Chapter 3

It was sunny and bright the next morning but the ground was a sea of mud. Cal and PD made love three times then slept until they were awakened by a call from Alan checking in. He told of another accident, this time a two car head on. Both drivers were hospitalized but expected to live. Cal signed off as PD stepped outside of their lean to. Her boots were already filled with mud to her ankles. The rain the night before had really soaked the mountain.

She popped open a can of coke and drank it down then popped open one more. She felt like she was "well fucked" and she was. What she needed was a good breakfast at Sally's and a long hot shower. She put clean panties on but felt some of the stale sperm oozing out of her. They saddled up their back packs, took their rifles and went down the hill. Very little was said between them. Cal waited for her as she fell behind looking over the terrain. When she reached him, he took her by the back of her head and kissed her. His tongue filled her mouth.

"We should wait to brush our teeth," she smiled, moving on down ahead of him. Instead of the mud hindering them, it helped. They didn't make good time but neither slipped or slid. They'd take a step, steady their stride then take another. It took them until past eleven when they reached the car on the frontage road.

"Back again," Loretta smiled, showing them to the same booth they had before.

"We were up in the mountains looking for clues of that double homicide," Cal told the waitress.

"I don't like to think about it," Loretta grimaced. "Coffee and coke?

"Right, and I'll have those basted eggs with ham like yesterday."

"I'll be right back," Loretta smiled.

"Do you think it was wise talking police business with a waitress," PD leaned across the table and whispered.

"Alan has blabbed everything about the cases to the whole town anyway. He feels important with that badge and likes to talk about his importance to the Leavenworth Police Department. I keep him because he does what he is told with no arguments. He even surprises me at time that he can just do something complicated on his own. So I have to weigh the bad with the good."

"I wouldn't give him anything," PD said.

"Hopefully it never happens, but if there is another homicide, I'd leave things out and not tell him everything. That way he won't be able to tell all. He's a good kid and takes his job seriously."

"I'd lock up all the reports from now on. Don't give him a key."

"The kid's a locksmith too."

"Then take them home with you. He won't dare break into your house," PD suggested. She wanted to keep any new crimes kept from the public except for what the press sniffed out.

Back at the office, PD met Susan Green. She had that happy glow to her since she had been married less than a month. The girls took a liking to each other right away. Both were tall attractive blondes and PD thought that Susan looked especially nice wearing her granny glasses. They sat on the edge of her button nose.

"How's married life?" PD asked.

"It has its ups and downs," Susan giggled.

"Look! I found this at the murder site of Sylvia and Holly. Does this match the other one in Sylvia's ear?"

"She didn't have an ear ring on. We thought she did because her lobe was torn. Every serial killer keeps something from its victims. Everyone had their ear rings removed. We covered every inch of the crime area and found nothing. Where was it?"

"About ten to twelve feet from where the body was found," Cal cut in. "We were gathering dead brush for a lean to to get out of the rain. PD found it in the grass when she picked up a shrub. I didn't know all the ear rings were taken."

"You should read the reports," Susan scolded him. "This is a big clue." She took a small manila envelope, wrote something on it and put it in a drawer in her desk. "Sheriff Lewis, I think that we should keep certain things hidden from everyone except the three of us. The press hasn't said anything about ear rings taken from the victims. Lets not whisper a word of it until we catch this guy."

"Agreed," PD answered for Cal and herself. "If there is another, we keep as much under wraps as we can. This guy's going to strike again. Can you think of anyone around here that is capable of doing this sort of thing?"

"There are the usual bullies who like to intimidate others but I don't see any of those guys going past blooding someone's nose." Cal said.

"We can keep Alan busy by patrolling the tourist area," PD suggested.

"That'll take him out of the loop," Susan agreed.

"He's good at clearing accidents and chasing down speeders. I guess this added job will keep him busy."

"By the way, where is Alan?" PD asked.

"It's his day off," Cal replied.

"Do you know what he does on his day's off?"

Cal laughed, "If you think he's the murderer you've got another think coming. He has this hot middle aged babe who is a widow with lots of dough, and he shacks up with her. I don't think they get out of bed unless it's to piss, crap, and eat."

"I knew Mrs. Earnest had someone on the hook," Susan smiled. "She's not that bad looking and likes young guys. Men her age doesn't have the umpff to satisfy her. She's always hot to trot."

"I'd better get Jenkins in here to keep an eye on this place. I think we'd better not say too much about these cases in here. Loose lips sink ships or something like that," Cal said.

Cal and PD went to the Bavarian House for dinner. Both wore their cop uniforms and were seated upstairs where there wouldn't be too many people. Cal requested it so he could talk to PD.

"I really enjoyed last night," he confessed. "Snuggling in that sleeping bag was a nice touch."

"Not to mention you putting your cock in me three times," PD arched her eyebrow.

"It's not only that..."

"What was it?" she stared into his eyes.

"It's just ... oh shit, I'm going to go into the crapper. I'm not a Don Juan. I'm just a cop who likes you. If you want to just say it was something that happened, I'll go with that. But I never met someone like you."