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Gary smiled. “No, it’s okay. And you’re right. I haven’t looked all that much into Brad’s death. Which is strange seeing as I joined the police to do just that.”
Dan laid his hand on Gary’s knee. “It’s not strange. At least, not to me. You have a strict sense of duty.” He tilted his head. “You felt torn, didn’t you? Torn between spending time on Brad when you had cases of your own to investigate, and feeling as if you’d failed him if you didn’t find his killer. And in that situation of being pulled in two directions, you didn’t move forward. You stayed stuck in the same place.”
Gary’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “And with each new year, I promised myself I’d find the person responsible. I’d do something.”
“And now youare,” Dan assured him. “And something else occurred to me. You know how we’re tracking down Cheryl’s friends from college? Maybe we should do the same with Brad’s. College, high school…. Maybe some of them know something.” He squeezed Gary’s thigh. “But like I said, we’ll find a way to do it on our own time.”
Gary covered Dan’s hand with his own. “Seeing how much you’ve already discovered, I have no doubt we will do it.”
What Dan noticed immediately was the change in Gary’s breathing, the way he relaxed into the driver’s seat.
I did the right thing, telling him.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
GARY REACHEDacross the bed, seeking Dan’s warm body, and encountered nothing but the smooth cotton sheet. He snapped on the light and peered at his alarm clock. Two in the morning. Gary sat up, threw back the sheet, and got out of bed. He padded into the living room to find Dan sitting naked on the rug, boxes of Cheryl’s stuff around him. He’d emptied a couple of them, and various objects were spread out in front of him.
Dan was lost in a world of his own.
Gary cleared his throat, and Dan jerked his head up. “Hey. Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I could ask you the same question.” He crouched beside him.
Dan gestured to the piles surrounding him. “The answers must be here. She handled all this.” He frowned. “I should be able to get a sense of her.” He picked up a scarf and held it to his face.
“What this situation requires is hot chocolate,” Gary said decisively. He stood and went into the kitchen. As he heated the milk, he glanced at his naked body.
He’s getting me into new and strange habits.Gary was used to wearingsomethingaround the place, but he had to admit, he liked the idea of letting it all hang out.
He carried the two cups into the living room and set them down on the coffee table. “You’re going to put all this back in the boxes, drink this, and then we’re both going back to bed.” He gestured to the scarf. “Anything?”
“I think this was a gift, and a romantic one at that.”
Gary arched his eyebrows. “Interesting. We must ask her father if she had a partner.”
Dan opened one of the folders. He removed a sheaf of photos and spread them out on the rug. “She worked from these.” He pointed. “Look, there are smears of paint on them.” Dan leaned back on his hands. “I’m getting a sense of her routine. And I think she developed all the photos herself.” He held up a sheet of negatives. “See? The ones she didn’t intend using, she put a line through them.” Then he stilled.
“What is it?”
Dan stared at the sheet. “The emotions linked to the negatives. The main one is curiosity. Intense curiosity.”
Gary frowned. “About photosshetook? That doesn’t make sense.”
Dan nodded, his eyes wide. “I know! But this was important to her.” He put the sheet of negatives down and pulled another box toward him. He peered into it. “So many books. Mainly biographies of artists, art in general.” He reached into the box and removed one with a smile. “I don’t think this one was for reference, however.”
Gary peered at the hard-backed book’s cover. “TheKama Sutra?”
Dan chuckled. “A well-thumbed copy of theKama Sutra.”
Gary took it from him and flicked through it. “I’m not going to ask what you feel when you hold this.”
Dan’s eyes glittered. “Good. Because I’m a gentleman, and some things should remain secret.” His cock rose, diverting Gary’s attention.
“Pity there isn’t a gay version,” Gary remarked, unable to tear his gaze away from Dan’s crotch.
Then Dan coughed loudly, and Gary blinked. Dan grinned. “There is. And I have a copy. Actually, it’s in one of my boxes in your closet.”
Gary stood. “Bring the hot chocolate. This can wait.” He held out his hand to Dan.
