Ch 10 Boyfriend

The smell was too strong for Kessler. He had smelled it before at Will’s dorm. But the awful stench of the motel combined with the freshly decaying corpse upon the bed, like piss and death melted together. He had to lift his jacket up to his nose to prevent himself from fainting. The room was already riddled with police markings, the cleanup crew exited the tiny, askew motel room for Kessler and Petrovsky. 

The room was miniscule, with the murder scene being the only discernible feature in the little white room. Upon the bed, lay the corpse, belly upwards in a splattered fashion, as if he fell 50 stories into that position. The mattress was a sea, a pool of dark liquid.  As they walked carefully around it, blood dripped softly from the toes of the victim on the carpeted floor that was already collecting puddles of the liquid. As they came around to the other side, they saw the victim’s head hanging upside down off the edge of the bed, perpendicular to the ground. A blonde wig, sprinkled with blood was holding on to his head, a piece of glass was shoved into one of his corneas. Kessler knelt down to observe it closely.

“So the room was registered under his name?”

“Yep, Daniel Esquivel, lives on 7845 Cherrytree Dr, works at the Chanter club not 2 miles from this place, his alias is Felicia, we called and they said he had left early to go on a date, they didn’t see who he left with though" Said Petrovsky.

Kessler looked closely at Daniel’s face. 

“He’s wearing red lipstick.” He said.

“So?” 

“So, look at it, its not as much smeared in the least, its perfect. Our guy put it on him after his deadly deed.”

“Why?”

“No clue. What we do know is that our ‘lady killer’ is seducing these men, these cross dressing men- the blood seems to be pooling off from the center- so it might be something sick and twisted that he does with them”

“We’d better not be dealing with some Hannibal Lecter fan”

“Whoever this guy may be, he went out of his way this time. Going to a neighboring county, no body shoved into a closet or under the bed, he covered himself as he left so the cameras couldn’t catch his face, he wore socks over his shoes, he’s definitely Will’s killer, and he’s getting sloppier, more meticulously cautious, and most importantly he didn’t have help this time.” Kessler arose, his jacket still covering his nose.

“Let’s get out of here”

Ronnie skipped his first class on Tuesday morning. He didn’t feel the need to bump into Regina Webber, or anyone for that matter, except for Kessler. Boy would he love to see him. It was pleasant to think about him, it distracted him. But then Will’s horrible death face popped back into his head, along with the picture of Kessler’s wife and kid. The images destroyed his affections. It was good, he thought. It wasn’t good to covet someone whom he could never have.

As Ronnie forcefully trudged himself through the gay campus, still looking sharp despite his attitude, he saw Teddy walking with Jeremiah. They looked like they were having an enjoyable conversation. How foolish of Teddy, he thought. Falling for a straight man like that, making it obvious for everyone to see, he might as well throw himself into a river. It was pathetic. Although, he couldn’t really blame Teddy for falling for a handsome and dapper man like Jeremiah. It could have easily been Ronnie in Teddy’s shoes right now. 

The smooth countenance of Enrique appeared on his radar and quickly moving towards him. Ronnie immediately thought of turning around, but then he saw the flower in his hand, and he knew something was up. 

He came to him with a smile that suggested humility but at the same time desire. He outstretched his hand with the flower towards Ronnie. 

“Here, I got it off my mother’s garden. I know you haven’t been well since Will’s death, and that you think I killed him-“

“It’s a possibility” he said as he took the lily and put it to his nose to smell it. Ronnie looked at his caramelized skin, it contrasted well with the purple buttoned-up shirt, his thick black hair combed slicked back.

“So I was wondering, um, you know if you have time… to go out… with me” Ernique forced his words. You could tell this was the first time he had ever asked out another person. Ronnie scanned him again. Why now? Enrique always knew Ronnie was gay, and never once displayed interest. Or was it the fact that he was the only one who knew his secret, and Enrique wanted to seduce him and later take him out like he did to Will. Ronnie contemplated the possibility of a setup. In such an event he could this opportunity to turn the tables. If Enrique is the killer, then he can counterstrike against him. Especially since the police is no longer cooperating.

“Fine, how about tonight?” Ronnie wanted to keep him on his toes, figure out his plan. 

“Uh, sounds perfect… how bout we meet at Chez Fromage?”

“Aren’t you concerned that someone will see us? In fact even you right now talking to me, and giving me a flower, is very incriminating don’t you think?”

“Yeah I guess so, I don’t know, I woke up with a lot more courage today” He smiled a hopeful smile that made Ronnie second guess himself. What if this guy was being sincere? What if he really liked Ronnie? Ronnie smiled.

“Alright then, I guess I’ll see you then.” He kept walking without looking back, his head puttering random conspiracies, intrepid notions, of course it’s a trap, why else would he ask him out.

Albert closed the door to his medicine cabinet and looked straight at the mirror. His eyes were weary, and he spaced out. He stood there for a good minute or two, looking at his chapped lips, his bags under his eyes, and the warped mess that was his hair. He opened it  again and pulled out a tiny glass bottle filled with white powder. He opened it and pinched some with his fingers he quickly raised it to his nose and inhaled it completely. He thrust his head back feeling himself become lightheaded, his toes cringed feeling the breeze of the fan. He closed the bottle and placed it back in his medicine cabinet. The door began sound like crashing thunder, he squinted and forced himself out of the bathroom.

He wiped his nose and opened the door with nothing on but his levi's. 

Jane busted through and entered while bumping Albert aside. 

“Excuse you!” She looked around the room, she started shuffling through the entire house, going through every room. 

“What the Hell are you doing?!” He followed her into his bedroom where she started throwing his pillows around and opened his drawers and throwing his clothes around. Albert was too high to completely stop her, he tried to grab her but it was futile. 

“Where the Hell is it Albert?!” She pushed him back and he almost fell, he held onto the wall and walked back to the living room and slowly sat down as he heard her going into his bathroom and rummaging through his medicine cabinet. She exploded out of the room holding the glass bottle.

“How fucking dare you?!” She threw the bottle against the wall as it shatters. 

“Huh! How the Hell am I supposed look at you?! Answer me!”  Jane started to sprout tears.

“I’ve stuck my neck out for you so many times, how many times have I pulled you out of the depths of depression, I’ve devoted myself to protecting you, and this is how I get paid back?” 

“Stop being such a drama queen-“

“No! No I will not! This is serious! You little shit! What am I supposed to tell Melvin?!” 

“He wouldn’t want to be with someone who has no career, no job, no future, so why bother with this tedious relationship thats going to crash and burn-“

“what do you mean no career?”

“I got kicked out okay! It was one stupid paper. I got caught okay! They didn’t even let me-“

“You plagiarized?! You dumbass! Albert why?!” She started hitting him while he blocked with his forearms. Albert got up and went inside his room and locked the door, Jane banged his door.

“Albert! Albert!” She retreated with tears in her eyes, she grabbed her bag and left. 

Megan shuffled out of a bathroom looking disheveled. She was inside the reverend’s house after a quick leader meeting. Her bowels were moving quite sluggishly so she had taken a while extra inside. She moved passed the hallway when she heard something quite anatomically interesting.

“How big was it?!” Megan heard Olivia through the door of a room upstairs. She stopped, and she contemplated. Then shamefully she pressed her ear against the wall. She heard giggling.

“Shut up, it was big enough!” replied Regina.

“I don’t know what devil possessed you, to go after the reverend, what is he 50?” Megan gasped quietly as she covered her mouth.

“Shut up he’s 46!”

“Well I don’t see how your’e gonna get anything out of him by sucking his dick, he’s not rich or anything”

“I am not a gold digger, you bitch”

“wait a minute… so you actually dig little old Reverend James? Come on Regina, he’s married and old, you’re so pretty you can get a cute boyfriend who isn’t old, ugly and married”

“You don’t understand. He knows how I liked to be touched, the way he throws me over his desk, the way he just takes me to the moon, oh God its just so amazing-“

“This is so fucking weird, God why did Beverly have to leave with Shawn? Can’t wait till they get back… oh my God I forgot, I have to meet up with Bradley, he’s been acting weird lately…” Megan silently sprints out of the hallway. The information she just heard shocked her. 

Teddy and Jeremiah sat sluggishly close on his bed. They were playing Teddy’s video game console. They were both enthusiastic as they shout out gamer insults and yelled when one of them scored. Their shoes and socks lay casually on the floor. Teddy was holding one sentence back the entire time.

“so I heard you have a girlfriend, how’s that like?”

“You’ve never had a girlfriend?” Jeremiah replied.

“no… I’m kinda sorta… gay” Teddy braced himself for impact.

“oh… cool. Well to say the least, its kind of difficult juggling a girlfriend around with so much classwork to do, I hardly get time to myself” he said un phased about Teddy gayness. Teddy was solemnly relieved but at the same time sad. 

Jane was sitting at the school café with Gemma she was venting about Albert, when suddenly she saw Bradley in the Café looking for her. She quickly ducked her head as to hide from him but he had already spotted her. 

“Dammit” She said.

“You want me to take him outside?” She clenched her fist with her other hand.

“No. I have to talk to him alone.”

“alright, I’ll be outside if something happens, don’t trust crusaders” She got up from her seat and walked past Bradley and gave him a vaporizing glare. Bradley sat down in her seat.

“Why the fuck are you stalking me?!”  Bradley stayed quiet. He seemed shuddered, and uncomfortable, almost humble.

“Well?” She said again. Bradley looked to the side avoiding her eyes at every glance trying to play off his coy actions. 

“God, I went over and over in my head what I was going to say-“

“Look I have too many problems to be worrying about you and your needs-“

“I want to be your boyfriend!” Jane was speechless, she welcomed the notion as she looked into his savagely blue eyes. But the idea was too foreign.

“What about Olivia?”

“I’ll tell her that it couldn’t work between us”

“And like it’ll work out for us? We’re from two different worlds Bradley Haynes. We are not Romeo and Juliet, and my brother is my life, if you think im just gonna toss him to the side just cause you don’t like that he sleeps with other men, you’ve got another thing coming. So why don’t you take your pale homophobic ass back to your flat chested girlfriend and have sex with it!” Jane grabs her things and walks out of the café while Bradley remains seated with a somber look.

Ronnie was getting ready for his date or his trap which he will be ready for as he slips onto his favorite red cardigan, his smooth black hair is perfectly teased. On the off chance that this guy was sincerely into him and he wasn’t the killer Ronnie didn’t want to come unprepared. His phone suddenly rings.

“Hello?” 

“Ronnie, hey its David Kessler, listen something happened, the case is back on, I can’t talk for long, meet me La Grange on 5^th street” Ronnie quickly jumped for a pen in his drawers, he found one and started scribbling on his hand.

“Alright, LaGrange Restaurant on 5^th got it… be there in a few” Ronnie hung up, checked himself in the mirror, he double takes and then takes off his red cardigan and takes an old jacket from his closet, an old leather jacket. 

Enrique sat patiently at Chez Fromage, the scent of creamy French and Italian food boiled the walls of his stomach as he was intent on waiting for Ronnie to arrive. And so he sat there… waiting.