Everlasting (Unrestrained 6)

"You going to the gallery opening? My work will be featured."

"I don't know," I said and put the car into drive, my foot itching to let off the brake. "I'll have to see."

Damn... I didn't realize that Sean's work was being featured at the gallery exhibit and that he would be there. I'd have to rethink going. But then again, if Drake showed up with me, surely Sean would get a big hint and leave me alone.

"If you do come, pop by and say hello. We each have a table and are happy to take commissions and sell our work."

"See you later," I said and forced a smile.

"I hope so. Bring along your husband, if you want, but it's always optional."

I laughed at that. "Not with me."

"A man can dream, right? "

I drove off. "Dream on," I said under my breath, watching him in the rear-view mirror.

When I got home, Drake was asleep on the sofa and Sophie was in her room taking a nap. I quietly tip-toed around the house, trying not to wake either of them. I went to the kitchen and took out some frozen chicken breasts for supper and then started to wash and prepare vegetables for a salad. In the background, CNN was muted, but I could still read the ticker tape along the bottom. Then, a headline caught my attention.

BREAKING NEWS: Suspect in slaying found dead in cell...

The news story showed a picture of Mark Jones, Lisa's lover and co-conspirator in the attack on me and the murder of Derek Richardson.

"Oh, my God," I said, louder than I intended. On the sofa, Drake stirred and sat up, glancing at me where I stood in the kitchen, the chef's knife in my hand and a head of romaine in the other.

"What?" He rubbed his eyes.

"Look at the television."

Drake took the TV remote and turned up the volume.

"...sources say that the suspect was put on suicide watch the previous week, but that he had been taken off heightened surveillance when doctors okayed his mental condition. The day after the more restrictive conditions were lifted, he managed to hang himself with his own shirt, dying before guards could get inside his cell and rescue him. The warden at the facility said that he had been in recent contact with his co-accused, Lisa Monroe, through letters that were smuggled into the facility by a family friend despite being ordered not to have any contact with each other. Preliminary evidence suggests they used pseudonyms so that their contacts would not be detected."

I had a very bad feeling about the suicide. Had Lisa encouraged him to kill himself? I'd read of cases before where a lover had convinced a suicidal partner to commit suicide and I could believe Lisa might do something like that.

"Do you suppose Lisa talked him into killing himself?"

Drake shook his head. "From what I know about her, and what I've read, I wouldn’t put it past her. She's a sociopath and would think nothing of it. If Jones is dead, he can't really testify against her in court, can he?"

I finished chopping the romaine and dried off my hands so I could go and sit beside Drake and watch with him. When I was done, I plopped onto the sofa and he slipped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his body. He kissed me and then we turned back to the television. The station went to a commercial break so we switched channels to see if the news was being covered on any other channels. There was nothing, so we turned back and waited for CNN to continue its coverage.

"I wouldn't have thought he would kill himself," I said and snuggled closer to Drake. "He was quick to blame Lisa for planning the murder."

"She must have had something on him," Drake said, turning up the volume. "Something he either couldn't face coming out or was just too incriminating."

"What a witch."

"You're right about that," Drake said, sighing. "I had no idea she was this deranged. When I met her, she was this meek submissive, and never spoke a word. We performed for Derek and that was it."

"Derek never said anything about her?"

"Just that she liked to be used. He liked to watch her with other men. It was their kink. I'm glad I never did become involved with her beyond those few times at Derek's parties, but even so, what little did happen between us never warranted her becoming fixated on me."

"Erotomania isn't rational," I said, having read up on the issue after the attack when I was trying to understand everything. "It's an obsession and isn't based on reality but on the fantasy life of the individual with the obsession. The object of the obsession may not have even spoken with the individual."

Drake nodded. "In our case, I actually had sex with her in front of Derek. Unfortunately, he's no longer around to testify in my defense."

"You don't need a defense," I said and stroked his hair back. "You did nothing to encourage her. This is all on her, not you. The police know that. They may not approve of the lifestyle, but they understand that you're the victim in this as much as I am."