Yolks on You Box Set

Chapter 18-2

When Dom finally was allowed to go, the police having questioned him extensively, he left the barn immediately and reached for his phone. He was beginning to think the cops suspected him at least a little, though that was hardly surprising considering how many of their crime scenes he’d been at. He was about to call Kiko when he saw the man not far off, standing under a tree, and tapping his phone.

“Sorry that took so long,” he said, and Kiko looked up, startled but happy. He moved to Dom so quickly and closely that Dom was surprised when he pulled back without kissing him.

“Glad you’re all right,” said Kiko, looking away as though embarrassed about his reaction. He slipped his phone in his pocket and then his hands, awkwardly. “Want to talk about it here, or in the truck with an angry goose?”

Dom hesitated. Out here was cold and unpleasant, complaining parents, whining children, and cops about. But he was not keen on sitting in the truck in close proximity to Mother if the bird was pissed off. As he tried to come up with an answer Kiko shrugged and turned.

“Let’s go back to the truck. We’ll at least be warmer than out here in the wind.”

Dom had no choice but to follow and hope that Mother wouldn’t be too terribly annoyed when he got there. To his relief the goose was a feathery bundle on Kiko’s seat, sleeping. Kiko gently shifted the bird to his lap as he got in, but didn’t yet start the truck.

“So,” he said, “what was all that? Get any information?”

“From an explosion?” asked Dom, shaking his head. He remembered the mess, the exploded food and crumpled tables, the spray of chocolate milk. “My best guess is that there was a bomb under one of the tables that eventually got nudged. It was a big one—right under the chocolate milk—but no one was hurt too badly. Some splinters from the wood, nothing big anyplace vital.” He paused. “Lucky. Everyone was lucky.”

“I guess you were right,” said Kiko, toying with Mother’s feathers. Dom marveled at how the bird stayed right where it was without complaint, accustomed to Kiko.

“Occasionally I have a smart idea,” said Dom. “There was a strange thing with the gift baskets, though.”

Kiko was silent as he explained the metal bits the girl had found, and in just the one basket. When Dom had finished, he was frowning.

“What?” asked Dom.

“That is strange. It would imply that whoever it was either didn’t get around to setting a bomb they wanted to put there, or that they had and then quickly disassembled it. Most of the pieces but no actual bomb? They were interrupted, or thought the better of it.”

“Maybe they liked the idea of an explosion in the breakfast barn more,” said Dom. “More people. More children.”

Kiko was shaking his head.

“Why do you keep mentioning children like they’re intended targets? It’s disturbing.”

“They might be. Kiko, this guy’s willing to set bombs specifically where children are going to make a grab at them and doesn’t care if he kills someone. It’s reality that children might be his targets. Would you award money to a business where a child died participating in Eggstravaganza events?”

“Doubtful. But still, that’s…”

“The entire town’s lucky no kid has been killed yet. What are the odds there aren’t any explosives out in the egg hunt field?”

Kiko stiffened in his seat and stopped stroking his goose.

“Dom,” he said, voice low, “The Grand Hunt’s supposed to start at one. It’s ten-thirty now. Did you tell the police when they questioned you?”

Dom almost laughed at him.

“Seriously? Hi, I’m the out-of-town guy you don’t know who’s showed up at four of your five explosions, trust me to not be the murderer when I say you should probably go look for bombs right now. Let me specify where but not give you an exact location, so it looks like I’m playing games with you. Can you save the kids in time?”

“s**t,” said Kiko. “They’re not going to like it any better coming from me.”

“So what so we do?”

“Well, I’m not going to let kids touch a bomb if I can help it,” said Kiko, passing Mother over toward Dom, who very reluctantly took the bird. Kiko started the truck. “But first, home. Mother needs his beauty sleep.”

* * * *

“What are those for?” asked Dom as Kiko tossed a couple of walking sticks into his truck. He’d left the vehicle running as he dumped Mother into the house and Dom unloaded his bags; now they were turning back onto the road out of town.

“We’re going to take care of this without the cops,” said Kiko, hoping this wasn’t a mistake. It could only make them seem more suspicious in the end. “I don’t know why I ever listened to you about looking deeper into this. We’re damn suspicious now.”

“I didn’t realize we’d end up at the site of so many explosions,” said Dom. “The sticks?”

“We tap the eggs.”

“What?” asked Dom in a half-laugh. But Kiko couldn’t be upbeat about this. His hands clutched the wheel as he stared at the road.

“If we can’t go to the police—because face it, Dom, at this point if we talk to them they’ll either think we’re responsible and take us in, or they’ll assume we’re just f*****g with them and won’t take us seriously, and still probably take us in, but then not check the Hunt grounds—then we have to make sure no one else will come across a bomb. We go out and sweep the field, tap every egg with the walking sticks.”

“We’re trying to get ourselves blown up?” asked Dom, no longer laughing. “Hell no, I didn’t sign up for that—”

“Tough,” snapped Kiko, trying not to be annoyed with the man and failing. If they had just stayed out of it…“If you really think that person in the field with us was the killer, what do you think they did after we left last night? I figure the sticks will give us enough time to get a far enough distance away. You hear anything weird, you run.”

“f**k,” said Dom, though to his credit he made no attempt to get out of the situation, and Kiko figured if he called up his ex and groveled, he could get a ride out of there. Instead he remained silent as Kiko parked and handed him a walking stick.

“Good luck,” he said, then leaned forward to kiss him. “And don’t get blown up.”

“Same to you,” said Dom. They headed into the woods.