Twisted (9 page)

Chapter Four

T
HE
ringing of the phone woke me. It was that murky twilight which passes for day in the north in the winter. Mike was closest to the phone and sleepily reached out to pick it up. He smelled like rosemary and lavender, which brought a smile to my face, remembering last night.

“Lucky Jeff Ranch, Mike speakin’.” He listened for a couple of minutes.

“Yeah, he is… uh, thanks… okay… here he is. Jeffy, it’s for you.” I reached over and took the phone from him. Mike leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll get coffee and breakfast started.” He pulled on his longhandles and socks and went downstairs.

“Jeff here.”

“Hello, Jeffrey. I see you and Mike are still together. But then again, you two are the perfect little cowboy couple.”

“Good mornin’ to you, too, Robert. What’s up?”

He paused a moment on the phone. “I’m sorry. That comment was uncalled for. I’m happy for you both. You fit together much better than we did.”

“Thanks for the good wishes.”

“I learned a lot from the way I treated you, Jeffrey. I guess things turned out as they were meant to be. I am sorry though. Truth be told, you and Mike make a much better couple than we ever could. ”

“Are you okay, Robert? I know breaking up was not easy for either of us.”

“I guess it’s like the old song, ‘Breaking up is hard to do.’ As you’re always saying though, it is water under the bridge now.”

We kept a polite relationship going, but not close. He’d been the first of us to make a move toward friendship. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why he might be calling. His voice had a very sad, morose quality.

“I appreciate that, Robert. Are you okay? You sound kinda upset.”

“I am a bit upset. Do you remember Sam, who worked at Little Orphan Andy’s?”

“He was the street kid that the owner had workin’ the counter, right? He stayed in the back of the restaurant and was savin’ up for a place to stay?”

“That’s him. I wanted to tell you before you read it in the newspapers or saw it on the TV. He’s dead.”

“Dead! What happened? He was only about sixteen or seventeen, wasn’t he?”

“He was seventeen. Apparently he used to turn tricks for extra money. He picked the wrong one. He’d been missing about a month, and they found his body yesterday, off some logging road near Crescent City. His murder was linked to the series of men and boys who have been killed up and down the coast. They’ve linked seventeen murders to one killer. They’ve started calling him the West Coast Cutter. Jeffrey, Sam was tortured before he was killed. The police think he was held captive for several days and tortured all that time….” Robert’s voice broke off in a sob. We had both liked Sam. He had a sharp sense of humor and always seemed to have a smile on his face. He flirted a lot and was popular with all the customers. He was pretty open about the fact that he hustled. I thought again, thank God, Mike had never had to do that.

“That’s horrible. Do the police have any leads?”

“No. This guy seems to prey on people who won’t be missed, homeless youth and runaways, guys who are estranged from families and friends, guys who are on vacation from other areas.”

“I just hope they catch him soon.”

“Me too, Jeffrey. How have you been?”

“Okay. I had a spot of trouble a little while ago. That’s all past now though.”

“I saw all the magazine articles about you, the ranch, and you and Mike. I’m glad you weren’t hurt worse when you got shot and that everything turned out well in the end.”

“Thanks. You’re welcome to come up and visit.”

“You never know, I may take you up on that.”

“How are you doin’, Robert?”

“As you’d say, fair to middlin’.” He giggled a bit at the phrase. We spoke for a few more minutes and then ended the call. I pulled on a pair of black polypro longhandles and wool socks and headed downstairs. Mike had just finished makin’ breakfast and was dishin’ up biscuits and gravy, eggs, and fried potatoes.

“Smells great, buddy.” Jason and Smitty were sitting at the table, cautiously sipping their coffees.

“Do you guys always run around in your underwear?” Jason smirked at me.

“Only around guys mature enough to maintain eye contact.” He turned red on that one. Mike laughed.

“Jeffy, I offered to run uptown for some tofu for Jason, but he’s kindly agreed to eat what we’re eatin’.”

“You sure you don’t want tofu scramble? Smitty, you wouldn’t mind makin’ some up would you?”

“I sure could.” He smiled at his brother.

“No thanks.”

Jason looked at me, and I asked him, “Do you like tofu?”

“I like it as long as Bert doesn’t cook it.”

“Are we still going skiing?” Mike was really looking forward to getting out on the trail.

“Sure are, Mike.”

“What did Robert want?”

“A kid we knew in San Francisco was murdered. He was the latest victim of that serial killer who’s targetin’ gays.”

Jason spoke up immediately. “You mean the West Coast Cutter?” I nodded.

“Who’s the West Coast Cutter? I’ve never heard of him.” Smitty was lookin’ at me and Mike, but Jason answered.

“He’s a serial killer who moves up and down the West Coast. His southernmost victims were in LA and northernmost in Seattle. He’s been linked to seventeen murders, as of this morning, but they think he may have committed up to ten more.”

Smitty looked shocked. “That’s sick.”

Jason was on a roll though. “Yeah, but how he does it is the sickest. They think he has several places up and down the coast or has a truck or a van. He ties the guys up and keeps them alive for several days while he rapes them and tortures them.”

Mike looked at Jason. “You’d think no one would go off alone with a stranger.”

“They think he picks guys who have no friends or family, runaways, or guys alone. They either think he’s a john or a trick, and by the time they realize what they’re into, it’s too late. There’s been a couple of guys who aren’t gay who disappeared, so they think he might just be targeting men and boys, not specifically gay guys.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about it, Jason.”

He looked at me before answering. “I was watching it on the TV in the common room in the bunkhouse. Do most ranches have a bunkhouse, just like in the old cowboy movies?”

“Most ranches with hired hands have bunkhouses, Jason. This ranch is no different.” He looked at me almost like I was pullin’ his leg. “You live in the bunkhouse.”

“You know, Jeff, Mike, runnin’ around in your underwear must be a cowboy thing. Smitty, José, and Josh all watch TV in the bunkhouse in their underwear too. I just couldn’t be comfortable doing that.” Jason did look a bit uncomfortable.

“Just think of it like this. What me and Jeffy got on now is no more revealin’ than a pair of sweats and a long-sleeve T-shirt. It did take me some gettin’ used to also, but now I don’t think nothin’ of it.”

“Mike, buddy, breakfast is really good.”

“Thanks, Jeffy.”

“Jeff, can I go skiing with you and Mike sometime?”

“Sure, Jason, but you need to get some outdoor clothes.”

“What’s wrong with this stuff? I’ll have ski shoes on, so the sneakers won’t matter.”

“There’s a sayin’ with outdoors folks. It’s ‘cotton kills’. Cotton is great in the summer because it has a natural coolin’ effect. You don’t want that in the winter. That cotton T-shirt you got on would get soaked with sweat in about twenty minutes, same with cotton socks and underwear. The wetness will start your body’s natural coolin’-down process. If you don’t keep movin’, and fast, you’ll get hypothermia.”

“What would I need?”

“For your base layer, polypro thermals, or some other material that keeps you warm when wet. Wool is good too, but can be a bit itchy. Then two pairs of socks, one polypro and one wool—your feet are the most likely part of you to get cold. You can wear your jeans, but you’d be better off in ski tights or pants of a wickin’ material. A wool or polyester shirt, and then a light jacket. You really will need gloves and a cap.”

“Where can I get all that stuff?”

“You can get it in the sports store in Winslett, the general store, or the feed store. Feed store is probably the cheapest.”

Smitty mentioned he had most of the stuff he could loan Jason.

A
FEW
hours later, we were ready to ski. Mike and I had left our skis in a rack on the porch. I put on the leather tennis shoe that passed for a ski boot on cross-country skis and looked out at the valley. The sun was up and the day was bright, but mostly because of the light reflected from the snow. The light had that weak quality that characterizes the short days around the solstice. The weak light had a kind of a golden quality to it, hinting at the early sunset that would come about four. There was a slight breeze, and I could smell that familiar scent of the valley in the winter, wood smoke and pine. I could see a couple of deer under the pines toward the road, pawing through the snow for food. It occurred to me to put some hay or oats or carrots out for the deer once the dudes started coming. City people always got excited about seeing wild animals.

It had snowed in the night, and there was about a half an inch of new powder over the existing snow. We’d been below freezing for the last two weeks, so the snow would be good for beginners. Dry snow gives you better control. Mike came out of the house and put on his shoes. I jumped down off the porch and fastened on my skis. Mike took about three steps and fell flat on his ass. He looked at me sheepishly, like he was expecting me to laugh. I leaned over and put out a hand to help him get up.

“Fallin’ ’s half the fun. Don’t let it bother you.”

“I still fall once in a while. Luckily the falls are gettin’ fewer and further between.”

“Some of ’em are pretty spectacular falls too.” We both laughed at that. Mike knew how to ski, but when he got in a hurry, he got sloppy and fell. He was gettin’ better fast though. I headed out next to the driveway, where Mike and I had worn grooves in the snow from skiing so often. I got to the road and waited for him. It was the perfect day for skiing.

As we skied, I watched Mike. He was gettin’ pretty good, as long as he paid attention. If he looked away, or looked around without stopping, he’d fall. We skied about five miles before stopping and taking a bit of a break.

“We take one day off, and it makes this seem like a lot more work. I’m soaking wet.”

“Ya do work up quite a sweat cross-country skiin’. I’m lookin’ forward to the hot tub when we get back.”

“Jeffy, I got us new swimsuits in Wenatchee.”

“Great. We’ll have to try ’em on when we get home.”

We decided to head back home since tonight was New Year’s Eve, and we had some stuff to get ready. Sandy and Maria were coming over, and I expected Mary Grace to drop by too. Josh’s girlfriend, Renee, was up from Seattle, and Jeanette would be there too, so we’d have a full house. Mike was doing the cooking, helped by Sandy, so I’d have a bit of a chance to relax. I was looking forward to seeing everyone.

O
N
GETTING
home, we left our skis in the rack on the porch. As I stepped out of the shower, Mike threw me the new swim trunks he’d got in Wenatchee.

“Mike, buddy, you sure these are swim trunks?”

“Yeah, Jeffy, it’s a Speedo.” It was a brief in red nylon, with a wide black stripe on each hip. He had a matching one, except in blue.

“I don’t see why in the hell everyone makes fun of me for runnin’ around in my underwear when there’s swimsuits like this out there. This is briefer than a pair of jockey shorts.”

“You’re not gettin’ all shy on me now, are ya, Jeffy?”

“Not hardly.” I pulled the swim trunks on. They weren’t quite as revealing as the costume Renee made me for Halloween. It was Wolverine’s blue and yellow costume, and it fit me like a second skin.

“Hot damn, Jeffy, you look real good!” Mike was eyeing me appreciatively. I looked in the mirror. The suit did show off my butt and package nicely. It wasn’t as revealing in front as I had first thought it might be.

“You like that, eh, buddy?”

“I really do.”

“Well, maybe if you’re good, you’ll get a reward later.”

“I can’t wait!”

“Get your suit on and let’s go.” Mike pulled his trunks on, and I did have to admit he looked pretty hot. We’re built alike, and I could imagine how I looked to others by seeing him. His ass looked so fuckable, I almost tackled him there. I grabbed a towel and ran out of the room and down the stairs before staring at Mike any longer made me physically react. I pulled the cover off, started the jets, and jumped in. The hot water felt real good. Mike came out and jumped in.

Jason stuck his head out the door. “Can I join you?”

“Sure thing, Jason.” He was wearing a pair of cut-off shorts. It was really cold out, so he jumped in the hot tub pretty quick.

“Do you guys ski like this all the time?”

“Yeah. What we usually do is ski anywhere between ten and twenty miles, come back, rinse off, and get in the hot tub, and then have dinner from the slow cooker. A lotta times we’ll build a fire in the fireplace too.”

“That’s nice. Pardon me, Mike, but it almost seems that your dad kicking you out turned out for the best in the long run.”

“I reckon so, but that don’t make it hurt any less, Jason.”

“It doesn’t make him regret it any less either,” I added.

“Jeffy, I appreciate what you’re tryin’ to do, but what he did was really fucked up. I don’t think anyone can understand that unless they been there. Guy, Eve, and Mom seem to expect me to just smile and say, ‘All that abuse don’t matter anymore. You feel bad and you’re sorry, so let’s just let bygones be bygones and forget it all happened.’ I still have nightmares about what he did to me and gettin’ thrown out. It’s gonna take time to not loathe him just on principal, if I can even do that.” I could see his temper rising again.

“Mike, you suffered the worst, but you aren’t the only victim of his previous religious bigotry. It broke him, broke your family, and hurt both Eve and Guy tremendously.”