Chapter 6

"Thanks, Trisha, you've been a big help."

After clearing the doughnut shop of sightseers and media snoops, Gina had taken down the girl's statement as her deputies interviewed the pedestrians who had seen the pickup.

The girl and her parents left as Todd and Sam walked over to Gina.

"White Chevy pickup. Old. They thought maybe a '72 or '73, but couldn't see any plates," said Sam reading from his notes. "Couldn't give much of a description of the perps, other than that they were white and heavily bearded."

"That's OK, Trisha has agreed to work with a police sketch artist. She got a good look at both of them. As you said, white males, thirties or forties, heavy beards, dirty and smelled to high heaven. The shorter one called the other one Travis."

"What did they want, money?" asked Sam.

"Definitely not robbery," replied Gina. "Trisha was embarrassed to say so, but she finally told me they said they wanted to "fuck and breed her".

"Good God Gina, they're probably..."

"Yeah, the same two who killed Catherine Melton. Get out an APB on the pickup and warn the CHP they are considered armed and dangerous."

Gina and Kim were being extremely careful since the media invasion. Gina had visited Kim, ostensibly as a follow up on the original call about Kim being beaten. They had spent the few minutes in Kim's apartment in each other's arms but both knew with the tabloids noising around, they would have to be even more discrete. They talked about being able to be together openly once the murder was solved and the media blitz subsided, but Kim kept mentioning how careful they needed to be for the sake of Gina's career. Gina tried to act cavalier as if it didn't matter, but Kim read in her eyes how much this job meant to her.

"But I don't want to go," protested Gina as Kim pushed her toward the door.

"And I don't want you to go, but if someone should come snooping around..."

"All right, all right," conceded Gina, stealing one more kiss, "but for every kiss I don't get now, you'll own me double later."

"A debt I will be only too happy to pay... now scoot!" chided Kim.

Gina's thoughts would soon turn back to the investigation, but for the moment she smiled as she walked out to her vehicle. It was wonderful to be in love.

Perhaps it was her preoccupation with her lover which prevented her from seeing the figure lurking across the street.

Kim was doing a little straightening up when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hello, Kim."

"Her heart missed a beat in fear. She knew the voice all too well.

"Johnny, what do you want?"

"I want what's mine... YOU!"

"Johnny, it's over between us."

"Not by a longshot it ain't," he said, the swagger evident in his voice.

"I thought Sheriff Hawkins told you to stay away from me."

"You think that dyke girl friend of yours scares me?"

"She's not my..."

"Don't lie to me Kim. You two may have the rest of the town fooled, but not me. I had you two pegged from the beginning."

"I don't know what you mea..."

"Shut up and listen! Do you think I'm stupid. I've been following both of you since your girl friend paid me a visit."

"So?" bluffed Kim.

"So, maybe the Sheriff needs to pull down the shades completely."

"What are you talking about."

"Look in your mailbox."

The line went dead.

Kim, stunned, walked down to the lobby and opened her box. Among the circulars was an unmarked envelope. Returning to her room, the beautiful Lakota Indian with a now troubled expression on her face opened the envelope.

Kim's breath left her with an audible gasp. Inside were three photographs of she and Gina, naked and making love in Gina's bedroom, obviously shot through the small slit where the shade had not quite been lowered all the way. The faces were obscured in one, but in the other photos, both Kim and Gina were easily recognizable. The only reason they were unrecognizable in the first photo was because their faces were buried in each other's nests.

Kim's heart and mind raced. Why had Johnny done this? What did he want?

The phone tweeted as all modern phones do.

"Now listen..." came the voice.

"Johnny, you can't do this," she interrupted, "I don't care about me but this would ruin Gina's career."

"I know, darlin', I know."

"What do you want?" she asked, her heart breaking.

"I already told you. I want you!"

"But..."

"It's simple sweetheart. You do exactly as you're told and the pictures stay hidden. Cross me, for one little second and those photos will be plastered across every supermarket rag in the state."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to come away with me, marry me."

Kim's mind worked desperately but there was no escape. She simply could not bear the thoughts of Gina's career and life being dashed because of her.

"... All right..." she surrendered almost inaudibly as a tear rolled down her cheek. "When... when do you want to leave?"

"Oh no, not until your girl friend gets what she has coming."

"But you said you wouldn't release the pictures if I agreed to marry you."

"And I won't. But the high and mighty Sheriff needs a little lesson."

"What do you mean?"

"Is she going to call you?"

Kim saw no point in lying.

"Yes, this afternoon. We were going to try to meet tonight."

"Perfect. Now wait right there. I'm coming over."

Kim's mind worked feverishly to find a way out for Gina, for her, for the two of them, but every possible solution she came up with would play itself out into disaster. Kim was weeping in despair when the knock came on the door.

"Please Johnny, don't hurt her. I'll go with you right now, anywhere you want."

"Oh, you're coming with me all right, but not just yet. You have a little act to perform first."

"I don't..."

"Shut up and listen carefully," he sneered.

At a little after two the phone rang.

"Now remember, say just what I told you and say it the way I told you or those pictures will be on the newspaper editor's desk before sunset."

She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"DO IT!" he threatened.

Slowly Kim picked up the receiver after the third ring.

"Hello."

"Hi beautiful," grinned Gina.

"Hi yourself."

"So what about tonight?" asked the sheriff.

Kim looked into the eyes of the man who held all the cards, knowing she must say exactly what she had been told.

"Gee, I don't know Gina... I... have something else I have to take care of this evening."

"Really?" asked Gina surprised, disappointed and wondering what could suddenly be so important to keep them apart.

"Yeah, I... gotta go out a while... and I might not get back until late."

"Well, suppose I take you... wait for you?"

"No I don't think that would be such a good idea. I have to go alone."

"Kim is everything all right?"

"Yes, sure. It's just that something really important has come up, a real opportunity and I don't want to miss it."