Page 39 of Dead Serious: Case 3 Mr Bruce Reyes
“Not if I have to have lips like that,” I say mildly. “And there is no amount of manscaping in the world that would make me voluntarily get into that leotard.” My lips purse thoughtfully. “Still, you got to respect the lengths she’s willing to go to suffer for her art.”
I glance across at Bruce standing silently beside Dusty, just taking in the atmosphere of The Rainbow Room. Granted, I don’t know him as well as Dusty does, but he doesn’t seem himself at all. There’s a grim set to his usually smiling, carefree expression, and he looks… well… dead. I’ve never seen him so pale and corpse-like. It’s like all the vibrant colour is slowly draining out of him, leaving behind nothing but shadows.
“Are you alright, Bruce?” I ask in concern. He glances over at me and nods briefly before turning his gaze back to the stage to watch the energetic performance. My eyes shift back to Dusty, and we share a worried look.
“Tristan!” An enthusiastic voice shouts over the noise of the crowd, causing Dusty to smile widely with warmth and affection. “Inspector Danny!”
I watch as a grinning Benny, the sweet boy I met at Dusty’s funeral, waves at us as he slips through the crowd on the dance floor.
“Hi!” he says breathlessly, lowering his voice a fraction. Although the music is loud, we’re far enough from the stage and the speakers for us to just about hear each other without shouting at the top of our lungs.
“Hi, Benny.” I return his infectious smile. It’s nice to see him happy. He’d looked so sad at Dusty’s funeral when he’d offered me one of his stickers to cheer me up.
“Inspector Danny!” Benny turns his attention to Danny standing just slightly behind me, balanced on one leg and hospital-issued crutches. “You hurt your leg!” Benny frowns at the cast. “Did the bad guys do it?”
“Not quite.” Danny chuckles. “I had a slight accident with a tree and broke my leg.”
“You probably shouldn’t climb trees then,” Benny says sagely. “Does it hurt?”
“A little, but it’s healing,” he answers, and I know he’s lying. Danny’s sweating and his arms are trembling with exertion, but he puts on a brave face for Benny, who’s now studying Sam.
“Who are you?” he asks curiously. “Are you a policeman like Inspector Danny?”
“I used to be,” Sam answers. “But I’m a private investigator now.”
“Oh, like Magnum PI. He lives in Hawaii and drives a cool car,” he says excitedly. “Do you have a cool car? Is it red?”
“Sorry, buddy.” Sam shakes his head in amusement. “My car is pretty boring.”
“What happened to your face?” Benny continues without a filter while staring at Sam’s scar. “Did it hurt? I’ve got a scar on my leg. It’s from playing football but it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Mine doesn’t either,” Sam answers. “All healed up now.” I get the feeling that’s pretty far from the truth. It’s really not my place to say anything, but in the dim light, I do see Danny’s jaw tighten.
“Chan!” Benny shouts in delight and lunges forward to wrap her up in a tight hug when she appears beside us.
My mouth falls open and I blink slowly. “Words fail me,” I say when Benny steps back and Chan’s gaze locks on me.
Once again in full drag, she’s wearing a skintight pair of leopard-print hot pants and a matching bikini top. Her long talon-like false nails are metallic gold, her heavy makeup is immaculate, and on her head is an absolutely bloody enormous—well, I’m not even sure what to call it. It’s like an explosion of tawny feathers and fur. Her platform heels are so tall that I find myself grateful there aren’t any ceiling fans in here, because between those shoes and that headdress she’d be in serious danger of accidentally recreating that scene fromIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
She winks. “You’re sweet, Tris, honey.”
“Oh my god,” I mutter. “It’s likeDrag RacemeetsThe Lion King.”
“I was thinking moreThe Lion Sleeps Tonight,” Sam chuckles as he eyes Chan’s costume.
“Oh, Christ. Please tell me that’s not what you’re performing,” I beg. “I’ll be humming that earworm for days.”
“Relax, darling.” Chan waves her golden talons casually in my direction. “It’s not, it’s Katy Perry’sRoar.”
“That’s acceptable,” I say graciously as Benny reaches out and grabs her hand.
“Chan, Ginger said you’re not on until later. Are you going to come and dance with me?”
“I promise I will, sweet boy.” She wraps her arm around him and drops an affectionate kiss on the top of his head. “First I have to take these guys to see Ari, but I promise I’ll come back, so save a dance for me, okay?”
“Okay!” Benny beams at her. “Bye, Tristan. Bye, Inspector Danny. Bye, PI Sam.” He waves as he backs toward the crowded dance floor. “Have fun with my dad!”
“Dad?” Danny and I both repeat in tandem, but Benny has already been swallowed up by the tide of writhing bodies.