“You want to go for a drink?” Kenneth asked as they pulled onto the street. “I’ve got a little time to work with as the investigation unfolds.”

  “How about we go back to your place?” There, she said it. Would he take the bait and run with it? Or would duty call and need to be put on hold?

  “We can do that.” His tone was unreadable, but Daphne read his body language behind the wheel that told her they were very much on the same track. Or was that more wishful thinking on her part?

  “Good,” she said, leaving it at that while knowing she wanted him and had to believe he wanted her just as badly. In spite of the fact that they were both caught up in murder investigations that had mysteriously merged. And that her planned time on the island was coming to an end. It was certainly not long enough to think in terms of what sex might mean beyond being all hot and bothered for one night. But why give it a lot of thought, if he hadn’t brought up? Just enjoy each other’s company on a day they could both use a distraction.

  Neither of them had much to say during the rest of the drive, even if Daphne’s thoughts were filled, thinking about wanting him like she couldn’t remember wanting someone. This was intermingled with concerns about whether or not she was being stalked by a serial killer and if she should be worried that her life could be in danger. Or was the murder of Roxanne Sinclair unrelated to the book she was writing and Daphne’s presence on Maui?

  When they arrived at the house, Kenneth asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Beer would be nice,” she said. Though not much of a beer drinker, Daphne had a taste for it at the moment.

  “Beer, it is.” He walked into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles from the refrigerator, opened them and handed her one in the great room while commenting, “It’s been quite a day.”

  “That’s for sure.” She sipped the beer, gazing into his wondrous brown-gray eyes. “Do you think Roxanne was killed by the same man responsible for most of the other suffocation deaths? Or could he be the actual copycat killer?”

  “Good question.” Kenneth drank beer thoughtfully. “We’ll have to see about that. If I had to make a call on this, I’d have to say that whoever murdered Roxanne is the real deal, insofar as wearing the moniker, the Maui Suffocation Killer. He obviously went through great lengths to illustrate this, including the message on the mirror. Why Ben Hoffman decided to kill his ex-girlfriend, Irene Ishibashi, in the same manner, who knows? I can only assume that he was hoping to throw the authorities off. Might have worked, too, if not for the prints he left behind.”

  “Not to mention the apparent real killer seems determined not to let someone else take credit for his crimes,” Daphne said, unnerved at the mental image of Roxanne in the bathtub with her face anguished from dying the way she had.

  “Yeah, there is that,” he conceded, locking eyes with her.

  “Then there’s this...” She tilted her face upward and kissed him, tasting the beer. The kiss lingered for a time before she pulled back and met his gaze. “In case you’re wondering, I want you.”

  “I think that goes both ways.” Kenneth’s voice deepened. “Forget the I think part. I want you, too.” He lifted her chin and they kissed again, this time with an even greater sense of urgency, as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth and she reciprocated. She could feel his erection straining to be released, deepening her yearning for him.

  “Shall we go into your bedroom and continue this?” Daphne asked.

  “Absolutely,” he told her without hesitation.

  “Do you have protection?” she thought to ask, taking another sip of the beer. Though the desire to be with him was overwhelming, Daphne knew it was wise to act responsibly for both of them at this stage of whatever was going on between them. Even so, she was sure he was good father material, should the day come that they were ever to go down that road in a relationship.

  “Yes. Always.” On that note, Kenneth took her hand and led the way into the bedroom.

  Daphne glanced at the vintage oak furniture before narrowing her focus on the rustic panel bed, imagining them soon on it. Kenneth took their beer bottles and set them on the dresser before cupping her cheeks and resuming their kissing. Its intensity actually made Daphne feel lightheaded. All the more reason why she relished the thought of what was to come next.

  Chapter Nine

  Kenneth was beyond aroused as he watched Daphne strip naked, showing off her perfect body with full and firm breasts, small waist and shapely legs. She waited till last to undo her hair, shaking it into place as it cascaded down across her narrow shoulders. Seemingly just as enamored with his undressing, she laid atop the rustic tweed comforter and waited for him to join her. Grabbing the condom packet from the nightstand drawer, he tossed it on the bed, before commencing to what had been in his fantasy from practically the first time he laid eyes on the gorgeous author.

  A sweet dream come true, Kenneth thought as he climbed onto the bed with the ceiling fan spinning overhead and kissed Daphne. She was tasty and tantalizing. I could kiss her forever, he mused, intoxicated by her scent. He forced himself to break away from the passionate kiss, wanting to pleasure her in other ways while resisting his need to be inside her. He kissed her chin and neck, moving down to her breasts, teasing her taut nipples with his lips and teeth, all the while running skillful fingers up and down her body, till settling between Daphne’s legs, pleasuring her while she moaned softly.

  Abruptly, she grabbed his hand to stop and uttered hoarsely, “I’d rather take that first journey together. Please...”

  “I’d like that, too,” he said, giving in to her wishes, more than happy to oblige as his own hunger for her threatened to explode. He put the condom on. Fitting himself perfectly between her moist thighs, Kenneth drove inside her, going deeper with each thrust as they kissed passionately and the sense of primordial needs enveloped them like a shroud, separating them from everything else in the sometimes dark and dangerous world at large.

  He wasn’t sure if she climaxed first or him, or if they reached that apex in unison, as Kenneth had been so caught up in the frenetic movement and harmonious moments between him and Daphne that he simply enjoyed the ride and was more than content to allow nature to take its course. It did, and then some. Only when they came out of it to catch their breaths, did their bodies stop trembling with satisfaction and their heartbeats slowly return to normal.

  “Wow,” was all he could think to say as Kenneth lay beside her, feeling the breeze from the ceiling fan cool them off.

  Daphne giggled. “How about mind-blowing!”

  “That works.” He laughed. “It was definitely more than worth the wait.”

  “So, you were waiting for this?” she teased him.

  “Yeah, assuming we ever reached that point, which I was in no way taking for granted,” he assured her. “If so, I was sure it would be amazing.”

  “Glad to know you have good instincts.” Daphne chuckled and ran her foot along his leg. “Guess we both do, leading to this moment.”

  “But hopefully not the last.” Kenneth touched her leg draped over his, the creamy skin still damp from their sexcapade. He certainly didn’t intend to put any pressure on her, knowing full well that she wasn’t going to remain on the island forever. And with a serial killer still on the loose and possibly eyeing her as a victim, could he really blame Daphne for wanting to leave as soon as she could? Kenneth sought to moderate his words. “I think what I’m trying to say is that I like being with you, in bed and out. I don’t have any expectations, but as long as you’re around...”

  “I get it,” she said, “and I feel the same. I’m enjoying your company, too, for as long it lasts. No pressure either way.”

  “Agreed.” Kenneth welcomed her words of encouragement, but was still pained by the thought of time running out for them to explore this further to see if it might lead to something much more significant than sex, meals, horseback riding and joining forces on the true crime front. Not to mention their paths spilling over into his current investigation. But none of that should detract from what had just happened and how good it made him feel. Should it?

  * * *

  I WONDER WHAT he’s dreaming about? Daphne asked herself as they lay in bed in the middle of the night, with Kenneth cuddling her in his powerful arms. Hopefully her. And where this could go between them if they grew serious about each other and weren’t frightened off by barriers such as long distance. And careers that might not always be in sync, even if they seemed to be a natural fit in many ways. I’m not about to pressure him into something that he’s not ready for, she thought. Maybe she wasn’t ready, either. Or maybe she was more than ready to be in a steady relationship again. Even get married and have two or three children. But only with someone who shared her vision of exactly what it meant to be committed to another person in body and spirit. Rather than like her ex who thought only about himself at her expense. Kenneth was different, Daphne knew. But that didn’t mean they were meant to be together. Not yet, anyway. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the intimacy that had thoroughly captivated her a few hours ago, giving them much-needed relief from the cases of murder swirling all around them like sharks in the water. Whatever either of them needed to do to stay ahead of the curve in their respective occupations, she was sure they would find a way. No matter the obstacles that came when dealing with people who liked to kill other people for one disconcerting reason or another.

  When Kenneth began to stir, Daphne found herself aroused again and wanting more of him. Was he ready to go another round? Only this time without the sense of desperation that dictated their actions the first time together?

  “You awake?” she whispered to him as if someone might overhear them.

  “Yeah, I am now,” he said sluggishly. “Can’t sleep?”

  “I can, but I’d rather not right now.” Daphne was amazed at just how assertive she had become around him. Where had this come from?

  “Hmm...” Kenneth kissed her shoulder. “Did you have something else in mind?”

  She turned her head and kissed him on the mouth. “Yes, I do.” She slipped a hand between his legs. “But only if you’re up for it.”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure I can manage.” After kissing her again, he lifted up and said, “Give me a moment.”

  Daphne waited for him to get another condom and come back to bed, whereby she took control, kissing and touching him all over while thrilling in the way his body reacted to this stimulation. He did the same to her, titillating her slowly and very surely, before she had worked herself into a frenzy. After putting on the protection, Daphne climbed atop Kenneth and guided herself onto him. He ran one hand through her hair and used the other to hold her hip firmly as she rode him like the quarter horse she’d ridden on his friend’s ranch. Only Kenneth was decidedly all human male to corral. When she couldn’t hold back any longer, she allowed herself to climb the mountain of sexual delight to the very top, and held his trembling body tightly as he joined her in sheer bliss. Afterward, all Daphne could think of was that she was falling in love with the handsome and sexy police detective, both scaring and beguiling her, before she fell asleep in his arms.

  * * *

  KENNETH ALMOST HATED to have to reconvene the Suffocation Serial Killer Task Force so soon after they had hoped it might be on its last legs, giving way to future task forces fighting crime on the island. He’d much rather be in bed, making love to Daphne as they had off and on last night. He hadn’t been able to get enough of her. And she had made it clear that this worked in reverse as well, giving them both something to chew on. Instead, here he was, forced to come to grips with the reality that their serial killer investigation was apparently far from over and may have moved in a different direction with links to a mass killing on the island.

  He swallowed, while standing at the podium in the conference room, and said, “I know we thought this task force had just about wrapped things up with the confirmed suicide of Ben Hoffman, thought to be the Maui Suffocation Killer. But new evidence has surfaced to indicate otherwise.” Kenneth used the stylus to control visuals shown on the large touch-screen monitor. He brought up a split image of Hoffman and Irene Ishibashi. “While there’s strong reason to believe that Ben Hoffman was responsible for the suffocation death of Irene Ishibashi in what appears to be a copycat killing, it’s very likely that the actual serial killer is still out there...”

  Kenneth put up a graphic image of the latest woman to die. “Yesterday, Roxanne Sinclair, age twenty-three, was found fully clothed in her bathtub at an apartment in Kihei with a plastic bag over her face. According to the autopsy report, the victim’s death was caused by asphyxia, the same as ten other women on Maui over the last eight months or so. Only one of those can be accounted for with a suspect.” He paused while switching to a picture of the note left on the mirror. “This message came from the purported killer of Sinclair, taking full credit for it while discrediting Ben Hoffman as being the real Maui Suffocation Killer. It’s something we have to take seriously,” Kenneth pointed out, “given that another young woman is dead and, with the estimated day and time of death, unless Hoffman has reemerged as a vampire, he’s not our guy.

  “Another possible twist to this sordid tale has emerged.” Kenneth displayed side-by-side images of Norman Takahashi and Roxanne Sinclair. Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, he said with ambiguity, “According to Sinclair, she was the secret lover of Norman Takahashi who, last year, killed his pregnant wife, teenage daughter, her boyfriend and Takahashi’s mother-in-law before shooting himself to death. Sinclair has provided photographs and text messages to true crime writer Daphne Dockery to support this claim. Now Sinclair is also dead, apparently at the hands of a serial killer, who appears to be changing his m.o., with no evidence that he and the victim ever crossed paths at a nightclub. Whether there is a direct connection between the cases or it’s purely coincidental, it bears looking into as part of our overall investigation in solving the current case.” What Kenneth left out of the equation for now was his fear that the still-active Maui Suffocation Killer may have set his sights on Daphne. As yet, she was the one person who was indirectly connected, through meeting with Roxanne Sinclair, to the Takahashi mass murder-suicide and the serial killings of now ten women on the island. Had the killer gone after Roxanne Sinclair in the course of stalking Daphne to muddy the waters somewhat in the investigation?

  These were questions that Kenneth was determined to get to the bottom of while doing what he could to protect Daphne to the extent possible. As it was, there was only so much he could do at the moment. He didn’t have the authority to assign a full-time detail to follow her around day and night. Nor was he able to stop Daphne from insisting on going back to the villa and continuing her own work in doing research for her next book. That was her right as a professional writer and bestselling author. Right now, his best bet for safeguarding Daphne was to try and solve the Maui Suffocation Killer case by IDing the unsub and getting the serial killer off the streets and behind bars, once and for all.

  On that front, the task force was in full agreement. Kenneth listened as Agents Kirk Guilfoyle and Noelle Kaniho took turns in reiterating the Bureau’s full support and resources in assisting them in the investigation. Detectives Tad Newsome and Vanessa Ringwald were, as always, on board in doing whatever it took to bring this case to a close. And though he would have preferred that Ben Hoffman was their man and no one else had to die, even Assistant Chief of Investigative Services Bureau, Martin Morrissey, recognized that, with Roxanne Sinclair’s suffocation murder, a killer remained on the loose. Their job was to leave no stones unturned in pursuit of justice for her and the other victims of the Maui Suffocation Killer.

  * * *

  DAPHNE DROVE DOWN Maui Lani Parkway en route to the University of Hawaii Maui College, located in Kahului, where she was meeting up with Kenneth to speak with Lynda Miyahira. Roxanne Sinclair was a teaching assistant for the mathematics professor, who’d succeeded Norman Takahashi in the position. Aside from wanting to get some further insight on Takahashi, Daphne wondered if Professor Miyahira had any knowledge of Roxanne’s life outside the school that might help lead to her killer. At least this was something Kenneth was interested in learning, with Roxanne being the latest victim of the Maui Suffocation Killer, who was no longer believed to be buried with Ben Hoffman.

  I never thought I’d be drawn into this serial killer investigation, Daphne told herself. Certainly not before officially taking it on as her next true crime book. But the fact that Roxanne had been murdered just hours after interviewing her made the confluence all but impossible for Daphne to dismiss. Was she at all responsible for the young woman’s death? Perhaps as a warning to not dig any deeper for the book? Or was something even more sinister at play here, with a serial killer deciding to bring her into his orbit, starting with going after Roxanne?

  Quite naturally, Daphne was unsettled at the notion. As was Kenneth, who had questioned whether it was wise to continue doing research for her book as long as his case was ongoing. But facing danger was not new to Daphne. Hadn’t she stood her ground when up against a stalker? And even found herself face-to-face with notorious serial killer Oscar Preston. Although he was shackled at the time, with a burly correctional officer in the room, it was still a dangerous environment for her in interviewing the killer. Though she surely did not court trouble, she understood that there was invariably a certain risk versus reward in writing true crime. Backing away from it now would only make her question her career choices later. She couldn’t let a serial killer dictate the life she led. Any more than Kenneth could when he went into law enforcement and went about investigating crimes.