Skeletons Without Halos 5

Welcome to the latest chapter of the continuing adventures of Nicky and Vicky or Vicky and Nicky, as you like it. In our last adventure Nicky was being a bad girl and stepping out on Vicky, never mind that Vicky had no idea she was Nicky’s girl. But things took a turn for the violent and Vicky rescued her gal, only to have to go on the run.

Life was fun in the sun and bombshells in beach chairs until Chester caught up with the pair, and seemed set to send Nicky into the afterlife. What happens next? You’ll have to read on to find out!

As always, all writing and photography are my original work and the video below is included to enhance your reading pleasure only. If you own the copyright and want additional links and credit or the video removed, please let me know.

And as ever, you have a chance to leave feedback via poll or comment and the entire story is listed after this chapter, so if you missed the first four chapters you can always go back to the beginning.

Chester drew me in for another kiss and I gave into him willingly, melting against his sturdy ribcage. I’d known he wouldn’t just let me walk away and hadn’t been surprised when he set up my abduction from the beach, the gun making the hollow sound of a dry fire after he pulled the trigger. But the threat had been enough to ensure Victoria didn‘t do anything stupid and now we were back together as Chester swore we‘d always been meant to be. “Bright girl, running away to the first place you knew I’d look.” He murmured as we parted then grinned at me.

“I knew you’d come for me.” I said and I supposed I should have felt like a heel. Vicky had rescued me so far as she knew from the clutches of a maniac exlover, but there was just something about Chester. And no fool was I. I knew he wouldn’t change, but then neither would I.

“Coffee, sweetness?” He asked, going behind his huge desk and I nodded.

Chester had one of his men bring it in, then saw to his cigar. “I’d say those things are going to kill you, but it’s a tad too late for that.” I said and he chuckled.

“That it is, my sweet. Speaking of killing people, I’d like to get some revenge myself. For you and for me.” He said and I felt a shiver pass through me. “What? You don’t exactly look happy with the idea.”

“I don’t know who got me.” I admitted. “I had a hood over my head at the time.” I winced and looked away. I remembered my grim fate all too well. The water had embraced me and it hadn’t been quick. “Why don’t we let bygones be bygones?” I asked.

Chester drew on his cigar and looked at me. “What aren’t you telling me? Like why you got iced for starters?”

“I was hiding someone.” I said, not wanting to look at him. “I wouldn’t give their location up, even though I knew. So, they gave me swimming lessons.” Chester made a crooning sound and patted his lap. I went to him and he cradled me into him.

“That’s better. I don’t need to ask who you were protecting, do I?” He asked I shook my head. I was going to kiss him when the door to his office burst open and we both dove to the floor as a shot rang out.

“Knowing you isn’t exactly healthy.” I growled as Chester drew his gun and then handed me the one he kept strapped to his leg.

“Come on out, Nicky.” The voice of the shooter growled.

“Vicky? Sweetness?” I asked and another bullet whizzed overhead.

“Don’t you Vicky sweetness me!” She roared and I made myself as small as possible. Chester, for his part, looked amused at my predicament.

“Baby?” I tried and another shot flew overhead. “You seem a tad perturbed.” I tried.

“How dare you?” She asked. “How dare you set me up just so you could come back here and leave me high and dry. I thought you loved me!” I raised my fedora and both Chester and I cringed as another shot tore it out of my hands then whinged off the wall.

I looked at Chester who just shrugged. “Fat lot of help you are.” I snarled and he just snorted laughter.

I sighed. “Vicky, what is this really about?” I called back. “And don’t play the wounded party with me. I know very well you were sneaking out of your room late at night.” I said. There was no response so I peeked around the desk. She was back to her skeletal self and all the more beautiful for her anger. Not that I was dumb enough to mention it at that particular moment.

“You know?” She looked crestfallen, but still dangerous.

“Oh yes I know.” I said, then ducked back as she pointed the gun at my head. “You never got over her, did you?” I asked.

“Maybe, maybe not. But I’m loyal, Nicky. I would’ve stayed with you.” I watched Chester counting off the number of players on his bony fingers and swatted him.

Chester shook his skull and spoke up. “How about this? You go back and be with the one that got away and I’ll take good care of Nicky?” Silence met his question, then weeping. We looked at one another in alarm then he spoke. “We’re coming out, hold your fire.” We rose shakily and went to Vicky, who was crying her heart out.

“I can’t go back to her, she’s been taken.” She sobbed and I looked at Chester for help.

“Well, if she followed you there that means some of the other bosses have some explaining to do and nobody disappears without my say so.” He said grimly. “Looks like I will be hiring you two ladies after all. Go, find her.” Chester gave me a look I couldn’t read and I knew he thought if I walked out that door I was walking out of his life forever. “Go.” He repeated softly.

I was fuming as we got into the Jag. “Really, Vicky?” I asked and she said nothing as she started driving. “Why was it OK for you to go off, but not me?” I asked.

“I wasn’t trying to be unfaithful. She came to my room one night. We talked about old times.”

“I just bet you did.”

“Not like that! She said she was in trouble, and she’d made a mistake. She wanted to try again.”

“Do you?”

“I don’t know, she hurt me when she left.”

“I bet you didn’t shoot at her.” I said playfully. I couldn’t help it. Vicky was my friend even if it was clear we wouldn’t work out together.

“No, I didn’t.” She admitted. “And yes, I kissed her. Does that make me a bad person?”

“It makes you a confused person.” I said then looked at her. “Vicky, doesn’t it seem a tad too convenient that both of our old flames just happened to show up at roughly the same time?”

“That’s what I was thinking. Café?” She asked and I nodded. “There’s something we aren’t seeing, isn’t there?”

“There usually is.” I sighed.

Away from our perspective paramours it was like a fog had lifted from our minds and Vicky put her cards out on the table over coffee and doughnuts, though we were well aware Reba answered to Chester. “I don’t like this. And now that I’m away from her there was something about her that wasn’t right. Like she was-” She trailed off and I nodded. Her old flame had been trying to warn her, but about what?

Reba, never shy, jumped into the conversation, setting the coffee pot down and bringing over more doughnuts and sliding in next to me. She snagged a mug and poured herself some of her black gold. “If she just showed up the big boss found her. And he wants something out of this. He owns this town. He doesn’t care what people say, but we’re all prisoners here, free as we might seem.”

My heart froze. “Chester?” I asked and she nodded.

“He’s not the man you think he is. I only run this place because he wants me to run it. Every business is set up the way he likes it. He’s really helpful as long as you do what he says.” She looked at me and we got the idea we were being watched so we dug into the doughnuts, just three gals having a swell time.

“Word on the streets is he wanted his ex back so badly he had her hit from this side.” I frowned, that didn’t make sense. My memory was pretty fuzzy at times but I had always thought I had taken a moonlight swim first. Though a small part of me wondered if my memories weren’t mixed up. If I hadn’t been careless enough to get caught because the only man I’d ever loved had preceded me.

The truth sank in just as the door to the café opened and Reba got up, smoothing her apron and putting the coffee pot back as Chester strolled in. “Looks like you ladies didn’t get too far.” He said in a friendly voice. I knew that voice. It promised violence.

“Well, I don’t need to worry about my figure and you never know, Chester. We could be doing your bidding already.” I teased, it was a bluff but it worked. He chortled.

“My bidding? My dear, you will one day rule this town at my side. I just need to know who hasn’t been playing by the rules. Find them for me and find this mystery lady of Victoria’s, that’s all.” He said, his voice going silky as he put my ruined fedora on the table. Chester smiled at me, menace in the smile then touched the brim of his hat to me and walked away. He stopped at the door.

“Nicky?”

“Yeah?” I asked, turning around to see him pause at the door.

“Be careful out there.” Then he was gone, taking my heart with him.

Well! Nicky seems a tad confused as to who she loves and Vicky seems a bit shaky on those details as well. Will the ladies end up with who they were always meant to be with, or will it be lights out for both our detectives? And does Chester love Nicky, is he obsessed with her, or just plain crazy? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!