All Queers Must Die

by Gerald Lopez

  “Mr. Orion’s dead!”

  Chapter 55

  Plans Gone Awry

  BY THE TIME Bart had gotten James to calm down and sit on the sofa, Reese had awakened and joined them in the living room. He sat in a chair across from the sofa, dressed only in his boxers.

  “What’s going on?” Reese said, then yawned and stretched his arms.

  “That’s what I’m fixing to find out,” Bart said. “What happened, James?”

  “When I got back here—to the resort, the police were waiting to speak to me.” He paused, as if to gather his thoughts for a moment.

  “I’ll get him some water,” Reese said, going into the kitchen and retrieving a bottle of water, which he then handed to James.

  James drank some of the water, then spoke. “The plan with Baby Face Mac was progressing perfectly, from what I’ve been told, until the gun was handed off between him and Mr. Orion.” He drank some more water before continuing. “There was someone else watching everything, and they shot Mr. Orion. He was dead instantly.”

  “Who was it?” Reese said. “Do the police have any leads?”

  “Were you with Gabriel last night, James?” Bart said.

  “All night,” James said. “We went to a crowded restaurant for dinner, caught a movie, then had dessert afterward. I didn’t want to be around when the plan regarding Mr. Orion went into action. And I wanted to make sure Gabriel was with me in case anything went wrong.”

  “OK,” Reese said. “It wasn’t you or Gabriel and Bart and I were here all night, so who was it? Simon didn’t do it… did he?”

  “Apparently, the police questioned him and Baby Face Mac all night,” James said. “When I ran into Simon this morning, he told me everything was fine, and that he hadn’t mentioned our plan to the police.”

  “What did he tell them?” Bart said.

  “That Mr. Orion was looking for boys, and he sent Baby Face Mac to him in order to make sure any minors in the area wouldn’t be hurt.”

  “Simon the hero, huh,” Bart said.

  “Sounds like something Simon would say,” Reese said. “So, who do the police think did it?”

  “A hit man for hire,” James said. “That’s all I know about ‘that murder’.”

  “What do you mean ‘that murder’?” Reese said.

  James drank more water, then spoke. “Rachel was found murdered this morning.”

  “Oh my God!” Reese said. “What the hell?”

  “Housekeeping found her early this morning,” James said.

  “But, it’s still morning,” Bart said.

  “Someone from Rachel’s apartment called housekeeping at about six this morning,” James said, then turned to Bart. “Housekeeping is available 24/7… even to staff. When housekeeping showed up at Rachel and Julia’s apartment, the door was ajar. Upon entering the apartment, the housekeeping staff discovered the dead body of a man in the living room, and Rachel dead in the bathroom. Simon was able to identify the dead man as Jonesy, Rachel’s special delivery guy. It looks like the whole thing was drug or mob related”

  “Holy crap,” Reese said. “What happens now?”

  “It’s over for now,” James said. “The police said both cases are closed.”

  “That’s awfully quick,” Bart said.

  “In Maynard Shores, money talks,” Reese said. “Someone with big money must’ve wanted those murder cases closed as quickly as possible.”

  Bart looked at James, and James responded. “Reese is right,” James said. “Marcus Kristoff wanted both Rachel’s and Mr. Orion’s bodies released for a viewing at his home the day after tomorrow. From there, the bodies will be flown to the old country for burial.”

  “Why is everything happening so fast?” Bart said.

  “So the damage and fallout are minimized is my guess,” James said.

  “I still can’t believe Rachel’s dead,” Reese said. “I can’t pretend I liked her all that much, but she’s dead.” He looked up, noticed the clock on the wall and the time, then jumped up from the chair. “I’m gonna be late getting to the pool!”

  “If you need time to process everything you’ve just heard, don’t worry about being late,” James said. “Craig won’t leave the pool area until you’re there to replace him.”

  “Thanks, but work will help me keep my mind off things,” Reese said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to gather my things, then leave to get ready for my shift.” He left the living room and walked back to the bedroom.

  “I forgot to ask about Julia,” Bart said. “Does she know anything yet?”

  “Maybe by now,” James said. “The bride whose hair she was doing last night was getting married at one of the budget hotels down the road from here. Julia was invited to the wedding, so she booked a room there for the night. Simon called and told her to meet him at the salon and spa before going to her apartment.”

  Reese walked back in and waved to Bart and James. “Later, guys. Bart, I’ll come by after work, if that’s alright.”

  “That’s fine,” Bart said.

  “Bye,” James said.

  Once he’d left, Bart turned to James. “What’s really going on here?”

  “I don’t know, but Gabriel’s father will be here for the viewing along with his wife Magdalena,” James said. “I need to leave too. Come down to my office when you’re ready, and we can discuss how everything that’s happened will affect the resort.”

  James had just been gone a few minutes, when there was a knock on the door. Bart walked to the door and opened it, expecting to see James or Reese. The person facing him took him completely by surprise.

  “Alstair,” Bart said.

  “Wait a few minutes, then meet me in the steam room downstairs,” Alstair said. “I need to let you know what’s been happening since you slipped back into your comfy bed last night.”

  “Understood,” Bart said, then closed the door.

  Bart walked to the bathroom, removed his boxers, then grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around his waist. He didn’t bother to get footwear, just grabbed his keys off the kitchen counter and walked out the door. Although he was anxious to hear what Alstair had to say, he walked slowly to his meeting. Last night, he’d taken some of the knockout liquid he’d given Reese, as Jenna had told him to do in a text she’d sent him, but he was sorry it had caused him to sleep through everything that had happened. That was also the last he’d heard from Jenna. Things had taken a couple of crazy turns, but the players would all be gathered at the Kristoff mansion the day after tomorrow. Hopefully, he would finally get the answers he needed at the viewing.

  Chapter 56

  The Man With the Answers

  BART WENT downstairs, showered quickly, then walked into the steam room with the towel over his shoulder. He put the towel down on the bench, sat on it, then leaned back and waited for Alstair. He didn’t have long to wait. Alstair entered, naked and holding a towel. He was short and slim, but what really astounded Bart was the great body that had been hidden under Alstair’s work clothes. The man not only had a six-pack, but also a well-defined Hercules girdle. Gazing a little lower, Bart noticed that although Alstair was small in stature, he was extremely well hung. His dark uncut cock must’ve been at least eight inches. It was probably even closer to nine inches and thick.

  “Everyone’s always surprised by what I keep hidden under my clothes,” Alstair said.

  “I should think,” Bart said. “You must work out a lot to have that body.”

  “I do, thank you,” Alstair said. “My boyfriend back home at the island resort certainly seems to appreciate it.” He smiled, then placed his towel next to Bart, and sat on it. “Gabriel’s uncle had Jonesy taken care of in Rachel’s apartment, and made it look like he and Rachel were murdered over drugs.”

  “Why was he really killed?”

  “The uncle and his men tried to find out what Jonesy knew, but he wouldn’t talk. They decided they could use him to create the narrative they wanted for
the police in regard to Rachel’s murder, so they used him. Gabriel had asked his uncle to be of use to you, and his uncle thought having Jonesy found in the apartment would help you and your friends.”

  “And you work for Gabriel, correct?”

  “That’s correct,” Alstair said. “All he wants is the freedom to be able to go back to the island resort and live in peace with James. He believes that helping you will help him to achieve that dream.”

  “Jonesy must’ve really been scared of the chupa folks to have protected their identities so fiercely,” Bart said.

  “No, not fiercely,” Alstair said. “I heard he cried like a baby during his interrogation. Whoever the chupa people are, they scared him. He feared they’d kill him if he revealed their identities, or he would’ve said who they are.”

  “The ‘all-powerful’ chupa people,” Bart said.

  “People don’t have to be ‘all-powerful’ to make others afraid,” Alstair said. “They just have to show they can deal with those who betray them. Jonesy knew them, but they also knew how to get hold of Jonesy, should they want to deal with him. They could find him, if he revealed their names.”

  “Interesting,” Bart said

  AFTER BEING assured by Alstair that he and Jenna were in the clear, Bart went back to his apartment and showered. He dressed in shorts, a polo shirt, and deck shoes, then left his apartment. On a whim, seeing the door to Rachel’s apartment open, he walked to it and heard someone crying. He knocked lightly on the door, then entered. Julia was sitting in a chair crying. She was barefoot and dressed in a navy blue short-sleeved dress.

  “Hi,” Julia said. “Sorry about the tears.”

  “Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry about,” Bart said, looking around the immaculately clean space.

  “I know,” Julia said. “The apartment’s never been cleaner. Any traces of Rachel ever having lived here are gone. Marcus sent his people to clean up and remove all of Rachel’s belongings.”

  “The man moves fast,” Bart said.

  “His daughter’s death is bad for his image,” Julia said. “Simon and I have already been invited to the viewing. She ran her hand through her hair, wiped some tears, then laughed. “This is insane. A father doesn’t do things in such a cold manner… not a real father.”

  “Marcus never really gave a damn about his daughter,” Bart said. “Everyone knows that, right?”

  “Yeah, everyone knows that,” Julia said. “Nobody really cared about Rachel at all, I suppose. Simon and I helped her, because we had to. And I tried to keep an eye on her, but it wasn’t easy. Most of the time she acted like she didn’t care about anything. Not even herself.”

  “She was already dead on the inside,” Bart said.

  “I think you’re right, Jeremy.”

  “Are you going to be OK, Julia? I thought Simon would be here with you.”

  “He was, but he stepped out to take a call. He may have a lead on what’s been going on at the Jacksonville salon. Someone’s coming by to meet with him tomorrow.”

  “Well, that’s good,” Bart said. Once again, something was nagging at him, demanding to be noticed. But as always, he wasn’t sure of what it was. “Julia, why is there something bothering me in this situation?”

  “Is it the waste of a young life? Or thinking about how things with Rachel could’ve turned out differently.”

  “No,” Bart said. “I was thinking about why exactly Marcus wanted to buy into your business, besides the fact that you’re an attractive and persuasive young woman.”

  “Aren’t those two factors enough?” Julia said, then attempted a smile. “I guess there is one more thing to consider.”

  “What’s that?” Bart said.

  “Money. My chain of salons will make plenty of it.”

  “That money’s chump change to a man like Marcus,” Bart said, surprising himself.

  “That just slipped out, didn’t it?” Julia said. “You hadn’t thought about that idea before.”

  “Not until I just said it,” Bart said. “Is Marcus planning to use your business as a front for something else?”

  “Not as far as I know,” Julia said. “And it doesn’t matter if he did have those type of plans. I run my business, and I do so legitimately. But something is going on, and hopefully Simon will get to the bottom of it tomorrow.” She stood and faced the front door for a moment, then turned to Bart. “My business is small and just starting out. I think Marcus sees his involvement as a fun thing to do to while away the time. And I’m not too proud to take advantage of that.”

  “I hope Simon does find something that can help you,” Bart said.

  After giving Julia a hug, he continued onward to James’s office. On the way there, he ran into Simon, who told him he was getting ready to drive Baby Face Mac back to Sarasota and that he’d talk to him tomorrow.

  BART KNOCKED on the door of James’s office, then entered. James, who was on the phone, held his hand up a moment, so Bart would stay quiet. After hanging up the phone, James turned his attention to Bart, who was seated in front of him.

  “You look like you have more bad news,” Bart said.

  “I do,” James said.

  Chapter 57

  Bad Things Come in Threes

  “HAVE YOU ever heard the saying: ‘bad things come in threes’?” James said.

  “You’re not talking about what happened between you, me, and Gabriel… are you?” Bart said and smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

  James showed Bart a forced smile, then grew serious again. “I’m not talking about our fun-filled night. George, the valet, was taken to the ER last night. He tried to kill himself by overdosing on chupa cocktails.”

  “What the… oh, crap, the divorce papers!” Bart said. “His wife must’ve had him served with the divorce papers. Oh my God! I knew George would be upset, but I never thought he’d try to kill himself.”

  “It does seem strange, considering how much he loves his children,” James said. “Would he really have wanted to leave them fatherless?”

  “He might have, if he felt powerless in his circumstances, and like someone else held all the cards.”

  “You mean like his wife Lorena,” James said.

  “Maybe not her, but someone who may be helping her,” Bart said. He was silent for a minute, then looked at James. “George was worried about the videos Mr. Orion had of him playing with the ‘grandsons’. He told me he was concerned they’d be found by someone, but then Mr. Orion told me that George had sent a friend to get the videos from him a while back.”

  “And that friend probably made sure they got to Lorena, who in turn used them against George,” James said.

  “No,” Bart said. “Not ‘used them’, but probably threatened to use them during divorce proceedings. And I have no doubt that Joe is her partner in crime. She knew we were onto her and Joe. That’s why she pretended that Joe and George were a couple. The bitch!”

  “But how would she know we were onto her?” James said.

  “I don’t know,” Bart said.

  “This is starting to sound like one of those old mysteries that takes place on a huge British estate, where there are numerous suspects.”

  “Yeah,” Bart said. “So how do we protect the resort from any bad press over the murders?”

  “I’ve already been sent the official story straight from Marcus himself,” James said. “Rachel managed to kill a would-be rapist she brought home from the club, before she died from wounds sustained during the struggle. Mr. Orion died of a heart attack brought on by his illness. I’ve been informed that the police will corroborate everything.

  “Well that’s all neatly handled,” Bart said.

  BART LAY in bed with his arms around Reese. Neither of them had been much in the mood for sex, so they’d discussed the Rachel and Mr. Orion situations, and were now quietly contemplating things.

  “It’s almost like these chupa people are invisible,’ Reese said. “We can’t even see them, but maybe
they’re behind everything.”

  “Probably not everything,” Bart said.

  “But what if they are,” Reese said. “Why would they kill Jonesy and Rachel?”

  “I don’t know,” Bart said, then he thought about what Reese had said just before that. “Reese, why does the phrase ‘invisible people’ stand out to me? And why do I feel like I’m picking up on pieces that should be forming a complete picture in my mind? But, instead of a picture, it’s actually more of a puzzle in my mind, and the pieces just won’t fit together.”

  “I guess you have to make sure all the pieces belong to the same puzzle first,” Reese said. “So much has been going on that maybe it’s not all interconnected. On the other hand, maybe it is all connected, but you’re missing big sections of the picture and have to guess at how it’s all gonna look when finished.”

  “There’s a lot of truth in what you just said, but I’m not able to picture it all right now.”

  “You’re tired, that’s why,” Reese said. “It’s like eating an elephant.”

  “What?” Bart said. “How so?”

  “It’s a saying someone once told me when I was a kid,” Reese said. “An elephant is so big that it seems like it would be impossible to eat. But you can do it… if you take it one small bite at a time.”

  “That’s just strange,” Bart said, and smiled.

  “OK, let me try another one that you can understand better. Even my virgin ass could take your big cock, because you gave it to me little by little, and slow and easy. Meaning you can solve this mystery, if you look at all the individual pieces instead of trying to see everything as a whole.”

  “Now that is insightful,” Bart said. He got up from bed, retrieved a notepad and pencil from the kitchen, then got back into bed. “I’m guessing we start with what we know?”

  “That’s always a good place to begin,” Reese said.