Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The man fitting Cody for his tux stepped back and crossed his arms. “You’ve gained some weight.”
“Well, your breath smells like roadkill, but here we are,” Cody snapped back.
With a huff, the man stalked away and disappeared through a curtain.
“Really?” Dave said from his chair.
“What? He called me fat.”
“He only said you’d gained a little weight.”
“Some. He said I’ve gained some weight.” Cody stood on a low riser, adjusting the jacket and admiring himself in a triple mirror. “That translates to: good sir, you are massively fat.”
“That is absolutely not how that translates.”
“I shouldn’t have eaten anything all weekend.”
“God save us all from you hangry. Look, all he was saying was he needs to let out the pants a bit before next weekend.”
Cody gave a noncommittal grunt before stepping off the small platform, which, as far as Dave could tell, he’d been treating more like a stage.
“Despite my weight, how do I look?”
Cody did a slow turn and Dave smiled. He and Demetrius would be wearing black tuxes with blue ascots and cummerbunds, while Dave and Oliver would be in black tuxedos with red bowties and cummerbunds.
“Good.”
Cody frowned. “Good?”
“Oh my God, you’re so needy. You look amazing, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Cody faced the mirror again. “Yeah, but not from my brother. Now you’re making it kind of weird.”
“You’re an asshole,” Dave muttered as the man doing the fitting—Carlos?—emerged from behind the curtain. He was chewing gum—chomping might be a better description—and Dave figured it was a trick he used to stay calm around difficult customers.
Dave hoped he had a lot more gum in the back.
“Okay, Carlos, what’s our plan?” Cody stepped up on the platform again. “Besides me cutting out desserts and every pleasure in life until the wedding?”
“I can take out the pants a bit, but…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll cool it on the ice cream.”
“And cookies and pie and cake,” Dave added.
“Someone’s asking for a Charlie horse,” Cody growled.
Dave feigned shock. “You’re threatening me so close to my wedding day?”
“As long as you can make it down the aisle,” Cody said. “Even if you limp.”
Carlos took some measurements, made chalk marks on the pants, and then told Cody he could change.
Cody stepped down, and Dave went to take his place, dodging a playful smack.
He checked his reflection, tugging on the jacket and turning to see how the pants fit.
The tux fit him well, and he twisted side to side, admiring it.
“Okay, Narcissus, simmer down,” Cody said as he tromped past in his work boots, cargo pants, and Critter Catchers polo shirt.
“Shut up.”
Carlos checked the fit of Dave’s pants and jacket then, with a nod, told him he could change as well. As Dave dressed again in jeans and a lightweight Henley, he could hear Cody apologize to Carlos for his earlier insult. Carlos mumbled a response Dave couldn’t hear, but he caught himself smiling.
When they left Elegance Menswear, they walked down the sidewalk in comfortable silence.
The store was at the far end of Parson’s Hollow’s main business strip on the way out to Harriettville.
It was a warm day, but overcast, with a touch of humidity that hinted at the storms forecast for the next couple of days.
Dave had been watching the weather, hoping for no rain the day of the wedding.
So far, their luck was holding out as the storms were predicted before and after.
“You seem quieter and nerdier than usual,” Cody said, gently bumping his shoulder. “What’s up?”
“Thinking about the wedding. Hoping the rain cooperates.”
“It’s an indoor wedding.”
“Yes, smart ass, but getting to and from the venue is more difficult in the rain.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Cody gave him a side-eye. “What else is going on? Oliver in more trouble?”
Dave couldn’t keep from sighing.
“I thought so. Was he arrested yet?”
“No!” Dave made a face. “Not exactly.”
“More questioning.” Cody nodded. “Yeah, that tracks. Lucia did that to Demmy and me all the time before she realized there are actual murderous monsters out there. They locate that missing mummy yet?”
“No. There’s been a second murder now, too, and a third person has gone missing.”
“Damn, Ollie goes all in on the creepy cases.”
“He never does anything halfway. It’s kind of a mess right now, and I don’t know what to do to help him.”
“I do.”
“I’m not leaving him or handing him over to the police, if that’s going to be your suggestion.”
Cody laughed quietly and bumped him again. “Fine, how about my third suggestion. Let’s go to dinner, the four of us. Demmy and I have been through this a lot, as you and Ollie know, and we can try to come up with a plan together.”
“Okay.” Dave considered the idea. “Some outside viewpoints on all of it would be helpful.”
“Great. I’ll talk to Demmy, but I know he’ll be happy to do it. Do you guys have any plans for tonight?”
“Not that I know of. Oliver’s not in class today, but he has a couple of papers due soon. I’ll talk to him when I get back to the apartment.”
“I’m thinking we go to Margie’s, someplace familiar.”
“Can’t go wrong with Margie’s.”
The seemingly ever-present knot between his shoulders loosened a bit. Dinner out and the chance to talk through the mystery with someone open to all potential explanations, spooky or not, might be just the thing they both needed.
Later that day, as Oliver drove them into town to meet Cody and Demetrius for dinner, Dave asked how his papers were coming along. Oliver made a seesaw motion with one hand.
“I’ve managed quite a bit on the assignment for my journalism course, but it needs some more work. I’m still trying to come up with an idea for my communications class.”
“Which one’s due first?”
“The journalism piece is due Wednesday. I need to come up with a social media plan for a struggling small business by Friday for my communications class.”
“Wow, cutting it close before the wedding.”
“I know.” Oliver took his hand and squeezed. “Thanks for agreeing to postponing the honeymoon.”
Dave kissed the back of Oliver’s hand. “Every day spent with you is a honeymoon.”
“Sweet talker.”
Dave’s chest tightened at the pink coloring Oliver’s cheeks. “It’s the truth.”
A spot opened up across the street from Margie’s, in front of a relatively new shop called Cryptid Keepsakes. Oliver slotted the EcoSport in easily, and Dave pushed several quarters into the meter.
“You expecting to be here that long?” Oliver asked as he watched.
“These two are planning our bachelor parties, and we get married the following Saturday. Plus, they want to talk with you about the mummy. Who knows how long it’s going to take.”
They crossed the street, and Dave held the door open for Oliver. Cody and Demetrius were already sitting in their usual spot near the back, and they made their way through the tables to join them.
Demetrius stood and gave them both a hug, holding Oliver a few seconds longer.
“How are you doing?” Demetrius asked, pulling back but keeping his hands on Oliver’s shoulders.
“I’m doing pretty good, thanks.”
Cody stood to allow Demetrius to sit by the wall before taking the outer seat. Oliver sat across from Demetrius, and when Dave sat, he and Cody had to rearrange both of their long legs to fit comfortably.
Margie approached with a smile. “It’s so good to see the four of you together. And after next Saturday, you’ll be the power quad of the town.”
“Power quad?” Cody said. “That makes us sound like ATVs.”
Margie gave his shoulder a light smack. She took their orders and hustled off to the kitchen.
“Why am I always the one getting hit?”
“Because you’re the one who’s always mouthing off,” Demetrius said.
Cody leaned in and whispered loudly in his ear, “I thought you liked it when I mouthed off on you?”
Demetrius’s cheeks burned. “Stop it. You said you’d behave tonight.”
“I am behaving. I’m the picture of behavement.”
“I don’t think that’s a word,” Oliver said.
“It should be.” Cody sat back and put an arm along the back of the booth, fingers lightly touching Demetrius’s shoulder. “You’ve got the floor, Ollie. Get us up to speed, including your theories.”
Oliver told them everything that had happened so far. At one point, he reached into his bag, withdrawing Samira’s notebook and the fabric inside the plastic baggie. Demetrius and Cody examined the material, and then Demetrius slowly flipped through pages in the notebook.
“She didn’t quite finish the scroll,” Demetrius said. “Appears to be some question about the use of mery.”
“Right,” Oliver said, leaning forward as the words came out faster.
“It could be someone’s name or a term of endearment.
She believes the scroll was most likely written by Amenmose himself, and that he may have been attracted to a male scribe within the royal household.
Mery could have been the name of that scribe, but it’s also a term of endearment, so it’s not really clear. ”
“Mary was a man’s name in Egypt?” Cody smirked. “That could really change up the holy birth story.”
“Oh my God,” Demetrius said with a shake of his head. “You are so blasphemous.”
“You love me for my blasphemy.”
“Among other things.”
“Anyway,” Oliver said. “Mery—” He raised his eyebrows at Cody. “Spelled m-e-r-y, may be a key to all of this.”
Cody made a face. “I like my idea better. Hey, how many how many wives did he have?”
“Over two hundred.”
“Damn, that’s a lot of wives.” Cody smirked at Demetrius. “Can you imagine having two hundred of me?”
“I shudder to think about the laundry.”
“Hey now…”
“Back to the mystery,” Dave said. “What if Amenmose was in love with another man? Haven’t some sculptures or images from that time period showed two men together? Ancient Egypt didn’t seem to have a problem with same sex relationships.”
“You’re right,” Oliver said. “They were a lot more accepting. What are you thinking?”
“Amenmose may have been writing about his love for this Mery—”
“Dear Diary,” Cody said. “The sand is in my crack again, but Mery said the funniest thing at lunch…”