HE was in the backseat of a stranger’s car once again. The moment he’d buckled his seat belt he whipped out his cellphone from his pocket. Georg had said that he could call Walter on the way to the hotel and that’s exactly what he intended to do. He didn’t have much to hide from Georg and Tom considering the circumstances. But if they were to go to the police…
Ransom knew he definitely needed to call Walter.
He pressed the phone to his ear. The phone rang one. It rang twice. It rang a third time. A fourth time.
Walter wasn’t going to answer. The more rings that came the deeper into despair he fell, until finally the phone stopping ringing and someone breathed into the other side.
“Whatever you’ve got to say, it better be good. It’s the middle of the night.”
He’d felt nervous about calling this late but he had no choice. Hopefully after circumstances were explained, Walter would understand that.
“I um…I’m sorry, but something has happened and…I really need your help. I don’t know what to do.”
He didn’t want to call his brother and worry him so Walter was his only life line to rely on at the moment.
“Alright, alright. I’m going to the kitchen to make a sandwich. Tell me your issues and by the end of it if I’m interested you’ve got me on the phone for as long as you need me.”
Now Ransom was nervous about the concept not being enough to hold Walter’s interest. Walter didn’t mean it like that, but Ransom interpreted it a bit more literally.
“I…I was at a club and…well these people, Tom and Georg, they took me home and I had to…I had to invite them in because it was polite and-”
“So you hung out with a couple of guys in your apartment? So what? That’s not the end of world, Eric. People bring people home that they meet from clubs all the time. You’re too nervous, Eric, uptight. My advice: take some gin and tonic and call me back tomorrow. Have fun with your friends because I sure as hell am not having fun here with Mrs. Frigid in the bed next to me.”
Walter chuckled into the phone receiver. Ransom was already lost with the direction of the conversation.
“No, it’s not- that’s not what happened, they came into my apartment and I was going to make them, uh, tea and then-”
Walter, it seemed, just couldn’t wait his turn.
“You kissed, did a little bit more? Had a little bit of an experiment? Good for you, Eric. Look, there’s nothing wrong with being a homosexual. I’d tell you what I’d be grateful if I had been born a homosexual because I’d probably be getting a lot more sex than I am now. Good for you Eric, good for you.”
“No…it….there was a dead body on the couch, okay? And I don’t know…I don’t know how it got there. They saw the bodies. And…so…”
“Oh, Christ, Eric. I thought we were done with this, but I guess that’s what I get for being an atheist, right? You’re an atheist too, aren’t you? Screwed twice! But- but – but, on to this ‘dead body’ problem. Where are these guys, Tom and Georgie, that’s their names? Where are they, right now? Did you let them leave? Please tell me you didn’t let them leave.”
“No….I’m in their car. They…they’re taking me to a hotel.”
“So you’re still with them? Good. Fantastic! Great. I take it you didn’t call the police?”
“No.”
“Thank God. Alright, hand me the phone to one of them. I don’t care which one, whichever isn’t driving. Hand the phone to them.”
Ransom felt hesitant, but Walter was serious and he didn’t want to argue. Pressing the phone to his chest to block out his voice, he looked to the passenger in the front seat of the car.
“Um…Walter….Walter wants to talk to you.”
He waited for a response.