Victoria (18 page)

"Come here, Tory.” He reached his arms out toward her, grabbing a small bit of her T-shirt to pull her closer.

She stood between his legs, naturally laying her hands upon his shoulders. Smiling, he caressed her thighs up through the shorts, then her waist where she had rolled the elastic three times, trying to force his boxers to fit her.

Apparently feeling every sensation and warmth of his touch against her skin, she closed her eyes, absorbing the sensation of skin against her back. Pulling her closer to his chest, he lifted her shirt, revealing her trim belly before scattering tiny kisses against her skin. Then he laid his head against her stomach and bosom.

Taking a deep breath, Victoria held Steven's head and his shoulders against her. He squeezed her tighter.

"I love you so much. I'll never leave you, Tory, ever! You mean so much to me.” He exhaled slow, soft against her skin, “I'm not leaving yet. We're not finished."

Before she could argue, he fell backwards, pulling her with him onto the bed. Steven kissed her deeply and used his hands to claim possession of her every curve while they rediscovered the power and the depth of their love for one another.

It was nearly seven o'clock by the time Victoria headed for work and Steven snuck out of the townhouse complex, once again, unseen.

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"Okay, Tory, spill the damn beans, will you? You slept with him, didn't you?” Celina placed her iced tea glass down on the table. The little café on the corner of Main Street and Superior was quiet and empty. They met early for lunch today. It was only eleven and in another half hour or so, the place would pack with lunch customers.

Celina watched as Tory took a piece of chicken from her fresh chicken Caesar salad, barely taking a nibble, then placing the fork back onto the plate.

"What's going on, Tory? Did you sleep with Bret?"

Victoria shot Celina a look of surprise. Steven was the only man on her mind, and she needed somehow to refocus on her pretend relationship with Bret. She felt terrible for having to lie to Celina, her best friend, but she didn't want her involved in any way.

Victoria didn't know if she could trust the FBI or the DA's office. Her gut instinct sent out some intense signals. She began to question Warren's intentions. What had gotten them involved to begin with? That question continuously entered her mind and this morning, she'd called a friend of hers who worked for
Search and Seizure
. She told him she was working on a story for the magazine and needed background information on Warren.

Warren was already bringing in those individuals involved with the corruption within the police department and town board.

"You did sleep with him. Damn it, I can't believe you didn't tell me. I've seen that look on your face before. You got some last night! How was it?” Celina whispered as she moved forward in the chair. “Was he as good as they say and hung as big as I've heard?"

"Celina, stop it right now!"

"Oh, Tory, don't be such a prude and a little goody-goody. Having sexual relations with someone is perfectly natural. It's even better when you're single, unattached, and free to sleep with whomever you want. Don't feel bad because Steven is around. He had his chance and blew it. Besides, if you really wanted to, you could have them both."

"Celina, don't talk about Steven that way. He doesn't deserve it."

"Doesn't deserve it? What got into you, besides Bret Collins? Steven stayed there. He stayed away from you on purpose, never thinking about your feelings. I was there when you cried yourself to sleep, watched the TV for hours on end, never mind, calling every government official you possibly could to find out if Steven was alive. You didn't deserve that, Tory.” Celina leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Victoria sighed. She was truly touched. Celina had helped her through the toughest of times in her life. She needed to calm her down.

"Celina, I need you to trust me. I may have been wrong about Steven and the reason he didn't contact me or return for so long. Also, I did not sleep with Bret. I'm working on a new story for the magazine. I've been on a high since last night when some good, long research I was doing began to show signs, the proof I need to wrap things up. So please don't misconstrue what I'm feeling or what my facial expressions are portraying.

"Let's just enjoy our lunch together and not talk about any of this stuff anymore. Okay?"

"Fine, Miss Thang! Whatever you say.” Celina gave a small smile.

Victoria was sure that Celina wondered what Victoria was really up to. It should be obvious to Celina research would not put a smile like that on her best friend's face.

Victoria returned to her office to find a bouquet of red roses on her desk. She opened the small white card and found a note from Bret.

Victoria,

May you enjoy the next few days as our relationship evolves both professionally and personally. I can't wait until this weekend at the cottage.

Love

Bret"

"Shit!” Victoria said. Bret never mentioned anything about going away for the weekend. There was no way she could go and avoid sleeping with him. The thought made her stomach churn.

"I guess those flowers were from someone you weren't expecting."

Victoria turned abruptly to find Uncle Patrick standing in the doorway. Her heart dropped and so did her mouth as she tried to recover from the shock of the surprise visit. Did Steven tell him everything? She couldn't help but wonder.

"What are you doing here?” She placed the card on her desk and leaned against the front of it with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"You didn't answer my question. Who are the flowers from?” Uncle Patrick touched the roses.

Victoria's cell phone rang, and she excused herself to answer the call.

"Yes, this is Victoria Mardullo."

"My name is Casey. I called the other day. I don't know if I should be doing this, but the girls at the restaurant said I should tell you. We had no idea that Danny was your father. We liked him. He was a good man."

Victoria did not want to miss this call.

"Could you hold on one second please?” she asked. Casey said yes, and Victoria spoke softly to her uncle.

"I really need to take this call. Can you wait a few minutes?” He nodded and took a seat in one of the fancy leather chairs in her office. Victoria left the room and headed into the conference room.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, Casey, please go on."

"Well, I just wanted you to know that your dad wasn't involved with Linda. Linda had a reputation of seducing men and drinking too much.

"And you know this ... how?"

"One night, while I was tending bar, she had a few too many gin and tonics when she started talking about making so much money and sleeping around with men. She was a con artist. She told me all about the lie she told your father about that big shot Bret Collins forcing himself on her."

"You're sure about this? If I need a sworn statement from you, will you do that?"

"If it's necessary. I never cared for Linda but your dad was such a nice man. Linda was setting your dad up. All I could think was that they were planning to pin something at the police department on him. At least, that's what I got from the bits and pieces of conversations. Linda was a big drinker of the hard stuff."

"Why are you telling me this, Casey? Did someone put you up to this?” Victoria was learning to trust no one and be wary about free information.

"Your dad was a good man, like I said. Some guys started harassing me one Thursday night when he was there. He had one of the local New Jersey Troopers he knew personally walk me out of the building that night. The guys never bothered me again. He didn't know me from Eve, yet he used his Jersey connections to help some bartender he barely knew. I was annoyed that Linda was pulling something on your dad, but I was too late in informing him. He was murdered the following day, and I can't help but feel like I could have done more."

"Don't do that to yourself, Casey. Right now, you're helping me out. I need to know everything she said.” Victoria made notes on the yellow business pad in the conference room.

Ten minutes later, she made her way back to her office where her uncle sat behind her desk.

He looked as though he belonged there and had every right to be snooping around.

"What do you think you're doing, Uncle Patrick?"

"Hey, if you leave someone in your office for more than five minutes, what do you expect them to do but become nosey.” He held the card from Bret in one hand and some notes she wrote down for her article in another. Victoria could just imagine what her uncle thought.

"If you don't mind, can you remove yourself from my desk and drop the papers?"

Uncle Patrick got up and met Victoria by her desk. He held the little white note out toward her.

"You're not considering going there with him this weekend, are you?"

Victoria took the card from his hand. Uncle Patrick caught and held her hand gently in his. He loved her like a daughter, she knew that, and she tried to maintain her composure.

"He's wrong for you, Tory. If you're involved with something that seems to be over your head, you'd come to me, to your family, right?"

"I'm not in over my head. I'm working on a story and I'm dating Bret Collins. That's all."

"A story on corruption in police departments and dating a man believed to be involved in corruption and illegal activity."

"
Alleged
corruption and illegal activities, he has nothing to do with my story."

"He's not a man to mess around with, Tory. Your father and he were enemies for multiple reasons. He would have been a suspect in your dad's murder, but he had an alibi that day and night. He was shacked up with some twenty-year-old bimbo down in New Jersey.” Uncle Patrick let go of her hand and walked toward the door.

"So that should give you peace of mind. Maybe he's not as bad as you think?"

"Tory, your dad hated him and he hated your dad. How can you sleep with a man who wanted to destroy your father?"

"I'm not sleeping with him, first of all, and secondly, he didn't want to destroy my father. He wants to be Town Supervisor and Dad didn't want to see him in that position. Bret didn't waste time trying to get Dad's vote. He focused on those who backed him and didn't support Jack ‘Flip’ Walker."

"You're wrong, kid. Flip is the better choice for the position. He does things the legal way. I came by to tell you that this weekend we're having a fiftieth birthday party for Aunt Jane. Be there and without Bret Collins."

"I'll see if I can make it. I may have other plans.” Victoria held the card in her hand where her uncle could see it.

"I love you, Tory, and I hope you know that if you need me, I'm here for you ... and so is your family.” He said goodbye and left.

Victoria went to her desk to think about Casey and Jack ‘Flip’ Walker. They were the next two people she needed to get information on.

Now she had a good excuse to decline Bret's offer. A family gathering she had to attend for her mom's sake. Bret would believe that. He knew how much Victoria loved her mother.

Just then, her phone rang, and she answered it while she looked over her notes.

"Yeah, Tory, it's me, Peter. Did you hear the news? They found Ronnie Chappa's body."

"What? When and where?"

"This morning, some old couple taking a walk through the memorial gardens found him. Tod and Don are working the case."

"Uncle Patrick was just here. He didn't say a word."

"He was? Well, did he tell you about Bret?"

"No. What about Bret?"

"The FBI is at town hall. Bret is, along with about ten other town officials, allegedly accused of corruption, payoffs, and receiving bribes for votes in the upcoming election. I don't know why Uncle Patrick didn't tell you."

"I don't know why, either. I'd better go. I need to call Bret."

"Tory, disconnect yourself from him before it's too late. He's trouble. Can't you see that?"

"I need him,” she said. She needed to question him about Linda and their relationship. She needed to contact Colt and Warren.

"What do you mean you need him? You're not in love with him, are you? You can't be serious!"

She had to allow him to think the worst. Victoria hung up the phone.

Her cell phone rang again, and this time it was Investigator Warren.

He told her everything that went on and about questioning Bret soon. They felt he would go to Victoria for support, assistance, and perhaps ask her to do something illegal or confide in her more.

"We want you to wear a wire, Victoria. He's going to ask you to do something illegal, and we want it on tape. The more proof and evidence we have, the longer he'll stay behind bars."

Victoria wondered why they wouldn't question Bret about his connection to her father's murder. All Warren and Colt seemed to be interested in was the political corruption and removing Bret from the ballot. Her inquisitive mind, her journalistic instincts, as well as being a cop's daughter, now went into overdrive. She didn't trust Colt or Warren one bit. What was going on? Whom could she trust? How would she find out the truth?

She accepted wearing a wire, then asked about the murder case. All Warren said was they needed this information first. She figured they had no idea about Casey or Linda's con artist ways. Now, Victoria really had some work ahead of her as she hung up the phone and began making her own inquiries.

"How was I, darling? Do you think she bought it?” Casey asked the killer. He was one of her regulars.

The killer pulled Casey's naked body against his as he grabbed a handful of her backside.

"That was perfect. You've done good,” he whispered, then pulled her by her hair, dragging her head down under the sheets. She let out a cry of pain and he laughed, demanding she satisfy him. The bimbo waitress from Mallorie's had turned out to be good for more than just a roll in the hay. Now, he needed to get rid of her. He couldn't take a chance she may give him up, but he would use her one last time before ending her pathetic life.