Shelter During the Storm Read online

  Jenna didn’t truly care what people thought about her beloved sister. Laura was smart, owned a successful business, and her sex life was her business. “Laura’s gone, and we can’t control what other people think about her...” She was cut off by a knock on the door.

  Jenna looked out the window; Detective Johnson was on her porch without his partner. Jenna went to open the door for the detective, and Connie followed her. “Connie you don’t have to leave.”

  “I’m sorry Jen, I’ve had enough police to last me a lifetime.” Connie brushed by Detective Johnson. “Excuse me detective.”

  Jenna was surprised by Connie’s behavior she was usually so calm under the collar. Laura’s death has left her devastated. “Come in Detective Johnson. Where’s your partner?”

  Michael followed Jenna into the dining room and took a seat. “He’s following some leads in your sister’s address book. I was on my way home I thought I'd swing by. I have some questions I want to ask about your sister and this may be offensive.”

  There’s nothing Detective Johnson could tell her about Laura that would surprise her. “Ask away detective.”

  Michael could tell by the puffiness in Jenna’s eyes that she’d probably been crying all night. “I apologize in advance if my questions sound rude or insensitive, but time is of the essence. We found two address books in Laura’s apartment. From what we could establish, one lists the names of friends and relatives and the other one contained a list of men only. What can you tell me about the men in Laura’s second address book? Are they casual acquaintances, clients, or friends?”

  Detective Johnson was too cute, he certainly was trying to be careful about her feelings. “Detective Johnson...”

  “Please call me Michael.”

  “Detective. Michael, sorry this seems a little weird. Why don’t I just tell you everything I know and we’ll take it from there. The men in Laura’s address book are probably all the above. Laura loved sex, and she liked variety. The rules for her sex life were clear she liked her men straight, single, interested in sex only.”

  Michael couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was a mistake coming here today, but he couldn’t help himself for asking. “Do those rules apply to you as well Jenna?” Michael couldn’t contain his desire for Jenna.

  For a moment Jenna lost her train of thought, her eyes were trapped in his piercing gaze. Surely, Detective Johnson wasn’t hitting on her while questioning her about her sister’s murder. Even worse, she liked the way his eyes roamed her body. Her skin felt flushed, and she was creaming in her panties thinking about the extremely large penis that grazed her butt yesterday.

  “Detective Johnson we’re getting way off track. We were talking about my sister’s sex life not mine. Laura didn’t allow any of her lovers stay the night. I’d be surprised if she ever invited any of them home; she wanted sex for sex’s sake and nothing else. Laura didn’t have that one singular person in her life; she had several people that she gave bits of herself to.”

  “Sorry Jenna, I wasn’t judging Laura’s lifestyle, but we have an entire address book full of possible suspects. Is there anyone who wanted to be more than a lover? Someone determined enough to kill her because he couldn’t have her to himself.”

  Jenna buried her face in her hands. Looking at things from Michael’s point of view, the list of suspects could be in the hundreds. “I haven’t met any of my sister’s lovers. Recently she’s been involved with two brothers they own a company called Hughes Construction.”

  Ah hell, Michael thought to himself. The Hughes Corporation was one of the largest construction companies in the Mid-west. “That’s a start Jenna. I’ll be in touch, and it would help if you picked up your phone. I left several messages before coming over today.”

  Jenna didn’t want to be alone right now. Detective Johnson that made her think of satin sheets, spankings, and his hard cock. “Michael would you like to stay for dinner?”

  “Jenna.” Michael groaned her name out loud. “The man in me would like nothing better than to stay with you. If I stayed, I’d want more than dinner. I won’t be satisfied until my cock is balls deep inside you. I’m investigating your sister’s murder; I can’t let my attraction for you compromise this case in any way.”

  Jenna felt the warmth of embarrassment brush across her face. “I’m sorry Detective Johnson. You’re right, sex between us would be totally inappropriate.”

  “Jenna don’t be embarrassed, the attraction is mutual.” Michael traced her lips with his thumb. He could see for himself that she was aroused by her sharp intake of breath, and her breasts were pebbling against her blouse. Michael pulled his hand away from her lips; he had to leave right now.

  “If you need anything, give me call.” Michael opened Jenna’s front door and shut it behind him. He took a couple of deep breaths before walking down the stairs. Jenna tempted him beyond reason, once his mind was on a case, before Jenna, no woman could shake his concentration. He needed to get laid and fast before he jumped on her like a dog chasing a bitch in heat.

  Jenna watched Michael get into his car and leave. He was right of course, she should have known better than to try and fuck the detective working her sister’s case. Laura’s body was still warm, and the only thing she could think of is getting her rocks off.

  ***

  The two cold showers he took this morning hadn't improved Michael’s disposition any. His cock unquestionably had a mind of its own. He invited Vickie over for a quick fuck last night and everything went to hell. He’d known Vickie for a while she’s a cute little blonde with terrific tits, a great ass, and one tight little pussy. He took care of her needs and vice versa. More significant she was always available when he needed sex. He invited Vickie over last night at the spare of the moment. He picked up some take out on the way home, and Vickie was waiting for him by the time he got there.

  It must have been a long time since Vickie got laid because she wanted to go straight to the fucking. Before he could unlock the front door, Vickie was on him like stink on shit. Which was OK with him; Jenna had him so hard he could fuck a goat. Vickie was doing a strip tease all the way back to Michael’s bedroom. He picked her up and carried her down the hall. He threw Vickie in the middle of the bed and tore her panties trying to pull them down her legs. “

  “Someone needs some loving.”

  “You don’t know how much.”

  He donned a condom and had her legs spread out on the bed before she could blink. He shoved himself into her like he was starving and her pussy was the last supper. Jamming his cock inside her felt so good that he couldn’t get enough. “That’s right baby move with me. Kiss me Jenna kiss me as if you want it!” Michael was fucking her so hard it took him a moment to realize she was putting up a fight.

  “Get the fuck off me. You bastard! Who in the fuck is Jenna?” Vickie pushed Michael off her and scooted off the bed. She started hunting around for her clothes.

  “Fuck!” Michael fell back on the bed trying to collect himself. There was no substitute for the woman he actually wanted. He got off the bed pulled up his pants and went in search of Vickie. He found her in the hallway pulling up her jeans. “Vickie let me explain.”

  Vickie was stuffing her feet in her shoes and searching for her purse at the same time. “You don’t owe me any explanation. Obviously, I'm a substitute for Jenna, whoever the hell she is. I should have known better, the only time you call me is when you want to fuck. Which was OK because I thought one day it might lead to something more.”

  Vickie was crying and shouting at him, and it was no less than he deserved. “Vickie I’m sorry.”

  Vickie had her purse in one hand and her car keys in another marching for the front door. “Do me a favor Mikey.”

  “Anything Vickie. Like I said, I’m sorry.”

  “Lose my fucking number! I don’t ever want to hear from you again!” Vickie slammed the front door and ran for her car. "What's wrong with the fucking men in this town?"

  Mi
chael ran his hands through his hair. Last night was a colossal mistake, not only didn’t he get laid; he hurt the feelings of a nice lady. Michael pulled into Mack’s driveway. He could tell by the jaunty way Mack was walking that he was going to bust his balls again.

  “Hey Romeo, how’s things cooking. Do you have your dick under control today?” Mack laughed as if he’d told a joke.

  Michael ignored Mack and decided to focus on the case instead. “I spoke with Jenna last night, and she said the owners of Hughes Construction were Laura’s lovers.”

  “You’re kidding right. Both of them?”

  “Yeah both of them. So judgmental, that's not like you. You were the biggest horn dog on the force until you met Linda.”

  “Mike, men are expected to act like men until they meet "the one". I’ve never come across a woman who was so generous with her favors. I’m not judging her! I just think the whole situation strange. There’s something in woman's history to have that many lovers.”

  “Like sexual assault or child abuse!” Shit! Michael was so blinded by his desire for Jenna that he missed a vital clue. “You might be onto something Mack. Let’s question the Hughes brothers and take a look at old case files to see if we can find anything about the Tierney's’."

  ***

  He fulfilled his promise and murdered the only woman he ever loved. He could have saved her, if only she’d come to him. He would have married her, and she would have been protected as his wife. Laura was everything Mother said she was a dirty whore who would let any man she met climb between those long tan legs. Laura let all those men have what belonged to him.

  Jenna certainly wasn’t beautiful like Laura, and she wasn't his first choice. There was something about her that made him think of purity and devotion. He’d let this situation with Laura die down, giving Jenna time to mourn and bury the whore. Then he would pursue her and treat her like the unspoiled queen she is before staking his claim. If Jenna proved herself worthy, he would take her home to meet his mother. He had a feeling mother would love Jenna

  ***

  Chapter 3

  The coroner’s office called Jenna this morning; they were ready to release the body to the funeral home of her choice. One good thing, Laura left a will stating her funeral arrangements. She wanted to be cremated, and spread her ashes at the Grand Canyon. In addition to funeral leave, Jenna took two weeks of vacation. Her parents finally arrive in town, and they were supposed to stop by this morning. She certainly wasn’t looking forward to the argument she knew would ensue.

  Jenna decided to get out of the house. She had been cooped up for the last two days crying and looking at family photo albums. The sad thing is that there were exceedingly few pictures with Laura and her parents together. There were plenty of pictures when they were small children, hardly any after the incident. The incident took place fourteen years ago, but sometimes it felt like yesterday. Jenna had nightmares for years after it happened, but that was nothing in comparison to what Laura endured. She didn’t want to think about that awful night, the night when they lost their parents.

  ***

  The Hughes brothers are not what Michael expected. Donald and Lawrence Hughes ran a multi-million dollar company, and they were as different as night and day. Donald was clearly the dominant brother. He was stocky, maybe 5'11; he has dark brown hair and disturbing gray eyes. His brother Lawrence was average height maybe 5’8 or 5’9. He had an unusually slim build, his hair was so bright it was almost white, his eyes were blue, and he had a distinctly feminine way about him. He never answered a direct question and often deferred to Donald before answering. They had been here an hour already, and they were getting nowhere fast.

  “Listen fellas we know that you were Laura Tierney’s lovers. We're not here to expose your lifestyle or point fingers. We just need to solve a murder case. Whatever information you can provide may help us solve this case. Now, were you gentlemen with Miss Laura Tierney three nights ago on February 17th?” Again, the brothers’ eyes met before Donald responded.

  “We were with Laura three nights ago; we thought we finally hit the jackpot. We’d been with her several times before, in hotel rooms or at our home. She never stayed the night, and she refused to let us stay that night. Consequently, the same night she was killed was the first time Laura let us come to her apartment. She would still be alive if she had let us stay the night.”

  It was possible they would have been killed too. Mike kept that little comment to himself. "What do you know about the other men in her life?"

  “We loved her! We didn't ask her about the other men in her life because they didn't matter. We wanted her to be our third, to compete us; we were offering marriage, children the whole nine yards. There was something about Laura that was broken, and we wanted to heal her.” A tearful Lawrence said as he went to stare out the high rise window.

  Michael felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples before continuing with the questioning. “So you wanted Laura for a permanent three-way relationship? Did you argue or have a dispute with her about your arrangement?” He hoped his voice didn’t reveal the shock he was feeling. He loved pussy too much to share it with anyone. Just picturing Jenna with another man drove him crazy.

  Donald was tired or defending their way of life. “Like all judgmental people you’ve totally missed the point. We wanted a permanent arrangement with Laura. She couldn’t commit to us because she didn’t think she was worthy of our love. So we took whatever she chose to give us, whether it was a few hours, at a hotel or our house, or a dinner and a movie. We were pleased to settle for whatever she wanted to give because we loved her that much and we were beginning to make progress.”

  Mack stood up to shake Donald’s hand and gave him his card. “Thank you gentlemen. We’ll call you if we have any further questions. We apologize for your loss I know how hard it is to find that person who makes you whole.”

  Lawrence turned away from the window and stood by his brother. “By the way detectives, we will be offering a million dollar reward for information that leads to the capture of Laura’s killer. Whatever you need on this case, we are not without resources. We have friends in unexpectedly high places. Miss Negrete will show you the way out.”

  Before Michael and Mack reached the door, it was opened by a small petite older woman. “This way gentlemen.” She led Michael and Mack to a private elevator. She got in the elevator with them and walked them out the front door. “Have a nice day detectives.”

  Neither he nor Mack said a word on the way back to the car. “I can’t believe you! I know what it’s like to find the person who makes you whole. What was that shit about?”

  “Those men loved Laura Tierney, whatever happened in her life they were willing to wait for her. I understand that. If something happened to Linda, I’d do anything in the world to make sure my woman was okay. Love is patient, love endures, and those men were trying to heal Laura Tierney. We need to find out what happened to Laura in the past and what relevance it has in her death.”

  ***

  Jenna was coming back from walking when she saw her parents’ car in her driveway. Hell, the last thing she wanted to do was talk to them. She greeted them as they got out of the limo. God forbid either one would drive like normal people. “Hello Mom, Dad.”

  Jim Tierney tried to hug Jenna before she went up the stairs. “Daddy’s here sweetie, I’ll take care of everything.”

  Jenna started laughing at her father. “What are you going to do Dad? Spread your money around make sure the police handle Laura’s case quietly. What would the stock holders say? It’s unfortunate enough Laura owned a sex shop, how dare she die before this quarter's numbers came out.” Jenna knew how to hit where it hurts, and she wasn’t pulling any punches.

  Her mother was in tears gearing up for another fine performance. “Jenna you must apologize to your father at once! We’ve been traveling for the last 48 hours trying to make it home to assist you and use your Dad’s influence to find Laura’s ki
ller. You've got some nerve suggesting that we’d ever put the company before you or your sister.”

  Jenna studied her mother’s beautiful face, with eyes so much like her own. She and Laura had witnessed Valencia Tierney’s erratic displays all their lives, and she didn’t want to watch the show any longer. “You’ve always put everything before us why would this be any different? Laura was the only person who gave a damn about me! You see we lost our parents fourteen years ago when you guys chose money and status over us.”

  Jim Tierney had enough, he grabbed Jenna’s arm and swung her around to face him. “You little bitch, how dare you talk to us that way, we got here as soon as we could come. You have to stop blaming your mother and me for something that happened years ago. We had no control over that situation, and we made the best of it.”

  Jenna snatched her arm from her father’s grasp. “No Dad, Laura and I made the best of a terrible situation. Your lives went on like usual! I won’t try to keep you from Laura’s memorial service, it probably wouldn’t look right to the board if you didn’t show up.”

  “What do you mean memorial service? We will bury Laura in the family vault at Forest Lawn.” Valencia spurted as if there could be any other outcome. Jenna was delusional if she thought Laura wouldn’t have a complete funeral service and proper burial.

  “Mom I hate to break this to you, but according to Laura’s life insurance policy and will. Laura requested that her body be cremated. As her beneficiary, I’ve already made the arrangements, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If it makes you happy you can have a funeral for Laura with all the bells and whistles, know this; her body will not be in the casket.” Jenna left her parents standing there on her front steps, she didn’t look back as she let herself in and slammed and locked the door behind her.

  ***

  Chapter 4

  Six days after her murder Laura’s memorial service took place at St. John’s Lutheran Church and boy was it filled to capacity. Jenna sat on the first pew with her parents, Connie, and Samantha. She barely spared her parents a glimpse. A few people got up to talk about what Laura meant to them. Then it was Jenna’s turn. It was as if the spirit of Laura stood by her side giving her support.