Read Online First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery by Scott Sherman - Free Book Online

exactly,” I told her.
    “Umm, I’m married,” Tony said.

    “You’re married?”
    “To a woman.”
    “To a woman?”
    “I’m straight.”
    “You’re straight? You’re not straight.”
    Tony threw him arms up and turned to me. “What is it with you people?”
    “What is he talking about?” my mother asked me.
    “Tony is saying that he’s heterosexual and that he’s married to a woman,” I said to my mother. I turned to Tony. “My mother is expressing disbelief because she knows about our history and because we were just making out in the hal way.”
    “You were making out in the hal way?” my mother asked.
    “Sorry, I thought you heard us,” I said.
    “Why were you making out with a married man?” my mother asked me. Then to Tony: “Does your wife know about this?”
    “No!” Tony shouted.
    “Wel , I’m sure she’l be thril ed to know you’re fooling around,” my mother said. “God knows I was when I found out what my Henry was up to.”
    “What was Dad up to?” I asked.
    “Why do you think I’m here?” my mother asked.
    “Why are you here?”
    “Haven’t you been at least listening to my messages?”
    The answer, of course, was no. Now I was paying the price. I grimaced.
    “You’re father’s been slipping it to Dottie Kubacki; that’s why I’m here.” She gestured to her bags. “With these.”
    “You’re giving me his luggage?”
    “I’m moving in.”
    Seeing me on the hot seat made Tony happy.
    Grinning, he put his hand on my shoulder. “I hate to leave when this is getting good, but I better be going home.”
    “To your wife?” my mother asked, pointedly.
    “Yes,” Tony growled.
    “I’l walk you downstairs,” I said to Tony.
    Tony took my mother’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure seeing you again, Mrs. Connor. Kevin was right, you look wonderful. You haven’t aged a day since I last saw you.”
    Whatever negative impression my mother had of Tony evaporated like water on a hot stove.
    “You’ve always been such a dear,” my mother said, kissing him on the cheek. “Now, you two just run along. I’l wait up here.” As if I were worried she’d leave.
    “OK, Mom, I’l be right back. And whatever you do, don’t unpack.”
    I rode down the elevator with Tony. “Is it even possible that she could have worse timing?” I asked him.
    Tony looked down at his crotch. “Not that I can see,” he answered. “You want me to shoot her? We can say we walked in and mistook her for a burglar.”
    “No,” I said. “I’m too mad at my father to let him off the hook that easily. Dottie Kubacki?”
    Dottie was a widow who lived two houses down from mine, five away from Tony’s old house. Almost as wide as she was tal , Dottie was not exactly the husband-stealing type.
    “Maybe there’s been some kind of mistake,” Tony said. The elevator door opened and I escorted Tony to the door of my building. Even this late, the air stil felt as if it had been baked in a kiln.
    “I’m going to walk to my car,” Tony said. “That’l burn off the beers. You go back upstairs and enjoy your mom.”
    “I was hoping to enjoy you.”
    We stood awkwardly by the door. Here we were in another doorway. Half in, half out. Going in opposite directions.
    I didn’t think it appropriate to give him a kiss goodnight, but I couldn’t imagine parting with a handshake. I decided to go for a compromise and hugged him. He hugged me back.
    “Are you gonna be OK?” he asked.
    I nodded into his chest.
    Tony put his lips to the top of my head. “You know you have me al confused, right?”
    I nodded again. I didn’t want to let go, but I did.
    “You’l be fine,” Tony said. “I’l cal you tomorrow.”
    “Would you real y do it?” I asked
    “Cal you?”
    “Shoot her.”
    Tony grinned again. “So far,” he said, “you have a pretty good record of making me do things I shouldn’t.”
    Yeah, I thought, but we hadn’t actual y done anything yet.
    I watched him walk until he was