Death Becomes Him - 32

Rory and Trent met the Realtor at the building as planned. He gave them free rein to check out the space, which didn’t take long. It was basically one room with a bathroom and a small office through two doors at the rear. A third door along one wall of the main room led to stairs going up to the second floor, which was vacant according to the Realtor. Whoever had rented the shop space last had lined the walls with built-in shelves, leaving the area in the center open. There was track lighting with, the Realtor pointed out, all new bulbs.

“I think this will work well for what we have in mind,” Rory said, glancing at Trent.  

“You’re the boss, I’m just the money man,” Trent replied with a grin. That, to some extent, was the truth. He had money saved he was willing to loan Rory to pay the upfront costs like the first month’s rent and security.

‘Loan’ was the operative word at this point, despite his telling Rory he’d just give it to him. That had not sat well with his lover.

“I’m not going to become your kept ‘boy’,” Rory had stated adamantly. “I will make this work and pay you back every cent.”

Trent had instantly agreed. He totally understood where Rory was coming from. In some ways, Rory had been exactly that for the last four years while living with Emily, only without sex thrown into the bargain. He knew it had to grate on him at some level despite his having no real choice in the matter at first.

The Realtor was more than happy when Rory suggested they go back to his office to deal with the paperwork involved. When they got there, Trent took over to the extent of using all his information, personal and monetary, to fill out the lease. After all, to all intents and purposes, if the Realtor were to check, Rory was dead and buried in a grave a thousand miles or more from the city.

Once everything was settled and money had changed hands, the Realtor gave Trent the keys to the building. “If you need me for anything, feel free to call. And don’t forget to transfer the utilities to your name,” he added with a smile.

“Of course not.” Trent chuckled. “I do manage a hotel, and own my home; I know the ins-and-outs of things like that.”

The moment they’d left the Realtor’s office, Trent said with more than a trace of amusement, “I’m betting you want to go right back to your new building to search for ghosts.”

Rory grinned. “That thought did cross my mind.” Then he sobered. “There is something there although I couldn’t figure out what. I suspect it was staying well hidden because of you and the Realtor.”

“That means it probably won’t show itself if I’m there with you?”

“One way to find out,” Rory replied.

When they got to the building, Rory unlocked the front door. “Why don’t you wait out here for a minute? I’ll see if what I think I felt is still there or if”—he chuckled—“it was just my imagination.”

Trent nodded, leaning against the wall to wait.