Don't Touch (19 page)

He put up a hand as she started to protest
frustration visible in every part of her body. “You can’t push
yourself until you do snap, Ryan. Let me take care of you just for
today then we can go gang busters anyway you want to get this
guy.”

Her heart melted as he rubbed his hands up
and down her arms. The pleading look in his eyes when he said let
me take care of you. No one had ever wanted to take care of her
before.

Not even her sister when Ryan had really
needed someone to help her. She reached out and combed her fingers
through his hair. Was she falling for this scruffy cop? Yeah she
was. “Alright just for today. Help me get dressed and take me
home.”

He didn’t wait for her to argue or change her
mind. They got her out of there and soon he was pulling into the
driveway. Ryan flopped on the couch all the medication and the
after affects of the drug still had her out of it. Gently he lay
her down and covered her with the blanket from the recliner.
Kneeling he pulled of the gloves and kissed her forehead. “Rest,
that’s the only way to wear this stuff off.”

In just a moment her eyes fluttered shut
unable to stop it. Jackson went to the den and turned on her
computer. He sat back and looked at the screen for couple of
minutes gathering his thoughts.

Dr. Torrence had told him that the dose of
GHB had been high enough that Ryan could have been out of it for
days. The stuff had started to hit her at the booth that was why
she had held on to him walking to the car.

Thomas left the hospital and went directly to
Ocala where they had held Black. They were smart enough not to tell
him he was wanted for murder. Tom got up close and personal with
the guy telling him a woman’s husband claimed his cosmetics were
what rushed his wife to the hospital.

Even that would make him more cautious. At
least they had been able to keep the papers and media out of the
case any more. Logging into his e-mail Jack said a silent prayer
that the guy wanted a bit of attention from him. He was rewarded
with another message from Katchme.

The screen went blank as a photo loaded on
the screen. A tombstone. Was this where the next victim would be
found? It was a weathered marble stone but the grave had been
maintained. The letters carved into the block were still clear and
there were fresh flowers resting on top draping down the sides.

He saved the message and hit reply. “What is
this supposed to mean?” Hitting send he shut off the machine and
went to the kitchen to make lunch.

The smell of food cooking forced open her
eyes and her stomach growled. From the dining room table Jack
giggled. “I heard that.”

She stretched grinning. Her head felt heavy
like she was still under the influence of the drugs but she didn’t
feel as weak. Not taking any chances she got up slowly and walked
over to find the table set including candles. “What’s the
occasion?”

Pulling out her chair with a wide grin
himself. “Does there need to be an occasion?”

Upon sitting down a plate was set in front of
her filled with pasta and vegetables. Jack set his own plate as
well as a basket of garlic bread sticks on the table. Poured them
tall glasses of iced tea with fresh mint and sat with a satisfied
sigh. Ryan tried to keep the smirk off her face.

Taking a bite she found the dish delicious.
“You can cook?”

“Not a chance. I had it delivered. You don’t
want to be back in the hospital do you?” He took a bite himself.
“This is good. I’ve never had Luigi’s before today. I found the
menu in your drawer.”

Filling her fork with pasta Ryan toasted him.
“You are a prince. Thank you.”

Jack laughed and rolled his eyes.

After eating Ryan leaned back in the chair.
“I think I’m going to explode I ate way too much. I think whatever
they gave me in the hospital is related to pot. I’ve never been so
hungry.”

Jack snorted. “After that I don’t think I’ll
eat until Thanksgiving.” He stood and started gathering dishes and
putting them in the dishwasher. Ryan got up to help but he waved
her back. “I’ve got it. Remember I’m taking care of you today.”

When he closed the dishwasher she walked over
and took his hands in hers. “Are you trying to seduce me Jackson
Prince?” She asked teasingly.

Jackson slid his arms around her waist and
looked down into those sparkling brown eyes. “That depends. Is it
working?”

Reaching up she grabbed a hand full of hair
pulling him into a deep kiss. Jack pulled her closer to his body. A
little breathless she gave him that crooked grin. “What do you
think?”

He backed her up to the counter and captured
her lips again telling her exactly what he was thinking. When he
felt her warm hands on his neck he broke away. “Ryan, I don’t
want….that is I don’t expect anything from you. A relationship
right now may not be a real good idea.”

She looked up into those multi colored eyes.
“I think it’s a little late for all that Jack. You’ve already given
more than I could ask for but that isn’t what this moment is
about.” Taking his hand she took off the glove and placed the hand
on her heart. “I trust you.”

Beating against his palm her heart was
calling to him. Pulling her to him again he pressed her to his body
feeling her warmth, the softness of her skin, the smell of her
shampoo. “Ryan.”

She gave with him wrapping her arms around
him. They stood in the kitchen like that for along time. Just
wrapped in each other and the emotions it invoked. Jack kissed the
top of her head and was about to make a suggestion when his phone
rang. “Prince.”

“Tell me I’m interrupting something.”

His heart pounding from the surge between him
and Ryan. Jack was annoyed that indeed his partner had actually
interrupted something. “We’re naked in the shower what do you want
Tom.”

“Ha I knew it. Yeah right. I just received a
fax on my desk simply saying, Give up? I found the forwarded email
of the headstone you sent too. When I find it I’ll give you a call.
This guy wants to play now Jack. Not a good sign. How’s Ryan?”

Jack looked down into those eyes holding dark
promises. “She’s doing much better. Call me when you get that I
gotta go give her something.”

Not waiting for an answer or saying good bye
Jackson hung up then scooped up the woman in front of him. Knee
deep in a serial killer investigation, Ryan struggling to get back
into the outside world, her sister trying to commit her then
getting murdered, recovering from being drugged.

All that and she was still looking at him as
if he could take it all away. Maybe he could. For just a little
while he would push it all way and let her feel his heart.

He hoped she would be able to see how much he
cared for her and desired her as she touched him. Jackson would try
to put those emotions into every touch trying to fill her with the
love she had bee missing.

Chapter 17

The clock flashed two in the morning. Ryan
quietly slipped out of the bed and pulled on Jack's tee. “Can’t
sleep?”

Sitting back on the bed looking at his face
in the dark. “I thought you were sleeping?”

“Insomnia. Why are you sneaking out?”

She chewed her lip for moment thinking about
how they had spent the evening. “I didn’t want to disturb you. I
just can’t close my eyes yet.”

He got up and fished his pajama pants out of
the suitcase. “Come on it’s after midnight so I guess we can go
back to work. Maybe we can ware our selves out working.” Pulling
her into a kiss he grinned. “Since our earlier activities didn’t do
the job.”

He headed into the den and logged on to his
e-mail. The first message was from Katchme. “You’re the detective
so detect.” Jackson scoffed. “Punk.” He pulled up the previous
message. “This is what he sent earlier, any ideas that don’t
include make up counters?”

The stone came into view and Ryan looked at
the name and what little she could see of the background. “I don’t
recognize it. Can’t see much around it to figure out where it is
either. Did you do a search on the name?”

He looked at her and blinked then raked his
hands through his hair aggravated at himself. It was a simple
solution search the web for the deceased. Pulling up the search
window he typed it in and hit enter. Several sites came up but only
five cemeteries, three of which had web sites.

“Let’s try Memory Gardens.” Jackson searched
the archived records since the date of death was in the early
nineteen hundreds. After trying all three using several different
ways they had to give up until morning when they could call the
remaining two.

Ryan printed off the photo then looked up
like a light bulb went off. She grabbed the phone and dialed the
morgue. “Hey Susan. This is Dr. Reign. I’m doing just fine. How are
you? Good. By any chance do you still do that genealogy stuff?
Really? Could you use your skills to look up a name for me? I need
to know where this woman is buried. I have all the info but where
her grave is located. Virginia Blake, born March fourth eighteen
ten. She died October tenth eighteen thirty-two. Yeah I’ll still be
up. Thank you.”

She set the phone on the desk and propped her
feet on Jack’s lap. “She’ll call back in about thirty minutes with
where Miss Virginia was laid to rest.”

He was amazed, that was something he never
would have thought of. “You good doctor are brilliant.”

She sat there smiling like a Cheshire cat. He
couldn’t help but smile himself at the memory of her purring as he
had stroked that cat. “You’re wearing my shirt. Does that mean
we’re officially a couple?”

Moving from her chair to his lap she laid her
head on his shoulder. “I think it was official a few hours ago.
Nothing on that trailer either?”

Sighing as he combed fingers through her long
hair. “Not one word. It’s really strange that they can’t locate
these trails or this house. I mean I’ve been out there and there
are some places off the beaten path but everything shows up on the
aerial photos.”

Ryan twined a curl around her finger when she
realized something. “Jackson are you wearing gloves?”

“No.”

“I’m touching you, your touching me, nothing
is happening.” She took her right hand and placed it in his right
hand. “Nothing.” Getting up she went to the closet and her test
box. Inside she found a pen that someone had left on the table
outside when they had made a delivery.

Holding it she saw him getting a ticket for
speeding through Umatilla. “Idiot everyone knows better than to
speed though Umatilla that town is one big speed trap.”

Jackson sat on the bed next to her. “So you
still have it just not with me anymore?”

Reaching out again she concentrated hard as
she touched him. The image that flashed in her mind was not one
that she could have imagined. “No it’s there but I have to work for
it.” Leaping in his arms knocking him backwards she squealed. “I
may be getting control over it. Exposure to people lessens my
sensitivity. It might make what we’re doing with the case harder
though.”

He hugged her tight and rolled them over.
“But it might make other things a lot easier.” Just as his lips
touched hers the phone rang. “Good timing Susan!”

Laughing she answered the phone. “Oh no you
weren’t interrupting anything. Let me grab a pen and paper.” She
jotted down the name of the cemetery and the address. “Thanks so
much Susan when you have a day off I’ll take you to lunch. Great,
bye.”

Jack picked up the tablet. “There’s a
cemetery in Altoona?”

“So the lady says and Susan is big into this
family research stuff so I trust her sources.” Ryan glanced at the
clock. “I know it’s late and we really need to rest but I just have
this weird feeling.”

He nodded they really were a pair. “I was
going to suggest heading out there. This is the time of night most
of the bodies were dumped so maybe we can get this guy and make it
stick.”

Around four in the morning they reached the
graveyard. It was a small cemetery and surprisingly dated quite
aways back in time. As soon as the car stopped Ryan felt something
like a spider creeping down her spine. A glance at Jackson said he
felt it too. Checking his gun before getting out he gave a quick
survey of the area.

Ryan took the flashlight and shone it over
his shoulder. He stopped as they reached the gate. Jack looked over
his shoulder. “Stay close but behind me and keep that light high
like that. He’s here I know it.”

They walked slowly through the graves
carefully moving through the stones. Jackson had a smaller pen
light he was using to shine the names. It was a good fifteen
minutes and halfway into the cemetery when the light fell on a
raven haired woman lying on the damp grass.

She was dead the wounds still seeping meaning
she hadn’t been there long. Jackson quickly stood and took another
visual survey of every space he could be hidden.

“Trade me lights.” Switching flashlights
Jackson guided them further in searching for signs of movement. A
raccoon scurried across his path Jack nearly fired. “You trying to
get killed fuzz ball?”