Black Hearts Dance

by Gerald Lopez

  “Grandmother!” Elise said, before turning to me and the other men at my table. “I wish I could blame what my grandmother said on her stroke, but she still has her wits… and Lord knows she has her opinions.”

  “Good,” I said. “There’s nothing I like more than an opinionated woman. If you’ll give us a few minutes, we’d be happy to follow behind you in our truck. Oh, you might want to give us directions as well.”

  “Alright,” Mrs. Carson said. “I’m going to use the ladies room, but Elise can give you directions to Carson Court.”

  “I can do that, Mrs. Carson,” Jimmy said.

  “Thank you,” Mrs. Carson said. “We’ll meet you handsome gentlemen outside then. Take your time and don’t rush on our account. Oh, Alex, feel free to take pictures of the house while you’re there. Maybe we can use one or two of your pictures in the listing. Layton and Alex, you will be staying with us of course?”

  “But of course,” I said, in a matter-of-fact way. It felt like the most natural response to her question even though we’d only just met and she was essentially a stranger to me.

  “Grandmother,” Elise said. “You can’t ask a famous photographer like Alex Kennedy—I’m sorry Alex Shayne, to take pictures for our listing. It’s beneath him. Alex, my grandmother and mother own several of your framed photographs and the three of us are fans of your work.”

  “In that case, I’d be happy to take some pictures of your home, Mrs. Carson,” Alex said, then he smiled at Mrs. Carson. “It’ll give me a chance to practice some photo techniques.”

  “Thank you so much, Alex,” Elise said, before she turned to her grandmother. “Come on, Grandma, I’ll help you to the ladies room.”

  “It was nice meeting you both,” I said.

  “Likewise,” Mrs. Carson said. “We’ll see you in a bit.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” I said.

  As soon as they were gone, I sat back in my chair with a big, satisfied grin on my face. New cases always invigorated me.

  “That certainly seemed to bring you back to life,” Alex said.

  “He’s a man in his element,” Frankie said. “There’s a mystery—or rather, more than one mystery to solve in regard to Carson Court.”

  “Do you want to know the details or be surprised?” Jimmy said. “Frankie and I haven’t been here long, but we’ve heard some of the stories about the place—forbidden romance, multiple murders—you name it, the stories are there.”

  “And stories are all they are,” Frankie said. “And crazy theories. Jimmy and I are catering a party there tomorrow night. When people heard we took the job, they told us all kinds of crazy tales as a sort of warning to tread carefully on the grounds of Carson Court—even strangers came into the restaurant just to warn us about the court.”

  “What do you think of the estate?” Alex said.

  “It is unique and Impressive,” Frankie said. “Smaller than your old family holdings, Alex, but still unique. Would you and Layton like to know more?”

  “No,” I said. “I’m a man who likes to see things for myself… fresh—with no preconceived notions. There’s nothing I need to be warned about is there? No blue lights like in Shelby, or zombies like we dealt with in this area?”

  “The place is supposed to be haunted, so it’s hard to say what you’ll find,” Jimmy said. “I hope you like surprises… because the one thing you’re bound to be is surprised.”

  Chapter 2

  Where There’s Smoke

  ALEX AND I said our good-byes to Frankie and Jimmy and went to catch up with Mrs. Carson and Elise. I could smell the whiff of cigarette smoke in the air the minute we were out the door.

  “That’s Grandma smoking,” Elise, who was standing in front of us, said. “I can’t stand the smell, which is why she’s sitting on the bench and I’m here.”

  “Do you mind if I go sit with Mrs. Carson, Layton?” Alex said.

  “No, go right ahead,” I said. “Alex, why don’t you walk Mrs. Carson back to her car, when she’s ready, while Elise and I talk?”

  “No problem,” Alex said.

  I couldn’t resist taking a quick look at his sexy feet in flip-flops. God, I love when a man with nice feet wears flip-flops… and Alex was a real looker all the way around. He had a nice body and his, just above chin-length, wavy blond hair made him look angelic in my eyes.

  “He’s cute, but he’ll end up smelling like cigarette smoke after sitting with my grandma,” Elise said.

  “That’s why they make washing machines and showers,” I said, then looked at Elise and flashed her a flirty smile. “Smoking’s a dirty habit, that’s why I’ve never even tried a cigarette. There’s no way for me to get addicted to the things if I never try one.”

  “Grandma’s from a different era,” Elise said. “She says she’s not addicted, but that she loves the taste of cigarettes. And she turned seventy-three this year, so I don’t think there’s a chance in hell I’m going to break her of the habit. At least she’s easy to find. Where there’s smoke… there’s Grandma.”

  “I like the old gal… and you too for that matter,” I said.

  “Everyone likes Grandma,” Elise said. “Thank you for saying you like me, too. Don’t worry if all this feels strange. Grandma has a way of picking up strangers and bringing them to her court.”

  “‘Her court’, huh,” I said. She’d just provided me with the opening I needed to ask a question I’d had in my mind earlier. “Grandma doesn’t want to sell the place, does she?”

  “No,” Elise said. “What gave the game away?”

  “A comment that was made inside the tea house,” I said. “The way you said ‘the decision was made’, sort of implied that it wasn’t entirely your grandmother’s decision to sell the estate. If it was, you would’ve said ‘she’d’ made the decision.”

  “My mother pushed for it,” Elise said. “She’s been pushing for it since Grandpa died. Grandma does well enough in the place. There are people that visit her besides me and she does have live-in help and off-site staff. The problem is that I’m changing careers and will be attending beauty school out of state soon. My mother is a socialite in North Carolina and doesn’t have time between her parties and fund-raisers—what have you—to come down here and check on things as often as she feels is necessary.”

  “And your grandma didn’t feel like fighting the sale?”

  “She was convinced, by my mother, that it was time,” Elise said.

  “And you’re not convinced?” I said, pretty sure I knew what her answer would be.

  “Those two women in the same house will kill one another. Women can be just as territorial as dogs sometimes. North Carolina is my mother’s territory and Carson Court is my grandmother’s domain.”

  A big smile formed on my face, Elise noticed and smiled back.

  “What are you thinking, Layton? Do tell.”

  “I was just thinking about what you said. Who knew women were called bitches because they were territorial like dogs.” We both laughed.

  “I like you already, too, Layton,” Elise said.

  She wrapped her arm around mine and led me to a black, four-door Jaguar Mark II.

  “Nice car,” I said, as I opened the driver’s door for Elise.

  “It was Grandpa’s. He kept her in pristine condition. Grandma will never sell the car because of how much Grandpa enjoyed driving her.”

  “I see Alex bringing your grandma over,” I said. “I’ll be following behind in my less glamorous, but trusty truck. It belonged to my dad.”

  “You’re the sentimental sort,” Elise said. “I’m a little surprised by that.”

  “Don’t let my gruff exterior fool you,” I said. “I can be a real softy sometimes, for an ex-Marine.”

  “I thought there was no such thing as an ex-Marine,” Elise said, sitting in the driver’s seat.

  “There’s not really, and thank you for reminding me of that,” I said. “I really like you now.” I gave her a playful wink. “I’d
better touch base with your grandma, then head to my truck.”

  “Drive safe,” Elise said. “Oh, and Grandma makes me follow the speed limit, so it’ll take us a while to get there. We’re one town over, remember that.”

  “I will. And I follow the speed limit too—it saves on tickets.”

  IT WAS silent in the truck as we started on our journey to Carson Court and our new case. Alex ran his hand through the back of my hair, which had grown a little below my shoulders. He then checked the length of my hair in the front.

  “Don’t distract the driver,” I said.

  “Oops, sorry, did I block your eyes?”

  “You were stroking my hair, and that did things to me,” I said. “Things we can do nothing about right now.”

  “Oh, you’ve got sex on the brain,” Alex said, and laughed.

  “When I’m around you I always have sex on the brain.”

  “So do I, my sexy beast,” Alex said.

  “Exactly how beastly do I look, my angel boy?”

  “Not as bad as all that. I’ve decided I like your hair long. It’s thick, but straight, so it doesn’t look messy. Is it too long in the front for you? I noticed how you kept pushing your hair back and away from your forehead during tea.”

  “It does feel too long in front for me. Alex, I’m sorry I didn’t ask if you were alright with me taking on this case.”

  “I don’t see where you had the chance to ask. And I have a feeling Mrs. Carson would’ve worked her wiles on us anyway. Remember, I agreed to take pictures of the estate for her.”

  “Poor, baby,” I said and put my hand on his bare knee. “Well, look at the two of us in shorts, sandals, and flip-flops going to visit some fancy estate.”

  “We’re wearing nice Polo shirts and we don’t look raggedy,” Alex said. “Even the rich folks dress casually at home. Besides, ‘Dress codes and rules don’t apply to handsome and beautiful men’, or so your new clients says.” He laughed.

  I laughed as well, then shook my finger at him in mock sternness. “Don’t poke fun at the client.”

  “I’m not—well, actually I am, but I genuinely like Mrs. Carson. Is it strange to like someone right away like that? I mean, the woman looks almost like a combination of Bette Davis when she was near the end of her life and a Disney villainess. That eyeshadow alone reminded me of Cruella De Vil.”

  “Alex, that’s harsh, don’t you think?”

  “It is! Geez, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it to be, I think I was more or less thinking out loud. The way Mrs. Carson carries herself reminds me of Bette Davis. There’s an air about her that draws you in, despite the fact that she’s older… and in her words, no longer the beauty she was. And I remember that Cruella had a lot of eyeshadow—you know the way they draw cartoons when the eyelid is heavy and big. I swear, Layton, I wasn’t trying to be mean.”

  “I believe you,” I said, then held his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze for a moment to confirm I believed him. “Mrs. Carson has a regal bearing about her, in my opinion. She’s a woman who’s accustomed to holding her own, I think. Alex, thank you for being by my side.”

  “Where you go, I go—forever,” Alex said.

  “Same here,” I said. “What do you think of this case, so far?”

  “It’s sudden. And Jimmy mentioned ‘forbidden love affairs’ and ‘murders’, so it does sound intriguing. I’m more than a little curious to see Carson Court.”

  “So am I. It must have one hell of a history if the folks in the area are all talking about the place.”

  “Layton, you might want to check in with Sassafras Jones. We’re supposed to meet with her in a few days.”

  “I’ll give her a call,” I said, then chuckled to myself. “Thinking of Sassy Jones reminds me of Miss Lucy. It’s hard to imagine that right now Miss Lucy is retraining our old friend Buck as a field agent. I almost feel sorry for Miss Lucy.”

  “Crazy ole’ Buck,” Alex said. “He was a great-looking guy and we did—”

  “What the three of us did was all in the line of duty as part of our cover—that’s all,” I said.

  “If I weren’t in the picture would you and Buck—”

  “Nope. He’s cute, but too crazy for me.”

  “And what about Frankie?”

  “Haven’t we been through all this before,” I said. “You’re not getting all jealous after everything we’ve been through. Jimmy, Frankie, you and me—we’re friends. We’ve been in their Jacuzzi with them naked, and you took photos of us naked for your next exhibit. Frankie and I even compared our tackle in front of you and Jimmy—hands off, of course. And as much as I like them, I don’t see the four of us engaging in a wild orgy anytime soon.” My last comment made Alex smile and that was good.

  “Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Layton. Going to Carson Court sort of reminds me of my old life with my family. The memories of how I never really felt a part of it all—the social scene, the gay scene—what have you? Sometimes it all comes back to haunt me. I always felt like the outsider.”

  “You’re with the right guy, then,” I said. “I’m not part of any scene. You’re my scene, my life, and my social world. I apologize if I was running at the mouth again about Frankie’s good looks. Honestly, I find the guy amazing to look at. But in a different way than I find you ‘amazing’. I really do think of him as a statue come to life. And, yes, I want to look—I’ve told you that before. But I have no desire to do. I’m perfectly happy with what I have with you. See, I find Alex Shayne to be the absolutely most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on and I very much want to do, touch, and kiss him.” I reached for his hand again and held it. He responded by kissing my cheek.

  “Thanks, Layton. You made me feel better. A little stupid, but better.”

  “You’re not stupid, just still insecure because of everything that’s happened to you. It wasn’t that long ago since your life changed in a big way, you know. Not even three weeks have passed since you met me—the love of your life, then escaped a cult, and fought zombies next to a handsome nutcase named Buck and a little person version of Dita Von Teese named Sassy. Did I mention you met the love of your life, who would do anything at all for you?”

  “Yes, but you forgot to mention meeting Charity and the supernaturally induced threesome we had with her which probably resulted in you impregnating her.”

  “Oh, what a beautiful day it is!” I sang loudly.

  “You’re going to have to face things sooner or later, Layton Shayne.”

  “You used my last name that time… you’re serious. Listen, Alex, I have faced things and we’ve talked about them. The rest we can only handle as it comes. If Charity is pregnant—and she probably is, then we’ll deal with how to raise the baby or babies. But, we don’t have to deal with that right now, and I need a clear head to handle this case. You don’t need to worry about things that make you feel insecure, Alex Shayne—the man I gave my last name to and whom I hold more dearly than any future kids or case-related tricks.”

  Alex laughed. “Case-related tricks?”

  “Yeah—Buck. I just coined the phrase ‘case-related trick’ in honor of him. I do sincerely hope he’s doing well… I feel for the guy.”

  “So, do I. Give our mini Dita Sassy a call and tell her you’re on a case, so she knows.”

  “OK, if you’ll do me a favor.”

  “Alright, I promise to do you a favor… if it’s within reason.”

  “For the rest of this drive just focus on, and think about, all the sexy things you’re going to do to me when we’re all alone in a room at Carson Court.”

  “I can do that.”

  I glanced at him and saw a sly smile appear on his face that made me feel like the luckiest man on the planet.

  Chapter 3

  Lucky Tuck

  “LOOK AT that old home,” Alex said, as we entered the outskirts of Moresville, the town where Carson Court was located. “The porch is amazing! I’d love to take some pictures of
it before we leave the area.”

  “We can do that,” I said. “There’s not much of a town here. I see a junk shop and a Mexican restaurant to the right of us next to a convenience store. And on our left we have an antiques shop with several metal sculptures on the front porch, including a cool dragon!”

  “That dragon is cool,” Alex said. “I like the red, flame-shaped piece of metal jutting out from his mouth.” He paused and looked at the road ahead for a moment. “From what I understand, this road is just a thoroughfare leading to the town center. I’m guessing this is the old burb where the rich folks lived. Maybe yuppies live in the homes now. Elise is turning left, Layton.”

  “I see that. Thanks, babe. Have I told you I love you today?”

  “Yes.”

  “OK, no need for me to say it again then.” I grinned, then chuckled as I took a left turn and followed the Jaguar.

  “Ha, ha,” Alex said. “You can tell me you love me all day and night if you want. You really are excited about this case, aren’t you?”

  “Y’up. It’s my first haunted house.”

  “Layton… I love you too. Do you think that maybe there is something supernatural at work and that’s why you felt drawn to Mrs. Carson and Elise at the tea house, like you were telling me earlier?”

  “Maybe. Does that frighten you?”

  “No. Should it?”

  “I don’t know yet,” I said. “Something is nagging at me that I can’t quite put my finger on… but it’s not a bad ‘nagging’. Meaning I don’t feel any warning signals. Let’s stay relaxed, but keep our eyes open. Hey, we know we’ll be eating well tomorrow since Jimmy and Frankie are catering Mrs. Carson’s shindig.”

  “That’s if we’re invited to the ‘shindig’. You can’t assume we will be.”

  “I didn’t think of that—now I’m the stupid one. And you can feel less stupid—not that I ever thought or said you were stupid.” Time to get myself out of the sticky situation I’d just placed myself in. “This neighborhood is bigger than I thought it would be. The homes are nice and the lots are huge.”