Chapter 18
Steve looked around his apartment. His usually neat home was in chaos.
His coffee table was littered with invitation samples, brochures, and what looked like small party favors.
Through the open doorway, he could see shopping bags heaped upon the bed and brown cardboard boxes containing flat pack furniture that needed putting together.
A small mattress leaned against a wall, another, smaller, mattress wrapped in plastic leaning against it.
So much stuff, so little time. I don't even know where to start.
His phone chirped. Glancing at it, he frowned as he saw Tim was texting him.
Those guys are back, huh? He hurriedly texted back that he was coming down to the lobby.
The chaos would have to wait. Besides, I'll be okay with whatever his mom and Jared like best. As long as I don't have to wear some bell bottomed suit with wide lapels, in powder blue, I'll be happy. The rest is just window dressing.
“What's up?” he asked Tim as he exited the elevator.
Tim nodded towards the street. “Those guys are back. The detective types. They don't seem to care that we know they are there, either. Just keep watching the building.”
Steve frowned. “I'll be right back.” He strode towards the entrance.
“Where are you going?” Tim hissed at him, catching up to him and grasping him by the arm.
“I'm going to go get my coffee and pastry, that's what,” he said, feigning innocence.
“Like hell,” Tim answered, dropping Steve's arm anyway. “In that case, I'll go with you to get some too.”
The pair strolled nonchalantly towards the unmarked car, then Steve stopped, tapped on the window, and after it was rolled down, casually asked, “Would you gentleman care for coffee as well? We were just going to grab some.”
R.W. flushed. “No thank you,” he replied.
“Shit,” James swore under his breath. “I told you this was a bad idea.”
The man asking if they wanted coffee arched an eyebrow. “For cops, you guys sure are obvious.”
“FBI actually,” R.W. blustered, reaching into his jacket for his identification.
“Let's just go. Sorry if we bothered you,” James said, reaching for the ignition key.
“And what can we do to help you fine fellows?”
James dropped his hand.
“Just following some leads. We're investigating a series of assaults at area nightclubs and believe a guy who's moved here may know something. Maybe he saw something and didn't know it.”
The man stiffened. “Rapes?”
“Ah crap,” The man behind him said softly. James felt for him. He could relate. He didn't like this either and wished he was anywhere but here.
“Look, come with us to the coffee shop, okay? It's just a couple of blocks over. We might be able to help you.”
R.W. nodded and rolled up his window. “C'mon. Maybe they do know something. Or maybe we'll find out what's hinky in there,” he said thrusting his chin to indicate the apartment building.
“Or maybe we'll get coffee, they'll let you talk enough that they have something to file a harassment complaint over, and we'll lose our jobs,” James muttered.
“Don't be like that,” R.W. said, opening the car door and getting out. James sighed, took the key from the ignition, and hurried to follow R.W.
Asshole couldn't even wait for me. Just had to hurry after them.
Steve eyed the two men sitting across the table.
“Okay, look. I'll admit that Desmond did move into my building.
I can also tell you that Desmond is a good guy.
I'll give him your card, and if he knows anything, he'll no doubt give you a call.
Now, as to why he moved, it's quite simple.
He and my boyfriend work together and decided to move in together and split the bills.
Apartments like the ones in my building don't come up very often, so they decided to get it while the getting was good, especially as Des can afford to keep renting it even after Jared and I get married.”
“We'd appreciate that,” James said, proffering a card. Steve took it. “And I doubt we'll need to sit outside your building again. We were just hoping to catch him, so we could ask him for any information he might have.”
Steve turned the card over between his fingers. “I see,” he said in a tone that let the two agents know he wasn't buying it. “I hope you catch these guys.” he rose from his seat, quickly followed by Tim doing the same. “Scum like them need to be locked up and the key thrown away.”
James nodded. R.W. sat stiffly, saying nothing.
Steve pocketed the card. James watched the two men leave. “Well, that could have gone worse, and we might just get a lead on our two perps.”
R.W. glanced over at him. “See the little guy sitting at your 4 o'clock? He focused on the two guys as they came in and has been trying to listen in on our conversation. I've seen him before, on footage from some of the clubs, and I'm pretty sure I've seen him go into the apartment building.”
James glanced at him sharply. “Think he knows something?”
“Yeah, I do. Let's go and see what he does.”
It didn't take long. The man followed them out the door and down the sidewalk at what he obviously thought was a discrete distance and was caught off guard when R.W. suddenly whirled about and confronted him. “Can we help you?”
The man blanched. “I- I'm sorry. You're looking for two men who've been raping guys at the clubs?”
“Yeah,” R.W.said. “Do you have any information? Would you like to go somewhere and share it?”
The man licked his lips nervously. “I-I...”
“Look,” R.W. bulldozed ahead. “I'll make this easy on you. I've seen you on footage from a couple of the clubs.”
“Well, shit,” he muttered. “Um, okay, I might know something.”
“Do yo gave me some names that were obviously fake and umm... they tried to attack me after I left the club.”
“Then what happened? Did they run way?”
“Easy, R.W., let the man talk.”
“They didn't exactly run at first.”
“Okay, so what did happen?”
“You guys are going to keep looking until you catch them?”
R.W. gave a predatory smile. “We'll hunt them down if it's the last thing we ever do. There's no place they can hide. No stone will be left unturned, I promise you.”
The young man looked alarmed, then puzzled as a strange look of recognition quickly passed across his face.
He leaned in towards James and gave a subtle sniff.
The look of alarm crossed his face again.
“Oh, fuck, I'm going to have to come clean no matter what.” He looked at James.
“can this dude be trusted?” he jabbed a thumb towards R.W.
“Yes,” James answered.
“I mean, really, really trusted. Like, he won't share secrets that aren't his to share?”
“What the fuck kind of question is that?” barked R.W.
“Fuck it,” the man said, grabbing onto both James and R.W.
and dragging them towards the back of the shop.
Or at least, where the back of the shop used to be, as now, there was something else there in the alley, and James wasn't sure what it even was.
Before he could ask or R.W. lodge a protest, they were through it and then they were simply somewhere else.
James and R.W. looked around wildly.
“Where the hell did you just take us?” R.W. demanded.
“I left the guys here, after they attacked me.” The young man waved his hand. “The Hunt was on, so I brought them here to get rid of them, and told them to run.”
“You brought them here,” James repeated.
“Yes.”
“And they ran because the Hunt was on.”
“Yes. Plus the guards were coming as they could sense an unauthorized human entry.”
“Unauthorized human entry?” R.W. looked incredulous. “What, you trying to tell us you're from outer space or something?”
“No. Just Fae, see?” the young man suddenly shrank in size and wings appeared behind him.
James began to wonder what was in the coffee they'd been brought earlier.
“Oh, by the way, my name is Silas and you,” he pointed at James, “are my mate.”