Page 57 of Equalizer
“Goddamn cowboy,” Owen swore. He knew Calvin understood that worry lay behind his anger. Steven had proven to still be a friend, and for the sake of their shared past, Owen wished him well and wanted him to be safe.
Did he feel he still needed to prove something to me after all this time? I don’t want him to put himself in danger to impress me.
“How about if I read today’s installment of the adventure story inThe Timesaloud for us?” Calvin suggested as Winston left the room, only to return minutes later with a tray that held a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. “Take your mind off things before we go to bed. Then you can go first thing in the morning while Winston checks back with Arabella, and I stop at the library.”
Owen couldn’t fault Calvin’s logic, although he couldn’t silence his worry. He appreciated his partner’s efforts to distract him, but even the gripping serialized story didn’t completely hold his attention. If Calvin noticed, he didn’t comment.
That night, they lay close together in bed, content to hold each other. Owen’s mood was off, and sex was far from his mind. Calvin seemed to read him as well as he usually did and kept him close.
“I want to wrap up this case and get out of Chicago,” Owen confided. “I haven’t had another vision or a ghostly warning, but my intuition is telling me to be more careful than usual.”
“We are being cautious,” Calvin said. “And once we solve the problem, we can leave the city behind. I’m hoping our next case is somewhere a little less complicated.”
Owen rested his head on Calvin’s shoulder, taking comfort in the warmth of his body and the faint trace of his aftershave. “I’m okay as long as we’re together, no matter where they send us.”
Calvin pressed a kiss to his temple. “Absolutely. Now try to get some rest. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Owen murmured, holding on tight.
“Be careful.”Calvin kissed Owen goodbye.
“I always am,” Calvin replied with a jaunty salute. “You can fill me in on Steven’s news over lunch.”
Owen’s stomach still felt unsettled. He had toast and tea for breakfast, something Winston hadn’t overlooked. Owen assured Winston that his stomach was only mildly upset. The look Winston gave him suggested that their witchy valet suspected more lay behind his reaction, but he didn’t press the issue.
When Owen arrived at the Wild West show fairgrounds, he saw several police carriages. Concerned there had been another incident, Owen strode up to the gate and brandished his badge.
“What’s the problem, officer?”
The cop read his ID and grimaced when he realized a fed was intruding. “Got another murder. This place has the worst luck.”
“What happened?”
“Why does the Secret Service care?”
Owen bristled. “Government business. Fill me in.”
Before the cop could answer, Owen heard a familiar voice.
“Oh, thank God you’re here. I didn’t know how to contact you.” Harry, his escort from Owen’s first visit, ran up, ignoring the cop. Harry’s eyes were red, and he was clearly distraught.
“What’s going on? Where’s Steven?” Owen suddenly feared the worst.
“Steven’s dead.” Harry looked like he might burst into tears.
“Dead?” Owen reeled, taking a half-step backward. “What happened?”
When Harry wasn’t able to answer, Owen turned the full fury of a federal agent on the cop. “Officer. I want details, or I’ll be in your boss’s office to yank your badge. Now, dammit.”
Anger glinted in the cop’s eyes at being outranked, but he kept his temper. “The victim was found outside the main gates this morning, but the body had been dead several hours by then. Bled to death.”
“Gunshot? Stab wound?” Owen slipped into the cold efficiency of his role to temper his reaction, although he wanted to join Harry in weeping.
“Not exactly. The body was missing a hand and a foot. They weren’t found with the body, and he clearly bled out somewhere else,” the cop reported with the dispassionate tone of someone who hadn’t known the person, hadn’t been their friend and one-time lover.
Owen’s stomach lurched. “Was there anything with the body? A note of some kind from the murderer?”
The cop shook his head. “No. You were expecting something?”
