He tucked her in close. She fit nicely standing up, too. They moved well together, totally in synch. He listened to her breathing and could feel her heartbeat as well.

An old Marvin Gaye tune came on the radio and they danced to that, too. It all seemed dreamlike to him. Completely unexpected.

Especially when they went upstairs together at around ten-thirty. Neither of them said a word, but Billie took his hand and led him into the bedroom. A three-quarter moon was lighting the whitecaps. A sailboat lazily drifted by out beyond the line of surf.

“You okay?” she whispered.

“I am much more than okay. Are you, Billie?”

“I am Billie. I think I wanted this to happen from the first time I saw you. You ever done this before? ”she asked. There was that sly grin of hers again. She was playing with him, but he liked it.

“First time. I've been saving myself for the right woman.”

“Well, let's see if I'm worth the wait.”

Sometimes, he could be in a hurry, and that would be okay, the way of the world in Washington, but not tonight. He wanted to explore Billie's body, to get to know what pleased her. He touched her everywhere; kissed her everywhere. Everything about her seemed right to him. What's happening here? I came to ask this woman about some murders. Murders! Not love-making in shimmering moon-light.

He could feel her small breasts rising and falling, rising and falling. He was on top of her, supporting his weight on his hands.

“You won't hurt me,” she whispered.

“No, I won't.”

I won't. I couldn't hurt you. And I won't let anybody hurt you.

She smiled, rolled over, and then slid up on top of him. “How's that? Is that better for you?”

He ran his strong hands up and down her back and over her buttocks. She hummed "One Night With You'. They began to move together, really slowly at first. Then faster. And faster still. Billie rose and fell hard on him. She liked it that way.

When they finally collapsed with the pleasure of it all, she looked into his eyes. Not bad for your first time. You'll get better."

Later, Sampson lay in the bed with Billie snuggled up against his side. It still made him smile to see how small she was. Small face, small hands, feet, breasts. And then the thought hit him stunned him: he was at peace for the first time in years. Maybe ever.

Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

Chapter Seventy-Seven

I was pumped up to see Nana and the kids when I got home from my trip to Florence prison that night. It was only seven and I'd been thinking we might go to the IMAX theater, or maybe the ESPN Zone some nice treat for the kids.

As I climbed the front steps of the house, I spotted a note stuck onto the screen door, flapping in the breeze.