Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

William

I was pacing the floor of the lounge. I kept glancing out the window, waiting for the detective’s car to leave. What the hell was he doing parked outside my house for so long? It was making me even more nervous than I had felt when he was inside. At least then, I had known what he was up to. His tactic wasn’t exactly subtle. He had twisted everything I said, tried to stress me out so I would fuck up and say too much. I was too clever for him, though. I had seen through him and not given him anything.

I had managed to hold myself together until Detective Del Rey left and hung around like this. Now, though, my palms were sweating, and my breaths were coming too fast. I was likely to give myself a damned heart attack at this rate. I noticed that the detective was talking on his cellphone and I relaxed a little. He was obviously just returning calls. I still didn’t like his being here, though.

When he finally pulled away, I breathed a big sigh of relief, but my nerves were still jangling somewhat. He had practically accused me of killing Candy to cover up her pregnancy. I genuinely hadn’t known she was pregnant until the memory came back to me in my dream, but I couldn’t admit that to the detective without admitting that my memories of the night Candy was killed where coming back. He had no proof I knew about Candy’s pregnancy, though. I mean, how could he? I didn’t know until Candy blurted it out in our bedroom that night, and it’s not like she could tell him about that. I knew Carlotta wouldn’t have told him that part. She had to keep up the lie that she remembered nothing from that night.

It was still a problem, though. And it would become an even bigger problem if the detective started poking around in my past and discovered that Candy wasn’t the first girl from work I’d had an affair with. It wasn’t so much a problem that he knew that. I knew I was right about that not being a crime. The problem was how my affairs invariably ended. The last thing I needed was some bitch with a grudge against me saying I had threatened her or some shit. That would give the detective ammunition against me, something he could use to show a pattern of behavior. A pattern that could well have ended in murder, in his mind. And in a jury member’s mind.

Fucking Carlotta. Why did she have to let jealousy get the better of her and kill Candy? Why couldn’t she just let me take care of it and get the restraining order? That woman was the source of all my problems. She pushed me into the arms of other women and then reacted like this when it happened. It might have been better all-around if Carlotta had been the one who was murdered.

I shook my head, shaking the thought away. That wasn’t the road I needed to go down. I needed to get a handle on this affair thing before it got out of hand. I had to start making a few calls. I would offer the girls money, however much they wanted, if they just promised me they wouldn’t talk shit about me to the police.

I nodded my head, not exactly satisfied with the plan but knowing it was the best one I had. I decided to start with Shanna. I mean, I hadn’t even ended things with her. She had been the one to end things. Of course, things got rather ugly after that. The bitch bruised my ego, and I started taking her down a peg or two. I don’t know who the hell she thought she was, dumping me. She quit shortly after that. Yeah, she was my best bet. She had ended the fling, and it wasn’t even like I had fired her. She could paint me in a good light.

I pulled my cellphone out and scrolled through my contacts until I found Shanna’s number. I hit Call before I could chicken out. The phone rang for so long, I was beginning to think Shanna wasn’t even going to take my call, but then her voice came on the line, breathy, like she had been running or something.

“What the hell do you want?” she snapped.

“Hi, Shanna,” I said, forcing myself to ignore the way she answered my call. “I was just wondering how you were doing.”

“You mean you saw the story about your sordid little affair splashed all over the papers and now you’re trying to shut me up. Let me save you some time. I have no intention of talking to the media and embarrassing myself like that. But of course, the police would be another story.”

My mind was reeling. What the hell was she talking about ?

“What do you mean about the papers?” I demanded.

“You don’t know, do you? Oh, my God, how are you so self-centered that you don’t know a thing about what’s going on in the world? Seriously, William, read a newspaper. The whole thing is all over the front pages. How you had an affair with Candy Xavier and then she ended up in your garden, dead. They’re still trying to work out whether it was you or your wife who did it, though, right?”

I was quiet for a moment, trying to make sense of all of this. I pulled my laptop toward me and Googled my own name. I was horrified when the exact story Shanna had described appeared on my screen, complete with my full name and a picture of me and Carlotta. It wasn’t even a good picture.

“I didn’t kill her, Shanna,” I said. “And I would appreciate it if the police do come to talk to you, if you wouldn’t mention the bickering we did. Just tell them you ended our relationship and left the company.”

“The bickering we did? You mean when you verbally abused me to the point where I quit my job because the thought of coming into work every day made me so anxious I would throw up?” Shanna shot back.

She was still a fucking little drama queen then. I could feel myself getting angry, wanting to tell her exactly what I thought of her, but I reminded myself that I needed her on my side.

“Shanna, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. I was hurt that you ended our relationship and I lashed out,” I said.

“Oh, bollocks,” Shanna said. “You created a hostile work environment on purpose knowing I would quit, and you wouldn’t have to face up to your mistake every day. And with Candy, you took that a step further and got rid of her permanently, didn’t you?”

“It’s not like that, Shanna,” I said. “Look, I get that you’re still angry with me, and you have every right to be. How about I make it up to you? I’ll send you a check. A big enough one that you can see past our problems and remember how good we were together.”

“We were never good together, William. Take your bribe and shove it up your ass. If you call me again, I won’t be waiting for the police to come to me. I’ll be going to them.”

The line went dead in my ear. That didn’t go at all how I had hoped it would, and Shanna had been the one I thought would see reason. I shook my head. Where did this leave me?

There was no way I was calling Melanie. I had tried to get with her several times, but she wouldn’t have it. Frigid little bitch. She was probably a lesbian or something. In the end, she threatened to tell HR I was sexually harassing her, and after that, well, she had to be fired. She wasn’t showing loyalty to the company.

If Shanna had issues with me, I dreaded to think what Melanie would think of all this Candy business.

And then there was Laura. I didn’t need to call Laura. She was in Hong Kong, and I knew the detective would never track her down there. I mean, look at this crime. There were only two suspects, and he couldn’t even find out which of us was Candy’s killer. He didn’t stand a hope in hell of tracking down a single girl in Hong Kong.

I stood up and went to the liquor cabinet and poured myself a large whisky. I threw it back and poured another one. I never should have called Shanna. I had only made it worse for myself. And I had a feeling that had been the detective’s intention all along. I slammed the second drink and then a third and a fourth. I was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. Rather than making me feel better or relaxed, it was only heightening my stress.

I knew what I needed to get all of this anger out of me. I needed a good, hard fuck with a pretty young thing. I didn’t think it was a good idea to be seen trawling bars for girls right now, though. I sighed. I guessed Carlotta would have to do.

I made my way to her studio, stumbling a little. She was standing in front of a blank canvas, a brush in her hand. I went to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, kissing her neck roughly. I could feel my cock responding, pressing against Carlotta’s ass.

Carlotta shrugged away from me and spun to face me. She looked angry.

“What the hell are you doing, William? It’s barely eleven o’clock and you stink of whisky.”

“I just wanted to make love to my wife,” I slurred.

Carlotta looked at me in disgust.

“Just go sleep it off,” she spat.

I ignored her, fumbling open my trousers and pushing them down. Carlotta looked at my erection, but there was no lust on her face, only disgust. I felt my cock go down as she looked at me. Angry now, I dragged my trousers up and fastened them, trying to hide my floppy shame.

“You can’t even do that right,” she said, her eyes still on my crotch area.

“Oh, trust me, I can perform just fine when I’m not with you. But the sight of your ugly body is enough to turn anyone off,” I said, and then I turned around and walked away from her.