Page 37 of Baiting Kong

“Your behavior with him tonight raised some suspicions,” Creature declared as he lowered himself into his chair and gestured to Axel, who still hesitated for several moments before righting his chair and sitting back down. “That was quite the animated conversation you were having.”

“Is that illegal?”

“No.”

“Then why does it matter that we were talking?”

“It’s not that you were talking; it was the way he stared at you like you were a drug he was already addicted to,” Creature said. “You stood close without touching, almost intimate, except you were so rigid it looked like a stiff wind would snap you in half,” Creature asked. “So, tell me, Axel, what exactly was going on?”

Creature watched as Axel scrubbed a hand over his face, his groan one of pure frustration.

“I just wanted to let him know that the cops came back to the gas station today asking more questions,” Axel explained. “They’re looking for him, and I thought he should know.”

“And why would they be looking for Scout?”

This time Axel sucked in a breath and squirmed.

“Listen. If you’ve gotten yourself caught up in something, let me help you,” Creature offered. “Was Scout involved in the robbery? Are you covering for him?”

Axel shook his head, lower lip caught between his teeth as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his long-sleeved t-shirt.

“Has he threatened you?” Creature asked, gentling his voice as much as he could, despite the fury that had begun to simmer inside of him.

This time, Axel immediately shook his head. “No. It—it’s nothing like that.”

“Then what is it like?”

Huffing, Axel groaned and shoved his fingers through his hair. “Scout didn’t do anything wrong. The only thing he did was try to help Ms. Esperanza and smart off that one time I already told you about. The cops came back because they interviewed Ms. Esperanza, and she told them that she’d heard a fifth man’s voice when she was by the coolers. She said that she was certain that a man in a leather jacket came in after her but didn’t know if he’d left before the robbers came in. They asked if I remembered seeing anyone that fit that description.”

“And did you?”

“I-I, there, I mean,” Axel stammered, before finally hanging his head. “Yeah, there was a guy in a leather jacket in there.”

“Did he leave before the robbers showed up?”

Axel shook his head and mutteredno.

“Was he a part of the robbery, maybe scoping out the place so he could tell them when to come in?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“And he was there through the whole robbery?” Creature prodded.

“Yeah, but he left before the cops arrived.”

“Do you know who he is?”

“Sort of.”

Now, Creature prided himself on being able to read between the lines, and he cocked his head, studying Axel in silence until he started squirming again.

“It was Scout’s brother, okay,” Axel blurted before Creature could ask anything more.

“Does Axel’s brother have a name?”