Lost Souls by J. Bishop (the giving tree read aloud txt) 📗

got him and Eddie killed. Served Victor right, as far as I’m concerned, but it’s terrible about Eddie.”

Remalla set his beer and uneaten chip down and sat at the table.

Trick looked over. “Did I say something?” He noted Rem’s pale face. “Is the salsa bad?”

“No. It’s fine. Don’t mind me.” Remalla patted his stomach. “Sensitive gut. It’ll pass.” He raised a brow at Daniels, who handed Remalla his beer. Remalla took it and Daniels patted him on the shoulder.

Trick nodded. “Anyway, Red and I didn’t really keep in touch the way we should’ve, and when his mom died, well, he seemed to take it personally. We barely spoke at the funeral, and then he was gone again, back to California. I stayed with the Rangers, and got paired up with a new guy. He was good, and it was fine, but it wasn’t the same. Then I left the job just before Chad ended up dead, Cissy got arrested, and here I am, suddenly working with Red again.” He turned up the heat and mixed in the spices. “Am I rambling? Sorry. I tend to talk a lot. Drives Red nuts.” He checked the time. “Where the hell is he? He should be here by now.”

The front door slammed, and Trick stepped back from the stove. “Is that him?”

Red walked into the kitchen, his face taut, and his body rigid.

“Where the hell’ve you been?” asked Trick. “And you tell me not to be late?”

Red gripped the counter.

“You okay, Mason?” asked Daniels.

Red glared at Trick. “What the hell are you hiding?”

Trick put the spatula down. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Cissy Howard,” said Red, his voice raising. “Did you know her before Chad? Did you have a relationship with her?”

Trick’s heart slammed against his chest. “Oh, shit.”

“You’re damn right, oh shit,” said Red. “And did you sleep with your sergeant’s wife? Go to work drunk? And then get kicked off the Rangers just before Chad wound up dead?”

Trick held his breath, picked up a towel, and wiped his hands. “Who the hell are you talking to?”

Daniels and Remalla eyed each other, looking as if they ought to be somewhere else.

“Is it true?” yelled Red. “Have you been lying to me this whole time? Did you have something to do with Chad’s death?”

Trick almost dropped the towel. “Are you crazy? No. I had nothing to do with that, and you shouldn’t have to ask.”

“Did you sleep with Cissy?” asked Red. “Did Chad know?”

Trick tossed the towel on the counter, trying to think of how to explain. “I knew her, yes, before Chad ever did. We dated, but it ended, and then Chad met her. We never told him because we didn’t see the point. It was over between us.”

“Was it?” asked Red. “Or were you two still in love? Is that why you are so vociferously defending her? Did you two pick up where you left off?”

Trick stood stunned in the room. The accusations flying at him made it hard for him to know where to start. “Red. I can explain…”

The front door opened and slammed again, and Mikey stormed in. She dropped her purse on the counter. “Carla Belaveena says she saw you and Cissy kissing at Chad’s funeral. You care to confirm or deny that before I kick your ass back to Texas?” She narrowed her eyes. “And don’t you dare lie.”

“What?” yelled Red.

“Carla who?” asked Trick.

Remalla stood, holding his beer, and walked to the kitchen counter. “Looks like you’ve got some explaining to do, Trickster.”

**

Mikey put her hands on her hips, waiting for a response from Trick, who stood there, looking like he’d rather be standing in his underwear at the North Pole.

“What is going on, Trick?” asked Mason, his voice low and steady, and Mikey gave silent thanks he wasn’t mad at her.

Trick shook his head. “Listen, it’s not that bad─”

“If it’s not that bad, then tell us,” said Mikey. “I can’t wait to hear it.”

Daniels raised a hand. “Uhm, we can go if─”

“No. Stay,” said Mason. “You can pull me off of him when I wring his neck.”

“Works for me,” said Remalla.

“Okay. Give me a sec.” Trick ran a hand through his hair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Let me just think.”

“By all means, take your time,” said Mason.

Trick opened his eyes. “Okay, here it is. Cissy and I did date before she met Chad. I broke it off with her, and six months later, she met and fell for Chad. She didn’t know Chad was my stepbrother and when I went to meet Chad’s new girlfriend, we both clammed up when we saw each other, and didn’t say anything. When we did finally talk, we’d agreed to keep it quiet. Chad didn’t need to know about what didn’t matter anymore.”

“But did it matter?” asked Mason.

Trick groaned. “I’ll admit, seeing her with Chad kinda made me wish she and I had gone down a different road. I’d freaked out when we’d started to get serious. You know how I am about commitment, Red. I didn’t act on my impulses, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Cissy felt the same. Not that it mattered because she ended up marrying Chad, and I let it go, but then I got a call from her when Chad started acting distant, and we talked a few times.”

“A few times?” asked Mason. “How much is a few times?”

Trick hesitated, his eyes pensive. “Enough that by the end of the summer, she was using a different phone. She didn’t want Chad to know she’d been talking to me.”

Mason deflated.

“You stupid idiot,” said Mikey. “Where is that phone?”

“Once Chad told Cissy his affair was over, Cissy told me she had to make an effort with him, and we stopped talking. That was about a month before Chad died. I assume she got rid of the phone.”

“And what happened when Chad died?” asked Mason, his face stern. “And with the Rangers?”

“I screwed up,” said Trick. “I’d stopped talking to