"Two bodies in one day. You must be a lucky talisman," quipped Jenny Marsden as she removed her protective gloves and smiled at me.
"Well?" said DS Rioch, his gruff voice grating on the ears of those around him.
"Very unusual," said Jenny. "I obviously need to do some tests back at the laboratory, but my first guess would be that this body has been ingested and then regurgitated."
"And what the fuck does that mean?" Snapped DS Rioch.
Jenny Marsden raised an eyebrow and sighed under her breath.
I watched Jenny crouch back down next to the skeleton in one graceful and elegant move. Her hair, long, black and glossy, shone perfectly beneath the kitchen lights. Her perfectly formed red lips with her perfectly formed vowels and consonants was really starting to irritate me.
"The glistening on the bones looks like saliva to me," she said. "And then we have what looks to be bile on the floor and the ever so distinctive smell of vomit in the room."
Jenny moved catlike around to the other side of the skeleton.
"Again, I am only guessing at this point in time," she said, "but I would say that the flesh was stripped from this skeleton with some kind of acid."
DS Rioch put his hands on his more than ample hips.
"So are you tellin' me that somebody has dipped a body in some kind of acid and then placed it here in this kitchen and then puked all over the fuckin' place and covered it with spit?"
Jenny smiled at DS Rioch.
"So eloquently put Detective Sergeant," she said. "But until I have run some tests, I can only guess at this stage."
"Fuck me," said DS Rioch, "it looks like we've got a right nut job loose on our manor. Right first things first..."
"Excuse me," I said, trying to control my frustration.
I tightened my mouth and motioned DS Rioch to the other side of the kitchen.
"This is my investigation," I hissed at DS Rioch, trying to keep my voice down. "I realise you're my Sergeant but the boss made me lead Detective on this case."
DS Rioch's huge frame seemed to fill my whole vision as he leered at me menacingly.
"Not any more sweetheart," he chuckled. "Once her ladyship found out we had a possible serial killer in the area, she took over and put me in charge of field work."
"What?" I said angrily.
The two uniformed officers who had arrived at the house with us looked over at me.
"Since when?" I said in more hushed tones.
"Since ten minutes ago. I've just come off the phone with her," he said smugly. "You know how it is. There's a lot of glory to be had for catching a serial killer and I guess her ladyship wants that glory. Now do us all a favour Stewart, be a sweetheart and fuck off out of my face and go and make us all a cup of tea, There's a good girl."
DS Rioch walked through me as if I didn't exist and back to the crime scene.
I felt so angry and humiliated. First she'd put me on the case in the hope I'd fail, and now just as it had started to get interesting, she had pulled me off it and tossed me aside in favour of that ape Rioch.
The kitchen door opening jolted me from my anger for a moment. It was Tommy. I could see Jenny's eyes light up as he walked across the kitchen over to where I was standing.
"We searched the whole area Lisa but we couldn't find a thing," said Tommy. "Uniform are going to keep looking for any clues but I reckon it's a dead end."
I blinked hard, trying to keep the tears that were welling up in my eyes from trickling down my face.
"You'd best tell Rioch then," I said. "He's in charge of field work now and the DCI has taken over the case."
"What?" said Tommy, guiding me out of the back door to the kitchen and into the huge back garden.
He took my arm and led me away from the house to a cluster of garden furniture. His strong, but gentle hands ushered me onto one of the garden benches and he sat down next to me with a sigh. The evening sun was beginning its final journey towards the horizon. A stream of red and orange hues flowed over the garden around us.
"But you're a serial killer expert," he said looking into my eyes. "All that studying you've done. Wasn't your thesis all about serial killers."
He looked so handsome, so lovely, so sensitive yet strong. I wanted to grab his face tenderly and kiss his mouth. I wanted to know what it would feel like to be kissed by this man who seemed to tug at my heart every time I looked at him.
I regained my composure and looked back at the house.
"A first class honours degree in Psychology and a masters degree in Criminal Psychology," I said flatly. "A year's experience with Interpol and six months experience with the FBI on the US-Anglo exchange program."
I clasped my hands together and looked at Tommy.
"So how come I keep rolling to the bottom of the shit pile?"
Tommy shook his head and took my hand in his.
"Your time will come Lisa," he said. "In the mean time we've got two murders to solve. So let's make sure that we're the ones who find the killer. That way we get to rub everybody else's noses in it."
He let go of my hand and started to walk back to the house.
"Tommy," I called out after him.
He turned round and looked at me, hands in his pockets, looking his nonchalant self.
"Thank you," I said.
"You're welcome," he said with a smile. "Now move your arse DC Stewart, we've got a killer to catch."
I followed Tommy back into the house of death. The evening chorus started up behind me, a reminder that another day was drawing to a close.
"Okay, I have everything I need here," said Jenny. "My team will take care of removing the evidence. It is going to be a long busy night with two murders to deal with."
"How long before we can expect something from you?" Demanded DS Rioch.
"I should be able to get some preliminary reports out in the next couple of days," she said. "Some of the more complicated testing will take a lot longer, but I will put all my staff onto it immediately."
As Tommy and I left the crime scene, Jenny attracted Tommy's attention with the smallest of waves.
"Call me," she mouthed silently to him.
My green eyes turned even greener at Jenny Marsden's obvious intent towards Tommy. As we walked up the path away from the house I took the slightest of gambles.
"My car is parked back at the first crime scene," I said "Any chance of a lift back there?"
"Sure thing," said Tommy with a smile.
We climbed into his car and he started the ignition and turned on the car lights. The eerie glow of the dashboard seemed to make him even more handsome.
God I had it bad for him.
"Fancy popping to the pub for a drink on the way," I ventured, my heart beating like a love crazed teenager in eager anticipation of his answer. "After the afternoon we've had I could murder a glass of wine."
Tommy changed gear gently as we approached the junction. Indicate. Pull out. All so very gently, the complete antithesis to the car journey I had shared with DS Rioch over to Acacia Avenue.
He hesitated for a moment before replying.
"I can't," he said. "I've got to be somewhere tonight. I'm already going to be a little late."
Disappointment overwhelmed me. Was that a total brush off or did he genuinely need to be somewhere tonight?
"Okay," I said trying to sound that it really didn't bother me in the slightest. "Another time maybe?"
Another time maybe?
There it was. I'd thrown caution to the wind and was now eagerly awaiting a reply.
Tommy glanced over at me and then back at the road.
"Definitely," he said.
Definitely.
That one word put a huge smile on my face. I settled back into my seat and looked out of the passenger window at the street lights that were now beginning to come on.
Definitely. What a truly wonderful sound that word had right at this very moment.
"It's important to bond with work mates," he added. "Helps you think better as a team."
I could feel my heart explode in my chest. My stomach felt sick and nauseous. So there it was on a plate for the world to see. I was nothing more than a work colleague.
I was no longer looking out of the passenger window, I was now staring out of it in an effort to avoid further eye contact with Tommy. The short car journey seemed to take forever. I remained silent whilst Tommy chatted constantly, obviously oblivious to my feelings for him. He pulled up behind my car which was now bathed in the orange glow of the streetlights.
"Thanks for the lift," I said, climbing out of the car.
He waved me goodbye and then drove off sedately down the road leaving me alone. I suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable and walked quickly to my car. I unlocked the car door and climbed in. Then, without hesitation I pressed the car door lock button. I relaxed a little as all four doors were locked with a distinctive 'clunk'. I looked over at the house of death. There were still police cars parked in the area and SOCO were still gathering all the evidence within the house to help solve the case. It was going to be a long night for them. I turned the ignition key and the engine burst into life. Shifting the gearstick into gear, I pulled away from the kerb, slightly over revving the engine as my foot pressed on the accelerator and I let the clutch out too slowly.
Second. Third. Fourth. Slow down and brake. Indicate. Pull away in first and start all over again. The car journey seemed to mirror my life. For some unknown reason just when things were getting going, I always seemed to end up back in first gear, ready to move through all the gears that life had to offer all over again.
The journey home didn't take too long and very soon I was opening the door to my small one bedroom flat for which I paid an extortionate amount of rent. I suppose I could have flat shared with somebody else which would make things cheaper, but I loved having my own place. Somewhere where I could be myself and didn't have to worry about anybody else. On nights like tonight though, my flat seemed a very empty and lonely place.
I walked straight into the bedroom and stripped off my clothes, throwing them onto the old leather wingback chair in the corner of the room. The dressing table was my next visit. I sat down at it and removed my earrings, placing them carefully in a small ornate wooden jewellery box which was surrounded by perfume bottles, makeup and facial cleanser. Pulling a sheet of makeup remover from its packet I began to wipe away my facade. Red lips and black lined eyes faded back to their natural state with each wipe. A light moisturiser replaced the makeup remover, gliding like silk over my skin with the promise of instant rejuvenation and everlasting beauty. I looked at my reflection and it looked back at me rather sadly. Did I look older than my twenty six years of age? It was hard to tell when the mask was removed. There were no visible wrinkles. My long curly auburn hair was still free from the inevitable grey streaks that would one day invade my reflection.
I got up from the stool that I had sat on and walked out of the bedroom, across the corridor and into the small bathroom. The air was slightly cool and a surge of goose bumps that scattered across my naked skin caught me by surprise as I walked into the shower.
Shower on. Water set to warm. Faintest whir of power shower vibrating in the background.
The powerful warm jet of water that hit my upper body felt good. I raised my chin and let it cascade over my breasts. Tiny streams of water found their own way down my body, each taking a different path. I turned around in the shower, allowing the stream of water to hit my back. Water splashed violently onto different parts of the shower screen each time I shifted position. I twisted and turned, ensuring every part of my body was seduced by the warm water. Every part of my body except for my hair that is, which I tied back in a ponytail in an effort to keep it away from the stream of water.
I reached forward and fondled the shower gel container with my fingers. In an instant a thick creamy gel burst forth from the bottle and filled my hands with its wondrous silkiness. I massaged my entire body, enveloping it in a foaming mass of white delight. Closing my eyes I imagined that Tommy was standing in the shower behind me. I could feel his breath upon the nape of my neck. His tender lips kissing my shoulders. His strong hands reaching round me and cupping my breasts, fingers searching out aroused nipples which ached to be touched. I slid my hands over my breasts, my silky fingertips sending waves of delight through my entire body as I left no area untouched. My hands became his hands. I imagined his well toned torso pressing gently against my back, his hard erection sliding perfectly into the space between my buttocks. With my eyes still closed I reached forward for the shower head, unclipped it from its holder and slid it between my thighs. I gasped as the strong jet of water hit me so perfectly. Slowly the jet of water became Tommy's passion. Sliding inside me from behind, his breathing matching my breathing as he moved gently inside me, back and forth, back and forth. His thrusting hips begin to move faster. His powerful hands grip me tighter. His light kisses on my neck turn to groans of ecstasy.
Faster. Faster. Faster.
And then we both explode. Our lust cascading out from within us, leaving us with a glowing feeling of absolute contentment.
I regained my breath and turned the shower off. Replacing the shower back onto its holder I stepped out of the shower and back into the reality of my bathroom. With no lover to hold me in his arms, the feeling of bliss and contentment was quickly replaced by that of hunger and the fridge was very quickly my next place to visit once I'd slipped on a dressing gown.
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. A light dinner was replaced by a large glass of red wine in front of the television and very quickly my eyes began to feel heavy. I finished off my drink and walked back into my bedroom. Casting my dressing gown over the bed post I slipped my naked body beneath the cool duvet. With any luck, I would dream about Tommy doing wonderful things to me.
And dream I did....
My vision was blurred. I blinked several times and slowly, everything came into focus. I was surprised to find myself lying in my bed. The room was dimly lit by my bedside lamp which had been turned to low using the dimmer switch. There was something over the lamp. It was a red scarf, made from a very thin translucent material. The red scarf bathed the room in a seductive, sexy glow. I smiled to myself.
"Oh good. A sexy dream," I whispered in my head.
There was somebody standing in the corner of the room and the feeling of sensuality was immediately replaced by one of trepidation. I tried to get up but I couldn't move. I looked to my right and left to see my wrists were firmly tied to each bedpost. I looked down to see that my duvet had been pulled back and my ankles were also tied to the end bedposts. I was tied, spread-eagled to my bed, completely vulnerable and naked to the ominous shadowy figure standing in the corner. I tried to scream but of course no sound would come out of my mouth. No sound ever leaves your mouth when you cry for help in a nightmare. I desperately tried to wake myself up, but every time I closed my eyes and opened them, I was still in my bedroom, tied to my bed.
The shadowy figure floated across the room towards me. I couldn't make out any features at all. It was just a silhouette to me. Black and hideous it stood next to the bed, gazing down at my nakedness. I could feel its eyes upon me. I could feel its lust radiating from its very being. I watched as it picked up a black leather bag from the floor by its feet. It placed the bag on my stomach and tipped it on its side so the top opening was now facing towards me. There was a click as the bag opened.
My eyes widened and I gasped at what was in the bag. Three tiny men climbed out of the bag and stood on my stomach. I could feel their tiny cold feet on my skin. The shadowy figure picked up the bag and retreated back to the far corner of the room again. The tiny men were naked and I could hear myself laughing inside my head. The feeling of dread was beginning to subside. The tiny men, who were probably no taller than width of my hand huddled into a circle. I tried to move my face closer to get a better view but my restraints kept me in place. I saw them all shake hands and then advance towards me. Their tiny feet tiptoed delicately over the skin of my stomach and up between my breasts. One of the men ran up and over my left breast, the other tiny man ran up and over my right breast and the third man stood on my chest bone looking at me.
I gasped as the tiny men on my breasts moved forward and wrapped themselves around my nipples which hardened instantly to their touch. They massaged them between their hands and their legs. They sat astride them and rubbed their entire bodies over them sending me crazy with desire. I moaned with each touch of their tiny naked bodies. I watched them intently, my breathing becoming deeper and deeper. The one on my left was well toned and muscular. His aroused penis was there for me to look at with desire and in comparison to his tiny size, he was definitely well endowed and he knew it. His companion on the right was younger, paler, skinnier. He kept looking up into my eyes, grinning at me with lust. He rubbed himself against my skin, touching and kissing my nipple which was the size of a round coffee table in comparison to his tiny frame. I didn't care though. It felt wonderful. I bit my lower lip. I needed to be released from this teasing. I watched the tiny man who had been standing in between my breasts run down my stomach and over the fine pubic hair that adorned my pelvic region. His long blonde hair, bounced up and down with every jolt of his tiny body and I gasped as he disappeared between my writhing thighs. I could feel him climbing inside me.
I moaned out loud. I could feel him wriggling inside me now. Every movement sent spasms of delight to the very centre of my body. I squeezed my thighs together and then opened them, trying to make the most of this incredible sensation within me. It was better than any sex I had ever had. He knew exactly where I needed to be touched.
My cries became more intense, and with each cry the tiny man in my now hot, wet pussy reacted by turning me on more.
Finally I could take no more and for the second time that night I cried out with exhilaration, clamping my thighs together as hard as I could, squeezing my pelvic muscles with complete joy as my orgasm shuddered through my body.
I lay gasping on the bed looking at the two tiny men on my breasts.
The well toned good looking man walked up over my chest and touched my chin lightly with his fingers.
And then he was gone. Snatched up in the hands of the shadowy figure which now filled me with fear and dread again. I could feel my eyes closing, my breathing getting heavier and heavier.
"Sleeeep," hissed the dark figure, waving its hand over my face. "Sleeeeeep Detective Constable Stewart."
And I did.