Hidden in the Blood: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 5)

Chapter Thirteen: Sunny, Friday

"So," Sunny said as he and Joe took their seats in what was, in Sunny's opinion, the ideal section of Rogers Arena, 105, nearly equidistant from both goal posts and just high enough to see all the action without being sprayed by ice or getting rattled by players crashing into the plexiglass. It still amazed him that Joe was able to maintain two season's tickets in this section, it must have cost a fortune. "Who are we playing tonight?"

"You don't even know?" Joe asked with a smirk. "Are you sure you're a fan? Am I going to regret giving you my seat?"

"Hey, I'm wearing this, aren't I?" he protested, gesturing to his Canucks jersey, which he'd bought oversized on purpose to be able to slip on easily over his turban. "Anyway, it's been a busy week, and I'm still recovering from a gunshot, give me a break."

 Joe took a sip of his beer and said, "Relax, I'm just joking with you. Actually, you'll get a clue if you see the jerseys the guys over there are wearing. It's the Habs."

"Oooh, it'll be a full house, then." Before Vancouver got the Canucks, the NHL team most Vancouverites supported was the Montreal Canadiens, nicknamed the Habs (from the French, habitants, early settlers of Quebec,) mostly because they were the only other Canadian team worth supporting aside from the Toronto Maple Leafs (not leaves), and everyone not in Toronto hated the Leafs. Whenever the two faced each other at home, the crowd was split between the die-hard Canucks fans and the still loyal Habs fans. It was going to be an exciting game, just for the energy of the fan rivalry, which was very good-natured.

"So, when do you think you'll be able to take off the sling?" Joe asked.

"Not sure. The stitches are still in. Maybe when they come off. Luckily no bones were broken when the bullet went in, and it was a through and through."

"And the busy week thing, are you starting your duties as Councillor yet?"

"Next week's the inaugural meeting, but I've been sent a lot of documents to read ahead of time, to get up to speed on procedure, current business, committees, that sort of thing."

Joe grimaced. "I don't envy you all that reading."

"You're more of a hands-on guy, I know." He opened his bottle of water and took a sip. "Are you sure Lauren's okay with you coming tonight?"

"Are you kidding? She practically pushed me out the door!" Joe exclaimed, chuckling. "She's been feeling smothered by my attention, apparently. If she wasn't injured and Al wasn't in a coma, I'd be worried she was getting up to no good right now."

Sunny gasped. It was the first time Joe ever admitted what Rachel, Lauren and Al had done while he and Sunny were at these games. "Is this why you've finally come back, because you feel safe enough to do so?"

Joe shrugged and said, "Well, at first, hockey was done for the summer. Then, by the time the season started, I was living with Joanie and nursing her back to health; I didn't think I could leave her alone. It was different with her; she only had me in the evening because her mom came during the day. Lauren has--"

"Rachel," Sunny finished for him. "Because Rachel and the kids are still living with you."

"Yeah."

"How is it having her there?" Sunny asked. 

"It's better now that Al's not there, that's for sure."

"I know the two of you have also had a complicated relationship."

"That's an understatement." Joe considered his words for a moment and sighed. "She and I... did it again, with Lauren, just a few weeks ago."

Sunny knew this already; Rachel had confessed it to him, being uncharacteristically candid after years of keeping secret her relationship with Lauren, and then her relationship with Lauren and Al. Still, he was shocked Joe would admit it to him. The man was usually a closed vault.