asphaltcowgrrl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
asphaltcowgrrl) wrote2020-02-20 02:23 pm
asphaltcowgrrl) wrote2020-02-20 02:23 pm
Sin City Slaying (Romani Detective Original Fiction)
Title: Sin City Slaying
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos + Adrien Lupei
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,879
Summary: A washed up country star has been murdered three nights before the biggest country music awards show of the year. Andrej’s down a partner and investigating on his own, leaving him both exhausted and out of sorts.
Author’s Note: I started this last year for the crossovers challenge and never finished it. Took it back up for this year’s rare pair challenge. Still not finished, but I’ve added probably a good 8k words to the fic, so that counts, right?
He uttered a long, disgusted sigh and pushed his chair back from the desk. “I will be right back.”
Hilary reached an arm out and grabbed Andrej before he could get past her. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine,” he lied. “The captain would like to see me about a case.”
“Homicide,” Trish asked. “Or a robbery?”
“Homicide,” Andrej replied. It was always a homicide these days. He’d give anything to have a simple robbery case right now.
“And you’re down a partner,” Hilary added. “Lousy time for Zayne to be out of town.”
Andrej shrugged. “It was important that he go home for a few days, his mother is ill. I could not make him stay, no matter how much I might have wanted to do so.”
“Sucks working on your own,” Trish said, standing up and giving Andrej a hug. “But you can bounce ideas off of us and the narco, too, so you’re not completely on your own.”
“And you can always call Zayne,” Hilary said. “I have no doubt that he’d be more than happy for a distraction right now.”
He gave Trish a gentle squeeze before pulling away from her embrace. “Thank you, I think I might call him once I know all the details. It cannot hurt.” Plus, hearing Zayne’s voice would do wonders for his lonely soul.
Andrej left the captain’s office with a folder in his hand and a heavy heart. A body had been found in a dressing room at the MGM Grand Garden Arena early that morning. Something like this happening at a casino on the Strip wasn’t surprising, people lost too much money, got drunk, lost control. It was a sad story of a sad city. What did have him concerned, however, was the reason the captain had called him in before sending him off to investigate. There was a major country music awards show due to air on Thursday, giving him exactly three days to solve this murder so that the show could go on.
Despite living with a native Texan, Andrej didn’t honestly know much about country music. He knew he loved the aesthetic – the tight jeans, the plaid shirts, the sexy cowboy swagger – his relationship with Zayne was proof enough of that. But that’s pretty much where his expertise ended. With a sigh, he climbed into his car, one conspicuously missing his partner, and drove towards the MGM and prepared for what was bound to be an excruciatingly long day.
Arriving at the scene, he pulled out his badge and stated his name for the uniform guarding the area.
“Oh, I know you,” he said, making Andrej cringe. Being partnered with Zayne wasn’t always a good thing. His partner loved to rub people the wrong way and cops enjoyed holding a grudge it seemed. “You and your partner are legendary in the department.”
While this wasn’t quite what he was expecting, it wasn’t what he wanted to hear either. “Thank you, but we are just doing our jobs.”
“You’re damn good at it,” the young man said. As if remembering something, he looked around. “Is your partner on his way?”
“No,” Andrej said. “He is out of state on a personal trip. It will be only me today.”
“Gotcha,” the kid said. “Jacobi over there will take you to the body, detective.”
“Thank you,” Andrej said, ducking under the crime scene tape and following the older officer towards where another area sat sectioned off.
He stared down at the body and took in the scene. White male, mid-forties, brown hair, eye color undetermined. He was approximately six-two and maybe a hundred and seventy-five pounds. There were two holes in his chest and a puddle of blood surrounding his inert form. The contents of a makeup table were strewn all over the floor, a rack containing very expensive clothing had been knocked over as well. There had obviously been a struggle. Either that or the dressing room’s tenant was a diva of epic proportions.
“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite homicide detective,” Carla Mulholland, the county medical examiner sang when she saw Andrej. “Where’s your troublemaker partner, Zeklos?”
“Zayne had a family emergency,” he said, squatting down beside Carla and getting a better look at the body. “He is in Texas for the duration.”
“Oh,” she said, giving Andrej a sympathetic look. “Is everything okay? He’s an idiot, but he’s also a nice guy.”
“His mother has not been well,” Andrej said, wishing he could change the subject. “But she is okay, it was not anything serious. However, Zayne’s sister insisted he come down for a visit.”
“One of those ‘just in case, because you never know’ guilt trips,” Carla said, nodding.
“Yes,” Andrej replied, leaving it at that. He’d only barely made it home in time to make peace with his own father before his death so, although he hated Zayne being gone, he understood why he was.
“At least he lives close enough to go home without breaking the bank,” she said. “That trip you took a couple years ago had to have cost you a fortune.”
Andrej looked at her and frowned. “The plane ticket alone was very costly. I would love to go back again, but it may not ever be possible.” Especially since the next trip home he made would be with Zayne and James in tow.
“Understood,” Carla said. “And sometimes, it’s for the best. Family can suck.”
A smile crossed Andrej’s face. “Big fat man hooters is what Zayne says. I did not understand but after a very graphic explanation, I am grateful my family is too far away to cause me such… trouble.”
Carla snickered. “That sounds like Reyes,” she said. “Are you ready to hear about our victim?”
“Yes, please,” he said, happy to get back onto the subject of his visit. It was hard talking about his family, having Zayne absent from his side made it nearly impossible.
Carla recounted all the points he’d already observed, plus a few observations only the medical examiner would have noticed. “Definitely a homicide,” she said, giving him an eye roll. “Poor kid who found him is rather shaken up.”
“Where is the kid,” Andrej asked, looking around.
“They have him in one of the other dressing rooms,” Carla said. “I’m almost finished here if you want to go talk to him.”
“I think I will,” he said, rising. “Officer Jacobi? Where is the young man who found the body?”
“Over this way, detective. Follow me.”
Checking his notes quickly, Andrej knocked on the door to the dressing room. A muffled ‘come in’ came through the door and he let himself inside. Glancing around the room, he took notice of the similarity to the other one he’d been in recently. The only difference between the two was that this one contained a live body.
That particular body was of a young male, mid-twenties, with shoulder length dark hair, caramel colored skin, and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Andrej blinked. The likeness was eerie, enough so to give him a moment of speechlessness. It was probably a good thing that Zayne was not present today otherwise he’d be fielding questions about long lost brothers. “Austen Ricci?”
The young man’s handsome face scrunched into a look of disgust. “You’re with the police?” Andrej nodded and the kid relaxed some. “Then call me Adrien, please.” He stood and held out his hand. Andrej took it into his own and gave a firm shake. “Detective Andrej Zeklos.”
“Nice to meet you,” Adrien said. “Austen is my stage name and sometimes hearing it causes irrational rage.” He shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Do not apologize,” Andrej said. “My name causes much… mispronunciation and my coworkers have taken to calling me Andy instead of Drej like my family always did.” He made a helpless sort of gesture. “So, I can understand the – what did you call it? Irrational rage?”
Adrien laughed. “I like you,” he said. “You remind me a lot of my uncles. Right down to the look.” He used a finger to circle his face. “The resemblance is uncanny.”
“I thought the same thing when I first saw you,” he said. “I need to ask you a few questions, if that is okay?”
“It’s fine,” Adrien said. “Have a seat.”
Andrej brought a chair over so that he could sit across from Adrien on the couch. “What is your full name for my records?”
“Adrien Lupei,” he said. “Born February 13, 1993. I live in Tucker, Tennessee, although I do have a residence in Nashville proper for optics.”
“Lupei,” Andrej asked, eyes lifting from the notes he was taking. “That is Romanian, is it not?”
“Score yourself five bonus points,” Adrien joked. “You are correct.” He thought for a second. “Your accent, is that where you’re from?”
“It is,” he said. “I came to America nearly twenty years ago.”
“And the accent is still so thick you could cut it with a knife,” Adrien pointed out. “I like it. I think my mom would love you, too. You’re not single by any chance, are you?”
That caught him off guard. “I, uh, no. I am in a relationship.”
“Pity,” Adrien said. “You’d like her, too, I think.”
“If she is anything like you, I am sure I would.” This kid had him off his game and he needed to pull himself together quickly. “I understand you were the one who found the body?”
“I am,” he said, a shudder of revulsion coursing through his body. “My boy – a good friend of mine back home is a homicide detective as well. We don’t have a lot of need for that kind of thing in Tucker, but we have two – Elliot and Damon – but man, I never honestly thought I’d ever stumble over a body myself.”
He let the almost admission go without a word. Andrej knew how hard it was to keep that secret, how necessary it was at times. “How did you find him?”
“He was in my dressing room.” Adrien glanced in the direction of where the body lay, as if he could see through walls.
Well, that explained a lot. Andrej looked down at his notes, refreshing his memory of the scene. “Tell me what happened.”
“I arrived for rehearsals at eight like required,” he said, making a face. “I don’t know how they expect anyone to arrive at eight in the morning when you’ve just spent all night in Vegas, but whatever. I grew up too poor to waste my money gambling and I don’t drink much unless I’m home.” He shot Andrej a grin. “You get into a lot less trouble if you only get drunk at home, right?” He shook his head. “Anyway, I got here, was told which dressing room was mine. I walked down the hall, opened the door, and nearly peed my pants.”
“I can only imagine how much of a shock that might have been,” Andrej said. “Do you know the victim at all?”
Another face, this one less disgusted than the previous version. “Yeah, his name is Kyle Anderson. He’s a singer who’s been around forever, although his airplay has dropped off the last couple years. Singles aren’t charting like they used to either.” Adrien ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “It’s a shame because his music was always on point.”
There was a but in there somewhere, Andrej was sure. Glancing at his notes to make sure Adrien’s information matched what Carla had given him, Andrej continued his line of questioning. “Did you ever have any problems with Mr. Anderson?”
“No, no problems,” Adrien said. “He could be an asshole, so I avoided him. I’m not big on confrontation and I try not to put myself into a position where I’m going to wind up doing battle with an aging star. At my age, you’re always the one in the wrong, no matter who started it.”
Andrej nodded, remembering his days as a newly minted detective, battling with an older, more experienced officer. “Have you seen him causing problems with anyone else?”
Adrien shook his head, then paused. “Well, not so much trouble but…”
“But?” Andrej looked up from the notes he’d been making and studied Adrien.
“But,” Adrien sighed. “Like I said, he could be a real asshole and that rubbed people the wrong way sometimes.”
“What people,” he asked. “Can you give me names?”
“Mostly, it was the women. Taryn Fairchild, Carrie Johnson, Wheeler Abrams.”
“Wheeler?”
Adrien grinned. “Not her real name, I’m sure, but she’s one of those who puts on a front wanting to look a lot more badass than she really is.” He shrugged. “I’m sure she figured Wheeler made her sound like one of the boys.”
“I do not understand Americans sometimes,” Andrej muttered, causing Adrien to laugh.
“You and me both,” he said, “and I was born in this crazy country.”
The kid sounded an awful lot like Jay did at times. “Is there anyone else you’ve seen him at odds with lately?”
Adrien scrunched up his face, thinking. “There were a couple of guys, but I’m not sure if that was him being an asshole or the others being macho idiots. Either way, I can give you their names as well.”
Andrej took down the last two names and rose to his feet. He pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to the kid. “I appreciate your time. If you think of anything else, or if you see something you think might be important – even if it is a small thing – call me. I am down a partner, but I hope to have this taken care of as soon as possible so you are not kept from moving on to the next city.”
“Thanks,” Adrien said, taking the card and tucking it into his wallet. “I never got along with Kyle, but I also never wanted to see him murdered.” He looked around and frowned. “And definitely not in my dressing room. I hope you can figure out who did this so he can have some justice.”
“It is why I am here,” Andrej assured him before walking out of the dressing room.
The rest of his morning was spent interviewing recalcitrant, spoiled, rich rednecks. Zayne had once referred to them as ‘white trash with money’ and until today, Andrej hadn’t quite understood what his partner had meant. Not one of them failed to point out his accent, commenting on how he sounded Russian or something equally as off the mark. It made him wonder if they realized their accents were as noticeable as his was. But when you’re surrounded by hundreds of others that sound the same as you, he supposed it wasn’t as obvious.
Andrej rubbed the back of his neck before checking the time. It was nearly noon and he hadn’t eaten since early that morning. No wonder he was feeling stabby. He moved to stuff his phone back in his pocket when it rang. Only partly disappointed to see it wasn’t Zayne, he pasted on a smile for his other boyfriend, James.
“Hello, Jay, how has your day been?”
“Okay so far,” he said. “I was going to take you to lunch but I can’t find you. Where did you go?”
“I am at the MGM,” he said.
“What,” James laughed. “Why? Have a desire to see a lion or two?”
“Because there is a dead body here, Jay,” he said, feeling his body deflate with the news. “I would rather be seeing the lions.”
“Ah, shit, and you don’t have Zayne to help you out.” James’ sigh drifted over the phone line. “Okay, so you’ve got to be swamped. How about dinner?”
“If I am home in time, dinner would be perfect,” he said. “I will call you when I am heading back to the station.”
“Please,” James said. “Good luck, and don’t hesitate to call me if Hansen or I can do something to help you.”
“I will, Jay, I promise,” he said. Andrej didn’t mention that he planned on calling Zayne as soon as he had five minutes of quiet time. He loved James with all his heart, but it wasn’t anything compared to the bond he had from working with Zayne all these years. “I will talk to you later.”
James said goodbye and ended the call. Andrej looked at his phone for a moment before shooting off a text to Zayne.
I know you are busy, but when you have time, please call me.
It was barely a minute before he received a response.
I’m never too busy for you, baby. But right now, I’m not in a position to call. I’ll let you know when I can. Are you okay?
He smiled at Zayne’s concern.
I am fine, but I caught a case and would like your input. Definitely better if no one is within hearing when we speak.
Understood, Zayne replied. Give me about an hour and I should be good.
I will be waiting, he texted back before putting his phone away. An hour gave him enough time to get some food and caffeine into his body. Maybe he’d be able to think straight by the time Zayne called.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos + Adrien Lupei
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,879
Summary: A washed up country star has been murdered three nights before the biggest country music awards show of the year. Andrej’s down a partner and investigating on his own, leaving him both exhausted and out of sorts.
Author’s Note: I started this last year for the crossovers challenge and never finished it. Took it back up for this year’s rare pair challenge. Still not finished, but I’ve added probably a good 8k words to the fic, so that counts, right?
He uttered a long, disgusted sigh and pushed his chair back from the desk. “I will be right back.”
Hilary reached an arm out and grabbed Andrej before he could get past her. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine,” he lied. “The captain would like to see me about a case.”
“Homicide,” Trish asked. “Or a robbery?”
“Homicide,” Andrej replied. It was always a homicide these days. He’d give anything to have a simple robbery case right now.
“And you’re down a partner,” Hilary added. “Lousy time for Zayne to be out of town.”
Andrej shrugged. “It was important that he go home for a few days, his mother is ill. I could not make him stay, no matter how much I might have wanted to do so.”
“Sucks working on your own,” Trish said, standing up and giving Andrej a hug. “But you can bounce ideas off of us and the narco, too, so you’re not completely on your own.”
“And you can always call Zayne,” Hilary said. “I have no doubt that he’d be more than happy for a distraction right now.”
He gave Trish a gentle squeeze before pulling away from her embrace. “Thank you, I think I might call him once I know all the details. It cannot hurt.” Plus, hearing Zayne’s voice would do wonders for his lonely soul.
Andrej left the captain’s office with a folder in his hand and a heavy heart. A body had been found in a dressing room at the MGM Grand Garden Arena early that morning. Something like this happening at a casino on the Strip wasn’t surprising, people lost too much money, got drunk, lost control. It was a sad story of a sad city. What did have him concerned, however, was the reason the captain had called him in before sending him off to investigate. There was a major country music awards show due to air on Thursday, giving him exactly three days to solve this murder so that the show could go on.
Despite living with a native Texan, Andrej didn’t honestly know much about country music. He knew he loved the aesthetic – the tight jeans, the plaid shirts, the sexy cowboy swagger – his relationship with Zayne was proof enough of that. But that’s pretty much where his expertise ended. With a sigh, he climbed into his car, one conspicuously missing his partner, and drove towards the MGM and prepared for what was bound to be an excruciatingly long day.
Arriving at the scene, he pulled out his badge and stated his name for the uniform guarding the area.
“Oh, I know you,” he said, making Andrej cringe. Being partnered with Zayne wasn’t always a good thing. His partner loved to rub people the wrong way and cops enjoyed holding a grudge it seemed. “You and your partner are legendary in the department.”
While this wasn’t quite what he was expecting, it wasn’t what he wanted to hear either. “Thank you, but we are just doing our jobs.”
“You’re damn good at it,” the young man said. As if remembering something, he looked around. “Is your partner on his way?”
“No,” Andrej said. “He is out of state on a personal trip. It will be only me today.”
“Gotcha,” the kid said. “Jacobi over there will take you to the body, detective.”
“Thank you,” Andrej said, ducking under the crime scene tape and following the older officer towards where another area sat sectioned off.
He stared down at the body and took in the scene. White male, mid-forties, brown hair, eye color undetermined. He was approximately six-two and maybe a hundred and seventy-five pounds. There were two holes in his chest and a puddle of blood surrounding his inert form. The contents of a makeup table were strewn all over the floor, a rack containing very expensive clothing had been knocked over as well. There had obviously been a struggle. Either that or the dressing room’s tenant was a diva of epic proportions.
“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite homicide detective,” Carla Mulholland, the county medical examiner sang when she saw Andrej. “Where’s your troublemaker partner, Zeklos?”
“Zayne had a family emergency,” he said, squatting down beside Carla and getting a better look at the body. “He is in Texas for the duration.”
“Oh,” she said, giving Andrej a sympathetic look. “Is everything okay? He’s an idiot, but he’s also a nice guy.”
“His mother has not been well,” Andrej said, wishing he could change the subject. “But she is okay, it was not anything serious. However, Zayne’s sister insisted he come down for a visit.”
“One of those ‘just in case, because you never know’ guilt trips,” Carla said, nodding.
“Yes,” Andrej replied, leaving it at that. He’d only barely made it home in time to make peace with his own father before his death so, although he hated Zayne being gone, he understood why he was.
“At least he lives close enough to go home without breaking the bank,” she said. “That trip you took a couple years ago had to have cost you a fortune.”
Andrej looked at her and frowned. “The plane ticket alone was very costly. I would love to go back again, but it may not ever be possible.” Especially since the next trip home he made would be with Zayne and James in tow.
“Understood,” Carla said. “And sometimes, it’s for the best. Family can suck.”
A smile crossed Andrej’s face. “Big fat man hooters is what Zayne says. I did not understand but after a very graphic explanation, I am grateful my family is too far away to cause me such… trouble.”
Carla snickered. “That sounds like Reyes,” she said. “Are you ready to hear about our victim?”
“Yes, please,” he said, happy to get back onto the subject of his visit. It was hard talking about his family, having Zayne absent from his side made it nearly impossible.
Carla recounted all the points he’d already observed, plus a few observations only the medical examiner would have noticed. “Definitely a homicide,” she said, giving him an eye roll. “Poor kid who found him is rather shaken up.”
“Where is the kid,” Andrej asked, looking around.
“They have him in one of the other dressing rooms,” Carla said. “I’m almost finished here if you want to go talk to him.”
“I think I will,” he said, rising. “Officer Jacobi? Where is the young man who found the body?”
“Over this way, detective. Follow me.”
Checking his notes quickly, Andrej knocked on the door to the dressing room. A muffled ‘come in’ came through the door and he let himself inside. Glancing around the room, he took notice of the similarity to the other one he’d been in recently. The only difference between the two was that this one contained a live body.
That particular body was of a young male, mid-twenties, with shoulder length dark hair, caramel colored skin, and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Andrej blinked. The likeness was eerie, enough so to give him a moment of speechlessness. It was probably a good thing that Zayne was not present today otherwise he’d be fielding questions about long lost brothers. “Austen Ricci?”
The young man’s handsome face scrunched into a look of disgust. “You’re with the police?” Andrej nodded and the kid relaxed some. “Then call me Adrien, please.” He stood and held out his hand. Andrej took it into his own and gave a firm shake. “Detective Andrej Zeklos.”
“Nice to meet you,” Adrien said. “Austen is my stage name and sometimes hearing it causes irrational rage.” He shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Do not apologize,” Andrej said. “My name causes much… mispronunciation and my coworkers have taken to calling me Andy instead of Drej like my family always did.” He made a helpless sort of gesture. “So, I can understand the – what did you call it? Irrational rage?”
Adrien laughed. “I like you,” he said. “You remind me a lot of my uncles. Right down to the look.” He used a finger to circle his face. “The resemblance is uncanny.”
“I thought the same thing when I first saw you,” he said. “I need to ask you a few questions, if that is okay?”
“It’s fine,” Adrien said. “Have a seat.”
Andrej brought a chair over so that he could sit across from Adrien on the couch. “What is your full name for my records?”
“Adrien Lupei,” he said. “Born February 13, 1993. I live in Tucker, Tennessee, although I do have a residence in Nashville proper for optics.”
“Lupei,” Andrej asked, eyes lifting from the notes he was taking. “That is Romanian, is it not?”
“Score yourself five bonus points,” Adrien joked. “You are correct.” He thought for a second. “Your accent, is that where you’re from?”
“It is,” he said. “I came to America nearly twenty years ago.”
“And the accent is still so thick you could cut it with a knife,” Adrien pointed out. “I like it. I think my mom would love you, too. You’re not single by any chance, are you?”
That caught him off guard. “I, uh, no. I am in a relationship.”
“Pity,” Adrien said. “You’d like her, too, I think.”
“If she is anything like you, I am sure I would.” This kid had him off his game and he needed to pull himself together quickly. “I understand you were the one who found the body?”
“I am,” he said, a shudder of revulsion coursing through his body. “My boy – a good friend of mine back home is a homicide detective as well. We don’t have a lot of need for that kind of thing in Tucker, but we have two – Elliot and Damon – but man, I never honestly thought I’d ever stumble over a body myself.”
He let the almost admission go without a word. Andrej knew how hard it was to keep that secret, how necessary it was at times. “How did you find him?”
“He was in my dressing room.” Adrien glanced in the direction of where the body lay, as if he could see through walls.
Well, that explained a lot. Andrej looked down at his notes, refreshing his memory of the scene. “Tell me what happened.”
“I arrived for rehearsals at eight like required,” he said, making a face. “I don’t know how they expect anyone to arrive at eight in the morning when you’ve just spent all night in Vegas, but whatever. I grew up too poor to waste my money gambling and I don’t drink much unless I’m home.” He shot Andrej a grin. “You get into a lot less trouble if you only get drunk at home, right?” He shook his head. “Anyway, I got here, was told which dressing room was mine. I walked down the hall, opened the door, and nearly peed my pants.”
“I can only imagine how much of a shock that might have been,” Andrej said. “Do you know the victim at all?”
Another face, this one less disgusted than the previous version. “Yeah, his name is Kyle Anderson. He’s a singer who’s been around forever, although his airplay has dropped off the last couple years. Singles aren’t charting like they used to either.” Adrien ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “It’s a shame because his music was always on point.”
There was a but in there somewhere, Andrej was sure. Glancing at his notes to make sure Adrien’s information matched what Carla had given him, Andrej continued his line of questioning. “Did you ever have any problems with Mr. Anderson?”
“No, no problems,” Adrien said. “He could be an asshole, so I avoided him. I’m not big on confrontation and I try not to put myself into a position where I’m going to wind up doing battle with an aging star. At my age, you’re always the one in the wrong, no matter who started it.”
Andrej nodded, remembering his days as a newly minted detective, battling with an older, more experienced officer. “Have you seen him causing problems with anyone else?”
Adrien shook his head, then paused. “Well, not so much trouble but…”
“But?” Andrej looked up from the notes he’d been making and studied Adrien.
“But,” Adrien sighed. “Like I said, he could be a real asshole and that rubbed people the wrong way sometimes.”
“What people,” he asked. “Can you give me names?”
“Mostly, it was the women. Taryn Fairchild, Carrie Johnson, Wheeler Abrams.”
“Wheeler?”
Adrien grinned. “Not her real name, I’m sure, but she’s one of those who puts on a front wanting to look a lot more badass than she really is.” He shrugged. “I’m sure she figured Wheeler made her sound like one of the boys.”
“I do not understand Americans sometimes,” Andrej muttered, causing Adrien to laugh.
“You and me both,” he said, “and I was born in this crazy country.”
The kid sounded an awful lot like Jay did at times. “Is there anyone else you’ve seen him at odds with lately?”
Adrien scrunched up his face, thinking. “There were a couple of guys, but I’m not sure if that was him being an asshole or the others being macho idiots. Either way, I can give you their names as well.”
Andrej took down the last two names and rose to his feet. He pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to the kid. “I appreciate your time. If you think of anything else, or if you see something you think might be important – even if it is a small thing – call me. I am down a partner, but I hope to have this taken care of as soon as possible so you are not kept from moving on to the next city.”
“Thanks,” Adrien said, taking the card and tucking it into his wallet. “I never got along with Kyle, but I also never wanted to see him murdered.” He looked around and frowned. “And definitely not in my dressing room. I hope you can figure out who did this so he can have some justice.”
“It is why I am here,” Andrej assured him before walking out of the dressing room.
The rest of his morning was spent interviewing recalcitrant, spoiled, rich rednecks. Zayne had once referred to them as ‘white trash with money’ and until today, Andrej hadn’t quite understood what his partner had meant. Not one of them failed to point out his accent, commenting on how he sounded Russian or something equally as off the mark. It made him wonder if they realized their accents were as noticeable as his was. But when you’re surrounded by hundreds of others that sound the same as you, he supposed it wasn’t as obvious.
Andrej rubbed the back of his neck before checking the time. It was nearly noon and he hadn’t eaten since early that morning. No wonder he was feeling stabby. He moved to stuff his phone back in his pocket when it rang. Only partly disappointed to see it wasn’t Zayne, he pasted on a smile for his other boyfriend, James.
“Hello, Jay, how has your day been?”
“Okay so far,” he said. “I was going to take you to lunch but I can’t find you. Where did you go?”
“I am at the MGM,” he said.
“What,” James laughed. “Why? Have a desire to see a lion or two?”
“Because there is a dead body here, Jay,” he said, feeling his body deflate with the news. “I would rather be seeing the lions.”
“Ah, shit, and you don’t have Zayne to help you out.” James’ sigh drifted over the phone line. “Okay, so you’ve got to be swamped. How about dinner?”
“If I am home in time, dinner would be perfect,” he said. “I will call you when I am heading back to the station.”
“Please,” James said. “Good luck, and don’t hesitate to call me if Hansen or I can do something to help you.”
“I will, Jay, I promise,” he said. Andrej didn’t mention that he planned on calling Zayne as soon as he had five minutes of quiet time. He loved James with all his heart, but it wasn’t anything compared to the bond he had from working with Zayne all these years. “I will talk to you later.”
James said goodbye and ended the call. Andrej looked at his phone for a moment before shooting off a text to Zayne.
I know you are busy, but when you have time, please call me.
It was barely a minute before he received a response.
I’m never too busy for you, baby. But right now, I’m not in a position to call. I’ll let you know when I can. Are you okay?
He smiled at Zayne’s concern.
I am fine, but I caught a case and would like your input. Definitely better if no one is within hearing when we speak.
Understood, Zayne replied. Give me about an hour and I should be good.
I will be waiting, he texted back before putting his phone away. An hour gave him enough time to get some food and caffeine into his body. Maybe he’d be able to think straight by the time Zayne called.