Chapter 13
Mason
Miller called me as I pulled into my parents’ driveway. “Hey, Mason, are you feeling any better down there?” He must have known the answer was no, just worse in a different way, since I was already asking him for favors.
“I’m hanging in. You got some info for me?”
“Yeah, I found out a little about your boy Brandon. Dude seemed like a real piece of shit. He was arrested several times. Battery, threats, public intox. Looks like a couple of bar fights. Seems he liked to pick on people smaller than him, even got suspended in high school for bullying, twice. He had a bad relationship with alcohol, all the later arrests involved drinking. Never did hard time but definitely familiar with a jail cell. Seemed like a drunk asshole. Bet he was killed by someone he fucked with and bit off more than he could chew. What’s your interest in him? ”
“It’s for an old friend. He dated Brandon a while back.
Some of the arrests could have been over him, though I don’t know that he ever called the cops.
Pretty sure Brandon was abusive. They’re looking into my friend because he had obvious motive, but it wasn’t him.
There’s some shit going on in this town I’m trying to figure out, because someone is trying to frame him. ”
Miller forgot the topic for a moment, just like I knew he would. “Your friend?”
I couldn’t help chuckling, and I was glad he wasn’t here to see me grinning like a fool.
“Yeah, my old friend. I mean, he’s more than that, yeah, but he’s someone I hurt in the past, so I’m still groveling a little.
I think I’m in the ‘maybe friend’ zone right now, if I’m being honest, even though we’re doing a lot more than friends should.
” He laughed outright. “I’m working on it, though,” I added. “I’m trying to get there.”
“Don’t you go falling in love,” Miller scolded.
“We need you back here. We miss you.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d been in love with Elijah since middle school.
He went on. “I get it, though. You care a lot. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything else, but from here it looks like he’s a classic prick who pissed off the wrong person.
Especially in a town that size. You don’t have real crime there, so I’m sure it’s a one-off.
Whether it was your friend or someone else, he probably deserved it. ”
“It wasn’t my friend,” I felt the need to reiterate. “But it also wasn’t a one-off. There was another murder last night. Could you check out a Brock Gray for me?”
There was a pause. “Another murder? In that little town? Was this another of your man’s exes?”
I sighed. “I told you it seems like he’s being framed. I’m worried about him. That’s why I’m asking for favors.”
He hesitated, but said, “How well do you actually know this guy, Mason? I mean, you were away for a long time.”
I knew he was trying to look out for me, and his brain worked like mine.
I didn’t have time to explain thoroughly, though, because my mom was already looking out the window trying to figure out why I wasn’t coming inside.
“Look, Miller, I know him well. He has an airtight alibi for Brandon. He was caught on CCTV all over town the entire night of the murder. He wasn’t there.
And I know where he was when Brock was murdered, because I was boning him at the time. It wasn’t him.”
Another pause, but he said, “Alright, alright, heard. I’ll let you know what I find. Stay safe out there, man. Never thought I’d have to say it with you going there, but we need you back, alright?”
I just thanked him and hung up before heading into the house. My mom had left the window, but she was waiting for me when I walked into the kitchen. She had to work today, but not for another hour. My dad was already at work. “Have you been drinking?” were the first words out of her mouth.
I heaved a huge sigh. “Mom, stop. I haven’t. I swear. And even if I had, I promise you, I’m not going anywhere right now. I get that you’re worried about me, but I haven’t had a drop since I got here. And I have a lot of reasons not to let it affect me like it did when I was alone. Okay? I swear.”
Her posture relaxed slightly. “Well, do you want to tell me what’s going on, then? You said a friend needed help last night, and you leave and come back at nine a.m. I know you’re an adult and you’ll make your own decisions, I just need a little reassurance that you’re making the right ones.”
“Mom, there’s some shit going on in this town,” I said, moving on before she could scold me for my language.
“I think Elijah’s in trouble. I don’t have it all pieced together yet, but he texted me last night because someone was outside his house.
I couldn’t leave him there alone, and that’s why I took the gun.
He lives all alone so far out of town. But we weren’t drinking.
I would never when I know I need to keep my head clear. ”
My mom looked at me long and hard. I knew she wanted to believe me, and I knew she wanted me to make up with Elijah. It had been something she’d wanted since I was in middle school. “So you’re getting along again, then?” She couldn’t even hide the hopeful look on her face.
“Yeah,” I said, hoping I wasn’t getting the goofy, dreamy look that mirrored the way I felt when I thought about him. “I told you I apologized. And I keep apologizing. I think he’s starting to listen.” He’s at least letting me pound him into oblivion.
I could swear my mom heard the words I didn’t say, but she didn’t comment.
She just looked at me for another moment and said, “Well, I’m happy to hear you two are talking again.
Elijah needs someone around who’s good for him.
His ex was garbage. Everyone knew he was abusing Elijah.
The whole town whispered about it. Even some of the more conservative people who didn’t approve of their lifestyle would get upset about how he treated Elijah in public, but he was too scary for most people to be willing to confront.
God knows what happened behind closed doors.
Elijah has always been a good person and you two used to be so close.
I was sad your friendship turned out like it did.
I always thought it would be . . . more.
” With that she turned to finish getting ready for work, leaving me stuttering in the kitchen.
I finally just headed for the fridge to find something for breakfast.
It was almost ten when I got a text from Derrick. Hey, bro, I’m off work today. You feel like hanging out and catching up?
I’d had a lot going on, but after talking to my mom I kind of felt bad for not asking Derrick how he was doing. It seemed he had a lot going on too. Yeah, man, let me get a shower real quick. Where do you want to meet?
You want to go fishing out at the lake? I already have bait.
I grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom.
Yeah, sounds good. Meet you there in thirty.
He sent me a thumbs up and I headed into the shower, trying not to think of Elijah handcuffed below me, squirming wantonly, because I didn’t really have time to jerk off in the shower if I was going to make it to the lake in thirty minutes.
◆◆◆
I pulled into the parking lot at the lake, thinking about all the times we’d been here as teenagers, having bonfires on the beach and drinking while hoping the cops wouldn’t come. Oh, the irony.
Derrick’s truck was already here, so I walked out onto the beach as he was setting up his chair and a homemade rod holder.
He motioned to another chair he must have brought for me.
“What’s up, man?” he asked with a grin as I set up the chair and started going through his tackle box.
I wasn’t going to keep anything I caught.
My mom hated fish and I didn’t really like cleaning them, I just wanted to hang out with my old friend.
“Not much,” I said casually, even though there was so much going on I wasn’t sure how to process all of it. “How have you been lately? I haven’t had a chance to talk to you much.”
He shrugged but smiled. “Oh, I’m alright,” he said.
“Just keepin’ on. You know, life can be shitty sometimes.
I know you’ve been through a lot, and I’ve been wanting to talk to you.
I don’t . . . I know I don’t ever have the right words, but you were one of my best friends in high school, and I know you’re going through a hard time.
I don’t know how it feels, and Chris probably has a better idea than I do, but I want you to know I’m here for you if you need me, even though I might not say the right things. ”
My heart went out to him for trying. “I’m alright,” I said quietly. “I’ll be okay. It’s tough, but yeah, sometimes all you can do is keep going, right? I doubt I’ll ever get rid of my guilt, but I’ll get through it. I mean, you have to, right?”
He nodded thoughtfully, casting his line as he stared out at the water.
I cast my own and we just sat there. Finally, almost hesitantly, he said, “Yeah, sometimes we have to make tough calls, and we don’t always know if they’re right or wrong when we make a decision.
It doesn’t make us bad people, though. We do the best we can and sometimes fate just shits on us.
I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to feel guilty.
What you do is dangerous; bad things can happen.
I didn’t know him, but I do know a lot of police officers, and not one of them would blame you.
” He paused and I saw him look at me, but I was still looking at the water.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m doing it again, speaking out of turn.
Just tell me to shut up anytime you need to. ”
“No,” I said, finally looking over at him. “I hear you, and I appreciate it. I’m sure you’re right. He’d probably knock me over the head for carrying it like I am, but it’s hard not to, you know?”
He looked back at me and gave me a little smile. “Yeah. I do.”
I hesitated but said, “I heard you’re going through a tough time right now too. Are you okay?”
He looked down. “Oh, it’s nothing, Mason. Don’t worry about me. It isn’t anything like what you’re going through. Everything will settle down soon. I’m fine.”
“Hey,” I said gently, still looking at him. “Even if our problems are different, that doesn’t mean it’s not hard on you. I’m here for you too, you know. I don’t know exactly what happened, but if you need someone to listen, I’m your guy.”
He gave a little sigh. “Thanks. I just . . . I had to call the police on my own mom. She completely lost it after my dad left her. They’d been together since high school and she’d never been on her own, then she called me to tell me she couldn’t take it anymore.
She had a knife, and she tried to slit her wrists in front of me when I got there.
She’s in a psychiatric hospital right now, and I’m not sure she’ll ever get out, but I also don’t know if I could handle her if she does.
Even though I miss her, I’m kind of dreading the day she fakes it enough that they let her go, because I’m not equipped to deal with that.
You know I never have the right things to say.
I feel so guilty for letting her get to that point. It’s just . . . hard.”
I stood and walked over to him, leaning down to give him a hug.
I felt the sob he tried to stop as he hugged me back.
“Hey,” I said softly. “It’s not your fault she got to that point.
None of it’s your fault. They’ll help her there, so don’t worry about the future, and your friends are here for you now, and later, whenever you need us.
Even if I’m back in Chicago again, I’ll only be a phone call away.
I promise. I won’t stay away like I did before. ”
His voice shook as he said, “Thanks, Mason, I really appreciate it.”
We went back to fishing in comfortable silence, occasionally coming up with an old story that was funny, or something pleasant that had happened in our lives, trying not to dwell on all the bad stuff.
I caught a few fish and threw them back, but he was obviously fishing for food, and I got a little worried because though I knew he was tight financially, I wondered if he was worse off than he was letting on.
I tried to hint around about it, but he told me he was fine.
He did ask why I wasn’t keeping my fish, and I told him my mom didn’t like them.
Then I offered him the next one I caught, but he refused.
“I only keep fish I’ve caught fair and square,” he laughed.
We were thinking about heading back into town to grab some lunch when my phone rang. I answered it when I saw it was Chris. “Mason, I need you at the station. Now.”
“What the hell happened?” I demanded, instantly on edge at the urgency in his voice.
“I wasn’t there, or I would have done something. Something of Elijah’s was identified at the crime scene and they arrested him at work. I don’t know what to do. I need his alibi here, right now. You’re going to have to tell them, man. I can’t get him out of this on my own.”
Oh, I’d tell them alright. “Fuck,” I said. “I’ll be right there.”
Derrick looked over at me curiously. I hadn’t mentioned my current state of affairs with Elijah, and I was pretty sure he hadn’t suspected back in high school.
Even though he was my friend, and one of my closest, I wasn’t quite sure of his opinion on it.
I was ready to go blow up in the police station, though, not giving a fuck if word got around town.
Some of the cops were old and homophobic, and some of them were my old classmates, like Chase, whose current opinion on the matter I also didn’t know.
But I didn’t care what they thought or what they said about me.
Derrick and I had had such a good visit that I didn’t want to go into all of it right now, and I didn’t really have time anyway. It was a long story.
“I have to go, Derrick. I’m really sorry. There’s an emergency and Chris needs me. Can I get a rain check on lunch? It’ll be my treat since I have to cut out.” I hoped I’d found a way to get him to let me buy him food.
He nodded. “Yeah, sure, sounds good.” His brow was furrowed but he smiled.
“We’ll catch up more soon,” he added as I folded up the chair I’d been using and started trying to help him pack up.
He stopped me. “Nah, man, it’s alright. I’ve got this.
I think I’ll fish a little more. I like it out here, it calms my soul.
” He’d always loved coming out to the lake when we were teenagers.
“You go take care of whatever. I’ll text you about lunch. ”
I just looked at him gratefully and told him goodbye, heading off to my car with my dad’s pole. I hoped like hell Elijah was alright, and that they’d actually listen to me.