Chapter 2-2
670 Words
“So you’re on the top of the detective’s list?” Brent said, smirking before taking another drink of beer.
“Why do you think that?” I asked, even though I had a good idea.
“He quizzed me upside down and backward about your relationship with Jake.”
Reed nodded. The three of us, plus Tyler, were in my backyard, drinking and trying to relax. It was after six. The other three were home from work and, as Brent told me—even before he’d gone home to change into something comfortable—Detective Irvin had come by his office to talk with him. It turns out he did that with the others as well. At least with Reed and Tyler. I suspect everyone else on the Lane got the same type of visit.
“Is this a private party?” Chase asked, coming around the corner of the house.
“Hell, no. Grab a beer from the fridge and sit a spell.”
Chase rolled his eyes at the last bit, went into my kitchen, and returned a minute later with a beer.
“You off for the day?” Tyler asked Chase.
“Yep. Until Thursday evening, thank God. So what’s the topic of conversation?”
“Whether I killed Jake,” I replied sourly.
“As if. Who thinks that? Okay. Never mind. The good detective showed up at the hospital. I’ll give him points for patience. He had to wait half an hour before I could take a few minutes to answer his questions. Most of them revolved around you and Jake, Adam.”
“I’m sure. I hope he’s getting the idea I had nothing against Jake—because I didn’t. Sure, I tried to avoid him when possible. But killing him? That’s a bit extreme.”
“Okay. Since it wasn’t you,” Brent said, “who else would have wanted him dead?”
“You’re asking us?” Tyler replied.
“I didn’t even know him,” Reed stated. “The barbecue was the first time we met, although I had seen him around.”
Tyler grinned. “So you’re the obvious candidate. You fell instantly in lust with him, snuck over after the party, he rejected you and wham-bam, you picked up a candlestick and did him in.”
“Mr. Fleming, in the living room, with a candlestick.” Brent snickered, then asked, “Does anyone know what did kill him?”
We all shook our heads. “Detective Irvin is being real close-mouthed about the details he gives to the media,” I said. “It’s pissing my boss off no end. He keeps eyeing me as if I’m holding something back, since I live here and know everyone.”
“Throw yourself on his mercy, tell him you’ll give him an exclusive on how you did it, but only if he hires the best lawyers around to get you off on an insanity plea,” Tyler said without blinking an eye.
I flipped him the bird, much to his amusement. “Okay. Given I know it wasn’t me, and I’m damned sure it wasn’t any of you, who could have killed Jake?” I asked.
“Does anyone know if he was seeing someone?” Brent replied.
“Not me,” Tyler said. “Dave and Luke, or Eliot and Frank, would be most likely to, since they live on either side of him. That is if they saw him bring someone home with him, which is unlikely.”
“True,” Brent said. “Still, should we storm the castle gates and ask them?”
I shook my head. “I doubt they’d appreciate that. Would you tell anyone if you saw me with someone?”
“Depends,” Chase replied. “If I thought that someone had killed you, damned straight I would. Otherwise—no. Your private life is just that.”
“But how would you know?” Reed asked. “I mean, what would make one man seem like a potential killer, and another one not?”
“How Adam acted with them,” Chase said. “Say I saw him and a guy at a bar. I know Adam well enough to know if he’s just looking for s*x or something more.”
“Me? Just looking for s*x?” I put on my most innocent expression.
Chase rolled his eyes. “Don’t even go there, Adam. We all do it at times. Who in this world doesn’t, if they’re single?”
“Me,” Tyler replied with a smirk. “I don’t have to look. It comes to me.”
“Braggart,” Brent muttered.
We all laughed, before Reed said, “I don’t think it’s up to us to do Detective Irvin’s work. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing, and is smart enough to figure out Adam didn’t really kill Jake.”
“Let’s hope,” I replied quietly. “So, who’s up for another beer?”
They all were, and once they had them, the conversation moved on to other things. Thankfully. I hoped Reed was right and Detective Irvin did take me off his list of suspects. But I wasn’t counting on it.
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