Chapter 38:
A few minutes later, Ennis came up the walkway. “Well, they comin over?” Ellery asked, turning the skewers over and straightening up, wiping his hands on a makeshift apron he tucked into the loose waist of his cutoffs. He was shirtless, a slick sheen of sweat accumulating on his hairless chest. Ennis’s gaze flickered down and back up again, a faint smile on his face.
“Yeah, movin the cruiser. right now. You are really distractin in that outfit an little apron there, boy.”
“Only ta you, sweetheart,” he chuckled.
Simpson and Jewell exchanged glances as Simpson pulled the car up. “Seems like a straight enough guy ta me,” Jewell said. “I think you made up all this queer shit. “Ennis is his cousin, they even look alike fer Chrissake.”
“No I didn’t. Swear ta god, Jack. An did you see HIS hands? He’s got ta be a sizable boy himself.”
“Oh knock it off Simpson, they’re givin us shish kebab. Don’t be talkin trash.”
They rounded the walkway and came up on the patio, looking slightly awkward in uniform with Ennis and Ellery in cutoff denims, with Ellery shirtless. “Afternoon, Chief, everythin quiet here I guess,” Simpson said, offering his hand. Ellery shook, nodding and smiling, and then shook Jewell’s hand.
“At ease gentlemen, we figured it wasn’t quite fair ta have a delicious cookout dinner while you two boys ate peanut butter an jelly out of a bag.”
“Actually we was thinkin a gettin some Colonel Sanders from over on Center Street, you know the place, Chief,” Jewell offered. “But this looks a whole lot better.”
“Feel free ta fill a plate, we got snacks, an chips, an cookies, an yer kebabs’ll be ready in five minutes or so. Our guests won’t be here for another half hour so take yer time.”
“Gee, Chief, thanks!” Simpson asked, taking off his hat and setting it on an empty chair. Jewel put his hat on the same chair and they sat back. “Ya know, it ain’t that we mind surveillance... it’s pretty light duty, but sometimes ya run out a things ta talk about, ya know?”
“Yeah, then ya end up listenin to the radio,” Ellery said, smiling.
“Uh....” Simpson gulped, blushing red. “I guess... ya... heard... about that....”
“Well, not in gory detail,” Ellery said. “Just that my personal habits were subject ta some speculation.”
“I’m real sorry about that Chief. Jewell didn’t say nothin. If yer gonna reprimand, it was all on me.” Jewell looked grim, not making eye contact.
“Well ta tell ya the god’s honest truth, I was gettin busy in the bedroom. Housework is a damn pain in the ass, ya know?” He said, making a barely perceptible wink at Jewell as he looked at Simpson.