'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 23

Sarah's ears perked up at the sound of distant murmurs. She picked up a folder and rose from her seat at the table. “Did you hear that?” she asked.

Roger looked up at her. “Hear what?”

“Voices.”

As Sarah walked toward the door, Jean popped through the doorway, nearly running into her. The two women stood facing each other for a moment. Each took a step backward.

“Excuse me hun, Brady’s back. He wanted me to tell you they’ve got the killer.”

Sarah and Roger followed Jean into the reception area. As they arrived, Sarah caught a glimpse of a woman with her head bowed, her dark hair obscuring her face as she walked, following behind an officer. Brady was standing at the reception table scrawling on a piece of paper.

“Hey Brady,” Sarah called.

Brady looked up from his writing and waved at Sarah. “Hey!”

“So what’s the scoop on the suspect?” she asked.

“It’s a pretty solid case. She hasn’t confessed yet, but we’ve got a lot of evidence and she has no alibi. The pawn shop gave us a call a little earlier. Our suspect pawned off Jack’s watch. We searched her apartment and found his wallet. Like I said, real cut and dry.”

“What about Johnson's murder?”

“That one is a little more sensitive,” he said, lowering his voice. “Being his partner, I have a little inside information. The suspect used to do the occasional housekeeping job for the Johnsons. They let her go last week when they caught her stealing. He never came out and said it, but I suspect that Johnson was fooling around with her. Their marriage has been… rocky at best of late.”

“It doesn’t make any sense. Why would she kill Jack?”

“Well,” Brady said. He cleared his throat. “Let’s just put it this way, Jack was no saint. He had a reputation for taking women to the Chester Inn. My guess is that she is one of his many spurned lovers. I imagine she got fed up with him and took him out, then did the same to Johnson. It’s a real shame.”

“What about the murder weapon?”

“She probably ditched it somewhere. I’m sure we’ll drudge it up eventually.”

“Here’s my guess. You won’t find a murder weapon,” Sarah said. She set a folder down on the table in front of him. “Take a look at these cases we found.”

Officer Brady picked up the folder and began leafing through the pages. “What’s your point? These cases look likely they're all but solved. A clear suspect with a strong motive, like what we now have here.”

“My point is that they all could be the same case. An unfaithful parter has their throat silt by a scorned lover. No murder weapon is ever found. The only difference here is that Jack was robbed.”

Brady sighed. “I appreciate what you are doing here, but I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.” He smiled at her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Relax, it’s over.”

Sarah jerked away and scowled.

“Aw, don’t be like that. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll look over the files. We still got plenty to do around town if you’re willing, but this case is basically closed.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 22

Shirley Sue raked her fingers through her hair. Satisfied, she wrapped the cord around the hair-dryer and tucked it under the sink. She gave her hair one last brush before exiting the bathroom. The sound of the clothes dryer hummed in the background as she walked down the stairs to the living room.

She walked into the living room and saw Buck. He was sitting on the loveseat, flipping through channels on the television.

“Hey!” she called to him.

He turned his head in her direction and waved. “Emma had an errand to run and asked us to watch Rachel, and since Rachel is down for a nap, we've got the house to ourselves.”

“Oh really?” she said. She smiled as she sat down beside him. Buck put his arm around her and drew her in close. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. Her lips grazed his stubble.

“Close your eyes,” he said. “No peeking!”

Shirley Sue closed her eyes. What was he up to? After a few seconds, she felt something soft and fuzzy on her cheek. She opened her eyes and turned her head to the side that the fuzzy sensation had come from. Buck was holding a small, blue owl with a silver, blueberry necklace wrapped neatly around its neck. She felt a grin pull tight across her face as she took the owl from Buck. She touched the silver charm dangling from the stuffed animal's neck.

“That's the necklace I was looking at yesterday! How did you know?”

“A little birdy told me,” he said, and then winked.

He pulled the necklace off the plushie and unclasped it. She drew her hair away from her neck. She shivered as his rough fingers brushed against the skin of her neck as he fastened the chain.

She threw her arms around him. “Thank you! I love them both!”

“Glad you like them,” he said, and squeezed her back.

As Shirley Sue looked into Buck's eyes, she felt the smile on her face grow. Buck lightly touched the side of her face and a tingle went down her spine. She place her palm on his chest and tilted her head to the side, then leand in toward him. She closed her eyes and an instant later she felt his soft, warm lips embrace hers. She felt a jolt of electricity jolt through as he gently ran his fingers along the small of her back.

“Uncle Buck, Aunt Tirly Tue can I have some water pweeze,” said a tiny voice nearby.

Shirley Sue looked up to see Rachel standing in front of them. A green stuffed animal frog dangled from her hand.

“Sure thing, kiddo,” Buck said, standing up.

Rachel followed him out the the kitchen.

Shirley Sue sighed. “Well, so much for having the house to ourselves,” she said.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 21

Buck squeezed into the last of the four seats which were positioned around the break room table. He rested his arm on the table and ran his fingers over an inch long gouge in the surface of the table.

“What's the scoop?” Sarah asked.

Buck listened as Shirley Sue relayed their encounter with Ben and Patty.

Sarah tapped her pen against her notebook as Shirley Sue talked, scribbling down the occasional note. “Hmm, I’m surprised that wasn’t mentioned in Brady’s police report. Did anything else catch your eye?”

Buck looked down at the table and ran his finger along the scratch. “I'm sure we will meet again,” echoed through his mind.

“No, that was about it,” Shirley Sue said.

Buck looked back up as Sarah flipped to a page in her notepad. “I'm not exactly sure what if anything we found,” she said, sighing. “We did stumble upon three homicides in neighboring counties who's victims died from having their throats slit. In each of these cases, the principal suspect is a scorned lover. The men were all mostly if not entirely naked and appeared to have engaged in intercourse immediately before their deaths. It was the exact same scenario again and again, except there was one major inconsistency in Jack's murder. His wallet and watch were stolen from the crime scene, whereas in the other instances, including Johnson's murder, nothing appeared to be missing.”

“So what are you saying?” Shirley Sue asked.

“I’m not sure. These could all just be coincidences, but I feel like there's a connection here...” She gazed into her notepad as though its pages contained another world. She shook her head, breaking herself free from the trance. “In the meantime, why don’t you two go home and get dried off,” she said looking at Buck and Shirley Sue. “Roger and I will stay here and search for a little longer. I feel like the answer is right under our noses.” She returned he attention to the notepad and flipped between a couple of pages.

Buck made a kissing face a Roger and Shirley Sue giggled. Buck felt a sharp pain sear through his leg as Roger's steel toe rammed into his shin. His leg jerked back by reflex. “Son of a gun!” he shouted as his knee bumped against the table. The table bounced and jiggled back to the ground.

“Will you two quit horsing around?” Sarah said, briefly breaking her gaze from the notepad. “Oh, one last thing before you go. We got a call from Patty's mother earlier. Jack's wake is at Patty's house tonight at six.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 20

As Patty and Ben hurried off, the rain began to pick up. After a few moments, sheets of rain tumbled down from the sky. Buck futilely held up the umbrella against the near flash flood. The cloth warped from the force of the water ramming against it. As he rushed to the truck with Shirley Sue, he felt his jeans sticking to his legs. In the short time it took to climb into the cabin, his shirt and hair became soaked. He and Shirley Sue sat in silence for a minute, listening to the rain thudding against the roof of the truck.

Buck looked over at Shirley Sue and laughed. “Well, that was crazy,” he said.

“The weather or Patty?”

“Both.”

He started the truck and waited for a break in the line of cars and pedestrians who kept moving across the space behind them. After a few minutes of waiting, an orange Beetle signaled for him to back out. As he was waving at the vehicle he felt something slamming into his arm.

“Punch buggy! No punch backs!”

“Aw, shucks!” Buck said, glancing over at Shirley Sue. She wore a grin which reached from ear to ear.

After pulling into the parking lot, the traffic immediately came to a standstill. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they sat in the line of cars.

“Look at all those cars,” Shirley Sue said.

“Ya, you'd think they never saw a little rain before,” he joked.

During the trip, the rain poured down so heavily at times that Buck could only see the break lights of the vehicle in front of him. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. After twenty minutes, the couple arrived at the station, a trip which had only taken them five minutes before.

Buck turned off the vehicle and the pair gazed out at the stream of water spilling down, hoping for a break. After a few minutes of waiting, they gave up and stepped into the rain with their umbrellas in hand and walked up the steps of the police station. Buck pulled the door open and they walked into the building.

They made their way to a front desk and saw a woman wearing a headset with a microphone, reading a book and chomping on bubblegum. On her desk sat a placard which read 'Jean Brown, Secretary'.

Jean looked over the top edge of the book, placed her index finger on it, and set it down. She snapped her gum loudly. “You kids need something?” she asked. He voice was nasally and high pitched.

“We're looking for Sheriff Smith or Officer Brady,” Shirley Sue said.

“I'll go get her for you hun,” Jean said. She stood up and smoothed out her short black skirt. As she walked toward a door in the back wall, her tan wedges clacked against the ground. She walked through the door and disappeared around the corner.

A few moments later, Sarah and Roger followed Jean through the door.

“Hey Buck and Shirley Sue!” Sarah called out to them.

The pair waved back as the trio approached the reception area.

“I would have invited you back, but Brady had a hard enough time letting me and Buck back there unsupervised.”

Jean laughed as she picked her book back up. “The way he treats this station sometimes, you'd think we were some big fancy department,” she mumbled through the snapping of her gum.

“You two look soaked!” Roger said, glancing down at the puddle which had collected around his brother and Shirley Sue. He grinned. “Umbrella's work better when you open them.”

“Glad to see someone finds it amusin'. It's rainin' cats and dogs out there,” Buck replied.

Jean looked up and cleared her throat. “If you kids like, you can use the break room over there ta talk,” she said, pointing to her left.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 19

Buck felt his head spin and he looked down at Aura. Her head was cocked sightly to one side and she was gazing up at him. Her plump, bright red lips were open a crack and her tongue danced along her pearly white teeth. She reached her hand up and placed it on Buck's chest. He jerked away from her touch and took a step backward. “I think I really have to be going now,” he said.

“Aw, you're no fun,” she said, puffing out her lip. “It was a pleasure Buck. I'm sure we will meet again.”

Buck turned around and walked away from Aura. He felt confused and conflicted. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Aura waving at him. Her lip was still puffed out and her puppy-dog eyes watched him as he walked away. He waved back and then looked forward in time to dodge a sign. He let out a deep breath and looked for Shirley Sue.

His mind was still muddled as he made his way to a row of Porta Potties. The rain had decreased in intensity, but a strong wind pelted him with raindrops from from the side. He surveyed the area, but saw no sign of Shirley Sue. Where was she? As he looked around, an idea popped into his head. He walked past the outhouses and into the crowded parking lot where his truck was parked. He grabbed the wet handle of truck and opened the door. He stashed the owl inside a plastic bag and hid the bag out of sight. He pushed the door closed and wiped his hand on his pants, leaving a large wet patch on his jeans.

He began retracing his steps to the blueberry toss game. As he scanned the crowd, his heart skipped as he caught a glimpse of a blueberry themed umbrella. He pushed his way through the throng of people, the umbrella bobbing in and out of sight. A wave of relief washed over him when the path in front of him cleared and he saw the umbrella's carrier was Shirley Sue. She was standing beside a tent pole, her back facing him.

He grinned and snuck up on her. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder with his free hand. She let out a yelp as she jumped and spun around. She smiled and gave his chest a gentle shove.

“You scared me,” she said in a hushed tone. Before he could say anything, she held up a finger to her mouth and pointed at a pair of people. It was Ben and Patty. They were standing huddled under an umbrella.

“It didn't take long for those two to get cozy,” Shirley Sue said. “Come on, let's see if we can hear what they're saying.”

Shirley Sue and Buck crept closer to Ben and Patty. Buck strained his ears over the patter of the rain. He heard some muddled words and then their lips stopped moving. After a minute of silence, Patty opened her mouth.

“I'm... sorry for leaving you after you proposed. I was just scared and felt like I was going to be trapped in Franklin forever. When Jack came around, I didn't want anything serious.” She looked away and gazed at the ground.

“It's alright. I just thought after being together so many years, it's what you wanted. But why'd you say you'd marry him then?”

Patty's face grew scarlet. “That asshole got me pregnant,” she said. Her face turned pale and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Tears trickled from her eyes and she hurried out from under their shared shelter. Ben followed after her.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 18

“Hey there handsome,” the woman said, punctuating her sentence with a wink. Her thin figure was wrapped in a sleek black dress that shimmered even under the darkened skies.

“Hey,” Buck said. “I think you must have me confused for someone else.”

“Oh?” said the woman, taking a step closer to Buck. She looked him up and down. “I think you're exactly who I'm looking for.”

Buck took a half step backwards and scanned the crowd for Shirley Sue. “I think you might have the wrong idea.”

“What idea is that? I just want to talk,” she said, her voice a higher pitch than before. She took another step forward and stuck out a hand. “Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Aura.”

“I'm Buck,” he heard himself say as he reflexively reached out and grasped Aura's porcelain toned hand. He was surprised at how soft her skin felt. A tingle propagated through his body as he shook her hand, like the feeling he got when Shirley Sue ran her fingernails along his scalp. His eyes locked with Aura's and he felt a wave of relaxation wash through his body. After a moment, he realized that he was still shaking her hand and he pulled away from her.

“It was nice to meet you Aura, but I really have to get going. I'm here with my girlfriend.”

“Aw, what's the hurry? I don't see her anywhere. Maybe she's forgotten about you,” the woman said playfully, wrapping a lock of hair around her finger. “Besides, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we just talked for a moment would she?” She bit down gently on her lip, her eyes pleading with Buck.

A gust of wind rattled down the road and tugged at his umbrella. He heard a tearing noise and saw a hole form in Aura's black umbrella.

“Oops,” she said, “Looks I've sprung a leak and I'm getting all wet. Could you help me? It looks like your umbrella is big enough to keep both of us... content.”

Before Buck had a chance to answer, the woman ducked under his umbrella. Gentle tones of vanilla and almond wafted to his nose. Her silken dress brushed up against his hand as her body pressed up against his. He felt an animalistic urge to grab a hold of her, to smell her, and explore every inch of her body with soft kisses and ferocious bites.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 17

Buck regained his balance as he dodged past a man with a crew cut who had zipped in front of him. The menacing clouds hanging over the festival didn't deter the festival-goers from wandering through the city of tents.

Buck felt a couple of raindrops fall on his arms. Moments later a steady rain began to fall. He and Shirley Sue raced between canopies in search of a vendor who sold something which would afford them protection from the rain than the flimsy rain ponchos which were little more than trash bags with hoods. They found a vendor with two blueberry themed umbrellas and purchased them.

Shirley Sue laughed as she picked up one of the last three remaining umbrellas and opened it up. The duo paid for the umbrellas and walked out from under the tent and onto the pavement.

“Aren't they hideous!” Shirley Sue giggled.

“At least they'll keep us dry,” Buck said, smiling at Shirley Sue.

The pair wandered around the festival. They weren't exactly sure who to look for, beyond the vague profile Sarah had given them. Before the rain had begun, searching for someone who matched the description of the suspect was challenging at best. Now with the ocean of umbrellas bobbing past, their task was impossible.

“You there!” a deep voice called from behind them. “The young man and pretty lady.”

Buck and Shirley Sue turned around the face the voice.

“Yes you!” a short man with a beard and a ponytail said. “You look like a nice strong fellow. How about you try your arm at this game of skill and win the lovely lady a prize.”

Buck walked over to the man and Shirley Sue followed behind.

“One blueberry for a dollar, six for five dollars. Toss it into one of the holes and win a prize,” the man said, pointing to a row of stuffed animals.

“Sure, why not,” Buck said. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a dollar bill.

The man placed a blue beanbag down in front of him. Buck picked up the beanbag and tossed it, narrowly missing the hole.

“Ah, so close,” said the man. “I bet with another chance you'd get it.”

Buck made several attempts and managed to win only a couple of small trinkets. After a few minutes of chatting with the man behind the booth, he felt a tug on his shirt.

“I need to use the bathroom,” Shirley Sue whispered into his ear. “I'll be back in a few.”

After three more attempts, Buck was finally able to win a small blue owl. The man tried to convince him to keep going so that he could win the bigger sized animal, but Buck declined. He was already fifteen dollars in and didn't want to spend any more. Besides, he was certain that Shirley Sue would love the owl.

He bid the man farewell and distanced himself from the booth. As he looked around for Shirley Sue, he saw the woman from the diner staring at him. She smiled and pointed her finger at him, then beckoned him toward her. He felt as though a force was pulling on him. His legs began to move and carried him in the direction of the woman.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 16

Roger closed the passenger side door of Sarah's white SUV. He watched as little bits of caked on dirt fell off the side of the vehicle and onto the parking lot's cracked asphalt surface. He looked up at the brick building, which was no larger than a house. A few strands dead ivy clung to the walls. He followed Sarah up a short flight of worn concrete stairs and into the police station. As the door swung shut behind him, he heard a voice shout, “Hey Smith!”

Officer Brady approached the pair. “I love that necklace. It really brings out the green in your eyes!”

Sarah touched the necklace and smiled. “Thank you! It was a gift from my grandmother.”

Roger clenched his jaw. Could this guy get any more obvious? And Sarah, she was smarter than that. She wasn't really buying those cheap, lines was she?

Officer Brady turned his attention to Roger. Roger watched as Brady's eyes quickly scanned over his body. “Hi, um...”

Roger opened his mouth to answer.

“Deputy Wilson,” Sarah interjected.

“Ah yes, I remember now.” He turned back to Sarah. “Like I said over the phone, you're welcome to search the files, but I don't think you'll find anything exciting. Your time might be better spent with me over at the hotel, or over at...” Brady broke eye contact with them and looked down at the ground. “Well, you know, Johnson's house. We could really use another pair of hands at either place.”

“I don't expect we'll be here too long. After that we'll drop by the crime scenes. I think our top priority right now should be to determine whether these cases are isolated incidents or whether they're part of a larger trend.”

“Okay.” Officer Brady sighed. “Before I take off, can I talk to you in private for a moment?”

Roger watched as Officer Brady and Sarah walked into a nearby room. Officer Brady closed the door behind them. Their silhouettes appeared through the door's opaque glass window. Roger walked over to the door and tried to listen in on the conversation. Was Officer Brady really going to try making another move on her?

“I know he's your friend, but you've put us in a real tight spot by bringing him along. Leaving you here at the station is hard enough to justify, but him too...” Officer Brady whispered.

“I really need the extra pair of hands here.”

“If you want, I can stay and help. It will hold back the investigation...”

“No, I don't want to be responsible for keeping you from your work. If it makes you that uncomfortable, then he doesn't have to stay here and help, but if he goes, then I go.”

Roger grinned from ear to ear at hearing his friend's words. He knew he could count on her.

“Fine. If anything happens I'll...” The doorknob rattled as Officer Brady set his hand on it.

Roger moved away from the door and took up his former position. Moments later, Officer Brady and Sarah exited the room.

“All right, I reckon I'll be on my way now,” Officer Brady said, waving the pair goodbye. “I'll see you two later. Stay out of trouble!”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 15

Buck walked through the door of the diner. He held the door open for the rest of the gang as they passed by the chrome lined doors and onto the white and black checkered floor.

“Welcome to Anna's,” a woman in her forties greeted them. “The name's Penny. Just the four of ya'll?”

“Yes,” Sarah said.

Penny led them to an empty booth with red cushioned seats. Buck sat down and scooted into the seat next to the window. He felt the pleather cushion jiggle as Shirley Sue sat down next to him and nestled against him. Penny scribbled down their orders and meandered back to the kitchen. Buck wrapped his arm around Shirley Sue, and Roger scrunched up his face like he smelled something rancid at the display of affection.

Buck ignored his brother and looked out the window. He observed the menacing dark clouds overhead. “Guess we should've brought an umbrella.”

“I reckon so,” Roger said.

“After breakfast,” Sarah began, “Roger and I will head on over to the police station and see if we can find any cases with a similar M.O. You two, head on down to the festival and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The one witness we have said he saw Johnson wandering off with a slender woman with dark hair and a large hat.”

As they waited for their food, Sarah excused herself. Buck looked back out the window at the passers-by. A woman with dark hair cut into a bob walked into view carrying a black umbrella. Her face was shaded, but as she walked past the diner her eyes connected with Buck's. She smiled at him and waved. He found himself smiling back at her and waving.

Shirley Sue looked up and saw the woman blow Buck a kiss. She scowled as her eyes followed the woman out of view. “Who was that?” she asked.

“I don't know, just someone being friendly,” Buck replied.

“Friendly? She blew you a kiss!” Shirley Sue said, sitting up and pulling away from Buck as she crossed her arms.

“Ya,” Roger said, “She was just being friendly. Everyone around here is real friendly, just like our pal Officer Brady,” he said, chuckling.

Shirley Sue glared at Roger.

“I've never seen her before Shirley Sue,” Buck said, wrapping his arm around her. “She waved at me so I waved back. She must have mistaken me for someone else.”

Shirley Sue sighed and cuddled back up to Buck. “You're probably right. A case of mistaken identity.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 14

Roger, Shirley Sue, and Buck sat in the lobby of the Chester Inn. Roger watched the round analog wall clock tick away. It was seven minutes past eight and there was no sign of Sarah.

“I wonder what's taking her so long?” Shirley Sue asked. “Maybe one of us should check up on her? Would you mind, Roger?”

“Aw, come on, why do I have to?”

“Because we know you want to,” Buck pipped in, making kissing faces a Roger.

Roger's face melted into a scowl. “I'll go, but I'm only doing this to get away from you,” he said.

Roger trudged up the stairs to the second floor. He opened the door to the hallway and stared down the hall. A red carpet covered the floor in front of him. The walls on either side were beige with white trimming. Adjacent to the entrance of each room was a generic scenery portrait which hung from the wall. He walked down the hallway, looking at the numbers on each of the doors. As he passed one of the doors, he caught a glimpse of cart with sheets stacked on top of it wedged into a doorway. Inside a maid was tearing sheets off of the bed.

He read the door placards off in his mind as he traveled down the hall: 207, 205, ah 203. He called out for Sarah but heard no response. He knocked. The door had been ajar and creaked open when his fist connected with the wood. He heard a whirring sound, like a vacuum had been left on. He called out for Sarah again but he was only met with the strange noise. He crept in to the room. The sound was coming from the bathroom, filtering through the open door.

Roger turned the corner to the bathroom and saw Sarah sitting in a bathrobe, blow drying her hair. The robe hung open, revealing a pink bra with black spots, trimmed with black lace. Roger stood frozen, his mouth agape, and he felt the blood rush to his face.

Sarah turned off the device. “Oh hi,” she said.

Roger collected himself and turned around. “S-Sorry! It- it was open,” he stammered as he pointed toward the door.

Sarah giggled. “Oh, it must not have latched shut after my run this morning. There's a chair or the bed if you want to hang out. I'll be done in a sec.”

The hair dryer came back on as Roger closed the door. He wandered into the bedroom, being sure to avert his eyes from the bathroom as he walked past. The wrinkled sheets on the bed had been pulled back. A neat pile of clothes rested on the corner of the bed. He looked around the room and saw a padded chair positioned next to a television. He took a seat and twiddled his thumbs. He pushed the image of Sarah's robed figured from his mind, but it kept inching its way back. After a minute or two, the dryer clicked off and Sarah emerged from the bathroom. Roger averted his eyes again and looked toward the windows, which were covered by curtains.

“What, you don't like what you see?” she said, giggling.

The blood rushed to Rogers face once again and he cleared his throat. “No, it's-”

“No?”

“I mean yes, er-” Roger said turning his head toward her.

“Relax, I'm just screwing with you,” she said, smiling.

Roger watched as she crossed the room and stopped at the bed. She winked at him and scooped up the pile of clothes off the bed. His gaze returned to the curtains as she walked back to the bathroom. After a moment, she emerged dressed.

“You ready to go, Deputy?” she said, smiling at Roger.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 13

“What is all the ruckus goin' on out here?” Emma demanded as she planted her hands on her hips.

“Sorry Emma,” Roger said. “It's all my fault, I just got back and-”

“You need to be more quiet. Some of us go to bed at a decent hour,” Emma scolded. “Why I never...” Shirley Sue felt her eyes glaze over as she listened to Emma continue to scold them for being noisy. She looked from Buck to Roger, both of whom kept apologizing to her, telling her that it wouldn't happen again. After about ten minutes of lecturing, Emma finally left the living room and returned to her bedroom.

After Emma left, Roger and Sarah began to regale Shirley Sue and Buck with the day's events. Couldn't this wait until tomorrow? Shirley Sue's foot bounced up and down against the floor as she waited for Sarah to finish so she could get back to cuddling with Buck. They were supposed to be having a romantic getaway, but this entire trip so far she had hardly spent five minutes alone with him.

“... murdered in his home,” Sarah's voice cut through Shirley Sue's thoughts.

“Wait, what?” Shirley Sue asked.

“Officer Brady's partner, Officer Johnson was murdered in his own home,” Sarah said. “His throat was slit like Jack's. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can find reports of similar cases to this one. I think we might have a serial killer on our hands. The four of us will meet up at the hotel tomorrow morning at eight and we'll figure out what to do from there.”

“What room are you in?” Roger asked.

“Oh, I think it's 203 or something like that, let me see...” Sarah pulled a notepad from her pocket. A small, rectangular piece of paper fell out and bounced in front of Shirley Sue. “Ya, it's 203.”

Shirley Sue picked up the business card and saw a line which read 'Robert Brady, Police Officer' printed across the middle of the card. She felt the air rush out of her lungs and her mouth grew slack. “Robert Brady?” she asked.

“What's wrong?” Sarah asked as she took the card from Shirley Sue's outstretched hand.

“We saw Ben Jackson at Patty's today. He said he was up visiting his cousin Rob, a police officer.” said Buck.

“Hmm, that's strange,” Sarah said. “I reckon it's all probably a coincidence, but I'll keep my eye out for anything suspicious.”

After a few more minutes of conversation, Sarah said her goodbyes and snuck out the front door. Shirley Sue listened as Roger and Buck argued about cars. She felt her eyes grow heavy, with each blink bringing her closer to the brink of sleep. She leaned her head against the back of the couch and drifted off to sleep with the sound of Buck's and Roger's voices echoing through her head.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 12

Buck yawned as he walked up to Emma's front door, with Shirley Sue at his side. It had been a long day and he was glad to be finally settling down for the evening. The house appeared dark, all except for a single porch light which illuminated the front door. “You know what they say, early to bed, early to rise,” his sister's chastising words echoed through his head. He crept up to the front door. The knob clicked as he turned it, but the door opened smoothly, without a shudder or creak. The breeze washed in behind him and rustled the leaves of two plants which guarded either side of the door.

He closed the door behind them and grabbed a hold of Shirley Sue's hand. He navigated them down the hallway and into the living room.

Buck felt something squish under his foot and the sound of a squeaky toy shattered the silence. He and Shirley Sue froze, but the occupants of the house did not stir. In the shadows, he saw the silhouette of a lamp. He clicked the the switch into the on position and light flooded the room.

The pair settled down onto the couch.

“Want to watch something?” Buck asked in a whisper.

“Sure,” Shirley Sue replied as she smiled at him.

Buck grabbed the clicker and turned on the television. A nature documentary about kangaroos appeared on the screen.

After a few minutes, Buck scooted closer to Shirley Sue and wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest. He felt his heart racing as a wide, uncontrollable smile spread across his face. He bent his head down and inhaled the scent of her hair. Another few minutes passed and Buck placed his free hand on to the side of her neck. His fingers danced through the hair on the nape of her neck. Shirley Sue looked up and him and he gazed into her eyes. She closed her eyes and leaned in toward him and he moved lips closer to hers. Her soft lips brushed against his.

The house rattled as a door slammed shut. The duo jumped and scooted away from each other. Footsteps thundered down the hall. Roger and Sarah hurried into the room.

“You guys won't believe the day we've had,” Roger blurted out.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 11

Shirley Sue stepped out of the truck and onto the gravel which lined the road in front of Patty's apartment. Excluding their truck, there were half a dozen cars parked along the road and another five in the driveway. Shadowy figures moved past the brightly lit windows and muffled voices could be heard permeating the walls.

Shirley Sue grabbed a neatly wrapped box from the back seat. “I feel a little awkward giving her this now, but...” she trailed off.

“It's the thought that counts,” Buck said, forcing a smile.

Shirley Sue wrapped her arm around Buck's as they walked up the driveway to the door of the apartment. She listened to the soft crunching sound of the gravel as their footsteps fell in unison. She and Buck mounted the small set of stairs and then she knocked on the door. After a minute of silence, she was preparing to knock once again, but the door creaked open and a short young woman with dark hair motioned for them to enter.

She passed through the doorway and looked around the room. At the far end of the room, Patty sat at a table near a trashcan overflowing with tissues. She was surrounded by a swarm of guests. Shirley Sue noticed a tall man with dark curly locks and hazel eyes standing next to Patty. What was Ben doing here? He had been heartbroken after Patty broke off their five year long relationship to be with Jack.

Ben stood with a hand on Patty's back. He handed her a tissue and she looked up and smiled at him. She said something to him, but her voice was drowned out by the conversations taking place around the room.

Shirley Sue felt as though her legs were moving through a lake of water as she approached her old friends. Ben straightened up after handing Patty another tissue. His brow was creased and his eyes darted around the room. After a few seconds, his eyes latched onto Shirley Sue.

“Shirley Sue, Buck glad you could make it,” he said as he strode toward them. He lowered his voice. “I'm sure you've heard, but Jack is dead.”

“Hey Ben,” Shirley Sue and Buck greeted.

“We heard the news a little earlier,” Buck said. “I'm surprised to see you here. I know how hard it was on you when Patty left you fer Jack.”

Shirley Sue elbowed Buck and he expelled gutteral umph from his lungs. She looked over at him and glared. Buck's face turned a deep shade of red and he began to stammer out an apology, “I'm sorry, I was just-”

“No, it's fine,” Ben interrupted. “I didn't know she was getting married in a few days. I was up visitin' my cousin Rob, a police officer in town. He got a call about the murder while we were out fer breakfast early this mornin'. I was shocked when I found out who it was. Poor Patty, it would have been bad enough to find out 'bout his philanderin' round town, but it was a shame she found out about it this way.” Ben fixed his gaze at the ground.

“Philandering?” Shirley Sue asked.

“Ya,” Ben said, looking at Shirley Sue. “It was pretty clear from the crime scene that he was mugged by either a prostitute or a scorned lover... Anyway, I need to find Patty's mom. I'll let you get on over to Patty. I'm sure she wants to see you.”

Shirley Sue and Buck made their way over to Patty and offered their condolences. After several failed attempts at striking up conversing with Patty, the two of them gave up and wandered into the crowd of visitors. In between exchanging greetings with the few familiar faces, they listened to the conversations. Several of the visitors made comments about how he got what was coming to him, but no one said anything to make Shirley Sue wonder whether they had a hand in Jack's death.

She took a seat next to Buck, who had stationed himself at a table with an assortment of snacks. She had a clear view of Patty and Ben from her vantage and she kept an eye on them. Throughout the evening, she noticed that Ben hardly left Patty's side, and when he did, she clammed up and became unresponsive to anyone else in the room. Shirley Sue had a hard time believing Ben. How could he have not known his high school sweetheart she was getting married in a few days? Who was his cousin in town? Come to think of it, he had a striking resemblance to Officer Brady.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 10

Buck watched as Roger finished paying for the bag of giant blueberry marshmallows.

“I bet I can stuff more in my mouth than you,” Roger said.

“I'm stuffed Roger,” Buck said, patting his belly. He felt like his stomach was on the verge of bursting. “I don't think I can handle another contest.”

Roger shrugged and popped a marshmallow into his mouth. Buck looked around for Shirley Sue. He was surprised she hadn't caught up to them yet. As he was scanning the crowd, he saw her standing in front of Sarah talking.

“Hey Roger, looks like yer girlfriend has arrived!” Buck teased.

Roger, whose cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk's, turned a vibrant red hue. Buck laughed as Roger mumbled something inarticulate through the mouthful.

Buck laughed. “Come on, let's go say hi.”

Buck dragged Roger, who was frantically trying to chew and swallow the mass of marshmallows, over to Sarah.

“Hey Sarah!” Buck called.

The trio turned to face Buck and Roger.

“Oh, hey Buck and Roger-,” Sarah said, her face twisting into a smile. She burst out laughing. Officer Brady and Shirley Sue followed suit upon seeing Roger's face.

Roger managed to choke down the mound of marshmallow. “Hi Sarah.” He held out the bag. “Marshmallow anyone?”

“We don't have time for that right now,” Sarah said, her face returning to its previously stoic form. “You know the body they found in the hotel?”

Buck nodded.

“He was Patty's fiancée. That's not all. One of Chester's police officers has gone AWOL,” Sarah said. “They really need another hand out here. Brady needs to stay and keep an eye on the festival. Since you've got the truck Buck, it makes sense if you and Shirley Sue go and visit Patty. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Meanwhile, Roger and I can head on over to Johnsons' house. Hopefully he's there and we can get him out patrolling again. One of the shop owners said they saw him take off with a woman, probably his wife, so there's a good chance he's just blowing off a little steam.”

The five split into their respective groups and said their goodbyes.

“Hang on a sec,” Shirley Sue said to Buck. “I need to use the little girl's room.”

Buck watched as Shirley Sue made her way to the restroom. As soon as she was out of sight, he hurried away, disappearing into the sea of vendors.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 9

Roger, Buck, and Shirley Sue shuffled through the crowds and tents of the festival. The trip from Emma's house to the festival had taken less than ten minutes, but finding a parking spot had taken nearly twice as long.

Shirley Sue gazed around in awe. She had never been to the blueberry festival before. They had been at the festival for almost two hours, biding their time until Patty's wedding shower, but she still managed to find new things to look at. She had assumed when they first arrived that it would mostly consist of pies, but she realized quickly that this was not the case. Blueberries were crammed into just about any food item imaginable, including hamburgers. There were t-shirt and tank tops with pictures of blueberries and blueberry slogans screen printed across their fronts and backs.

Shirley Sue stopped at one of the tents with jewelery. A majority of the pieces had metallic green leaves surrounding clusters of blue beads and faux gems. One piece in particular caught her eye and she let go of Buck's hand so she could lean in to get a better look. It was a pendant with three blueberry beads surrounded by two silver leaves dangling from a silver chain, accompanied by earrings fashioned in a similar manner.

“Hey Buck check this out!” Roger called.

Buck looked over at Shirley Sue. She returned his gaze and nodded.

“I'll catch up with you in a minute,” she said. She was sure she would go crazy if she had to watch Roger stuff his face one more time with the mini blueberry pies he seemed so fond of, or steal yet another free sample off of the various tables he had created a rotation around. How someone could eat that much food without making themselves sick was a mystery to her.

“Shirley Sue!” a familiar voice called out from behind her.

Shirley Sue turned around and faced the voice. She scanned the crowd and saw Sarah weaving between passers-by as she walked toward her, with Officer Brady close on her heels. Shirley Sue returned the wave and closed the distance to Sarah.

“Hey Sarah!”

“Thank goodness I found you!” Sarah said. “Where are Buck and Roger? I have some bad news.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 8

Officer Johnson lay sprawled across the bed, snoring. He felt something land on his body and he started awake. He opened his eyes and saw in the dim light the form of the naked woman straddling his chest.

“I'm bored,” she said and then smiled. “Why don't we play another game?” She dangled a pair of handcuffs over him.

Officer Johnson looked over at the clock. “Let me nap for a few more. You got to give me a little time to recover. Its only been what fifteen minutes? We'll have plenty of time for more. My wife won't be back for a few hours at least.”

The woman placed one hand on his bare chest and drew circles with her fingertip. She bent forward and kissed his jaw. He closed his eyes and felt the warm caress of her lips working down his neck.

“Ouch!” he shouted as a sharp pain surged through his neck.

He pushed her off of his chest and sat up, cradling his neck with his palm.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” He pulled his hand off his neck and saw a spot of blood on his palm. “Blood? What the hell am I supposed to tell my wife? It's not like she's not going to notice this bloody bite mark on my neck!”

She looked at him. Her lip was pushed out and her eyes looked glassy as though she would cry at any moment.

“I'm sorry, I just got a little carried away. Why don't you let me make it up to you?” she said, pushing his body back onto the bed.

He looked into her eyes and became mesmerized by their warm hazel color. He could not look away from them. He felt the muscles throughout his body relax. His eyes grew heavy and he closed them. He felt the sensation of her kisses on his chest. She started working her way back up his body, getting closer to his neck once again. He heard the sound of handcuffs clicking shut and the cold metal clamped down, first over his left wrist, then the right. Her kisses stopped and he opened his eyes. He saw the glint of steel. Slowly his eyes focused onto the knife she clutched in her right hand. It had a short blade with designs and symbols of some sort etched into its surface. The handle was dull and metallic. Between her fingers he could see filigree etched into its surface.

“Whoa there,” he said. He tried to will himself into motion, but his body was paralyzed by fright. “What are you going to do with that?”

The woman's eyes began to glow and her smile grew wider than he thought was natural, as though she was a reflection in a fun-house mirror. She remained silent as she brought the blade closer to his neck. He felt the ice cold steel connect with the skin above his jugular.

“What do you want? Did my wife put you up to this?” he said, his voice several octaves higher than normal. “I have money, you can have all my money. The jewelry, anything, just let me go!” He struggled under her weight, but it was as though she had gained two hundred pounds.

“What do I want?” she said, and then she licked her lips. “What I want my dear officer, is your blood.”

He cried out as the blade pierced his skin. He felt her head push up against his neck. The pain quickly subsided as a black haze encompassed his vision.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 7

The man looked in the bathroom mirror and checked his uniform. He flexed his muscles and his uniform stretched taut against his body. “You sexy beast,” he said. smiling and pointing at himself in the mirror. He exited the bathroom and approached Officer Brady and Sheriff Smith.

“Well sheriff,” said the man as he extended an hand to her. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm going to go take a look around the festival, make sure everything is in order. Radio me if you need anything Brady.”

“See you around Johnson,” said Officer Brady.

Officer Johnson walked around the forest of tents. His hands were in his pockets and his stride was slow and relaxed. He waved to a half dozen familiar faces in the sea of visitors which had besieged his normally sleepy town. As he looked around, a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat which was about three feet in diameter caught his eye. She looked at him and he noticed the glint of a wink from her shaded, porcelain face. He took a step toward her, scanning her body. Her dark hair was cut in a bob, and her arms were covered by long white gloves which extended past her elbows. Her long black dress hugged her body, revealing the curvature of her hips and waist.

“Good afternoon officer,” she said. “Is there anything-” she paused, glancing down at his crotch, “I can help you with.” He saw a flash of her tongue as it crested her bright red lips and disappeared behind her teeth.

Officer Johnson looked around, and moved closer to the woman, “I heard there was a disturbance over here. You know anything about that?”

The woman smiled. “I have been known from time to time to cause a disturbance or two,” she said, tracing her pointer finger down his chest. “Maybe I need to be arrested and taught a lesson? I'm sure a big strong officer like yourself knows how to take the law into your own hands.”

Officer Johnson coughed and tugged at his collar. “I don't know, what would my wife think of that?”

“What she doesn't know won't hurt her,” she said, drawing closer to his ear, “And I won't tell if you won't.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 6

The pickup truck pulled into a long gravel driveway. The trio exited the vehicle. Buck followed Roger as he walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. He heard a muffled “Coming!” eek its way through the door. After a minute the door swung open, revealing a tall, slender woman wearing an apron, her dark hair pulled up in a bun.

“Roger, Buck! It's good to see you!” she said, her eyes moving from one to the other. “Shirley Sue, it's been ages!”

“Hi Emma!” a chorus of voices echoed.

“Come on in!” Emma said. She motioned for them to enter. “Kick off yer shoes and join me in the living room.”

The trio followed Emma into the living room. Buck watched as Roger took up the seat on the couch near Emma's recliner. Shirley Sue sat down onto the loveseat and he followed suit. He placed a hand on her bare thigh and watched as Emma's forehead crease and her eyes narrow. She flared her nostrils as an audible jet of air whooshed out of them.

Emma cleared her throat. Buck felt her eyes burning a hole in his hand, but he refused to budge. He was not a kid anymore. No way was he letting her boss him around like she used to. “What brings you celebrities all the way out to here to my humble abode?” Emma said.

“Well,” Roger began. “You know Patty McDowell?”

Emma nodded. “Yes, I was friends with her older sister.”

“She moved out this way and is getting married in a couple days,” Roger said.

“Right in the middle of the blueberry festival? I can't say I would have done the same thing, but each to their own,” Emma said. “Well, it was awfully nice for you to drop by for a visit while you were in town.”

“I know it's short notice,” Buck said, “But we were wondering if we could crash here for a couple of days? We had reservations at the Chester Inn, but-”

“Stay here?” Emma interrupted. “We only have one guest room.”

“I could sleep on the couch and Buck and Shirley Sue could share the guest room,” Roger said.

“Oh no, I will not let this house fall into depravity,” Emma said. “Shirley Sue can stay in Rachel's room. You boys can share the guest room.”

“But,” Buck protested. “We know how shy Rachel is. It's not fair to make her uncomfortable. It's really not that big of a deal if Shirley Sue stays with me.”

“That's funny,” Emma said. “I don't remember going to your wedding and I don't see a wedding band on that finger of yers.” She glared at the hand Buck had on Shirley Sue's thigh.

“I could always take the couch,” interjected Shirley Sue. “It would really be no trouble.”

Emma scoffed and fixed her gaze on Shirley Sue. “That would be like letting the fox guard the hen house. There would be nothing to stop Buck from sneaking down here in the middle of the night. No way, no how. Besides, I'm sure you and Rachel will get along like two peas in a pod.”

Buck glanced at Shirley Sue and she nodded. “Okay, fine,” Buck sighed.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 5

“I'm Officer Brady. You did some real fine work on that case,” the man said as he walked toward Sarah. He extended his hand to her and they shook. “I'm a huge admirer!”

“Why thank you!” she said. “These are my friends from Franklin.” She waved a hand toward the trio.

“Afternoon,” Officer Brady said to the party and then returned his attention to Sarah. “It might be a bit bold to ask, but we've got our hands full with the blueberry festival and now a murder investigation. If you're inclined to help, we'd be mighty obliged.”

“I might have a little time to help. I'll get back to you,” she replied.

“Of course,” he said, handing her a card. “Also, if you'd like, I can show you around the town a little later, maybe even take you to dinner?”

“That would be nice,” Sarah said.

Roger felt a twinge of anger well up inside when he heard the officer's words. Why was this guy so interested in Sarah? Didn't he have anything better to do than to stand around and hit on their friend? He saw the two of them laugh and he clenched his teeth.

Roger felt a tug on his sleeve and looked over at Buck.

“You coming, or should we just leave you here in the lobby?” Buck said.

“Oh, sorry, I was just lost in thought,” Roger replied.

“Don't hurt yerself!” Buck smiled and laughed at Roger.

Roger returned a halfhearted smile and chuckle. The trio said their goodbyes to Sarah and Officer Brady. Roger trailed behind Shirley Sue and his brother. He glanced back and saw Sarah smiling and talking with Officer Brady.

“Didja see how Officer Brady was throwin' himself at Sarah?” said Roger. “I mean talk about desperate.”

“He was just being nice,” Shirley Sue replied. “Besides why does it matter to you if he does? Jealous?”

“No way, I'm not jealous,” Roger scoffed. “He just seemed really needy. I mean, Sarah is smart and good lookin', so I can see why he would be interested in her, but I'm not.”

“You are jealous,” Buck laughed.

“Am not!”

The party loaded their luggage back into the truck cab and boarded the vehicle. Roger glared at Buck from the back seat as his brother pushed the key into the ignition and started the truck.

“Roger and Sarah sitting in a tree!” Buck taunted as they drove off.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 4

“Unavailable?” asked Buck.

“Yes sir, as in you can't stay here,” said the balding man. “I would offer you another room, but we currently have no vacancies. We are booked up through next week for the blueberry festival.”

Buck looked at his companions. They shared the same wide eyed look of disbelief.

“What happened?” Buck asked.

The man leaned over the desk and sighed. His metal name tag, which read “Charles Cooper,” clinked against the granite surface. “Well, I suppose you'll find out soon enough,” said Charles in a hushed tone. “This morning, the cleaning staff found the former occupant of your room dead. The poor fellow had his throat slit. A truly grizzly scene. Your room has become a crime scene, so there is really nothing we can do for you. I truly am sorry.”

“That's awful!” said Shirley Sue.

“Now if you'll excuse me, I have to finish giving my statement.” Buck watched as Charles maneuvered out from behind the desk and walked over to the police officer. The officer put down the newspaper he was reading and stood up from the cushy lounge seat he had been sitting in.

“I guess this means we're gonna have ta stay with Emma,” Roger said.

“She did say we were welcome anytime...” Buck trailed off. “Don't get me wrong, I love our sister, but... I can't stand how she mothers us.”

Buck's shoulders sank as he felt the last bits of excitement fade from his chest. He looked at Shirley Sue. Her normally bright disposition had turned stormy, with her face twisted into a frown. The trio turned to the exit. Buck watched as a woman entered the vestibule and then strolled into the lobby. Her shoulder length brown hair was buffeted by the air currents as she walked. She smiled at the party and waved.

“Hi guys!”

“Hi Sar... um Dep... er Sheriff Smith!” stumbled Roger.

She laughed at Roger. “Relax, I'm off duty. It's just Sarah. Besides, you can't go around calling your date to the wedding Sheriff all night.” She winked at him. “You folks getting moved in?”

“We were, but they don't have any vacancies,” sighed Buck. “And our reservation was, well... canceled. We'll explain later.”

“Oh that's too bad, I-” Sarah said as she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

“Sheriff Smith? The Sheriff Smith from Franklin?”

They all turned to face the police officer.