“What’s this?” He asked her.
“Asshole left it on the passenger car window of the cruiser while we were inside with Theresa McConnelly. Wants us to know that he is watching and knows what we are doing. It’s the same as the damn Tracy Glen situation, he murdered his own brother to keep us from finding anything and now he is warning us that he is keeping tabs on us. I mean I don’t know whether to be frustrated that we always seem to be just out of his reach or whether it means he is scared that we are closing in.” Liz ranted in frustration, standing up and pacing back and forth, pointing to the photograph while she moved.
“It’s definitely the latter. He knows we are close, I mean we have all the pieces of the puzzle, just not the glue to hold it together. I really think we are almost there.” Mike reassured her as he examined the photograph again.
“Did you write this up yet?” Mike asked her. Liz shook her head no.
“Alright, well get the report in fast and then lets call up any relatives of these other women and find out if there were any coworkers in common.” Mike said, picking up the phone and starting to dial. Liz just nodded and grabbed her stack of papers, heading back to her desk to get down to work.
~~~~
“So, he followed you guys out to Maryland?” Derrick asked Kate, not that he didn’t believe her but rather that the situation was unbelievable. He couldn’t even imagine how they had gotten into this tangled battle with an unknown foe. He shuddered as he thought of Kate alone, being followed by this mystery man.
“Yeah, lucky that Liz was with me. I don’t know what I would have done if I had been by myself.” Kate shrugged nervously, worrying as she sat at his kitchen table and watched him putting together dinner for the two of them. She didn’t want to be alone but she also felt like she never was alone because his eyes were on her everywhere she went...and he was making sure that she knew that.
“Well, Kate, you can’t be by yourself until we catch this guy. I mean you just can’t, this is not something to play around with, he is dangerous and still threatening you. I’m going to walk you to and from work and you are going to move in here with me.” Derrick said leaning against the kitchen counter and staring at her, his arms folded in defiance across his chest.
“Move in with you?” Kate asked standing up, smiling, and walking towards him.
“Yes, tonight. We can get your stuff tomorrow, but you’re moving in.” Derrick said confidently, commanding her. She walked up to him and leaned against him, her hands on his chest.
“Oh yeah, you bossing me around now, Mr. Kane?” She grinned at him and kissed him softly on his lips then pulled away. His firm stance softened a bit as he grabbed her hips with both hands and pulled her tighter up against him.
“Don’t act like you don’t want to, after all, you said yes to being the future Mrs. Kane.” He smiled back and kissed her again as the two enjoyed their secret. Kate had agreed with enthusiasm to marry Derrick when he had asked her in the car and she couldn’t wait to tell Annie this weekend. She wanted Annie to be the first to know and to be able to tell her in person, so they were keeping it a secret for a few more days.
“Mrs. Kane? I think I could get used to that.” Kate grinned at him, mischievously and then pressed herself firmly against him, then just as quickly, turned and walked out of the kitchen.
“Oh no, you don’t get to just leave me like that.” He chuckled, his voice getting deeper and huskier as he pushed off the kitchen counter and quickly followed after her. She turned her head to see him quickly advancing on her and she grinned and squeaked with excitement as she burst into a run towards the bedroom. He caught her just as she was about to reach the bed and lifted her straight off the ground and into his arms. He was grinning and she was giggling as he climbed onto the bed on his knees, still holding her in his arms and laid her down on it.
He wasted no time climbing on top of her and kissing her, her lips parting to deepen their kiss. Things suddenly went from playful excitement to serious passion as her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled his face closer to hers, getting lost in the sensuous movements of each other’s lips.