“Well, it’s one point. Schwierskott &Associate is a big firm. A big, profitable firm. If they can makeit, we sure as hell can.”
“You’re PIs?” Schwierskott asked.
“You don’t know?” Taylor questioned. “You’rerunning surveillance on us and you don’t know what we do for aliving?”
“We’re not PIs,” Will said.
“I know you both left the DSS at the sametime and under mysterious circumstances,” Schwierskott said. “Whichin my book translates to you getting canned.”
“Oh, your book,” Taylor said. “Let’sread another page out of that, shall we? Investigator is forcedto terminate surveillance when German shepherd dogs pursue himthrough woods.”
“Mysterious circumstances? There was nothingmysterious about it,” Will said.
“I want to know who hired you,” Taylor saidagain.
“First of all, that’s privilegedinformation. Secondly, like I keep telling you, we don’tknow.”
“Bullshit.”
“I’m telling you the truth. We were hired bya third party. We’re supposed to observe and report until furthernotice. That’s it.”
“What third party?”
“I don’t —”
“Tell him,” Will said toSchwierskott. “Unless you want to spend the rest of the day on thisfucking hillside, tell him.”
Schwierskott scowled. “We were hired by arepresentative of the legal firm of Gently, Fallis &Landreth.”
“What? They’re ambulance chasers,” Taylorsaid, and now he looked as confused as Will felt.
“I already told you they were hired as ago-between.”
Taylor chewed his lip, thinking it over.
“This guy is a dead end,” Will told Taylor.“When we get back to L.A. we’ll contact Gently, Fallis &Landreth. See what we can find out then.”
Taylor nodded. “Okay.”
Schwierskott swallowed. “What about me?”
“What about him?” Will asked Taylor.
“Personally, I’d look for another line ofwork,” Taylor said. “I don’t think you got one thing in this reportcorrect. Maybe the part where the dogs chased you.”
Schwierskott said, “But wait. I’m doing youa favor, right?”
“I don’t see it that way,” Will said. Henodded at Taylor. “I guarantee you he doesn’t see it thatway.”
“No. Look. You don’t have to mention any ofthis, do you? When you talk to my old — my boss. I’ve beencooperative, haven’t I?”
“Is that what you call this?”
“I’m just trying to earn a living. I’m oneof the good guys.”
“Actually, we’re the good guys,” Will toldhim. “You’re someone who spends his time digging through otherpeople’s garbage cans.”
“Wait a minute,” Taylor said.
Will waited. Schwierskott looked both uneasyand hopeful. Taylor said slowly, “So if we don’t mention havingthis conversation with you, if we don’t share any of the events ofthe last few days with your boss, you’ll turn these reports in asis?”
“Yes. Yes,” Schwierskott said eagerly. “I’mhappy to help. We’ll call it a professional courtesy. Where you’reconcerned, I see nothing. I know nothing.”
“That last shouldn’t be hard to sell.”
“He’s a witness to the Dooleys shooting upmy father’s house,” Will said.
“I know, but it’s not like he’s going to beneeded to prove the case against the Dooleys.”
“That’s not the point.”
Taylor drew him aside. “I know this goesagainst the grain, but hear me out.”
“Go on.”
“This gives us an advantage, Brandt. Whoeveris watching us doesn’t have to know that we know he’s out there.And meanwhile, Stuart’s feeding him — or her — wronginformation.”
Will grunted.
“You see where I’m going with this?”
Yes. He saw exactly where Taylor was going.Will didn’t like it, but Taylor had a point. After a moment henodded curtly.
Schwierskott let out a long breath.“Excellent. You won’t regret this, boys!”
“I already regret it,” Will said, but Taylorwinked at him, and he sighed.
* * * * *
Taylor said sleepily, “I’m still not sure Iget it. The Dooleys were waiting for Jem to come back and even thescore, but when he finally got out of prison, he didn’t want tohave anything to do with his loser family either. So Jem takes off,and Jethro and the rest of the clan are left with nothing. Allthose years of threats and warnings and predictions of what wasgoing to happen when their big brother got out of prison turned outto be nothing but hot air?”
“Something like that,” Will said.
It was nearly midnight. They were lying inthe too-small bed in Will’s old room, warm and comfortable, wrappedin each other’s arms. The Dooleys had been arrested and carted offby the Sheriff’s Department, Stuart Schwierskott was on his wayback to L.A., and the Marshals Service had decided Bill Brandt’sHome for Wayward Fugitives was getting a little too much attentionthese days and had pulled Cousin Dennis out and sent him on thenext leg of his journey.
Tomorrow they would celebrate Thanksgiving.The first Thanksgiving Will had made it home for in a couple ofyears. Maybe it wasn’t the actual official holiday, but whatmattered was he would be with his family. All of his family, oldand new. He smiled at the thought. He had a lot to be thankful forthis year.
“So they were just…keeping up appearances?”Taylor was still thinking aloud.
“I guess.”
“Jem never was a threat?”
“Nope.”
Taylor yawned widely, belatedly smotheringhis exhalation in Will’s shoulder. Will absently kissed the top ofhis head. He smiled to himself. Taylor smelled like Dial soap,which was the soap Will’s father had bought as long as Will couldremember. The deodorant soap smell was strangely sexy onTaylor.
Grant had stopped by his room while Taylorhad been taking his bath, and they’d talked for a minute.
Grant’s face had worked. “He’s okay, Will. Isee he’s a good guy. And I see how he feels about you. I just…can’tunderstand it. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t seem right to me.It doesn’t seem natural. I can’t help it.”
“Okay,” Will had said at last, wearily. “Iguess I can’t fight that.”
“But…” Grant sucked in a deep breath. “ButI’m glad you have him. I’m glad you found somebody and you’rehappy.”
It was less than Will wanted, but by thenmore than he’d hoped for. “Thanks. Thank you, Grant.”
“You’re my brother,” Grant said moresteadily. “I want whatever you want. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He wasn’t sure if they’d ever said the wordsout loud before. They’d always taken love for granted. But itwasn’t something you could — or should — take for granted.
“You okay?” Will asked Taylor softly.
“Hm?”
Will ran his hand under Taylor’s sweatshirt,stroking his back. “Not feeling neglected or anything now?”
He felt the curve of Taylor’s smile. “I’mokay.”
Will
