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Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll
MaineWriter:
Chapter 57:
“Yeah, I am a really good swimmer, could show that boy a thing or two. Maybe go up that lake... well, gettin a little late in the season for that high up... but still...”
“Where?” she asked
Ennis smiled, remembering. “Brokeback Mountain. Little lake up there on the Forestry land with a big ol’ cliff overhangin it. Used ta run right off it an dive in, me an Jack –“ his eyes widened and he froze, looking at Edna with his mouth still open. “Sorry... didn’t mean ta get inta that.” His gaze dropped to the forgotten biscuit on the plate in front of him.
“Who’s Jack?” she asked.
“Jack---“ Ennis swallowed on a suddenly dry throat. “Jack was... my ... first...” he ground to a halt, eyes stinging. He opened his mouth again. “Man. That I loved.”
She nodded, and once again, that warm hand reached out to pat his, now gone still, passive, having forgotten his appetite, breakfast, and everything but the endless beauty of that dropoff into the wide gulf of that lake, where they threw themselves off, heedless, into the sky, shivering naked together after the shock of hitting water, mouths finding each other and devouring the sudden wet taste, clambering out and rolling together, shivering, in the sun-heated grass, growing warm with the heat of arousal and the familiar rhythm of lovemaking. “I understand. He’s the one you lost ain’t he?”
Ennis nodded, momentarily mute, struggling for words. “Got ... taken from me. By that sumbitch Worrell.” He finally focused his eyes on Edna once more, returning to the present by an effort of pure will. “I don’t think I could stand it if somethin happened ta Ellery. I know what it’s like already. I don’t think I could go through that again.”
“Now Ennis... you know Ellery can look after himself. He does have a dangerous job, but it ain’t dangerous all the time like this. It’ll calm down again.”
MaineWriter:
Chapter 58:
Ellery plucked one of the cherry muffins out of the box, and as he poured himself a cup of coffee, Dupree came in, looking disheveled. “You okay, Dupree?” he asked, wondering if he had had a scuffle, or as Wes had suggested, drunk too much the night before.
Dupree gave him a sad glance. “No, not really.”
“Well what happened?”
“Tatiana went back to Atlanta. Two weeks early.”
“Uh oh, trouble in Paradise,” Joe said softly, then pretended to go back to the filing job on top of his desk.
“So what happened, Dupree?”
“She broke up with me.”
“Whoa,” Ellery said. “You want ta talk about it?”
“Well, yeah, kinda.”
“Okay well I got maybe ten minutes then I got ta scoot.” Ellery led the way, holding his coffee and muffin. Dupree grabbed the last muffin and poured himself a cup and followed him to his office, slinking down into the chair opposite the desk.
“Okay, so ... this is kind of a surprise ain’t it?” Ellery said.
“I’ll say.”
“So how come all of a sudden?”
Dupree gave Ellery a tortured look. “You laugh an I’ll punch you in the mouth, Chief, superior officer or no.”
“I won’t laugh.” Ellery set down his coffee.
“She said she thinks I’m queer.”
MaineWriter:
Chapter 59:
Dupree sat back down, glaring suspiciously. “Yeah, we’ve been ta bed. I’m sure you don’t want all the gory details... but she’s been a little – I dunno – let down in the bedroom department.”
“No, gory details about sex with women are on my list a things ta talk about with the Devil if I end up in hell,” Ellery smiled tightly. “But is this some new thing, an everythin was okay before or what? I know fuck-all about this girl, an I am supposed ta be interviewin James Wellesley about his brother Brad Sevigny.”
Dupree’s head came up. “Huh? Wellesley? Oh shit. I should a known that!” He rubbed his hand over his eyes. “I’ll let you get to it, maybe we can have a beer later or somethin.”
“Yeah except I haven’t gone down ta tidy up the bar an I was still plannin ta open tomorrow.”
“So let’s meet at the Stallion later, I’ll help ya straighten up an maybe you can give me some advice.”
“You don’t mind if Ennis is in on this?” Ellery asked.
“No, I think a Ennis an you as sort a well... two peas in the pod.”
Ellery nodded. “All right then, boy, you got yerself a date. Uh... you know what I mean.” He rose, and gave Dupree a pat on the shoulder. “Catch up on those after action reports, that’ll make the day go quick. Joe’s gonna go with me ta interview Koonz.”
MaineWriter:
More from Chapter 59:
“Just relax, boy. You ain’t never gonna be able ta handle police work if ya panic when somebody wants ta talk to you about anythin,” Ellery said, trying to reassure him, and gave him a quick smile.
“I know... but... it is real embarrassing.”
Ellery put his hands together. “This is a mite sensitive, James, but I got to ask you this as a member a the staff a this department.” He paused, looking at the youth, who seemed to be fairly quivering in his skin now.
“All right...” he gulped.
“Did you talk to your brother Brad about the discussion we had durin your interview fer the internship?”
“Yes, yes I did.”
“You mention somethin to him about my bein queer as a two dollar bill an havin a live-in boyfriend?”
Wellesley dropped his gaze and then forced his head back up, and looked at Ellery steadily. “I guess I must a done.”
“I guess you must a,” Ellery said, his voice now soft. “Are you aware that your brother is now bein charged with conspiracy to commit murder, James?”
What color had remained in Wellesley’s face drained out at Ellery’s comment. “Conspiracy...?”
“An kidnappin. Ya want to know who he was charged with conspirin to kidnap?”
Wellesley stared openly now, his mouth now slightly open. “Who?” he whispered.
“Aforementioned live in boyfriend a yours truly, who was kidnapped from my home a week ago Monday an escaped with moderately severe injuries after being beaten over the head with a beer bottle by another of the conspirators, who are all in custody. An Brad found out about all a that from you.”
“Good lord,” Wellesley said. “Chief Cantrell... I didn’t know.”
MaineWriter:
Chapter 60:
“What about William Wilkes – the student at the U?”
Koonz looked away slightly. “Cal told me he wanted me ta do that one... special favor for Brad Wellesley, the kid with all the money. But that didn’t seem right ta me... I dunno.”
“Why’s that?” Ellery asked.
“Well all a these ones on the list... Amos said were trouble makin queers destroyin the fabric a Laramie society. But then this boy... from what I know he wasn’t even queer.”
“Detroyin the fabric a society, huh?” Ellery looked like he was about to make another comment and then pressed on. “So you didn’t want ta shoot Wilkes?”
“He didn’t do nothin wrong. From what I know the boy wasn’t even queer.”
“Cause if he was queer then a course you’d blow em away.”
Koonz didn’t reply to the challenge. Ellery waited. Dupree spoke up, then. “Were you there that night? At the dorm?”
Koonz nodded. “Yeah. He was with Wellesley, an Cal took that rifle an just... shot em right there.”
“The rifle now,” Ellery said. “That is the one in yer possession when you shot at me an Mr. Del Mar down at the station.”
Koonz nodded.
“Where did you get that rifle?”
“Amos Marigold. Told us ta use that one.. it’d be hard to trace.”
“Actually it’s easy to trace.” Ellery looked at Dupree. “I may be the only man in history to be shot at by two different snipers in two different crimes by the same weapon. Koonz just fer yer information, Amos Marigold had that weapon stolen out a the property room as evidence in an attempted murder. You heard a Justin Worrell I assume.”
Dupree grinned. Koonz stared at Ellery. “Yer kiddin.”
“Worrell already tried ta kill me with that rifle. Guess it’s my lucky charm cause I ain’t been shot yet. So let’s get back to this list...” Ellery took out the list of names Koonz had written down after he had woken up from surgery and decided to confess.
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