Page 100 of Head Over Feels
Vincewas standing in front of me, trying unsuccessfully to make small talk withMalcolm.IelbowedMalcolmin the ribs to get him to be more pleasant, butIknew by the stiff way he held himself he was worriedVincehad a gun on him somewhere.
Icouldn’t speak to the gun, but whatVincedidnothave, were manners.
“So, if you don’t mind my asking, what happened to your leg?”
Malcolmblinked, but his face didn’t change expression. “Oh, well, you know how in the movies the superheroes jump down from a tall building and they land in kind of a crouch with one knee on the ground?”
Itook a long sip of my beer to cover my grin.
Vincenodded. “Sure, yeah.”
“Idon’t recommend it.”
“Ouch.Man, that sucks.”
Vinceturned his attention to me. “Iheard you tellXavieryou didn’t thinkTrentwas guilty.Didyou mean for the murder or just the bomb?”
Acouple of people nearby stopped chatting and looked our way.
“Both,”ItoldVince. “Butobviously the murder is more important.”Nowalmost everyone was staring.Heck, might as well see ifIcould get some answers.Ipanned the room. “Didyou guys knowDon?Washe part of this group?”
Theyall shook their heads.Vincesaid, “Afterwe heard about him, we all watched the episode with that asshatJohncharacter in it.DidDonaldThorpereally try to get you to sleep with him like that?”
Wait, what?
Outof the corner of my eyeIsawMalcolmstraighten and turn to face the other side of the room.
Vincecontinued. “Thatguy was a prick.Imean,I’msorry he’s dead, but if how he was in real life was anything like how he seemed on the show,I’mglad we didn’t meet him.”
Ifrowned and shook my head. “No,Donwasn’t a prick.Heliked his soap opera, that’s all.Youwatched the wrong episode.Don’scharacter on the show wasn’tJohn.ItwasRon.”
Everyonewent quiet, and my face fell slack with horror as we all comprehended what had happened.
“Shawn....”
Shawn, obviously having heard our conversation, had been trying to edge around the guys between him and the doorway.Theothers quickly surrounded him.
Puttinghis back to the wall,Shawnshouted, “Whatthe hell, guys?”Butone hand was in his messenger bag like he was about to pull out a gun.Shit.
Kaitotried to dragTylertoward the door, butTylerwanted to yell atShawninstead. “Yousaid your character was the soap opera guy.Yousaid you were going to therapy trying to quit it.”Tyler’svoice was tight with outrage.
Xaviershoved himself betweenTylerandShawn. “YousetTrentup!”Xavierspat. “You’llbe the one in prison now!”
Shawnput up the hand that wasn’t in his bag. “Thisis a big misunderstanding.Icare about you guys.Iwould never hurt anyone.”
Malcolmmoved to stand in the doorway, his phone to his ear.Ivaguely registered him asking someone to send a patrol car and to please alert all of the detectives.
“Outtamy way!”Vinceyanked a handgun from under his jacket and pointed it atShawn.Ibacked against the wall, and people yelled and scattered to the edges of the room.
Thenthere was silence.AllIcould hear was ragged breathing.Oureyes were glued toVinceandShawn.
Malcolmspoke in a world-weary voice. “Andtell the officers there’s a jackass with a gun trying to make a citizen’s arrest.”
Vincestraightened his gun arm towardShawnlike he was about to shoot. “That’sright.Putyour hands on your head,Shawn.”
Shawn’sface twisted, turning into an expression very similar to the one he’d had on our date whenI’dstood up from the table and told himI’dhad enough and to never contact me again.
Hetook his hand out of his bag, and yes, he had a gun.ButShawnaimed his gun atJames, who was the closest to him.Hesaid, “Idon’t want to shoot anyone, butIwill.Vince, drop your gun.Kickit over here.”
