Page 11 of Skin Game
Gabe shook his head as he also sipped at his coffee. “It wasn’t until the truck passed me that I had the thought. I suppose there are a lot of red pickups around here.”
Casey nodded, because yes, there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of red pickups in the region. As he set his mug down, his gaze landed on a letter-sized envelope propped up against a bowl about half filled with red apples. The slightly grubby packet was addressed to Gabriel Karne, Care Of Elton Cox. “What’s this?”
“I don’t know,” Gabe said eyeing it warily. “I haven’t opened it. Maybe I won’t. Can’t be good. And also, this is a Monday, which, considering the Karne Monday Fuckery tradition, has been very strange, even for me. I’m considering avoiding them altogether in the future.”
“Maybe you should just abstain from breaking and entering.” Gabe sputtered a protest, but Casey interrupted him by asking, “Who’s the letter from?”
Who from Gabriel’s past, beyond Heidi who was dead, knew how to contact him through Elton? As far as Casey understood,Gabe had left Seattle and never looked back. Furthermore, if Casey was letting the breaking and entering go—for now—he deserved to know what this letter was about.
“I don’t know the return address, and we all know nothing good comes from an address you don’t know.” Gabe eyed the missive as if it might contain something evil.
“Maybe you won the lottery,” Elton said, his tone remarkably snarky.
“As if. I’d have to buy a ticket to win the lottery.”
“Did you do a search on it?” asked Casey.
“Nope. It arrived at Elton’s a couple days ago, he tells me. I knew nothing about it until just now when he brought it with him.” He shot the letter another dirty look.
“Might as well get it over with,” Casey said, raising an eyebrow in Gabe’s direction. By now, he knew this song-and-dance fairly well; left to his own devices, Gabe would put off opening that letter until it was conveniently forgotten or “accidentally” tossed in the trash. Casey could understand Gabe’s reluctance after the past few months, but ignoring the letter wouldn’t make whatever was inside go away.
“You are ruthless. Both of you.” Regardless, Gabe reached and slid the envelope toward himself. “Fine. I’ll open this Pandora’s box, and you will all rue the day.”
“I’m sitting back down for this,” said Elton, taking his drink and returning to the couch.
Casey moved around to Gabe’s side of the counter so he could read over his shoulder. He leaned into him a bit, offering silent support.
“The address is Seattle.” Casey mentally rolled his eyes at himself. Way to state the obvious.
“Yeah, I saw that much, Watson.” Gabe flipped it over and inspected the back, then slid his thumb under the flap.
“Why am I Watson?” Casey asked.
“Because I get to be Sherlock in this role-play, that’s why.”
Peeking out from the inside of the envelope was what appeared to be a single sheet of yellow legal paper, the top ragged where it had been ripped off the pad. Gabe shot Casey a glance and pulled it out, setting the envelope to one side.
“I’m not a big fan of letters,” Gabe muttered.
Casey knew the letter Gabe had gotten from his mother after her death still bothered him, and with good reason. “At least your mom’s words brought you here. Where would you be without me and Elton?” He gave Gabe’s bicep a quick squeeze.
“Ugh.” Gabe shot him another look and bumped his shoulder against Casey’s. “Why are you so cute and sentimental?” Casey did not roll his eyes, even though he recognized that Gabe was trying to distract them all from the task at hand.
“Fine.” Gabe flattened the paper against the counter and began to read. “Dear Mr. Karne. Hah, proof this person doesn’t know meat all.”
“Keep reading, kid.” Elton pointed at the paper. “Casey and I are dying of curiosity.”
Gabe sighed and started again. “Dear Mr. Karne, you don’t know me, but I was a friend of your mother’s—I have to say, this is the first person I’ve known claiming to be Heidi’s friend.”
“Gabriel.” Casey did his best to shoot him a stern look. His response was a mischievous grin and waggle of his eyebrows.
“I’d like to think that I was her friend,” said Elton, ignoring the awkward flirting Casey was working on.
“Okay, that’s two. Anyway, blah blah, friend.Heidi left a few belongings with me with instructions to notify you via Mr. Cox if my circumstances changed and I was no longer able to watch over them. I am moving into an assisted living facility at the end of the month, and my house is going on the market. I’m sure you realize this means you need to come and collect your mother’s things. If you choose not to or I don’t hear from you in a timely manner, I will donate the furniture to charity and put the paperwork through a shredder as she requested.”
“What is this?” Wide-eyed, Gabe stared at the handwrittenletter and then at Casey and Elton. “Who the hell would Heidi trust enough to keep stuff? Other than you, Elton.” He turned the letter over a couple times, like that would make it offer up more clues.
“Sounds to me like you have a field trip to Seattle if you want to find out,” Elton said.