CHAPTER 6: WILLIAM

William heard Rebecca groan as he dug deeper into the kiss, his tongue delving deep into her mouth, moving in slow, sweet circles. With one hand steadying her back, the other slowly trailed down, and his mouth left hers to explore the base of her neck. He nuzzled at her throat, tasting both wine and sweat. Slowly, he unbuttoned the top of her damp blouse, which was clinging to her body like a second skin.

Rebecca must have sensed what he was doing because she stiffened for a moment before gasping, as he dipped his head to the neckline of her blouse where one button popped. He started licking the shallow indentation of her breasts, all the while feeling his manhood growing hard.

Rebecca arched back and pushed her chest forward, inviting him in for more as he slowly eased himself between her legs. She whimpered as he started working on the next button. He could see her wine-stained bra now. It was sheer and lacy, just the way he liked it. With one hand he yanked her blouse and bra down, exposing one of her breasts. Her nipples were erect, and he lunged forward and sucked on her proffered nipple. She yelped and dug her nails into his back, causing him to moan as well. He could feel her laboured breathing as he roamed her nipples.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

"William...," she moaned distractedly, trying to sit up.

He grabbed the other breast, which was still covered by her blouse and started groping it. The phone kept ringing, but he ignored it and kissed her lips again.

"William, the phone," she mumbled.

"Leave it!" he growled, as he yanked down the other side of her bra.

Her legs parted even more, and she lifted her hips higher. The ringing stopped — only to start again a few moments later.

"Damnit!" he exclaimed and moved away to check his phone.

It was Jolene. She knew only to call if there was something urgent.

"This had better be important," he snapped into the phone, keeping an eye on a half nude Rebecca sitting on the bar top.

Jolene delivered the message, and William dropped his phone. It fell onto the floor with a loud thud. He closed his eyes for a moment before bending down to pick up his shirt. He walked to Rebecca and draped the shirt over her shoulder.

"There's been another murder."

***

Tony was already waiting with a BMW E39 by the time the Silver Lining reached the dock. The wind had picked up even more, and Rebecca could feel goosebumps on her skin. William's shirt didn't do much to keep her warm — not to mention, her bra was still slightly soaked with wine.

They both climbed into the backseat, and William proceeded to answer the endless phone calls from his investors and board of directors. Apparently, the word of the second murder had travelled fast. 

Someone had uploaded a picture of the second victim onto the internet, only to have the feds take it down a few minutes later. But by then, it was too late. The picture had gone viral, and everyone who searched for 'Silverman Corp' would immediately see a photo of a brunette sprawled lifeless on the floor.

Rebecca sat at one end of the backseat, trying to be as far away from an occupied William, who was talking at feverish speed to someone on his phone. She enlarged the photo of the victim, and though the resolution of the picture wasn't great, she could see that the eyes of this dead woman were also stapled shut. And from the looks of the surroundings, the murder had taken place in a washroom.

Rebecca checked her missed calls: three from the pizza delivery guy, one from Jean, her best friend, and another from John. She had an inkling he'd called her to inform her of the murder. She looked over at an agitated William.

"I want the list of every employee who has been working OT today!" he was snapping into the phone. "Yes, right now! And pump in an extra five million into the market by morning. Well, find a way!"

With that, he threw his phone across the car. Rebecca wondered how much longer the phone could last, having been dropped and thrown around like that for the past half an hour. William sighed in frustration and buried his head in the palm of his hands. Rebecca felt helpless. She inched closer and gently patted his back.

The BMW screeched to a halt in front of the Silverman Tower where a dozen police cars were parked, along with reporters who had already gotten a whiff of the murder. It was nearly midnight, and the flashers gave everyone a bluish-red tint, reminding Rebecca of the disco. The glistening yellow tape with the words "Police Line – Do Not Cross" was still there, preventing outsiders from entering the building. William opened the car door, and a horde of reporters swarmed him.

Two police officers helped ward them off, and William got out of the car. Rebecca wriggled her way out and followed William closely. The walk into the building proved to be a difficult one, with the media shoving and pushing, all eager to get a good shot of the CEO.

So, this is how it feels to be on the other side of the fence, Rebecca thought as cameras flashed. She shielded her face from the lenses, not wanting to be caught in the news. She felt crushed by the crowd and her anxiety kicked in. Luckily, the sound of endless questions by the media was drowned out once they were inside the building, and Rebecca quickly opened her sling bag, fishing frantically for her inhaler.

Damnit, where is it? Did I drop it on the yacht? Was it in the car? 

Her mind started to race as she tried to remember where she might have dropped it. Suddenly, she felt very vulnerable without her inhaler. Rebecca had always been asthmatic, and she'd even been hospitalized as a child countless times due to her asthma attacks. Over the years, she had grown stronger, but even so, she still relied heavily on her puffs. In her confusion and panic, she failed to see John walking up to her and William.

***

“Mr. Silverman,” John Grant strode up to them, still in the same trench coat from this morning. William looked at the detective, briefly recalling their encounter at his office. The detective had struck him as an intuitive and intellectual man, a rare trait for someone in his twenties.

“Detective Grant, we meet again.” William held out his hand. The detective shook it firmly, but his eyes were focused on someone behind him. William turned and saw Rebecca standing behind him looking a little pale. He instinctively put a hand on her shoulders. She was trying hard to catch her breath. Perhaps the events that had unfolded were overwhelming her.

“Becca, are you alright?” William asked with concern.

She nodded wordlessly, hands clutching her sling bag.

“What are you doing here, Becca?” the detective asked.

William turned again in surprise. He had no idea they were acquainted, but now, he could sense tension building in the man. Rebecca looked up, her face soaked in sweat and strands of curly hair clung to her cheeks.

“Trying to get an interview?” she half-joked before coughing slightly.

William saw the detective frowned.

“Where’s your puff?” the detective asked.

Puff? William echoed in his head.

Rebecca shook her head. “Don’t mind me. I’m fine. Really.”

But William saw that she looked far from fine. The detective turned to whisper something into his partner’s ear. His partner nodded and walked away.

“Mr Silverman, we need to bring you in for some questioning. The victim, Ms Suzanne Lee, spoke with you on her last phone call. We just traced it.”

William rolled his eyes. He shouldn’t have answered Suzanne’s call earlier.

“Alright, but I’d like for it to be done in my office. I have urgent matters to attend to.”

Rebecca was coughing violently now, and out of the corner of his eye, William saw her suddenly clutch her chest before collapsing onto the marbled floor.