Silas nodded. “Sounds like Felix.”
I pushed my chair back and stood. “Look, I appreciate the insight into the town dickhead, but unless there’s a way for me prove he was behind the arson and me losing my job—”
Gideon held up a tattooed hand, stopping me. “What? I heard you just started.”
“I did.” I took my jacket from the back of the chair. “Someone, possibly posing as one or more of my students, accused me of inappropriate behavior at school, and the principal believed that shit.”
“Who’s the principal?” Gideon asked, looking at both Silas and Stephen.
“Joshua Cass,” they answered in unison.
Gideon made a sudden face and swore under his breath.
I paused from putting my coat and scarf on. “What is it?”
Gideon leaned back comfortably and pointed at Silas as he spoke. “Wasn’t he the asshole who called me a little girl’s coloring book?”
Silas nodded.
“Yeah,” Gideon said, drawing the word out and looking at me again. “He’s a jerk.”
Stephen held a hand out for silence. “Bowen. Last week, that stupid phone call we had to sit through in Cass’s office, remember?”
How could I not? Bill and the dog that threw up in the bowling alley.
“Yeah, why?” I countered.
“Cass was talking to a Bill. Shit, I can’t believe it.Bill Bucker.”
“So they’re friends?” I asked.
All three of the men nodded.
“But why would—” I paused and tried to gather my disordered thoughts. “I mean, it’s one thing to go after Felix if they’ve not liked him for years, but why me?”
“You’ve recently come out as gay to the only people likely to be offended,” Stephen said.
“Because they are not respectable men,” Silas tactfully answered.
“You’re new. Easy target,” Gideon finished.
My head was spinning. Had some asshole I’d never met burned down Felix’s property and conspired with my boss to simultaneously get me fired? And during the midst of this chaos, something terrible was burrowing into Felix’s heart, which was affecting how Alan viewed and respectedme.
“This is bad,” I stated.
“Yeah, it’s pretty fucked-up,” Gideon agreed. “If you can prove it.”
“I might be able to do that,” Stephen stated. “I’m just an advisor for a high school newspaper, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do a little investigative journalism.”
Silas looked down at me. “I’ve been friends with Felix for a long time. All he needs to do is ask and I’m ready to help rebuild his shop.”
Gideon stood and held his hand out again to shake mine. “I’ll help too. Anything you need.”
I swallowed. “Thanks. All of you.”
“Go check on Felix, Bowen,” Stephen said. “Don’t let him get the wrong idea about… whatever is in his head. Okay?”
I nodded and hustled to finish putting my coat on. “I’ll go now. Thanks again, I mean it!”
