Page 27 of Rising Storm

“He was. He wasn’t out, so I never could talk about him. Well, shit.” Worry ate at the knot in his gut. “How long has he been missing?”

“Over a year, so I’m surprised you didn’t know about it.”

“I wasn’t in on what was happening on the force by that time, you know that. And Jake and I didn’t part on very good terms the last time we broke things off. You know I was never comfortable with being in the closet. God, I was so wrapped up in the mess with Letsen and so annoyed with Jake, I didn’t check in with him.”

“When was the last time you talked to him?”

“Over a year ago. He never said anything about investigating Kavaugh either.” He felt terrible about not knowing a man he’d been in a relationship with had been missing all this time. He hadn’t been in love with Jake, but they’d been close on and off—mostly off, unfortunately. When Jake had questioned his integrity, it had been permanently off. “There are no leads other than Kavaugh?”

Isaac shook his head. “And those didn’t pan out either. They were investigating him when they disappeared. No bodies have been found—there’s nothing to go on. They were both just gone.”

Gareth pushed his food away, too sick to his stomach to eat anymore. “I should have known. We’d never gone a year without at least speaking, but I thought he was just still too pissed off. I didn’t want to date in secret and he couldn’t be out. Wouldn’t be, I should probably say. Then when he was investigating Hayrick, he asked me if I had been on the take. That ruined things for us for good. But damn, this just makes me ill.”

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I had no idea he was the one you were seeing.”

“Nobody did other than my uncle. That was the long-going problem.” He thought about Jake’s smiling face and wanted to punch something. “He didn’t deserve whatever happened to him.”

“I didn’t know him, but he had to have been cool if you got with him. You only go for the nice ones—which makes this Helix kind of intriguing from your description.”

“I don’t know why, but he gets to me more than anyone ever has.” But he didn’t want the subject to go back to Helix with his stomach all in knots now. He couldn’t believe Jake had been missing for a year and he hadn’t known it. Just went to show how wrapped up he’d been in all his problems. He eyed his friend now, needing a change of subject. “You seeing anyone?”

“Not anymore. I was seeing this guy for a little while, but it didn’t work out. I work too many hours.” Isaac shrugged. “Story of my life.”

“Given any thought to joining us in Maine?”

“Actually, I am. I’m ready for something new and it’s not the same since you all left. Plus, I’m fascinated by what you’re doing there.”

“I think Carter and Liam are really thinking about taking us up on the offer. It would be nice to have you all there.”

“It would be weird having us all there, wouldn’t it?”

“Nah. I was feeling a little restless between take backs, but I got the idea to maybe open a shelter for LGBTQ teens there. Something similar to the one I volunteered at here.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“I’m going to talk to Quincy and Lane about it. I have no idea how to set something like that up, but Larry’s offered his advice and there’s plenty of Hayrick Letsen’s money to fund something like it.”

“I wouldn’t mind helping with that myself. Could have used a place like that when I was a teen.”

“It was there. You just didn’t know about it.”

“True.” Isaac smiled.

Gareth knew all about Isaac’s life because they’d been friends for years. Issac hadn’t been homeless or anything, but he’d lived with parents who hadn’t really paid him any attention and when he’d come out, they’d gotten worse. Isaac didn’t think they were homophobic, just disinterested.

Since Gareth had lost his own parents for the same reason, they’d bonded. Well, they’d bonded over a lot more than that having been two openly out men in law enforcement.

“You’re really thinking of moving up there with us?”

Isaac nodded. “Like I said, I’m fascinated by what you guys are doing. Plus…” He paused and gave Gareth a rare smile. “I really do miss you guys. And I’d be interested in helping you set up a LGBTQ shelter as well. I don’t think there’s anything really left here for me—not with you guys gone and I’m sure Carter and Liam are going to end up there, too.”

“Sounds like a plan then. I’m glad. It’s not the same living so far from you guys. And you’ll love Maine. It’s gorgeous up there.”

“I could stand to get away from this heat, that’s for sure.”

“I’ll talk to Carter and Liam. We’ll make this happen.”

He never finished his lunch, too sick after hearing the news about Jake. He thought of his ex a lot the rest of the afternoon, which he spent with Isaac. Jake had been investigating Hayrick Letsen the last time they’d talked. Gareth would have remembered if Barnette Kavaugh had been mentioned, so he couldn’t help but wonder if the man had something to do with Jake’s disappearance.

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