The Hunt - Ch. 4 (Love, Again Side Story, Patreon Exclusive) (Patreon)

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Chapter Four – There Should Be No Secrets In A Marriage

Robert observed Billy walking away, with a frown etched on his face. He could feel it because his face was starting to hurt. His partner was hiding something, and while Robert was willing to allow him to get comfortable with their partnership, it looked like Billy didn’t mind acting on his own without saying a thing.

“Did he need to pay a visit to the boys’ room?” Andy joked, pulling him out from his thoughts.

“I suppose,” he offered, but the frown didn’t leave his face. He had to watch Billy and see where he was going, not entertain a pair of honeymooners. “He could have been more polite about it,” he added.

Andy leaned in, his face stretched in a secretive smile. “I know we barely met, Ned, but would you allow me to give you a piece of advice?”

Robert’s eyes wandered after Billy. It looked like he was suddenly interested in staring out one of the windows on the opposite wall. The scenery on the other side held no particularities a private eye would be interested in.

Then, Robert noticed. It was just a small gesture, a shoulder moving backward, and a short flicker of the eyes, but it was there. Billy wasn’t interested in looking out the window. He was interested in the old man having breakfast alone at the table nearest to him.

His frown grew deeper. It was a resort for honeymooners, so what would a man like that be doing there? He was old, but that wasn’t why he looked misplaced in that room filled with couples in love.

On his table, there was only one cup and one plate. He wasn’t there with his better half.

He was alone.

The thought gave Robert pause.

“Oh, wow, this case is more serious than we thought,” Andy commented.

Billy moved away from the window and headed over to the bathroom. Robert pulled his eyes away to offer Andy his undivided attention. “What do you mean?” He stared disoriented first at Andy, and then at Tyler, who shrugged and smiled.

“I think you suffer from quite the case of jealousy, Ned,” Andy said, sure of himself.

Robert wanted to give Billy a piece of his mind, but it had nothing to do with jealousy. “I don’t think so,” he said coldly and took a sip from his coffee.

“I’m certain,” Andy continued as he hadn’t just told him off, “that you have absolutely no reason to be jealous. And, just to make things clear, we aren’t into swingers or anything racy like that. We just think that we would have fun together.”

Robert was more and more confused with Andy’s train of thought. “I wasn’t thinking any of that.”

Andy exchanged a brief look with his husband. “Look, I have seen these signs before. You cannot take your eyes off of him, right?”

Robert searched his mind for a reply to that. “Anyone in love would do that,” he replied woodenly.

“Ah, but you seem bent on not letting Matt have a breather at all,” Andy replied. “Poor him, it’s clear who of you two actually wants to try the hot tub. And you, like a possessive bear,” he winked, “want to keep him in your cave. Do bears live in caves, babe?”

Tyler nodded and took him by the shoulders. “I believe you’re laying it a little bit too thick for poor Ned here.”

Shit, these guys didn’t show any signs of wanting to leave him alone. But Billy was right about having to be a bit friendlier than he currently was. “Would you guys want to take a seat?”

However, he pondered, if Andy and Tyler thought he was jealous, that meant that he was doing half a decent job.

“Oh, no, we wouldn’t want to impose,” Tyler replied.

Most probably, Andy wanted to tell him in detail why jealousy in a relationship was bad, but it looked like his partner could read the room a lot better.

“Ned, please, come meet us tonight,” Andy said. “Matt might think your jealousy act is cute now, but he won’t think that for long.”

“Sure, sure. But I’m not jealous, I assure you,” Robert said quickly. That was actually the truth. “And I will prove it by meeting with you, guys, tonight.”

“At the hot tub, ten thirty-ish?” Andy asked, a big smile on his face.

“Ten thirty-ish sharp,” Robert confirmed.

“Enjoy your breakfast,” Andy said.

“You too,” Robert replied.

If he smiled any longer, he would develop a cramp in his face muscles. He could barely wait for Billy to come back.

***

What it meant to be lucky, Billy thought as he washed his hands. It was no mystery to him that Mr. X preferred various disguises once in a while, but he hadn’t expected that. A second had been enough to take a mental snapshot of the guy’s phone screen. It looked like Mr. X was interested in the news, which meant that he was looking for information on if and how the police reacted to Florence’s disappearance.

Robert’s captain had assured them that the news wouldn’t be made public for several days. The Clarks could tell all their acquaintances that Florence was on a trip with her friends, and no one would suspect anything.

It was a good move since it would determine the cold-blooded kidnapper to think of a ransom in moderate terms, at least at first. Since the parents didn’t appear on the headlines in tears, there was no immediate desperation to feed on.

Billy had also made a mental note on Mr. X’s disguise. It could fool anyone who didn’t care about looking closer, but he wasn’t some master in that department. Of course, he didn’t have to go the extra mile since he was surrounded by people in love who only had eyes for their partners and not for the world around them.

He had to let Robert know that they needed to monitor Mr. X’s hiding place. A sensor that would allow them to know of any comings and goings was a start. He had everything he needed, and he only had to rope the detective in.

When he walked out of the bathroom, the table where Mr. X had sat was empty. A server was already picking up the cup and the plate. Billy moved fast and crashed into the server while pretending to look the other way. The cutlery fell on the floor, and the plate smashed. “Oh, damn, I’m so terribly sorry,” he apologized and began picking up the pieces.

“Don’t worry,” the server said in a gentle voice. “We are used to guests being with their heads in the clouds around here. It must be all the love.”

Billy laughed and sneaked the teaspoon into his pocket. “I’m still at fault. I should cover for the broken plate.”

“Don’t you dare,” she said and wagged a finger at him. “We have plenty of plates.”

That was good. After all, Billy hoped they had plenty of teaspoons, too, since he had just snatched one.

He apologized again and headed over to the table. He had yet to enjoy his breakfast. The detective must be famished by now, he thought.

Robert’s eyes were in flames. Billy walked a little slower and looked around. Ah, he had left him to deal with Andy and Tyler. That couldn’t have been easy, and now he was in for an earful, most probably.

“Sorry, darling,” he said with a smile as he took place at the table. “I had to do something.”

“Hm. Did you say ‘hi’ to Mr. X from me while at it?”

Billy stopped, the napkin in his hand suspended in the air. He put it down carefully. “How could you tell?”

Robert looked ahead and seemed mighty pissed. “You took off in the middle of a conversation with our new friends. To say that kind of behavior is a tad suspicious would be an understatement.”

“Yes, but how could you tell?” Billy insisted. He continued to smile so that everyone around them would think they were just having a normal conversation for a pair of honeymooners.

“You looked at his phone. What was he doing?”

“Checking the news,” Billy replied. “But how --”

“You’ve already asked. Apparently, I’m a jealous husband. I couldn’t take my eyes off you and observed your every move. By the way, tonight, at ten thirty-ish sharp, we’ll have to soak in the hot tub with Andy and Tyler.”

“I thought you were against the idea.”

Robert shrugged. “I played my part. How about you play yours, and do it correctly, Matt? After all, there should be no secrets in a marriage.”

Billy nodded. “You have a point … Ned.” Robert was right about being careful of slip-ups.

“Then start. Whenever you like.”

Billy fidgeted in his place. He could tell Robert was seriously pissed at him. But to argue was pointless. It was better to get to it. “All right. Let me just grab a bite, and then we’ll head over to our lodge and talk.”

“Okay. Dig in, then.”

A thousand things were on his mind, but he needed to postpone them until they were alone. Now that he had been caught, he needed to set things straight with his partner.

***

When seeing Mr. X taking his leave, Robert's first instinct had been to go after him, but he had quickly realized that it would be a wrong move. Billy must have a plan, and rushing into things wouldn’t serve their purpose.

For a brief moment, Mr. X had scanned the room before walking out. Robert had made sure to look another way just in time. Not for one moment could they afford to let the scumbag know that they were tailing him.

He could be satisfied with one thing, and that was that they were now on the right track.

They ate their breakfast in silence, but Robert took Billy by the shoulders as they walked out. He offered Andy and Tyler a polite smile on their way out, and he got a more exuberant one in return.

They were barely inside when Billy began, “I can explain everything.”

Robert crossed his arms over his chest. “You better.”

Billy attempted a smile. “Is this our first fight?”

“Just because you kept things from me? Nah, what would be the point? Now spill the beans, and don’t let anything out.”

Billy sat on the bed. “I was hoping he would come to the restaurant.”

“Did you know of his return?”

“No.”

“Then how can we be sure that old man is him?”

Billy took a teaspoon out of his pocket. “We will be. I present to you the mighty DNA sample.”

Robert nodded in approval. “What are you waiting for? Go work your magic.” At this point, he couldn’t be too surprised to find out that Billy had a small lab with him.

Which had to be precisely that, as Billy hurried to one of his many suitcases and took out a small device of a medical nature, by the looks of it.

Robert went out on the balcony, the anticipation of what they were about to find out low key, but still hard to bear. They had been there for less than twenty-four hours, and they already had something. Luck seemed to be on their side.

They would have to move in carefully, not to scare the asshole. First, they needed to make sure he took them to Florence. The girl’s safety was their number one priority. After that, he wouldn’t even mind if the asshole got killed because he resisted arrest.

A steady hand, it was something people in his department praised him for. They didn’t know, but Robert wasn’t as keen to use his gun as often as they thought.

In this case, however, he wouldn’t blink.

“We have a match,” Billy announced right after opening the balcony door loudly.

“Is it him?” Robert asked, trying to rein in his excitement.

“In flesh and saliva,” Billy confirmed. “Now we need to go down there and install a sensor so that we know when he comes and goes.”

Robert nodded. “Good job so far. Not at keeping secrets from me. That wasn’t good.”

Billy looked down like a chastised kid, but Robert wasn’t easy to fool.

“From now on, I need to know what you’re planning, at all times, okay?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

“Don’t butter me up. It won’t work.”

“It was worth a try,” Billy replied.

Robert smiled. “So, are we ready for a little trip? How far is it?”

“A bit out of the beaten path. We will hike there.”

“Why don’t we take the car?”

“Not to raise any suspicions. I bet he likes to know everything that moves around his property.”

“Fair point. And I think that’s why you told me to pack comfortable trekking footwear.”

Billy nodded. “I’m so glad you’re no longer annoyed with me.”

“Who says that?” Robert teased. “And you still have a lot of things to tell me about what you know of this guy.”

“Since it’s going to be quite the trip, I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“That’s more like it.” Robert tousled Billy’s hair.

Wonder could be read in those eyes. Maybe it was a gesture that could be deemed as too intimate. But Robert didn’t care to search for answers at the moment.

***

In a way, it was a good thing that the detective had caught him. Billy wasn’t entirely sure Robert would follow his lead, but unlike other detectives he had met along the way, he seemed quite open-minded.

“The sensor will communicate to this,” he explained, as he pointed at the black plastic bracelet at his wrist. “Anyone asks, it’s a heart monitor.”

“So young, and yet you need one. Maybe you shouldn’t spend your life in the fast lane,” Robert joked.

“Yeah, funny. You gave it to me, so it’s a precious item for me.”

“I gave you a heart monitor as a gift? I must be the most romantic husband in the universe.”

“It also counts steps and calories burned, stuff like that. And it’s waterproof. State of the art kind of stuff. So it was expensive, and I love it,” Billy said in a somewhat miffed tone.

“Okay, go on. At least I’m not some cheapskate.”

“When the guy leaves his property by car, we will know. There is only one way in and out that can be used by vehicles, so it’s helpful. By how much time he spends out of the house, we can establish a range for the secret location where he keeps the girl.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to follow him? We have a car, too.”

“And this is a poorly circulated route. We would stick out as a sore thumb. Don’t forget that this guy is paranoid.”

“Is he? I wonder what might be stressing him out.”

Billy laughed. “Nice that you can joke, detective.”

“Trust me. I don’t. But this plan of yours is frustrating. We need to tag this fucker.”

“We will. This time, I have some extra power on our side, unlike when I was investigating on my own. Any road he takes, we will be informed.”

“Manpower? And you had the police stay put.”

“Because, as I told you, dear Ned, if a place begins smelling of law enforcement, this guy will clam up, and we will lose him.”

“And how are your guys not suspicious?”

“They have a way to blend in.”

“For real? Am I supposed to believe that? And how can you trust them?”

“They’re security cameras,” Billy explained. “A fake company of mine was, let’s say, hired to install some on a fifty mile radius. It is a solid business.”

Robert pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve done plenty of work on your own, as it seems.”

They were walking through the forest now. Billy looked over his shoulder at the detective. “I’m an A plus kid, what can I say?”

“Really? I thought you said something about not being able to take the exams required for joining the force.”

Billy wanted to bite his tongue. He hadn’t made big plans in his life, but catching criminals was his biggest ambition. That meant that he was exposing himself to danger every day, and that left no room for attachments. He didn’t do personal, and when he made friends, he did everything he could to keep them away from his life. So far, he had managed to help the police put a lot of baddies behind bars, and many couldn’t suspect he was responsible for that, but he took no chances.

He never underestimated an opponent. There were no guarantees in that line of work. So he didn’t let people, good people he met along the way, know too much about him so that they wouldn’t be put in harm’s way by association.

“You said we can monitor his moves whenever he leaves by car,” Robert said, changing the subject. “What about when he leaves by foot? Is there a way for us to know of his whereabouts?”

Billy let out a small exhale. “It would be awesome to do that, but I doubt I can get close enough to the bastard to plant a chip in his ass.”

“Hmm, I’m hoping that’s just a way of saying. As a jealous husband, I cannot approve of your planting anything in some dude’s ass.”

The detective liked a good laugh, and that made Billy happy. The more time they spent together, the more relaxed Robert seemed, and another face of him emerged.

“Well, then that’s duly noted. No other ass in the universe could interest me, anyway.”

“Now, Mr. Secrecy, tell me about the mistake the scumbag did that put you on his tail.”

Billy had hoped that moment would come later when he and the detective would be much better acquainted. “I will tell you, but I will need you to suspend your disbelief for the next minutes.”

“Sounds like a cool story.”

“Well, it’s real, but if you plan on being ironic --”

“Don’t mind me. I’m doing it out of love.”

There would be no end to Robert’s teasing, and Billy didn’t mind it in the least. “More than half a year ago, I was hired to find out who wanted my client dead.”

“Was your client a good or a bad man?”

“Good. I never work for bad people.”

“Glad to hear that. Apologies for asking.”

“No problem. I’m, after all, a particular type of competition for you, the boys in blue. My clients could be all kinds of people.”

“Competition? You have yet to prove yourself, young man,” Robert teased him. “Go on, and I’m not going to interrupt you anymore.”

“You will, but I’m okay with it. And just to let you know, you’re the first person I’m discussing with the details of this case. No one else knows what I’m about to tell you, except, of course, those who were directly involved at the time.”

“You’re making me more and more curious. Come on, stop keeping me on needles and pins here.”

“All right. I will keep my client’s and everyone else’s names a secret if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course. Now, are you going to tell me the story or not?”

“My client told me that he had information that someone wanted his head. He had some suspicions, but he didn’t want to be rash. The thing was that one of his friends tried to warn him, but he got killed.”

“By the same guy?”

“Hey, you promised, and there’s no way I’m going to spoil the story by telling you directly the end.”

“Sorry, sorry, my bad.”

They were trekking through the forest, so they were getting quite the workout. Billy was starting to dream of that hot tub when they would be back at the resort.

“My only lead was the dead friend. He was killed the night he tried to call my client, so all that was quite suspicious.”

“Did the police have a suspect in that case, at least?”

“Yes, at first, and the main suspect was, for a short time, the guy’s lover.”

“Then could it be that the murder didn’t have anything to do the one who wanted your client dead? A crime of passion … that could have a different type of killer behind it. Even a woman, I suspect --”

“The dead guy was gay, and his lover was a man who also was close friends with my client. I suspected that he couldn’t be the killer, and the police thought the same thing, anyway, since they released him. Only that he was kept in an institution for getting rid of addiction to sleeping pills and other drugs for almost a year after the murder.”

Billy wished he didn’t have to speak of other people who had lost someone dear to them, but for the information he had to deliver, he needed to be honest all the way.

“When he was released from that institution, my client contacted me.”

“But what was the connection if he had nothing to do with the murder?”

“My client suspected that the dead guy could have told his lover something about the information he wanted to share. Only that the lover was in no position to remember anything for the time he was under lock and key.”

“So what did you do?” Robert sounded interested in Billy’s recount of the events.

“I arranged to be hired as the guy’s bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard? Was he a celebrity or in some kind of danger?”

“Both. The same person who kept him hospitalized for his addictions thought he would attempt to take his own life. But that wasn’t the real danger,” Billy added quickly.

“I’m starting to have a bad feeling about the lover’s benefactor.”

“We’ll get there. I had to find out not what the lover was hiding, but if the dead guy had left him something that could represent some sort of clue. I found all sorts of clues, and that was how I caught the person behind everything.”

“I have a feeling you want to cut the story short. Where was Mr. X in all that?”

“He was supposed to carry out the assassination order.”

“Ah, I see. And did he also killed the guy with a celebrity lover?”

“No, that wasn’t him. It was a pretty strange case. The lover’s benefactor had a maid, and she killed the guy.”

“What was her reason?”

“She was the benefactor’s secret mother, the benefactor being an important and wealthy person.”

“Damn, it sounds like a complicated soap opera. And how did you get to learn all this stuff? Ah, you have all those sophisticated devices.”

“Yes, my equipment surely played a role. And, not to keep you in suspense anymore, the benefactor wanted my client dead. He’s now spending the rest of his life in prison.”

“That’s excellent work, then. But why did you want me to suspend my disbelief? There’s nothing far-fetched in this story.”

Billy paused for a moment. He could come up with something and not tell the truth. But, for an obscure reason, he wanted Robert to hear him out, to hear him and believe him. It was a giant leap of faith and had low chances of success, but he wanted to try it, nonetheless.

“The dead guy had caught a conversation between Mr. X and his client using his phone. I saw that recording.”

“Impressive. So, did you get a good look at the asshole’s face?”

“No, not in that recording. But you know how Mr. X is a monster driven by greed, right?”

“Yes.”

“He couldn’t believe a wealthy client ended up not paying him as much as he wanted. He stuck around for the process and all that. And I happened to see his car a few too many times for his own good. I followed him, taking great risks, and here we are.”

“He did get money from that client, I suppose.”

“Plenty, but not as much as he wanted.” Billy said nothing more for a moment. “Now, I wouldn’t have been able to solve the case so swiftly if I didn’t have allies on my side. The other bodyguard and the dead guy’s lover helped me, sometimes without even knowing. And not only them.”

“Who else?”

“You’re not going to believe it.”

“Try me.”

“The dead guy.”

“Due to the clues he left behind, right?”

“Not only. He just had some interesting conversations with my partner.”

“What partner?”

“The other bodyguard.”

“Did they know each other? From before?”

“No.”

“What are you trying to tell me?”

“The dead guy was a ghost, and he talked to the other bodyguard.”

Billy could tell Robert had stopped walking.

“I know you want to be entertaining all the time, but seriously, try something else. There’s no way I believe you saw and talked to some ghost.”

“Nothing like that,” Billy explained. “I didn’t see the ghost, nor talked to him. Only my friend did, and while I was watching him --”

“Is that the scumbag’s house?”

Billy stopped. They were on top of a ridge, and they could look down at a brown-roofed house tucked at the foot of a hill. “Yes. Now we only need to walk around until we reach the road. We’ll get as close as possible.”

Of course Robert couldn't believe in stories with ghosts. Billy was a bit disappointed. A warm hand rested on his shoulder. “For the record, Matt, it’s a good thing that you’re nice looking. Don’t try to tell ghost stories by the campus fire.”

TBC

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