Free Crime & Punishment by V.R. Dunlap

didn't have to end.
     
    “I hate to do this,” he began, “But it’s going to take a while to get your car out of this mess,” he said, his arms still holding her tight.  He turned toward the car and finally loosened his hold on her.  “You should probably try it one last time, but if that doesn't work, we will have to take my horse back to the station and try to find someone with a winch.”
     
    “Yeah, about that,” she said, an impish smile playing across her lips as she looked up at him. “I guess I have something to show you.”
     
    She climbed into the car and started it as she talked. “The thing is, it’s a four-wheel drive, lifted Jeep mudders and air lockers.”  She paused for a moment and threw it into reverse. She eased her foot onto the gas and the car immediately began to get some traction.  Soon, it had crossed over the deep tracks she had made earlier and she was back out of the ditch, just across from him.
     
    She looked up at him with a cocky smile, “A little soft sand can’t stop a beast like this, when you know how to drive it.  I just wanted you to come over.”
     
    She smiled him and watched as the realization hit him.
     
    He rolled his eyes as he figured out that her car was never stuck. He shook his head and closed his eyes. “I see.” he said simply. “Well, in that case, there is I probably should tell you something. There aren’t any turtles around here,” he said with a guilty smile.  “That sign was for a flash flood warning. I just didn't want you to leave.”
     
    Now it was her turn to shake her head.
     
    “Well then, what happens next?” she asked looking over at him.
     
    “Are you free tomorrow?  We could take the horses out on the trail.”
     
    She smiled and answered suggestively, “It sounds good to me. I would love another ride.”
     

Payback
     
    Amy smiled as she saw Paul sitting in the middle of the empty conference room. There was something about a man who knew how to dress that always took her breath away. Every inch the professional, Paul favored tailored shirts with French cuffs, slim and fashionable slacks, highly polished shoes and an expensive silk jacket.
     
    He always looked handsome, even now, sitting at the large table, intently staring the laptop opened in front of him. She walked in and Paul motioned for her to sit next to him, his dark brown eyes never leaving the computer screen.
     
    “Hey, Paul,” she said as she took her seat. She expected his usual lighthearted, flirtatious response but what she got was a stony silence.
     
    She watched him, surprised by his behavior. They had worked together for nearly a year and he had never failed to joke or laugh the entire time. Every time he got her alone, he would flirt outrageously, his conversations laced with double entendres and sometimes even more overt comments. She had come to expect and enjoy their game but knew he wasn't serious. Besides, when it came to work, she had a rigid policy. She never dated at the office.
     
    But today he was acting very differently. From the moment she heard his voice on the phone, she knew something was wrong. He only said that she needed to meet him in the conference room immediately and then hung up. There was no warmth to his words – it was if they had never spoken before. Even stranger, he hadn’t even given her a hint of why he wanted her there. Now, sitting next to him, she became even more worried. He was fixated on his computer, his body stiff and tense. He tapped at a few more keys and continued to stare, ignoring her completely
     
    Amy waited a few more minutes and then interrupted again. “Paul, you said you wanted to see me?”
     
    Paul finally looked up from what he was doing, acting as if he were seeing her for the first time. When he smiled at her with his usual, charming smile she felt her breath catch just a little. She instinctively smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease.
     
    “Sorry about that,” he said, giving her