Yolks on You Box Set

Chapter 15-2

Dom was dozing when Kiko returned to the bedroom and headed toward the closet. He made very little noise, but Dom was completely woken when he spoke.

“So, if you want a ride with me into town, it’s probably a good idea to get up now,” said Kiko. Dom rolled over, too tired and content to want to comply with that. “There’s even time for you to have a shower, if you want. Unless, of course, you’re not as sticky as I was.”

“You just want me out of your bed,” grumbled Dom, but he dragged himself out from under the blankets anyway. “Afraid I’ll spend all day eating your food and watching your TV?”

“Nope,” said Kiko, pulling out a tie from the closet and moving toward the door. “You have a murder to solve. I’m more afraid you’ll get yourself killed.”

He disappeared down the hallway then, leaving Dom to drag himself to the guest bathroom and use the soap and towel provided. He made it as quick as possible, put on his clothes from yesterday with the exception of his own underpants, which he simply did without. He’d have Kiko drop him off at the hotel for his things. When he made it downstairs, yawning, and past the peeved-looking goose, he found Kiko squeezing oranges in the kitchen.

“It’s just some granola,” said Kiko, nodding to the table where a bowl sat next to Dom’s notepad, which Kiko must have moved. “But I’m running a little late today, for reasons I think begin and end with you. I’ll just have to fix you a better breakfast before you go.”

In the awkward silence after that comment Dom sat. Kiko seemed displeased, based on how he had phrased the thought, and Dom was certain it was clear to both of them that neither of them wanted this weekend to end yet. Dom’s mind rushed through the possibilities of keeping in touch long-distance, then threw them out. He couldn’t even manage a relationship in the same city; it’d be sure to be a disaster to try to make anything work across state lines.

He focused on the food in the bowl in front of him to try to put himself at more ease. It was, as Kiko had said, granola, sitting on top of a serving of yogurt, and topped with sliced bananas. He took up the spoon.

“Thanks,” he said as Kiko set down a small glass of orange juice next to the bowl.

“Coffee?” he asked.

“Yes, thanks,” said Dom, then, “This is good.”

Kiko rolled his eyes as he poured a steaming mug.

“You’ve said that about everything. But if you’re curious, the granola’s home made.”

“I was expecting eggs,” said Dom as Kiko slid into the seat across from him with a mug of coffee.

“I’ll make you something with eggs tomorrow. Promise,” he said, smiling, but his eyes looked sad. Dom focused on his food. “But for now I have to get to Yolks on You. Anyplace you need me to drop you?”

“The hotel would be nice. I’d like to grab my things, and Alec should be out at the Farm Breakfast with the kids by then.”

“The Farm Breakfast!” Kiko jumped from his seat. “I’d completely forgotten—Mother and I are supposed to make an appearance there at eight and stay ‘til ten…”

“You have time, Kiko,” said Dom. “It’s not even seven.”

Kiko was pulling the diaper off the goose.

“I wanted to open by seven-thirty. I’ll have to give Katie a call. And down at the bank to make sure no one’s found the golden egg—we have to make an announcement about that. And over at the farm to make sure the barn can accommodate Mother. Maybe I should call Chad’s family and check in about him, too…”

“Kiko,” said Dom, nodding across the table. “Finish your coffee first.”

Kiko stared at him a moment, smiled awkwardly, sat. Mother was perched in his lap, looking displeased. Dom worked on finishing his breakfast, trying not to like Kiko in a frenzy too much. It just made him want to push him up against the wall and make out with him, heavy petting included.

“So then,” said Kiko, gulping from his mug. “Drop you off at the hotel. I’m guessing you don’t want to go to the Farm Breakfast if Alec’s going to be there—”

Dom laughed.

“Are you joking? I might get a chance to piss him off. Plus it’ll be nice for us to be in the same place figuring out this murder for once.”

Kiko sighed.

“You think there’s going to be an explosion on the farm?”

Dom blinked, drank his orange juice. He hadn’t thought of that at all, but now that Kiko mentioned it…If someone had been out at the Grand Hunt grounds, why couldn’t they be at a farm? And more than that, perhaps Kiko and Dom’s presence had scared them off, so that they had to choose a secondary location, the Farm Breakfast, to continue their scheme.

“Does the owner of the farm get a shot at the prize money?” he asked, and Kiko stared at him.

“Yes, of course. Do you have a new suspect now?”

“That depends,” said Dom, solemnly finishing his own coffee. “On whether there’s an explosion on the farm today.” He paused as Kiko gaped at him. “We should definitely be there for that. The cops are doing f**k-all in this town. We might overhear something useful or see something suspicious.”

“Dom, I don’t want to collect clues with you like some kind of chapter book character. This is serious. If there’s a bomb set up at the breakfast, too…”

“People could die,” said Dom, nodding. He collected his dishes and Kiko’s empty cup and took them to the sink. “And I hope it’s not a big explosion. I’ve been thinking. What if the person we saw where we hid the eggs was looking for a place to set up a big explosion—much bigger than the others. And us being there caused him to leave?”

“Then that’s good,” said Kiko, standing and grabbing his phone, wallet, keys, and tie with one hand while he held Mother in the crook of his arm. He paused. “Unless you’re saying that the second choice for bomb location is the Farm Breakfast.”

“It’s possible, isn’t it? And it would put the farm out of the running.”

Kiko shook his head.

“No. Do you really think someone would set off an even bigger explosion? They want money, they don’t want death.”

“Maybe they didn’t realize how much they wanted death until someone died.”

At this Kiko rolled his eyes.

“Come on, out to the truck. Let’s get going. You’re really making stretches, Dom. An even bigger bomb? I’m sure everyone working the Farm Breakfast is hyper aware of anything irregular. And I refuse to believe anyone here is making these explosives because they enjoy people dying.” He shook his head. “No. No. They just want the money, and if someone dies, they must think it helps them in the end.”

“You really can’t think poorly of anyone, can you?” asked Dom, following Kiko out to the truck. “Even with all those rumors circulating around town—but you don’t listen to the really bad ones, do you? You don’t want to know who does what to their kids or who cheats. You don’t want to know that some people here might actually like the feeling of having the power of taking away a life.”

“Don’t make it sound like you like it, too,” said Kiko, leaning across toward him. “Hold Mother for me? He probably won’t bite you.”

He dumped the goose into Dom’s lap and Dom tried not to visibly stiffen. The goose stared at him with its dark eyes, daring him to annoy it.

“He bites?” he asked. Kiko shrugged as he pulled out of the driveway.

“Geese can be vicious if they want to be. He probably won’t bite you. He’s been socialized since he hatched.”

“How can you keep him around kids?”

Kiko laughed.

“The kids never get to touch him unless I’m around. And, like I’ve said, he’s been socialized. He’s never bitten anyone before. Nipped me a few times, I suppose, but that’s different.”

Dom rode silently after that, glad the trip was a short one. He didn’t want to upset the goose; despite Kiko’s confidence, the creature was so foreign to him that he had no idea what would be a wrong move. Mother sat awkwardly on his lap, less weight than he was expecting, but did very little. Still, he didn’t trust the long neck like a snake, and Mother definitely wasn’t soft covered in feathers. The goose looked to him to be perpetually glaring. When Kiko pulled up to the hotel Dom tilted himself upward so that Mother would slide off onto the floor.

“Five minutes,” he said as he got out. “Just want to grab my things.”

“I’ll be here.”

Dom hurried inside, debating as he went whether to leave the keycard on Alec’s pillow or to simply give it to him when he next saw him. There was still no avoiding driving back with him, which he was not looking forward to. But he didn’t have to deal with that until tomorrow, and he reminded himself there was the slimmest of chance Alec could be the unfortunate caught in an explosion. Not that Dom would wish it. But he wouldn’t have to drive back with the man in such a situation.

“Dom! Where were you?”

Dom blinked, noticed Alec walking down the pool-smelling hallway toward him. So they hadn’t left for the Farm Breakfast yet. Dom shrugged. Alec told his children to keep going to the elevator; he grabbed Dom by the upper arm and pushed him up against the wall.

“You should have told me,” he said, sounding angry. “Just disappearing like that. The kids have so many questions, they don’t understand—”

“Alec, I’m not part of their lives any longer. You’re the parent. You explain it.”

Alec’s grip tightened. This wasn’t his real problem, Dom could see that in his eyes. No, he was angry Dom had moved on so easily, so immediately. He couldn’t stand that Dom was having a better vacation than he was. Dom held back a laugh.

“You wanted me to beg,” he said. “You wanted me to make you make promises.”

“What are you even talking about?” snapped Alec.

“When I found those texts. You wanted me to stay with you, to beg you to choose me, to forgive you of anything because it wasn’t your fault, it was Megan’s. But it was your fault, Alec. And I didn’t do what you wanted. That’s why you’re so pissed at me now, isn’t it?”

“What the hell?” said Alec, but Dom could tell he’d struck something very close to the truth. “I’m pissed because you’re supposed to be up here with me and the kids for a weekend, but instead you’re off f*****g some hick and staying out all hours drinking. And I’m supposed to be the one to be happy about dealing with that?”

Dom did laugh then. Here it was again, Alec wanting him to beg, this time for forgiveness. But he’d done nothing wrong. Something flashed through Alec’s eyes and he shoved Dom away.

“Get your s**t and get out,” he growled.

“Just what I was on my way to do,” said Dom and turned his back on Alec. He could imagine how enraged that made him, and it put him in a good mood all the way to the hotel door.