Jessica came out of the shop and got gracefully in to her car and tried to start it. Nothing happened. She tried again, then again, screaming with frustration and slamming her hands against the wheel. She tried once more pumping the accelerator but to no avail. Swearing she opened the glove compartment and rummaged around for her phone.
“Oh fuck!” she yelled. “Fucking fuck fuck.” She got back out of the car and paced up and down the pavement. She hovered briefly outside the store’s door trying to decide if the clerk would let her use the business phone to call for help then decided against it, after what she had just said to him he would probably laugh and say no anyway she wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction, she would just have to find a pay phone instead.
Jessica put her bag over her shoulder and crossed her arms across her chest and set off walking. She had gone about half a block when a car pulled beside her.
“Wanna lift?”
Jessica recognised the driver and turned her nose up but got in anyway. “Oh it’s you,” she said sulkily.
“You shouldn’t be out at this time of night alone. Don’t you know there is a killer on the loose?”
“If you must know my cart broke down,” she snapped.
The man smiled. “Bad luck,” he quipped.
“Just take me home.” Jessica folded her arms across her chest once more and leaned back in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, pouting.
The killer put his car into drive and grinning to himself pulled away from the curb. She really was stupid.
Jessica jumped as the car stopped outside a shop. “I though you said you’d give me a ride,” she bitched.
“I am,” the driver replied. But I have to get something from the shop first.” He got out the car, taking his keys with him. “Wait here,” he said. “I won’t be long.”
He smiled at the man behind the counter. “Do you have any thing that can knock me out?” he asked. “I can’t sleep and I have a big interview in the morning.”
“You have to get written up by a doctor for the good stuff,” the clerk replied. “But I have these powders. You just mix them with water. The killer read the back of the box with a smile spreading across his face. “These will do. And I’ll take two coffees please, one black one white.” The killer paid for his purchases and carried the hot coffee over to a shelf. Placing his body between the clerk and the cups he tipped three of the sleeping powders into the milky coffee and gave it a good stir before adding two sugars and stirring it again.
He went back to the car and handed the cup to Jessica. “I though you might be cold.”
Jessica took the cup with out a thank you. “Did you put sugar in it?”
“Two; that is how you take your coffee isn’t it? Milk two sugars.”
The blonde grunted a brief acknowledgement and sipped at the brew. The man sipped his own coffee and leaned back in his seat.
“Well what are you waiting for? Take me home,” Jessica demanded.
The man gave her a nice smile. “Lets drink our coffee first then I will.”
~*~
Justin held his hand over his mouth and nose as he walked into the warehouse. All around were forensic officers donned in white suites gathering as much evidence as they could before it was contaminated further.
“How long has she been here?” he asked Joey.
The bearded Italian looked over to him. “Two days. She was reported missing Friday night and her car was found the early hours of Saturday morning out side a drug store not far from Central park.”
Justin lifted the sheet from the dead young woman. “Shit!” he dropped the sheet backing away. “What kind of man could do that?”
“A very disturbed one.”
Justin looked behind him to where the comment had come from and Lance held out his hand for him to shake. “It looks like our boy is back in business.”
“Have her family been informed, “Justin asked.
Joey shook his head. “Not yet, captain Kirkpatrick thought that you should do it yourself.”
Justin groaned. “In that case you are coming with me.”
~*~
The two officers looked at each other and took deep breaths. This was the part that was the hardest part of police work, standing in someone’s living room and telling them that their loved one has been murdered and we are very sorry but you can’t see the body because it has been mutilated beyond recognition.
Steeling himself Justin knocked on the door. It was opened by a young man with dark hair and blue eyes dressed in long shorts and a black muscle shirt that revealed the young man’s tattooed arms.
“Mr. Simpson?” Joey inquired.
The young man shook his head. “No I’m Nick Lachey. Who are you?”
Justin got out his badge. “I’m lieutenant Timberlake and this is lieutenant Fatone. We have news of Jessica; can we come in?”
Nick led the two officers into the house and into the living room where Jessica’s family were.
“Joe, Tina, this is lieutenants Timberlake and Fatone. They said they have news about Jess.”
Tina Simpson leaped to her feet. “Did you find her? Please tell me. Did you find my little girl?”
Justin took the woman by her shoulder s and gently sat her in a chair. “I’m really sorry, “he said. “We found Jessica's body this morning.”
The silence that followed was broken by soft sobs.
“I’m really sorry,” Justin said again.
“Can … can we see her?” Joe Simpson asked his voice breaking with grief.
“Sir, Jessica, well …”
“I’m afraid she is unrecognisable sir,” Joey butted in. “we only know it is her because the killer left her drivers licence and her clothes for us to find. We also had her DNA analysed just to be sure.”
Tina burst into tears. “My baby,” she sobbed. “My baby.”
~*~
“Why now?” Justin asked when they got back to the precinct. “What made him kill again and why Jessica? She isn’t a hooker; she is a model student from a respectable family.”
“Maybe he knew her,” Lance suggested. “Crossed paths.”
“We should interview her friends; find out where she hung out. Find out if she had any enemies,” Justin pointed out.
“I’ve got her friend coming in about an hour. She was the last one to see her alive.”
“Good I’ll talk to her,” Justin said.
“Actually I will be talking to her Justin,” Lance interrupted.
“This is my case!” Justin shouted.
Lance shook his head. “Not anymore Justin. I’m sorry but Joe is in charge now and I am backing him up on this.”
“Why in god’s name?” Justin couldn’t believe his ears.
“Conflict of interests.”
“What conflict of interests?” Justin demanded challengingly.
“Josh,” Joe muttered.
Justin was confused. “What does Josh have to do with anything?”
“Josh is a suspect,” Joey said breaking the news gently.
“I don’t believe you,” Justin whispered, his face paling.
Lance leaned back in his chair. “He fits the profile perfectly. He’s the right age; he lives in the right district. You said yourself that he had bad relationships with women.”
“Bullshit” Justin yelled. “Circumstantial pure conjecture. Josh isn’t a killer. I know him.”
“We have a witness that says he and Jessica had an argument earlier in the evening. The same witness says she saw Josh get in his car at past two in the morning and not return until 4:30.” Joey sighed. “I know its hard Justin, and I know you are in love with him but think about it. Josh came here and reported seeing one of the dead girls getting into a black SUV. Has that car been seen at all since? He is sleeping with you. What do you talk about after Justin? The case maybe?”
Justin was stunned. He couldn’t believe what was being said. Josh wasn’t capable of killing in such brutal ways.
“I’m going home,” Justin announced.
“Stay away from Chasez Justin. A black and white will be bringing him in for questioning.”
Justin closed his eyes and leaned heavily on his desk. “I want to be at the interview.”
“No,”
“I have the right!” Justin shrieked.
“You have no rights,” Lance shouted back. “Justin you can watch and listen but you will not be in that interview room. We have the bastard and I won’t risk loosing him because of you.”
~*~
Josh sat in the interview room chewing his nails. He had been serving in the shop when two uniformed officers had descended on him and insisted that he accompany them down to the precinct. Britney had chased after him to the car, worry sketched on her pretty face.
“Call Justin,” Josh cried. “Tell him I need him.”
That had been nearly three hours ago and still no one had told him why he had been brought in. He pulled his feet up onto the chair and tucked them under his ass, hugging his knees and rocking gently back and forth.
Justin watched him through the 2 way mirror and his heart broke.
“We have to know,” Joe said placing a comforting hand on Justin's back.
“I already know,” Justin said softly. “He’s innocent. I know he is.”
Josh looked and jumped to his feet as Lance and Joey came into the interview room. They started the tape.
“November 2nd 2004.First interview with Joshua Scott Chasez, for the sake of the tape all present state your full names.”
“Lieutenant Joey Fatone.”
“Lieutenant Lance Bass.”
“Geoffrey Howard, attorney.”
“Joshua Scott Chasez.” Josh’s voice shook. “I want to see Justin.”
“Lieutenant Timberlake is busy,” Lance snapped. “Tell me where you were on the night of Friday 29th of October 2004?”
“I was at home.”
“You seem very sure of that,” Lance said sarcastically.
“If I’m not with Justin then I’m at home,” Josh’s eyes brimmed with tears. He was scared.
“Do you have anyone that can verify that?”
Josh shook his head. “I just told you. I only see Justin.”
Joey rested his hands on the table. “Would you like a cigarette?”
“I don’t smoke.”
“Can you tell me where you were on Wednesday 25th of august?”
Josh shook his head.
“What about the 20th of August?” Josh shook his head again. “The 14th of August? What about the 8th?”
“My birthday,” Josh whispered.
“Please speak louder Mr. Chasez for the tape.”
“The 8th of August. It was my birthday. Britney took me away to her folk’s house in Louisiana. They threw me a party. The first party I had ever had.”
“Interview suspended at 17:25. Lance stopped the tape and stormed out of the room with Joey hot on his heels.
“He has an alibi for the first killing.”
Lance snorted “I want to check it out first. I want him put in the cells and held.”
“You can’t do that,” Justin shouted coming out of the adjacent viewing room. “Charge him or let him go.”
“He could run,” Lance snapped getting right into the younger lieutenants face.
“Run where Lance? All he has in the world is that coffee shop and me. So you tell me Lance where is he going to run to?”
“You can sit with him Justin,” Joey said, being the voice of reason. “Go on Justin.”
Justin scowled at the profiler. “Check his alibi but I know it will hold up. I know this man better than I know myself and I know he’s not a killer.”
Justin opened the door to the interview room and went inside. There was a loud sob and he found his arms full of a hysterical Josh.
“It’s okay,” Justin soothed. “I’m here now baby. I wanted to be with you but they wouldn’t let me. It’s going to be okay.”
“They think it was me,” Josh sobbed. “I didn’t kill them Justin. I didn’t”
“Of course you didn’t, any fool knows that.” Justin squeezed his lover to him and kissed his head. The two just held on to each other not talking. Justin knew that they were probably being watched but he didn’t care Josh needed the closeness.
Over an hour passed before Joey came back into the room. “You can go now Josh.”
Josh looked up, his face wet with the tears that he had held on to all through his interview. “I can go?”
Joey nodded. “We contacted the Spears and they confirmed that you were with them when the first and second girls were killed. The airline you used also confirmed that you didn’t fly back to New York until late on the 20th of August. They were kind enough to provide CCT footage of you and Miss Spears.”
“That’s it? That’s all he gets? Okay you can go! No I’m sorry we dragged you out of your business and in front of all your customers in handcuffs?”
“You know how it works Justin. We act on information received. Until we interview suspects we have no idea of how accurate that information is.” Joey yanked the interview door open again. “Take him home Justin and be thankful that we were wrong.”
Josh was shaking as Justin walked him back through the coffee shop. Word had already got out and he was glared at with open hostility. The young coffee shop owner hung his head in shame and struggled not to start crying again when Britney encircled him in her warm embrace. As she walked him into the back room Justin paused. He held up his warrant card and addressed the staring customers.
“I’m lieutenant Timberlake. I know you are all speculating about this so let me clear it up for you. Some sick fuck decided it would be funny to implicate Josh in the murders that have been taking place. Josh has been totally vindicated. He wasn’t even in the state when the first three murders took place.” Justin glared around the room daring someone to contradict him. “Now drink your coffee and have a nice day.”
He went into the back room and watched as Britney comforted his lover. The pretty waitress looked up at him, her eyes wet with sympathetic tears.
“Can you see to the shop?” Justin asked discreetly. “I want to spend some time with Josh.”
Britney gave Josh one final hug then left the two lovers alone.
Josh moved to his private kitchen area and filled his coffee maker with water.
“Stop.”
Josh carried on with his task totally ignoring Justin's request.
“I said stop Joshua.”
The slender man crumbled and shook from head to toe as the seriousness of what had happened to him that day finally slammed home. Justin rushed to his side and pulled him into a tight embrace, making soothing noises to calm his lover.
“What would have happened to me Justin if I never went with Britney that weekend. I wasn’t going to go. Right up to the last minute I wasn’t going to go. I bought my ticket at the airport when I was seeing her off. I never even took luggage with me. I had to buy all new when I got there.”
“I would have found another way to prove it wasn’t you baby.”
Justin kissed Josh’s lips softly and then again using a little more strength and control.
“I want you inside me Justin. Make me feel whole again.”
Justin hooked his arm under his distraught lover and swept him into his arms , carrying him up the stairs to his bedroom. He laid him on the bed and then laid beside him. He leaned in and kissed Josh, all the time undoing the small white buttons that held Josh’s shirt closed. Slowly he stripped the lovely but still tearful man placing a loving kiss on every exposed piece of flesh. Once he had his lover naked he stripped himself and laid down on top of him.
Josh groaned and ground himself against his lover’s hip, building speed and friction against his cock determined in his desire to feel relief.
Justin held him still and licked at his throat. “Easy baby,” he breathed. “Easy.”
Justin's tongue trailed a way down his torso and danced teasingly over the wet head of Josh’s cock. He circled the tip making Josh sigh with pleasure and mew with delight when he was deep throated. With every lick Justin brought Josh closer to climax. With every flick of Justin's tongue Josh felt safer, more wanted and more loved until the pain of the day evaporated in a wild climax that sent thick semen spilling down Justin's throat.
“Turn over,” Justin whispered.
Josh rolled onto his belly and lifted himself onto his elbows so he could look over his shoulder. He watched with lustful eyes as Justin lubed himself up and climbed on top of him. Josh twisted his neck so that he could reach his boyfriends lips, gasping into his mouth as his anus was penetrated.
With slow deliberate movements Justin made soft respectful love to his precious lover, delving deep into the hot crevice of Josh’s ass until both men were panting with the sheer effort of holding back. Josh came first. Soaking his bedclothes with his cum. Justin pulled out and spurted his seed all over Josh’s buttocks. When he regained his senses Justin used tissues to mop up his mess and then he rolled Josh onto his back, kissing him deeply.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I’ll never leave you.”
Josh blushed and buried his face against his lover’s chest. “I love you too,” he sighed.