Theo And Reed's School Blues

Chapter Seventeen

On that last comment it was now Rhodes rolling her eyes and openly smirking. She hustled off to halt the questioning of Lane Davis.

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As Chung and Doe went to meet Lane Theo and Matt sat side by side on an uncomfortable bench near the sergeant's desk. They were trying hard to obey Chung's commands. It didn't help that Theo was sitting next to someone that smelled like rancid cottage cheese and looked like Jack Nicholson in the Shining. They really were being good. They couldn't help overhearing a couple of cops talking about Charles' shooting and the senator's murder. Could they ? As they innocently eavesdropped they heard the cops speculating that both crimes were connected to one thing. Both bullets were all a unique silver style with a unusual edging.

" Looks like a Giadello hit to me," the plump female cop said cheerily. " Even if they claim to just be a " honorable family of construction workers ". We all know what they are. Just can't prove it. "

At the name Giadello Theo tensed and Matt sensed it. He looked over at his friend's pale silent face. " You ok ,Theo ? "

Theo was blank faced for a long moment. He was suddenly tossed back into a past he had tried to forget. He shook his head at Matt. " I'm fine. I'll be back. Going to the restroom. Don't worry. I won't get kidnapped. "

As he walked away Matt watched him with a deeply questioning look on his face.

Once in the bathroom Theo locked himself in a stall. A very disgusting and unhygienic stall where he tried not to touch anything. He had left his hand sanitizer at home. Pulling out his phone he hesitated. He should have deleted this number years ago but just couldn't bring himself to do it. It probably wasn't even still working.

He hadn't called this number since his old grad school days. When a geeky shy young man fell for a handsome confident fellow accounting student who was destined to work at the family business. The crush had been one sided. A few dates where the fellow student had wined and dined him. Once he had been taken to Paris on a splurge trip. Eventually they had decided to just stay friends.

They had not even had sex.

The number probably didn't work. But he had to know if there was a connection to Charles' shooting. As it rang his heart beat. It rang so much he was about to hang up. Finally it was answered by a voice that sounded so familiar.

( " You're too skinny, Walton, eat half this sandwich my Gram made me. " )

" Hello ," he heard the liltingly musical voice of Jacob Giadello over his phone. " Long time no hear , Walton. What can I do for you? "