Chapter Nine

                                    

                                          
        Dear God in heaven. Theodore groaned as something hideous hit in the face the next morning. Closing his bleary brown eyes tightly , he rolled over in his old bed until his face hit what was unfortunately not his hypoallergenic pillow. Which made him sneeze twice. 
" What the fuck is that ? , " he mumbled into the pillow. Reed turned from pulling the blanket over their sleeping son who was reclined on the old baby cot Grace and Cassandra had set up in the room. Matt and Saint had a similar one for Livvie in the guest room. He went to the bed and sat down to stroke at Theo's bare shoulders and back. "Darling , I believe it's called sunlight coming through the window. " 
Theo moaned. He felt like a massive jackhammer was pounding away at his head. " Well it should be condemned. In fact that damn bar should be too. Serving me arsenic like that last night. "
" I believe it was whiskey. Not arsenic. " Reed looked at his husband and remembered how he pushed him away last night. He opened the night stand drawer and then slammed it shut again. Not loud enough to wake Benji but hard enough to have Theo moaning again. Reed smiled. Yes , he too could be a bitch , Reed thought.  " Would you like some black coffee ? "
Theo groaned like he was dying. " Don't fire that gun inside. " 
" Coffee it is. Food to go with the coffee , darling ?" 
Theo continued groaning in utter misery into the fluffy pillow and Reed shook his head at him. It was a good thing that Benji could sleep through anything. Storms. TV. Music. His overly dramatic Papa sleeping off a drunk. Then he went downstairs for coffee. 
Theo groaned again. Reed left him to die. The heartless man. The heartless gorgeous man with the ass of pure delight. He wasn't alone for long unfortunately as an altogether too perky and too loud Matt bounced into the room. Matt turned his volume down a couple notches when he saw the toddler still sleeping. " Get up , my bar fighting friend , " he chortled as he perched his narrow rear end on the edge of the bed. The mere movement made Theo feel like he was trapped on the sinking Titanic.  
" Go away , " he mumbled. 
" No , he's right , " Theo heard from the doorway. Dear God. That strident ear pitching bougie voice. It sounded like his damn sister. What the hell was she doing in DC in his apartment ? Then he remembered. He wasn't in DC. He was in Texas. And he remembered why. 
Father was dead. 
That was enough to sober him up. Father was dead. Oh God. 
Matt rattled a terrible sound near his ear , saying , " Wakey , wakey , Lucy. Saint said take a couple of these extra strength aspirin. With the coffee Reed is making. Then a cold shower. "
Theo moaned, " You're evil. All of you. Especially Grace. "
Grace made a face at him. " Maybe so , brother , but at least I can handle a few whiskeys. You are going to have to hand in your Texas Man card after this. Oh wait you never had one. Pussy. "
" Bitch , " he moaned into the pillow. 
Reed appeared with a piping hot cup of coffee. " Enough , people. He's been tortured enough. I think the hangover is payment enough for his temper tantrum last night. Matt , leave the meds. Grace , back off. Theo , sit up and drink this. And take an aspirin. "
" And hurry with it , " Grace retorted. " You and Matt have an appointment with Jasmina Raye at Phoenix this morning. Reed got you all a rental car. Nice big roomy minivan. But I think you should take Father's car. I will get the house one day but he always wanted you to have the car. Reed , we'll take the rental to talk to Ryan. I want to see if he can get Father's case looked at as a homicide. Benji and Livvie will be fine with the rest of family to watch over. Jump to it. There's a murder to solve. "
Theo sat up slowly , his shaky hand pressed to his absurdly throbbing head as his other reached for the bottle of aspirin.  He popped in three and then took a long sip of the coffee. Grace was the spawn of Satan and the bane of his life since they unfortunately shared a womb but she was right. There was a murder to solve. 
The most important murder of his life. 
Because Father was dead.