Page 14 of All Bets are Off

I sit staring at the computer screen, not seeing anything except Logan’s angry face as he accused Jase of telling me his secret.That he’s bisexual.

My question is, since when?And how could he have kept this from me?

Logan enters the room and sets a plate stacked with sandwiches between us.

“Bring me up to speed on this game,” he says, taking a seat at the computer next to mine.

If that’s the way he wants to play it, I guess we’ll ignore the elephant in the room for the time being. But later we’re going to have a talk.

He follows my directions to downloadMy Hometown, then, between bites of sandwich, I explain the rules.

“You’re right to be suspicious of anyone over the age of twelve playing this game. It’s lame as hell,” Logan says after half an hour of tapping at the keyboard.

I grunt in answer.

“Man, not even a chat feature?” Logan stares at the messages scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

Despite his complaints, Logan manages to set up an ice cream store and earn enough points to stock it with twelve flavors of ice cream over the next couple of hours.

“Hey, guys.”

I look up at Sean. “Hey. When did you get back from Vegas?” I stand up to stretch my limbs.

“Late last night.” Slipping into my place at the computer, Sean laughs when he sees what we’re playing. “This is the game they’re running drugs through?” He clicks the mouse on a box of produce.

“Hey! Don’t mess with that,” I object, attempting to drag him out of the chair. Although small, Sean’s body is lithe and powerful, the muscles beneath his T-shirt bunching as he leans toward the screen, and I’m having a hard time budging him. “It’s taken me a long time to get stuff the way I want it, dickhead.”

“Yeah, don’t ruin his perfect grocery set up,” Logan says, laughing.

“Hold on, hold on.” Sean hold up a hand. “Look at this.”

I still when Sean points to one of the messages scrolling along the bottom.

I spot the Jigglypuff avatar. “That’s one of the guys we have our eyes on,” I say, scanning the message, which is something about building a highway near the town. “What about it?”

“The electrical plug emoji,” Sean says.

“I don’t follow.” Logan leans over to look at the screen.

“That means he’s a dealer,” Sean says.

Logan and I exchange looks, and Sean laughs. “What did you expect? They’d say, ‘Hey, kids, want some drugs?’”

“Why the hell are West and I doing this and not you, the ex-cop?” Logan asks, pushing away his keyboard. “I wasted hours on this game.”

“What are you complaining for?” I ask him. “I’ve been at this all week.”

We watch Sean tap out a message from my account to Jigglypuff’s that includes a drooling face and a gas pump, explaining, “I’m asking him for some Molly or weed.”

Immediately, a message replies, asking if I’m on Discord. I give Sean the number of my fake account, and he taps it in. A moment later, we’re sending messages back and forth on the platform.

“Bingo,” Sean says, leaning back and looking up at me over his shoulder. “He says he’s got Xanax.”

I watch him tap out a reply. “He says I can pay him on Venmo, and he’ll ship it to me.”

“I have to see what Detective Sanchez wants to do.” Grabbing my cell phone, I put a call through to the detective. “He says he’ll be right over,” I tell them, disconnecting.

“Stuff’s probably laced with Jackpot.” Sean stands. “Fentanyl,” he clarifies when he sees my and Logan’s confused looks.