Just the Facts, Volume 1

by Edward Kendrick

  “And attempted blackmail,” Michael said shakily.

  Barnet nodded as he called for back-up and an ambulance. Then he ordered Norwood to sit in one of the waiting room chairs. When he did, Barnet snapped the other end of the cuff to the chair’s arm.

  “I’m bleeding,” Norwood said, stating the obvious since blood ran down his fingers.

  Michael got a roll of paper towels from under the counter, tore off some, and handed them to Barnet.

  “Barely a scratch,” Barnet said as he wiped the blood away, revealing a deep gash on the side of the man’s hand.

  “I’m going to sue you for false arrest and…and you—” he pointed at Michael, “—for attacking me.”

  Barnet snorted. “Good luck with that. The cameras caught everything that happened.”

  “And I saw it, too,” Carolyn said, coming into the room. She looked at the man, shaking her head. “I guess some people are just born stupid.”

  Sirens sounded outside the shop before an ambulance pulled to a stop in front. Two EMTs came in moments later. From there things proceeded as Michael figured they usually did. The EMTs examined and bandaged Norwood’s hand while Barnet read him his rights. In the midst of all that, including more police officers and Detective Daniels arriving, a teenager came into the shop carrying two pizza boxes. He took one look, his eyes widening, then asked, “Did someone here order a large pizza with everything, and a meat-lovers?”

  “That would be me,” Carolyn said, gesturing to the counter, “Put them down there, please, and I’ll pay you.”

  “What happened?” the kid asked as he did what she said.

  “Nothing much. That guy tried to kill my boss is all,” she replied, checking the bill he handed her then getting cash from the register to pay him.

  Taking the money, the kid whistled. “And I missed it. Damn.”

  “Be glad you did,” Michael said dryly, having regained some of his composure. “It wasn’t as exciting as it sounds.”

  By then, Barnet had released the handcuff from the chair’s arm and snapped it around the man’s other wrist. Then he left with Norwood and the EMTs, to ride with them to the hospital, he told Michael.

  Once the place cleared out, except for Daniels, Michael sighed in relief, sinking down into one of the chairs. “Was he one of her johns?”

  “We won’t know until I question him,” Daniels replied. “Does he look familiar, like you saw him with Ms. Lee?”

  “God, I don’t know. Maybe?” Michael shrugged. “You know I only saw them very briefly.”

  The shop door slammed open, startling them. Reid stood there for a second before closing it, coming over to Michael. “I had to hear about what happened on my police scanner instead of someone calling me.” He shot an angry look at everyone. “Damn it, Michael. Just…damn it.” He pulled Michael to his feet, wrapping him in a hard embrace.

  “I was kind of busy,” Michael replied defensively, even as he held tightly to Reid.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled but when I heard, and I was halfway across the city, and all I could think was maybe you were dead…”

  “I’m not,” Michael murmured, understanding Reid’s fear. “It was close but…”

  “He stopped him,” Carolyn said proudly. “I saw it on the video from the camera. He grabbed the man’s hand like the hero he is and stopped him.”

  “I’m no hero,” Michael protested as he eased out of Reid’s embrace. “It was him or me and I was damned if I was going to go down without a fight.”

  “Do you know who he is?” Reid asked Daniels.

  “His name, yes,” Daniels replied. “I’ll know more when I interrogate him, and maybe not even then if he lawyers up.”

  “You know he will,” Reid said. “He’ll be facing two charges of murder, as well as what happened today. Speaking of which, I want the details, please.”

  “So you can file a story with your paper?” Michael asked. He knew it was Reid’s job, but right now he wished otherwise.

  Reid nodded, then grinned. “I could throw you to the wolves.” He gestured toward the door. Michael saw why. There were two TV vans parked on the street. Cameramen focused on their respective reporters, who were talking animatedly as they walked toward the shop. “Now that the police have left, they’ll want their ten minutes with you,” Reid said.

  “Yeah? Well, they’re not coming inside,” Michael replied. Opening the door, he went out to stand on the steps with the detective right beside him.

  “Mr. Wright, can you…” “Detective Daniels, will you…” The reporters threw questions at them. They answered some, avoided others, and a few minutes later the reporters left, followed moments later by Daniels who said he wanted Michael to come to the station in the morning to press assault charges against Stanley Norwood.

  “My turn for an interview?” Reid asked when Michael came back inside.

  “If you insist,” Michael replied. “Not yet, though. Let me close, and then we can go in back and eat cold pizza.”

  “I’ll stick it in the microwave,” Carolyn said, picking up the boxes and heading to the back room.

  Even though it was early, Michael turned the sign on the door to ‘Closed’, locked the door, then went through his usual closing routine. “Remind me, I need to get new glass for the counter.”

  Reid chuckled. “I think you’ll remember when you get here in the morning. The glass company is going to love you.”

  “Fuck. I forgot to call them about my door.” Michael checked the time. “I’ll do it now. Maybe they’ll be willing to work after hours.”

  “Get them here, if you can, and set it up for tomorrow at your place. The manager can let them in.”

  Michael took Reid’s advice. He gave the man he spoke with the dimensions of the glass he’d need for the counter and was told to expect someone in half an hour. After setting a time in the morning for them to go to his condo, he called the manager to inform him so he could let the glass people in.

  “Someone from the fire department came by to get the fan,” Michael said when he hung up. “Once the door’s fixed, and the window, I guess I’ll need to call a restoration company and buy some new furniture, and…” He shook his head in dismay.

  “Until everything’s back to normal, you’ll stay at my place,” Reid told him. “No arguments.”

  “I wasn’t planning on arguing,” Michael replied, putting his arm around Reid’s waist as they walked to the back room.

  While they ate reheated pizza, Michael and Carolyn told Reid what had happened when Norwood had shown up that afternoon, while Reid took notes. They had barely finished when the shop doorbell rang. Michael figured it was the men from the glass company, which it was. They replaced the countertop, Michael paid them, and when they left he locked the door again before returning to the back room. Carolyn had re-boxed the remaining pizza, telling the guys to take it home “For breakfast.”

  “Yuck,” Michael muttered.

  “A late-night snack, after you finish playing around?” She grinned knowingly.

  Reid winked. “Maybe?”

  Michael rolled his eyes, suggesting it was time to leave—which they did.

  * * * *

  “First things first,” Reid said as soon as they got to his house.

  “Filing your story.”

  “Yep. Then, we’ll get to what’s really important.” Reid took time to kiss Michael quite thoroughly before getting on his computer.

  While Reid was writing and sending it off, Michael went into the kitchen to put the pizza in the fridge and make them coffee—giving Reid a cup when it was ready. Then he went over to the shelves in the living room to see what sort of books Reid read. Not too surprisingly, as far as he was concerned, there were true crime ones, and reference works relating to criminal investigation. There was also a shelf of sci-fi—hard sci-fi he discovered after taking a couple out to read the blurbs.

  “Find something you like?” Reid asked, coming over.
r />   Michael turned and nodded. “You.”

  “I’m not an easy read,” Reid quipped.

  “Maybe not, but I’m persistent. Like a good book, I’ll stick with it until the end.” Michael put his arms around Reid, gazing at him. “It will be worth it.”

  “I hope you’ll always feel that way.”

  Michael kissed him, whispering against his lips, “Always.” The kiss intensified as, by mutual accord, they moved to the bedroom.

  “Think we’ll be able to get more than our shirts unbuttoned this time?” Reid teased as he set to work on Michael’s.

  Michael nodded, more interested in removing Reid’s shirt than talking. “Shirts off. Now pants,” he said when he’d succeeded.

  They managed to get each other totally undressed between more kisses. Then Michael stepped back, raking his gaze over Reid. “Pretty much as I imagined.”

  “Only pretty much?”

  “Well…” Michael ran his hand up Reid’s hard cock. “This is more than I imagined. Not that I’m complaining, you understand.”

  Reid cupped Michael’s balls, rolling them between his fingers. “Neither am I.” When Michael drew in a ragged breath, Reid stopped, putting his hands on Michael’s waist to walk him backward to the bed, then tumbled him onto it. Opening the nightstand drawer, he got a condom, knelt, and sheathed Michael’s cock.

  Michael moaned when Reid licked from the base to the head before slowly sucking it into his mouth. He moans deepened when Reid proceeded to torment him until he was certain he’d come—as much as he wanted to wait for Reid.

  Reid drew back as if sensing Michael’s wishes. Getting onto the bed, he pulled Michael to him, kissing him deeply before sprawling on his back, his legs spread as he lifted an eyebrow in question. Michael’s response was to get another condom. After sheathing Reid, he set to work at driving his lover to distraction. From Reid’s groans and writhing, he knew he was succeeding. He didn’t stop until Reid gasped, “Enough, or…”

  Sliding up Reid’s body, Michael took his mouth in a heated kiss which was returned with equal passion. When they broke apart, Reid took a deep breath.

  “I need to know, do you want me to…? Are you…? Hell.”

  Michael worried his lip, hesitating as he looked at Reid. “You’d rather top, wouldn’t you? I think it’s all right with me. I used to like bottoming, but…Damn it.”

  “You said nothing happened while you were in prison,” Reid replied, instantly understanding what Michael hadn’t voiced.

  “Nothing did, because I didn’t let it. I told you that. But after I got out, the idea that someone, a man, could have that much control over me didn’t sit well, if that makes sense. But…” He put a finger over Reid’s lips to keep him from saying anything. “This is you. The man I care about. The man I trust. So if it’s what you want…God, I’m talking this to death. Just fuck me, before we lose the desire, I guess.”

  “Michael,” Reid replied, holding him close. “I’ll never lose my desire to make love to you. If you’re certain it’s all right.”

  “I am,” Michael replied unwaveringly. “I want this. I want you. More than you know, I do.”

  “You have me. All of me.” Reid kissed him tenderly before saying, “I think…Yes. On your back, if you would. I want…need to watch you while we’re making love.”

  Michael rolled off Reid onto his back, his gaze locked on his lover as Reid generously lubed his cock and fingers. When Reid asked, Michael pulled his legs up, gasping when Reid eased two fingers into him. One cool finger touched and then stroked his gland. Michael wanted more. He wanted it all, and said so.

  “Yes, sir,” Reid replied with a smile, bending to drop a swift kiss on Michael’s lips. Pulling his fingers out, he pressed the head of his cock to Michael’s entrance and slowly pushed in.

  Michael expected the pain and rode through it, waiting for the pleasure. It came, building in intensity as Michael met each of Reid’s thrusts with one of his own. “This is…” he whispered, savoring not only the act but the mix of caring and desire in Reid’s expression.

  “Perfect,” Reid murmured, grasping Michael’s cock, pumping it as he rode him faster and harder. Suddenly he arched back with a cry of release.

  That was all it took. Michael’s orgasm flooded him with an intensity he had never experienced before. Because I’m with the right man for the first time in my life. He knew that was the reason and prayed Reid felt the same.

  * * * *

  “That was everything I hoped it would be,” Reid said when he could finally get out a few coherent words.

  He had been aware when Michael came and had time to savor the ecstatic expression on his lover’s face—seconds before collapsing on him, every nerve pounding from the strength of his climax. After that, talking or even thinking hadn’t been an option for several minutes.

  “It was,” Michael replied. “I mean for me, too. Who knew…?” He didn’t finish what he was going to say, kissing Reid instead.

  When the kiss ended, Reid said, “That it could be so fantastic?” He smiled, brushing Michael’s sweat-soaked hair off his forehead. “It takes being with the right man and for me, that’s you.”

  “I think, no, I know you’re the perfect man for me. What’s amazing is, it’s only been a week since we met. How could it happen so fast?”

  “Fate?” Reid suggested. “The situation we were in intensifying our feelings? Does it really matter? It did and I’m damned glad of it.”

  “Me, too.” Michael looked at him and a grin turned his lips up. “I’d be even gladder if you’d move. You’re heavy, we’re sticky, and I for one need a shower.”

  “Gladder?” Reid laughed as he pulled out and eased off Michael.

  “It’s a word. You know it is, Mister Reporter.”

  “It is.” Reid got up, waiting for Michael to join him. “We’ll keep it to a shower and nothing more.”

  “Until after we eat the rest of the pizza.”

  “That works. It’ll give us enough energy for round two.” Reid knew there would be more loving that night. The way they felt about each other, it was a given. Morning was another thing. Michael had to work and before going there, they needed to stop by the station to see Detective Daniels and file an official assault charges against Stanley Norwood.

  When Reid said as much to Michael while they waited for the pizza to heat, Michael replied that he wasn’t certain why that was necessary, since there had been witnesses. “Won’t that be enough?”

  Reid shrugged. “You’d think. Daniels is probably covering all bases, in case Norwood hires a good lawyer.”

  “If he works for Fine, I’m sure he can afford the best,” Michael replied.

  “The same holds true if he was one of Ms. Lee’s johns and she was blackmailing him. You don’t try to do that unless you know the victim can afford to pay. But enough of this for now. Let’s eat then see if we can surpass our first time making love.”

  Michael said he was all for that, so they did. As far as Reid was concerned, they definitely surpassed their first attempt, in spades. They needed another shower, of course, after which they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

  Chapter 9

  “What we know so far,” Daniels said once he, Michael, and Reid were seated at his desk Friday morning, “is that Mr. Norwood was involved with Ms. Lee on a personal level. He admitted that much, against his lawyer’s wishes. Then he clammed up.”

  “So you don’t know if she and Trask were blackmailing him,” Michael said.

  “No. He is married, and very well, with three children. They and his wife are in seclusion at the moment to avoid reporters.” Daniels shot a look at Reid, who merely smiled in return. “He’s also a professor at the local university and will be eligible for tenure in approximately six months, presuming he meets all the qualifications.”

  “Somehow I think he’s blown that,” Reid said dryly.

  “If he was one of her johns and she threatened to let either hi
s wife or the university know he was, umm, playing around on the side, I guess, that would certainly give him a motive to want her dead,” Michael said.

  “Agreed,” Daniels replied. “One interesting fact. He was in the Army Reserves, so he knows how to use a grenade launcher. However, we didn’t turn one up, or any firearms in fact, when we searched him home. His wife claims he’s very anti-gun, for what that’s worth.”

  “That doesn’t mean he didn’t get his hands on one to pull his attack on Michael’s place and then dispose of it later,” Reid said, getting a nod from the detective.

  Daniels took a form from his desk drawer, handing it to Michael. “This is merely a technicality, since Officer Barnet was on the scene, but it could be useful when Norwood goes to trial, even if it’s only for attempted murder.”

  “Only?” Michael got what he was saying, but given the circumstances, he didn’t think Norwood’s trying to kill him was an ‘only’. He filled in the information, signing the form with Reid and Daniels as witnesses. “Is there anything else,” he asked when he’d finished.

  “Not at the moment,” Daniels replied. “I’ll keep you informed about what’s going on with Norwood.”

  Michael thanked him, then he and Reid left.

  “I think I can pick up my car, now,” Michael said when they got to where Reid had parked.

  “You don’t approve of my chauffeuring skills?” Reid asked with obvious amusement.

  “I love them, but you don’t need to be running me around everywhere anymore. You do have the kind of job where you might need to be somewhere just as I’m supposed to head to work, or when I close the shop.”

  “All right, I’ll accept that logic, as long as you don’t forget where I live. You still need a place to stay until your condo is back in shape.”

  Michael rolled his eyes. “As if I would.”

  “Then I’ll see you tonight?”

  “Reid, if I have my way, you’ll see me every night, whether it’s at your place or mine.”

  Reid smiled slowly. “I was hoping that would be your answer.”