by Gerald Lopez
Praise for the Author
Blue Light By Night, a Layton Shayne Mystery
“There is a lot of suspense and the reader will be doing some guessing. There is also eroticism here and I commend the author on how he managed to work the themes so that everything comes together. I could see that he spent time thinking this story out.”
Amos Lassen Reviews
“This is a thrilling, suspenseful mystery. His ability to spin a tale of mystery, comedy and romance is obviously a talent that I am really beginning to treasure. —fast becoming one of my favorites writers of mysteries and the paranormal.”
Multi-tasking Momma’s Book Reviews
For Love of: Tangi
“A very entertaining read. I was cracking up because it seriously was funny.”
On Top Down Under Book Reviews
Other Novels by Gerald Lopez
Dueling Divas
an Avondale Story
Dead Men Tell Tales
a New Eden Tale
Blue Light by Night
a Layton Shayne Mystery
For Love of: Tangi
Green Eyes Cry, You Die
a Layton Shayne Mystery
Miss Lucy and the Pussy Brigade
Miss Lucy Case Files #1
All Queers Must Die
Lost Bitches:
an Abel Kane Mystery
For Love of: Colt
Black Hearts Dance
A Layton Shayne Mystery
Gerald Lopez
Originally published
under the pseudonym Antonio
Begin Reading
Table of Contents
Copyright Information
Copyright © 2015, 2016 by Gerald Lopez
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Art Copyright © 2015 by Gerald Lopez
Acknowledgments
My special thanks go to the following:
To John for his helpful comments and suggestions.
To my wonderful Beta readers, Joyce, Johanna, Rich, Brandi, and Diane, for their comments, and often extremely helpful suggestions.
And to my best friend J. C. for always being there.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Contact the author
About the author
Other books by Gerald Lopez
Black Hearts Dance
A Layton Shayne Mystery
Chapter 1
Surprises for Layton
I WAS TIRED, from the last case I’d just finished. But I was also happy, relaxed, and content sitting next to my sweet partner in love, and now work, Alex Shayne. Even though we’d known each other only a short amount of time, I’d not only given him my heart but also my last name. Solving mysteries together and dealing with the supernatural has a way of creating a quick bond between people. Alex and I were having tea with our friends Jimmy and Frankie in The Secret Garden Tea House in Mt. Ore, Florida. The tea and the company was stimulating and satisfying.
“I like it in the South much better than out West where I’m from,” I told the others, who were busy eating sweets from one or another of a matching duo of three-tier plate stands in the center of the table. Each stand held three plates decorated with hand painted floral designs, that earlier in our meal had contained a variety of delicacies including: sandwiches and scones. Now the only items remaining were slices of sponge cake with strawberry jam filling and powdered sugar on top, and fruit-filled pastries. The largo from Vivaldi’s Concerto in D was playing in the background and I lost myself in the music for a moment or two.
“This piece by Vivaldi is a favorite of mine,” Alex said. “You’re certainly getting into it, Layton.”
“What’s not to like, it’s Vivaldi,” Frankie said. “Have you heard it before, Layton?”
“Don’t laugh,” I said, then smiled. “I’m listening to the music and picturing Connie Sellecca and a giant sea turtle.”
Jimmy laughed, then spoke. “Oh my God, I remember that old movie. I knew I recognized the music from somewhere. It was the best thing about the flick, besides the cute guy on the beach.”
“He really was kind of cute,” I said. “And I remember liking the flick. It was cheesy, but good cheesy.” A stray long hair hung down in front of my eyes and I brushed the sandy blond strand back with my hand.
“It’s almost time for you to find a barber,” Alex said, before he smiled at me in a way that always melted my thirty-five-year-old heart and made me feel like a kid again.
“Don’t tell me the bloom is off the rose… and so early in the relationship,” Frankie said. “Jimmy and I are a newer couple than the two of you and we still find each other to be flawless.” He looked at Jimmy and winked.
“I do seem to remember Jimmy being pretty flawless during the time we had our short-lived tryst—before he became totally captivated by you, Frankie,” I said, trying to be funny.
Jimmy laughed. “It wasn’t quite that way. I remember being a little reluctant to leave your side, Layton.”
“What?” Frankie said.
“I can vividly recall the looks Frankie gave you the minute he laid eyes on you
at his grandfather’s clothing shop in Louisiana, Jimmy,” I said. “And how could you not be attracted to a walking, talking, Greek God? Just look at his thick black hair, perfect tan… and that body.” I’d thought Frankie was the most handsome man I’d ever seen when we first met… and my Alex the most beautiful.
“Italian, not Greek,” Frankie said. “I’m Italian, remember, Layton. As for the rest of what you said—it’s absolutely correct.”
“You two do make a pretty darn perfect couple,” Alex said.
“And so do we,” I said, putting my arm around Alex’s shoulders. “Like I said, Frankie and Jimmy are flawless… but we, my love, are pure perfection. I’m all rough and grungy and you’re a beautiful angel come down to Earth.”
“Now, would I, Francisco Torrea, be having tea with a man I thought was grungy? If we were both single men, I might make a play for you, Layton—but we’re not. I believe everyone at this table has happily found their other half.”
“I know I have,” I said. “We’re lucky men, Frankie.”
“So are we to have found the two of you, aren’t we, Jimmy?” Alex said.
“Oh yeah,” Jimmy said. “I’m with the man of my dreams and we’re running a successful restaurant together—what more could I want?”
Another table in the tea house caught my attention. I tuned out the conversation and looked casually toward two women who were having tea at the other end of the room. The younger woman wore a wide-brimmed white hat, and had light pink hair styled in soft waves about chin length. Her face was chubby, but perfectly made up with glossy pale lipstick and the right amount of eyeliner and eyeshadow. I was impressed. From where I sat, I had a side view of her. She was heavyset, probably around two hundred pounds, but very pretty. The tailored, knee-length dress she wore was done in a bold and bright floral print with a lot of pinks in it. I wondered what my fashion-conscious cousin Vanessa would think of the outfit. To me it was a flattering dress and cheerful-looking compared to the outfit her companion wore.
I’d eaten my slice of cake while watching the women and the bite-size pastry with apricot filling on my plate was calling out to me, so I turned and picked it up. While I savored the warm filling, I focused on the pink-haired woman’s companion. She was significantly older and her facial features were unusually asymmetrical which made me think she might have had a stroke. Still, there was a regal quality about her. In contrast to the other woman’s bright colors, she was dressed in a subdued gray jacket and matching pants… even the hat she wore was gray. The only color in her entire ensemble was the floral brooch on her lapel that looked expensive and was composed of what appeared to be multi-colored gemstones rather than cheap rhinestones. I wished my cousin were here, she’d know for sure. Even though I’d been an attentive student when Vanessa had taught me how to tell a lot about people from how they dressed, she was still the undisputed master at such things. The brooch was saying something to me and the piece itself seemed familiar… but I wasn’t sure what the inanimate thing was trying to say or why it stood out in my mind. It always irked me when I couldn’t place where I’ve seen a person or an object, so I moved on to the woman’s thin face with high cheekbones. Her makeup seemed almost caked on and her blue eyeshadow was overdone as was her matte, brownish-red lipstick.
“Hello… earth to Layton,” Jimmy said.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Did I miss anything?”
“No, that’s OK,” Jimmy said. “I was just saying that Frankie and I are hoping you guys will be in the area longer this time. We didn’t insist you stay with us again since we knew Alex wanted to see the inn. How many days will you two be staying there?”
“To be honest, I haven’t made reservations yet,” I said.
“The Mt. Ore Inn is very popular around here,” Frankie said. “You can’t count on just walking up to the registration desk and getting a room.”
I was perturbed now and automatically reacted in my usual way—by curling and clenching my toes in the fancy leather sandals I wore. The sandals had been a gift from Miss Lucy on my last case. I actually preferred my plain flip-flops, but wanted to break in the leather sandals—they were still too new to be completely comfortable . What a character that Miss Lucy was—even just thinking about her made me want to laugh.
I caught Alex as he looked down at my toes.
“I’ve learned how to tell when Layton’s upset,” Alex said to Frankie and Jimmy. “His cute toes are curled under—his stress goes downward.”
“Better to his toes than elsewhere,” Jimmy said.
I gave Alex my sad puppy dog look. The thought of not getting a room at the inn when I knew he was looking forward to it genuinely upset me… I wanted so badly to always make him happy. “I’m sorry, babe. I did actually think we could just walk right up to the desk and get a room. That was stupid thinking on my part, I guess.”
“You sound tired that’s all, Layton,” Alex said.
“Too much running around solving supernatural or paranormal mysteries, Detective Shayne,” Frankie said.
“Excuse me, is someone at this table a detective specializing in the supernatural?” It was the older woman I’d been looking at, and she was standing next to our table leaning on a cane made of a dark wood. The younger woman was at her side.
“Hello, Mrs. Carson,” Frankie said. “It’s so nice to see you.”
“Why thank you, Francisco,” Mrs. Carson said. “Hello, Jimmy. It’s nice to see that you’ve gotten a break from the kitchen. You work much too hard. But, having said that, my granddaughter Elise and I are big fans of your food.”
“Can’t you tell,” Elise said, patting her stomach and smiling at everyone.
“I love your hair, Elise,” Alex said.
“Thank you, so much,” Elise said, and smiled.
“Francisco, my love, why don’t you introduce us to your handsome friends?” Mrs. Carson said.
“This is Mrs. Isabel Carson and her granddaughter Elise Riley. Mrs. Carson and Elise, please meet our good friends Detective Layton Shayne and his partner Alex Shayne. Jimmy and I have them to thank for our lives… and for bringing us together.”
“Aw shucks, it was nothing,” I said shyly, while still wondering why the brooch Mrs. Carson wore looked so familiar. Unfortunately, her name didn’t ring a bell with me.
“Oh, pishposh,” Mrs. Carson said. “Humility is for ugly people and losers. You don’t strike me as either, Detective.”
I liked this woman already.
“Grandma, can I get you a chair?” Elise said.
“I can stand for a few minutes. The stroke robbed me of my looks, and most of my strength, but for now I can stand—with the help of this cane.” She turned to me and Alex. “I used to be beautiful in my day, and quite the fag hag. Gay men like beautiful things and I was a beautiful thing at one time.”
“Grandmother!” Elise said.
“I know the group I’m talking to, girl. They’re happily partnered men. They don’t mind if I’m frank with them. Do you mind, Detective?”
“I actually prefer it when people are brutally honest, Ma’am,” I said.
“Good because I’m as brutal and honest as they come,” Mrs. Carson said, then smiled. “I’ll get down to business. I’m trying to sell my family home Carson Court. It’s a rambling old place and too much for me to handle. The problem is that the property is, for lack of a better word… haunted.”
“It sounds to me like a job for an exorcist or a priest,” I said, trying to provoke a reaction to see what she was all about.
“I’m not a foolish old woman, Detective,” Mrs. Carson said. “Don’t think my home hasn’t been visited by a priest or others who tried to help—to no avail. The house isn’t so quick to tell its secrets. Come by, check everything out, and decide if you want to take on the case. I can pay.”
“Carson Court is an impressive estate,” Frankie said. “Jimmy and I like Mrs. Carson, too. You’d be doing a good deed.”
“And getting paid,
” Mrs. Carson said. “You are in business, aren’t you?”
“She doesn’t mean to pressure you, gentlemen,” Elise said. “Things have been getting steadily worse at Carson Court since the decision was made to put the estate on the market. I’m not sure what’s happening. There are a lot of unsolved mysteries related to my family’s home. It could be someone trying to sabotage the sale who is deliberately causing problems, or there really could be something supernatural behind everything.” She held onto the back of the empty chair next to her for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, then continued. “All I know is that I’m starting to get really concerned for my grandmother. She’s already had one stroke.”
I looked up at the two women, silently studying their faces. Something had drawn me to them earlier, and now they were asking for my help. At this time in my life, I knew enough to trust my instincts… and something deep inside my being compelled me to help them.
“I’ll take the case, Mrs. Carson,” I said.
“Thank you, Detective,” Mrs. Carson said. “You can follow Elise and me back to Carson Court, if you like.”
“I’m a bit underdressed to call on such a prestigious sounding address,” I said, then lifted my foot to show my expensive, but still casual sandals.
“At least he’s wearing his nice, new, leather sandals and not flip-flops,” Frankie said.
“Hush, Francisco,” Mrs. Carson said. “Layton—I may call you ‘Layton’?”
“I’d like that, Mrs. Carson,” I said.
“Layton, you look fine,” Mrs. Carson said. “We’ve never been that fussy at the court.”
“Lucky for us there’s no dress code,” Alex said. “We do actually own nice clothes, Mrs. Carson.”
“Oh, darling boy,” Mrs. Carson said. “Dress codes and rules don’t apply to handsome and beautiful men like Layton and yourself. Beautiful people make up their own rules. Someone as good-looking as Layton can walk around half nude if he wants. Who on Earth would complain? Certainly not me.”