To Serve and Protect II
 A Change of Venue

By: BJ Williams
(© 2013-2014 by the author)
Edited by: Gerry Young

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Introduction of the Characters

Andrew Butler, 35, and life partner with…

Michael Brady, 35, and Andy’s Neanderthal man.

David, age 20 is Michael’s biological son from a past adventure when he was 13 and a foster child at the girl’s parent’s house.

Thomas Sullivan, 52, is life partner to…

Dr. Aaron Smyth, 49, head of the Medical Center of Vermont

Shane and Adam Sullivan-Smyth, age 18, are identical twins that Thomas and Aaron adopted because they were orphaned.

Jonathon Davis, 20, son of Billy Davis

Jonathon Davis-Butler, 20, son of Billy Davis and adopted son of Andy Butler

Theodore (Teddy) Vandercamp, 35, Andy’s neighbor and pretending boyfriend

Dr. Sam Johnson, 52, Hampden County Coroner

Kyle Hibbard, 36, Michael’s lawyer

Chapter 9

As the actors got into place for the first scene, his eyes focused on James, who was to play Travis Butler. He grinned, watching with satisfaction as all was finally coming into place. The sun had set and darkness enveloped the area as the moon came out and its light illuminated the area just enough for the camera.

Andy watched as James, exited the woods and stepped into the clearing, where many years ago, his father and Thom had once made love together. He was followed by Michael, who was to play Thom. Andy found it remarkable, how much Michael had been made over to resemble Thom. There wasn’t enough makeup or disguise to ever make James look like Travis, Andy thought.

“Unless you are in this scene I want you all to leave the area,” the director said and waited as everyone not involved in the shoot left.

Andy was livid as he paced back and forth in the lot, while Michael and James prepared to do their sex scene together. He’d had enough and he wasn’t going to wait around while Michael had his fun. He hurried over to their car and left, letting Michael worry about how he got home.

“Now James, I want you to instantly get up, undress, and then run and dive into the water, once you see Michael leaving to retrieve the towels.”

James and Michael nodded; they walked back to the woods and waited for their cue to move forward.

“Action!” Max called out.

James followed Thom from the woods and together they spread the blanket that Michael had been carrying. They sat down next to each other and went right into their dialogue.

“Come on Travis, it’s damn hot tonight, so let’s take a dip,” Michael suggested.

“You know Thom, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear that you enjoyed seeing me naked. But yeah, it is hot and a cooling dip sounds great,” he agreed.

Michael walked off, just out of camera view, pretending to retrieve the towels, leaving James alone on the set. James made an art of stripping from his police uniform, and when naked, took off running for the water. Michael re-entered the scene, when he saw that Jason was already in the water, he stripped and joined him. They frolicked in the water until they eventually ended up kissing.

“Cut!” the director yelled and waited for them to exit the water. “Now, I want you two on the blanket and move right into your sex scene,” he instructed them.

“Action!” he yelled and they fell to the blanket where they began kissing.

They made love and when they were spent, Michael dressed. “Cut!” the director yelled once again.

“Anthony is already in the parking lot ready to do his scene. I want you, Barry, to get out to the parking lot and film him as he hurries back to his cruiser, having already strangled his victim,” he told the cameraman.

“Don’t you want me to follow Michael when he leaves James to go back to the cruiser,” he asked Max.

“No, I want the killer introduced into the film, by catching him on film as he runs from the woods.”

“That’ll leave you two alone here, but once you hear me yell action, Michael, that means that Anthony is about to drive away, then you can come on out when I yell ‘cut to Michael’.” Michael nodded.

“What then, Max?” Michael asked.

“I want you to stand beside your cruiser, as if waiting for your partner to join you. I’ll give you a nod, at that time hurry back to where you had left James and once you join him, scream as if your entire world had just ended. You got it?” he asked, again, Michael nodded.

“Action!” he said once more.

“So tell me, Michael, how is Andy going to feel when you go back out there, having fucked my brains out?” James asked.

“He knows that it’s just a movie, he’ll be quiet, but fine about it.”

“Here, wrap this around my neck for me, like you were going to strangle me,” James asked, handing Michael a tie.

“Don’t tempt me, James,” Michael said as he fashioned the tie the way the real strangler had done.

“Cut to Michael!” he yelled.

“That’s your cue sexy man,” James said and watched as Michael, with the towels and blanket in his hands, walked away.

“Now, Barry, I want you to film Michael as he comes out of the woods and goes to his cruiser, puts the towels and blanket in the trunk and then waits for his partner.”

Barry nodded and stood ready.

Michael, right on cue, exited the woods and once having stowed away the towels and blankets, he stood patiently waiting beside the car for James to join him. Max nodded to Michael, who took off running back into the woods.

“Cut!” he yelled ‘cut’ once again and with Barry beside him, they moved to where James would be lying, having been strangled already by the killer.

“Now wait for your cue to exit the woods. I want you to drop down beside your dead partner and… well, you know what to do,” he said.

“I gotcha, Max,” he told him and watched as Max and Barry left him to set up for the final scene.

“Action!” he said softly to Barry, who began filming.

‘Damn … but makeup really knows how to make a healthy man look dead,’ he thought as he looked over at James, who lay prostrate on the grass with a necktie knotted around his neck.

Right on cue, Michael ran from the woods and when he saw his partner lying face down on the ground, he fell to this knees beside him and felt for a pulse. Michael looked directly at the camera and slowly shook his head in disbelief.

“That’s a wrap!” he yelled and stood there watching, waiting for James to get up. “We’re done here, James, you can get up now,” he said, still James did not move.

“He… he’s dead… he’s been strangled,” Michael shouted.

“Nonsense … he’s just fucking with you, Michael. Ok, James, you had your fun, now get up,” he said.

Max walked over to James when he did not move, knelt down to get a closer look at him, and it was then he noticed that it wasn’t makeup that made him appear to be dead, he really was dead.

“Barry, call the police… he’s really dead,” he told him. “He hasn’t got a pulse.”

“Oh, fuck, Max,” he said and ran off to get help.

Michael was livid, he knew the possible implications for him, he’d been the last one with James. Soon those who had not been in the scene came running from the woods.

“Stop… don’t take another step, this is a police crime scene now,” Michael shouted, holding up his hands to stop them.

“What did you do, Michael,” Max asked, shock and fear showing in his eyes as he looked up at Michael.

“I didn’t do a damn thing, Max, other than tie that damn tie around his neck. When I left him, he was very much alive,” he said and noticed that everyone had turned to him.

“I told you that death would come visiting you, Michael,” the killer murmured from the shadows where he hid. “Oh, but I am good, killing two birds with one stone. I rid myself of that twit and send Michael off to rot in prison, leaving Andy all to me.”

“I’m telling you, Max, James was alive and standing when I left him,” Michael told him again. “He had me wrap the tie around his neck for him, and I did, but I swear that he was alive when I left him, damn it.”

Michael and Max ushered everyone from the area and back to the parking lot, where no one could compromise the crime scene. Within minutes, sirens and flashing lights lit up the small parking area, as police came rushing in.

“Where’s the body,” Thom asked, coming up to Michael.

“I’ll show you, Thom,” Michael told him.

“I want everyone gathered into that bus there and questioned,” he called out to the other officers and detectives who had arrived as well.

“Before I take you in, there is something that you should know,” Michael told him. “I was the last one to see him alive and…”

“And what?” Thom asked.

“I was the one who wrapped the tie around his neck, so my prints will be on it,” Michael confessed and Thom looked questioningly at him.

“What fucking kind of movie are you making here?” he asked once he saw where James lay and that he was naked. “I was told by Andy —by the way, he’s at home if you care to know — anyway, he told me that it was a documentary about the victims of the Riverfront Strangler, but this…” again, he turned to Michael.

“Ah … it’s more like porn,” Thom raised a brow suspiciously. “Okay, it’s porn, but one with a story to it about the victims of the strangler,” he quickly added.

“I want you to stay right beside me… and do not move a muscle until I tell you to,” he instructed Michael.

Michael stood stoically and watched as Thom, the coroner and the CSI team investigated the area. When they were done, Thom pulled Michael aside and spoke privately with him.

“What else should I know about you and James, other than he was your recent lover?” Thom asked.

“We had kind of a messy breakup, if that is what you mean? He was jealous as hell over Andy and me possibly getting back together.”

“I know; while you were here, Andy found me and we talked about that and also this fucking movie… which I am shutting down immediately.”

“I agree, it almost cost me Andy,” he said.

“I think it already did, because he’s packing as we speak, Michael. He’s lost his trust and faith in you.”

“NO! He can’t leave me … not again, Thom,” he exclaimed. “I know that I fucked up, but I’ll do anything to keep him.”

“Don’t tell me, tell him,” Thom suggested. “Alright, that’s not what I wanted to know. What went on here… between you and the victim?”

“We more or less replayed the love scene that you had years ago with Travis, and once everyone moved to the other scene leaving James and me alone, we exchanged a few sarcastic remarks. But other than that, Thom, James was alive when I left him.”

“Did you have sex together?”

“Ah… yeah, why?” he asked cautiously.

“Did you use a rubber?”

“No, I never do, I hate how they dull the feeling of my cock when I fuck.”

“Then the coroner will more than likely find semen in James?” Michael reluctantly nodded; he knew how that alone would place him last with James. “I got to tell you, Michael, once the report comes out and the DA reads all the evidence, he’s going to cry for your blood,” Thom told him.

“But I didn’t kill him, Thom. I didn’t have to tell you any of this, but I did,” he said.

“But that only says to the DA, that you wanted to cast yourself in a better light, by sharing with me, what the evidence would eventually tell us.”

“Then I’m fucked,” Michael muttered. “Can I go and find Andy,” he asked.

“Yes, but I wouldn’t go planning any trips in the near future. If what you told me proves true, the evidence alone can implicate you,” he said.

“I’m not planning on going anywhere Thom, but home to convince Andy to stay. I’m innocent of this and I will prove it,” he said as they walked out of the woods.  

“Does this look familiar,” Dr. Sam Johnson asked as he held up the evidence bag with tie in it to Thom once Michael had walked away.

“It’s just like the ones our officers, wear, Sam,” Thom said, while silently praying that Michael hadn’t lost his temper and killed James. “Just like the ones that killed all those other boys and Travis.”

He pulled Sam aside and shared with him, all that Michael had told him. Sam raised a brow as he finished up talking, shaking his head in fear for Michael.

“He’s a good cop, Thom, and I highly doubt that he committed the murder. But you know the mayor; he’ll demand blood once he gets wind of it.”

“I know that, and our new DA, he’s going to run with the evidence we get. I’m sure that you’ll find trace evidence from Michael all over that boy’s body,” he assured Sam.

“Of course I will, they were making a pornographic movie here, Michael and the victim had just finished having sex with each other, so we are bound to find traces of Michael on James,” he said.

“I think you might even find Michael’s semen in James, he always did hate using a rubber.”

“Well, I had already suspected that I would. But it’s to Michael’s benefit that he came forward with the information, without having been asked,” Sam told him and Thom nodded. “As you know, I’ll have more for you once the autopsy is done.”

“When do you plan on doing the autopsy?”

“As soon as I can get the body back,” he said.

Thom watched him leave and once he had finished up, he found Michael begging a ride from the cast and crew. They were afraid of him, so no one felt safe giving him a ride.

“Come on, Michael, let’s get you home,” he said, wrapping his arm around Michael’s shoulder. “You know, everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” he said to those who were watching them.

“You know, Thom, our killer has to be one of the movie crew,” he said once he and Thom were in his cruiser.

“Maybe, but what I can’t figure out is, how did he get every detail correct? I don’t know, I’m thinking that it’s someone you and Andy might know, as opposed to the crew. Think about it; they just arrived here from California, where I doubt that they followed this case. In fact, look at them; other than Max, most are between the ages of eighteen and the mid-twenties, they would have been either babes when the murders happened or not yet born.”

“Hmmmm,” Michael groaned, but his mind was on Andy at the moment, not the murder. “I hear what you’re saying, because even I noticed that everything was as before, right down to the tie, which, by the way, is the same tie worn by us officers, Thom.”

“Well, here you are; now remain calm and don’t go flying off the handle with Andy.”

“I won’t, I promise,” he said and got out, but Thom called out to him, stopping him from closing the door.

“You do know, Michael, that everything you told me goes into my report” he said and Michael nodded. “I didn’t read you your rights, because you hadn’t been arrested.”

“Put it in, I’ve nothing to hide,” Michael told him leaning into the car.

“Maybe so, but you have much to fear,” he added. “I’ll be getting back to you, but in the meantime, you might want to get yourself a lawyer,” he said, Michael nodded, closed the door and waved as Thom drove away.

He looked up at his house and took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then climbed the steps to the front door.

*        *        *

When he entered the foyer, he found Andy’s suitcases stacked by the door. He felt his heart sink as he looked down at them; they looked as they had ten years ago.

“Oh… you’re back; I was hoping you would be before I left.” His voice was cold and void of all emotion.

“Please don’t leave me Andy… not again; my heart couldn’t stand losing you twice.”

“You should have thought about that before you did this ridiculous movie scene with him,” he snapped.

“You’ll not have to worry about James any longer, Andy, he’s dead.”

Andy looked at him in shock. His mouth hung open and his eyes fixated on Michael’s.

“What do you mean… he’s dead?” he asked.

“We finished the scene but when Max and the camera man went back to film his death scene, he had been really strangled, Andy. Someone, between the time I left him and when Max and Barry returned, had strangled him.”

“Oh God, Michael, I’m so sorry,” Andy sincerely said. “Yes, I disliked him, but I would never wish him dead,” he added.

“That’s not the worse part, once the evidence is gathered and processed, it’ll implicate me,” he said.

Andy trembled as he staggered backwards, not sure that what Michael had said was true.

“Oh Michael, what are we going to do?” Andy asked, hurrying over to him and hugging him.

“We?” he asked. “Aren’t you leaving me?”

“Take them up to our bedroom,” he told him.

Michael gladly grabbed one in each hand, expecting them to be heavy, but when he lifted them, he nearly tumbled over backwards… they were all empty.

“I don’t understand, Andy?” he held them up to Andy.

“I was hoping to persuade you to quit the movie and allow you a chance to convince me to stay. I never wanted to leave you, Michael, my God; the past ten years have been hell on my heart.”

“And mine, Andy,” he quickly told him. “I love you, but then you won’t have to leave me, once the evidence is out, the state will do it for you. I’ll rot in prison the rest of my life, for a murder that I never committed,” he said.

Michael did something that he rarely did; he fell to his knees and cried. Andy fell to his knees as well and held him, letting him get out all the anger, pain and doubts with his tears. Michael’s body shook as he cried, his chest heaving in convulsions as years of hurt and fear enveloped him. Michael still cried, long after they had gone to bed, and when he had finally cried himself out, they made love.

*        *        *

The next morning, Andy lay with his eyes closed, sleek and sated as he had not felt in… years. He snuggled back against the man at his side, and smiled because his thoughts were so clichéd: he felt as if he had died and gone to heaven, he was not only sated sexually, but, also, emotionally. Michael had finally let out all the doubts, fears and accusations that had taunted and tortured him since Billy’s death.

He turned, burrowing against the formidable wall of Michael’s chest, running his fingers over the mat of fine, brown hair. They had sated the initial urge for simple appeasement, making love slowly, swiftly, slowly again, and now… far later than he had ever imagined and still not at all willing to rise and leave the warmth and security of Michael. He smiled, noting as he ran his fingers down the length of Michael’s arm, how well muscled they were. He snuggled tighter and Michael’s arms encircled him as their eyes met and, also, their mouths in a morning kiss of pure passion and bliss.

Suddenly, a pounding wrap on the front door, shook them from their bliss. “Who the fuck is knocking at this hour of the morning,” Michael grumbled as he crawled over Andy, pausing long enough to kiss him.

“Ignore it… maybe they’ll go away,” Andy said.

“It might be David,” he replied as he left the bed and looked around for something to clothe himself with, settling for his robe. “I’ll be right back,” he left Andy lying contented in the warmth of the bed.

Michael opened the door to find Thom, as well as two of his brother officers with him. “What’s up, Thom?” he asked. “Morning, Jake, Ethan,” he said with a nod to each of them.

“I’ve come baring bad tidings, Michael. Where’s Andy, he’ll need to be here?” he asked and Michael stepped aside to let them into the house.

“Hey Thom… Jake, Ethan, what brings you here so early in the morning,” Andy asked as he descended the stairs.

“I hate to the barer of bad news, but I’m here to arrest Michael,” he said to Andy and then turned to Michael. “Michael Brady, you are under arrest for the murder of James Peterson. You have the right to remain silent…” he continued on with the Miranda Rights as Jake placed the handcuffs on him.

 “Really Thom, are the cuffs necessary,” Michael growled.

“Procedure Michael, you of all people should know that,” Jake told him.

“Can’t I at least get dressed, Thom?” he asked.

“Go upstairs with him, Jake, and let him get in some clothes,” Thom said, and Jake followed Michael upstairs.

“Come on Thom, you and I both know that Michael is innocent,” a panicked Andy exclaimed.

“Yeah, so he told me, but the evidence says differently, Andy. I know it’s all circumstantial, but our new DA is looking to hang someone before this becomes another Riverfront Strangler fiasco.”

“I understand that, Thom, but why hang an innocent man, while leaving the real killer out there to kill again?” Andy reasoned.

“It’ll all come out at the trial, which will hopefully take months to schedule,” he prayed.

“And until then, Thom, Michael rots in a cell while waiting his day in court… I won’t have it,” Andy told him. “He’s innocent for crying out loud, Thom,” he was being hysterical and they all knew it, but, after all, he loved Michael.

“He’ll be released on bail, Andy,” Thom said, although his voice didn’t portray the confidence that his statement did.

“I’ll call Kyle Hibbard. He’s a fantastic lawyer and will see that Michael gets bail. I’ll tell him what’s going on,” he assured both Michael and Thom.

 Andy wasn’t sure about it all, and Thom, he hadn’t sounded all that convincing about the bail either. Michael returned fully dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt with his hands cuffed behind him. Andy stood frozen to the floor and watched as the two officers escorted Michael to the cruiser and carefully helped him in.

“I hope you know that it’s nothing personal, Michael, we’re only doing our job,” Andy heard Jake tell Michael, who curtly nodded at him.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Andy,” Thom assured him. “Remember, call his lawyer and have him meet Michael at the station. Later, we’ll sit and go over his best defense with Kyle.” Andy nodded and kept his eyes locked with Michael’s until he was driven away.

Andy closed the door and slinked back against it, as his mind began replaying the past twenty minutes. He could hear the tick-tock of the grandfather clock in the living room, adding an eerie feeling to the empty house.

*        *        *

Michael could feel his brother and sister officer’s eyes on him as he was lead through the station for booking. Even though he knew that he was innocent, their eyes still hurt him as they looked at him as if he were the lowest of criminals, which a cop was when he went bad.

Michael was finger printed, photographed, and led to a cell. Within minutes, Kyle showed up and insisted on talking with his client. They were led to an interrogation room and once seated, Kyle asked Michael to go over all the facts from the beginning.

Michael began with their breakup and ended with him being arrested that morning. “So, that’s about it, Kyle… what are my chances?”

“Not good, Michael, because the evidence implicates you beyond a shadow of a doubt,” he grimly said. “Until I have all the evidence and can review it, I’m not sure how to defend you. But at your arraignment, we’ll plead not guilty.”

“Of course I’ll plead not guilty, Kyle, because I didn’t kill him. I don’t give a fuck what the evidence says, we were sexually involved doing the movie, so yes, my DNA will be in and all over James.”

“But you said that you tied the necktie around his neck, so that, too, will implicate you if they were able to lift prints from the tie.”

“I’m fucked,” Michael murmured.

“If I had to go with what I know at the moment, my best suggestion would be to accept any plea bargain that the DA offers.”

“The fuck I will!!! I’m innocent and I’ll be damned if I accept anything less than exoneration of this crime that I’m being accused of.”

“Well, like I said, let me meet with the DA and see what evidence there is, and we’ll take it from there,” he said, pulling his things together and stuffing them into his briefcase. “I’ll meet you at court in the morning,” he said, rising.

“If you see Andy, please don’t paint such a grim picture for him. He’s already a mess and I’m worried about him.”

“Speaking of Andy, when he called me earlier, he mentioned something about harassing phone calls?” Kyle asked, pausing at the door.

Michael told him about all the calls and how they threatened both himself and Andy.

“We might be able to work your defense from that angle, by adding another person that had motive to kill or frame you. Like I said, let me get the evidence and review it, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” they shook hands and Michael was led back to his cell.

To be continued…

Posted: 04/18/14