Page 32 of Skin Game

Casey followed Chenda to a table that looked out onto the sidewalk and took a seat. He still didn’t see his brother, but his watch told him it wasn’t quite noon yet.

“Thanks, Chenda.”

“Sure thing, I’ll try to come back and visit, but Mama insisted on coming in today, and someone needs to supervise her in the kitchen.”

His phone vibrated. Casey pulled it out of his pocket and checked the screen.

M:Something came up at the clinic and I have to miss lunch. Rain check?

Looking away from the text and trying not to let disappointment bring him down, Casey responded to Chenda, “Give your mom my regards.”

“I will. Bring that man of yours with you next time,” she said over her shoulder as she hurried off.

C: Sure. Just let me know.

Then he tucked his phone away again so he wouldn’t brood over Mickie’s text.

He told himself it was probably a good thing that Mickie had canceled on him. Casey always seemed to fuck up when he met with Mickie alone. Gabe had the art of casual conversation down pat. He had charmed everyone in Casey’s circle, even Mickie.

Casey glanced out the window, and a familiar figure caught his attention. There was Gabriel with his head down, looking a bit furtive. He was quickly passing by the other pedestrians lingering on the sidewalk.

“Speak of the devil.”

Casey surged to his feet, nearly knocking the chair over in his haste. By the time Casey got out to the sidewalk, Gabe had almost reached the corner.

“Hey! Gabe! Gabriel!” Casey yelled.

He watched Gabe hesitate before stopping and turning around. When he saw Casey waving at him, his face lit up, and he made his way back to where Casey waited. Having Gabe smile like that for him gave Casey a pleasant little shiver.

“Casey! Even though it’s only been a couple hours, you’re a sight for sore eyes. What are you doing here? I thought you were working today.”

“I was meeting Mickie for lunch, but he had to cancel at the last second. Care to join me?” Casey gestured to the entrance of the noodle house.

Nodding, Gabe brushed past him into the restaurant almost as if he was in a hurry. Or avoiding someone.

“Are you in trouble again?” Casey murmured, stepping around Gabe and leading him to the table with a small Reserved sign on it.

“Excuse me,” Gabe said to the nearest table of two as he squeezed behind them and took a seat. He did not confirm Casey’s suspicion that he was in trouble, but he didn’t have to. CaseyknewGabriel Karne.

“How did your trip to the library go? I’m surprised you’re still in town, figured you’d be on your way back home by now.”

Before Gabe could answer Casey’s question or come up with an outrageous lie that no one within fifty miles would believe, the server arrived and offered them menus.

“No need for that. I’ll have the yellow curry soup, thanks so much,” Gabe told her.

Casey ordered his favorite noodles, “plus a phô to go,” and then settled back. He had a feeling this story was going to be good. Or bad. Again, he knew Gabriel Karne.

“The library went fine. I have my own card now. And I made it to the records building too. It was after I left there that I ran into trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” Casey demanded.

“The Randy Witherspoon kind. Ran into him when I was leaving Public Records, almost literally. It was almost as if he was waiting for me, but I don’t see how he could have been. And, yes, he chased me.”

“I take it he didn’t catch up with you.” Casey imagined Gabe escaping the Twana County Public Records Building like he was Matt Damon fleeing the super spies in a Bourne movie. It actually cheered him up a bit. Mickie didn’t know what he was missing by skipping out on lunch.

Evading Randy Witherspoon explained why Gabe had been walking fast and furtively.

“As if,” Gabe scoffed. “No, he did not. I snuck into the kite shop and talked to Greg for a few minutes, gave good ol’ Randy the slip. I did worry that he was lurking around every corner on the way to my car. But honestly?” Gabe eyed Casey again. “Why isn’t having Dirty Socks Randy chase me down Main Street not the strangest part of this week? It just doesn’t seem fair. No way do I havemoreunknown-to-me relatives waiting to be discovered. It just makes no sense.”