I drank more beer and waited. He was back in a few minutes with the box, and that was when I realized he wasn’t wearing his shoulder holster. “Where’s your gun?”
“What?”
“Your gun – aren’t you supposed to be, like, armed or something?”
“Told you – I’m off duty. Why? Worried about me?” He grinned and put the pizza box on the coffee table. I went to the kitchen to get plates and napkins and check the status of my beer supply.
“No.”
“Liar. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve got a back-up in an ankle holster. God, you ask a lot of questions.”
“Yeah. So answer some. Why are you really here, and why did you kiss me?”
“I’m here because... because I needed to make sure you’re safe. And I kissed you because I couldn’t not kiss you.”
“That makes no sense.”
He shrugged and looked away. “That’s what Perez said.”
“You talked to Perez about me? About... about me like that?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Exposed – especially since it was Perez and I was convinced she didn’t like me. But he wouldn’t talk to her about me if he wasn’t interested in me, right? “I know she doesn’t like me.”
“It’s not that she doesn’t like you. She just sees that, well, she sees that you have the potential to be a big distraction for me, and she’s very protective.”
I liked the idea of being a distraction, but not if it put him in any danger.
“Maybe you’re the one who needs to be careful,” I told him.
“Maybe. And maybe we could just eat this pizza, have another beer, and then I could kiss you goodnight and go home. I’d really like to give that a try.”
“You mean, like a date? Detective Petreski, did you come over here for an ambush date?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at me. “Maybe? How’s that working out, by the way?”
I tried to look stern, but I was already thinking about the goodnight kiss, and liking the sound of that. “I’m not going to call you Detective Petreski.”
“Ruben.”
“Huh?”
“Ruben. It’s my name.”
“Okay, Ruben. We’ll eat this pizza, and drink these beers. We’ll even do the goodnight kiss thing. But you don’t get to boss me around. Also, try to convince Detective Perez to stop giving me the evil eye. She’s starting to give me a complex.”
“I can’t make any guarantees about Perez, but I promise I’ll try.”
“Fair enough.” I moved to sit next to him on the sofa and he opened the pizza box.
We had a conversation – a real conversation, not an interrogation. We talked about books and movies and my studies. I told him about Miss Nancy – although not that she was the actual source of the joint. We talked about places we had been, places we wanted to go, favorite restaurants, and before I knew it, it had taken us three hours to eat a pizza and he needed to leave.
He put his coat back on as we walked to the door, and he stood there with his hand on the doorknob, looking down at me, and for the first time he didn’t look sure of himself.
“Look,” he said, “if you don’t want -”
I cut him off, grabbing the lapels of his jacket and leaning in to shut him up with a kiss. He had better reflexes than I did, I guess, because he was kissing me back right away. It was better than the first one, because this time I got to really pay attention and appreciate it. His lips were warm and firm, and I could feel the strength in his arms when he wrapped them around me, one at my waist and the other at my upper back.
I felt the scrape of his stubble as he adjusted the angle, and I released his lapels to slide my hands up and wrap my arms around his neck. He was only a couple of inches taller than me, but I loved the size and the strength of him. He felt solid and real, more real than anyone else I had ever kissed. It frightened me a little, but not enough to make me want to stop.
“Jake,” he said, pulling back after a few minutes.
“Hmm?”
“Jake, look at me.”
I opened my eyes. He sounded serious.
“Promise me you’ll be careful.”
I nodded.
“Don’t take any chances. I’m serious.”
“I promise.”
“When this case is done, we’ll go out. On a real date. If you want?”
I nodded again. “You’re probably not supposed to be doing this, are you?”
“No. The timing sucks, but like I said before, I couldn’t not.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ll tell you when we go on that real date.” He kissed me on the forehead, and then he was gone, slipping out the door and down the stairs. The door across the landing opened and Don stuck his head out.
“Was that Detective Petreski?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“Hmm. Not sure.”
“Geez. What did he want?”
Now that was a loaded question. “To let me know he’s not straight.”
Don rolled his eyes. “Great. Try not to get your heart broken.”
I shook my head. I don’t know how I knew, but it was the same feeling of certainty I’d had about so many other things lately. “I won’t. Oh, the squirrel’s name is Raymond, by the way.”
“Shit. You named it?”
“No. That’s just his name. He told me.”
“Who? Petreski?”
“No. Raymond. How would Petreski know Raymond’s name?”
“I’m too tired for this conversation. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He disappeared back into his apartment, and I tidied away the dishes and bottles from dinner. I was getting ready to take a shower before going to bed when I heard a familiar scratching sound. Sure enough, there was a black paw curled under the door.
“Boo,” I said, opening the door for him to slip in. “I’m supposed to be careful, but I guess it’s okay to let you in.”
Boo made his usual regal circuit of the room, tail held high. I left him to it and went into the bathroom to take a shower and brush my teeth. At one point Boo stuck his head into the shower. I flicked some water at him and he ducked back. “Don’t be a perv, Boo!” I told him.
I pushed the shower curtain back and started drying off, Boo observing from the dry safety of the doorway. “It’s okay, Boo. No more splashing.”
He meowed at me, and I felt chastised. “Sorry, Boo.” The big black cat came into the room and jumped into the tub, where he started licking at the water clinging to the sides. I finished drying off, brushed my teeth, and pulled on a pair of boxer shorts.
“Ready for bed, Boo?” I called as I pulled the covers back on the bed. I made sure a window was open enough for Boo to leave when he wanted, then climbed into bed. Boo came trotting in from the bathroom, jumped up on the bed, and tromped around for a while before curling up next to me. I stroked his silky fur and he started to purr.
“You have a big day, Boo?” I asked. He rolled over, exposing his belly, and I stroked it. “Yeah, me too. You’re not my first visitor of the evening, you know.”
Boo rolled again and came to head-butt my chin. “Aww, don’t be jealous, Boo.” I laughed when he started licking me with his rough, pink tongue.
“Okay, okay. Enough of that. Yeah. Second-best kiss I’ve had all day.” I kissed the top of Boo’s head, and he settled down, stretching out on the bed and purring loudly as we both drifted off to sleep.
I dreamed that night, but they weren’t the disturbing dreams like I’d been having. This time I dreamed about Petreski – Ruben. It was steamy and felt so real that I was surprised when I woke up to find myself alone in my bed. Except for Boo, of course, who was watching me with that smug face cats get sometimes. “Go to sleep, Boo,” I said, rolling over and punching my pillow. “Go to sleep.”
Can’t a Guy Just Get a Cup of Coffee?
Oh, blessed Saturday, I thought to myself when I woke
up the next morning and realized I didn’t have to get out of bed. I grabbed a book off my bedside table and then tossed it aside when I realized it was a school book. I had better luck with the next one. Uh-oh. Paranormal romance – better not let Don catch me reading this. I bunched my pillows up and settled in for some light reading.
I must have dozed off again, because a knocking at my door woke me. My first thought was that maybe Petreski had come back, but that was just wishful thinking. He was probably out hunting down murderers or eating donuts or whatever hunky police detectives did on the weekend. Probably not donuts, if he was going to keep his figure.
Another knock broke my train of thought, and Don’s voice carried through the door. “Jake? You up?”
“Almost. Hang on.” I pushed the covers aside and staggered to the door. I could see one of Bridger’s tiny paws flailing around through the crack below the door. It must be a cat thing. I bent to bat at the paw with my finger before opening the door to let my annoying neighbors in.
“Planning to sleep the day away?” Don asked as he came in and Bridger made a dash for the sofa.
“If you’re going to wake me up on a Saturday, at least make yourself useful and start the coffee. And don’t let your cat claw up my sofa.”
By the time I came out of the bathroom refreshed and dressed the coffee was almost ready and Don was on the sofa distracting Bridger from the upholstery.
“So what’s up?” I asked as I went over to make my bed. Don accuses me of being a neat freak, but when you live in a one room studio it can start looking dumpy fast – you gotta stay on top of that, you know?
“Was I imagining things last night, or did Detective Petreski come over here, and did you tell me you named that squirrel Raymond?”
“You’re a little off, but yes, Petreski was here. And I didn’t name the squirrel, that’s just his name. It’s... kind of hard to explain.”
Don got up to pour our coffee. “Give it a shot.”
I sighed as I sat down and took a sip. “Okay, yeah. Petreski showed up last night. He kind of poked around the apartment a bit, found the joint I had stashed in the freezer –”
“Wait, what? Since when do you stash joints in your freezer?”
“It’s not like that. Miss Nancy said it might help stop the dreams, so she gave me a couple. I tried one, but it made me sick. I was going to give the other one back to her, but Petreski found it before I could.”
“Oh, crap. What did he do?”
“Smoked it.”
“What?!”
“Yeah. He said he was getting rid of the evidence, but I think the good detective is just as human as the rest of us.”
“So, not a werewolf, then?” Don asked with a smirk.
“Ha ha. No, not a werewolf.”
“Okay, then what?”
“Um, things are kind of getting out of order, but he kind of forced me into admitting that I have some sort of weird psychic connection with animals. Some animals.”
“I told you so.”
“That is so unattractive.”
Don shrugged. “So what’s this about the squirrel, then?”
I told him about how I’d just suddenly known the squirrel’s name, how I could tell I’d insulted the squirrel, and Detective Petreski’s theory about how and why I’d suddenly started experiencing this strange animal connection.
“What do you think of this theory of his?” Don asked when I’d finished.
“I don’t know. But I’m going to run it by Miss Nancy. I guess it makes sense, in a way.”
“So what did you mean when you said he came over to let you know he wasn’t straight?”
“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell,” I said, sipping my coffee. I was trying for prim, but I probably came across as smug.
“Are you... Did you? You and Petreski?”
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop. Aside from inviting himself over, and snooping around my apartment and smoking my pot and drinking my beer, he was a perfect gentleman. Practically. There was no...” I waved my hand around.
“What does,” Don waved his hand around, “mean?”
“You know. Stuff. Sex stuff. I said kiss and tell.”
“You realize you just told me, right?”
“Please don’t mess with my head this morning. Be a dear and pour me another cup of coffee, would you?” I batted my eyelashes. Don rolled his eyes, but he did pour me another cup.
“So what are you going to do today? Study? More midterms?”
“No. I have a paper due right after spring break, but it’s practically done.”
Don muttered something that sounded like “OCD” but I ignored him.
“Did you have something in mind?”
“Not really,” Don answered. “I’m working tonight. You?”
“I was thinking about heading over to Ground Up and seeing who decides to unload on me today.”
“Seriously?”
“Kind of. Do I have one of those faces?”
“Maybe. You sure do seem to be attracting a lot of trouble lately.”
“Bleh. Oh, and I need to call my parents later. They want me to come visit. They’ll probably invite you, too, you know.” My parents love Don. They think he’s a good influence.
“Maybe I’ll go. When were you thinking of going?”
“Spring break is week after next. I figured I’d go for a couple of days then.”
“I thought students were supposed to go to the beach and get drunk for spring break.”
“I’m a grown-up. I can get drunk anytime I want, which is never because I hate feeling out of control and then sick the next day. Besides, most of my college buddies have graduated already. Oh, crap.”
“What?”
“I just realized something. I think I might be a nerd.”
“There’s no shame in being a nerd.”
“I know that. It’s just that I’m just now realizing it. Even when I was a kid I was kind of an uptight bookworm. I never even went through a rebellious phase.”
“Yeah, you sound pretty boring. You know, for an animal psychic who finds dead bodies and talks to squirrels. Named Raymond, of all things.”
“Don’t make fun of his name, dude. I think he’s sensitive about it.”
Don rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go to Ground Up, have a sandwich, maybe a beer – because I think you need to incorporate more day drinking into your routine – and see what happens.”
I put some sunflower seeds on the windowsill for Raymond while Don went back to his place for the cat sling, and the three of us headed off to Ground Up. God help us.
❧
I was at a seat by the window, and I was looking towards the counter when it happened or I never would have seen it. Harry had just finished serving a customer when the bell rang and he turned towards the door. I’d never actually seen anyone go white as a ghost before, but Harry did, right before his eyes bugged out. When I turned to see what he was looking at, my eyes probably bugged out, too.
Standing in the doorway was the blond woman I had seen speak to Josh Katz at the crime scene. From the way she was looking at Harry, these two had to know each other, and this was not a happy reunion.
They looked at each other for a few moments before she went up to the counter and ordered. Harry served her, but he didn’t make chit-chat with her like he would with any other customer.
“Don,” I said, keeping my voice low even though there was music playing and we were out of earshot of the counter, “it’s that Dawn Thrasher lady.”
“Who?” Don turned to look and I kicked him under the table.
“Don’t look! Dawn Thrasher. The one Josh Katz was talking to and Jennifer Katz didn’t want to talk about.”
“Oh.”
“I think she and Harry must know each other, because when she came in he looked really shocked, and she looked kind of confused and pissed off when she saw him. Shh! She’s heading this way!”
“I wasn’t saying anything.
” Don looked at me like I was a spaz, which maybe I was – at the moment. I think this whole dreams and murder thing was starting to make me paranoid.
She didn’t say anything to us, and sat down at the next table, back to the wall. She took out a laptop – not a sleek Apple like most of the other patrons, but something older and heavier. It looked beat up, like maybe it had gotten knocked around as she traveled from hot spot to hot spot, stirring up trouble and leaving the locals to deal with the fallout.
I stared into my coffee mug, because in spite of Don’s opinion that I needed a beer, I was still waking up and I needed caffeine. Don was keeping busy with a sandwich and some kind of healthy-looking seaweed salad thing. I had a sandwich, too, but I hadn’t unwrapped it yet. After a few minutes of silence I realized someone was speaking to me.
“Huh? What? Sorry?” I looked up to see Dawn Thrasher looking at me.
“You were at the crime scene the other day. I’m right, yeah? When Clarence – Clarence Wilton was found?”
“Y – yes. We were. But I’m not supposed to talk about it, I don’t think.”
She waved her hand. Obviously such restrictions were for other people, not her. “You found him, right?”
I traded a look with Don. He didn’t say anything, just kept eating. I could see I was on my own here.
“I’m not supposed to –”
“Of course you did. That’s why you were inside the police tape, not outside with the rest of us. And you had his dog. Why did you have his dog? Did you find it?” She was asking questions, but it didn’t feel like she was asking me so much as just speculating out loud, so I didn’t say anything.
She looked from me to Don, then back again. “Yeah. That must be it.”
“I’m not... I can’t...”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to get you boys in trouble. It seems you’ve ruffled up Josh’s feathers, though, so you might want to be careful there. Word to the wise, you know.”
“Josh Katz?” Don asked.
“Yes, that’s the one. Such a jumpy man. Very... what’s the word... volatile?”
I nodded, agreeing with that much.
“Yes, volatile. The kind of passion that can accomplish great things if properly channeled, but on an interpersonal level... Well, it’s not so nice to be around every day, if you get my meaning.”
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