Tainted Pictures

  “I could never forget. It was the most romantic time we ever spent together. So much has happened since then. It feels like an eternity ago. I feel like we are something entirely different now than we were back then.” Kate said softly, cuddling up against him a bit tighter. It was the Sunday evening that Derrick dropped Kate off at her apartment after their weekend getaway that she had been attacked. It was only a little over a month ago and yet they were a completely different couple today than they had been on that beach. They were different people too, better people. They were a stronger couple.

  “Well we are, you know. It was a lifetime ago, a different lifetime. We are new, what’s between you and me is new. I think it’s even better, Kate.” Derrick said while he looked down at her and pushed a lock of hair off her cheek, tucking it gently behind her ear.

  “Better than I ever dreamed. That was also the weekend we put a title on things. Any regrets about that?” Kate glanced up at him, her head leaning against his shoulder.

  “Kate I have so many regrets in our relationship and the things I have put you through, but making you my girlfriend and now my fiancé, that will never ever be something I regret.” He turned to look at her seriously, speaking in a soft, husky voice. He kissed her lips very gently, his fingers gently tilting her chin upwards so that he had perfect access to her soft, pink lips. Without stopping their kiss, he reached over and unhooked the curtain allowing it to drop closed and give them more privacy.

  Kate grinned in their kiss and slipped one of her hands up around his neck and turned her body, reaching her leg over his lap. She was quickly straddling him in the booth, leaning down to kiss him as he grabbed her hips and pulled her firmly down against him so she could feel how turned on she made him. The wide window flickered the dull yellow lights against the black waves behind them but neither of them were paying attention to the view anymore.

  Derrick pushed Kate’s dress up her thighs and slid his hands up her smooth skin to pull her panties down but then looked at her in surprise when he felt no resistance. She just grinned at him, getting the confirmation from him that not wearing panties tonight was definitely the right choice.

  His eyes suddenly were ablaze and he kissed her with a fierceness that made her toes tingle and her stomach clench. She reached down and immediately began unbuttoning his trousers while he grabbed the knot on her side that tied her dress closed and unraveled it, letting her dress fall open. She was wearing a lacy bra that was really more for show than support and instantly satisfied his every visual desire.

  He kissed down her neck, cupping her breasts in his hands and she arched her back and leaned her head up, allowing him better access as she breathed out in a quick pant. Without warning there was a tapping sound at the edge of their curtain and a waiter stuck his head through. Derrick and Kate both jumped in shock and Kate scrambled off of Derrick’s lap, back to her seat in the booth, pulling her dress closed tightly around her. Derrick just grinned at the waiter while Kate looked down, unable to make eye contact with him as she blushed hysterically.

  “Are you guys ready for your meals? Another bottle of wine maybe?” The waiter asked, sliding the curtain open. He was either oblivious to what had been going on or he just didn’t care. He was middle-aged and clearly wasn’t in the job he wanted to be in at this point in his life. He looked like he had seen it all and just wanted to get the night over with. The embarrassed couple in the booth placed their orders for dinner and more wine and then he left the two of them alone, with the curtain wide open.

  “Well, that is not how I saw that going.” Derrick said to break the tension. Kate looked at him and then they both burst out laughing. Their food was brought to them only a minute or two later as the dinner cruise was well underway and the couple enjoyed their second bottle of wine together, eagerly enjoying the lowered inhibitions that each delicious sip brought.

  ~~~~

  Dessert had been served and quickly polished off. It had been a beautiful assortment of small bites including everything from cheesecake to truffles arranged delicately on a platter with swirls of chocolate decorating the plate. They had enjoyed sensuously feeding one another and trading kisses in between. Couples were now beginning to make it to the dance floor and a variety of music all with slow, romantic undertones floated through the entirety of the ship.

  “Do you want to dance?” Kate asked Derrick hopefully as they finished off the last of their wine and dessert. She dabbed at her mouth with a cloth, pressing away any remaining remnants of the sweets that they had devoured.

  “I have a better idea.” Derrick said and winked at her as he slid out of the booth and stood up. He turned around and offered her his hand which she gratefully accepted and slid out behind him. He led her away from their table and she held his hand in between both of hers, pressing her body against the back of his shoulder as she followed him. He led her to the front of the boat and opened the door to walk out onto the deck outside.

  The wind instantly hit her and chilled her straight through to her bones causing her to pull her cardigan around her tighter and press herself against Derrick’s back as he took most of the brunt of the wind. They walked out onto the bow of the ship, right to the very front. It was a real life Titanic moment and Kate felt her heart swelling as Derrick held her and shielded her from the cold.

  When they got out to the very front of the ship, with nothing but the waves and the wind surrounding them, Derrick stopped and turned around to face Kate. He grabbed her waist and pulled her in close to his body, wrapping his jacket around her and catching her lips with his. He kissed her softly but passionately, gently nibbling on her lips and tasting every inch of her that wasn’t covered from the cold winds.

  Just as soon as they had started, they stopped and Derrick gently pushed her away from him and took a step backwards to look at her. She tilted her head to the side perplexed as to why he was distancing himself from her but then he smiled at her and she felt her tensions release. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box and held it up in front of him.

  “You know, a few days ago I asked you a question. It was spontaneous and real and I am so glad that I did. But you deserve more. Kate, you deserve more than I will ever be able to give you but I want to spend the rest of my life trying and failing just so I can try again.” Derrick said, looking down at the box he was fidgeting with in his hand. Then he looked up at her and smiled and kneeled down on one knee, holding the box up to her and slowly opening it.

  Inside the box was a velvety red bedding nesting around a silver band supporting a row of multiple sparkling diamonds. The center diamond was very large and captivated her attention as her jaw dropped open. On either side of the center diamond were cascading smaller jewels covering the band. It was by far the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

  The cut of the stones and the patterns were so unique, she had never even imagined a ring like this before but now as she looked at it she knew nothing else would have been right. Somehow this man knew her better than she knew herself and she fell in love with him again right then for it.

  “Kate, when I first met you I was just trying to pick up a cute girl in a coffee shop. Honestly, I had no clue what I was getting into and you knew that by how stupid I acted time and time again. But every day that I spend with you, I learn more about myself and the man that I want to become because you make me see that. You hold up a mirror to me when no one ever has and you know what you want and now I want to be what you want.

  You should never accept less than you deserve in this world and, Kate, I don’t deserve you. Not even a little bit. But if you are willing to bend the rules just a little and give me a chance, I want to spend every day for the rest of my life trying to become the man that you deserve.” Derrick said to her confidently and softly. Kate put a hand over her mouth trying to hold herself together but a tear had already snuck down her cheek.

  “Kate, will you be my wife, my lover, my other half, and the woman I spend the rest
of my mornings waking up next to?” Derrick concluded and looked up at her hopefully.

  Kate opened her mouth to speak but her voice was missing underneath the lump of emotion swelling in her chest. So she just nodded her head furiously up and down and leaned down to kiss him, grabbing his face in her hands. Her tears tickled his cheeks and he stood up to wrap himself around her, kissing her back and smiling. He pulled apart just enough to hold the ring up between them.

  “May I?” Derrick said, smiling at her with his eyes twinkling. Kate still just nodded, absolutely unable to speak and now crying harder but silently. He took the ring out of the box, putting the box back in his pocket. Kate held out her hand and he gently slipped it over her ring finger and they both looked at it happily.

  He opened his jacket and pulled her into him, wrapping it around her to keep her warm and they kissed again. She wrapped her arms around his warm body and pressed herself as close to him as she could, wanting to feel every bit of him. It wasn’t long before she felt him pressing against her pelvis and she smiled as she kissed him, knowing what he was thinking.

  Derrick became more passionate with each passing second as he thought of how eager he was to have this woman in front of him be his wife. He knew that he would never be content with anyone else and she was all he ever wanted. He turned them around and pressed her back up against the ships railing, pressing further into her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with the same ferocity. Her leg slipped up the side of his, clutching against his thigh and tucked around behind him as she steeled herself against him.

  Derrick looked up and glanced around, there were no windows pointed towards the front from the inside so no one inside the cabin could see them. However, there were people roaming the decks further down on each side. He thought about it for a second and then decided it didn’t matter, he would just try to be discreet. He wrapped his coat around either side of Kate, completely covering her body from view and yanked at the knot that held her dress closed, allowing it to fall open and expose herself to him.

  Knowing what was going to happen, Kate eagerly unbuttoned his pants and he sprung out eagerly, ready for action. With one hand below her bum, he picked her up so she was sitting on one of the higher railings which lined her short frame up with his tall body, her one leg dangled towards the ground and the other was underneath his coat wrapped around his back.

  She popped the collar of his coat up which partially hid their faces from view as they devoured each others’ lips and Derrick pressed against her. He didn’t go further and she groaned, complaining, since all she wanted was to feel every inch of him immediately and fully. She scooted towards him in an attempt to get what she wanted but he pulled away and chuckled, enjoying teasing her. He swept down and kissed her lips again, suckling her bottom lip and then moving further down to kiss her neck.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him for support as she heard the waves crashing behind her since she was partially leaning over the edge of the boat. He decided not to torture her any longer and pressed into her just as another wave slammed the side of the ship. She gasped in his ear, always surprised at the sudden sensation, but then quickly moaned in pleasure as they began moving rhythmically with the waves below them.

  Kate heard people walking past but she was concealed and she guessed it just looked like he was keeping her warm from the cold. At least she hoped that is what they were thinking. She didn’t have time to focus on that anyways since she was quickly transported back to the building sensitivity. She held onto him tighter as she felt her body tensing and anticipation building. Something about the danger of leaning over the edge of a ship with only the black, murky water below her made it even more exciting. Derrick was her lifeline, the only thing holding her to the boat, and she trusted him completely.

  Only a few moments later, she succumbed to the trembling waves radiating through her body as Derrick also released and exhaled, holding her tight against him. Her warm body against his was not just sensuous right now, but also comforting and perfection. It was like a part of his body that had been missing and was now back where it belonged. Her quivering body clinging to him was everything he had ever wanted and he kissed her softly and deeply, pressing against her as much as humanly possible.

  Kate’s feet lowered to the ground as Derrick slowly let her go and she tied her dress back up, giggling and looking up at Derrick with a mischievous look. He buttoned himself back up and once they looked put together again, he removed his coat from around her and the two walked down the side of the boat on its deck while holding hands.

  “I can’t believe we just did that!” Kate whispered to him, leaning up on her toes so that he could hear and giggling. He flashed her a smile and pulled her close against him for a hug.

  “Believe it, Mrs. Kane.” He kissed the top of her head and she looked down at her hand on his chest, admiring the glistening ring shining in the starlight. She was going to marry the love of her life and the sparkling glint of the moonbeams on her diamond engagement ring was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Detectives Liz Snow and Mike McCraig walked into the precinct and immediately went to one of the back interview rooms that they had confiscated and turned into their personal office for this case. Every surface was covered in photographs and files relating to The Photographer.

  “Okay so where are Craig’s academic files and who was the witness against him during his trial that said he saw Craig date rape Holly Castel?” Liz said as Mike shuffled through some papers until she found the one that she was looking for.

  “Here it is. Oh shit. Liz.” Mike looked up at her, surprised.

  “What?” Liz stared at him.

  “You know I speak a little German from when I had a tour in Berlin while I was in the service?” Mike asked her.

  “Yeah, why?” Liz asked, crossing her arms.

  “Francis Bild. That’s the name of the witness who put Craig away. Bild is picture in German. This is our guy, Liz. Holy fuck, this is our guy!” Mike shoved the file at her and she grabbed it, scanning quickly.

  “Picture? The Photographer? That can’t be a coincidence. This has to be him. But where is he now and what does he have to do with Kate? There has to be a connection between him and Kate.” Liz said rushing out of the interview room towards their desks to search for him on the computer.

  The duo furiously tapped their keyboards and stared at the screens, trying to find an answer. Nothing was coming up, the guy had wiped himself clear off every electronic record.

  “Well his academics confirm it. Look at this, he was a non-degree student and all he took were art classes. Look what he was taking at the time Craig got arrested.” Mike said to her, pointing to his screen. She came around to look.

  “Photography 301. Looks like this is our guy. Holy crap. Well then what happened? What’s his record say?” Liz peered over his shoulder.

  “Looks like he dropped out halfway through that semester. His address is, holy shit, Eldersburg, Maryland. That’s where Clara McConnelly’s family lived. They lived in the same town and went to the same school. She must have been his first kill, the obsession. Once he got a taste of it, he couldn’t stop. That’s where all these cases then came into play.” He tapped a stack of files.

  “So, maybe he went home after he dropped out?” Liz asked him, picking up some files.

  “Where is Tracy Glen’s file? They are brothers, there must be something that links them that will lead us to who Francis Bild is now and where he is.” Mike asked her. She pushed some papers and files around until she found one with a giant label on the top saying Tracy GLEN-HOMICIDE.

  “Eldersburg, Maryland. Again, how the fuck did we not pick up on this? Grew up there with his half-brother, mother, and grandmother. Looks like a social worker took the boys from the house when the grandmother died because the grandmother was doing all the care. The mother was apparently a junkie and wasn’t taking care of th
em after the grandmother died. It doesn’t say much about the father, just that he had a criminal past and killed himself when Francis and Tracy were in high school. He is two years younger than Tracy.” Liz read off the report to Mike.

  “So, they go into the system, no parents or role models. Tracy ends up in jail and Francis ends up a serial killer. Sounds like the right formula for a screwed up family. Does it say why Tracy was in jail?” Mike asked her, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on his desk.

  “Yeah, robbery. Armed with a knife. Was serving a sentence of ten years, but looking at getting out on good behavior after seven if he was lucky. He had only been locked up for four and a half years. Do you think he knew what his brother was doing?” Liz spoke to Mike as she thumbed through the pages of the file.

  “Well, Francis killed him so he either knew something or he would have led us to Francis. There really is no way to know that until we can find the son of a bitch and talk to him ourselves.” Mike told her as he stood up and stretched.

  “Alright, let’s look up anything remotely similar to a “Francis Bild” near NYU, near Eldersburg, or near Washington DC. There has to be something in the motor vehicle database or real estate listing, something!” Mike said as he walked away to go make a fresh pot of coffee.

  “I feel like it sounds familiar. I think we have everything here,” Liz said pointing to the pile of papers and files.

  “I just think we have no idea how to put it together.” Liz finished.

  “Yeah, but Francis is the glue.” Mike said, nodding at her in confidence as he fiddled with the coffee machine.

  ~~~~

  “Yeah around seven o’clock in the morning, so maybe an hour from now? I’ll be at Union Station probably by a quarter to seven, what time will you be there? Or do you want to meet us at a restaurant for breakfast?” Kate asked her Uncle Lenny over the phone as she folded clothes from her closet and put them in a box. She was holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear, balancing it, as she continued packing up her belongings to move entirely over to Derrick’s house.