Chapter 8

"Oh, how I missed you," gushed Cassi, hugging Linda as she entered the concourse after deplaning. They would have kissed but discretion dictated a somewhat less overt display of affection. Not that either would have minded except that while word of such an affair would have had little or no impact on Linda's career, it would have ended Cassi's. The police department was still quite homophobic, especially her Captain who while he could not fire her directly would have made life miserable enough that Cassi would have eventually had to resign. So the hug would have to be enough for the moment. They collected Linda's bags and made their way to the car. Pulling out into traffic, Cassi looked over to her companion.

"How was the showing?"

"Fantastic! I got a lot of ideas and more than that I made a couple of contacts which should prove invaluable. And, saving the best for last, I got the contract with Moliere and Sons."

"Wonderful! I can' tell you how proud I am of you!"

"And how about your weekend?" asked Linda.

There was but a moment's hesitation. Cassi could, of course, reveal nothing of what had really happened. She felt guilty in lying to her companion but what else could she do?

"Oh, we continued to work on the Fleming case, but so far nothing. We're really stymied."

"You mean you didn't have anyone over to the apartment while I was gone?" asked the redhead playfully. They often kidded each other about other women. "Let's see, I got so lonesome that I invited two blondes and a brunette to my room where we engaged in all sorts of debauchery." She laughed, expecting Cassi to top her story with one of Cassi's own. When Cassi was strangely silent, Linda looked over to the smaller woman. "Well, how many women and don't spare the details," she giggled. Again, Cassi was silent until, knowing that Linda was expecting some kind of response blurted out.

"Let's skip the repartee and talk about other things, okay?"

"Uh, sure," said the redhead in a confused voice.

That night and for the next several days Cassi begged off from lovemaking using her period as an excuse. Linda, ever the patient lover, was content to simply hold the smaller woman in her arms as they slept. The erotic aura of Leonora was a constant companion and reminder to Cassi of what she longed to have again. She hesitated to make love with Linda, knowing how disappointed she would now be with anyone who was not Leonora. At last however she could make no more excuses and it seemed as if Linda was becoming suspicious, so the two tumbled in bed together until the wee hours. Cassi had also been concerned that she may have been permanently stretched by Leonora's oversized phallus, but if Linda noticed anything she was silent on the matter seeming to enjoy their coupling as much as ever. Cassi found the experience pleasant but far less satisfying than before, but she managed several real orgasms and faked the rest. At least Linda seemed as satisfied as always.

Guilt was becoming Cassi's constant companion, eating at her even as her arousal levels were rising in anticipation of another tryst with Leonora.

She and Larry were getting nowhere with usual police procedures. She had tried countless times to tell him everything, reveal all she knew and bring an end to Leonora's reign and the vampire brood, yet each time Leonora's aura was there to stifle her along with her own slavish devotion to the vampire queen and the amazing, unbelievable sex she provided. So Cassi played dumb and the investigation went nowhere. At last, she decided once and for all to protect her queen (she found the term awkward, even archaic) yet day by day she grew more loyal, more slavishly devoted to the vampire.

"Maybe we better relegate this one to the cold case file and move on," she suggested.

"What? This from the detective who would rather have her entrails pulled out than give up on a case? What gives?"

"It's just that we're getting nowhere. We haven't had a decent break on this case and no prospects. We've got other cases waiting on us; cases which we have a lot better prospects of solving."

"Well, I've got to agree with you there. I just never thought I'd hear you say that."

"If anything turns up in the meantime, we can always reopen it," she added, knowing full well she would see that nothing did.

And with that the Kathy Fleming case went into the files as unsolved and the department moved on to more pressing cases.