CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

JULY 4

THURSDAY

6:02 PM

HAZARD WAS IN THE BASEMENT, starting a load of laundry and trying to figure out why his fiancé’s socks were dirtier than their three-year-old daughter’s. At the top of the stairs, the door that led out to the garage opened, and familiar steps moved into the house. Weary steps.

“Ree?”

“Down here.”

Hazard started the machine and took the stairs two at a time. Somers was waiting at the top, arms folded, the knot of his tie worked loose. Hazard kissed him and said, “Bad day?”

“Wasted day. All right, let’s hear it about Dulac.” Somers sighed and wiped his face. “This is going to be another fight, isn’t it?”

Grabbing the tie, Hazard tugged it until the knot slipped free, and then he turned Somers around and helped him out of the jacket. Hands on Somers’s shoulders, he guided his boyfriend to the kitchen table and pressed him into a seat. Then he tickled his neck once, draped the jacket and tie over another chair, and got a Pepsi from the fridge.

“What about my pipe and slippers?” Somers said, a trace of the wariness lingering in his face as he kicked off his shoes and took the Pepsi.

Hazard kissed him again.

“I guess that’ll do,” Somers said, stripping off his socks.

“If I find those socks on the floor,” Hazard said, “you’re going to be doing your own laundry for a year.”

Grinning, Somers held up the balled socks and then made a huge production of putting them on the chair with the jacket and tie, rearranging everything, shifting it all again, starting over.

“Why in Christ’s name am I ever nice to you?” Hazard said as he pulled the ribeyes from the refrigerator.

“Because I’m charming.”

“Not that charming.”

“Because of my sex appeal.”

“You have sock lint between your toes.”

Somers wiggled his toes, arched his back, and groaned. Then he held up the Pepsi, seemed to consider something, and said, “Because I do that thing in bed you like.”

Hazard waved the saltshaker at him. “You do it because you like it. The fact that I happen to like it too is just a bonus.”

Laughing, Somers took a drink of the Pepsi, and Hazard was surprised to see his boyfriend blushing. Hazard turned his attention to the steaks, keeping his face carefully turned away.

“Well, now tonight’s ruined,” Somers said, and Hazard could hear the smile in his voice.

“You wanted chicken?”

“I had this shit day. That meeting with Riggle and Park dragged on and on, and everything I said, Park was all over me with questions. I know this sounds crazy, but she said some weird things the first time we met. At first, I kind of shrugged it off as her throwing down a gauntlet. Now, though—” He shook his head. “I honestly think she might believe I had something to do with the Keeper killings.”

“What? Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because it’s crazy. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. It was past noon by the time we finished, and I know you’re wondering, but I still haven’t heard from Dulac. I told Riggle, and he agreed to start looking for him. But when I wanted to take the lead on that, Park pulled me off it immediately. I spent the rest of the day shuffling papers. Just a fucking waste of my time.” He paused and took a drink of the Pepsi, setting it down hard, his voice rising as he continued, “And then I come home, and I’m really ready to have it out, just the fight to end all fights about Dulac, and you have to be cute and nice.”