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“I know where to find you if I have questions,” Cody said.
“I’ll tag along with you,” Eileen said. “All this work talk gives me gas.”
Eileen pushed up from her chair, grabbed her cane, and stepped down off the porch. She paused to give Cody a hug, which he leaned down to accept. She whispered something to him that made Cody chuckle, and when he straightened up, Eileen gave his chest an affectionate pat before approaching Demetrius.
“Give an old lady your arm, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
Demetrius extended his arm and she hooked hers through it. They headed off down the driveway to the sidewalk as Cody sat in the chair she’d just vacated.
“What’s new?” Eileen said.
“Oh, well, Cody just learned I’ve been keeping notes about our unusual cases over the years. He’s hoping the notes can help show we’ve been involved in things outside the general idea of normal and prove his case that he didn’t intentionally kill Phillip Wolek, and he knew the man was already dead when he stopped him from biting me.”
“That’s fine. I’m sure it will help.” She gave his arm a squeeze. “But what’s new with the case? Figure it out yet?”
“How do you always know about these things?”
“I’m connected. This place is like acres of dry tinder when it comes to town gossip. All we have to do out here is sit around and talk and come up with reasons why shit happens. If you want to know what’s happening in a small town, check with its senior citizens.”
“Well, we’re kind of stumped. And we just learned there have been some missing persons this summer we weren’t aware of.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard about those. Thought you knew. And that cabin out there is closed due to the parks department being short-staffed.”
“We did see that today.”
“Out poking around, huh?” Eileen grinned. “I miss it. Ever since that car accident with JoAnn, I’ve been moving slower. But I’m doing my physical therapy faithfully so I can get out and about with you boys again.”
They’d reached Amelia and Otis’s condo and Demetrius helped Eileen up the low step to the porch. Before he could even ring the bell, Amelia pulled the door open. “What have you learned about those drownings?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Nervous?” Demmy asked.
Cody shifted his attention from his hands clasped on the table before him and looked at Demmy. He wore a dress shirt, pants, and a tie, like Cody himself, and sat beside him. Always beside him, never behind, never in front, always next to him. And he, too, looked nervous. Funny how they’d faced down so many out of the ordinary things, but a legal proceeding seemed to be more frightening by far.
“Yeah, pretty nervous,” he said. “Anxious for it to be over and done with, but also scared for it to start.”
“Oh my God, I know exactly what you mean.” Then Demmy leaned in a bit and added in a low voice, “Whatever happens, we’re in it together.”
“Always and forever?” Cody said.
“Even longer.”
Dieter entered the room and took the seat to Cody’s left. He was dressed in a white linen suit and looked more like Colonel Sanders than ever before.
“I’m glad the men’s room is just a couple doors down.” Dieter picked up the printouts of Demmy’s notes and tapped the edges until they were even. “Could have been an embarrassing meeting otherwise.”
Before Cody could come up with something to say to that, the door opened and the Woleks entered. The atmosphere of the courthouse conference room shifted immediately as the three surviving members of the Wolek family glared at Cody across the table. Cody glared right back, putting all his anger, frustration, and feelings of helplessness into it.
Maureen Wolek, Phillip’s mother, had her mousy brown hair pulled up into a bun on the back of her head. She was thin and bony, looking like a zombie herself. She wore just a bit of eyeliner to highlight her dark brown eyes, which she fixed on Cody with intense hatred. Frank followed on his mother’s heels, the overhead lights shining across his shaved head. He was Phillip’s older brother and the fucker who had assaulted Cody on the sidewalk in front of Margie’s several weeks ago, an act for which he was still performing community service. Trent Wolek, Phillip and Frank’s father, was next, looking angry and uncomfortable in an off the rack suit and a tie Cody would bet he’d bought at Parson’s Pharmacy.
A tall, good-looking man with a head of thick, perfectly styled auburn hair followed the Woleks into the room. He looked smug and wealthy, and Cody disliked him on sight.
“Hello everyone, I’m Leo West, and I am representing the Wolek family.” As the Woleks sat, Leo remained on his feet and gave each of them a long once over, ending with Cody. “I read the notes your partner has been maintaining. I must say, they were as entertaining and imaginative as a Stephen King novel.”
Dieter laid a hand on Cody’s arm, a signal for him to be silent. With a bit of difficulty, Cody managed to do just that. Clearing his throat, Dieter said with a smile, “Demetrius is Cody’s husband as well as his business partner, and we all would appreciate it if you would acknowledge him as such.”
