Murder Times Four Box Set

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

My boss didn’t read me the riot act when I got to work Tuesday morning. Only because they knew about the murder by the time I arrived home last night, according to him. He admitted he wasn’t happy I wouldn’t tell Ella Field anything during her interview, but left it at that.

The top story was, of course, Jake’s murder. According to an interview with Detective Irvin—one I didn’t get to film since I had known Jake—the police were still putting his death down to a burglary gone bad. Even though I didn’t believe that, I was glad he’d said it. The last thing any of us on the Lane needed was reporters going door to door trying to interview us because Jake had been killed by someone he knew.

I worked the morning and noon news and then headed home, my job over for the day. I barely had time to change clothes and fix lunch when someone rang the doorbell. When I got to the door, I found Detective Irvin standing there.

“I’d like to talk with you about Jake Wright,” he said.

With no real choice, I let him in, gesturing to the sofa in the living room. Once we were seated, he said, “I understand you and Mr. Wright had a personal relationship.”

“Yes. It ended quite a while ago.”

“Amiably?”

I shrugged. “Pretty much. I figured we weren’t right for each other and he took that in stride. To be honest, he did hint a few times that we should try again. I brushed him off.”

He eyed me speculatively. Probably trying to decide if I was telling him the truth. “Was hinting all he did? Or did he try to push it?”

“If you’re trying to get me to say he did more than suggest, and I killed him to get him off my back…” I shook my head. “That is not what happened. First off, I would be the obvious suspect if that was the case. Which,” I added sourly, “it seems I am from your questions. Ask anyone who lives on the Lane. Jake and I were still friends, albeit not exactly buddy-buddy.”

“According to a couple of people I interviewed, the two of you had an argument at the barbecue.”

“Not true. He came over when I first got there, making some comment about the weather and the company being perfect. Since we were alone at the time, the implication was there that the company meant me, not everyone. I brushed it off by agreeing all our friends made perfect company, or words to that effect. Then I walked away.”

“Were you upset?”

“I probably looked…less than happy.” I leaned back, returning the detective’s gaze. “I’ll admit I was tired of his trying to get us back together but that’s it. It became almost a game with him, I think. Okay, not a game. More like a habit. Ah, there’s Adam. Let’s see what happens this time.”

Detective Irvin was writing everything down. Now he asked, “As far as you know, Mr. Wright wasn’t in a relationship?”

“Not that I know of. But then, on the whole, we keep our personal lives just that around here.”

“Meaning?”

“We don’t generally advertise it if we’re seeing someone. In case you haven’t found out by now, all the single men who live on the Lane are gay. Obviously, so are the Greens, and Eliot and Frank, since they live together. The Dunns and Nelsons were the first to buy homes on the Lane.” I smiled dryly. “Obviously they’re straight. That being the case, we try not to flaunt that we’re gay.”

“That hardly holds true for the two gay couples who own homes here,” he pointed out.

“True. But that’s not what I was getting at. If I meet someone I might be interested in, I make it clear from the start that while they’re welcome to visit, I’d prefer to confine our s****l relationship to their place.”

“In other words, you don’t allow overnight visits.”

“Exactly. I’m not saying the Dunns or Nelsons would object. They know the rest of us are gay, and are fine with it, as far as I can tell—and I’ve lived here longer than anyone else but them. We, myself and the other men, sort of took over the rest of the houses. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. I told Brent Lewis about the Lane, and the word seemed to spread from there. The tacit agreement, as I said, was that we wouldn’t turn the Lane into some sort of gay enclave where anything goes. We’re all upstanding citizens with normal jobs, mortgages, the whole nine yards. That we’re gay is just a fact of life.” I neglected to mention that Tyler and I also worked in the gay porn industry on the side. I didn’t think that was germane to the subject of Jake’s murder.

“It sounds as if you have the perfect neighborhood,” the detective commented.

“It is. Or, I guess, it was until someone killed Jake. I take it, from your questions that he didn’t actually come home to find a burglar in his house.”

“No.”

“And that’s all the answer I get,” I replied.

“It is. Thank you for talking with me.” He stood, closing his notebook. “I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions within the next day or two.”

I smiled dryly. “I’m sure you will.”

I knew the detective had only my word for it that I was the one who ended the relationship between me and Jake—not vice versa. Sure, Irvin would ask the others, and they’d back me up. But still, they’d be basing it on what I had told them, and the detective would know that. Everyone could have gotten a completely different take on things from Jake and not know which of us to believe. Excluding Brent and Tyler, that is. We were good enough friends they knew I wasn’t lying. Still, it wasn’t them who mattered. It was Detective Irvin.