Though his blond hair was still long in this photo, Luis knew it was him. He was walking beside a small group of people, all dressed in black. The caption beneath the photo read: “The longtime partner of alleged teen pornographer Leck Schneider pays his last respects.”
* * * *
First, Luis called Roland and Josh and asked them to keep Hunter at their house for the rest of the afternoon. He knew the school bus would drop Justin off first, and he didn’t want Hunter at Cider Mill Farm or anywhere near Darius Denby ever again. He spoke to Roland on the phone quickly and promised he’d go into detail later. Roland said they’d be more than happy to take care of Hunter for as long as Luis needed.
Then Luis closed his laptop and reached for the framed photo of Leck he’d set facedown on the desk in his bedroom. He forced Camp to remain in the bedroom and closed the door against Camp’s wishes, so he wouldn’t get in the way. He went down the back stairs to show Jase what he’d found under Darius’s mattress and what he seen on the Internet, hoping Jase was finally off the phone with the plant manager. If Jase wasn’t off the phone, Luis would interrupt him this time. He’d bang his head against the wall if he had to.
Evidently, Darius Denby, the ex-lover of Leck Schneider, was a very sick individual and he’d been playing them like fools all along.
But when Luis entered the kitchen, Jase was leaning against the counter near the sink drinking a cup of coffee and Darius was emptying grocery bags on the kitchen table. Jase smiled and said, “Darius made me this new coffee he found at the store. It’s the best coffee I’ve ever had. Can I get you a cup?”
Luis watched closely as Darius passed by Jase and gently ran his fingertips across Jase’s arm. Darius looked into Jase’s eyes and smiled. “Oh, it’s nothing. I thought you’d like something different for a change instead of the same old coffee we always have. You work so hard, Jase. A big strong man like you should be treated like a king. I only want to make your life easier.”
Jase smiled. “I can’t believe how lucky we are to have you around, Darius. You truly are a godsend.”
Luis almost gagged.
Darius turned to Luis. “Where’s Hunter? He should be home by now. I promised I’d take him out shopping for new shoes this afternoon. He wants those sneakers that light up.”
Luis clenched his fists. “You dirty, slimy piece of shit.
You stay as far away from my kid as you can get.”
Jase blinked and sprayed coffee all over his shirt.
Darius dropped a roll of paper towels he’d been carrying to the sink. He turned and gaped at Luis. His jaw fell and his eyebrows arched.
Luis held up the photo of Leck Schneider and said, “I want you out of this house. Stop everything you’re doing and get the fuck out before I call the police.” Then he threw the photo across the room, missing Darius’s head by inches.
The photo landed on the white subway tiled backsplash above the counter, and the glass shattered into tiny little shards. Both Darius and Jase reached for it at the same time. Jase picked it up first and gazed down at the image. He looked at Luis and asked, “What’s going on here? I’ve never seen you like this, Luis.” Luis knew Jase had never met Leck in person, only in a few newspaper photos. He obviously didn’t recognize him at a glance.
Luis’s fists were still clenched. He reached for a heavy iron poker beside the fireplace and held it with both hands. “Ask Darius what’s wrong, Jase.” He turned to Darius.
“Why don’t you tell us everything, you fucking sneak?”
Darius stepped back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Luis, please calm down. This is insane.” He turned to Jase. “Do something. He looks violent.”
Luis took a swing with the poker. He whacked the back of a kitchen chair and broke the top rung. “I am violent.
And if you don’t get the fuck out of my house I’m going to bust your fucking head like I busted that chair.”
“Luis!” Jase said. “What on Earth are you babbling about?”
“The man in the photo is Leck Schneider, Jase,” Luis said. His face felt warm and his hands were on the verge of shaking. “The German publisher I almost posed nude for. The Leck Schneider who did porn films with minors. The same Leck Schneider who shot himself in the head before I had a chance to testify and they had a chance to lock him up for good.” He sent Darius a seething glare. “Tell him all about it, Darius. I’m curious myself.”
“Jase, I swear I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Darius said. “He’s crazy.”
“What does this have to do with poor Darius?” Jase asked, reaching out to put his arm around Darius’s shoulders.
“The poor boy is terrified.”
Darius rested his head against Jase’s chest. “Don’t let him hurt me, please, Jase.”
“Calm down, Luis. This is getting out of hand.” Jase held Darius closer. “This poor kid is shaking now.”
Luis set his jaw and took a step forward. He smacked the iron poker against his left palm and said, “I found that photo of Leck under Darius’s bed this morning. It was wedged between his mattress and box spring. I also found several pairs of your missing underwear under his bed.”
Jase released his arms from Darius’s body and stepped away from him. “Why would you have a photo of Leck Schneider under your mattress?” He refrained from mentioning the underwear.
Luis said, “Tell him, Darius.”
“I don’t know what he’s talking about, Jase,” Darius said, pointing at Luis. “Please believe me. He probably planted the photo and the underwear there. He’s never liked me. I think he’s jealous of the way you look at me.”
Jase scratched his head. “How do I look at you? What are you talking about?”
Luis frowned. “Ask dear sweet Darius where Roland’s proposal went, Jase. I’m curious to hear what he has to say.”
“Why would Darius have anything to do with Roland’s proposal?” Jase asked.
Luis took another step forward. “When you handed me the proposal at the Fourth of July party, I left it on the table and went into the house with Hillary. Darius picked it up, took it into the pool house bathroom, tore it into a million little pieces, and flushed it down the toilet.”
Darius stepped back. “You’re insane. You’re jealous of me because Jase would rather be with me than with you.