Choked Up

by Hank Edwards

  "Were you part of the group at one time, Kent?" Mark asked.

  "Yeah, but after I graduated high school, I stopped," Kent replied.

  "I bet you miss having your brother in the group," Mark said, looking at Hunter.

  Hunter glanced up, shrugged, and returned his attention to his phone.

  "Hey," Kent said in a low, commanding tone. "He's talking to you."

  "What? I shrugged." Hunter didn't look up from his phone, but Mark noticed his left leg started bouncing.

  "Stop being a dick," Kent said.

  "You first."

  "Has there been any further progress with the case?" the newly arrived mother interjected. "Erik was such a kind man. It just breaks my heart to think about what happened to him."

  "You can ask the agents about that when they call you into the room," Mark said. "I'm kind of helping out today."

  "You said before you've helped out on other cases," Dylan's father said. "Does that not involve case updates?"

  "Since I'm not an official agent of the FBI, they don't give me official updates," Mark replied, hoping Pearce or Jake would show up soon and call for the man.

  "But you're still able to work with them?" the father asked.

  "I'm like a contract investigative assistant."

  The man frowned. "What the hell kind of role is that?"

  "It's a pretty loose term for gopher," Mark replied, trying to make a joke of it.

  "Sounds like a big waste of my tax dollars," grumbled the man.

  "Oh, I'm not getting paid," Mark said, then regretted it when he saw how the father's brow furrowed.

  "You're here unpaid? That's kind of gruesome, isn't it?"

  "I'm just trying to help," Mark replied. "And right now being here in the room with you all is how I'm helping."

  "Without being paid for it," the man said.

  "He already told you that," Kent snapped, turning to look over his shoulder at the man.

  Dylan's father pressed his lips together and looked away from Kent. A tense silence fell over the room, and Mark finally did mimic Hunter and take a sudden, intense interest in his phone.

  Ten minutes later, Pearce appeared in the door. He must have picked up on the tension in the room, because he glanced at Mark, then called Hunter's name. Hunter and Kent got up, and Pearce looked Kent over with a frown.

  "Are you his father?" Pearce asked.

  "I'm his brother," Kent replied. "And I'm twenty."

  "Are you his official guardian?" Pearce asked.

  Mark remained silent, letting Pearce work things out.

  "No, I'm just his brother. Our father asked me to come with him because he couldn't make it."

  Pearce crossed his arms. "Do you have your father's mobile number?"

  "Seriously?" Kent asked. "You're going to call our dad and ask for permission?"

  "Look, kid, I've got no choice," Pearce replied. "Your brother is a minor. Any information we get from him needs to be able to be admissible in court, and I need permission from his parent or legal guardian to do that."

  "This is bullshit," Kent said.

  Pearce took a single step closer, and Mark saw Kent pull his shoulders back, ready to fight. He felt a quiver of… what? Excitement? Attraction? Nervousness? Whatever it was, it made him hard, and he wondered if Calvin might have been close to the truth when he'd asked Mark at lunch if he had a thing for danger. He'd seen Pearce in full on alpha male mode before, but it had been awhile. Memories of being with Pearce the night before, being inside of him, pushed to the front of his mind, and he was grateful to be sitting behind the table to hide his condition.

  Pearce pointed a finger at Kent and lowered his voice. "Be that as it may, we're trying to solve a man's murder here, and we need to make sure we do everything by the book, including talk to your brother. So this isn't an attack on your manhood, this is me making sure we catch whoever killed Erik Hamill and put him in prison. Is that clear?"

  Kent let out a sigh. "Yeah, it's clear."

  "Good." Pearce gave a single nod. "Now, do you have your Dad's mobile number?"

  "Yeah," Kent said.

  "All right. Come with me, and we'll call him from the interview room."

  Pearce glanced at Mark before leading Kent and Hunter out of the room. Mark let out a slow breath and caught himself scratching at his left elbow.

  "You work with that guy?" Dylan's father asked.

  "Sometimes," Mark replied. "Excuse me a moment."

  He left the room to avoid any further conversation with the inquisitive and surly father. With nothing better to do, he stopped in the restroom to splash water on his face, then climbed the steps to poke his head in Calvin's office.

  "Hi there," Mark said.

  Calvin gave him a surprised look. "You guys done already?"

  "No, just needed a quick break," Mark replied. "Do you know Hunter's older brother Kent?"

  "Oh yeah, he used to be part of the group," Calvin said. "Not to be all creepy, but he's really hunky as he's gotten older. Kind of like a bad boy Nick Jonas."

  "Yeah, I thought so, too," Mark replied. "Anyway, he brought his brother Hunter in, and he and Pearce had a bit of a showdown about him being able to represent their dad."

  Calvin's eyes widened. "Oh, I bet that was hot."

  Mark grinned. "It kind of was."

  "Dirty boy," Calvin said with a smirk, then lowered his voice. "Kent and his father, Steve, don't get along very well. Always seem to be fighting."

  "Are Kent and Hunter his only kids?"

  "Kent's from his first marriage, and Hunter's from his second. Kent's mother split and hasn't been heard from since. Steve's in the middle of a divorce from Hunter's mom, and gets Hunter every other weekend. I think Kent lives at home in the basement or something while he's going to community college."

  "Sounds complicated," Mark said.

  "Yeah, and throw in the fact that both of his sons from two different marriages are gay, and you get a whole range of emotions." Calvin shook his head. "Hunter was really quiet when he first joined. Steve had seen something about the group in a local paper and pretty much made the boys come check it out. Hunter was pretty young then—ten or eleven, I think—and Kent was in his senior year of high school. Hunter had already told his father he liked a boy from his class at school, and their dad already knew Kent was gay, so he thought this would be a safe environment for Hunter to spend time in. Keep him from being bullied as he established more social skills. Kent had an attitude from the start, very self-centered and a bit of a dick. Hunter was really quiet and withdrawn. Erik spent a lot of time working with Hunter, got him talking about video games and asked him for tips on how to get through certain games, and that got Hunter to open up. I'm afraid about what losing Erik will do to Hunter."

  "He seemed pretty withdrawn this morning," Mark said.

  Calvin nodded. "I should stop in and talk with him."

  "You might want to do that pretty soon," Mark said. "I'm not sure how long Pearce and Jake will need to talk to them."

  "Let me finish up a couple of things, and I'll be right down."

  Mark left Calvin to his work and returned to the Stonewall Room where he found the rest of the kids from the group had arrived and joined Dylan and his dad as they all waited to be called in. Mark made sure everyone understood how things were working and took his seat once more behind the table.

  Several minutes later, Calvin entered the room with a smile. "Hi, everyone. I know it's completely sucky for you parents to have to come in here at the last minute, especially on the day before Halloween, but we really do appreciate it. Remember to tell the agents anything and everything you can think of that might help them, okay? Anyone have any questions?"

  A few questions were asked about the case to which Mark provided vague answers, and then several questions followed that related to events at the center, which Calvin answered. At that moment, the door to the interview room across the hall opened, and Hunter and Kent appeared, both with tight ex
pressions as they walked past the door toward the exit.

  Jake followed, holding a piece of paper in his hand and calling after them, "Kent, I need you to sign this."

  Pearce entered the conference room, saw the larger group, and looked at Calvin. "Is this the entire group now?"

  Calvin nodded. "It is. Everyone who was available, that is."

  "Good." Pearce smiled. "We won't be too long, folks. We really appreciate you taking the time to come down here today." He looked at Dylan and his dad and asked, "Ready?"

  The two followed Pearce from the room.

  Two of the mothers sitting in chairs farther back looked at each other, smirked, and one of them said, "What can I do to get questioned by him?"

  Calvin jumped on that right away. "Oh my God, I know, right?"

  They all laughed, and Mark was grateful Calvin didn't offer up the fact that he and Pearce were a couple. Calvin left the room, and Mark followed. Kent had stopped at the front desk to sign the release paper for Jake, and Calvin stepped up to Hunter. Mark approached and stood near enough to be able to hear the conversation.

  "How are you doing, Hunter?" Calvin asked.

  Hunter shrugged, his eyes on his iPhone once again.

  "We haven't seen you around here for a couple of weeks," Calvin said. "Have you been keeping busy?"

  "He's been holed up in his room playing video games," Kent replied. He handed the form back to Jake who returned to the interview room.

  "Oh yeah?" Calvin kept his attention on Hunter. "Is that true?"

  Hunter shrugged again.

  "What games have you been playing?"

  Another shrug.

  "You don't know?" Calvin smiled. "You playing so many they all kind of blur into one, huh?"

  Yet another shrug.

  "He's kind of talked out," Kent said. "That asshole agent really gave him the once-over."

  "Careful, Kent," Calvin said. "You're talking about a federal agent."

  Kent glared. "Oh, so that means he can't be an asshole?"

  "No, that means he deserves your respect."

  "Even if he's being an asshole?"

  Hunter mumbled something, and Calvin abandoned his discussion with Kent to lean down a bit to hear better.

  "I heard Galloptown Grumpypantsers," Calvin said. "Is that a new game?"

  A smile flickered across Hunter's face, and he looked up at Calvin. "That's not a game."

  "Oh, it's not?" Calvin said. "Sorry, I guess I didn't understand you with all the mumbling and stuff. Did you guys get a cat recently?"

  "A cat?" Kent asked with a frown as Hunter gave Calvin a funny look.

  "Well, I figured that would explain why Hunter's not talking," Calvin explained. "The cat got his tongue."

  Kent rolled his eyes, but Hunter smirked and shook his head.

  Calvin stood up and crossed his arms as he looked at Kent. "So how did it go?"

  "Weren't you listening to me?" Kent asked. "That guy was an asshole."

  "Other than that. Did it seem like you or Hunter knew anything?"

  Kent blinked in surprise. "Me? How would I know anything?"

  "Well, you were a member of this group at one time," Calvin said.

  "So?"

  "So I just thought you might have had something to say about Erik."

  "Why the fuck would I have anything to say about Erik?"

  "Hey, watch the language," Calvin said. "And from what I remember, Erik helped you out a lot when you were first joined the group."

  "That was years ago," Kent said. "Forget this. Come on, Hunter. Let's go."

  Mark and Calvin watched them leave the center, and after the two stepped out the doors, Calvin let out a sigh.

  "Kent is a bit of a dick."

  "Yeah, I see that," Mark said. "Do you think he could be dealing with some emotions over Erik's death?"

  "I'm sure that's part of it," Calvin replied. "But he's always been a little edgy."

  "I wonder how the interview with Pearce and Jake went."

  A phone at the front desk rang, and the man sitting there answered, then called out, "Cal, it's for you."

  Calvin rolled his eyes. "Duty calls."

  "Go do your duty," Mark said.

  "I'm sure you said 'duty' and not 'doody,' right?" Calvin asked.

  Mark grinned. "Childish as always."

  "Miss me while I'm gone," Calvin called over his shoulder as he headed for the steps to his office.

  "Always," Mark said to his back, then took a breath and returned to the Stonewall Room and the remaining parents.

  25

  Pearce had a dull headache that was making him squint his left eye. They'd finished the questioning, and he and Jake now stood at the front of the Stonewall conference room. Mark sat in the first row of chairs, looking at his phone but undoubtedly listening to their conversation. After all the questions they'd asked the kids, they'd still come up with no further leads. It was now four thirty in the afternoon, and Pearce was hungry, tired, and headachy.

  Jake smirked. "I think we need some time apart."

  "I've been saying that since the day we met," Pearce said.

  "Don't worry about it, Jake," Mark offered without looking up from his phone. "He's said that to me off and on for the last year."

  "Don't protect him," Pearce said to Mark. "I'm helping him toughen up."

  "Yeah, going to be bulletproof soon," Jake said. "I'm stopping back at the office. Want me to type up your notes?"

  Pearce shook his head. "No, thanks. I want to look them over again. I'll type them up later."

  Jake nodded. "Don't say I didn't offer."

  "He'll still say it," Mark added, still not looking up.

  Jake laughed and turned to Mark. "It's been a pleasure finally meeting you, Mark."

  Mark stood up, pocketed his phone, and shook Jake's hand. "You too. I'm sure Agent Bata will give you some kind of medal after all this."

  Jake looked surprised. "You know Bata?"

  "I do," Mark replied. "I worked with him when I came to the FBI about the Kings of Rebellion. He's the one who arranged for Aaron to come here and protect me. Sorry, Agent Pearce."

  "I see," Jake said, smiling as he looked between them.

  Pearce rolled his eyes. "All right, all right. You said something about leaving?"

  "You're right, I did. Call me if you come up with anything."

  "Tomorrow's Halloween," Pearce said. "You going to be available?"

  "During the day, yes," Jake replied.

  Pearce raised his eyebrows. "Hot date?"

  "Let's just say I hope to be bobbing for apples."

  "Gross," Pearce said with a sneer. "And that has a gay undertone to it, you know."

  Jake furrowed his brow. "How?"

  "Bobbing," Pearce replied. He put a hand on the back of his own head, opened his mouth, and bobbed his head up and down.

  "Well, that's a sight I'll never be able to erase from memory," Jake said with a grimace.

  Pearce grinned. "You're welcome."

  He watched Jake leave the room, then looked at Mark. "I'm hungry."

  "I bet you are," Mark said, and pulled his car keys from his pocket. "I drove here. Where do you want to eat?"

  "Somewhere good and fast."

  "Mind if Calvin joins us?" Mark asked.

  "Not as long as he's quick," Pearce replied.

  He followed Mark out of the room and up the steps to Calvin's small office.

  "We're going to eat," Mark said. "Care to join us?"

  Calvin frowned. "You know I would, but I have some work to finish up here. You two go and enjoy. I'm going to be spinning at the bar tomorrow night if you want to drop in."

  "We might do that," Pearce said. "Anywhere around here have quick service?"

  Calvin checked the time as he considered it. "Parking is hellacious in this part of town these days, so it's good you already have a parking spot. Check the time on your meter, though. Those bitches are fierce about doling out tickets. There's a nice
diner just a few doors down that's got good food and fast service."

  "Sold," Pearce said, and lifted his hand in a wave.

  He turned to walk along the upper level to the stairs, Mark right behind him. They exited through the back doors to the big metered parking lot used by the line of stores along the main road. Pearce had some quarters and added another ninety minutes to the meter for Mark's car before going in search of the diner. When they stepped inside, there was a short line of people waiting for tables, and they queued up at the end.

  "So, how did it go?" Mark asked.

  Pearce let out a long breath. "We didn't learn anything new, which really wasn't a surprise. But we had to try it."

  Mark touched his upper arm. "Sorry."

  "Thanks."

  "Jake's nice," Mark said. "You two seem to get along okay."

  Pearce gave a quiet snort of a laugh. "Yeah, he's all right."

  "Still have doubts about him?"

  "Not sure," Pearce said, then looked away.

  "What's he done to make you so suspicious of him?" Mark asked.

  "Small things that might add up to something bigger."

  They were at the hostess stand by that time, and the woman led them to a comfortable booth and left them with menus. Pearce opened his menu and looked over the standard American fare, wishing for a sample of each of them. He looked up and caught Mark with his hands folded on top of his closed menu, staring at him.

  "What?"

  "You can't just stop talking," Mark said. "Not after saying something like that."

  "Can we just order, please?" Pearce asked, hating that he almost sounded like he was whining. "I'm starving."

  Mark opened his menu as the waitress approached.

  "Need some more time?" she asked.

  "Nope," Pearce replied. "I'll have the cheeseburger, medium, fries, and a tall beer. What do you have on draft?"

  She rattled off some brands, and he chose one. Mark ordered a cheeseburger and fries as well, but opted for an iced tea instead of a beer. The waitress took their menus and walked away, and he looked back at Pearce.