Ghosts of the Past Ch. 01

Author's Note: I begin this new series with much thanks to my new editor, Moralez18pt...you're a Godsend to me, my friend...thank you for...everything...

Prologue

Betsy Hightower returned to her home in Oregon at the end of November 1956. She'd made the trip to Los Angeles to pick up her car and make funeral arrangements for her nephew. Her sister, Eddie's mother, had been too overwrought to make the trip. She frowned. Oh, God...how do I tell Mary how sick and evil her son was? I can't believe what the police told me...

A few hours later, Betsy sat staring at the blank expression on her younger sister's face after she'd told her the whole story about what Eddie had done and how he was killed. "I'm so sorry, Mary."

Mary just shook her head and continued to stare blankly. But her mind was whirling. My boy...my baby... my darling son... Why did you leave me? Don't you know how much I love you and need you? It had to have been HER...that little bitch must have seduced you somehow... She lured you away from me and now you're dead...because of HER!

Don't worry, my darling Eddie...someday, I'll make her pay...

Chapter 1

Why does that man look familiar to me? FBI Agent Thomas Seldon lowered the binoculars from his eyes and frowned. One of the three men standing outside the Green Worldwide Enterprises warehouse in Los Angeles reminded him of someone...

I could swear I've seen him before... "Hey partner, hand me those last photos headquarters sent us."

Special Agent Charles Richards brought him the group of suspects' photos. He'd been studying them...but the man they saw a few weeks ago was the only one he'd recognized from any of the pictures. And headquarters had already confirmed that he was Robert Warren, a man suspected of working with Central and South American gunrunners for the last few years.

Tom muttered, "This man who showed up last night...I feel like I've seen him before and it's driving me crazy that I can't figure out why! You've taken a picture of him, right? As well as the other two men with him?" Charles nodded. "Good."

They would get the film back to the office so it could be developed and send the photos to headquarters and see if they could I.D. the men.

Tom raised the binoculars to his eyes again. "It looks like they're leaving. I wish we could put a tail on them now...find out where they're going." But Washington still wanted more proof before they'd authorize them to go any further. "Damn it...I just know there's something going on here and our hands are tied until we can prove that Warren is actually dealing with this company!"

"Well, maybe once these other men are identified and the fact that they showed up late at night, it will give us the proof we need," Charles said hopefully. "Come on, partner. Let's pack up our gear and head out. We've been here all night and I'm beat. And Diana's getting upset that I've been spending so many nights away from her recently."

"Yeah...Lynda hasn't been real happy with me lately, either. But I know how to make it up to her. She's a very understanding woman...once she gets her fill of my cock!" Tom chuckled.

Yeah, I wish she'd gotten her fill of mine, too... Aw hell...stop that... Charles exclaimed, "Damn it, Tom! Don't say things like that! I don't want to hear about your sex life!"

"Hey...you weren't fantasizing about my wife again, were you?" Tom asked jokingly.

Charles replied sarcastically, "Yeah. Ha, ha, ha...fuck you, Seldon! It's your own fault! You shouldn't have told us guys how good Lynda is at... aw, forget it!"

Tom chuckled again. "Boy...twelve hours away from your own wife and you act like you're about to climb the walls! What's the matter, partner? Not getting enough of your wife's sexy body lately?"

"No, it's not that at all. It's just the opposite. Ever since Thanksgiving, she's been on me every time we're alone together. She seems desperate to get pregnant and she's taken almost all the intimacy out of our lovemaking. And I don't know why she's so desperate... she won't talk to me about it." Charles anxiously stuffed files and photos into a briefcase.

Tom picked up a bag and packed it with the items they'd brought for surveillance. He glanced at Charles. "I think I might know what's behind Diana's desperation."

Charles stared at him.

"Lynda told me the only thing that keeps her from getting hysterical every time I walk out the door to go to work is the fact that she's pregnant. Knowing she's carrying my baby helps her to stay calm and not worry so much about me."

Charles closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Yeah...that would explain it."

She's scared for me... That's why she'd been even more nervous than when that bastard Ed Hood had come after her again. He'd have to talk to her when he got home. Her nerves were probably frazzled after what she'd been through the last three weeks. Not to mention the last five months...

**********

Saturday morning, December 8, 1956 at about eight o'clock, Charles undressed and snuck into bed to snuggle up behind his beautiful wife. He kissed her soft, shining, golden hair, put his hand up under the pajama top she was wearing and fondled her generous breasts. His hard shaft was pressed against her shapely ass in her silky panties.

"Mmm...you shouldn't be doing that! My husband will be home soon. I told you to get out of here, big man! Oooh... OW!!!" Her nipple was pinched painfully. Diana's eyes popped open.

"Not funny, pretty lady! You know better than to make jokes like that about HIM!" he growled.

Diana snorted. "Then don't come crawling into bed at eight o'clock in the morning expecting to get fucked immediately!"

Charles forced her onto her back and pinned her shoulders to the mattress. "What the hell is wrong with you now? Lately, I haven't been able to keep you off me because you want a baby and now you're deliberately pissing me off! What is going on with you, Diana?"

Her face contorted as she began to cry. "I started last night... I'm not pregnant!"

"Oh, pretty lady..." Charles sighed. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry. I know how much this would mean to you, but we just started trying! Sometimes it can take a little longer. Especially after everything your poor body has been through the last several months! When the time is right, it will happen for us."

Diana sniffled and squeaked, "But what if something happens to you... or me... before we have a child? There won't be anything left of us... of our love... to show what we mean to each other!"

Charles stared directly into her teary gray blue eyes—eyes exactly the same color as his.

How many people have witnessed what we mean to each other, pretty lady? How many people do you think are as connected as you and me?

Diana's eyes flinched when she heard his voice inside her head. "How do you...?" She was cut off when he put his hand over her mouth.

Don't say it...think it. I'll hear you. She stared at him. Come on, pretty lady... try.

She frowned at him and mumbled behind his hand, "I am."

Well...try harder! If you can hear me, I should be able to hear you! You called to me first... remember?

Diana growled in frustration and closed her eyes. Damn it... why are you pushing this? What the hell good will it do us anyway?

It may not do us any good...but it could sure come in handy playing cards with our friends. Don't you think?!!!

Diana's eyes popped open again. They laughed. He moved his hand away from her mouth.

"I guess the trick for me is that I have to close my eyes and have some kind of emotional outburst. When you heard me before it was because I was scared to death. Just now, I was getting pissed! I can receive you easily, but it's harder for me to send. Maybe it'll get easier with time... and practice." She closed her eyes again. I love you, sexy man. What can I do for you?

Just lay here and hold me until I fall asleep... I love you, too, pretty lady, but it's a good thing your period came because I'm exhausted...

Charles chuckled with her as she wrapped her arms around him. He groaned contentedly as she scratched his back. He drifted off to sleep...

**********

That Saturday evening, Charles and Diana had dinner at Tom and Lynda's house in Brentwood, just a mile from their home. The women were cleaning up after dinner while the men sat at the dining room table with photos of the suspects from their arms smuggling investigation.

Their boss, Assistant Director Peter Woods, had stopped by a little while earlier with photos of the three men they had taken that morning.

"Pete said they already forwarded copies of these photos to Washington for identification. Hopefully we'll hear back from them within the week. I just wish I could figure out why I feel like I've seen this man before!" Tom muttered as he stared at the photo of a man who appeared to be fiftyish.

Lynda walked up beside her husband. "Would you like some more coffee, my love?"

Tom absently shook his head. "No, thank you, sweetheart."

Lynda started to turn away, but one of the photos on the table caught her eye. She gasped. "Oh, my God! That's Donald!"

Tom frowned. "What? Donald who? Which photo are you looking at, Lynda?"

She pointed to the photo of the bastard she had hoped to never see again. "That man. That's Donald Price...my ex-husband."

Diana came out of the kitchen when she heard that. "Oh, my God... What are you guys doing with a photo of him?"

Charles looked up at the two women. "He showed up at the warehouse we were watching last night along with these two men. Do either of them look familiar to you?"

Lynda and Diana shook their heads.

Tom said worriedly, "Lynda, sweetheart...now would be a good time for you to tell me everything you know about your ex-husband."

She frowned. "There's not much I can tell. I lived with the man for seven years, but I hardly knew him. I mean, I thought I knew him...up until the day he walked out on me!" She closed her eyes and frowned harder. "He's an accountant. He was obsessed with making a lot of money and he was never happy with me because we didn't have enough of it!" she stated forcefully as she opened her eyes again. She started again, quietly, "That's why he left me... He said he'd found himself a stupid little girlfriend who's daddy was rich and that he was going to help her daddy make a lot more money!" she gritted through her teeth.

Lynda paused. She tried to quell the pain and anger that were surfacing from those memories. It didn't work.

She gritted angrily, "I never bothered to ask him or to find out who his new girlfriend was...I didn't care. The only consolation I got out of that whole situation was the knowledge that she wouldn't suck his dick!" She stormed away from the table into the kitchen.

Tom immediately got up and followed her. "Whoa...sweetheart. This was obviously a lot more painful for you than you've admitted."

"Well...how would you feel if you'd been married to someone you loved for nearly seven years thinking you had a pretty solid relationship because the sex was fantastic...only to find out that's all the relationship was based on for them?!!

"Why do you think I was so scared when you and I attacked each other the moment we met?!! I suddenly saw our life together starting out with even less than I had started out with Donald! At least I made HIM wait until he had married me before I let him fuck me!!!" Lynda exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

Tom spoke gently as he enfolded his wife in his arms. "I didn't fuck you, Lynda. I made love to you. Remember?"

She clung to him and cried softly, her tears dampening his shoulder.

"I'm not your ex-husband. Our marriage is not based just on fantastic sex. I love you, Lynda... I'll always love you."

Tom kissed his wife passionately until her tears ceased.

Charles and Diana stood at their kitchen doorway for a moment, then Charles cleared his throat. "Uh, I hate to break this up...but this is a piece of information that we ought to get to Washington. It might help them figure out who the other two men are."

**********

Later that night, Tom chuckled in realization as they were getting into bed. "Lynda... I'm just a little curious. What was with that comment you made earlier about how your ex-husband's girlfriend wouldn't suck his dick?!"

"Oh, God! I can't believe I even said that!" Lynda exclaimed, embarrassed. "Donald told me. I'd gotten him hooked on it and he was going crazy because she wouldn't. He begged me in his lawyer's office the day our divorce was final to do it for him one last time... for old times' sake, he said! I told him and his lawyer off and walked out! That's also why I reverted to my maiden name when we divorced... I couldn't stand the thought of even being associated with him any more! That was over two and a half years ago; it was the last time I saw him."

Tom was curious. "How did you tell them off?"

Lynda closed her eyes as she blushed. "I grabbed the crotch of his lawyer's pants and told Donald that I'd sooner suck his lawyer's dick than his. His lawyer had a tiny cock, so I said he hardly had enough for a mouthful and that I felt sorry for his wife! Then I walked out and slammed the door behind me!"

She opened her eyes when Tom burst out laughing. I love to watch your face when you laugh... His dark brown, bushy mustache curved with his upper lip and the deep, dimpled lines in his cheeks made him look so sexy when he smiled or laughed. His hazel eyes twinkled at her in amusement. Oh, Tom...you are so handsome...you take my breath away...

"Oh, God, Lynda! You ladies sure come up with some snappy comebacks when you need them! Oh, sweetheart...I would love to have seen the looks on their faces!" Tom said through his laughter. She laughed with him.

He pulled her to his side and kissed her. Their laughter faded. He took her hand and moved it down his body to his semi-hard cock. "You know...I really can't blame your bastard ex-husband for trying. You've got me addicted to it, too. You're so good at it," he moaned.

Lynda smirked. "Ohhh...very subtle, Agent Seldon! I guess this is your way of telling me that you need another fix? Once a day isn't enough for you any more? Tsk, tsk, tsk...you're becoming as much of an addict as I am!"

She moved down and stroked and swallowed her husband's handsome dick until it was rigid. She moaned deeply at his potent taste and scent as his curly hair tickled her nose.

Then she climbed on top of him and impaled herself slowly. She stared at him as she slid down onto his long cock... "In case I forgot to say it this morning...welcome home, Agent Seldon!"

Tom pulled Lynda down to him and kissed her desperately. He rolled her over onto her back and drove into her as deeply as he could with long, slow strokes. Raising his head, he gazed into her beautiful silver gray eyes.

"Yes, sweetheart...I am home. Wherever your arms and your long, shapely legs are is home. My body is home inside yours. Your heart and soul are my refuge... Don't ever stop loving me, Lynda...ever!"

"Never..." she whispered back.

Lynda clung to Tom as he lovingly stroked her to her first of several climaxes. She ended up back on top of him, straddling his lean hips, rocking herself on his long, hard shaft as she throbbed through her last orgasm.

Her back arched as he caressed her beautiful, large breasts, her head flopping backward as she moaned loudly sending her dark brown hair cascading down her back. Then she pounded herself on his dick furiously until he came.

She lay down on his firmly muscled torso, reveling in the sensation of her breasts flattened against the thick mat of hair covering his chest. Her head was next to his as their breathing slowed.

Tom stroked her soft hair gently. "Lynda...do you think your ex-husband would be mixed up with arms smugglers?"

She took a deep breath. "I don't know, Tom. I know he was obsessed with making money and if he thought he could get rich at it, I wouldn't put it past him. But I never suspected that he was involved in anything illegal while we were married. Of course, as I said, I realized I never really knew him at all. I wish I could tell you more...but I just don't know."

He kissed her softly. "That's OK, sweetheart. Just your identifying him for us was a big help. I'll try to keep you posted on what we find out. But I won't be able to give you many details. I can't compromise the investigation, and it's also for your own safety, you know."

"I know," she sighed. Oh, Tom...what about your safety? I worry more about that...

She slid off his body to lie beside him, her head cradled on his right shoulder. She listened as his breathing deepened and became even. Sleep peacefully, my love...I'll keep you safe...

Just as she was about to drift off, the phone rang.

Tom jerked awake. He reached over with his left hand and picked up the receiver. "Whoever this is, it had better be good!"

"Tom, it's Charles. Diana knows Robert Warren...well she knew him as Robert Clark!"

"Robert Clark? Who is Robert Clark?"

Lynda sat up quickly. "Robert Clark! That was the bastard who tricked Diana years ago by acting like John Wayne. Then he stole her virginity and dumped her!"

Charles heard her through the phone. "Yeah, that was him! I was looking through the photos of all the suspects again before going to bed. Diana saw the photo of Warren and she nearly went ballistic! His use of an alias might help us dig up more information on him and his contacts. I'll get this info to Washington tomorrow, but I thought I'd let you know. Sorry if I woke you up."

"That's OK, partner. I wasn't fully asleep yet. Boy, this case is getting more and more interesting by the minute! Maybe we ought to bring the girls in on the investigation. They've given us more leads than we've been able to find out ourselves so far."

Charles snorted a laugh. "No kidding. But I don't think 'Uncle Pete' would be too thrilled with that idea! Good night, Tom. I'll see you first thing Monday!" He hung up the phone.

Diana had been pacing back and forth beside their bed. "This investigation of yours is getting just too bizarre to be coincidental!"

Maybe it's not coincidence...maybe it's fate. Our lives were meant to be intertwined all along. And even though we didn't find each other again for seventeen years, fate was trying to make sure we found each other somehow...

"Stop speaking to me telepathically! I have too much going on in my brain right now to try and listen to what you're saying, too!" Diana exclaimed at him.

Charles looked at her in shock. "I wasn't trying to speak to you...I was just thinking to myself! Oh, shit! Now you can read my thoughts?!! Damn, pretty lady! I'll never be able to get away with anything around you! This isn't fair! As far as I know, I can't read your thoughts!"

"Well, good! Because you were able to read everything else about me when you met me just from my body language and facial expressions! Your skills compensate for your inability to read people's thoughts. You're damn good at your job and you know it!"

Diana paused. A shocked expression came over her face. Oh, shit...I read his thoughts?!!

"Yes, pretty lady...you can read my thoughts." I just hope they never get me into trouble...

Diana looked at him and chuckled. "Then you'd better be careful what you think around me!"