other hand. I was
ready to dial 911 when Barbara came in and started screaming bloody murder. I
tried to talk to her, to help her understand what I was doing but she wouldn’t
listen. She called 911 instead of me.” Herman clenched his fists. “Looks bad,
doesn’t it?”
Steve nodded. “Yep. I’m sorry, but it does.”
“My fingerprints are all over that knife. Even as a child, I
was allowed to hold all the tools.”
“Your childhood fingerprints would have been gone a long
time ago. They don’t stay on an object, due to the oils. The fingerprints will
only be your adult fingerprints and the murderer’s.”
“What if the murderer wore gloves?”
“Then it looks even worse for you. We need to find out what
really happened.”
“I didn’t get to go to his funeral.” Herman’s stomach
tightened. “I’m such a bad son.”
“No!” Steve fired back. “You are not a bad son. This was a
situation beyond your control. We need to fix it.”
They both looked down at their salads but neither felt like
eating.
“I have an idea,” Steve put up a finger. “Let’s finish our
drinks and take our salads to go. We’ll go pick up the book.”
Herman nodded.
They walked the blocks in silence until they reached Mike
and Amelia’s home. Herman opened the door and their cat ran out from a bedroom.
It stopped short at seeing Steve and rapidly retreated.
“What’s up with the cat?” asked Herman. “Never saw him do
that before.”
“That can be a story for another day.” Steve smiled. “Let’s
just say that cats don’t like me.”
Herman eyebrows rose. “Oh.” He grabbed the book from his
bedroom and brought it to Steve. “It’s stored in this custom clamshell case to
help preserve it. Dad told me the book was the publisher’s blue-cloth edition
and first binding. It has a little wear and tear but I guess that’s to be
expected from something this old.”
Steve opened the case and glanced at the book. “You sure you
trust me with this?”
“Yes.”
Steve sat the case down on the table. “Do you trust me
enough to move into my place for safety? Your friends might be in danger with
you living here.”
“Seriously?”
Steve nodded. “There is a warrant out for your arrest. Not
only are you a target for recovery agents and the police, but the real murderer
is still out there.”
“I wouldn’t want any trouble for them. They were here for me
with no questions asked. Plus Amelia is pregnant.”
“Then you definitely need to leave.”
“I guess I could.” Herman glanced at Steve. “You’d be
willing to put me up?”
“I thought about this last night and all morning. I even
confessed everything to my mother. She thought it was a safer idea for you to
do that, rather than stay where you are.”
Herman moved closer. “You’ve been wonderful to me.”
“My place is a mess though. I’m not a good housekeeper.”
Steve shrugged. “I barely cook and rarely clean.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’m more upset about not
deserving your trust with the way I treated you in the past.”
“The past is over.” Steve put a hand on Herman’s cheek.
“This can be a new beginning if you want it to be. Think about it. You don’t
need to give me an answer now. We can take it slow.”
He put his arms around Steve’s neck and they kissed gently.
The closeness they felt from talking about Herman’s problems was apparent in
their touch. All of the fearful emotions that had haunted Herman suddenly
faded. He was thrilled that Steve had enough forgiveness in his heart to try to
make this work, to take a chance on him after what he had done.
By the time they reached Steve’s apartment they were more
than ready to have sex. It had been difficult keeping their hands to themselves
on the bus ride over. The smiles as they looked and lusted on the public bus
without touching made Herman’s heart pound. The walk from the bus stop to
Steve’s apartment made Herman dizzy with desire as he
ready to dial 911 when Barbara came in and started screaming bloody murder. I
tried to talk to her, to help her understand what I was doing but she wouldn’t
listen. She called 911 instead of me.” Herman clenched his fists. “Looks bad,
doesn’t it?”
Steve nodded. “Yep. I’m sorry, but it does.”
“My fingerprints are all over that knife. Even as a child, I
was allowed to hold all the tools.”
“Your childhood fingerprints would have been gone a long
time ago. They don’t stay on an object, due to the oils. The fingerprints will
only be your adult fingerprints and the murderer’s.”
“What if the murderer wore gloves?”
“Then it looks even worse for you. We need to find out what
really happened.”
“I didn’t get to go to his funeral.” Herman’s stomach
tightened. “I’m such a bad son.”
“No!” Steve fired back. “You are not a bad son. This was a
situation beyond your control. We need to fix it.”
They both looked down at their salads but neither felt like
eating.
“I have an idea,” Steve put up a finger. “Let’s finish our
drinks and take our salads to go. We’ll go pick up the book.”
Herman nodded.
They walked the blocks in silence until they reached Mike
and Amelia’s home. Herman opened the door and their cat ran out from a bedroom.
It stopped short at seeing Steve and rapidly retreated.
“What’s up with the cat?” asked Herman. “Never saw him do
that before.”
“That can be a story for another day.” Steve smiled. “Let’s
just say that cats don’t like me.”
Herman eyebrows rose. “Oh.” He grabbed the book from his
bedroom and brought it to Steve. “It’s stored in this custom clamshell case to
help preserve it. Dad told me the book was the publisher’s blue-cloth edition
and first binding. It has a little wear and tear but I guess that’s to be
expected from something this old.”
Steve opened the case and glanced at the book. “You sure you
trust me with this?”
“Yes.”
Steve sat the case down on the table. “Do you trust me
enough to move into my place for safety? Your friends might be in danger with
you living here.”
“Seriously?”
Steve nodded. “There is a warrant out for your arrest. Not
only are you a target for recovery agents and the police, but the real murderer
is still out there.”
“I wouldn’t want any trouble for them. They were here for me
with no questions asked. Plus Amelia is pregnant.”
“Then you definitely need to leave.”
“I guess I could.” Herman glanced at Steve. “You’d be
willing to put me up?”
“I thought about this last night and all morning. I even
confessed everything to my mother. She thought it was a safer idea for you to
do that, rather than stay where you are.”
Herman moved closer. “You’ve been wonderful to me.”
“My place is a mess though. I’m not a good housekeeper.”
Steve shrugged. “I barely cook and rarely clean.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’m more upset about not
deserving your trust with the way I treated you in the past.”
“The past is over.” Steve put a hand on Herman’s cheek.
“This can be a new beginning if you want it to be. Think about it. You don’t
need to give me an answer now. We can take it slow.”
He put his arms around Steve’s neck and they kissed gently.
The closeness they felt from talking about Herman’s problems was apparent in
their touch. All of the fearful emotions that had haunted Herman suddenly
faded. He was thrilled that Steve had enough forgiveness in his heart to try to
make this work, to take a chance on him after what he had done.
By the time they reached Steve’s apartment they were more
than ready to have sex. It had been difficult keeping their hands to themselves
on the bus ride over. The smiles as they looked and lusted on the public bus
without touching made Herman’s heart pound. The walk from the bus stop to
Steve’s apartment made Herman dizzy with desire as he
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