A Romantic Crime Thriller Ch. 04

This is a five chapter romantic crime thriller, where Michael and Libby meet, and work together to find the person who has set Michael up to take the rap for a murder, and to get the file that will clear her dad of theft.

*

Sitting astride him, Libby looked down at the naked body of Michael as he lay on the bed beneath her. His hard cock was inside her, filling her up, deliciously filling her up. Her hands stroked his skin, fingers trailing over his torso, tracing the occasional silver scar marring the warm skin stretched over tight muscles.

Slowly she rocked as his hands gripped her hips, and she contracted her inner muscles that surrounded his rock hard penis making him gasp.

She stared into his brown eyes that seemed fathomless as they looked up at her, deep with passion, glittering up at her, his mouth slightly open, a faint flush of red across his high cheekbones.

"Where did you get this one?" she asked quietly, keeping up the slow steady rocking, feeling his hip bone rub gloriously against her lower pelvis.

"Knife wound....bar room fight.....South Africa." His quiet deep voice replied a little breathlessly.

"and this one?" and her finger traced the puckered scar on his shoulder.

"Fighting in two thousand and eight in Venezuela.....I didn't move fast enough."

"and the one on your leg.....?"

"Fell off a tree when I was nine.....trying to see into the girl's dormitory at the children's home I was living in."

Smiling Libby lent forward and kissed him, increasing the rocking motion so that his cock rubbed deeper inside of her. Taking his hands from where they held and guided her hips she joined her hands with his and raised them up to hold them each side of his head.

Increasing the pace she watched as his head went back, his hands tightening in hers. Small panting breaths escaped him, and as she rolled her hips around slightly he groaned deep in his chest, closing his eyes and absorbing the wonderful feeling of giving up the control to the woman riding him.

Every muscle in his body seemed to coil up tight as his cock started to pulse, his hips rising up to match her rhythm as the pace increased. He felt her long hair that had fallen forward tickle his flesh; moments before he felt her teeth close over one of his nipples and nip it. His body arched up, and he felt her bite the other one.

His belly tightened as the coil inside of him tightened even further, his hands squeezed hers holding on tight, and he could hear himself moaning as his cock engorged even more, swelling getting ready to explode, his balls tightening up, waiting to eject his sperm.

Bouncing up and down now, slick with her juice coating his rod, Libby's thighs tightened each side of his hips her own moans mingled with his, and then his shout of release exploded as he came, deep and hard into her, so that every part of his body seemed tight and hard and pulsing.

One great big tingling nerve blown apart by his orgasm.

When he came to his senses her body lay still joined to his, sprawled the length of him, hot sweaty flesh to hot sweaty flesh. Letting go of one of her hands which still held his he ran his fingers through her hair before running it gently down her back to squeeze the round globe of her bottom.

Quietly they lay upon the soft bed without speaking, just absorbing the wonderful feelings that ebbed and flowed through them from the wonderful sex.

After a while Libby lifted her head and smiled at him, "You're such a contradiction Michael, tough and very masculine most of the time, seeming to be always in control but inside you're just a real soft marshmallow."

"Only with you sugar......only with you."

Laying back down, her head on his chest she listened to the solid beat of his heart and closed her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.

*

Later the next morning Michael sat in the waiting room of the Financial Investment Business that Libby's dad had worked for and sat watching as various people walked by. None of them were Smith. He had told the receptionist that he wanted to make an appointment to see someone about investing his savings and she had told him to wait and someone would come in to get him.

He held his mobile in his hand waiting for the text from Libby who was following Smiths wife at that moment in the hire car they had hired earlier that morning, a Ford S Max. Large enough to block and do a little damage if Libby bumped into Smiths wife's small Corsa.

The text came through just saying, "Done....get going." And he got up and walking over to the receptionist with her red hair done up in a coil, perfect make up and smart black suit said, "You mind if I use the men's?"

Pointing down the corridor she told him, "Down there......second door on the right."

"Cheers." And he walked up the hall and into the men's, the receptionist watching and admiring his sexy arse and long legs encased in the jeans as he walked away.

Michael waited a couple of minutes then sneaked out of the men's and on up the corridor looking into the glass fronted offices to find his prey. Around a bend in the corridor and five doors down he hit pay dirt. Sitting at his desk working on a computer was Smith. Slipping into the office and closing the door behind him, Michael looked at the shocked face looking back up at him.

"How......what........what are you doing here?" Smith spluttered getting up and his hand reached for the phone on his desk.

Michael moved forward, placing his hand over Smiths and squeezed hard, hurting Smith enough for him to gasp and wince. "I wouldn't if I was you pal.....not if you love your wife and kid."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said.....behave yourself and no harm is going to come to your wife and kid.....do something stupid and one call to my colleagues and you can say goodbye to a happy home life."

Sitting down as if his legs had turned to lead, his hands shaking Smith looked up at Michael. "You're bluffing."

"Want to find out......remember it's at the expense of your wife and kid."

"What do you want?"

"The file."

"I don't have the file. You were supposed to get it for me and didn't."

Holding up his mobile Michael pressed some keys and put it to his ear. Smith got up agitated and pleaded, "Stop....don't make that call......we can work this out...."

"Where's the file Smith?.....I expect Smith isn't your real name....." and Michael reached over on the desk and lifted up the name plate and read it out loud, "Edward Derosa. Couldn't think of something more original then Smith Mr Derosa?"

"Look we can negotiate here.....I'll give you the money....five grand wasn't it.....I can give you the money....no-one looses.....I can get you the money tomorrow."

"Eight grand actually....you owe me eight grand....but thanks for the offer but I'd rather have the file."

"I destroyed it."

Michael started to dial the number on the mobile again and pretended to speak to the nonexistent person on the other end. "He's jerking my chain....we'll have to give him a little push.....rape the bitch before you break her arm."

"STOP....WAIT...DON'T HURT HER....I'LL TAKE YOU TO THE FILE....DON'T TOUCH HER. IT'S BACK AT MY HOUSE, I PROMISE." Derosa begged.

"Put that on hold for now......." and Michael pressed end on the phone. "We'll take my car Derosa, and remember if my men don't hear from me to the positive they'll take turns with her before they use her for a punching bag. So don't try to do anything stupid."

*

Libby stood next to the hire car putting on an act, pretending to be in shock that she had backed into Smiths wife's car where it was parked, blocking it in its parking space in the multi storey car park of the shopping mall. "Oh God my husband is going to kill me.....just kill me.....he's such a bastard......what am I going to do."

Smith's wife put her arms around Libby's shoulders trying to calm her down. "If you just give me your insurance details, I'm sure it will be alright. It's not too bad......just your back bumper and my back bumper. The insurance company will sort it out."

Putting her hands up to her face and pretending to cry Libby said, "You don't understand he hits me....he'll kill me for this." And she sunk down to the ground. "Oh God what am I going to do...."

Embarrassed the other woman looked around for help but couldn't see any. "I'm sure he won't hit you for what is really an accident, and a small one at that."

"He hits me for anything....this will just set him off....I'm scared to go home. Please can we go somewhere so I can calm down and exchange details there. I need a hot drink of coffee. I need to calm down and think." And grabbing the woman's arm Libby looked up from where she sat on the hard ground and pleaded, "Please....I'm sorry but I just need to calm down so I can think and remember the insurance details."

Torn but needing the information she nodded, "OK....but only a quick one...there's a coffee shop just outside the entrance to the mall. Park the car over there and we'll go sort this out."

Libby got up, gave the woman a hug, murmuring her thanks, got into the hire car and fumbled dragging out as long as she could moving the car and parking it.

*

Michael pulled his car up into Derosa's driveway, cut the engine and told the man sitting next to him in shock, "Remember no stupid stuff or your woman gets to pay for anything you do."

Getting out he followed Derosa into the house and as Derosa walked into the front hall and turned around to talk to him, Michael punched him in the jaw knocking him down. "That's for fucking me around and setting me up to take a murder rap you bastard."

Derosa scuttled backwards on the floor, his lip bleeding, only to be hauled up by Michael who twisted the man's arm behind his back making him scream with agony. "This way you bastard.....you and I are going to have a nice chat and then you're going to get that file for me."

Once they were in the main sitting room Michael ordered Derosa to take off his tie and hand it to him.

"What are you going to do?" the scared man asked.

"I told you to take off the fucking tie and give it to me....do it now or else."

Removing his tie he handed it to Michael, cringing as he did so. Michael turned the man around, grabbed his arms and tied his hands behind his back with the tie, making sure it was tight. Then he turned him around and pushed Derosa into a chair so that the man was sitting.

"Please don't hurt my wife and child....."Derosa sobbed, "Please don't hurt me."

Michael grabbed a chair from the dining room and put it back facing towards Derosa right in front of him, sat down legs spread each side of the chair back so that he could lean on the top and looked down at the tearful Derosa. "You really are a stupid bugger Derosa.....you really think I would take the fall for the murder.....you think a man like me wouldn't come for you.....you set me up....screwed me for eight grand.....left me hanging in the wind. Remember I do intimidation and hurt people for a living and I intend to hurt you unless you answer my questions. Do you understand?"

Nodding Derosa sat there hands behind his back, shaking, face wet with tears of fear.

"Why'd you kill McMasters?"

"I didn't....."

Michael got up, pushed the chair he was sitting on aside in one violent swipe and punched Derosa in the belly making the man gasp and cough.

Picking up the chair and setting it back so he could sit down again; Michael waited whilst Derosa stopped gasping and asked again. "Why'd you kill McMasters?"

"He had the file.....he knew how we did the fraud....he knew everything....he was going to blackmail us. The file has all the details and proof of the scam."

"Us?"

"Me and Alec Higham...."

Michael felt his body go cold with shock and sat watching Derosa with hard eyes. "Higham?"

"Yeah this colleague who trained me, we've done a small shaving of funds for years.....he's in his fifties, knew the firm was going to cut back due to the economic climate, decided to take a bonus for himself before they could.....then he got caught....McMasters has the file and threatened to let the police know I was in on it unless I paid him."

"So you killed him.....set me up to take the fall....the perfect patsy.....man for hire....the police would think there's no knowing what I would do if caught breaking into a house by the owner....you called the cops didn't you....timed it so they would catch me with an open safe, dead body......"

Derosa's face was a chalky white, the drips of blood on his chin standing out bright red. In a quiet voice Michael asked him, "where's the fucking file?"

"Upstairs, in my son's room. Back of the closet behind some stuff stored there."

Getting up Michael hauled the cringing man to his feet and pushed him towards the stairs. "Come on you pile of shit, we're going to get the file."

*

Sitting sipping her coffee in the cafe Libby spun the woman some intricate story about being an abused wife, scared to run away from her husband, gave her a false name and address, false insurance details, contact number and number plate, praying that the woman hadn't noted the real one down.

Smith's wife listened occasionally telling her she should leave her husband and not put up with the beatings.

Libby droned on, kept her talking as long as she could until the woman looked at the watch on her wrist and said, "Look I have to go and get my shopping done, promise me you'll leave your husband and not let him hurt you anymore."

"I promise....."

Patting Libby's hand the woman got up and walked off. Libby ran from the cafe.....up to the hire car and got out of the car park as fast as she could, then parked up the road and sent the text to Michael's phone.

*

Michael was reaching up into the closet when the text came through. Reading it he then took down the file, flicked through it finding about ten CD discs in plastic covers and pages of accounts which he didn't understand.

Derosa stood in the centre of the room, hands tied behind his back, dishevelled and scared.

Michael looked at Derosa with derision. "Lay down on the floor Derosa, face down."

"What are you going to do?"

Michael took the cord from the Childs dressing gown hanging in the closet and barked out, "Lay the fuck down as I told you."

Shaking Derosa knelt down and then eased himself on to his belly to lay face down. "Don't hurt me...please I beg you don't hurt me."

Kneeling down Michael tied Derosa's feet together with the cord, grabbed a fist full of the man's hair lifting his head back, and hissed into his ear. "Just remember, me and my colleagues know where you live, where your family live. You go to the police and report anything on me, even assault and I'll make sure your family have a very short but painful life." And then Michael, with the file, left the house.

*

Michael sat in his car up the road from Libby's cottage torn about how to go about telling her what he knew. He knew he would break her heart and breaking her heart was going to break his.

He hated that he was going to kill her dreams and her belief in her father. But there was no other way but to tell her outright.

Getting out of his car he walked down the road to the cottage, and lifted his hand up to knock when the door flew open and Libby threw herself at him. "Michael are you alright....how did it go.....did you get the file?" Looking down at where he held the file in his hand she squealed, "You did it.....you did it." And planted a big noisy kiss on his lips before grabbing the file and running into the lounge to sit down on the sofa and flick through the folder.

Michael sat down in the chair opposite watching her, a serious look on his face.

"I was so worried about you, but you did it. You're a genius.....so clever...your plan worked....I was so frightened when I hit her car. The bump was only a small bump.....not much damage....but I thought my heart was going to explode out of my body.....it was the same when I broke into the house the other night....my adrenaline was rushing and I felt lightheaded, but so excited....is it the same when you do what you do....I can understand why you do it....." she suddenly noticed how quiet and serious Michael was and frowned at him, "What's wrong.....is he alright....Smith... you didn't......"

Shaking his head Michael said, "His real name's Derosa, I left him tied up....he's fine.....it's the file."

"What about the file? Isn't it all here? Is some missing?"

"Libby, the file, it won't prove your father is innocent."

"What do you mean, of course it will. My father said so."

"Libby......."

"The file will prove that Smith and McMasters did the fraud and my father will be cleared."

"Libby....."

"Did you phone the police....are they going to pick up Smith or whatever his name is for the murder?"

Shaking his head Michael said, "No. I didn't phone the police. I left him tied up. His wife will find him."

"But I don't understand? We decided we were going to turn the file over to the police and tell them anonymously where to find the murderer."

Michael's heart was breaking for her.

"Libby, Derosa told me that he was doing the fraud in conjunction with your dad....he said your dad has been doing the fraud on the company for years...."

"You're lying......Smith is lying.....he's a murdering lying bastard. My dad is innocent.....the file will prove it."

Shaking his head Michael told her. "McMasters was blackmailing Derosa with what was in the file. If you give it to the police it will prove your dad is guilty. If we hand over Derosa to the police he will implicate your father. We have to let this go."

Jumping to her feet she shouted, "He's lying....my dad is innocent."

Getting to his feet Michael went to wrap his arms around her. Libby's hand shot up and slapped him hard across his face. "Sod off!" There was a stunned silence as Michael stood there, the red mark spreading on his cheek where her hand had hit him, Libby stood staring at him then she turned around and fled upstairs, file in hand and Michael heard the bedroom door slam shut.

*

Hours later Michael was still sitting in the armchair in the dark, head back, eyes closed. He had heard Libby sobbing upstairs for the first hour and then he had heard her go into the second bedroom that had been converted into an office where her computer was. He waited patiently for her to come downstairs, giving her space.

They had to deal with the hire car people and take the damaged car back, but that could wait until tomorrow. He also expected a visit from the police at sometime. He was probably still the main suspect in a murder.

And he had in the past couple of hours come to the realisation that he had fallen in love with Libby.

All he could do was to be there for her. Be there when she realised her father was a thief, be there for her to lean on. Protect her from as much pain as he could. It's what he was good at, protection, and the least he could do was protect the woman he loved.

*

She stared at the computer's monitor screen in shock. It couldn't be true. Someone had set her dad up. The figures seemed to point to it, but figures could be manipulated to prove anything. McMasters and Smith, or whatever his real name was had set her dad up. Tomorrow he was due to phone again and then she would tell him what was in the file. They would work out what to do next.

She couldn't rely on Michael; he didn't believe her father innocent. But he was. She knew it. Deep in her heart she knew her father was innocent.

Wearily she rose up, turned off the computer and made her way downstairs. It was so quiet down there she wondered if Michael had left. She hadn't heard him leave, but she was so intent on studying the files she could have missed him leaving. A little pang hit her heart when she thought about him not being there. Remembering hitting him she bit her lip. He must have left, and she didn't even know where he lived. The only thing she had was his mobile number and maybe after that slap he wouldn't want to speak to her. Tears ran down her face as she made her way to the kitchen and put on the kettle, taking out the coffee and her mug.