Chapter Fourteen April 27th
Chapter Fourteen
Joshua tried not to keep glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall, but damn it, Greg had been gone for a couple of hours, and there’d been no word from him.
It wasn’t like Joshua didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, but he hadn’t anticipated it taking this long.
As a distraction, he’d decided to make a start on dinner, choosing a recipe for southern style mac and cheese.
It was a simple enough recipe, which was why he’d chosen it in the first place, and he knew the boys would love it, but he was having a hard time keeping his mind on the task.
Greg was with Detective Riley, talking to another potential witness, and Micah had gone with him this time.
Joshua knew how important it was to convince these guys to come forward, and he guessed this one was taking a bit of persuading.
But that wasn’t the only thing on Joshua’s mind.
It had been three weeks since he’d seen Alex, and he had no clue why his friend had suddenly dropped off the radar.
Sure, he got a text now and then, but compared to the weeks before?
Crickets.
Joshua wasn’t an idiot. He knew Alex was a busy guy. And Joshua was no teenager, about to get into a sulk because his friend couldn’t come and play. But three weeks?
He knew what lay at the heart of it. He’d gotten used to Alex being around, and he missed him.
In a large bowl, he added milk, heavy cream, and four different shredded cheeses, making sure to set aside the smoked cheddar.
The macaroni was already cooked, and that had been tense.
Joshua loathed soggy pasta, and had been determined to get it just right, even if that had meant tasting a piece every minute until he was satisfied it was done properly.
The recipe called for a tasting of the cheesy mixture, and he cautiously licked the tip of a teaspoon.
Seasoning. It needs seasoning. He reached for the salt and pepper, but then caught sight of his spice rack. He could almost hear Alex in his head. ‘Be adventurous.’ Joshua smiled. I can do that. He grabbed the jar of paprika, opened it, and went to sprinkle a little into the mix.
The paprika had other ideas, apparently, and a large lump dropped into the bowl.
Oh shit. Oh well.
Joshua stirred it all in, then tentatively tried another taste.
He blinked. Well, no one in my family likes bland food anyway.
Thank God. He added the eggs, stirring well until everything was combined, then poured it over the macaroni sitting in the buttered baking dish.
Finally he sprinkled the shredded smoked cheddar evenly, then gazed at the jar of paprika.
Fuck it. Joshua gave the contents a light dusting, then placed the dish in the heated oven. That only left the cleanup. By the time he’d wiped down the countertops, he caught the sound of tires on gravel, and sighed with relief. They’re back.
“Dad?”
“In the kitchen,” he hollered back. When Greg walked into the room, carrying his crutches, Joshua frowned. “I thought you stopped using those last week.”
Greg flushed. “Yeah, I did, but Detective Riley told me to bring them along to the meeting.”
Now he was intrigued. “Okay, so wanna tell me why? And how did the meeting go?”
Micah pulled out a chair for Greg, who sat down at the table, then joined him. “I’ll be honest. I thought we weren’t going to get anywhere with that guy, especially when it turned out he’s married and his wife has no idea what happened—or that he’s into guys.”
“Ouch.” Joshua winced. “Yeah, I can see why he wouldn’t want that coming out. No pun intended. So why the crutches?”
“Detective Riley did a major guilt trip on him,” Greg admitted quietly. “While his wife was away visiting her mother, he decided to get in a little action. He chose a bar nowhere near home, then had a look on Grindr to see who was about. You can guess the rest.”
“Those bastards. Did they hurt him?”
“Nowhere as bad as they did Greg,” Micah said, his face tight. “By the time his wife came home, he was able to explain away the bruises by saying he’d slipped and fallen.”
“Anyhow, when it became obvious he wasn’t happy about testifying, Detective Riley pointed to my crutches. Told him how badly I’d been injured. Then…” Greg took a deep breath. “He pulled out a photo. It was me in the hospital, all tubed up, my leg in a cast, bruises everywhere.”
“You knew he was gonna do that, right?” Joshua hoped to God the detective hadn’t sprung that on Greg without some warning.
Greg nodded. “The guy—Dillon—asked me how bad it had really been.” He swallowed.
“I told him about the time Micah drove me along that road. When I got to see exactly where he’d found me…
.” Micah covered Greg’s hand with his own, squeezing it gently, and Greg gave him a grateful glance.
He swallowed again, only more deeply this time.
“When I first understood just how remote a spot it was. That moment when it hit me that they’d deliberately dumped me there where no one would find me until it was too late.
” He took another breath. “I told him Detective Riley and Alex are trying to help, to put those fuckers away. Then I told him… he was hindering them. That they really needed his help to put those guys away.”
Joshua grasped his hand. “You were doing what you had to, to make sure they go down.” His heart went out to Greg. Joshua’s anxiety over the meeting was nothing compared to what Greg had gone through, both on that dreadful night, and every time he had to relive it. And it wasn’t over yet.
Greg nodded. “So they can’t do this to anyone else.” The words were almost a whisper.
“What did he say? Will he testify?”
Micah put his arm around Greg’s shoulders. “He said he’s going to tell his wife everything. Detective Riley didn’t lie. He told Dillon if he gave testimony, he would be outed at the trial.”
“So now we wait and see?”
Micah nodded. “He did say one thing that was really encouraging. Ever since it happened, he’s had nightmares. He said he can’t seem to put it behind him.”
“And that’s encouraging?”
“Sure. Maybe he’ll start thinking that if he comes forward, this will bring him closure.”
“How long before we know if he’ll do it?”
“Alex says he’ll put everything before the grand jury in June, so I guess that’s the deadline. So far, we have a couple of guys who might testify. I know Alex would be happier if there were more.” Greg cocked his head to one side. “Speaking of Alex, have you heard from him lately?”
“Not much beyond a text or two,” Joshua said in an even tone.
“Yeah, I thought you hadn’t mentioned him in a while. Well, now we know why.”
“Detective Riley mentioned him,” Micah explained. “You know that case that’s been on the news a lot lately? That couple found murdered in Overlook Park last summer? Well, it finally came to trial this week.”
Now Alex’s silence made sense. “Wow. That sounds like a big case.”
Greg nodded. “Detective Riley says Alex doesn’t usually get big cases, because let’s face it, Campbell County isn’t exactly huge.
His workload is spread between him and lots of assistants, but even then you’re talking stuff like providing legal advice, taking people to court over neglect, you know…
My case, and the one he’s just prosecuted, those are the biggest cases to cross his desk in a while. ”
“Did he win?”
Micah grinned. “You bet he did.” Suddenly he sniffed the air. “What can I smell?” he licked his lips. “Smells good, whatever it is.”
Greg gave a happy smile. “Aw, you cooked. Great. I can’t wait. I’ve been telling Naomi about your cooking. She’s dying to try it.”
“I haven’t done all that much of it lately.” He was still awaiting a lesson on how to make lasagna. Maybe now Alex will have the time.
“Maybe not, but so far it’s two for two.” Micah peered into the oven. “Is that mac and cheese?”
“Yeah, about that.” Joshua cleared his throat. “I might have been a little… generous with the paprika.”
Micah snorted. “Like that’s gonna matter in this house.” He patted Joshua on the back. “It’s going to be just delicious.”
Joshua smiled to himself. What a difference a few months made.
Last year? If he’d said he was gonna cook, there would have been remarks made about visits to the nearest Emergency room, hiding the knives, and jokes about considering takeout instead.
Now? Their enthusiasm for his efforts and confidence in his abilities sent warmth spreading through him.
At least I won’t starve when it’s just me.
Then he pushed such thoughts aside. May was almost upon them, and that meant Naomi would be home for the summer. Joshua was looking forward to spending time with his family while he had the chance.
His phone warbled, and he picked it up to peer at the screen.
Tomorrow. Coffee and bagels? We need a catchup.
That made him smile even more. You bet, he typed back. I wanna hear all about the trial.
A few seconds later, Alex’s reply pinged back. God no. I need a break from that. No work talk. And there has to be a movie we both want to see. MY choice this time. A pause, then another text. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Joshua snickered. “Bring it on,” he muttered.
“Did you say something?” Greg peered at him.
Joshua laughed. “Nope. Just planning a coffee break with Alex tomorrow, seeing as it’s Saturday.”
Greg beamed. “How about me and Micah do the shopping? You can go meet Alex.” When Micah regarded him with raised eyebrows, Greg waved his hand. “You know you love it when we go shopping together. You can put whatever you want in that cart and I won’t say no.”
“I was just thinking we need some ice cream.” Micah’s eyes gleamed. “And some other stuff.” He glanced at Joshua. “Take all the time you want. Do lunch, go see a movie.”
Joshua wasn’t stupid. He knew Micah wasn’t really thinking about shopping. Not that he blamed them. It had to be awkward, having him around.
“I’ll talk to Alex later,” he told them. “We’ll see what we can come up with.”
Joshua could remember being their age like it was yesterday. Talk about fire in the furnace… And despite what he’d said to Alex, his own flames hadn’t been extinguished entirely.
It ain’t over till it’s over, Alex had said.
Truth.