Chapter 16: What Are You Doing Here?

Zach was surfing the net when someone knocked on his door. Maybe Grace had come back to finish what they’d started.
Instead Dolores stood on his doorstep, with food. She smiled the smile of seduction. She’d put on a skirt he was sure to show off her legs. He wouldn’t bite. He couldn’t go down that road again.
“Come in. That for me?”
She nodded and handed him the dish. Knowing a bribe when he saw one he cocked his head at her. “What do you need?”
“Who says I need anything?”
“You haven’t brought me a casserole since we were dating.”
“So, maybe it’s time I started again.”
“Mm.”
He didn’t want that, especially with the taste of another woman still on his lips.
She followed him into his kitchen. Putting the dish in the refrigerator, he braced himself. Dolores could manipulate with the best.
“I have an ultrasound tomorrow. Would you like to come with me?”
He straightened. “I don’t see why I should.”
“Well, the baby and all.”
The baby that could be anyone’s. Grace’s visit threw doubts in his mind. “What if the baby isn’t mine?”
Her mouth dropped open. “So you don’t plan on investing anything emotionally into it until there’s paternity test. Why the change?” Then a light when on in her eyes. “Grace. It’s Grace.”
When she put it that way, he sounded cold. Maybe he needed to be cold to protect himself from her. “It isn’t Grace. Lors, don’t. Don’t use emotional black mail to get me back. Do you really want me that way?”
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as if she were cold. He had the air conditioning on, but not that high. “You eat?”
“Yes, I did. I saw Grace in the parking lot.”
Here goes.
“What was she doing here?”
“Not as if it is any of your business, but she had a question for me. One I couldn’t answer.”
“What was it.”
“Who the father of your baby is?”
***
This time Zach was already naked. His penis nudged the entrance to her moist, warm core.
“Let me in, Grace.”
She spread her legs further apart and grabbing his butt, she slid him into her. For a moment relief swept through her.
Then he began a slow and easy rhythm. “Is this good.” His voice came out in deep breaths as if he couldn’t control himself. “Tell me what you like.”
“Oh, God. This and more.”
He pulled himself almost completely out of her then slid back in with an agonizing slowness. She wrapped her legs around him.
He smiled down at her his eyes dark with desire. “Slow down, Grace.”
“No, speed up.”
“The journey.”
“No, the climax.”
His chuckle rumbled from deep inside of him as his thrusting increased. She was going to disintegrate. Soon. She wanted to be there.
She met his thrusts and parried back.
His breaths grew short and his thrusts furious. The climax was just over the horizon. She only had to reach the top of the hill.
Her fingernails scraped across his back. He groaned and grunted.
And when she thought she would come, she was catapulted out of the dream.
Her body ached from the effort. Her spirits crashed as she knew she’d never find satisfaction with anyone else.
She sat up, but exhaustion pushed her back into the pillows.
Zach had been in her thoughts more than she liked, and with her dreams she had less control.
Pacing the apartment she tried to decipher what it all meant. She had no one to talk to in this instance. Her gut told her not to let Mark know all that was going on. She wished she knew why.
A movement outside on the driveway had her looking out. She parted her curtains, but stepped aside. Once again a man stood on her driveway. She thought he was looking up at her window.
Without turning on the light, she fished in her purse for Zach’s card. Dolores wasn’t supposed to die for another day, but she wanted to be sure.
He answered on the second ring. “Holton.”
“Zach, it’s Grace Harmony.”
“Is something wrong?”
He must have heard it in her voice. “Yes that guy’s back. He’s standing on the driveway.”
“Did you call the cops?”
“I called you.”
“Well get off the phone and dial 9-1-1. I’m on my way.”
Grace did as he instructed. The man had moved closer to her apartment. She slipped a robe over her shoulders as she relayed the information to the dispatcher.
Hanging up she sat on her sofa bed for a moment, chewing on her thumbnail. She checked outside again, but that man just stood there. Not liking cowering in her room, she belted the robe and strode out her front door.
A siren wailed at the end of the street and the man turned and ran away from her. She sprinted to where he had just stood, but he’d disappeared into some bushes.
“Damn.”
The patrol car pulled into the driveway. She pointed in the direction the man had run. “He went that way.”
“You okay, Miss?”
“Yes, just get him.”
The patrolmen set off on foot, but came back a moment later. “I didn’t see him. You get a good look?”
“I’ll tell you what I can.”
She described the man the best she could. As the officer finished taking her report, Zach pulled in behind the cop’s patrol car.
“Someone you know?” the cop asked.
“Yes.”
The cop acknowledged the newcomer. “I didn’t see anyone when I arrived.”
Grace eyed Dolores’ house. She thought she’d seen her come in earlier and she wondered why the woman hadn’t been awakened. Several of the neighbors had turned outside lights on to see the action.
As if reading her mind, Zach said, “She sleeps pretty soundly.”
“Maybe you should check on her.”
Zach cocked his head. “Something you want to tell me?”
Her anger spiked. “No.”
Zach moved his car for the cop then pulled back into the driveway. Grace stood in her robe suddenly feeling vulnerable.
“If you don’t knock on her door, I will,” she said.
“I’ll do it. Let me call her first.”
He dialed a cell phone he had retrieved from off his belt. Shaking his head he hung up. “Odd that she didn’t answer. You sure she’s here?”
“I though I saw her come in.” Grace looked over her shoulder. “Her car’s in the garage. I heard the door.”
“Did you actually see her?”
“Well, no, but I did hear the door.”
Zach frowned at her in the moonlight. “Okay, I’ll check.”
He had Dolores’ key on his chain. Guess they were close. “She gave me a key because she sometimes locks herself out.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Your posture said it all.”
She uncrossed her arms. “I only have this robe on.”
Zach stopped on his trek to his ex-wife’s back door. She couldn’t see his expression, but she could imagine.
“Only a robe. What do I say first?” He ran a hand through his hair. “What the hell were you thinking coming out of your apartment? Let alone half-naked. You’d be a prime target for rape.”
She pulled her robe closer around her. “I’m not half-naked.”
“Did you see the way that cop looked at you. He’s got a great story for the guys back at the station.”
Her face flushed. She hadn’t thought about that. “I wasn’t thinking.”
His voice came out in a stern whisper. “No, you weren’t.”
Turning away from her he put the key in the lock. It clicked. “Lors?”
No answer. A chill went up Grace’s spine. Was she too late? Had she gotten the date wrong?
“Stay here,” Zach commanded.
“No.”
The whole neighborhood heard his sigh. “Stay behind me, then.”
She did all the way upstairs to Dolores’s bathroom. That’s when they found her in a pool of blood.
Dolores looked up at them, pale as she could be. “The baby.”