Free Act of Betrayal by Shirley Kennett

office, brought by Dave, Anita, and Howard Wall, concerning the murder of Schultz’s son, the status of the little girl, and Schultz’s disappearance. She felt as though she were a spider sitting at the center of a great web of information gatherers. Every knock on her office door was a twitch on one of the strands of the web, bringing the spider to full alert.
    Rick Schultz’s toxicology results, the first few quick tests, showed a .08 blood alcohol content, right at the state’s legal limit. He had stopped off for a few drinks between his release from prison and his fatal encounter in the nearly vacant apartment. Police officers were trying to trace his steps, visiting bars and liquor stores, displaying Rick’s picture. It was possible that he had hooked up with someone and gone with that person, so that the death was opportunistic and not planned.
    Remotely possible, PJ thought. About one chance in a zillion.
    The notes that he had received in prison from Ginger seemed to indicate a plan that had been in place for months. A cellmate claimed that Rick had started getting the notes about five months ago, only a month into his short sentence. That was also about the time that Ginger Miller, whoever she really was, rented the apartment on Lake. The notes came every couple of weeks and Rick was secretive about their contents. He only bragged that he had a girlfriend on the outside and she was hot for him.
    In the middle of the morning, Anita made her way to PJ’s office with something PJ had been waiting for: copies of the two notes found on Rick’s body. He had folded them into tight strips and put them into his back pocket. The HazMat team had removed them from Rick’s contaminated clothing and bagged them for analysis. Because of their sheltered position inside his pocket, they had not been exposed to the acid condensation.
    “All those lines are crease marks,” Anita said as she handed the copies to PJ. “The originals had been folded and refolded so many times it was a wonder they hadn’t fallen apart. ’Course, one was practically glued together. When the lab techs soaked it to spread it open, they probably could have filled a sperm bank.”
    “Geez, Anita, don’t mention that to Schultz.”
    Anita sniffed. “I know when to keep my mouth shut. Besides, he’s a big boy. I don’t think Schultz’d be shocked to find out that his twenty-six-year-old son got his rocks off occasionally.”
    PJ bent over the note. There was no date or return address on it.
Ricky,
    It’s almost time now. I’m lying here naked thinking about what I’m going to do to you. The first thing is take your clothes off so I can get a good look at what you’ve been saving up for me. I figure we’ll take a shower together and I’ll wash that prison stink off you. I want you to soap me up real slow. I hope you’re getting hard just thinking about running your hands all over my body, but wait until you get out, Ricky. Don’t you go sticking that cock of yours any place that isn’t my hot slit, baby. You come straight to Mama.
    Love and kisses you-know-where,
    Ginger
    “That’s it?” PJ said. She was disappointed that the note didn’t offer more to go on.
    “The other note’s just like it,” Anita said. “Just the basics. I guess that’s what a guy who’s been in prison for a few months wants to hear.”
    PJ considered. “Besides the obvious imagery, there is something here that I’m sure Rick picked up on whether he realized it or not. A feeling that he’s really special, that this woman is waiting just for him.”
    “There’s a little bit of a threat there, too, don’t you think?” Anita said. “Maybe he enjoyed being told what to do. Dominated.”
    PJ thought back to her simulation, in which Rick didn’t object when he was tied into the chair. She quickly scanned the copy of the other note Anita had brought, but there was no overt reference to bondage.
    “Were any other notes recovered?” PJ said. “I’d