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“You’re talking in riddles,” he chided.
“Shall we head back? I’m cold,” she said, changing the subject.
“Only if you tell me this secret I don’t need to know about my friend.” Nico was becoming worried by the unsettling astuteness in Lacey’s gaze.
She swiveled on her heel, and he followed suit. It was nice not to be heading directly into the cold wind. He swallowed the last two bites of his baguette and tucked his hands into his pockets, waiting.
Finally, Lacey blew out a breath and said, “This is probably none of my business, but I saw Gabriel kissing that young apprentice in the back alley this morning after my appointment with Imran.”
“What?” Nico almost shouted the word. That was the last thing he’d been expecting her to say. “Are you sure it was him? And Jayden?” The idea was preposterous. Gabriel was into women. Always had been. He was forever gawking at the pretty ones, making sure they knew he was checking them out. And he’d had plenty of girlfriends over the years. Admittedly, none of them had stuck around, but that just meant Gabe wasn’t ready for commitment. Didn’t it?
“Yes, it was them.” Lacey fixed him with her steady, amber gaze, and he believed her. She was observant and had a sharp eye. One thing a good cop needed to be. So that was why she’d been staring at Jayden earlier. She’d recognized him.
Did that mean Gabriel was gay? And if it did, why was he trying so hard to stay in the closet? Did he think he might scare away patients or tarnish his reputation in town?
“So, you didn’t know, then?” She was walking close to him now, her elbow bumping his in solidarity, and he enjoyed the human contact.
“No. That’s a revelation to me,” he replied thoughtfully.
“There’s nothing wrong with Gabe wanting to keep his sexual preferences quiet,” she said. “I can think of a lot of reasons why he’d do that. Small towns are full of prejudice. Even in this day and age, not everyone is comfortable finding out their local doctor is gay. But… Jayden strikes me as particularly young. Not that I’m judging,” she added quickly.
She’d hit at the heart of the very thing that was making him uncomfortable too. Gabriel was nearly thirty-five. Jayden was technically still a teenager. He was practically cradle snatching. Maybe the pickings in Burnie for a gay man were slim and he had to take what he could get, but still, it didn’t feel right.
“Thanks for telling me,” he said, reaching down and squeezing her hand for a few seconds. “I’m sure that was a hard decision to make.”
“Not really,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t have kept anything like that from you. Not for long. You’re a friend and these things fester if they’re not let out into the open. But don’t worry, my lips are sealed. I won’t let on to anyone else.”
“That might be best,” he replied. “That throws a different light on something I saw a few weeks ago, though,” he added softly.
“What was that?” She turned her face up to his, and he was momentarily caught by the soft pink color of her lips.
“I saw Gabe and Jayden in the parking lot at the supermarket. It looked like they were arguing about something. I thought nothing of it at the time, I was heading out the exit in my car, and so didn’t stop. But now…?”
“A lover’s tiff, perhaps?”
Lacey was spot on with her thinking, and he nodded his agreement. He wondered what they’d been arguing about.
Nico pondered this news as they walked back past The Foreshore Restaurant. What would he do with the information? A part of him wanted to confront Gabe, tell him it changed nothing, that he would always remain a good friend. And part of him didn’t want to say anything. Because it’d make things awkward between them. Nico relied on Gabe’s friendship, perhaps more than he liked to admit. This news would change their dynamic, even if it were only in subtle ways. Mostly because Nico now knew Gabe had been keeping a secret from him. Even though he understood why, it still burned that he thought he knew his friend so well, only to find out he didn’t. Then there was the smallest part of him that was miffed, wondering how he could’ve missed the signs. Some detective he was if he couldn’t even tell his friend was gay.
“He might not be gay. He could be bisexual,” Lacey mused beside him. “Or even pansexual. Is that what they call it nowadays?”
“Yep,” Nico agreed through pursed lips.
Lacey’s mouth twisted into a half smile, but she didn’t comment.
They walked back up the busy main street toward the station, maneuvering through the crowds without further comment. Nico was still trying to digest this news as they passed the clinic, and he unconsciously glanced up at the entrance, as if the doorway might hold some answers. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t surprised to learn Jayden was gay. While the young man loved his outdoor pursuits, he had a gentle manner about him. He never seemed to partake in those bawdy, slightly misogynistic jokes Clark sometimes found extremely funny either. And he’d never had a girlfriend to Nico’s knowledge, at least.
“Will you come in for a second?” Nico asked as they reached the front door to the police station. “I was hoping to give you a few boxes to take home for me. I can’t fit them on the motorcycle.” It was a shame Lacey had decided not to attend the vigil tonight, but he could understand why she didn’t want to be there.
“Sure,” she agreed.
It was nice to step out of the wind and into the shelter and warmth of reception. Nico buzzed her in past the front desk and she followed him down to the command room. Sally-Ann was no longer on duty, for which he was eternally grateful. The last thing he needed was for her to see them together again; it’d only add fuel to her matchmaking fire.
Nico had his hand on the door to his office when the chief inspector appeared in the hallway.
“Ah, Nico,” he greeted him jovially. “And this must be the lady who tried to help Rania.” Charles held out his hand and waited for Nico to introduce Lacey.
“Yes. Yes,” Nico hurriedly agreed. “Lacey Carmichael, meet ChiefInspector Charles Shadbolt.”
