by W L Knightly
“I don’t know, man. It was just a hunch.” He raised his hands, and Darek stared down into his drink wondering if he really knew Tad at all.
Minutes later, Tad crossed the room. “We’ve got ten minutes. I’m on break.”
He grabbed a bottled water from behind the bar and led Darek through the kitchen, where the delicious aroma of steaks hung in the air, to the back alley, which smelled like rotting vegetable waste.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, but I want to say, first of all, that I don’t judge. I mean, we all have demons in our past and things we’re not proud of.”
“I’ve already told you, I don’t have shit to do with these fucking murders.” Tad snapped so harshly at Darek that he was left out of breath.
Darek waited until he got his composure, raking his hand through his hair and taking a few breaths.
“I’m not here to accuse you, but you need to know that something else turned up. Something directly related. I’m not sure if you understood what was going on, but someone filmed you.” Before Darek got the words out, Tad’s eyes widened.
“Filmed me? I’m a model. It’s not uncommon to have people do that.” He was playing it off, and Darek could tell he was uncomfortable.
“This was a film of you masturbating. Look, like I said, I won’t judge, but the police are looking for the participants in that video, so if you know who that person was, your best bet is to give them up. You told me you didn’t know Victor Barnes. So, I’m guessing it’s someone else.”
“I didn’t know Barnes, and I don’t remember anything else.”
Darek knew Tad was protecting someone. “Why shouldn’t I think you’re the killer? I mean, you keep turning up, you’ve obviously had a dark past and a damned good reason for slicing someone up. Hell, if the kid in that video had been me, I’d want whoever was behind that camera dead.”
Tad looked up and met his eyes directly. “You don’t know that.”
“Then tell me. Explain to me why I wouldn’t, Tad. Was it your father?”
“My father was gone and out of my life by the time I was ten. He wouldn’t have bothered to give me that much attention.”
“Then who? One of your mother’s boyfriends, your grandfather?”
Tad’s whole body was trembling as he tapped his foot. “We went to live with my Uncle Roddy.”
“He did that?” Darek took a deep breath when Tad met his eyes. “You can tell me. I just need a lead.”
“My uncle isn’t the man you’re looking for. He’s a pervert, but he’s not a murderer. He couldn’t harm a fly. And despite what you think, he never laid a hand on me.”
“Then he paid you? Bribed you? Come on, Tad. I know this shit was hard, but help me out.”
“You have no idea how hard it’s been. To go your whole life having this horrible thing in your past and—”
“Don’t I?” Darek gave him a look to remind him who he was talking to.
“Right.”
“Look, Tad, I don’t need you to hand me your uncle, but I do need you to tell me if you knew Victor, or if you knew of him. How might he have gotten his hands on your video? Had you been to his house? Did you know any of his friends?” Darek remembered that cast of freaks from the tattoo parlor and hoped to God that Tad wasn’t into the type of self-mutilation some of them had been into.
“My uncle didn’t let me into that part of it. I posed, I got paid, I kept my secret.” Like a good little boy. Darek had seen cases like this, where the victim was a willing participant, but when they were underage, they were still a victim all the same.
He could tell that something was still weighing heavily on his old friend, but with the load Darek had just dropped, he knew he shouldn’t press too hard. Still, he needed to make sure. “Is there something else you’re not telling me? Anything? Seriously, Tad. You can trust me.”
Tad kicked at the ground and then leaned against the wall. “There’s nothing. Are we done?”
“Just promise me, you’ll cooperate if questioned. I’m not going to be able to promise you that you won’t be called in. If you’re identified, if your uncle is found on any of those tapes, or if his number is in any of Victor Barnes’s things, they could.”
Tad pushed off the wall “If you’re afraid I’ll turn on you and the guys, you don’t have to worry. You know, that first summer? The one before you joined? It was the best time of my life. I had finally escaped my uncle’s basement and made friends in the world. Bay was like a God to me. He saved my life. I was finally accepted. I finally belonged somewhere. I’d never betray that.”
“I know what you mean; I was escaping something myself that year at camp. As I said, we all have shit in our past. Just be ready to face it now because I have a feeling it’s not going to stay buried for too much longer.”
Tad gave a nod, and then Darek followed him back inside. Tad returned to his station, and Darek left, feeling the drinks starting to work their magic. He headed back to the car, thankful he got that talk out of the way, but now, a new ache had him stirring.
He dialed Lizzy’s number before he could talk himself out of it, and he was turned on by her hello. Her voice was breathy and lower than usual. “Detective?”
“Hey, I was just wondering what you were up to for the evening.” He could hear the sounds of something being hammered. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“I was just in the middle of a workout. Don’t tell me the bachelor’s life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It seems to serve your boy Max well enough.”
“Max is a pro, but me? I’m out of practice.” He didn’t expect to be a bachelor ever again once he married Megan, and now that it was over, he was eager to find someone new to spend his nights with.
Lizzy was a longshot, but he didn’t really know anyone else he wanted to call or talk to.
“Are you still sleeping on his couch?”
“No, I actually found a place with a couch of my very own. Can you believe it? I just moved in, and what do you know? I’m all settled.”
“Good, then you won’t need any help unpacking.” The slapping noise continued, this time even louder than before. “Is there something you called for?”
“Just wanted to say hi and ask if you had heard anything about the tapes.”
“No, Victor was pretty tight about his contacts. His phone hasn’t recovered yet, and if lack of evidence is any clue, I’m sure that’s where the information we need is. Why, did you hear anything?”
He knew he should tell Lizzy anything he knew, and with any normal case, he would. He’d have this case solved already, have his promotion, and get the girl. In a perfect world, it would all be so much easier.
13
Bay
Bay was looking at his schedule for the day when Logan texted that he needed to meet. He had a feeling it was about the list and decided to get his PB in on the fun as he headed to his car. The phone rang once, and that surprised him. Tad was usually a little harder to wake.
“What is it?” he asked, greeting Bay with more attitude than usual.
“Logan called. He’s on his way to my penthouse. I suggest you meet us there. That is, if you want the name of the person framing you.”
“I’m on my way.” He hung up the phone, and Bay continued on his way.
Once he made it across town and up to the room, he found Logan in the lobby.
“I can’t believe I beat you here,” Logan said.
“I didn’t realize we were racing.” Bay remained stoic and unlocked the door. The two walked in, and Bay beelined for the bar.
“Do you need me to strip?”
“No, I don’t think you’d cross me, now would you, Logan?” He had known the guy longer than any of the others. “We go too far back for all that.”
“Then how come you did last time?”
“Because last time, I wasn’t sure if you were trying to set me up.”
“Come on, like you said, man; we go too far back for that.” Logan smiled, an
d then it faded when Bay didn’t reciprocate. “So, yeah, I got the list.”
“That’s good. I’ve got Tad on the way.”
Logan’s eyes widened a touch, and then he shifted in his seat. Bay got the impression he didn’t want Tad around, and it wasn’t like the usual jealous behavior he’d exhibited in the past when Bay would pal around with someone new.
“You have a problem with him coming?”
“No, man. It’s just. I don’t know.”
“Come on; you’re the one telling me the two of you are having private meetings. I thought you were pals.” Bay grinned like a snake and loved watching him squirm.
“Okay, look,” Logan said. “I didn’t tell you something about that night. I know I should have, but it didn’t seem like my place to tell.”
“You always were my favorite, you know? Even when I added all those others to the group, I knew our friendship was the strongest.” He watched as the guilt settled into Logan’s brow, feeding his black heart.
“You’re right, Bay. I’m sorry. I just, I don’t know what I was thinking. The truth is, he’s got someone after him. At first, I thought maybe you were fucking with him, but then, I wasn’t sure.”
Bay had never hidden the fact that he liked to fuck with the guys where Logan was concerned. Logan was like a sidekick, a yapping puppy at his heel who, every now and then, needed a good kick or a slap to put him in his place.
“What do you mean someone’s fucking with him?” He walked to the sitting area and stood over his friend. “Tell me what you know.”
“Well, don’t say anything to him, but he got some kind of card left on his car. It’s why he came to me; he thought I was the one fucking with him because of the brands.”
“I see. And you thought that anonymous threats were my style?” Bay leaned over and looked him in the eye. “You should have known I’m more of a face to face kind of guy. I like to see the fear in people’s eyes, the sweat on their brow, the way they twitch and fidget.” He looked down to where Logan was picking at the arm of the couch. He stopped and wiped his upper lip.
“I’m sorry, I should have said something.”
Bay stepped back, and that was when there was a knock at his door. He looked over at his monitor to see Tad standing outside. The circles under his eyes looked dark in the resolution of the monitor.
Something was weighing on him.
Bay opened the door. “Speak of the devil.”
“Talking about yourself again, Bay.” Tad raked his hand through his hair as he walked inside, and Bay shut the door.
“Ah, it’s nice to see you’ve got jokes. I’ve got some, too. How about the one where you think I won’t find out every single fucking thing that’s going on with you?” He walked over and gestured to the couch were Logan sat. “Have a seat. Logan was just telling me some interesting things.” Bay liked the way Logan squirmed, and then he lowered himself to the chair across from them both.
Tad turned his head to Logan, who sat stewing beside him. “So, did you find the list, or did you just feel the need to be a little tattling bitch?”
“You should have told me yourself,” Bay said. “But before we get to that, let’s have it, Logan. Where’s this list?”
They waited as he reached into his pocket and took out his wallet, which he opened and took from it a tiny scrap of paper. “Here. That’s the order of purchase. You’ll see that I didn’t sell Tad’s until third, and it’s some Emma Johnson, or something like that.”
Bay turned to Tad, whose eyes were wide with fear. “That’s impossible.”
“What?” Logan was lost.
“Are you fucking serious?” Bay looked down at the list. “Emma Johnson? Does that not ring a fucking bell?”
Tad’s face had gone pale. “The girl at Camp V, you fucking idiot? The name that’s been burned into my goddamned brain for the past decade that keeps me up at night.”
“Oh shit. I didn’t know. I’ve honestly tried to forget. I mean, shit, that was a long time ago, and a long time before I tried to sell anything.”
Bay had remembered the name for a much different reason. Emily Johnson had been his first. Like a trophy, she would always be special. But then again, they were all his trophies in a strange way, some more tarnished than others. Some broken. “Someone was plotting against us way back then. Someone knew.”
Logan shook his head. “It has to be one of the guys.”
Tad leaned in, and Bay met his eyes. “Tell me, Secret Keeper, did you tell anyone my secret?”
“Why would I give someone else that power over you?” Bay didn’t mind admitting what he was now or why he’d asked for the secrets to begin with. There was no fooling the wise, and they were certainly not the same little kids they’d once been.
“Well, someone knows,” Tad said.
Bay nodded. “Which brings us to whoever is fucking with you. You found a card on your car?”
“I’m not supposed to talk about it, but it’s a threat, yes. They knew where I was that night; they know where I live. I can only imagine they’d know where I am now.”
Logan snorted a laugh. “That’s why I didn’t think we should have asked the motherfucker to join us.”
“And I wouldn’t have if I’d been privy, but it seems my little ducks are not in a row any longer. Perhaps I should remedy that, make sure this isn’t one gone astray.”
“Who would do this, and how would they know all about me?” Tad asked.
Logan shrugged. “With the internet these days, I’m sure it’s not difficult. You’ve got facial recognition and search engines that can bring up a wealth of information. Speaking of, did you get in touch with Corey?”
“He’s supposed to be handling it,” Bay said. “Why he ever thought having a forum was a good idea is beyond me. If I’d been savvy enough to know the risk, I’d never had let us talk there.”
“What if someone spoke to a therapist or something?” Logan asked. “Darek. He’s in therapy, isn’t he?”
“Darek is under my watch. He’s not talking about anything because he can’t remember anything.”
“Yeah, but what if he does?” Logan asked. “What if saying he’s repressed is a lie? A way to protect himself?”
Logan had a good theory, but Bay hadn’t been kidding when he told the guy he knew all about Darek’s sessions and medications. He’d dug up enough dirt on Darek’s shrink to keep him on meds for the rest of his life.
“Leave that to me, and trust me when I say, it’s under control.” Bay looked them both in the eye, and they nodded. “As for whoever is fucking with you, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“I’ve got a modeling job, finally something that means something to me, and I can’t fucking sleep because of this shit.”
“What is the threat?” Bay asked.
“Just that they’re coming after me. They weren’t specific.” Bay knew he wasn’t telling the truth, but he hoped that he could get him to spill his guts. Tad got to his feet. “I’ve got to go.”
“Wait,” Bay said. “Mama’s boy here was leaving. And I’m sure as he does, he won’t let the name Emily Johnson, or Emma or Em, or any other fucking form of it slip his mind again.”
Logan got to his feet. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t recognize it.” He stormed to the door and turned to look back at the two men. “Keep me informed, but keep away from me. You might think this target is for us all, but I’ll take my chances alone, thank you.” He shut the door behind him, and Bay knew he was going to have to take care of that bullshit later. No one got away from him. His ducks might not be in their row, but they were still his fucking ducks.
“Now that he’s gone, tell me what the fuck you know.”
“Darek came to see me. He knows about my uncle. That guy they found? The dead guy with my symbol on him? He had some of my uncle’s shit in his house. Apparently, at some point, he bought the videos from my uncle, probably some photographs too, knowing the way Roddy works, and Darek saw them. Now, the cop
s are looking through those videos for any link.”
“Darek wanted you to give your uncle up?”
Tad shook his head. “No, he told me he didn’t expect that. He just needed to know if I could give him a lead of any kind, a reason Victor would have that stuff. The name of anyone who might have known something. I don’t know. It’s all hitting too close to home for me now, Bay. I have a chance to get my shit straightened out. I’m finally clean. And for what? This person is going to destroy me.”
Bay walked back to the bar and poured himself another drink. “With that attitude, I’m sure they will.”
14
Tad
Leaving Bay’s penthouse, he didn’t feel unsafe in the parking garage. In fact, it was the first time he wasn’t looking over his shoulder, but only because he was trying to relax. He had a big shoot in a few hours, and the last thing he needed was more stress lines creasing his forehead. The ones he had, along with the deep circles beneath his eyes, were enough for the makeup team to deal with.
He had been walking around like a zombie since thoughts of killing his uncle had been going back and forth in his mind. He still wasn’t sold on the idea. He unlocked his car as he approached, and then, as he opened the door on his Mustang, he felt a sharp sting on the side of his head and everything went black before he could react.
Rousing in his car sometime later, he felt his head and pulled away bloody fingers, but luckily, the blood had only trickled. His seat had been reclined back, and he checked the time, wondering how long he’d been out. He’d left Bay’s about half an hour ago, and thankfully, he hadn’t missed anything important. He raised his seat and found a note taped to the steering wheel that read: You have one more day, or I will come for the one you love most.
“Hannah,” he whispered. He knew the fucker wasn’t going to have a chance to fuck with his sister if he could help it. Whoever the sick bastard was, he’d be satisfied when he did the deed after his shoot.
He rushed home to clean up and get ready. Just his luck, in the shower, his head started bleeding. He got out of the shower, wrapped himself in a towel, and tried to get it to stop, but he was making a mess. His hair already needed another washing.
