5 am the next morning

  Tuesday

  Dave's home

  With a childish laugh, Hazel rolls onto her back. She smiles up at Dave, playing with the gray hairs at his temple. Dave presses one hand against the mattress and leans to kiss Hazel fiercely on the lips. For several moments they are locked in a passionate kiss, Dave's right hand exploring Hazel's voluptuous body.

  Hazel laughs again as Dave uses his tongue to hungrily lick the exterior of her mouth. This is the part of Dave she has come to love. The strong, adventurous side. Hungry yet reserved. Able to take, but also willing to give. A man of Dave's size and strength doesn't need to ask. He could simply take what he wants. Yet, he has always sought her permission before moving forward into unknown territory. Not like William at all.

  "Dave, I have to go. I have to see a wedding planner. It's going to be a busy day for me," Hazel says.

  "Hazel...No...Not yet," Dave sighs, planting tiny kisses on his lover's waiting lips. "Please...Not yet. I need you right now. Not yet."

  "Dave, it's not like we won't see each other again tonight. Besides, you have to get ready too."

  Dave stops his playful pleading and peers down at Hazel with doleful eyes. He strokes her face with his right hand.

  "One question. How are we going to handle the living arrangements once we're married? Your house or mine?"

  "Why not both? I like having my own place. And I'm sure you enjoy having your own peace of mind from time to time. It's probably best we keep things mostly the way they are. Except, we get to wake up together every morning. If we so choose."

  Hazel leans up and brings their lips back into contact. Dave presses a hand to the back of Hazel's head, adding pressure and intensity to their lip lock.

  "I really need to get going," Hazel whispers, when their mouths are more than a centimeter apart.

  "Okay," Dave reluctantly agrees, staring deep into Hazel's brown eyes. "I guess I'll get up and moving too."

  "Right. A shower...And then breakfast," Hazel says with a wide grin.

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  Hazel climbs behind the wheel of her Mercedes, offering Dave a crafty smile as he leans inside.

  “Got any plans this weekend? I was thinking we could rent a little cabin by the lake. Be out of here Friday evening…Back by Monday morning,” Dave whispers.

  “Mmm. Sounds nice. But what can we do at a cabin…That we can’t do right here?” Hazel says, toying with the top button on Dave’s uniform. “Why can’t we just spend the weekend here…Together?”

  “Or that,” Dave agrees, applying a firm kiss to Hazel’s plump lips. “We can always do that.”

  “Mmmhmm!” Hazel says, returning Dave’s kiss.

  When their kiss drags on too long, Hazel politely angles her head away. Dave moves on to her throat, and Hazel chuckles softly. She places a hand between his mouth and her neck.

  “Dave, stop. Please. You’re going to be late,” Hazel laughs.

  “So what?” Dave mumbles. “I’m always late. The trick is not to let the sheriff know I’m late. Or pull a Mackey and bribe your father with goodies.”

  Dave uses one hand to turn Hazel’s head back to him. He pecks her lips several times. Hazel’s voice grows thick from arousal. She shuts her eyes.

  “How is James?” Hazel asks. “I haven’t seen him around much.”

  “Busy,” Dave says, dodging the more elaborate answer. “A lot of new cases. Mostly drugs, homicides, and stuff like that.”

  Dave releases Hazel’s face and offers her a sly wink.

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  “Why are you so curious about old James? Got a thing for him or something? Thinking of cheating on me?”

  “Dave, of course not! I like James. He’s really smart and…Kind of cute. In a nerdy kind of way,” Hazel defensively adds. “Now, will you move? I need to go.”

  “Sure, Honey Bear! I understand," Dave says with feigned sadness. "I'll see you later?”

  “Of course. My place this time! My bed is more comfortable. And there’s more pillows,” Hazel brags. “Besides, I’m cooking up a little something for Dad. He’s not gonna want to eat at your place. At least, not until we've officially tied the knot. He's old-fashioned like that. Doesn't trust anybody. Not around his little girl."

  Dave grins and allows Hazel to shut her car door. He waves his right hand as she backs slowly down the driveway. Once spacing permits, Hazel maneuvers the car around and drives forward. Deputy Newsome watches Hazel’s Mercedes until it is a tiny speck at the bend of the road. He strolls confidently towards his Ford. Memories of Hazel’s body, and her deep sighs, crowd his mind. Dave finds himself grinning from ear to ear. Hazel Newsome, the name does have a nice ring to it.

  Dave is prepared to open the driver’s side door of his truck when his right foot slips. Glancing down, Newsome notices the very large—and headless—bullfrog lying less than five centimeters from his size-twelve shoe. A large blood smear leads from underneath the truck’s front tire. Dave kicks the frog corpse away with a disgusted face. The poor sucker must have tried to crawl away after being run over. Gross.

  Dave shrugs and climbs behind the wheel of his pickup. Hazel was right. He will definitely be late today.

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  Castleton

  Emerald Isle Weddings, Floral, and Fashions Boutique

  Hazel steps out of the boutique, headed for her Mercedes. She balances a day planner and a box of specialty chocolates in one hand, while reaching into the pocket of her daisy dukes with the other. A difficult task, considering the pockets extend past the length of her tight cutoff shorts. A quadruplet of kids on bikes race past on the sidewalk. The largest of the four boys whistles at the tops of his lungs.

  “Looking good, lady!”

  “Nice legs!” A second boy yells.

  “It’s not her legs you’re looking at, Tony!” a third boy laughs.

  The fourth boy only chuckles. Soon the boys are far away and speeding across the opposite crosswalk. Hazel watches them go by with a wide smile before activating the keyless entry.

  “Hazel?” A male voice calls behind her. “Hazel Northrop?”

  Hazel turns to find Detective Robert Bennett standing not more than five feet away. The detective’s brow is knit and he holds two cups of steaming coffee in his hands. He takes several steps in Hazel’s direction as she nods energetically.

  “I thought that was you,” Detective Bennett says.

  “Detective Bennett?” Hazel exclaims in surprise. “What are you doing here? Castleton is a long way from Lich!”

  “I know,” Detective Bennett chuckles softly. “And I didn’t sleep a wink the whole flight. Too many fussy kids and weird electronic noises. You look great though. Must be all of that beauty rest.”

  Hazel places her giant box of chocolates and the day planner on the car’s roof. She opens her arms wide and Detective Bennett accepts the invitation for an embrace.

  “So what brings you to Castleton?” Hazel says, separating from the seasoned detective.

  “Well—. Next Friday, Sabrina Engle would have turned twenty-seven. An organization called the Meadowlarks of Humanity is putting on an awards ceremony to commemorate all of Aquarius' victims. Past and present. Me and a few others were invited. I received an invitation because I was the detective in charge of the Engle case. I honestly thought you knew about it. The awards ceremony is a chance for everyone to remember the four girls slain. And the one who thankfully got away. The girl who was saved by your fine officers. Each of those girls had their entire life ahead of them. And their lives were stolen by...A horrible monster. One of the worst, I’ve ever encountered. Those girls deserve a little remembrance. I hope you don't mind, Hazel…But, I nominated you to accept the award on those girl's behalf. And on behalf of the Merrville Sheriff’s Department.”

  “Me? Why me?” Hazel objects. “I don’t work for the sheriff’s department. Besides, Detective Mackey had a big hand in this too. He was instrumental in profiling the kind of guy the police were looking for. The prevailing theory is that Mackey was hitting it too close to home. Aquarius got spooked and he got sloppy. And then, he died. Detective Mackey should be the one accepting the award. In fact, I believe he deserves his own award. James poured a lot into this case.”

  “You’re young, Hazel. And a woman,” Detective Bennett explains. “Your acceptance of the award will have a much greater impact. People expect cops to receive awards. You accepting the award on behalf of Bridget, Rose, and Carmen…While also being the sheriff’s brave daughter…Will give other young women the courage they need to face down their own monsters.”

  Hazel absorbs Detective Bennett’s speech with a small dose of skepticism. However, the detective shuffles his graying eyebrows and offers her a crafty grin.

  “Please, Hazel? Besides, you never gave me that second dance at the charity ball. You owe me one. This way, you can make good on your promise—and do some good in the process. Please,” Bennett pleads with a fake pouty face. “I'll let you have my other coffee. I don’t think I’ll be needing them both anyway.”

  “Okay,” Hazel giggles. “Okay. Fine. Stop with the guilt-tripping. I get that enough from my dad."

  “Thanks, Hazel,” Detective Bennett says, leaning in and kissing Hazel’s cheek. “I knew I could count on you. Now, who is the humongous box of chocolates for? Can I have some?”

  Hazel grins and places a hand on Detective Bennett’s right forearm.

  “Me. Well, not all at once,” Hazel confesses. “Maybe my dad and Dave…If they’re good and eat their vegetables. I was planning to cook a really nice dinner tonight. Care to join us, Detective Bennett? There’ll be more than enough. Maybe even leftovers.”

  “Sure. I’d love to.”

  “Great. Dinner will be at seven. Where are you staying anyway?” Hazel inquires, leaning into the car and placing her day planner and chocolates on the back seat.

  While Hazel is bent over, Detective Bennett views everything there is to see. He bites his inner jaw, wishing he were much younger than his sixty-three years. But then again, Deputy Newsome is around the same age. Therefore, there is always a chance.

  “I’m staying at the Holiday Inn Express on Wilmont,” Detective Bennett says through his grin. "It was the cheapest place in town."

  “I know where that is,” Hazel says. “Want a ride?”

  “Sure,” Detective Bennett replies. And he means it.