20. Zero
20
ZERO
“ W atch where you step,” Zero whispered over his shoulder.
“What? Ouch!” a painful voice behind him hissed.
It was just after one a.m. The office was dark, and the street was empty except for the late-night streetwalker or junkie looking to score. Most manner of civilization had retired for the evening, as was the acceptable mode of behavior for a Wednesday night.
“Exactly.”
“You’re a dick,” Jared called from behind.
“So I’ve been told,” Zero said with a slight chuckle.
Reaching into the bag slung across his chest, Zero pulled out another flashlight and passed it over to his companion.
“Here, use this,” he noted, taking stock of the fact that Jared was standing straight and walking normal. Other than his pride, nothing else seemed to be bruised or injured.
“What are we looking for again?”
“Anything that might explain what the doc is doing to his victims. We need dates, times, locations. Any information that might explain what he is doing and how he’s been getting away with it,” Zero explained.
They still had nothing on this case, and it was getting to the point where even he was wondering if the man was innocent. They couldn’t keep wasting time and resources on someone who was innocent.
“Wow, sounds like a lot.” Jared pulled open a set of filing cabinets and began rummaging through some files. “Wow, who uses a filing cabinet anymore? How old is this guy? Seventy-five?”
Zero could sense the sarcasm dripping from Jared’s words.
Ignoring the man’s comment, he began looking behind pictures, feeling under surfaces, even tapping on walls, hoping to find a hidden door or entrance to an evil secret lair. Something. Anything.
Behind him, Zero could hear Jared rummaging through files and pulling folders from the cabinets. Hopefully, he finds something useful.
“I don’t get it. I’m assuming that the doctor has an office at his lab and at his home, so why would he need an office here?” Jared asked, still rummaging through some documents.
That was the exact same question Zero had when he discovered that this secondary office existed last week.
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping to find out. Seems a little odd to me,” Zero answered, moving on to the next picture on the wall.
“All I’m seeing here are copies of receipts for purchases of electronic surveillance equipment, shipping manifests, and resumes for security guards.”
“Does it say where the shipping was sent?” Zero asked, glancing over his shoulder at the man currently studying a file.
“No, that line had been redacted.”
“Hmm, that’s odd. Snap a picture of that file and anything else you think sounds odd for a man who spends all day testing and making drugs.”
What was the connection? The doctor spent his days as a chemist in a lab, testing and formulating drugs. There are multiple victims who all wake up in various locations with no memory of how they got there or what happened to them during their blackout periods. They all have physical signs of distress, wounds, bruises, and even dirt under their fingernails, but no signs of sexual assault. That last one was a good thing. And now, this office? Why would a chemist need to keep a secret office separate from his work and home? And what was with all the surveillance equipment?
It all made no sense. Sometimes, he wondered why Marc and Chase had decided to hire him. He wasn’t a trained investigator and knew fuck all about forensic evidence. Marc claimed he was hired because he was good at thinking on his feet and adapting to situations. That was a skill that all con men knew well. But still, sometimes, he felt like a fraud, playing detective and trying to impress Chase with the lack of evidence he was able to find.
Shaking those fears of self-doubt from his mind, he decided to focus on more important things.
“So, how long have you and Diesel been friends?” Zero asked, stealing a glance over at the six-foot-tall wall of muscle.
Jared stopped flipping through a file he was holding, appearing to take a moment to think about his answer.
“Ever since he came to La Maison .”
“And has he always been so… cheery?”
Zero’s lips turned upward when he heard the man begin to chuckle.
“Yeah, D’s always been a bit… guarded.”
“That’s one way of putting it.” Zero continued tapping along the wall as he made his way toward the doctor’s desk. He had searched the doc’s office a month ago but didn’t find anything interesting. He hoped that this time might be different.
“Diesel’s like an abused dog,” Jared explained, lifting up junk from the doctor’s shelves and putting them back in their places. “He’s suspicious of anyone who he doesn’t know and always makes sure that he’s never ever cornered. It may take a while, but once you’ve earned that trust from him, he’s the most loyal guy you’ll know. There isn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for my brothers and me. Even if he won’t admit it.”
“Yeah, Diesel mentioned that you were all like family.”
“We are. Think of La Maison as a sort of orphanage for unwanted, emotionally damaged men. Matteo is our daddy who watches over us and makes sure that we are fed and have a roof over our heads. He basically ensures that we don’t die.” Zero let out a chuckle. “We all came to La Maison for different reasons. Some, like Diesel and me, were saved by Matteo and decided to stay because we wanted to. Over time, we all kind of became one big fucked-up family.”
“Saved?” Zero asked, already knowing some of the story but wondering about Jared’s.
“It’s complicated. For me? Matteo brought me back from a very dark place. For D? Well, that’s his story to tell if he deems you worthy.”
That was the big question, wasn’t it? Would Diesel ever truly feel comfortable enough to fully let him in?
“I don’t think he likes me much,” Zero admitted, rummaging through some of the papers left on the doctor’s desk.
“Like I said, defense mechanism. He’s sniffing you out, trying to determine whether you are friend or foe.”
“Yeah, I guess.” The sting of disappointment suddenly made Zero realize just how much he wanted Diesel to like him. Not in that “let’s get married and have a million babies while braiding each other’s hair” kind of way. But it would be nice to hang out from time to time, perhaps exchange blow jobs and even cuddle occasionally. There was something about cuddling that cloudy ray of sunshine that made him smile. Diesel would hate cuddling… it would drive him nuts. But it would be so much fun to feel him squirm in his arms in protest.
Zero smiled.
“Shit.”
Zero’s head snapped up, wondering what Jared had just found.
Strained chestnut eyes stared at him, making him feel like he was suddenly being analyzed.
“You two didn’t fuck did you?” Jared asked, giving him a “please say no” look in return.
Zero’s breath caught in his chest. He and Diesel hadn’t exactly discussed whether or not to tell the guys that they had hooked up, and judging by how Diesel reacted the morning they met, he didn’t seem too eager to share the news.
“Shit. I can see it in your eyes.”
“My eyes?” Zero asked, wondering what sign he was possibly giving away.
“It’s that look guys get when they hook up with someone that they shouldn’t have, then wonder how much trouble they’re going to be in if they get caught.”
“What?” Zero said a little too high-pitched for a guy with balls that had descended. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yup, Jared knew. Even he could tell that he was lying through his teeth. Hopefully, Diesel wouldn’t get too pissed off that his best friend knew they exchanged cum. Well, he received Diesel’s cum, and Diesel just pulled up his drawers and walked away.
Come to think about it, it was time to pay back that asshole for the blue balls he left him with that night. It was time to teach the fucker a lesson.
“Look, I’ve seen what D is packing downstairs, and I know it might be hard to pull away once you get stuck in that thing’s gravity pull, but if you have any decency in you, don’t fuck around with Diesel’s feelings. He might be all hard shell and crusty attitude, but just beneath that cheap plaster is a gooey inner core that just wants to be loved.”
Zero locked eyes with Jared, not really sure what to say. Yes, sex with Diesel would be fun—hell, even hanging out with the guy might be interesting—but he wasn’t looking for a relationship. No feelings exchanges for him.
“That, and if you hurt my brother, I’ll have to beat your ass down,” Jared added, giving Zero a wink.
Given that Zero was a head taller than the buff stripper-man, he found it amusing that the guy would be so confident in himself. Mind you, the man would be defending his family’s honor, so he would probably fight like a rabid pit bull. There was something to say about fighting for a cause.
“Don’t worry, he can trust me,” Zero found himself saying. He hoped that he was being honest.
Gazing back down at the stack of papers on the good doctor’s desk, his eyes caught on something.
He reached down and pulled a black-and-red card out from under a pile of drug order forms.
A silver-lettered invitation to attend a party at the Black Door Lounge in two weeks was stenciled against an all-black backdrop. The invitation did not disclose who was hosting the party, just a date, time, and password.
Staring at the invitation, Zero wondered if the passwords were unique to each invitation or generic for all attendees. That was something he would have to look into. Over the past two months, the doctor had never been invited to such a party before. He wondered what kind of party it was. Perhaps this was the clue they were looking for.
“What’s that?” Jared asked, walking over and peering over his shoulder.
“An invitation.”
“To what?”
“That’s what we have two weeks to find out.”
Jared quickly entered the lounge’s name into his phone and opened its website. The website said the space was used for private parties and to call if interested in booking rates. However, the page did not list an events calendar, so he couldn’t get any information on the event that way.
He wondered how else he could get more information on the event. Perhaps Chase would have some ideas.
Zero took a photo of the card, both front and back, then slid it back into its original place tucked between the doctor’s business papers. They didn’t want to leave behind any evidence of their presence.
“It’s time for us to leave,” Zero ordered, checking his watch to confirm the time.
Jared nodded and followed him out.