Capital Queers by Fred Hunter

Author:Fred Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466881662
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

TEN

When we came down to the kitchen the next morning, Mother was busily preparing breakfast. She was clad in an emerald-green kimono that was as plain as something that shimmers can be. That is to say, it’s the only one of her many kimonos that is practically devoid of embroidery, except for around the hem and the cuffs: no dragons, no pagodas, just that glimmering green fabric. It always amazes me that she can flip things around the stove with several burners going and never set fire to those voluminous sleeves.

We had scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast, a combination that is just as likely to send me back to bed as prepare me for the day. And we were just clearing the table when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” I said, leaving Peter to finish his coffee and Mother loading the dishwasher.

I took a quick peek through the curtains—a habit learned from Mother—to see who was there before opening the door. To my surprise Mr. Dunn and Mr. Hamilton, the agents from the State Department, were standing on the front stoop staring dully at the door. They looked as if they weren’t quite sure whether they wanted it to open or not.

I rounded the corner and opened the door.

“Well, look who’s here. It’s the feds!” I yelled this over my shoulder.

“Can we speak with you and your family?” said Mr. Hamilton, who seemed to be in the habit of speaking before his partner.

“About what?”

“About what happened here last night.”

“What? Didn’t you find what you were looking for?”

Hamilton looked down at the ground and sighed heavily, then looked back up at me. “Mr. Reynolds, may we come in?”

“If I didn’t want you to, that wouldn’t stop you, would it?” I said, stepping aside and waving them past me.

“That’s what we want to talk to you about,” said Dunn.

“Then you’d bloody well better start talking,” Mother said sharply. She was standing in the kitchen doorway, her hands balled into fists and firmly planted on her hips, and a scowl on her face that I would’ve known meant trouble even if I hadn’t known her. Peter came up behind her and watched over her shoulder.

“Mrs. Reynolds, we did not break into your house,” said Hamilton. “That’s what we came to tell you.”

“Oh, really?” Mother said with a triumphant smile as she advanced into the room. “And how exactly did you know we thought you’d done it?”

“We’ve been informed that it was suspected that we’d been involved in some illegal activity connected with your house.”

“Oh, God!” I said rolling my eyes. “I know we’re in trouble when you guys start talking like that.”

“We really are on the same side, Mrs. Reynolds,” said Hamilton, pointedly ignoring me.

“I’ll reserve judgment on that until I know for sure whether this is your second or third visit to this house.”

He sighed again. Apparently it was the only way he had of conveying irritation. “We have also been informed that it might be time for some interdepartmental cooperation.”

So that was it.

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