Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 1

I'm a little confused. Why are we here?"
    "I got something I wanted to show the team, but after this morning—"
    "Yeah, well, thanks for that, but you didn't need to bother. I've been putting up with Gauthier's shit ever since he transferred here. Most of the other guys aren't too bad, but the pranks turned a little meaner after he arrived. Nothing I can't handle."
    "Hmmm…" was his noncommittal reply. There wasn't much to say to that because the coffee was hot and there were doughnuts. Travis licked the sugar from his fingers, balled up his napkin, and nailed a three-point shot over his shoulder. "So... want to tell me who Jerome Gorman was to you?"
    I stuffed the last of the doughnut into my mouth and took my time chewing. After a big swallow of coffee, I said, "What do you mean?" I could prevaricate with the best of them.
    "We've been working this case all week, and I haven't asked. It was clear at the morgue that you knew the name. I figured you'd tell me, eventually. Hasn't happened yet. You can't hold out on me if we're going to be partners. You got a conflict on this case I should know about? Were you lovers?"
    And just like that, he put it out there. The elephant in the room just shit all over me. Straight-guy wanted to know about my personal life.
    As if reading my mind, Travis said, "Get over yourself, Sam. I don't give a shit who you fuck. I just want to know if it's something we have to work around."
    I looked at him a long moment, but there was nothing but a reserved compassion on that chiseled face. Blowing out a big breath, I decided Travis had a need to know. After all, he was the lead investigator, and I had a minor, but undeniable, connection to the victim.
    "I first met Jerome when he performed as Honey at the Rainbow Room. You already know she worked there before she went to Biloxi. The club manager, Leroy is a real prick to the girls. Most of the performers who work there are just like Jerome, guys who like to wear a dress and perform in drag. The rest of the time they're usually in street clothes. Leroy won't hire trannies, because he says the hormones make them unstable. He's a real douche."
    "Anyway, there's good money in the clubs on Bourbon, and he usually keeps a stable of queens ready to sing and dance for the tourists. So one night, Honey was trolling for tricks, even though it's against club policy. Everyone knows it happens. Well, Leroy went ballistic, because he saw I was in the club, and figured I was gonna bust her and shut the place down. Leroy had Honey backstage and slapped her around before one of the other girls came and got me. It was a clusterfuck, as you can imagine," I said. I shook my head and laughed.
    "Man, you never saw so much foam rubber and tape. It just ain't right to bend a dick like that. Anyway, by the time I got everyone settled, I ended up giving Jerome a ride home… and he ended up giving me a blowjob. Happened once. We were friendly after that, but nothing more. Jerome was a good guy. He liked to entertain, loved the attention. Other than that cat fight, I don't know of anyone he pissed off."
    Boudreaux smiled, and it wasn't the smirk or the ugly grin he'd given Gauthier. It was just a smile. Dangerous .
    Travis started the surveillance tape at twice the normal speed. We watched me choppily work my way through several bars, over multiple nights. Someone had obviously been busy with an editing program. I came in, danced, flirted, hit on the detective and we left together. Some nights the video continued outside, showed us getting into a taxi all cuddled up.
    We were most of the way through last night's video. "Stop," I said suddenly. "Rewind that bit." I watched more carefully. There was a guy standing just out of camera range. Everything in the shadows but the boots...something about the boots felt familiar. "Rewind to the Tuesday vid, the night I was at Lucan's," I said. I sipped my decidedly now luke-cool coffee.
    There they were again, only this time there was a lot more leg and part of a chest showing. It was right outside the Rainbow Room. The guy stood just barely out of range of the club's security camera. I was in the middle of the screen, my arm slung around Detective Carmichael's shoulders. Credit where credit was due, the married father of five hadn't flinched when I'd nuzzled against his neck and patted his ass just before he slid across the seat of the taxi. Anyone watching us would have been sure the two of us were heading somewhere a lot more