Broken Memories
Chapter 6
Hunter snuck out back while Michael and Ben were busy talking
to Horvath about funeral arrangements. Taking a quick look around he pulled the
joint out of his shirt pocket and lit up, taking a long drag.
“Busted,” Justin teased.
Hunter quickly tried to cover much to Justin’s amusement.
“It’s okay, Hunter, I was young once. Hell, I even smoked pot a time or two. So
did your dad and Brian.”
“Twenty isn’t really that young, Justin. Next year I’ll be able to legally
drink.”
“Because you aren’t already drinking illegally?” Justin held back a laugh as
Hunter squirmed and stuttered. “It’s ok, I was at Babylon when I was 17. And I
was fucking Brian Kinney as well. So I know all about doing things you
shouldn’t.”
“How are you and Brian? I always thought you two shared something really
special.”
“Thanks for that. We did at one point, but now I’m not so sure anymore. I really
fucked up by leaving and not marrying him. I’m not sure we’ll ever get it back.”
“Yeah, he took it pretty hard when you left. I don’t think anyone else really
noticed but I spotted him a few times just sitting in the park, looking like he
didn’t have a clue about what to do.”
“Seriously? I heard that he went straight to Babylon from the airport. I guess I
just assumed that he would have no problem moving on.”
“Yeah, well, believe me, the man hasn’t moved on. He’s still in love with you.”
“Unfortunately I think you’re wrong, Hunter,” Justin said reaching for the joint
and taking a deep drag.
“Maybe you need to look harder. Brian is still very much in love with you, but
you hurt him and he really isn’t the type to forgive so easily.”
***
Melanie opened the front door and grabbed the forgotten paper from the front
step. Taking it, she checked on JR napping in Michael’s old room, then went back
to the kitchen , poured herself a cup of coffee and unfolded the paper. She
gasped aloud at the picture that accompanied the headline.
Two local women found dead. Are they connected?
Included with the article were pictures of Debbie and Miranda Madison. She
stared closely at the younger woman as tears began to flow unnoticed down her
cheek. Moments later Lindsay came in to freshen her own coffee and sat down next
to her partner.
Looking at the article, she read on in silence before finally noticing that Mel
was crying. “It’s okay, Mel, Debbie’s with Vic now. She’s probably up in heaven
bossing God around and demanding to know why he isn’t stepping in to make gay
marriage legal.”
“It’s not Debbie, it’s Miranda.”
“Miranda? You mean the other woman they found?”
“Yeah, I went to college with her. We shared a dorm for two years. We were in
the same sorority.”
“Huh?”
“Remember a few years back at that alumni gathering we went to? The woman you
said had the hots for me? That’s Miranda. We had English Lit together and lived
two doors down from one another. She majored in Communications. Remember I told
you that she dropped out in her senior year because her mother was suffering
from Alzheimers.”
“Yeah, I remember meeting her, but she looked a lot different from this
picture.” Lindsay took the paper and looked closer, noting that she was a
redhead now.
“I can’t believe that two women I know were murdered within days of one another.
It’s a little too strange.”
“It’s just a coincidence, sweetie. Don’t make more out of it.” Lindsay stood and
poured a fresh cup of coffee and kissed her partner. “Carl said they’re going to
release Deb’s body Thursday. Michael and Ben are going down to Clore’s Funeral
Home to make the arrangements tonight.”
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to let Michael go? He’s not holding up too well
and it might be more than he can handle.”
“I discussed that with Ben, but Michael is adamant that he be the one to make
the arrangements. We all agreed that Carl shouldn’t go, since he’s been having
chest pains. He has a doctor’s appointment in the morning, so I agreed to go
with him. Will you be okay with the kids at Britin alone?”
“Shit, I have a meeting in the morning with the board of Grassi House.”
“Maybe Brian can take Gus, and Justin can help out with JR, I guess?”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean those two are having their own problems
right now.”
“I’ll ask Emmett, then.”
***
Emmett stopped at the diner for a quick burger and fries to go. He’d been busy
all day planning Sierra’s wedding to her second husband. Who’d have thought that
they’d turn out to be such good friends after everything that happened with
Drew.
He’d spent his day running around town with her as she tried to find a dress and
location. She’d gotten engaged over Christmas to a very nice sports agent and
seemed to be very happy. Of course they touched on the subject of Drew, and
Emmett smiled sadly, wondering when the man he loved would finally realize that
it was time to come home and settle down. Oh well, he thought. He chatted with
Debbie while waiting for his order. She went on and on about the upcoming
charity event for Grassi House and he once again felt overwhelmed with those
preparations. He’d already spent six months trying to get it right and was still
getting the run around from the board.
Happy that his food was finally ready he waved bye to Debbie and headed out. He
was looking down when he bumped into a strange man whistling the theme to Andy
Griffith. The man glared at him and stepped aside in anger. ‘Asswipe,’ Emmett
thought to himself, shaking his head that someone would walk around whistling
that old dumbass theme. He turned back once to find the man still glaring at him
and got cold chills from the look. Hurrying to his car, he locked his doors as
soon as he got inside.
He didn’t think anymore about the man, completely unaware that he was about to
turn all their lives upside down in just a matter of days.