The Serial Division

Chapter Seventeen

Vince was exhausted. Questioning all these people has drained all his energy. He sighed putting his head in his hands.

He heard the door to the small office open and close as someone walked in. He made no move to look.

"You okay?"

"no"

He heard footsteps as Gray walked behind him. He tensed as Gray's hands landed on his shoulders. He relaxed as Gray kept kneading them.

It felt so good. "You should have been a masuse," he said leaning back with his eyes closed.

"I had to learn for an undercover case I did some years back."

There was silence as he continued massaging Vince's shoulders. "Did you get anything?"

"No. Nothing. They're all clean." Vince said rolling his head as Gray massaged close to his neck.

"I'm exhausted. Will you carry me back to the hotel?"

Before Vince could answer the door opened. "don't you guys knock. What if we were doing something private?"

"Like what?!" Gus asked as he sat in a chair across from them.

"Maybe we were smooching,"Gray offered. "Really smooching. Why didn't you just say kissing." Vince said looking at him.

"So you guys were kissing?" Ariel asked.

"What? No."

"Why would we do that?"

Vince and Gray both exclaimed at the same time.

"but you just said.. "

" it's called sarcasm sweetheart,"Gray told her. "so what did you want. Vince was just about to carry me back to the hotel."

"Okay... The sheriff is missing."

"How?"

"He didn't show up today. We can't get a hold of him. No one seems to know where he is."

"I also went through his file. He broke his leg two years ago falling down a flight stairs. He stopped using clutches after a few months but it wasn't perfect till a few months ago,"Ariel said.

"Wait, Vince was going to carry you out to the hotel?" Gus suddenly asked.

"Really? That's what's on your mind right now. We have a serial killer on the loose,"Vince exclaimed, "and no. I wasn't."

"Oh yes you were," Gray said. "But we have other things to do. Thanks for offering Vince." He added with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Vince just sighed. "Let's just forget that conversation. Why would I even offer to carry you."

He turned to Ariel. "Find out if he owns any other property in town. Gus you know what to do." he got up as they all left the office for hours of hard night work.

He really missed his bed. Even if it's that hard mattress in the hotel.

*****

Who do you think is the killer?

Is it the sheriff? Or is he just a decoy?

... Read and find out...