it.”
“Rudy said someone named Lenny did this.”
“I said don’t worry about it.”
“Have you called the police?” The look Ellis gave Jon was all he needed. “Ellis, you’ve got to report this.”
“No cops.”
“Why not? Are you in trouble?”
Ellis laid his head against his arm. “Please, just go.”
“I won’t.”
One gray-blue eye glared at Jon.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Why?”
“Because I need a very good reason not to call the cops.”
“At the superstore.” Ellis grimaced and shifted his weight. “Rudy touched a woman’s hair. She had long pretty hair. He’s always touching things. Rule number three; no touching. But he broke it and she freaked. Then Lenny came after him. I couldn’t let him hurt Rudy.”
“And who’s this Lenny guy?”
“Just some guy. Moved here a few years ago.”
“He cause you a lot of problems?”
“Not really. Called me a few names over the years. Nothing else.”
“I still don’t understand why you won’t call the police and have him arrested.”
“It won’t do any good.”
“Why not?”
“Lenny has friends in the department. I can’t risk something happening to Rudy.”
“And what would happen to him?”
Ellis closed his eye and licked his cut lip. A drop of blood formed along the split skin. “I caused some problems several years ago for a few deputies. George was still sheriff at the time. He fired them and they took it to court. In the settlement the city had to pony up some money and they got to keep their jobs. They remind me on a regular basis that they haven’t forgotten.”
“They bother you?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
Ellis sighed. “They pull me over a few times a month for busted tail lights or headlights.”
“Are you accident prone?”
“What?”
“Unless you’re accident prone why are you getting so many busted lights?”
“They break them. When they pull me over they break them.” His exhaustion painted his face in deep lines across his forehead and dark smudges under his eyes. He breathed and it seemed to take more effort than it should have. “If I call the cops, they’ll find an excuse to take Rudy to jail.”
“Is that what they told you they would do?”
“More or less.”
“You know they can’t just do that.”
“The people around here are tight. Their kids go to the same school, their families go to the same church. I may live here but I’m an outsider. I don’t associate with them. I’m not like them.”
“You mean because you’re gay.”
Ellis wouldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take the chance of them coming after Rudy. And they would. Trust me, they would.”
Jon brushed his knuckles across Ellis’s cheek. He opened his good eye and held his gaze. Under the fear, under the exhaustion, burned courage. This was a man who would suffer anything to keep his brother safe.
“Let me help you get cleaned up.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“You’re tired and I think if you get cleaned up Rudy won’t be so upset.” The silence was a momentary rift.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“I should be keeping an eye on him.”
“I think he’s too worried about you to do anything.” Jon offered his hand. “Let me help you.”
“Why?” It sounded almost like a challenge.
“Because I want to.” Ellis didn’t resist when Jon took his hand. He sat Ellis down on the toilet lid. “Can you stay here on your own?”
Ellis nodded.
Jon looked around for something to clean Ellis’s face. He checked under the sink. There was only a roll of toilet paper. “Where do you keep the washcloths?”
“They’re in my room on the shelf. There’s also a first aid kit.” He made a face. “It’s not a real first aid kit. It’s in a plastic tub. I have extra stuff in there, you know.”
“Is it in the closet?”
“No. Under my bed.”
Jon stood.
“Wait.”
He did.
“Check on Rudy first.
“Rudy said someone named Lenny did this.”
“I said don’t worry about it.”
“Have you called the police?” The look Ellis gave Jon was all he needed. “Ellis, you’ve got to report this.”
“No cops.”
“Why not? Are you in trouble?”
Ellis laid his head against his arm. “Please, just go.”
“I won’t.”
One gray-blue eye glared at Jon.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Why?”
“Because I need a very good reason not to call the cops.”
“At the superstore.” Ellis grimaced and shifted his weight. “Rudy touched a woman’s hair. She had long pretty hair. He’s always touching things. Rule number three; no touching. But he broke it and she freaked. Then Lenny came after him. I couldn’t let him hurt Rudy.”
“And who’s this Lenny guy?”
“Just some guy. Moved here a few years ago.”
“He cause you a lot of problems?”
“Not really. Called me a few names over the years. Nothing else.”
“I still don’t understand why you won’t call the police and have him arrested.”
“It won’t do any good.”
“Why not?”
“Lenny has friends in the department. I can’t risk something happening to Rudy.”
“And what would happen to him?”
Ellis closed his eye and licked his cut lip. A drop of blood formed along the split skin. “I caused some problems several years ago for a few deputies. George was still sheriff at the time. He fired them and they took it to court. In the settlement the city had to pony up some money and they got to keep their jobs. They remind me on a regular basis that they haven’t forgotten.”
“They bother you?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
Ellis sighed. “They pull me over a few times a month for busted tail lights or headlights.”
“Are you accident prone?”
“What?”
“Unless you’re accident prone why are you getting so many busted lights?”
“They break them. When they pull me over they break them.” His exhaustion painted his face in deep lines across his forehead and dark smudges under his eyes. He breathed and it seemed to take more effort than it should have. “If I call the cops, they’ll find an excuse to take Rudy to jail.”
“Is that what they told you they would do?”
“More or less.”
“You know they can’t just do that.”
“The people around here are tight. Their kids go to the same school, their families go to the same church. I may live here but I’m an outsider. I don’t associate with them. I’m not like them.”
“You mean because you’re gay.”
Ellis wouldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take the chance of them coming after Rudy. And they would. Trust me, they would.”
Jon brushed his knuckles across Ellis’s cheek. He opened his good eye and held his gaze. Under the fear, under the exhaustion, burned courage. This was a man who would suffer anything to keep his brother safe.
“Let me help you get cleaned up.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“You’re tired and I think if you get cleaned up Rudy won’t be so upset.” The silence was a momentary rift.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“I should be keeping an eye on him.”
“I think he’s too worried about you to do anything.” Jon offered his hand. “Let me help you.”
“Why?” It sounded almost like a challenge.
“Because I want to.” Ellis didn’t resist when Jon took his hand. He sat Ellis down on the toilet lid. “Can you stay here on your own?”
Ellis nodded.
Jon looked around for something to clean Ellis’s face. He checked under the sink. There was only a roll of toilet paper. “Where do you keep the washcloths?”
“They’re in my room on the shelf. There’s also a first aid kit.” He made a face. “It’s not a real first aid kit. It’s in a plastic tub. I have extra stuff in there, you know.”
“Is it in the closet?”
“No. Under my bed.”
Jon stood.
“Wait.”
He did.
“Check on Rudy first.
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