One Taste of Hope

“Why do I feel like this happens way too often?”

“Probably because it has lately.”

“It’s annoying as hell.”

“Says the man who always insists on rock, paper, scissors when it does happen.”

Rory rolled his eyes at his partner, Reese, refusing to acknowledge that. Just because two sets of detectives showed up at a crime scene, it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to argue about the fact. They showed up first, so therefore, it was their case. End of discussion. What annoyed him the most was their new captain seemed to be an idiot, continuing to do shit like this.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Detective Zeke Chance asked with a little too much cheeriness for Rory’s sake. It was barely seven a.m. Why did he have to look so chipper? Not to mention, they were at the scene of a dead body.

“Us, at our crime scene. We showed up first,” Rory spit out without preamble, then took a sip of his coffee.

“By like five minutes, if that. Have you even looked at the scene yet?” Detective Ben Stoyer, Zeke’s partner in crime and best friend, replied.

“Dr. Everly told us to wait out here until he had a look with Susan,” Reese replied as if they weren’t about to fight over who got dibs on this case.

“Which implies we were here first and it’s our case,” Rory said, trying for the same upbeat attitude as Zeke had.

“The captain called us,” Zeke said.

“He called us, too.” Which was why Rory was annoyed. Why couldn’t the man get it together? Call one set of detectives for a case and leave it at that. Sometimes, it felt like the man was trying to create conflict in the workplace.

“I always lose at rock, paper, scissors.” Ben shrugged. “Even to my niece Isabella. You do it this time.”

“You’re as bad as Rory,” Reese said with a chuckle. Then he grabbed the coffee out of Rory’s hands and took a large sip.

Always taking his stuff, like he had the right. Just because they were partners—and best friends—didn’t mean he wanted to share his shit with him, especially his coffee. It was way too early to be dealing with this bullshit.

Yet, he didn’t argue, especially when Zeke eyed the exchange, a slight twinkle in his eyes. Reese took another sip, then handed it back to Rory. Note to self, don’t forget Reese’s coffee next time. He usually brought him a cup as well, but he had a rough night sleeping after dealing with his ex again. Then the captain called, waking him out of a decent sleep he had finally managed to get.

“Come on, Ben, let’s show them how it’s done.” Reese put up his hands, one fist over his palm.

Zeke chuckled as Ben mimicked Reese’s hand gesture.

Rock, paper, scissors was always his go-to growing up with two brothers. Fights started so easily, even over something as simple as who got to use the bathroom first. He was an expert at it, and he normally won.

He taught his partner well when Ben lost the game getting his rock covered by Reese’s paper.

“See, I never win,” Ben grumbled.

“Better luck next time.” Rory winked and then headed for the house.

He waited long enough for Dr. Everly. Reese joined him shortly after saying good-bye to Zeke and Ben, who he knew no doubt would find another case soon enough. Or hell, keep working on one of their open cases.

The dead man, Mr. Fontain, was found in bed, arms outstretched and tied to the bedposts, naked, strangled with a tie. By the looks of it, in the throes of passion, if the condom still wrapped around his dick was any indication.

Sex games gone too far? Revenge murder? Had one woman on the side and his current woman didn’t appreciate that?

The housekeeper called it in. According to her, he wasn’t married, no girlfriend that she knew of.

“Well?” Rory took a sip of coffee as he continued to glance around the room. Nothing looked disturbed, as if whoever had killed him hadn’t rummaged through his drawers. Not a robbery.

“Always the conversationalist, Detective Walker,” Dr. Everly said dryly, then leaned away from the bed where he was inspecting the man’s neck. Yeah, Rory didn’t have much patience—especially in the mornings when he was woken up too early—or tact when it came to pretty much everything. Probably why Dr. Everly wanted him to wait outside while he did his preliminary check on the body. Rory tended to get on his nerves more often than not.

“He appears to be have been strangled by the tie. We’ll see if the autopsy confirms.”

“You don’t think so?” Reese asked.

“It appears so, but like I said, I want to confirm when I do the autopsy. It feels…” Dr. Everly shrugged. “Staged in a way. I don’t know why. Although, there are red marks around his wrists as if he struggled. I imagine he did if he was strangled by the tie.”

Susan cleared her throat. “Or you don’t think a woman could have done this.”

“I didn’t say that.” Dr. Everly pushed up his glasses and offered Susan a gentle smile as if trying to apologize for whatever he might’ve been insinuating.

“Well, condom, naked, tied to the bed, a tie around his neck. All signs he was having some kinky sex when he died,” Reese said. “Makes sense it would be a woman. She starts squeezing harder than he anticipates with the tie, and although she might be smaller, she’s got the upper hand. He’s tied up. He’s not going anywhere. He’s dead within less than a minute.”

“All true. I always like to perform an autopsy before confirming,” Dr. Everly replied.

“I did a small cursory glance when I got here. No signs of forced entry. Lola, the housekeeper, said she unlocked the front door. Whoever was here, Roger Fontain knew them. Let them in, and they locked the door on their way out. Either stole a key—because she said the deadlock was set—or had a key of their own.”

“Time of death?” Rory asked.

“A simple please and thank you would go a long way, detective,” Dr. Everly said tersely.

Okay, Rory’s tone of voice was a bit too clipped this morning. Hello, not a morning person. He couldn’t help it. He produced a friendly smile. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Dr. Everly. The man held all the answers he’d need to solve this case. “Please.”

“Based on the rigor mortis of the body, I’d say somewhere between midnight and three a.m.”

“Thanks, doc,” Rory replied.

“Dr. Everly.” The usually friendly coroner was quick to correct him—with a stern tone.

Rory couldn’t hold back the chuckle. He knew Dr. Everly didn’t like to be called doc, but sometimes it was fun to needle the guy.

Even Susan chuckled. Reese had the good sense to stay quiet when Dr. Everly glared at the two of them.

“Let us know if you find something good.” Rory looked at Susan as he said it, and added a grin, but nothing too flirty. Susan’s husband might not be here, but Stitch was a man who didn’t stand for anyone flirting with his wife, even if it was in friendliness. The last thing he wanted to do was get on her husband’s bad side. Not a dude to mess with. He knew Sauer had gotten into it with Stitch one time and he didn’t walk away without a scratch. Although, Sauer had held his own.

Susan nodded and returned a smile.

“He works at an advertising company or something. Let’s canvas the neighborhood, then hit up his place of employment.” Reese walked out first.

Sounded like a solid plan.

They walked around the house before leaving. Mr. Fontain had nice tastes. Expensive paintings on the wall. Good china in the cupboards. A wine collection worthy of wanting to stash a few bottles under his coat. He made good money at his job.

Talking to the neighbors—most were still home, since it was so early in the morning—yielded nothing. Why would they have seen anything? Everyone had been asleep at that time of night. No one had seen anyone visit Mr. Fontain before night fell either.

When they arrived at his place of employment and asked to speak to his secretary, Rory felt the first giddy feeling of the day.

She wasn’t here. Called in sick.

Left early yesterday as well. Mr. Fontain had left shortly after her.

They had also argued, yet no one knew why.

Finally, a lead.

Maybe to their killer.

***

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