Page 53 of Body Count

The other man was another of the drones—you could have switched him out for any of the guys downstairs, and nobody would have noticed.He opened his mouth to say something, but Sunny spoke first.

“I’m Sunny.Can I help you with something?”

“Sorry to interrupt.I need a minute of your time.”

He seemed to consider me for a moment.He wasn’t smiling, not exactly, but…he was.It was the kind you couldn’t see, that’s all.Then he said, “We were just wrapping up.Roger, I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise anything.”

Roger looked like he wanted to talk about that some more—probably pleading his case—but Sunny stood, and Roger reluctantly got to his feet.I moved into the office to make way for them as Sunny walked Roger to the door.

“If it’s a question of money,” Roger was saying in a low voice, darting looks at me, “I mean, we can try—”

“Good talk, Roger,” Sunny said.“Enjoy the party.”

He shut the door in Roger’s face and turned to consider me.He smelled expensive.Not exactly nice—the cologne, or whatever it was, was too strong, too sharp.But you fuck enough gay boys, and you start to know the cheap ones from the expensive ones.His eyes took me in top to bottom and then came back to my face.They rested there and didn’t move away.Most people don’t like to hold eye contact.Some animal part of us recognizes it as a challenge.But he looked.And he kept looking.And I looked right the fuck back.What most people don’t think about is that eye contact is like a touch.You can feel it.You can make somebody else feel it.

“You didn’t introduce yourself,” he finally said.

“Gray Dulac.”

“What happened to you?”

“I walked into a door.”

He didn’t smile.Not exactly.“What can I help you with, Gray?”

“Detective Dulac.I’m with the Wahredua PD.”

He did smile then.A big, broad white smile.He walked over to a wet bar I hadn’t noticed—it was built into the conversation area, and on my first glance, I’d been more focused on the two men sitting there.As Sunny set to work mixing a drink, he said without looking at me, “And what’s so important, Detective Dulac, that you had to interrupt my meeting?”

“I thought you were wrapping up.”

“Roger would have loved to talk longer.”

“You were done with his ass, though.”

A little red warning light went off inside me.That had been a little too loose.A little too casual.Something wasn’t right.Seeing him downstairs, maybe.The way my eyes had gone weird.And even though I could track where that comment had veered to the edge of professionalism, the recognition was clinical, detached, and I couldn’t seem to care.

Sunny only laughed, though.“I was.”

“And you didn’t even make him kiss your ring or anything.”

That little light went off again.Error.Warning.Danger.

When Sunny turned around, he was holding two drinks.“Is this how detectives from the Wahredua PD talk to people?”

“We’re having what I’d call an informal conversation.”

He handed me the drink as he said, “Then I think I’ll call you Gray.”

He was looking at me again.He had dark eyes, but his gaze was so sharp that they felt bright.I didn’t know if I wanted to look away, but I didn’t let myself.I took a drink, instead—an Old Fashioned.It was strong, and after the first drink, I thought I could feel the warmth of the alcohol drip-drip-dripping into my bloodstream.

“Well?”Sunny asked.

“It’s good.”And then for some reason I said, “Thanks.”

He laughed.“I meant, what can I help you with?”

For a disorienting moment, it was like I’d forgotten.Or not forgotten but…sidestepped.Like whatever had happened to me, it had disrupted something far more fundamental.You’re in shock, a voice inside me said.You’re having a trauma response.I’d heard Darnell say it enough times.I took another, longer drink.I was fine.Already, it was hard to remember that strange sensation of glare, that moment on the stairs.Like it had happened to somebody else.It was seeing him, that was all.It had been a—I almost thoughtshock.It had been a surprise.

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