"Just look at that smile." Andy pointed to the man that stood among a few others.
"Yes." His father's voice had tears in it. That was the first time Anderson remembered his father crying. At his young age he knew the man he looked up to all his short life had indeed loved his wife. Anderson smiled. "We were so young then. I really should restore the book but that feels like betraying your mother.
"Why?"
"Well, the way it sits right now has your mother's touch on it. It has places where her finger dug into the cover. You see this rip—right here? It came from her dropping it. And this smudge? That was when she told me she was pregnant with you. She was laughing and crying at the same time. I just don't want to get rid of all that. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"When I die, this book will belong to you," the older man explained.
"But I don't know if I want to be a lawyer," Anderson had told his father, "or go to Harvard."
"I know, but it doesn't matter. This book will remain in our family and you have to take care of it."
"I promise," Anderson whispered.
A horn honked. Anderson looked up to see he was standing in front of a car and jogged out of the way. He waved to the driver in an attempt at an apology before crossing the lot and ducking beneath tree limbs. When he emerged to where his car was with his father's words about his mother's old book echoing in his head again, he gripped the door handle wondering why he was thinking about the book so often since his father's death. It had nothing to do with anyone—just an old yearbook that meant nothing to anyone else but his parents and now him.
As he slid into the front seat of his car, he finally allowed his mind to wander back to the way he had felt when Leo touched him. It may be corny but he couldn't deny the explosion that surged through him.
"You have to stop this, Andy," he whispered. His ringing cell phone pulled him from his regrets and he blindly reached forward and pushed the key. "Yeah?"
"And hello to you too," Byung's voice floated through the speakers to fill the car. "How was last night? Why'd you pull a Houdini on the man?"
"Different," Anderson admitted.
"Ahh—what happened?"
"You free? I have to stop at the station to talk to Leo but after that I should be free."
Byung chuckled, "Yeah. Meet me at Caesar's after you meet with your newest boyfriend."
"Don't call him that," Anderson snapped a little too harshly. "
Never
call him that."
"Damn, Andy, what's going on?"
Anderson sighed and made a left turn into downtown before speaking again. "I'm sorry, okay? I just… I'll explain when I meet you. Gimme a little while."
"Andy…"
Anderson hung up the phone just as he came to the tunnel and the traffic jam from hell. By the time he got to the station his mood hadn't improved. He only hoped Leo didn't decide to run out for something. It dawned on Anderson then he probably should have called first. Making a face, he dug through his dash for his sunglasses and climbed from the car.
Walking into the precinct felt a little weird, almost like everyone there knew what happened between himself and Leo.
"You're Anderson Williams, right?"
Anderson removed his sun glasses and eyed the man now standing beside him. "You were at my dad's crime scene."
"Daniel Fergis. I'm Leo's partner."
"Oh, right. Is he here?"
Daniel nodded and motioned over his shoulder. "Head on down that hall and go to the door with the number two on it. I'll tell him you're here."
"Thanks."
He glanced back at Daniel for a moment before continuing past a set of desks.
"You here to see Kim?" a voice asked. Anderson stopped to address the speaker.
"Yeah. I was told to go to room two?"
"Follow me."
As he walked down the corridor past desks of other cops with pictures of families they are slowly losing to long hours at work, telephones ringing, and someone yelling they 'didn't mean to kill her' Anderson thought of what he was going to say to Leo. What do you say to someone after you made love to them only a few hours before? This was new to him—sleeping with someone before he had a clear picture in his head of where the relationship was going. He took a deep breath when the officer stopped and opened a door. He stepped aside to allow Anderson into the room. He stepped in and looked at Leo, who was hunched over a desk cluttered with papers, photos, and coffee cups. Anderson said nothing. Seeing Leo again sent his body into overdrive and left him speechless. He forced himself to speak after licking his suddenly-dried lips. Anderson stepped forward and Leo looked up from his work. The look in his eyes wasn't something Anderson was prepared for. He wasn't prepared for the unfamiliar coldness that dwelled in the cop's eyes. That told Anderson to keep his mouth shut for Leo had already forgotten everything that happened between them.
"Hey," Leo greeted him. "Something wrong?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to see you before I headed over to see Byung."
"I'm glad you're here," Leo said. "I want to kiss you so bad."
"Why don't you?"
"The walls have eyes… Sit down for a sec. I need to talk to you about something."
"Sounds serious."
"It kinda is. Remember me mentioning we found another body?"
Anderson nodded.
"This time it was one of my high school teachers."
"Serial killer?"
He watched Leo's Adam's apple roll up, then down. ""It's not your fault your father is dead, Anderson… It's mine."
"Leo… you're not making any sense. Don't say that!"
"But it's true. First it was Jazmon. Now my teacher? I don't know what else to think. I mean, I really don't want to take all the credit for this but I'm starting to think someone out there is out to get me."
"You may be right—about someone being after you." Anderson spoke slowly. "Like they say, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get you."
Leo chuckled. "Great. Thanks a lot."
"You're welcome," Anderson said.
"I'm heading over to Elmont to go see my football coach. I am thinking if we got ahead of the killer we can catch him faster."
"I'm coming with you."
"Anderson. You have classes…"
"I'm coming with you! If you're right and this guy's is going after people you care about—and I don't mean to think you give a damn about me—but he may not see it that way. I'd rather be with you than wandering around being serial killer bait."
Leo shook his head. "Do you always have to be so dramatic?"
Anderson leaned in. "I'm coming with you."
"I'm not going to win this one, am I?"
Anderson shook his head with a roll of his shoulders.
"All right. Did you drive here?"
"Yeah."
"Andy… I don't want you to think I'm only here because of your dad. He brought me here but I'm here now because of more than that. After we…"
"You didn't promise me anything, Leo. And right now I'm just going with the flow and see what happens… this is going to bother me!"
"Er… wasn't really the reaction I was looking for."
"No you don't understand. They broke into my house and didn't take anything. I think I might know why they did break in."
"Why?"
"My father has this book—this really old book he gave me when I got through my first year in university. He told me it meant a lot to my family."
"And you think this crazy person wanted this book?"
Anderson shrugged. "I don't know. I know it's a stretch but they broke into my place and took nothing. Nothing was missing from dad's place. Maybe they didn't find what they were looking for and the only thing I can think about is the book?"
"How do you explain the teacher?"
Anderson frowned.
"What's in this book?"
"'My father said pictures of everything that meant something to my mother. The first few pages have pictures of my father back in his Harvard days with some friends and my mother. But other than that, I haven't really gone through it. I mean—I'm clumsy. Who knows? There might be someone in the pictures who connects all of us instead of just my father."
"Where is it?"
"In a safety deposit box at the bank. How does it work? Do I sign something to give you permission to go into it? Or do I take you to it?"
"'Either is fine or I'll tell Daniel about it and he can get it while we're away."
Anderson nodded. "Just tell him to handle it carefully. If you don't have to take the book from the bank, don't take it. It's all I have left of my father and I can't lose it."
"Speaking of which," Leo said. "Remind me later to give you back your ring. The inscription was a bust"
"I will. I'm sorry it wasn't more help. What time are you leaving for Elmont?"
"I sent a squad car to watch the house for me, so first thing in the morning."
"Good." Anderson stood. "I'll see you later. I have to meet Byung and now I am officially late."
"This book could be a long shot—maybe we should hold off on it a second. Let me go through my theory first."
"What's that again?"
"He's after me."
"Oh right, that's a much better theory." He rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Will I see you later?"
Anderson eyed him for a moment then smiled. "You know where I'm staying."
Leo nodded with a smirk. "Oh yes, I do. Do you have to spend time with this Byung guy? Can't I just steal you away for some alone time?"
Anderson thought about it and made a face. "Let me make a call?"
He left the room, pulling his phone from his pocket, and walked by Daniel going the other way. The man looked at him in a way that set Anderson's skin crawling. It was a simple kind of stare that lasted too long.
There's that paranoia again, Andy boy.
"Hello? Anderson?"
"What?"
"You called me."
"Oh!" Anderson shook his head and stepped out into the light. "I know I'm supposed to meet you for something to eat."
"Er… what's going on?"
"How mad would you be if I didn't come—if I went with Leo instead? I don't have to. I could tell him I'll take a rain check and meet you."
"So you can use me as an excuse if things don't work out with your cop? No way. We can get together tomorrow."
"You suck."
"That's what she said."
Anderson made a face but laughed. "I love you, you know… Thanks for this."
"You're welcome. There is a catch though."
"That is?"
"I need details when we get together."
Anderson chuckled. "Yeah. I promise."
Hurrying back inside, he dumped his phone into his pocket and leaned against the doorframe watching Leo fussing over the papers on the desk again. "So you're taking me out for some food?"
"A cop's idea of food."
"What's that?"
Leo smirked at him like a sexy minx up to something dangerous. Anderson moaned and bit his lower lip while backing up. If he stayed where he was, he was sure he would do something like dive across the space and rip Leo's clothes off.
"Let me talk to Daniel before we go."
Anderson exited the station then and sat outside on a step waiting for Leo to come out. Instead, when he looked up, Daniel walked out to sit beside him. Anderson said nothing but he suddenly felt as though he was being touched by a ghost.
"What's going on between you and Leo?"
"I don't know if that's any of your business," Anderson replied, "but nothing."
"Are you sure? Because the way he's acting, it doesn't seem like nothing."
"I'm sorry. How is this any of your concern?"
Daniel said nothing. He rose and climbed the steps to the top. Anderson turned to look over his shoulder at the man staring at him. When Leo came out, the two bumped fists and stopped to have a brief conversation before Daniel entered the building. Anderson rose and walked with Leo south from the station and toward Times Square. Anderson heard music and stopped to search the crowded sidewalks for where it was coming from. He smiled and walked over to peer around the people gathering around. The musician was playing a song he'd only heard once, a few years prior in Cuba during an educational exchange.
"You wanna dance?" a woman beside him asked.
"Er… sure!" Anderson said, exchanging looks with Leo before taking the woman in his arms and spinning her around. He always did love the Salsa. When he was finished, he kissed her cheek in thanks and walked to stand beside Leo.
"I didn't know you danced like that," Leo said. "How did you learn the Salsa?"
"When I was a kid, I took lessons. And if you tell anyone, I'll deny it."
Leo groaned. "What else is there to know about you?"
"I'm like an onion."
They continued walking with Leo laughing. "An onion?"
Anderson nodded. "Oh yeah, baby. I got layers. But seriously, when I was a kid, my mom made me take lessons. I started out in hip-hop but to impress this boy, when I turned fourteen, I took some ballroom."
"You knew you were gay at fourteen?"
"I knew I was gay at ten."
They stopped at a hot dog stand, ordered food, then walked to a short wall and sat.
Chapter Eleven
Another body popped up. This time it was someone Leo knew, but not intimately. By the time the crime scene was clear, Leo tried calling Anderson but didn't have any luck. After leaving a message, he gathered his files, all the pictures and results, and went in for a meeting with his partner. Leo sat on the arm of Daniel's chair and read through the medical examiner's report while Daniel read through cases with a similar MO. All of them were close to the ones they were dealing with but none had the love-lies-bleeding flower or powdered versions of it. Sighing, Leo dropped the file and took a drink from his coffee.
"This is nuts!" Leo exclaimed. "There is no way this guy is that good."
"Maybe he just hasn't made a mistake yet."
"But that would mean we need another body and I don't think I could deal with that." Leo rubbed his eyes and walked across the room before turning to face Daniel. "All right. Aside from the headless bodies and the flower, these are just murders. But he's not doing anything else to the bodies—no markings, no DNA, no fiber—nothing. How can he be so clean? I'm starting to think this person is a cop."