The Rose Man Read online

  “Born and raised. Left for college and the FBI. Finally got back close to home, but not too close. Frankfort field office. Thank you for your help, Patty.” He nodded.

  “Don’t FBI agents always work in pairs?” she asked.

  “Normally, yes but we’ve had a few cases pop up that might warrant FBI involvement, but we needed more information. Our Agent in Charge decided to split me and my partner up to explore two cases in more detail first.” He opened his laptop and booted it up.

  “Missing persons are hard to prove as kidnappings until you find the person or a body. Adults could just be on a spur-of-the-moment vacation or met someone and are having a romantic marathon.” She winked at him.

  Ross cleared his throat. “That’s one aspect. The other is that this is potentially a hate crime, with all the missing men being gay or suspected of it.”

  “They were gay, just not all out. Small towns. That’s why the sheriff put Ben on it. Hoping those men will open up to him more,” Patty said softly.

  “Nice to know you don’t mind talking to one of those men,” Ross said casually, trying not to smirk.

  “You, no way,” she said. “Really?”

  “Yes.” He logged in to his computer and checked for updates. Most stuff he could do on his phone, but some reports were hard to read and he liked a full keyboard.

  “Really? Never tried it with a girl? Ever? You’re not even a little bi?” She leaned on the door jamb with her best assets straining her peach blouse.

  “The topless women in Brokeback Mountain ruined the movie for me. No one went to that movie to see boobs. But thanks for your help. I do appreciate it.” He nodded politely and waited for her to leave.

  She smiled weakly and left. Ross hated letting the ladies down, but he’d rather be direct than play with them. Dark suits and his curly hair trimmed short—nothing about him screamed gay, but nothing ever really had. The FBI image was comfortable, just like he’d been comfortable as an athlete in school.

  “Ben’s on his way back. Dead guy is Kevin, homeless or at least jobless, and crashes with his sister most of the time. Alcoholic. Sister reported him missing when he didn’t show up for Sunday dinner two weeks in a row. She tried to keep him fed at least, but he’d go off on benders. He refused rehab, but he’s been in the drunk tank plenty.” Sheriff Larry took a seat in the conference room and propped his boots up on the table.

  Ross waited to see if the round sheriff tipped the chair over, but he seemed quite stable. “Sounds like that could be a simple case of a guy going on a bad bender. Blackout drinking, and maybe some drugs thrown in.”

  “Nah, coroner called. Strangulation. There’s a note too on the back of a flyer for the Valentine’s Dance. It’s a murder even if it’s not a technical kidnapping. The guy is gay. No doubt about that, so could be a hate crime.” Larry nodded.

  “A note on a flyer?” Ross asked.

  “A threat of a sorts. It’s a bit ambiguous if he’s going to do something at the dance or just on Valentine’s Day to the men he’s taken. I think the angle is he doesn’t think gays are welcome at the dance. Why not?” Larry asked.

  Ross cleared his throat. “Would they really be?”

  “That’s right—you grew up around here. Look, it’s not a church event. They make their own rules, private property and all, but we don’t allow discrimination in my county,” Larry said firmly.

  Ross smiled. “Glad to hear it. At least we know what he’s focused on. You think he has the other two?”

  “The other two aren’t the types to up and take off. Those two men are decent guys with jobs. No records. They both no called, no showed to their work three days in a row. Not normal behavior at all for either, so the employers called us. Well-checks proved they weren’t home, ill or otherwise. Might still just be more murders, but no evidence of them at home, at work, no credit card activity. Cars are at their homes, and we’re watching their cell phones for activity.” Larry shrugged. “They weren’t city boys coming to the bar for a night of fun. They lived here. People would report if they saw them. They’ve got friends and family around.”

  “You believe they’re all gay?” Ross asked.

  “Ben says they are. Good enough for me. No known boyfriends that are serious in any case. But there’s always some guys who want to hide it.” Larry scoffed.

  Ross shot Larry a look. “Can’t blame them in some areas, even in a tolerant county. Being out isn’t always safe.”

  “You think the city is safer?” Larry asked.

  “It’s easier to be anonymous. People tend to mind their own business and be busy with their stuff. Not that I’m in the closet, but no one really cares.” Ross shrugged.

  “That’s why they sent you,” Larry replied.

  “If you’d prefer another agent, you can request one, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

  “No, no, I’d rather have the support that understands the victims better. Easier for others like them to talk to guys like you and Ben,” Larry said.

  “Like them.” Ross took a slow breath. He’d grown up with people trying to be polite while shoving their foot so far down their own throat they could kick their own ass. The city had been a lovely break. While he agreed with Larry in principle about locals, he’d hoped to find some progress.

  Ross had taken the case because straight investigators could ignore some things they might not understand. Maybe the killer found a homeless guy and took off with him and it’s unrelated? The odds were minimal, but it’d be easier to close a case that way. Or they could somehow slap a lover’s triangle on the story and bury the case until they got a new lead.

  “Gays keep to that bar. We don’t have a bunch of rainbow flags flying around here. Not that it’s illegal, but a few couples tried it and their flags got stolen. One got burned in their yard. You’re from here, you know it’s not all backward haters—but there’s enough of them to make life tough if you’re a sparkly rainbow parade.” Larry admired the shine on his boots.

  “I know. No one harasses Ben, do they?” Ross tried to temper the old instincts to protect his ex.

  Larry laughed. “He’s a deputy. Harass him and they’d end up in jail. They know it. That’s why he’s heading up this investigation. I go in and talk, those guys could feel judged or afraid to tell the truth. We need the truth.”

  “I have to agree with that logic. This has all the markers of a hate crime. Though the roses are an odd choice,” Ross replied.

  “Our theory is the kidnapper, well, killer now, is using the roses to get the victims to let their guards down. With Valentine’s Day coming up, the vics think they have a secret admirer. Maybe they’re hoping for more roses or a note to meet. We haven’t heard about any notes, but if they got one, it’s probably the ticket that got them taken,” Larry said.

  Ross nodded. “People always want hope.”

  “Yep, and all the guys missing were single. We need to kick up the interviews with family, friends, co-workers. We’re a small department, but we can pitch in. Hopefully they have something in common,” Larry said.

  “Other than the dive bar,” Ross added.

  “We haven’t confirmed that yet, but I expect Ben will. But that doesn’t narrow down the killer or the victim pool. Any gay guy in the county,” Larry said.

  Ben tapped on the wall. “Any news?”

  “G-man is here,” Larry said.

  Ross smiled and stood, though he felt a bit overdressed in his suit and tie while Ben was in his deputy uniform. The hat was cute and Ben looked good as ever, but the contrast made Ross feel uneasy. “You look good, Ben.”

  Ben tipped his hat like the well-mannered country boy he was. “Agent Burns.”

  The tension rippled through Ross like a Tazer. It was a competition, FBI vs. sheriff’s office. Federal vs. state didn’t matter—not to Ross, anyway. Ben had made his choices, but maybe he felt left behind?

  Ben was handsome, in a boyish way he hadn’t grown out of. Brown hair, brown eyes, a few inche
s shorter than Ross, and sporting a farmer’s tan on his arms. Ross tried to push down the desire and their history, but he was right there in it.

  Keeping up his professional outer shell was something Ross was great at, but they’d be alone sooner or later. Ben wasn’t other agents, suspects, or criminals…he had been a part of Ross’ life for so long that the shell would crack. It would be good to catch up and talk. The way Ben had been working out and filled out that uniform, Ross hoped for some alone time very soon.

  Chapter Two

  Ben’s mouth suddenly went dry as he stared at Ross. He looked even better than before, like a muscular James Bond. They both had badges, but Ross’ sharp suit and slick appearance made Ben feel like a country bumpkin.

  “No need for formality. We’re all local guys here,” Larry said.

  Ross smiled. “Exactly. I see your signs around for re-election. Sheriff Larry is well branded.”

  “I’m a brand? Sounds like my grandkids talking about their YouTube stuff. People like to know who to call when they need help. We’re all family down here.” Larry looked to Ben. “Anything new? Coroner called and gave me the highlights.”

  “No. They’ll run stuff, look for fibers and such. It was murder. I’ll notify the sister then bring Ross up to speed,” Ben offered.

  Larry swung his legs down off the table and heaved himself into a standing position. “Nah, I’ll handle informing the family. We’re sure it’s him?”

  “Had his driver’s license on him and it matches. Not enough decomp to even be a problem. You can have the family come in to identify him if you think it’ll make them feel better,” Ben said.

  “Most of the time they want to see the body anyway. I’ll call the morgue then head over to the family. You catch up the G-man. I don’t want two more dead bodies, so let’s solve this,” Larry said as he left.

  “Yes, sir.” Ben nodded.

  Once the door was closed, Ross smiled and relaxed his posture. “You do the work, he takes the glory.”

  “Glory?” Ben snapped. “Informing the family a loved one is dead is hard and not a popular part of the job. Most guys up for re-election would avoid it.”

  “He doesn’t want to appear to be dumping work down the chain. But he’s not heading this up.” Ross walked over and hugged Ben. “Nice to see you.”

  Ben locked his knees to keep from falling over or diving full into Ross’ arms. The familiar scent underneath the fancy collar brought back a ton of memories and desires. “Yeah. But we’re here to work.”

  “Sure.” Ross backed up and released Ben. “Same old Ben. Never wanted to get in trouble or bend the rules.”

  “I’m sure I never took chances the way you did. Some people have the luck and the instincts. Nothing here changes much. Imagine Larry trying to run this case? If he walked into Charlie’s bar, half the guys would bolt. The other half would snicker and take pics on their phone. Trust isn’t that high,” Ben said.

  Ross sighed. “Yeah, even in big city gay bars—you get a straight guy wandering in and the bouncer is going to hassle him a bit to see if he’s looking for a fight or just confused and looking.”

  “Exactly. I don’t want guys afraid to talk. Someone knows something,” Ben said.

  “Are the roses real?” Ross asked.

  “We found one in the beat-up old van Kevin had been sleeping in when he was too drunk to make it to his sister’s or somewhere else. The two other missing men had family or coworkers report they asked about a rose on their cars, and no one else found one on theirs. No one admitted to placing them, either. It’s a link but not much of a clue.” Ben removed his hat and rubbed the back of his head.

  Ross grinned.

  “What?” Ben asked.

  “You always do that when you’re frustrated. I’ve missed you,” Ross said.

  The heat welled up in Ben, but he pulled his gaze from the hot federal agent and stared at the ground. “We both wanted to get the bad guys, but you needed to leave to do it.”

  “Don’t—let’s not rehash the past. I like my job. I came back to the area as soon as I could. The FBI likes to move you around for experience. It’s part of the training and that’s done. I’m local-ish from now on,” Ross said.

  “We both made our choices. Now we’re on a case together, unless you don’t think it’s Fed-worthy. Don’t worry, we’ll muddle through.” Ben held his breath for a minute. Ross leaving was the very last thing Ben wanted, but he didn’t want to look needy or like a clueless country deputy.

  “I’d like more info on the other missing persons. Sheriff Larry seemed sure they weren’t the types to up and leave without informing friends or work. This first guy was an alcoholic, so he’d probably go with anyone offering him free beer. They might not be related, but the missing guys have the hints of kidnapping and potentially hate crimes. Catch me up.” Ross sat as if he were ready to work. “We’re not trying to take over, but if it gets bigger, we have more resources. Tell me about this note.”

  “Sure. Give me a minute to grab some coffee. We can order dinner from the diner up the street. I’ll get the menu. Need anything?” Ben asked.

  “I’m good.” Ross nodded to a large bottle of fancy water.

  “Okay then…” Ben stepped outside the conference room, closing the door behind him, and took a deep breath. It wasn’t going to be easy being around Ross, but he was a good investigator. They didn’t have many murders, so a series of missing persons that could end up as murders was rare.

  Larry had admitted in private that he’d never had something like this happen before. Murders, yes. The odd missing person, of course. Child custody disputes that had both parents trying to withhold the kid—that stuff was bad enough, but this… Ben knew Larry was nervous about this case.

  It was a big opportunity for Ben. He didn’t want to get a big break at the cost of others. This case just hit so close to home. He grabbed a menu from the stack at the front desk and poured himself a big cup of coffee.

  Back in the conference room, he slid the menu over to Ross. “Most of it’s good.”

  “Thanks. Tell me about the other two men and this note,” Ross said.

  “The note was on a flyer for the Valentine’s Dance. I got a picture of it. They’re processing the evidence now. To me it hints of a total of twelve intended targets by the dance. I’m not sure if it’s kill or kidnap, but there’s a tone of resentment in it. Like gays wouldn’t be welcome, or he wants to make a point about that.” He sent the picture to Ross. “I thought Larry would’ve sent the file and info to the FBI to get the help.” Ben left a couple of seats empty between them.

  “He did, but it’s the basics. I want to know who these guys are. The details of their lives are the best way to find the clues. They’re all apparently gay and go to Charlie’s bar?” Ross asked.

  Ben nodded. “That’s true. Jim Hannigan, twenty-seven. High school graduate. Employed at the grocery store in the deli—assistant manager. Never had a problem with the law or at work. Never a problem at the bar.”

  “Openly gay?” Ross asked.

  Ben shrugged. “No beard of a girlfriend or denial of it. I didn’t know him well, but I don’t think he had a boyfriend. Not in the closet, but no rainbow stickers on his motorcycle.”

  “Why didn’t you date him?” Ross teased.

  Ben shot his ex a look. “Don’t start.”

  “What? It’s a valid question. He’s your age. Let’s check out a picture.” Ross opened the file. “Ah. He’s scrawny, and what’s with that patchy facial hair? If you can’t grow a real beard, shave.”

  Chuckling, Ben realized how much he’d missed Ross’ style and conversation. “I’ve been focused on my career, not trolling for a boyfriend.”

  “Voting for Sheriff Larry?” Ross asked.

  “Of course. He’s a good boss and makes people feel safe,” Ben replied.

  “What’s to focus on, then? Career-wise, I mean. If you’re not moving up to sheriff…you’re the deputy. Is there a step bet
ween?” Ross asked.

  Ben sighed. “There’s a ranking. Dad has good periods and bad ones. You know the drill.”

  “Can’t believe the old bastard is still alive,” Ross replied.

  “Don’t,” Ben warned.

  “Lung cancer is rough.” Ross held up his hands in surrender.

  “Other missing man is Tony Morgan. Nearing his thirtieth birthday. Manages the bowling alley. No convictions. Might take some bets on sporting events that play on their big screen. Drops into Charlie’s bar when he needs a dick fix, not socialization,” Ben explained.

  “Closet case,” Ross said.

  Ben shook his head. “Not really. People know. His mom owns the bowling alley—it belonged to her dad. He drinks and hangs at the bar in the bowling alley—why not when it’s free? Just hits the gay bar when he needs a hookup. No known boyfriend, but he has deep roots in the community. And don’t ask why I’m not dating him. He’s got a classic bowler’s body.”

  “I remember him from high school. He was a cub in training back then. Bear chasers would love him in the city,” Ross said.

  “You’re into the bear scene?” Ben asked.

  “Nah. A couple guys at the bar wanted to label me a muscle bear and get me to compete in a contest. Not my scene.” Ross shrugged it off as he flipped through the menu. “This is good for lunch tomorrow. Are you on duty tonight?”

  “No, I’m off soon, but I’m working all hours on this case,” Ben said.

  “Let me take you out for dinner, on the Federal Government.” Ross grinned.

  Ben wanted to let Ross show off his expense account, but a date would be dangerous. Falling back into their history when they were supposed to be solving a murder and two missing people. “No, I’ve got to check on my dad.”

  “He can come to dinner,” Ross offered.

  Ben laughed. “He’s pulling around an oxygen tank, so he only goes to hang with his buddies and maybe the diner. He forgets to eat, tries to sneak smokes. I like to do random check-ins.”

  Ross packed up his laptop. “Let’s swing by and check on your dad, then grab dinner?”