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After a cup of coffee and a couple of pop tarts, he showered and dressed and headed out to search through thrift shops in the hopes of finding a few things to make the place look a little more comfortable and attractive. He also posted his ad to several online sites and posted hard copies to local bulletin boards. Rent would be coming due in less than two weeks, and he could not afford it on his own.
Tanner was getting ready to leave when his phone alerted him to a text message. Opening it, he was surprised to see a text from Salem. Perhaps he forgot something. Tanner was hoping it wasn't the lawn chair; otherwise, he would have nothing to sit on. He was pretty sure the lawn chair was his.
“Blake instructed me to give you his contact information in case you cannot find a roommate. You may reach him at Blake Christopher, Christopher Realtors, 3318 State Street.”
Tanner read the text several times, confused by the offer, and then decided to just say thanks and move on. He would never contact this guy for anything. He seemed the kind of guy who collected favors and then would redeem them at the most painful and inopportune time. He didn't know how he knew this, but his gut had never steered him wrong.
“Thank you.”He left it there and hoped to never hear from the couple again. He tucked his phone back into his pocket and headed out, making sure to lock the apartment door carefully. Salem had not left his key, and Tanner was considering getting the locks changed, but he couldn't afford that expense at the moment.
Zeke sent Noa a copy of the video depicting the last moments of Griff's life, and Noa then sent it to Griff's clan. Griff's brother contacted him with a few questions, including where they could collect Griff’s body. Zeke and Noa had stored his remains in the basement freezer. Noa took control of dealing with the bear clan, so Zeke turned his attention to the delivery driver. Tanner Fenn, age 22, employed by Eastland Beverage Distributors, moved to Cincinnati six months ago from Columbus.
Zeke called up the grainy video and wished it gave a clearer picture of the young man. He looked to be around five foot eight, considering how he measured up to Parc as he stood next to him. His weight was probably around one-fifty by the looks of him, and he was strong, going by how easily he handled those cases of booze.
There weren’t any pictures of him online, not even from high school. He was conveniently absent on picture day, apparently. He was on Facebook, but there were no picture references. He never posted anything and never friended anyone, so that was a dead end. He had other social accounts but never included pictures of himself or anyone else, for that matter.
Zeke was about to go deep and get access to the DMV when a post went up on Tanner’s Facebook account. He was looking for a roommate. Zeke read it over and jotted down the phone number he listed.
Noa stopped by his office and brought a couple of sandwiches and drinks from the kitchen. “Thought you might like a bite to eat.” He said with a smile and sat down next to Zeke. “You tend to obsess over things like murder and motives and forget to eat.”
“Thanks.” Zeke chuckled.
“The bear clan has taken Griff’s body, and they have the video, so you won't have to worry about those thugs from last night ever returning," Noa told him as they ate. "His brother said Griff was working for some guys who work for anyone purely hired muscle. He was under the impression that he was currently doing protection for a property broker, but he never questioned or got any details."
Zeke nodded. "That's where I'm at as well, a little info with very little detail."
“Have you found anything on the delivery guy? Is he just a man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
"Not sure; the video suggests the two who killed Griff were interested in the delivery guy and kept watch on him as he completed his delivery and then left. It makes me think they may decide to try and harm him." Zeke shook his head. He was not usually the one to get all sympathetic, but Tanner was innocent, and he couldn't just turn away.
“The Clan might take care of the problem before they have an opportunity to harm him.” Noa threw in.
"True, but it's a gamble I'm not sure I feel comfortable taking. Tanner Fenn, that's his name, is just a young man who came to town from Columbus six months ago. He's a work-a-day Joe like the rest of us, and it would crush me if he became a statistic." Zeke wasn't sure why, but he felt a growing responsibility for the young man.
"I understand, but what can you do?"
"I think I'd like to meet him and just see what the vibe is. I'll pick up on danger if it's present." Zeke offered.
"Okay." Noa nodded his head and smiled. "So, he's good-looking, is what you're telling me here?" Noa began to laugh when Zeke shook his head and laughed. "The chance of him being in any real trouble is almost nil. I know you too well, Zeke, and you would not be putting this much work into someone like the delivery man unless he had something to offer." Noa laughed harder as Zeke tried to pull an indignant expression that failed.
"Yes, I find him marginally attractive, but truth be told, I have a bad feeling about what happened that night and genuinely believe Tanner Fenn could be in trouble." Zeke was attracted to the man; he wouldn't deny it, but there was more to his concern than simple fascination.
“Then you should check him out, but Griff’s clan will take care of the issue. Young Tanner should be okay.” Noa added in all seriousness. No one wanted the young human to be harmed.
"Tanner has just posted an ad for a roommate. I think I will respond. It will give me the opportunity to meet him and check out his living quarters."
“That’s a perfect opening to casually check things out, and if everything is cool, you can easily walk away." Noa agreed.
“But what if I like the apartment? Maybe I’ll be compelled to move in.” Zeke joked.
"You would never leave that gorgeous home of yours. It took you years to get it just right, and it is great. I doubt an apartment on the east side would compare." Noa stood and gathered his debris, tossing it in the trash. "Let me know how this works out, and if you need any help, let me know."
"Thanks, man, I will." Zeke found the number, and he sent a quick message asking about the apartment. He received a response almost immediately, and they set up a coffee date for later that afternoon. He suddenly felt excitement and didn’t know where it was coming from.
Tanner was at the thrift store when he received his first inquiry about the apartment. It was only an hour since he posted the ad, so he was feeling pretty confident that he would find a suitable roommate before the week was out.
Zeke was his name, and he sounded sexy as fuck, but that was just his voice. Tanner knew that with his luck, Zeke would probably turn out to be one of the least attractive men in Cincinnati. But he wasn't looking for a boyfriend. He was looking for a roommate, so Zeke's looks did not matter. His ability to pay rent and cohabitate peacefully was all Tanner required. He sure hoped that Zeke was a looker, and he thought he could use a little eye candy in his life.
Salem was cute but had the look of a delicate pixie and was not Tanner's type at all. He liked his men a little rougher and solid with a mind of their own. Once he was more settled and financially in a better place, he planned to go out more and take advantage of the many clubs and hot spots in Cincinnati. He’d heard some interesting stories of the amazing nightlife downtown and looked forward to the experience.
