by Jerry Cole
Kirsty cleared her throat and jumped up so fast she almost toppled over in her wedges. She straightened up, brushing her hands down her skirt as she loudly cleared her throat.
“I’d better get home. It’s getting late.”
“Stay safe on the roads.”
“Always.” Still a little red-faced, Kirsty winked at him. “Don’t stay up too long.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Kirsty shot him the middle finger, which had Lee smiling. Now the Kirsty he knew was back. She sashayed out of the room, flashing him a smile over her shoulder before the door closed. At least she wasn’t looking embarrassed now, but her sudden flip-flopping of emotions did make Lee dizzy. She could be one emotion one second and then the next she could be experiencing something else.
He needed to tread carefully around her from now on. Or maybe straight-up ask if what was going on. Maybe Kirsty would be able to tell him. Or maybe not. Lee didn’t like trying to figure out what his partner was thinking. He wasn’t a mind reader.
His cell phone started ringing, buzzing across the desk. Lee momentarily thought against answering it - he was off the clock now, so he didn’t need another case or another client calling him up. But then he saw who was calling him. And his heart stuttered. Lee could feel a smile tugging at his lips as he reached out to pick up the phone. This guy always knew how to make him feel better, and it was often doing something as simple as calling him.
Strange, but Lee was getting used to it.
“Hey, Andrew. What’s up?”
“Hey, I…”
Andrew hesitated. A little too long. Lee sat up.
“What’s wrong?”
For a moment more, Andrew didn’t say anything. Then he sighed. He sounded defeated.
“I don’t want to bother you, not at this time of night.”
“Don’t be silly.” Lee shot to his feet, shutting down his computer and hurrying to his coat stand. “I told you to bother me whenever you want.”
He snatched his jacket from the hook, almost taking the stand down with it. Lee caught it and righted it again, fumbling with his cell phone. He was so busy doing his juggling that he didn’t initially hear what Andrew said.
“Sorry, Andrew, what did you say?”
“I said my apartment has been broken into.”
That had Lee stopping short.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I did hear you.” Now Lee’s heart was beginning to pick up speed. “When did you get back home?”
“About five minutes ago.” Andrew’s voice was shaking. “And there’s blood…”
“Blood? There’s a body?”
“No body, just the blood. All over my desk.”
That didn’t sound good at all. Someone had broken into Andrew’s apartment and gone after his sanctum. Andrew liked to hide away from everyone, only letting a select few in. Lee could understand that. To have that violated had to have shaken him up. Not bothering to put his jacket on, Lee grabbed his wallet from the desk and his keys and hurried to the door.
“I’m on my way over.”
Chapter Four
Andrew couldn’t stay in the apartment. Everywhere he looked he saw mess. And then he saw the blood all over his desk. That was enough to keep him in the corridor outside.
He had decided to leave to go out. His parents only asked that he went out to dinner with them once a month to his favorite buffet restaurant. Andrew couldn’t deny them that; he loved his parents. They worried that he didn’t get enough time away from the computer, even though Andrew was making steps to do that with walks in the nearby park and going to the gym. It helped his creative flow, and he didn’t feel like he was made of lead sitting at the desk.
But his parents insisted. And it was his favorite place to go to. Andrew loved a good buffet.
Maybe he should bite the bullet and ask Lee if he wanted to go there. Make it a proper date. It had been a while since Andrew had gone on a date with any guy, and certainly not to his favorite food place. He would happily take Lee there.
The evening had been pleasant, and Andrew had been in a good mood. Until he saw the carnage inside his apartment. Andrew had panicked and immediately called Lee. Then the police. They should have been the first ones to call, but Andrew found himself automatically finding Lee’s number out of habit. Somehow, having the man close by when he was going through this made him feel a little better. Andrew didn’t feel so alone.
“Andrew.”
Andrew turned, sagging in relief as Lee hurried down the hallway. He waited for Lee to reach him, not pulling away as Lee drew him into his arms and hugged him. That simple gesture had Andrew wanting to cling on and not let go.
Now was not the time to become needy.
“I’m glad you could get here.”
“I told you I would.” Lee drew back and nodded at the partially open apartment door. “Have you called the police?”
“They’re on their way.”
“And have you touched anything?”
Andrew snorted.
“I’m not stupid, Lee. Of course not.”
“Force of habit.” Lee approached the door. “I’m just going to take a look around. I won’t touch anything.”
“I’ll stay out here, if you don’t mind.” Andrew leaned against the wall. “I don’t want to see that again.”
Lee grunted and stepped into the apartment. Andrew could hear him moving around inside. He could only imagine what this looked like to his neighbors. Considering how nosy they were, it was amazing that none of them had stuck their heads out to see what was going on.
After a few long moments, Lee was coming back out. His expression was grim. He closed the door and leaned against the wall with his arms folded.
“Every room seems to have been targeted. The focus at your desk.”
Andrew had seen that. Blood - it had to be pig’s blood or something like that - was all over his desk, and there was no sign of his laptop. Andrew had been too stunned at the blood to notice it initially.
Then he had left the apartment, too upset to check everything else.
“Did they take anything else?”
“Didn’t you look?”
Andrew shook his head.
“I only kept my focus on the desk. I didn’t check the other rooms.”
Lee grunted.
“I can see why. But all your clothes have been ripped and slashed to ribbons, your bathroom has been destroyed, as has the kitchen. But I can’t see anything missing except your laptop.” His eyes locked with Andrew’s. “Is all of your work backed up?”
“I work on a laptop. Everything gets automatically backed up onto an external drive you can access from anywhere as long as you have a computer and an account.”
“Good.” Lee paused. “What about your social media?”
Andrew knew where this was going. He shook his head.
“I don’t save my passwords anywhere, and I always log out when I’m on them. After what happened with Joseph, I’m far too paranoid for that.”
“That’s probably a good thing.” Lee looked at his watch. “How long since you called the police?”
“Right after I called you.”
“Not them first?”
Andrew could feel his face getting warm. He looked away.
“Knowing you were going to be here when they arrived made me feel a little better. Does that sound weird?”
“Not at all.” Lee’s voice gentled a little. “We just need to wait out here until they arrive. No touching anything.”
Andrew could do that. He wasn’t keen on going back in after what he had seen. And he had only been gone a few hours. To do all that in such a short space of time. They had to have been watching the house. That sent a shiver down Andrew’s spine.
“Do you think this is connected to the fake profile?”
Lee’s lips tightened.
“It’s too much of a coincidence to have your laptop stolen so soon after the profile
is activated again. And I can’t see anyone stealing your work to give to the highest bidder.”
Neither could Andrew. The romance market was competitive, but nobody went after another author’s work. Not if they were worth their salts. A few were not so nice, but they were far and few between. Andrew had doubted that the moment he thought about it.
Lee looked towards the closed door. He still didn’t look happy.
“Once the police have finished up here, you’re coming with me.”
“What?” Andrew straightened up. “Where am I going?”
“You’re coming to stay with me until things have died down.”
Andrew stared. Had he heard him correctly? Lee’s expression didn’t change. He really had said that. Andrew found his natural instincts kicking in. He didn’t want to become an obligation to his friend. He shook his head.
“No, I don’t want to put you out.”
“Then where are you going to go?”
“I’ll go to my parents. Or I can get a hotel room.”
Lee snorted.
“Good luck with that.”
Andrew bristled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You think whoever did this can’t get you there? If whoever did that,” Lee jerked a thumb towards Andrew’s apartment, “knows you, they will know where your parents live. They’ll be put in the firing line as well.”
“I…”
“They did it before, didn’t they? And a hotel may have security, but it doesn’t cover everything.” Lee shook his head. “The safest bet is for you to come with me. I’ve got tight security on my place. Nobody’s getting in without being filmed or spotted.”
Andrew wavered. His natural instinct was to go to his parents. But he wasn’t a little boy anymore, and the last time he had tried to hide behind them, their cars had been vandalized and his mother had been attacked on the way home from work. The angry ones didn’t discriminate as long as they made a point. He didn’t want to put them through that.
Besides, when was he going to get another opportunity to see Lee’s home? Andrew had known him for five years and had never been there. As far as he was aware, that was an invitation he didn’t extend to just anyone.
Even then, Andrew didn’t like being ordered about. He frowned.
“Are you always this bossy?”
Lee smirked, and his eyes glinted.
“How long have you known me? Of course I am.”
Ask a stupid question.
***
Lee lived in Taylor Lake Village. It was a picturesque place with well-maintained homes that had to have cost a fortune to rent, never mind buy. Andrew had never asked how much Lee made and now as he stared at the houses they drove by, he wondered how Lee could afford anything in this area. Lee must be damn good at his job if he was living by Taylor Lake in one of the more affluent Houston suburbs.
Lee’s house was at the end of a no-through road, his backyard opening out onto Taylor Lake. On a clear day like today, it was a beautiful sight. Andrew found himself staring in awe as he got out of Lee’s truck and looked around. There were neighbors, it was a community, but it was just off from that. A bit of isolation, which Lee said he preferred.
The house itself was more like a log cabin on three levels. It looked like everything had been built by hand, meticulous detail on everything. There were steps going up to the front door on the middle level, a garage on the bottom level with the basement, and a top level that had floor-to-ceiling windows.
Andrew had never seen anything more stunning.
Lee led him inside and Andrew followed him up the stairs to the bedrooms. It certainly had a cabin feeling to it. Homely with warm colors as the decor. But Andrew did notice something. There weren’t many pictures around, scenery paintings or family photographs. The clutter was minimal and while there was evidence that someone did live there, Andrew wondered if he could be led to believe that the house was merely a shell. Lee didn’t look like he had made a stamp on his home.
He knew Lee was ex-army, and veterans of the armed forces had a habit of keeping things neat and orderly, but this was something else.
Lee showed Andrew into a bedroom at the end of the hall. The room itself was beautiful, much bigger than Andrew’s own bedroom. Clean and tidy, just like everywhere else.
“There you go.” Lee backed towards the door as Andrew put his backpack on the bed. “I’ll let you settle in.”
Then he was gone. Andrew sighed and sat on the bed. He felt like he was putting Lee out. He had only called him the day before for help, ask for advice. And Lee had jumped into this without needing any prompting. He was doing far too much for him. Andrew didn’t know what he had done to deserve this.
He began to unpack, grimacing at the clothes still on their hangers or packaging. Practically all of his clothes were shredded, so there was nothing to salvage. Lee had taken him to get brand new things, insisting that he paid for everything. Andrew had protested, but Lee wouldn’t listen. He had simply handed over his credit card and told Andrew to get what he needed.
This man was going above and beyond being a friend. Andrew knew that trust for Lee was a big thing, so to hand over his credit card was a huge act. But he still didn’t quite know how to feel about it.
He stowed all the clothes away, kicking the backpack under the bed. Then he headed back downstairs. Andrew had no idea what he was going to do except stare at four walls. His laptop was gone, something that he found most of his waking hours on whether it was work or something else. It gave him a sense of balance, something that wouldn’t lie to him. Not like people. People lied. With his computer, he could escape and go to any world he created. Pretend to be someone else.
Doing it like that didn’t hurt anyone else. He didn’t need to go onto the internet to be someone else and attack others. That was not fair on anyone else.
Joseph Gulliver had missed that particular lesson. And now he was dead.
Andrew was glad that he wouldn’t be bothered by that guy again. But he was sorry that Joseph was dead. No matter what he had done, no one deserved that. Apparently, Joseph didn’t listen. Nothing was going to help him.
And that made Andrew sad. If only they had been able to get through to him. If they had, maybe Joseph might have been able to turn around and his sentence wouldn’t have been as long. He could have come to an agreement, but Joseph was determined that he had done nothing wrong.
Andrew had read enough to know that there was always method to a madness, and that something had set Joseph off on this. But he refused to say what. When asked, Joseph just sat there in sullen silence. If they knew what had started all of this, maybe they could get a better understanding.
He was still thinking about that as he made his way through the house and found Lee in the kitchen. The Irishman was pouring out coffee. He looked up as Andrew came in, the expression in his eyes softening as he smiled. Andrew had an urge to go into Lee’s arms and lean on him. He stopped himself from throwing himself across the room.
“Come on.” Lee picked up both mugs, nodding towards the back door. “We can talk out on the terrace. It’s still warm enough.”
Andrew followed him outside and took in the scene. Lee had a huge backyard. Not much was in it apart from a few trees. There were some children’s toys scattered about, which momentarily confused Andrew. Lee didn’t have any children, did he? That would certainly have been something he would mention. Taylor Lake was just beyond the trees, and Andrew could see how still and calm the water was, the moonlight splashing across the lake. It was a pleasant evening, and a pleasant view.
What must it be like to live somewhere like this?
“Come on.” Lee had sat in one of the loungers, gesturing at the lounger beside him. “Sit down.”
Andrew did as he was told, taking a mug from Lee. Their fingers brushed and Andrew had to take a moment to compose himself. Being around Lee always gave him butterflies, but now they really were alone. He was becoming more and
more aware of it.
He cleared his throat and settled back on the lounger.
“You’ve got a nice place here. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”
“Consider yourself one of the lucky ones.” Lee grunted. “I don’t let many people come here.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Lee sipped his coffee and crossed his legs at the ankles. “I’m very private.”
Andrew found himself laughing.
“A private investigator who’s private.”
Lee shrugged.
“When you’ve been in the army and then move into this job, you find that it’s difficult to trust people.”
“The army makes you distrust others?”
“It did with me.” Lee gestured at their surroundings. “This is my sanctum, and I want to keep it free of anything and anyone who can abuse that trust.”
Andrew was surprised at this. Lee had mentioned that he had been in the army, but he hadn’t said much more beyond that. Andrew guessed that it was because he had been involved in a few special operations. He hadn’t realized it was because he didn’t care to remember.
“Does anyone come here?”
“My parents and grandparents do. They visit once a month from Florida and Louisiana. My two sisters, my little brother and their families. Especially the kids.” Lee’s mouth twitched. “Essentially, just my family. And now you.”
That would explain the children’s toys. Why did that make Andrew feel like he could breathe more easily? He cleared his throat.
“Kirsty doesn’t even come here?”
“Nope, never been. We always meet at the office.” Lee shrugged. “I don’t even go to her place, although she’s offered several times. I won’t intrude on her personal space, and I won’t let her intrude on mine.”
“I bet that didn’t go down well.”
“You’ve met Kirsty. She’s a people person. Being banned from someone’s home isn’t going to compute well with her. But she’s respected my decision so far.”
That did surprise Andrew. He had met Kirsty and thought she was a good person. A little vivacious and flirted a bit too much with Lee - not that he noticed - but Andrew got on with her. She had been Lee’s partner since Charles decided to break confidentiality on a case, which put Lee’s own license in jeopardy, and they were a solid working pair.