Silver Arrow Ch. 13-16

She had moved even closer to me and we were almost touching as we enjoyed our meal. The music continued and even though it was a weeknight, the place was busy and it kept us in a good mood while we ate. I probably had a little more than usual, but I figured if Christie liked to dance, we could work it off over the next couple of hours.

I had a draft beer from a local brewery and it was cold and tasty. Christie had the same and agreed. We relaxed for a few minutes after the waitress took our plates away. I sort of summoned up my courage and turned to her.

"Would you like to dance?" I asked.

"Love to," she smiled.

I helped her out of the booth and we moved to the big dance floor in the middle of the room. The band was playing a medium slow tune and we joined together with the two dozen other people out there and found our pace. I wasn't a terrible dancer, so we didn't have any trouble moving along with the crowd. Christie took a couple of minutes to mold herself into me and it felt comfortable and pleasant.

It was a little noisy for talk, but then I didn't really need to say anything. I think we were both enjoying ourselves and I felt Christie as she moved with me. She was relaxed and swaying with the music. I just held her to me and led her along.

We danced and then sat for a set, then danced some more. I would have liked to talk to her, but it just wasn't the place for that. The things I wanted to say were private and shouting them to her would definitely not be appropriate. I'd wait until we were alone and somewhere quiet.

It was warm in the dance area and I was perspiring. Neither of us wanted to quit, but I could see Christie was feeling the effects of the heat as well. About eleven-thirty, I suggested we go and she smiled and walked with me out the door. The cool air hit us immediately and we hurried to my vehicle before we caught a chill.

The windows steamed up almost immediately and Christie began to laugh. Well, giggle first, then it turned into laughter. I was sort of joining along with her but wondering what was so funny.

"Did you ever go to a drive-in movie," she asked me. "If you wanted to watch the movie, you had to have the motor on to run the defroster fan. If you didn't care about the movie, you had your privacy. This reminds me of that."

"You know what ... I've never been to a drive-in movie. I always wanted to but they had all closed down by the time I had a driver's license."

"Well, here's your chance," she said, turning to me and leaning over the console. She took my arm and pulled me toward her and I was immediately met with a very sound kiss. It was so completely unexpected I didn't know how to respond. It must have shown on my expression.

She was smiling as she gazed at me. "I've wanted to do that for a long time, Doug. I just never worked up the courage."

At some point, instinct took over and I leaned back toward her and kissed her just as firmly as she had kissed me.

"I think I've wanted to do that too," I admitted.

"Is that all you wanted to do?"

"No," I replied honestly.

"Let's go home, Doug. We'll never get comfortable in these bucket seats."

"You wipe your side and I'll wipe mine and we'll get out of here," I said.

It was a twenty minute drive from the restaurant to our home and she held my hand all the way. We didn't talk, but we were communicating. Some kind of a breakthrough had happened for both of us and I knew our relationship was never going to be the same again. Could I handle it? I wanted to. I had strong feelings for Christie and the time had come to find out just what we meant to each other.

We descended through the kitchen door into her suite after I'd checked on the children. Debbie was old enough to be our babysitter and she was sound asleep in her bed. Christie turned on the family room light and waited for me after I had closed the kitchen door. We embraced and kissed. I don't think either of us had any illusions that this was just a kiss. The message was clear, we both wanted more. She led me to her bedroom and turned on a bedside lamp. I went back to switch off the other light and returned. Christie had started to disrobe.

"Let me, please," I said.

She turned her back to me and I helped her out of her blouse and then her bra. I resisted the urge to fondle her breasts and instead, undid the button and zipper on her skirt. I neatly put her clothes on a nearby chair. She wasn't wearing hose and when she stepped out of her shoes, she was naked except for a lovely pale blue pair of bikini panties.

She was just as beautiful as I had imagined she would be. Yes, I had imagined what she might look like in this situation. It was one of those dreams that came and went during the night. Now, it was real. Flesh and blood, standing before me with an enigmatic smile that spoke to me. I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply once more.

"My turn," she whispered as she began to unbutton my shirt.

I let her look after my disrobing, including my socks and surprisingly, my briefs.

"I heard so much about this," she said quietly, examining my penis. "Diane wasn't bragging. It really is beautiful."

Before I could respond, she took me in her mouth and began to give me my best ever oral sex. She had a technique that enhanced all the sensory pleasure to a height I wasn't accustomed to. I hated to compare it to Diane's efforts, but this was more erotic and stimulating. Almost too stimulating.

"I'm getting close," I warned.

She looked up and then continued to use her tongue and lips to finish me.

"Oh ... oh ... uhhhn ... uhhhn ... God ... oh!" I cried as I spurted into her mouth.

When I was done and my knees were wobbly from the moment, she looked up at me once more and smiled. I pulled her up and kissed her. I wanted to do that. If she was going to take what I had given, it was only fair to show her how I felt about it. The taste was odd, but not terrible. It didn't matter. I wanted to send her a message.

I gave her a smile. "My turn."

She walked to her bed, pulled down the quilt and covers and lay back crosswise. I knelt before her and spread her thighs, kissing my way toward her sex. Christie was more vocal than Diane. She told me how much she liked what I was doing. I wasn't in any hurry and lingered with long, slow strokes on her labia before moving toward her chubby little clit. Whatever I did met with her approval. I added two fingers in search of her G spot, again bringing forth her noisy approval.

I was hard once more, thankfully, because Christie wanted me inside her. Despite the fact that I wasn't a very big man, I was equipped quite adequately to satisfy a woman. I pushed gently into her, then withdrew before pushing in a little further. She was being patient with me as I prolonged our joining, but when I finally had myself completely inside her, she sighed her contentment.

"Now, Doug. Show me what makes you a great lover."

I forced myself to find a pace and maintain it rather than rushing to a big finish. Both of us wanted this to continue, and her blow job earlier had made that possible. I rolled her on top of me after five minutes or so of missionary, then later, switched to doggie style. I wasn't in a hurry because I wanted to last a while, pretty sure that between our dancing and this we would be ready for sleep when we finished.

I wasn't keeping time anyway, but I was satisfied that I had survived long enough for Christie to enjoy two very obvious orgasms. We fell asleep almost immediately afterward, tangled in each others sweaty arms.

I was the first to awake that morning and I slipped out of her bed without waking her, pulled on my pants and unbuttoned shirt before heading up the stairs to my bedroom.

I opened the kitchen door and came face-to-face with Debbie. The look of shock on her face was quickly replaced with a knowing grin and a snort.

"Good morning," I managed with a straight face.

"Good morning," she giggled in return. "Have a nice time?"

"Yes, thank you," I replied as I headed for the bedroom. I wondered just what I might have said to her, but realized there was nothing I could say. It was pretty obvious where I spent the night and apparently Debbie wasn't upset about it once she got over her surprise.

I showered, shaved and dressed, not being too quick about it either. I still wasn't sure what to make of last night, or what I would say to either Christie or Debbie. I wandered out into the kitchen once more to find a robed and sleepy-eyed Christie hugging Debbie.

My daughter saw me and came to me immediately. "I'm happy for you, Daddy. I was hoping it would happen this way."

I looked over to Christie and saw a smiling woman, content with her world at that moment. I could relax. Everything was going to be all right.

When the three youngsters were off to school, Christie and I sat on the living room sofa, facing each other. Neither of us wanted to go first, but at length, she began.

"I've wanted that to happen for a long time, Doug. I've fallen in love with your family. It was impossible not to. Your mother and father are very supportive and encouraged me. You already know how I feel about your children. Most important, though, is how I feel about you. You are a real man. I know this because I lived with an imposter for years. Now I know the difference.

"Last night was everything I hoped for. We made love, not just had sex. When I woke up this morning and you were gone, I had an attack of fear. I was afraid that you thought it was a mistake. It wasn't until Debbie told me that you had a big smile when you found her in the kitchen that I felt a little better. Then, when you came into the kitchen all clean and shiny, I could tell by the look on your face that we were okay."

"We're more than okay, Christie. And last night was wonderful. I want to continue finding out if this is right for both of us. It feels right to me, but it has to work for both of us."

"We could waste a lot of time finding out what we already know, Doug. We've been around each other for years. But I'll do whatever you want as long as we can be together."

I pulled her to me and kissed her and got a deep, passionate kiss in response. Morning breath or not, she was telling me how she felt at that very moment.

"Come on, let's go mess up the sheets in my bed now," I said, taking her hand and pulling her up.

"Not 'till I brush my teeth, mister. I'm surprised you didn't turn green when you kissed me," she chuckled.

"There's a spare, unused toothbrush in my bathroom. What have you got on under that robe?" I asked, tugging at the tie.

"Have a look," she grinned with a raised eyebrow.

"Hmmm. Do you usually wander around naked under your robe? I hope so."

"Since no one but us is around, who needs the robe," she said, slipping it off her shoulders and tossing it onto a nearby chair.

"I'm going to have to spend some time telling you just how beautiful you are, woman. You really are female perfection."

"That's nice to hear, even if it is baloney."

"No ma'am. I mean it," I said as I led her to the bedroom. "I'll be happy to describe each and every perfect part for you. Now that it's daylight, I can see what I only guessed at for several years."

"Go ahead," she said with a coy look. "I can handle flattery."

I slipped between her thighs and began to work my way upward. It took quite a while before we were properly connected. Neither of us had said a word and Christie hadn't encouraged me to hurry up at all. When I peeked, which was several times, she had a look of sublime pleasure, often with her eyes closed. I think I'll remember that look for a very long time.

When at last I entered her, she gasped and wrapped her legs around my thighs, pulling me into her, aided by her hands on my ass. I wasn't able to move with any freedom, but the little strokes I managed seemed to be more than enough for her. We stayed that way for some time before I wasn't able to hold back and told her so.

"I'm going to finish, love."

"I know. I can feel it. It was beautiful, Doug. Beautiful."

We lay beside each other, the morning sun now shining on the bed and us. I thought that was symbolic somehow. Were we being blessed?

"You really do know how to flatter a woman," she said lazily. "No one has ever made love to me that way ... that ... thoroughly ... that sensitively. I can't imagine it being any better."

"I suggest we keep trying," I whispered as I began kissing her neck and shoulders.

"Oh, yes. Let's. But right now, I need my morning shower. I won't ask you how I smell or taste after last night and now this."

"You taste just like I want you to taste after we make love."

I took her hand and led it down to my recovering erection. I was surprised that I was recovering this quickly. I rose and pulled her up, wrapping my arms around her as we stood beside the bed.

"Shower time," I mumbled, leading her into the ensuite.

Diane and I had engaged in sex in the shower a few times. It needed to be carefully done, but there was enough room. My erection was now full since Christie had used her hands to lovingly wash me, front and back. I had returned the favor and when she turned her back to me and "assumed the position," I knew what she was expecting.

This time we were a little more rambunctious. Christie was giggling and using her ass and internal muscles to tease me and finish me off. It worked. I had no defense. I had little in the way of sperm, but I certainly didn't have any trouble releasing what was left.

"I can see we're going to have a great time learning all the things we can do together," she grinned as I dried her.

"I think you're right," I agreed. "It's always good to be trying to learn new things."

Chapter 16 The Letter

It was about a month after Christie and I began sleeping together that Diane's death was brought back to the surface again. I had been on the road for the full week and when I arrived home late Friday afternoon, I was greeted in the usual loving manner by my new companion.

"Welcome home, my man," she said, embracing me and kissing me with a now familiar passion. "Your woman has been doing without your loving for too long. You'll get the formal welcome a little later."

"I've been thinking about that for the last few hours," I admitted. "Anything exciting happen while I've been gone?"

"Nope. Just the usual. There's a letter for you, but it doesn't have a return address on the envelope."

"I'll have a look at it after I get changed and have a shower. Want to join me," I leered.

She laughed. "Normally, yes, but I'm in the middle of making dinner. I'll take a rain check."

"Oh, a pun no less," I grinned, slapping her playfully on the butt.

I made haste for the bedroom, stopping to say hello to Sandy, giving her a kiss as I did. Bill and Debbie weren't home yet. I assumed they had some after-school activities. Fifteen minutes later I was clean and dressing in my usual around-the-house clothes; jeans, a sweatshirt, and moccasin slippers.

I found the usual pile of mail that Christie set aside on the dining room table and sorted through it. Three-quarters junk mail and one quarter bills. The only exception was a plain 5 X 8 manila envelope with my name and address, but no return address. I stuck my finger in it and ripped it open. A single piece of paper and what turned out to be a memory card were inside.

I opened the folded page to a typed message.

What you see is the truth. The camera doesn't lie. Too bad Diane couldn't accept that.

I stared at the page, reading it over and over before passing it to Christie.

"Oh, my God, Doug. What's this about?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to look and see," I said, heading for the drawer where we kept our little digital camera.

"Download it onto the computer," Christie said. The pictures will be bigger and clearer."

I passed the card to her. She was the computer whiz.

"We're lucky," she said after examining the little device. "It's the same type as our camera uses."

She removed the card from our camera and inserted the mystery one. She attached the cable to the computer and the camera and with a couple of jigs of the mouse, began to download the pictures. There were six of them. The rest of the card was blank.

The first picture showed Diane sitting in a chair in what appeared to be a hotel or motel room. There were papers spread out on a table in front of her but it was impossible to see what they were. The look on her face seemed to be one of surprise, as if she wasn't expecting someone to take her picture. The flash of the camera illuminated the area around her and I was pretty sure it was not someone's apartment or home.

The second picture was totally different. The look on her face was one of concern or fear. Her hands were in front of her body, palms facing outward, looking like a defensive posture.

The third picture showed her taking off her blouse and her face was clearly showing fear.

The fourth picture had her in only her bra and panties, again with her hands raised as if to ward off an attack. The look on her face continued to be fearful.

The fifth picture was more shocking again, with Diane now naked and sitting on the edge of the bed, her arms gripping the sides of the double bed, her head looking down. You could not see her face.

I was afraid to bring up the sixth and final picture. I couldn't imagine what indignity the person taking these pictures might have forced upon her. I could feel Christie's hands tightly locked onto my shoulders as I had scrolled through the photos. I don't think either of us was breathing at the time. I summoned all my courage and clicked on the last picture.

Diane was on the floor now, huddled in a ball in the corner of the room, trying to defend herself from something or someone. I could see marks on her and I was sure she had been beaten at some point. I knew it would get worse and I was relieved that it was no more graphic than this because this was still more than I could take.

I closed my eyes and brought my hands up to my head and the tears came. Christie had moved to take the mouse and close the file. Neither of us wanted to see more. She wrapped her arms around me and held me close. Some minutes passed before it began to sink in that the person who had sent this was Diane's murderer.

I recovered enough to call the Police station and ask for Etchevarry. He wasn't in and I left a message for him to call me. I had something for him.

"Mr. Hansen, it's Carl Etchevarry calling. You left a message on Friday?"

"Yes. I received an envelope with a typed note and a memory card from a camera. I thought you'd want to see it. The card contains six pictures of my late wife in the process of being murdered."

"Are you serious?"

"Very. I can bring them down to you. I'm sorry, but both Mrs. Wilson and I have handled the evidence, so I doubt you'll get a fingerprint off anything."

"Don't bother coming here. If you're going to be home, I'll stop by and pick them up. When did these arrive?"

"Apparently they were in our mail on Wednesday of last week. I was away all week, but Mrs. Wilson was bringing in the mail daily."

"Okay, I'll be right over."

I had returned the card and the brief letter to the envelope and set them aside where no one would see or disturb them. Etchevarry arrived with a familiar face within the half-hour.

"You remember Detective Litchfield, my partner?" Etchevarry said to help me with his name.

I nodded and invited them in, introducing Christie to them once more.

"Nice to see you again, Ms. Wilson," Etchevarry said cordially.

I retrieved the envelope and handed it to him. He opened it cautiously, examining the contents and the outside. He extracted the printed sheet, reading it, shaking his head. Next came the memory card.