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Lost Days

By: Cromagnonman



I woke up with a fuzzy feeling that not everything was right or real. I sat up and realized that this room was strangely unfamiliar, there was nothing that I recognized about it at all. I climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom but it wasn't where I expected it to be, but then I didn't know where I expected it to be. When I found it I discovered an unfamiliar but used toothbrush and an almost depleted tube of toothpaste along with shaving gear that I didn't recognize. I stripped off, just my underwear, and got into the shower but even after ten minutes of water running over my face I was none the wiser. 

I looked for clothes to put on but there was nothing in the closet, just what was draped over a chair. Left with no alternative I dressed in the crumpled clothes from whenever it was that I got here. What I found next did nothing to ease my confusion. There was an attaché case on the bench and I opened it to be confronted by money, a lot of money, a case crammed with money, all of it in large denomination notes and packaged as if it came straight from the bank. In a pocket in the inside of the lid was a wallet containing several credit cards and a Drivers Licence. The picture looked like what I'd seen in the bathroom mirror, so I assumed that it was mine, and the name matched the one on the credit cards, confirming my identity. But it still didn't help me, I had no recollection of any of this, the name rang no bells at all and the photo of a beautiful woman didn't spark any memories.

I took a pack of notes from one corner of the case, there was a bank label on it that told me that each pack of notes contained one hundred $100 notes. I removed the packs under the one that I'd taken out and there were four layers. There were sixteen packs in each of the four layers, that meant that there was $640,000 in the case, surely enough to jog some memory, but no. I had no memory of the money or where it came from.

There was a television set on the bench so I turned it on and immediately wished I hadn't. The talking head sitting at the news desk reading the news had a grim look about it; "Melbourne detectives have confirmed that they wish to interview wealthy industrialist Byron Pollard following the discovery of the body of his wife in their Toorak mansion." Superimposed on the screen was a large version of the photo in the wallet. "Pollard was last seen driving from his home on Tuesday evening at about 9:30pm and hasn't been seen since. His black Jaguar XKR was found in the car park at Tullamarine airport the following morning. There was no record of him having caught a flight, and a close examination of CCTV footage has failed to identify him anywhere in the terminal building. A police spokesperson has stated that at this time he is not considered to be a suspect, and that they are concerned that he should be found quickly because of a medical condition that will worsen dramatically if he does not seek urgent medical treatment. Police also stated that he has not accessed his bank accounts or credit cards. He has not been sighted for three days and police fear that he himself may have met with foul play. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police or Crimestoppers."

I just sat there and stared blankly at the screen, no longer concentrating of what was being said, the world could have come to an end for all I cared, because my world certainly looked to have met that fate. I was jolted back to reality by the talking head. "That's all the news for now on this Friday the thirteenth of February." Friday, it can't be Friday, or could it be. Could I have lost three days from my life? Or had I lost more than that? I couldn't remember driving to the airport on Tuesday, had I driven there at some other time? I didn't get a chance to think about that for very long. There was a tap on the door. "Just a minute." I said to it as I packed the money back into the case. I opened the door to be confronted by a man and a woman both flashing police identity cards. 

"Mr. Pollard, My name is Detective Sergeant Madeline Allison and this is Detective Constable Samuel Benson, may we come in?" She said.

"Certainly." I stood back to allow them into the room. 

"Mr. Pollard, we would like to ask you a few questions."

"And I would like to ask you a few questions, like how and when did I get here, wherever here is, and what has happened to the last three days?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have absolutely no recollection of the past three days. I woke up a few minutes ago in this strange and unfamiliar room, I have no clothes other than what I'm wearing, and I've just this minute found out that my wife is dead, I assume that you've come to ask me what I know of that, and I can only say that I know nothing." I could see by the expression on the faces staring at me that this is not what they'd expected.

"Do you expect us to believe that you can't remember a thing of the last three days?" Constable Benson was obviously sceptical.

"How can I expect you to believe that when I can't believe it myself?" It was then that I became aware that I was scratching the back of my hand, there was a small speck of blood on the skin over one of the veins as if there had been a needle inserted into it. "This is strange."

"What is?" The Sergeant Allison came over to have a look at my hand.

"This." I said, pointing. "It looks as if there has been a needle in my vein, like you have in hospital when you are receiving intravenous medication. I think I need a tox screen to see if there are traces of any medication in my system. By the way, how did you know that I was here?"

"We got a tip-off through Crimestoppers, someone rang and told us that you were seen checking in on Wednesday morning so we checked with reception. You had us fooled for a while because you didn't use your own name and paid for a week in cash so there were no credit card details noted on the card, but when we showed your picture one of the housemaids told us that you were in this room, and that you had a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door. She had entered the room last night because you had not come out for two days. You were asleep, so she left. She did mention it to the Receptionist, just to be on the safe side, in case something happened."

"Didn't the Receptionist remember me from when I checked in?"

"No, it seems as if you didn't actually check in. A woman made the arrangements on your behalf, she told them that she represented a clinic here and that you were not well and were here to seek treatment for your illness. The CCTV images from the foyer showed her helping you in at around 10:00pm on Wednesday night, she took you straight up to your room and left immediately."

"And no-one has been in this room other than the housemaid since then?"

"We'll check on that. Do you remember the last time that you spoke with your wife?"

"No. According to the news that I've just seen on TV, I must have spoken to her on Tuesday night, that is if she was home, but I have no recollection of that at all, in fact I have no recollection of being at home on Tuesday night at all. In fact I have a vague memory of being here in Sydney last Friday but nothing since then."

"Where were you last Friday?"

"I was at the cricket, there was a one day international on and I was in the Members."

"Were you with anyone?"

"I was with a client, we'd been in meetings all day and he invited me to the cricket for the last session to wind down, it had been a tough couple of days."

"You can remember this but can't remember anything about the past couple of days? Don't you think that's a bit odd?"

"I do, that and the mark on my hand lead me to believe that someone doesn't want me to remember those days."

"If you were here in Sydney on Friday night but didn't check into this hotel until Wednesday, what happened to Saturday and the other days?" Sergeant Allison asked.

"That's what I'd like to know. If I was into conspiracy theories I'd think that I was meant to believe that somehow I could have done something bad that I couldn't remember, and had no provable alibi for. It would be my word that I didn't do it against a whole lot of evidence that I did. Somehow I don't much like where I am at right now."

"I think that you should come with us to the police station so that we can take a statement. I would like the M.E. to take a blood sample to see what turns up, I hope for your sake that whatever you believe has been injected into you isn't one of those drugs that doesn't leave a trace after the effects have worn off."

"You hope? How do you think I feel about this? If there's nothing in my blood I have no leg to stand on." I picked up the attaché case.

"What's in the case?" Sergeant Allison asked. 

"Money, a lot of money, and before you ask, I don't know how it is that I have this money in this case, which isn't mine but had my wallet in it, at least I think it's mine, it has my Drivers Licence and some credit cards along with a picture of someone I assume is my wife, was my wife."

"Do you mind if I have a look?" I handed it over.

"I think that before you contaminate it you'd better have your fingerprint people check it out, you'll find mine on a couple of bundles of notes in one corner, I did a quick count, there's $640,000 in there."

"Wow! And you've never seen this before this morning?"

"No, I'm not in the habit of carrying that amount of cash around with me."

"We'd better take this with us for safe keeping and for forensic examination, it has now become evidence, although I don't hold out much hope of finding anything, if this is a conspiracy against you whoever is involved will probably have used rubber gloves so that all we'll find are bank employees' fingerprints." She ushered me from the room and locked the door behind me. She turned to Constable Benson. "Will you go down to the car and get some crime scene tape and put it across this doorway."He scurried off and as we walked to the lifts she said. "This is going to piss off the hotel, not being able to even clean the room until we've finished with it. I'll have Forensics go over it with a fine toothed comb, if the hotel is conscientious with its cleaning there shouldn't be too many prints there. Other than yours, that is."

We stopped in the foyer while she asked to speak to the Manager. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but room 1002 is not to be touched by anyone, not even the cleaners, it is officially a crime scene and, until you hear from me it is off limits to everyone except the Forensics team who will be here in a few minutes, you, and only you, will escort them to the room and let them in, understood?"

"Yes." 

He wasn't happy, at close to five hundred a night, this was going to prove costly, but then, if, as the sergeant had said, the room tariff was paid for a week, he won't start losing for a few days. 

I don't want to sound picky, but police interview rooms are hardly a place to inspire confidence in your innocence, they scream out that the only reason that you are there is because you are guilty of some heinous crime. The confrontational seating arrangements didn't help either, I was on one side of the desk while Sergeant Allison and Constable Benson were opposite me. I could see the CCTV camera on the wall opposite me. Its red light was blinking, telling me that it was recording.

Sergeant Allison began proceedings by pushing the record button on the tape recorder. "Record of interview with Mr. Byron Pollard commencing at," She looked at her watch. "11:14 am on Friday the thirteenth of February. Present are Detective Sergeant Madeline Allison and Detective Constable Samuel Benson. We will begin with your full name, address and date of birth."

"Byron Michael Pollard, I live at 43 Fordyce Crescent Toorak, and my date of birth is the 23rd of March 1978." 

She folded my wallet. "I sometimes wonder why we do this, if you weren't able to memorise those details I'd be surprised. Your car, what make and model is it and what is the registration number?" She looked at the photo of a car in the file in front of her.

"If as you said, I could have memorised my name and date of birth, I'd probably memorise the make and rego of my own car."

"Humour me, I'm assuming that it will be a part of your pre-amnesic memory. There's nothing in your wallet that would identify it."

I thought about it for a few seconds. "It's a black Jaguar XKR and the rego number is a personalised plate; 'BYRON 01'." 

"Nice." She said. "When did you last drive it?"

"That would have been on Tuesday last week. I left it at home on Wednesday and caught a cab to the airport. I haven't driven it since then. Wait a minute, I was staying at the Hyatt, they'll have a record of that, and probably still have my luggage, my car keys were in my case, it's one of those wheelie bags and it would be in the front pocket along with my . . ." I stopped for a few seconds. ". . . wallet."

"But your wallet was in this case." She patted the case on the desk.

"I realised that just then. Whoever it was that is responsible for this will have had plenty of time to fly to Melbourne and kill my wife, then drive my car to the airport and leave it there. If he wasn't as tall as me he will have had trouble driving it, because of the seat memory, you see when the car is unlocked using my key the seat adjusts to my setting and seeing as how I'm fairly tall and have long arms, the seat is set a long way back on the tracks. My wife drives it from time to time but she's much shorter than I am so her key sets the seat much further forward. I would assume that whoever left it there would still have the keys."

"Can the car be accessed without the keys?"

"No, any attempt to force the door locks or hot wire the ignition will automatically shut down the computer, which then has to be fully reset and that takes time, and costs a lot of money."

"So we have to assume, if we are to believe you, that someone has stolen either your keys or your wife's and driven your car to the airport and left it there. It all seems a little far-fetched to me." Constable Benson obviously wasn't buying it and this brought a sharp look of disapproval from Sergeant Allison.

"How soon before the results of the blood test come through?" I asked.

"It all takes time, it's nothing like those CSI type shows on TV where a sample is placed into a machine and the results are instantly available, and then there's the matter of priority, I can't just go to the lab and demand instant results, it just doesn't work that way."

"So where do we go from here?"

"You stay here for the time being, there's an application before the court to extradite you to Victoria, but I'm hoping that we get something from the lab before they get here, otherwise you'll have to go back with them. I'm going to request my people delay for as long as possible so that I can finish my investigations."

"So you believe my story then?"

"I wouldn't quite go that far, let's just say that I have some reservations."

"Thank you for at least being honest with me." She pushed the button to end the interview and Benson went off to fetch us all some coffee.

"Byron, we're off the record here so I can say what I think. I believe you. If you're not telling the truth you are a completely heartless and very devious person to go to all of this bother just to kill your wife. If you were such a person you'd need to show an arrogance that you don't if you think that we wouldn't eventually find a way to convict. Everyone makes a mistake, and even the smallest and most insignificant of mistakes will inevitably be discovered. With the advances in Forensic Investigation that are happening each and every day, it is virtually impossible for your murderer to stay ahead of the game."

"That at least has given me some hope. Sergeant, I love my wife, and there is no reason that I can think of that would cause me to take her life, and the life of our daughter. We have been trying for some time to have children and it has finally happened. We couldn't have been happier." My mind went back to the day just over a month ago when we got the news that she was pregnant. After a celebratory dinner we cleared a room and began to set it up as a nursery. The whole house took on a new life, gone were the days of just hoping for a miracle, it had arrived. Now it has all gone.

"You remembered something nice and now it's gone." Madeline, I feel that I can call her that, not to her face mind you, reached over the desk and placed her hand on mine and squeezed it.

I sat there with my head bowed for a minute or two and then raised my face and brushed the tears from my eyes. "I was just remembering when we found out that Jenny, her name is really Genevieve, was finally pregnant. Now it's all gone, finished, along with my hopes and dreams."

The mood was shattered by the return of Benson with our coffee and some biscuits (Cookies not scones). He put the tray on the desk and helped himself to three biscuits before sitting down. Madeline held the plate of biscuits for me and I took two along with the cup of coffee. It tasted as bad as it looked, a barista he wasn't. I noticed that Madeline thought about the same as I did about it.

"By the way, the boss said to tell you that there's a court hearing in about half an hour."

"Thanks for the warning. I guess we'd better finish this and head straight over to the courthouse." She finished her biscuit and swallowed her coffee, grimaced at the taste of it, and stood up. I ate my biscuits and swallowed enough coffee to wash them down and followed her. Benson seemed to be in no hurry to finish his, even grabbing another biscuit, before noticing the look that Madeline gave him and following us. "You could at least take the tray back." She told him. He grabbed it and headed for the lunch room.

We were sitting outside the courtroom when a couple of plain clothed policemen came over and introduced themselves to her. "We're applying for extradition based on the evidence that we have. We have a very strong case and don't expect to have any trouble in convincing the Magistrate of that."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that. We are pursuing a line of inquiry that will throw some doubt on the strength of your case."

"We'll see." A clerk came out and called us into the courtroom. 

As we walked into the courtroom I touched her hand to get her attention. "Ask them how it was that they got here so quickly, given that they would have had to apply for the necessary paperwork before they left Melbourne, get to the airport, fly to Sydney and get from the airport to here. They must have known I was here all the time but they couldn't have found flight records for Tuesday night because I didn't travel on Tuesday night."

"You have a point there, we'll see how this pans out."

The Magistrate called us to order and Detective Sergeant Roxburgh rose to his feet. "Your Honour, the state of Victoria is applying to extradite the prisoner, Byron Pollard to Melbourne to face charges of murdering his wife Genevieve Marie Pollard on the night of Tuesday the 10th of February. We have credible evidence to prove these charges."

"If it please the court, your Honour the New South Wales police are pursuing a separate line of enquiry to that of the Victorian, and we also have credible evidence only our evidence can prove that Mr. Pollard, who has not been arrested on any charge, had neither the motive, the means or the opportunity to murder his wife, in fact Mr. Pollard has been in Sydney since Wednesday of last week and we have proof of that." 

"He was seen leaving his house shortly after his wife was killed, his car was found at the airport and there were traces of her blood in the matting on the floor of that car that could only have come from his wife."


Lost Days Make for Memories and Dec



Lost Days Make for Memories and Decisions

I decided to take the afternoon off, go home, and then call Kevin.  I grabbed a cold soda from the fridge a box of wheat thins and went out on the back deck with my phone.  I'd decided to hold off on beer knowing I had a child inside me. It's the end of February by now and today was one of those teasers for spring so it was warm and cozy.  I finished half the soda before I dialed and when Kevin answered my heart flipped.  His voice brought back so many memories of our time in West Virginia it was all I could do to say Hi.

We talked for a long time, discussed the alternatives, or I should say I reviewed my alternatives and Kevin offered supporting words for them all.  I told him that unless God took the baby from me, it would enter this world in seven or eight months.  I was unsure if I would be the Mom or the woman who let her child be adopted.  While I could hear in Kevin's voice the tremor of fear at the prospect of adoption, he never lifted a single argument; he found instead words to support me.  He was willing to spend time with me to see if he and I were more then a memory, more then a few sexy nights and days in a snowstorm.

We talked idly for another half hour, his fears of a pending abortion allayed. I felt relieved that he was at my side and that he was willing to support me in my choice, whatever that was.  I was also relieved that he wanted to know if he and I were compatible, beyond three days spent in a sexual storm of our own in a hotel room.

The next day at work I found a note on my desk from Barry, my boss commanding my presence in his office.  I took off my coat and grabbed my Starbucks and found him in his office.

"Angie!  Good morning.  How are you feeling, you went home early yesterday and the word is you were sick!  You look healthy are you OK?"  

It wasn't time to reveal my pregnancy so I said.

"I'm fine just felt a bit burnt out, you've had me traveling a lot and I still think I have frostbite from that snowed out trip to West Virginia."

Not frostbite, cock bite would be a better term but not for Barry.  He grinned and I at first thought he's learned about my time there but when he spoke I knew I was wrong.

"Well, I am sending you off again, only this time it will be a bit different.  First of all a few of us will be going, this is a large opportunity for the company and we're going after it with all guns firing.  Secondly, I'm going to make up for the frozen days you suffered for the company."

I was confused and interested.  I figured it was best to just let Barry do this his way.

"This will be one of the biggest projects we've ever attempted and we think we can do it, and we can do it better then the anyone else, but we need to spend a lot of face time with the potential client and that means travel." 

Ok, so more travel, maybe that would be good for me maybe Kevin might have some similar plans, maybe??? Well Barry was on a roll so I listened.

"The project will be on an island off Jamaica, I don't have the exact name yet, but we'll have to fly to Sanger International near Montego Bay.  You'll be staying at the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa. This client has the bucks to build an exclusive resort, an airstrip and the infrastructure that goes with it.  We're teaming with a few other companies and going after the contract.  So I need you there early, I need you to do what you do so well, look over the plans, the site everything and put together an estimate.  Now, there is strong competition, we are jumping into a league we've not played in, but they think they're alone on this so you need to be the tourist and accomplish your tasks without letting anyone know what you're doing. "

I'd be off to an island in the Caribbean, by myself, in the sun, the water and I could not make it look like I was working!  Did god just lay a golden hand on me?  I needed to keep Barry from knowing I'd be willing to do this for free, so I said.

"Barry, you've got others who do what I do, some of them better, why me?  Don't get me wrong if you want me there, I'll go, it's my job but why me?"

"It's simple really.  You have the talent, your as good as we have and being a woman you'll attract less attention and have the best shot of keeping our involvement in this quiet, at least till the rest of us show up. We're hoping that a week's lead-time with you there will let us hit the ground running and that the competition will never catch up.  So can I put you on a plane Sunday?"

"This Sunday?"

I'd just agreed to meet Kevin on Sunday, spend the day start to see each other.

"Yup, this Sunday Angie.  It's all coming together fast and I need you there to start on Monday and hopefully get as much info as you can to the rest of the team so when we show up for the negotiations on the following Monday we'll be ready. So yeah, can you go?"

I live alone, my ex-boyfriend is doing the horizontal waltz with a red head too young for him, I'm pregnant by a man I still don't know well, hell time away, alone time to think!  Who knows maybe Kevin could come down!

"Ok, let me see.  I go as a tourist, spend time doing the beach, the clubs, take tours of the other islands, use all that to see what I can, do some estimating and live in paradise on the company, Duh!  Count me in."

So that's how I managed to be here in the Caribbean sun, laying in a comfortable chaise lounge on the beach topless, looking forward to the spring back home with no tan lines. 

When I called and told Kevin he took some time checking his schedule, which pissed me off a bit but eventually Kevin said he'd come down later in the week if it was what I wanted and I said.

"Damn straight Kevin."

So I had a few days before Kevin arrived, almost a week before Barry and the team arrived and I was the tourist.  I thought a cloud had covered the sun as a shadow seemed to darken the area around my closed eyes but when I opened them a woman was standing clutching her towel in front of her lap and peering down at me.  I felt a bit embarrassed until I was able to see that she too was topless.  She said.

"Hey, I'm Lilly and this is my first time on a beach like this, you know without a top?  Would you mind if I joined you, maybe find some comfort in numbers?"

She was stunning, at least a head taller then me with long auburn hair and an amazing body.  My first thought was why all the pretty girls always pair up with the middling ones.  Even though I wasn't here looking for a man or a lover, being next to Lilly, no one would ever see me.  Then I thought that might make my spy job even easier.  I stuck out my hand and took hers and said.

"I was born Angela but I prefer Angie, sit.  Tell me did you use any sunscreen on your, um your chest?  If this is your first time topless on the beach you will burn and let me tell you from experience, it hurts like hell.

Lilly looked down at me and said.

"So did it hurt that much you stopped?'

Confused and still admiring this statuesque beauty I said in my most intelligent manner.

"Huh?"

"Your nipples, you only pierced one, did it hurt that bad you skipped the other or?"

I laughed then, now that I knew what she was asking and said

"No, I only wanted the one done.  I find it's more arousing for me and for my lovers.  They'd get one plain and one not so plain nipple to toy with and the different sensations are a big turn on for me. Besides when your chest is as small as mine...." 

Then Lilly dropped her towel and sat on the lounge next to me and my jaw dropped as I realized Lilly wasn't just topless but bottomless too.  As she spread her legs to sit back I caught a glimpse of a beautiful pussy, shaved clean and bare, her labia hanging down making her pussy look as if it were pouting and I found myself licking my lips.  Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention I like women almost as much as men and if the world were perfect I'd have one of each and Lilly was the type of one that I would want.  Turning away before she caught me staring I heard her say.

"Your breasts are beautiful Angie, I love them.  Yes, I know about the tenderness of my breasts, I've sunned before, just never in public on a beach. So Angie I see no ring on your finger is your boyfriend off fishing or are you on the hunt?"

I still to this day can't say why, but I told her everything.  I guess it was a need to talk out loud, talk to someone who had no vested interest, a stranger who'd keep my issues private if only because we were strangers.  I told her about West Virginia and how great it was, how old Kevin was, how I was now wrestling with the decision of keeping or having our child adopted. I even told her some of why I was here, though not the complete reason.  I also told her that Kevin would be down later in the week.

"So, you get stranded in a storm, an older man acts like a knight in shining armor, protecting you from being assaulted by the, caveman?  Then you managed to seduce him and spend two and a half days in bed with this old man, go home to find your now ex- boyfriend filling the bed sheets with a red head and now your pregnant and wondering what to do?"

"I see you were paying attention Lilly, I like that about you."

"Now you are on a dream assignment, maybe to make up for stranding you in the storm, on a beautiful tropical island, sort of working but no too hard.  I think you need me Angie."

I wasn't doing bad following her summation of my situation but when she said I needed her I was confused.

"Why would I need you? I mean I've enjoyed meeting you but that rock on your finger tells me you've a husband to entertain."

"I mean you need to relax and you need a friend to talk to about things only us girls really understand.  As for my husband he is busy here on another of his deals and is happy to have me out of his hair.  So let's make a date for tomorrow, the beach again?"

I liked the idea but I'd already arranged for a boat ride so I could see the island.

"Well, I've hired a boat for a tour tomorrow, to see where my boss and his staff might want to go fishing and stuff, but the day after is good for me."

"Fuck it, I'll not have my new friend in a hired boat, we will take mine.  I know the islands and can show you places the average tourist never sees.  I'll arrange for food and everything and I won't take no for an answer.  So tomorrow morning at 10, you and I we will go boating.  Bring your suit if you are modest for we will find time to swim and tan as well.  I'll pick you up at the hotel."

Her offer was a good one and I accepted and we spent the rest of the afternoon sipping our drinks, local beer for her and fruit juice for me and telling stories of our past lovers.  When the sun started to set, I told Lilly I needed an early diner and some sleep, that being pregnant was so new to me and it was really tiring me out.  She walked me back to my hotel and kissed me on the cheek and hugged me tight.

"I like you Angie.  You're honest and open as well as pretty. Tomorrow we girls will have some fun and you will see all the best places to send your bosses when they get here now eat and rest."

I did eat and either it was the tropical climate or the child inside me, but I ate quite a bit more then usual.  But sleep was another animal and I spent a good deal of the night thinking of Kevin but more thinking about Lilly and her pussy.  The next morning I donned some shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed a few things I thought I'd need to makes notes and a camera to take some photos, the tourist thing.  I met Lilly on time and within a half hour we were out on the sea.  Her boat was no little thing, but a nice cabin cruiser and she handled it like a pro.  We spent a few hours cruising about the island and then she took me to what looked to be a deserted island.  

"We'll stop here Angie.  This island is not inhabited and we can enjoy ourselves in the sun without bother."

Sounds great I said as I snapped a few photos thinking this might be the island Barry was thinking of.  Lilly brought the boat in close and said we'd need to take the rubber raft to the beach.  She loaded the food and supplies earlier and so all we had to do was slip in and untie it and paddle to shore.  

Lilly and I made camp on the beach, spreading blankets and storing the cooler of food under a palm tree. When Lilly stripped naked so did I.  She said.

"I see you elected to shun even the bottoms today Angie.  I like what I see, you do realize."

As she spoke she came to me and wrapped her arms about me then finished her thoughts in a whisper in my ear as our breasts pushed against one another.

"To be naked on a public beach is safe Angie, to do so when we're alone maybe not so safe.  Alone we have nothing to stop us if we want to enjoy each other.  Does that bother you Angie?"

Her leg had insinuated itself between mine, and her thigh had pressed up against my now dampening pussy.  I said nothing just pulled my head back took aim and kissed her. Lilly responded and soon we were lying together on the blankets, hands caressing tits and stoking pussies.  Lilly had found a way to play with my pierced nipple that was driving me crazy with lust and when I could take no more I scooted down and planted my face between her obligingly spread legs, my tongue touching her wet and so tasty pussy.  I let her squirm about and return the favor and we ate each other's cunts.  I lapped at her moist slit, occasionally projecting my stiffened tongue into her warm cavern and letting my nose rub against her engorged clit.  

Lilly was good at what she was doing and when I felt her tongue lick then penetrate my asshole I came and wrapped my legs around her head holding her there as I pulled her clit between my lips and sucked hard making her cum, her pussy spewing its juices all over my face.  

We spent a good deal of time tasting each other, sucking nipples, kissing and feeding our pussies to one another, while occasionally swimming and eating the food she'd brought.  Towards the end of the day Lilly sat on my face and fed me her juicy pussy while she used her hands to play with my tits and finger my needy slit.  I was gulping the juices running from her well-sucked and licked pussy when I heard.

"My dear wife, I figured you be here on your little island with your new friend.  She's very pretty."

"Edgar, yes this is Angie and she's so delightful."

Lilly rolled off my face and I looked up to see her husband.  I felt like looking for a hole to crawl in, I knew my face was covered in her juices and my naked body with my legs spread.  He looked to be about Kevin's age and before I could mutter even a hello, Lilly said to me.

"Edgar will not take advantage of you my dear. He cares nothing for my women, he allows me this pleasure but does not want to share it.  I'm sure he'll be leaving soon, don't be shy."

It was easy for her to say.  I knew my face was red, not from the sun, but from shear embarrassment.  I summoned up my courage and managed to mumble.

"Hello, nice to meet you, although it's a bit embarrassing to be naked with your wife..."

"Think nothing of it Angie, its me who should be ashamed.  I'd just assumed you were one of Lilly's regular girls, if I'd known you didn't know me, I would never have interrupted.  I just stopped in to see Lilly and ask about dinner.  I've been over at Kenso and came out before going back to Jamaica.  Now having made and ass out of myself, I must insist that you join Lilly and I for dinner. "

I nodded not sure if I was agreeing to dinner or just nodding.  He left and Lilly took me in her arms and asked.

"Are you OK, my love?  Edgar is harmless and I too would love for you to meet him at dinner.  We can do it in your hotel dining room so you won't get home too late.  Say yes, please, I'd like to think you might be my dessert tonight!"

We'd been fucking for hours but the thought of Lilly in my bed tonight was something I wanted so I agreed.  After another blissful orgasm on her tongue we packed up and headed back.

"So what's Kenso?  Edgar said he'd been there is that some new casino or something?"

"No, I believe it's part of his new project but I should not say too much, Edgar likes his privacy, but we can easily sail past it if you'd like to see it. It's just another deserted rock in the sea, but to Edgar, well his eyes see so much more.  It will only take a few minutes for the detour."

I realized that Kenso could be what Barry was working on so I nodded and we cruised that way, encircling the entire island.  I saw that a lot of pre-construction supplies had been off loaded and though I was a bit sex addled I did recall my camera and snapped tons of photos.  I knew the crew would understand what they saw.  If this were the right island the photos alone would make their day.  Lilly only chuckled as I snapped and snapped finally saying

"If I cared I am sure I would realize that you were just working now, right my little lover?"

"Um, I can't lie to you Lilly, yes."

"That's OK Angie, now perhaps that you have most of what you need, you and I can have a bit more time with each other?"

I nodded and grinned then embraced her and kissed her.  I'd forgotten she was still driving the boat and that the work crew on Kenso were staring until the hoots and jeers filled my ears.  I decided it was best to just continue hugging my new friend then face the workers on the shore.

I had time for a shower and met Edgar and Lilly for wonderful dinner.  Edgar told me a lot of the history of Jamaica he'd been born here.  After he'd paid the bill he said.

"Lilly I have a poker game tonight, will you be OK if I leave you with your charming, new friend?

"Yes, dear!  In fact I intend to spend the night with Angie and I'll see you tomorrow."

I flashed red at how she admitted what we'd be doing but my wet panties told me to cool it and when Lilly took my hand and led me to the elevator, I wrapped my arm in hers and could not wait to have her.

In bed we managed to exceed the passion we' d shared on the beach and it was late before a huge orgasm left me senseless and wrapped in Lilly's warm embrace.  I slept like a baby waking late the next morning to Lilly's tongue diving into my pussy.  After she'd brought me to multiple orgasms, she hopped from bed and slipped her dress on.

"I must go for now, but I will leave me panties here so I can come back tonight.  I have to accomplish some things today and I'm sure you need to report in to your bosses.  I will miss you Angie, my love but I will be back."

She kissed me and was out the door, I was too breathless from her loving to say more then good-bye love and found myself alone.  Damn it she was good and I looked forward to her return but she was right, I had to crunch some numbers and report what I'd learned.  It took me most of the day to send what I had to Barry.  Later that day he called and told me I'd hit the nail on the head and to take time off as they had what they needed.

Kevin would be here in a couple of days and the guys in three.  When the whole crew was here we'd meet and plan the presentation on our offer.  Then it would be back to the metro-plex and the cold spring weather.  Everything was going so well and even though I'd not come to any decision about Kevin or the baby I was relaxed and happy.

The next two days with Lilly were better then the first and I learned to love and need the taste of her pussy. The Bi side of me was in full swing and Lilly was such a good lover.  In some ways it was like West Virginia and Kevin, but without the pot or a cock.  

When Kevin got to town I told him that sex was off for us until we knew each other better.  I guess it was the mother in me coming out, or maybe it was how satisfied I was with Lilly, but Kevin agreed and we spent our days on the beach and I learned that I liked a lot of who and Kevin was.  I did manage to spend the first night away from Kevin but not alone as Lilly appeared at my door with a pout on her face.  I think she was jealous of Kevin.  The second night I said to hell with it and stayed with Kevin.




Lost Days Make for Memories and Dec



It was like being back in West Virginia except for the weather and the fact that wearing a condom now was totally useless.  I realized how much I'd missed Kevin and his attention.  When he slid his hard cock inside me all thoughts of Lilly, of Jamaica, the project disappeared and I rocked into Kevin, forcing his cock as deep as it could.  God he fucked me that night and I have to admit I fucked him back.  We'd rested then made love the second time, tender and warm and all the more amazing knowing I was pregnant.  I was falling hard for Kevin but as I curled next to him in total bliss I knew that he'd need to know about Lilly.  No relationship built on a foundation of lies would stand and I was beginning to want this man with me.

"Kevin, I need to tell you something.  Actually I need to tell you a few things."

"Angie, before you say anything at all, I need to tell you I love you and have since I woke up in your bed that first cold morning in West Virginia.  I've kept it to myself not believing a man my age and a woman so young and beautiful..."

"Oh Kevin shut up.  I love you too. Damn it.  I am not sure you will love who I am though.  I mean when I was with you I was cheating on my then boy friend and even though he was doing the same thing it was wrong.  I'm also bi-sexual and have had an affair with a woman while I waited for you to arrive.  I know it all sounds like I'm some sort of slut but; shit I guess that's what I am."

"Angie, what we had in West Virginia was not wrong.  If you'd been all that happy with your boyfriend none of it would have happened.  As for the girl, Lilly so what?  I've been around the block in my much longer life and I know what's important and what's not.  You said you love me and I love you.  What more can there be?"

"Kevin I had sex with a woman and want to again, a married woman!"

"See!  First of all, that idea, of you and another woman, well that doesn't bother me, unless you intend to move in with her and abandon me.  If not then I can fit her into our life, no, no, no.  I don't mean I want a three-some, but I can live with a wife who has a woman to fill her needs too."

"Kevin you can't be serious.  If you are I am stunned but how?"

"Angie, first of all I learned in my first marriage that trying to control someone never works.  I learned that love, if its there will keep all the doors open.  As long as I feel your love and you feel mine, then time spent with the Lilly's of the world won't matter.  If we don't have the love then there is nothing to worry about either."

Surprisingly, we stopped talking with our mouths and used them in other ways cementing a relationship I would not have imagined possible.  When Kevin asked if I liked anal, I rolled to my hands and knees and held my cheeks wide.  His cock slid into my back door and when I'd managed to relax and accept him there I loved the feel of his cock as he fucked my ass.  Sleep took us both then.

All too soon the company men arrived and my time was filled with preparations for the presentation.  All of us felt good about our chances but knew that it would still come down to more then money.

I had a nice dinner with Kevin the night before and slept with Lilly later.  If I knew then what would happen during the presentation I might have gone to the airport and spent my last dollar on a flight out of there.  As it was I spent the night enjoying Lilly's pussy and her tongue in mine.  When I dressed and left for my meeting Lilly came over and put her wet sex soaked panties inside my bra, for good luck she said!
We were gathered around a large conference table setting up our presentation when I started to feel nervous.  When the door opened and Lilly and Edgar walked in I felt my stomach drop.  My lover and her husband, two people who knew me naked turned out to be the clients. Edgar's grin made me turn red and Lilly's smile made me shake a bit as I felt humiliated and embarrassed at this happening.  I lost the ability to concentrate on the presentation and Barry looked at me like I'd just murdered his family. I stumbled through my piece and messed up my numbers.  I felt Barry and the team looking at me and I felt a new wave of humiliation as I assumed they had guessed what I'd really been doing.  I wanted to run and hide but then Lilly spoke up.

"Miss Angie, I see you're nervous.  Please relax, I can see the numbers and the plan your team assembled and I am sure Edgar too can read.  Relax we like what we see."

I breathed a sigh of relief at her calming words and Barry and the team seemed to relax too.  The rest of the meeting went on but my mind was on Lilly and Edgar.  I could not lose the image of being naked with Lilly sitting on my face when I first met Edgar, suddenly I remembered Lilly's panties stuffed in my bra and a new surge of humiliation filled me.  I did not hear what was being said and when Barry shook me and called me by name I finally let my mind return to the meeting.

"Sorry my mind was elsewhere.  I've seen so much beauty here on the island it's hard to forget it."

Barry then asked Edgar to repeat his comment.

"I said it would be important to me that whoever builds my project be someone who truly enjoys the taste of the tropics.  Someone who can open themselves to the beauty they find here and sample it, taste it and take it forward."

While Barry responded all I could think of, was how good Lilly tasted and felt as if Edgar's comments were directed at me and what he knew Lilly and I enjoyed.  Once again I felt my face redden and I looked to see Lilly grinning and nodding at me.

I was totally unprepared for what happened next.  Edger said.

"If I were to select your company, I would want someone here on site regularly.  As you know this project will need excellent coordination and it will take some years to accomplish. I want someone who has tasted the beauty we have here, someone not afraid to immerse themselves in out culture and our people.  Is this a problem for your company?"

Barry could not say yes fast enough and I sensed that Edgar was once again talking of me.  His mention of taste and of the culture and people took me back to that triangle between his wife's legs and I felt my own desire rising, right there at the table.

"May I suggest that this woman here, Angie, I believe is her name.  That she be your local representative."

Barry started to suggest that I might not have the skills, that I was a project estimator not a coordinator but I think as he began to speak that the old axiom of giving the client what he wants is the rule and one not to be forgotten.  He instead said.

Miss Everheart is one of our best employees and if she agrees and if she meets all your qualifications then yes, I would post her here.

Lilly grinned, genuinely pleased with the idea and looked at Edgar.  Edgar said

"Well Miss Everheart, are you willing to come here and stay for long periods of time to see that my wife is pleased with her project?"

Her project?  I thought about what I would have to leave behind, and it wasn't much.  No boyfriend, no real reason to say no.  Kevin, the father of my unborn child was someone I recently realized I loved but felt he would find a way to make this work.

"Yes, if I am acceptable to all concerned I would take on this assignment."

At that point Edgar told Barry to make sure I was paid appropriately and that I had sufficient funds to live well while on the island. If he could do that then the job was his. 

Barry agreed to it all and I was stunned at how fast my life once again changed.  Later that day I told Kevin and he smiled at me and said.

"It's a great opportunity and I think it's a job you can do and do well.  I've been thinking, do you think you could love a retired man?"

I wasn't sure what he meant by that and so I said.

"What? Who's retiring?"

"I think I am, and I think I'll find a place right here in Jamaica.  I'm not pushing you to live with me but as long as you're going to be here and our baby too, I want to be close.  I've been working a long time and I can afford to retire."

I was quiet and just let his words filter and my thoughts to develop.  Without another word I took Kevin in my arms and hugged him hard.  

"Thanks Kevin.  Of all the changes this job is bringing, wondering how to keep you in my life was the one issue that could have changed my mind.  As for living with you!  Why not?  I don't want to be alone, I know Lilly is here but she's married.  I might even consider that myself if the right person were to ask me!"

Kevin smiled at me and nodded his head.

"I think we should have some lunch?"

So decisions have been made.  The future is promising and I have both a man and a woman for the time being, how long either will be there I don't know but I know I'd hungry for more then lunch right now.

"I'm sort of hungry for something a little more then lunch Kevin, are you busy?"

Are in arm, grin meeting grin we retired to my hotel room, it was West Virginia again, but so much warmer.



Lost Days Make for Memories and Souvenirs



(This story is the result of a combined effort by three people. I had the true pleasure of working with Angie Everhart, aka Angie E, without whose help this would be a jumble of words and not a story, and with dianah the audio diva whose voice makes this story even better. Angie has also taken this concept and written her own version, which she will publish separately. I invite you to visit her site and read her version, as it is quite good, perhaps significantly better depending on the reader's tastes. If I am fortunate, Angie and I will do this again, if only for our own pleasure.). 

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Click Here to listen. (32 min/mp3)

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Anyone who travels occasionally as part of their job understands how much time can be lost due to delays in transportation, traffic tie-ups and bad weather. As a project manager for a manufacturing company, I am now and then asked to visit customer sites, sometimes for days at a time. Fortunately, that part of my job is small and travel is infrequent. Yet, I'm still plagued with the same aggravations that those who travel more frequently suffer. And as a woman, I have different issues than a man traveling alone. I know its 2011 and all, and women are as capable as men, but when a woman walks into a bar alone she's more often than not seen as a piece of meat; where in the same bar a man walking in alone is just another customer. The same can be said for a single woman alone in a restaurant; we just don't fit with societal mores somehow.

So, as a woman, it took me a few trips to learn how best to handle these situations. When I travel now, I plan better than I did at first, doing my best to avoid difficult situations. For example, I will bring a six-pack of Heineken to my motel room, rather than go in a bar. I frequent family-friendly restaurants rather then the more trendy chain locations. Lastly, I never stay in cheap motels, even if I have to cover the additional cost myself.

I am 30 years old with chestnut-colored hair that I wear to my shoulder blades. I like it that length because of its versatility. I can pin it up if I like, or let it sweep forward to mask my lack of boobs. If I had a bit more chest, I might be considered an ex-cheerleader type, pretty and chased by the cool guys in high school. However, with a 34B cup-size, a slender body (OK, a nicely formed ass) my biggest issue is that I look like I'm still in high school. Hardly a week passes where I am not carded when purchasing beer or wine and in some ways it pisses me off. I know that one day I will be grateful to look younger then I actually am, but right now I'm just a bit tired of having to show my ID.

Charleston, West Virginia is a teeming capital city of about 50,000 brave souls. It was snowing and blowing when I landed, which is not unexpected in Charleston in January. I'd known there'd be a storm, but Barry, my boss, reminded me the client was important and that places like Charleston, West Virginia see a lot for snow and know how to handle it. He didn't foresee any problems and I had to agree, as I'd been here before in the winter. However, something about Sunday travel, bad weather and West Virginia made me question Barry's determination for this meeting. My meeting with the client was scheduled first thing in the morning, and based on what I was seeing, now that I was on the ground—literally, I slipped in the parking lot and I was on the ground--I knew with an innate certainty that nothing would be moving tomorrow. I didn't care how good the plows were; this storm was more intense then what I recall they'd predicted.

I checked into the Sheraton, the same motel I'd stayed in every time I made this trip. It was clean and gave me options and some of the staff knew me well enough to smile when I approached. The ride in from the airport was an adventure; the kind people pay for at a six flags amusement park, not the kind one enjoys in the back seat of a cab. I'd given the cabbie a decent tip and told him to invest in driving lessons; his rear tires spewing dirty, slushy snow at me told me he didn't appreciate my humor. 

I recognized the desk clerk and thankfully his nametag told me what I didn't remember: his name, Clark. He is a serious jerk. I smiled and let him be his usual lounge lizard self, grinning and nodding at all the appropriate places. Then I took my room key and bag, said thanks pretending to mean it, and dashed to the elevators and the sanctuary of my room.

By the time I'd settled in, the skies had significantly darkened, but being January it got dark early anyway. It wasn't until I left my room for dinner that I knew. I mean really knew that the forecaster was wrong. I knew a number of other things, as well: one, there'd be no meeting tomorrow; and two, I was stuck here because the airport would be closed or closing very soon; and three, it wasn't worth the effort to go out for a six-pack of Heineken. It would either be the mini bar (Barry would never approve the expense) or the hotel bar. If the bar was as bad as I feared, there was still room service for dinner. 

"Excuse me, Miss Everhart?" I stood with my coat over my arm, looking sourly out the front doors. I turned to discover Clark the clerk addressing me. "The bad weather has made it pretty treacherous out there. You might want to consider using our dining room. I hear the roads are already a disaster, fender benders everywhere because of the ice."

I'd already come to that decision myself and was ready to take my coat back upstairs. Knowing I'd be staying here again, I smiled and replied in my most casual-friendly tone.

"Thank you, Clark, I think that's very good advice. I'll stay where it's warm and dry tonight. I didn't see anything on the weather this morning. Do you have any idea of the forecast?"

He nodded authoritatively. "Seems to have fooled all the forecasters. They say it could be a big one."

I thanked him and returned my coat to the room and considered the situation. Looking out the window I saw nothing but falling snow. Sighing, I closed the drapes and made a call to my latest boyfriend, Eric. I told him about the storm and that it might force me to remain here until the roads were clear.

"I might not make it back tomorrow," I said. "Can I reschedule our date?"

He worked to sound cheery. "No problem, Ang. Just play it safe. The forecasters here are saying it has the makings of a really big snowfall. I can imagine what it might be like out there in the boonies. We'll get together when you get back. I'll miss you, for sure, but stay safe and remember, no matter how bad it seems, it's West Virginia and it's natural, OK?"

I laughed. I mean, don't we always laugh at West Virginia jokes? 

When I hung up I felt bad. I really liked Eric and we got along well. I had been looking forward to our date. Well, nothing to do about that, I thought. I again left the room and headed down to the bar for what I liked to call "Plan B." Plan B involved looking over the bar and sitting someplace safe; most times it was near a couple or an older man or woman. In all cases it meant staying as far away from the men to whom I might look like an appetizer. 

I stood in the entrance and scanned the room and found a perfect option. An older couple had left an empty seat between themselves and a single, older man. I scooted in and asked if the seat was taken. The older man on the right said: "Not that I know of."

The couple to the left shook their heads and continued with their own conversation. I claimed the stool and when the bartender came by I ordered a Heineken. Before he could finish asking I'd flashed him my driver's license, which he took it and examined carefully before fetching the beer. I heard the man to my right snicker.

"Something amusing?" I asked, though of course I knew what it was.

"Sorry, no. I just didn't see the need to card you. Granted, you have a young look about you, but given the circumstances and where we are, it seemed stupid to me."

"And that was because?" I urged, amused.

He said: "We're in a hotel, stranded by the storm. Did he think some local kid would be out trying to beat the system for a beer in this weather? If he had half a brain he'd realize all his customers are guests here and unlikely to be underage."

I had to admit his logic was sound, so I laughed and said: "Well, when you put it that way, I agree with you. But I'm carded just about everywhere, so as the commercial says, 'I never leave home without it'.

The man smiled, and then put his cell phone away. Then he said: "Well, it looks like this day-trip is wasted, and no longer a day-trip either. I had an appointment tomorrow morning that just got cancelled. Seems this storm is going to shut the whole area down for a bit."

I nodded and said: "From what I've heard, it's a really big one. No telling how long we'll have to endure the food and drink of the Sheraton Charleston."

We both laughed at that and he introduced himself.

"I'm Kevin, and I do some consulting work. I was in town to meet a potential client. Now I'm still in town and so is the client but the means of us getting together are sort of blurred right now."

I introduced myself, and offered my hand. "I'm here to meet with a customer tomorrow, but I'm guessing my meeting will be cancelled too."

"I wouldn't be surprised in the least."

We sat and chatted about our respective jobs and the shared agony of travel. At some point one of the more aggressive male types wandered over and, after putting his hand on my shoulder to turn me towards him, offered to buy me a drink. Before I could politely fend him off Kevin said: "You know it's really not polite to reach out and touch a young woman like that, especially when she's obviously in the middle of a conversation with someone else. In fact, it's a bit rude. I think you'd be best served by apologizing to the lady and retreating while you can. I've got her tab."

The young man looked offended. "I was only asking to buy her a drink; no need to get all "old man" on me, Pops!"

Kevin snorted. "See, that's part of your problem. You're playing the caveman here, with no respect for this young lady. You grabbed her and forced her to turn away, not caring if it may have left bruises on her shoulder. When you grow up--if you make it--you'll learn the words, 'excuse me' should always preface any action, son."

The young man turned beet red. "Go fuck yourself old man!" he snapped, and then stomped off. I was stunned at how easily Kevin had just dusted him off. I watched him retreat, and then turned to Kevin, who only smiled.

"Thank you, but why did you do that?"

"Well, I assume you chose this seat because it appeared a safe bet. You have an older couple on your left, and an older fellow on your right. You were doing what any smart single woman on the road would do to keep from fending off various studs--or in his case, a caveman--all night long. Was I wrong?"

I looked at him closely for the first time and saw him for the man he was, or the man he thought he was: a Knight in Shining Armor, avowing to protect me from the scoundrels of the world. I said: "To be honest, I'd forgotten about cavemen and studs and was just enjoying the conversation. The way you handled him so easily though--no lost tempers, no macho bullshit, no fighting...just a firm voice and he was gone. I wish I had that talent," I said, laughing.

He smiled at me and said: "Talent? I guess maybe it is. In my work--and I guess in yours too--you learn how to deal with the idiots. And a few intelligent people along the way I treasure the intellects and tolerate the idiots. That fellow I'd categorize as a potential, life-long idiot, but he could still fool me. And, yes, I am enjoying your company. You should know better then I, how darned boring the road can be. If it weren't for ESPN, I'd have nothing to keep me occupied at all. Heck, a sane conversation with someone not serving me food and beverage is a real treat. Actually, I'm ready to eat, so unless you'd like to join me, I guess I'll say goodnight."

I didn't want to eat alone. So, in keeping with his Knight in Shining Armor standpoint, I said to him: "Kind sir, having so thoughtfully defended the lady's honor tonight, would you allow her the pleasure of your company at dinner? At my expense, of course?" I offered my hand, most lady-like.

Kevin laughed. "I'm a knight in shining armor, am I? Well the laws of chivalry would never allow a knight to dine at a lady's expense. But said knight would deign to sup with milady if that is her desire!"

I laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the restaurant. "At least let me buy you a drink?"

"I don't drink much other than coffee and water, so I guess my code of honor won't be too strained, allowing you that pleasure."

We enjoyed a meal together and Kevin picked up the tab while I was visiting the ladies room. When I realized what he'd done, I complained: "That was manifestly unjust of you, dear sir."

He bowed graciously. "Milady, a knight such as myself lives by the code of honor." He straightened. "Now I know this is going to sound really weird, but I am about to get my coat and take a walk outside. I love walking at night in a snowstorm. So, if you'll excuse me?"

"No, I won't excuse you!" I said. "You'll take me on this walk of yours. Dear sir," I tacked on.

He laughed. "I'd be honored by your company, milady. But truth be told, I intend to enjoy a fine cigar along the way. If that bothers you...?"

"It doesn't. I love the smell of cigar smoke," I lied. "Just let me get my coat and we'll meet in the lobby in a few minutes. Will you wait for me?"

"Always, milady." He bowed again and I curtsied in return, generating looks of surprise and smiles from our fellow guests. 

Outside, it was cold but not unbearably so. Al least not if you're used to winter weather. If it's too cold, it won't snow. We trudged through the deepening snow and away from the hotel. Kevin lit his cigar and we continued our conversation.

"So, did you ever drink, Kevin?"

He blew out a streamer of smoke that twisted and drifted away on the wind. "I did when I was younger, yes. Younger then you are now. I also partook of other means of getting relaxed." He smiled, depreciatively. "Cigars were not the only things I smoked in my youth. I enjoyed the bit of occasional pot as well. Well, maybe more then a bit, actually." 

I laughed at his honesty and said: "Well, the truth is, your lady enjoys a bit of occasional pot herself. If you'd like to renew an old habit?" I pulled a joint from my pocket and held it up.

His eyebrows beaded. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It is, and if you had not taken me for this walk, I'd have come out later myself anyway. I figure tomorrow's a lost day, so why not? Interested?"

He seemed to ponder the situation and then after a moment said: "If you're willing to share, and willing to make sure I don't do anything stupid, I'd love to split that with you."

I lit the joint and inhaled deeply, then passed it to Kevin who did the same. I did what I always do: held the smoke in too long and spent the next couple minutes coughing fiercely. Kevin coughed a bit also, but handled it better than I, getting in a few hits while I recovered. Then he handed me back the joint and relit his cigar.

"Nights like this are rare. It's so quiet and peaceful out here. Nothing but the clean white snow, blanketing everything. By midday tomorrow, the world will have armed itself and gone to war with it; but right now it's just amazing."

I had to agree: it was quiet and if you forget how cold it is, enjoyable. I handed him back the almost-gone joint and after slipping his glove off to better grasp the roach, he took a last hit and indicated returning it to me.

I shook my head. "Too small, and I'm not taking my gloves off. You finish it up."

He nodded and said without exhaling: "Trust me, OK? Don't' forget to inhale."

Confused, I watched him take another hit, adding the smoke to his already full lungs, then take three steps forward and wrap his arms around me. I started as he brought his face to mine, his lips to mine, and kissed me. Wide-eyed and shocked, it took a moment to understand. Then, light bulb on over my head, I opened my mouth and he exhaled the smoke while I inhaled it into my lungs. 

We worked fast, finishing what joint there was, Kevin giving me another two hits mouth to mouth. I loved the feel of his lips against mine, wishing I had another joint so that I could extend that meeting of the lips and enjoy it even more. 

"Oh, my God," I said, breathing out my last lungful of smoke. I watched Kevin pop the roach onto his tongue to extinguish it. Then he swallowed. Then, hand in hand, we wandered while the joint did its work. Ten minutes later, stoned and freezing, I finally tugged on Kevin's hand and said to him: "I've got to get back inside. I'm really cold, really stoned and I really need to pee. Oh God, I mean I need to 'powder my nose"," I corrected, giggling. Kevin laughed with and at me. If you've ever smoked pot, you'll understand my reaction. If you haven't, then you'll never understand. 

We rushed into the lobby a few minutes later, still hand and hand. Though I choose to think we had the capability of hiding our drug induced inebriation, I doubt it. We hurried across the lobby to the elevator bank and lucked out as the elevator on the right opened even as Kevin pressed the button. We stepped on, and I pressed nine, my floor and Kevin pressed ten. 

For the first time since my bottom hit the barstool earlier, I thought about the night ending, and I didn't like the thought. Before I could debate the right and wrong of it all, I remembered our earlier dialogue and said: "I expect Sir Knight to escort his lady to her doorstep and assure that her virtue remains intact. These old rooming houses on the King's Road aren't always a safe place for a lady traveling without her maids."

Grinning, and bowing, Kevin replied: "Milady: I'd be honored to see your virtue intact."

Then we were both giggling so hard—yes, even Kevin--that I leaned against the door just as it was opening and reflexively reached out to grab Kevin to prevent my fall. 

"Shusshhhhh!" I hissed as the two of us stumbled down the hall to my door.

"Shuuuuusssssshhhhhhh," Kevin repeated and we both did our best to stifle more laughter. Which, as the informed know, never works. 

Somehow we made it to my room and instead of saying good night at the door, I pulled Kevin in and engaged both the deadbolt and the door security guard. I sort of pushed him into the living area and towards the one stuffed chair and said: "Take off your coat. I've got to go powder my nose. Then we can see how badly I can run up my account by emptying that damned mini bar."

Kevin laughed again and then grunted, fighting his coat. I went to go pee, looking at myself in the mirror afterward, deciding that my red cheeks and shiny nose did little to affect my looks. In fact, they made me look quite fetching. I grinned at myself, not only checking my teeth, but enjoying the way my smile made me feel. I felt as fetching inside as I looked outside. Satisfied, I opened the door and discovered Kevin sitting at the edge of the chair, removing his boots. I tried unsuccessfully to hide my grin. I kicked off my own shoes. And then I shocked us both by walking over and plopping down on his lap

"Ho, well!" he exclaimed. "Hello there!"

"Hello," I said back. As though we'd done it a thousand times, I guided his arm around my waist. "I really enjoyed your mouth to mouth method of smoking a joint. I've rarely smoked with others; is that your invention?"

He laughed, his arm snuggling tighter around my waist. "Actually, no. A girl I knew about thirty years ago taught it to me in San Francisco. We'd see how far we could extend a hit. Lots of fun, smoking and kissing both." He blinked his eyes, shook his head side to side. "Man, I'm stoned. That was some good...stuff, you had there, Angie."




Lost Days Make for Memories and Souvenirs



"I wish I had more. I need the practice. I'd like to do that with my boyfriend when I get home."

Apologizing for the mention of Eric, I leaned forward and placed my lips against his, kissing him, kissing him hard, forcing my tongue into his mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he kissed me back, a bit tentative at first, but responding quickly. I broke the kiss and looked at him.

"If I've offended you...?"

"Lady, you couldn't offend me if you farted in my lap!"

Laughing, I pressed my lips against his and his arms pulled me tight. I guess it could have been the pot, could have been a lot of things, I guess, but I was burning hot and I wanted this man. My hands roamed his broad shoulders and his explored my body as well. We had just started yanking at each other's clothing when Kevin pulled away

"No!" I protested. 

He picked me up. He picked me up like a bride and carried me across to the bed and put me down. He was so strong, shockingly strong for a man his age. He came down atop me and soon had me naked above the waist. I practically writhed out of my clothes. I did writhe when he attacked my naked breasts with his demanding lips; his trapped erection against my leg made it hard to think. Every touch left a tingling on my skin. Between us we got me down to my panties and him down to his boxer shorts. His hand slipped into my panties as mine went in through the front closure of his shorts and grasped his waiting cock. He groaned, and I moaned with him.

"Get my panties off!" I gasped. Too late, I wrenched them off myself. Then I pushed him flat on his back and yanked his boxer shorts down around his thighs. His glorious cock was free and I gaped at it wonderingly, wanting it in my mouth but not having the patience to wait an instant longer. I scrambled atop him, placing myself in position, guiding him into me with my right hand while my left kept my balance. I grunted, and then gasped as I slid myself down him.

"Oh, my God," I moaned. I just sat there a moment, letting the feel of him inside me fill my mind. His hands cupped my breasts and I could feel my hardened nipples against his palms. He felt them also, because he took them between his fingertips and gently turned them back and forth. He fingered the gold bar in my left nipple. My back arched, thrusting my chest forward in response. I began to fuck him.

I went slowly at first; rising up and gently settling myself back down. I was embarrassingly wet. I fingered my clit and rubbed it against his pubic hair, grinding into him on the down-stroke, letting the sparks of pleasure consume me entirely. I began to shudder as my legs and hands lifted me and lowered me back down in a desperately accelerating rhythm. I ground on him and writhed and panted; he responded by thrusting up on my down-stroke, clutching my waist, using my hips to thrust me back down. I cried out, his erection spearing my cervix and stretching me painfully inside. I would be sore in the morning; I knew that. The harder I fucked him, the harder my breasts flopped up and down. We became frenzied.

When he came, I cried out and arched my back and slammed myself down atop him. I held myself there—he held me there—as spurt after spurt rocketed up from his scrotum and into my cunt. I could feel its hot presence trying to burn through me like lava. Not satisfied as we were, Kevin flipped me onto my back and lanced me with his sword, driving into me like a Knight of the Round Table gutting an enemy. I cried out in pain and agony—an agony of ecstasy as his bitters continued to fill my chalice, to overflowing. 

"Oh, my God, Kevin!" I cried, as my second orgasm was unleashed. I buried my face in the hollow between his neck and shoulder and tried to remain conscious as his steel-hard cock continued to gore me like a spike. I continued to orgasm, not believing he could stay hard so long after his ejaculation. It was just impossible. And then he proved me wrong by exploding in me again. All I could do was moan, "Oh, my God, Oh, my God," over and over again.

Finally, we lay panting, soaked in sweat. I breathed through my mouth, beads of salt water rolling down my face and out of my hairline. I whispered in his ear: "Nobody's ever fucked me like that before. God, how you fucked me." His only response was to chuckle breathlessly.

I don't know how long we lay there. I realized I was cold and opened my eyes to find Kevin staring down at me, lust in his eyes. Lust...and a question. He wanted me again. He was asking permission. 

"I'm cold," I said. "Why don't we shower and see what fun we can get up to there?"

Grinning, he rolled off me, struggled to his feet and then picked me up off the bed. He shook this time under my weight, but was plenty strong enough to get me into the bathroom and sit me down on the commode. I nibbled his ear as he carried me, which got me a hug of appreciation. He started the shower while I gathered the shampoo, conditioner and unwrapped a bar of soap. He made the water hot enough to billow great clouds of steam into the room. I climbed in, taking refuge behind his stout body as he adjusted the temperature away from scalding. Then he turned around and took me in his arms and captured my mouth. I surrendered, letting him do with me as he pleased. His pleasure was to do things to me that couldn't be done in bed without soap and water and a fine sense of humor. 

He didn't so much wash me, as abrade me clean. Out of the shower he allowed the minimum possible time to towel my hair and body, and then it was back to bed, carried once again in his arms. This time, I was not gripped by desperation. He put me on my back and inserted his erection in my mouth and spread my legs apart and he showed me what his mouth could do. I closed my eyes and concentrated on nothing but the cock in my mouth and the tongue between my legs. I could not spread my legs wide enough. I wanted him deeper in me. I moved my head up and down his shaft, while he inserted a finger up me, and then two, and then three, freeing his lips and tongue for my clitoris. Oh, my God, what he did to me. Oh, my God, what he made me body do reacting to his ministrations. I began to moan in a continuous paroxysm of enjoyment. He made my moaning grow louder and louder until I thought I'd humiliate myself with the neighboring guests. He'd remove his fingers and replace them with his tongue, only to refill me with his fingers again. Soon I was beyond caring what the neighbors thought.

"Oh, my God," I moaned again. Kevin had just slid his middle finger up my behind. I began to come and continued to come as he fucked me in my forbidden zone, working another finger up me as I began to acclimate. I cupped his balls in my hand and massaged them energetically, urging them on; convincing them my mouth was ready for their come. God, it was so ready! I used my free hand to insert two fingers of my own into the depths of his exposed anus, and that's all it took. An instant later he went rigid and life-giving sperm pumped out of him into my waiting mouth. I swallowed greedily, unwilling to waste so much as a single drop. He pumped and pumped, and I swallowed and swallowed. I had never wanted come in my stomach so much. I had never wanted come in my stomach before at all, always considering it a service expected of me. This time I wanted it all.

The sex was taking a toll on us both. Kevin remained atop me for the longest time, though he supported his weight rather than let it crush be into the bed. I could have laid there forever like that, his penis at my lips, his scrotum dangling above my eyes. Finally he got off and struggled to lay down beside me.

"Hello," he said, smiling wearily.

"Hello," I said back to him. His mouth was crusted with my drying vaginal juices and I leaned in and licked at them, enjoying my own taste. He laughed, and turned his face this way and that to allow me full access. I felt like a puppy-dog, licking her master's face. When I was done he put my mouth to better use, tasting, I'm sure the residual taste of his own sperm. If he minded, he didn't complain. I fell asleep in his arms, feeling warm and protected and loved. He still held me when I awoke in the morning. 

"I had hoped you would stay," I said, smiling and yawning. "I want more of you."

His blue eyes smiled back at me. "Let's order breakfast. I'm famished."

I let him order while I started the shower and saw to my bodily needs. He joined me and I stepped into the tub to allow him privacy to take care of his. My hair was a tangled, knotted mess. I worked it out with my brush while water cascaded down my front, tossing the hairbrush onto the sink when Kevin joined me. He shampooed my hair, washed me down thoroughly with his hands, inside and out, and then conditioned my hair. I let the conditioner soak in while I washed every bit of his with inquisitive fingers. We didn't talk, speaking only as a matter of last resort. It was a very erotic, if relatively chaste shower. 

Breakfast arrived and Kevin tipped the boy and set out the plates while I brushed my hair and quickly dried it with the Sheraton's blow drier. I removed my complimentary robe as I sat down; wanting to afford Kevin the best possible scenery to enjoy with his breakfast. He seemed to appreciate this, proved unable to remove his eyes from my breasts. I was unable to finish my coffee as suddenly he decided dessert was in order and returned me to bed.

It was our first slow, passionate lovemaking. We kissed and licked each other in slow and determined manner, each touch re-igniting the flames of passion that had started the night before. No drugs or alcohol fueled this fire and when Kevin entered me, I gasped and levered myself wide and thrust my hips up and into him. We danced a slow tango that morning, the bed our dance floor, the music our passion. When we came it was deep and rewarding. His cock jumped inside me as he filled me with cum, my legs wrapped around his middle as I came with him.

Later, we took a walk in the still falling snow, knowing we'd have another day together, maybe two or three. Like newlyweds we left the room for only short periods. We never had another drink or smoked any more pot. We were the only drugs each other needed. By the time we parted, my insides were nearly raw, but I felt a glow inside that I knew would always be there. Our last day, as we languished in bed, sweaty from lovemaking, I said:

"This week has been just wonderful, Kevin. I've never had such a good time. In some ways, it would be nice to think this could go on and on forever, that we could find a way to meet again, find a way to make this more then a memory. But I have someone at home I love, and while I may endure some guilt over this time with you, I will never, ever regret it."

He smiled and kissed my nose. "I can't tell you how completely satisfied I feel, and how much I've enjoyed our time together, Ang. But you're right; we've got our lives to return to. I want you to have my number, and no, I won't take yours. It's not that I wouldn't want to call you in a second; but I have to let this go right now. Having your number would be too much temptation. I'd be forced to use it; I wouldn't be able to help myself. You should list me by my company name, so Eric need never know. It makes me feel better knowing you can reach me if you need me. But I don't expect to resume this, no matter how much I wish otherwise."

While Kevin dressed, he hummed a familiar tune. I sat there in bed, the covers wrapped around me, wondering what it was, where I'd heard it before. Finally I asked.

"It's and old tune by Harry Chapin, who passed away in a car accident many years ago. It's called Taxi, and tells the story of—"

"Old lovers," I broke in, remembering. "He picks her up at the airport one night, or from somewhere, I don't remember, and drives her home to her house."

"They thought they'd be rich and famous," he said, grinning. "She'd be an actress, and he'd learn to fly airplanes." He began to recite the words, his voice a passable imitation of Harry Chapin's own:

"She was gonna be an actress, and I was goon learn to fly. She took off to find the footlights; I took off for the sky. We both had gotten what we asked for, such a long, long time ago, She took off for the footlights, I took off for the sky. Now she's acting happy, inside her fancy home, and me I'm flying in my taxi, taking tips, and getting stoned."

He smiled sadly, crossed to the bed and kissed me. "Go home to your footlights, Angie and I'll go find my stars."

I kept his number, of course, and our memories. I felt very little guilt over the relationship. It was only a few lost days, after all. So I told myself. 

When I did contact Kevin three months later, he sounded as though he was expecting my call. "Sorry," he said, before I could tell him the reason for calling.

"Why are you sorry," I asked, surprised.

"I have a knack for knowing things that I can't explain how or why I know, just that I do. I'm here for you, Angie, whatever you choose."

I had lost my boyfriend shortly after the trip, but that was to be expected, I guess. Whether he suspected anything, I don't know; perhaps my mood was different, perhaps compared to the days prior to my West Virginia trip the passion and excitement weren't there. Whatever the reason, it wasn't long before he and I drifted apart. The last I saw him he was escorting a pretty redhead into the local Red Lobster. 

A week after he left I discovered I had a life growing inside me. I knew it wasn't Eric's: Eric had never had me unprotected. When I was sure, after visiting an OB/GYN, I called Kevin. I wasn't sure yet that I wanted him, but I wanted him to know.

"Kevin, really I'll call back again. I'm just not sure how involved we should be in this. I need to think."

So here I sit, thinking. 

I've always wanted to be a mom, but I'd never considered doing that job alone. I'm not sure that I want to be a wife though. I do miss Kevin; I could see us together, but all I know of him and I is a couple of hot wonderful days in a motel room during a snowstorm. I want to be a mom I do know I won't end this pregnancy prematurely. It's single mom, adoption or a partner. 

The smart thing to do would be to go and see if Kevin and I are more than a memory of good times, see if what the storm brought together was more than a few days of pleasure.

I reached for the phone.



Lost Days



"You have evidence that his car was driven from his house, but no evidence to prove that he was the driver, at that time of night it would have been impossible for a witness to identify the driver. You found the car at the airport but no evidence that he boarded a flight that night or the next day. What you have is some circumstantial evidence but nothing to link that evidence with Mr. Pollard. I request, your Honour, that Mr. Pollard be allowed to remain in Sydney while we carry out our own investigations into what appears to be an attempt to implicate him in a crime that he had no motive, method or opportunity to commit."

"And you can prove this Detective Sergeant?" 

"Yes your Honour, we have evidence that he had been staying at the Hyatt hotel from the time that he arrived in Sydney until he called for a cab to take him to Central Railway and that he would be out of town for at least three days. We also have evidence that he was in a room at the Sebel hotel from 10:00pm on Wednesday the 11th of February until we found him following a tip-off at 10:00am on Friday the 13th. This brings me to an interesting point; word that we had found him didn't go out until 10:15am and it is now 12:15pm, just two hours later, tell me Detective, how is it that you were able to obtain the permission to apply for extradition, drive from Melbourne to Tullamarine, get on a flight to Sydney, drive from the airport to here in just on two hours, or did you find a convenient phone booth and change into your Superman suit?"

"It would appear as if we have a problem here. If I were to allow this application and the Sydney investigation was abandoned, justice might be in danger. If however I were to disallow this application, the Melbourne investigators could reasonably claim that they were being frustrated. I will, having given consideration to the merits of both, rule that Mr. Pollard will remain in Sydney while this investigation is carried out, and at the same time he will make himself available to the Detectives from Melbourne. I will leave the details up to you." He banged the gavel to signify that he was finished with them. They left.

Outside in the corridor Roxburgh turned on Madeline. "We have proof that this man murdered his wife in cold blood and fled the scene."

"What possible motive could he have had that would have led him to commit such an act?"

"He had just found out that his wife had been having an affair."

"Really, and you have evidence of this affair?"

"Yes. She was pregnant and his medical records show that he was unlikely to have been the father of the child."

Madeline looked at me. She didn't need to ask the question. "Have you ever heard of the IVF programme? We'd been on that programme for five years and had several unsuccessful attempts. This one was successful and we couldn't have been happier, you have just to ask our family and friends."

"Well, so much for your motive, how about opportunity?"

"We know that he was there because he was seen to drive away from the scene by a neighbour shortly after the time at which our Medical Examiner set as the time of death."

"Your witness saw his car drive off but there is no way that the driver could be identified because of the time and the fact that his car has tinted windows making it impossible to see the driver through the glass. What about the murder weapon, presuming that a weapon was involved?"

"She was shot at close range by a large calibre hand gun, possibly a 9mm. We know that he has access to such a weapon, we just haven't found it yet."

"If I had what you had I'd be still looking, you have nowhere near enough evidence to go to trial, let alone hope for a conviction. You are wasting your time and mine by pursuing this line of enquiry. When you have something of consequence to ask Mr. Pollard I will see that he is available and will even provide the facilities. We will go now and continue our investigations." We left.

"Wow, you really got stuck into him, thank you."

"Don't get too carried away, I'm just doing my job." I was a little deflated by her answer, here I was thinking that there was some sort of connection between us. We left the courtroom and headed for the police station and that interview room. Madeline didn't switch on the recorder. "This is off the record. We have obtained the unedited footage from the cricket match and there's a segment that I want you to look closely at." She switched on a TV that was showing the cricket match. As the camera panned across the front of the members stand she paused it. "Who is that person seated next to you?"

"That was the person who invited me to the game, his name is Pete Hardcastle."

"And the woman who is sitting next to you, on the other side, who is she?" 

"Her name is Julie or Juliet, something like that, I've never seen her before or since that night."

"You seem to be friendly enough with her."

"I don't know about that, I couldn't shut her up, she just kept talking the whole time. I wasn't interested in what she had to say so I just made appropriate sounding noises from time to time and tried to ignore her."

"She didn't come with your friend?"

"Not that I'm aware of. He didn't seem interested in her either."

"The reason that I'm asking about her is that she appears to have been the person who escorted you to the room at the Sebel. She also visited you on a number of occasions at the Hyatt. The first time she asked for you at the desk, but was seen going through the foyer at other times. That is why I'm interested in her, we need to find her, she's now a person of interest in our investigations."

"What happens now?"

"We are taking you back to the Hyatt and you are going to help us by looking through your things to see if something jumps out at you."

"We?" I looked around for Benson.

"Well, when I say we I mean the police 'we', but it will only be me."

Memories began to return as soon as I walked into my room at the Hyatt. My wheelie bag was where I left it, but it wasn't as I'd left it, someone had tampered with the locks. I opened the pocket at the front. "Oh look."

"Your car keys are missing."

"Are you surprised at that?" 

"Not in the slightest. Now we know how they managed to drive your car to the airport."

It was around that time that it hit me, I was on my own, no more Jenny in my life, no possibility of a family." I sat on the bed with my head in my hands, staring at without seeing, the floor, tears welling up in my eyes. 

I felt a hand around my shoulder pulling me to her. "Don't be ashamed to cry if you need to."

I cried for a while, silently weeping, my body shaking, sagging forward to be held up by Madeline's strong arms. I stopped crying and looked at her concerned face. "Now I know what it feels like to have the rug pulled out from under you and wondering how far it is to the floor. I don't much like the feeling."

"If I was a Psychologist instead of a cop I'd probably say something like; 'I know where you're coming from.' To show my empathy, but that's a programmed response that does the opposite for me. What I can say is; 'been there, done that.' There used to be a Mr. Allison but he isn't there any more."

"What happened?"

"He was a Psychologist, you would think that he would be able to cope with the pressures of being married to a cop, but no. I came home from work one night looking for sympathy after attending a very serious car accident only to find my husband hanging from a beam in the garage."

"I'm sorry I asked."

"No, it's okay, I'm over it, I don't understand any of it, but I've moved on. My work keeps my mind off it, and keeping Constable Benson at arm's length helps me to believe that I'm still attractive to some men."

"I think that you should remember that, given a different time and different circumstances I would probably be fighting him for your attentions. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't be sorry, if the circumstances were different I'd think about it. Look at us, here we are in the middle of a murder investigation comparing suffering. We should be getting back to it."

"How about I make us a cup of coffee before we start?"

"I wouldn't say no to one, thanks."

I found the jug and filled it while I rustled up a couple of cups and some powdered travesty, a couple of those little containers of long-life milk and cello wrapped biscuits. It wasn't much but it almost filled the gap that came from no lunch.

I took the opportunity before we made a start to change from the clothes that I'd been wearing I don't know how long, into something a little more comfortable, in this case trackies and sneakers. "Okay, where do we start?"

"I want you to go through your bag and tell me if there is anything unusual, you know, anything missing or not where you'd left it."

"For a start, there's a shirt missing, and a pair of trousers."

"That's a start, possibly took those so that anyone that knew you would think, from a casual glance, that it was you."

"And my body spray is missing."

"What spray was it?"

"Obsession, for men that is."

"I wouldn't think it would be the one for women."

I found my mobile phone but when I turned it on nothing happened. At first I thought that it was the battery but when I put it on the charger it was still dead. I slipped the back cover off to find that the SIM card had been removed. "It looks as if at least one call was made from my mobile, probably to Jenny, and the card was taken out so we wouldn't find a record of it."

"I'll contact the Vic's and see if they can check on your home phone and Jenny's mobile to see if there is a record of the call." She made a note.

A thought came to me. "That Sergeant Roxburgh, why would he suggest that Jenny had been having an affair, there was absolutely no evidence of anything of the kind?"

"He probably did it so that he could judge your reaction. An obvious over-reaction can be an indicator of guilt."

"How did I do?"

"Actually you reacted just as I thought that you would. There was a reaction which is better than no reaction or an over-reaction."

"This interrogation stuff is complex isn't it?"

"You'd better believe it, it's often not what is said but what remains unsaid. I've often thought that good poker players would make good cops, they learn how to recognise a person's 'tell', that almost imperceptible reaction that gives away a good hand. It's similar to a lie detector, a couple of questions to establish reactions, to find the 'tell' and then follow the line that gets the right reaction." 

"Is that what you've been doing to me?"

"At first yes, but then I came to the conclusion that you are innocent and decided to help you as much as I can officially."

"Thank you for that, I appreciate all the help that you've given already."

"I think we're just about finished here, I'd better get back to the station before they send out a search party. I'll speak to Roxburgh about the phone records. Don't leave town."

"I won't, there's no point in going home, there's nothing there for me. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? Sorry, forget I asked."

"No, don't be sorry, I'd love to, off the record of course."

"Great, you choose the time and place and I'll be there."

"Why don't I just call for you here, it'll save me having to explain how to get there."

"Okay, I'll be ready when you get here, should I go formal or casual?"

"Casual, but not what you have on. I'll pick you up at seven."

Seven eventually arrived, I'd been ready for some time, I'd showered, shaved sprayed the pits and climbed into my best casual gear, and sat on the end of the bed and waited. At seven there was a knock on the door and I opened it to an apparition. I had become somewhat used to the tailored skirt, white blouse and jacket but now, instead she stood there in a dress that was almost decent. Don't get me wrong it wasn't slutty in any way, it just showed a little more cleavage than would be tolerated on the job and her skirt showed quite a bit of leg when she swirled it.

"Well, are you going to invite me in or do we go straight away, or are you just going to stand there with your mouth open?"

"Come in, please. I'm ready but thought that you might like a drink before we leave."

"I don't think I should drink, it wouldn't look good if I was to be pulled over by an RBT (Random Breath Test) unit and I blew even a little."

"Then we should leave." She was standing close and made no move to leave. I did a quick pat to make sure that I had my wallet and steeped past her, taking her arm in the process.

"You don't have to be so formal, I'll let you take my hand if you want." I took it and shut the door behind us as we headed for the lifts. He stood close to me in the lift so I put my arm lightly around her waist. She stood even closer.

"I'm trying to work out what's happening here."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm having second thoughts about having dinner with you, but then I'm not. I should never have asked you given that you're a cop investigating the death of my wife, but I'm glad I did. I feel a connection with you that I shouldn't. It could be the need to not be alone, the need to be able to talk out my thoughts that has drawn me to you. Whatever it is I've just got to go with it because I don't know what to do."

"Ssh, don't try to rationalise what you're going through, we are going to have dinner and I'm going to let you talk, and you're going to listen while I unburden my soul to you."

Her car surprised me, I'd expected something a little less flamboyant that an EVO 10 (Mitsubishi). I climbed in and she fired it up. "Where are we going?" I asked as we headed out of town. 

"Somewhere nice and quiet." She drove for half an hour and succeeded in getting me completely lost before pulling in to the driveway of a house. "Welcome to my humble abode." She led me inside and poured us a drink. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." She sat next to me on the sofa and tucked her legs under her. "Cheers." She touched her glass to mine.

"I'm not comfortable with this."

"Why not, what do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know, but I don't know that I can resist the temptation to do something wrong if it should arise."

"Are you afraid of me and what you think I'm planning?"

"No, I'm sure that you're not planning anything wrong, it's just that the propensity for us to give into our feelings is there." I was saved by the oven timer.

Everything about the meal was good, she was a good cook and a pleasant dinner companion. We talked about a lot of things and never mentioned my problems once. We skirted the issue on a number of occasions but never actually went there. "After my husband died I didn't know what I would do. The department helped by moving me from Traffic Branch to where I am now. You see I blamed the pressures of having to attend fatal accidents for him not coping with me or our marriage. One of his colleagues told me later that he'd been having problems at work, it was his inability to divorce himself from his clients, to externalise their problems so that they didn't become his, that it was possible to empathise without getting personally involved."

We sat at the table talking for over an hour before I needed to use the toilet. When I came back she had moved to the sofa, so I sat next to her. She leaned over and rested her head against my shoulder. "This has been a great evening for me, I've never felt able to talk about myself and my life with anyone before, you're a good listener."

"I feel comfortable talking to you, it's like I've known you for most of my life and that we're friends. Please tell me that you don't do this to all the guys that you're investigating."

"You're not getting jealous on me are you?"

"No, should I be?"

She kissed me on the cheek, looked at me and decided that she wanted more. She turned to me and put her arms around my neck and kissed my lips. I didn't resist even though that mental voice was yelling at me that this was a very bad thing, I just couldn't resist her passion.

But I did, resist that is, eventually, almost before we'd reached the point of no return the inner voices were that loud that I had to yield to them. "Stop! This is all wrong." We were in her bed, naked, and the sight of her standing in front of me before we'd got into the bed was enough to drown out the voices. Her dark hair newly released from the band that held in place, rested softly on her shoulders, framing her strong but sexually attractive face. Her breasts stood proudly from her chest, her nipples like large black eyes staring at me, and the fine bush at the junction of her legs shaved into a neat triangle like an arrow head pointing to the target that were my dreams. One hand snaked around my neck as the other pulled back the bed clothes to reveal satin sheets. "I bought these just for you." We literally slid into bed the sensuous touch of the fabric adding to my already aroused state. So what made me stop? The feeling that this was all wrong, that there must be rules about our association, that she could be in deep trouble if anyone discovered what we were about to do.

"What's the matter Darling?" She was still stroking him, the down there him.

"I'm thinking of you. If anyone ever found out about this it could not only jeopardise your career, but this whole investigation, and I'd find myself in the hands of someone who doesn't believe in my innocence."

"Like Benson for instance."

"Like Benson for sure. I don't trust him and if you've had to fight him off he's likely to do anything to get back at you."

"Fuck, I knew that something would screw this up, especially as I'd gone to a lot of trouble to get it just right." She flopped over beside me and reluctantly let go of him. "So what do we do now, and don't even think about me driving you back to the hotel, do you know how many bottles of wine we got through tonight?"

"I could call for a cab."

"And have a record on the taxi database? No, you're just going to have to stay here with me tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. Look, now that I know that I'll never get you to make love to me, at least not tonight but a girl can dream, I'll be happy with the alternative, as a platonic sleeping arrangement in my bed."

"Do you have a chastity belt?"

"No, but I'll leave the cold shower running and shove you under it if you get frisky."

We almost made it through the night. I was half awake having an interesting dream involving a new and different interrogation method when I felt her lips on mine and her voice, husky with desire. "Do really expect me to lay here looking at your magnificent thing and not do anything about it." Her lips left mine and engulfed my cock. To make matters worse for my conscience she straddled me and pressed her pussy lips against my mouth lips. Oh well, what happens in the privacy of a person's bedroom should stay in the privacy of that bedroom. She came at around the same time that I did, she swallowed my come while I lapped up her juices and then she turned around and lay next to me with that look like the cat that got the canary. She took my hand in her's and led it to her wet pussy. "See what you can do with your finger while I work on him."

I obliged and soon she was losing all control, thrashing about on the bed, hanging on to him for support until he was fully prepared for what was to come. (Sorry) His entry into her pussy was made easy by her wetness and he was soon plunging in and out with more vigour than I had ever experienced, helped along by the urging of her vocal encouragement. "Oh god yes, yes, harder, harder, I'm coming, I'm coming, oh my god!" She grabbed me by the arse cheeks and pulled me into her until she stopped shuddering then it started all over again until I pushed myself into her as far as I could go before coming deep inside her. "I needed that so much, I've been on short rations since Gerry decided he no longer wanted to be here."




Lost Days



"It's been a while for me too, Jenny didn't want to do anything that might lead to complications with the pregnancy. Oh she'd go down on me or jerk me off but we didn't actually have intercourse for some months."

"We'd better get cleaned up and I'll drop you off on my way to work." It was a bit of a scramble but an hour later she dropped me off a hundred metres from my hotel and headed into her work.

I didn't hurry so it was ten minutes before I let myself into the room to be greeted by the phone ringing. "Byron, it has hit the fan big time, fucking Benson must have followed us last night and has dobbed me in for fraternising with you. As we speak he and Roxburgh on their way to the hotel to pick you up. Get out of there and go to Central station and get a train to Katoomba and I'll meet you there. Hurry!"

I hurried, I was out of there using the stairs instead of the lift and the back entrance instead of the foyer. I had a short wait at the station before the train departed and I sat in it not watching the scenery flash by and willing it to go faster. Madeline was on the platform when the train pulled into the station and ran to me, kissing me quickly before literally dragging me from the station to her waiting car.

"What's going on, how come you're here instead of at work?"

"I've been suspended while they investigate our relationship and how much it has compromised the investigation. I told them that I would be spending some time with my parents, which is true. I'd like for you to meet them but that will be impossible."

"Why, are you ashamed of me?"

"You'll see." She drove away from the station and headed for, of all places the cemetery. I followed her as she strode between the rows of headstones until she found what she was looking for, the grave of her parents. I say grave because they were buried in the same grave plot and I noticed that they had died on the same day. "I come here when I need advice, these two were the wisest people I've ever known and even now, spending time with them helps me to make decisions or to get over any problems I might have. They mightn't have been trained psychologists but saw that every problem had a solution if approached with love. They were never apart for even a day except when Mum was in hospital with me, and while it was a tragedy them being taken like they were, at least it was together. If one had died before the other I don't think the survivor would have coped at all well. I am going to sit on the grave and meditate, feel free to join me, please."

Madeline leaned against me with her eyes closed and hummed softly to herself. I couldn't make out what she was humming, it seemed to be some sort of mantra. We stayed in this position for some time and I was trying my best to clear my mind of all that had happened to me. I was having little success until I began to talk softly to myself and found that it developed into my own mantra, a low humming series of repetitious phrases. Slowly the mists cleared and my thinking became clear and I found that I could look on my problems from a detached perspective, from an external viewpoint, sort of what I believed it would be like to travel in an astral plane.

I felt her coming out of her trancelike state. "Wake up, we have a lot of work to do." She shook me.

"I'm awake, more awake than I think I've ever been, and yes, we do have a lot of work to do. First things first, I should get back to Melbourne and talk to my Solicitor." 

"I'll drive you."

"I can't ask you to do that, I'll find my own way back."

"How do you propose to do that, I gather that you want to get back before the cops find you, because it will look better if you go to the police rather than if they arrest you with the media present."

"You're right, what do you suggest."

"I'll drive you but we won't go the direct route."

"Which way do you suggest?"

"We'll head west over the Blue Mountains and then south down the Newell Highway across the river at Echuca, the Cobb Highway to Bendigo and the Calder Highway into Melbourne. If we take it in turns to drive we can make it without having to stop anywhere except for food and fuel. Hopefully it will be a while before they start looking for us and we can hope that they will think that we've gone to ground somewhere or that we've headed north as far away from this as possible, and not be going back to Melbourne."

"That's pretty much what I thought although I didn't expect that you'd want to come with me."

"Are you saying that you don't want me with you?" I could tell by the look on her face that she knew that I wanted her with me, the sexy smile was a dead giveaway.

By swapping every two hours and only stopping to refuel the car and ourselves, we made good time and it was mid-afternoon when I rang my Solicitor. "James, it's Byron."

"I've been expecting your call, where are you?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. I need to talk to you, when would be a good time?"

"As soon as you can get here, I've had the police crawling all over me wanting to know if I'd heard from you. They've told me a little of why they're looking for you and I can't believe that you'd do something like that."

"I didn't, it'll take me a couple of hours to get to your office, can you be there?"

"I'm in all afternoon, I'll see you when you get here."

"Why did you tell him that?" Madeline asked. "We're just down the road."

"Because he'll feel obliged to contact the police and I want some time with him before I speak to them."

I turned off the main road into the street that led to his office. I drove past and did a U turn a couple of hundred metres beyond it. "I don't see anything that looks like a police car." I said as I drove into the car park behind his office.

"Byron," His receptionist looked surprised to see us. "We weren't expecting you for a couple of hours, I'll let James know that you're here."

"Does he have anyone with him?"

"No."

"Don't tell him I'm here, I want to surprise him." I didn't wait for her response and seconds later I pushed open his office door and ushered Madeline in.

"Byron, now this is a surprise, come in, sit down, and introduce me to this lovely lady."

"James, this is Detective Sergeant Madeline Allison of the New South Wales police. She has been helping me sort out this mess. I'm sure that you've been told that I'm being looked for because the police suspect that I killed Jenny. I didn't, but they're convinced because someone has convinced them that I'm guilty. I have proof that I couldn't have, but they have proof that I did. What we have to do is to change their thinking so that they will actually consider other scenarios so that I can clear my name." 

"You sound as if you know who's involved."

"Unfortunately knowing is not proving and we need proof. They are overlooking the minutiae because they have circumstantial proof." Madeline said.

"What sort of proof are we looking for?"

I outlined what had happened to me and the so-called evidence that the police had introduced into court during the extradition hearing. "My car keys were taken from my luggage at my hotel to make it look as if I'd flown back to Melbourne and killed Jenny and flown back to Sydney. I was drugged and kept in my hotel room until after the murder and then moved to another hotel where I was 'found' a couple of days later, not knowing where I was or how I got there. I had in my room an attaché case with a large amount of money, they will not find my fingerprints anywhere on the money although I told them that I'd counted it."

"How did you manage that?" Madeline asked.

"When I picked up the bundles I took from the case I used my fingernails to grip either side of the tape around the bundles. The label told me how much was in each bundle, I just needed to count the number of bundles. There probably won't be any usable prints unless they got careless and didn't use gloves. I want to know where the money came from and who arranged it."

"What do you want me to do?" James asked.

"I want you to come to the police station with us. I'm going to surrender to the police and I want you to be there when I'm interviewed."

"I can do that, when did you plan to do this?"

"No time like the present. Shall we go?" James looked uncertain for a brief moment before he stood up and we walked out to the reception area where he told his receptionist what was happening and that he would not be available for some time.

"When we get to the police station I want you to demand to see the evidence that they have, in particular the CCTV footage from the airport on the night of the murder, I'm looking for someone in particular. I want to be able to access my car, I presume that it is being held by the police. If the police decide to press charges I want you to apply for bail, I need to be free to move around looking for any evidence that will clear me."

"I'll do what I can, in the mean time remember you do not have to answer any questions that may incriminate you, they have to have proof of guilt before they can get a conviction."

"I know what I can and can't say, I've had a good teacher, Madeline and I have been going over what we think they know, and what we need them to release to us."

We caused something of a stir when we walked into the police station and I identified myself. "Detective Sergeant Roxburgh is still in Sydney looking for you, there is no-one here that knows about the case and he has the files with him."

"That's okay, we'll start without him, here is a list of what we require, we need access to the CFCTV footage from the airport and Mr. Pollard's car, can you arrange that?" 

"I'll have to speak to the Inspector about this." He picked up the phone and punched in a number. "Inspector, I think you should come to the front desk, Byron Pollard has just walked in with his Solicitor and they want access to evidence." He hung up the phone. "He's on his way."

The Inspector was most obliging when James explained that unless evidence was produced the police could not hold me and that we were quite happy to wait at home for Roxburgh and his files to arrive. They had no evidence so we went home via the police impound yard where I had a look at my car. The seat was in the forward position, whoever had driven it had used Jenny's keys and not mine."

Madeline and I arranged to meet James in the morning and, if the police were ready for us, go back to the police station. I decided that I didn't want to go back to my house, at least not yet, so we checked into a hotel. The food in their restaurant was okay but over-priced, the wine list was un-inspiring so we found ourselves back in our room early. 

"What's been on your mind this evening?"

"I know who's responsible for this whole mess. Up until this afternoon I wasn't sure but now I am. I've been trying to work out how to attack this."

"I know who did this too. While you were on the toilet a few minutes ago I spoke with my boss. You toxicology report showed that you'd been heavily sedated over a long period to the point that when we found you, you were awake but not fully aware, your brain was just kicking in. The check on various banking records turned up some very interesting facts and Constable Benson has been most helpful." She caught my astonished expression. "We can be devious when we feel the need. Now we have to come up with a strategy, but not now, we need to rest, tomorrow is going to be tough." 

We went to bed early, both of us were exhausted from the long drive and the stress of the day, so sleep didn't come easily, so we had to find some form of stress relief. I kissed her and she responded by kissing me back with a bit of tongue thrown in, so I began to caress her boobs. Her hand found my cock, she didn't need to wake it up, it was already up and ready. Tiredness set in moments after we'd both come, I didn't even feel up to pulling him out so he sort of fell out sometime after we'd both dropped off into an exhausted sleep.

When I woke Madeline was still half on top of me with one leg draped over my hips. My cock had a mind of its own and had decided that it needed more of that action and was heading towards her pussy. I gave it a little help and no sooner had it arrived at her entrance than she stirred. "Mmm, what a way to be woken up in the morning." She wasn't fully awake but enough that she managed to climb back onto me and push her pussy down onto my cock. This time we didn't have tiredness to contend with and Madeline came quickly. "I'm sure that there's something wrong with this, we shouldn't be enjoying this as much as we are."

"I have no problem enjoying you. Jenny and I discussed this scenario some time back when we were convinced that we'd never have children. She suggested divorce and if I chose that path she told me that she encouraged me to find someone that I could love as quickly as possible. We even touched on the topic of if either one of us pre-deceased the other, the surviving partner should feel no remorse about finding someone else. So I feel no guilt at all, just a little sad that I've lost her." 

We arrived back at the police station at 9:00am and were ushered into a room where we could review the CCTV footage from the airport. I said nothing when I saw what I'd expected to see, just squeezed Madeline's hand under the desk to let her know that I'd found what I was looking for. The footage had just finished when the door opened to admit Roxburgh. He was not amused. "I need you in the interview room now."

"Sure thing." I stood up and moved towards the door. Madeline and James followed me.

"What did you two think, disappearing on us like that? We've spent time that we should have been using to investigate this case just looking for you. As for you Detective Sergeant Allison, you will be lucky to have a job at the end of this, perverting the course of justice, aiding and abetting a fugitive, the list goes on."

"A moment Detective Sergeant Roxburgh, my client was not a fugitive, he'd never been arrested, he was free to travel wherever he wanted, and as for Sergeant Allison, she was merely ensuring that justice prevailed. It was obvious that you had already decided that my client was guilty and were only prepared to consider any evidence that supported that stance. You may find that your job will be on the line." This shook Roxburgh, he was used to operating from a position of strength.

"I suppose that you've just come in from the stakeout at my place." I said.

"What do you mean?" He wasn't expecting this either.

"You would have received word yesterday afternoon that we were back in town and rushed back. Working on the assumption that we would be staying in my house you were waiting there with the cavalry and the media so that you could make your high profile arrest. We needed to be able to access evidence without you looking over our shoulders so we had no problem letting you think that we'd be there."

"Have you found what you're looking for?"

"Yes, I recognised someone in the CCTV footage and this confirmed what I'd already concluded based on what has happened over the past month or so. You see, I have become aware that things were not normal in my company, assets were disappearing and contracts were going to other companies that would normally have gone to mine. You see certain negotiations were being floated that would see the company placed in administration and, after the staff were sacked, sold off and then shut down. I could not have that so was fighting it. I figured that if I couldn't stop it I could at least ensure that the staff that had been loyal to me and my father before me would be looked after. Unfortunately the person involved, or one of the people involved, had other ideas."

"Who do you suspect?" James asked.

"It was my brother Nelson. He had several reasons to seek to harm me, not the least of which was that he had been engaged to Jenny before she broke it off and married me. He was also jealous of the fact that Father chose me to run the company over him, the fact that I was better qualified didn't enter into his thinking. He had help of course." I turned to James. "I had hoped for better from you James, I trusted you, and you betrayed that trust."

"What! What are you babbling about?"

"I knew as soon as we arrived at your office yesterday. You have a new Receptionist, don't you?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"She's Nelson's new girlfriend. It was she who sat next to me at the cricket, and it was she who attached herself to me and arrived after the game at my hotel room. It was she that drugged me and fed a drip into my hand to keep me under sedation until after Jenny had been killed. It was she who escorted me to the room at the Sebel and stayed with me until it was time for me to be conveniently found. It was you that pre-empted my being found so that your tame policeman here could be in Sydney armed with extradition papers to get me back here in a blaze of publicity designed to re-enforce my guilt. You were very good a moment ago, you almost had me believing that you were on my side. How am I doing so far?"

"Sheer fantasy, I don't know who put these ideas into your head, but it is totally ridiculous."

I turned to Roxburgh. "The tox screen, did it show any drugs in my system?"

"Yes."

"And yet you come back home hell bent on making sure that you charges stuck. I think I should call for an investigation into the handling of this case, including an investigation of your bank accounts."

"And just how do you propose to do this?"

"Simple." It was Madeline that spoke now. "You see I've not actually been suspended from the force. Everything I have done I did with the approval of my Inspector. When it became obvious to me that evidence had been fabricated to implicate Byron here, we began our own investigation and that included allowing you to think that Constable Benson believed your version of the story. It's amazing how much information can be gleaned that way. An investigation of Nelson's bank records as well as James' revealed that the money that had been planted on Byron came from Nelson, it was part of an advance against the sale of the business. The whole scheme was cooked up by James here who just happens to be the husband of a Director and a major shareholder in the company that's seeking to take over Byron's company."

"You still won't get away with this, all that we have to do is to tamper with this recording and it will be a case of a rogue cop's word against that of a Solicitor and a senior serving cop."

"That's where you're wrong, you see I have a miniature radio transmitter in my bag and now we have another recording of this interview, and it is in the hands of the Corruption Branch, who should be just about ready to burst into this room and arrest you." Her prediction was immediately confirmed by the entry of several men all armed with handcuffs.

"Well done Sergeant Allison, we've had our eyes on Roxburgh for some time, he has an interesting group of friends as well as a property portfolio that could never have been obtained on a police salary. Your Inspector is expecting you back in Sydney on Monday, after you make a full statement for us of course, you officially have a couple of days leave."

"I expect more than a couple of days. I'm taking some of the leave that's owing to me, Byron and I are going to have some serious discussions about our future."

"A bit sudden isn't it?"

"Isn't that what we're taught to do, quickly analyse the situation and react accordingly." She grabbed me and planted a passionate kiss on my unprepared lips. "Come lover, we'll leave these people to their business, I want you to show me again how you do that thing with your cock."

When we got to my house I showed Madeline pictures of Jenny and we both sat and meditated for several minutes. "Wow, did you feel that?" She asked.




Lost Days



"Yes, I did, and I believe that it was Jenny giving us her blessing. Now what was it you wanted me to do with my cock?"