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  “Like I said, it was none of my business.” He turned away from her. “I really do need to get back to my chores.”

  “How much did she pay you to keep quiet?”

  He spun back around. “How dare you! I’d like you to leave. I have nothing further to say to you.”

  Frankie glanced at Johanna, then leaned her elbows on the counter as she peered into Mason’s eyes. “Maybe the sheriff can be persuaded to question you again.”

  “I don’t take kindly to threats.” His eyes shifted nervously and he grabbed another tissue.

  “And we don’t take kindly to liars,” Frankie said. “What did she pay you for your silence?”

  He blew his nose. “I’m under no obligation to tell you anything.”

  Frankie straightened up. “Have it your way. We’ll just put the bug in Sheriff Ryker’s ear that maybe you know more than you’re saying.”

  Mason’s face reddened again. “Fine. I recognized her the minute she walked in even though she tried to deny her identity. She paid me well not to mention to anyone that she had a room here. She wanted privacy. That’s all she said. She registered under the name of Missy Curtis.”

  “Who was she seeing?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Once or twice a week some cocky punk would come over. I only know because he blasted his damned music every time he drove in. I followed him one night to see where he was going so I could confront whoever he was visiting. But when I saw it was Mrs. McHenry’s, I let it go. I knew she was married to a man old enough to be her father so I figured she was just having a fling. Her personal life is none of my business.”

  “But you were curious I’m sure.”

  “Who wouldn’t be? I’m only human.”

  “Were you working the other night when she was murdered?” Johanna asked.

  His face drained of color. “Yeah. I heard the shots. I looked out the window and saw a car peel out of the parking lot.”

  “Did you see who it was?”

  He shook his head.

  “What about the vehicle?”

  “It was too dark.”

  Johanna studied him. “How well did you know Mrs. McHenry? Did you ever talk to her?”

  “No. The only time was when she took the room a couple of months ago.”

  Frankie passed him a business card. “If you think of anything else, please give us a call.”

  He nodded. “All I know is she wasn’t anything like she was portrayed in the media. You know what I mean? She didn’t act like a wealthy person.”

  “No, I don’t know what you mean,” Frankie responded.

  He was thoughtful for a minute. “She had no class. Don’t get me wrong. She was polite and everything, but there was something off about her.” He shook his head. “Maybe that was just her way of not drawing attention to herself in public…well especially here. She had a brash look about her…like a couple of prostitutes who liked hanging around out front soliciting until I booted them off the property.”

  “Thanks for your help, Mr. Mason,” Johanna said.

  Outside the office the women glanced around the parking lot. “I would think the Porsche would draw attention,” Frankie said. “Even if she did park it out back.”

  Johanna laughed. “I would think it would be stripped or stolen if she parked it here for any length of time. Especially late at night. Why didn’t she drive something less conspicuous? It’s almost like she wanted to be caught.”

  “Hmm. Maybe she didn’t drive the Porsche here.” Frankie slapped her forehead. “Of course she didn’t…except for the other night when we followed her or whoever the hell it was we followed here.”

  Johanna nodded. “Let’s ask Mason what she was driving.”

  They turned on their heels and walked back into the motel lobby.

  Ben Mason scurried out of the back room when door buzzer sounded. A scowl appeared on his face when he saw it was them again. “Did you forget something?”

  “Just a couple of quick questions. Was Cassandra McHenry driving an apple red Porsche?” Johanna asked.

  He threw his head back and laughed showing off the few tobacco-stained teeth left in his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he said, swiping at his eyes. “Now that would truly defeat her efforts to remain anonymous.”

  “What did she drive?” Frankie asked.

  Mason composed himself. “An old beat-up car. I don’t know the year or make. It was a miracle it ran at all from the looks of it.”

  “Did you get the license number?”

  “No. I don’t bother with that here. As long as they pay up front that’s all I care about.”

  * * * *

  Johanna lay on her back in bed and stared at the skylight. Stars twinkled brightly, almost making her feel that if she reached up she could grab one. She was physically drained, but her mind was too wired to allow her to sleep. Something nagged at her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She turned her head and looked at Frankie, who was sound asleep curled on her side with one arm draped just under Johanna’s breasts.

  Johanna sighed as she continued to look at her. She sometimes wondered if Frankie knew how much she really meant to her. When they’d first met Johanna had kept her guard up. She was still licking her wounds from her nasty breakup and had wanted to get as far away from California as she could. Transferring to the Philly precinct gave her that opportunity and it gave her the fresh start she needed. She’d learned a hard lesson and vowed to never get involved with a co-worker again, and doubted she’d ever let her heart be open enough to accept love again, so when she was introduced to her new partner Francine Barker, she put up what she hoped was an impenetrable brick wall. She had no other choice. But just being near Frankie made her weak in the knees and her heart skip a beat. She didn’t recall ever seeing another woman who looked so gorgeous in uniform. At night she’d lie in bed imagining she was slowly removing Frankie’s uniform as her hands caressed every inch of Frankie’s flawless flesh while her lips teased her hardened nipples until Frankie begged her to take her. Then reality would set in. She’d heard around the precinct that Frankie had a significant other—a military man stationed overseas. So, she didn’t stand a chance on two counts…Frankie was straight and she was deeply in love and devoted to her mystery man. But the dreams and fantasies didn’t stop and only seemed to increase.

  She couldn’t let Frankie know how drawn she was to her, the only way she could save her sanity was to abstain from any personal exchanges on the job, and to keep their conversations focused only on work issues. She couldn’t let Frankie know that just looking at her beautiful face or hearing her sexy voice rendered her almost out of control with a want and need that could never be fulfilled. It saddened her to think that Frankie probably thought she was cold and unfriendly. It saddened her even more because Frankie was a friendly, fun-loving person and deserved to know why Johanna acted the way she did. But she couldn’t tell her and continued to stay aloof. She’d never before been attracted to one of her straight female friends and hoped that maybe someday her infatuation would wear off. Until that day came, she’d keep her distance.

  The day Frankie not only confessed that she was a lesbian, but trusted Johanna with that piece of information, was the day Johanna’s life suddenly changed and she realized her fantasies might become reality. Johanna thought her heart would burst with joy. The brick wall she’d built around her heart slowly began to crumble as she slowly allowed Frankie to enter, but only as a friend. She ached for Frankie, but fear kept her from acting on her emotions. If things didn’t work out it could turn into another disaster like the one she’d just escaped from in California. It was torture riding around in the patrol car all day wanting to pour out her fears to Frankie. Later, alone in the dark, she’d imagine herself enveloped in Frankie’s loving soothing arms with Frankie’s full luscious lips on hers while Frankie’s hands roamed every inch of her needy flesh.

  Frankie had waited patiently to ask her out and hadn’t demanded anything that Johann
a wasn’t ready to offer. The wait had been well worth it when all of Johanna’s barriers crumbled and she gave in to the love Frankie offered. Frankie proved to be a thoughtful passionate lover and Johanna knew no other woman could ever compare to her, or fill her every desire and fantasy the way Frankie did. Frankie’s body was beautiful and Johanna had taken her time tasting every inch of her flesh just as she had in her fantasies. That first night they made love for hours and then lay exhausted, but contented in one another’s arms. In the darkness, Johanna had confessed her fears of falling in love and being abandoned. Frankie had pulled her close, vowing to never let her go. In truth, Johanna knew she was already deeply in love, but never dreamed that what they had shared was just the beginning of a relationship neither of them could have ever imagined.

  Frankie was as considerate out of bed as she was in. Discovering everything there was to learn about one another was exciting and they marvelled at their almost identical tastes and desires. All of their similarities in what they sought from one another, and out of life, made for a peaceful coexistence. They were best friends, lovers and family. Johanna realized if they were the last two people left on the planet she could still live happily just as long as Frankie was by her side. She couldn’t imagine life without her, nor would she want to.

  The week they’d recently been apart had been hell. Johanna smiled, recalling how every spare moment had been spent on their cell phones to one another, and grateful that their cell phones were on a family plan. It was rare for them to be separated while working on a case, but the last case had been tough to solve and had left them no choice. If they hadn’t worked it separately, the case might have taken twice as long to bring to a conclusion. Her mind drifted back to their current case. What was it that nagged at her? There was something in the back of her mind…something she couldn’t put her finger on. Concentrating on it caused her head to pound. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, then opened them again.

  Frankie stirred in her sleep. Johanna carefully slipped out from under Frankie’s arm and slid out of bed. She threw on a robe and tiptoed to the office they shared. The office was located to the right of the living room. She switched on the overhead light, walked to her desk, and turned on her computer.

  How could Cassandra McHenry have been in two places at once? It was impossible because Frankie and she had written down the precise times they’d tailed her. And what about the Porsche? She sighed as she picked up the picture of Cassandra that Graham McHenry had given them. She studied it for a few minutes. In the photo Cassandra looked classy with the refined look that a proper upbringing of the wealthy had afforded her. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with joy and sincerity. That was the first thing Johanna had noticed about her. Her eyes were big, clear and beautiful. That’s what probably first drew people to her. This woman didn’t look like she could have transformed herself into the crass persona Ben Mason and Mayna portrayed.

  Johanna put the picture in the scanner and enlarged the image before hitting print. She sorted through the pictures she’d taken of Cassandra and found a couple of close-ups she’d managed to snap with the zoom lens. She enlarged those and printed them out, too.

  She picked up the copies and spread them out on the counter, which ran the entire length of the back wall of the office. Above the counter were several shelves, which held assorted office supplies. To the left of her desk was a row of filing cabinets. To the right of Frankie’s desk was the safe, camouflaged to look like part of the wall, where their two guns, PX4 Storm Berettas, were safely enclosed. She was glad they rarely had to use them, but was grateful for them on the infrequent occasions they did have to use them.

  Even with all of her training, Johanna still found it difficult to put a bullet in another human being, but had the sense to know that sometimes that was the only thing that stood between her own life or death. And as is human nature, she chose to live. The only time she’d never given it a second thought was when she’d seen Frankie backed into a corner and knew she had one split second to save her lover’s life. She’d fired her gun, then slumped trembling to the ground praying that the culprit hadn’t gotten one off into Frankie when she’d heard his gunfire before he went down. When Frankie’s shaky arms went around her, she had cried like a baby with relief.

  For the next hour Johanna carefully studied the pictures. Suddenly it hit her. Her eyes settled on something that had been oblivious to her before this. Her heart pounded as she peered at Cassandra’s big blue eyes in Graham’s picture. In the pictures she’d snapped, though, the eyes were light green and cold looking. Did Cassandra wear contacts? She continued looking from one picture to the other. She finally concluded that the pictures she took were not of Cassandra McHenry. If her suspicions were correct, then Cassandra McHenry’s twin sister was impersonating her. But why? Did Graham McHenry know? He had to be involved, but how? And more importantly, why had he hired them to tail Cassandra?

  She walked back to her computer and ran a search on identical twins. She sifted through tons of information looking for anything dealing with different eye colors. The few sets of identical twins she’d known had been identical in all ways, including their eye color. Finally, she found a medical site that said even though it was rare, it was possible for identical twins to have different eye colors. She checked a couple more reputable medical sites and found the same information. That settled it. Cassandra and Chelsea fell into that rare category.

  Johanna turned off the computer and printer, switched off the light, walked to the bedroom and quietly climbed into bed. She didn’t have the heart to wake Frankie, even though she felt like she’d explode. She’d share the information with her in the morning and they’d plan their next move.

  Frankie rolled over. “Where’d you go?” she mumbled sleepily.

  “Nowhere, baby. I’m here.” She brushed her lips against Frankie’s cheek. “Go back to sleep.”

  Frankie ran her fingertips over Johanna’s shoulder. “Good. I thought I was dreaming and you weren’t really back home.” She stretched and slowly came awake. “I don’t want to be apart from you ever again.” She trailed her fingers up Johanna’s inner thigh.

  “I’m not going anywhere, baby.” Johanna tingled at Frankie’s touch. She wanted to tell her about the pictures since Frankie was awake, but her body burned with desire as she brushed Frankie’s hair from her brow and then met her waiting lips. She moaned softly as Frankie’s hands fondled her breasts, setting her body on fire.

  “I can never get enough of you,” Frankie whispered as she reached across Johanna, opened a drawer on the nightstand table and withdrew her strap-on.

  “I feel the same about you.” Johanna smiled in anticipation while Frankie put on the harness.

  “Roll over, baby, and up on your knees.”

  Johanna willingly obliged and shivered when she felt the tip of the dildo slowly moving near the crack of her ass.

  Frankie teased her for a couple of minutes, then lovingly slapped Johanna’s ass. She bent down and tenderly kissed each cheek while her hands caressed Johanna’s breasts. “Tell me what you want,” she said in a husky voice.

  “I want you inside of me,” Johanna panted. “I need you, honey.”

  Frankie tenderly urged Johanna onto her back then hovered above her.

  Johanna placed her feet flat on the bed and spread her legs as she reached for her lover. As Frankie lowered herself, Johanna embraced her and clung to her back. Frankie slowly guided the dildo inside of Johanna. She matched Frankie’s rhythmic pattern as their lips clung hungrily to one another’s.

  “That feels so good,” Johanna murmured between kisses. She was on the verge of climaxing and tried to hold back. She loved it when they climaxed together.

  “I’m going to come,” Frankie said.

  Johanna arched her back and let her body and mind be swept away in an explosive climax that left her tingly and content. She held Frankie tightly. They silently lay wrapped in one another’s arms for several minutes as
they tenderly stroked each other.

  Chapter 6

  “Wow! What got into you last night?” Frankie asked, grinning widely as she walked into the kitchen.

  “I didn’t hear you complaining.” Johanna stood with her hands on her hips and smiled back at her.

  “Never, my love.” She peered into Johanna’s eyes. “Okay, out with it. You’re dying to tell me something. I can see it in your eyes.” Frankie poured a cup of coffee.

  “I want to show you something. Grab your coffee and follow me,” Johanna said excitedly.

  Frankie picked up her cup and followed her to their office.

  “I checked something last night,” Johanna explained as she set her coffee mug on her desk. “It was bugging me and I couldn’t sleep. Anyway, this is what I found.” She pointed to the pictures. “Take your time looking at them and tell me if you notice anything.” She seated herself in her desk chair and watched anxiously as Frankie picked up each picture and scrutinized it.

  Suddenly Frankie turned to her. “You did it! Her eye color is different.” She slowly shook her head back and forth. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?”

  Johanna smiled coyly. “I wanted to, but you had other things on your mind.”

  “You’re forgiven.” Her eyes drifted once again to the pictures. “It’s apparent now that we were following her twin Chelsea.” She paused. “But I thought identical twins couldn’t have different eye colors.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.” She turned on her computer. “I did a search and this is what I came up with.”

  Frankie peered over her shoulder as she read the medical researcher reports. “This is amazing.”

  “So, who should we talk to first? Graham or George?”

  Frankie frowned. “The proper procedure would be to tell George first.” She laughed. “But when have we followed proper procedure since we became PIs?”

  “Uh…never,” Johanna answered.

  “Confronting Graham is our first order of business because after all, he hired us. We have the five-thousand-dollar deposit to prove it. And now he’s asked us to find out who murdered his wife.”