3

A few things happened over the course of the next three or four days. One of them was that Sam's demands for nice things seemed to explode a hundred fold. He woke up the morning after they'd arrived full of energy, but Spencer thought it was full of something else too. Something smug and Spencer thought that had to do with what happened at the house. Spencer considered briefly, asking Sam what was going on, but with a yelp of joy Floyd pushed cash into Sam's hands and told him to go out and enjoy himself.

'Go get that Hello Kitty Tshirt you've been wanting for so long.' Floyd stroked fingers over the side of Sam's face, kissed him on the nose and told him not to do anything stupid. 'We need to live here. Don't mess it up before we've even moved in.'

Sam was putting on his eyeliner and messing with his hair fast as a flash… then he was calling a cab and leaving. Spencer thought it a strange thing for Floyd to do. Sam alone out there? No… that was odd. Even more odd than Hello Kitty, whatever that was. It wasn't something Spencer had come across before, but somehow Floyd had…

Was Floyd buying Sam's silence on something? Spencer would ask outright but didn't want to be the one who made things go wrong. He didn't want Floyd to start accusing him of spoiling things. Spencer had no intention of spoiling this. They were going to spend some time at stores in the town too. Only they were going to be doing shopping for soft furnishings and other luxury items. 'I want this to be your home as much as mine.' Floyd told him. 'I need your stamp on the place.' That didn't include Spencer's beloved chair though. Floyd told him that he'd not have that stinking thing in the house. He could however get himself a new leather chair if that's what he wanted. They walked hand in hand in the soft sunlight with Floyd still wearing strange clothes, at least strange for Floyd; hat on, hair tied back, denim jacket on and done up… Spencer actually didn't mind that the man on his arm wasn't looking his usual wonderful self… because if Spencer's eyes even when Floyd was enraged and covered in blood he still looked awesome.

Their day went without a hitch. The only other strange thing was that Floyd refused to eat at a place in town. He wanted to get back to the motel and order something in. That didn't matter to Spencer but yes, it was strange. Sam arrived back not long after them. His eyeliner smudged and a bruise on the side of his face.

'Nothing.'

That was the answer they got when Sam was asked what happened. Spencer then discovered what Hello Kitty was and watched Sam squeeze into the tight pink clothing he'd purchased and yes it was camp, and yes it was much too tight… but Sam still managed to look sort of cute.

They spent the evening together. Sam did a fashion show for them and then they sat on the floor and ate the food they'd had delivered. Sam spoke of the great stores in town and Floyd told him what they'd ordered in the line of furniture, lamps, rugs… things for the kitchen and everything else in between. The only things they'd not bought were things which would go upstairs in Sam's part of the house… and when told a flash of a grin spread over Sam's face then disappeared just as fast.

'Well I was under the impression that we were sharing as equals, so why are you forcing me to be alone?' The sulks and whining were back, but Spencer seemed to ease Sam out of them again by telling him how great he looked in his pink rubber boots. They would continue the discussion of Sam's part of the house at another time. That night they curled up together again, once more Sam was in the middle and though Spencer had no real objection about this arrangement, he was beginning to want some privacy. He woke up in the early hours of the morning very aware of what Floyd was doing to Sam whilst he lay there untouched and feeling silly that he felt so discarded.

The next day after showering and after Floyd seemed to be pacing nervously for a while they went out as a trio. Again Sam in the middle of them like they were protecting some treasure which was now beginning to feel tarnished and tiresome to Spencer. He wanted time with Floyd. He was desperate to feel loving arms around him, but Floyd seemed more interested in keeping to dark corners and paying Sam attention which by rights should be Spencer's. When Sam wandered off to get an ice cream, Spencer had a quick word with Floyd in private.

'What the hell is going on?' He snapped at Floyd who was leaning against a wall just out of sight of the main street.

'Going on?' Floyd smirked and pulled Spencer closer by his belt. 'Want to blow me, Babes?'

Spencer slapped Floyd's hands away. 'No, actually I don't. I want to know what Sam is up to and I want to know why you are wearing clothes you'd normally not put on a scarecrow. What is going on? What's going on with that house? Why here?'

Floyd made another grab for Spencer and very nearly missed but Spencer wasn't quite fast enough. 'Don't push me away.' Floyd hissed.

'You amaze me. You actually astound me that you think you can lie to me like you have been. I might not be able to smell the lies like you can but I sure can see them. Tell me what's going on. I know what you did to Sam last night when you thought I was asleep.'

'I knew you were awake. Thought you'd join in. You don't have to be asked.' Floyd was now sliding his fingers down behind Spencer's waist band. 'I just want us to get along and have fun.'

'And I'm sure Sam is having fun now you've stopped slapping him and tying him up. So without lying and without distracting me with your fingers, tell me… tell me why this place and tell me what happened in that house and when you've been honest with you, tell me why you're dressed like a tramp.'

Floyd pulled his hands back again and sighed. 'You wouldn't understand.'

'I can't possibly if you don't tell me what it is.'

'Well Sam's back now, so it's going to have to wait. Come on… have fun. Take that grumpy look off your face.'

There wasn't another chance to talk to Floyd alone. He even accompanied Sam into the bathroom when he had a shower… dragging Spencer behind him. Spencer sat on the closed toilet lid and Floyd on the edge of the bath and they watched Sam shower. At first Spencer thought it was going to be more than just watching, but no… that's all Floyd wanted to do and so Spencer feeling irritated declared that watching Sam have a shower was voyeurism and he wasn't into that sort of thing…

The calls from Sam of 'It would have been OK if we were fucking, but you don't want to watch!' Came flying out behind him, but Spencer refused to bite. He wasn't going to be pulled into a bitching cat fight with Sam.

Day four and Floyd announced that the house was going to be ready in under a week! He was excited… hyped. He told them both that as they have no friends worth shit and as it's a long drive back again they might as well just stay here and move in as soon as they could.

Sam had no real objections and Spencer didn't really have a problem except that he didn't want to move in there until he knew the real reason Floyd had bought the place… and why was it so damned familiar.

'I would like to visit the library.' Spencer announced. He knew that Sam wouldn't want to go there and he had a feeling that Floyd wouldn't want to either. He seemed to be keeping away from very public places and Spencer was getting an inkling of why… now he wanted his proof. Floyd said he'd take Sam to the house again and show him the upstairs part where he could take his school friends back to… or even a fuck if that's what he wanted to do. Floyd was happy… so he said… to pimp Sam out and make some extra cash on the side. He also wanted to get Sam a small motor bike.

'Enjoy your trip to the library.' Spencer was told. If Floyd guessed the real reason for the visit, he didn't show it. Spencer liked wandering around libraries. This wasn't at all out of place.

o-o-o

Two long hours later a very angry Spencer stood outside the library with a wad of photocopied reports from newspapers in his hand. Floyd had lied. He'd not only lied to him about the house but he'd lied for a reason. Spencer just didn't want to believe that the reason was what was going on in his head, spinning, making him feel sick.

This is what comes when you hang out with someone who seems to kill for fun. You end up finding out that they have been doing this for a long old time… why Floyd didn't want to tell him about this though, Spencer didn't know. His next trip was to the police station. He needed to know if the case was still open. Had anyone been caught… was there any evidence. The kind detective who was called when Spencer turned up, took Spencer down to a cold interview room and sat the angry Reid down in a chair.

'What's your interest in the Speckson place?' He needed to know.

Spencer placed the photocopies on the table that sat between them. 'I'm about to move in there. I found out that there had been a murder there and wanted to know more about it. If the unsub… if the murderer had been caught. I would feel a bit more comfortable if I knew more of the facts.'

It seemed reasonable to the detective and he seemed to relax slightly. 'Eleven years ago, almost… Boy, I can't even begin to explain the mess. I heard the place had been bought. I've seen that it's been completely refurbished. That's you?'

Spencer shook his head. 'No. My partner purchased the property but I don't think he knows the full background on what happened there. I'd like to know.'

'Your partner? Business partner?'

'Civil partner.' Spencer snapped at him. What business was it of his?

'Your partner would have been told the details. No home that's been so… contaminated… would be sold without the buyer knowing.'

Spencer raised an eyebrow at the detective. 'But I'm not the buyer. I'm the buyer's partner and he's not told me. I am a very superstitious person and I don't want to go in there and sleep if I don't know what has happened there. And I'm sure that my partner is trying to shield me, but what point is there in shielding against something which I am sure is going to… I don't know… I don't know what to expect, but I would like to know that the person who committed the crimes is behind bars and I'd like to know exactly – or maybe even generally – what happened in that house.'

The detective cracked his knuckles and nodded. 'Well sonny… It was a husband, wife and four kids aged between seven and fifteen. They'd been skinned. Internal organs removed. They were partially eaten.'

Spencer started to stand up, but the cop waved him to sit down again. 'I've heard enough.' Spencer muttered.

'You don't want to know if the guy was caught?' Was that a smug look on his face? Spencer thought so.

'Of course.' He sat back down again and placed his hands calmly in his lap.

'The answer is yes. We caught someone, but he pleaded innocence and really…' The cop leaned over the table at Spencer. '… I think he was telling the truth. I don't doubt him at all. There was a transient in town… I'd point my finger at him… But the guy they caught and they accused of it, well he was locked up for life… but died. The chap hung himself. Poor sod. I'm not one to feel sorry for murdering maniacs but Bobby wasn't a murdering maniac. So my advice to you would to be cautious of rumour. They'll never catch who really did it because they're not looking for him. But he'll do the same one day. So tell me… who is actually going to be living there. You and your man and…?'

'And a teenaged lad who is a friend of mine and my man's ward.'

'Nice. Cosy. I'll come visit once you're settled. The lad will be going to school here?'

Spencer tried to smile. 'I'm not sure. He has some problems and doesn't make friends easily. It might be better to home school him.'

'Ah hu.' The detective stood. 'Was there anything else?'

A shake of the head and Spencer was on his feet. 'Thank you for the information. I'm not sure if I feel better for knowing or not.'

'Well maybe your man was trying to protect you from it. Sweet. Sweeeet.'