Into Darkness Ch. 03

Completing the call Georgia dropped her phone on the desk and smiled a welcome to Callum, "Well and good morning to you. I was beginning to think you were not going to get up today either," her eyes fell onto his crotch and swiftly moved away again. She had caught him checking her out, had witnessed the swelling in his trousers, and it kick-started the burning sensation in her lower stomach instantly. Her tongue tip flashed across her lips moistening them as she smiled, thinking of her double entendre and yearning to be the one to roll over in the morning and greet his erection personally. Instead she said. "And god you look like hell."

"I know, I know... what do you mean 'today either?'"

"Er.. you weren't here yesterday at all, remember?"

"No, no I don't! I think someone slipped me a Roofie or GHB or something, I appear to have lost more time than I thought, but I'll tell you what I do remember later, after we've seen Chrissy."

"Chrissy? Oh, you mean Christina? I thought you hadn't met before?"

"Hadn't until just now."

"And yet you're already calling her Chrissy?" Georgia said, with an edge to her voice, that he could not discern the meaning of. In truth, it narked Georgia at the apparent ease with which Callum got along with people. He had this aura about him that exuded calmness and warmth, honesty and integrity, strength and safety. This ability to encourage people to open to him with a mere handful of words, was a trait she knew she didn't have. His smile always did something to her too and made her forgive him anything. Yet he seemed completely unaware of the affect he had on people and usually put it down to how nice they were, rather than thinking it was something that he had done.

Callum responded with that raised eyebrow thing that he did and smiling said, "Jealousy is unbecoming in one so fair. Besides," he mocked and sang, "I only have eyes for you."

Georgia was about to respond refuting her jealousy as being nothing of the sort, but Callum stood and said, "I'll go and get her in." All of a sudden, the playfulness in him had stopped and the consummate professional now kicked in. Stepping through the door he had a few words with Christina that Georgia did not make out and he then ushered her into the main office. Whatever it was he had said Christina came in with a beaming smile and reddened cheeks. Georgia threw a cross look at Callum, but he wasn't looking. "Please sit here Chrissy; can I get you a cup of coffee?" He looked over at Georgia who was now sitting on her desk top, legs crossed. "Would you like one too?"

"I would love one thank you," Chrissy responded. "Black with one sugar."

"I would love one too," responded Georgia, "and you know how I like it." Both Callum and Chrissy picked up on her inflection, but neither chose to respond, though as Callum walked to the Barista, he couldn't help smiling to himself and thinking, 'yes and I know how I'd like to give it to you as well!'

As he returned with their two cups, the ladies were small talking so he drew up a chair to sit with one on either side of him. "OK then, shall we get started?" He passed the coffee to Chrissy. "Can you tell us a little about the situation then please Chrissy, as much detail as possible; we will ask questions if we need clarity." He passed the other cup to Georgia stealing a glance along the perfect lengths of her legs, as far up the thigh as her skirt would allow, saying, "also for our own protection, please note that we will be recording this conversation. This is necessary so that we can pick up all of the details without having to write anything down but also covers us in the event of threatened litigation. I hope you are OK with that?"

"Yes, that's fine, I fully understand. Well here goes. I've written down a few pertinent dates, names and addresses on this bit of paper," she delved into her bag and produced a slip of A4 folded in half. Georgia lent forwards and took it from her. Opening it she read the contents as Chrissy, turning more to face Callum, continued on. "About three years ago I met this great guy at work called Niall, tall, dark and handsome, but very shy and quiet. Niall was new to the accountancy firm that I work at and seemed to find it hard to strike up a conversation with me. What probably made it harder was the fact that the firm is owned by my father, he owns quite a few other companies. Anyway, I knew from the start that I wanted to go out with him and although we came across one another from time to time, by the office bistro, along the corridors or at the occasional meeting, he never once made a move. So, in the end I asked him out. The date wasn't the best, but over time he started coming out of his shell a bit. Sorry if I'm rambling, just tell me when to shut up."

"No this is good background material," replied Callum, "please continue." He leaned across and placed his hand upon Chrissy's arm in a gesture of reassurance; the touch instantly made Chrissy break out in goose-bumps as she continued to talk to Callum. Georgia finished reading the notes and looked up. Immediately she noticed Chrissy's erecting nipples and watched as they expanded further under the still damp blouse and bra until they were fully taut and shouting about it. This visual display of Chrissy's arousal, along with her flushed response, confirmed to Georgia the obvious. She realised that her own body language for that matter, probably expressed the same; sitting facing Callum, open gestures slightly increased breathing, legs towards him and slightly apart. Eyes flicking over his body but concentrating on his lips and his eyes as he spoke, yes, she knew Chrissy wanted him as much as she herself did.

It wasn't just the need for physical contact that people all crave from time to time either, although she did not deny that she found that more than appealing. No, Georgia wanted it all, the companionship, the love, the lust and the oneness that comes when people bond on all planes. She knew that she had his friendship however and would do nothing to lose that. She tried to concentrate on what Chrissy was saying, but found herself worrying just what Callum had gotten himself into to make him lose a whole day.

"Well," Chrissy continued "The long and short of it is we got married. That was two years ago. We got married in a local chapel that Niall knew about and I just went along with. It wasn't important to me where we got married; I just wanted to get married! Only now I wish I had paid more attention." Chrissy paused and looked over at Georgia; she appeared to be going over the notes again. Callum, despite what he said earlier was making notes of his own. Chrissy looked at the solid frame of the man before her, his broad shoulders carried powerful arms, the suit he wore was tight around the bicep area. His long legs, stretched out languidly in front of him allowed her to see the form of his quad muscles, which looked equally large and well formed. She stole a glance at his crotch and immediately turned away blushing only to find that Georgia was now watching her intently.

"Please continue Christina," she said.

Christina blushed all the more for being caught in the act of appraising the man's crotch before her. She was also more than a little confused by her emotions. She stuttered on. "Well..we..well from that point on he started going to this chapel on a regular basis, well I say from that point on, the fact of the matter is he had been going there for years, I just hadn't known. Except now the occasions were becoming two to three times a week, always after work and before he got home." Chrissy looked up at Callum, "you see I guess that being a newlywed, I felt that he would want to spend all of his time with me, and the fact that now we were married he seemed to want to spend less, well that was quite hurtful I suppose.

So of course, I tried to discuss it with him, but he would rarely engage, saying that he felt it was the right thing for him to be doing; that his feelings for me were stronger than ever, that it was only a couple of hours a week in reality and that I had him for the rest of the time. He seemed equally hurt that I would come in between him and his religion. At least that is what it felt like. So, I let it go and resigned myself to the fact his religious beliefs should not be something that came between us.

It was about two weeks later of an evening when Niall brought home one of the chapel leaders. He was a tall elderly man called Michaelson. I had not long gotten in from work, you have to understand that doing different jobs, we did not always leave at the same time, and rather than wait for one another, we travelled home separately. Well, as I said I had not long got home, so was still in my work gear; a thigh-length leather skirt, heels and light summer blouse. I tell you this because the instant that man entered our house, I felt intimidated and suddenly felt that my blouse was far too revealing. In fact, he made me feel like I wasn't wearing one at all! I must have spent most of the time with my arms folded across my chest. I was sure that it conveyed the right body messaging to him too. I hated the guy on sight, not just because he and his chapel seemed to be taking my husband from me, but also because the instant he entered the house he appeared to be trying to look up my skirt; or worse, spent the entire time staring at my... my breasts."

Chrissy blushed again, and then continued. "Then he proceeds to discuss the chapel in a way that sounded like I had already gifted them a large sum of money; I hadn't I hasten to add. I couldn't get the guy out of my house quickly enough. And Niall and I had a frightful row after he had gone. Niall walked out at that point and didn't come back until the morning; I assume that he spent the night at one of the pastor's houses, as I know he has several!

Well from that point we have not had any...intimacy, shall we say; we are barely talking. I believe that the church is trying to use sex almost like blackmail. They don't get the money; I don't get to have... well you get the picture, don't you? I can tell you that sometimes it is really hard doing the right thing, or at least what I feel is the right thing."

Chrissy paused collecting her thoughts, "Well that is about it really, since that point, he has come home from work and after eating, with hardly any words spoken, he has gone off to the church, rarely returning until I have gone to bed. It is tearing us apart. He won't talk to me and cannot even look me in the eye. I just want the person I married back, I miss having a man in my life and the Niall that I see now is just not the person I married."

"So," said Callum, "where do you feel that we fit into this, being that we deal more in the paranormal than, forgive me, marriage counselling?"

"Well when Michaelson was around, he was talking to me about initiating me into the church, he made it quite clear that I would have to give myself up to them? Well the mere thought of how he was looking at me when he said that, sends shivers up my spine, I could just tell that what he was referring to was... well it just sounded like 'black rituals, sacrificial virgins' you know the thing? The last thing he appeared to have on his mind was praising God. And a couple of times in the night, more as time went on, Niall would cry out that what they were doing was wrong and God will damn them all. He is obviously in internal torment. I just wish I knew what hold they have over him that his own wife cannot break?"

A tear ran down Chrissy's face as she stopped recounting and thought about the man she fell in love with and married. 'Where was he now?' Callum lent across and put a comforting hand on her arm, immediately raising more goose-bumps. Chrissy looked directly at him and smiled; he had this way of making her feel at ease, it was incredible. "Thank you," she said simply.

"Ok Chrissy, Georgia and I will have a look into this thing for you. We will need the name of the church and where it is, but nothing more. We will find out directly what other info we need. We like to make sure that emotion does not cloud the issue and that we are starting from the ground up."

"What do you think Georgy?" The mention of her name pulled Georgia from her reverie; from a place where thoughts of her partner were anything but platonic. From a place that had her body fully displaying the delights that she had found there. "Um, yes, sure." She responded not really making much sense.

"Settles it then Chrissy, now if we could have those details on the church, we will hold you no-longer."

"It's in the notes that Georgia has. One thing I meant to say, is that I have stalked Niall a couple of times, and sat outside the church. I have often seen a number of women leaving. In number. All were very beautiful. Are they having some pagan orgy in there? Please get to the bottom of this and destroy that FUCKING CHURCH. I'm sure those old perverts are up to something illegal. Bring back my husband to me, in body and mind. I'm convinced the only way to do that is to destroy that church." Chrissy stood and straightened her still damp skirt, Callum quickly followed suit. She consciously stood on tip-toe, pecking Callum on the cheek. "If anyone can sort this out, I know you can," she whispered to him. She looked across at Georgia who smiled sweetly back. "Good bye Christina, we will be in touch shortly I can promise you that."

Callum gently held Chrissy by the arm and led her out of the office. Georgia could see Chrissy's flushed face, neck and upper breast area. She could see the hard bumps of her nipples beneath her wet blouse and bra, she knew just how painful those erections would be, crying out for attention. She knew too that Chrissy had been checking out Callum's form. It was evident to her, that Chrissy was more than a little aroused by her partner, something that she could hardly blame her for. She looked down at her own chest, and knew too that she was displaying similar signs and was more than conscious, that if she got too aroused, she was in trouble, because this skirt was far too tight for panties, the only thing protecting her, was the gusset of her tights. She turned away, not wanting her partner to see the state she was in; that could only make matters worse for her.

As Callum walked back into the office, Georgia was ready with a quip about Chrissy's obvious flirting, but seeing the expression on his face, she felt better of it. He was in full business mode now and would not appreciate her levity. Instead she said, "so what do you think?" He walked over to the coffee machine without a comment and set a cup beneath, allowing it to churn through the process of making him a coffee, unaided. He glanced out of the window doing anything but admiring the view. He would often disappear into those dark recesses of his mind when on a case. Recalling things, he had studied, information he had read and processed for recapture when needed; past experience on other cases would also come to the fore. Images, passages, quotes swimming in his head.

As he stood there the sun broke through the clouds and created a halo effect about his head and shoulders, making Georgia squint slightly because of its brightness. The image was entrancing. It made him look naked and god-like. His hair on fire as the sun played upon his wavy almost black locks. Georgia gasped; the impact was an intense assault upon her senses. She ran her eyes over the broad powerful shoulders and followed the line of his latissimus dorsi muscle down to his narrow waist and incredible bum. She smiled to herself then approached him, placing her hand upon his arm to raise herself on tip-toe, putting her lips close to his ear she whispered, "penny for them?" His arm was rigid and hard, he did not move or respond.

Suddenly, he turned to look at her, his eyes dark, almost black and brooding, she had seen this many times before, but was still shocked when it happened and by the stark difference between this and his usual bright expression. His eyes did not recognise her; saw right through her in fact. She reached up and gently brushed his cheek with the palm of her hand, "hey, are you in there?" Her warmth in both gesture and body heat dragged him back from where he had been. Callum's expression softened and his eyes returned to the deepest blue and he smiled replying to her earlier question, "I'm not sure what I think really."

"You're not sure really, about what?"

"Er, you asked me what I thought, about the case." He laughed sardonically.

"Yeah I did ten minutes ago. Really you do worry me sometimes, for a minute there I though a stranger had walked in here instead of you. Where do you go to when you zone out like that?"

"Not sure I know what you mean, I was making a coffee that's all, don't see anything wrong with doing that?"

"Not a thing, if you drink it afterwards. Go and feel that coffee, it will be cold. You've been gone for a while as I said."

Callum looked confused, it was evident to Georgia that he was not aware that he had been in an almost trance like state; but because he looked so disorientated, she decided to drop it and referred to her original question. "So, what move do you want to make, and I don't mean one on Christina Mr!"

"Christina? And why would I want to make a move on a married woman. Surely you know she is not my type. Beside she is a client I would never..."

"I'm only teasing. So, I'll dig up what I can about the Church and this Michaelson. I'll let you attempt to speak with Niall..."

She was about to say more. But Callum's phone rang and he picked it up, noting that it was the mysterious woman in his bed calling. Conscious that he had yet to tell Georgia about her, he signed to Georgia, "I just need to take this, do you mind?" His partner shook her head and turned away.

"Georgia shook her head and said, "Not at all?"