Murder by Design Page 6

  “So do I, but that’s her problem not mine.” Justin shrugged. “Something’s been up her ass for the past few days. It’s not just me she’s been sniping at. I’ve heard her saying some pretty rough things to you and two of the seamstresses were in tears yesterday. Do you know what’s going on?”

  “She and her husband have been fighting for over a month and she kicked him out last week.”

  “So we all have to suffer because of her bad marriage? What a crock. Fucking unprofessional, if you ask me.”

  “But no one’s asking you, Justin!” The steely, accented voice behind him made him curse under his breath. She’d snuck up on them like she loved to do from time to time. The woman was a lousy boss in his opinion and he wasn’t about to retract his ‘unprofessional’ comment.

  “Come to wish me hasta la vista, Maria?”

  “I’ve come to tell you I want those latest designs you did. The ones in your laptop. Upload them to my computer before you leave.”

  “Not on your life, lady.” Justin hefted the satchel onto his shoulder. “These designs are mine. Done on my own time and they go with me. You see fit to fire my ass, I take what is mine.”

  “I will sue you, you ingrate,” Maria yelled.

  “Bite me.” He turned to Paula. “It was nice working with you, Paula. Sorry you’ll still have to put up with the crap that flies around here on a daily basis.” He fixed Maria with a threatening look. “And don’t even try to withhold my last paycheck or I’ll be suing you.”

  “Get out!”

  “With pleasure. Good luck finding someone to take my place.”

  He strode out of the office and took the elevator down to the garage. Well, this is a pisser, he thought as he climbed into his car. Mentally he tried to work out how long he could remain unemployed without having to give up his apartment. First thing, he had to send out his resume and find another job, asap!

  * * * *

  Sam found a quiet spot in the hall outside the office to call Justin later that day. “How’s it goin’?”

  “Hey.” Justin sounded down. “Crap day, I’m afraid. Cruella De Vil fired me for being rude and insubordinate, she said.”

  “Wow, sorry.”

  “And the bitch wanted me to leave my designs behind.”

  “Could she claim she was paying you to draw the designs?”

  “She can claim all she wants,” Justin snarled. “These I did on my own time in my own apartment. How late are you working?”

  “Late. We’re following some info on a case we’re working on.”

  “Oh. It’ll sound whiny, but I really could use your big strong arms around me right now.”

  “Sorry, Justin.”

  “I know, I know. I’ve known you for all of four days. Bit early to start making demands upon your person.”

  Sam laughed. “When I’m off-duty, you can make all the demands you want upon my person.”

  “Mmm, I like the sound of that. Thank you for last night, by the way…it was fantastic.”

  “Yeah, it was.” He wanted to say ‘best ever’, but that might be too much so early on in their friendship. “I think I should be thanking you for helping me get over, you know, what I told you about.”

  A smile was in Justin’s voice when he said, “I was only too happy to help. I can still feel you up there…must’ve been the third or fourth time that did it.”

  Oh, wow. His cock pulsed in his briefs. Any more of this kind of talk and he was going to have to head for the men’s room. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Do you have any leads for another job?”

  Justin laughed lightly, as though he knew Sam’s dilemma. “I’ve been online putting out my resume all over the place, so something’ll pop sooner or later. In the meantime, my mother’s been buggin’ me to come visit the old folks at home, so I’m gonna take a couple of days and do just that.”

  “Where do they live?”

  “Kansas. Ugh, I know, not a friendly place for gay boys and girls, but my folks have always been supportive about my being gay, so I don’t mind going back now and then.”

  “Nice that you have good parents supporting you.”

  “Yeah, they’re the best really. How ’bout you? Your parents still around?”

  “I wouldn’t know, and— Gotta go, Justin. I’ll call you later. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Justin put his phone away and frowned. ‘I wouldn’t know, and…’ What was he going to say? ‘And mind your own business,’ or ‘and I don’t wanna talk about it’ or ‘and I don’t give a shit’? So many things he didn’t know about Detective Sam Walker. Somewhere in his life, things must’ve gotten screwed up. He could sense that behind the rough-tough-cop exterior was a vulnerable man, unsure of his own capabilities.

  ‘I just don’t want you to be disappointed,’ he’d said in the elevator. Why would he have thought I’d be disappointed? The man is a powerhouse in bed. And that thing about the E.D? That was weird. And yet he wouldn’t have just made it up. That was definitely not the kind of thing most men bragged about. Maybe he could coax more about it out of him when next they met, whenever that might be. Sounded like the case he was on was going to take some time to solve.

  Well, now that I’m a man of leisure I better call Mom and give her the good news that I’ll be visiting for a few days.

  * * * *

  When Sam and Martin checked in at the precinct the following day the captain called them into his office. “Listen, Sam, you and Martin try and wrap up the murdered hustler case quick as you can, okay?”

  “Captain, we’ve only had it two days,” Martin exclaimed.

  “I know, but this is not deemed a high priority case, if you catch my drift. I don’t agree with my superiors, but you know how it goes. I don’t want this to become another cold case.”

  “Right, Captain.” Sam glanced at Martin as they walked back to their desks. Martin was scowling at him big-time. “I know what you’re thinking, but there’s no use getting in the captain’s face about it.”

  “Makes me so goddamned mad, Sam. A murdered kid isn’t considered high priority. Just because of what he was, of course. Dispensable ’cause he doesn’t fit the norm. If he was a high school grad, it would be a whole different story. I mean, have you even seen a newspaper report on this case?”

  “I know, I know, it stinks.” Sam was as pissed as his partner, but it wasn’t the first time they’d seen cases like this swept away under pressure. Joey Carter’s cold, lifeless form lying in the morgue was all that remained of the once ‘sweet and crazy’ kid. That was how the young hustler, Rolando, had described him. Damn this world and the misery it can sometimes bring.

  George Mackie and his partner, Eliot Sanders, sauntered into the room. Mackie tipped his head in their direction, but Sanders averted his eyes from Sam’s. Yeah, thought so. Pretty sure you’re the one who bad-mouthed me the other day. Never liked you anyway.

  “Afternoon, guys,” Martin sang out. Mackie returned his greeting, but Sanders stayed silent. “I said, ‘Afternoon’, Detective Sanders. What, you’re too good to say it back to your fellow detectives?” Sanders continued to ignore Martin, turning on his computer and staring at the screen instead. “Fuck me,” Martin muttered under his breath.

  “Leave it,” Sam said, but he should’ve known Martin wasn’t one to ignore a challenge.

  “What? You got your wrist slapped yesterday for calling a fellow officer a fag?” Martin chuckled. “Ya think we didn’t know it was you just because you didn’t ’fess up? Moron. Try it again and I’ll insist on suspension—after I lay you out.”

  “Martin, sit, so we can discuss our next move.” Sam rolled Martin’s chair over to his desk. “Sit.”

  “Motherfucker,” Martin muttered, sitting anyway. “You should make a formal complaint.”

  “What’s the point? LAPD can do all the sensitivity training they want, but you can’t change hearts and minds where there are none.”

  “There is that. The creep just ri
les me up.”

  Sam chuckled. “That’s not to say that if I should come upon him in a dark alley, I wouldn’t punch him on the nose.”

  Martin’s teeth gleamed against his dark skin as a huge grin spread across his face. “Now that’s more like it, partner!”

  “Anyway, we have enough to think about, especially after the captain warned us about wrapping things up quick as we can.”

  “Right,” Martin grumped. “Still pisses me off. Let’s go get some lunch. The air in this place stinks today.” Martin swung around on his chair and glared across at Sanders. “Damned putrid, if you ask me. Right, Sam?” He jumped to his feet and headed for the door.

  Chuckling, Sam followed.

  * * * *

  Justin sat on a bench in his sister’s backyard, watching while Simon, his three-year old nephew, played ball with his dad.

  “Kevin, not so hard,” Jen called out. “He’s only got little hands.”

  Justin chuckled under his breath. There had been a time when he’d hoped Kevin would get ‘hard’ with him. His doctor bro-in-law was a cutie and, even after six years of marriage and his sister’s excellent cooking, had kept his toned physique. Not a patch on Sam, of course, but Jen was a lucky, lucky girl to have such a hot husband.

  Kevin signaled that he’d heard her and she leaned in closer to Justin. “So, who are you seeing these days and when do we get to meet him?”

  Justin laughed. “I am seeing someone, matter of fact, but I met him only four days ago, so no way am I asking him to come meet the folks, and you.”

  “Is he hot?”

  “Of course. You think I’d waste my valuable time on some dweeb?”

  She shoved his arm. “You are so conceited. Does he know what he’s in for?”

  “I think so,” he said with a mischievous smile. “He’s a cop, and he’s kinda deep, like there’s a lot going on in his mind. I see myself as someone to cheer him when he’s blue, make him smile, help him forget the nasties he has to deal with. He and his partner just broke a case involving a child-slave ring. Can you imagine what kind of creeps would do a heinous thing like that?”

  “No, I can’t,” Jen said, her gaze immediately zeroing in on little Simon. She shuddered. “God, why would anyone want to put a little kid through that kind of horror?”

  Simon chose that moment to charge across the lawn, jump onto Justin’s lap and wrap his arms around Justin’s neck, raining sloppy kisses on his face.

  Justin laughed. “Hey, you supply towels with those kisses?”

  “Amazing,” Jen said. “He hasn’t seen you in almost in six months and he’s loving on you right away. He sees Michael every other week and never shows him the same kind of attention.”

  “Well, consider the source. Michael is the biggest ass…I mean grumpy-pants in all of Kansas, isn’t he, Simon, isn’t he?” He jumped to his feet and swung Simon around, eliciting screams of laughter from his nephew.

  “Justin!” Jen pretended to look annoyed. “You know he’ll say ‘grumpy pants’ right at Michael next time he’s here, don’t you?”

  “Yes, all the better to get up his nose.” He stopped swinging Simon about. “He’s not on his way over, is he?” he asked with mock terror.

  “No, thank goodness.” Kevin’s deep voice sounded close to Justin’s ear as he put his arm around Justin’s shoulders. Simon tried to cuddle them both at the same time but couldn’t get his short arms around both Justin and Kevin’s necks. “Come here, you little tyke,” Kevin crooned, lifting him off Justin. “So, what were you two talking about or should I not know?”

  “Justin’s dating a cop,” Jen said smugly.

  “Really?” Kevin gaped at him. “There are such people?”

  “What, cops?”

  “Gay cops. What is the world a’comin’ too, huh, Simon?”

  They all laughed and Justin was suddenly very glad to be home. He loved his family. Well, all except Michael, who really was an asshole, but Jen and Kevin and his mom and dad and little Simon, of course, he wouldn’t trade for any number of millions of dollars.

  His cell buzzed and he hastily pulled it from his pants pocket. Sam, maybe, I hope? No, Maria. What the fuck does she want? She is not getting those designs, unless of course she wants to pay handsomely for them. He chuckled when he pressed the Speak button. I can be bought just like anyone else.

  “Hi, Maria. What can I do for you?”

  “Oh, Justin, I think perhaps I spoke and acted too hastily yesterday. Paula made me see that Esteban Fashions has benefitted greatly from your presence.” There was a long pause.

  She’s hating this, Justin thought, grinning at Jen, who was staring at him with raised eyebrows. Maria, he mouthed at her.

  “Anyway,” Maria continued, her voice sounding as if she were talking through clenched teeth, “would you consider rejoining Esteban?”

  “Well, I hadn’t really officially left,” Justin said sweetly, “as no severance has been signed and no final paycheck delivered so I guess we could just pick up where we left off…without the shouting, of course.”

  “Of course. So, I can expect to see you tomorrow?”

  “Not tomorrow. I had no plans for the next few days after you fired me, so I flew up to visit my folks. I can be there Monday if that’s okay with you.”

  “Yes, that’s fine,” Maria snapped. “Monday then, and be sure to bring your latest designs with you. I want to see them.”

  “Of course, Maria.” Justin bit back the laugh that was threatening to burst from him. “See you Monday morning. Bye.” He shut his phone off. “Oh, that must have killed her to give me my job back.”

  “She did, already?” Kevin frowned. “Fires you one day, wants you back the next. Sounds like she’s a flake to me.”

  “Among other things.”

  “But it’s good you have your job back,” Jen said. “Mom can stop worrying about you.”

  Kevin chuckled. “But she won’t. She lives to worry about her baby boy.”

  “Smart aaaa—” He caught himself in time as Simon gave him a gap-toothed grin. “Arthur.”

  Kevin chortled. “Smart Arthur?”

  “I think it’s time we ate,” Jen said, rolling her eyes. “Fancy a glass of wine, Justin? I picked up a really nice and fruity Chardonnay at the market. It’ll go well with the chicken dish we’re having for dinner.”

  “Sounds delicious,” Justin said as they walked back to the house.

  “So what’s he like, this gay cop of yours?” Kevin asked, nudging Justin’s arm. “Should I be jealous?”

  Justin chuckled. “Very jealous. He’s great, but like I told Jen, we met just four days ago so who knows where it’ll go. He’s on a new case right now and he thinks it’s gonna take a lot of night-time work, so…”

  “Well, good luck. I hope it works out,” Kevin said. “You need a guy in your life. Somebody stable, unlike that asswipe Brad…ugh. I can’t be there for you all the time you know.” They laughed, their heads close together, and Justin kissed Kevin’s cheek.

  “You’re my favorite brother-in-law.”

  “I’m your only brother-in-law, so I’m supposed to be over the moon with this compliment?”

  “You two…” Jen shook her head at them. “Just as well I know my husband is as straight as…as straight as—”

  “An arrow?” Justin suggested.

  “That’s it, oh, and I love that show on the CW.”

  “That’s settled then.” Kevin winked at Justin. “How about that, then, Simon? Your dad’s as straight as an arrow on TV.”

  Simon gurgled his agreement.

  The doorbell ringing announced the arrival of Jen and Justin’s mom and dad and an end to the silliness. Kevin took Simon to the door so the parents could make a fuss of him and, from the shrieks and exclamations, they were doing just that.

  * * * *

  Later, alone in the guest room, Justin texted Sam and got an immediate response when his cell buzzed.

  “Hi, I thought you m
ight be too busy for talking.”

  “It’s been a shit day, but the sound of your voice makes it better.”

  Justin chuckled. “You say the nicest things, Detective. So, any luck on the new case?”

  “Couple of leads, but not enough for my liking. Are you having a good time with your family?”

  “Yes…can’t help but think though I’d rather be spending time with you, getting to know you better.”

  “I’d like that too.” A pause. “Are you in bed?”

  “Getting there. How about you?”

  “I’m still at the precinct. Martin and I are going over what we learned today. He just went to the restroom.”

  “So, no phone sex then?” Justin laughed at the startled noise Sam made on his end. “Shock you, Detective?”

  “Yes! And now I’m gonna have to hang up ’cause you’ve made me all… Shit, here’s Martin. I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye.”

  Justin was still laughing when he turned off his cell.

  Oh my big, shy and handsome detective. What I’m going to do to you when next we have time together. I cannot wait!

  Chapter Six

  Sam and Martin sat in their car, watching the action in the park from a fairly well-hidden vantage point. It was a cloudy night, the moon making only brief appearances in between breaks in the clouds. The tall trees on their side of the park cast long shadows over the scrubby grass and Sam could see the occasional glow of a cigarette in the dark.

  Sam nodded, his eyes trained on a movement near the center of the park. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out a pair of binoculars. The moon breaking through helped while he adjusted the vision. “Fuck me,” he breathed.

  “What?” Martin stared out the window.

  “It’s Sanders. What the hell is he doing out there?”

  “Gimme those.” Martin snatched the binoculars from Sam and squinted through them at the figure wearing a long black trench coat. “You’re right. Sanders, and he’s…oh shit, he’s talkin’ to some kid, giving him something. Now they’re walkin’ off toward those trees. Man, I cannot believe this. Even scum like Sanders.”