by Shawn Lane
“Good. And you don’t want to tell me why?” Rivers stared hard at me, as though he could will me with sheer force to reveal all. I bet it had worked well with suspects.
“Not at this time, Captain.”
“All right. Dismissed, O’Hara. And keep me posted on that case.”
“Yes, sir.”
As I was stepping out of his office, Edgar was coming down the hallway toward me. His dark gaze flickered briefly to the captain’s door and then back to my face.
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“What’s up?” I asked, cautiously.
“They found another one.”
“Another one?”
“Homeless person murdered. We gotta go.”
* * * *
I felt Edgar’s stare as I drove us toward Haydon Cliff City Park, where the latest homeless person had been found.
I glanced his way. “What?”
“You in trouble with the captain?”
“Nah.”
“I’ve never known the captain to just shoot the breeze with anyone.”
Neither had I, for that matter. I shrugged.
“What’s up, Scott? It’s not like you to be so…reticent. You’ve been like this for a few days.” Edgar faced front, his frown broody. “I don’t get it.”
I sighed. “Don’t you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean, exactly?”
“I just…I think us getting personally involved was a mistake.” I shot him another glance. “The sex, I mean.”
He snorted. “I know what ‘personally involved’ means.”
“Well.” I let that hang for a minute. We were getting close to the park and it wasn’t like I wanted to let a bombshell drop right then, but Edgar had brought it up, not me. “I’ve asked the captain about maybe getting a new partner.”
“Just ‘cause I fucked you?”
“There’s more to it than that, Edgar. We’re partners. Getting involved in a sexual relationship is only going to complicate things.”
“How? I can separate the two.”
“I can’t. I’m not the type to be a casual fuck-buddy. Maybe you didn’t know that before, but I’m not. I like relationships and labels of such. I don’t like wondering who else the guy I’m with is fucking. That’s not me.”
“Why would you wonder that?” he demanded.
“Because I know you, Edgar. You sleep around. You get to know stuff about your friend and partner.” I turned onto the street that would take us to the park. “And last night I saw the evidence with my own eyes.”
He went still beside me. “What?”
“I saw you leave with that guy at Hardy’s.”
“You followed me.” His voice was cold accusation. There was no way I could deny it or pretend I just happened by. Neither of us would buy that excuse anyway.
“I did. And that’s exactly what I mean. I can’t play the injured lover chasing after you to see who you fuck next. I had that once and it sucked. It would make you hate me, and me hate myself. I can’t change the fact we already slept together, though, or that it hurts that the very next night after having me over, you’re after someone else. It’s not going to work, Edgar. I’m sorry.”
I pulled into the parking lot where four patrol cars already waited. And the press.
“How’d they get the news so fast?” I asked as I stopped the car.
“Probably whoever found the body notified them. Besides, they’ve been hanging around the parks ever since the other bodies were found.”
We got out of the car, all business now. We had the case to see to. Personal stuff would have to wait.
* * * *
The vic had been stabbed like the first one found in Haydon Cliff City Park. And also like the first one, and indeed the second with the strangulation, there was no DNA evidence. The crime scene was clean. Whoever the perp was, he was good. Damn good.
None of the other homeless people that made the park their home wanted to talk to us. They were scared out of their wits, that much Edgar and I could discern. And it seemed clear they had reason to be. Neither Edgar nor I were familiar with the latest victim. A woman somewhere in her forties, the ME had guessed. He’d have more information once he could examine her at the lab.
It was hours before we made it back to the police station and the ride there had been silent and awkward between us.
As I went to get out of the car, Edgar stopped me with a hand on my arm. “What?”
“I think one of us needs to go undercover.”
“Undercover?”
Edgar nodded. “I’ll talk to the captain about it, but I think the way to catch this son of a bitch is to be one of the homeless in the park. This shithead goes after defenseless people just trying to survive, Scotty. No one knows anything, or is at least willing to talk, and he doesn’t leave any clues. We have to get the upper hand.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I didn’t think about that, but I think you’re right. Let’s both go talk to the captain.”
He eyed me. “Isn’t that something partners would do?”
“We’re still partners, Edgar.”
“For now.” He nodded. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 7
The captain agreed to the plan, which I had guessed he would, but he had also agreed to let Edgar be the one going undercover and I wasn’t at all pleased about that. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really come up with an excuse as to why it shouldn’t be him in favor of me.
He knew Haydon Cliff and its parks as well as I did and he was also the more experienced detective of the two of us.
The plan was for him to begin the undercover work the following day, early morning, in Lemon Park, with the idea the next murder might occur there. The first and third murders had occurred at Haydon Cliff City Park and the second at Lemon. The theory was, admittedly, possibly flawed, the next attempted murder, the fourth, might be at Lemon Park again. And so we parted ways at the station—Edgar getting on his motorcycle and me getting into my sedan—awkward as strangers. In the back of my mind I wondered if Edgar would once more make his way over to Hardy’s, but really, it was not my business.
My apartment was cold and quiet. The day had been exceptionally chilly in Haydon Cliff, which made me think of those who really were homeless and cold out there, and I switched on the heat. After a quick hot shower, which helped to revive me and warm me up, I went into the kitchen and made myself tea.
I’d taken the first couple of sips when there was a light knock on the door of my apartment. I set down my mug and went to the door. Through the crappy, dirty keyhole I recognized Edgar. My heart rate shot up as I unlocked the door and opened it to let him in.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” I blurted.
“You have a gift for stating the obvious,” Edgar replied, giving me a sardonic look.
“If this is about sex—”
“Give it a rest for one goddamn minute, will you?”
I blinked, startled.
“We need to talk and that’s why I came by, but really, what the fuck? Was the sex so terrible?”
“No.” I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t.”
“Thank God you admitted that much.”
Edgar turned from the short hallway and went into my living room. He sat ramrod straight on the edge of my couch. I took a seat on the loveseat directly next to it.
“You want to talk about the case?” I tried. I knew that wasn’t it. He was there to talk about us. I knew that. I guess I was stalling.
Edgar gave me one of his patented “you gotta be kidding me” looks. “No, I’m not here to talk about the case. But the truth is, I don’t know how long I’m going to be undercover in the park, so we may not have a chance to have this conversation for a while. I’m not willing to just let that go, Scott.”
I ran my tongue along my dry, chapped bottom lip. “Let what go?”
“Everything you said to me earlier. You acting like the injured party here.
But, Jesus, when have you been honest with me?”
I opened my mouth on a protest, but closed it. I felt kind of out of my element all of a sudden.
“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “We’ve been partners and friends. Or I thought we were. Good friends, right?”
I also nodded, mutely.
“But you hid being gay from me. And please spare me the bullshit that you weren’t hiding it, you just didn’t wave flags, because that’s what it is. Bullshit. You saw me taking shit from guys on the force and you never said anything. And all this time? You had a thing for me and didn’t tell me that either.”
“Well, I—”
“Well, you what? You didn’t give me a chance to say whether I was interested in you. You just shut it all down by not saying a word. Like you always do. When we finally did hook up, did you ever once tell me, ‘Edgar, I want us to be exclusive’?”
“I thought that was obvious,” I protested.
“It wasn’t. The first time we had sex I thought maybe you were bi-curious or something. And then—I don’t know. You never fucking talk to me, Scott. Why didn’t you just say something?”
I swallowed heavily. “I don’t know. I guess I figured you didn’t want that.”
“You could have asked. Am I such a jerk you can’t have a conversation with me?”
“No.”
“And then…Jesus. To go to the captain and ask for a new partner without talking to me? That’s—that’s low. I thought at least we were friends enough to warrant that consideration.” Edgar shook his head and wrung his hands together. “I guess I’ve just been fooling myself all this time, Scott. You never have thought of me as your friend. Not really.”
“That’s not true!”
“No? Then quit sidestepping me. What do you want from me?”
“I don’t know.”
Edgar exhaled and shook his head again. “You don’t want me as your partner, you don’t want me as your friend, what the hell do you want? ‘Cause really, I need to know. And I need you to stop saying you don’t know. Because it’s bullshit, Scott.”
I stood up and turned from him in frustration. “Why does it have to be me to lay it all out? Why can’t you tell me what you want? You’re the one the last few days who seems to be all about sex. You didn’t want to put labels on it.”
“Well, I’m putting labels on it now. Do you want to be with me or not?” Edgar demanded. He also stood up and stepped close to me, putting his hands on my biceps to turn me toward him. His dark gaze met mine. “Come on. Talk to me.”
I swallowed. “You know what I want. I’m the one who first went after you, remember?”
“Yeah, while you were intoxicated.”
“I don’t do that,” I whispered. Cleared my throat. “I mean, I don’t just go after guys because I’m drunk, Edgar. I’m crazy about you. I always have been. And maybe that’s why I kind of kept a distance between us.”
He reached up and rubbed his thumb across my bottom lip. “You thought I’d hurt you.”
“Yeah.”
“And I did. Jesus, Scott. I’ll do anything you want.”
I blinked in surprise. “Anything?”
“Anything. You want this? Us? Then, yes. Let’s do it. For real.”
My breath hitched. “And no one else?” That wasn’t possible was it? It couldn’t be that easy. Not after all this time.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “No one else.”
Edgar had said all the words I’d wanted to hear. Maybe I’d imagined hearing them only in my fantasies. If I’d ever let myself indulge in them. And somehow now that he was saying them, I was stunned. Almost unbelieving it could be real.
Edgar’s eyes crinkled at the corner and he shook me just a little.
And then we were kissing and kissing. My heart was pounding hard. I was certain he could feel it.
Okay, maybe it really was happening. A real relationship? And with Edgar? Elation flowed through me and my heart threatened to burst through my chest.
Hot damn.
“Will you stay?” I asked against his lips as we paused to take breaths.
“I definitely will.” He reached for my hand and led me toward my bedroom.
And then I was grinning like a fool.
Chapter 8
I was aware Edgar knew what he was doing. I had no doubt he could do this undercover work without unnecessarily endangering himself. That didn’t mean there wasn’t a part of me that didn’t have a bit of concern. But it was nothing major.
We’d arranged for Edgar to have a cellphone and to wear a wire under his homeless attire, which consisted of old clothes we’d obtained from a thrift store that we soiled to look more lived-in.
Now we waited. We had no clue how soon it would be before the killer struck again. And in fact, the captain had decided it would be prudent to have Crane undercover in Haydon Cliff City Park in case the perp decided to strike there twice in a row.
I knew it meant Edgar would be in Lemon Park even at night and that we couldn’t see each other unless he needed me for backup. It was a little difficult because we’d just decided to give our relationship a shot, but we were professionals and could handle it.
Still it made for some lonely days and nights for the next week.
One night my sister invited me over for dinner, so I drove there, trying to resist the urge to go to Lemon Park to check in with Edgar. He was all right; I knew that at least.
As I was parking in front of her house, I noticed Glen Henderson coming out of his home, bundled up in a heavy coat with a scarf wrapped around his neck. While the late evening was a little chilly it seemed odd for Glen to be wrapped up like it was December or January.
“Hi Glen,” I called to him as I locked my car.
Glen walked over to where I stood. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his coat. “What’s that, twice in one month now?” He smiled. “I was just headed for a walk.”
“Should be a nice evening for it. How’s Millie, by the way? I forgot to ask when I saw you last time.” Millie was Glen’s beloved dog. He’d had her for years.
“Had to put her down a few weeks back,” Glen said, frowning. “I used to walk her in Lemon Park. Until the homeless took over.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Glen. I know she meant a lot to you.”
He nodded. “She did. The vet thought maybe she ate something in the park she wasn’t supposed to. That’s what made her sick. Probably something they left there.”
“They?”
“Them. The homeless.”
“Oh. I don’t know. There are poisonous plants all around Haydon Cliff. Could have been anywhere, I’d think.”
Glen shrugged. “Anyway. Nice to see you, Scott.”
“You, too.” I watched as he headed down the street in the general direction of Lemon Park, then I went up to the house.
Ofelia opened the door as soon as I approached. “Was that Glen I saw you talking to?”
“Yeah, he was out for a walk.” I stepped inside and was greeted by her husband and kids, but my mind was on Glen and his strange behavior.
* * * *
I had just stepped inside my apartment when the special cell phone I had for contact with Edgar sprung to life. I scrambled to fish it out of my pocket.
“O’Hara.”
“Something’s going down. Get here.” Edgar disconnected.
It took me a moment to notify backup and the captain before I ran down the stairs and got into my sedan to make the short trip back to Lemon Park. In my mind while I drove there was the idea that Glen Henderson had been heading in the direction of the park. And had expressed more than once his distaste for Haydon Cliff’s homeless population. I had a bad feeling and I hoped I was wrong.
I made it to the park first, but barely. Next came Smith, followed by Captain Rivers, Crane—dressed in his own homeless attire—and even Parker. Several patrol cars arrived afterward.
We hurried toward the homeless camp.
There on the ground, Edgar was struggling over a dagger with someone in a heavy coat. Near them was Betty, lying face down, blood all around her.
Officers yelled for the guy to stop, and as he slashed at Edgar’s face with the dagger, my heart stopped. I withdrew my gun just as Edgar bashed his forehead against the other man’s. It was enough for Edgar to get the upper hand, and he kneeled on the guy’s stomach and twisted his arms behind his back.
“You piece of shit,” Edgar snarled. There was blood on Edgar’s face and across his shirt. I hoped it wasn’t his. Two officers came to take the man away from Edgar, and as they cuffed him, I saw that it was Glen Henderson.
“You all right?” I asked Edgar, my heart in my throat as they led Glen away.
“He cut me a few times,” Edgar replied.
“You’re going to the hospital,” Captain Rivers said. He had walked over from Betty’s body. “She didn’t make it.”
I glanced toward Betty. The crime scene was already being processed but it would be hours still before they were finished. My chest hurt. Betty hadn’t deserved this. She had just been trying to survive like anyone else.
E.M.T.’s had arrived with a gurney, and though Edgar protested against receiving treatment, the captain made him cooperate.
“I’ll see you at the hospital later,” I told Edgar, returning my gaze to him.
He nodded. “I’m sorry about Betty. When I got here, he was already stabbing her.”
“I know. Go take care of you.”
Captain Rivers came to stand next to me as we gazed down at Betty. “Friend of yours?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I always wondered, you know.”
“Wondered?”
“How she got to be where she is. Homeless. She was like this since I was a kid. I sometimes asked what she did to get here.” I shook my head. “She would never say.”
“Maybe she didn’t do anything,” he said and squeezed my arm. “There but for the grace of God…”
“Yeah.”
* * * *
“Those aren’t actually balloons, are they?” Edgar asked from his hospital bed when I came into his room bearing several colorful Mylar balloons.