“You sick motherfucker!”

“And how long do you think they’ll be able to keep up those payments without jobs, Chad?” I started laughing. “And as soon as they are late, we’re going to foreclose. Your family is going to be unemployed and homeless, Chad, and they have you to thank for it.”

He was trembling. “Don’t do this, Jordy, please, I’m begging you. They haven’t done anything to you—”

I cut him off. “They raised you, didn’t they? You’re a product of their parenting. Did they not love you enough, Chad? What did they do to make you such a monster?” I shrugged. “It really doesn’t matter, I suppose. I don’t care. All I know is you have to be stopped, and taught a lesson. What was it you said to me yesterday? There’s nothing I could possibly teach you? Do you still think that’s true, Chad?” I reached into my backpack and pulled out the classified ads from the paper. I tossed it on the bed. “You’d better start looking for a job, Chad. I took the liberty of circling a few that look right up your alley—McDonald’s is hiring, and so is T.G.I. Friday’s.”

He moved, to get out of the window, but lost his balance.

For a brief second, I saw his eyes widen in terror as he tried to get his balance back.

And then he was gone.

Now

“That’s a hell of a story,” Joe said.

Isn’t it, though?” Jordy replied. He was standing at the window, staring at the pool through the blinds. “So, I guess you could say it is my fault he fell, but I didn’t push him.” He reached up and pulled the cord for the blinds, so they rose until the entire window was exposed. “You can also see why Bobby Dunlap was so quick to blame me. I suppose the other brothers who said I did it were Rees Davidson and Brandon Benson?”

“Yes,” Joe said. He switched his recorder off. “And given your story, if it’s true, I can see why all three of them would be so quick to try to get you arrested.”

“It’s actually kind of stupid, if you think about it,” Jordy went on. “Like having me arrested is going to change the facts?” He turned and faced Joe. “I can still get Rees and Brandon expelled, regardless of what happens to me. And Bobby?” He shrugged. “I might not be able to get him expelled, but I can file a civil suit against him. I guess it all depends on what Chad says when he regains consciousness. If he says I pushed him.” He barked out a bitter laugh. “Granted, his brains might be a little scrambled, but if he’s able to think about it, he might figure out if he claims I pushed him, I won’t ruin his parents.”

“Are you really going to do that?” Joe asked. He crossed his legs and looked at Jordy. Who knew there were such depths behind that pretty face? “Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?”

Jordy shrugged. “I never really planned to in the first place. I just wanted him to know that I could if I chose to.”

“And your fraternity? Are you really going to shut it down?”

“Do you think I should?”

“It’s not my decision to make,” Joe replied. What would I do in his place? Revenge always seems like a good idea, but most people never really follow through on it. I wanted to get even with Sean when he left me, but I finally just let it all go and moved on. And sometimes that’s the best thing to do—let it all go and move on. “But it seems to me you’d be punishing a lot of people for the behavior of a few. You said a couple of times you really liked the majority of the brothers, and it was the first place you ever felt you belonged. Are you willing to destroy all of that?”

“Is it part of your job to play therapist, Detective?” A slight smile tugged at the corners of Jordy’s mouth.

“No,” Joe admitted. “It isn’t. But in my job, I see a lot of shit, Jordy. A lot. And most of it could have been prevented if someone had just said enough and put a stop to it. You have that power—the power to put a stop to it all. And you said yourself, several times, that a person shouldn’t make decisions based on emotional reactions but should instead analyze the situation and use logic. Is it logical to punish the entire house and destroy something you once believed in because it’s emotionally satisfying?”

“It’s a very good point, Detective,” Jordy replied. “And one I’ll take into consideration.” He scratched his elbow. “It’s interesting, though. I figured Chris Moore would have called by now with their decision—but then, I don’t really see they have much of a choice.” He raised his eyebrows. “Maybe they’re all too busy dealing with Chad falling to think about me.” He sat back down in his chair. “So, are you going to arrest me?”

“Not at this time,” Joe replied. Arrest you for what? Until Chad wakes up and tells his side of the story, I can’t arrest you for anything. “You did admit to hacking into computers—that’s a crime. And using a fake ID, also a crime, and of course the pot smoking, but I don’t see any point in pursuing any of that.” Joe stood up. “I guess that’s everything. Don’t leave town.”

Jordy smiled. “Well, thanks for listening.”

“It was very interesting.” Joe walked to the door. “I’ll be in touch.”

The door shut behind him. Joe shook his head as he started down the stairs. It was, he thought, truly one hell of a story. I wonder if all of it is true. His phone rang when he was halfway down the stairs. “Hey, Grace.”

“Joe, I’m leaving the hospital,” she said, “and I’m calling it a day. The kid said he wasn’t pushed. He just lost his balance and fell. He’s got a concussion, some broken ribs, and a broken arm, but he’ll live. So this whole thing was a colossal waste of our time. I’m heading home and having a beer.”

“Thanks, Grace. See you tomorrow.” He closed the phone and walked to his car. Before he unlocked the door, he glanced up at Jordy’s window. The blinds were still open, and Jordy was standing there. He really is beautiful, and rich, too. But the poor boy has been so damned unhappy. I hope everything works out for him. Joe got into his car and started the engine, and drove out of the parking lot.

All the way home, he couldn’t get the kid out of his mind.

He parked in his driveway and walked into his empty house. Another night alone, he thought, getting a beer out of his refrigerator and cracking it open. I wonder how his story will end, he thought as he kicked off his shoes and sat down on his sofa. The house was so quiet—it was almost unnerving. He turned the television on and flipped through the channels until he found a marathon of America’s Next Top Model. He drank three beers while he watched the empty-headed models argue and bitch and fight. Finally, around ten, he turned the television off and went to bed, alone.

The next few days passed with the usual routine. Get up, go to work, follow leads, close cases, interview suspects, and make some arrests. Punch out for the day, head to the gym, do his workout, and come back home to the empty house. Order in, watch television, drink some beers, and go to bed. It was mind numbing, this routine he’d fallen into.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about Jordy Valentine.

He kept waiting to read in the newspaper or see on the news a breaking scandal about cheating at the university, a fraternity scandal, but there was never anything. I guess he decided to let them off the hook, which is probably the best thing. Revenge is best forgotten, left in the past, and you should always just move on.

Move on.

Like you’ve moved on, he thought to himself on Wednesday as he went through his workout at the gym. You’ve never moved on from Sean—you’ve never even tried. That’s why the kid affected you so much. For the first time since Sean left, you actually noticed another man that way—a young man you can never have.

And when he left the gym, he made up his mind. He had the next two days off—and he hadn’t been out in months. Why not go to Fusions, see who was there? The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. It would be nice to be around gay men, to listen to music and have a few cheap drinks. Maybe even dance a little bit. Who knows? You might even meet someone.