Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
Dudley, MA
Sam placed the cups of coffee on the table in front of them. Upstairs, they heard Mike whistling. She shook her head.
“At least he’s a cheerful shadow,” she quipped. She sank into the couch. “Lord, I’m exhausted. Going to the lab today was a mistake.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t give them all heart attacks, seeing you walk in like that.” Gary frowned. “Why didn’t you wait a while?”
“Two reasons, really. I was tired of playing dead, and I figured my ‘resurrection’ would be best accomplished by ripping off the Band-Aid and letting them get over the shock.”
Dan could only imagine the front pages of the press once word got out. “And the second reason?”
She picked her cup up and sipped. “Nathan called this morning. He said Robert’s gone.”
“They came to take him away last night,” Gary confirmed.
“The CIA?”
He nodded.
Sam bit her lip. “Well, someone must have called the medical school too.”
“Were people talking about the professor?”
She huffed. “That’s just it. Everyone was unusually silent.
And that was what decided me.” She sat up straight.
“I can’t help thinking that wherever he is, he hasn’t given up on his dreams. What if right this minute, he’s working on his next test?
And you know what? There has to be someone like me to counter that.
To make sure I finish what we started. Because if he can create genetically engineered pathogens, then I can develop vaccines for them.
So that’s my goal. I’ll finish the project, sell millions of gene-sequencing machines all over the world—” She gazed at them.
“—and use the proceeds to set up worldwide labs to be one step ahead of people like Robert.”
Dan smiled. “I think that’s a worthwhile goal.”
She returned his smile, the first he’d seen since they’d walked through her front door, and at the sight of it something unfurled deep inside him.
Hope.
9.30 p.m.
Travers paused at the fridge door. “Sodas again?”
Gary glanced around the den. “That bottle of bourbon you keep down here…?”
Travers chuckled. “I think you’ve earned a drink. And since you arrived in an Uber, I know you won’t be DUI.” He opened a drawer and removed the half-full bottle. “You too, Dan?”
Dan merely arched his eyebrows.
He snorted. “Stupid question.” Travers grabbed three glasses. “Another late visit, except this time I was expecting you.”
Gary cocked his head. “Nathan called, didn’t he?”
He nodded. “Yup. Not that he told me much. Just said you were both back in the US in one piece.” He chuckled.
“I thanked him for that. But he did say you’d have quite a story to tell me.
” He poured bourbon into the glasses, then handed them over before installing himself in his recliner.
Travers raised his legs and sagged against the cushioned back, balancing his glass on his stomach, both hands wrapped around it. “I’m all ears.”
For the next forty-five minutes, Gary and Dan brought Travers up to speed, and Travers listened, pausing only to pour them all another drink.
The alcohol took the edge off the antsy feeling that had plagued Gary on and off since he woke up in his own bed that morning, Dan curled around him, smelling of cotton sheets, a warm, safe scent that quickly became something more primal when Dan woke up.
When they were done, Travers shook his head.
“The more I learn, the more I don’t want to know.” He hugged his glass. “So that’s it? Case closed?”
Dan nodded. “The man who killed Leo, Eddie Ray, and Jonathon Wilmer is dead, not that we can ever tell any of their relatives how he died. It’s justice, sure, but it robs them all of the chance to see someone found guilty.
” He sighed. “Do you think we could find a nice easy murder for our next cold case? A kidnapping?” His hopeful glance made Gary smile. “A purse snatch?”
Travers laughed. “After what you’ve been through, I can understand that. But what about the professor and his wife? That’s one hell of a loose end right there.”
“No, it isn’t. We know who took him away last night. We know who escorted Michelle back to the US. He’s their problem now.”
Travers frowned. “Do you think he’s okay?”
Dan huffed. “Oh, I’m sure he is. I’m also pretty sure someone is keeping him busy.”
“What do you mean?”
He glanced at Gary, who nodded. They’d lain in bed the previous night, marveling at how far the case had taken them. Then Dan had shared his insights, and Gary had no doubt he was on the right track.
A track that led off into deeper darkness and made his blood run cold.
“Something occurred to me.” Dan finished his bourbon and set the glass down.
“Nathan said they didn’t know the breadth of Robert’s organization, if he was acting alone, etc.
Winter said there was never any chance the test would be successful, for pretty much the same reason.
But he also said someone higher up than him wanted Robert as an asset.
” Dan leaned forward, hands clasped between his knees.
“So what if Winter’s bosses let the test go ahead, not to see how far he’d take it, or to work out who was doing what, but so that once he’d done this, they really had something to hold over him?
And let’s not forget the monkeypox outbreak, or the enterovirus.
” Dan stared at Travers. “Think about it. What he’s done…
he could go to jail for it, couldn’t he? ”
“Undoubtedly.” Travers frowned. “And they tell him they’ll keep him out of jail—if he becomes their ‘asset.’” His frown morphed into a scowl.
“Yeah. That comes under the heading of stuff I didn’t want to know.
” He expelled a breath. “Thank God this one is over. I’ll admit, I was convinced it wasn’t going to end well.
” He managed a smile. “I’m delighted to be proved wrong. ” He paused, and Gary’s scalp prickled.
“Something you want to tell us?”
Travers blinked. “I think Dan’s gift is rubbing off on you. Yes, actually. I had a call while you were… on vacation. Barry Davis. He was doing some research for you, wasn’t he? Linked to your brother’s murder?”
Gary stilled. “Yes. He’d already made some headway before we left for South Africa.”
Travers nodded. “Well, he’s made great progress.
” Gary opened his mouth to speak, and Travers shook his head.
“He can tell you, but not tonight. Call him tomorrow. And I think after this, you two need a real vacation. Seeing as it’s Monday, you’re off until Thursday.
” He grinned. “You get to miss Halloween. You won’t be plagued by trick-or-treaters running amok. ”
Gary rolled his eyes. “You’re all heart.”
Travers regarded him with a warm gaze. “Just so you know? I’m proud of you.
No one in the precinct will ever know what you did for this case, but I will.
So will the chief.” His eyes sparkled. “I was right, by the way. He loved the part about Boston PD helping out the intelligence community. And speaking of the chief….” He clasped his hands on his stomach.
“After Barry called, I went to the chief’s office, and we had a little talk. We also reached a joint decision.”
Gary’s heartbeat quickened. “Are we going to like this?”
Travers looked him in the eye. “There’s to be no more investigating Brad’s murder on your own time.”
His stomach plummeted. Aw shit.
“And I’m sorry to disappoint you, Dan,” Travers continued, “but your next case won’t be a bag snatch. In fact it will need all your skills.”
“Sounds as if you’ve already picked one out for us,” Gary said in a subdued tone. He’d promised Travers that looking into Brad’s death wouldn’t interfere with his work.
Apparently Travers didn’t believe him.
“I have.” Travers took a deep breath. “Brad’s murder.
We’re making it a cold case. But seeing as how your recent cold cases quickly develop into live ones, I don’t expect it will stay cold for long.
” He studied Gary for a moment. “Ordinarily I wouldn’t have let you anywhere near this—you’re too closely involved—but… .”
What the fuck?
Gary swallowed, aware of a lightness in his chest. “What changed your mind?” His voice cracked.
“Barry said there have been similar murders since Brad’s, with the same MO, all unsolved. He also said the last one was earlier this year. So someone out there thinks they’re getting away with murder, and you’re going to stop them.”
Something fluttered in Gary’s belly, his heartbeat raced, and he felt so weightless he could’ve soared up to the ceiling.
“Yes, sir.”
“And now… get your asses out of here. Some of us have work in the morning.” Travers grinned.
Gary didn’t so much walk down Travers’s driveway—he floated.
They stood on the sidewalk, Dan on his phone to find them an Uber, Gary’s head in a spin.
Twenty-three years after Brad’s light had been extinguished from the world, he was finally in a position to seek out the person responsible.
And we will find them.
“Hey.” Dan touched his arm. “We’ve got one. It’ll be here in seven minutes.” He stroked up and down Gary’s back. “I don’t need to be psychic to know where your head is at, do I?”
“It feels as if everything has changed.”
Maybe there were other things that needed to change too.
Gary placed his hands on Dan’s shoulders and turned him until they faced each other.
“I’ve come to a decision too.”
“Oh?” Dan’s eyes gleamed in the streetlights. “Should I be concerned here?”
Gary straightened. “I’m ready to let our coworkers know about us.”
Dan stared at him in silence for a moment, his breathing erratic. “You don’t have to,” he said at last.
“But I want to. I’m tired of hiding how I feel. You’re an important part of my life, and they should know we’re a team in more ways than one.”
Dan let out a long breath. “What changed your mind?”
“I kissed you in front of a team of Homeland Security agents, not to mention members of the South African Crime Unit.” Gary smiled. “Coming out as a couple to a bunch of Boston detectives can’t be worse than that—can it?” He gazed into Dan’s eyes. “Well? What do you think?”
“I’d venture a guess that some of them already know, or at least suspect. You know how the rumor mill works in that place.”
Gary knew only too well.
“And while I agree with you that it is time, I feel I should also warn you there will be the odd voice of dissent too. There are still way too many people in this world who think like Lewis did—and who aren’t afraid to share their bigotry.”
He’d thought about that too.
“But… if you’re prepared to deal with the occasional muttered homophobic slur—I say muttered, because I think anyone stupid enough to say stuff like that out loud will get their ass canned.
Travers really does know when a mouse farts in that place—then yes, let them know.
” He cupped Gary’s cheek. “I’ll have your back. ”
Gary couldn’t help smiling. “You can have all of me.”
Standing outside Travers’s home in the dark, kissing Dan, had to be the most outlandish thing Gary had ever done.
He fucking loved it.
His heart pounding, Gary retrieved his phone from his pocket.
Dan chuckled. “You can’t call Barry. It’s late.”
“I’m not calling, I’m texting.”
Dan snorted. “Semantics.”
He quickly composed a message.
Call me when you get this.
“You’re not going to sleep tonight, are you?” Amusement laced Dan’s voice.
“Probably not.” He wrapped his arms around Dan’s slim body. “You could always try and distract me.”
Another throaty chuckle rumbled through Dan, going all the way to Gary’s dick.
His phone rang, and he swiped at the screen. “Hey. I thought you’d be asleep. This can wait till the morning.”
Except it couldn’t. He had to hear.
Barry laughed. “Don’t sweat it. I’m a regular night owl. Word has it you’re back from your vacation.”
“Words gets around fast.”
“So how was it? Go anywhere nice?”
“Can we not talk about that now?”
Barry cackled. “Sure. You’ve talked to Travers, haven’t you? Okay, part two of my research? That was trickier, but I’ve narrowed it down. Four of the people on that list were in the right neighborhood for all the killings.”
“Four?” He’d hoped to narrow it down to one, but part of him knew that was an unreasonable wish.
“Yeah. They all moved around a lot for work, judging by their tax records. But yeah, four of them were in the right place at the right time.” He paused. “Except that sounds really bad, given that we’re talking about murder.”
Four. Christ.
“Thanks, Barry. I’ll be in on Thursday, and you can give me all your findings then.”
“Sure. Happy Halloween for when it gets here.” He hung up.
“What did he say? Four what?” Dan stared at him.
Gary tried to breathe. “Brad’s killer could be one of four people at that charity ball.”
Dan tilted his head to one side, his gaze compassionate. “You thought he’d find one person, didn’t you?” He gave Gary a warm smile. “Haven’t you learned by now things are never that easy?”
“Hey, I hoped, all right?”
Dan moved in until Gary could feel heat radiating from him. He held Gary’s face between his hands and looked into his eyes.
“The night of the ball, what did you say to me? That I’d handed you a list of suspects, and all we had to do was whittle it down.
And now Barry’s done the same for you. So here’s what we do.
We look at those four people, and then we whittle it down—to one.
” His lips met Gary’s, soft as a whisper. “You know what just happened?”
“What?”
“We just got closer to finding out who killed your brother.”
THE END
Keep Reading for an Excerpt from Line of Sight, book four of the Second Sight series – K.C. Wells