Crimes of Passion by Anastacia
Chapter 1 by Anastacia
Author's Notes:
I - Anastacia - am pleased to present you with another co-written story. I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to write another story with Shrinkingviolet. She is truly my muse and my passion that keeps me going when I just feel like crumbling. Hopefully, you will enjoy this story as much as we enjoy writing it.
Chapter 1


Ashes to ashes…

Thumbing the crimson petals of the blooming rose cupped between his hands, he bowed his head in remorse as he stepped toward the deep red casket covered with blooming flowers. He had selected the most expensive casket from the funeral parlor – rich red cherry heartwood with white crushed velvet interior. Her mother had crocheted a decorative pillow on which her head should eternally rest. Her siblings had also made sure to line her casket with cherished things of her life – her baby quilt, favorite teddy bear, and pictures. And, his final token of love was laid over the casket.

Dust to dust…

“Hey, AJ, we’re here.”

Looking up in surprise at the soft voice that entered his mind like a harsh boom of a firing gun, AJ reached to clear away the tears that had flooded the lenses of his sunglasses. Sniffling heavily, he reached for the sky blue – her favorite color - silk handkerchief from his pocket. Rubbing his nose and cleaning the tears from his face, he stuffed the soiled cloth into the pocket of his suit before fumbling for the door to the black, stretch limo. Glancing to his surroundings, he watched as the mourners flooded into the home for a wake. When the Hell did they get to his house?

It seemed as though he were witnessing everything through the haze of a dream; nothing real touched him as he greeted the mourners gathered in his living and dining rooms. But he was aware of the suspicious glances from her family members, heard the whispers as he moved past. Hoping for a moment alone, he headed for his bedroom, only to be caught by Nick just at the door. Looking up into the sapphire eyes of his friend, he felt the façade he had created over the past days begin to crumble when the younger man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They think I did it," he whispered brokenly, continuing to cup the rose in his palm. His last true connection with her.

“They’re full of shit,” Nick stated in full honesty, looking down the long hallway to see a few collected stragglers simply watching them. Narrowing his critical sapphire eyes toward the ruddy women, he opened the bedroom door to allow AJ a few moments of privacy. Truth be told, Nick never thought that he’d be attending a funeral for one of his friends’ girlfriends. If anything, he had only suspected to be standing above the grave of his mother in the near future and may she rot in the eternal depths of Hell. But, those thoughts passed like many others as he watched AJ collapse onto the plush bed while fighting a hard sob. “J, your name was cleared from the murder the same week that they started the investigation. And, if they want to keep throwing the conspiracy angle in your face, you show them all those shitty letters and pictures you’re getting from the bastard who’s running around this town like a proud dickhead.”

"Her family would just say that I made them up to show my innocence," AJ decided, reaching to lay the rose on the bedside table. Pausing when he saw the framed portrait of her there, he gently traced the lines of her face, remembering the silken feel of her skin. Immediately he remembered the gruesome photos he had received in the mail over the past weeks, the letters that detailed each horrible thing that had happened to her as she begged for her life. Letting his sob out, he slammed his fist into the pillow, forgetting Nick's presence as the depression over her death and the anger towards the man who had killed her mingled.

Watching the framed photograph topple to the floor as AJ attacked the pillow in a violent rage, Nick merely stood still in the threshold of the room. Reaching into his suit pocket, he withdrew a fresh package of cigarettes, immediately thumbing in his pants pocket for a lighter to ignite the stick that would hopefully calm him. He had never been the endearing type filled with compassion for others’ sorrows. Oh, yes, he could play the part of a concerned friend, but Howie was always the one to care for the others of the group. Except this upcoming week when he had to travel for business. He could not play the part of the doting best friend in AJ’s time of grief and pain. So, Nick had been chosen to take his place because he was the unfortunate bastard without a family to care for.

"I have to find him," AJ announced, jerking out of his suit jacket as he thrashed to get off of the bed. It held too many memories for him, and he was certain he would never have a peaceful night's sleep in it again. Accepting the cigarette that Nick offered, he paused for a moment to light it, letting the calming nicotine flow through his system before he moved to the closet. "The fucking cops don't understand shit, they don't know shit that I know-"

“Wait a fucking minute,” Nick exclaimed in surprise, ducking when two well-polished dress shoes came flying in his direction. Allowing them to collide with the far wall, he hurriedly reached to pull the cigarette from between his lips so it would not be wasted while he moved to the closet. “What the fuck are you talking about, J? Go find him? The fucking lunatic that used your girlfriend for a test dummy?”

"The fucking lunatic that killed my girlfriend and has succeeded in making my life a living fucking Hell," AJ corrected as he hurriedly undressed.

“So… You think you can just go sashaying out of this house and cross paths with him down at the boardwalk? Ask him to have a couple of coffees with you and then blow his brains out on the unsuspecting waitress?”

"I'm not going to blow his brains out," AJ defended, pulling out clean clothes and throwing them onto the bed to pack. He was not sure how long he would be gone, and wanted to make sure he had enough supplies. "Take care of my dogs for me?"

“The assholes that we call friends tell me that I have to take care of you for a few weeks! No where in that does it say that I’m going to be cleaning up after your mangy mutts, no matter how pregnant the one is. Because, you’re not leaving this damn house, J. There’s a funeral something-or-other going on out there that you’re supposed to be part of. Playing the grieving boyfriend or some shit. So, throw on some pants and let’s get back out there--”

"I've done enough grieving, Goddamnit. Grieving won't bring her back, Nick. Nothing will. I just have to do what I have to do," AJ informed his friend, pulling on a pair of faded jeans. Flicking his ashes towards the ashtray, he reached for a t-shirt. "So you can either help me or you can carry your ass out there and make everybody leave."

“Brian, Kevin, and Howie aren’t going to let you go on some dumbass wild adventure for revenge--”

"They don't have to know."

“Somehow, you storming out of the house with a duffle bag and peeling out of the driveway like a bat out of Hell might be a key indicator of your plans--”

"That's why you're going with me. Because you understand my need to be away from everything, and you and I are going on a male bonding trip," AJ announced, zipping up his duffle bag before heading for the master bathroom to gather toiletries.

“You don’t even know where the fucker is, J,” Nick lamented, throwing himself onto the bed with a muffled curse. He didn’t know why he was the one that had been chosen to take care of AJ after the funeral. He was in no way equipped to deal with such outrageous schemes. And, most importantly, he didn’t want to be bothered. After all, his younger brother was staying with him for a few weeks and they had a few high profiled bets commencing. But, no, AJ’s girlfriend had to go and get herself murdered…

"I'll find him," AJ promised. "And when I do…"

“And when you do what, J? What are you going to do?”

AJ lifted his head to look at Nick. Allowing the rage he felt for the man who had effectively ruined his life to finally creep to the surface, he imagined everything he would do to him. Seeing Nick's eyes widen with realization, he nodded, dropping his gaze as he pulled on his shoes. "And a Hell of a lot more."

*~*~*


"Adie, Doll Face, wake up," Josette Moreau murmured as she pulled up in the parking lot of the truck stop. Muffling a yawn behind her hand as she turned off the engine, she reached to gently shake her younger sister's shoulder, smiling over the fact that Adrienne could truly sleep anywhere. As Adrienne began to stir from her slumber, Josette stretched in her seat, rubbing the weariness from her neck as she pushed open the door. "We're just stopping for gas, and I thought we could grab a bite in the diner here, what do you say?"

“You’re actually going to let us eat in a truck stop diner?” Adrienne Moreau teased, muffling a yawn behind the palm of her hand before climbing out of the cherry red mustang as well. Walking over to the driver’s side, she watched her older sister open the gas tank in order to fill the car. Leaning against the car, she stretched her lithe body to clear away the sleepy ache of her body, glancing around the near deserted truck stop. “…How far along are we, Ette?”

"We'll be at our designated stopping point in another hour," Josette assured, setting the pump on automatic before leaning into the mustang to retrieve her purse. Retrieving her wallet, she flipped through it for her gas credit card. "I suppose we should check in with the old crow-I mean Mother…"

“It is so sweet to know that you truly miss Mother after being only separated for a day or so,” Adrienne mused, squealing with laughter when Josette playfully tickled her sides. Hopping away from her sister’s hands, she immediately tugged on her light blue camisole, her cheeks hinting with an adorable blush as her cinnamon eyes glowed in the setting sunlight. To say the sisters had a close relationship would be a vast understatement of their bond. In fact, the whole point of the girls’ vacation was to celebrate and strengthen their relationship before Josette married their father’s junior partner.

"Of course I miss her," Josette promised with a wicked grin as she quickly pulled her elbow-length wavy dark hair into a ponytail. Tucking her credit card in the top of her black camisole, she watched Adrienne hopping onto and off of the curb surrounding the gas tank. Her younger sister was always full of energy when she was awake, practically dashing through her activities during the day. "Why do you think I cracked open a bottle of champagne when we got to the hotel last night?"

“To celebrate of course,” Adrienne concluded, elegantly maintaining her balance as she walked along the curb. Years of dedicated devotion to the art of ballet had proved quite useful in her antics. Her poise was perfection and accented her beauty. Though, she could never compare to the dark, exotic beauty of her older sister. Josette was every millionaire’s dream, especially their mother and father’s pride and joy. “I thought you would start singing ‘Ding-Dong, the witch is dead!’”

"I cannot possibly sing that until the witch is actually dead," Josette replied with a soft laugh, replacing the nozzle to the pump when it was finished. Watching her sister for a moment, she admired the poise and balance she was able to uphold, wishing that she had stuck with her ballet lessons as a girl. But she had instead wanted to delve into music, and now she truly enjoyed performing classics for Adrienne to dance to. When the pump accepted her card and printed out a receipt, she whistled. "Hey, Twinkle Toes, why don't you run in and get us a booth while I go park the car?"

“And order you a big greasy burger with a side of soggy, salty fries? Yes, ma’am,” Adrienne agreed, actually saluting her sister with a gorgeous smile. When she heard her sister’s snort of disbelief, she immediately turned; her long, glossy, ginger brown locks fanning elegantly as she dashed up the stairs to the diner. Glancing around, she noticed a waitress leaning against the bar with a cigarette crammed between her pursed lips. Fighting not to make a face, she walked toward the back of the diner looking for a somewhat clean booth.

"Excuse me, Miss?" a male voice called once she was settling into the farthest booth in the corner. Glancing up, she saw a man coming towards her, worry etching his features. "Do you think you could give me a hand?"

“What do you need help with, sir?” Adrienne implored, carefully sliding out of the booth in order to regard the man with the most proper manners that etiquette school had enforced upon her. The dark worry smoldering in his onyx eyes caused her stomach to knot with anxiousness. He seemed to truly be in a state of disarray. Overwhelmingly compassionate, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what he needed, but knew she would do anything within her power to help him.

"My little puppy… I was just putting diesel in the rig and he slipped out, and now he's stuck near the smokestack and now I can't get him calmed down enough to get him free," the man explained, wringing gnarled hands with worry. "If you could just come help me, I'd really appreciate it. He's a gift for my baby girl; she's always wanted a puppy…"

“Oh my goodness!” Adrienne exclaimed in horror, immediately placing a reassuring hand against the man’s massive shoulder. She could just imagine how frightened the creature was, pinned and perhaps in pain. She had just recently passed her boards to become a veterinarian and sometimes valued an animal’s life far more than her own. In fact, at home, she housed dozens of abandoned animals that would normally face the needle because no family cared enough for them. “Of course I’ll help! Just show me where your truck is and what you’d like me to do.”

"You're wonderful to be helping out a stranger like this," the man noted as he ushered her towards the exit, though Adrienne didn't see him glancing around the diner furtively.

Outside, Josette hummed a song as she grabbed her light jacket, knowing the air would be cooler one the sun was fully set. Leaning into the mustang to get Adrienne's as well, she was surprised to see her younger sister coming out of the diner in the company of a man. Swinging the door shut with her hip, she went to meet them. "Adie? What's happened?"

“This man bought a puppy for his daughter, but unfortunately when he went to get gas in his truck, the puppy slipped out and got caught. He needs some help calming the puppy down and I can’t refuse to help him. If you want to go to the booth and wait, I’ll just be a few moments,” Adrienne answered, feeling the rough patched hand of the man encircle her upper arm in order to lead her in haste.

"I'll go along," Josette decided, arching her brows in surprise when the man swept Adrienne away. Going after them, she reached to drape the jacket over her younger sister's shoulders as Adrienne rattled off questions about the puppy. Pulling her own jacket on, she gasped when the man reached to grasp her arm as well, keeping her beside him as he led them to the rear parking lot.

“Um… Sir, I know that you’re scared for your puppy right now, but you’re really hurting my arm,” Adrienne murmured with a soft yelp when she felt the jagged nails of the man’s gnarled hand dig deep into her delicate flesh, deterring her from her original questions. But, the man seemed oblivious to her needs, yanking harder on her arm in order to bring her around the rows of large eighteen wheeled trucks. Suddenly, her body began to prepare for a flight of panic – her heart fluttering, her stomach churning, her breaths increasing, her hands trembling… “Sir--”

"You're hurting my sister," Josette cried, wrenching her arm in hopes of jerking free of his grasp. When she heard Adrienne's soft cry, she realized they were being forced into the cab of an eighteen-wheeler, the man's strength keeping them from resisting. The heel of her shoe caught on the step, and she cried out when she was shoved brutally into the truck, her ankle wrenching painfully. Feeling the man's weight on her for one moment, she started to struggle.

Hearing her older sister’s painful cry, Adrienne yelped in horror when she was thrown to the asphalt in vicious manner. The back of her head connected with the steps of the cab. An explosion of pain wrapped around her skull, dulling her senses as she looked up to see the man wrench a handgun from the back of his cruddy jeans. Then, with a barbaric swing, the butt of the gun connected sharply with her older sister’s head, causing her to go limp. “Josette!” Adrienne screamed in disbelief, immediately clawing at the asphalt in order to get away.

Within seconds she was scooped up, and no amount of struggling would rid her of the man's arms about her waist. A hand clamped over her mouth, causing her to struggle harder within the vice-like grip. In seconds she was shoved into the cab, next to the still form of her sister. Her face pressed into the dank upholstery, she released a muffled scream as a hand traveled the length of her body before a swift blow to the back of her head caused darkness to take over.


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