Page 142 of Beneath Her Skin

Taking a deep breath, the air felt… clearer, lighter. But the emptiness in my soul remained.

Opening the trunk of the SUV, I placed down my bag and peeled off my bloody clothes and headscarf, tossing them intothe trunk. In my duffel, I pulled out a plastic bag with a fresh pair of leggings and a long sleeve shirt, and a pair of slip-on Vans.

I also opened a pack of wet wipes, wiping the blood off of my face.

I just need to get home. I’ll worry about getting properly cleaned up once I’m in the clear…

Before I destroyed my evidence here, I pulled my phone out, completely wiping all memory and deleting the programs for the cameras and rigged windowsills so nothing could be traced back to me. I remembered to disengage all locks as well, and shut off the electricity that I forced on, so nothing seemed out of place.

I added the duffel bag to the pile in the SUV and reached into the compartment with the spare tire. Ahead of time, I left a small container of gasoline and a Zippo lighter, ready to destroy this rental once I was done.

I took extra care to make sure the bloody clothing and bag were completely saturated with gasoline before tossing it around the rest of the interior. Once empty, I tossed the container into the car, lit the Zippo, and tossed it inside as well.

“Alright, two minutes,” I said to myself as the car became fully engulfed in flames.

Jogging around to the other side of the hospital, I had prepared for my Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R bike to be waiting for me, ready for a quick getaway. I pulled on the helmet I had waiting on the seat, and quickly straddled the bike, starting the engine.

I sped away into the night, focusing on getting home, hoping that my rest would come without nightmares of Dom and Aaron hurting Amara.

I have never slept so wellin my life after ending Dom and Aaron. Returning home to the house I shared with Amara, I took an hour-long shower, sat on the bed to decompress, and fell asleep wrapped in my towel.

My cell phone vibrating on my nightstand woke me from my deep sleep.

“Hello?” I answered with a yawn and a shiver since I was uncovered.

“Hello, Alexis? This is Detective Catalina Wallace.”

“Good morning, Detective,” I yawned again.

“Good morning, Alexis. I was wondering if you were free for me to stop by? There has been a development in your fiancée’s case that I’d like to share with you,” Detective Wallace asked politely.

“Sure, I’ll be ready,” I said, sitting up to the edge of the bed.

“Alright, I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“Okay, see you soon.” I hung up the phone, dragging myself out of bed to throw on some clothes.

Opting for some workout leggings and a baggy sweater, I pulled them on, not even bothering to wear a bra. Pulling my longer brown hair into a messy bun, I made my way to the kitchen to prepare coffee for Catalina and I.

I’d gotten to know Detective Catalina Wallace pretty well these past two years. Even when Amara’s case went cold, we stayed in contact. She helped me get a job with the City of Los Angeles as a building inspector, and the company paid for my training. It was good timing when I got that job; it was a few months after Amara died, and I couldn’t step foot in a hospital after what happened…

Keeping Catalina Wallace close to me was important… Especially now.

She’s the lead detective on Amara’s case; and now I need to keep her close since I’m the one killing off the Davis Brothers. I need to stay one step ahead of her, and what better way than to insert myself into her life as a potential partner…?

I wasn’t even sure if she was into women, but over the past year, she’s given me subtle hints that she’s interested. The whole being the cop on my dead fiancée’s case, though, has been holding her back. It was time for me to make the first move.

Starting my single cup coffee maker, I prepared Catalina’s coffee just how she liked it: medium roast with enough vanilla creamer to make it a creamy tan color.

As I mixed the creamer in for her and started to brew my cup, a soft knock sounded on my front door.

“Hey, Wallace,” I greeted, opening the door for her.

“Good morning,” she replied, sounding a little down.

“I just finished your coffee; come on in.” I stepped aside, allowing her to enter before closing the door. She followed behind me politely and stood with her hands folded in front of her.

Fuck, just how I like my women. Submissive good girls…

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