Chase was in his basement late Monday afternoon when the doorbell rang. He’d closed down the office after lunch, sending the women home, then he’d come back to his condo and gone straight to work on his punching bag. By five o’clock, he’d almost managed to drive his anger away.
For a minute, he considered not answering the door, but then his upbringing took over. Jackie Hudson had drummed her own superstition about ignoring a ringing phone or doorbell into her children.
Muttering under his breath, he headed upstairs. When he swung the door open to find Gordon on the porch, he stiffened with shock.
Gordon finally broke the silence. “We need to talk.”
Chase lifted his brows, incredulous. “That’s not going to happen, not today. And not without John.”
“Damn it, I’m not here as law enforcement. I’m here as your friend.” Gordon raked a hand through his hair, leaving him looking as if he’d met the wrong end of an electrical shock.
Chase could see the frustration his friend was holding in check. He unlatched the storm door and went out onto the porch, moved up to Gordon until they were toe-to-toe, and smiled.
“Do you have any idea what my day has been like?” Chase asked in a conversational tone.
“I imagine it’s been rough. I’m sorry.” Gordon widened his stance and rolled his shoulders so that his arms were loose and ready. “Do you really want to do this? Because if you do, I’ll oblige you. You aren’t the only one who’s had a bad day.”
The offer was tempting, and part of him wanted to take Gordon up on it. However, Chase wasn’t really that angry at Gordon but more at the situation. With a long, growling sigh, he stood down. “What exactly do we need to talk about?”
Gordon cleared his throat. “First of all, I want to apologize for yesterday. I didn’t know it would go like that. I feel like I threw you to the wolves.”
After a minute, Chase made a show of looking at his arms and legs. “No bite marks here.”
“Regardless, I owe you an apology.”
“Fine, then. Consider it accepted. Now, you’ll forgive me if I ask again—what do we have to talk about? It’s really been a pisser of a day, and I’d like to hit the shower.”
“Okay. I tried to call, but it kept going to voice mail.”
Chase turned and opened the door, motioning for Gordon to precede him. “I turned the ringer off. You don’t even want to know how many people I’ve seen or talked to today who were ‘calling to check up on me and see how I was holding up.’”
“It’s been that bad?” Gordon asked. When Chase glowered, he grimaced. “Damn.”
“Don’t worry about it, okay? Let’s move on. Please.”
“Fair enough. What are the chances you can get everyone together this evening? Beth, Ethan, Jason, everyone.”
Chase frowned. “Why?”
“After everything went to hell yesterday, I spent a couple of hours going over Kiely’s case with Wyatt and Stacy. We thought it might be a good idea to get the gang together, see if we can come up with something as a group.”
“That’s a bit unusual,” Chase said. “After all, until yesterday afternoon, I was the prime suspect.”
Gordon snorted. “It’s very unusual to say the least. But you’ve got two cops and an investigative reporter, not counting me and Stacy. Then there’s Annie, who has a vested interest in proving your innocence. It’s worth a shot anyhow.”
“We’re all supposed to meet at Beth’s in a couple of hours,” Chase told him. “I haven’t talked to anyone but Annie and Ethan since yesterday, except for a brief phone call or two. You know Beth is still super, super upset with you, right?”
“I didn’t expect anything less,” Gordon admitted.
With a groan, Chase ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. Be there at six thirty. You’re responsible for getting Stacy there, and you had better be prepared to talk fast when you get in the door—if you get that far.”
His relief was obvious. “Thank you.”
Chase snorted. “Dude, seriously. If you think my sister won’t make your life hell for what happened yesterday, you don’t know her very well. Don’t thank me.” As he walked Gordon to the door, he remembered the scene he’d witnessed in the observation room. “By the way, what was all that yesterday between you and Stacy?”
Gordon turned on the steps, an innocent look that wouldn’t have fooled a blind man plastered on his face. He spread his hands. “No idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh. Maybe I should ask her this evening.”
Gordon’s eyes widened, and he started back up the steps, but when Chase laughed out loud, he stopped. His cheeks lit up, and he sighed. “I’m attracted to her, okay? She’s kind of slipped up on my blind side the last few months. That’s all.”
Chase feigned surprise. “No! Really? Tell me something I don’t know.”
Gordon waved off the teasing. “I’ll see you in a little while. You’ll clear my being there with Beth?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Chase assured him. “Gordon? I like Stacy.”
His friend smiled. “Yeah? She’s pretty likeable, I think. See you soon.”
As he headed upstairs to get cleaned up, Chase contemplated not telling Beth that Gordon was coming. If the gathering had been anywhere other than her home, he would have. It would hardly be fair to ambush her in her own house, however. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed his phone and made the call. If things went the way he expected they would, it was going to be a long, stressful evening.