Chapter Three
Ben pulled into the parking lot outside the police station. His cell rang and he glanced at the ID screen. Bryan Colby. Man, he doesn’t waste any time. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a warm rush of pleasure that the guy was calling him. No doubt there had been a spark between them, almost from the time Bryan had flirted with him in the ambulance. He didn’t generally care for that kind of superficial stuff, but there was something about Bryan that struck him as different…maybe even worthwhile.
He certainly couldn’t deny the attraction he’d felt. The dark auburn hair and green eyes were a distinct turn on, and those lips… Damn, pull it together, Collins.
He connected the call. “Officer Collins.”
“Good morning, Officer Collins.” Bryan’s smooth voice with just a hint of mischief in his tone made Ben smile. “How are you today?”
“Just fine, thank you. And you? How are you feeling after a night in the hospital?”
“Still with a throbbing head, but a bit better thanks. Uh, I have a question. I had a briefcase when I went to the house on Yarmouth yesterday. Was there any sign of it?”
“’Fraid not. They must have taken it. Were there valuables inside?”
“No, just legal documents and some spare cash I keep for emergencies. The bitch of it is the briefcase itself. It was a gift, a very expensive gift from my boss, Sonia Barclay, when I passed my broker’s exam. Not something that’s easy to replace.”
“Ah, sorry to hear that. Well, if we find your car, it might be inside.”
“What are the chances of that? How many stolen cars do you guys actually find?”
“Not many,” Ben admitted. “But don’t give up hope. Well, I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. I have to go Mr.…uh, Bryan. Duty calls, I’m afraid.”
“So no more questions for me?”
“Not at the moment.”
“I have another for you.”
“Oh, yes?”
“How would you feel about having a coffee, or something stronger, with me sometime this week? Say, tomorrow, if you’re free?”
“Uh…I don’t know if that’s a good idea, right now.”
“Okay, so when do you think it’ll be a good idea?”
“What?”
“You said it’s not a good idea right now. So when do you think it’ll be okay?”
Ben laughed. “You are really something. D’you ever take no for an answer?”
“Not if I can help it. I am in real estate, after all. Negotiation is part of the training. So tell me honestly. Do I stand a chance of getting to know you better? Because…” He dropped his voice invitingly. “I’d really like that, Ben.”
“Bryan, I have to go. You’re making me late clocking in for my shift.”
“Sorry.”
Ben sighed. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Just to see how you’re feeling.”
“Well, I know I’ll feel better hearing your voice.”
Ben chuckled. “G’bye, Bryan.” He disconnected the call then leaned back in his seat. The guy sure was persistent, and why did that make him feel warm all over? It had been a long time since he’d had any kind of relationship, or even a date. What could it hurt if he met with Bryan for a coffee, or something stronger? He’d call him tomorrow and see if he still wanted what he’d offered.
A knocking on his window made him jump. “Hey, Collins, you comin’ in today or what?”
He grinned back at his red-haired friend and partner, Officer Christine Marlowe, who was making faces at him through the glass. He got out of the car. “What’s up?”
“You’ve been sitting in there for ages on the phone. What’s up with you?” Christine and Ben had joined the force on the same day and had remained friends for their eight years of service. She was his confidante, and one of only three others in the force who knew he was gay.
“I was being propositioned,” he told her, deadpan.
“Yeah? Who is he?”
“The guy that was attacked yesterday. Pam and I took him to the hospital and he is nothing if not in your face and upfront about being interested.”
“Is he cute?”
“Very.”
“So what’s the problem? Ask him out.”
“He’s already asked me. Wants to meet for a drink tomorrow.”
“So go, Ben.” She patted his arm. “You need a little diversion. You put in too many hours. Take a break and meet this guy and have fun.”
Ben couldn’t quite remember that last time he’d had fun. “I might.”
“You will…and tell me where you’ll be so I can stalk you and get a look at him.”
Laughing together, they walked up the steps to the station entrance.
* * * *
Dr. Hess came to see Bryan in the morning with the results of the scans he’d ordered on Bryan’s skull. “Happy to tell you that all is well, no severe damage. Just two abrasions that will heal over time. We had to cut away some of your hair so that the deep cut could be stitched. Of course that will grow back, rather quickly from the looks of the rest of your hair.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Bryan exclaimed. “I’ve heard of premature baldness, but I’m only twenty-six.”
Hess chuckled. “You won’t have to worry about that for a long time, Mr. Colby. Now, I’ll have your release papers drawn up and you can go home later today. Is there anyone who can drive you, perhaps stay with you for a few hours just to make sure there are no setbacks? I don’t anticipate any problems, but better safe than sorry, as they say.”
“Yeah, my friend Tyler said he’d pick me up.”
“Good. We’ll change the dressing before you leave and I’ll make an appointment for you to have the stitches removed in about a week. After that just keep it clean and rub some Vaseline on the area, as it promotes less scarring.”
“Thanks, doc. You’ve been really nice.”
“No problem. Take care of yourself. It’s a wicked world out there sometimes.”
True, maybe I can convince handsome Ben to look after me. Heh, heh.
After Hess left, Bryan called Sonia to let her know he was being released. “Oh, good news, darling. I took the listing on the Campbell property last night, but I told them you will be their liaison once you’re back on the job.”
“Great. The doc said in a couple more days I should be okay to drive and work.”
“You think you’ll be fit for the party?”
“I think so. Won’t be drinking much because of the meds they’re giving me, but I should be okay for a couple of hours’ frivolity.”
Sonia laughed. “Well, take care, darling. I have to go interview a new agent. He sent me his portfolio along with a photograph. He’s very handsome. Perhaps I’ll put him under your wing for a spell.”
“Sonia, Sonia, still matchmaking I see.”
“Well, I don’t like to think of you alone at night in that apartment of yours.”
“I’m not alone that much, Sonia. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
“You’re very fine, darling. I’ll stop ’round to see you this evening. Will Tyler be there?”
“Yes, he’s picking me up. I’m gonna call him so he remembers.”
“Good. I’ll bring something from Whole Foods. Bye for now.”
Bryan smiled as he disconnected the call. He loved Sonia. She had been his friend from the first time he and Tyler had met her at a gala to raise money for LGBTQ homeless youth. She’d been wonderful to him when his mother had died, calling him for movie dates, picnics, Sunday brunches. Bryan suspected she’d hoped he and Tyler would make a match, but had accepted the fact that they’d never be more than best friends. Speaking of Tyler…
He picked up his phone and speed dialed his friend. “Hey, Ty, they’re letting me go this afternoon. Can you come get me?”
“Sure thing. Call me when it’s close to breaking out time, and I’ll be there with the getaway car.”
“Ha ha. The doc wants you to stay with me for a few hours. Is that okay?”
“Sure. Daniel left today so I’m all alone. I can stay over if you like.”
“That’d be good. If I start foaming at the mouth or having fits, you can call Emergency.”
“Don’t even. I’ll see you later, best buddy.”
* * * *
Ben and Christine were in their patrol car when a call came in from the station. “Officer Collins.”
“Yeah, hi, Collins. It’s Sergeant Thomson. I’m on desk duty tonight and I just got a call from a woman who says she runs a small pawn shop downtown. She says some guy who looked homeless came in with a real expensive briefcase. He wanted twenty bucks for it and she says it looks like it’s worth more like a thousand at least. She thinks it’s obviously stolen.”
“Could be Bryan Colby’s, the guy that was attacked yesterday.”
“Right. I saw on your list he’d reported it missing. Wanna check it out? The shop’s at twenty-four hundred Lambert. She’s keeping the guy there, giving him a cup of coffee. She said he seems out of it.”
“Okay, we’re on it.” He turned the car around and headed for the downtown area. Lambert was easy to find and the traffic had thinned, so getting to the store was no problem. He and Christine entered the shop and they immediately saw the homeless man sitting in a corner, nursing a mug. He looked up in alarm when Ben approached him.
“Hi, soldier, what’s up?” Ben asked, smiling at the man.
“Nuthin. Just enjoyin’ a cuppa coffee the nice lady made me.”
Christine had gone over to the lady in question and was talking with her.
“She said you found a briefcase.”
“That’s right.”
“Where did you find it?”
“Well…” The old man gazed up at Ben through red-rimmed eyes. “Didn’t exactly find it.”
“You took it from somewhere?”
“It-it was sitting on top of the trunk of a car. Nobody around so, I thought it was lost, kind of.”
Ben nodded. “And the car. You know what make it was?”
“Foreign, black…”
“A Mercedes maybe?”
“Coulda been.”
Ben walked over to where Christine stood talking to the shop owner. “This is Mrs. Abbot, Ben. She and her husband run this store. I told her the case probably belongs to Mr. Colby.”
“Hi, Mrs. Abbot. Thanks for calling this in.” Ben stared at the briefcase, wondering if there was a possibility of viable prints. The homeless guy and Mrs. Abbot had both touched the case. “Did you look inside?”
Mrs. Abbot nodded. “It’s empty apart from a couple of candy wrappers.”
“Would you mind if I took your fingerprints? We’ll get the old guy’s too, so if there are others there apart from the owner’s, it’ll give us a start in finding the thieves.”
“Happy to help,” Mrs. Abbot said, and Christine went to get the fingerprint kit from the car.
* * * *
“It was sweet of you to give that old homeless guy twenty dollars,” Christine remarked on their way back to the station.
“Yeah, well, you owe me ten.”
“No, sir. That was out of the kindness of your heart, not mine.”
“Huh, cheapskate.”
“But look at it this way. You’ll be able to call Bryan and let him know we’ve found his briefcase.” Christine grinned at him. “Then you can call him again once it’s out of forensics and deliver it to him personally.”
“What an imagination you have. I am going to call him about his briefcase, but that’s it.”
“But what about the coffee date he wanted?”
“Not happening.” Ben sighed. “Look, I know you’re all for me finding a boyfriend, and I love you for it, but my shifts are anathema to any kind of dating. What guy is going to put up with me canceling at the last minute because I got stuck with overtime?”
“Because you volunteer for it, Ben. You don’t have to work every hour God gives us. If you had a boyfriend or some kind of outside interest, you’d be happy to pass the overtime on to somebody else without a life.”
Ben glared at her. “I have a life.”
“Some life. Which reminds me, what are you doing Valentine’s?”
“Nothing. It’s a stupid holiday. Why?”
“Joe Kelly and his wife are throwing a party at their house. You should come with me and Grady.”
“No thanks. I should go with you and your husband?” He chuckled. “I like Grady, but there’s no romance there.”
“Idiot.” Christine punched his arm lightly. “It’ll be nice, a few drinks, some snacks. Joe said they’re putting a dance floor out on the patio.”
“Sounds great. Have a nice time.”
“Boy, you are a stick-in-the-mud.”
Ben grinned. “So I’ve been told.”
* * * *
Bryan woke up, aware of the sunlight streaming in through his bedroom window and the delicious smell of coffee brewing. Oh right, Tyler had spent the night with him and was no doubt up and about getting ready for work. He sat up slowly, pleased that his head was no longer throbbing madly, just a low-level ache. He swung his legs off the bed and stood then made his way to the bathroom, which was still steamy from Tyler’s morning shower.
Staring at his reflection in the mirror as he washed his hands and face, he frowned. Jeez, but he looked a fright. His hair stuck up at all angles and there were dark shadows under his eyes. What a difference two days could make. On Monday, he’d been his usual put-together self. Now he looked as if he’d been pulled through a hedge backwards.
“Bryan, you up?” Tyler called from the kitchen.
“Yes, but I look like hell. I can never go outside again.”
Tyler laughed. “Come and have some coffee. Guaranteed to put a spring in your step.”
“What I need is a complete makeover,” Bryan said, walking into the kitchen. “Look at me. I’ll never get a date with Ben at this rate.”
“Oh, the hot cop you told us about last night.” Tyler handed him a steaming mug. “Is it a good idea to pursue a guy like that?”
“Wait till you see him, then ask me that.” Bryan sipped at his coffee. “Mmm, good. Tyler, he is every gay guy’s wet dream, and then some. You know I’ve always had a thing for a guy in a uniform and he wears his the way it’s meant to be worn.”
“Wow, sounds like you have it bad.” Tyler gave him an affectionate smile. “I like the idea of you being interested in a guy again. I just hope he’s the right guy.”
“Hey, I don’t expect a great romance, just a bit of fun. He’s a tad uptight, but I think I can shake him loose, given time.”
“Well, good luck.” Tyler slipped into his jacket. “I better get going. Nose to the grindstone and all that jazz. I’ll come by later. If you need anything, just call me.”
“Thanks, Ty.” He hugged his friend. “Guess for the next couple of days I’ll get to see what daytime television is all about.”
“Rest up, like the doctor ordered.” He kissed Bryan’s cheek. “Ciao.”
“Bye, Tyler, don’t work too hard.”
“That’s my intention!”