Pipe: (A Romance & Suspense Mystery) (Red Doors of New Orleans Mystery Series Book 1)

by Wade Lake

  His heartbeat moves into his throat.

  He can't—

  He can't—

  He can't catch his breath.

  The pipe in his hand turns hot, as if boiling water were running through its body. The horrible sensation pours through Mack’s body, burning him from the inside out, fingertips to toes. He drops the pipe. Turns away from the window and immediately crawls over the wet mattress to Chase's body. He cradles Chase's head in his lap. Blood is spurting from the concave wound. It's spurting with the rhythm of a pulse—that means he's still alive. Mack quickly pulls the phone from his shirt pocket. Dials 911. Tells the operator he needs an ambulance right now, there's been an accident. Clutching the phone to his shoulder, he empties a pillowcase and wraps it around Chase's head, hoists him up and carries him to the tub. "My husband slipped in the shower,” he yells into the phone. “He hit his head … he hit his head real bad."

  26

  Mack likes the bedroom better now that their bed faces the window.

  In the summer, the sun wakes him up at least an hour before he needs to leave for work. That's perfect because it takes him a little extra time to get ready these days. On warm evenings, the new air conditioner blows cold air up the foot of the bed and cools the covers.

  The bed is his favorite place to read.

  He's two chapters into the detective novel with no last page.

  He’s read through the mystery a dozen times. He’s made up his own ending so often, he no longer remembers who really dunit, and he’s okay with that.

  "Detective McStiff’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It sounded urgent. That could only mean one thing. Somebody needed his help. As he stepped around his over-sized antebellum desk, he considered a few of the possibilities. It could be a handsome billionaire needing to track down an old lover with a new alias. McStiff had handled more than his share of those. It could be a muscled-up ex-con, just out of prison and looking for revenge on the boss who set him up. McStiff had worked with a lot of innocent ex-cons as well. Both in the streets and between the sheets. No matter the client’s ability to pay, McStiff always got the job done. He wasn’t above a little rough trade for his sleuthing skills. Most likely, however, this particular knock belonged to the blue-haired lady who occupied the apartment above his office. She had probably misplaced one of her cats again. McStiff straightened his tie. No matter who was on the other side, he always felt the tickle of anticipation when approaching a door."

  "I like this part," Chase interrupts. "This is the part when the bad guy comes in, but Detective McStiff doesn't know he's a bad guy yet, and the bad guy steals Detective McStiff's red Chevrolet Camaro, and Detective McStiff has to ask the lady upstairs with the blue hair to let him borrow her yellow Ford Aspire, but it’s really slow, and there's a cat in the glove box, and it scares him, and it's funny."

  Mack turns the page and holds the paperback wide open. "Okay, buddy. Since you know the story so well, it's your turn. See how much you can read. Try the next sentence."

  "A stranger stood … uh, I don't know that word."

  "Framed."

  "Framed in the doorway. He was taller than McStiff. He wore a dark … uh …"

  "Suit."

  "I knew that one, I just forgot it. He wore a dark suit and a … a something, something."

  "Affable demeanor," Mack says, emphasizing the vowel sounds. "Do you know what that means?"

  "I know what it means," Chase says, but it's too many letters. I don't think I'll ever be able to read that."

  "You will," Mack says, "just takes patience and practice."

  "You know what else it takes?" Chase asks, a grin building.

  "What else?"

  "It takes a good teacher," Chase says. "And you're a good teacher."

  "You're a good student, so that makes it fun for both of us."

  Chase doesn't remember slipping in the shower. He doesn't remember much of anything from before his accident, or the first month following his accident. He does remember all of his letters now and the sound each one usually makes. Unfortunately, he forgot most of what he once knew about electricity and wiring. He wants to relearn that because he remembers he was good at it. In the meantime, Mack is apprenticing Chase to be his assistant on plumbing jobs. Chase has learned the names of all the tools in their truck, and he takes direction well. They go to work together every day. They eat lunch together. They come home together. It's a lot of responsibility for Mack, but he doesn't mind. He's just glad to be here for Chase. He's glad he was able to break Chase's bad habits. That's probably what saved their relationship. Sometimes things work out precisely the way they're meant to. Mack has never been happier. Neither has Chase. They make love almost every night. And before turning off the lights to go to sleep, they both say, "I love you." Every night. And Chase never snores. Every second Saturday, they pick up eggs from George, the handsome widower at the farmer's market on Tulane Square. Sometimes Mack sees the neighbors there, and he says "Hi," but they never say anything back. Mack is okay with that. Mack still speaks to the pipes occasionally, but the pipes never say anything back either. Mack is okay with that, too. Chase was a lot of help when Mack replaced the tub-shower combo in the bathroom. They found an engagement ring in the shower trap. It was a cheap ring, but they got enough cash out of it to pay for the tile. They bought new towels, too. Big ones. The wind chime is back up on the stoop above the front steps. There was a hurricane this past September, but it wasn't too bad. There was no mandatory evacuation, so Mack and Chase boarded up the windows and rode it out. The wind chime sang so loudly. It was so beautiful. Mack told Chase it was the voice of an Angel. That made Chase feel extra safe. Mack stayed by Chase's side the whole time. They listened to the wind chime singing, and they played Go Fish and Old Maid by lantern light. It was like camping. Chase enjoyed it a lot. When you're this much in love, there's no reason to be afraid.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Wade Lake is a writer and storyteller. He owns and manages a small gallery and gift shop on a street popular with tourists from around the world. He enjoys conversations with strangers, brutal hikes, and occasional skinny dipping.

  “If you enjoyed Pipe, please leave a brief review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. If you have a friend who might like Pipe, please consider sharing your copy with that friend. Word of mouth is the best way to discover new books and new authors. Thank you. I appreciate your help.” – Wade.

  PS: I made some last minute edits and had to upload this Kindle version in a hurry. I will post a better-formatted update this week, so be sure to download the free update. Thanks.

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