Bait & Hook by Eleanor Dax

Author:Eleanor Dax [Dax, Eleanor]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2018-01-02T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Roy lived in a cramped little one-bedroom at the very edge of the city. It was a spare, ugly thing, but had a full kitchen with a real fridge and an old gas stove and that, in Casey's opinion, really counted for something.

"You want a drink?" Roy asked him, gazing somberly into the fridge. "I've got water and beer."

Casey stood awkwardly in the front room, staring at his dark reflection in the flatscreen TV. A monster set of speakers lay at either side of it, wires everywhere, and across from that a sofa, worn through. Stale, chill air hung thin in the apartment, and Casey had the nagging idea that it wasn't very lived in.

"I'm okay," he said, tossing his bags onto thin cushions. He felt kind of fucked up inside, his headache gone but still he felt off. And there was that kiss-he couldn't forget it. Either of them. Roy snapped the cap off a beer and drank deeply. Casey watched the pulse in his throat and remembered how rough Roy's stubble felt against his palm.

"So," he said, and Roy's mouth formed a hard line.

"I'm hungry," he said. "I'm going to make pizza."

Casey sighed. "Great. Mind if I watch TV?"

The television was a bit foreign to him, different from the ones in the cheap motels he frequented or at Mule Creek, but he found the three remotes and worked out which two were for the TV and cable box. He didn't sit down but flipped through everything once and finally settled on something that was definitely not a commercial and definitely not news.

From the kitchen, Roy said, "You like this?"

"Huh?" Onscreen, a cop drove through a 1970s American city locale, streets and buildings licked by the evening sun. Casey had no idea what it was. "Yeah," he said. "Sure, my favorite." He threw himself onto the couch. Roy hung around the kitchen peeking in and drinking beer. At last he came around with a couple plates and sat, leaving about three feet of space between them.

They ate and watched in silence. A distraught man ran into a police station, nearly empty but for the cop and a few others. Casey wasn't sure he followed what was going on, but Roy seemed interested. He watched with such intent that it surprised Casey when he finally spoke.

"My colleague will be here in the morning. She's all right, and I want you to talk to her."

Casey tried not to be too alarmed. "Just talk, right?"

Roy looked over. He'd pretty much kicked back with one leg stretched out, the heel of the other pressed to the couch. He still wore his jacket, and Casey realized he hadn't even removed his own.

"This place is a meat locker," he said frankly.

Roy's eyes widened. "Sorry." He messed with a round thermostat across the room and came back. "Not home much," he explained.

"Right." Casey followed him with his gaze, beyond curious. "Travel much?" He kept his expression blank, and Roy just stared at him for a minute.

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