Two for Joy - Louise Collins Page 0,17
Holly.”
“Stevenson? She’s still writing her feature on you.”
“Apparently.”
“How long does it take?”
“I suspect she’s stalling.”
“Why?”
“Because she thinks she’s in love with me.”
Chad’s smile fell, and he shuffled awkwardly.
“In your dreams.” Paul mumbled.
“No, thanks.” Romeo said over his shoulder. “But I suspect she features in yours.”
“Shut it.”
“Holly’s in love with you…” Chad whispered.
Romeo turned his attention back to Chad.
“She thinks she is, but she doesn’t know me, she just knows the made up me I gave her for the article.” Romeo stuck out his bottom lip. “The wounded, abused version who just needs a hug and a cup of cocoa.”
Paul cursed, but Romeo didn’t grace him with a response. He was too intrigued by Chad’s reaction. His darting eyes, and fidgeting, and his cheeks growing redder by the second.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” Chad blurted.
“Kinda looks like it.”
“You’ve just told me some woman you’ve been talking to loves you … tell me how I should be feeling.”
“You should feel nothing. It doesn’t matter what she thinks, or how she feels—”
“But she gets to talk to you, no limit, no restriction, what if … what if…”
“What?”
Chad threw his hands up. “I dunno. What if you start to prefer her company to mine?”
“Not gonna happen.”
Romeo couldn’t stop his lips lifting into a smile.
Chad narrowed his eyes at him. “What?”
“You’re cute when your jealous.”
“Fuck you.”
“If only…”
“You’re an asshole.”
Romeo looked down at his prison uniform. “A bright orange asshole.”
It had the desired effect, Chad started to laugh. He groaned, shaking his head.
“Why do you always do that?”
“What?”
“Defuse the situation by making me laugh.”
Romeo shrugged. “I dunno. Point is, you have nothing to worry about with Holly.”
“Then why bring her up?”
Romeo shrugged. “You asked how my week went, and I find it interesting watching you react to things … you’re fascinating to watch.”
“I’m jealous … I’m insecure.”
“Insecure?”
“Carry on telling me more about your week.”
Romeo stared at Chad for a few seconds, then continued. “I got mail, I ate in my cell, I exercised in my cell, I jerked off—”
“Romeo.” Fred said. “Not appropriate.”
“What do you mean. It was part of my week, the best part actually.”
“Me and Fred don’t wanna hear about it.” Paul said.
“But Chad does, Chad featured in it.”
Romeo didn’t think it was possible for someone to turn red so fast, but Chad’s face burned brighter than his jumpsuit.
Paul made a disgusted sound. “Let me guess, were you strangling him to death, did that get you going?”
“You’re not far off actually.”
“Sicko.”
“Enough.” Fred said.
Romeo sighed. “I think that’s enough about me. What about you?”
Chad looked away. “Aside from work, I got mail, ate in my apartment, exercised in my apartment … that’s it.”
“Jesus, which one of us is locked up again? At least I had a little fun in my cell, too…”
“I’ve been too distracted for fun.”
Romeo sighed, then dropped his gaze to the newspaper. “Crossword?”
“Yeah.”
Chad flattened the newspaper on the table, then flashed a look at Romeo. He returned Chad’s pointed look, then hummed as he leaned forward to see the “clues.”
“A portable container,” Romeo said carefully, “could be used to carry files, papers, four letters.”
The answer was case, and Chad’s eyes sparked with understanding. He nodded, studying the crossword. He’d only confirmed what Romeo already knew, a case Chad was working on was the reason for his haunted look, and his restless nights, but his insecurity… Romeo didn’t understand how that fit.
Chad licked his lips. “What about this, to recreate, four letters.”
Copy.
Romeo shook his head. “No idea. I think my brain’s slowly wasting away in here … give me another.”
“A house pet, three letters.”
Something clicked in Romeo’s head. He widened his eyes, looking Chad up and down. His brow twitched, the redness to his eyes seemed even more intense. His haggard, haunted appearance made sense.
Copycat.
“Dog.” Paul said. “House pet, three letters. It’s dog.”
Chad broke eye contact with Romeo and looked at Paul. He smiled, but it was all fake. “Yeah, course it is … thanks.”
“And you’re the detective…”
“A detective that’s lost his mind apparently.”
“You said it…”
Romeo turned around, and fixed Paul with a glare. He heard Chad close the newspaper then folded it on the table. It had served its purpose, the puzzle page in the Canster Times allowed them to send secret messages, but only when it was allowed in the prison. When murders were headline news, Chad was prohibited from bringing them inside.
There was a copycat killer on the loose. The reason for Chad’s torment, and it was yet to hit the press. The public didn’t know.
“Sorry,