by Shawn Lane
“How so?”
Andy blushed a little. “One of them was the pool boy.” He brushed his hand over his face. “At my parents’ house. He took care of it. The pool, I mean.”
“And other things,” Sean joked.
“The other was just his buddy. I don’t know. We made a date one day, for sex, not like for dinner or anything, and he showed up with his friend. The next thing I knew, we were all involved, and it became a regular thing for a couple of years.”
“Hmm. What happened to end it?”
“I got too involved in police work, mostly. Had less and less time for them, and when I was there, I was always tired.” Andy held up a hand. “I know. Here I had this threesome going and I’m acting like some lame old man.”
Sean smirked. “You said it.”
Andy grinned. “I ended up doing more watching them then participating. It fizzled from there. Then they moved on from Haydon Cliff. I started seeing Veronica.”
“Veronica?”
“That lasted about a year. But she wanted more. You know, commitment, and I wasn’t…I didn’t want that life. A wife and kids, all that. I don’t think that’s me. Anyway, since her, I’ve pretty much done casual stuff with other guys. Not exactly on the down low, but not exactly out there either. I was glad when Lopez and O’Hara became a thing and a gay relationship became more acceptable in the department.”
“And it’s become more acceptable in the Cliff, too.”
“Exactly. And how did we get on the subject of me anyway? I asked you to tell me something.”
Sean squeezed Andy’s leg. “Let’s go heat up those burgers. We can talk while we eat.”
Andy sighed, but rose from the bed and grabbed his clothes as they headed out of the bedroom. Sean put on his clothes as well.
“Tell me about your family or your upbringing or something. You didn’t grow up here, right?”
“I grew up in Denver. Moved here after high school.”
“Denver, huh? With snow and stuff?”
“Yeah, some. Not like the Tundra, but we had our share.” He grabbed the plates and headed for the microwave.
“What made you come here? I don’t mean California. I mean here.”
“A girl I was seeing at the time had family here, then she moved here and I moved with her.”
“Like lived together?”
“Yeah.” He looked away from Andy’s gaze.
“There’s a story there. What happened?” Andy asked, his voice had gentled.
“Mindy was killed in a car accident. Drunk driver. About six months after we moved here.”
“God, Sean, I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Getting drunk drivers off the road was why I joined the force originally. I thought about Highway Patrol, but I don’t know, the accident happened here, down by Haydon Cliff City Park, and I just decided to go with the local force. I never imagined then I’d be where I am now.” Sean smiled, encircling the back of Andy’s neck with his hand. “With you.”
“Eating reheated greasy burgers.”
Sean shrugged. “Not so bad. Company’s great, and even reheated, Luke’s burgers are usually pretty good.”
“But wait. Your sister and her family are here. I assumed you were all from the Cliff originally.”
“Funny story, actually. Moira came out to visit me. She loved it so much, she moved here and met her husband in Haydon Cliff.”
He took Andy’s burger and fries out of the micro and handed them to him.
“What were you planning on doing for a living before Mindy died?”
Sean smiled faintly. “I was an artist.”
“Huh?”
“Painter. And a sketch artist. Mostly people. Not even sure now how I thought I’d ever make a living out of it. I was good, though. Really good. Not kidding myself there. And Mindy was very encouraging. But…well…”
Andy became quiet for a moment as he ate his burger.
Sean took his food out of the microwave next, then gestured for them to sit at the dining room table in the apartment’s small dining area.
“You still paint?”
“I haven’t even picked up a sketchbook in years. All that, every part of my life, well, it all kind of changed when Mindy was killed. That’s not who I am anymore.”
“I’m really sorry. That’s sad.”
“Is it? I don’t mean it to be. I’m just…life changes you, right? It all shapes you. You’re not the same guy who played around with the pool boy and his friend either. Circumstances change, and if we don’t change with them, then everything stagnates.”
“You’re pretty smart for a guy not yet forty.” Andy grinned, like he was joking, but at the same time, there was a note of sincerity there. “Still, maybe you’ll want to pick it up again someday. Even just the sketching. I’d love to see it.”
“You would, huh?”
“If you wanted to show me. Got any of the old stuff?”
“Nope,” Sean admitted. “Sketches I threw away or burned them.”
“Sean.”
“I know. I was dramatic when I was young. The paintings I gave away or sold. I was in a lot of pain and wanted nothing to do with any of that then. Do I want to go back to it? I don’t know, Andy. Like I said, I feel like I’ve moved on.”
“Okay.” Andy smiled. “I get that. I do. Like you said, things change us. And you’re right, by the way.”
“About?”
“Luke’s burgers are good even reheated.”
Sean laughed. He grabbed a napkin and held it toward Andy’s mouth. “You have a little dab of mustard there.” He wiped the corner. “Better.”
Andy finished his burger, then stared at Sean far too intensely. “So. What now?”
“Now?” Sean stood and carried their empty plates to the trash under the sink. He returned to the table and pulled Andy to his feet. “Now…we go back to bed.”
Chapter 6
“What was it like growing up without any brothers or sisters?”
Andy glanced at Sean after he’d asked the question out of the blue as they walked up to Tony Castro’s apartment building the next afternoon.
Tony lived in one of the older areas of Haydon Cliff, about two or three blocks from Haydon Cliff City Park. The apartments had been built in the fifties. Prior to that, the land had been citrus fields.
Andy shrugged. “Normal. For me, anyway. Having not had them, I didn’t miss them, you know? And my parents spoiled me.”
Sean grinned. “Obviously.”
He resisted the eye roll, but barely.
They stomped up the stairs to the third floor of Tony’s building. His apartment was number three-oh-two.
Since they were about to knock on the door of one of their victims’ relatives, Andy didn’t have a lot of time to analyze his new relationship with his partner.
There’d been a lot of sex the night before and not much sleep, to be honest, and so he was just a touch out of it, which Andy didn’t like. He prided himself on being alert and ready for anything.
They’d stopped through a McDonald’s drive-thru for breakfast before reporting to duty. And then they’d been notified their vic’s son wanted to see them.
Sean stepped forward and rapped his fist on the door.
Andy put his hand on his holster. He didn’t expect any trouble, but he didn’t want to be caught off guard either. A couple of months ago, a uniformed officer got shot when appearing for a domestic call.
Footsteps approached the door from the other side, then the door opened, revealing Tony Castro.
“Come in.” He held the door wide. There was no one in the apartment—a studio—but Tony. He gestured to the kitchen area. “You want some coffee or a soda or something?”
“No, thanks,” Andy answered for both of them. They moved to the small dining room table Tony had set next to the kitchen. “What can we do for you, Tony? Did you remember something that’ll help with your mom’s case?”
During Tony’s first interview
with them, they’d learned that he was in his forties and had been born fairly late in his mother’s life. One of three children, he had been her last. He’d told Andy and Sean that his oldest sister, Louise, had died of a drug overdose as a teen, and that his other sister, Maria’s middle child, Ellie, had died of breast cancer ten years ago. Prior to Maria’s murder, it had just been the two of them.
Tony lived in the studio apartment he’d rented after separating from his wife, he’d explained. They’d divorced a couple of years ago and his wife had left Haydon Cliff with their daughter.
When his mother passed away of natural causes—Tony had assumed that would be the case—it was his intention to sell her small bungalow located a few blocks from the docks and move out of the Cliff himself. Maria had been behind in the mortgage payments and had been thinking of doing one of those reverse mortgages to save the place. But then she’d been murdered.
“Actually, Detective, I wanted to know if you’ve made any progress locating the monster who killed my mother.”
Andy exchanged a look with Sean.
“Mr. Castro—” Sean began.
“I told you, Tony’s fine. Look, I’ll be honest with you. I’m really strapped for cash.”
“What?”
“Mama had a life insurance policy with her old employer. They kept it for her even after she retired. As her only living relative, I was her beneficiary. But with her case up in the air, they won’t release the proceeds.” Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair. He twisted his hands together. “I know how this sounds. But I’m in debt up to my eyeballs, paying for my kid, then putting down the money for Mama’s funeral. They finally released her house to me, but that’s all tied up with her estate, too, and even then, the real estate agent said it’s going to be a hard sale—people are already calling it the ‘murder house.’ if you can believe that.”
Andy nodded. “I sympathize with you, Tony. I do. I’ve been through all that with my own folks in the past.”
“But your mother wasn’t murdered, was she?”
“No.”
“I can’t even get a loan to hold me over. My credit’s no good. I can’t even pay the rent on this place when it comes due next week because I had to use the money for a down payment on her funeral. I’m really strapped. Haven’t you made any progress? Don’t you have some leads?”
“Not much,” Sean replied.
“Is Mama’s case related to that other old lady? The one who had more money than Mama.” He narrowed his eyes. He obviously had the attitude that they’d paid more attention to Rose O’Hearn’s case because she’d been wealthier than Maria Castro.
“All indications are that it’s the same killer, yes.”
“Can’t you do something?”
“We’re trying.”
He rolled his eyes and stood. “Sure. You’re trying. All right, I’ll see you out now so you can keep trying.”
A few minutes later, when they reached their car, Andy glanced up at the building, toward the third floor and Tony’s apartment.
“What?” Sean asked.
“Nothing, really. I do feel bad for the guy. This place is kind of a dump. I saw a rat running on the sidewalk when we first pulled up. There’s a lot of crime that happens here. I’d want to bail on this place if I could, too.”
Sean shrugged. “Maybe he could be staying in his mom’s place while everything’s sorted out.”
“Probably not with all that estate crap. And if she didn’t have a will or some other indication what she wanted done with the place…” Andy shrugged. “Who knows?”
“Don’t forget, I was the one who looked into Tony’s background after the murder,” Sean said, getting into the driver side of their police issued sedan. “As I told you weeks ago, he’s basically been a loser his whole life.”
Andy snorted. “You’re a real sympathetic guy, Callahan.”
“Remember? He did some time as a teen for petty burglary. In and out of menial jobs. Barely finished high school, so there’s no college. Has a couple of kids from a first marriage, but they’re all grown up now. Only the most recent daughter’s a minor. He’s been a deadbeat dad all this time, too.”
“Still.” Andy sighed. “Doesn’t mean he deserved any of this. And not his mom being murdered.”
“I know, Andy. And I never meant that he did. I just meant that some of his circumstances are his own doing.” He started the car and pulled away.
* * * *
“So.”
Andy looked up from the report he’d been filling out to see Edgar Lopez standing next to his desk.
“What are you and Callahan doing for dinner after your shift?”
For a moment, Andy felt a vague sense of panic, thinking that their co-workers already knew that he and Sean had slept together. It wasn’t that it was a big secret, but how had it gotten around so soon?
But when the adrenaline in his brain calmed down, he realized it was just an invitation from one set of detective partners to another. Edgar didn’t really know anything. About him and Sean, anyway. But Andy suspected Edgar had guessed about his sexual preferences.
“I’ll check with Sean. When and where?”
Edgar shrugged. “Nothing fancy. Casual. The diner off of Vineyard?”
“Sure. Six-thirty?”
“Better make it seven. See you then.”
Andy had said he’d check with Sean, but if his partner couldn’t make it, he’d go alone. Might be good to pick the brains of Lopez and O’Hara about their past case to see if it helped in any way with their new one.
As it happened, Sean was on board with the idea, and at about six-fifty, he came by Andy’s house and picked him up so they didn’t have to take two cars. Besides, Andy liked the idea of Sean coming back to his place after dinner. For obvious reasons.
They made it to the diner, ubiquitously named Joe’s, at five minutes after seven. Andy noted Edgar’s motorcycle was already there.
As soon as they stepped through the doors, Andy spotted Edgar Lopez and Scott O’Hara sitting side by side in a booth about halfway down the immediate front side of the diner. There were two other back sections of the restaurant.
Andy smiled at the harried-looking hostess. “We’re with them.”
She nodded and handed them menus, which they took before seating themselves across from the lovebirds. Honestly, that’s what they looked like. Scott had his hand resting on the table in front of him and Edgar had his hand covering Scott’s. Andy wondered if Edgar thought someone planned to abscond with Scott or something.
“Evening,” Sean said, sliding into the booth bench seat first.
“Been here long?” Andy asked.
Scott smiled. “About five minutes.”
“Scott appreciates punctuality,” Edgar put in.
Sean merely laughed. “I knew you were those guys. Sorry. My fault. I was a bit late picking up Andy.”
Scott looked at Andy curiously. “You live over on Flower Ave, yeah?”
Andy nodded. “House I grew up in. Was my parents’ house. Nice little place. Paid off.”
And why he added that, Andy couldn’t quite figure out. Mouth runneth over. He caught Sean giving him a look of fond amusement.
“Nice neighborhood,” Scott murmured. “I’m also one of those guys who has to hear what everyone else is going to have before I make up my mind. So? What’s everyone having?”
Andy lifted his menu. “I’ll let you know.”
They all lapsed into silence as they perused the plastic-covered menus. With his later hopeful plans in mind, Andy opted not to have anything with spice, garlic, or onions. “I’m going to get the Cobb salad,” he told the other guys.
“Trout almandine.”
He eyed Sean.
Sean laughed. “What? I like fish. And I even like diner fish. Haven’t had trout in a while.”
Edgar rolled his eyes. “To each his own, I guess. I’m having a burger. Thick and juicy and covered with cheese.”
“And
a heart attack in five years,” Scott quipped. He managed to look serene even after Edgar glared at him. And moved his hand off Scott’s, Andy noticed. “I’m going with the breakfast then. Pancakes.”
The waitress came by and they ordered—coffee all around, too—then Andy sat back and waited for Edgar to reveal the reason for the sudden invite. There had to be a reason. They all got along well enough, but they were hardly social buddies.
After endless minutes of small talk regarding the weather, work, and whatnot, Scott finally grew serious. “How’s the partnership working out between the two of you?”
Sean narrowed his eyes. “Good. Couldn’t be better. We’re a perfect match.” He paused. “Why?”
“Some partnerships don’t work out, is all.” Scott shrugged. “When I first got promoted to detective, they paired me with Carlson.”
Andy laughed at that. “Lucky.”
“He’s a good enough guy and a helluva cop, but he’s a practical joker, and man, that got on my last nerve.” Scott shook his head. “Whoopee cushions in your seat, plastic vomit. All that.”
“Thank God I never dealt with that,” Sean said. “My first partner was Garibaldi.”
There was a collective moment of silence for old Sarge. He’d been a great guy that everyone had loved. Years on the force. Finally retired to enjoy his old age, then died of a heart attack two months later. For a while, they reminisced about Garibaldi, recalling several stories that displayed the type of man and officer he’d been.
“Yeah, you lucked out to have been partnered with him,” Edgar agreed when the topic had reached its conclusion. “Scott and I have a great partnership, too. And in more ways than one, obviously.” He turned red. “Which is, um, kind of what we want to talk about with you two.”
Andy exchanged a look with Sean. “Oh?”
“I’ve asked Scott to be my husband. And he’s said ‘yes.’”
Scott was smiling as he looked all heart-eyes at Edgar.
“Oh.” Andy nodded. “That’s-that’s great. Congratulations, you guys.”
“Yes. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Edgar grinned. “It’s been a long time coming, really. We’ve been living together and acting like a couple of married guys, so I figured we might as well do it up for real.”