Campus Call Boy, page 15
CARLOS AND I get over to the Law School’s free clinic the next morning before they even open up at nine. Neither one of us had a good night’s sleep, and things got a little heated with Carlos wanting me to go straight to the police after hearing about Philip and Josh. I tried to explain how there wouldn’t be any point, not until I got some legal advice. He cooled down when I promised we’d do that first thing in the morning. We’re both skipping our morning classes to do it.
The clinic opens fifteen minutes late, and the counselor is some law student who looks the same age as us. Ling is her name. She’s very friendly and professional, and it puts me at ease that she doesn’t look freaked out or skeptical when I tell her I’m being harassed by the Provost because I stopped sleeping with him for money.
When I get into Josh’s murder case, I can see her mentally placing the situation as out of her purview. She politely explains the extent of the clinic’s services. They give advice about family law, small claims, landlord disputes, contracts, but they can’t advise people about criminal matters. She directs us to their website where they have a directory of lawyers. Ling strongly suggests I hire a criminal attorney prior to contacting the police or even lodging a complaint against Philip at the Dean of Students’ office. She assures me everything I told her will be kept confidential.
Carlos looks pissed when we walk out of there, but I’m feeling great. I’ll get a bad-ass lawyer. One official cease and desist letter will have Philip shitting his pants. The lawyer will help me figure out how to present what I know to the police without incriminating myself. I tell all that to Carlos, and he gets it. I should’ve thought of the idea myself.
Over at the student union café, we pick out a lawyer from the website. There’s a firm that specializes in relationship problems, including stalkers, which sounds on point to me. The only problem is when I call, the earliest appointment they can give me is tomorrow at eleven fifteen. I would’ve liked to go right down there, but I take it. It’s just a little over twenty-four hours away. Philip has stopped trying to call me, and he hasn’t called Carlos. We can get through the day and night. Carlos agrees.
We try to do some studying until our one o’clock classes, and Carlos tells me they’re having a potluck dinner at the co-op and maybe we could sleep at his place that night. I tell him I’m in for that.
“But no horsing around. I gotta get some work done on my paper.”
He smirks at me. Yeah, we’ll see how well that goes.
“What should I bring for dinner?” I ask. “I can barely boil water.”
“That’s no big deal. We can always use drinks or something for dessert.”
That I can handle. We kiss goodbye and head off to class in separate directions.
♂ ♂
AFTER CLASS, I hike back to my apartment. I figure I’ll throw a change of clothes into my gym bag and drive to Carlos’s place so we can take the car to the appointment with the lawyer in the morning.
I’m so looking forward to putting this drama with Philip behind me. Even in class, I felt exposed, like I was being watched, and it’s creepy walking through campus alone even among so many people during the day. I need to refocus on my schoolwork, make sure I keep my grades up, get back to my gym routine. Never mind the fact I’ve got to find a job. The consultation with the lawyer tomorrow is free, but there’s a five hundred dollar retainer, and then they bill at five hundred dollars an hour. I’ll be burning through my savings a lot quicker than I had planned. I’ll probably need to skip a loan payment or two.
I pick up two dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies at the bakery in town on my way home. That’ll be my contribution to the potluck. Everybody likes chocolate chip cookies, right?
At my apartment, I pack up underwear, a pair of chinos and a button-down shirt since we’re meeting with a lawyer, and my bathroom kit. My place is starting to look a little funky since I haven’t had time to clean, which also makes me grouchy. I straighten things up a bit and take out the garbage. Then I grab my messenger bag and my gym bag and take the elevator down to the parking garage.
I’ve got a spot for my Volkswagen on the lower level. I don’t see or hear anybody in the garage. It always feels like nighttime down there, and with my nerves rubbed raw, it’s extra creepy. I stroll down the ramp with my eyes fixed on the blind corner ahead where there’s a bank of cars. When I come around, I see my car on one side of the lot, and then I notice a shadowy figure emerging from the other side.
Philip.
I freeze up with dread. Now I know the fucker is stalking me. He must’ve gotten my address from my school records just like he got my cell phone. He doesn’t look intimidating on the outside, wearing his business suit, empty-handed. But I know he’s a cold-blooded killer. I judge the distance between us—maybe ten feet—and glance at the ceiling. The place has to have security cameras doesn’t it?
He steps slowly into a pool of light, staring at me.
“What are you doing here, Philip?”
“What else was I supposed to do? You won’t take my calls.” He steps a little closer.
“Get back.” He halts. “I don’t want to see you. I don’t want you around me.” I’m getting breathless. “Just turn around and go home.”
He looks at me like he’s trying to temper a wild animal. “You’re getting overexcited. I have every right to be here. It’s a public place. I’m visiting a friend.”
“It’s not a public place, and we’re not friends,” I snarl back at him.
His bearded face turns stricken. “Why do you treat me this way? After everything I’ve done for you?”
I fix on him, thinking I might get through to him while he’s looking vulnerable. “Philip, for the last time, it’s over between us. You need to accept that and move on.”
A deranged smile curls up on his lips. “No.” He steps toward me, pointing his hand. “You’re being unfair. You’re going to hear me out.”
An idea pops into my head. I drop my gym bag with one hand and dig out my cell phone from the pocket of my track pants. When he’s in reaching distance, I step back, click on my video camera and get him in the picture.
“What are you going to do, Philip? What are you doing at my apartment?” I shout at him.
He backs off and covers his face with his arm. Thank god. He’s nuts, but he’s not stupid. I’ll record every word from his mouth.
His trembling eyes stab at me for a moment, and then he hustles back to his Mercedes SUV, gets in and drives off in a rush.
I exhale a deep breath. Cold sweat is drying tight on my face. That fucking lawyer appointment can’t come soon enough.
Chapter Twenty
WHEN I TELL Carlos what happened, he grabs his cell phone and texts Philip a threatening message before I can stop him.
Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend. I’ll come for you, bitch.
Part of me is flattered and a little amused he’s so forceful in protecting me. But...
“Hon, I appreciate you, but we can’t engage with him. The guy’s got the resources to lawyer up himself. He’ll try to make the case we’re the ones harassing him.”
Carlos shrugs away from me. “Fuck that. I should go straight over to his house. Send him a message that way.”
I smile at him. “That’s my baby. Don’t know what I’d do without you. Let’s go down to the potluck. I’m fine, Carlos.” I glance at the clock on my phone. “Just seventeen hours to get through. And we’re gonna be together the whole time.”
Easing up behind him, I massage his shoulders. Carlos is wound up tight, but he gradually draws a breath and relaxes a little. I understand he’s angry and feeling helpless. But my man has a good head on his shoulders. He’d only make things worse by going over to Philip’s, threatening him, and getting himself in legal trouble.
We go down to dinner and spend some time with his friends at the co-op. Everybody is friendly. I think I’m becoming part of the gang even though I don’t have anything to say when the conversation turns to campus politics. Jae and Amanda say hello to me while Carlos goes into the kitchen to help out, and I open up my box of cookies at the dessert table. I see Garret and Louis and wave hello to them.
Carlos could’ve told anybody here what I shared with him last Saturday. He was really angry, and if the tables were turned, I would’ve confided in Darius and other close friends if I had any. I’ve been wondering what Amanda and Jae think of me, knowing that I did sex work.
But unless my senses are off or his friends are expert actors, I don’t notice anyone looking at me differently. I mean, they’d either smile at me nervously while they’re trying to be polite, or they’d give me the cold shoulder because they think I’m not good enough for Carlos. Amanda is totally natural around me and even warmer than before, taking my arm in that straight-girl-gay-boy way. Jae asks me to try their vegetarian chili. Then, weirdest of all, Louis gives me a big hug and says he’s glad I came and hopes he didn’t piss me off with what he said last week. I can’t figure anybody knows what Carlos and I have been going through. It makes me respect the guy even more. Hurt as he was by me keeping my past from him, he took care not to hurt me back by letting other people know.
Carlos and his pals bring out a bunch of dishes from the kitchen. He made chicken enchiladas, and there’s curry dishes and lots of vegetarian and vegan casseroles. Tameka Wells made mac and cheese, which reminds me of the house parties I went to in my neighborhood as a kid. Carlos’s co-op is kind of like the United Nations, with the common thread being a lot of the residents are queer and they’re all kind of alt or goth or anti-establishment in some way. It’s weird I find myself fitting in, but then again, I realize if I was going to be part of a tribe on campus, it wouldn’t be with the frat bros or the preppy students in the business school. Really, it would be with these kinds of people who like being LGBT and don’t fit into an Ivy League student mold.
We all sit down on mismatched chairs and tables with full plates from the buffet. I’m still on the periphery of most conversations, but I have a nice chat with Jae who’s spending the summer in Guatemala working in rural villages to improve health conditions as part of a study abroad. Amanda teases me about how helping Carlos with statistics is going and wants to know if my services are available when she takes the course next fall. Carlos holds court as usual, talking about the work he’s doing to push the university to not increase tuition and residence fees next year. We catch each other’s eye every now and then and smile.
I help clear the tables, and as the kitchen fills with pots and pans, I tell everyone I’ve got loads of experience as a dishwasher and take the helm cleaning things up. Besides my three awful dormmates from freshman year, I’ve never lived with people, and I can see the appeal of the co-op, everybody pitching in, never feeling lonely because there’s always someone around. Louis and Garrett come over and tell me a bunch of people are going down to Woody’s. They get a pretty big crowd on Thursday night, so I’ve heard. I glance at Carlos, who’s helping dry while I wash, just to confirm our plans. I thank the guys for the invite, and tell them Carlos and I have some serious schoolwork to catch up on. They don’t look like they buy that, but they leave us be.
Afterward, when we get up to Carlos’s room and he closes the door, I press up on him and give him a big kiss.
He opens his eyes and chuckles. “What was that for?” He hooks his hands in the waistband of my pants, pulling our hips together. “’Cause whatever it was, I’ll do more of it.”
“That’s for being the best boyfriend in the world.”
Carlos rubs his nose against mine, breathes against my neck. “Yeah? What’d I do?”
I hold his sides, run my hands under his arms. “Well, for one thing, unless your friends are the most awesomely, open-minded people, you didn’t tell them what we fought about Saturday night.” I caress his ear. He’s so delectable, head-to-toe, it’s difficult staying focused on what I want to tell him. “I mean, I would have understood if you did, but it would have made it a lot harder being around your friends. It was just very…noble of you.”
He blushes and grabs handfuls of my butt. “Noble, huh? I guess it’s what they say. Love makes you a more noble man.”
I laugh. The contact between us has me light-headed. “I could tell them myself,” I say. “Somewhere down the line. What do you think they’d say?”
Carlos considers. “I don’t know. But if anybody gave you grief, they’d be hearing from me.”
I hold his face. “My valiant prince.”
He rubs his heated erection against mine. “Your horny valiant prince.”
This wasn’t the plan. We’ve both got loads of work to do for our classes. But that bulge between his legs is giving my body different ideas. I suppose we could get a quickie in.
I backstep toward his bed, and he shuffle-steps along like we’re conjoined at the hips. Then we wrestle each other’s clothes off.
♂ ♂
LATE FRIDAY MORNING, we drive over to the offices of Attorneys Mankowitz and Kurtz. I’d been feeling like I couldn’t wait for the appointment, but all at once I’m nervous. Sharing all my personal business with a stranger is scary, and what if they say they can’t do anything for me? I’m glad I’ve got Carlos to hold my hand through it all.
The firm is on the third floor of one of the more modern office buildings in town, and it looks very corporate and legit. They’ve got a pretty, young receptionist who finds my name on her desktop computer. She makes a call to the back offices, and before I have much more time to sweat, a dark-haired, thirty-something guy in a business suit comes out to usher us to his private office.
Landon Fulbrick. He tells us we can call him Landon. The guy looks like a former college football player, and he’s neatly groomed so that builds confidence. Carlos and I sit down at the two chairs in front of his desk. Landon takes a seat at his executive chair and grabs a yellow legal pad and a pen. I draw a breath, let go of Carlos’s hand, and tell him everything.
Landon listens attentively and jots things down on his pad, all while handling the information with a sincere and professional gravity. I show him everything I printed out from my contacts with Philip and tell him I’ve got video of him showing up at my apartment last night plus a recorded phone call telling him to stay away from me.
“That’s good. You’ve certainly got enough to warrant a cease and desist order. And local law is very favorable for victims of stalking. Sadly, it’s a big problem in college towns. I could help you file a restraining order with the police. Given that you’re a student with a right to an education, the university would have to suspend the guy at the very least so he wouldn’t be on campus at the same time as you. Beyond that, you’ve got great options for suing both Dr. Geary and the university for educational malpractice and failure to protect you from harassment.”
I glance at Carlos. He looks equally amazed.
“The main thing is just ensuring our safety. I don’t need to go after the guy’s money or the university’s. This situation is actually a lot bigger than me.” I fill him in on what I know about Philip and Josh. Landon stops taking notes before I’ve even finished telling him everything.
He scratches his ear. “Joshua Novack,” he says. “I think I remember that case. Well, there’s no statute of limitations for murder investigations in this state, but I can tell you, it’s going to be a lot more complicated. What you’ve got is hearsay. Sure, I could accompany you down to the police station, probably get you a meeting with a detective. But unless this friend of a friend comes forward, or at least your friend comes forward, you’re not giving the police much to work with. You’re not a witness to anything.”
I kind of get what he’s saying, though it makes me angry. Nobody cares Philip probably killed this kid?
“I’ll be straight with you Noah,” he goes on. “The only thing that’s going to interest the police with that case is if Dr. Geary came forward with a signed confession. I know that sounds harsh, but I’m not in the practice of taking a client’s money and leading them on a unicorn hunt. Sure, I could help you with a statement for the police. I could refer you to a private investigator who might be able to track down some interaction between Dr. Geary and Josh through the screen names you’ve got here. That’ll cost you money too.” He folds his hands on his desk. “Look, your best bet would be if Dr. Geary violates your restraining order and gets himself in jail where law enforcement wants to take a closer look at him. Then you could present this information you have and get them thinking they should dig deeper. But that’s precisely what you don’t want to happen. You want this guy out of your life, yesterday. That part is easy-peasey. You get him shut up with a court order, probably out of his job, thinking about what’ll happen if you go public, and he’s going to stay as far away from you as he can.”
“What if he’s killed other people?” Carlos says. “What if he kills more in the future?”
Landon rolls back in his chair. “If you think the guy’s that dangerous, if you think it’ll clear your conscience, go ahead and report what you’ve got to the police. Nothing’s stopping you. My duty is to my client, which is Noah. And my advice is let’s get this guy off your back, today.” He fixes on me. “I’m telling you straight, you’ve got a winning case here. We send one letter to Dr. Geary, one letter to the university, and they’re going to be tripping over themselves to figure out how to contain the situation. As they should be. You can’t have been sleeping easy with this guy following you around, threatening to sabotage your education.” He gets on his computer, doing something I can’t see since his monitor is turned toward him. “I’m gonna send you some articles on the settlements we’ve won for our clients going up against the university. Give you an idea of the type of compensation I’m talking about.”
I take a dry gulp. I’m getting the distinct impression he’s picturing me as a golden goose egg, rolled right into his office. Which is okay. I like money, too. But really, that’s not even the point.
“Can I ask you something?”
The clinic opens fifteen minutes late, and the counselor is some law student who looks the same age as us. Ling is her name. She’s very friendly and professional, and it puts me at ease that she doesn’t look freaked out or skeptical when I tell her I’m being harassed by the Provost because I stopped sleeping with him for money.
When I get into Josh’s murder case, I can see her mentally placing the situation as out of her purview. She politely explains the extent of the clinic’s services. They give advice about family law, small claims, landlord disputes, contracts, but they can’t advise people about criminal matters. She directs us to their website where they have a directory of lawyers. Ling strongly suggests I hire a criminal attorney prior to contacting the police or even lodging a complaint against Philip at the Dean of Students’ office. She assures me everything I told her will be kept confidential.
Carlos looks pissed when we walk out of there, but I’m feeling great. I’ll get a bad-ass lawyer. One official cease and desist letter will have Philip shitting his pants. The lawyer will help me figure out how to present what I know to the police without incriminating myself. I tell all that to Carlos, and he gets it. I should’ve thought of the idea myself.
Over at the student union café, we pick out a lawyer from the website. There’s a firm that specializes in relationship problems, including stalkers, which sounds on point to me. The only problem is when I call, the earliest appointment they can give me is tomorrow at eleven fifteen. I would’ve liked to go right down there, but I take it. It’s just a little over twenty-four hours away. Philip has stopped trying to call me, and he hasn’t called Carlos. We can get through the day and night. Carlos agrees.
We try to do some studying until our one o’clock classes, and Carlos tells me they’re having a potluck dinner at the co-op and maybe we could sleep at his place that night. I tell him I’m in for that.
“But no horsing around. I gotta get some work done on my paper.”
He smirks at me. Yeah, we’ll see how well that goes.
“What should I bring for dinner?” I ask. “I can barely boil water.”
“That’s no big deal. We can always use drinks or something for dessert.”
That I can handle. We kiss goodbye and head off to class in separate directions.
♂ ♂
AFTER CLASS, I hike back to my apartment. I figure I’ll throw a change of clothes into my gym bag and drive to Carlos’s place so we can take the car to the appointment with the lawyer in the morning.
I’m so looking forward to putting this drama with Philip behind me. Even in class, I felt exposed, like I was being watched, and it’s creepy walking through campus alone even among so many people during the day. I need to refocus on my schoolwork, make sure I keep my grades up, get back to my gym routine. Never mind the fact I’ve got to find a job. The consultation with the lawyer tomorrow is free, but there’s a five hundred dollar retainer, and then they bill at five hundred dollars an hour. I’ll be burning through my savings a lot quicker than I had planned. I’ll probably need to skip a loan payment or two.
I pick up two dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies at the bakery in town on my way home. That’ll be my contribution to the potluck. Everybody likes chocolate chip cookies, right?
At my apartment, I pack up underwear, a pair of chinos and a button-down shirt since we’re meeting with a lawyer, and my bathroom kit. My place is starting to look a little funky since I haven’t had time to clean, which also makes me grouchy. I straighten things up a bit and take out the garbage. Then I grab my messenger bag and my gym bag and take the elevator down to the parking garage.
I’ve got a spot for my Volkswagen on the lower level. I don’t see or hear anybody in the garage. It always feels like nighttime down there, and with my nerves rubbed raw, it’s extra creepy. I stroll down the ramp with my eyes fixed on the blind corner ahead where there’s a bank of cars. When I come around, I see my car on one side of the lot, and then I notice a shadowy figure emerging from the other side.
Philip.
I freeze up with dread. Now I know the fucker is stalking me. He must’ve gotten my address from my school records just like he got my cell phone. He doesn’t look intimidating on the outside, wearing his business suit, empty-handed. But I know he’s a cold-blooded killer. I judge the distance between us—maybe ten feet—and glance at the ceiling. The place has to have security cameras doesn’t it?
He steps slowly into a pool of light, staring at me.
“What are you doing here, Philip?”
“What else was I supposed to do? You won’t take my calls.” He steps a little closer.
“Get back.” He halts. “I don’t want to see you. I don’t want you around me.” I’m getting breathless. “Just turn around and go home.”
He looks at me like he’s trying to temper a wild animal. “You’re getting overexcited. I have every right to be here. It’s a public place. I’m visiting a friend.”
“It’s not a public place, and we’re not friends,” I snarl back at him.
His bearded face turns stricken. “Why do you treat me this way? After everything I’ve done for you?”
I fix on him, thinking I might get through to him while he’s looking vulnerable. “Philip, for the last time, it’s over between us. You need to accept that and move on.”
A deranged smile curls up on his lips. “No.” He steps toward me, pointing his hand. “You’re being unfair. You’re going to hear me out.”
An idea pops into my head. I drop my gym bag with one hand and dig out my cell phone from the pocket of my track pants. When he’s in reaching distance, I step back, click on my video camera and get him in the picture.
“What are you going to do, Philip? What are you doing at my apartment?” I shout at him.
He backs off and covers his face with his arm. Thank god. He’s nuts, but he’s not stupid. I’ll record every word from his mouth.
His trembling eyes stab at me for a moment, and then he hustles back to his Mercedes SUV, gets in and drives off in a rush.
I exhale a deep breath. Cold sweat is drying tight on my face. That fucking lawyer appointment can’t come soon enough.
Chapter Twenty
WHEN I TELL Carlos what happened, he grabs his cell phone and texts Philip a threatening message before I can stop him.
Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend. I’ll come for you, bitch.
Part of me is flattered and a little amused he’s so forceful in protecting me. But...
“Hon, I appreciate you, but we can’t engage with him. The guy’s got the resources to lawyer up himself. He’ll try to make the case we’re the ones harassing him.”
Carlos shrugs away from me. “Fuck that. I should go straight over to his house. Send him a message that way.”
I smile at him. “That’s my baby. Don’t know what I’d do without you. Let’s go down to the potluck. I’m fine, Carlos.” I glance at the clock on my phone. “Just seventeen hours to get through. And we’re gonna be together the whole time.”
Easing up behind him, I massage his shoulders. Carlos is wound up tight, but he gradually draws a breath and relaxes a little. I understand he’s angry and feeling helpless. But my man has a good head on his shoulders. He’d only make things worse by going over to Philip’s, threatening him, and getting himself in legal trouble.
We go down to dinner and spend some time with his friends at the co-op. Everybody is friendly. I think I’m becoming part of the gang even though I don’t have anything to say when the conversation turns to campus politics. Jae and Amanda say hello to me while Carlos goes into the kitchen to help out, and I open up my box of cookies at the dessert table. I see Garret and Louis and wave hello to them.
Carlos could’ve told anybody here what I shared with him last Saturday. He was really angry, and if the tables were turned, I would’ve confided in Darius and other close friends if I had any. I’ve been wondering what Amanda and Jae think of me, knowing that I did sex work.
But unless my senses are off or his friends are expert actors, I don’t notice anyone looking at me differently. I mean, they’d either smile at me nervously while they’re trying to be polite, or they’d give me the cold shoulder because they think I’m not good enough for Carlos. Amanda is totally natural around me and even warmer than before, taking my arm in that straight-girl-gay-boy way. Jae asks me to try their vegetarian chili. Then, weirdest of all, Louis gives me a big hug and says he’s glad I came and hopes he didn’t piss me off with what he said last week. I can’t figure anybody knows what Carlos and I have been going through. It makes me respect the guy even more. Hurt as he was by me keeping my past from him, he took care not to hurt me back by letting other people know.
Carlos and his pals bring out a bunch of dishes from the kitchen. He made chicken enchiladas, and there’s curry dishes and lots of vegetarian and vegan casseroles. Tameka Wells made mac and cheese, which reminds me of the house parties I went to in my neighborhood as a kid. Carlos’s co-op is kind of like the United Nations, with the common thread being a lot of the residents are queer and they’re all kind of alt or goth or anti-establishment in some way. It’s weird I find myself fitting in, but then again, I realize if I was going to be part of a tribe on campus, it wouldn’t be with the frat bros or the preppy students in the business school. Really, it would be with these kinds of people who like being LGBT and don’t fit into an Ivy League student mold.
We all sit down on mismatched chairs and tables with full plates from the buffet. I’m still on the periphery of most conversations, but I have a nice chat with Jae who’s spending the summer in Guatemala working in rural villages to improve health conditions as part of a study abroad. Amanda teases me about how helping Carlos with statistics is going and wants to know if my services are available when she takes the course next fall. Carlos holds court as usual, talking about the work he’s doing to push the university to not increase tuition and residence fees next year. We catch each other’s eye every now and then and smile.
I help clear the tables, and as the kitchen fills with pots and pans, I tell everyone I’ve got loads of experience as a dishwasher and take the helm cleaning things up. Besides my three awful dormmates from freshman year, I’ve never lived with people, and I can see the appeal of the co-op, everybody pitching in, never feeling lonely because there’s always someone around. Louis and Garrett come over and tell me a bunch of people are going down to Woody’s. They get a pretty big crowd on Thursday night, so I’ve heard. I glance at Carlos, who’s helping dry while I wash, just to confirm our plans. I thank the guys for the invite, and tell them Carlos and I have some serious schoolwork to catch up on. They don’t look like they buy that, but they leave us be.
Afterward, when we get up to Carlos’s room and he closes the door, I press up on him and give him a big kiss.
He opens his eyes and chuckles. “What was that for?” He hooks his hands in the waistband of my pants, pulling our hips together. “’Cause whatever it was, I’ll do more of it.”
“That’s for being the best boyfriend in the world.”
Carlos rubs his nose against mine, breathes against my neck. “Yeah? What’d I do?”
I hold his sides, run my hands under his arms. “Well, for one thing, unless your friends are the most awesomely, open-minded people, you didn’t tell them what we fought about Saturday night.” I caress his ear. He’s so delectable, head-to-toe, it’s difficult staying focused on what I want to tell him. “I mean, I would have understood if you did, but it would have made it a lot harder being around your friends. It was just very…noble of you.”
He blushes and grabs handfuls of my butt. “Noble, huh? I guess it’s what they say. Love makes you a more noble man.”
I laugh. The contact between us has me light-headed. “I could tell them myself,” I say. “Somewhere down the line. What do you think they’d say?”
Carlos considers. “I don’t know. But if anybody gave you grief, they’d be hearing from me.”
I hold his face. “My valiant prince.”
He rubs his heated erection against mine. “Your horny valiant prince.”
This wasn’t the plan. We’ve both got loads of work to do for our classes. But that bulge between his legs is giving my body different ideas. I suppose we could get a quickie in.
I backstep toward his bed, and he shuffle-steps along like we’re conjoined at the hips. Then we wrestle each other’s clothes off.
♂ ♂
LATE FRIDAY MORNING, we drive over to the offices of Attorneys Mankowitz and Kurtz. I’d been feeling like I couldn’t wait for the appointment, but all at once I’m nervous. Sharing all my personal business with a stranger is scary, and what if they say they can’t do anything for me? I’m glad I’ve got Carlos to hold my hand through it all.
The firm is on the third floor of one of the more modern office buildings in town, and it looks very corporate and legit. They’ve got a pretty, young receptionist who finds my name on her desktop computer. She makes a call to the back offices, and before I have much more time to sweat, a dark-haired, thirty-something guy in a business suit comes out to usher us to his private office.
Landon Fulbrick. He tells us we can call him Landon. The guy looks like a former college football player, and he’s neatly groomed so that builds confidence. Carlos and I sit down at the two chairs in front of his desk. Landon takes a seat at his executive chair and grabs a yellow legal pad and a pen. I draw a breath, let go of Carlos’s hand, and tell him everything.
Landon listens attentively and jots things down on his pad, all while handling the information with a sincere and professional gravity. I show him everything I printed out from my contacts with Philip and tell him I’ve got video of him showing up at my apartment last night plus a recorded phone call telling him to stay away from me.
“That’s good. You’ve certainly got enough to warrant a cease and desist order. And local law is very favorable for victims of stalking. Sadly, it’s a big problem in college towns. I could help you file a restraining order with the police. Given that you’re a student with a right to an education, the university would have to suspend the guy at the very least so he wouldn’t be on campus at the same time as you. Beyond that, you’ve got great options for suing both Dr. Geary and the university for educational malpractice and failure to protect you from harassment.”
I glance at Carlos. He looks equally amazed.
“The main thing is just ensuring our safety. I don’t need to go after the guy’s money or the university’s. This situation is actually a lot bigger than me.” I fill him in on what I know about Philip and Josh. Landon stops taking notes before I’ve even finished telling him everything.
He scratches his ear. “Joshua Novack,” he says. “I think I remember that case. Well, there’s no statute of limitations for murder investigations in this state, but I can tell you, it’s going to be a lot more complicated. What you’ve got is hearsay. Sure, I could accompany you down to the police station, probably get you a meeting with a detective. But unless this friend of a friend comes forward, or at least your friend comes forward, you’re not giving the police much to work with. You’re not a witness to anything.”
I kind of get what he’s saying, though it makes me angry. Nobody cares Philip probably killed this kid?
“I’ll be straight with you Noah,” he goes on. “The only thing that’s going to interest the police with that case is if Dr. Geary came forward with a signed confession. I know that sounds harsh, but I’m not in the practice of taking a client’s money and leading them on a unicorn hunt. Sure, I could help you with a statement for the police. I could refer you to a private investigator who might be able to track down some interaction between Dr. Geary and Josh through the screen names you’ve got here. That’ll cost you money too.” He folds his hands on his desk. “Look, your best bet would be if Dr. Geary violates your restraining order and gets himself in jail where law enforcement wants to take a closer look at him. Then you could present this information you have and get them thinking they should dig deeper. But that’s precisely what you don’t want to happen. You want this guy out of your life, yesterday. That part is easy-peasey. You get him shut up with a court order, probably out of his job, thinking about what’ll happen if you go public, and he’s going to stay as far away from you as he can.”
“What if he’s killed other people?” Carlos says. “What if he kills more in the future?”
Landon rolls back in his chair. “If you think the guy’s that dangerous, if you think it’ll clear your conscience, go ahead and report what you’ve got to the police. Nothing’s stopping you. My duty is to my client, which is Noah. And my advice is let’s get this guy off your back, today.” He fixes on me. “I’m telling you straight, you’ve got a winning case here. We send one letter to Dr. Geary, one letter to the university, and they’re going to be tripping over themselves to figure out how to contain the situation. As they should be. You can’t have been sleeping easy with this guy following you around, threatening to sabotage your education.” He gets on his computer, doing something I can’t see since his monitor is turned toward him. “I’m gonna send you some articles on the settlements we’ve won for our clients going up against the university. Give you an idea of the type of compensation I’m talking about.”
I take a dry gulp. I’m getting the distinct impression he’s picturing me as a golden goose egg, rolled right into his office. Which is okay. I like money, too. But really, that’s not even the point.
“Can I ask you something?”
