The Case of the Rising Star

by Zavo

  I managed to exit the Roadster without falling face first on the pavement, and the two of them stood behind me as I unlocked the door, after three attempts to find the correct key. As soon as we were inside and I had found the light switch, both men began undressing, revealing bodies the likes of which I hadn’t seen in my travels. Jeremy’s erection was making a tent in his briefs, and when I released it the enormous head was resting in my hand, hot and heavy. He undressed me as Jason felt me up from behind. When I was totally naked the three of us moved en masse to the leather couch. Without preamble, Jason pushed me down on the couch and stuck his prick in my face. I sucked it noisily before he moved around behind me.

  “Do you have any grease?”

  I ran to my desk and retrieved the tiny jar. After placing it in his hand, I resumed my position. Jason ran the lubricant along my ass, then inserted a finger none too gently. As he did, Jeremy moved around to my front and slid onto the couch, kneeling in my face. I felt the head of Jason’s enormous dick press against my hole for an instant, and then he was inside me. He grabbed my hips and began powerful lunges, holding me firmly in place with his massive strength. I was unable to moan because my mouth was stuffed with Jeremy’s cock. The room was soon filled with the sounds of our coupling, including the screams of protest from the leather couch. Both men were using me as if I was a five-dollar whore, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Jeremy gripped the back of my head and emptied his seed deep down my throat. At the same time, Jason released inside me and collapsed on my back. After a short breather, he flipped me over as if I were a mere rag doll and finished me off with his hand.

  It was then that the door to the office swung open and Warren stood there, a nasty look on his face.

  “I guess this brings new meaning to working after hours, doesn’t it, Derrick? Am I next?”

  Before I had a chance to reply, Jason produced a gun from his pile of clothes and pointed it at Warren.

  “Do you know this bastard, Derrick?”

  “I do, Jason. He’s my half-brother, Warren. He’s been working here for the past few days. He’s a new, unwelcome addition to the family. What are you doing here, Warren?”

  The three of us made no move to get dressed, and both Jeremy and Jason took several threatening steps toward Warren when suddenly a gun appeared in his hand.

  “Tell your friend to put away his piece, Derrick. I can take out at least one of you before you get me. Rest assured, it won’t be one of them.”

  I had no doubt from the menace in his voice that he meant every word he had just said.

  “Do as he says, gentlemen.”

  After Jason had dropped his gun on the floor, the three of us looked at Warren expectantly. He smiled, but there was nothing friendly behind it.

  “I’m not going to do anything, gents. I was just curious as to why the light was on and came to investigate. Derrick, I think it’s best your friends leave so you and I can have a little chat.”

  It was clear by the expression on Jason’s and Jeremy’s faces they were none too happy to be leaving. But I assured them everything would be okay. They dressed quietly and angrily and strode past Warren, who wisely stepped out of their way. When they were gone Warren closed and locked the door.

  “That’s a good lesson for my little brother to always keep in mind. A locked door is a safe door. How often do you entertain in the office, Derrick? I wonder what our father would say if he knew?”

  I had to struggle to keep from laughing out loud. It was obvious that Warren wasn’t privy to my escapades here in Los Angeles. If he had been, he would have realized that a little office sex was the least of my father’s worries where I was concerned.

  “What if I had been your precious Daniel? What if he’d been the one to walk in here and find you so indelicately disposed? Oh, there is so much you don’t know about Daniel, little brother. But rest assured, I won’t be the one to tell you. That will come at a later date.”

  I remained silent, not wanting to let him know he was getting under my skin. The suspicion that Daniel was keeping a secret from me had been uppermost in my mind for a good while. I wanted to ask Warren for details, but was not willing to pay what I knew would be a steep price.

  “So, little brother, here’s how this is going to play out. When my probation is over and the family gathers to discuss my future, sans me, as I know they shall, you are going to give a very glowing report to them of my performance. After all, you’re the one who’s worked the closest with me. Once I’ve been accepted by your family, I will continue to keep your little secret.”

  The smile on his face made me want to punch him in the mouth. I didn’t believe him for a minute.

  “You’re forgetting about the little altercation we had out at Paramount, Warren. Our father may no longer be active in the agency, but he still has many friends in this town. Friends who are his eyes and ears. Rest assured he heard about our scuffle, but not from me.”

  “How can you be so sure, Derrick?”

  “He asked me directly about it.”

  That was a small lie, but Warren wouldn’t know that. Truth be told, I had told Nathan and Daniel but not my father, even asking them to keep it from him. For some reason, a stupid one it now seemed, I had wanted to protect my father from truly knowing his firstborn son. I knew I had to play along with Warren now because, honestly, I was vulnerable. I couldn’t be certain how far he would go to worm his way into our family. Rest assured, I would relay this entire event to my father plus the incident at the studios. Firstborn or not, Warren was a dangerous man.

  “Okay, Warren. I’ve no choice but to go along with you at this point. When the family gathers to discuss your remaining at Steele Investigations, I will do as you bid and put in a good word for you, as they say. I cannot let my father know of my indiscretion.”

  He smiled at my last statement, a smile of victory.

  “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get dressed and go home.”

  “Sure, Derrick. I’ll expect a call from you in the next few days. You know where I’m staying.”

  With that, he gave me a once-over that left no doubt as to his thoughts and left the office, closing the door behind him. When I finished dressing, I left the office as well, locking the door behind me. I was now sober enough to drive, but I still took it easy on the way home. It was too late to talk to my father that evening, but hopefully Nathan would be up. When I got home, as luck would have it, he was having a brandy while reading in the library. I immediately poured myself one, drank it in one swift gulp, and poured another. After I told Nathan what had happened, he was angry, and I had to physically restrain him from going in search of Warren. After Nathan went to bed, I went down the hall to the billiards room. I poured myself a rocks glass of Kentucky Capital, lit a cigarette, and sat in one of the leather chairs, idly smoking and staring out the window at the full moon. Something was still niggling at me about Daniel’s confession, for want of a better word. I didn’t believe he had given me the entire story. Without realizing my intent, I went to the phone and dialed Gordon. He picked up on the second ring.

  “It’s late, Derrick. Why are you still up? Is everything okay?”

  I launched into the full story of Warren and my family, somehow knowing I could trust Gordon with all the details. When I had finished he was silent a moment, then let out a soft whistle of disbelief.

  “That sounds like the script in a very bad picture, Derrick. What do you think your father will decide?”

  “Truth be told, I don’t know, Gordon. I’ve had several discussions with Nathan and Daniel regarding our collective thoughts on Warren. While we’re all in agreement that he isn’t to be trusted, and is no good like his Uncle Angus, the wild card here is our father. Yes, he is a good judge of character, but we are talking about his firstborn son. A son he has just met. If the decision is made to fire Warren, could we then have a family connection with him? I’m betting not. He has intimated several times that he and his two br
others are fully capable of starting their own detective agency.”

  “He sounds like a big blowhard, Derrick.”

  “I wish that were the case, Gordon. Anyhow, I should let you go. It’s late, and you still need your rest.”

  “I have a late-morning call on the set tomorrow, Derrick. We’re reshooting the saloon scene, and then the picture will be done. Why don’t you come by early, say nine-ish, and we can have breakfast. Then you can drive me to the set. It will be just like you were my boyfriend.”

  I winced at that last word, because even though I was angry at Daniel for keeping secrets from me, a part of me still loved and missed him. However, I was finding myself more and more drawn to Gordon. I knew it had nothing to do with his lifestyle or line of work; I was simply drawn to him as a man. Yes, he was wickedly handsome, as the saying went. But he was also charming, intelligent, and naïve. I could still see the small-town boy in him in many of the situations he encountered.

  “I’ll see you at nine, Gordon.”

  He wished me good night, and I had another shot of bourbon before returning to my room. I woke up, expecting to find Daniel beside me. When the full realization hit that he no longer lived here, I rolled onto my back and simply stared at the ceiling. Daniel had confessed his past relationship with Benjamin Montgomery. He claimed that was all there was to it. But I recalled that on two separate occasions, Warren had alluded to something more. Why Daniel’s reticence in telling me? For the past several months, we had shared all of our deep, dark secrets. Or had we? Was it something so heinous Daniel could not tell me? What had he done, or what had someone made him do? I had thought several times of going to the hotel and confronting Benjamin. Of course, there was no way I could make him tell me anything. God, I wished I had never heard of the Montgomery family. I decided then it was best to put Daniel on hold and wrap up Gordon’s case. Once that was done, I would also need to face my growing attraction to Gordon. Today was the reshoot of the final scene. I was certain that Russell would be on the set, to more or less finish the job, you could say.

  I pushed it from my mind as I showered, dressed, and headed downstairs. I met my mother in the kitchen. After a quick kiss on both cheeks, I was in the Roadster and headed into the Hills. When I arrived at Gordon’s house, Donald answered the door and escorted me up the stairs to Gordon’s room. After he made a discreet exit, I knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  I opened the doors and stepped inside. Two floor-to-ceiling windows to my left bathed the room in glorious morning sunshine. An enormous bed was the centerpiece of the room, with a beautiful green silk canopy covering it. A large fireplace took up most of the right wall, with a large settee, overstuffed armchairs, and floor lamps facing it in a comfortable pattern.

  Gordon was sitting up in bed, his knees drawn up but covered by a gold bedspread, and bathed in the sun’s glow. His hair was still tousled from sleep. He smiled at me, then kicked off the covers. He was naked. He reached his arms out to me and lay back against a fortress of pillows. I walked to the side of the bed and stared down at his bewitching nakedness. My gaze traveled down his stomach, longing to touch the soft flesh there, before moving to his thick patch of crotch hair. His cock was erect, thick and straining, the head glistening with its early juices.

  “Good morning, Derrick. I believe you’re wearing too many clothes for this scene.”

  I began undressing slowly, teasingly, and his eyes never left mine. When I stepped out of my briefs and stood naked before him, he commanded me to stand still as he looked me up and down for a full minute. When he whispered “come here” I crawled onto the bed, and as he lay full length I spread out on top of him. The smell of him was intoxicating: unwashed body with the smell of sleep and a lingering cologne. Our cocks touched and I rubbed mine eagerly against his. I covered his lips with mine and kissed him deeply, noting that he had had the presence of mind to brush his teeth before my arrival. I sucked on his tongue before withdrawing mine and licking my way down his torso to his cock. I took its warm hardness into my mouth and sucked it gently. Gordon sighed softly and twined his fingers in my hair. I spread his legs wide and licked his balls. From there I worked my way down to his hole, and he lifted his legs to grant me full access. I used my tongue to good effect and, when he handed me a small tin of grease, I applied it where needed and entered him slowly. He gripped my arms and whined like a dog as I penetrated him till I was fully and firmly inside his tightness. I began slow in-and-out thrusts, making him feel every inch of me. Gordon pushed back against me on each one, moaning and softly encouraging me with meaningless sounds and words. With one final plunge I emptied inside him. When I was done, I rolled onto my back and lay beside him.

  “I think I’m falling in love with you, Derrick Steele!”

  “I have the same feeling about you, Gordon Maxwell!”

  There, it was out in the open, and I felt relieved. Not regret, just relief, and an overwhelming joy. He rolled over and rested his head on my chest, and I slipped my arm around his shoulder.

  A few minutes later there were two short taps on the door. Gordon got out of bed and slipped on a robe.

  “Breakfast is here.”

  He opened the door and retrieved a breakfast cart from the hallway. He wheeled it to the bed. On it were two covered silver dishes. Gordon removed the covers, revealing enormous omelets and a variety of fresh fruit. After gorging ourselves, we lay back against the pillows and relaxed. Again, there came a knock at the door.

  “Mr. Maxwell, we need to leave for the studio in twenty minutes, sir, or we’ll be late.”

  “Shit, Derrick. I lost track of time. We need to shower and leave.”

  I joined him in the shower but, unfortunately, there was no time for fun. We dressed and raced downstairs where Jonathan was waiting by the front door. Claude had the car waiting for us as the three of us raced down the steps. Claude must have been a race-car driver in a former profession because we made it to the studio with a minute to spare. Jonathan got out and returned almost immediately with a studio car. We climbed into the backseat, and Jonathan headed to the set as fast as the car would allow.

  When we arrived, the scene was ready to go. Gordon donned his cowboy outfit, and I sat by Harry and Stuart as Gordon took his mark outside the saloon. When Stuart yelled, “Action,” Gordon entered the saloon as he had done previously and had his drink. He was on his second one when Jerome entered as Deputy Bridwell. Gordon had just turned to him when an extra at one of the tables stood up and turned toward the two men. He was wearing a beard and a hat, but my gut told me it was Russell Grant. He managed to get off two shots before anyone fully realized his intent. Jerome fell to the floor, a large red stain quickly spreading from underneath his left side.

  Chapter Eleven

  All this happened in a matter of seconds. Russell leaped up from the table, ran up the stairs to the second floor, and jumped out a window before anyone had even moved. Then all hell broke loose. Some people were yelling and trying to get out of the saloon, while others were rushing to the aid of Jerome Sinclair.

  I made it out the saloon doors in time to see Russell run down the street and into the same barn where Harry had put on his show. Gordon was right beside me.

  We both ran down the street to the barn and proceeded cautiously inside. Suddenly, a shot rang out, and a top section of the stall I was standing next to burst into splinters. I crouched low and moved into the stall itself. At least it would afford me some protection.

  “Russell, I’m detective Derrick Steele. I was hired by Gordon after he received the first threatening note. I don’t want to have to shoot you, but I will if necessary. The police have been called and will be here momentarily. Give yourself up before they get here, and things will go a lot easier for you.”

  The only response was two more bullets, both of which tore fresh chunks from the stall I was hiding in. I realized Russell had somehow gotten above me, up in the very rafters of the building. From that vantage p
oint he could easily pick me off. Just then I heard the sound of sirens approaching. The next thing I knew, Gordon was crawling into the stall beside me.

  “Gordon, you shouldn’t be here. You’re unarmed and could very easily be killed. Please wait outside till the police have the situation under control.”

  I saw the stubborn set to his features, and I knew what his response was going to be.

  “I don’t think Russell will hurt me, Derrick. Obviously, if he pursued me to Los Angeles after all this time, he still has deep feelings for me.”

  “He sure has a funny way of showing it, Gordon. He’s been terrorizing you these past few weeks!”

  “But I know Russell, Derrick. He’s just not capable of such violence. I’m betting the shots fired were meant to scare, not injure. Russell was never a very good shot.”

  “Be that as it may, Gordon, he still needs to make amends for the damage he’s done.”

  “I understand that. Let me talk to him before the police arrive and see if I can get him to surrender peaceably.”

  Against my better judgment, I let Gordon move out into the open space of the center aisle between the stalls.

  “Russell, can you hear me? It’s Gordon. Please, hold your fire!”

  Dead silence.

  “Russell, I’m here to help you. I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want anyone else to get hurt either. Please come down, Russell. Please.”

  I heard a faint scuffling from above, and a figure appeared overhead on one of the steel support beams. He was missing his hat, and the beard was gone as well. I was finally seeing the real Russell. He stood looking at Gordon in silence for several minutes as the sound of the sirens drew deafeningly closer.

  Gordon repeated his exhortations to Russell, but they seemed to be falling on deaf ears.

  “You shouldn’t have left me, Gordon.”

  His voice was so low I could barely hear it above the sirens. Gordon moved till he was directly below Russell, who stood poised on the beam, at least fifty feet in the air.