by K. C. Burn
Huh. Rob had a point. Looking back, Cliff remembered the mayor wearing some sort of ostentatious watch, but he couldn’t say for sure it was the one weighing down his pocket.
The myriad implications that would arise from arresting the mayor flooded his mind, and he looked back at Scott while the Drummond brothers whispered furiously among themselves.
“Well, that’s a bit of a clusterfuck, isn’t it?” Scott said with his usual insouciance. “But hey, maybe you won’t lose your job.”
“Or this is the most dramatic exit interview ever.” Cliff rubbed at his temple, where a headache threatened. “Christ, Scott, we can’t just haul these guys back to the film site. We can’t let word of this get out until we talk to the chief and get the proper warrants in place. Otherwise Morales could make some serious trouble.”
“You’re right, but what are we going to do? How are we going to keep a lid on this for the next couple of hours? These guys need medical help, although it’s maybe not a complete emergency.”
“Your sister working tonight? Or do you know an off-duty EMT that you could trust?”
“My sister’s got the night off, and she’ll keep quiet if I ask her to. I’ll call her as soon as we’ve got reception, but where am I going to tell her to go?”
For the first time, Cliff was grateful that they hadn’t been able to call in backup. If the mayor found out his two gator-bait boys had survived and were coherent, he’d be gone before anyone figured out he was behind it all.
There was only one place Cliff could think of to go where Rob and Brett would be safe and no one would see them arrive. He only hoped his mother wasn’t completely under William Morales’s spell.
“We need to change direction. Hit the path that leads to my mom’s estate. We can’t bring them out in the middle of the crew. Not a chance.”
Drew’s eyes widened. His boyfriend was damn smart and understood immediately that what Cliff proposed would probably break his mother’s heart. Which it was going to do as soon as she caught wind of the mayor’s arrest, but Cliff was banking on his mother caring for him more than some man she was dating. A bit of a gamble, given Cliff’s behavior the past few years. Regardless, this was still the best option.
“Your mom… This will be hard on her.”
“I know. And I won’t even be able to tell her until we’ve got Morales in custody; otherwise she could tip him off accidentally.” Or intentionally, but Cliff didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want Morales to escape or try to finish off Brett, Rob, and maybe any witnesses.
Slowly they made their way to the clearing and cell reception. Morales’s car wasn’t parked in the driveway, which was a small mercy. Cliff made Wyatt support Brett while he and Scott made their phone calls.
After Cliff had confirmed his mother was alone and had gotten a promise of confidentiality, he hung up and looked over at Scott.
“My sister is on her way.”
“Okay, guys, let’s get you in the house. Don’t contact anyone, either by phone or Internet. Got it? I’ll field any questions about your whereabouts should they arise.” Cliff didn’t think the TV crew was in any hurry to find Brett after he’d screwed them all over, and anyone looking for Rob was likely right here, so he wasn’t worried about too many questions.
Brett snorted, then winced. “Bastard tossed our phones in the water.”
The six of them began shuffling across the lawn, a couple of lit-up windows and the porch light shining like beacons. The yard had never seemed so large before.
“Couple of questions before we get in there. Either of you know why the mayor did this to you? And how did he get you?” Cliff could always hope Morales had succumbed to the urge to talk.
Brett cleared his throat. “After our little…uh…discussion, I went to hang out in one of the trailers. The mayor followed me and asked me to go for a walk, see if we could work things out so I didn’t destroy the town. I agreed to go with him, kind of wondering what he’d offer me.” Brett at least had the decency to sound ashamed.
“And then what? I’m pretty sure Morales doesn’t have the kind of money that would make you reconsider. Which could also be considered blackmail, you realize.”
“Yeah, I know. I wasn’t about to change my mind anyway. I wanted out of the contract, and I wanted to hurt you, and this seemed like a great way to get both things. The mayor wasn’t serious about offering me money anyway. He just wanted to get me out of sight. Then he stunned me, saying I wasn’t going to destroy his life.”
Cliff frowned. “His life? What does that mean?”
“You might have noticed how obsessed Morales is about increasing the tourist trade,” Scott said. “He owns, or has invested heavily in, a number of the businesses closely tied to Haunt Fest. It’s possible he could go bankrupt if we had a slump in tourist traffic.”
Cliff looked sharply at Drew. “Is he involved in your business?” Because that business was also Drew’s home, and he didn’t want any Morales fallout to affect Drew.
“No. God, no. The mayor hates me, and I do fine without his investments.” The spurt of relief at Drew’s words surprised Cliff, just a little, because he wanted Drew’s business to thrive, whether or not he was truly psychic. Being with Drew had opened his mind, just a bit, and the comfort of Sandy Bottom Bay and its eccentricities was slowly sucking him in.
“Rob? What about you?”
“I don’t fucking know. He approached me about a job, and like this asshole, once I was out of sight of anyone, stunned me. He did think I was Wyatt, though, and figured he’d say I took off after killing Brett and also so I couldn’t talk.”
“Talk? About what?” Scott asked.
Cliff groaned. “We definitely have to open a full investigation into Andy’s death.”
“Why? Because Drew said he saw the watch in a vision?” Scott’s voice, thankfully, didn’t sound as though Cliff was ready for a straitjacket.
“No. If Morales found out Andy was setting up the hoax, he might have killed him to keep it from coming out, not realizing Brett was behind it all. After Brett’s disappearance, having a Drummond scapegoat isn’t such a bad idea, but choosing Wyatt specifically, even if he was mistaken, is significant, because Wyatt found the body. Likely Morales thought he’d be able to point the blame to a missing Drummond for both deaths, if he thought we were going to investigate Andy’s death as a homicide.” Cliff had exaggerated when he’d threatened to arrest Brett for murder, since he didn’t have any real evidence, but the mayor, watching the whole exchange, wouldn’t have known that.
Scott’s sister Sarah pulled up to the house just as they approached the front door, and their arrival was noisy enough to alert Cliff’s mom, who ushered them all inside.
Within seconds, Sarah had taken over, with his mom helping out, leaving Cliff and Scott free to leave and go wake up the chief. They admonished the women to tell no one what was happening here, until further notice, and then Cliff pulled Drew aside.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay here, and keep an eye on things. If anything weird happens, call me immediately.”
Drew smiled at him and moved into his arms. Cliff didn’t care if his mom or Sarah was watching. He was just so damn glad Morales hadn’t decided to take Drew prisoner. The last thing he wanted was for Drew to be hurt any more.
“I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” Drew pressed his lips to Cliff’s, and they kissed gently. If there hadn’t been an audience, though, Cliff would have given in to the clawing need to reassure himself that Drew was safe. Somewhat barbaric, maybe, but he wanted to strip Drew naked and claim him in the most primal way. The ridge of Drew’s erection told him Drew wouldn’t be averse to the notion, but for the next few hours at least, Cliff had a job to do.
An insistent buzzing nudged Cliff’s hips, breaking their tender kiss. Surprisingly, it was coming from Drew’s pocket. “Someone’s desperate to get a hold of you. Unless you’ve been carrying around a vibrator this whole time.”
; Drew’s cheeks pinkened, but he pulled out his phone. “It’s a message from Kyle.” Drew frowned at the display. “He’s left five messages already.”
“Better listen to them.” For all Cliff knew, Kyle had been privy to some breaking news while their sorry group was in radio silence.
Even without it being on speaker phone, Cliff was quite able to hear Kyle’s shout from the message.
“Where the hell are you? I can’t find anyone. Not even the TV crew has seen you. And your brothers aren’t answering their phones. I’m ready to call the cops, damn it. Or your uncle. Someone. Call me the fuck back right now, Drew.”
Cliff rolled his eyes. Kyle wasn’t going to be put off easily. “You think he can be trusted to keep this secret?”
“Yeah. He wouldn’t do anything that would hurt me or my brothers.”
Then there was only one thing to do. Cliff sighed. “Call him. Get him out here to reassure him you’re safe. You can tell him what’s going on, but for God’s sake, make sure he doesn’t tell anyone until I say he can.”
“I promise. Get going. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back.”
“Listen, I was serious. I might not have a job in a couple of hours.”
Drew smiled. “That’s okay. We’ll manage just fine”
Cliff’s breathing faltered for a moment. “Really?” Cliff kissed Drew again, because this man was who he wanted to be with. More than anything.
Scott cleared his throat. “No smecking until an arrest is made, you slacker.”
Pulling away from Drew was difficult, but Scott was right. “I’ll text you, let you know what’s going on. It might be hours, so try to get some sleep.”
“Be careful.”
“Call Kyle. Quick.”
Drew smiled, and Cliff followed Scott out of the house.
* * * *
A sharp elbow in Drew’s ribs roused him, making him aware of the cramped and overheated bed situation. He sat up without disturbing Kyle, who’d fallen asleep in his clothes beside him after a fitful night. Snatching his phone, he checked desperately for messages, but there was still nothing from Cliff.
Drew had been so anxious to hear the results of the mayor’s arrest, he was pretty sure he’d awakened every hour during the night, although the last he remembered was the hazy gray light just before dawn, and it was now almost ten.
Having Kyle speed over last night and distract both him and Wyatt from Rob’s health, despite Sarah’s reassurances, had been such a comfort. Brett had recovered enough to spend his time bitching, making Drew fear that Wyatt was going to knock him out, but Helen had smothered Brett in Southern charm until he’d caved and then finally passed out.
Drew had been quick to claim Cliff’s bedroom when offered, but despite the high school memorabilia that made him feel close to Cliff, he’d still asked Kyle to keep him company. Helen had managed to find sleepwear for all four of them who’d been soaked in the swamp, as well as offering hot showers and the option to launder their clothes in her washing machine. Drew suspected she had someone come in and do the laundry for her, at least the items she didn’t have dry-cleaned, but that was immaterial. Kyle had been a sweetheart and done their damp, swamp-soaked laundry while they’d showered, but Sarah wanted them all to go to the doctor as soon as possible for checkups. Stagnant water could contain malicious bacteria. Goody. Another medical expense Drew didn’t need.
It had been hours since he’d heard from Cliff, and Drew couldn’t stop himself from sending a short text asking for an update. He might not get one, but he knew it wouldn’t take too long waiting this morning before he wanted to crawl out of his skin. Drew slipped from the bed and perused some of Cliff’s memorabilia. Helen had done a nice job on the room, combining reminders of Cliff with an updated decor so that it was neither a shrine to a boy who would never return nor a complete erasure of a guy who’d spent eighteen years sleeping here.
Not for the first time, Drew was aware that Helen Somerset was a sharp woman. Which made her unwavering support of him unnerving and gratifying at the same time.
“Nothing yet?” Kyle asked sleepily.
“No, dammit.” Drew whirled around. “Want to help me cook breakfast? I don’t want to strain our hostess’s hospitality any further by expecting her to cook for us as well.” Assuming Helen cooked. He wasn’t really sure, and while he could tell Cliff cared about his mom, he hadn’t spoken a whole lot about her, beyond the reasons for their estrangement.
“Sure thing.”
Drew didn’t bother changing. The pajamas were plenty modest, and he’d get dressed later. After a quick trip to the bathroom to take care of business and wash his face, he ran his fingers through his somewhat savage hair—going to sleep with it wet was never a good idea—then went downstairs while Kyle took his place in the bathroom.
Sarah sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in front of her, the scent of a freshly made pot hanging lush in the air.
“You hear anything yet?” she asked.
“Nope. You neither, I guess.”
She shook her head, looking hardly worse for wear. Presumably a nurse had a lot more experience with the lack of sleep that came with monitoring concussion victims. “Help yourself to coffee.”
“Thanks. How are Rob and Brett?” Drew fixed himself a cup and perused the contents of the fridge.
“Doing better. Resting. I’d be a lot happier if they were properly examined at the hospital, but we’ll get them in there as soon as possible.”
“Kyle and I were going to make breakfast. Will eggs be okay for them?”
“Sure. Nothing too spicy, though.”
“That’s very sweet of you,” Helen said behind him, making him jump.
“Oh. Good morning Mrs. Somerset. Would you like some eggs?”
“Thank you, no. I had some toast when I woke up, but thank you for preparing breakfast for the others. We could be stuck here for several more hours. This house hasn’t been so lively in years.” Cliff’s mom tucked a wayward lock of Drew’s hair behind his ear.
Drew knew that, but he wanted it to be over and done. And he wanted to know how Cliff’s meeting with the chief had gone. Cooking might help kill some time.
“Please call me Helen, at the very least.” Helen’s subtle wink was so very mischievous, it was obvious she knew Cliff staying at his place wasn’t at all platonic. Heat raced up Drew’s face, and he ducked his head into the fridge while mumbling his thanks.
Kyle pounded into the kitchen with his customary manic energy, thankfully taking the focus off Drew, and Drew could have kissed his friend for his timely arrival.
It wasn’t until breakfast was a memory and the dishes were done, leaving Drew at loose ends again, that Cliff called him. As much as he knew everyone was waiting anxiously for information, not everyone was privy to the knowledge of just who Cliff and Scott intended to arrest, so Drew ran back up to the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
“Hi. How’s it going?”
“It’s done. We just brought him in.”
“It’s over? What did he have to say for himself?”
“I can’t tell you everything, although he said enough that we’re going to reopen Andy’s case, see if we can find some evidence that links the mayor to it. Unless he confesses, though, I doubt we’re going to nail him for anything besides attempted murder.”
“Oh.” Drew would have liked it better if Andy got some justice, but the real world didn’t tie up as neatly as cop shows implied. Cliff’s now unwavering belief that Andy was murdered gave Drew a little vindication, and who knew? Forensics might find something now that they had an idea what to look for.
“I’m coming now, but I can only stay a short while. Then I have to be back.” Cliff sounded so weary, which wasn’t a surprise. No matter how restlessly Drew had slept, he’d still gotten a few hours that Cliff hadn’t.
“As much as I’d like to see you and tuck you into bed to get some sleep, why don’t you wait until you’re done before you
come back?”
Cliff sighed. “My mother collects gossip and town news like a dragon collects treasure. She finds out more secrets, quicker and with more detail, than the most dedicated investigative journalist, and I’m pretty sure it’s because people fall over themselves to offer up information in return for one of her benevolent smiles.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Drew bit his lip against a grin. There was definitely something about Helen Somerset that made a person want to please her, and without any expectation of financial gain.
“And your point is?” Lack of sleep was preventing Drew from putting the pieces of this particular puzzle together.
“My mom was dating the mayor. As much as I don’t want to be the one to break this to her, I’d rather she hear it from me.”
Drew waited a moment before he spoke again. “Did you want me to do it?”
Even Cliff’s chuckle sounded exhausted. “She does like you. And I know you’d be gentle with her, but no. I need to do this. I’d like it if you were with me, though.”
“Of course. Hurry home.”
“Yep. Scott’s going to cover for me here. See you soon.”
The connection dropped, and Drew wandered back downstairs, prepared to fend off inquires until Cliff got there. Stupidly, he’d forgotten to ask what he could share with the others. He’d also forgotten to ask if Cliff still had a job.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cliff let himself into the house, wishing he were back at Drew’s and able to crash on Drew’s narrow bed. Nope, first he had to break his mother’s heart, and then he had untold hours of paperwork left at the station. But no one else had died, and that was a win in his book.
The unmistakable sounds of an action movie emanated from the den where his mother kept the TV tucked away. Presumably anyone not sleeping was in there, except his mother. And frankly, he had no idea where she would be. In the yard, perhaps, although her gardening skills were cursory at best.
He walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. It might be October, but the heat and humidity were still close to summer values.
