George, however, could not be fooled. “The fact alone that you sound like a third-class used-car salesman makes me highly suspicious.”
“You wound me.”
“Bad enough to give us another reason?” Andi knew his grin was wolfish, and he enjoyed it.
“Fine.” Luke caved more easily than Andi would have expected. “It might be that my—our—higher-ups want to make extra sure this isn’t some deep-level conspiracy for reasons I have stopped thinking about because I can do without the migraine.”
“This is the politics you dreaded, isn’t it?” Andi looked at George. He reached for his partner and lover, leaning into George’s touch.
“Don’t worry, Andi. This is something you don’t have to engage in. Politics is what my mother has groomed me and my brothers for since we were old enough to understand what power is.”
The words were reassuring and depressing at the same time. George was sure of himself and his skills, yet there was an underlying taste of something bitter that Andi might have mistaken for distaste in this new case if he weren’t so in tune with his man.
“So, we drive to Spartanburg, talk to the chief there and the FBI agent, and Andi tries to find out what’s going on. Now, what if there is something?”
Luke started to answer, but Andi was faster. “Which is highly unlikely. Looking for the murderer without knowing what these persons looked like is going to be—interesting already.”
“Uhm, you have these.” Luke pointed at the photographs. The hesitancy in his movements as well as the nervous twitching of the tiny muscle fiber around his eyes made it clear he wasn’t at all sure.
George rolled his eyes. “Andi can look at these photos for hours, and they won’t do shit, pardon my language. He means he doesn’t know what these people looked like to them. The first hurdle will be to identify them in a manner Andi can work with, which will probably be doable with the last victim. What was his name?”
Luke rustled the papers on the table. “Jagger Thomasin. He lived with his girlfriend and her daughter in a small apartment. Died there too. Black widow in a drawer.”
“Okay. Sounds freaky. Anyway, if he died at home, Andi will be able to identify him and therefore see his death. Maybe he’ll even find the spider. The judge and his fishing buddy were before Jagger, am I right?”
Luke nodded. “Yes, as I said before, they were attacked on the lake.”
Andi felt the need to put in his two cents if only to placate George before he bit off Luke’s head—not an entirely unwelcome picture, granted, because Andi still held a grudge for how things had gone down with the chief, but not prudent either. “I’m reasonably confident I’ll be able to get something about these two events. Maybe even about the others. I just can’t tell how helpful my…insights might be.”
Luke nodded. Whether he was acknowledging Andi’s words or George’s worries, it was hard to say. “If that’s the case, then so be it. But after everything I’ve seen from you, I doubt you will fail.”
“Interesting choice of words.” George’s eyes narrowed.
“I can assure you, without deeper meaning. Just a lack of a more fitting term.” Luke started fiddling with the photographs on the table, stacking them haphazardly, then spreading them again as if fascinated by the gruesome theme.
“I’ll take your word for it—for the time being,” George stated, stroking Andi’s lower back, a movement meant to soothe himself as much as his partner. Andi loved it. The connection grounded him, and the ability to give George at least a little bit in return for his care satisfied the part of him that would always chomp on him needing anybody in the first place.
“Let’s say there is a case—who takes the lead? Do we watch as the FBI and the chief in Spartanburg duke it out? Or do we have superiority?” George was now going for the details, always important and seldom something people bothered with before realizing they didn’t like them.
Luke’s left eyelid started to twitch a bit. “As you know, technically, it’s an FBI case when one of the victims is from another state. What I’ve heard about Agent DeCapristo suggests she won’t let go easily because she has plans for herself. She does know she can’t dismiss you, and in theory, you rank higher than her, which she doesn’t know. Also, there’s the matter of you stating if there even is a case. She’s going to need you and not going to like it.”
“I see. In theory. I also assume we can’t tell her outright who sent us or why. And she’ll probably hate not being the one in control.” George was already assessing, going through possible scenarios. His ability to plan far ahead was quite the opposite of Andi’s stance of reacting when a situation occurred. It was also another reason they were so successful. If one of their strategies failed, it was almost sure the other would work. A doubly woven safety net, so to speak. “What about in the field?” George’s brow rose, clearly knowing where this was going and not liking it much.
“In the field, it would be appreciated if you played nicely with the other agencies to maintain the fragile truce we have with them unless, of course, Andi’s well-being is somehow in jeopardy. He’s the top priority.” Luke sighed. “Not everybody out there is happy to have unconventional help when solving cases.”
“You mean nobody wants to play with the freaks.” Andi smiled, sad and mocking at the same time. He had learned to live with being the outcast, but sometimes the feeling of hurt jumped in out of nowhere. George’s fingertips at his lower back, softly digging in, were a consolation Andi only knew he had always needed now that he had it.
“You’d be surprised how many field agents would actually jump at the chance. It’s mostly the higher-ups who are stilted in their enthusiasm.”
“You’re awfully inventive with your vocab today, Luke.” George cocked his head, his hand never leaving Andi’s back.
“I’m just trying to get in the right diplomatic headspace because I’m going to come with you and establish the first contact.”
“I’d say I’m wounded at how little you trust us but having you as a buffer actually tickles me.” George looked at the clock on the wall. “If we go home now to pack, we could be in Spartanburg early in the afternoon.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Luke swept the files into his bag. “I’ll text you the address, and we’ll meet in Spartanburg.”
“See you there.” George gently led Andi toward the door.
