Page 86 of Unspoken

"Yeah, yeah. I received the updates. They moved it to Thanksgiving week."

Curtis’s expression sobers all of a sudden, the smug smile is gone. "Shame about Fisher. Gone too soon."

A pang of sadness twists in my gut. "Yeah. Hope he rests in peace."

Curtis sighs, shaking his head. "Terrible thing. He was a good guy."

An awkward silence descends, and I can feel Sasha's eyes on me, questioning. I clear my throat, needing to end this conversation for good before Curtis starts asking too many questions.

"Well, we should probably get going," I say. "It was good to see you, Curtis."

"You too, Logan." He claps me on the shoulder once again, his gaze drifting back to Sasha. "Nice to meet you, pal."

Sasha murmurs a polite goodbye as Curtis heads over to the counter to pick up his order.

"That wanker has a bad energy about him," Sasha comments, scooping up the last of his taco from the plate.

I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. "Yeah, he’s a fucking asshole. I went to high school with his wife."

"And Fisher?" Sasha prompts.

"Another classmate," I explain.

"He died?"

"Yes, in a car accident. We had our high school reunion planned for this summer. Curtis’s wife, Connie, is actually one of the organizers. But with Fisher gone a few weeks before the event it felt strange to be celebrating when we just put him to the ground. So the reunion was moved to Thanksgiving week instead. Since that’s when everyone is in town."

"Can’t you just skip it this year? The reunion?"

"It’s an anniversary date. Fifteen years. Won’t be the same next summer."

Sasha is quiet for a bit, his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry," he murmurs finally. "Were you close with him, this Fisher?"

I shake my head, the memories of high school, of Fisher's easy smile and infectious laugh, swimming through my mind. "Not exactly. But we were friendly. It's just...hard to believe he's gone in his early thirties… Anyway, I wasn’t going to attend."

"You were going to blow off your high school reunion? The anniversary?"

"Don’t like those types of events."

Sasha nods with understanding in his eyes.

"Let’s get out of here," I supply.

I drop a tip on the table and we walk out to the parking lot.

As we reach the car, I turn to face Sasha, my heart heavy with the truth I know I need to share. "Listen, Sasha... We really need to talk to Vlad. About this," I gesture between us.

A flicker of fear crosses Sasha’s features. "I know. I tried."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "Curtis, the guy we just met… He's the one who ended my career on the force. He’s a slimy fucking bastard. It’s only a matter of time before he putstwo and two together and rumors spread. We can’t keep on doing this."

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said that wanker is the reason you’re not a cop anymore."

I'm quiet for a long bit, the memories rushing back. The pain and betrayal are still raw even after all these years. "I took a fall for him," I whisper, my voice rough. "He was my partner, and he... He made a mistake. A big one. And I covered for him."

---