Elijah had a small smile on his face when he asked, "I take it Dan is the man you recently began dating?"
Terry nodded.
"Have you told anyone?"
"Jonny knows I met someone, but I don't think I mentioned Dan's name. Other than that, no."
"I told Hector this morning," Dan chimed in. "He saw us cuddling this morning while you were sleeping and asked if we were seeing each other. I wasn't about to keep quiet. I want everyone to know you're taken so something like this doesn't happen again.
"You might want to keep that information quiet for a few days," Elijah said.
"What?" Dan snapped. "Why would I want to keep that quiet?"
Instead of answering Dan, Elijah turned to look at Terry. "What was your impression of Mr. Jacks? I mean before he brought charges of sexual harassment against you?"
It was hard to think of Will as anything other than a jerk right now, but Terry tried. "He's lonely, I think. He seemed pretty shy, a little overeager, but really lonely. That's why I agreed to go out for a beer with him. He looked as if he could use a friend."
That wasn't going to happen now.
"When you were speaking to him, did you notice the bruises on his arms?"
Terry's jaw dropped. "Bruises?"
"Look." Elijah leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "This needs to remain between us, but Ruben and I had a chance to meet Will earlier this week. We had to drop some stuff off to Jack, and Will was there with Jamie. Jack introduced us. When I noticed some bruises on his arms, I asked about them. Will tried to tell me he had hurt himself while moving, except you don't get hand-shaped bruises from schlepping boxes."
"Someone is abusing him?" Dan asked.
"I believe so," Elijah replied. "Considering what you told me about your first impression of the man and the bruises, I don't think Will is behind this."
Terry's jaw dropped.
"You think someone is forcing him to file charges against Terry?" Dan asked.
"Yes, and that's why I don't want you to let anyone know you two are dating. I don't want to give whoever is doing this another target."
Terry leaned closer to Dan as a chill slid down his back. "Someone is out to get me."
It was as simple as that.
"Who would hate you enough to fuck with your life?" Elijah asked.
"Keith," Terry and Dan said at the same time.
"Keith?" Elijah asked. "Keith who?"
"My old tenant. I kicked him out like a month ago after he rented out my bedroom to Dan. That was actually how Dan and I met. I came home from work and crawled into bed. I didn't know until the next day when I woke up next to a handsome naked man next to me that someone else was in that bed."
Terry felt his cheeks heat up when Elijah chuckled.
"That had to be interesting."
"Oh, it was," Terry admitted.
"We also suspect that Keith stole some of Terry's mother's jewelry. Sheriff Riley should have the report on the theft. I know he's looking for Keith, but he went to the city to sell the jewelry so we haven't been able to find him."
"I'll be sure to get that from him. I'm not sure if it will help your case, but if we can prove that someone is forcing Will to do this, maybe he'll recant his statement."
Terry's eyebrows lifted. "He already gave a statement?"
