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He turned for the door, and Demetrius said quickly into the phone, “Sorry, Zee, I’ve got to go. Thanks for calling.” He hung up right as Lucia opened the door and stood directly in front of Cody, glaring up at him.
“You stink,” she said.
“I didn’t do it,” Cody said.
“Oh? Didn’t do what?” She looked around Cody to where Demetrius was just pulling his hand off the phone, and her expression hardened. “Zenona is a damn traitor.” She looked back at Cody. “Why do people keep trying to save your skin?”
“Maybe because it’s soft from that loofa I’ve been using?” Cody tried to move around her. “If this is simply a friendly visit, I’d love to stay, but I just finished a workout, so I’m going home to shower.”
“How about I stand upwind and we take a few minutes to chat?” Lucia said, then looked at Oliver and Demetrius in turn. “All four of us.”
“Oh, shit,” Oliver whispered. “Me, too? You usually tell me to get lost, mind my own fucking business, and not write about stuff.”
“I’m calling in all the secondary characters,” Lucia said.
Cody looked at Demetrius with a frown. “We’re the secondary characters?”
“In her story, I guess,” Demetrius said with a shrug.
“And that’s what matters right now,” Lucia said. “So, I’m going to assume you know the basics of why I’m here.”
She, Cody, and Oliver all looked at Demetrius. He sighed.
“Fine, yeah, we know.” He tipped his head toward Oliver. “A little bird told us.”
Lucia gave him a hard look. “Where’d you hear it?”
“Around,” Oliver said.
“Your grandmother,” Lucia said with a nod, then looked back at Demetrius. “And was that Zenona on the phone?”
“Am I under oath?” Demetrius asked.
“So, it was,” Lucia said. “And I’m sure she told you something interesting about the body.”
“Care to share?” Cody said.
“Devin had bruises on both of his ankles,” Demetrius said.
“And he was dressed in a black suit,” Oliver added.
“Jesus Christ,” Lucia muttered. “The fucking gossip in this town.”
“Amen to that,” Cody said. “I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you suspect I had something to do with this.”
“I didn’t say you did,” Lucia said. She looked to Demetrius, then back to Cody. “I’ve come to see if you two have changed your mind about the… situation, and your involvement.”
Cody crossed his arms, and his expression hardened. Demetrius fought against the all too familiar urge to step in and say something before Cody could spout off and possibly get them in more trouble. It had been a difficult week for Cody, and he needed to let off some steam. And when Demetrius was honest with himself, Lucia needed to hear what Cody had to say.
“Did you know I was served papers yesterday?”
It was Lucia’s turn to cross her arms. “Paternity?”
Oliver chuckled, but Demetrius watched Cody carefully.
“No. A civil suit brought by the Woleks.”
Lucia nodded once. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
