Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 10:27:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: Randal Jenner <rjthejackal@yahoo.com>
Subject: Killer and Ike 3

Killer and Ike Chapter 3: Fortune, Glory, and our fifteen minutes.


	Isaac stood up from the padded deck lounge and stretched his hands
way up over his head.  "I'm going in the pool.  You coming?"  He asked
Keller and adjusted the waistband of his Hawaiian printed swim trunks.

	Keller nodded and set his iced tea on one of the tables.  He also
adjusted his suit when he stood up and looked over at Janice and Ben.  "You
guys coming in?"  His well-tanned skin glimmered from the sunscreen Janice
had insisted on.

	"In a minute, Keller."  Janice replied.  She watched him walk
carefully to the steps and down into the water.  He seemed to be able to
move better, and said that his shoulder wasn't as stiff after swimming.
She turned to Ben.  "So if I can ask, how did you end up with the NWP?  Did
you have a similar situation to ours?"

	Ben smiled sort of wistfully and shook his head.  "No, my brother's
boyfriend did."  He looked up at her.  "See, when I was twenty Vance was
seventeen.  He got real brave one night and came out to the family and like
an ass I got mad.  I mouthed off to one of my friends about how pissed off
I was, and the next thing we knew it got back to Kenny's parents.  Kenny is
Vance's partner."

	"They didn't like it very much?"  Janice asked.

	"No.  It was really bad."  Ben looked down and played with the hem
on his tank top.  "Kenny's dad beat him so bad he was unconscious for
almost a week.  When he heard the sirens coming he realized what he'd done
and shot himself in the head.  Kenny still blames himself."

	"Oh my God!"  Janice put her hand to her throat and felt like there
was a weight on her chest.  "Kenny's alive though?  NWP helped him?"  She
was actually thinking how lucky Keller was that it hadn't been worse for
him, and how lucky they all was that Keller was home where he belonged.

	"He's got some serious issues but he does okay."  Ben smiled at her
and dropped his shirt, embarrassed.  "He and Vance work for me managing
some of the office buildings I bought with my modeling earnings.  Kenny
rarely leaves the house because of his fear of people, but he is a grand
expert accountant."

	"Do you have a partner?"  Janice refilled his iced tea and handed
it to him.

	"Actually I'm married.  My wife Linda and I have a two year old son
named Deacon."  Ben said proudly.  "I thought once that I might be gay, but
I tried it and didn't like it much.  Linda is the only one for me."

	"That's sort of funny don't you think?"  She suppressed a chuckle.
"A straight man being the spokesperson for a gay support group?"

	"It's been the source of more than one joke, let's put it that
way."

	Keller moved his arms under the water, appreciating the ability to
move it without to much pain.  His bronze tanned skin still showed some
purplish green bruises over his ribs, and he still looked like he had a lot
of mascara from the bruise around his left eye, but he felt a lot better.
The only problem was that he'd get sore after awhile and that made him
tired.

	Isaac floated not to far away, looking up at the large trees that
shaded the back yard in the afternoon.  "What I was saying was that I liked
Ben's idea about the school he suggested.  He's right, Killer, you could be
a model like him.  You're drop dead gorgeous."

	"And what I was saying is that if you won't do it with me I'm not
doing it either."  Keller swam to the side and hooked his good arm over the
lip.  "It's creepy, Ike.  I don't want all of those people looking at me in
underwear."

	"They do other stuff, dumbass.  You don't have to do anything you
don't want to."  Isaac also hooked an arm over the edge.  "I said we'd do
it together.  You never listen to me."

	"I was listening.  You didn't listen to me."  Keller shook his
head.  "I was trying to tell you that it weirds me out a little."

	Isaac looked up as his mother brought the cordless phone to him.
Not for the first time he thought to himself that his mother was very
attractive.  She worked hard at keeping her body in shape and so did his
dad.  He was always proud of them when he saw someone else's parents, like
Keller's, that had let them selves go.  He reached up and took the phone.
"Thanks, Mom."

	"Who is it?"  Keller asked, letting his legs and body rise up to
float on the surface.

	"Cindy."  Janice shook her head.  "She sounded really upset."  They
watched as Isaac climbed the steps out of the pool and wandered over to one
of the trees.  "So," she asked him, "is the water helping?"

	"A lot."  Keller smiled up at her.  "I'm getting tired, though.
Want to get in the hot tub with me?"

	"Sure.  Let me see Ben out and I'll be right back."

	"He has to go already?"

	She chuckled.  "He has a flight out at nine tonight.  He's doing
some exotic location shoot in the Cayman Islands.  Wish we were going."

	"No shit.  That would be nice right now."  Keller walked to the
stairs and climbed out.  "Can I help do dinner tonight?  I'm getting a
little tired of being babysat."

	"If you're up to it, sure."  She grinned at him and then lost her
train of thought as Isaac stalked towards them and handed her the phone.
His face was contorted in rage.

	"I have to go to Cindy's."  He said in a very controlled voice.
"That bitch Niki has gone to all of their friends and told them that Cindy
drugged her and then raped her."

	"I think you ought to stay out of this, Isaac.  The last thing we
need is for you to fire off your mouth and get in trouble with the law."
Janice put her hands on her hips.  "Its just crap and people know that."

	"I could give a shit less about Niki, Mother.  I'm going to see
Cindy.  I love Keller but I still care about her."  Isaac insisted.

	"I'll go with you."  Keller offered and turned towards the house.
Isaac caught his arm and shook his head.

	"No offense, Kel, but I need to go alone.  I hope you know I'm not
shitting on you."

	Keller smiled slightly after a moment and nodded.  "I still don't
like this, Isaac."  Janice stated firmly.  "You need to stay here and not
get things stirred up."

	"I'll be back for dinner, I promise."  He kissed her cheek and
headed into the house trailed by Keller.  He pulled off his suit as he
walked into his room and tossed it into the bathroom.  Keller leaned
against the door jam and watched him dress.

	"Don't do anything stupid, okay?"  Keller said.  "I know your
temper."

	"I won't.  Have you seen my car keys?"  Isaac searched the top of
his dresser.

	"Mine's behind yours, hang on a sec."  Keller walked into his room
and got the keys to his almost restored 1967 Ford Galaxy convertible.  It
had been one of the few things that he and his dad had pleasant memories
about, sanding and painting the car.  He walked back to Isaac's room and
tossed him the keys.  "It needs to be driven."

	"Okay, Thanks."  Isaac walked over and kissed him.  "I won't be
long, I promise."

	"I love you, dumbass."  Keller said to Ike's retreating back.

	"Me, too!"  Ike waved and was gone.

	Dinner came and went, and Keller helped with the dishes and then
watched TV with his adoptive parents.  None of them said anything, but as
the time went by they all began to worry.  After the news was over (and for
once they weren't in it) Vaughn headed for bed.  He had a meeting in the
morning and had to be up early.  Janice went to make sure his suit was laid
out.

	Keller turned off the TV and headed for his room.  He took a cool
shower and changed into a pair of Isaac's silk boxers.  He thought about a
t-shirt but decided against it.  He'd gotten just enough sun for his skin
to be red and almost stinging.

	The bed glared back at him as he stood at the end of it, almost
challenging him to try and sleep.  He sighed and glanced towards Isaac's
room and decided that he wasn't going to get in bed yet.  He found some
cigarettes on Isaac's dresser and headed out to the patio.

	The lights were out and the only illumination was the reflections
of the pool lights on the surface of the water.  He climbed onto one of the
deck lounges and folded his legs under him and lit a smoke.  It was still
fairly warm out, and he looked up at the stars as his mind wandered on
Isaac, his parents, his dad's upcoming trial, and the future.

	"Why are you out here in the dark?"  Janice asked him, causing him
to jump.  She laughed lightly and sat in the chair next to his.  "Sorry, I
didn't mean to make you jump."

	"I guess I was zoning."  He smiled at her and looked back up at the
stars.  "I can't get my head to shut down tonight."

	"Penny for your thoughts?"  She asked.

	Keller sighed and glanced over at her.  "I don't know if you're the
right person to tell this to.  It's about Isaac."  He was embarrassed.

	"You think you two have any secrets after the last week, Keller?"
She pulled her legs up onto the chair.  "Try me."

	He grinned and shook his head.  "You asked for it.  I was thinking
about how good a friend Ike is, how he'd wade through a fire to help me."
He took a drag off the cigarette and exhaled slowly.  "I was thinking about
how that changed when I decided I loved him, when he told me he loved me."

	Janice looked out across the pool into the yard.  She had been
thinking along similar lines for several days.  It was hard to accept that
Isaac was gay, or said he was, and it was harder to accept that Keller,
Isaac's faithful companion for many years, was now his lover.

	She turned back to Keller and her eyes softened.  "Keller, how do
you feel inside when you think of Isaac?  I mean the truth, not the
automatic answer."

	"Like I have a nervous stomach."  He suddenly became interested in
his thumbnail.  "Like I can't breathe.  When I look at him it's almost like
I can't think because he's so beautiful."  Keller looked out at the pool
and the dancing reflections.  "If it wasn't for him I think I would've
killed myself when my dad did what he did."

	She shook her head slowly.  "Sounds like love to me.  For the
record if your answer had been any different I would've drowned you."

	Keller laughed and stubbed the cigarette out.  "He's like the world
to me.  I can't explain it.  He's special.  There isn't another Isaac
anywhere."

	"You both are."  She grinned and stood up, holding out her hand to
him.  "Come on, Killer Keller.  You need to take one of your pills and go
to bed or you won't be able to move tomorrow."

	He stood up and impulsively hugged her.  "Thanks, Mom.  I really
love you guys.  Thanks, for everything."

	"We love you, too.  Now move it."  She slapped his ass and followed
him into the house.  "I want you in bed in five minutes.  You can watch TV
or read or whatever while you wait for Isaac, but I want you in bed, okay?"

	"Yes Ma'am."

	It was an hour later when Isaac came in to his room.  Keller was
faintly glazed from the pain pill but not out of it.  He smiled up at Ike
and put his hand on his arm.  "So?  Everything's cool?"  Ike nodded, and
Keller could see that he'd been crying.  His eyes were red and puffy.
"What happened?"

	"We talked and went to the batting cages and then out for pizza,
then talked and cried some more."  Ike leaned back and put his head in
Keller's lap.  "She's pretty fucked up.  Niki said some nasty shit.  About
all of us."

	Keller stroked his hair, catching a whiff of Isaac's scent.  He
closed his eyes and smiled.  "In a year none of this will mean shit, Ike.
Get in bed and let's get some sleep."

	Isaac stood up and stripped to his boxers.  Keller held up the
covers for him and he slipped into bed.  "One of the things we talked about
was you."  He said, sliding up to Keller's side.

	"Oh, like what?"  Keller asked, opening his eyes.

	"About what a moody shit I've been, and how fucked up I was to act
like a spoiled brat when you moved in."  Isaac reached up and touched
Keller's lips with his finger and drew an invisible line down past his
Adam's apple.  "And about how I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have
you."

	"Wow, I had the same talk with your mom.  That's spooky."  Keller
chuckled.  If you've been acting like a spoiled brat I missed it.  I
thought we were all doing pretty good considering all the shit we've been
through."

	"Keller," Isaac said seriously and used his hand to turn Keller's
face toward him.  "I mean it when I say I love you.  There is nobody else I
would want to be with than you, ever."

	"I love you, too, Isaac.  I really do, and I know that now."  They
kissed, a long slow proper kiss and when they parted Keller sighed and
rested his head on Isaac's shoulder.  "Just don't let me go until I fall
asleep, okay?"

	"Deal."  Isaac blinked back tears and kissed the top of Keller's
blond head.  "Never in a million years."




	The next morning Janice looked up from the onions she was cutting
up for omelets and smiled as Keller shuffled into the kitchen.  He'd pulled
on a t-shirt with his boxers but had otherwise not bothered to get dressed.
His hair was sleep matted, and he gave her a dopey grin and peered at her
through slitted eyes.

	"Hi, sunshine."  She reached up and took a mug out of the cupboard
for him and poured it full of coffee.

	"Thanks."  He mumbled and shuffled to the table and sat down.

	"So what time did Prince Charming drag his butt in here last night?
I noticed your car was back."  She whisked several eggs together briskly in
a clear bowl and started cooking.

	"It was after midnight.  I got the pleasure of his cold feet when
he came in."  Keller wrapped his arms around the warm mug and held it up to
his lips.  It was hot and strong, just the way he liked it.

	"His dad's like that."  Janice chuckled and scattered diced
tomatoes, onions, and peppers onto the eggs and then turned to get the ham.
"Wait until winter."  The doorbell rang and she looked towards the clock
and then towards the living room.  "Who's that this early?  Will you get
it?"

	"Sure."  Keller ran into the laundry room and pulled on some shorts
and then dashed to the front door.  There were two guys in sunglasses on
the porch when he pulled open the door.  "Can I help you?"

	"Are you Isaac Rawlins?"  One of the men held up a badge.

	Keller felt a cold shiver crawl up his back.  "No, I'm Keller
Martin.  What's going on?"

	"I'm Detective Rickover and this is Detective Gardner.  Can we
speak to Isaac, please?"

	"Yeah, I'll get him."  Keller said carefully.  As he let them into
the living room Janice came out of the kitchen to see who was at the door.
Her face transformed into a curious look.  "Mom, these guys are detectives.
They want to talk to Isaac."

	"What's going on, officer?"  Janice looked at them.  "Please, come
in and sit down.  Keller, go get Isaac."  Keller took off down the hall and
she moved into the living room with them.

	"We're investigating an incident that happened last night, ma'am.
Your son was in the area according to some of his friends and we need to
ask him some questions."  Detective Rickover smiled reassuringly.

	Keller dove onto the bed and shook Isaac awake.  "Wake up, goddamn
it!  What the hell did you do last night?"  He jumped off the bed and
picked up Isaac's shorts from the floor.

	"What are you talking about?"  Isaac rubbed his eyes and tried to
focus on Keller.

	"There's two detectives here that want to talk to you."  Keller
handed Isaac his shorts and then bent to get his shirt.  "Hurry.  Mom's
going ape shit."

	Isaac pulled on his clothes and followed Keller down the hall.  As
they walked in the two detectives stood up.  The taller one, Rickover,
stuck out his hand.  "Are you Isaac?"  Isaac nodded and shook his hand.
"We need to ask you some questions about your activities last night."

	Isaac sat down next to his mother and rubbed his eyes.  "What do
you want to know?"

	"If you could, tell us where you went and what you did, and if you
can the times, please."  The shorter detective, Gardner said.  He had a
notebook out and was making notes in it.

	"I guess about six I went to Cindy's house.  We talked with her mom
and dad until like eight, then went to the batting cages on Graham and
17th.  We left the cages and walked across the street for pizza about ten
thirty."  He looked from one to the other.  "Why?  What happened?"

	"What time did you get home?"  Rickover asked, ignoring the
question.

	Ike looked at Keller and shrugged.  "Midnight?"

	"Isaac, did you drop Cindy off at home?"  Gardner asked intently.

	"Yeah, she got out on the west side of the street and went into the
garage."

	"Did something happen to Cindy last night?"  Janice asked, a cold
weight feeling settling onto her chest.

	"Mrs. Rawlins, Niki Richins was murdered last night in a storage
yard not far from the Third Strike batting cages on 17th Street."  Rickover
said, keeping his eyes on Isaac.  "It was a very grisly crime.  We're
trying to track down who did it.  Cindy hasn't been home yet."

	"Jesus Christ!"  Isaac gasped.  "Niki's dead?"

	"You can't possibly think my son had anything to do with this?"
Janice was stunned.  "They were very close."

	"Right now ma'am we're just tracking leads we have several suspects
to eliminate."  Gardner stood up from the overstuffed chair.  "What car
were you driving last night, Isaac?"

	"I had Keller's Galaxy.  He was parked behind me."  Isaac's voice
was distant and he had to make an effort to drag his eyes up to the
detective's.  "It's in the driveway."  He stood up and led them out into
the driveway.  "Right over there."

	Rickover and Gardner put on rubber gloves and began to examine the
car.  "Can you open the trunk please?  Do you mind?"  Rickover asked.

	"The lock is busted.  There's a screwdriver in the glove box that
works."  Keller walked around and got the screwdriver out and handed it to
Gardner.  Gardner smiled and took it and put it in the hole where the lock
had been.  The trunk popped, and he raised the lid.

	Keller walked back over to Janice and Isaac.  They watched as
Gardner opened the trunk and saw the look on his face change.  "Hey, Rick?
Look at this."  He pointed into the trunk.

	"What is it?"  Janice demanded, walking towards the car.  She
glanced down and raised her hand to her mouth.  On the red carpet liner was
an aluminum ball bat.  It was streaked with blood and there appeared to be
hair stuck to it.  "Oh my God!"  She wheezed out.  "Oh no!"

	Rickover turned towards Isaac and peeled his gloves off.  "Isaac
Rawlins, you're under arrest for the murder of Niki Richins."  He took out
a set of cuffs and stepped behind Isaac, pulling his arms together.  "You
have the right to remain silent.  You have the right to an attorney.  Do
you understand these rights?"

	Isaac nodded numbly, staring in shock at Keller.  Keller's face was
white and his eyes were wide.  He looked like he was trying to say
something but nothing came out.  Isaac couldn't speak either.  He glanced
at his mother and saw that she was sobbing.  His own eyes watered up as he
was led out to the police car.  He knew he should feel something right now,
but for the life of him he was stone cold numb.