All Queers Must Die Read online

  “That seems awfully generous of Roberto,” Lisa said. “What interest might your brother have in Maynard Shores, Marcus?”

  “Only one… retirement,” Marcus said. “And that’s one thing that will not happen.”

  “If he’s thinking about retiring here,” Bart said. “Maybe he’s also the one setting up shop.”

  “Maybe,” Marcus said. “It’s time for me to do some digging around for information.” He walked behind his desk, bent down, and reappeared with a briefcase in his hand. Walking back around, he set the briefcase down in front of Bart. “There’s enough there for you to get Orion taken care of and away from here. It’s not locked. If anyone asks—I didn’t give you a dime… I’m not involved… and there is no proof to be found that I ever was involved. Do you understand what I am saying?”

  “Yes,” Bart said. “Completely.”

  “And Jeremy,” Marcus said, as he walked toward the doors to leave. “Be careful if my brother’s men are around—they hate gay men. I don’t mind them so much… you, I like. And I don’t want to see you get hurt again. In my country, people hate the gays. They even have a saying which loosely translated means ‘All queers must die.’”

  Chapter 30

  Shock and Confusion are the Order of the Day

  BART COULDN’T help but jump up in shock. Both Marcus and Lisa noticed.

  “What’s wrong?” Marcus said.

  “Oh my God, Marcus,” Lisa said. “That exact phrase was written on a poster Rachel had left for Jeremy when he was first here. She had written ‘All Queers Must Diet’, as her funny way of trying to help Jeremy diet, but someone had added ‘All Queers Must Die.’”

  Marcus walked back into the center of the room, then turned to face Bart and Lisa. “That’s no mere coincidence. Rachel might’ve heard someone say the phrase as it’s originally said in my country, and thought it was funny to change the word die to diet… but someone else wrote it correctly—with ‘die’ instead of ‘diet’. It’s probably the same someone who hurt Jeremy the last time he was here. And unfortunately, it seems like some of my old countrymen are thinking they can make a home here.”

  “Would you know these people, if you saw them, Marcus?” Lisa said. “They wouldn’t be setting up base in my resort, would they?”

  “No, they wouldn’t want to be that close to Orion,” Marcus said. “Jeremy, continue with your plan regarding Orion, while I see what I can find out about everything else. Watch your back, my friend.” He patted Bart on the shoulder.

  Lisa turned to Marcus, then Bart. “I don’t want my resort being used as a base to distribute this chupa thing.” She stood, hugged Bart, then Marcus, and left the room.

  “The queen has spoken,” Marcus said. “Chupa must not be allowed to take hold here, Jeremy. Recently, I’ve heard stories about some young people in town being hospitalized because of having ill effects from some new drug. Could it be chupa?”

  “Yes,” Bart said. “And it sounds like someone is using their influence to try and keep things quiet about it.”

  “Things are too quiet for my liking,” Marcus said. “I don’t like being out of the loop. It may be time to shake things up soon.” He smiled at Bart. “Seriously, my friend… be cautious. I’m not sure who we’re dealing with yet in regard to chupa… and whatever else that may be trying to take hold in Maynard Shores.

  THE FIRST thing Bart did when he got in his car was to call Frank and Jenna to tell them everything that was discussed at the Kristoff home. Jenna suggested they arrange to meet with Judge Haymond and his wife as soon as possible. Bart agreed, and after asking Jenna to let him know what the Haymonds said, he ended the call. By the time he’d parked his car back at the resort, Frank and Jenna had driven up in Frank’s gray Hummer. Bart got out of his car and was walking toward the Hummer when Jenna opened the passenger door and spoke to him.

  “Get in, we’ve got a meeting with a judge. Our friendly Judge Haymond to be exact.”

  Bart got into the Hummer with the briefcase in his hand.

  “I’m shocked and confused about all of this,” Bart said, once he’d gotten situated in the backseat of the Hummer. “It sounds like there are so many people involved in things here. And how do the Haymonds factor into everything?”

  “I’m not sure, but hopefully we’ll get some things cleared up,” Jenna said.

  “I wouldn’t count on that,” Frank said as he drove. “It sounds to me like a good old-fashioned turf war is getting ready to heat up, and there are too many of the big players in the shadows still.”

  “We don’t need to get involved in all that,” Jenna said. “All we have to do is find that drug factory… and the faster the better. I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but that’s what we’ve got to do.”

  “Well, getting Mr. Orion out of the picture takes out one of the investors in this chupa operation,” Bart said. “That will hopefully prompt someone to react, which will at least give us a starting point of sorts. And the party at Rachel’s should give you some idea of the ingredients being used with the chupa, shouldn’t it, Jenna?”

  “Maybe,” Jenna said. “Tara will be meeting us at the judge’s house. Hopefully, she’ll have some news for us, too.”

  “‘Drug factory,” Frank said. “Do you really think we’re looking for a drug factory, Jenna?”

  “Yes,” Jenna said. “But don’t take the word factory too literally. It doesn’t have to be a huge warehouse type building. The space just needs to be large enough to grind and combine the chupa leaves with whatever other ingredients are mixed into the deadly cocktail.”

  FRANK DROVE through an open gate and down a long driveway before he pulled up in front of a rectangular one story home which was mostly glass, except for four white columns in front. It was surrounded by lush green bushes, hibiscus plants, trees, and flowers.

  “The flowers remind me of the Haymonds’ place back home,” Jenna said, while looking around the front yard. “Mrs. Haymond always has the most beautiful gardens.”

  They knocked on the door, and were greeted by a slim woman who looked to be in her late sixties. She wore a simple, but immaculate white blouse, with a white pleated skirt, and low heels. Her silvery-white hair was worn in a short bob style, and her blue eyes shone when she saw Frank, Bart, and Jenna. She walked up to the group with open arms and hugged each one of them.

  “Seeing you all together reminds me of when you sat together in my middle school classroom years ago. How you’ve grown since those old days!”

  “We could hardly stay the same, Mrs. Haymond,” Frank said. “And you’ve seen us all plenty of times since middle school.”

  “Yes, you’re right, but I still remember all of you from when you were little. I wish we were meeting under happier circumstances,” Mrs. Haymond said. “Lester is in the sunroom, it’s this way.”

  The home, which looked small on the outside, was surprisingly large inside.

  “We’ve kept the decor minimal and modern inside to let the beautiful outdoors take center stage,” Mrs. Haymond said.

  Bart looked around, and was surprised at just how minimal and modern the decor was. The floors were a shiny white terrazzo, which reflected the shapes of the plants just outside the glass walls.

  “It’s so strange to see you in such a modern house,” Bart said. “Your home in Georgia is an old plantation style house with historic furnishings and art everywhere.”

  “And it’s beautiful,” Mrs. Haymond said. “But this home is so much easier to take care of. And I really do like the idea of bringing the outdoors in. It just seems brighter and happier that way.” She led everyone down a hall, past several rooms, one of which was a library, and through a back door into a completely glass enclosed rectangular sunroom. Judge Haymond was there watering some flowering plants that were in a metal stand. He was tall and of medium build with straight salt and pepper hair. Despite his age, the man had a strong demeanor, and because he wore a T-shirt and shorts, one could see that his bo
dy was not only tanned but solid.

  “Hello, Judge Haymond,” Bart said.

  “Hello, Judge,” Jenna said, then walked up to him and kissed his cheek. “You’re looking good.”

  “Hi, Judge,” Frank said.

  “Should I stay, Lester?” Mrs. Haymond said.

  “Yes, why would you leave, Marian?” Judge Haymond said. “This involves all of us. By the way, Jenna told me what’s in the briefcase, Jeremy. If Marcus Kristoff has concerns about what’s happening here, then we need to be concerned as well. If he told you to watch your back, Jeremy, then you’d better watch it; and have Frank and Jenna watch your back too. Marcus has lived here peacefully for years now, and the only incident he ever had was with that idiotic woman he beat up.”

  “Lester, where’s your Christian kindness?” Mrs. Haymond said.

  “Not with people like her, who are only out to get what they can get,” Judge Haymond said. “I’ve seen too many of those types in the courts. She’d bite the hand of Christian kindness… after taking your last penny, if she could. Nobody deserves to be beaten like she was, but she overplayed her hand, and you don’t do that with men like Marcus. Hopefully, Marcus learned his lesson too, especially since it was a costly one for him. I’m guessing he did, since there haven’t been any other incidents involving him… just his daft daughter.”

  “I’d say more dangerous than daft,” Jenna said.

  “Dangerous only in her stupidity,” Judge Haymond said. “We need to find out who the big boys are in this game, and they haven’t shown their faces yet.”

  “Or maybe they have,” Bart said. “Maybe Rachel’s cousin Gabriel is one of those players. Judge Haymond, Marcus Kristoff said that you and Mrs. Haymond tried to legally adopt Gabriel—could your connection to him help us in any way?”

  “Probably not,” Judge Haymond said. “Until Jenna’s call today, I had no idea Gabriel was even in town. Did you, Marian?”

  “He called me this morning,” Mrs. Haymond said. “I hadn’t had a chance to tell you yet. No, that’s not true. I spent most of today in my reading room where I sat and tried to figure out if Gabriel could be involved in what’s been going on in Maynard Shores.”

  “Have you met with him recently?” Judge Haymond said.

  “Not since we all saw each other at church the last time,” Mrs. Haymond said with an upset look on her face. “Lester, I can’t believe Gabriel would have anything to do with this. He always despised his father’s business… and anything to do with drugs.”

  “You knew the child that Gabriel was back when he was in your Sunday school class here, when his mother was still alive,” Judge Haymond said. “Since then, we’ve only seen him for mere minutes at a time. Even then he was always surrounded by his father’s men. We don’t know what sort of man he’s had to become in order to survive in his father’s household.”

  “We’ve got to look at him as a possible suspect if we’re going to be able to do anything about the drugs,” Jenna said.

  “And we need to do something about those drugs soon,” A slender woman with straight shoulder-length brown hair said from the doorway. She wore a white, short-sleeved top, and gray slacks with low heels. “I have some bad news to share. Our patient in Georgia has died.”

  Chapter 31

  The Crooked Path

  JUDGE HAYMOND, Frank, and Bart had left the sunroom, and were silently walking along a shaded path in the judge’s backyard. The judge put his arms around Bart’s and Frank’s shoulders for a moment, then stopped, looked at them, and spoke.

  “What you two are doing here is difficult, but important. Even though people we know and love were involved and affected by what’s going on, we need to keep our cool—understood, boys.”

  “Yes, Judge,” Bart said.

  “Yes, Sir,” Frank said.

  They walked ahead, until the judge stopped and sat on a gray cement bench underneath a large shady tree. “This situation is like the path we just walked… crooked in every sense of the word,” Judge Haymond said. “When I was a judge, I could never say what I’m about to say. Sometimes, to bring about what you need to happen most, you have to get your hands a little muddy. But that doesn’t make you the bad guys.”

  “Just how muddy do you think our hands are going to have to get?” Frank said.

  “I’m not sure,” Judge Haymond said. “But Tara’s been keeping us informed of everything that’s been going on at her end—and it’s not a pretty picture. They moved some patients from here to Bart’s mother’s hospital, and the patients are starting to add up. Some of them are in comas, some of them were dead on arrival… and things are becoming worse by the minute. People are either getting paid or blackmailed to keep quiet about just how bad it’s getting. Hell, the Kristoffs would pay people off just to make sure no bad news surrounds their resort and this city.”

  “Is any of this chupa stuff—the victims, the dealing, et cetera, going on in other places, besides here?” Bart said.

  “A couple cases up north in Jacksonville have been reported,” Judge Haymond said. “It’s bad, boys—excuse me, you’re not boys anymore, are you? You’re men, who are here on a mission. Speaking of which, I’ve been brought up to date on the Mr. Orion situation. Your plan isn’t bad, Jeremy, but it may not be enough.”

  “If Mr. Orion is a major investor, then surely that’ll bring out the big bosses,” Frank said. “With him gone, their funding will be also.”

  “True,” Judge Haymond said. “But doesn’t it sound like too many people want him gone. His leaving may not be big enough to cause more than a ripple through the system. The people heading this operation probably already have a significant investment from him, and may not even need him anymore. Watch the situation carefully, and see if anyone comes to the man’s defense.”

  “Unfortunately, you make a lot of sense—as always, Judge,” Bart said. “What I don’t understand is how come it’s so hard to discover who’s really behind the chupa business in such a small community as Maynard Shores. Wouldn’t newcomers stand out here?”

  “We get a lot of vacationers in this area; especially, a young affluent party crowd at certain times of the year,” Judge Haymond said. “And what if it’s not newcomers to the area, but people who’ve been around a while?”

  “Yeah, but if they’d been here a while, then people would know,” Frank said. “I mean, they would’ve been dealing the chupa stuff before now. Marcus and Mr. Orion grew up around chupa, and could’ve brought it over here at any time. So, why now? Neither man seems to really need the money.”

  “I wish I had answers for you,” Judge Haymond said. “Jeremy, we really need the help of someone like that good friend of yours Bart.” He winked at Bart slyly. “That Bart could flirt with a rock and get a response. I remember how often he’d flirt with people right in front of you, Jeremy, trying to get a response from you—and you were the only person who never seemed to notice. That kind of man—like Bart, could work his charm on people to find out what we need to know. And to be honest, our circumstances are dire enough right now that we need him to use all of his charms to help us… if you catch what I’m saying.”

  “Oh, I do,” Bart said, then smiled.

  “That Bart definitely knows how to work a situation,” Frank said. “I’ve witnessed him do his thing a few times.”

  “It’s too bad he can’t be at the masquerade ball at the museum tonight,” Judge Haymond said. “He’d have a fun time mixing and mingling with the crowd, but it’s impossible to get an extra ticket.”

  “Tonight,” Bart said. “That’s awfully soon… as in a few hours.”

  “Too soon, unfortunately,” Judge Haymond said. “It’s a shame. Well, we’d better head back inside.”

  WHEN JUDGE Haymond, Frank, and Bart walked back into the sunroom, the ladies were enjoying cake and lemonade.

  “I’ve already set places for the three of you,” Mrs. Haymond said.

  The three men sat down and joined the others at the g
lass and wrought iron table in the room.

  “Have you got any useful news for us, Tara?” Frank said. “Like, what the heck are we looking for, besides chupa? What are these people mixing with the stuff?”

  “I only wish I knew, Frank,” Tara said. “Remember, my sister was given some of that ‘stuff’. Unfortunately our biggest problem is caused by the chupa.”

  “The chupa?” Bart said. “But I thought it was the least lethal substance, except in large doses.”

  “Well, it is, and it isn’t,” Tara said. “Your mo—um… excuse me—Dr. Farrow and her team have been working overtime with the information we gave them about chupa. And they’re grateful to know what the main ingredient in this drug cocktail is, but there’s one big problem.”

  “What’s that?” Bart said.

  “The chupa absorbs, breaks down, and uses the other ingredients in the cocktail mix to strengthen its own attributes,” Tara said. “By the time we get the patients, the other ingredients have left their damage on their bodies without leaving any trace of what they actually were, Because of the chupa we can’t find any trace of the other chemicals or substances. Without knowing what they are, or were, we can’t treat the patients. And we don’t think the cocaine we found on some of the patients’s clothes or on their person was part of the chupa cocktail. Chupa costs pennies to get ready for the market; it wouldn’t make sense for dealers to mix it with expensive products like cocaine or heroin. But they are finding substances to mix with the chupa that, as I said earlier, will both heighten and extend its attributes. The real problem is those additional ingredients have to be fairly basic or inexpensive, which of course, makes it more difficult for us.”