their wedding plans and potential honeymoon destinations, and the talk turned to careers. Blair, a chatterbox who began every sentence with either “I” or “me” or “my,” worked for an advertising agency and spent far too much time detailing some of their latest marketing maneuvers. Joey hung on every word while Kyle began glancing at the clock behind them, high above a row of windows. As she prattled on, Kyle worked hard at maintaining enough eye contact to feign interest, but his mind drifted to the video.
“Is she awake?” Joey asks as Baxter has sex with a dangerously intoxicated Elaine Keenan.
“Blair travels to Montreal quite often,” Joey said, then Blair ricocheted onto the subject of Montreal and its beauty. She was learning French!
Is she awake? Joey, sitting there with his hand under the table no doubt rubbing some flesh, had no earthly idea that such a video existed. When was the last time Joey even thought about the incident? Ever? Had he forgotten it completely? And what good would it do for Kyle to bring it up now?
After the Pittsburgh police quietly closed the file on Elaine and her rape, the brothers of Beta buried it, too. During his last two years of college, Kyle could not remember a single instance when the episode was discussed. Elaine disappeared and was quickly forgotten.
If Bennie Wright and his operatives had been snooping around Duquesne and Pittsburgh in recent weeks, Kyle wanted to know about it. Perhaps Joey might have seen or heard something. Perhaps not. Joey wasn't noticing much these days except for Blair.
“Have you talked to Baxter?” Joey asked when Blair finally stopped for air.
“Not in a month or so.”
Joey was grinning as if a joke was on the way. “He finally got in a movie, you know.”
“No kidding. He didn't tell me.”
Blair giggled like a first grader because she undoubtedly knew the rest of the story.
“That's because he doesn't want you to know,” Joey went on.
“Must be a great movie.”
“Yep, he got drunk one night--and by the way, the drinking is now in no-man's-land--so he called and told me he'd made his debut. It was a cheap cable flick about a young girl who finds a human leg washed up on a beach, and for the rest of the movie she has nightmares about being chased by a one-legged killer.”
“Where does the great Baxter Tate fit in?”
“Well, you have to watch real close or you'll miss him. There's a scene on a boat where the cops are gazing at the ocean, presumably looking for the rest of the body, though this is never clear. The movie has a lot of uncertainties. One of the deputies walks over to the sheriff and says, ”Sir, we're low on fuel.“ That's our movie star.”
“Baxter is a deputy?”
“And a bad one. He has only that one line and delivers it like a frightened sophomore in the school play.”
“Was he sober?”
“Who knows, but I would say yes. If he'd been drunk, as usual, he would've nailed the line.”
“I can't wait to see it.”
“Don't, and don't tell him I mentioned it. He called the next morning, begging me not to watch it and threatening me if I told anyone. He's a mess.”
And that reminded Blair of one of her friends who knew someone “out there” who landed a role in a new sitcom, and away she went. Kyle smiled and nodded as his brain switched compartments. Of the three roommates, Joey was the only one who could possibly help, if indeed help was possible. Baxter Tate was in dire need of intensive rehab. Alan Strock was thoroughly consumed with medical school at Ohio State and, of the four, was clearly the least likely to get involved.
For Joey, the stakes were high. He was on the tape, wondering aloud if Elaine was awake and conscious while Baxter did the deed, then Joey himself took a turn. He was currently handling accounts at a regional brokerage firm in Pittsburgh and had two promotions under his belt. He was goofy in love with Air Blair here, and any hint of an old rape charge would upset their perfect
“Is she awake?” Joey asks as Baxter has sex with a dangerously intoxicated Elaine Keenan.
“Blair travels to Montreal quite often,” Joey said, then Blair ricocheted onto the subject of Montreal and its beauty. She was learning French!
Is she awake? Joey, sitting there with his hand under the table no doubt rubbing some flesh, had no earthly idea that such a video existed. When was the last time Joey even thought about the incident? Ever? Had he forgotten it completely? And what good would it do for Kyle to bring it up now?
After the Pittsburgh police quietly closed the file on Elaine and her rape, the brothers of Beta buried it, too. During his last two years of college, Kyle could not remember a single instance when the episode was discussed. Elaine disappeared and was quickly forgotten.
If Bennie Wright and his operatives had been snooping around Duquesne and Pittsburgh in recent weeks, Kyle wanted to know about it. Perhaps Joey might have seen or heard something. Perhaps not. Joey wasn't noticing much these days except for Blair.
“Have you talked to Baxter?” Joey asked when Blair finally stopped for air.
“Not in a month or so.”
Joey was grinning as if a joke was on the way. “He finally got in a movie, you know.”
“No kidding. He didn't tell me.”
Blair giggled like a first grader because she undoubtedly knew the rest of the story.
“That's because he doesn't want you to know,” Joey went on.
“Must be a great movie.”
“Yep, he got drunk one night--and by the way, the drinking is now in no-man's-land--so he called and told me he'd made his debut. It was a cheap cable flick about a young girl who finds a human leg washed up on a beach, and for the rest of the movie she has nightmares about being chased by a one-legged killer.”
“Where does the great Baxter Tate fit in?”
“Well, you have to watch real close or you'll miss him. There's a scene on a boat where the cops are gazing at the ocean, presumably looking for the rest of the body, though this is never clear. The movie has a lot of uncertainties. One of the deputies walks over to the sheriff and says, ”Sir, we're low on fuel.“ That's our movie star.”
“Baxter is a deputy?”
“And a bad one. He has only that one line and delivers it like a frightened sophomore in the school play.”
“Was he sober?”
“Who knows, but I would say yes. If he'd been drunk, as usual, he would've nailed the line.”
“I can't wait to see it.”
“Don't, and don't tell him I mentioned it. He called the next morning, begging me not to watch it and threatening me if I told anyone. He's a mess.”
And that reminded Blair of one of her friends who knew someone “out there” who landed a role in a new sitcom, and away she went. Kyle smiled and nodded as his brain switched compartments. Of the three roommates, Joey was the only one who could possibly help, if indeed help was possible. Baxter Tate was in dire need of intensive rehab. Alan Strock was thoroughly consumed with medical school at Ohio State and, of the four, was clearly the least likely to get involved.
For Joey, the stakes were high. He was on the tape, wondering aloud if Elaine was awake and conscious while Baxter did the deed, then Joey himself took a turn. He was currently handling accounts at a regional brokerage firm in Pittsburgh and had two promotions under his belt. He was goofy in love with Air Blair here, and any hint of an old rape charge would upset their perfect
Similar Books
