by Gerald Lopez
“I’ve no idea,” Shannon said.
“In the end, what if that’s what has to happen? We have no tangible proof of anything. If something does happen, you’d need to be our support, since you haven’t been affected by the ghosts.”
“You, Alex, and Forrest need to decide how far you’re all willing to go. No secrets between any of you, Layton. And the trust has to be there.”
“Are you afraid?”
“No,” Shannon said. “Fear can only muddle things up even more. But I am cautious. And I do worry about my friends.” She stood and ran her hand gently down my cheek. “Do you really think that you, Alex, and Forrest are standing in for Mr. Carson, Marcus, and Veronica?”
“Yes,” I said.
“And do you believe if you let things play out, you’ll see what really happened with those babies?”
“Y’up.”
“Maybe we’ll find Javina’s journals first.”
“That would be nice,” I said.
“Are you sure you’re not just looking for an excuse to get in Forrest’s pants?” Shannon said, then laughed.
I laughed with her and it was a great stress reliever. When our laughter died down, I spoke. “Tomorrow we do an extensive search of the property for those journals. I’d better leave you, I have a call to place to a friend in Paris who can help me find out where and to who the Carson funds sent to France went.”
“I’m anxious to hear what you find out,” Shannon said.
AFTER LEAVING Shannon at the guesthouse, Lucky and I went to the general’s office and I set up my laptop on the desk. We’d been given the access code to the Internet when we’d arrived, so once I was online I started doing my research. I found the information I was looking for, then called my friend in Paris.
When Alex got home, we went to the kitchen and ate food he’d brought back from Frankie and Jimmy’s restaurant. Elise and Mrs. Carson took some food to the guesthouse to eat with Shannon. After eating, I dragged Alex to our room and gave into my need to ravage him. There was no supernatural lust involved, just my normal everyday desire for Alex. We cleaned up when we were done, then returned to bed and lay in each other’s arms.
“I trust you, Layton, completely,” Alex said, after I told him everything Shannon and I had discussed. “Do you think we’re gonna end up in another threesome?”
“God only knows,” I said. “We’ll be fine no matter what happens, right?”
“Yeah, I promise,” Alex said. “I sort of feel sorry for Forrest, though. He’s gone through so much already.”
“Do we have to stop being friends with him if something happens?” I said.
“No, but why would he want to be friends with us afterward? Wouldn’t he feel worse about being alone? Without a lover, I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I don’t want us to add to his heartache… he’s a good guy.”
“Part of what you feel for him is genuine because he saved me, isn’t it?” Alex said.
“Yeah. You didn’t see things from my angle that night. There was no way I would’ve been able to get to you in time. I was completely helpless and had to count on him to keep the most precious and important thing in my life safe—you.”
Alex kissed me deeply, then laid his head on my shoulder.
“I was scared, Layton. The force of those fans was so strong, but Forrest held on so tight. He wouldn’t ever have let go… even if that meant he died with me.”
“I know, Alex… I know. I’ve seen that type of action in battle, but not much here at the home front. There’s a part of me that loves Forrest for what he did, that’s probably why the ghosts have a point of entry.”
“I love him too, but not like I do you. It’s different and I don’t understand it—but I want to so I can tell which feelings are my own and which ones are from the ghosts or what have you.”
“Maybe we’re over-thinking things,” I said. “Detectives can do that sometimes. Surely, we’ll be able to tell when something feels off. If not, then Shannon will notice—she’s pretty damn observant.”
“So what now?”
“I think it’s OK for us to love Forrest as a friend, a brother… maybe even a little bit more. Let’s just accept that we feel that way so we don’t complicate things.”
“And if anything else happens? Don’t we need rules or guidelines.”
“I’m not going to actively try to make anything beyond friendship and brotherhood happen. But, if you feel differently you need to be honest with me so we can deal with it.”
“I’d like to keep him as a good friend too—like you want to do. I’m a little scared because he is sort of hot.”
“OK, if anything of a sexual nature rears it’s head regarding us and Forrest, then the rule is this—only the three of us together. Neither you nor I going off without the other. Everything out in the open with no secrets.”
I could feel Alex’s heart racing and knew he was nervous and afraid, so I held him close.
“Layton, I don’t want to lose myself when I’ve finally become free of my family and all their supernatural junk.”
He buried his head in my shoulder and I held him tightly as I spoke. “I’ll never leave your side, I promise. You’re mine and I’m yours, no supernatural force can claim us.” Another thought entered my mind and at first I resisted saying it out loud. “And Forrest will have our backs.”
Alex turned to face me, then kissed me. “You didn’t want to say that last part, did you, Layton?
“No, but we can’t have secrets from one another even small stupid ones like that.” I kissed Alex. “Forrest isn’t stupid… and he will have our backs like a good big brother would.”
“Mind you, he’s a sexy big brother,” Alex said. “Not that I’m not completely pleased with who’s next to me.”
“Yeah, but neither of us is blind,” I said. “We are, however in danger of running late to the portrait unveiling, so I suggest we get out of bed.”
“It’s funny hearing you make that suggestion,” Alex said, then we got out of bed. “When do you think your friend Genevieve will have news for you from Paris?”
“She’s pretty efficient, so I’d say by sometime tomorrow we’ll have the answer to at least one of our small mysteries.
Chapter 36
Portraits
SHANNON AND Mrs. Carson were in the living room when Alex and I went downstairs dressed for the evening.
“You really never wear shoes, do you, Layton?” Shannon said, looking at the sandals which Miss Lucy had given me and Alex which we were now wearing with matching tan shorts.
I had a yellow V-neck Polo shirt and Alex had on a pastel blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt-and he looked yummy. Shannon was dressed in a rust-colored, one shoulder, loose-fitting, ankle-length dress with a high slit on the side.
“Shannon was worried she was dressed too casually,” Mrs. Carson said. “I was right to tell her not to worry.”
“Was that a dig?” I said.
“No, my dear,” Mrs. Carson said. “There’s no need to dress up for tonight.”
“My dress is very casual,” Shannon said. “That’s why I added the skinny heels I wore at the party.”
“You’ll outshine us all,” I said.
“OK, I’ve already given Shannon directions to Nathan Chandler’s house,” Mrs. Carson said. “And I gave her a bottle of wine from the cellar for you to take as a host gift.”
“A decent bottle, but not too decent, I hope?” I said, then smiled.
“Stop your foolishness and get on out of here,” Mrs. Carson said.
“Will you be alright here by yourself?” Alex said.
“I’m not by myself. Elise just took Lucky out for a minute, so he can do his business. And Rory will be by later for dessert. I think he just wants to keep an eye on things while you’re all gone.”
“Speaking of Rory,” I said. “Where was he yesterday? I don’t recall seeing him.”
“He’s a grown man, Layton,”
Mrs. Carson said. “I don’t keep tabs on grown people.”
“Well I like to keep tabs on those in my household when there are ghosts running around,” I said.
“Now you sound like lord of the manor,” Shannon said.
“Oh brother, he sure does,” Alex said. “But I guess he’s just making sure Rory is safe.”
“He had a friend visiting yesterday which kept him busy at home,” Mrs. Carson said. “That’s all you need to know… don’t be a busybody.”
“I won’t,” I said. “Like Alex said, I’m just making sure everyone’s safe and accounted for.”
“Well, I didn’t hear you asking how I was doing,” Miss Maribelle said, as she entered the room. She walked my way and gave me a hug. “I just came over to get the scoop on what’s been happening.”
“I didn’t ask about you because I knew those ghosts wouldn’t be crazy enough to mess with you, Miss Maribelle,” I said.
“That’s for damn sure,” Miss Maribelle said, then hugged Alex.
“Miss Maribelle, you never need a reason to pop on over and visit,” I said.
“And it wouldn’t hurt if I brought some cookies with me and put just a lil extra sugar in them.”
We all laughed.
“I wrote up that list for you Layton—the one about my brother’s favorite places on the property, I’ll give it to you when you come back,” Mrs. Carson said. “Oh, I forgot to mention that Forrest called me to say he’d be at Nathan’s portrait unveiling. I’m not sure if you knew that or not.”
SHANNON SAT next to me in the truck and showed me the way to Nathan’s house. It was a few blocks from Carson Court and easy to find. Nathan’s home was a white, raised ranch with a wide porch and columns in front. There were black shutters on either side of the front windows. I parked in front of the home as directed by Shannon, we exited the truck, and went up the front steps of the home onto the porch. Before I had a chance to knock on the door, a tall, slender man in his early twenties opened the door and smiled at us.
“Welcome to the home of world renowned artist Nathan Chandler,” the man said as he ushered us in with a flamboyant gesture of his arms. “In case you don’t recognize me, I’m Chet Amberly, otherwise known as Nellie Noir. But, please, seeing as how we’re already friends—call me Nellie. I’ve always detested the name ‘Chet’.”
“How could I forget such a fabulous creature as you?” I said, then took hold of Nellie’s hand and kissed the air above it. “Who else but you would wear a florescent pink shirt open to his waist, with a coat of multicolored stripes over purple velvet pants?”
“No one else could carry it off so well,” Alex said, then gave Nellie a hug and kiss on the cheek.
“I adore the ensemble,” Shannon said.
“And a compliment from such a goddess of beauty is not to be taken lightly,” Nathan said, as he walked into the entry hall. He greeted us dressed in a long dark blue velvet robe with matching silk pajama top and pants, and velvet slippers. “I figured if Hugh can entertain his guests in comfort, then so can I.”
Nathan gave us all hugs and kisses on both cheeks, then guided us into the front living room on the left. “Do let me give you lovely people a quick tour of my humble abode.” He held his arm out toward Shannon who took hold of it and smiled.
The home was larger inside than it had looked from the outside. Across from the formal living room was a small study, down the hall in the middle section of the home were two bedrooms, and at the far back was a large eat in kitchen open to the family room. The back wall featured large windows all around. In the family room were paintings on easels and stacks of paintings leaning on one another against the side walls. The paintings on tall, wooden easels were all hidden under white sheets, presumably waiting for the grand reveal.
“What exactly do you call this area?” I said. “It’s part studio space, but it’s off your kitchen.”
“I call it home,” Nathan said, then chuckled. “Actually it’s my studio and entertaining space. Since most people gather in the kitchen and in my studio I decided to combine the two into a large and open area.”
“Ingenious,” Shannon said.
An array of food smells filled the air and drew my attention to the rustic and paint splattered wood table in the studio slash family room. Plates filled with various hors d’oeuvres were placed down the center of the table in a straight line. I heard the sound of the doorbell as I was about to reach for a cracker.
“That must be the last guest, our handsome deputy,” Nathan said. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.
As soon as he’d left the room, Nellie was at my side speaking in a low voice. “I have to tell you now that Nathan was the one who wanted me to invite you all here. He didn’t want it to seem obvious he’s up to something.”
“What’s he up to?” I said.
“I’ve got no idea, but he knows about things… things that went on at the court.”
“How do you know?” Alex said.
Nellie walked to a painting leaning against the right wall, picked it up and held it so we could see. It was a painting of a large black heart with the silhouette of a male couple dancing in the center of it. Alex gasped and Nellie quickly returned the painting to its former spot.
“Sorry I was gone for so long,” Nathan said upon entering the room once more. “Did you miss me? In any case, I’ve returned with a friend in tow.”
“Hello, everyone,” Forrest said.
Did the man ever have an off day? I thought. He was in a short-sleeved, black, silk, button-down shirt that looked about ready to burst off his perfect chest. His snug denim shorts accented his bigger than average size bulge, and… now this was really too much. He wore black flip-flops… the man was straight out of one of my fantasies. I looked to Alex who raised his eyebrows as he walked to my side, then he whispered in my ear.
“I think we might as well give up and give in now, Layton.”
“You two are making me nervous,” Forrest said. “My fly isn’t unzipped, is it?”
“Honey, I think if your fly was unzipped, we all would’ve fainted at the sight by now,” Nellie said. “Good Lord, but you are clueless for a deputy.”
“I have to say, you are looking mighty fine tonight, Forrest,” Shannon said.
“Our deputy always looks good enough to eat,” Nathan said, then snapped his teeth at Forrest who smiled, then held his head down bashfully.
“What is it with all the compliments?” Forrest said. “It’s not even my birthday.” He grinned and his green eyes lit up the room.
“I think I just had an orgasm,” Nellie said. “Seriously though, now that you’re here and surrounded by friends, Forrest, don’t you think it’s about time you realized and acknowledged things.”
“What things?” Forrest said.
“The fact that when you walk into a room every gay man gets instantly hard,” Nellie said.
“I wouldn’t say he has no effect on straight women,” Shannon said.
“You’re embarrassing me now,” Forrest said. “It’s probably just the working out at the gym… and hell anyone who wants to put in the time can have a decent body.”
“He’s never going to get it,” Nathan said, then kissed Forrest’s cheek. “It’s part of his allure.” He held up a bottle of wine. “Forrest was kind enough to supply us with libations for later.”
“He’s not the only one who came bearing gifts,” Shannon said, holding up our bottle of wine. “Straight from Carson Court.”
Nathan placed the bottle from Forrest on the table, then took the bottle of wine from Shannon and looked at the label.
“Oh my,” Nathan said. “That is a very good year indeed. My thanks to Carson Court.” He placed the bottle on the table next to the one from Forrest, then put an arm around Forrest’s waist. “Do you know that Forrest sat for a painting or two, and I finished one of them just last night? It’s magnificent, though It hardly does justice to the model.”
“Mine is done too,
I hope,” Nellie said.
“Of course, my demanding angel,” Nathan said, then walked to Nellie and kissed him demurely on the lips. “Nellie’s a much more greedy lover than our deputy was. But I like that. Forrest was entirely too good and unselfish for me.”
“Please stop, Nate,” Forrest said. “I’m sure these people don’t want to hear about all that.”
“You’d be surprised what most people want to hear,” Nathan said, then turned to me, Alex, and Shannon. “Forrest is one of the finest men I’ve ever met. We were only together for a season and shortly afterward I met my soul mate Nellie. It wasn’t meant to be between Forrest and me… but I never felt so unconditionally and completely loved as I did with him.”
“That’s nice,” Alex said. “We haven’t known Forrest long, but we think highly of him too.”
“Even I can’t be jealous of the guy,” Nellie said, “and Lord knows I’ve tried. I’m sure there’s a special corner in Hell reserved for the guys who screwed Forrest over.”
“I wouldn’t wish anyone to Hell, not even them,” Forrest said. “Life is what it is. Right now I hear the food calling to me.”
“Amen to that, “ I said.
We walked over to the table and helped ourselves to baked Brie with crackers, pigs in a blanket, shrimp rolls, and cream puffs.
“This is some great spread, Nathan,” I said.
“Thank you. I realize it’s not caviar and the like, but damn it—I never did like caviar and I adore pigs in a blanket. Nellie, do be a dear and make sure everyone has some wine, starting with our lovely Shannon. We’ll pop the champagne when it’s time to unveil the portraits.”
Nellie handed out glasses of wine with Shannon’s help, and I watched Forrest fix himself a plate.
“I’m going outside for a couple of minutes,” Forrest said, then walked outside using the door in back of the room.
“He thinks we’re teasing him,” Nathan said. “Forrest has come a long way, but his ex really did a number on him and left him feeling terribly insecure.”
