Deadly Storm (20 page)

“Oh, baby.” James clung to her sweat-slicked back as he raised his needy mouth to capture hers. They kissed passionately for what felt like forever, neither of them moving, and then Mandy started to lift herself up his length.

Her pace was agonizingly slow at first, and part of James wanted to urge her on. He didn’t, though. She was in charge this time. This was her round. He pressed her body tightly against his as she swirled herself on top of him, keeping one arm around her back as he lowered his hand to her moist front and started rubbing her again.

The second his thumb hit her in the right spot Mandy increased her pace and James lowered his free arm to her rear to help her keep the tempo that was currently driving him crazy. The room was filled with the sounds of busy bodies, beating hearts, and frantic love – and this time when Mandy orgasmed, James was ready and he went over the abyss with her.

James clutched Mandy close as he reclined back on the floor, their hearts pounding in tandem. “I love you, baby.” He kissed her forehead.

“This was the best day ever,” Mandy said, resting her face against his chest.

“Oh, we’re not done, wife,” James said. “That was only the third of your promised six orgasms.”

“Nothing can be better than what we just did.”

James grinned, the expression lazy and self-satisfied. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“I hope you’re up for it.”

“Give me ten minutes, baby. I’ll be up for anything then.”

“I love you, James. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

James pressed her closer. “Right back at you, wife.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jake asked, glancing at James worriedly as they parked in front of Professor Barnes’ house Monday afternoon.

“No,” James said. “I don’t know what else to do, though. Our suspect pool is limited, and this jackass is on the top of the list until we can clear him.”

“It’s not like he’s going to admit to being a murderer,” Jake said.

“I know. I’m hoping we rattle him enough to get a read on him, though.”

“I don’t think that will be hard,” Jake said. “Keep in mind, he’s probably going to recognize me from the bar the other night.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“I … might have threatened him,” Jake hedged, averting his gaze.

“You’re going to need to expand on that.”

“I told him if he didn’t stay away from Mandy that he would regret it,” Jake said. “You have to understand … they were really drunk. Any man who would hit on a woman that drunk has serious issues.”

James snorted. “Do you honestly think I’m going to be angry that you tried to protect my wife?”

“I guess not,” Jake said. “I kind of stepped on your toes, though.”

“My wife wasn’t talking to me then. You did what I couldn’t. Thank you.”

“How are things now?”

“Perfect,” James said. “Let’s do this.”

“Are you going to hit him if he says something you don’t like?”

“Probably.”

“Okay. I’ll catch him if he runs.”

PROFESSOR
Barnes was shocked when he opened the door and found James and Jake standing across the threshold. “Can I help you?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not interested in becoming a Jehovah’s Witness,” Barnes said, moving to shut the door. “Check the house on the corner.”

James’ arm shot out and he caught the door before Barnes could close it. “We’re not here to convert you.”

“We’re here to talk,” Jake said.

Barnes narrowed his eyes as he focused on Jake. “I know you.”

“You do,” Jake agreed. “We met at the bar the other night.”

“You were with Mandy and the hot brunette,” Barnes said. “I’m betting you had a great night with the two of them.”

James growled, drawing Barnes’ attention to him. “You’re talking about my wife and sister.”

“As long as they’re not related, who cares? Actually, even if they were related it would be totally hot.”

“I’m going to have to beat you,” James warned.

“What do you guys want?” Barnes asked, frustrated. “I didn’t do anything to your wife, and I didn’t do anything to the hot brunette. Mr. Muscles here made sure of that.”

“Don’t ever tell Ally he called me that,” Jake said. “She picks up nicknames like other women pick up purses. She’ll use it in public and it will be a whole … thing.”

James snickered. “Your secret is safe with me.” He gestured for Barnes to take a step away from the door. “We want to have a little talk with you, professor.”

“I’m going to call the police.”

“I will break your phone,” James threatened.

“I’ll … scream like a woman if you touch me,” Barnes shot back.

Somehow James believed him. “I have no intention of touching you unless you give me a reason to touch you.”

“That sounded vaguely dirty,” Jake said.

“I heard it the second I said it,” James conceded.

“Are you two a comedy duo or something?”

“Shut your mouth,” James said. “We’re going to come in and have a talk. If you answer our questions in a way that doesn’t make me want to kill you, we’ll leave without touching you.”

Barnes glanced between Jake and James, obviously doing the math to see if there was a way to escape. Finally, he gave in with a dramatic sigh. “Fine. I’m not lying about screaming like a woman, though.”

“I have no doubt,” James said.

After Barnes tried three different ways to separate himself from Jake and James so he could go to another room – and failed each time – he perched nervously in a chair while Jake and James settled on the couch. “What do you want?”

“I want to know what your deal is,” James said.

“You’re going to have to be more specific,” Barnes said. “I’m just a simple cooking professor.”

“I don’t buy that for a second,” James said. “I happen to know that you met a student in your classroom Saturday night. I also know you had about thirty seconds of uninspired sex and then left.”

“Thirty seconds? I’m a stallion.”

“You’re one of those ponies at the county fair that looks like it’s not fed enough,” James countered. “You also were seen making out with Ann Nelson on the night she died, and that was after you had dinner with her the night of the first class.”

“How can you possibly know all of that?”

“Because my wife is in that class and we were at the same restaurant you and Ann went to. You met me when I picked her up, remember?”

“I remember seeing you at the class, but I don’t remember seeing you at the restaurant.”

“That’s because we got our food to go when we saw Ann,” James said. “She knew where we were going, though, and then she just happened to show up. I don’t think that was a coincidence.”

“She’s the one who picked the restaurant,” Barnes said. “I knew it was a mistake five minutes after I sat down. All she kept talking about was her ex-boyfriend and how some mousy blonde stole him from her.”

“She was talking about me,” James said. “And my wife isn’t mousy.”

“Mandy is definitely not mousy,” Barnes said. “She’s smoking hot. I want to take her and that brunette she was with at the bar the other night and make a sandwich.”

“Yeah, something tells me that thirty seconds of … whatever it is you do … wouldn’t impress them,” James said.

“I’m a gifted lover,” Barnes said.

“I saw you with your student the other night,” Jake said. “I saw the whole thing … from start to finish. The finish was rather uninspired, by the way. Do you even know how to get a woman off?”

James bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He knew what Jake was doing. He was trying to enrage Barnes. So far, the man had shown himself to be a sexual schmuck with very little physical aggression. That wasn’t how most murderers carried themselves.

“I’ve never left a woman unsatisfied,” Barnes snapped.

“That’s not what the messages on the women’s bathroom stalls say,” James said.

“What did they write? I will sue them.”

James rolled his eyes. “Tell me about your date with Ann.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Barnes said. “We had a really uncomfortable dinner and afterward she didn’t even put out. She didn’t shut her mouth the entire time. I was actually relieved when the date was over.”

“If that’s true, why did you make out with her the night of the big storm?”

Barnes shrugged. “Honestly? I was depressed. I had just found out about Julie Nichols’ death and I needed some comfort. I was hoping Mandy would be open for offers, but she kept staring at her phone and whining about not being able to get in touch with her overbearing husband.”

James scowled. “I am not overbearing.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re the husband,” Barnes said. “I keep forgetting for some reason. Let me ask you a question: Is she firecracker in bed? She looks like a firecracker in bed. Does she let you do … everything … that you want?”

“I’m this close to thumping you,” James said, lifting his fingers for emphasis. “Did you have sex with Ann the night of the storm?”

“No,” Barnes said. “We were heading in that direction and then your wife walked in and ruined the moment. After that, I couldn’t get Ann to shut up. I wanted to gag her, but she wouldn’t go down on me.”

James felt sick to his stomach. “Where did you sleep that night?”

“On one of the couches in the lobby.”

“Where did Ann sleep?”

Barnes shrugged. “I lost track of her once she pulled her tongue out of my mouth. I decided to focus on the younger girls, but they refused to be separated from one another and … surprisingly … they weren’t into a threesome when I suggested it.”

“You’re a pig,” James snapped.

“Hey, I’m a cooking professor at a community college,” Barnes countered. “I have to get my thrills where I can. There’s more money in teaching home economics on the high school level, but school officials usually frown on you dating the students. That’s why I’m stuck where I am.”

James clenched his fists to keep from hitting Barnes. They weren’t done yet, and he wasn’t ruling out beating him when the conversation was over, but for now he had to keep his temper in check. “Tell me about Julie Nichols. How well did you know her?”

Barnes inhaled heavily and averted his eyes. “I hardly knew her.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Jake said. “You’d better tell us what you know, and you’d better tell us now.”

“Fine. I knew her,” Barnes said. “The thing is, well, I teach two classes every semester. I can’t get full time, but I do get … let’s call them regulars … in every class. Most of the women who take my class are doing it because they think it will help them snag a man. I’m not stupid. None of these women actually wants to learn to cook.”

“My wife did.”

“Your wife is a menace in the kitchen,” Barnes said. “It’s a good thing she’s hot because she’ll kill the first person she cooks for.”

“She cooked for me yesterday morning,” James said.

“The botulism should knock you down any minute then.”

“Go back to your story,” Jake said, stepping in smoothly before James lost his temper. “Did you sleep with her?”

“I’ve slept with most of them,” Barnes said. “Listen, we’re dealing with needy women who will do almost anything to get attention from a man. Julie took three different classes with me. I kind of jump from woman to woman each semester and try to hit them all at least three times. I figure they get their money’s worth then.”

“I’m going to throw up,” James said.

“Don’t get all high and mighty,” Barnes said. “We all have to do what we have to do.”

“When was the last time you slept with Julie?” Jake asked.

“Um … here’s the thing … when Ann asked me to dinner the night of that first class I already had plans with Julie,” Barnes said. “I thought I might have a chance to double dip – and I haven’t been able to do that in a long time – so I took Julie in the closet while Ann was waiting in the lobby and … well … you know.”

“I’m going to kill him,” James said, glancing at Jake.

Jake held his hand up to still him. “How was Julie when you left her?”

“She was fine,” Barnes said. “She was still in the closet trying to fix her hair and skirt. I told her I would call her later. I was just as surprised as anyone when I found out she died. I have no idea why she was on the campus so late that night.”

James rolled his neck, his mind busy. As much as he hated Barnes, he was having trouble believing the man was capable of murder. Some people are great actors. Barnes just put everything out there, not caring how much of a douche he was.

“You’re saying that you slept with Julie and she was murdered a few hours later and then you made out with Ann and wanted to sleep with her and she was murdered a few hours after that,” James said. “That’s the gist of it, right?”

“I think I’m cursed,” Barnes said. “People want me so much they’re killing off the competition.”

James and Jake exchanged a look.

“What do you think?” Jake asked finally.

“I think that someone is going after the women Barnes is linked to,” James said. “We’re missing the connection, though.”

“Who do you think it is?”

“It could be anyone, couldn’t it?” James turned back to Barnes. “We need a list of everyone you’ve slept with in the past year.”

“That’s going to be a long list,” Barnes said, puffing his chest out proudly.

“Sadly, you’ve still only got ten minutes tied up in all of the hookups combined,” James shot back. “Get moving. I want that list, and I want it now.” He turned to Jake. “We need to find out who he slept with that pissed someone off. Once we find that woman we’ll finally be able to get somewhere.”