Foxe Hunt (24 page)

“It was about procedure. Dating procedure. I gave him shit, he gave me shit, and then it escalated from there. I
told
you dating someone at work was a stupid idea. We should have just stuck to fucking.”

“But you guys were already sleeping together.”

“That was
different
!”

“I don’t get it. What was this shit you were giving him?”

“Why is this
my
fault?”

Skyler snorted. “No idea. Maybe it’s that demure façade you’re Foxe hunt
195

projecting that threw me off.”

She squinted at him and crossed her arms over her chest. And then she wrestled angrily with her jacket and tore off her holster with the gun in it and tossed it on the coffee table. Skyler jumped back.

“Shit! Is that going to go off?”

“The safety’s on, you pussy.”

“It’s just…you know. I don’t like guns.”

“Can we get back to
my
problem? I just told Mike that I didn’t want to do the friend thing.”

Skyler pushed the gun away gingerly with his foot until he was satisfied it was far enough away from him. “What ‘friend thing’?”

“You know? I don’t want to meet his friends, he doesn’t have to meet mine.”

“Wait a minute. You don’t want him to meet us?”

“How well did that work out for you when Keith showed up?”

“We cleared that up. These are things that have to be done.

Friends are important. And besides, we don’t really have anything on you that we can squeal to Mike about.” She was silently chewing on a manicured nail when it hit him.

“You’re
ashamed
of us?”

“
No
! Don’t be an idiot.”

“But it’s because we’re gay, right? You don’t want him to be uncomfortable. Well, isn’t
that
nice!”

“That is not it at all. You are way out of line.”

“Then what is it?”

She shook her head and leaned back. “It’s not just friends, it’s family. He’s got a really big family.”

He scooted closer. “You’re afraid to meet his family and friends?”

Still gnawing on a nail she nodded.

196 Haley Walsh

“Ah, Sidney.” He put his arms around her and laid her head on his shoulder.

“There’re all these aunts he keeps telling me about and they’re all like these dainty women with flowers in their hair. Skyler, I have never been a dainty woman let alone one with a flower in my hair!”

That’s for sure
. Aloud, he said, “But that’s not what seems to appeal to Mike, right? I mean, he wouldn’t want to go out with you if that’s the case.”

“But don’t you see? He’ll get to compare us. I’ll be standing there all Jewish and his family will be there, all Filipino, and that will be that.”

“So
that’s
what this is? You think the culture clash will be too much for him?”

“Can’t it just be us for a while? So he gets used to me? Likes me more than, you know, those other women?”

“Filipino women?”

“Yeah.”

He rubbed her arm. “I think you’re making a big deal out of this. But if it really does bother you, why don’t you just tell him you just want it to be the two of you for a while? Tell him you’re not used to dating.”

She looked up at him. “Is that what you told Keith?”

“He knew I never dated before. So he was cool with that. And he’s cool with a lot of things. He’s not a criminal, Sidney. He’s sweet and loving and he would never lift a hand to me. Why can’t you trust me on this?”

“Because I love you too much and don’t want to see you hurt.”

“I won’t be. Keith is very protective of me. When the guy who hit me came to the school— Oh shit!”

Sidney snapped upright. “Skyler! You fucking lied to me!

Who is this guy?”

“Okay, okay!” He related the whole James Fischer incident Foxe hunt
197

without mentioning names, while she seethed at him. He was glad the gun was across the table.

“You are such an idiot! What am I supposed to do with you?”

“That’s what Keith said.”

“Well for the first time I agree with the guy. I must be wrong about him because he’s got to be a saint to put up with you.”

“He ain’t no saint,” he said, waggling his brows.

She punched his arm.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Being a jerk.” She touched his cheek below his eye with a surprisingly gentle finger. “Does it still hurt?”

“No. It just looks horrible. I tried make-up but it doesn’t work. Maybe I need a pair of Jackie-O’s.”

“Aviator goggles.” She grabbed his chin and turned his head this way and that. “Want to press charges?”

“I don’t know. I tried to hit him, too.”

“Tried?”

“I missed.”

“The thumb goes on the outside—”

“Shut up!”

They both sat quietly until Sidney finally said, “Where is the goddamned alcohol?”

§ § §

Drinking margaritas, they watched old movies on TCM till around one in the morning. Sidney yawned as she rose from the sofa.

“I’d better get home,” she said, heading for the doorway.

“Fishbreath misses me and I’m sure I haven’t cleaned the litter box in days.”

“Pet your kitty for me. He’s the only pussy I like.”

“Oh ha, ha.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Whatcha doing
198 Haley Walsh

tomorrow?”

“I’m going to Evan’s funeral.”

“Oh. Well, goodnight, Skyler. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

He locked the door, suddenly dreading the weekend.

§ § §

He could think of better ways to spend a Saturday. But that’s what friends did. And it was such awful circumstances. After the funeral at the chapel they all made their way to the graveside. Hills of green were speckled with white crosses and plaques gleaming in the sun almost as far as the eye could see. Jeff wore his uniform with its medals on his chest and Skyler still couldn’t believe that this multi-honored man had been dishonorably discharged. How did these generals sleep at night with that on their conscience?

Jeff ’s sister, Cindy, was a prettier, slimmer, version of him.

She wore a dark dress and pumps and had her arm through his the whole time. Jeff had other friends there. Some were in their dress uniforms—other grunts—with a sprinkling of both gay and straight friends. A pastor read a few words Skyler was sure Jeff had written and then two old retired vets removed the flag from the coffin and ceremonially folded it. Once it was a tight triangle, the uniformed veteran tried to hand it to Jeff ’s sister and in a strained moment, she whispered something and ended up handing it herself to Jeff.

Clutching it to his chest, his mouth quivered. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses while he looked straight ahead. His sister, to her credit, clutched his arm tighter.

Seven retired vets with “Memorial Rifle Squad” patches on their sleeves fired off their rifles in the air three times while a recording played taps. Skyler wiped his eyes. He tried to swallow past a hot lump in his throat.

Afterward, everyone mingled a bit, leaving Jeff alone by the graveside.

Cindy came up to him. “You must be Skyler. He said you were Foxe hunt
199

really, really blond.”

He gave her an awkward smile. “It was good that you came.”

She looked back at Jeff and shook her head. “I should have done it years ago. It was so stupid. I sided with my parents. It was a dumb thing to do.”

Skyler shrugged. There wasn’t much to say to that.

“He has a lot of friends,” she went on. “I’m glad.”

“Yeah. Jeff and Evan were a nice couple.”

“Are the police still accusing Jeff? Court date’s in two weeks.

Jeff said that maybe they were looking at someone else.”

“I don’t know. But I feel something will break soon.” If
he
had anything to say about it. Skyler wasn’t done with James Fischer.

Not by a long shot. He knew that man had something to do with the murder.

Skyler went over to Jeff ’s house with everyone else for cold cuts and salads. He chatted with some of Jeff ’s friends and after an hour or so, he took Jeff aside to wish him well.

He was about to leave when he turned back to Jeff. “By the way, that orchid farm?”

“Yeah?”

“Did Evan ever mention anyone named Ed Fallows?”

“No. I don’t think so. Unless that was his friend Ed from college. He never mentioned a last name.”

“At University of Redlands?”

“Yeah. He talked about this guy Ed that was a really good friend of his. Until he found out he was gay. Then he lit into Evan with some religious bullshit and never spoke to him again.”

Was it possible it was the same guy? He gave Jeff a last hug and kissed his cheek. “Call me, okay? We’ll get together.”

“I liked your friends,” said Jeff. “What little I saw of them.”

“They’d love to meet you properly. Call me.”

“I will.”

200 Haley Walsh

Skyler walked down the front steps and along the concrete path. He wanted to get home to his computer and look up the University of Redlands alumni association.

§ § §

It didn’t take him long at all. He logged in and did a search, and there he was. Ed Fallows. Class of 2006. It didn’t mean it was the same guy but—who was he kidding? It
had
to be! And Jeff had said that Fallows dropped Evan’s friendship once he discovered he was gay. How cold was that? And he certainly hadn’t changed his tune when it came to football. How did they hire people for the job anyway? Gave them a “Spot the Homo”

test? Except it hadn’t worked very well when hiring Keith. How did he stand it over there with all the jokes and invectives? It had to really wear him down.

But what did this all have to do with Evan? Surely Fallows wouldn’t have contacted Evan, would he? So maybe Evan had contacted Fallows. But why? How did he even know Fallows was working at the orchid farm? The thought that Evan would resort to growing pot to earn a living made Skyler queasy. He just couldn’t see it in a million years. But desperation was a mighty stern mistress.

He didn’t get it. He was missing something; that was for sure.

He knew Sidney didn’t want him to mess with it but there was so much going on out of his control it made him angry. Like all this stuff at the school that no one seemed to be doing anything about. Julia and the skinhead football team. It was probably them defacing the GSA flyers. Keith could only do so much to stem the tide. It was just so thick over there with hate and prejudice. He didn’t know how he could have imagined Keith going out of his way to change grades for troglodytes like that. But someone had.

And it
was
probably Wes Sherman Jr. He had been a computer wiz and had the know-how to do it. He must have been paid a lot.

Imagine doing that at his father’s own school. He probably stole the codes right out of his dad’s files. What a dick.

He wished he could find out who did it and blow it wide open. Something was going to give soon. He knew it. And it Foxe hunt
201

didn’t look good for the school.

But wait a minute.
He
knew a computer wiz.

He grabbed his phone and punched in Jamie’s number.

“Skyler, I don’t like this,” said Jamie, walking close beside him as they entered the darkened school. “You could get into a lot of trouble.”

The empty hallway echoed with their timid footsteps. “I have to know.”

“This is a felony, you know. Hacking into a school computer.”

Skyler stopped and looked at his friend. He was just a willowy shadow with spiky hair. “Then why are you doing this?”

The shadow drew closer, put his hand on Skyler’s neck, and pulled him in for a quick kiss on the lips. “Because what are friends for? Maybe we’ll share a jail cell.”

“Don’t even joke about that.” He looked around cautiously.

Skyler moved ahead again, making sure Jamie was close behind him. “Can you really tell if someone hacked in and changed grades or not?”

“There are ways to look around and see. But it’s not going to tell me who.”

“But if it tells you how might it also tell you who? I mean, an expert as opposed to an amateur?”

“It might.”

“I thought computers were all precise and everything.”

“They are. But… Never mind, it’s too hard to explain. Let’s just get in there and get it over with.”

Skyler had a key that would get him into the office but not into Mr. Sherman’s. “That doesn’t matter,” Jamie reassured. Actually, it didn’t reassure Skyler at all.

“You mean you can hack into his computer from any of these?”

“I didn’t even have to come, but it’s easier getting the pass
204 Haley Walsh

codes from here.” They didn’t turn on the lights, didn’t want to alert anyone of their presence, but Skyler had his Maglite.

Jamie sat at the first computer for one of the office assistants and opened the metal desk drawer. “It’s usually right here…yup.

There it is.” The pass code was written on a piece of paper taped to the inside of the drawer.

“You’re kidding me.”

“People put them in all kinds of obvious places. Behind their family pictures, under their coffee mugs, written on the sides of computer monitors. Safety schmafety.”

He woke the computer and began typing. He was in the system immediately. Skyler leaned over his shoulder. “That is so scary when you do that.”

“It’s a good thing Mrs. Ewing raised an honest boy. Now, let’s have a look at the grades.”

“Will the firewalls and securities be able to tell you’ve gotten into the system?”

“Not with this.” He plugged a flash drive into a port. “This will confuse the system to make it think that no one is here.”

“Scary.”

“You have no idea.” Jamie tapped away on the keyboard and Skyler leaned on his shoulder, watching the screens flash by.

Jamie was going deep into the system, finding holes, tunnels, all sorts of ways Skyler had no idea about. Jamie read rows of code and more foreign things than Skyler had seen since
Tron
. It seemed to take a long while and Skyler was getting nervous. He kept going to the office doorway and checking down the hall to see if anyone was coming. He looked at his watch under the dim glow of a security light. Getting late. He hoped Jamie would wrap up soon.