by Andrew Grey
Jeremy slid his chair over and then pulled another one up. Spook sat next to Jeremy, who held his hand for a few seconds before taking it away again to allow Spook to eat.
“Did you find anything the police may have missed?” Tristan asked.
“I’m not sure,” Spook said. “I don’t know what they took note of. I’ve been trying to get a better picture of what happened, and I can say that this was meant to hurt and punish. The alcohol they destroyed they could have just as easily carted out and put into a trunk in the same amount of time it took them to break everything. They could have made a lot of money selling that much booze. Destroying it shows the motive wasn’t profit.”
“That’s what we thought,” Tristan said, staring at the table rather than at the others. “This is all my fault. I know Eddie did this or had a hand in it, and I’ve brought all this crap down on everyone.”
A chair scraped on the floor, and Tristan jumped when a firm hand rested on his shoulder. He turned to find Spook staring at him intently. “Come with me.” Spook turned and walked to the back of the club. Tristan followed, girding himself for the worst news.
Spook glared at him, as serious as a heart attack. “Cut the guilt. It’s useless and serves no purpose. You had nothing to do with this. If Eddie is behind it, then it’s his fault, not yours. You are only responsible for your own actions, not those of others. That’s how the world works. Everything else is manipulative bullshit that none of us has the time for, including you. The way out of this mess is to find the person behind it and put an end to it. Not the coulda, shoulda, wouldas. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” Tristan said with a nod.
“Good, because you know I never blow smoke or say what people want to hear. That’s just more bullshit. You’ve done a good thing organizing this cleanup, and it shows that you really care. Concentrate on that rather than the other stuff.” Spook’s almost black eyes bored into him for a few seconds, and then he walked back to the table, sat down, and began to eat.
Tristan blinked a few times, digesting what he’d been told. In his heart he knew Spook was right, but it was hard to get the rest of him to go along. He rejoined the others and ate a little pizza.
“Where are Harry and Bull?” Officer Douglas asked as he strode in the back door in full uniform.
“Office,” Tristan said, getting up off the stool. He wasn’t particularly hungry, even though he knew he should be. But…. He led him to the office area door and then inside and down the short hall. He knocked on the door and opened it, motioning for Officer Douglas to go in first. Tristan followed him inside and closed the door.
“You really weren’t told not to open and to vacate the crime scene?” Officer Douglas asked without preamble.
“Of course not. We’ve been here cleaning up the place since the team left this morning. We wouldn’t have done all that if we’d known. The plan is to open tonight.”
“I see, and with the cleaning, there’s nothing left for us here. Any remaining evidence would be gone. I should have seen to things myself.”
“Not necessarily,” Bull said and turned on one of the security monitors. “We had the video cameras running this morning while your team was here, and I think we may have gotten something.”
“You taped us.”
“Yes. After the problems, we thought it prudent.” Harry rewound the recording. “Watch the man working behind the bar. We have a bird’s-eye view of him, and as you can see, he picks up something from the floor… right… here. I can’t tell what it is, but there’s no glove, and look at the way he looks where the other officers are before bending down.” Bull paused the playback. “I can’t make out what it is, but there was something there that isn’t there after he left, and we know chain of evidence is important.”
“Dammit,” Officer Douglas swore. “He’s corrupting evidence.”
“Uh-huh. More than that, he’s tampering with a crime scene. It looks to us as though we may know who the problem on the police force is.”
“I had my eye on him, but I wasn’t sure. Can I get a copy of that video and ask you not to let on to anyone that you have it? I need to make sure that word of this gets to no one. This will get him in trouble, but it isn’t clear proof that he’s dirty, even though now I know he is.” Officer Douglas paused. “It certainly gives me a very clear picture of where I need to look.” He definitely didn’t appear happy. “He’s been on the force for a number of years. This isn’t going to go down well with a lot of people.”
Bull stepped forward. “I know. Don’t let this take you down as well. Somehow Eddie got to him either by buying him or because he has a weakness. The thing is, when this is over—and it will be over—he’s going down, and you know that sometimes organizations kill the messenger.”
Officer Douglas nodded. Tristan was really beginning to like him, and he thought the others were as well. “I’ll make sure I can make my case. I’ve been looking into the other incidents, and I’m close to having a clear path forward. But this… Barker is going down for this, and there’s nothing I can do.” He sounded sad. “I have to tell you I’m not happy about being recorded like this.”
“There are signs at the entrance that say the premises are under video surveillance,” Bull said,
“I’m not accusing you of anything, and in the end it worked out. The police should be able to be trusted. I think that’s what’s bothering me most. I take my job and the public trust that goes with it very seriously. This….” He pointed toward the monitor and grew quiet. “I can’t talk about this any longer. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
A silence settled in the room, and Tristan looked from person to person.
“Can we open tonight?” Harry asked.
“Yes. I can’t see where there is anything more we might learn here, and the last thing we want is to cause additional harm. Just give me a copy of the video, and I’ll get out of your hair.”
Harry said he’d need a few minutes and that he’d bring it right out. Officer Douglas nodded and left the office. Tristan followed him out into the club. They stood inside the large room. It smelled of cleaner more than alcohol now, and the air from outside was dissipating even that. Tension rolled off the police officer. Tristan could feel it and wanted to say something, but didn’t quite know if he should. Finally, he could take it no longer. “This isn’t your fault, and no one is blaming you or the police in general.”
Officer Douglas turned to him and then scanned the room. “Thank you for that.”
Tristan wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or not. He hoped not, because he was being sincere. “I’ve been doing that a lot lately myself.” Tristan stared down at the floor. Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut. This was a police officer, and he was just some kid who didn’t know squat about shit. But he plowed on anyway. “I blame myself for all of this. I brought Eddie into my life and into the lives of my friends. None of this would have happened if I had been more careful in my choice of boyfriends.” He expected the police officer to laugh at him or dismiss him, but he did neither.
“You know, a lot of victims and people who have suffered in an unhealthy relationship feel the same way. The person in the relationship with the power makes the other person feel as though everything is their fault. That’s how they maintain control. It’s the same with the victims of a crime. They often look inward. If I’d only done this… or if I’d locked that, or been more careful.” Officer Douglas turned to him. “I bet your friends have all told you the same thing. That what’s happening isn’t your fault.”
“They have, but it’s hard to believe,” Tristan said.
“Well, believe it, because it’s true.”
“I will, as long as you don’t feel guilty for what your fellow officer has done.” Tristan lifted his gaze and smiled at him.
“That’s a deal.”
The door opened behind them, and Harry handed Officer Douglas a CD in a sleeve. Then he wrapped Tristan in his arms. Tristan leaned back
against him and closed his eyes.
“Thank you,” Officer Douglas said to Harry and then looked straight at him. “And thank you as well. Also, don’t forget our deal.” He flashed a quick smile and then said good-bye. He walked across the club and out the back door.
“I think we have everything washed down and cleaned up,” Zach said with a grin.
“Okay. As Jeremy suggested earlier, we should move the furniture and wash the floors one last time. We open in a few hours, and I can’t thank all of you enough for pitching in. We never would have been able to do this without you.”
“We’re your friends,” Jeremy said, and Tristan felt Harry hold him a little tighter. “This is what we do for our friends.” Jeremy motioned around the room. “You’ve helped every one of us at one time or another over the past year or so. This place, you—you’re home. We love it and we love you.” Tristan saw the rest of his friends nod. Jeremy did his impression of watching a tennis match for a few seconds as the others nodded. “It’s also apparent to all of us that you really care about Tris. He deserves that. But you better not hurt him. Otherwise the three of us will go all screaming queen on your ass.”
Harry pressed closer. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”
“Why don’t all of you go home?” Kevin said. “I can get the floor cleaned.”
“Yes,” Spook said. “Jeremy and I can stay as well and finish up what needs to be done. The rest of you should go home and get some rest for a few hours. It’s going to be a long night, and we’re all going to have to be on our toes. There are going to be people who’ll be very surprised that we’re open, and we need to be on the watch for them. So far the incident has been kept quiet, and we need to listen for who might know more than they should.”
“He’s right,” Bull agreed. “We need rest and quiet if we’re going to make it through the night.”
“So we’ll stay here, and you guys rest.” Spook turned to Chuck. “You should get some rest too, man. They’re going to need you behind the bar tonight.”
Chuck wobbled, and Tristan thought it might have been from surprise. Spook rarely talked to anyone else who worked at the club. “S… sure.”
“Don’t let him intimidate you, Chuck,” Jeremy said. “He thinks it’s what he has to do in order to hide his normally sweet nature.” He laughed and dodged when Spook lunged for him, and the two of them ended up in an embrace as close as Tristan and Harry’s.
“I’ll be back just before opening,” Chuck said. “I threw out everything that was left over and reprepped, so we’re all set, and it’s all fresh. Should I call anyone?”
“Does the bar staff know what happened?”
Chuck answered Bull’s question. “I don’t think so.”
“Good. Then tell them nothing. See who asks questions and who doesn’t. The place is going to smell and appear different. People will notice that. Keep note of who asks what and see if there’s anything to find out. I’m going to do the same thing with the security staff.”
“You think someone….”
“They knew exactly how long they could be here. That took inside knowledge. Shit, I should have thought of that before.” Bull began pacing across the floor. “We’ve been helping the police with their problem, but what if we have one here?” He turned around. “I’m not saying there is, but it’s a possibility we need to consider.”
“Bull, I know we’ve been through a lot of stuff, but isn’t that a little far-fetched? Every alarm has a delay. All they needed to do is play on that,” Harry explained.
“It’s possible, but we need to be sure.” Bull yawned.
Zach took his hand. “Come on, big guy. Let’s get home and rest for a few hours. I’ll make sure you’re back in time to do your usual big bad bouncer routine.”
“Dammit,” Bull swore at Zach. “You’re killing my image.”
“That happened a long time ago with this group,” Zach countered, not fazed in the least. “Now let’s go home, and if you’re good….” Zach whispered something in Bull’s ear, and it must have been good, because the man, whose nickname was the most appropriate Tristan had ever seen or heard, shivered and then smiled.
“We should go too,” Tristan prompted.
“Thanks for watching things,” Harry said to Spook and Jeremy and then turned to Chuck. “Come on. You need to rest too. You’ve been amazing through this. Way above and beyond.” Harry motioned for Chuck to go in front of them. “We’ll be right behind you.”
“Where are you going?” Tristan asked when Harry released him and walked toward the office.
“I’m going to clear things up in the office, and then I’ll be right out.” Harry hurried away, and Tristan crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot while he waited for Harry.
“You’re so funny when you do that,” Jeremy commented from behind him and then bumped his shoulder. “It’s cool that you found someone, and I’m glad it’s Harry. Zach told me that Bull told him that Harry has liked you for a long time.”
Tristan shook his head. “You sound like a high school girl.”
Jeremy bumped his shoulder again. “Puh-lease, I do not. And it’s obvious he makes you happy.”
“Yeah, he does,” Tristan said, chewing on his lower lip. “But….”
“What? He likes you, and you like him.”
“Yeah, but I thought the same thing with Eddie.”
“Except—” Jeremy bumped him harder, and Tristan stepped to maintain his balance. “You’re such a doofus sometimes. Eddie never met your friends, and he tried to keep you to himself. He was a freak, and Harry’s really nice. A little serious and businesslike rather than a partier, but he’s nice. So what has you freaked?”
“I’m. Not. Freaked.”
“Yes, you are. You’re tapping your foot and biting your lower lip. You only do that when you’re worried about something. So spill it,” he added in a whisper.
“I don’t know. I really like Harry, maybe more than like him, but I was wrong about Eddie and—” He leaned closer. “Harry has gone home with lots of guys.”
“So?”
“So what if that’s what he likes and he dumps me?”
Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Duh…. Now you’re being dumb. That’s like saying that he should be afraid you will dump him and go back to dating controlling drug dealers. So he saw a bunch of guys—you went home with a few before you met Eddie and one a few months ago.”
“Don’t remind me. That was….” Tristan shivered.
“I tried to warn you,” Jeremy said with a grin that showed he was way too fucking pleased with himself. “Just be happy and don’t worry about stuff like that. Harry has had eyes for you for a while, so see where it leads and don’t freak out about stuff.” Jeremy took a step away and stopped. “And stop second-guessing yourself.” He waved his hand. “It’s not attractive.”
Tristan huffed. “Neither is that, ya flamer.”
Jeremy wriggled his butt at him and laughed as he walked to where Spook was moving the tables to one side. Tristan expected a comeback, but then Harry came up behind him. He didn’t even have to look to know it was Harry. His scent and the way he touched him were plenty. The door closed, and Harry leaned close. “Let’s get out of here for a bit and lie down.” The way Harry kissed his neck told him they most likely weren’t going to get a lot of sleep.
Chapter 5
HARRY WASN’T particularly keen on leaving the club. He wanted to stay and watch over things, but his friends were right. He needed rest if he was ever going to make it past two in the morning after the night and day they’d just had. Thank God their friends—well, Tristan’s friends mostly—had shown up and pitched in. The club would open on time. It would be a little rough around the edges in places, but they would open and send a message to whoever had attacked them that they were strong and wouldn’t be intimidated. That was good.
What wasn’t as positive was the way Tristan sat quietly in the passenger seat of his car, not really moving. He’d
been quiet for the whole ride, and Harry was starting to worry.
“I talked to Officer Douglas while you were in the office,” Tristan finally said.
“About what?”
“Just stuff,” Tristan answered quickly. “He said… that the way I feel is normal and that I’m a victim.”
Harry nodded and pulled to a stop in front of his house. “We all were today. There’s no shame in being the victim of a crime or in what Eddie did to you. It’s not something you should be ashamed of or feel guilty about.”
“But I can’t help it. Officer Douglas said it was normal, and I guess if I want to get over it, I have to stop blaming myself for what keeps happening.” Tristan opened his door and got out of the car. Harry wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but he got out as well and followed Tristan as he shuffled up to the front door. “But so much has happened. Drug dealers have shown up in your club, they broke in…. So why—” Tristan cut himself off abruptly.
“What are you asking?” Harry reached out and gently took Tristan’s arm. “If you’re worth it?”
Tristan nodded. “I mean, how can I be? I’ve brought a mess into your life, and you’ve just let me. You’ve been there and even acted gentlemanly and stuff. I guess I don’t understand.”
“That’s what happens when you’re there for someone. And you have nothing to feel guilty about because you haven’t done anything wrong. I know I’ve said that before, but I’m going to keep saying it until it sinks in.”
“That’s what Officer Douglas said. That people who have been in… he used the phrase unhealthy relationships, often feel this way. He made me promise I’d let go of the guilt, and he promised he wouldn’t feel guilty about what that other officer is doing. I know it sounds kind of dumb, but I think we had a moment.”
A slight pang of jealousy stabbed at Harry’s gut for a second and then faded. “Did it help?”
“I think so.” Tristan turned to him. “You don’t blame me, do you?” Tristan held up a finger. “I mean, I know you’ll say you don’t blame me because that’s what you’re supposed to say. But deep down, you don’t blame me, right?”