“I didn’t shoot your mirror,” I said to Josh.
“Sure you did,” he said. “I heard it shatter seconds before you shot Oscar.” It was good that Josh could finally say his name. He had refused to learn anything about the guy for months, hoping that his nightmares would fade, but it didn’t help.
“Sunshine, I didn’t shoot the mirror. It must’ve already had damage to it because it just shattered.”
“That can’t be right,” he said, skeptically.
“Stop and think about how many gunshots you heard. The responding officers took my gun from me, and only one bullet was missing from the clip.”
Josh sat in his chair and thought for a few seconds before he said, “Therewasonly one shot fired. The mirror shattering was very loud, but it wasn’t anything close to the noise the gun made when it went off. How the hell did the mirror just shatter?”
“I can’t answer that. I just know I didn’t shoot it.”
“Huh,” he said.
“One of your neighbors was killed?” Emory asked, going back to the case that brought us together.
“She lived in the house you’re renting,” Chaz said automatically then froze when he realized what he’d said.
Emory nodded somberly. “I knew something bad had happened there because I could feel the residual negative energy in the house.” Emory’s cheeks pinkened when his words had everyone’s attention. “I’m just sensitive to stuff like that,” he said.
“Tell us about yourself,” Josh said to Jonathon, trying to divert attention away from Emory.
Silver was too busy staring at Emory to answer him right away. Finally, he looked at Josh and said, “Well, that’s not an easy story to tell.” I could tell he was searching for something that he could share.
“Another time perhaps,” Josh said, saving him. “How are things going at the club?”
I could see the tension fade from Silver’s frame, and he began to talk about the club. “I’m more excited about my revitalization plans for Cincinnati. I bought the club because it meant a lot to Nate, but I thought a better way to memorialize him was through improving the city he loved so much.”
“Wow,” Emory said softly. “That’s a wonderful thing to do.”
Silver winked at him and said, “I have my moments.” His expression and tone of voice said that he wouldn’t mind having amomentwith Emory later. I couldn’t get a read on what Emory was thinking.
The conversation turned to less emotional subjects and ended up back on the show that Kyle and Chaz could quote from memory. The funny thing was, I had no clue that Kyle loved that show so much. He was a man I spent three years with and sometimes I felt like I didn’t know him. He was different with Chaz, and I liked what I saw. He laughed and teased more than I could remember him doing in the past. The Kyle I had known was more aloof and serious. Although, Kyle probably saw sides to me that he had never seen either. It was plain to see that we weren’t meant to be together as a couple, but I was glad we could be friends.
There was after dinner drinks followed by coffee and dessert. Josh packed up leftovers for everyone to take home while Meredith and I cleaned up the kitchen. I expected the conversation to lag a bit as the evening grew on, but it didn’t. Emory and Silver talked about the different places that they’d lived, but I noticed that neither of them talked about what they did while in those locations.
“What brought you here after living at all those fabulous places?” Chaz asked.
“I’m researching for a book that I’m planning to write,” Emory told him. “I like it here, although I’m a little worried about the number of homicides in a small town.” He was completely unaware that Silver’s brother was one of the deaths in our county. “What did I say?” he asked when everyone grew quiet.
“My brother was one of the guys killed here,” Silver told him.
“Oh damn,” Emory said. “I’m so sorry, Jon.” He placed his hands over Silver’s.
Jon?
“It’s okay, Emory.” Silver smiled softly and turned his hands over to squeeze Emory’s before he pulled them back. He rose from his chair and said, “I should be heading back to the city. Gabe,” he said looking at me, “thank you for inviting me to dinner.” He turned to Josh and said, “Dinner was magnificent. Thank you so much.” His words of gratitude couldn’t disguise the sadness I heard in his voice.
“Anytime,” Josh told him. “Have a safe trip home.”
“I’ll walk you out,” I said, rising to my feet.
Silver didn’t say anything until we reached the back door. “You have an amazing guy waiting for you upstairs,” he said. “I am sorry that I disrespected your relationship with my flirting. It won’t happen again.”
“Thanks,” I told him. “I’ll be in touch if I learn anything else.” Silver nodded his head and walked out the back door.
I turned and found that Emory had come downstairs too. “Man, I feel terrible that I ran your friend off, Gabe.”
