Seven years earlier

  Reno, NV

  Samantha Mackey creeps silently down the stairs. Sam heads for the kitchen, knowing she will find her mildly distracted husband there.

  As expected, James is seated at the kitchen table. A can of root beer sits open next to his left hand, a large sandwich on a plate by his right hand. The youthful detective is reading through a small assortment of newspaper clippings. He is hoping to gather extra clues, from various sources, which will help with his current investigation.

  Samantha sneaks up behind James and wraps her arms around his neck. The younger Detective Mackey chuckles and tenderly pats his wife's forearm. She bends and kisses the top of James' scalp, tousling his hair with one hand.

  "Errr, Mister!" Samantha playfully growls. "When are you coming to bed? I'm lonely."

  "Haha. In a little bit, babe. I'm almost done," Mackey says.

  "That's what you said two hours ago, James," Sam coos softly in James' ear. "I've already showered and everything. I miss you."

  Detective Mackey puts down the clipping in his hand and turns in his chair. Samantha lowers herself onto his lap, staring down at him with the equivalent of puppy dog eyes.

  "Oh, Sam...Cut it out! You know I can't resist that face."

  "I do know," Samantha says, planting a kiss on James' waiting lips. "Why do you think I did it?"

  "You're so crazy, Samantha. I love you," James mutters, returning Samantha's kiss. "Did you go see the doctor today?"

  "Yeah," Sam replies.

  "What'd he say?" James asks, concern written on his face.

  "I won't know for a couple of days. They may need to schedule more tests," Sam answers.

  "Okay. Well, in the meantime..."

  Detective Mackey makes a show of swiping the pile of newspaper clippings off of the kitchen table. Samantha lets out an exasperated gasp as papers fly all over her tidy kitchen. A sly smile creeps onto James' face.

  "You said...You missed me. How much?"

  "James?! Who's gonna clean up that mess?"

  "We'll worry about that later," James says, his smile growing even larger.

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  Present Day

  3 Days After the Killing of Aquarius

  Detective Mackey's eyes shoot open and he stares up at the popcorn ceiling. Sitting up on the couch, he throws off the covers. It had seemed so real. Samantha's touch, her body, and her scent. But it wasn't real. Samantha has been dead for nearly six years. Damn cancer.

  Running a hand through his thick brown hair, James climbs to his feet. He trudges into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. This represents the first full day in over six weeks that he hasn't lived and breathed the Aquarius case. It's a strange feeling.

  A sigh escapes the weary detective's lips and he turns on the cold water tap, in order to fill the coffee carafe. He nearly drops the glass container as a thought pushes its way into the front of his brain. Abandoning the carafe, and any thought of freshly brewed coffee, James hurries to get dressed.

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  Mueller Mobile Home Park

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Castleton

  Madison wipes both hands on the apron around her waist and rushes to the front door. The sound of another soft knock causes her to walk even faster.

  "I'm coming," Madison says.

  Reaching the door, Madison checks the peephole. Her eyes widen and a smile builds on her face. She hurriedly opens the door to find Detective Mackey. The young woman is beside herself with joy as she unlocks the screen and pushes it open.

  "Detective Mackey?! I'm so...It's so good to see you. Come in, please."

  "I'll only be a minute," James says. "I need to ask you a couple of questions. Kind of unofficially."

  "Nonsense," Madison insists. "Come in. Don't be a stranger. My home is your home. Come in. Please."

  Detective Mackey offers Madison a wistful smile and climbs the last step. He moves past Madison into the cozy trailer she now calls home. Mackey's hawkish gaze takes in everything. A portrait of two gray doves in flight hangs above the brick mantle. The poem written in cursive, on the foreground, is one James knows very well: "Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" by William Butler Yeats. How appropriate.

  Madison shuts the door and swiftly moves toward Detective Mackey. She hugs him fully, slender hands rubbing and patting his shoulder blades. James allows Madison to hug him, as tears stream down the young woman's reddening cheeks. She finally separates from the detective, staring up into his face.

  "They told me you put down the money for this place, Detective Mackey. You really shouldn't have. It's too big. I can't afford this."

  "You don't have to worry about that, Madison," James says. "It's all been taken care of. You just focus on getting better. Hell...None of this would have happened, if we'd caught that murdering Aquarius bastard sooner. I'm so sorry, Madison. That's one of the reasons I came by. To apologize. And because, there are a couple of things I need to know."

  "You don't have anything to be sorry for, Detective Mackey. You couldn't have known he would do that to me," Madison says, her gaze fixed on James' grief-stricken face.

  "If it wasn't you...It would have been someone else, Madison."

  "But it wasn't anyone else, Detective. It was me. And I'm still alive. I really think you all spooked him. That's why he slipped up. I'm grateful to you. You have nothing to be sorry for."

  There is an uneasy pause as James and Madison study each other. Slipping an arm around Mackey's neck, Madison hesitates only a brief moment before drawing him into a warm kiss. Closing his eyes, James breathes in Madison's scent--a mixture of baby powder, perfume, and cinnamon rolls. For what seems like forever, they share a passionate kiss in front of the living room door.

  In truth, it has been less than a minute when Detective Mackey withdraws. He absently runs his tongue across the backs of his teeth, remembering the taste of Madison's mouth. Listerine and cinnamon. Someone has been sampling the baking. Not a wise thing to do, so soon after brushing one's teeth.

  "I'm...I'm sorry, Madison. I can't. This...It's not right."

  "What isn't right?" Madison says, staring deep into James' eyes.

  "This...You and me," James replies. "You've been through a tremendous shock. You're latching on to the first...Hero...You see. That isn't me, Madison. I'm not a hero."

  "What makes you say that?" Madison protests. "You're a hero to me."

  "You see, Madison? And that's the problem. I just do my job. That's all. I do my job! My job is to protect people and get bad guys off of the streets. I'd do the same for anyone. You don't need to worship me, Madison. I'm just a man," Mackey explains.

  "I know that!" Madison says with slight irritation. "But, I do like you...Anyway."

  "You only think you do, Madison. For now. Because of what happened at the hotel, because of this case, and because of the money I put down on this trailer. You think you owe me. You don't."

  Despite his brave words, Mackey finds his gaze wandering to Madison's lips. She is very attractive. And it's been quite some time since James has held a woman in his arms. Not to mention, kissed one. Not since Samantha. Madison is so very attractive. Perhaps, it's like Dave suggested. Maybe he is just out of practice. Things happen for a reason. One kiss can't be so bad.

  Madison is aware of the detective's inner turmoil, watching him with knowing brown eyes. So far, neither of them has stopped embracing the other. Detective Mackey's Adam's apple slides up and down as he swallows hard, fighting an urge he has denied for over half a decade. Releasing a weary sigh, James leans in for a second kiss. Madison doesn't so much as flinch.

  The second kiss lasts much longer than the first, the detective's arms encircling Madison's aproned waist. Madison's hand reaches into the back of James' trench coat. Detective Mackey grows stiff as Madison places her left hand on his buttocks, while rubbing the nape of his neck with her right hand. He shakes his head and releases the surprised woman.

  "No. No. I'm sorry," James says. "This isn't right."

  Madison nervously adjusts her clothes and looks down at the floor. Deep stirrings of insecurity and inferiority battle within the young woman's psyche. Unlike the other victims of Aquarius, she isn't quite as lovely. Nor is she very useful to society. She isn't an influencer, a beloved childcare worker, or a socialite's daughter. She's just a hostess in a restaurant. Not a very well-known restaurant either. Maybe that's why Aquarius had spared her. Maybe the killer had realized he'd made a mistake by choosing her. No one would care if she were to die. The famously vile killer had even been willing to die for that realized mistake. She hadn't been worth the trouble of continuing on.

  "I think...I understand," Madison mutters dejectedly. "It's the story of my life. I should have known better."

  Mackey rushes to apologize, his skin growing warm. He takes Madison's left hand in both of his and peers down into her face.

  "No, it's not you. I've explained that. I think you're beautiful, Madison. It's just not appropriate. You're in shock. Once the shock wears off, you'll be able to see things more clearly. Like I said, you don't owe me anything. I got you this place so you don't have to stay in that crummy hotel anymore. Here, you can be safe. You can adopt a dog. A big dog. You can even adopt ten dogs. It's yours, Madison. I need to know that you're safe."

  "You're helping me...Out of guilt?" Madison queries, her bottom lip trembling.

  "It's not that either. I just know...We can't be together. Not right now. Not until I'm sure you're okay...Mentally. I don't want you jumping into something you'll regret later."

  There is a pause before Madison speaks again. Tears stream down her face as she lifts her eyes to look at Detective Mackey.

  "So what did you come here to ask me?"