Read Online Boystown 7: Bloodlines by marshall thornton - Free Book Online
Authors: marshall thornton
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“You didn’t say that before. You just said drinks with Sugar Pilson.”
“There’s a drag queen who does her, Sugar Pills,” Brian explained. “Sugar wants to see her. She’s been after me forever to take her.”
The frown on Franklin’s face said that he’d been excited about drinks with Sugar Pilson but had little interest in Sugar Pills. Just to be annoying I picked that moment to say, “Sure I’ll go. Sounds fun.”
“Why do we always have to be like that?” Franklin asked the air.
“Like what?” Brian wondered.
“Everything’s always about the freaks. Whenever they talk about gays on TV or in the movies it’s always the leather guys or the drag queens or the guys who fuck everything that moves. Some of us are normal, but you’d never know it by the way we’re portrayed.” Franklin clucked as he turned the chicken with a pair of tongues. “It just doesn’t seem like a good idea to expose someone as important as Sugar Pilson to that kind of element.”
“She asked to go,” Brian said. Though I could tell he was a bit cowed.
“I think I need a real drink,” I said and walked back out to the dining room to pour myself a scotch. Brian’s telephone was in the living room. He’d set a comfortable little chair next to the phone stand; after I poured my drink I went and sat down. It was almost eight. Owen Lovejoy, Esquire would probably be at home so I called him there.
While I listened to the phone ring, I said to Terry, “Why don’t you turn that off and do your homework?”
“Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“In ten years when you’re a desperate loser who can’t put a roof over his own head I’ll remind you that you didn’t do your homework.”
I don’t know what he said to that because Owen picked up the phone. “Hey, there are a couple things I need to talk to you about,” I said, not bothering with “hello.”
“Okay.” He seemed a little distracted and I wondered if I’d caught him walking in the door.
“First, why was there a trial? Why wasn’t Madeline offered a deal?”
“They wouldn’t do it. I think the ASA is trying to make a name for himself.”
I absorbed that and went on. “I talked to Madeline’s best friend. There’s something going on that she won’t talk about. But I did find out that it’s all connected. The conflict with her parents. The conflict at her practice. This Emily Fante woman. It’s all one thing. You don’t know what it is, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Could it be something that would help us?” There was a little hint of hope in his voice.
“Lana Shepherd doesn’t think so.”
“We need to be sure.”
“Can you explain that to your client? She’s the one who doesn’t want people talking about it.”
“I have explained it to her.”
He sounded a little testy so I said, “Sorry.”
“Madeline is a difficult person. Which I suppose isn’t uncommon among murderers. Is that all you need?”
“I think so.”
“All right. Keep digging around.”
He seemed about to hang up so I quickly said, “Um, you wouldn’t like a little company.” Things had cooled since I’d moved in with Brian. For most of February and March, I could basically just roll over and be fucking, that made me lax about keeping my weekly date with Owen. Since it looked like Brian was now occupied it might not be a bad thing—
“I have company, dear. Thank you for asking, though,” he said and then hung up.
As I put the receiver back in the cradle, I realized the living room was quiet. Terry had turned off the Atari and was doing his homework.
Chapter Six
I did know one reason the task force was hot to get Jimmy. Publicity. For about the last four years the FBI had been running an undercover sting called Operation Greylord. Basically they had a lawyer in their pocket who would bribe judges on tape. Once they got one, they got more, and Cook County judges began to fall like dominos. They’d just gotten their first
“There’s a drag queen who does her, Sugar Pills,” Brian explained. “Sugar wants to see her. She’s been after me forever to take her.”
The frown on Franklin’s face said that he’d been excited about drinks with Sugar Pilson but had little interest in Sugar Pills. Just to be annoying I picked that moment to say, “Sure I’ll go. Sounds fun.”
“Why do we always have to be like that?” Franklin asked the air.
“Like what?” Brian wondered.
“Everything’s always about the freaks. Whenever they talk about gays on TV or in the movies it’s always the leather guys or the drag queens or the guys who fuck everything that moves. Some of us are normal, but you’d never know it by the way we’re portrayed.” Franklin clucked as he turned the chicken with a pair of tongues. “It just doesn’t seem like a good idea to expose someone as important as Sugar Pilson to that kind of element.”
“She asked to go,” Brian said. Though I could tell he was a bit cowed.
“I think I need a real drink,” I said and walked back out to the dining room to pour myself a scotch. Brian’s telephone was in the living room. He’d set a comfortable little chair next to the phone stand; after I poured my drink I went and sat down. It was almost eight. Owen Lovejoy, Esquire would probably be at home so I called him there.
While I listened to the phone ring, I said to Terry, “Why don’t you turn that off and do your homework?”
“Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“In ten years when you’re a desperate loser who can’t put a roof over his own head I’ll remind you that you didn’t do your homework.”
I don’t know what he said to that because Owen picked up the phone. “Hey, there are a couple things I need to talk to you about,” I said, not bothering with “hello.”
“Okay.” He seemed a little distracted and I wondered if I’d caught him walking in the door.
“First, why was there a trial? Why wasn’t Madeline offered a deal?”
“They wouldn’t do it. I think the ASA is trying to make a name for himself.”
I absorbed that and went on. “I talked to Madeline’s best friend. There’s something going on that she won’t talk about. But I did find out that it’s all connected. The conflict with her parents. The conflict at her practice. This Emily Fante woman. It’s all one thing. You don’t know what it is, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Could it be something that would help us?” There was a little hint of hope in his voice.
“Lana Shepherd doesn’t think so.”
“We need to be sure.”
“Can you explain that to your client? She’s the one who doesn’t want people talking about it.”
“I have explained it to her.”
He sounded a little testy so I said, “Sorry.”
“Madeline is a difficult person. Which I suppose isn’t uncommon among murderers. Is that all you need?”
“I think so.”
“All right. Keep digging around.”
He seemed about to hang up so I quickly said, “Um, you wouldn’t like a little company.” Things had cooled since I’d moved in with Brian. For most of February and March, I could basically just roll over and be fucking, that made me lax about keeping my weekly date with Owen. Since it looked like Brian was now occupied it might not be a bad thing—
“I have company, dear. Thank you for asking, though,” he said and then hung up.
As I put the receiver back in the cradle, I realized the living room was quiet. Terry had turned off the Atari and was doing his homework.
Chapter Six
I did know one reason the task force was hot to get Jimmy. Publicity. For about the last four years the FBI had been running an undercover sting called Operation Greylord. Basically they had a lawyer in their pocket who would bribe judges on tape. Once they got one, they got more, and Cook County judges began to fall like dominos. They’d just gotten their first
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