Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 21:02:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Farrell Mc Nulty <brendanchenowith@yahoo.com>
Subject: Chapter Thirty Seven - Bobby Reed 1986-2005

  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN - Bobby Reed 1986-2005

Today's a black day for us all. Eddie's back to himself and we're
up-n-runnin' again and Dickie Biggs' manager's comin' to get 'im and we
can close this case, but I've just been thinkin' of Bobby. That sweet,
sweet kid - tossed himself on all that ammo just so we could make a break
for it and escape without a scratch. Well, Eddie and Dickie got out fine,
but I'm not so sure about me. I start bawlin'. Eddie comes out and sees
me.

"Hey, Boss-man, Dickie's almost ready to....." He sees me in my state and
just stops. I try to shut off the waterworks and make like business as
usual, ya know, but he catches me in the act, so to speak. "Hey, Mike, ya
all right?" "Oh, uh, sure...sure thing, kid. How are you two doin'?"
"Well, Dickie's ready to get goin' soon as his boss gets here." "Really
good to see ya lookin' like yourself again. I never wanna see ya in that
busboy uniform again." Eddie laughed and said, "Yeah, I think I'm gonna
give this crap to Goodwill. I hate to do it to 'em, but somebody out
there's gotta need this, I guess." He looked long and hard at me, which I
don't usually mind, but in this case, what I'm feelin' ain't no concern
of his. "Mike, I was standin' in the back for a couple minutes, I heard
ya cryin'. Ya ain't gotta hide nothin' like that from me, I thought ya
knew that." My mouth starts shakin' and my eyes start waterin' up. I grab
Eddie and hug 'im. "That poor kid - the morgue just came and got 'im and
now I gotta notify his folks, if there's any. I don't know the first
thing about 'im, other than he saved our lives." "Yeah, that's true...but
wouldn't his boss at the gym know about 'im? I mean, wasn't he s'posed to
be workin' today? Maybe we should go over there. What time's it open?"
"9:00, which it ain't right now, it's not even 8 yet. What're we gonna
tell 'em over there?" "The truth...he was shot to death and ya found
'im." "WE found 'im, me and you we're like one guy. WE found 'im and
we're gonna tell the boss at the gym."

The doorbell rings - it's Dickie's boss. I go take care of 'im while
Eddie goes and gets Dickie. "Mr. Batz..." "Uh, it's Detective Batz, but
you can call me Mike" "You certainly are a detective and a damned good
one, too. I can't thank you enough for what you've done." Dickie shows
up, really happy to see this guy, goes to ug 'im, but he don't hug back.
I'm wonderin' about this. I look at Eddie, who noticed it, too and was
put off, he just shrugs. "Well, I see you're all right, kid, good thing.
Go wait for me in the car, I'm just gonna close this deal up." "Yes,
sir", he says. "Again, you're a total miracle worker, and I'll see to it
you're very well rewarded. That boy waiting in my car is a real hot
commodity. Without him, I'd be ruined." "Yeah, I know what ya mean. It's
like that with me and Eddie..." "No, offense of course, but has Eddie
helped generate over a billion dollars for our studio? I mean, with a
face and body like his, he could very well be the next big thing if he
chose our line of work, but Dickie is a superstar and I have a contract
to ensure that he'll be on every adult DVD shelf across the country, and
without him, I'd have to go out and find somebody new, I guess. Your
efforts have saved me quite a few steps, which is good because I am a
very lazy man." He laughed at his own joke. Geez, I hate a guy that does
that. "Yeah, but you must have some feelin' for 'im, after all the time
he's been with ya, right? Dontcha care about him personally?" He turns to
Eddie and goes on the defense, "Young man, he's very well paid, very well
taken care of, he has a roof over his head, food in his stomach, a
lifetime membership in a health club and the adoration of millions of DVD
purchasers across the country. He gets scads of e-mails." "What about
real friends?" "He gets along very well with his co-stars, with whom he
spends a lot of time on the set." "Family?" "Eddie, cool it, huh?" I
could see my boy's third degree's really gettin' to this guy. I don't
wanna piss 'im off, I mean, I took a job from this one. "Dickie's family
threw him out of the house when he came out to them at a very tender age.
He drifted around with nobody in his life and not a dime in his pocket. I
saw his potential and he's worked out very well for my company. Yes, I do
care about him and I do love him, in a way. I've gotten to know him very
well. but there's just so much to do in our field and not much time. I
act like I'm detached to protect the two of us." "From what?" "I
mentioned his abandonment. I was abandoned, too. I just happened to catch
a couple of good breaks here and there and worked my way up to producing
and managing really talented boys for my films. You could say I went into
this business just to be near boys like him, but I have to keep it on a
professional level." "I know I'm oversteppin' here, but, just be good to
'im, ya know? Tell 'im somethin' nice sometimes. My dad tried to kill me
when I was a kid and my mom died pretty soon after and I was on my own,
then I met Mike. If it ain't for him, I don't know where I'd be right
now." Dickie's boss grins at both of us and says, "if I played my cards
right, you might've been sharing top billing with Dickie. Well, anyway,
we have to get going here, so let me write you a check and...well...thank
you again, for everything, especially you, kid." So the guy pays me off
and slips me a check and slips Eddie a card, sayin' if he ever got tired
of chasin' bad guys, he could pop up at his studio anytime. Flattered as
I think he was, he just smiled it off and thanked him.

We get to the gym and notify the owner of Bobby's murder. "How'd it
happen?" "We were bein' shot at by my boy's kidnappers and he stood and
took all the ammo for us. We all woulda been wiped out if not for him."
"Sounds like somethin' he'd do." "He's got family?" "No, the kid was a
drifter, saw a Help Wanted sign and went for it. He was one of our best.
Faithful, upright, honest. We made a good team. Good boy. Damn good boy.
Always had the makin's of a good cop."

The funeral was the next day. When we were gettin' ready to go, Eddie
pops up in them clothes my ex-Boxx-man made 'im wear when he was holdin'
'im hostage. "Eddie, what're ya doin'? I thought you was trashin' that
stuff." "It's a funeral, Mike, I figured I'd show some respect is all."
All of 'em from the gym came out and paid their respects. Me and 'is boss
gave speeches as we were the two guys he worked with the most. His boss
started off like, "Bobby Reed wasn't with us very long, maybe a year or
so, but I really got to know him very well. He had a heart of gold,
really put himself into his job. Got along great with all the customers
and the rest of the staff. He will be missed. Detectives Batz and
Robinson notified me of his sacrifice of life. While shocked and saddened
by his fate, I wasn't really surprised because when he was into
something, he threw his whole life into it. Bobby had a great love of
life and he cared very deeply about others. he was selfless, upright,
moral, always did believe in doing the right thing, no matter the
expense....." Then he broke off, see, and took a long pause. He started
crying right there. Hopin' to keep up the veneer, but you could tell he
was broken up. Finally, he says, he says to us, "God, please excuse me,
this boy was like a son to me. I feel like he was one of my own.
Detective Batz, Detective Robinson, you didn't know him long, either, but
I hope you knew what a ray of sunshine you guys had in him. A real ray of
sunshine." He walked away from the stand shaken, then it was announced
I'd be talkin' 'bout 'im. I didn't know what to say, but there was plenty
I wanted to say, ya get my meanin'.

I stood up there and nodded to the congregation. "How's it goin'. I met
Bobby at the gym, was lookin' for a missin' person and two of us got to
talkin' and all, said he really liked my work, asked a lot about it and I
gave it to 'im straight. He didn't flinch. I guess you could say he liked
it even better after that. He wanted to put his life into it, and you
could say he did. My partner, Eddie, was kidnapped in the same way
another guy was and sure enough both by the same perp. Bobby wanted to
help me find both of 'em, and we got 'em. 'Cuz of him, this ended up
sooner and better than it might've. All the time I knew he'd make a great
gunmshoe, he'd do just as good for somebody out there like he'd done for
me. Thanks."
I sit back down, starin' straight ahead. Eddie says to me, "good work,
Boss-man". I don't respond. I don't know what to say. Maybe there ain't
nothin' to say.

Back at the house, Eddie changed, thank God, and we just sat. Didn't feel
like doin' nothin'. No tv, no food, not even screwin' around. "Y'all
right Mike?" I just looked up at 'im, "no. Not right now. Tell ya what,
could ya just sit with me? I just want ya nearby." "Sure", and he parks
it by my side, like he's always been. "It'd be one thing if he was caught
off guard, but he walked right into it. He coulda run like the rest of
us." "They woulda followed us in. Bobby did what he had to do to fend 'em
off." "Yeah, but...." I looked in 'is eyes and stopped dead. I knew what
I had to say and it wasn't gonna be easy. "I tried to get it goin' with
Bobby." "Yeah, I knew ya did." I was shocked. "How long did ya know?" He
chuckled, "come on, I'm a detective, I was trained by the best. I was
watchin' him strut his stuff in the gym when I was undercover, actin' all
like a cop and ev'rything. Then I put two and two together. Saw what he
was wearin', the way he was actin' with ya and stuff." "Been meanin' to
ask, when did you come out of that trance, or whatever you were in." "It
was when the first shots were fired when we were movin'. I shouted out
HOLY BLITZKRIEG" "Yeah, I knew that sounded like your old self. I felt
like we was back together at that point." "Are we?" "Whaddya talkin'
about?" "Did ya go all the way with 'im?" "Nah. I was drinkin', didn't
sleep, got confused, saw that he looked like ya a little and I thought it
was you." "Ya thinkin' about 'im now?" "Course I am, we just buried
'im..." Then Eddie stopped short, started bawlin'. "I don't believe it.
All this time I thought I was your one and only. The minute my back is
turned, ya can just go off and get yourself another stud. I didn't know
ya was like that, Mike. I didn't know I was just another stud for ya."
"Oh, God, Eddie, please." "I can't believe ya'd rather fuck some dead
towel boy". I slapped him hard across the face, only because he wasn't
thinkin' right and I had to wake 'im up. But then he belted me, and the
two of us got into fisticuffs like I never thought we would. "Make ya
think you're somethin', huh? Big time gumshoe slappin' around his little
studling when the mood gets ya?" I had my hands on 'im, now, not for
pleasure, but this time I wanted to break his neck for all the awful
stuff he was sayin'. He punches me and sends me flyin'. Then I rebound,
only to have 'im kick me back down. This kid was not givin' it up for
nothin'. Then I grabbed 'im again, I pinned his arms up against the wall.

EDDIE - The minute he did that, I flashed back to bein' chained up at
that pole. I wasn't thinkin' right, I felt like I was back there again. I
panicked and started screamin' Mike, Mike, please don't leave, stuff like
that.

MIKE - Aw, man he was howlin' almost. I kept sayin' stuff like I ain't
leavin', I'm right here and he kept beggin' me to let his arms go and
where was I goin', that kinda thing. "Jesus, kid, I'm right here. I ain't
goin' nowhere" I kissed 'im softly on the cheek. "ssh, it's all right,
you're home now" I pecked 'im again, a few times. Some tears were left on
his face, I kissed them, too. I loosened my grip and Eddie and I was both
cryin'. I kissed his fingers as he reached up to wipe my tears off. I
took his hands in mine, our fingers lockin' tighter together. "Eddie, I'm
sorry I ever did anything to hurt ya." "I'm sorry I said all that stuff
about you and Bobby. I owe 'im my life, we both do. Too bad I didn't know
'im as well as you did." That really raised an eyebrow up, "uh, what's
that again?" Eddie caught what he just said, "OH NO, not like that, I
mean, just what a good kid he was, ya know, catchin' bad guys, stuff like
that!" I started laughin', "dead towel boy, huh?" Eddie realized he was
busted and I couldn't resist teasin' him and he starts laughin', too.
"well I didn't say he was an ugly one". "Did ya look at 'im in the gym?
Ya said ya was watchin' 'im. Come on, come on, out with it, I'm a
gumshoe, I always get my man." "Okay. I confess! Ya got me" He puts his
hands out like he's gonna get cuffed, "so are ya gonna take me in, big
boy?" I take hold of his wrists, "ya have the right to remain silent, ya
give up the right to remain silent, anything ya say as well as any body
part of mine'll be held against ya. Ya have the right to a mouthpiece all
over ya. Like this" I kiss his neck, he puts his head back and moans. "Ya
givin' up the right to remain silent" "You bet your ass I am. I want ya
to hear it all" The shirt goes up, my tongue is on his nipples, he's
rubbin' my head, kissin' it, really givin' up his right to remain silent,
"I missed this - I missed you so much even when I didn't know it",
rubbin' his cock, "hey, not so fast, kid, wait for me", and I went down
there. He let his fingers do the walkin' back up to his nipples and I
went to talkin' on his telephone.

EDDIE - Wow - holy make-up sex. The boss-man goin' down on me was like
nothin' ever happened. Aw, we ain't had this in a while. I really missed
'im. I got to thinkin', about how he went for Bobby like that. Anybody
woulda done the same thing. He sure was a hunk. I knew about it, didn't
hold it against him, but my real feelin's came out when he brought it
back up. I swear I didn't know what was next. What if we split up? What
if I walked out on 'im that night? Glad it didn't happen. I guess
somebody up there likes us. I was lookin' up when Mike was suckin' me
off, like I usually do when he turns me on and I was just moanin', but I
was lookin' up for another reason, too. Lookin' up to Bobby, I guess. He
wanted to get us back together and gave his life to do just that. Now I
guess he did it again. Mike was finishin' me off and I felt all my juices
shootin' through my veins, straight through the shaft of my cock. It felt
so intense, I clenched my teeth at first, then let out a scream, a bunch
of 'em, really. Then we heard somethin' rattle. The window blinds were
movin'. We went over there and found the window was closed, but we still
felt a breeze and it smelled like someone wearin' cologne. I could swear
I felt somethin' like someone was kissin' my right cheek and touchin' my
shoulder and I jumped a little, looked at Mike. Then it was all gone, the
breeze, the smell, ev'rything. "Holy moley, what the heck was that?" Mike
said, "did it feel like someone kissed ya and touched ya?" "Yeah" Mike
just nodded. "Yeah. Yeah."