Double Down on Hard Murder: A Kai Logan Mystery

By Kevin Goode-Lee

Kai Logan is BACK! This time, he find himself embroiled in another murder when a popular bartender is murdered at the Baltimore Talon. Now, with one of his drag queen friends framed and charged for the murder by a jealous police officer, Kai now has to find the truth.

If that's not enough, his best friend Jane

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kevin Goode-Lee
• Release date: Nov 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781087996349

Book preview

1

Val, come on. I want to stop somewhere before the show. I got my black Real Men Eat Ass shirt and jeans on, waiting for Val to figure out which crop top to wear with his tight, black, waist-hugger jeans.

I’m ready, Val says as he comes out of the bedroom in a blue crop top that has Money Makes Me Cum written on it.

You look sexy, I said and sealed it with a kiss.

Do you have everything, Val asked.

Yeah. And the flower are near the door, I replied.

Alright. Let’s go! Val had been spending most of his nights here since we’ve made it official to start our relationship four months ago. I got a bit nervous but overtime, I’ve been crazy in love with Val. We finally got out of the apartment and into my car.

I got a text from Jane, Val says. She said you weren’t picking up your phone.

Because I can’t get ready when she’s on the phone. You know she talks too damn much. Why do you think I call her ‘Big Mouth Barnette?’ We laughed.

Well, she said she’ll meet us there. Val then got into my silver Ford Focus and we got on the highway to Downtown Baltimore. With it being six o’clock in the evening, there will be traffic all the way from Oxon Hill to Baltimore.

Ummm…, Val was trying to bring up a subject I may not like. I know because he always starts his sentences like that.

Spit it out, Val, I said.

I was wondering if you were thinking about going to see what your ex-husband wanted.

No, I said almost immediately. He’s in jail and I don’t want to talk about him or what he did to me.

Well, I just think you should see him. He’s alone now.

No, he isn’t, I huffed. IF those people that he became friends with can give him money to buy a car, then they can post his bail or whatever. Him killing his boyfriend is his problem. Valentine seemed to regret bringing up the subject. Why did you bring him up anyway, I asked.

He keeps calling Jane, he answered. hoping you would come if you were asked by her.

Well, I haven’t seen him and I don’t want to. I put my right hand on Val’s knee. I’m focused on you and me. Nobody else. Val then leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. Now, can we please stop talking about him, I pleaded.

Yeah. Okay.

We arrived downtown in Baltimore on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and took the street on Route 40, heading West towards Pulaski Street. We turned right on Mount Olivet Road. I saw Jane’s car as Val and I drove up and parked behind her. We both got out and I got the flowers from the backseat. Val and I greeted Jane with a hug. She also brought flowers.

Are you ready, Jane asked me.

I guess. Let’s go.

We walked through the gates of Mount Olivet Cemetery to visit a friend. After five minutes of searching, we found him.

Hey, how are you, I asked. We just wanted to give you these. I placed the blue rhododendrons on the tombstone. Come here. I beckoned Val to come over.

This is Val. He’s my boyfriend. I hope you’re not jealous about that or anything, I laughed. He’s the one that arrested the guys that did this to you.

Hi, Jordan. I hope you’re resting peacefully knowing that. Val felt weird talking to a tombstone of someone he barely met at a bar. I guess I understood that.

We miss you. There’s not a day goes by that we don’t think of you, Jane said through tears.

We love you. I stood back up. Happy Birthday, Jordan!

It’s been five months since Jordan’s murder. It’s been a little bit hard on both Jane and me. Even more so because we found his body. We all walked back to our cars.

I’ll see you guys over there. How long you’ll think you’ll be, Jane asked. I fiddled with my phone for a bit.

GPS says 17 minutes, I replied.

Okay, see you then, Jane got into her Lincoln Continental and drove off.

I love that you honor your friends and family, Val said.

Well, you were pretty quiet, I said.

Well, I didn’t know him that well!

I know. I’m just teasing, I chuckled.

We got back into my car and drove on to the nightclub, The Baltimore Talon.

2

There’s a party happening at the Baltimore Talon. Val had never been here before. He seemed nervous with everyone standing on the outside of the door.

You okay?

Just a bit nervous, he replied.

don’t be, I reassured him. Just relax and I’ll introduce you to anyone that I know.

Alright, let’s go!

We entered the Talon and there was barely even room to breathe. There were fully clothes people, shirtless people, pants-less people, people in leather gear and jockstraps of all different sizes, shapes, and colors. The Talon was an all-inclusive place and that’s what I loved about it. After the security guard checked out our IDs, I have Val a tour of the huge nightclub. The music was loud, so I had to yell over it to tell Val where we were.

This square bar right here is the main bar. That’s the kitchen right there, I said, pointing to the hole on the other side of the bar. We went around the bar and saw the doors to the patio and the other bar.

That’s the patio door and this doors leads to the Hacker Bar. That’s where you have to take off your shirt in order to be permitted to enter. That’s where a lot of the ‘fun’ usually happens. And that’s just the first floor. I escorted Val back to the entrance and to the right, up the stairs, our main destination.

When we got upstairs, I accidentally bumped into a very colorful person. He was wearing a six-colored horizontal striped dress with chest hair exposed, a pink lace necklace with blue and red squares dangling, earring that showed transgender pride colors and a pink and blue pastel hat with mermaids hanging from it.

Jordi!

Kai! We hugged each other.

It’s been a while. How’ve you been, I asked.

Pretty good. I’ve been shopping mostly. And you? He did a little spin to show off the whole outfit.

I’m alright, I looked towards Valentine. Jordi de Leon, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Valentine Maxwell.

Nice to meet you, Val said as he held out his hand for a handshake. Jordi walked towards him and gave him a hug.

Nice to meet you too, Jordan said as he let go from the hug. I’m sorry. I’m a hugger.

It’s fine, Val smiled.

Is this the new ensemble, I asked.

Yep. You like? He gave another twirl.

Always. Never be afraid to express yourself positively, I said. I’m gonna give Val the rest of the tour. I’ll see you later.

Bye! As we left Val whispered something in my ear.

He’s very colorful, Val joked.

Oh, yeah. Jordi is fucking excellent. His husband is too. He’s a social worker and his hubby’s a doctor.

Oh, does that mean we get free physicals?

Doesn’t hurt to ask, I laughed. Val laughed along with me. I lured Val into the Talon shop. The walls were painted such a bright white that you could blind yourself in there.

Here is the Talon Shop. You can get all of your leather here. Along with lubes, toys, cockrings, and hard-on pills. I then pointed over to the barber chair and the shoeshine booth next to the fitting rooms. You can also get your boot shined. I know you love those boots of yours.

Ooh, yeah. Let’s see about that, Val exclaimed Val this time practically dragged me over to the bootblack stand. He was very excited to find a place to shine his boots. He always causes a mess when he does it at my apartment. I have the blotches on my carpet to prove it. I have had to deep clean my carpet numerous times because of it and it’s a bitch to get those stains out. We said hello in passing to the barber and stopped at the bootblack stand. It was a woman, she looked familiar. She was in her mid-50s with salt and pepper hair, wearing a black Baltimore Talon shirt and a black leather vest with multiple patches and pins.

Well, hello, stranger, she said. Now I knew who it was. It was Josephine, but everybody called her Jo. She was a dealer at the Horseshoe, where we first met.

Jo! I gave her a nice tight bearhug. I haven’t seen her in so long that I thought it was warranted. How are you?

I’m fine. Just sitting here. You here for the show?

Yes. I brought my boyfriend with me. It’s his first time here.

Okay. How are you? Jo asked Val, extending her hand.

I’m good, Val replied, reciprocating the handshake.

"Val, this is my dear friend and three-time International Miss Leather winner Jo Brand.

Oh wow! You won three times?! Jo started to blush.

It was an experience I’m proud to have done.

While we’re here talking about experience, I interrupted, someone would like the experience of having their boots shined by an expert. I turned to Val and looked down at his boots.

Oh, jeez! Jo was shocked. You, get up there now. Those boots are nasty! Jo pointed to her seat and Val obliged.

While she’s taking care of you, I’m gonna take a look around the store, I told Val.

Okay, babe!

Jo, let me know when you’re done. I’ll pay for this.

Gotcha!

I walked around and took a mini tour of my own to the erotica books that they were selling next to the sex accessories up a small flight of stairs. It was fifteen minutes of looking, inspecting and then putting stuff back because it was so expensive. While I was up there, I overheard some guys talking about Val over the railing.

Look at that guy sitting on the shoe polish seat, one of them said in an effeminate voice. He is hot!

Oh, my god, yes! The other one was smitten too. He had a bit more bass in his voice.

I’m gonna give him my number.

No, I want to!

Rock, Paper, Scissors?

You’re on, bitch! I looked over the railing to see who would win the competition. The one with the effeminate voice won. Paper does beat Rock after all.

Yes!

Congratulations, I said above them, slow clapping. They both looked up and smiled because somebody saw what they were doing. But that’s all for nothing. He already got a boyfriend.

Oh, yeah? Well, I don’t see him.

Yes, you do! I pointed to myself.

You’re going out with him?! The effeminate one started to laugh. You could hear his ignorance within the laugh too. I guess because they thought I was a heavyset guy, that someone like Val, who was on the slim side wouldn’t have anything to do with me. I didn’t want to lower my IQ talking to these assholes.

Kai! I saw Jo walk towards the steps. I’m done here.

Alright, I’ll be right down. I walked back down the stairs looking at those two queens with my Ike Turner look as I walked past them. Those smug assholes weren’t saying anything now, being slack jawed. I took out my wallet to pay for Val’s shine job.

How much, dearie, I asked.

For you, you get the half-price friends discount, $15. I pulled out a twenty- and a ten-dollar bill. She looked at it. I said fifteen, Kai.

I know. The rest is your tip. She was surprised.

OH! Thank you. She embraced me with a hug once more.

It’s pleasure. I’ll see you later. Take care of yourself. Val and I walked out of the shop, hand in hand. I flipped those two fuckers off while exiting, and we went down the hall, past the steps again to get to the auditorium. That’s where the drag show would be. We met jane who saved us a table in the third row.

Hey, Jane!

What took y’all so long?

I gave Val a tour. He’s never been here before.

Right. Forgot.

The show was about to start, but none of us had any drinks.

Did any of y’all want a drink, I offered.

Rum and coke, Jane requested.

Vodka and cranberry.

Right. I’ll be back! I left the auditorium and went back downstairs to the main bar. There was a minibar in the auditorium but I highly doubt she could mix a drink like Michele, who was bartending just downstairs. I pushed through the throngs of half-naked people and up to the bar. Michelle was doing her goth thing. Black eyeliner, black Baltimore Talon shirt, black vest, and black leather jeans. The only thing that wasn’t black was her skin and purple G-string poking out from her jeans. She saw me and rushed towards me.

Hey, Kai! She hugged me over the bar.

Hey, sweetie! How are you?

Alright, she said. You want your usual?

Please. Along with a rum and coke and a vodka cranberry.

Gotcha! Michelle is such an awesome person. I met her at the Lilliput and she said she was here to start a new life. She was couch surfing and wanted desperate find a job. I knew the owner of the Talon, Sammy Jay and he was looking for a bartender. With my persuasion and Moody’s teaching, she got the job. She’s been here for the better part of six months. Everybody seemed to like her. She was a female Moody, the bar was popular because she