Rainey Nights Part 5

Katie pointed to Rainey's ears and then removed her own earplugs. She grinned like a kid at Rainey. "Oh, but that was so much fun."

Ernie laughed. "You could blow a hole in a bus with that thing, before you knew what was happening."

"Exactly my point," Rainey said, letting the earplugs drop to dangle around her neck. "Now, take out the clips like I showed you and clear the chamber." Rainey was all business until the weapons were safely out of Ernie and Katie's hands.

Katie prattled on while she did as she was told, still giggling from the thrill. "That was amazing. I wonder if I hit the target? After that first pull, it just got easier, but you're right. I think I need to be able to actually control the d.a.m.n thing, if I'm going to shoot it."

"I tried to tell you both that I had given you the weapon most suited for you, but no, what does a trained FBI agent know about shooting?"

Rainey's sarcasm was not lost on Ernie, who practically raised her, and didn't take the smart remark without a comeback. She placed her hands on her hips, her gray head bobbing, as she said emphatically, "Former FBI agent."

"And you're making me miss it more and more every minute," Rainey shot back.

Katie came up behind her and wrapped her arms around Rainey's waist. "Don't lose your patience. That was fun. Finish up with Ernie and I'll go out and talk to Gary at the front. Take your time." A quick peck on the cheek and Katie walked off the firing range.

Rainey watched the pet.i.te blonde, still mesmerized by the sheer energy Katie cast out around her. She had taken Rainey's breath the first time she saw her, standing at the gate of her old home in Chapel Hill. Now, nine months later, she took it no less frequently.

"Ain't love grand," Ernie said snidely, drawing out the syllables in each word.

Rainey's face broke into a grin. "Yes, yes it is."

"All right, lovey-dovey, let's wrap this up. I got shows to watch."

Rainey removed her father's Smith and Wesson .45 semi-auto from the shelf in front of Ernie. She double-checked that it was unloaded and placed it on the table behind them. She talked while she did this, returning with a smaller .380 revolver, and placed it, cylinder opened, in front of Ernie.

"Now, when we get here tomorrow, what are you going to do? Go through it step by step."

Ernestine Womble, the sixty-seven year old office manager of Bell's Bail and Bait, wanted to qualify to carry a concealed weapon. With their clientele and what happened last summer, Rainey didn't really blame her. The nature of the bond business was bad enough. In addition, through her time as a behavioral a.n.a.lyst, Rainey was involved in some of the worst serial murder cases in the last decade. The fact that some of those cases remained unsolved kept Rainey's Glock tight to her side. Knowing there were so many more out there, roaming undetected, kept Rainey in a constant state of vigilance. She paid dearly the one time her guard was down. That was never going to happen to Rainey Bell again.

Chapter five.

"Rainey, did you see this article about the missing woman from Durham?"

At 7:45 a.m., Tuesday morning, Rainey stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her waist. She was using another towel to dry her thick hair as she walked bare-chested into the room. Last April, Rainey wouldn't have been caught dead without a shirt on, but that was before Katie Meyers took over her life. Rainey no longer felt self-conscious about the scar slashed across her chest and torso by a madman. None of that mattered anymore.

Rainey smiled at the sight of Katie seated at the computer wearing a terry cloth robe. She still had a hard time believing this was her life, now. Rainey had never been in love with a woman before, but then she never met a woman like Katie. During the previous July, Katie's marriage ended abruptly, and the "Y-man Killer" that scarred them both met his maker. Katie moved in with Rainey immediately. Since then, life continued to get better every day.

Rainey, towel draped over her shoulders, stepped up beside Katie who was intently reading from the computer screen. Rainey put her hand on Katie's shoulder and leaned down to kiss her on the top of her head.

"What did you say?" Rainey asked.

Katie slid her arm around Rainey's toweled waist without looking away from the computer screen. "This woman from Durham is still missing. Today's the fifth isn't it?"

"Yep, it says so right there on the screen."

"Don't be a smarta.s.s," Katie said, popping Rainey on the b.u.t.t. "That means she's been missing for a week."

"Really? Who is she?" Rainey peered at the monitor. A picture accompanied the article Katie was reading. It showed a smiling woman with short dark hair. She was attractive, but in a rugged, outdoorsy way.

Katie turned to look at Rainey. A smile spread across her face. "I didn't realize there was a naked woman standing beside me."

Katie stood and stretched her five feet-six inch frame, reaching up to wrap her arms around Rainey's neck. The four-inch difference in their heights forced Katie to stand on her tiptoes, until she could reach Rainey's lips with her own. Katie melted into Rainey's arms, kissing her slow and long. She could kiss Katie all day, every day, but alas her job beckoned and it was getting late. She pulled back from Katie's lips and whispered against them, "Don't start this now, or Ernie will be over here knocking on the door, wondering where I am."

"You started it, walking in here naked," Katie said, kissing Rainey again.

As hard as it was to tear away, Rainey really did need to hurry. She tried a different tactic when Katie let her up for air. "Don't you have a doctor's appointment this morning?"

Katie released Rainey from her grasp. She looked down at the clock on the computer screen and flew into action. "Oh G.o.d, I need to hurry. I was so lost in that story, time got away from me." She playfully pushed Rainey away. "Go away, you. I need to get dressed."

Katie took off toward the master bedroom with Rainey hot on her tail. Katie giggled in front of her, skipping out of Rainey's grasp. She caught up and tackled Katie onto the new king sized bed. Katie giggled louder. She brought out the playful, carefree side of Rainey, the part of her that slowly faded into the background during her years with the BAU. She smothered Katie with kisses, while Katie lost control of her laughter. Then just as quickly as she had thrown her onto the bed, Rainey released the squirming Katie and stood up.

"Okay, that should hold you for a bit." Rainey said, while grinning down at the love of her life.

Katie smiled, raising a hand for Rainey to help her stand. "Have I told you I love you today?"

Rainey grinned and winked. "No, I don't think you did."

Katie winked, accompanied by a s.e.xy smile. "I love you, Rainey Blue Bell."

One more kiss on the cheek, before they began to dress. Rainey chose her standard black jeans, black shirt, and gun holster. Katie a.s.sumed her cla.s.sic Chapel Hill, thirty-something, wealthy housewife persona in navy blue slacks and a white Peter Pan collared, short-sleeved, cotton shirt. Rainey dressed quickly, then stopped to watch with fascination as Katie stood in front of the mirror putting on makeup. Katie was beautiful without it, and she didn't wear much, but she was gorgeous when she did. Rainey only wore makeup when she was forced to and that was a very rare occasion. Katie winked at her, knowing Rainey was still captivated by the sight of her. She checked her hair in the mirror one more time.

Rainey leaned on the door jam. "You're beautiful."

Katie brushed past Rainey, pecking her on the cheek. "Thank you, darlin'."

They made it to the front door without further delay. Rainey swiped her finger on the biometric pad of the gun safe. Katie insisted Rainey install the safe after she moved in. The door popped open. She liked the ease of the fingerprint lock, but in case the biometrics failed it had back-up keypad access, and a battery for power loss. Katie's prints were stored there, too. Should Katie need a weapon, more than enough surrounded her, and Rainey was making sure she could use them all.

Katie didn't like to see the guns around the house, though she knew they were there and why. Rainey kept the weapons in the bedroom in a new larger gun vault built into the wall, but they were within arm's reach and one finger swipe from being in her hands. Katie said the guns were a daily reminder of the danger Rainey believed they were in. Katie liked to think if she didn't acknowledge the threat it would go away. Rainey knew different, but agreed to put the weapons in the safes. Rainey secretly kept a small pistol hidden in a secret compartment in the bookcase. Old habits were hard to break.

Removing her Glock 19 and holstering it, Rainey closed the safe door. She covered the offending weapon with a lightweight black jacket she pulled from the coat rack, by the door. Once they were ready to leave, Katie leaned up attempting to kiss Rainey on the lips.

"No you don't," Rainey said, pulling back. "You're going to kiss me and smear lipstick all over me."

Katie grinned. "Come here, I'll be gentle." She rose on her toes and pecked Rainey lightly on the lips. Stepping back she looked at Rainey's mouth and ran her thumb across Rainey's lips. "See, no harm done."

Rainey hugged her and then opened the door. She let Katie out first and then set the alarm. Freddie Krueger, stalker of all things small, Rainey's bobbed-tail black cat was waiting to escort them down the cottage steps. He left the cottage every morning at sunrise to hunt and terrorize local wildlife. He returned about this time each day to walk Rainey to the office, before entering the cottage through his doggie door for a snack and a nap.

At the bottom of the stairs, Rainey parted from Katie. Walking backwards toward the office, she said, "Call me when you're done with your appointment."

Katie waved. "I will. And hey... I wouldn't worry so much about the lipstick on your mouth, but I'm sure Ernie's going to love that full set of lips on your cheek."

Rainey's hand shot to her face. She rubbed the spot where Katie had kissed her cheek and then looked at her hand. A smudge of pink glistened faintly on her fingers. "d.a.m.n, you did it again," she said, but she was laughing.

Katie opened her car door. "See you later. Be safe."

Rainey smiled and waved to her, giving her standard answer, "Always."

After watching Katie drive away, Rainey headed toward the office at the bottom of the hill. It was a bait shop and tiny grocery on Lake Jordan when her father inherited the property. She smiled at the old hillbilly Mountain Dew sign she still preserved in her father's memory. He faithfully painted it with a protective clear coat every year he lived there. He built the cottage next door up on stilts, mirroring one from his memory down at Nags Head. Rainey looked around and out over the lake. She had a good life now, and even though she was without her father, she had never been happier. The pain and loss she experienced before Katie no longer weighed her down. The clouds had parted and Rainey could see the sun again.

The toe tapping on the lavender high-heeled pump belonged to Ernie, who was never late and expected those with whom she worked to hold punctuality as dearly as she did. Since Katie moved in, Rainey faced many mornings like this. Ernie loved Katie and accepted her into the fold with open arms, but that didn't let Rainey off the hook when it came to the business. Rainey prepared for Ernie's wrath, as she closed the office door behind her and turned to face the pet.i.te gray-haired woman in the lavender power suit.

Rainey smiled. "Can we at least say good morning before you light into me?"

"Good morning," Ernie said, still tapping her toe. "You do remember that we have an appointment this morning?"

Rainey crossed to the coffee pot, filling the mug that waited for her there, while she talked. "Yes, I remember. We still have an hour. Are you going dressed like that?"

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?"

"Well, Ernie, most folks don't wear power suits and heels to qualify at the firing range." Rainey tried to control her childish giggles and hid behind the coffee mug. Giggling was something Rainey had forgotten how to do, but Katie had reminded her.

Ernie, hands on hips, stated, "Since this is how I dress on a daily basis, and this is how I'll be dressed if I ever have to use the d.a.m.n thing, I suppose I should qualify in my usual attire."

"Well, all right then. I guess you've got a point there," Rainey answered, but she was still chuckling behind the cup.

A black Escalade pulled in front of the office, interrupting the debate over proper clothing at the firing range. Miles Cecil McKinney, Rainey's business partner, had arrived. Mackie, to those who knew him, unfolded his gigantic, six-foot six-inch, in excess of three hundred pounds, frame from the vehicle. He paused to put his oiled buffalo hide, black Outback hat on top of his ma.s.sive head. Mackie was as dark as night, in stark contrast to his blazingly white teeth. Like Rainey, he was dressed all in black, a long leather coat adding to his intimidating appearance. Mackie's broad shoulders cast an impressive shadow, not to mention how scary it was to walk up on him in the dark. He smiled when he entered the room, shutting the door behind him with a loud thud.

Ernie flinched and then lit into him, "Mackie, I'll bet your momma tanned your hide for slamming doors. How in the h.e.l.l a grown man doesn't know his own strength is beyond me."

Rainey remained hidden behind the coffee mug, snickering at the tiny Ernie and the cowering giant man. Mackie spotted her and saw his chance to avoid Ernie's wrath.

His rumbling ba.s.s voice filled the room. "Why are you still here? I thought you told me you and Rainey would be gone before I got here this morning."

The ruse worked. Ernie turned on Rainey again. "I've been waiting on love-struck over there. Look at her. Still got lipstick on her cheek."

Rainey stopped laughing and reached for a napkin on the counter. She went into the bathroom, leaving the door open, so that Mackie's laughter echoed into the little room.

Rainey called out to her office mates, "Y'all are just old and have forgotten what being in love is like. Besides she does this to me on purpose, just so you two can have a laugh."

Ernie answered, "You ain't been worth two cents since that girl got a hold to ya'."

"You got that right," Mackie said, followed by more rumbles of laughter.

Rainey came out of the bathroom with her left cheek rubbed red where she had removed the offending lipstick. She knew they were secretly ecstatic that she was no longer moping around and her nightmares had quieted. She played along. "Okay, okay. You've had your laugh at my expense. Now, aren't we supposed to be going somewhere?"

Ernie headed for her desk, saying, "Since you're here, Mackie, take this paper down to the state office and get your bond ID and license renewed."

Mackie reached out with a giant paw and took the papers Ernie held extended. "Thank you. I'll go as soon as I answer a few messages. Junior's 'bout found that Simpson boy. I think we'll get him this evening."

Rainey's father started Billy Bell's Bail and Bait, after he and Mackie came home from the Vietnam War. With Mackie as his partner, Billy built a healthy bond business. When he was killed, two years ago, Rainey inherited fifty-one percent of the business. Shortly after, she took medical leave from the BAU and came to work in the office full-time.

Ernie turned to Rainey. "Do you have your paperwork in the car?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rainey answered obediently.

It might be Rainey's last name on the sign outside, but Ernie was most definitely in charge. She ran the business for the last thirty-five years and saved them more than once when the money got tight. She was the mother figure in Rainey's life. After all these years, and more than one near death experience, Rainey depended on Ernie for much needed support and guidance. On the other hand, Rainey went out of her way to avoid her real mother, Constance Herndon.

"All right then, let's get going," Ernie said, grabbing her matching lavender handbag.

"Where's your pistol?" Rainey asked.

"In my purse."

"Is it loaded?" Rainey asked, retreating instinctively.

"Yes, I'll unload it before we go in. I have to buy the bullets at the range anyway," Ernie answered, as if this statement negated the illegality of her actions.

"Ernie, you can't carry a concealed weapon, yet. Take it out and put it in the gun case I gave you."

"Who's going to know? No one would suspect I was carrying a gun," Ernie shot back.

"Why, because you're dressed so nicely?" Rainey said, sarcastically.

"No, because they'll be looking at that cannon strapped to you," Ernie answered, and then started out the door. "You are no longer an officer of the law, so shut up, and get in the car."

Mackie chuckled. "You heard her. Get going."

Rainey followed Ernie out the door, fussing at her as they left. "Don't call me when you get arrested. Hope you know a good bail bondsman."

Several hours later, Rainey and Ernie left the firing range with Ernie's newly endorsed concealed carry training certificate. Although she tried to cover her excitement, Ernie was beaming. She completed an eight-hour training cla.s.s a week ago and pa.s.sed the firearms proficiency portion with flying colors, today. Now, Rainey had to take Ernie to be fingerprinted and turn in her application to the Sheriff's office. Rainey was about to unleash a legally armed Ernie on the world. G.o.d help them all.

Cell phones had to be turned off on the range. Rainey checked her messages on the hands free device as soon as she was inside the 2010 Dodge Charger, her dream car. Rainey loved the sound of the 5.7-liter, V-8 engine roaring to life. This was no ordinary Charger. It was customized with dark tinted armored window gla.s.s, ballistic panels in the doors, wireless network access, digital video cameras, run flat tires, and a sweet weapons vault welded into the trunk. Everything a person could need to fight the boogey man. Rainey had fought him and won, but she knew there were more just like him out there, and that made her love her car even more.

She also loved the woman whose voice was coming through the speakers of the car. Katie had left a message only minutes before.

"Hey, good lookin'. Guess you're still on the range. Don't call me back. I have to turn off my phone. Everything went fine, but I'm going in for a quick ultrasound, if there is such a thing as a quick medical anything. Then I'm going by the school to see some old friends. I'll see you back at the house. Love ya'."

Rainey hit the b.u.t.ton on her phone to erase the message. The next message played.

"Hey, it's me again. Be home by five. I'm cooking your favorite. Bye."

"Aww, now isn't that just the sweetest thing," Ernie chimed in mockingly. "You are the most lovesick two people I have ever witnessed."

Rainey blushed and hung up the phone. Ernie was right. They were absolutely gushing and Katie appeared not to care who noticed. Rainey had always been much more reserved when it came to romantic emotions, but Katie was a force to be reckoned with. They came together in a clash of heat and loneliness that shook both their worlds to the core. Katie turned out to be irresistible and broke through any of Rainey's wariness with unbending faith that it was the right thing to do. Rainey never loved anything or anyone the way she loved Katie. She hadn't known she was capable of loving that deeply. Although Ernie and Mackie, but mostly Ernie, teased her mercilessly, Rainey wouldn't change a thing. This was it, the happiness everyone was looking for. Katie made Rainey's life complete.

Rainey sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I can't help it, Ernie. She fascinates me."

Ernie patted Rainey's hand. "I know, honey. I'm glad you're happy, but you two are sick'nin' sweet. I hope it wears off some before long."