Dark Nightmares Read online

  He released her and glanced back at the captain, much safer than getting sucked into her pretty eyes. He shuddered as she turned around. Did everyone feel the same pull toward her when they first met her?

  Lordy. He needed to get his head in the game. One minute ago, he’d been disgruntled to know he’d been set up with a stranger to work the scene at the BDSM club. Now that he’d met Nicole, his entire attitude had shifted. He usually preferred to work with his own partner, Rhys Evans, on most cases.

  But Rhys wasn’t a woman, and Captain Scanlon had felt adamant that Mason would attract far less attention if he visited the club with his supposed female submissive. In addition, the state had insisted on sending one of their own, under the circumstances.

  It wasn’t every day the Dark Falls homicide department found themselves investigating such a high-profile murder. It wasn’t surprising the state sent someone. What was tying him in knots was the fact that she had only needed to be female. Sending a knockout hadn’t been a requirement.

  He ran a hand through his hair as he took a seat next to her, across from the captain.

  Scanlon tucked her long, dark hair behind her ear as she pulled her desk chair in closer and handed Salway the file Mason had already read through several times in the last few days. “I’ll give you the gist. Mason will catch you up on the details.”

  “Sounds good.” She set the file in front of her and left it closed, holding Scanlon’s dark gaze.

  “Cora Thompson. Twenty. A junior at Dark Falls University. She had an apartment with a roommate, Cindy LaFleur. The roommate was pretty upset the first time Mason and Rhys interviewed her. You two will need to head over there and talk to her again today.”

  Salway nodded.

  Scanlon continued. “The body was found behind a dumpster at the home improvement store on the outskirts of the city. Pics are in the file. The victim’s clothes and purse were found inside the dumpster. Phone was smashed.”

  “What ties her to the BDSM club?” Nicole asked.

  Mason watched her profile. She was extremely professional and got right to the meat of the story. This wasn’t her first rodeo. Even though he knew she’d come straight from getting the assignment, she was dressed in black slacks, a white blouse, black jacket, and black pumps. She looked comfortable in her skin as if this was her usual daily attire when she was in the office.

  “Her roommate told us that was where she was headed that night, and the rope used to tie up her body is the type used for fetish play.”

  Nicole frowned. “There’s a specific type of rope used for bondage?”

  “Apparently.” Scanlon glanced at Mason, but didn’t elaborate on how she knew that fact. Mason wasn’t sure if he wanted to thank his captain or if he would have preferred she go ahead and give his temporary partner the full story.

  “I see. Sounds like a reasonable assumption, then. Has anyone interviewed the owners?”

  Scanlon nodded. “Yes. Two detectives met them at the club first thing that next morning. Neither owner claimed to have seen Cora at the club the night before, nor did they recognize the description of her date. But fetish clubs are very tight-lipped about their members. It’s a stretch considering this is a murder investigation, but it’s possible the owners might lie to protect their own. We can’t rule it out.”

  “That’s why you need us to go in. As patrons. Not cops. See if we can identify the killer or pick up on any rumblings among the members.”

  “Exactly. In addition, it’s important that we do our best to keep this investigation as low profile as possible. It’s embarrassing to the family, given the nature of the location Cora was apparently spending time.”

  “Got it.” Nicole turned toward Mason. “So, we need to head over to the apartment and speak to Ms. LaFleur again first.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. She was also correct. That would be their first stop.

  He nodded.

  “I’ll let you two get to it. I have about ten people waiting to see me and an arson investigation that needs to be cracked open before it gets any more out of control.” Scanlon stood, her usual way of saying without words that it was time to move on.

  Mason stood at the same time as his temporary partner and followed her into the hallway as she thanked his boss.

  She turned toward him and tipped her head back as Mason shut the door. “You’ll give me some more details on the way?”

  “Yep.” He nodded, offering her the smallest smile he could manage. The situation didn’t call for a full smile. He didn’t know her, and they were investigating a homicide. It wasn’t a happy day for the community. However, he didn’t want her to think he was a stiff jerk, nor did he want her to realize what his first impression of her was, thus the merest lift of the corners of his mouth.

  He had no idea if he pulled off the casual look he intended in light of the fact that he felt this unexpected chemistry with her. He also had no idea if she felt the same attraction. It was inappropriate, of course, and needed to be squelched fast, but it was nevertheless right on the surface.

  Once again, she held his gaze a bit longer than necessary and then swallowed before waving a hand to indicate she would follow him. He led her toward the precinct door and out to his car. Never in his life had he found himself attracted to a woman he was partnered with. Apparently today was a first.

  He needed to shake his errant thoughts and pull his shit together super-fast. He didn’t know much about Detective Salway, but he did rationalize the state wouldn’t have sent her to partner with him if she wasn’t incredibly qualified—a fact that warranted him ignoring her looks and taking her as seriously as he would any other partner.

  When they were settled in his black Tahoe, he turned to face her. “You want to fire questions at me, or you want me to give you a rundown of the most important parts?”

  She tipped her head to one side and asked the last question on earth he expected. “How did you know about the rope?”

  If she had been any other person he’d met just thirty minutes ago, he would have been horrified, but he’d assessed instantly that she was sharp, and he’d suspected she didn’t miss the glance from Scanlon to Mason as she spoke about the rope.

  He started the engine, glancing back and forth from her to the road. “I’ve dabbled.”

  “Dabbled?”

  “Yeah.” He gave her another partial grin.

  “I might need you to elaborate if we’re going to go into a club together pretending to be a couple.”

  His smile widened. “Don’t worry. I’ll fill you in.”

  Her brows lifted. “I’m listening.”

  “You want to talk about Cindy LaFleur first, since we’re headed to her apartment?”

  “Nope. I get the gist of that.”

  He shook his head, smirking. Not shocked at all. “How much do you know about BDSM?”

  “You have to ask?”

  Another grin. Since when did he smile on the job? Since when did he smile while working a homicide case? “Good point.”

  “The question is, how much do you know, and how are you going to pass me off as anything but a novice?”

  “Easy. I’m not. We don’t have to. I can take you in as a newbie and show you the ropes.”

  Now she laughed, and he loved the sound. Shit. “Pun intended.”

  He shot her another grin. “Unintentional, I swear. Wish I could take credit for that one, but I’m not that witty.”

  She sobered. “So your plan is to bring me to the club as a guest with no experience?”

  “Yep.” He slowed to a stop at a red light and looked at her again. “Trust me. No one will doubt the authenticity if we do it that way.”

  “Uh-huh. I’m not at all sure I like this plan.”

  Chapter 3

  Nicole had never been so far out of her element in her life. First of all, she was operating on very little sleep. Second of all, she was completely out of sorts over the idea of going undercover in a BDSM club. And lastly, how the
hell had she been paired up with such an Adonis?

  The man was six foot and built, with short brown hair and green eyes that were a little too knowing for her comfort. She hadn’t quite decided what his personality was like because so far he’d been all over the map.

  He’d looked disgruntled and pissed when she first entered the room. He’d quickly shifted to nervous and fidgety. And lastly, he’d become this funny jokester. Her head was spinning. And add to that, he had a killer smirk that made her stomach twist, and she knew she was on a slippery slope she needed to get off fast.

  She did not date coworkers. She did not find them attractive. She did not even consider if they might be attractive under different circumstances. Period.

  She needed to straighten her spine, get them back on track, and stop wondering what his pecs looked like under the fitted blue dress shirt opened at the neck. Everything about him screamed dangerous territory, especially the fact that he seemed to have enough experience with BDSM that she should be requesting a transfer and getting the hell out of town.

  That wasn’t an option, of course. Nor would she insinuate to anyone alive that she couldn’t handle this assignment. She could. And she would. She just needed to…ignore him and keep her gaze elsewhere.

  As he drove, she glanced around. She hadn’t been to Dark Falls in eighteen years, and she’d been too young to remember anything, so nothing looked familiar. She figured if she drove out to the home she’d lived in for ten years, she would recognize it, but she had no intention of doing so. She needed to get this case solved and get out of town before it swallowed her whole and spit her out.

  It didn’t take long for Mason to pull up to a gated apartment complex and enter a passcode into the keypad. She shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Cora was the governor’s daughter. She wouldn’t be living in a cheap place in a bad neighborhood. “How well did Cora know her roommate?” she asked as Mason parallel parked on the street in front of one of the buildings.

  “Best friend from high school. They went to college together after they attended the same prep school. Cindy’s parents are both surgeons. Apparently, Cora and Cindy wanted to have a normal college experience and blend in.” Mason removed his seat belt.

  “Blend in?” She didn’t see how that would be possible for the governor’s daughter under any circumstances.

  “They tried.” He opened his door and rounded the hood while she stepped out to meet him on the sidewalk.

  She quickly assessed that these were more than simple apartments. They were more like condos with two stories in front and three in the back where the garages were located under the first story.

  “I assume someone has interviewed the governor and his wife?”

  “Yes. They’re staying here in town. They hadn’t spoken to Cora for a few days however, and seem to know nothing about the crime or who she was dating. My partner, Rhys, and I had an extremely uncomfortable discussion with the Thompsons about their daughter’s involvement in the BDSM community. They apparently knew nothing about that side of her and were rather mortified. I don’t doubt their sincerity. Especially judging by their reaction.

  “It’s not so outrageous that a twenty-year-old woman might be experimenting in the lifestyle, but it’s equally not hard to believe she would keep it from her parents. In any case, her roommate is our only valuable point of contact.”

  Mason knocked on the door when they reached it, but Nicole stood right next to him. The most important thing she’d learned over the years was to always position herself equal to or in front of any man. When women stood one step behind their partner, they were taken less seriously right out of the gate.

  Surprising her, Mason took a step back while they waited for the door to open. Either he was a total gentleman who took his cues from the same book of rules, or he had no idea he’d made the subtle gesture.

  When the door opened, Nicole found herself face-to-face with a stunning redhead with bloodshot, puffy green eyes and no makeup. She was wearing tight black yoga pants and a baggy white Dark Falls University sweatshirt with the letters screen-printed in navy and gold. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she was holding a tissue.

  “Ma’am. I’m so sorry to bother you. I’m Detective Nicole Salway. You’ve met my partner, Mason England. We were hoping to ask you a few more questions.”

  “Of course.” Cindy pushed the door open wider and sniffled as Nicole entered first, followed by Mason.

  The apartment was a mess, with cups and plates and napkins all over the place as if no one had bothered to return anything to the kitchen for days. Not that she could blame Cindy for her lack of housekeeping skills this week.

  “We’re so sorry for your loss,” Nicole added as she took a seat on Cindy’s couch.

  “Thank you,” Cindy murmured as she leaned the backs of her legs against the couch but fought the urge to sit until her knees wobbled and seemed to give out.

  Mason waited for both women to be seated before he lowered himself into a bright red armchair. Nicole watched him with an eye for detail and decided his mother raised him right, and his moves were not a conscious effort to be a gentleman but rather subconscious actions that came naturally from his upbringing.

  “I know we spoke the other day,” Mason began, “but we’re hoping you can fill in some more details now that a few days have passed.”

  She nodded and then sat up straighter. “Oh, I found Cora’s journal last night. I was going to call the number you gave me today.” She jumped up from the couch and rushed over to the attached kitchen, returning with a brown, leather-bound, expensive-looking book.

  She glanced back and forth between Nicole and Mason, undecided about who to hand it to before Nicole reached out and took it from her. “Thank you. This will be very helpful.”

  “Are you going to have to take it with you?” she asked as she sat a few feet from Nicole again.

  “Yes. I’m afraid so. Someone at the precinct will need to read through it carefully to see if Cora mentioned anything relevant. We can get it back to you as soon as we’re done going over it. I’m sure her parents would like to have this.” God, she hoped she was right.

  Cindy continued. “I’ve read most of it. She was my best friend in the world.” Her voice shook as she spoke, and she wiped her eyes with the wadded tissue. Her voice cracked when she tried to laugh. “I can’t believe how sweet she was. She never even complains about me in that journal, and I wasn’t the best roommate.”

  “How do you mean?” Mason asked.

  Cindy shrugged. “Oh, I just mean I was messy and didn’t always do my share. I hate that I’ll never be able to clean the kitchen and surprise her.” Tears fell again, and she choked back sobs as she continued. “Her parents are going to be so glad to have her journal.”

  “I’m sure they will.” Nicole reached out to set a hand on Cindy’s shoulder.

  Mason looked slightly uncomfortable but still managed to nod and comment. “It’s so nice she kept a record of her thoughts.”

  “I know you’ve already spoken to a lot of detectives, but I just arrived from Denver today. Can you tell me what you know about Cora and what might have happened to her?” It was always best to get the family and friends to repeat their stories. Sometimes they would inadvertently add a detail they hadn’t spoken out loud before. Nicole pulled a notepad and pencil out of her purse and flipped to a blank page. She still preferred to write down details, even though many detectives used their smartphones to store notes these days.

  Cindy dabbed her eyes again with the tissue and then took a deep breath. “She met the guy at the dog park.”

  “Oh, does Cora have a dog?” Nicole sat up straighter, glancing around. Dogs made her nervous. She had never liked them for some reason.

  Cindy shook her head. “No. Boxer is my dog. We took turns walking him. I should have gone with her. I should have taken him that day. It was my turn. I was sleeping.” She sobbed again and then took a moment to control her tears.

&nb
sp; Nicole nodded. “This is not your fault. You can’t blame yourself.”

  “I know. I know. I have, like, four counselors and my parents on me at all times. I’ve heard it all, but it’s impossible not to play what if, you know?”

  “I know, Cindy. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.” Nicole glanced at Mason who had crossed his legs and was looking at her. He gave her a subtle nod, letting her know she was doing fine and should continue to lead. It wasn’t unusual. After all, he’d already questioned Cindy. It was Nicole’s turn.

  Nicole reached over and tugged another tissue from the box on the coffee table and handed it to Cindy. “Do you know which dog park she went to?”

  “We always go to the one on McClaffy next to the university. It’s crowded, but we can walk there. And meet guys.” She wiped away another tear.

  Nicole didn’t imagine Cindy would ever return to that dog park for any reason at all, let alone picking up guys. “What did she say about the man she met at the dog park?”

  “She was so excited. He was so nice, and they talked for an hour. I don’t doubt that because Boxer was completely covered in mud when she got home. It had rained that morning. He likes to roll in it. If she hadn’t been distracted, she never would have let him stay there.”

  Nicole smiled at her. “Where is Boxer now?”

  “My parents have him. They’ll be here soon, and they’re bringing him. They’ve been here with me every night, but they have to work during the day, and it’s a two-hour drive.”

  “I understand. Do you have other friends who can stay with you during the day?” Nicole was surprised to find Cindy alone in the apartment so soon after her best friend was murdered.

  She nodded quickly. “I think they have a schedule that runs around the clock, but I get tired of so many people constantly in my face asking me if I’m okay. I’m not. Of course I’m not. I don’t need anyone to ask.”

  “Of course.” Nicole’s heart ached. To go through this at such a young age was extremely gut-wrenching. “Can you tell me more about the man?” she prodded.