The Predator Ch. 16

Alex left Atherton's office, stopped at a pay phone in the lobby of the building where the offices were, and asked his people to run a record check on Mel Ott.

The detective division administrative assistant ran the check using the department's new computerized files, and told Alex that Mel had a long list of traffic violations, including several drunk driving arrests, and more than his share of misdemeanors, but no history of felonies. It also listed an address.

"Interesting," Alex thought as he drove toward Ott's last known address in his unmarked car. "Mr. Ott appears to be moving up in criminal circles. He's not getting any smarter, though. He should have been more careful in his choice of victims."

He had asked to have backup units meet him at Ott's listed address. He saw a marked patrol car and second detective unit waiting outside the run-down apartment building when he turned the corner onto the street.

Alex held a brief conference with the other officers to let them know what they were there for. He sent the uniformed officers around to the rear of the house to cover that possible route of escape. Sergeant Martha Draper, a veteran detective and Sergeant Tim Jackman, a decorated young street cop who had recently been promoted to the detective division; went into the building with Alex.

The apartment listed as the one Ott was supposed to be living in was empty. A short, squat, dirty woman with gray hair appeared from one of the downstairs apartments when the disappointed officers descended the rickety stairs to the first floor.

"Who you cops looking for this time?" the old lady cackled.

"Mel Ott," Alex told her. "He still live here?"

The woman took a can of snuff out of the apron she was wearing over her faded blue housedress, opened it, took out a pinch of snuff, and stuffed it behind her lip. She moved it around until she seemed to find a comfortable spot for it, then she looked at Alex and shook her head actively. "Hell no!" she said. "That free-loading bastard skipped out on me a week ago. Son-of-a-bitch owed me five month's rent." She spit some brown juice out on the floor of the hallway.

"Do you know where he went?" Tim Jackman asked.

The woman shook her head. "Ain't got no idea," she said. "If I did, I'd be there, taking my rent out of his worthless hide."

"Yes, ma'am," Alex said. He stifled a sudden urge to grin. Mel Ott, who seemed to think he was tough, had stiffed his landlady, who really was tough. If Mel had any brains, he'd stay away from this woman.

"I guess you guys can head out," Alex told the other officers. "Looks like we missed our boy by a couple of weeks."

"Is there anything I can do to help, Captain?" Tim asked.

"I guess not, Tim," Alex said. "I've got a couple other leads to check out." He smiled at the eager young officer. "One of these days you're going to learn not to volunteer, Tim," he said. "You can't imagine what kind of trouble you can get yourself into by volunteering."

"Come on, partner, let's get back to the office before we actually wind up having to do something," Martha Draper said. "We got to finish our reports on those burglaries."

"Yeah, OK," Tim said. The young detective looked and sounded disappointed.

Alex headed for Jennifer's house. Maybe she would have some helpful information on Mel Ott. He knew she probably didn't, but it was a good excuse to see her again.

"I'm sorry, Alex, I'm not sure there's much I can tell you about Mel Ott," Jennifer said as she and Alex walked toward her office. "Other than that he was shiftless, lazy, and surly. I made a big mistake hiring him in the first place."

She had shown Alex around the house and farm, and while she did, he explained why he was there, without letting her know William Atherton was involved.

"I probably have his address and social security number," she added, "but I really don't know much else about him. To be honest with you, I'm not sure why I ever hired him."

"I'll look at what you have," Alex told her, "Dick Tracey's Crimestopper tip number 605: You never know, so you should always look."

Jennifer gave him a puzzled look. "That's not true, is it?" she asked. "I mean, you don't really have that memorized from the cartoons."

Alex kept a straight face, "Of course it is," he said. Then he smiled broadly and shook his head. "I just made it up."

Jennifer wasn't able to give Alex any more information than he already had, but that didn't bother him. He was happy to be able to spend time with her.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't be of more help," Jennifer said as they walked back down the hall from her office. "It's a shame you drove all the way out here for nothing. Could I at least offer you a cup of coffee?"

"A cup of coffee would be nice," Alex said. He had been wondering what kind of excuse he could come up with to put off leaving. Jennifer's offer of coffee put off the need to leave, at least for a little while.

They went to the kitchen and Jennifer poured each of them a cup of coffee. Then they sat down at the table in an airy breakfast nook off her kitchen.

"What is this investigation you're doing all about? What did Mel do?" Jennifer asked. "It must be pretty serious if a Captain is conducting the investigation."

Alex shrugged. "I'm sorry, Jennifer, I really can't tell you much about it," he said. "I can tell you that it does involve a fairly serious crime, however."

Jennifer blushed. "Of course you can't tell me," she said. "I'm sorry I asked you. And I'm sorry I didn't have more information for you."

Alex smiled. "No problem," he said. "Besides, the fact that Mel Ott used to work for you gave me a chance to come out here, see your place, and have coffee with you, so..." He shrugged and felt his face getting hot.

When she saw that Alex was blushing, Jennifer felt herself blushing, too. "Oh," she said softly.

Alex emptied his coffee cup, set it on the table, and stood up. "Well, I guess I better get going," he said and started for the door.

Jennifer watched Alex walking away from her and realized she didn't want him to leave yet. She wanted to talk some more, to get to know him better. She wasn't sure how he felt, but she knew what she wanted. "Alex..." she said softly.

He turned. "Yes?"

"Don't go...not yet," she said. "Please." Her heart was pounding wildly as she stood up and walked to where he stood. "I-I..." she stammered. She moved even closer to him. Then she felt his arms wrap around her. She put her arms around him and hugged him, feeling his hard body against hers. It was a totally pleasant sensation, one she wanted more of. "I-I don't want you to think..." she began, pressing her face into his chest. As she did, she could hear his heart pounding.

Although he very much wanted this to happen, Alex had never expected it to happen today. "Jen...Jennifer...do...do you know what kind of effect you're having on me?" he asked softly.

"I-I think I-I do..." Jennifer replied softly. She looked up at him and the next thing she knew, his lips were covering hers. For the first time in a long time, she felt fires of passion bursting to life deep inside her. She hadn't felt like this in such a long, long time and it really felt wonderful.

When the kiss finally ended, they leaned back and looked at each other.

"What...what's happening to...to us?" Jennifer whispered.

"I don't know," Alex said, "but I like it. I like it a lot." He swept her up in his powerful arms and started toward the stairway that he knew led up to the bedroom she'd shown him a short while earlier.

Jennifer let her head lay on Alex's shoulder as he carried her up the stairs. She knew exactly what was going to happen and, although it was totally unlike her, she loved it. She had never felt this wonderfully out of control in her life.

Alex, his chest tight, his heart pounding, carried Jennifer into the master bedroom and laid her on the bed.

"I-I want you, Alex!" Jennifer whispered urgently. It was the first time she said that to a man she cared about in a long while. In reality, no man, not even Tommy Singleton, had made her feel quite as wild as Alex was, and all he'd done was kiss her.

"I want you, too, Jennifer," Alex replied. He sat down next to her on the bed and began unbuttoning her blouse. Once it was open, he spread it apart and began kissing and caressing her chest. His hand undid the front clasp of her bra and her beautiful breasts were bared to his view and touch.

"God, Jennifer, you're so beautiful!" Alex exclaimed, then he lowered his face and lips to the lovely globes and began kissing them softly, sending shockwaves of delight into Jennifer.

Jennifer found Alex's touch lighter, softer, and more arousing than she imagined it would be. When he began to suckle one of her nipples, she feared she would come just from having her breasts and nipples kissed. Alex's caresses were so incredibly delightful!

"Ohhhhh!!! God!!! Alex!!!" she moaned, her body twisting and turning insistently. "That's lovely!!! That's so incredibly lovely!!!" His lips traveled to her other nipple and thrills continued to ripple through her.

Slowly, tantalizing Jennifer, Alex's lips moved down onto her nearly-flat belly. He opened her jeans and slid them down her hips. Jennifer arched her back to make it easy for him to get her jeans off.

"Oh, Alex, darling!" she crooned, "You're making me feel so incredibly good!"

She was nude now, and her body was quaking with need. Alex's caresses and kisses were softer and gentler than any she'd ever experienced. She couldn't recall ever being this turned on!

"Take me!! Oh, Alex, please take me!" she moaned.

Alex, like his partner, was on fire with need. He couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted a woman as desperately as he wanted Jennifer. He stood up, stripped his clothes off, then he laid on top of her. As he did, the tip of his erection slid through the yearning, well-lubricated lips of her vagina and, slowly, his huge, broad shaft sank into Jennifer.

Exhilaration swept through Jennifer when Alex's shaft filled her. "Yessssss!!! Oh, yessssss!!!" she moaned. "Oh, God, Alex!!! I need you so badly!!!"

Alex couldn't hold off his orgasm as long as he would have liked. The minute he entered Jennifer, his hips began moving rapidly, driving his penis into her. He was very concerned about being good for her and was a bit fearful he might come too soon.

He needn't have worried. Jennifer was so excited she almost exploded when the tip of his erection touched her vagina. His powerful thrusts quickly sent her whirling into delight. "Alex!!! Alex!!! Never, never like this!!! Never!!! Neverrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" she cried as she plunged into what felt like a bottomless abyss of joy.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!! Jennifer!!!" Alex groaned. Years of denial vanished with the geyser of hot fluids that erupted into her. He ground his body against hers and she pressed back, their hips generating incredibly delightful friction. At last their passion waned and Alex collapsed next to Jennifer on the bed.

Jennifer rolled on her side and looked at Alex. "This...this might sound crazy and impulsive," she said, "but I feel as if I'm falling in love with you." She kissed him softly.

"No more crazy than my being in love with you would be," Alex replied.

Jennifer was a bit surprised by his admission, but that didn't keep it from being the best news she'd heard in a long time. "Alex, do...do you really mean that?" she asked, her heart pounding.

"Yes," Alex answered. "I think I started falling in love with you the minute I saw you that night at the Cartwright Foundation fund-raiser. Then, when you came over to my place the other day, I didn't want you to leave. I kept trying to tell myself I was being stupid, and maybe I am, but I don't care. I love you."

Jennifer slid partially atop him, hugged him, and kissed him. She felt warm, safe, and for the first time in a long time, loved.

"Do...do you have to go back to work?" she asked.

Alex smiled and shook his head. "I'm the boss, remember?" he said. "And I am out working on a case."

"Oh, yes," Jennifer said, smiling. She hugged him. "Then you could you stay for dinner?"

Alex nodded.

"And...and..." she said softly, "...breakfast?"

Alex nodded again.