The Distance by Alexa Land

before I managed to fall asleep. I kept replaying everything I thought I knew about Trigger over and over throughout the night, including every race I’d ever seen him run, and especially the one where I crashed. I’d been so sure I knew what happened, but the more I scrutinized it, the blurrier everything became.
    When I finally went downstairs, Nana was on the warpath. “What’s wrong?” I asked when I found her pacing and muttering to herself in the living room.
    “I’ve had it with that asshole neighbor across the street,” she said. “First he stole the gay pride flag from the front of my house, and now this!”
    “What did he do?”
    “He took that pretty balloon arch off my porch!”
    “Are you sure it was him?”
    “Well, who else would do it? When Ollie dropped me off this morning and I noticed it was gone, I looked across the street, and there was Humpington in his driveway with a smug grin on his face.”
    “I think his name’s Huntington.”
    “Details,” Nana said. “I went over there and asked him point blank if he’d taken the balloons, and he told me I should be glad he didn’t report my penis decorations for public indecency. Then he told me to show some class! Can you believe the nerve of that steaming turd of a monkey humper? Tellin’ me to show some class!”
    “So, he didn’t admit to taking them.”
    “No, but I’m sure he did, and as soon as he leaves, I’m gonna go over there and get some evidence! You’ll help me, right, Jessie?”
    “Of course. Let’s try not to get arrested for breaking and entering, though. They might not let you out in time for your June wedding.”
    “Don’t worry, we won’t get caught.”
    I asked her, “Do we need backup? Should we call Dante? And where’s Ollie?”
    “Dante is a stick in the mud, he’ll just try to stop us. My sweetie will be back soon though, so he can help. He’s at an appointment at Christopher Robin’s art gallery to work out some details for that upcoming new artists showcase, the one with his painter friend Ignacio Mondelvano. They’re including a couple of Skye’s sculptures too. Since his pieces are huge, they rented a warehouse for the show.”
    “Sounds like they’re going all out.”
    “You don’t know the half of it. Christopher Robin had the brilliant idea to turn the whole thing into a fundraiser and make use of that large space. He started a scholarship program for LGBT youth in the arts, so he thought it’d be fun to host a cross between a masquerade ball and a costume party so he can sell tickets and raise money. There’s one part of the show he needs your help with, though.”
    “Sure, anything,” I said.
    “Your friend Chance is a stubborn one. He’s a brilliant photographer, and this could be his big break since it’s going to draw a lot of media attention. But because his husband and Christopher Robin’s are cousins, he refuses to let Christopher show his pictures in his gallery. Chance keeps calling it nepotism and says Christopher wouldn’t be interested in his photos if he wasn’t family. Could you talk to him? Maybe he’ll listen to you and agree to be a part of this show.”
    “I’ll see what I can do.”
    Nana grinned and patted my arm. “I knew I could count on you.”
    We talked about the masquerade ball for a few more minutes, until Ollie got home and agreed to act as lookout. “We just gotta get in his backyard and check Humpington’s trash can,” Nana said. “I bet you anything my property is in there!”
    Ollie (and the two dogs) lined up in Nana’s front yard to watch for Huntington’s return, and she and I circled around to the alley behind her neighbor’s house. His back gate was locked, of course. I told Nana I’d hop the fence and check the trash, but she wasn’t really the type of person to just wait on the sidelines. She slipped her stockinged feet out of her low-heeled pumps and said, “I’m going in. Give me a boost.”
    I knew better than to try to