Heartless (The Raiford Chronicles)

by Janet Taylor-Perry

  "I think so. One of them was Pike Hilton. Rance said Pike

  was gay, too. Maybe he was trying to prove otherwise, but I've

  seen him at some of the places we go. He has made several

  passes at me. I think he knew who I was all along."

  The security officer pulled out a team photo. "I thought

  something like this might have happened. Show me." Dex pointed out five other players besides Pike. "That all?"

  asked the security officer.

  "Yes, sir."

  "I have to bring in the city police on this. I want you to

  write out what you told me. Parker, write what you know

  firsthand. This was murder because he was gay."

  Parker called Ray who left immediately to be with his son.

  Ray got there and read both boys' statements before he let them

  turn them in.

  "Daddy, we didn't do anything wrong," said Parker. "I believe that, Parker, but I don't want anyone to be able to

  misinterpret anything you say. Dexter, call your father. You

  need support."

  "Mr. Reynolds, he's already disappointed that I'm gay. This

  will kill him."

  "Dex," said Ray gently. "Were you molested as a child?" "Why? Because I'm gay? I know that's true for some

  people. No."

  He looked at Parker who nodded encouragement. Dex

  sighed and went on. "I'm a hermaphrodite. I was born with both

  genitalia. My folks chose to raise me male." He ran a hand down his side. "Look at me. Do you think they made the right

  choice?"

  "I see your point. You've had to grow up far too fast,

  haven't you? Have you considered transgender surgery?" "And be what, Mr. Reynolds?"

  "That's for you to decide. Have you ever had an attraction

  to women?"

  "No. I cared for Rance forever."

  "You sound like a good kid. Call your dad. You know, he

  could be struggling with his decision, too. You can discuss

  options with him. Maybe Dexter Marchant should be Dixie

  Marchant."

  Parker's jaw dropped. He could not believe Ray had said

  exactly what he had thought when he first met Dex.

  By the end of the day, Jonas Marchant was with Dexter

  discussing serious possibilities and six football players had

  been arrested for assault and battery, sexual battery, rape, and

  murder. Officers took turns interrogating the young men. Ray

  went to the police station and watched the interrogations.

  Noting only one room did not have the frosty air he had come

  to associate with evil, he spoke to the detective in charge.

  "Give me a crack at the Hilton boy. I can break him." "What are you gonna do—beat it out of him?"

  "No. Talk."

  "Go for it."

  Ray went in. "Hello, Pike. I'm Raiford Reynolds. I'm not a

  cop here."

  "So?"

  "Tell me what happened. Let me help."

  "I didn't kill anybody. My career is over."

  Ray sat down across the table and stared at Pike for a good

  fifteen minutes without saying a word. Finally, Pike screamed,

  "Stop looking at me like that! Rance killed himself. I wrote the

  note for Dexter. It wasn't right what we did to him, and then to

  lose Rance. I had to go along with them in the park or they

  would've known about me." He dropped his face into his

  hands. "I wish I hadn't. Rance really did kill himself, but he

  didn't even leave a note. I found him." Pike met Ray's piercing blue eyes. "Dex is a sweetheart. Not even to say good-bye was heartless. I didn't hit Dex, not once. Yeah, I raped him, not to hurt him, but to keep my secret. Ask him if I hurt him. Ask

  him. I'm really sorry. I like Dex. I really like Dex."

  "Was that hard?"

  "Yeah. I guess I have to go to jail now, huh, and register as

  a sex offender? I'll never have a life."

  "You did rape Dex." Ray cocked his head to the side. "Not because I wanted to. You said you would help." Pike

  wrung his hands on top of the cold metal table.

  "Give up the others, and I'll see."

  Pike sat back. "I'd like to talk to Dex."

  "To intimidate him?"

  "To apologize."

  "I'll see."

  Ray relayed the request. Dex agreed to talk to Pike who did

  apologize and explained the whole situation, even knowing the

  conversation was being monitored. "I'm truly sorry, Dex. God!

  I didn't wanna hurt you. I tried not to hurt you."

  "I was hurting too much to notice. What do you want from

  me?" asked Dexter.

  "Another chance."

  "At what?" He released a nearly hysterical giggle. "I'm going to San Francisco if I get out of this. To hell with

  football! I'm gonna work for an ad agency. You could come

  with me."

  "Why?"

  "I'll take care of you."

  "Why?"

  Pike put his hands to both sides of his head and appeared to

  squeeze. He released a frustrated sigh. "I knew about you and

  Rance. He cheated on you with men and women. I wouldn't

  cheat on you. You're special. I've been watching you. We

  would work, Dex."

  "I don't know."

  "Think about it. You could go to Berkley. We'd fit in out

  there. I guess I'll be right here while you decide. I'm so sorry.

  Dex, the words in the note were from my heart."

  Dexter glared at Pike in silence of a long time before he

  asked, "Did Rance ever talk about me?"

  "No, not even to those of us who knew."

  "Were you and he ever intimate?"

  "Yes."

  "Did he hurt you?"

  "Yes. He liked it rough, but not on the receiving end." Dex bit his lip. "I know."

  "I wouldn't hurt you. You deserve better."

  Dexter talked for a long time to his father that night. The

  next day, Pike Hilton walked out of jail. Dex waited. He said,

  "This is your chance. Mess up, and I have four years to file

  charges."

  "I won't mess up." Pike kissed Dexter in front of

  everybody.

  Parker Reynolds shook his head in disbelief. He was ready

  to go home for the holidays. He was dying to see Sheena.

  ♥♥♥ Parker bounded out the front door when he heard Sheena's car, but he stopped short as she walked up the steps.

  "What are you wearing?" he asked.

  "A mink coat."

  "Where did you get it?"

  "Alex. It's my Christmas gift."

  Parker scowled. "Friends? Sheena, that's a little much for a friend."

  "I told him that. He guilted me into accepting it."

  Folding his arms across his chest, he said, "I don't like it."

  "Sorry. Did you give your friend, Loraine, a gift?"

  "Yeah, a box of assorted chocolates. I gave Dex a better gift, silk PJ's."

  "Are you jealous?"

  "Yes."

  "Don't be. I told Alex I couldn't see him anymore."

  "Good."

  Sheena slipped her arms around Parker's neck. "Kiss me."

  Parker kissed Sheena but held back. "What else is wrong?" she asked.

  "Put the dead animals in the car."

  Sheena laughed, but put the coat in her car. "Now?"

  "Better."

  Parker kissed Sheena passionately. "Mmm," sighed Sheena. "That's what I've been missing."

  "Let's take a drive and be alone for a while."

  "Sounds good. Where?"

  "Out by the old train trestle. We'll take the T-bird. It's not cold yet.
"

  "I have a feeling it's gonna get real warm."

  "Oh, yeah."

  Parker and Sheena parked in his car near the old train trestle that ran along Raif's property line. It did not take long for the windows to be steamed. Stretched across the front seat, Parker and Sheena were on the verge of consummating their relationship. Parker toyed with entering Sheena unprotected before he opened the door and tumbled out into the cool night air.

  "Parker! Why did you stop? I didn't say no," panted Sheena.

  "We made each other a promise."

  "Parker, did you sleep with Loraine?"

  "No."

  "Did you get close?"

  He sat on the dirt road, hands in his hair. "Yes."

  "This close?"

  "Yes."

  "Damn you!" shrieked Sheena.

  "What warranted a mink?" Parker yelled back as he stood.

  "How dare you?" screamed Sheena as she sprang from the car. "Do you really think the mink was in exchange for sex? Ooh!" Sheena walloped Parker.

  "Don't you hit me!" Parker grabbed Sheena's wrist and held her arm behind her back.

  She kicked him in the shin. "Damn it! Stop it, Sheena!" Parker pinned her to the hood of the car. They were both completely naked in the middle of the bayou. Parker wanted to be inside Sheena so bad he ached. He pressed himself against her.

  "Get off me!" Sheena screeched. "You're acting just like Derrick."

  "Were you naked with him, too?"

  "It doesn't matter if I said, 'No.'"

  "It matters. Trust me, Sheena, we men don't think with our big heads in this situation. I won't let you break my nose."

  "I had ideas of breaking something else on you."

  "Like what? My heart?" Parker let go of Sheena. "Get dressed."

  "Parker?"

  "Get dressed," he said again as he put his own clothes back on. He surveyed the area. Fitting. This is the place where my mother killed Robert and tore out his heart.

  As soon as Sheena had her clothes on, Parker drove back home. He stopped beside her car. "Good night, Sheena."

  "Parker!"

  "Good night, Sheena," he said coldly.

  She got out and Parker drove into the garage. Sheena waited with her arms folded across her chest beside her car. She had put her coat back on. Parker started up the steps. Vindictively, Sheena spat, "He asked me to marry him and said he loves me. I was fully dressed"—She ran her right hand down the left sleeve—"covered in mink." The frost from her words hung on the suddenly chilled air. She got in her car and slung gravel as she left.

  23 Making Things Right

  Parker was ready to go back to school and so was Sheena. They were not speaking to each other, and Parker refused to talk to either Ray or Larkin. Christmas dinner was strained. Before he left to go back to LSU, Larkin cornered him. "You don't have to talk, just listen. You're acting just like Ray."

  "Did you see the mink from Alex?"

  "Yes. Inappropriate, I agree."

  "He proposed."

  "She didn't accept. Robert proposed to me. I didn't accept.

  Do you love her?"

  "That's not the point."

  She took Parker by the shoulders. "Yes, it is. Lose your

  pride before you lose the girl."

  "Too late."

  "I doubt it."

  "I'm still mad."

  Larkin's redhead wagged in frustration. "You're most

  definitely Ray's son." Angry tears stung Parker's eyes. Larkin tiptoed and kissed him on the forehead. "I still love you."

  Parker couldn't talk.

  When Parker got back to school, he had a new roommate. Dexter was in San Francisco with Pike and sent Parker a wedding invitation and a letter that said he was in the process of becoming Dixie Hilton, along with a couple of photos of the transformation stages. Dex said he didn't send them via email because he didn't want to chance a hacker. That comment made Parker chuckle. Dex said Pike was happy with the decision for he loved Dex whatever his gender.

  During the first break of the spring semester, Parker attended the wedding. Dexter had legally become Dixie and looked like a "Dixie" although there was a great deal yet to be done. His doctor simply said the Marchants should have raised Dixie all along because he had more female components in is physiology than male. Mr. Marchant acknowledged he made the wrong choice at the child's birth because he already had two daughters and selfishly wanted a son. He apologized for having made the child's life miserable, and all was forgiven, at least on the surface. Time would heal more wounds. Father and daughter were beginning a new relationship. Jonas Marchant loved the child he had and supported Dixie's choice.

  Dixie and Pike's wedding was a simple civil affair. The bride wore a tailored skirt and blazer that made an impressive statement of femininity and was attended by her two sisters. It appeared that Pike's family was less supportive. None of them were there; so, from some sense of loyalty to his friend, Parker stood beside Pike as witness to the occasion.

  After the ceremony, Parker whispered to Pike, "Hurt her"— He cut his eyes to his former roommate—"and I'll hunt you down."

  To Dixie, he said, "Call if you ever need a friend."

  Parker's new roommate, Barrett Daniels, was a transfer student from community college. He was colored darkly and about the same size as Parker, and he was straight. He had no desire to join a fraternity and was very serious about his degree in economics. His girlfriend was at Tulane in nursing. He and Parker got along, but there was no real effort to develop a friendship. They simply coexisted for a semester before Parker planned to move into the fraternity house.

  Loraine snagged Parker as he walked to class one spring morning. "Hey! You haven't even called."

  "Busy."

  "Down in the dumps I'd say."

  "That, too."

  "Missing Sheena or Dex?"

  "Ha, ha." He hefted his backpack higher on his shoulder.

  "Wanna talk?"

  "Let's see. Um. No."

  "Whoa! You're bad off."

  "Okay." They stopped walking and Parker let his backpack hit the ground. Students bustled around them on both sides headed to scholarly destinations. "Barrett is no fun. I liked Dex, who is now Dixie, and married to Pike, a hell of a lot better. Barrett is so uptight I think he might bust open at any second. A comedy and popcorn with Dex would be relaxing. I'm carrying eighteen hours and studying my butt off. My girlfriend, who is not even speaking to me now, got a mink and a marriage proposal from Alex. What else would you like to know?"

  "Feel like making out to get your mind off Sheena?"

  "No!" he shouted.

  Several passersby turned toward them at the outburst.

  "Damn, Parker! Fly to Boston and punch the jerk in the mouth."

  Parker laughed a little.

  Loraine coaxed, "Seriously, how about a movie and some popcorn? Nothing else. Just friends."

  Parker nodded. "Friday. I have a lot of studying during the week."

  "Okay. I'll call you Friday afternoon."

  "Fine."

  For the rest of that year and part of the next, Parker went out with Loraine and several other girls on a very superficial basis.

  ♥♥♥ Sheena got back to Boston after Christmas break and had roses waiting for her. She sighed. Alex was tenacious. Chelsea was already back and dusting the room when Sheena brought in her roses.

  "Alex?" she asked.

  "Yes. I think Parker and I broke up."

  "What happened?"

  "We had a fight."

  Chelsea put the feather duster and Endust in a plastic

  storage unit with three drawers. "Still love him?"

  "Yes."

  "Call him."

  "No."

  "What was the fight about?"

  "My mink mostly. I think." She shrugged. "I don't really

  know." Sheena arranged the flowers on her desk.

  "He was jealous?" asked Chelsea.

  "Yeah."

  "Have the
two of you slept together?" Chelsea sat at the

  foot of her bed.

  "No. We agreed to wait for marriage."

  "Has he?"

  "Had sex?"

  "Yeah."

  Sheena lifted one shoulder. "Not unless he has since I saw

  him. We agreed to wait."

  "For each other?" Her voice held a note of dismay. "Yes."

  "I can't imagine any of the guys I know not screwing

  anything with a vagina."

  Sheena frowned at the vulgarity.

  Unfazed, Chelsea went on, "Sounds like one hell of a guy

  to me."

  "He is." Sheena sank onto her bed.

  "Then why are you seeing Alex?" demanded Chelsea. "He's a nice guy."

  "He's a spoiled rich shithead who's used to getting what he

  wants."

  "I want Parker to call me."

  "Stubborn."

  "Yeah, I am."

  The phone rang, but it was neither Parker nor Alex. It was

  Tony Zumbro. Sheena went bowling.

  For the next year Sheena went out with both Tony and

  Alex. Alex stepped back to give her space and to bide his time. He calculated when the time would be right to strike again,

  when Sheena would be most vulnerable. Since she could not go

  home for the next Thanksgiving and needed to be with someone who cared about her, Alex made his move. He invited

  Sheena to Vermont for Thanksgiving. She went.

  Sheena was accustomed to lovely homes, but the

  Burlington home was not a house. It was an estate. The house

  itself had twenty-five bedrooms and numerous other rooms.

  They had a fully stocked stable, tennis courts, a heated

  swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course just for fun when

  guests came, and a hundred acres that was undeveloped where

  Alex said he had actually hunted moose. They had live-in

  servants in a wing of the house separate from the main house.

  It did not count as part of the twenty-five bedrooms. Most of

  the servants had their own families living on the premises.

  Most of the servants' area consisted of apartments with two to

  four bedrooms. Alex's playmates before he had gone to

  boarding school had been the servants' children.

  Anedra Burlington, tall and stout with sandy hair and eyes

  like Alex's, was distant and remote and very proper. She met

  Sheena with immediate disapproval. Sheena was not good

  enough for her only child. The coolness went deeper. Sheena

  actually shivered and recalled the frigid fog and rain when Mia