Page 395 of Sticks and Stones
“We’re on the clock.”
He was focusing on Ethan.
“How about you, Agent Blackhawk? Would you like a libation? You know, to wet your whistle?”
Ethan had promised to keep his mouth shut.
So, he just shook his head.
When they declined, he made only one, and then Julian carried a fresh drink over to sit across from them.
“If you insist. Can I get you coffee?” he asked.
Yeah, again, that wasn’t happening.
“No, but thank you,” Gene answered. “What you can do is explain what you’re doing sleeping with college kids in order for them to get your scholarships. I’m sorry, but that’s all kinds of wrong.”
He’d hit him up with the abductions next.
“Oh, they got the scholarships through the board. I don’t give those out. I just like to check up on some of the students.”
Gene went there.
“The gay ones?” he asked.
The man smiled.
“Yes, the gay ones. Being I’m a gay man, that would be more my thing. Why would I want to waste my time on a straight one?”
Was this dude for real?
The man had no filter, and just kept giving them ammo to do their jobs.
Before he could ask anything else, Julian was focused on Ethan.
“Agent Blackhawk, does the cat got your tongue?” he asked.
Ethan could speak for himself.
“Not at all. When I have something to say, I’ll add it to the conversation.”
He grinned, and then he focused on both of them.
“Do either of you know how difficult it is to find quality gay men in this city?” he asked. “Men who aren’t after me for my exorbitant amount of wealth?”
Gene wasn’t sure where to take this candid conversation.
Honestly, this dude sounded like he was a few screws shy in the head.
“No, because we’re both straight,” he said, knowing that there was no way in hell they were making the same mistake twice. “In fact, let’s start with what you said. How about you share the reasoning in your head to sleep with college students?”
He laughed.
“That’s simple, Agent. I slept with them because I like sex, and they wanted to join me in some fun.”
Ethan was profiling, and it wasn’t looking good for Julian Mercer.
Not.
