SKYLER WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING BUT THIS WAS hardly the place. Besides, what could he say? Keith hadn’t yet told him. Maybe he had no intention of telling him. Skyler did glance once at Jamie, who looked back at him worriedly, biting his lip. Of course he’d read it, too. Not the best person in the world to keep a secret.
The police had said that there was nothing they could do, especially since Skyler had found nothing missing. Keith locked up the museum. He ushered Skyler back to the car and they took their leave silently from the SFC.
Skyler said nothing on the ride home, staring out the window at the passing shadows of trees and bright glow of vintage street lamps. He still didn’t say anything as they climbed the apartment stairs. Once inside, he absently pet the cat and sat in the wing chair.
Keith knelt in front of him, hands gently grasping his thighs. “You look shaken. Want a drink?”
Skyler nodded. He was shaken, all right, but not from the break-in. How the hell was he going to broach the subject with Keith without letting him know that he hacked his phone? That Keith might…have a child! A ten-year-old boy! Keith would probably sue for custody rights. Skyler would have to be a…a dad! And he’d be barely sixteen years older than the kid. What if he was a brat? What if he was already troubled? What if he hated Keith? That would be terrible. But worse. What if he hated Skyler?
Keith was back, offering a Grey Goose in an ice-filled glass. Skyler took it and drank, letting the alcohol burn his throat just a touch before it warmed his belly.
“You shouldn’t have gone in,” Keith said gently, kneeling again. A warm hand was on Skyler’s thigh once more; that hand…the same hand that had, apparently, touched a girl. And more. That was something Keith had never told him before. And Skyler was pretty sure he had asked that question once upon a time.
“I would have gone in with you,” Keith continued.
Skyler looked up. He was always bowled over at how blue and clear those eyes were, like a glacier. But never cold like one. More like the blue on the horizon on a cold, crisp day. “Thanks. I know. You promised to help me. I looked for you.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I was calling 9-1-1.”
Keith nodded. “For once, something smart.”
When Skyler glared, Keith raised a hand in apology. “Sorry. You’re right. You did call. That was good. And you’re not hurt? Sure?”
Keith reached up and ran his fingers through Skyler’s hair. Skyler didn’t wince at the touch. There were no bumps. So he guessed he hadn’t hit his head that hard. Keith’s fingers felt good.
“I’m fine,” he answered.
“Good. I don’t want you hurt.”
There’s more than one way to hurt me, he thought but didn’t say it aloud. Why aren’t you telling me? Why aren’t you sharing this? Skyler waited. They stared into each other’s eyes; Keith calmly, Skyler expectantly. But nothing was passing between them. Finally Skyler sighed and looked away. He lifted his glass to his lips.
Keith rose. “So the docents still don’t know about the cameras.”
“Nope. I purposely didn’t tell them.”
“What I can’t understand, then, is how they got in without tripping the alarm.”
“Oh…” Skyler took another swig. The ice shifted and hit him in the nose. He rubbed at it and lowered the glass to his thigh. “About that… They sort of cornered me and I had to confess that we changed it.”
“And what did they say?”
“They were pissed. Like they were suspects.”
“And they are.”
“But I didn’t want to be the one to tell them that.”
“So what did you do? Skyler, you didn’t cave did you? I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t give them the code.”
He squirmed. “I couldn’t help it. They were all so indignant, like I didn’t trust them. And you weren’t there! You would have given in, too… Maybe. The thing of it is I’ve worked with some of these guys for years, and I do trust them. Except…that they all seem in need of money in one way or another.”
“You trusted them…and look what happened.”
“It still might be someone else.”
Keith crossed him arms over his chest and slapped on a dubious expression.
“It might,” Skyler said in a small voice.
Keith lowered his arms and retreated into the kitchen to get his own drink from the bar cupboard. “Cat’s out of the bag. Nothing you can do about it now, I suppose. At least they don’t know about the cameras.”
“Yeah. There’s that.” Skyler watched him pour bourbon into his glass. “So…what about Ethan? What was he texting you about?”
Keith’s expression shuttered. His jaw tensed, even after he took a swig from his glass before leaving the kitchen. “Nothing you need to worry about. He won’t be bothering us again anytime soon. By the way.” He sat on the couch and wore a casual air about him. Skyler suspected it was all an act. “I’ll be late the next few nights. I have some stuff to catch up on.”
Stuff to catch up on? I’ll just bet. Like meeting your kid. Talk to me, dammit!
“Sure. I won’t wait dinner for you then.”
“I’ll call you if there’s a change in plans.”
“Fine.”
They sat in silence with just the sound of ice clinking in their drinks. Skyler couldn’t stand it. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to tell me?”
“If there was, I’d tell you,” he said coolly.
Skyler narrowed his eyes and Keith narrowed his over the rim of his glass.
“Okay,” Skyler muttered. Keith closed his eyes and laid his head back.
How was this supposed to work? He thought you didn’t keep things from the other person in a relationship. Because it only created misunderstandings. How were they to resolve their problems if they didn’t talk?
“So…I’m meeting my dad for brunch tomorrow morning. I hope that’s okay.”
Keith sat up. “No, that’s fine. I should probably get an early start anyway.”
“On your stuff.”
“Yeah.” Either Keith didn’t catch the sarcastic tone or he was ignoring it.
“And then I have Lester’s funeral.”
“I know. Did you want me to go with you?”
“No. I can go on my own. I just hope Ethan won’t be there.”
Keith stiffened at the name. “I doubt it.”
“Paid him off to leave, did you?”
He snapped his gaze toward Skyler. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing, nothing. Maybe I should just turn in.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
Skyler took the last dregs of his drink with him into the bedroom and stared at the neatly made bed. It was all well and good to know the contents of Keith’s text, but another thing to figure out how to talk to him about it. Would Skyler find out only once the kid was moving in? He almost turned around to confront Keith right then and there, but stopped. He didn’t relish the part of the conversation that involved stealing his phone and having Jamie hack it. “Shit. How do I get myself into these messes?”
* * *
Jamie texted him three times Saturday morning, always asking the same thing: “What did Keith say?”
Since Keith didn’t say anything there was very little point in replying. Instead, Skyler got showered and dressed and ready to meet his dad. Keith worked with his biology class folders and football binders, but Skyler also caught him frowning over his phone and tapping out messages.
Hope the custody battle goes okay, he thought with a sneer, but aloud he said, “I’m going. I guess I’ll see you later.”
Keith got up, still texting.
Skyler lifted his face and puckered his lips for a kiss, but Keith walked by him into the kitchen without even noticing.
Ooo-KAY.
Skyler let the door slam and trotted down the stairs. Certainly not in the best of moods to meet his dad, but when he pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, he put on a game face.
Dale Foxe—blond-haired with a touch of gray, a straight, sharp nose that Skyler also had—was already at a table, waiting for him. As was his custom upon meeting Skyler these days, he rose and gave him a hug. Blushing, Skyler sat opposite him and asked the waitress for coffee.
“Well,” said Dale, setting his menu aside. “Here we are.”
“Yeah. Here we are. So I guess—”
“If you could—”
They spoke at the same time and both demurred to the other. Dale took the lead.
“I was going to say, that I hoped you could accept the fact that your mother and I have gotten back together.”
Skyler picked up his napkin and dropped it into his lap. “It’s not a matter of acceptance, it’s a matter of…whether it should be at all.”
Dale sat back. “That’s a pretty defeatist attitude. Most children would love to see their parents get back together.”
“Most children heard from their estranged father in the thirteen years since he left.”
“I thought we were past that. I explained…”
Skyler waved his hand. “I know. I know. I’m sorry. Forget I said that. I am trying to move forward.”
“But it’s hard. I get it, Skyler. It was unforgiveable and I’ll apologize as many times as it will take.”
The waitress arrived and they asked for more time.
“Let’s, uh, order our brunch first, huh, son? We can argue better on a full stomach.”
Skyler ordered his go-to, Eggs Benedict, and Dale took the French toast. Once Skyler got some gulps of his hot coffee he settled in, forearms on the table. “Okay, Dad. So what brought all this on?”
“What do you mean? Your mother is still a very lovely and vibrant woman. I was attracted to her the moment I met her.”
“Yes, but…there were other women, too.”
To Dale’s credit, his cheeks reddened. “I do regret my foolishness of the past. I was young and stupid, son. There’s no other explanation that will suffice. I suppose it was also an ego thing. Maybe I had something to prove to myself. But I’ve grown out of it.”
“Can you, Dad? Is that really something someone can grow out of?”
“All right, let me ask you something. Did you have a lot of…conquests?”
“What does that have to do with—?”
“Just answer the question.”
Skyler looked around and scooted closer. Quietly, he said, “Well. Yes. Quite a few, if you must know. But I don’t—”
Dale’s brows rose. “Okay. And how about now?”
“Now? There’s only Keith.”
“There you go.”
“Wait. When I had my ‘conquests’—” and he added air quotes “—I didn’t have a regular boyfriend. It’s not the same thing.”
“Isn’t it? Didn’t you have something to prove to yourself?”
It smacked him right between the eyes. Did Skyler have something to prove to himself? Keeping in the closet for so long he was glad to be able to cast open those doors in college. And after. Staying in the closet at work, he let his freak flag fly on the weekends and week nights at Trixx. And hooked up a lot. But it had seemed like simply a release valve for all those years he hid himself. When he had the chance, away from his mother, away from that life, he could finally be his whole self. He had thought he’d never settle down or even settle for one man. It certainly wasn’t on his radar. And then Keith had come along.
“All right.” He nodded. “I can sort of see where you’re coming from. But weren’t you supposed to sow those oats before settling down?”
Before he could answer, the waitress was back with their food. They both picked up forks and dug in. Skyler sighed at the buttery, lemony flavor of the hollandaise and scooped another generous portion of it on his egg and took another bite.
“That’s how people are supposed to do it,” said Dale, pouring syrup on his French toast slices. “But again. Young, stupid, and full of myself. Unable to realize—or maybe I talked myself out of—the hurt I was causing. Fooling myself, I guess. If she never found out, who was I hurting? It turned out a lot of people. And, of course, your mother isn’t stupid. She did find out. And then there was leaving you out of my life.” He cut the bread with sharp crossover slices with fork and knife.
“Which is why I’m concerned with this new development,” said Skyler, setting down his knife. “I don’t want Mom to get hurt. It took her a long time to recover.”
Dale stopped slicing. His throat rolled from a hard swallow. “I know.” His voice was harsh, pained. It almost made Skyler feel guilty. Almost.
Dale looked up. “I love her, son. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped loving her. And I never imagined in a million years she’d give me another chance. But she did. Oh, she read me the riot act.”
Good one, Mom.
“But I sure don’t plan to step out of line. I know what I’ve been missing now. And believe me when I say, I don’t want to screw it up.”
“She said she didn’t want to get married.”
“Yeah, that kind of threw me. I asked her, you know.”
Skyler’s silverware clattered to the plate. “You what?”
“I asked her to marry me. What can I say? I’m an old-fashioned guy. She said she’d have none of it. Doesn’t want it complicated if I…well, you know. Told me to move in. It wasn’t my idea.”
“Seriously?”
“Swear to God.”
Skyler grabbed his mug and drank the hot coffee, letting it burn down his throat. Shit. His mother, so upright, so prudish. At least she used to be. Maybe she could take care of herself. He set the mug down. “I’m…wow.”
“Me, too,” muttered Dale, taking a bite of French toast dripping with syrup. “Your mother is quite a woman.”
They ate in silence. Every time Skyler surreptitiously glanced at his father, Dale seemed to be glancing back at him.
Skyler licked the last of the hollandaise off the tines of his fork and set it down. He stared at his empty plate and took a deep breath. “Dad, can I talk to you about something kind of personal?”
“Anything.” Dale dabbed at his lips with his napkin and picked up his mug the same way Skyler did his; hand wrapped around the hot ceramic instead of in the handle.
“I just found out… Well, it looks like Keith might…have a kid.”
“Whoa. How did that…I mean is that even possible? He’s…”
“I don’t know the details. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t know that I know. Yet.”
“Oh.”
“How do I handle this? I mean, I’m not ready to be a father let alone to a ten-year-old.”
“So wait, wait. You know for a fact that Keith is the father?”
“Um…not really. But it’s probably true.”
“First, I would let Keith tell you all the pertinent information. And then I’d take a breath and think. For one, you’re effectively the parent to—what? Something like two hundred kids a day?”
One side of his mouth hitched up in a smile. “It’s not quite the same the thing.”
“The hell it isn’t. I know you aren’t there 24/7, but then again, some parents aren’t either, am I right? And I know you care about them. Weren’t you always collecting the waifs in the neighborhood, those kids that never could seem to make friends?”
“I guess.”
“Sure you were. I do remember that. You were so sweet. There’s no other word for it. I used to call you Mother Hen. Do you remember that?”
“Oh yeah. I do remember that.”
“So should this turn out to be true, I don’t see you being anything less than up for the task. I mean Jesus, Skyler, you wrangle high school kids all day. What’s harder than that?”
“Middle School kids.” He shrugged. “But like you said, I don’t know anything yet.”
“When are you going to know? When are you going to ask him?”
“The thing of it is, I found out under…dubious circumstances.”
“What does that mean?”
“I had a friend hack into his phone.” Skyler winced before his dad exploded.
“Are you out of your mind?” Other diners turned to look and Dale lowered his voice. “That’s an incredible breach of Keith’s privacy.”
“I know! Why do you think I’ve put off asking him?”
“Skyler! I thought better of you.” He ticked his head.
Skyler shrank in his seat. “I had to do it. He wouldn’t tell me what was bothering him. He kept saying he’d handle it.”
“So now what? What if he never brings it up? Are you going to break into his private correspondence again?”
“No! I just…” He dropped his chin to his hand. “I already feel terrible for what I did. But this is something that affects me, too.”
“Does it?”
“It can. What if he ends up paying child support? Or gets into a custody battle?”
“I’m sure he’d tell you then.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure. You don’t know him. He can be real secretive when he wants to be.”
“Then give it time, Skyler. He’ll tell you when he’s good and ready.”
“But what if I—?”
“Skyler, don’t push him. He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”
“This sucks.”
“There’s a lot about relationships that suck. There’s a whole lot more that’s good, though. Don’t spoil what you have. Take it from me.”
Skyler nodded. They argued over the bill. Dale finally wrenched it from Skyler’s hand and they both walked to the cashier so that Dale could pay. Walking out together to the parking lot Dale grasped him in a hug again.
“Dad, you don’t have to do that every time.”
“I want to. And I owe you a lot of those.”
Skyler chuckled. “Okay.”
“Listen.” He rested his hand on Skyler’s shoulder. “Let Keith tell you. It’s gotta be hard for him. It sounds like something he didn’t expect, am I right?”
“Yeah. A complete surprise.”
“Then let him tell you in his own way. He might be embarrassed, scared, confused.”
“That’s why I want to help him.”
“And that’s a wonderful thing. But sometimes the best help is to let him decide on his own what he’s going to do.”
“Sounds sensible.”
“See? Your old man can come up with a few sensible things now and then.”
“Right. I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you two to live together.”
“Well…the thing of it is. It really isn’t any of your business.”
And suddenly, the mellow feelings he was getting from interacting with his father, from getting his sage advice, melted away. He tensed. “But that’s just it. It is my business. Do you want to know what happens if you walk away again? I pick up the pieces. I take care of Mom, just as I always had, just as I had to when you left the first time.”
“You are a piece of work. You catted around yourself. You just told me that. You know, there’s nothing worse than a hypocrite.”
“I’m not the hypocrite. I know what I was. And I wasn’t married or with a boyfriend. There’s a huge difference, you know. Or don’t you?”
“Look, Skyler. I don’t like that tone.”
“You mean the truth hurts, doesn’t it?”
Dale clamped his jaw and nodded. “Okay,” he said tightly. “Baby steps. Thanks for going to brunch with me.” He turned on his heel and headed for his car.
“That’s it?” called Skyler after him.
Dale stopped and turned. “You aren’t in the mood to listen to me. You’re stuck in the past right now. And in the past is where you were hurt. I get it. But I don’t have to stand here and take it. And by the way, I don’t suppose it’s occurred to you that there might be an Oedipal thing going on with you as well.” Skyler snorted indignantly. “When you’re willing to be civilized we’ll talk again.”
“Oh really?” he said in his bitchiest tone.
But his dad was already unlocking the car door and getting inside.
A car backing out honked and startled Skyler out of the way. He watched that car slide past him and then looked over the hood to where his dad was backing out of his parking space. He threw his hands up in surrender and retreated to the Bug.
When he got back to his apartment to change, Keith wasn’t there, which was just as well. He wanted to complain about his father to someone but then he kept dwelling on Keith’s possible fatherhood and decided he didn’t want to get into it at all right now.
Instead, he looked over his notes for school, checked on the museum through the phone app (he forgot they had all decided to close it for the funeral so all was dark and undisturbed), got cleaned up and dressed in a charcoal gray suit, and headed over to Hillside Memorial Park on Alessandro.
He pulled into the main building with the other cars and walked to the front entrance. Lester’s extended family was there, including Jerome…and that asshat Ethan. Why couldn’t the man leave him at home? Skyler ignored the blond and moved into the crowd where he was met by Randi and Ron. He suddenly remembered that one of them had attacked him the other night. He tensed as they approached.
“Sucks, doesn’t it?” said Ron quietly.
Skyler nodded, thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets, brooding about more than Lester. “Yeah.”
“There’s Jerome,” said Randi. “For a minute there I thought that was you with him.”
“No, that’s his boyfriend.”
Both docents stared at Skyler. “Boyfriend?” Randi whispered. “Since when is Jerome gay?”
“Bi. Since forever, I guess. But if it’s any consolation, I didn’t know either.”
“Who’s the dude with Jerome?” said Seth, coming up behind Skyler. “I thought it was Skyler for a minute.”
“We were just talking about that,” said Ron. “It’s Jerome’s boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend? Dude’s gay? Why didn’t it ever come up?”
Randi snorted. “He’s bi, apparently. And who knows with that guy? Oh.” She chastened. “This is not the day for grousing. We’re here for Lester.”
Seth and Ron drifted off, speaking quietly together. Randi watched them go and then sidled closer to Skyler. “Skyler, I was thinking. I didn’t want to say anything, but I feel that I should. The other day, I saw Seth spending a lot of time at the gift shop register. So later, I snuck over there and did a recount. It was more than twenty dollars off. But when I looked at the accounting at the end of the day, there was no discrepancy.”
“Maybe you miscounted.”
She shook her head. “I counted it the next day, and it was still off by twenty-five dollars.”
Skyler sighed. Shoot. He didn’t want it to be one of them. “Thanks, Randi,” was all he said. She gave him a serious expression, nodded, and wandered away.
A hefty African American woman in her middle years approached, heading directly toward Skyler. “Are you Skyler Foxe?”
“Uh…yes.”
“I’m Lila Williams, Lester’s sister.”
“Oh Ms. Williams.” He took her hands and she squeezed his back. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. Mr. Foxe, Lester talked about you all the time. He loved his nieces and nephews dearly, but you were like the son he never had. He was so proud you were a teacher, you see, even at the same school he taught at for twenty years. Every time we had family gatherings we were always wondering who this white boy was he was always talking about.” She laughed a deep chuckle. Skyler returned a bittersweet smile. “He told us you were over there for meals when Claudine was alive.”
“They were so hospitable, so warm to me. And Lester helped me out financially with school.”
“My brother was a good man.”
“He certainly was.”
“And I think the family would very much like for you to speak about Lester at the services. Oh, I know we didn’t prepare you. Someone should have tried to contact you—Jerome at the very least.” She turned her head and narrowed her eyes at him across the portico. “But my son is…” She shook her head. “The boy is a handful at times.”
“Jerome’s just very passionate.”
She smiled bitterly. “Passionate. That’s one word for it. Will you speak?”
“I’d be honored to.”
Now Skyler was nervous. He didn’t quite know what to say but he supposed a eulogy was about speaking from the heart. He could do that.
The funeral director gathered everyone inside where it was decidedly cooler. Skyler wasn’t used to wearing a suit. He usually didn’t for school, preferring something more casual, though he sometimes wore a tie.
The casket was at the front, laden with flowers all around it. It was made of polished wood so fine it could have been furniture. Skyler shuddered at the thought of such a thing being put into the ground.
Lester was laid out, head resting on the white pillow within. Skyler swallowed hard and made his way to the front, paying his respects with the others. It didn’t quite look like Lester anymore. His skin was stretched unnaturally, but the mortuary techs did a decent job of repair and disguise. After all, he had had an autopsy.
Skyler stood over him and looked down sadly. I’m so sorry this happened to you, Mr. Huxley. I won’t let them get away with it.
Once everyone had walked passed the casket and found their seats the funeral director introduced a pastor who made a beautiful speech about Lester. Everyone was crying. Skyler glanced surreptitiously at the docents. Did any of them look suspicious? Jerome was seated ahead of him. He seemed stoic but he was also wiping away a tear or two. If he was a murderer would he be so cool at such a place? It seemed cold-blooded indeed to sit at your own victim’s funeral and shed crocodile tears for your own amusement.
Who had been in the museum? Who had attacked him? He couldn’t be sure. It could have been any one of them, including Randi…and he felt disgusted that it could be any of them, but there was no other explanation.
Others stepped forward to speak. One of Lester’s sisters was so overcome that she couldn’t get out any words and was gently steered away from the podium, wailing and clutching her chest.
Then it was Jerome’s turn. He looked a bit like a funeral director himself in his Sunday best, with a dark suit and tight tie. He walked up to the podium stiffly, his face bitter in its intensity.
“My uncle was murdered,” he said in opening. People gasped. It wasn't that they didn’t know, but for Jerome to say it so starkly and at such an occasion…
Skyler slid a glance toward the docents and Randi was shaking her head. She looked angry.
“It’s true,” Jerome went on. “But even though that is the cold hand on our hearts, today we are only speaking of the warmth that was Lester Huxley.” The audience visibly relaxed. “I was close to my uncle. We worked together for many years at his beloved museum. But more than that, he spent a lot of time with me when I was growing up. When my own father died, he stepped in and was more than my uncle. We’ve heard stories today, funny stories, of my uncle’s life. And that’s what we celebrate today. We won’t remember these darkest of days, but on the light, the joy he brought to us all.” As with the other speakers, there was a murmur in the crowd when they agreed. To Skyler, it was similar to the call and response in a black church service.
Jerome concluded, and despite Skyler’s misgivings, he thought he had done well in the end.
Lila Williams got up and talked about her brother in a fairly calm and florid manner. And when she stepped away, she pointedly looked at Skyler. He guessed he was up.
He rose. So far, he was the only white person to speak, besides the funeral director. And all eyes were definitely on him as he walked to the podium.
He cleared his throat. “Hello. Um, you don’t know me, but I’m Skyler Foxe. I know Mr. Huxley told some of you about me…” He could feel the mourners’ sigh of recognition. Some nodded encouragingly, smiling at him. He glanced at Jerome. He looked furious.
“And here I’m the only one calling him ‘Mister Huxley.’” He shook his head. “I’ve known him since I was thirteen and he gave me my first job, and to me he’ll always be ‘Mr. Huxley.’ I don’t know what he saw in me all those years ago. But he took me under his wing and nurtured me, taught me, even helped me through school. Maybe he saw a kindred spirit. I know I did. He knew I wanted to be a teacher and he used to tell me the funniest stories of when he taught at James Polk High. I’m sure you know the one about the school alarm.” He didn’t even have to tell the story. Everyone laughed. They all knew it well. Skyler smiled. “He was full of stories. Full of stories of history, which he loved. And you know, there was always a kind word for everyone. I don’t think there was a soul Mr. Huxley didn’t like.”
His gaze drifted over the audience and fell on the docents. Randi’s face was a mess of tears. Did that mean her guilt of regret? Or was it simply a sign of how much she cared about Lester?
Ron, too, frowned, wiping at his face. Was he capable of murder and had the nerve to sit there?
Seth’s face was calm with tear streaks streaming down. He didn’t even wipe at them. Mellow even in mourning, Seth didn’t seem the type, but one never knew. Especially after what Randi said.
Skyler thought of the attack on him in the museum…and it suddenly gave him pause. They hadn’t hit him or stabbed him or any other kind of violence. They could have easily killed him and left him there. But it was as if they had deliberately gone out of their way not to do him any harm. Was that the action of a murderer?
He swept his gaze over the docents again.
They hadn’t hurt him! They hadn’t tried to kill him! Maybe they weren’t murderers.
His eyes searched for Jerome and found him.
Jerome, on the other hand, sat with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His frown was deeply etched onto his features and his accusing eyes bore into Skyler’s. He was angry. Was it because Skyler was speaking at his uncle’s funeral? Did he think Skyler was supplanting him at the museum? But Lester himself had told the board that he didn’t think Jerome was suited to replacing him…and that really didn’t make sense. Unless he was the one stealing.
Next to him sat Ethan. He wasn’t even looking at Skyler. He looked bored. What an asshole!
When Skyler looked up to the rest of the people in the pews, he suddenly realized he hadn’t spoken in a while. “Well,” he said, clearing his throat again, “I guess I can conclude with my gratitude for Mr. Huxley taking me in, for being the kind of mentor I needed. He will be sorely missed.”
Skyler stepped down and the funeral director asked if anyone wanted to visit the deceased one more time before the graveside service.
Row by row, people rose again to pay their respects.
Skyler followed suit and then trailed outside with the rest of them. He stood off by himself, gathering his thoughts, not only about Lester and what he meant to Skyler, but about the docents…and Jerome. When he rose from his thoughts, Seth was standing before him.
“Skyler, what you said was real nice. So I hope you don’t mind…” He looked around and got in close, whispering. “Dude, something’s got to be done. I know it’s not going to be your problem soon, but that only means we’ll be especially fucked.” He gave another look around. “It’s Randi, dude. I just don’t think she can be trusted.”
You’ve got to be kidding me, he thought, sagging. “What do you mean?”
“Dude’s in need of money bad. I didn’t want to say anything, but we’ve been twenty dollars short at the gift shop register every time she worked it. I keep covering for her but I can’t afford it anymore. I spent a hundred bucks of my own money last week. I can’t keep doing it, man.”
“You shouldn’t have to. Did you talk to her?”
“I mentioned that maybe she needs to count more carefully and she got all cranky at me about it. You gonna take care of things, Sky?”
Seth seemed sincere…but then again, so had Randi. He shrugged. “I’ll do my best.”
Seth gave him a nod and hurried away to meet up with Ron again.
Great. Two inconsistent stories, implicating each other. Who was he to believe?
“Well that was a load.”
Skyler jerked. He hadn’t been paying attention to the people around him and Ethan had swooped in and cornered him.
“That speech you gave, I mean. Just full of sugar.”
“I really don’t want to talk to you.”
“Yeah, I know.” But the man stubbornly stood his ground.
“Look. Lester was a pretty well-loved man. Can you just forget you know me for the next hour and be a human being?”
“Who’s not being a human being? I’m not the one keeping secrets from my boyfriend. Oops.” He put his hand coyly to his mouth. “I wasn't supposed to say anything. Keith didn’t want me to.”
Skyler got into his face. “Did he pay you off? Are you going to stop bothering us? Did your blackmail work?”
“Oh. I see he told you.”
“Yeah, I know about it,” he lied. But this guy didn’t deserve the truth. “And it doesn’t bother me one bit. Keith and I love each other.”
“How disgustingly sweet. And no he didn’t pay me. But he needs to. Or the school principal and the school district will hear about his indiscretion. And then maybe the local news will be interested, too. I can see the headline: Gay Man Knocks Up Girl, Abandons Both.”
Skyler balled his fist and lifted it. “You little shit! If you think you can ruin his life you’ve got another thing coming.”
Ethan stared at Skyler’s fist. “You gonna use that? Come on, pretty boy. I can take you.” Ethan leapt back, throwing off his jacket.
Skyler saw red. He was about to tear his own off when Jerome jumped in between them.
“What the hell is this?” But his anger was mostly directed toward Skyler.
Skyler gestured toward Ethan who was smirking at him on the other side of Jerome. “This guy is a…a…” he choked out.
“I don’t care what this is about. This is my uncle’s goddammed funeral. I want you to leave, Skyler.”
That brought him up short. “What? It’s not my fault, it’s his!”
“I don’t care. Leave!”
“But the graveside…”
“Do I have to throw you out?”
Jerome’s eyes were wild. They glistened with raw emotion and tears. Skyler blinked at him and realized that this was a fight not worth waging. Whether he was faking it or not, they were making a scene and it didn’t belong here.
He looked around and people were staring disapprovingly. He lowered his head in shame. Without another word, Skyler stomped away and headed toward his Bug. He slapped himself into the seat, started the car with shaking fingers, and pulled away down the curving road toward home.