Bermuda Heat (16 page)

David stopped. He wasn’t helping himself with this outburst.

He took several deep breaths which MacClellan watched with an impassive eye. Finally, he collected himself as best he could and met the other man’s cold gaze. “I think it’s time I talked to a lawyer.”

Tuesday 10:50pm Parliament Street, Hamilton, Bermuda
They left him alone then. The air grew stuffy in the closed-up interrogation room. David stared at his reflection in the window, wondering who was on the other side. Studying his faceno doubt.

He tried to school it into the flat facade Chris hated. His cop face, the one that gave nothing away. He knew they wouldn’t leave him alone long. Soon it would be time for round two. If they really believed he had something to do with Joel’s death, they’d be sure to take the gloves off. He fiddled with the tie he’d stuffed into his pocket earlier that day, a little surprised they hadn’t taken it away from him. But then he hadn’t actually been charged with anything, had he? He’d be searched only if they arrested him.

Finding a lawyer was going to be fun. Short of searching through the local yellow pages, he didn’t know anyone. That was a lousy way of finding a lawyer. Nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement counted for diddly this far from home. If he was allowed a phone call he was going to have to call Chris. Chris was good at ferreting stuff out. So good sometimes he made David nervous, but hopefully he’d be able to find someone who would take the case. Would he get bail, and if he did, how much would they want? He knew Chris was good for just about any amount, but he hated like hell having to ask that of his husband.

What choice did he have? He wasn’t going to find any answers in here, and if Bermuda cops were like any others, they’d find it easier to stick to the bird they had rather than root around in the bush for anyone else.

Face it, he was screwed.

Tuesday, 5:40pm Aunt Nea’s, Nea’s Alley, St. George’s Parish,
Bermuda

124 P.A. Brown

Chris watched the checkered navy blue and white Opel with the jaunty yellow stripe disappear down Nea’s Alley. Rooted in place, he couldn’t move. Terror crowded his senses, drowning out reason. What could he do? What was going to happen to David? He had to do something to help, but what? Panic danced in the back of his mind.

He knew he had to stay calm. He couldn’t help David if he panicked. If he were back home he’d know what to do: call Martinez, call Des. But they couldn’t help him now. What he really needed was to call a lawyer, but who?

He thought of asking the hotel manager, but the last thing he wanted was to alarm her with the prospect of harboring a criminal. Then it hit him; call Imani.

He scrambled back inside their suite and scooped up the phone. Imani. What was her number? He’d written it down someplace, hadn’t he?

It only occurred to him when he was in the middle of dialing, that Imani had just lost her father, and David, her half-brother, was somehow being linked to that death by the local police.

Before he could hang up and rethink his plan the phone was picked up. A female voice breaking with grief said, “Hello?”

“Imani? Don’t hang up, it’s Chris.”

“C-Chris? What? How—?”

Chris rushed in, before he could chicken out and keep silent, or she could hang up. “I’m so sorry about your dad. It’s horrible…” His voice almost cracked. “But the police have taken David away. I think they believe he had something to do with this.” His words were rushed now, as though he had to spill them before she could stop him. “But he couldn’t have. David is too good to do such a terrible thing. He never would have done anything to hurt your dad—his dad. Never in a million years.

You gotta believe me.”

“How could you call here like this,” Imani’s voice took on a hard edge Chris had never heard before. “You destroyed my BeRMudA heAt
125

family. How dare you—”

“No! God, no it wasn’t—we didn’t. David wouldn’t hurt anyone. Joel was his
father
.”

“The father who wasn’t there for him,” Imani was shouting now. “The father who left him with his nasty mother. Oh, I can see how it went. David resented Dad for leaving him. Then he met him and realized this man had a whole life that had never involved David. He hated it—”

“Oh God, Imani. You can’t believe that. Please—” Chris was grasping at straws now. If Imani wouldn’t help what the hell could Chris do to help David. “Listen, David did meet Joel last night.

He told me when he got back from seeing him. Joel… Joel was already making plans to work things out. He wasn’t giving up on his family. He told David he’d never told your mother about him and how ashamed that made him. He was a good man, Imani, and David would never have hurt him. He wanted David and me to join you for a barbecue, some big cricket match between St.

George’s and Somerset. He said it was like the American Super Bowl. He even admitted he asked David here to talk to Jay. That Jay was in some kind of trouble…”

“D-Dad said that?”

“Yes, he did.” Chris was desperate now. “There wasn’t any animosity between them. Yes, David was confused and maybe even a little scared and hurt, but he could never hate anyone, certainly not his own father. He doesn’t even hate his mother, though I think he should.”

Imani gulped, swallowing a rush of tears. “Dad was at his wit’s end about Jay. He couldn’t get through to him, and it ate him up.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know what he hoped David could do, but I know he wanted to try something. He was so impressed when he found out his first born was a police officer—”

Suddenly the phone was snatched from her, despite her weak protests.

A male voice, thick with scorn, came on the line. “What are
126 P.A. Brown

you doing calling here, faggot? You have the balls to disturb us after what you did to my father?”

It had to be Jay. Chris knew the man wasn’t going to listen to reason, but he had to try, for David’s sake.

“Neither of us did anything to your father. David was happy to find out he was still alive. The last thing he would have done is hurt him—”

“Don’t call here again. Or you’ll be sorry,” Jay screamed.

Chris could almost hear the spittle hitting the phone. He recoiled from the onslaught.

“Jay, please—”

The phone slammed in his ear. He sagged into the easy chair beside the bed. For a moment he sat like that, his head in his hands, fighting the urge to cry. He had to help David. Nothing else mattered.

With nerves jittering he got up and paced through the bedroom, then back out onto the veranda. He gripped the railing with white-knuckled ferocity and stared blindly toward the harbor where lights were starting to come up as the sun dipped west.

Behind him the phone rang. He raced inside and snatched it up.

It was Imani.

“I’m sorry, I can’t talk long. They’re all on a rampage, swearing up and down that David must have done it. But I’m not so sure… The police arrested David?”

“I don’t know, they didn’t say he was under arrest, but they took him away. I’m scared, Imani. What are they going to do to him?”

Imani’s voice was still hoarse; she’d clearly been crying. “I can’t believe it.”

Chris wasn’t sure she meant she didn’t want to believe her father was dead or that David was involved. He wasn’t about to ask her.

“Thank you,” he whispered, feeling something in his chest BeRMudA heAt
127

loosen. “I still don’t know what’s going on, but I desperately need a lawyer to talk to and prepare for the… worst. Do you know anyone?”

Imani was silent for several heartbeats. Chris began to wonder if she had changed her mind. Or Jay was back. Then she said, “I don’t, but I know who I can ask. Let me get back to you.”

“Oh thank you, Imani. I am so sorry about your dad, and we’ll do our best to help out any way we can.”

“It’s better if you don’t call my place again. I’ll call you later today, or early tomorrow, if I find anything. And please, let me know what’s happening with David. I was just getting used to having another big brother…” Her voice broke. “I don’t want to lose him and my father.”

Chris listened to her cry, wishing he could say something to comfort her, knowing there were no words in the world that would offer her solace at this point.

“I’ll be here,” he whispered. “Please call”

He hung up on the dial tone, feeling more bereft than ever.

He wandered into the kitchen and stared into the fridge for an age, knowing he wouldn’t be able to eat, but knowing he had to. Finally he took out the bottle of wine he had bought the day before, when all he and David had to look forward to was a fun-in-the-sun vacation. Now all that had crumbled to bitter dust and Chris was at a loss as to what he could do to help. He drifted back to the veranda, carrying the bottle, a glass and the portable phone.

Almost immediately he went back inside to grab his laptop.

Daylight began to fade. The monotonous song of the local tree frogs intensified as the sun slipped behind a bank of clouds.

The cruise ship lit up, a beacon in the dark. Chris thought of the passengers, tourists without a worry in the world, pleasure seekers whose greatest concern was what shirt to wear for a night on the town.

He waited, half an ear cocked for the phone beside him on the glass table, wondering if he should call anyone back home.

But what could they do except offer sympathy, and Chris didn’t
128 P.A. Brown

think he could stand any of that. Des was a great friend, but he’d be as helpless as Chris. He’d be outraged, and he might feel obligated to fly down and offer a shoulder to cry on, but really, what could he do? Ditto for Becky. Martinez would just bluster and curse over the stupidity of it all, but in the end he could do nothing. Chris was totally on his own this time.

He bent over his laptop and did some random Google searches. He found the report of Joel’s death, but no details that would help him in his search. He didn’t even know the name of the cop who had taken David away. The police had no other leads, or they weren’t interested in looking anywhere else.

Until he could learn more, he was at a dead end. With a curse, he shut the laptop and picked up his wine.

He knew he was feeling sorry for himself. Not good. They’d been through worse in their seven years together. David’s outing had nearly derailed not only their budding relationship, but his position with the LAPD. It had cost Chris a steady job with decent benefits. Okay, he had hated the job, but it had been a damn good paycheck. Then the mess with Jairo that even now his mind shied away from.

But that too had passed. Just as this would. He had to believe that.

It was after ten. He knew he should get some sleep, but the thought of going to bed alone made the idea impossible. He kept starting at every sound, wanting the phone to ring. When it finally did he nearly jumped out of his skin.

He snatched up the hand set and turned it on.

It was David.

Chris sagged into the lounge chair, every bone turning to jelly.

“David! Where are you? What’s happening?”

“I still don’t know.” Chris could hear the weariness in David’s normally strong voice. He heard what could only be the rasp of unshaven cheeks as David rubbed his face. “They haven’t formally charged me, but I think it’s only a matter of time…”

“What do they think you did?”

BeRMudA heAt
129

David sighed and didn’t speak for several heartbeats. Finally he said, “They seem to think I murdered Joel.”

“That’s insane.”

“Unfortunately the circumstantial evidence supports their belief.”

“Oh, God,” Chris moaned. “This can’t be happening.”

“Listen to me, Chris. I need you to find a lawyer. Ask around, someone must know a good one.”

“I already asked Imani. She says she may know someone who can help.”

“How is she taking it?”

“Rough.” He didn’t tell David that Imani had thought he was involved somehow. David didn’t need that tidbit of information.

David’s voice dropped. “What about Joel’s sons?”

Chris mulled over his answer. Did David really need to know?

“They blame you,” he blurted. “I’m sorry, hon.”

“I kind of expected it. I’m just grateful Imani believes us. But I have to get out of here. I don’t think the local cops are going to work very hard proving I wasn’t involved. It’s easier to lay it all on me. I’m not local. I’m American and I’m gay. None of which are good qualities right now,” David added.

“So what can we do?”

“Look into who might have had it in for Joel. Someone must have, to do that to him.”

“Are you really going to investigate this?”

“If I can get out of here, I will.”

Chris wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew David was right. Who else would look out for him? Chris heard a muffled voice. David came back on.

“I have to go,” he said. “Do what you can about getting me a lawyer. With any luck I can get out of here soon. I’ll let you know if there’s a hearing.”

130 P.A. Brown

Before Chris could respond David hung up.

Chris scrambled out of his chair and pulled his laptop onto the table. He logged in and began Googling. He plugged in Joel’s name again. This time he knew enough to narrow the Cameron family down. He found one site that someone in the family must have put up. A family bio. He read the piece completely. In an odd twist, it looked like Daryl’s side of the family was cousins through marriage and blood on Joel’s side. They had worked alongside the Camerons, fishing their own fleet of deep-water boats.

In sixty-eight Joel had enrolled at Columbia in New York City. The rest, as they would say, was history.

A new search on the two sons produced next to nothing.

He’d have to get more creative there. He switched over to his Linux partition and his more powerful tools to probe government portals. With practiced skill he began delving into the murky depths of the Internet, finally finding and dipping into the Bermuda government Intranet. He poked around judiciously, not wanting to alert any nosy sysadmins to his back door activity.