Hunting a Killer, page 11
Buck knew where his thoughts were going and took his hand. “That’s in the past. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times, if you hadn’t been with that guy you’d have been at home and then you’d probably have died, too. If you had, I wouldn’t have met a man I’ve come to care about deeply.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself, and I believe it, most of the time,” Mika replied.
“That I care for you?”
“No.” Mika looked at him and smiled. “That I know for a fact is true.”
“I hope so, because it is.” Buck kissed his temple. “Now, about sports…”
They continued their discussion about their future together as they ate, and afterward as they ambled back to Mika’s apartment to pick up Buck’s car for the drive to the precinct house.
* * * *
“We’re probably way too early,” Mika said as they entered the building.
“Only one way to find out.” Buck went over to the front desk, telling the officer seated there that he and Mika were supposed to sign statements about an incident that had happened that morning. When he gave the officer their names, he made a call, then told them to wait for Detective Windom to come get them.
“Remind me I’m not supposed to tell him ‘I told you so’,” Mika said dryly as he and Buck sat on a bench along one wall.
“Yeah, that probably wouldn’t endear you to him,” Buck replied, chuckling.
It took twenty minutes before the detective showed up. As he led them up to the squad room he said to Mika, “I owe you an apology. If I’d listened to you to begin with, things might have turned out differently.”
“Yeah, they might have,” Mika agreed with some asperity. “If you had, you’d found the murderer. He wouldn’t have been able to come after me, I wouldn’t have killed him, and you’d have known long before now that Gordie, umm Gordon Finley hired him, and why.”
“It hasn’t been proven, yet, that Mr. Finley did hire him,” Windom said.
“Come on. He broke into my apartment looking for the locket.”
“He…” Windom paused when they got to the squad room, gesturing to a desk along one wall. “Let’s have a seat before we continue,” he said. When they had, he finished what he was saying. “He’s still claiming he was only paying you a condolence call and says you attacked him for no reason.” He held up a hand to keep Mika, or Buck, from saying anything. “I’ve read your statements and I believe they’re the truth, especially since Mr. Finley’s fingerprints were found on the door of the fire alarm box and on the lever that sets off the alarm. I believe I have enough probable cause to get warrants to search both the motel room where he was staying while he was in town, and his home. I should find out before the day’s over.”
Buck took the box with the locket from his pocket, handing it to Windom. “Mika thinks you might want this as evidence, because it’s the reason behind what happened.”
Windom opened it, taking out the locket. “It’s valuable?” he asked.
“Not per se,” Mika replied, and went on to tell him about the inscription beneath the photo and what they thought it meant. He finished by saying, “Personally, I suspect that if the location is to what might have been a gold mine that my great-grandfather abandoned, someone else would have found it, back then, and it would be played out by now.”
“Apparently Mr. Finley thought otherwise,” Windom said, putting the locket back in the box and setting it on his desk.
Mika sighed, nodding. “Three people were killed because of his obsession.”
“With this,” Windom tapped the box, “and hopefully any collaborating information we find at the motel or Mr. Finley’s home, we’ll be able to charge him with the murders.”
“If you don’t find anything?” Mika asked.
“We’ll still have him on what he’s been charged with already. It’s not much, I’m afraid, but it’s a start. I intend to do my best to prove he did order the murders of your mother and brother, and the ransacking of your home in the mountains.” Windom took some papers from a folder on his desk, handing one to Mika, the other to Buck. “Your statements. Read them over, and if you agree they’re correct and don’t want to add anything, please sign them.”
Mika and Buck did as he asked before handing them back to him.
“Do you need anything else from us?” Mika asked.
“Not at the moment,” Windom replied. “I’ll keep in touch to let you know how things are progressing. And again, I apologize for not believing you to begin with.”
“Apology accepted,” Mika said with a brief smile as they got up. “Thank you for believing me, now,” he added while the detective escorted them back to the precinct waiting room. All he got in return was a brief nod before Windom left.
* * * *
“Feeling better?” Buck asked when they were driving out of the parking lot.
“I’ll feel better when that bastard is sitting on death row, although I’m not holding my breath waiting for it to happen.”
Buck nodded, patting Mika’s thigh. “If it doesn’t and he only serves a short sentence for what happened today, or even gets off with a couple of big fines?”
“At least he won’t have any reason to come after me again. I’m sure Detective Windom will tell him we gave him the locket.”
“He’d better,” Buck replied. He started down the main street that would take them back to Mika’s apartment then changed his mind, veering off onto a cross street which led to his place.
“Where are we going?” Mika asked.
“Somewhere where you can relax for a while before I have to go to work.”
“A spa?” Mika’s lips turned up in an amused grin.
“My apartment building has a sauna we can use.”
“Seriously? Damn.”
Buck laughed. “It’s not all that impressive, but it’s there and usually not in use at this time of day because everyone’s at work.”
“I, uh, yeah, sure. I honestly don’t want to go home yet.”
“I sort of figured as much, so now you get to see where I live, which is nicer inside than you might expect from the building’s exterior.”
“Good to know, because from what I’ve seen of it, it’s definitely in need of some work on the stucco, and the landscaping, what there is of it.”
“No shit.” Buck shook his head. “They keep promising, but it never seems to happen. On the plus side, they do take great care of the common areas inside, like the hallways and the lobby.”
“What about the apartments?”
“You’ll see.”
By then they were at the building. Buck drove around to the back, parked in his space, and they went inside.
“It’s nicer than I thought,” Mika commented as they waited for the elevator. A couple of minutes later he said the same about Buck’s apartment. It had a large, airy living area, a kitchen with surprisingly modern appliances, and two good-sized bedrooms. “The furniture’s not bad, either.”
Buck chuckled. “Thanks, I think. Do you want some coffee?”
“When do you have to leave for work?”
“I’m not sure what that has to do with my question, but not until six.”
Mika closed the distance between them, putting his hands on Buck’s hips. “Maybe I’m rushing things, maybe I’m not. But…” He slid his arms around him and proceeded to kiss him hard.
“Whoa!” Buck said when the kiss ended—one he had no problem returning with feeling.
“As I said, maybe it’s too soon but…”
“Believe me; I have no problem with where I think you’re going with this, on one condition. I have to know it’s not because you’re reacting to the end of everything that happened.”
“I don’t think so,” Mika replied, gazing directly into his eyes, and Buck knew it was an honest answer.
“Okay. Then I’m willing to take a chance that this is for real, for both of us. I know it is for me.” Taking his hand, Buck led him into the bedroom.
* * * *
Mika hesitated when they got there. We’ve only known each other for a month or so. Are we…am I pushing too fast? Is he right? Is this my reaction to the fact I finally know why they were killed and who was responsible, and we caught him? God, I hope not.
“Mika?” Buck put his hands on Mika’s shoulders, one eyebrow lifted in question. “Having second thoughts?”
“Yes. No.” Mika shook his head. “For a minute, maybe, but not anymore.” He ran his hands over Buck’s chest and then began to unbutton his shirt. “Definitely not anymore,” he said when Buck’s muscular torso was revealed. “You’re as spectacular as I thought you’d be.”
“Ah, so you only want me for my body,” Buck teased as he returned the favor, quickly unbuttoning Mika’s shirt.
“Well…” Mika let out a small gasp when Buck rubbed the pad of his thumb over one nipple, sending a jolt a need straight to his groin. “It is a nice one.”
“Yours is nothing to be ashamed of,” Buck countered. “What I can see of it, anyway.” It took only seconds for him to remove Mika’s shirt, undo the button on his jeans, and pull down the zipper so he could ease them over his hips. As they fell to the floor, he slid his hand under the waistband of Mika’s briefs, wrapping it around his semi-hard cock.
Hissing in a breath as desire overwhelmed him, Mika managed to focus enough to get the fly of Buck’s jeans open and push them down. When his cock sprang free, Mika ran his hand up the length of it, realizing as he did that Buck wasn’t wearing underwear. Not that it bothered him. One less step to deal with.
He must have said that aloud because Buck grinned as he pulled Mika’s briefs down. “One way to look at it.”
It took no time at all for them to kick off their shoes, step out of their fallen clothing, and remove their socks. Then Buck wrapped his arms around Mika, kissing him thoroughly as he tumbled them onto the bed.
“You’ve got one last chance to change your mind,” Buck said, resting on one elbow as he traced circles on Mika’s chest.
Mika snorted. “That is not happening. I’m in this to the end.”
“But whose end?” Buck asked without blinking an eye, although Mika saw a glint of amusement in them.
It took Mika a moment to catch on, then he said, “Well, I’m a bottom so I hope to hell you like to top or we could be in big trouble.”
“I’ve been known to,” Buck replied, straight-faced as he leaned over Mika to get condoms from the nightstand. “Like always.”
“Whew.” Mika’s cock had begun to soften with all the teasing talk. The second Buck rolled one of the condoms onto it, it hardened again—and even more when Buck went down on him. Too soon, he knew he’d come if Buck didn’t stop, and said as much.
Buck released him, crawling up his body to give him a kiss. “Now, on your hands and knees,” he said when they broke apart.
“But what about you?” Mika asked.
Smiling, Buck replied, “I’ll take that as I think you meant it. I don’t need anything other than to be in you, so…” He sat back on his heels, waiting for Mika to comply, which he did.
Buck got the lube, spread some on his cock, and used two well-oiled fingers to stretch Mika. Pulling them out, he pressed his cock to Mika’s entrance and pushed in slowly.
There was a flare of pain—Mika expected it—then pleasure flooded him as Buck thrust in faster and faster. Mika tried not to come. He wanted to wait for Buck. It didn’t happen. He felt his balls tighten and his orgasm flooded him even as Buck continued to ride him. Mika forced himself to stay on his knees until, several moments later, Buck pushed in hard and fast one last time and came with a shout of release. Only then did Mika collapse prone on the bed, panting as the last of his orgasm faded.
“Not bad, for our first time,” Buck said, nipping Mika’s earlobe.
“But not great, either,” Mika replied unhappily. “I came too soon. I tried to wait but…”
Buck pulled out, rolled off him, and took him into his arms. “There’s no such thing as too soon in my book. I loved feeling you come, feeling how your body responded. Yeah, this time I had more staying power. Next time it could be you. So cut yourself some slack. Okay? In a month we’ll be totally in sync.” He brushed a kiss to Mika’s temple. “We’ll just have to keep practicing until we are.”
“You mean that, don’t you?” The idea that Buck planned on their being together for that long, and longer he was sure, elated him.
“You’d better believe it.” Buck hugged him tightly. “Unfortunately, right now—”
“You have to get to work,” Mika replied, pouting.
“I’m afraid so. Duty calls.” They kissed, and then Buck got up, stripped off their condoms, and went into the bathroom to dispose of them and wash up. When he finished, Mika went in to wash up as well.
Buck was dressed by the time he got back to the bedroom. He found his clothes, including his socks, which somehow had ended up under the bed.
“I’ll drop you off at home,” Buck said as they left his apartment.
“You’d better. I’m not walking all the way there,” Mika replied with a grin. When they got to the car he asked, “Do we want to do something Sunday?”
“Well, duh. I’ll come by your place around eleven, if it’s okay with you. We can eat and, well, you name it. I’m easy.”
Mika smirked. “I sort of noticed.”
“Watch it, brat.” Buck smacked his ass before they got into the car. “You have two days to figure out what.”
“Hmm, let’s see. Movie, going swimming at the pool at the park, movie, the zoo, a movie…”
Buck snorted. “I don’t think we can fit three movies, swimming, and the zoo all in one afternoon.”
“Bummer.” Mika grinned.
By the time they got to Mika’s place they decided on the zoo, as long as the weather cooperated, and a movie if it didn’t.
Cupping the back of Mika’s head before he got out of the car, Buck gave him a kiss which Mika returned. “See you Sunday, if not before.”
“Don’t work too hard,” Mika replied.
“You, too.”
“Not planning on it.” Mika headed up the sidewalk to the house. When he turned to look back, Buck gave a wave before pulling away. “How did I get so lucky to find him?” he murmured. He knew how, and although the reason behind it made him sad…again…at least now he had closure and could continue with his life. With a wonderful man to keep me company, if fate allows.
* * * *
Fate did allow.
Over the next month, Mika and Buck cemented their relationship, including Mika’s moving in with Buck three weeks after they’d first made love.
“It’s more practical,” Buck had said. They’d talked about it before, but now it made sense to make it a reality.
“Nothing wrong with practical,” Mika agreed, so they’d packed up everything he owned, which wasn’t that much, and took it over to Buck’s place.
Two days after Gordie Finley had been arrested; he was arraigned on the original charges—and a week later as an accessory to murder. Detective Windom had gotten the search warrants he needed. He hadn’t found anything relevant at the motel where Gordie had been staying. At his house it was a different story.
“He was either stupid or egotistical, but it’s obvious he didn’t think anyone would know he was behind the murders, or figure out where he hid the proof that he’d hired the killer,” Windom said when he called Mika to tell him what they’d found.
“Under his mattress?” Mika asked, remembering what Buck had said about that.
“Not that obvious. His house has a basement with brick walls. He pried a couple of bricks out and made a cubbyhole behind them. There was a map of how to get to the house in the mountains, probably a copy of the one he must have given the man he hired. There was also, and this it so stupid I wonder what he was smoking, a contract between him and the killer, and a receipt from the killer for the money Mr. Finley paid him, as well as details on what he was to look for, meaning the locket.”
“Unbelievable,” Mika said.
“Yeah. Anyway, it was enough to charge him as an accessory to murder, since he’d hired the killer. If he has a good lawyer, he might get out on bail, but I doubt it. If he does, I’ll let you know.”
That gave Mika a few sleepless nights. “If he does make bail,” he told Buck, “you know the first thing he’ll do is come after me, and you, to get revenge.”
“He’d have to be real stupid to try that,” Buck insisted.
“Stupid is his middle name, to hear Detective Windom tell it.”
“Windom will let you know one way or the other?”
Mika nodded. “So he said.”
“Then quit worrying until you hear from him. If Gordie gets bail, then we’ll figure out what to do next, like take a trip to Kathmandu until the trial starts.”
“Kathmandu?”
“It’s a gazillion miles from here. He’ll never think of looking there.”
“You’re a nut,” Mika replied, finally smiling.
Buck grinned. “You’re just figuring this out?”
Gordie didn’t get bail, did go to trial, and was found guilty on all counts, thanks in part to Mika and Buck’s testimony.
After Mika moved in with Buck, their lives settled in a normal routine that worked for both of them. Mika also put the house in the mountains up for sale. When the realtor found a buyer, and Mika accepted the offer, he and Buck took a trip up there so that Mika could say one last goodbye to the place where he’d grown up.
“I’m going to miss it,” Mika said as they walked through the house. “It holds a lot of wonderful memories.” He sighed. “And a couple of terrible ones, which is why, in spite of everything, I’m glad to see the last of it.”
“To be honest, I’m not surprised,” Buck replied, putting his arm around Mika’s waist. “You’ve dealt with more than your fair share of tragedy. Selling the house is the final step in moving on.”
Mika shook his head. “Not true. You’re the final step. Without you in my life I’d never have made it through all that happened.” He paused to kiss Buck. “Or found a reason to keep going. With you, everything is perfect. Or as close to perfect as anyone’s life can be, I suppose.”
