Page 71 of Boss

Chapter 16

The detective looked over to his partner. Kassidy sipped the water, but the hand she used to hold the cup shook. The story, all of it, was hard to tell without tears and mumbles of regret and excuses. Yes, she despised Tarek Marshall at first. But her time with him had changed them both. How could she explain this to the detectives? There was no plausible reason for what transpired between them after the lights went out. It wasn’t the booze, or the storm, it was them. She knew that now. And that made her guilty.

Detective Grason cleared his throat. “Daniel Messina’s body was found inside of the house not the barn. He was shot and his throat was slit. It doesn’t sound to me like he was coming over for a simple chat.”

“That wasn’t Tarek. It wasn’t me. The last time I saw Daniel was when we were in the parking lot,” she said softly.

“But you yourself said that you were knocked unconscious and put into Tarek Marshall’s truck. How would you know if he was still alive?” Detective Carter asked.

“I-I-I-would. Tarek didn’t murder him. I’m telling you the truth.”

“No. You’re wasting our time with a bunch of conspiracy bullshit about insider trading and global warming. You have yet to explain the dead men we have, and the millionaire we got in a holding cell refusing medical attention.” Detective Grason leaned forward. “Murder, young lady, we’re talking about a double homicide, and you are at the center of it. Either you tell us the truth, or we’ll put you in a cell next to your boss.”

Kassidy looked into the detective’s eyes and then over to other one standing behind him. She wiped her tears and dropped her gaze back down to her water.

“Okay. I’ll tell you what happened. What I know. And it’s not what you think. Tarek Marshall isn’t a murderer or a victim. He’s something in between.”

36.

The Storm –

Kassidy was only able to follow Tarek by holding on to his hand. The further they went into his house, the deeper the darkness. Many of the rooms had closed doors. Those that were left open had heavy drapes covering the windows, keeping out any moonlight. The house was never a threat, he was, but suddenly the house felt more intimidating. She literally held tight to his hand and tried to fight back her anxiety.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Why are you whispering?” he chuckled.

Kassidy hadn’t realized she was. She shook her head at her silliness. He stopped before a door and let go of her hand. She immediately reached for his shirt. No matter how hard she tried, her vision would not adjust to the darkness. He opened the door and left her in the hall.

“Tarek? Wait? Tarek?” she said and took a step forward, but it was as if the darkness pushed her back. Kassidy hugged herself and fought down her anxiety. She heard him curse and crash into a few things. And then a light blinked on. Not from above, but from deep inside. He had two lanterns. They were portable, battery operated, and large. Kassidy sighed with relief. She went inside to help him, but he walked out carrying the lamps like a weight lifter.

“The stables have generators but the house isn’t wired.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Never was,” he shrugged as if it made sense. “But the good news is the fireplaces are petroleum. I’ll light them to keep us from freezing.”

“Okay,” she said.

“You do know body heat is the best way to survive the cold?” he asked.

Kassidy ignored him. How could he even think that sex was something she wanted? They were trapped and it was his fault.

“Why don’t you go upstairs to my room and wait for me,” he suggested. She shook her head no. They weren’t a couple and this wasn’t some sleepover. She would stay focused. Plus, she had another fear. The house. It had a spooky imposing feeling to it, especially in the dark.

“I can go with you. Maybe I can help,” she said.

For a brief moment, he stared. With his face cast in shadows, she couldn’t be sure if the look was of disappointment or amusement. And then his gaze lowered. She looked down out of protective instinct. To her surprise, she saw her robe had parted all the way to her navel and revealed her cleavage. She closed it immediately, and Tarek walked off. She followed him, but remained a few steps behind. They returned to the front of the ranch, and already she could feel the shift in the temperature. Tarek went to the kitchen and got a flame wand. He led her to the parlor, and inside they discovered the fireplace had extinguished. She walked over to the window as he again ignited the gas flame.

“It’s really coming down out there,” she said.

“I was in it, remember?” Tarek said. “It’s going to be a white out.”

“This is what is happening to our environment. All of the pollution, global warming, all of it is destroying the earth. Here we are in Texas, in the middle of a blizzard.”

“That’s complete bullshit!” Tarek said.

She glanced back over her shoulder. “No, it isn’t.”

---