Dean shook his head. “None that I can think of.”

  I sighed. If an inquest had been done, it would have supplied a greater chance of whoever killed Selina being arrested.

  "This is a bit of a nightmare," Ashton groaned.

  "I’m starting to think so.”

  “No one was arrested, obviously,” Dean said.

  Ashton nodded his head. “Yeah, I’m surprised no inquest was done.”

  Dean nodded his head. “That would be the only reason Alexander wouldn’t have done the inquest if there had been an arrest. I don’t mean to sound like I doubt your abilities, but are you sure that no one was arrested and then let go?”

  Ashton shook his head. “Honestly? This case was so fucked up that it could very well have happened. Do you know Detective Philip Fenton?”

  Dean groaned. “Let me guess, he was on this case?”

  Ashton nodded. “Yep.”

  “There is your answer. He was crooked from the very beginning, I believe. If he was on this case, then that would explain why no inquest was done.”

  “Okay,” Ashton said. “Nothing we can do about that now. You said that the DNA has been saved. Could you organize for there to be testing done on it?”

  Dean grinned and nodded. “Already sent off this morning when I pulled the files. I’ve got Kelly, one of my techs, working up a full profile. Even if it doesn’t match anyone on the system, she can give you an idea of the DNA's origin.”

  My eyes widened. “Seriously?”

  “Yep. She is the best we have,” Dean grinned and puffed out his chest with pride.

  “That is fantastic. That could be what finally breaks this case. How long do you think it will take?”

  “Possibly a couple of months. I’m sorry I can’t get it to you earlier than that,” Dean said with a wince.

  Ashton shook his head. “That’s okay; I understand you guys are busy. If you can put a rush on it and get it back earlier, that would be really good.”

  Dean smiled. “I’ll do what I can.”

  Ashton and I stood, shaking Dean’s hand; we turned and left the office and waved goodbye to Flora before climbing back into the car.

  “That was unexpected,” Ashton said.

  “Dean or the DNA?”

  Ashton laughed. “Both. He didn’t hit on us once. Does that mean we are ugly?”

  I snorted out a laugh and shook my head. “You are far from ugly,” I replied quietly.

  Ashton looked at me with a crooked smile. “I could say the same for you.”

  The air crackled between us, and I shook my head to push away the temptation to lean over the seat and kiss him stupidly. Not the place, not the time, and not the right person.

  Chapter Nine

  Selina (1987)

  I didn’t know how long I spent in and out of consciousness on the couch. But when I finally woke up, my brain felt less fuzzy, and I could open my eyes again. My mouth felt full of sand, and I was dying to get up for a drink. Slowly I moved my legs, grateful that my ribs no longer hurt. I glanced down at my bandaged fingers and moved them carefully. The bones won’t have knitted together yet, but at least for now, I was in only small amounts of pain.

  “Selina,” Mum said as she entered the living room where I’d been since the morning after Dad attacked me. “How are you feeling?”

  I nodded my head. “Better. I’m going to get a drink, though,” I said with a husky voice. I stood on wobbly legs, and Mum reached out a hand, grasping my arm and causing me to hiss in pain.

  Mum frowned and looked down at where she held me. My arm was still purple with bruising. Mum winced and let out a long sigh. “Come on, and I’ll help you into the kitchen; you should probably eat something too. I’ll also bandage your arm.”

  I nodded but remained silent as she helped guide me into the kitchen. My stomach rumbled, letting me know it had been a long while since I had eaten anything.

  “What day is it?” I asked.

  “Sunday,” Mum answered as she rummaged in the fridge, pulling out the ingredients to make a sandwich. Sunday meant I’d been out of it for a whole week. A full week being semi-conscious and not once taken to see a doctor. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I could cut my head off, and they wouldn’t take me to the doctor.

  I knew why. Doctors asked questions. And that would soon mean police and child services on the doorstep. Not that it would be a bad thing. Foster care couldn’t be worse than what I was already living. I’d considered ringing the police once. But I knew Dad too well; he would have them eating out of his hand in a moment. They’d never believe me, and then Dad would beat me once they left. The best thing I could do was to remain silent and try my hardest not to piss him off. Something that was easier said than done.

  “Here, come and sit down and eat,” Mum said as she placed a sandwich on the table for me. I gingerly sat in the kitchen chair, feeling my muscles tighten and pull with the movements. “Are you in pain anywhere other than your arm?”

  I shook my head. “No. Nothing too bad.”

  Mum nodded and reached out to take my arm gently before she wound a bandage around it. Looking down at the appendage, I could see that it was broken. I couldn’t remember how it got damaged; the beating was all blurry. I knew it was happening and was in pain, but I couldn’t remember all the details.

  “There,” she said as she finished the bandage and sat back in a kitchen chair.

  “Where’s Dad?” I asked as I bit into the sandwich and chewed silently.

  “At the races,” Mum answered with a sigh.

  I nodded my head. Looking at Mum, I could see the hurt in her eyes that Dad had done this to me. I knew that she hated it. But she never stepped in to stop him. I didn’t know if that was because she was frightened of Dad, and while he was beating the shit out of me, he was laying off her. But I don’t know, I couldn’t do the same if it were my kid. I’d take all the beatings if it meant my kid was safe.

  “I’m sorry,” Mum said with a shake.

  She always was. After every beating I copped, she was always sorry. Usually, she would make my favorite meal and do my hair or lay beside me and scratch my back before bed. She always loved me harder after one of Dad’s beatings. I suspected this time it was no different.

  “Not your fault,” I said, taking another bite of my sandwich.

  Mum sighed and shook her head. “I should leave him.”

  “And go where?”

  Mum glanced up at me, and she shrugged. “I don’t know. We could go anywhere. We could go interstate. Just you and me.”

  “What about Harry and Remy?”

  “They are old enough to move out now; they will be safe. Where would you like to go?”

  I hummed; this was just entertaining her; I knew we could not escape. But it was nice to dream that maybe I’d be free from Mark Lewis and his fists one day.

  “Queensland, or Northern New South Wales.”

  “Why there?”

  “The beaches,” I said with a smile. “The beaches in Melbourne are okay on a hot day, but I’ve seen the beaches in Queensland; they are pristine. The water is so blue it looks like an aqua stone.”

  “There are crocodiles, though,” Mum laughed, wrinkling her nose and making me giggle.

  “Only up the very top end of Queensland. If we went to Brisbane, we would be safe.”

  Mum smiled and let out a small sigh. Her smile quickly fell from her lips when the front door opened, and we heard the telltale sound of Dad stomping into the hallway and slamming the door behind us.

  I sighed and tensed my body. If he slammed the door, he was in a bad mood, which meant he lost money at the track, and we would all be punished.

  Chapter Ten

  Ashton (Present)

  “Okay, let’s go over everything we’ve got,” I said as we sat at the desks just before we finished for the day.

  Zach wheeled his chair to the whiteboard we were using to pin up our evidence. On it was the photo used for Selina’s missing person report.

  “Alright, we have Selina Lewis, fourteen years old, who goes missing but isn’t reported for a week when Lisa and her mother, Nicole Reynolds, report it. Three days after she is reported missing, Selina’s body turns up in the Yarra River at the base of the Spencer Street Bridge. Homicide Detective Robert King wrote in his report that he believed her body had been thrown from the bridge, to which Coroner Alexander Whitehall agreed. The autopsy report shows that Selina was already dead by the time she went into the Yarra as she had no water in her lungs,” Zach said as he read off everything we’d discovered.

  “The cause of death was believed to be strangulation due to the broken hyoid bone. However, blunt-force trauma to the head was definitely a factor. Selina had been raped both anally and vaginally before death. She had abrasions and broken bones all over her body. Robert King’s report said that he interviewed the parents, Mark and Andrea Lewis. However, they both had alibis for when Selina’s body had been dumped. It was estimated that she died two days before her body was discovered; however, it could have been longer due to decomposition and the water. Robert said he thought Mark Lewis was a good suspect but had no evidence to put him at the crime. The house was never searched for blood or signs of violence. The sons Remy and Harry Lewis weren’t interviewed at the time.”

  I sat back in the seat and hummed. “I wonder why they never interviewed the boys; they were older, weren’t they?”

  Zach nodded his head. “Yeah, Remy was eighteen, and Harry was seventeen.”

  I nodded. “That’s what I thought. Was there any other mention of other suspects?”

  “A teacher Selina was close to, but he had been away interstate at a conference when she went missing, so they could rule him out. There is also mention of Selina's boyfriend, but no mention of his name.”

  I huffed with frustration. “I believe this was the father; my gut says it is. They were so fucking cagey when I turned up to question them.”

  Zach nodded in agreement. “Were they still living in the same house?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I wonder if there might be blood stains under the carpet or lino flooring. This kind of injury would have been pretty bloody,” Zach mused.

  “It’s possible, but we must have a reason to search the house. Unless we get evidence that the crime happened there, we can’t just go in, and I don’t see Mark letting us walk in and start ripping up carpet.”

  “No, I won’t say he would,” Zach huffed.

  “I’ll try ringing Selina’s brothers again tomorrow. We are meeting with Lisa Reynolds in the morning, and then in the afternoon, we have a meeting with Robert King, so maybe we will get at least something to help us where to look.”

  Zach nodded his head. “If they’d done their fucking job like they should have thirty-six years ago, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  I nodded. “You’re telling me. What are you doing after work?”

  “Nothing. Going home to veg out on the couch. You?”

  “Same,” I said with a laugh.

  Zach grinned. “Want to join me for a beer?”

  I smiled and nodded my head. “Sounds good. Where do you want to go?”

  “I just thought my place, but we can go out if you’d rather?”

  I hummed. As much as I’d like to return to Zach’s place for a quiet beer, I also enjoyed getting laid.

  “Have you been to Peel Street?”

  Zach’s eyes widened, and he nodded his head. “Yeah.”

  “Wanna join me?”

  Zach chuckled. “Been a while, has it?”

  I snorted and nodded my head. Everyone knew you didn’t go to Peel Street bar for a quiet drink. You went for one thing in mind, to find a body for the night.

  “Then I’m definitely down. I’ll go home first and grab a shower. Want me to meet you there?”

  “Sure,” I answered. I wanted to grab a shower and prep myself first. Although I never expected to find someone to bottom for, there was always a chance, so I never went out without first preparing myself.

  “Alright, I’ll meet you there, say seven?”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I answered with a grin.

  Zach stood and left the desk while I shut down my computer and prepared to stop for the night. The best thing about working Cold Case was that I got home at a reasonable hour every night. These cases, although as equally as important as any other homicide, weren’t time-consuming. You weren’t racing against the clock.

  I stood and ran my fingers over my face, wondering whether I could forego a shave. I was excited. It had been so long since I’d gotten laid, and tonight was going to be the one to break the drought.

  Chapter Eleven

  Zach

  I had no intentions of going out tonight, but when Ashton suggested Peel Street, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I pulled on a mesh top that showed off my pierced nipples and tattoos. I fingered the curls around my shoulders before drawing on dark liner around my eyes. I tended to dress pretty. Similarly, the only difference was that I held it down a little at work. I was curious to see what Ashton would look like outside of work.

  When I first tried to make it on my own, I shopped at thrift stores out of necessity, discovered my image, and made it a point to shop out of vintage and thrift stores. I pulled on a jacket that had a thick feather collar; it was my favorite find. I’d discovered it at a vintage shop. Now my entire wardrobe was all vintage. I loved a good bargain and a good deal even more when I found it was an original.

  I lifted my keys from the bowl on my kitchen bench and went to my car. As I pulled up at Peel Street, I could feel the atmosphere immediately. The bass beat of the loud music floated out onto the street. Men stood around talking to one another, dressed in various costumes, some not dressed in much. Only at Peel Street could they get away with wearing a jockstrap, and that was all.

  I walked toward the front door where the bouncer, Antonio, stood with his arms folded across his chest.

  “Zach,” Antonio said with a wide grin. “How’s it going, mate?”

  “I’m doing great, thanks. How are you?”

  “All good here, man,” he answered as he stepped out of the way of the door.

  I grinned and walked through the foyer where Claudia was sitting. “Zach,” she purred.

  “Hey, Claudia,” I said, leaning over the desk and kissing her cheek.

  “Just the bar tonight or more?”

  “More for me tonight,” I said with a wiggle of my brows.

  “Public room or private?” Claudia chuckled and nodded her head. I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and pulled some cash to cover the fee.

  “Anonymous,” I answered. I loved the anonymous rooms. A room where a willing bottom would be there waiting, blindfolded and ready for someone to come and sink into him.

  “Good choice,” Claudia smiled as she took my hand and wrapped the black band that said I had access to the bottom floors. The sex rooms. It wasn’t like a rare thing to have in a club. Peel Street was pretty tame compared to some clubs. That was why I liked it. With manicured long red nails, Claudia finished slipping the band around my wrist. “Have fun, darling.”

  “See you later,” I replied with a smile before I entered the main bar. I glanced around to see if I could find Ashton anywhere. I glanced at my phone and noticed it was just before seven.

  I walked over to the bar and ordered a beer, sitting at the bar and looking out over the dance floor. The music’s steady beat rumbled through the room, setting a trance-like atmosphere. Bodies moved together, grinding and groping one another.

  “Hey there,” Ashton said as he slid onto the stool beside me. He wasn’t dressed much differently from work. I turned and smiled, holding my finger up to order a beer from the bartender, who smiled and nodded. Ashton took the beer and sipped before licking his top lip.

  “I expected to see you dressed down. Do you dress like this everywhere?” I asked, leaning in so that he could hear me over the music.

  Ashton chuckled. “I always liked suits.”

  I smiled. Ashton was dressed in a tight corset vest over a crisp white shirt and black slacks that looked like they were pressed insanely tight.

  “I like this look,” I said as I licked over my bottom lip. Ashton intently watched my lip before he shook his head and sipped his beer.

  “Are you playing tonight?” Ashton asked.

  I lifted my arm and showed the black band. Ashton chuckled and showed me that he was wearing the band too.

  “Wanna go and check out the talent?” I asked as I stood from the stool and gulped the last of my beer.

  Ashton copied and followed me toward the stairs that would lead us into the private rooms.

  “Have fun, boys,” the bouncer, Michael, said with a grin.

  I smiled and nodded as we wound our way down the stairs and into the private rooms that oozed with the sounds of moans and the scent of lube.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ashton

  The music's bass was heady as I descended the stairs into the club's basement. Zach turned all of my thoughts salacious. Fuck he looked good. But I couldn’t go there. I’d made a promise to myself the last time I’d fucked up and fucked someone I worked with. I wasn’t going to go down that path again.

  I was more and more curious about my new partner. Zach had an easy way about him. His style, his mannerisms. He was laid back, but at the same time, it looked like he’d worked really hard to appear that way. His eyes were sharp and took in everything around him. His mind was brilliant; talking to him throughout the day told me what a fantastic man he was.

  “Where are you planning to head to?” I asked as we reached the lower level. The sounds of skin slapping and moans rang out from the open doors of the rooms.

  “Anon,” he answered with a wicked grin of promise.

  I groaned and felt my cock give a hard kick. I loved anonymous hookups. They were my favorite rooms. There was something about being fucked by a complete stranger, no exchange of names, no awkwardness. You were there for one reason and one reason only, to fuck or to be fucked. In my case, I liked to be fucked. I looked over at Zach, who was watching me with a twinkle in his eyes.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10