Saturday's Excerpt – Partners: Blinded By The Trees

"Oh, Frankie," Selma moaned, clutching her chest as Frankie walked her to the front of the tree. "How can a human being do that to another human being? What would possess someone to do something so horrifying?" 

"I don’t know, Mom," Frankie answered quietly. "I just don’t know." 

"If this is like some of the crimes you and Johanna had to respond to on the police force I don’t know how you stayed sane." She peered at Frankie. "How did you stomach it?" 

Frankie saw the tears glistening in her mother’s eyes. Her tender heart could never bear some of what they had witnessed. "Sometimes I don’t know how we did either, Mom." She looked toward the group. She never thought she’d see such a brutal murder in Charlestown.

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Saturday's Excerpt – Partners: The Other Woman

 Johanna’s complexion paled when she saw the woman. She looked anxiously at her mother.

Gracelyn sat stony faced as she met Johanna’s eyes. "Johanna, I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about."

"You two know each other?" Frankie’s eyes clouded as she wondered what the connection was between Johanna and the blonde. Johanna looked deeply distressed and her eyes flashed angrily as she made her way over to where Frankie still stood in the doorway. She slipped her arm through Frankie’s.

Johanna cleared her throat. "Frankie, this is Gretchen Wyler. We knew each other years ago in California."

"Now, Jo, we were much more than just friends," Gretchen cooed as her eyes swept appreciatively over Johanna then settled on Frankie. "We’ve already met. I thought you were Jo’s secretary," she said, annoyed. "You didn’t tell me differently."

"I had no reason to," Frankie replied smugly. "Now what are you doing at my home this time of night?"

"I’m here to talk to Jo. This matter doesn’t concern you." She turned her attention back to Johanna. " I want to hire you, Jo. I ran into your mother a few weeks ago and she told me you’re a private investigator now."

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Saturday's Excerpt – Partners: The Wrong Corpse

 The women watched as the Porsche’s driver side door opened and Cassandra stepped out. She quietly closed the door behind her, then pushed the remote to lock the car. Johanna snapped a few discreet pictures. Cassandra’s blonde hair glistened in the motel’s overhead lights. She wore a tight, short, red dress, which showed off her curvy well-endowed body. Her spike heels made clicking sounds on the pavement as she headed toward the far end of the motel then turned the corner.

"She looks more like a hooker than the heiress to the Reynolds’ fortune, and the wife of a wealthy financial advisor," Frankie observed as she pulled out of the parking space and drove in the opposite direction to the back of the motel. Cassandra wasn’t in sight.

"I wonder where she went," Johanna said. "It couldn’t have been too far." She squinted as she read the sign. "These rooms in the back are equipped with kitchenettes, an extra room, and are available for long-term lease."

"Sounds almost like a small studio apartment." Frankie parked the car and turned off the ignition. "McHenry said she’s typically gone for hours at a time."

"He also said besides visiting a ‘friend’, she tells him she’s going to Riley’s Gym for a workout," Johanna interjected.

Frankie lifted an eyebrow. "Well, I’ll bet she’s getting a workout all right." She took a pen flashlight and shined it on her notes. "We should talk to the manager of Riley’s Gym to see if she does indeed go there. They’d have a record if she has a membership."

"She could just be telling McHenry that."

"Why? I mean if she wanted out of her marriage, why not get a divorce? She’s rich. And face it; he’s old enough to be her father. He’s not very good looking either." She made a face. "Maybe she’s getting a little from some hot stud to fortify herself before climbing into bed with him every night."

Johanna was thoughtful for a minute. "Could be. Maybe she doesn’t want the publicity and cost of a messy divorce. So she has a fling with no strings attached."

A door two spaces from where they were parked opened. Cassandra slipped outside. Frankie and Johanna scrunched down in their seats. Johanna angled the camera and snapped a picture before

Cassandra turned and disappeared around the building. 

"She parks out front when it would make more sense for her to park back here where no one can see her car. Face it, a Porsche is going to stand out in a place like this."

"If she’s hiding her whereabouts she’s not doing a very good job of it," Johanna said.

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Saturday's Excerpt – The Three Of Us

 Deborah’s eyes traveled to Lily. Lily, dressed in casual kaki slacks and a red turtleneck, had set the last suitcase on the driveway and then slowly closed the trunk of the car. As Deborah watched Lily pick up the suitcases and begin to walk toward Caroline, Deborah got her first full view of her. It can’t be! she thought. As Lily moved closer, Deborah’s eyes met the woman’s eyes. Lily showed no emotion or recognition. Deborah froze, and then visibly trembled. 

"Are you all right, Mom?" Caroline asked, worriedly taking Deborah’s arm and steadying her. "You’re trembling." She stared curiously at her. "You’re so pale. What’s wrong? Have you been ill? Are you keeping some health problem from me, Mom?" 

"No…no, I’m fine, Caroline." she said quickly as she struggled to regain her composure. She smiled. "I’m just so excited to see you. All of your sudden news has overwhelmed me. That’s all."

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Saturday's Excerpt – Heart's Desire

 Emma made up the bed and then slipped between the sheets anticipating the night of passion Vanessa promised. She gazed at the fire in the fireplace. The soft glowing light from the flames provided the perfect ambiance. It also took the chill off the cabin, but soon Vanessa’s naked flesh next to hers would give her all the warmth she desired. Emma had remembered to bring a bottle of wine and two wine glasses. She had them set out on a small table next to the bed. She smiled as she thought about the romantic night that awaited them. As soon as Vanessa was finished showering, their night would begin. 

The bathroom door opened and Vanessa stepped out. She smiled seductively at Emma. Emma’s breath caught in her throat. No matter how many times she saw Vanessa naked, her tantalizing beauty always captivated her. Vanessa’s long blonde hair fell forward over her shoulders covering part of her well-rounded breasts. Emma grew hotter as Vanessa moved seductively toward the bed.

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Saturday's Excerpt – Breaking Free

 Even though they’d spent only a short time together, it had been comfortable. Izzy was easy to talk to and her presence was relaxing. She seemed eager to settle into Beacher and Katelyn would help her make that transition a pleasant one if Izzy wanted her to. 

Stop it! She commanded her mind as it began imagining all sorts of scenarios. She bit her bottom lip. Just because Izzy was new in town and obviously unattached gave Katelyn no reason to assume the woman was a lesbian just because Katelyn’s mind tried to will her to be so. Izzy had given her no reason to assume she was gay. She hadn’t mentioned anyone coming to Beacher with her and had seemed eager to accept Katelyn’s invitation. Of course, there could be many reasons why she’d come alone. Perhaps a companion would be joining her later.

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Saturday's Excerpt – Behind Closed Doors

 A loud knock on her door caused her heart to leap into her throat. She peered cautiously through the peephole and recognized Karl’s ruddy face. He had someone with him, but she couldn’t make out any details. Maybe it was a trap. Had someone tailed Karl and found out that he could lead them to her? She didn’t want to open the door. Maybe he had a gun to his back. She glanced over her shoulder. She had no way of escaping. Was this going to be how it all ended? She briefly closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer and then flung the door open. 

Karl stepped aside, ushering the stranger inside, then quickly shut and bolted the door. He removed his trench coat and hung it on the hook next to Kera’s jacket. He was dressed as usual in a suit. The gray shade seemed to match the gray sky. His broad shoulders filled out the suit jacket. His pleasant round face looked fatigued.

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Saturday's Excerpt – The Prize

 Micki knew that it was no secret to Marti or Tina her efforts to woo the elusive Starlyn. If she’d given them a reason for snubbing Micki, they never told her what it was. She was friendly, popular and a loyal friend to those she cared about, but unfortunately that part of Micki, Starlyn refused to see. Starlyn just didn’t appear interested in any facet of Micki’s life and preferred avoiding her. Liz had hinted on one occasion that Starlyn had once referred to Micki as a player and when Liz had tried to defend her, Starlyn had sweetly smiled and said she wasn’t interested in dating anyone who played around.

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Saturday's Excerpt – Out Of Control

 Alex would have preferred continuing to talk to her alone, but reluctantly followed noticing what a nice ass she had. With every curve in the right place, she was clad in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a low-scooped blouse. Her body was slim, but her arms and legs were muscular and Alex attributed that to carrying the heavy mailbags while walking her route. Her femininity couldn’t be denied though. The perfume she wore was light and pleasantly filled Alex’s nostrils.

Alex found she wanted to know more about this enchanting woman and couldn’t wait to get Stella alone to ask her about Molly. Her heart began to flutter and she ignored the red flag her mind put up. It wouldn’t be the first time she was attracted to a straight woman. She even managed to date a couple and quickly had her heart broken when they returned to their straight lifestyle.

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Saturday's Excerpt – The Interview

 Shayla’s brow puckered. "So your work takes precedence over your personal relationships?"

 Rae was taken by surprise. Her answer obviously annoyed Shayla. Was Shayla playing games with her? "Of course not. If I were in a relationship then my work and personal life would find a balance."

"How? What if your significant other wouldn’t accept your working hours?"

She shrugged. "I suppose I would find that out during the beginning of the relationship. If I saw a potential problem, I would end the relationship."

"Interesting. Let me give you a couple of scenarios and see how you would handle those situations."

Rae looked into Shayla’s eyes and immediately knew that Shayla wasn’t playing games with her. The sincerity in her eyes was unmistakable. "I’ll give it my best shot."

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Saturday's Excerpt – Best Friends

 Callie felt Michelle’s eyes burning through her, knowing that Michelle was dying to know what Katie had written to her, and obviously wondering why Callie was acting so strangely. Ironically, Callie was wondering the same thing about herself, but she couldn’t explain it to anybody. She was confused. She’d never felt like this before…not even with Jill. She felt totally alive, with all of her nerve endings vibrating and raw and at the same time fear clutched at her heart, making her feel sick to her stomach. Something exceptional connected her to Katie the instant their eyes first met, but she didn’t know what it was. Katie Johnson was worth standing up for and fighting for—that was all she knew. She was risking a lot for Katie, but it was a risk worth taking. 

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Saturday's Excerpt – The Other Side

 Clare Christian scanned the newspaper. "Where are you, Ally?" She wondered why Ally hadn’t called her. They’d often gone for a few weeks without seeing one another, but they’d always kept in touch by phone. She debated calling Ally’s private number. What reason would she give for calling if Michael answered? If she didn’t hear from Ally soon she would make the call. She loved being Ally’s confidant as well as her lover. In the beginning, she’d wanted so much more out of their relationship and at times had even thought about ending it, but she knew deep within her heart that Ally was destined to remain a part of her life. She’d settled into her own life, living for the moments Ally could come to her and they would make passionate love and then she would tenderly hold Ally as Ally shared her fears and hopes with her. She hated releasing her back into her life with Michael Brent, but knew she had to.

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Saturday's Excerpt – The Silent Cry

 Samantha flung open the door. "J.C., what’s the matter? It’s the middle of the night," she said, her voice alarmed as she led her into the apartment. "Are you sick?" 

J.C. shook her head slowly. "Please, Sam, I need to talk to you. I’m going crazy without you." 

Samantha frowned as she wrapped her bathrobe tighter around herself. "I told you earlier how I feel," she said firmly. "Nothing you can say will change that. You shouldn’t have come here."

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Saturday's Excerpt – Zinna

 Zinna heard the unmistakable tears in Megan’s voice. Hot tears poured from her own eyes, zigzagging down her face. She felt her lover’s pain. She was the cause of Megan’s pain as well as her own. 

"Who’s there?" 

Zinna listened to the silence. Megan was probably looking at the caller ID. She’d forgotten about the caller ID. Shit, now she’s going to know it’s me. 

"Zinna," she choked. "Is that you? Please talk to me," she sobbed. 

Zinna’s lips quivered. "Meg, I love you; just remember that," she wept, then clicked the phone off. She buried her head in her lap, sobbing uncontrollably.

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Saturday's Excerpt – Destiny

 "You can stay here with me knowing we’ll leave here in a couple of years or you can go now, but I can’t wear your ring if you get on that bus." She swiped the tears from her eyes. "I can’t make any more promises if you leave." 

"This means we’re breaking up, Ker. Take back your ring. Please put it back on right now. I don’t want to break up." 

"Then please get back in the car." Her eyes pleaded with Rachel. "Don’t break my heart," she whispered. 

"Please understand why I’m doing this, Kerri. I do love you. We’ll be together like we planned." Rachel picked up her suitcases and walked into the bus terminal. Once inside she turned watching through the glass door as Kerri wiped the tears from her cheeks then got into her car quickly speeding away.

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