Page 17 of Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters
While Jeff put Varsity in his squad car to await the transfer of suspect and possible evidence, Vance finally caught up with them, brushing bits of pulp off his sleeves. He pointed a shaking, smoldering finger at Kyle. “You. You did that on purpose, you smarmy little faggot.”
“Hey! I resent being called smarmy. I’m quite disparaging, thanks.”
Vance’s eyes narrowed. “You…what?”
“Look, I’m sorry. Jeff handed me oranges and I thought I could help. Kinda dumb since I never have great control over the stuff I pick up from someone else. Speaking of which, you should probably back up a step or we’re gonna end up calling the fire department, too.”
“Damn it,” Vance spat out, but he did back off. “Why do you have to be such a first-classfreak, Monroe?”
“As opposed to the rest of you second-class freaks?” Kyle chuckled despite his irritation. “I’ll pay for the cleaners, Virago. Chill.”
Vance was still glaring and muttering when Jeff and Vikash rejoined them after dealing with the officers from the Third. Jeff clapped him on the shoulder and grimaced when he came away with pulp on his palm.
“Cheer up. It’s just oranges. Which I paid for. You’re welcome.” Jeff grinned as he wiped his hand off on a napkin. “At least you won’t stink up the squad car with skunk this time.”
“Damn it, Gatling. Shut. Up.”
The temptation almost killed Kyle, but he managed not to ask about the skunk incident. After giving Jeff ten bucks to cover the bulk of the orange loss, technically his fault, he and Vikash were back in the squad car headed to their assigned streets.
“No monster.” Vikash finally spoke as they passed city hall.
Kyle risked a quick glance over as they rounded the corner by Wanamaker’s.Fine. Macy’s.It was always going to be the Wanamaker building to him. Vikash almost looked like he was slumping. “You sound disappointed.”
“We had a footprint. It seemed so likely.”
“Yeah, that print. I’m sure we have a river monster. But it looks like the murders were a human thing. I’m okay with not having amurderousriver monster.”
“Hmm.”
Kyle waited, but there wasn’t anything forthcoming to expand on that. “Hmm? What hmm? Hmm, you think humans are scarier than monsters? Hmm, you think I shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions before the lab boys and girls have a look at that trowel? Hmm, you think that guy we just passed shouldn’t be wearing yellow sneakers with brown pants?”
“Yes.”
“Well, all right then. Glad we cleared that up.” Kyle hung a right on Filbert and at the Thirteenth Street intersection, decided he wasn’t getting anything more on the subject. “You were serious about having me over for dinner?”
Vikash arched an eyebrow, as close to surprise as he could manage, apparently. “I am.”
“Okay. It’s nice of you. I mean, you don’t have to.”
“Friday. Come around six. Ellie and I would love to have you.”
Ellie…That cleared that up, too. Kyle kept the smile glued on so hard it hurt his face. “Cool. Thanks. I’ll be there.”
He drove on, for once grateful for the silence as he pummeled his disappointment back into the dark box where it belonged. He had no right and no reason to resent Ellie, the wife or girlfriend of this gorgeous, quirky man. None at all. There would be dinner, Kyle would be charming, and they would all be the best of friends.
Chapter Five
Friday evening, Kyle stood outside Vikash’s apartment building, waffling. Nice place, one of those Southwest Philly apartment communities with gardens and a dog park—certainly was a step or five up from his shabby apartment on South Street. He could have a better place, too, since he lived alone and didn’t have any need to live close to his work anymore. Just hadn’t bothered to move yet.
It wasn’t that he felt out of place, but he was nervous. He and his new partner had gotten along well so far, discovering that they liked the same movies and TV shows, that they were both indifferent sports fans and both actually read fiction. But Kyle still had no idea if Vikash was married or had kids or if he went to church on Sundays. When they communicated, Kyle still talked and Vikash still responded with a handful of words, or entire sentences if he was feeling generous.
Kyle mentally squared his shoulders, tugged at the sleeves of the green crewneck sweater he’d picked as non-date wear, walked up to the bright red door set in the cozy two-story brick and rang the buzzer. There wasn’t an intercom, so he had to wait for Vikash’s footsteps to lope down the stairs and presumably for him to check through the peephole before the door opened. Wonderful cooking smells wafted out around Vikash’s serene smile.
“Hey. Hungry?”
“Starved. Thanks for having me over.” Kyle kept quiet as they went upstairs, head cocked, listening for signs of any other occupant.
When Vikash closed the apartment door behind him, he had one eyebrow raised. “What?”
