was closed despite Rodney
wanting to investigate further.

Rodney grabbed the envelope and opened it.
There was a stack of papers with a handwritten note on top.

Rodney,

If you are getting this package and you are
not coming into the station and asking me what the fuck then that
bastard Michael Lyons killed me. You know that I always thought
that guy was off. Inside this package is all my research I did into
Michael’s life. I just wanted to find something to pin on this
bastard. I know, I know, you are calling me a dumb fuck about now.
You warned me not to go poking around this guy’s past that it would
only end up getting me sued. Well, on the bright side of things I’m
not getting sued.

When I went poking around Michael’s past I
found something very disturbing. I believe this guy is a serial
killer and a smart one at that. Look over everything I have
collected. If I’m right, promise me that you will try to get
Maxwell Stevens acquitted of all charges against him. You will know
what I’m talking about when you read through my notes. And do what
you can to make sure that Adam Matthews doesn’t take the blame for
those killings we have been investigating. You said that Linda
Bennett’s daughter being raised by strangers really got to you.
Well, finish connecting the dots for me and put that sorry son of a
bitch Michael behind bars.

If I’m dead then I probably confronted
Michael and you are free to call me a dumbass. But you know me, I
have to get to the bottom of something as fast as possible with
little regard for my own safety.

Whatever you decide to do with my notes is
up to you. I know you, you will want to catch the bad guy. It has
been my honor to work alongside you all these years. We made a hell
of a team.

“
You dumbass,” Rodney said
quietly as he gulped down his shot of whiskey. He read through
everything that was in the file. Everything Nicole and Adam told
him was true. And looking at Tim’s notes it looks like Michael has
been killing for many years. He will never stop he will only
perfect his methods.

He grabbed his phone. “Hey Diane, I hate to
bug you but I have a question. How difficult is it to extradite
someone who fled to England to stand trial here?”

Chapter
Twenty-one

Nicole and Adam arrived in London. Under any
other circumstances Nicole would be thrilled to finally visit
London, now she just wanted to get this over with and go home. The
plan was simple, find Michael, what happened after that she really
had no idea. Adam was angry at himself for not shooting Michael
that day he saved her. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was
what Adam was really planning to do. If it was she wouldn’t stop
him.

Adam got them a room at a cheap hotel. It
wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean. Once he got Nicole settled
in he grabbed his guitar and went to one of the parks where there
was tons of foot traffic. He has performed many times like this in
Chicago. It was a good way to make some extra cash. He wanted to
make what he could when he could. He had to get enough money to
help feed him and Nicole. The money they brought with them would
buy plane tickets back and pay for the hotel for a least a couple
of months.

Nicole waited in the hotel room like Adam
asked her to do. She felt so numb. She was grateful for that in a
way, she didn’t want to feel anything right now. She grabbed her
phone and called Michael’s law firm partner, she knew this was a
long shot.

“
Hey Nicole. Where you’ve
been?” Emily said.

“
How did you know it was
me?”

“
Caller I.D. silly. How you
doing, hun? Michael said you and him called it quits. I didn’t know
you to were an item, but I had my suspicions. Now I know why you
quit.”

“
Michael told you
that?”

“
Yeah, I wasn’t supposed to
say anything. He wanted to make sure that no one told you were he
was living now. He said he didn’t want any drama. Between you and
me, I think that is pretty dicky. You seem like such a sweet
person.”

“
Like I’m going all the way
to London to chase after him. There are other fish in the
sea.”

“
That’s the spirit. Plus, I
heard the weather really sucks there in London this time of year.
So what you up to?”

“
I have decided to move to
New York.”

“
Oh, how
exciting.”

Nicole let Emily prattle on for a little
while longer and then made an excuse to get off the phone. Damn it,
she should have known Michael would have made sure no one from his
firm would tell her where he lived. London was fucking huge how
were her and Adam going to find Michael? He certainly would lay low
for a little while.

She went to the small kitchenette. She made
some coffee and grabbed the sandwich Adam purchased for her
earlier. He really didn’t need to do all of this. She could find a
way to make some money too, but he insisted that she let him take
care of everything.

Nicole finished her sandwich then went over
to the large bed and sat. She clicked on the T.V. and absent
mindedly flipped through the channels. She was thinking about the
long talks her and Adam had in her apartment after that night he
saved her. He made her feel better about everything. Hell, he even
made her not feel bad for loving a man like Michael in the first
place. Adam talked about Mindy and the guilt he felt that she was
dead because he was Michael’s pawn. Adam did love Mindy, but he was
never enough for her. Both of them talked about Monica. She learned
more about Monica from Adam. They were friends for a couple of
years before Nicole moved in. They got even closer because of
Nicole. The guilt they both felt for Monica’s death was
overwhelming at times. Adam talked about his sister and how much
she meant to him. They were basically all each other had. His
childhood was as crappy as Nicole’s was. He was devastated when his
sister told him to never speak to her again, but he honored her
wish. Nicole told him about her childhood and her relationship with
Nathan. She talked about going to college to earn her degree and he
talked about his music. She knew everything about him and him about
her.

Nicole drifted off to sleep watching some
British drama.

She was awoken by the sound of paper bags
rustling. She sat up quickly and saw Adam in the kitchenette.

“
Hey, little Nicole, I was
going to let you sleep. I made decent money today. I picked up some
groceries and put the rest of the money up in the jar.”

Nicole went over to him.

“
I will make us some
dinner,” she said seeing what time it is.

Adam went to take a shower while she made
some spaghetti. She laid out some paper napkins and plastic forks
out on the small table that set up against the window. She brought
over some orange juice and poured some into two plastic cups then
she put some spaghetti onto two paper plates and carefully brought
them over to the table. Just as she got done Adam came out of the
bathroom. He wore only a pair of jeans. His dark wavy hair was
slicked back from being wet. He was unshaven. He would often go
several days without shaving. Nicole thought he looked good like
that.

“
Smells good,” he said,
sitting down at the table.

Nicole sat across from him. She watched him
devour his food while she picked at hers.

“
Didn’t you have
lunch?”

“
Yep. I just worked up an
appetite. Man, I sung my ass off today. Picked those damn guitar
strings so much my fingers hurt.”

“
I wish you would let me
help you.”

“
I got this, little Nicole.
Besides I love playing my music so it’s no chore to me.”

Nicole got up and brought the pot of
spaghetti over. She watched him load up his plate again. She looked
at him, really looked at him. He looked nothing like Michael at
all. Yes, they were the same height and build, yes both were
handsome and had the same deepness to their voice, but there was
such warmth coming from Adam that Michael never possessed.

“
What?” he said as he
slurped in a spaghetti noodle.

“
I like looking at
you.”

Adam smiled. “Well I like looking at you
too. Did you take it easy today, per my request?”

“
I tried. I called
Michael’s law partner and got a hold of Emily.”

“
Oh, that was a good idea.
Did you get Michael’s address?”

“
No, he told Emily that he
and I have broken up and he doesn’t want me stalking him or
something like that. He gave instructions for no one to tell me
where he is.”

“
That was worth trying.”
Adam sat back in his chair. “Oh, that was good.” He went to grab
the plate but Nicole took it instead.

“
If you are going to
literally sing for our supper I can at least keep this place tidied
up.”

“
If that is what you
want.”

“
It is.”

Adam went over to the bed and laid down. “I
didn’t know there was only one bed in this room…”

“
Don’t be silly. We can
share the bed it’s no big deal.” Nicole cleaned the kitchenette up
a bit then went over to the bed she laid down beside
him.

Adam rolled over on his side and looked at
her.

“
What?” she said, looking
up at him.