Finding Love Where You Least Expect It

Finding Love Where You Least Expect It

This story is the property of the co-authors and cannot be reproduced or distributed without specific consent of the authors. This work is Copyrighted. All Rights Reserved. It is written for your enjoyment only. This story about the love between two women and is fiction. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental.

Chapter One

By Chrissy and Peyton

It was three in the morning when Ruth Bivens awoke to the blood-curdling screams coming from six-year old Carly Bivens bedroom. Ruth got up and sauntered groggily into Carly's room. She wasn't in any hurry as she knew why Carly woke up screaming. It was an almost a nightly routine since Carly's mom, Candace or Candy as she was known, had been brutally murdered by an unknown assailant just over two months ago.

Candy was a likable pretty young twenty-year old mother, long blonde hair, brown eyes, short only standing five foot two and weighing only one hundred ten pounds, who made one mistake of getting pregnant not long after she turned a teenager. Since then she had managed to keep her focus on getting an education and providing a good quality of life for her daughter Carly. They lived in a quad-plex while Candy worked at the local supermarket as a cashier and went part-time to the local community college after completing her GED from high school.

Being young, yet responsible and living on her own with her new born, she practiced safety and security which is why she picked this quad-plex to live. It was mostly retired people having initially being built to house the elderly. Only recently it had been opened to other low-income single mother's which were responsible people such as Candy.

Who would have known that one fateful night the unspeakable would occur to forever alter the life of young Carly Bivens. Not many weeks after celebrating her sixth birthday, Carly awoke in the middle of the night to hear her mother crying out for help and pleading with someone not to kill her. Carly got out of her bed and peered out her bedroom door down the hall and into the living room. She saw her mother lying on the floor facing her. Her mother had a gaze about her as she lay there with blood coming out her nose and mouth.

Carly not realizing the seriousness of the situation, looked inquisitively at her mother who was fully aware of the situation. Using finger signals, her mother gave her the danger signal that they had trained for over and over for the last few years. Before Carly turned to do as her mother signaled her to do, she watched her mother grab the necklace around her neck that she had recently bought. It matched the one she bought Carly for her birthday not two weeks before. She was holding it in her bloody fingers and kissing it before her eyes would close forever.

Carly seeing the feet of the other person standing over her mother ducked back in her bedroom. She quickly threw her bed covers up to make it appear she hadn't been in bed grabbing the telephone extension in her room along with her favorite stuffed bunny and quietly crawled into her white rattan toy box. Her mother had attached a string on the inside for Carly to pull the lid shut and Candy had glued some of young Carly's stuffed animals to top of the lid on the outside to make it appear no one could be in the toy box if there were toys lying on the top.

Candy had practiced this with Carly many times out of precaution in case they had an intruder. She knew she was to lay there quietly until either, her mother, grandmother or the police came and told her it was alright to come out. Carly heard her mother cry out one more time "Please no" followed by a few muffled noises then there was nothing but silence. Carly heard a noise in her bedroom a short time later then it was silent again which seemed to be forever to young Carly. Candy had instructed Carly to stay quiet for a long time after she heard any noise and then wait even longer. If her mother didn't come to get her, she was to use the phone she took with her into the toy box and call nine-one-one. Her mother wrote this on paper that was taped to the inside of the toy box along with their address and Carly and Candy's name.

Carly waited for a while and with it being quiet in the apartment and almost dark she soon fell asleep. When she woke up she could tell it was light outside as the sun was shining through the window curtains. She still couldn't hear her mother and no one had come to get her so she really began to worry. What made it worse was that she had to pee and she needed to get out of the toy box to go to the bathroom. She grabbed the phone and dialed the number her mother had told her to dial. Almost instantly a lady answered, "Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?"

Carly using a cross between a whisper and a frightened voice was able to tell the lady her name and address and that she was scared. The lady knowing she had a very young girl on the line, instantly signaled to her boss and pushed the button to notify police dispatch. She tried to keep Carly calm getting a few more details from her such as where in the house she was and to stay there until police arrived.

That's when Carly told her she had to pee. Not wanting Carly to get up or make any noise the lady asked Carly to hold on as long as she could. If she couldn't wait the lady told her it was alright to pee in her pajamas. Carly knew she was too old to pee in her pajamas and began to whimper as she really had to go and didn't want to be a baby and pee in her pjs and over her toys. Seconds later Carly could hear sirens. The lady on the phone told her the police were close and to hold on, they would be there but stay in her toy box until they opened it. A minute later Carly heard a loud bang and then heard the police yell out they were there. The lady told young Carly where in her bedroom she was so the police could find her and not to get out until they came and got her. Not a minute later the lady heard noise and a gasp from Carly and then the officer telling Carly she was safe and come to him. He took the phone from Carly and told the operator they had her and she was safe then he used a numerical code to tell the operator there was a body in the house too. The operator on the phone felt relief but at the same time broke down and cried for the little girl she had just helped.

The officer wrapped a blanket around Carly and told her they were going to take her outside and for her to close her eyes and stay covered by the blanket until he told her it was okay to look. Once outside Carly told him she had to pee. The neighbor seeing all the activity and knowing Carly let her use her bathroom just in time. After peeing the officer took her back out to the waiting ambulance to have her checked. She asked about her mother but never got a response from the police or anyone else.

Now over two months later faced with the reality of her mother having gone to heaven, Carly awoke most nights to nightmares about that night. Her grandparents Ruth and Frank Bivens had sole custody of Carly since her birth father had given up all rights to her at birth. According to the doctors and therapist, only Carly could determine how long and how often the nightmares would continue. Once Carly's mind has accepted the circumstances it will decide when to have peace. Thus Carly's grandmother knew almost every night she was going to wake up to Carly's screams.

The year following her mother's murder was it was still unsolved. Carly was still experiencing the nightmares though not on as frequent a basis as she did previously. Today Carly was all excited as a new family was moving in next door and they supposedly had a daughter, Carly's age. This meant she would have a playmate her age next door since none of the other children she knew lived within three blocks of her.

Carly was upstairs in the front room watching out the window as the movers were moving the furniture and other things into the house for the new family. The family hadn't shown up yet, but Carly was anxious for them to get there. A short time later a car drove up with a man and woman getting out of the car followed by a girl with long black hair who proceeded to hop skip and jump her way up the sidewalk into the house. Carly jumped up and ran down the stairs to her grandmother.

"She's here, she's here! Can we go over and see them?" Carly exclaimed jumping up and down.

"Patience, my child. They just got here and have lots of other things to do. We will go over some time tomorrow once they have had a chance to settle in," her grandmother told her.

A dejected Carly moaned, "No fair," but knowing she had to listen to her grandmother, she stomped back up the stairs to continue to look out the upstairs window.

"You know she's going to be at that window and every five minutes she's going to be after you to take her over there until you do, don't you?" Frank told his wife Ruth.

"I know but I don't want them to think we are the nosey neighbors by going over to soon. I'll have Carly help me make some chocolate chip cookies tomorrow morning we can take over with us. That will keep her occupied for a few hours," Ruth told Frank.

The next morning after breakfast Carly was dressed and already asking about going next door. Ruth told her they were going to make cookies to take but she needed to go to the store first to get more flour to make the cookies and she wanted Carly to go with her. After they returned from the store, Carly helped her grandmother make the cookies and before they had cleaned up the mess and the cookies had cooled, Carly was again asking to go next door. Carly with her Grandmother, finally relenting put the cookies in a container and walked next door ringing the doorbell.

When the door opened Ruth spoke, "I'm sorry to bother you having just moved in and with lots to do to get settled, but I'm Ruth Bivens and this is my very over anxious granddaughter Carly. We live next door and this one has been so anxious to meet you and your daughter, I thought before she had a conniption, I would bring her over to show her that you were too busy to have guest."

"Hi Ruth, I'm Loretta Steele. And hi to you Carly," Loretta said extending her had to both. Why don't you both come in and let's talk. I could use the break from unpacking."

"We made cookies for you," Carly excitedly spoke up. "Where's your daughter?"

"Wonderful, why don't we go into the kitchen which is the most organized room so far and let's talk about Jackie before I get her for you," Loretta told them and walked them into the kitchen offering them to sit at the table.

Before I get Jackie I need to ask you if you know sign language?" Loretta asked Carly.

"What's that?" she replied.

"That's where you talk with your fingers and not with your mouth. Like this," then Loretta signed asking if Carly knew how to sign using her fingers.

"No, that looks hard. Why doesn't she talk with her mouth?" It's much easier to talk using your mouth," Carly asked being the inquisitive type.

"You see when Jackie was very small she got sick and the good lord saw to it to take her voice and hearing away. So now she has to communicate with her fingers to talk and hear. So if you can't sign it will be difficult to communicate with her," Loretta continued.

"Does that mean we can't play together?" Carly asked.

"No honey. It means it will be difficult to understand each other and it will take a lot of patience for you to do so," Loretta said.

"Can we try?" Carly persisted.

"Of course honey. Let me go get her." Loretta walked up stairs to get Jackie while Carly anxiously awaited downstairs.

A few minutes later Loretta brought Jackie down. She came into the room with a big smile on her face. Her mother signed who they were and Jackie signed back to each, their names and to say hi to them. Carly intently watched Jackie sign to Jackie's mom and to her then she tried to sign back hi to Jackie. Jackie seeing this smiled even bigger and took Carly's hands and helped her to sign "hi." Jackie signed they would be just fine and took Carly's hand leading her upstairs to her bedroom.

Loretta and Ruth talked for hours that day each telling the other about what they had been through with Jackie and Carly. By the end of the day they bonded knowing what they both were dealing with in their daughter and granddaughter. Carly was able to sign Jackie's name and recognized her name plus several other words by the end of that day. It seemed to please Jackie she had a person who didn't treat her as a freak and was trying to learn how to speak to her. Within a few months Carly and Jackie were the best of friends, Carly becoming proficient at signing. They became inseparable one always over at the others house. The Bivens and the Steele's had become friends too and would spend many weekends doing things together so the girls could be together. They celebrated birthdays and other special occasions together as one big family even Christmas and Thanksgiving were spent together. Carly became proficient at signing but more notably she rarely had nightmares anymore especially if she and Jackie were together for the night. Those times only coming on school nights, as Jackie went to a special school that catered to children like her who needed to be taught in a different method than Carly. Jackie had grown too and was no longer as shy and introverted as she was and not so self conscience of her disability around others.

As the years moved on it was obvious of the special bond the two had. Around the time of puberty it became more evident. Ruth was the first to make mention of it as late one night she heard a noise coming from Carly's bedroom. Being dark in the house she was able to crack open the door to Carly's room. From the outside it was obvious what was happening on the inside. A few days later she talked with Loretta about it who also shared her suspicion. At the risk of making things uncomfortable between Carly and Jackie they decided to sit them down together and talk to them. Their suspicions were right as the two stated they were in love with each other and in the process had discovered the joys of sex including oral sex.

"You two realize that it is not normal for two girls especially as young as you two to have these feelings for each other," Loretta signed and voiced to the two girls.

"Why not?" Jackie signed back quickly to her mom. Whenever Jackie did sign fast it was because Jackie was upset or had become inpatient and not being able to say her words she signed faster.

Loretta turned to Ruth for help in explaining that love between a girl and girl was unnatural and sex should be saved for marriage. Between the two they had not prepared for this and they were stumbling to come up with a reason that Carly and Jackie shouldn't be together.

"Grandma, I love Jackie and I don't want to love anyone else because someone says it is not normal and I should love a boy instead. I don't like boys and if I can't love Jackie then how can I be happy?"

Carly's reasoning really threw Ruth and Loretta for a loop because they couldn't answer it.

Then Jackie signed, "I love Carly and have never been happier in my life. When I am with her I'm no longer unable to speak or hear. My head is full of noise and sounds and it is all for her."

Ruth and Loretta were brought to tears because the two girls had managed to find what both needed in life and there was no way they were going to break it up.

Loretta and Ruth decided it was best to support them and if they felt that strong about each other, they would allow their love to continue as long as they kept the sexual exploration in the secrecy of their home. To Loretta and Ruth they had never seen two girls so in love and happy with each other than Jackie and Carly. Life seemed to be normal for Carly again.

When both girls turned fifteen, life seemed to change again for both girls and not in a good way. Jackie began experiencing headaches some becoming very severe. After several months of testing it was discovered Jackie had a tumor wrapped around the base of her brain and spinal column that after more testing would prove to be inoperable.

Carly was there for her lover, best friend and soul mate every step of the way through her treatments which didn't have the desired effect. As Jackie lay in the hospital bed with her family and Carly by her side she signed to Carly how much she loved Carly also telling her to find someone else to love as Carly had so much love in her and not to waste it. Jackie also made Carly promise to go into law enforcement when she graduated college and find the bastard that took her mother away from her. Jackie would find her mother in heaven and be with her when Carly found the person. Together they would let her know how proud of Carly they were.

Carly signed through the tears how much she loved Jackie and then as if by a miracle with her last breath Jackie was able to say with her actual voice, "I love you Carly."

The nightmares came back to Carly almost immediately after Jackie was gone but were not near as frequent. For Carly it seemed every person she got close to died and despite what Jackie had asked her, she vowed other than her grandparents and Jackie not get close to anyone again.

Nineteen-year-old Carly sat in her Criminology class at the community college, the same place where her mother had attended many years ago. She was twenty minutes early as she was anxious to say the least. In this her last term before attending the four-year university for her final two years, this class more than any so far would be valuable to her. Not only did it teach the aspects of conducting an investigation, today's speaker was an actual cold case detective with the local sheriff's office who might be able to look into her mother's case. Most of the speakers were retired officers who spent their time reminiscing about the good ole days and couldn't look into actual cases. Keeping half her pledge to Jackie, she was pursuing a degree in criminology but she had not been able to let herself love again. To Carly, there could never be another Jackie.

Tina Alford, a detective with the Clark County Sheriff's Office was today's lecturer. At twenty- five she had come here out of the army where for the last year she had served as an MP. Tina's road to becoming a detective had not been an easy road. Her father was African-American and her mother white. Her father had been killed in a trucking accident when she was eleven. Her mother had died her senior year of breast cancer. On her own and seeing the paths her friends were on, she knew she had to find something to get her away from them and the trouble they were headed. Her problem was she had no money and no job, let alone the racist issues she had endured as half black and half white. She felt the army was the way to go but soon she realized that while it was somewhat better she was not treated any differently there. After serving her time and at least getting into the MP's she felt she could use it to go into law enforcement on the civilian side.

Clark County just happened to be hiring at the time and knowing she was filling a quota for them, she was glad to have a job. After two years on patrol she was asked by her sergeant to apply for detective in cold case because he felt her skills were better there and from there she could go even higher up the chain of command. While there still were some who doubted her abilities, most of the deputies knew most of that was based on race. Her lieutenant and more importantly the sheriff were big supporters of her abilities.

Standing in the front of the class wearing slacks, a button-down blouse; her service revolver on the waist of her right side; her badge just off the middle of her waist and handcuffs on the left, she felt proud of her accomplishments. She set down on the table her police radio which she turned down but kept it loud enough she could hear if called. This was the fourth time Tina had lectured at these classes. As she handed out her notes and important information to the class she always took notice who in the class she noticed who she felt would make it as a career and could handle the physical and mental requirements to become a deputy. Usually between five and ten in a class were her guess that would make it. She noticed the girl sitting in the front row who after the professor had called role in order to provide names with faces for Tina, she decided would definitely not make it. She was very pretty too pretty with a shoulder length brunette bob, dressed in an actual dress uncommon for college girls these days. She was going to like watching her as Tina noticed how Carly's dress rode up on the side where her leg was crossed over her other leg giving Tina a nice look at Carly's beautiful legs. But what she noticed more was she was short about five foot two or less and weighed no more than one hundred pounds soaking wet. There was no way this girl would be able to handle someone who was five foot eight or larger in a fight. She knew that this girl was dreaming if she thought she would ever make it in law enforcement.

During class though, Tina couldn't take her eyes off this girl. The way she swung her crossed leg and her pleasantly pedicured toes gave Tina a warm feeling when she would look the girl's way. Not to mention with the skin showing on her thigh it made her want to see more. She made a mental note to call her girlfriend Jo who lived and worked in a neighboring county and was also a deputy sheriff to get together over the weekend for some mind-blowing sex.

After her presentation, Tina opened it up for discussion. Carly sat silently though she wrote a lot of notes both during the presentation and during the open discussion. As Tina packed up her items, out of the corner of her eye she noticed the small girl in the dress that she had been watching walking up to her.

"Excuse me Detective," Carly said.

"Yes, Carly isn't it?"

"I'm impressed. I can barely remember the names of three people introduced to me at one time," Carly said surprised that Tina knew her name, "Yet you know my name when we haven't been introduced.

Tina laughed then said, "Not really. One, you sat up front which is unusual, two, you are wearing a dress which is most unusual for college age girls, and three, most importantly your professor gave me a seating chart once you all sat down so I could identify you.

Carly laughed at Tina giving her a smile that Tina loved then she rationalized, "I normally sit up front so people in the rest of the class don't cause me any distraction from what is being taught. This is probably the last time I'll wear this dress as I have a job interview right after school today and there is no time to go home to change and finally, I must have missed the professor giving you a seating chart."

"I guess sitting up front didn't completely keep you from being distracted," Tina chuckled. "Being observant is one of the first rules of being a detective. So how can I help you Carly?" Tina smiled.

Little did she know Carly wasn't distracted but at that time she couldn't take her eyes off of Tina when the professor had put the seating chart on the table next to Tina. She finally asked, "How long is too long before a cold case is considered not worth the time to reopen?"

"Well that depends on the case and what evidence has been uncovered to reopen it," Tina replied. "There really isn't a time line. Cases have been solved that are forty-fifty years old after new investigative methods or new evidence is introduced. There really is no one factor or date we use."

"What if no new evidence is brought to light but it is just to make sure every stone has been uncovered and investigated?"

"Carly, I suspect there is more behind your question than curiosity?" Tina inquired.

Carly hesitated then looked around to be sure no one was standing near her before she spoke, "Yes, it's my mom's case. She was murdered when I was six and I was hoping to someday reopen it to see if it could be resolved or at least to know that everything was done that could have been done. "

Tina looked at Carly knowing from the training her partner, Ron Chastain had given her, to not go down this road. Anytime you got involved with reopening a case because a family member wanted to without additional evidence, they would never let you close it and constantly find a reason to keep you looking into it. But something about Carly's eyes had drawn Tina in and she knew she wasn't going to say no. "Write down her name and the year this happened. I'll make no guarantees but I'll look at it and see if there is anything there. Put your phone number on it so I can call you," Tina finally said knowing Ron was going to kick her ass for doing this.

"Thank you. You don't know what this means to me. This is why I'm majoring in criminal justice," Carly said as she wrote the information down for Tina.

"Carly, no disrespect, but if that is the reason you are interested in becoming a police officer, you should reconsider. There is no guarantee your mom's case can be resolved and even if it is you being a part of resolving it is slim. And then afterwards, either way, there is going to be a major let down and if you are not happy doing what you are doing, you're going to feel lost and not happy with your career choice," Tina explained to Carly.

"I know and I appreciate your concerns but I feel lost now and if I don't make every effort to make sure everything has been done, I feel I will have let her and others down."

"Like I said, no guarantees other than I will call you," Tina replied knowing now why Ron had told her what he did.

It was a week later on Friday and Tina was filing away some of her notes she had from the lecture she had given at the community college when she saw the note from Carly. "Shit," she muttered.

"What's up grunt," Ron asked using the term grunt as a term of endearment for Tina who he had trained. Ron thought the world of Tina and trained her when other detectives wouldn't as they thought she got the job based on being female and on race. Being in a community that was still considered a good ole boy area it was hard not to have sex and race influence people. Ron had been the only one willing to train her and partner up with her. Yet in the short time she had been there, she had proved to be one of the better detectives. She had a sixth sense and if she got a hunch it usually turned out to be true so Ron had learned to trust her instincts.

"That class I gave on cold case. I told a student I would look into her mother's case and I forgot," Tina said.

"Didn't I train you better? Don't get involved in family cases unless compelling evidence is presented. What, did she flash her eyes or show you her boobs. Were you and Jo on the outs at the time so you fell for a young college girl?" Ron admonished Tina lovingly.

"No, Jo and I are just fine. I'm seeing her this weekend, thank you very much, and yes you trained me right. I don't know, it was just something about her that I wanted to help," Tina replied. "I guess I need to at least look at the case before I call her and tell her something."

"Well don't spend too much time with her. We have enough to do," Ron added knowing full well Tina wouldn't look at it and drop it. Something about the case would get into her and she wouldn't be able to let it go until it was resolved.

Tina went to the back room where they stored unsolved cases and pulled out the boxes for Carly's mom's case. After spending a few hours looking it over she saw it all looked solid and at the time the detectives did a decent job of trying to solve it. But something did grab Tina's attention. Carly was only six when this happened and she was the only witness to her mother's death yet no one had probed her mind after all this time after she was murdered. At that age she could have suppressed some details out of shock and no one had re-interviewed her at a later date to see if she could remember any details. She thought if Carly reviewed the file maybe she would recall some details that had been kept inside her all these years. The other thing Tina felt was sorrow for Carly to be that young and witness what she had witnessed. As sweet as Carly had seemed from their short time together, she also felt Carly deserved the opportunity to make sure her mom got a thorough job of trying to resolve her murder.

She pulled out her phone and called the number Carly had given her, "Carly, this is Detective Alford. I'm sorry it took me so long but things have a way of getting busy around here," Tina said after spending the rest of the afternoon reviewing and sanitizing the file.

"Yes Detective, I knew I would be hearing from you again. Thank you for getting back to me," Carly said.

"How did the job interview go?" Tina asked.

"Not good. I think they had already decided on someone else when I was interviewed as they showed little interest. I haven't heard from them though they said they would let me know this past Wednesday so I guess I didn't get it."

"What was it for if you don't mind me asking?" Tina asked being a little nosey.

"It was with Best Detective Service as a researcher. I thought the job would help me with investigative techniques. The more law enforcement experience I can get the more it should help me with my studies and once I graduate on my resume."

"I could have saved you the trouble had I known. I know them and to be honest you are better off not getting the job. You would have ended up being their goffer answering phones, making coffee and file work. You would have learned nothing there other than to look pretty for them to show off to prospective clients," Tina advised Carly.

"Ouch, I'm glad I didn't get the job then. That's the last thing I want is to be someone's sexist showcase. Thanks for the head's up. Now I don't feel so bad about not getting it but then that makes me mad I wasn't pretty enough for them. So what have you found out about my mom?"

"Carly believe me you are pretty enough. It was their loss. You probably scared them with how pretty you are. Anyway, I've looked your mom's file over and really the detectives did a good job of documenting everything so I'm not optimistic there is more to be gotten but I am willing to let you look at it if you would like?" Tina said wanting Carly to know so she would be able to talk to her to see if there were any details Carly could remember now, she couldn't remember back then.

"That would be great. When can I see it?" Carly asked wanted to know.

"How about Tuesday of next week say here at around nine in the morning?"

"Tuesday at nine will be fine. With school out for the summer and now that I don't have a job lined up, for the next few weeks I don't have any plans. I'll be there and thank you so much Detective. I know you didn't have to do this and I really do appreciate it," Carly added.

"It's my pleasure. I know what it's like to lose your parents though mine weren't taken from me as violently as yours and I would want to do everything in my powers to find out why and who. I'll see you on Tuesday."

Over the weekend Tina stayed at Jo's. Jo and Tina had met at the academy. They hit it off and only being two counties had apart stayed in touch. It didn't hurt that both were lesbians and when one or the other needed some love they would hook up. Jo was a few years older than Tina and joined the Sebring Sheriff's Office after getting out of a long-term relationship with another woman who ended up breaking her heart. After that she was committed to never letting anyone get that close to her again and while she loved Tina, she told her never to expect anymore than what they had.

Tina and Jo spent the weekend as they usually did, in bed. They only saw each other maybe once a month and with all the built of frustrations and lack of sex, the bedroom is where they would gravitate to relieve their stress. By the end of the weekend, they both were usually tired and sore but they got their share of each other while they were together. Theirs was an odd relationship built around their sexual appetite for each other. While they did go out together, it didn't have the same meaning as to each other as the time in bed. Once the weekend or time together was over they seldom had contact until one or the other had a need that needed attention. Where they did connect though was they could always count on each other to talk if something was wrong. They cared more for each other's mental health and well being than they would admit though sex was the main focus of their relationship. To put it bluntly they each could fuck each other until they could fuck no more and the weekends together usually proved that point.

As was the routine on Friday night they first went out to eat before they went nightclubbing.

While they were eating Jo asked, "Anything new your way you want to tell me about?" Jo asked Tina.

"No not really. Oh, wait. I've got this young college student that has hooked on to me to help her with her mother's decade old murder. It probably won't go anywhere but she's a young looker so my eyes are having a good time when she is there."

"Do you think you might be able to tap her pussy a few times while she is around?" Jo laughingly joked.

"I don't know. Possibly. I don't even know yet if she is gay," Tina responded.

"Well knowing you, I would think that would be the first thing you find out before you make your move. Let me know what you find out."

Tina and Jo finished eating and went to the club they normally went to that catered to lesbians and gays where they could let it out without much worry. They went home to Jo's afterward and no sooner were they in the door and the clothes were coming off. Jo was the more aggressive one and tonight was no different. She had Tina stripped and in the bed in a few minutes. She first crawled on top of Tina kissing her and squeezing her breasts bringing a moan to Tina. She continued to cover Tina with kisses while she pinched and tweaked her nipples bringing more moans from Tina.

"Oh fuck, Jo. I love when you play with my nipples."

"If you didn't have such beautiful and perky titties, I wouldn't spend so much time on them." That wasn't the only place Jo spent time on as her hand made its way down Tina's abdomen and found her slit nice and moist waiting to be entered.

"Oh god, yes," Tina said as she moaned into Jo's ear as her arms wrapped around Jo's shoulders. "I want you to fuck me with your fingers before you eat me and then fuck me with your strap-on cock."

"Mmmm, someone's really wet and needing a good fuck tonight," Jo said thinking of Tina imagining her new found college girl. "Did your college girl leave you excited tonight? Do you want to fuck that pussy of hers?"

"Oh god yes. I want to fuck her and let her eat me all night," Tina moaned.

Tina and Jo continued this banter back and forth with Jo bringing Tina to three intense orgasms that night before she relented and Tina was able to crawl on top of Jo and finger and eat her through two of her own.

With the new image of Carly in their minds they were able to finger, eat each other and use the strap on and fuck each other through multiple orgasms over the weekend. They spent the majority of time in bed satisfying each other until they had enough and spent the rest of the time cuddling with each other.

The following week Carly walked into the Clark County Sheriff's Office promptly at nine in the morning. She waited in the small lobby area out front waiting on Tina to come escort her to where she was finally going to get to see her mother's file. She was excited yet depressed as she realized the pledge she made to her mother and to Jackie was here and could be ending very shortly. Tina had warned her of these feelings a few weeks ago and now she was feeling just how Tina had predicted.

"Hi Carly, nice to see you again," Tina said as she came from around the back.

"Hi Detective, nice to see you too," Carly replied as she stood up.

"It's Tina. If we are going to be working on a file for a while why don't we do so on a less formal basis? Here's a pass to allow you to come in and out. It will also get you in through the back which is where you can come in for now on so you don't have to come in from the front."

"Thank you," Carly smiled at Tina who took note of Carly's smile and how she thought her face was radiant when Carly smiled. It didn't hurt that her pussy was already tingling from Carly standing next to her.

"I see no dress today?" Tina said and chuckled.

"Like I told you, probably the only time wearing one was that day. Now you see me as I really am in a short denim jumper and a tank top underneath. I hope this is okay and not too informal," Carly responded.

"No hun, you look beautiful just the way you are," Tina said then realizing what she said and hoped Carly didn't take it the wrong way like she was hitting on her.

Tina walked Carly to the back where the detective's area was. Ron paid particular attention to Carly as Tina escorted her to one of the interrogations rooms, she had Carly's mom's case in. "Here's the case file. Now I have redacted some of the evidence and photos that I feel are not appropriate to show you considering this is your mom's case. Nothing leaves here and if you want copies let me make them. This box over here is the redacted information and it is here as we don't want it separated from the rest of the case for preservation of evidence. I can trust you not to look in there, can't I?"

"Yes, you have my word I won't look," Carly said.

"Good, now I'll be right outside at that desk right there if you need me," Tina said pointing out her desk.

"Bathroom is over there down that hall to the right. Vending machines are down there too if you want something other than water or coffee which is on that wall on the other side of me. Let me know when you are finished or need something," Tina told Carly before she walked out of the room.

Carly spent the next three hours looking at everything that was in the boxes and reading before Tina came back in the room.

"I've got to go out for awhile and won't be back until around four in case you finish up here. If you do leave your pass at the front desk as you go out. Do you need anything before I leave?" Tina asked.

"I don't see me finishing today. Can I reorganize everything? I want to put the evidence in one spot and organize the interviews by location?" Carly asked.

"Sure, just don't take anything or look in that other box and I'm fine with it. If you aren't finished keep the pass so you can get back in and come in by this door so you don't have to walk through the entire building."

Tina left with Ron as they were headed out to interview some people on a case. They were in the car with Ron driving but he kept glancing over at Tina. "Alright go ahead and say what you want to say. I know you want to say something because you keep looking at me," Tina finally told him.

"Am I that obvious?" Ron chuckled.

"Yes, now what is it?" Tina chided back.

"You like her don't you?"

"I don't even know her. I've only met her twice now. How can I like her?" Tina argued back.

"I know you too well Tina. Something about her has gotten into you and I see it in the way you are around her. She seems like a nice kid and I use that term literally. She's a kid and I hate to see her used then get her heart broken because you get what you want then move on back to Jo," Ron told Tina cutting to the quick.

"Fuck you, Ron. Stay out of my love life! What makes you think I would fuck her and break her heart?"

"Because sweetheart, and I say this because I love you like a daughter. I don't want to see you do this again. You always find someone nice then Jo calls and begs you to come back to her and you run back breaking the other girl's heart because Jo can't stand to see you happy with someone else."

"Jo isn't like that. She just doesn't want to commit to anyone. And for your information neither do I so don't blame Jo for it," Tina said softly but not convincingly.

"Keep telling yourself that. How about we stop for a bite to eat?" Ron suggested changing the subject.

Later that afternoon when Tina returned she found Carly still working in the interrogation room. "Did you get lunch while I was gone?" she asked of Carly.

"Oh is it lunch time? I didn't know. I got involved in work and lost track of time. I guess I was too busy," Carly answered Tina.

"Okay, I know how much this means to you but I don't want you to get so involved you lose focus and not eat. It's after four. Why don't you go home and come back tomorrow and take it up again?" Tina said and took Carly's backpack and walked her over to the door holding it out for Carly.

Carly gave a frown but didn't put up an argument as she was tired and hungry. She walked to the door taking her backpack from Tina and smiled at her. "Am I being too much of a pest?" she asked.

"No you're not. Now go home and I'll see you tomorrow morning," Tina smiled back at Carly placing her hand on Carly's back after she gave her the backpack.

The next morning Carly was back, refreshed and ready to go. Tina had to go out for the morning so she left Carly there. When Tina returned later that day Carly had organized all the evidence by what she could remember about the apartment she and her mom had lived in. She also took the interviews and organized them by location. She had the people at her mom's work in one pile and those at her school in another. Third she had those who lived by her in another and fourth acquaintances in another. For each stack she had a pad with a list of questions for each person or item of evidence.

"How's it coming?" Tina said sticking her head in the room.

"Just in time. I've finished up and now need your guidance on how to proceed," Carly replied.

"Did you eat lunch yet?" Tina asked.

Carly bowed her head which Tina knew from that she hadn't. "Girl, what am I going to do with you? No wonder you don't weigh more than a pound and a half. Grab your backpack and let's go. You can tell me about it over lunch."

Tina took Carly to her favorite sandwich shop which was just down the road. "So tell me about yourself Carly other than I know you lost your mom when you were six."

"There isn't much to tell. I'm sort of boring. I live with my grandparents on my mother's side and have since my mother died. I don't know my father or his parents and he doesn't know me or doesn't want to know me. I graduated high school here and decided to go to the community college first majoring in criminology. I graduated a week ago from community college and have been accepted for my final two years at State University. I hope to join the police or sheriff's department not ruling out state or federal agencies too. That's pretty much it," Carly told Tina.

"Seeing anyone?" Tina asked getting more personal.

"No," Carly simply replied but something the way Carly said it she knew there was more to it than Carly was saying. She decided at the time it wasn't any of her business so she didn't pursue it.

"What about you Tina?"

"Me, oh god, there isn't enough time in the day to tell you about me," Tina said and laughed.

"I would be interested in hearing it and besides you know all about me and I know little about you," Carly responded.

Again Tina was drawn into Carly and she felt a connection with her she hadn't felt before so she began to open up to her. "Well let's see, I was born in Alabama. My father was black and my mother was white. My father was killed in a truck accident the winter I turned eleven so it was just my mom and I until I was a senior in high school when she died of breast cancer leaving me to graduate alone."

Carly reached over the small table they were sitting at taking Tina's hand, "I'm sorry. Now I know why you said you knew what it was like losing your parents. I only lost one as I never knew my father but I can't imagine going through it twice. I'm really sorry."

Tina smiled at Carly and she could see the sincerity in her eyes as she said she was sorry. "Thank you. It was a long time ago and I have come to peace with them being gone. After high school seeing that I was already getting into trouble and hanging around with the wrong people I decided to make a change and do something right instead of blaming the world for all my troubles. So I joined the army to see the world. It was an eye opener for me yet not much better as being a female in the army wasn't that easy for me. After advanced training, I saw I had an interest in law enforcement so I was assigned duty in an MP's unit and from there my career in law enforcement was set. After being discharged I joined Clark County as a deputy until I got to be a detective. Now I couldn't be happier as I love what I'm doing."

They were almost finished eating with Tina leaving out her sexuality when Tina's radio went off.

"Dispatch, Two-zero-zero-Lincoln."

Tina promptly answered, "Two-zero-zero-Lincoln."

"Two-zero-zero-Lincoln, two-zero-zero-Henry request your eight at one-niner-eight Lauren Street."

"Ten-four, ten-nine-zero in one-five minutes."

"Ten-four, dispatch clear."

"What was all that?" Carly asked.

"Ron is asking to meet him at one-nine-eight Lauren Street. Let's go," Tina said and got up walking to her car not thinking whether she should be dropping Carly off first.

"I don't know what he wants but it probably isn't critical or they would have said it, so I'm assuming it is safe to bring you along. But just in case you stay in the car until I tell you it's alright," Tina explained to Carly which Carly agreed to do.

They arrived where Ron asked them to meet and Tina got out again telling Carly to stay in the car. Tina and Ron then walked up to the house where Carly could see they drew their guns and made forcible entry in to the home. After a few minutes Carly could hear sirens and she not seeing Tina became worried. As the sirens got closer her mind instinctively went back to that night when her mother was killed and she began to shake and tears came to her eyes. Then she suddenly had the urge to pee.

She saw two other sheriff's cars coming down the street with their lights flashing causing her to come close to having a panic attack. She got out of the car because she couldn't breathe and began to pace in front of it worried about Tina. After the other deputies arrived and went inside, she saw Tina come out of the house. She ran to her throwing her arms around her almost knocking Tina over.

"Whoa, what's this all about?" She asked Carly.

Finally getting her composure, back Carly pulled away and then felt embarrassed realizing what she had done. "I'm sorry. I was worried something happened to you because you hadn't come out and those other cars came. I almost felt like I was back in my bedroom with my mom."

"Carly, I'm sorry if I'd worried you. Ron smelled an odor which is why he called me and then when we got to the door we saw blood so we had to go in. We found a body in there so now it is a crime scene and I couldn't come out until the other deputies arrived to protect the scene. But on another note I'm not sure how to take it you thought I was your mom. Do you think I'm that old?" Tina laughed trying to ease the tension in Carly.

"Oh heavens no, I didn't mean it that way," Carly laughed. "I meant the situation where I lose another person."

Tina wrapped her arms around Carly and held her, "You're not losing me just yet. I plan on living a long life. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you. I think that was the first time in a long time I have had that feeling of being back there that night," Carly told Tina.

"Do you have those feelings often?"

"I used to have nightmares almost every night when I was little but now they are very infrequent. I'm okay now. I was just worried about you."

"Well as you can see I am alright," Tina replied but at the same time she thought about how sweet it was how Carly was worried about her. Tina felt something and it felt good though she had never felt this good that someone was worried about her before.

Tina and Carly eventually made it back to the station a few hours later so they didn't get to work on Carly's case that day. "Why don't you go home for the rest of today? We can begin to discuss your mom's case tomorrow. I've got paperwork to do now with Ron because of today."

"Okay, I could use a break anyway. Tina, thank you and I'm glad you are okay," Carly said as she left.

Afterwards Carly left Tina wondering just how much Carly was feeling towards her. She knew despite her own denials to Ron and to herself there was something about Carly that was drawing her in. Now because of what Carly said she wondered if Carly was feeling the same thing.

The following day when Carly came in she was bright and ready to go. She was dressed more like Tina in that she had on nice slacks and a blouse instead of her normal shorts and tank top. Tina took notice but didn't say anything.

"Okay, this is what I've done and need your help with," Carly started out explaining to Tina. "I've gone through everything and every piece of paper in these boxes except those that you told me not to look at. This stack is mainly evidence which really doesn't give me anything to work with so basically there isn't anything for us to use. This stack is interviews from my mom's place of work. I have questions on a few of them that can only be filled in by contacting these people. This stack is people from her school and likewise can only be clarified by contacting these people. I do have some other questions but they can only be answered by going to our apartment and seeing it. So what now is our next step?"

"With anyone we need to talk to we have to locate first. We can use our system here and run their names through to see if they are still around. We can also take a trip to the apartment but we can't knock on the door and ask for entrance. It has been too long and whoever is staying there is under no obligation to allow us in," Tina explained to Carly. "Also with anyone we interview let me do the talking. You are not law enforcement and because of your relationship with this case it would be best if they not know about you."

"I understand, so what do we do first," Carly asked sounding anxious to be doing something other than explaining to Tina.

"Why don't we start with a road trip to the apartment? That way we will have a reference point as to a location and maybe some of your questions will be answered there," Tina said.

As Carly was grabbing her backpack, Tina glanced over to Ron who was shaking his head because of Tina getting more involved in this case than she should. On the way out Tina saw Ron watching her so she took the opportunity to shoot him a bird he could see behind both hers and Carly's back.

They drove to the quad-plex which turned out to be several of them in a complex with one entrance and exit in and out. They drove to the building Carly lived in and got out to see the outside and surrounding area.

"You know whoever did this, took a big chance. Our building is in the middle of the complex with only one way in and out. They could have been seen or somehow trapped if they had been discovered. Even on foot it would have been risky trying to get out of here," Carly noted.

Tina thought Carly was being very astute in her ability to see this and analyze the situation but since she mentioned it Tina thought this wasn't some random attack but was looking more like a planned attack. The question was why?

As they walked around the building one of the tenants came out, "Why are you walking around our building?"

"I'm Detective Alford with the Clark County Sheriff's Office ma'am. We were just looking at the complex in relation to a crime committed here years ago to get a visual idea of the location and area," Tina said.

"Oh, do you want to see the inside of one? They are all just a like with the exception of some are in reverse. You're welcome to look at the inside of mine," the lady said.

Tina was going to tell her no thank you but she noticed that this lady's apartment would be identical to the one Carly lived in since it was in the same place as Carly's, only the building next to hers. "If you really don't mind, we don't want to intrude and we would only be a minute or two?"

"It's no bother. I'm more than happy to help the Sheriff's department especially two pretty little ladies as yourselves." She then turned to Carly and said, "You look too young to be with the Sheriff's department."

Carly blushed and replied, "Thank you, I'm still in college and doing this as part of one of my criminology classes."

"Well good for you. I hope this helps you and you get an A in your course," the lady said and once they were inside, she showed them the layout.

Tina watched Carly closely as she walked through noticing the room that would have been her bedroom and then the living room where her mother would have last seen her. When she saw Carly was beginning to become emotional she thanked the lady and took Carly outside for air. As they walked away she put her arm around Carly's shoulders, "You did good in there. Is that the first you were back inside a similar apartment and could get a feel of the layout?"

Carly just nodded her head but Tina could tell she was having trouble holding it together. They got in Tina's car and drove back to the station. "Why don't you take the rest of today, tomorrow and the weekend off? I've got a lot of paperwork to do and you could use a break to clear your mind so you can think straight."

Carly agreed and as she left, she hugged Tina maybe a little too hard and maybe showing a little more emotion than she intended because Tina was feeling something from the hug. Then Carly got in her car and left. She waited until she was down the road and out of sight before she pulled over and her emotions came pouring out. She cried for several minutes. As the tears and emotions began to ease she said to herself, "I love you Mom. I'm trying to find the person but I don't know if I can do this. I don't want to let you or Jackie down but without you two in my life this is all I have. I miss both of you. Give me the strength to do this."

Tina felt bad for Carly but she had to give her credit. Her observation about the entrance was valid and her ability to walk in to an apartment like hers and evaluate the scene showed she had more strength and courage than Tina thought. She decided she needed time with Jo as she needed to be with someone to take her mind off of Carly. She was becoming too emotionally attached to this girl who was struggling with her own feelings trying to find her mother's killer. Tina waited until Ron walked away from their desks and she called Jo letting her know she needed to come over this weekend.

"Hey, it's me," Tina said as Jo answered her cell phone. "I'm coming over tonight."

"This girl is getting to you, Tina," Jo told Tina.

"What makes you say that?" Tina asked sounding slightly indignant.

"You were just over here and I know you spent a lot of time with her since then. Don't worry. It's alright. We could use a little incentive in our bedroom play. Beside if she gets you all hot and bothered, I get the benefit coming and going." Jo said to calm Tina down.

An hour later Tina was walking in Jo's house. This time they didn't make it out for dinner right away as they were taking the others clothes off right after Tina was there. After fingering each other through one orgasm, Tina had Jo bring out her strap-on and fucked Tina through two more intense orgasms one on her back and the other on her stomach while Jo also fucked her asshole with her finger at the same time. They eventually made it out that night but after a quick bite to eat made it only to the club.

As was usual for Tina and Jo, Friday night they would go out to eat and then to a club and dance and party around friends. Other than getting a late start no one knew the difference. Upon returning to Jo's place they were too tired to continue with the love-making and soon after they were in bed having fallen asleep.

The next day they woke up to kissing and touching with both of them fingering the other to another climax. The nighttime usually came with more fingering and then the toys would come out with Jo loving to fuck Tina in both her pussy and ass. They would trade positions until they were totally exhausted then fall asleep. This pretty much was their routine when they got together and this weekend was no different. Except Tina, who kept having images of Carly flash before her while she was busy with Jo, followed by traces of guilt afterwards as if she was cheating on Carly.

After leaving Tina, Carly had driven home. She walked in and after going into the kitchen to tell her grandparents she was home she got a soft drink and went out to the living room. She walked over to the L-shaped bench seat that was in the corner by the L-shaped corner window and sat on the bench. She put her feet up wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees.

"What are you so deep in thought with Carly?" her Grandfather asked coming over and sitting behind her so she could lean back into him.

"Sometimes I miss both of them so much it hurts Grandpa. Will it ever go away?"

"No baby, it won't. That's because you loved both of them so much. You're Grandma and I hurt too. But because we were older when we lost your mom and Jackie, our minds and bodies are able to handle it better. In time all your memories will be of the good things you loved about them and all the sorrow will be less. Is looking into your mom's case too much for you to handle?"

"At times it feels too much, but Tina seems to sense when I'm feeling this way and she either tells me to go home or she distracts me," Carly told Frank.

"She sounds pretty amazing and she must care for your feelings to know and how to deal with them," he continued.

"She is pretty amazing. I really like her and couldn't have done this with anyone else," Carly sighed.

Frank held Carly for awhile in his arms as she sat there looking out the window. Ruth watched from the kitchen door smiling at Frank then going back into the kitchen.

End of Chapter one To Be Continued.....

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