by Carol Lynne
Cole’s chair scraping across the floor got his attention. He took another bite of eggs as his lover’s arm wrapped around him. “It’s not too late to change your mind. All it’ll take is one phone call, and I can take the day off.”
Trey shook his head. They’d been over the same subject several times during the night. “Hopefully it’ll be my last day. I can make it.”
The omelette seemed to swell in his stomach. “I don’t think I can eat any more.”
“Will you at least take a banana or something with you?” Cole asked as he kissed Trey’s jaw.
“Sure,” Trey agreed. The fact that Cole seemed so worried about him made Trey feel special. He didn’t regret the previous night in the least. He was glad he believed in his feelings enough to make love.
Trey took a drink of his orange juice before turning his head and closing his lips over Cole’s. There was something special about the way Cole kissed him. It was like a boost of strength for him. Cole had always seemed so sure of himself, and when they were together, he passed some of that to Trey.
Breaking the kiss, Trey glanced at his watch. “You’d better get me over to Bobby’s or we’re both gonna be late.”
Cole nodded but didn’t immediately pull away. “I love you,” Cole whispered.
Trey smiled. “I love you, too.”
Cole kissed him once more before standing. He picked up Trey’s plate and rinsed it in the sink, while Trey took a banana and an apple from the bowl on the island.
When Cole turned around, Trey held up the fruit with a big, cheesy grin. Cole chuckled and shook his head. “You ready then?”
“As much as I’ll ever be,” Trey replied and strode towards the door.
Once they were on route to Bobby’s, Cole reached over and held Trey’s hand. “You’ll call me if you need me, right?”
Trey squeezed the hand in his. “I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
Cole pulled into the nearest parking lot and turned off the engine. He twisted in the seat to face Trey and gathered him in his arms for a kiss. “I don’t think I care anymore. I mean, I love my job, but I love you more. If I can’t have both, I’d rather have you.”
“I want you to be able to have both, and I’ll do everything I can to not jeopardise your career. If that means waiting a few hours before I talk to you, I can deal.”
“You shouldn’t have to wait a few hours. If you need me, call me on my cell. You got that?” he asked with a slight grin and shake of his finger.
“Yes, sir.” Trey smiled and kissed him, slow and deep. “Now, get me to Bobby’s.”
Cole started the pickup and pulled back onto the main road. When they were a block away, Trey unfastened his seat belt and squatted down on the floorboards.
“What the hell are you doing?” Cole asked.
“You and I know there’ll be photographers outside the gate. Just taking precautions.”
Cole grunted and Trey watched as his lover’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. Trey knew Cole understood the need, but didn’t like it any more than he did. He reached out and touched Cole’s leg. “Hopefully after I finish giving testimony, they’ll forget about me, and we can start dating like regular folks.”
Cole chuckled. “I’m not sure we’ll ever be considered ‘regular folks’.”
The truck slowed and Cole hissed through his teeth. “You were right. The news crews seem to be camped out.”
Cole pulled up to the guard station and rolled down his window. “I’m going to Bobby Quinn’s. I’ve got a very special delivery.”
Trey saw Cole gesture to the floorboard. The guard’s face appeared in the open window, and Trey gave him a smile. “Hi, Jack.”
Jack grinned. “Keep your head down. The natives are getting restless.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
* * * *
After a quick shower and change of clothes, Trey walked down the stairs to find Angelo, Bobby, Jules and Detective Torrance standing in the foyer. He stopped and shook his head. “Is there something going on that you’re not telling me?”
All four men suddenly looked uncomfortable. Jules produced a newspaper and handed it to Trey. He was shocked by the picture of him being ushered from the courtroom, the red paint clearly visible on the back of his head. He didn’t need to read the attached story. The headline said it all, Local Gay Man Injured in Courtroom.
“Wow. Guess this means I’m fully out of the closet,” he tried to joke. He tossed the paper onto a table and squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.”
Moody opened the front door and gave the surroundings a quick study before motioning the others to follow. They climbed into Moody’s four-door non-descript sedan with Trey sandwiched between Jules and Bobby.
“Why do I feel like I’m surrounded by bodyguards?” Trey asked.
Angelo glanced over his shoulder, his bright blue eyes revealing his worry. “Because you are. Word has it Carl Blakely and his flock are in town to protest the trial. Moody’s taking you in the back way.”
“Carl Blakely the self-proclaimed fag-hating Evangelist?”
“The very one. He’s called his followers to protest outside the courthouse,” Angelo continued.
“Protest? What the heck for?” Trey asked.
“According to an interview he did earlier this morning, he thinks Overton’s actions were God’s way of thinning the abominations he calls queers. Blakely thinks the city should give Overton a medal, not a trial.” By the time he was finished, the vein in Angelo’s neck had started to throb with anger.
“So it doesn’t matter to Carl Blakely that Overton himself is a queer?”
“Blakely doesn’t think William is gay. He thinks God worked through him to kill the men,” Moody added.
Trey was stunned. He didn’t even blink when Jack let them through the gate into the sea of cameramen. Something dawned on him. “Was the guy in the courtroom one of Blakely’s?”
Moody met Trey’s eyes in the rear view mirror. “Yeah. He was scoping out the trial to report back to Blakely. The whole paintball thing was his own idea, according to him.”
For some reason, Blakely’s presence seemed to galvanise Trey’s determination to see Overton behind bars. Heck, he’d already been outted in the press so why not make a statement while doing it?
“I want you to take me in through the front, not the back,” Trey informed Moody.
“No way,” Angelo piped up.
Trey took a deep breath. “If I slink in through the back, Blakely and his followers will use it against me.”
“And if you walk in through the front, you could very well be shot and not with a ball of paint,” Moody groused.
“I’m not trying to be some kind of martyr. But I’ve felt ashamed and guilty long enough. I want to walk into the courthouse with my head held high, because I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Jules reached for Trey’s hand and squeezed. “I’ll walk in with you.”
“So will I,” Bobby chimed in as he held Trey’s other hand.
“You’re all three crazy,” Angelo huffed. “But I’ll be there to watch your backs.”
Trey watched as Moody’s gaze zeroed in on Angelo. He could’ve sworn he heard the man growl. “Let me make a call.”
The detective picked up his cell phone and informed the policemen on duty that they’d be entering through the front. When he finished with the call, he shoved the phone back into his pocket. “I hope you know what the hell you’re in for. According to the sergeant in charge, they’ve already called in reserves. I guess the place is a madhouse.”
“That must mean there are people there who don’t agree with what Blakely and his flock are doing. Good.” Trey’s thoughts wandered to Cole. How would Cole feel about the situation Trey was about to get himself into?
* * * *
Cole was almost to the high school when his phone rang. He picked it up from the seat beside him hoping to see Trey’s name on the display. Zac’s name surprised him. “Hey.�
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“Have you seen the paper?” Zac asked.
Cole’s chest tightened. “No. It’s probably still on the front walk. Why?”
“Trey made the front page.”
“Shit!”
“You’d better stop and get one before you get here,” Zac informed him.
“Why? Is there a problem at the school?”
“Just get one. I’ll meet you out front.”
Zac hung up and tapped the phone against his forehead. Well, if students or faculty wanted to make an issue out of Trey’s ordeal, he’d make an issue with their intolerance. He pressed the button to call his secretary.
“I thought you might be calling,” Jill answered.
“Schedule an emergency all-school assembly for nine. I want everyone there including the janitorial staff.”
“Are you sure that’s necessary?” Jill asked.
“I’m sure. Just do it, please.”
“Consider it done.”
Cole hung up as he pulled to the side of the road. He jumped out of his truck and dug change out of his pocket for the newspaper machine. Paper in hand, he got back into his truck.
He read the article with a lump firmly planted in his throat. It detailed some of Trey’s testimony from the previous day as well as the attack on his lover in the courtroom. The article ended with questions as to whether the trial would be closed following the incident.
His gaze went back to the picture. Trey’s bowed head as he fled the courthouse surrounded by his friends said it all. He knew he should also be in the picture. He should be the one with a protective arm around the man he loved.
Cole tossed the paper to the seat beside him and drove to the school. Just like he’d said he’d be, Zac was standing on the front steps.
Cole parked the pickup in his designated spot and jumped out, leaving the paper behind. “What’s going on?” he asked as he joined Zac.
“The students have been talking about Trey all morning.”
“Christ. I’ve already told Jill to set up an assembly for nine.”
“Yeah, she just announced it over the intercom, but I wanted to talk to you first.” Zac took a seat on the top step and motioned to the cement beside him.
Cole glanced around before joining Zac. “Give it to me.”
“Let’s just say you should be incredibly proud of your student body.”
“What?” Cole was shocked.
“Yep. For the most part, everything I’ve overheard has been in Trey’s defence. Of course there are a few grumbles, but that’s to be expected in a school this size. Someone even made a big poster and mounted it outside your office with supporting messages. Most of the kids have been signing it. They even had to get a second piece of poster board from the art department for the overflow. They thought you might be willing to take it to Trey.”
“Why me? Everyone knows how close the two of you are.” Cole started to wonder if his secret was out.
“Because you’re the principal. They look to you to make sure things get done on their behalf.” Zac slapped Cole on the back and stood. “Course I don’t know what you’re gonna say in that assembly now, but I thought you might want to know before going in.”
Zac disappeared inside before Cole could even thank him. He tried to gather himself before entering the school. He’d never in a million years expected to hear what Zac had told him. He’d been so ready to scold them for making an issue of Trey’s attack, that he hadn’t even considered they might support their ex-teacher.
Cole knew it said a lot about the calibre of teacher Trey was. To earn the loyalty of your students was the best praise a teacher could get. As he entered the school, he wondered what the old-fashioned school board members would have to say.
When he came face to face with the poster outside his office, Cole realised he no longer cared what the school board had to say. He started reading some of the messages and couldn’t keep himself from chuckling. There were a few brave souls who dared to not only cuss, but add their signature. Give ’em hell, Mr. Huggins, Best Wishes, Joe Plank.
After reading each and every message, Cole decided to leave the posters where they were in case others hadn’t had the chance to sign. He walked into his office and was greeted by a smiling Jill.
She pushed a cardboard box towards him. “These are for Mr. Huggins. Parents and students have been dropping them off all morning.”
Cole peered into the box. There had to have been at least a hundred envelopes. “All good wishes I hope. I’m not about to take a hate letter to him.”
Jill shook her head. “Nope, no hate letters. I handled each and every letter myself. I’m sure I’d have been able to spot someone who was upset.”
“Go ahead and cancel the assembly. I’ll make a simple announcement of thanks. No sense in giving the school board any more fuel for the fire that’ll probably ignite because of all this.”
* * * *
Detective Torrance wove the car through the barricades that had been set up to keep the crowd under control. Trey’s jaw dropped at the number of people screaming and holding signs. “Looks like there’s a pretty healthy mix of haters and supporters,” he commented as he read a sign that said, The only justice for fags is death.
Moody pulled to a stop and pocketed his keys. “You sure about this?”
Trey’s eyes roamed the crowd. “I’m sure this is the way I want to go in, but I’m having doubts about you guys putting yourselves in danger for me.”
Angelo was the first person to get out of the car, quickly followed by Moody. “Wait here,” the detective said.
He watched as Moody put his phone to his ear and spoke briefly. In no time uniformed officers seemed to surround the detective’s car. “Holy shit,” Trey mumbled. He’d had no idea he’d be causing such a ruckus.
Beside him, Bobby started to chuckle. Jules leaned around Trey and gave his partner a narrow-eyed look. “What exactly do you find funny about this situation?”
Bobby shook his head and stopped laughing. “Nothing. Sorry. It’s just the first time I’ve ever heard Trey cuss. Guess it struck me funny.”
Trey hadn’t even realised he’d done it. “I guess the old saying there’s a time and a place for everything holds true.”
He grinned and elbowed Bobby in the ribs. “Don’t tell Cole, okay?”
“Promise.”
Moody opened Bobby’s door and gestured for them to get out. “Look straight ahead and don’t get engaged in any of the bullshit that’s going on.”
Trey nodded and followed Bobby out of the car. As several more policemen surrounded them, they began making their way to the courthouse steps. Trey heard the word faggot enough to last a life time. He wondered if those people knew where they were. It was like screaming you hate cops in the middle of a police station.
As they neared the steps, the crowd parted, and Trey almost came face to face with Carl Blakely. He recognised the bigoted sonofabitch almost immediately from the news stories he’d seen on television in the past.
Blakely held a Bible in his hand and thrust it out in front of him as Trey neared. “Death shall be your reward for the perverted life you lead,” Blakely shouted.
The religious zealot started to step towards Trey. Before the detective had a chance to move, Angelo stepped in front of Blakely and pushed him to the ground, the impact knocking the Bible from his hand.
Angelo spat on the ground beside a stunned Carl Blakely. “If anyone’s going to hell it’s you, motherfucker.”
Blakely’s entire body began to shake as his face turned a dark crimson. Evidently, Blakely wasn’t used to being put in his place by a fag. “You’ll pay for that,” Blakely shouted.
Angelo snorted and glanced over his shoulder at Moody. “Can you have one of your friends get this garbage out of our way?”
Trey spotted the momentary flash of respect in Moody’s eyes before he gestured for some of the officers to get Blakely to his feet and restrain him while Trey and the others passed.<
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By the time Trey made it into the courthouse and through security, he was shaking like a leaf. Never had he heard so much hate in his life. It was enough to make a person wonder about the society they all lived in. To preach hate of any kind under the guise of religion sickened him.
One of the guards inside spoke quietly to Moody for several moments while they waited for Angelo, Jules, and Bobby to get through security. Trey could tell by the expression on the detective’s face that it wasn’t good news. He stepped to an alcove and pulled out his phone.
“What’s going on?” Angelo asked.
Trey shook his head. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it must be big.”
“Maybe the judge has decided to close the court for the rest of the trial,” Jules said as he came up to stand next to Trey.
He could see Moody slap his hand against the wall as he spoke harshly to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Trey sure hoped it wasn’t his boss he was talking to like that, or the detective would most likely be busted down to traffic cop by the end of the day.
Moody ended the call and stuck the phone in his back pocket. It was a few moments before he turned around and gestured Trey over. Uh oh.
Trey stepped towards the detective in a cautious manner. “Something wrong?”
Moody braced his hand on the wall and wiped his face on his shirt sleeve. “William Overton’s dead. They found him earlier in his cell.”
Trey felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. “What? How?”
Moody shook his head. “Don’t know. He was found with a knife sticking out of his throat.”
Trey tried to let the implications of that statement sink in. If William was found alone in his cell it meant someone was able to get to him. “They think it was a guard, don’t they?”
Moody nodded. “It gets worse. His stomach was slit open, similar to what he did to his victims.”
Although Trey didn’t have it in him to feel remorse over William Overton’s death, he worried about the fallout from such a high profile death inside the jail. “So, what now?”
