Welcome to Blissville

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  “What? Nate’s dead.” I turned my head in the direction that Gabe and Adrian were looking and said, “I’d say there was something psychedelic in those stuffed mushroom appetizers, but you didn’t eat them.”

  “You see him too?” Gabe asked like he truly saw a ghost.

  “Hell yes, I do,” I replied in awe.

  We watched as the ghost of Nate Turner stopped, smiled, and spoke to a waiter in the dining room. That was odd because I’d never seen Nate Turner smile, although I didn’t know him well and I refused to think about how well Gabe did. He also came off as someone who thought that speaking to a waiter was beneath him. The new Nate Turner, though, clapped the waiter on the shoulder before he joined a group of people at a table.

  “I don’t fucking believe it,” Adrian said. “I saw his photos from the morgue. You ID’d his body at the scene.”

  “I gave a visual ID that the dead man in the car was the man I knew as Nate Turner. I know for a fact they made a fingerprint and dental record comparison to validate my identification,” Gabe said. “Who the fuck is that guy?”

  “We’re about to find out,” Adrian said. He raised his hand and waved the waiter over who’d been talking to the doppelganger.

  “Yes, sir?” the waiter asked.

  “What’s the name of the gentleman you were just talking to?” Adrian asked, nodding his head in the direction of the table our mysterious man just joined.

  The waiter hesitated as if he wasn’t sure he should say. “His name is Jonathon Silver, sir.”

  “Thank you,” Adrian said pleasantly. “He looks so familiar, but that’s not a name I recognize.”

  “He’s relatively new in town,” the waiter replied. “Is there anything else? Would you like more bread for your table?”

  “No, we’re fine, but thank you,” Gabe told him. I could tell that he was eager for the guy to move on so he and Adrian could discuss the new development. I counted to four after the waiter moved on before Gabe said, “Has to be a twin brother.”

  “No other explanation,” Adrian agreed, “but why in the hell had no one told the cops about his existence? Not Nate’s attorney, not his silent business partner, and not his staff. No one mentioned this guy at any time.”

  “The only thing the Cincinnati police told me was that he had adoptive parents. There was no mention of a brother—identical twin or otherwise,” Gabe told Adrian. “They must’ve been raised by different families.”

  “Which means that the CPD probably didn’t know either. What are you going to do about this discovery?” Adrian asked Gabe. Adrian didn’t include himself in the equation because Gabe was the one leading the joint task force investigating Nate’s homicide while Adrian wrapped up any investigation that involved Billy Sampson since Gabe was obviously biased against him.

  Gabe shook his head and shrugged his shoulders slightly before he replied with, “Not much I can do about it until Monday. I can do a basic internet search on the guy and try to get some background info, but I guess there’s not much out there if the CPD didn’t know about him. He’s either kept his nose clean or has evaded capture.” Gabe looked at me across the table then said, “There’s no need ruining our evening over something we can’t resolve tonight.”

  I knew that the investigator in him wanted to fight that logic, but I also knew from previous conversations that he felt his hectic, long hours on the Miami Police Department played a big part in his failed relationship with Kyle and he wasn’t willing to let the same thing happen between us. I loved that about him, I truly did, but I’d rather him do what he could right then so that his attention would fully be on me when he was home.

  “I can ride home with Sally Ann and Adrian if you…”

  “Nope,” Gabe said emphatically. “Yes, my mind will be spinning in a million directions tomorrow, but it’s not fair to call in the task force on the weekend with nothing to go on except his name. Like I said, I’ll do some research tomorrow and formulate a game plan for Monday.”

  “If you’re sure,” I told him.

  “I am,” he replied. “Let’s go back to enjoying our dinners and later you can tell me why I’m just now learning that you can paint.” So he had overheard what I said to Sally Ann. “I expect you to show me your stuff when we get home. Your artwork,” he corrected when he could tell I was about to snark about how often I show him my stuff.

  “The bloom is already falling off the rose,” I woefully told a laughing Sally Ann. “Gabe, you’ve seen my artwork already.”

  “I have? When?” he asked.

  “The studio in my attic,” I told him.

  “Are you telling me those paintings of the ballet dancers are your creation? That’s just…wow, Sunshine. What other talents are you keeping from me?” he asked in awe.

  The attention he was giving me in front of Adrian and Sally Ann made me feel anxious, so I did what I did best in that type of situation. “Baby, you’ve barely scratched the surface of my talents.” Sally Ann and Adrian laughed, but Gabe just studied me quietly for several moments.

  “There’s no time like the present to find out,” he told me. The look he gave me promised that he wouldn’t let up that night until I shared a new talent with him.

  Once we got home, I showed him how I could tie a cherry stem with my tongue and how useful a strong tongue could be once I had his dick in my mouth. I could honestly say that his case was the furthest thing from his mind right then. I also forgot to ask him how in the world Adrian found out about my pole dancing, but then I decided it didn’t matter because I trusted and believed in Gabe.

  I had meant what I said about there being no point in calling in the task force on the weekend on just the discovery of Jonathon Silver’s existence. Time away from the job was important for a well-balanced, happy life. I was also right that my mind would constantly spin as I tried to figure out what role, if any, Silver may have played in his brother’s death.

  Instead of being angry that my mind was preoccupied, Josh went upstairs to his attic and began working on the painting for Adrian and Sally Ann’s nursery. It still blew my mind that Josh had created those gorgeous paintings. Why the hell would he hide that kind of talent in a room that only he saw? It was baffling to me. I also thought that it was slightly unfair that he had been blessed with so many talents when so many of us could barely walk and chew gum at the same time. I could lift weights and play a few sports, big deal. Josh lit up a room with his personality, made people feel good about themselves, and made it a prettier world with his hidden art. I just shook my head and went back to doing a basic internet search on Jonathon Silver.

  As I suspected, I hadn’t learned much from public databases. There were no mentions of Jonathon Silver’s name in any online or print articles. He didn’t appear to own any residential property in the northern counties of Kentucky or southern counties of Ohio. It was trickier searching for commercial properties unless you knew the address or the proprietor’s name. There were many sites that offered to give me the contact information for Jonathon Silver, but I wasn’t about to pay for it when I could get that information myself at the police station. I blew out a frustrated breath that what I predicted had come true—I knew absolutely nothing new. I had hoped to get a head start for our Monday morning task force meeting.

  “Why don’t you call John and ask if he wants to leave earlier tomorrow, so you have extra time to gather information before your meeting?” Josh asked. I wasn’t aware I verbalized my irritation for him to hear or maybe he read my mind. Was that another skill he had been hiding? I want sex. I want sex. I want sex. “Why are you making that cheesy porn face?” he asked me.

  I threw my head back and laughed at the confused expression on his face. “I was trying to see if you could read my mind because you commented on what I was thinking before I made the cheesy porn face.”

  “You want to watch cheesy porn?” he asked.

  “No,” I replied. “I want to know if you can read minds or if I talk out loud so
metimes when I’m not even aware of it.”

  “You didn’t verbalize your thoughts out loud, babe,” Josh replied, shaking his head. “I’m not a mind reader either, but I could tell how anxious you are by the tenseness in your body and the way you keep tapping your pen on the notebook. So, why not give John a heads-up about who we saw last night and find out if it’s possible for you to pick him up earlier. If not, you can always go to the station early in the morning and get started on the background searches.”

  He was right, and I told him so. “I’ll go into the station early tomorrow and work for a bit before I pick him up. I can fill Dorchester in during the drive to Cincinnati.” I liked my temporary partner and didn’t want to screw up his weekend for no good reason.

  “Great. Now hopefully you’ll be able to relax and enjoy Sunday dinner with our friends,” Josh told me. He never failed to call Meredith and Chaz “our” friends, and that meant a lot to me. It made me feel like our relationship was more like a partnership, that we were truly one.

  “If not, I know what always makes me feel better.” I made the most lecherous facial expression I could. I narrowed my eyes into a sultry look that was supposed to be sexy and bit my lip. Instead of Josh jumping me as I’d hoped, he howled with laughter.

  “You look constipated,” he managed to wheeze out in between peals of laughter. “I love you so damn much, Gabe. Never change.” I was so glad I could entertain him, but damn my ego took a dive when Josh couldn’t tell my constipated face from my sexy face. His next words soothed my wounded pride. “You don’t need a sexy face for me to want to throw myself in your arms, Gabe. You just need to keep breathing.”

  “You say the sweetest things.” I set my notebook and pen on the coffee table and pulled him until he was in my lap. “I love you so much, Sunshine, so I want to be better about leaving my work outside these walls.”

  “That’s not how guys operate, Gabe. Regardless of our profession, work drives us. You don’t complain to me when my last client’s appointment runs thirty minutes over so why would I hold it against you when you’re trying to solve a case?” What Josh said made sense logically, but in theory, it didn’t stand up. I saw too many relationships die for other officers when disappointment over canceled dates and late nights turn into resentment.

  “You have to let me know when something isn’t working right for us. I need you to tell me when I’ve done something to upset you, instead of suppressing things.” I ran my fingers through his platinum blond hair and smiled at the way his hazel eyes turned a shade darker with affection whenever I touched him in the simplest of ways. He was a man who was truly starving for love and affection when I met him, and I was a man with an abundance of love and affection to give to the right man. We were made for each other.

  “It’s like you don’t even know me.” Josh shook his head sadly. “Have you ever known me not to tell you how I feel in one form or another?” He hid behind snark when he felt most vulnerable, he got very quiet when he got angry, and expressed his love for me with his body—either during a dance, sex, or both. Technically, I would know by his reaction how he felt, but I would prefer that we just said what was on our minds. “I can tell how important this is to you. I will try harder to be upfront with you about my feelings without all the extra stuff tossed in.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Josh leaned forward and gave me a quick peck on the lips before he stood up. “I need to get started on dinner now, but we’ll talk about ways to relax you later.”

  “What are you fixing tonight?” I asked.

  “Roasted chicken, stuffing, green beans, and rolls.” He looked back over his shoulder on the way to the kitchen and said, “Apple tarts for dessert.” Josh laughed wickedly because he knew what cinnamon, apples, and pastry did to me. “I got you that fancy vanilla bean ice cream you like.”

  “I swear I’ve gained ten pounds since I started dating you,” I told him.

  “I guess we’ll just have to double down on your cardio workouts, babe.” He had a suggestion for every scenario, and for the most part, I found no fault with them.

  Meredith arrived at her normal twenty minutes before dinner, but Chaz wasn’t with her, and he didn’t show up during the final minutes of Josh putting his masterpiece together. I could see Josh and Meredith’s posture becoming more and more rigid from worry as time ticked by so I took the plates from Meredith’s hands.

  “Why don’t I set the table while you call Chaz to make sure he’s okay?” I suggested. It wasn’t like Chaz to be late, but both Josh and Meredith had remarked on separate occasions that he’d been running late in the mornings to open the shop. He seemed tired and quieter than his usual demeanor which earned him the nickname of Spaz.

  “Thank you, honey,” Meredith replied. “He never misses dinner and… hey, sweetie. Where are you? Dinner is almost ready, and we were getting worried. You fell asleep?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Tell him I’ll hold dinner for him,” Josh yelled over his shoulder.

  “Just come on over, Chaz. Josh is holding dinner for you.” Meredith pocketed her phone and worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Do you think he’s sick?” she finally asked. “The exhaustion and the dark circles under his eyes makes me think he’s sick.”

  Josh came out of the kitchen and pulled Meredith into a hug. “Let’s try not to jump to conclusions, okay? It’s obvious we need to have a come-to-Jesus talk with him because letting him come to us on his terms just isn’t working. Let’s wait until he has a full belly to strike.”

  “Deal,” Meredith said, nodding.

  The close bond of friendship they shared always made me smile. It made me even happier that they opened that circle to include me too. Still, I knew we could be heading into territory where my objectivity might come into play if Josh and Meredith didn’t get their way.

  It didn’t take long for Chaz to show up and I was shocked by his appearance when he arrived. His hair was sticking up everywhere, his eyes were red and puffy, and his skin had an unhealthy pallor. His clothes were rumpled, and he wore a look of complete bewilderment on his face. Meredith took one look at him and burst into tears.

  “Sugar, get in the car, and I’ll take you to the ER right now,” she told him. So much for waiting until after dinner.

  “I’m not sick,” Chaz told her. “I was just up late last night—well, early this morning—playing video games.”

  “Video games?” Meredith’s tone and demeanor had changed from distraught to disbelief in a second.

  “Yeah, it helps me relieve stress,” Chaz said with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “Stress?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips. I could tell she was about to give Chaz a piece of her mind. I opened my mouth to do my peacekeeping routine, but Josh shook his head. As much as I loved Chaz and Meredith, he knew them a lot better than I did so I heeded his warning.

  “Yes, stress,” Chaz said defensively. “I don’t have a built-in stress reliever,” Chaz said, pointing in my direction, “like Jazz does, and I’m not as kickass as you are. Nothing seems to faze you, Mere.”

  “That’s a bunch of bullshit if I ever heard it. Don’t make excuses for bad behavior and then play the poor pitiful me card,” Meredith told him. No lie, I took a step back because I hadn’t seen her so angry in the short time that I’d known her. I would’ve agreed with Chaz’s assessment that nothing got her down until I saw her in action. “Josh and I have been worried sick to death about you for months. You’ve turned us down to go out, you’ve been late to work, you’ve been absent-minded at times, and you nearly missed Sunday dinner with your family. You look physically ill right now, baby,” Meredith added, but with a softer tone of voice. “What can we do to help you?”

  I saw all the starch fade right out of Chaz. He pulled a chair back from the table and flopped down in it. Josh and Meredith moved to stand on either side of him. Meredith ran her fingers through his hair, and Josh rubbed his back.


  “I feel so immature and ridiculous, but that’s what I’ve gotten caught up in,” Chaz said. He looked up at Josh and then Meredith. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I promise you that I’m not sick and I’ll do better about getting to work on time.”

  A sudden thought occurred to me while the trio made up. “What game are you into these days?” I asked. What was the likelihood that Chaz was the same guy that Kyle had been playing with online?

  “World of Warcraft,” Chaz replied. Same as Kyle. “I know, you probably think I’m acting like a ten-year-old.”

  “No, I don’t think that. You’re not the only guy I know in this town who’s hooked on that game.” Josh narrowed his eyes at me as he considered my words.

  “You don’t say?” he asked.

  “I just did,” I replied smartly, earning myself a glare from my guy.

  Chaz looked back and forth between us in confusion. “Um, I hate to break up whatever is going on here, but do you think we could eat now?” he asked. “I haven’t eaten all day.” As if to emphasize his misery, his stomach growled angrily inside his thin frame.

  “I do believe Gabe and I can table this discussion until later,” Josh said somewhat huffily as he returned to the kitchen.

  We gathered around the table, Meredith said grace, and then we began passing around the platters and bowls of food. Conversation lulled while we piled our plates high with food but kicked into higher gear once we’d had a few bites. I wasn’t exaggerating when I told Josh on numerous occasions that he made the best food I had ever eaten. I would’ve been happy to worship his skills in silence, but I didn’t consider myself to be a rude person. I answered whatever questions I could about my time working on the task force, which basically left me with discussing the people I worked with rather than the details I had discovered, which weren’t many. So, I stuck with discussing the individual personalities and skill set of the members.