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Skeletons Without Halos 4
Old Flames Can Burn
Welcome to another thrilling chapter of "Skeletons Without Halos"! Now things are really starting to heat up for the pair as an old flame from Nicky’s past has returned. Will she run away with her former lover or stand by her woman? Read on to find out!
And if you haven’t read the first three chapters you can find helpful links to the entire story below. Just my way of saying thanks to my loyal readers. You’ll also have a chance to leave feedback on the story and reader feedback does make a difference.
As always, all writing and photography are my original work. If “borrowing” for Internet use please give credit where credit is due and a link back. The video below is included to enhance your reading pleasure If you own the copyright and want additional credit and links or the video removed, please contact me.
Your Music For This Evening's Tale Of Mayhem
Can you catch her?
Wanting It All Will Get You Burned
Chester drew me into another kiss and I gave in, feeling his arms go around me the way they used to. His kiss was everything I remembered and then some. But it was wrong to be there kissing him when Vicky was supposed to be my girl, even if she didn’t know it yet. I tried to pull away and he cupped my head, gently pulling me back in for another kiss.
When at last we parted Chester moved away, leaving me missing his warmth and the smell of his good cigars and cologne, and a lamp flickered on. He came to sit across from me and I took in the luxurious apartment we were in. “Nicky, I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I love you, you know that.”
“You were trying to saw me in half with a tommy gun.” I growled and he shook his head in denial.
“No, I was going to march you out of there, I swear.” He tried and I glared at him. “And you did a real good job of not recognizing me.” He said and I flushed and looked away. “At first I thought you really didn’t remember, but I remembered the tire iron bit. Nice way to tell me to take a powder.” He chuckled and lit up another cigar.
I sighed and looked at him. Chester had always been irresistible to me. And I had no idea why. Maybe because he was the bad guy and I was supposed to catch him. Maybe because he’d always treated me right, and I remembered him missing me plenty of times before. “We’re going to get caught, Vicky’s going to figure out what really happened. You’ve missed me once too often, Chester, and we’re both going to swing for it.” I said and Chester shrugged like he didn’t care.
“What can she do, arrest me? I own everything and everyone, Nicky. And she can be bought, everyone has their price.”
“Not her.” I said. “She’s one of the good ones. Like I used to be.” I said and he frowned.
“You’ve always been good, real good. What’s got you rattled?”
Skeletons Without Halos
Avoiding Boneshed
“Nothing.” I lied.
“It’s her, you are sweet on her, aren’t you?”
“I’m more worried about being a failed cop at the moment. It’s my job to arrest you.” I said shakily. I got up, and his eye sockets trailed my movement.
“You’re not going anywhere.” He said quietly and as he rose to meet me the sole window of the apartment exploded inwards, and we both hit the deck.
“Friends of yours?” I growled.
“Not exactly.” It was Victoria’s voice and I flipped over to look at her. “I’d ask you to cuff him but I heard everything.” She said. “So you are what is today called a dirty cop?” I winced like she had slapped me. And I didn’t fail to notice her gun was trained on me as we shakily rose to our feet
“Will everyone stop saying that?” Chester asked. “So we were in love. So she kept letting me slip away and I kept failing to kill her when I had a chance. We made it work.” Even I realized how wrong that sounded. When he gestured to make his point her gun switched to him and we both froze.
“There doesn’t have to be boneshed.” Chester said quietly.
Victoria lowered her gun with a sigh. “You disappoint me, Nicky. I thought you were one of the good ones, that we could make a difference together.”
I hung my head, her words hurt. I loved her, I loved them both. But would I have ever loved her if I hadn’t given up Chester as being lost to me forever?
Chester, Oh Chester
The Great(ish) Escape
Chester looked at me and shrugged. “Up to you. You want to walk out on me a second time you go ahead and do that. I’ll give you two days to make yourself scarce, then I ain’t gonna miss.” He turned and walked out the door and I followed Vicky numbly out to the fire escape.
She looked at me once we had climbed down then seemed to smile. “I knew you’d make the right choice, that you were one of the good ones.”
“You just called me a dirty cop.” I complained as we got in the Jag.
“What was I supposed to say?” She asked. “Vicky I love you, run away with me before your maniac ex-whatever kills us both?”
“Good point.” I said and Vicky just smiled at me and put the Jag in drive.
Our Man Chester
Beach Party
Chester was as good as his word, giving us two days head start. He might have been a homicidal maniac, but he tended to keep his word. And as we lounged on beach chairs on a tropical isle Nicky looked at me. Her operation to look flesh and blood hadn’t been cheap but our guess had been right. There were other bosses out there and one had sent us back to the land of the living to hide out from Chester. “Nice idea, hiding out in paradise.” She said and I nodded.
I neglected telling her it was the same island Chester and I had planned on running away to until we’d realized we’d both end up getting the other one killed. My heart still ached for him but Vicky really didn’t judge me. “It gets better, you know. You’re not the first detective to fall for a criminal.”
Something in her voice made me look at her more closely. Vicky was now a raven-haired bombshell but that wasn’t what caught my attention. “You?” I asked in surprise and she nodded.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her either.” She said.
“What happened?”
“She left me. For another defective of all things.” I didn’t get to ask anymore as there was a distinctive click behind my beach chair and I looked up to see Chester looming over me. “Told you I wouldn’t miss this time.” He said, smiling. Then he pulled the trigger.
What do you think happened?
Well?
Your Feedback Matters!
My word, this story is getting exciting! As always your feedback matters, what do you think will happen next, or is it game over for our lovely Nicky?
Skeletons Without Halos
- Skeletons Without Halos
You'd think if you ended up in the land of the dead life would be all sunshine and roses. Ha! Just because they are dead don't mean the skeleton residents are saints and Vicky's number may just be up. - Skeletons Without Halos 2
Can our lady detectives survive their latest predicament? Or will lead showers be in the forecast? Read on to find out! - Skeletons Without Halos 3
As things heat up for the detectives they find themselves in a bit of a bind. Help comes from an unlikely place, but is it a set up to get our beautiful Nicky alone? Read on to find out! - Skeletons Without Halos 4
Well, well. Looks like our Nicky can't decide between an old flame and a new one. And you know what they say about playing with fire. Looks like our lady detective is about to get burned. - Skeletons Without Halos 5
Our lady detectives are back! What? You thought it was curtains for Nicky? That dame's got more lives that the proverbial cat. Of course there is always more than one way to skin a cat. - Skeletons Without Halos 6
There are certain things that don't mix with being a detective. Working for a crime boss is one of them. Have our detectives reached the end of the line, or will they be good dames in a bad town? - Skeletons Without Halos 7
Seven chapters in and we still don't know who wants Nicky dead. They say follow the money, but that isn't all there is in this world some people find worth killing for. - Skeletons Without Halos 8
Every story much reach its end. We are born, we die, and with some like our Nicky, we may very well die again. Has our lucky lady finally lived out all nine lives? You'll have to read on to find out. - Skeletons Without Halos 9
Sometimes things happen in this life we don't understand because there are players behind the scenes we are unaware of. Nicky knew one of those players, but was that enough to save our fair detective? - Skeletons Without Halos 10
For ten chapters Nicky has grown on us. First as a detective and now as Chester's partner in crime. But just as seasons change and the leaves fall, so do good men. Especially in the land of the dead. - Skeletons Without Halos 11
Even in the land of the dead a body can pass into the great beyond. With Chester gone will his empire crumble or will Nicky get a miracle? - Skeletons Without Halos 12
In the land of the dead, even skeletons can go to the great beyond. And sometimes, just sometimes, they come back. Does that mean trouble ahead for our Nicky? - Skeletons Without Halos 13
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. When Nicky sees something wrong, she tends to fix it, but what about the types of things some folks ignore? Will our girl have the wits to combat abuse? - Skeletons Without Halos 14
We all have a past, and it isn't always a happy one. As Chester takes the lead one more time he reveals his past and his hopes for the future. But is Nicky the gal to make them all come true? - Skeletons Without Halos 15
Weddings can be a highlight of anyone's unlife. And as the date draws ever closer, the couple become the recipients of early gifts from well-wishers. But will one of those early gifts prove deadly? - Skeletons Without Halos 16
Love comes into all of our lives. And in many cases it is a blessing. But when an obsessive love is unrequited the results can be deadly. Is Nicky about to take her final bow? - Skeletons Without Halos 17
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Chester and Nicky, sure to be the social event of the season and the biggest wedding the land of the dead has ever seen.