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For God’s sake, focus.
He waited until Dan was seated before launching into the speech he’d rehearsed over and over in his mind during the drive to the hotel. “I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be. But… I don’t think you should leave. I still feel you could help us solve this case.” He clutched the paper bag.
Dan said nothing but lifted the stainless-steel cover to reveal eggs, sausage, and potato hash. He took a mouthful of eggs and a forkful of potato hash.
The silence sent a shiver through Gary. “Won’t you even discuss it?” His stomach clenched.
Dan re-covered his food and sat back. He gestured to the couch. “Sit down, please.”
Gary sat at the other end and placed his bag on the table.
Dan cleared his throat. “There’s something I think you should see.” He loosened the soft belt around his waist and opened the robe to reveal his upper body. Gary’s heartbeat raced. He couldn’t move.
Dear Lord, don’t let him be naked under there.
It was such an incongruous thought to be having in the circumstances, especially as his earlier view had already proved the lack of underwear. His face tingled, his cheeks hot.
And then he couldn’t breathe when he saw the jagged diagonal scar across Dan’s chest. It wasn’t a recent scar, Gary could tell that much, butoh my God, it was long.
It was a scar that spoke of pain and suffering.
Gary’s fingers ached to reach out and trace it, but then Dan pulled the robe shut, and Gary dragged air into his lungs. “What happened?”
Dan leaned forward, picked up the coffee pot, and filled two cups. He handed one to Gary, then sagged against the cushions. “I told you when we first met that I liked to keep my involvement on cases private, staying in the background. Well, that’s how it isnow. In 2013, I was asked to consult on a murder case that was baffling the Chicago police. Actually, I approached them. I’d had a vision, and miracle of miracles, I’d been able to make sense of it. I knew I could help them find the killer.”
Gary searched through his memory. “I watched the case at the time. And of course when Travers suggested bringing you in, I looked up your documented cases.” He glanced at Dan’s covered chest, then raised his gaze. “But what does… this have to do with the Chicago case?”
Dan wrapped his hands around his cup and drank deeply. “I gave them vital leads that brought them closer to the killer. Then a particularly inquisitive journalist discovered this, and suddenly I was front-page news. Everyone was reading about me working with the police and how my help had narrowed the search.” He shivered. “Everyone, including the killer.”
“But they caught him, didn’t they? Jackson Perraultwascaught.”
Dan’s eyes met his. “Yes, he was—but not before he caught up with me.”
Jesus. “Hedid that to you?” Dan nodded. “But… surely you had police protection. I mean, if you were giving them information, they should’ve kept you safe.”
“Well, that night something went wrong, because I went for a walk, and he was waiting for me.” Dan’s lip trembled. “Yes, they got him, but only after he’d managed to do this.” He covered his chest with his hand. “I’m not going to talk about that night, okay? I’d rather forget it. I didn’t come close to losing my life, but….” Another shiver coursed through him. “Let’s say it took me a while to face the world again. And even longer to consider helping out another police department.”
“Yet you agreed to help us. Because of who the killer was targeting.”
Dan nodded again. “I couldn’t sit back and watch as gay men were dying. Not if there was a chance I could do something about it.”
Gary’s pulse quickened. “I… I think you’re amazing. It took real guts to step forward and say yes. And yeah, now I get why you made that stipulation.”
“Do you also understand why I can’t stay?”
Cold inched its way through him. “But… we need you. Youknowwe do. I went to see Travers this morning. He’s turning the place upside down, trying to find out who leaked the story to the media. No one connected to the newspapers is talking.”
“And that surprises you? They’re protecting their source.”
“But if I tell Travers what happened to you, why you wanted to remain out of sight, he’ll protect you. Hell,I’llprotect you, even if it means you staying at my place or putting an officer outside that door.”
Dan arched his eyebrows. “Are you volunteering to be my personal bodyguard, Detective?”
“If it keeps you safe and working on this case? You bet I will.” Heat surged through him.
Dan was courageous, and Gary admired him greatly, but it was more than that. Gary was a tangled mess, and he recognized the same heady mix of emotions he’d felt back in high school when he’d crushed on Cory. Not that Gary had ever revealed his attraction to Cory—for one thing, Cory clearly hadn’t been interested in him in that way. Then Elsa Makins had come along, letting slip accidentally on purpose via her network of girlfriends that she was interested in Gary.
That had been the clincher. He’d decided his infatuation with Cory was nothing but a phase. After all, there were no other boys to whom he’d felt that same tug of attraction, so he obviously wasn’t gay. When he and Cory had reunited as Gary was going through the police academy, he’d been overjoyed to have his friend back—his best friend. The attraction had still been there, yes, but Gary wasn’t going to do a thing about it.
