A Quiet Presence. Part II

Автор:  Ravenschild

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“He started on you already?” Ray turned the wheel of the car and headed down another back alley, dark glasses perched on his careworn face.

“Yeah.” Peter was distant and stared out the window of the car.

“Bastard.”

“How did you know he would?” Peter turned in his seat.

“I’ve been with the Office for a long time now, since I quit the force, good solid job, not too many problems, keeps the wife happy. But there are only so many accidents that can happen to certain people.”

“You mean faggots?” Peter scrunched down in his seat and crossed his arms across his chest.

“No I mean gays, or Jews or basically anyone who doesn’t fit the flavour of the month. Elsinger is some piece of work but we know him, at least we can never trust him but Rollins...”

“I know, I heard the stories, why do you think we kept it quiet.” Peter watched the dark streets and turned again in his seat unhitching the battered tan coat from the seatbelt.

“I knew.” Ray said softly.

“When?” Peter flushed and stared open mouthed.

“Connor told me.”

“Connor told you?” Peter replied astounded.

“Don’t look so surprised, I ran shotgun on most of Connor’s cases. I think it was about five and a half years ago.”

“What??” Peter flushed.

“He never told you huh? Well technically he didn’t tell me, I guessed. Rollins was giving him shit and Connor told him to back off. Rollins made some disparaging remark about Connor being gay and well he decked him. Rollins called me on it and asked me to support an attack charge against Doyle.”

“Connor hit him?”

“Yes, I told Rollins I saw nothing and Connor thanked me and bought me lunch. He wouldn’t tell me who he was living with only that he was special and in a similar field.”

“Could have been anyone.”

“Could have been, but then you never saw his face when you walked into a room.” Ray turned and smiled before smoothly pulling to a stop.

“Ah. So you did the math.”

“And he knew I knew, and I knew he knew I knew and well there you have it. That’s why I also knew that you wouldn’t leave that plant unless you had to. When you said he was dying and had one of those parasites in him, we both knew what that meant. It wasn’t your fault, if blame lies anywhere it’s with Elsinger. You still thinking of leaving?”