December, 2009

Haiden had been meaning to ask him about it for weeks, but every time she got the nerve to actually do it, something came up.

She had some theories of course. Perhaps it was from an old friend, maybe even an old lady friend, though she didn't really think so. It wasn't because he was off-putting (maybe it was, but that was besides the point), the letter just looked too... crisp to be a personal letter. Maybe it was some kind of invitation, it looked like it might be fancy enough to be that. Or maybe some kind of certificate? But for what? She never got a chance to really look at it. It just seemed... formal.

This time however, she was going to get it out, she was going to ask Klocke about that damn letter he'd been carrying around. No if's, and's, or but's. It was going to happen.

She walked into the office they shared together, bound and determined to get the curiosity off her chest. Klocke was sitting at his desk and he looked up when she entered.

"Feel like going to a party?" He asked.

"I wanna know why you've been — wait — what?" Haiden froze as what Klocke had just said finally registered in her brain. Suddenly she forgot all about that mysterious letter.

Had she heard him right?

"What did you say?"

His reply was to hand her that now-familiar creamy-crisp envelope with his name and the address of the station neatly written across the front. No return address. The edges had become a little worn over the past month, the sliced open edges of the top a little frayed. So maybe it wasn't as crisp any more, but it sure as hell wasn't a personal letter. She held it, and gave him a questioning look. He waved a hand in a vague gesture that she interpreted to mean, Feel free to read it. I wouldn't've handed it to you otherwise.

So she pulled the card-like single sheet of paper out.

One of her theories was proved correct. It was an invitation.

To a high school ten-year reunion.

CAHS

Corduroy Alternate High School

《¤ ¤ ¤》

You are invited to share

An evening with the

Class of 2000
《¤ ¤ ¤》
Thursday, December 31st, 2009

6:30 pm - Midnight

Pizza Hut ¤ 354 15th Street
《¤ ¤ ¤》
Please join us.

Haiden read the invitation three times, trying to figure it out. She looked inside the envelope, but there was nothing else in it. The only thing written on the envelope was Klocke's name and the station address. Whoever had sent it to him didn't know where he lived then.

She flipped the invitation over, hoping to find some indication as to why a forty-year old police detective would be sent an invitation to a highschool reunion for the class of 2000. Especially considering he would've graduated about twelve years before them.

She was not disappointed.

There was a handwritten note on the back, one that explained everything.

Detective Klocke,

You and your partner saved our lives ten years ago, but you never really gave us a chance to thank you. I speak on behalf of all of us that are left when I say that it would be an honor and a pleasure to have you join us this evening. We haven't forgotten them. Not a one.

Frederick Donahue

Ed Shultz

Sydney Cheslock

Tom Engelman

Suzanne Rath

PS: I know everything.

Haiden read this four times. Frederick was the one who'd written the note, and the others had signed it as well. Who were they? How had Klocke saved their lives? Who was his partner back then? And what about that last bit? 'I know everything'?

That looked like the handwriting of the last signature, Suzanne Rath. But what did she know?

Haiden looked up at Klocke, who sat silently and stoically waiting for her answer. "This is tomorrow," she said.

He nodded.

"You got this at the beginning of last month."

He nodded again.

"Why so early? Aren't reunions usually during the tail-end of summer? There's still about a half a year to go till it's been a full ten years."

"Special case," he said.

That struck a chord in her. She thought of the Messenger, and of Melody. "'Special' as in 'unofficial'?"

That's what they'd taken to calling the Messenger Case. There was no better word for it. At least it was solved, officially and unofficially.

He shrugged. Maybe, maybe not. "Coming?"

She slid the invitation back into the envelope and handed it to him. "You bet!"

{ { o } }

Suzanne eyed the falling snow that covered her old home town with a look that made it seem warm by comparison. How the hell did I let Fred talk me into this?

She'd moved to LA to get away from Corduroy, to get away from winter, and the memories that accompanied it.

They weren't all hers.

That was the problem with that particular part of her skill set. She could steal memories and secrets, but she couldn't give them back, and she couldn't ever forget them.

And they never faded, remaining forever sharp in her memory, as clear as it was the day she stole it.

She shivered in front of the inn she'd chosen to stay at. It was easily the nicest and most expensive one in town, but compared to the ones where she lived, it was nothing. Easily affordable. Especially on her salary. Unfortunately, none of the hotels or inns in Corduroy had motion sensor sinks and soap dispensers. But she wouldn't have to stay much longer.

She checked her watch. He was five minutes late. How shocking.

Finally, Eddie pulled up in his modest red '99 Ford, his longish blonde hair mussed in exactly the fashion it had always been, a blinding grin on his face. The snow almost seemed grey in comparison. He still brushed his teeth before and after every meal, it seemed. Another big surprise.

Suzanne trudged through the snow up to the passenger side door, and as soon as she touched the handle she was assaulted with the fantasies of whatever whore he'd last brought home.

She got in as quickly as she could, trying to touch the door as little as possible. At least it was only impressions, those she could forget. She didn't bother trying to be inconspicuous about wiping her gloved hand off on her coat, as if it would get rid of the filth of the memories in the door handle.

She gave Eddie a cool look, and whatever greeting he was about to offer died on his lips. "You are exactly seven minutes and," she glanced at her watch, "thirty-two seconds late."

He gave her a humorless smile. "I see you haven't changed much. It's good to see you too, by the way. I'd ask for a hug, but... y'know." He shrugged.

"You haven't changed, either," she said, eyeing him.

His grin returned in full-force. "Why thank you, milady," and he gave a mocking little half-bow, one hand covering his heart.

She snorted. "It wasn't a compliment."

If anything, that just made his grin widen. "I know." Then the grin faded to a simple small smile. "It's been a long while," he said.

She turned to face the front, looking out at the snowy streets as cars buzzed by, but she nodded.

"Do you think the others are already there?"

She gave him a cold knowing look. I know what you're asking.

He shrugged. "Sorry. We can find out the old fashioned way, if you prefer."

She turned back to the front. "Just drive."

{ { o } }

Tom suddenly wished he had a drink. It had been a while since the urge had hit him, but right then, getting off the bus with two-days worth of clothes in a suitcase hanging limply from one hand, he wanted a drink more desperately than he'd ever wanted one.

He looked around at the world of white and brown and grey that was Corduroy. Some things had changed, but that was to be expected after ten years. But some things... Some things were exactly as he remembered them.

He turned his face to the sky, watching the large flakes drift down, not caring enough to see where they landed. A flake landed on his forehead, and he closed his eyes.

God... It hurt to be back.

But a part of him, the part that had been born and raised here, that part of him wanted to cry with joy. I'm home...

Except this place couldn't be home.

Not anymore.

You'd think after ten years he wouldn't be feeling so conflicted, but he always was a sucker for sentimentality.

He didn't know whether to thank Fred on bended knee for convincing him to come back, or shoot the fucker for that same reason. Well, he didn't have a gun, so the second option was out. But he wasn't so much of an idiot that he'd stoop to tearful thanks either. He'd just have to see what happened when he got to Pizza Hut.

Tom shook his head. Pizza Hut, he thought. Of all places... Some things never change.

{ { o } }

Syd was starting to question whether this was really such a good idea. When Fred had showed up at her doorstep, invitation in hand, she'd at first thought he'd gone completely crazy.

But he'd looked so serious... Well, no. That wasn't it. Fred had always been a little serious. It was the smile that did it. That soft, nostalgic, little smile. She couldn't remember a single instance when he'd ever smiled. Not like that, anyway. That had changed. Wherever he'd gone, whatever he'd decided to do with his life, he'd found happiness and peace there.

Maybe that's why she was here now, staring at a remodeled Pizza Hut that was both foreign and familiar. The outside was the same, the location was the same, but everything else was different. There were sure to be new people working there for one thing, lots of younger folk who'd graduated high school earlier that year (she remembered how that had felt, going to work instead of school). Though a couple of the managers hadn't changed, and one of them even recognized her.

"Sydney? Sydney Cheslock?"

Syd looked up from stamping the snow from her boots, her eyes widening as she recognized who was speaking to her. "Nora?" Her old friend from middle school laughed, and came out from behind the counter. Syd shook her head, eyeing her old friend from head to toe.

Nora had let her hair grow out, and it now reached just past her waist. She'd also dyed it, where before it had been a dark dirty blonde, it was now a dark rusty brown. It almost looked natural, though the difference in color for her eyebrows made it obvious that it wasn't so. She hadn't grown though. Nora had always been a short little sprout, and she was still a short little sprout. She still had pale perfect skin, too, and dark brown eyes that seemed to laugh at everything, even when she wasn't smiling.

Syd shook her head again. "Look at you," she said. "You made it to manager. I thought you wanted to get the hell outta here?"

Nora shrugged, putting her hands on her hips. But she was grinning. "And look at you," she countered, waving a hand at Syd in an almost 'can you believe this?' sort of manner. "When did you get to be so conservative?"

Syd gave her a dry smile. "It's winter. Should I be walking around with a plunging neckline and a skirt that ends a quarter-inch past my butt?"

Nora returned her dry smile with a flat look. "Yes."

Syd laughed. "Let's just say I've grown out of that stage." Then her mood turned serious. "I'm actually only in town for a couple days. I'm meeting some old friends here in," she glanced at her watch, "about ten minutes. It's gonna be a party of—"

"Seven. I know. Fred's already here. I guess I should've figured you'd be one of them."

Syd nodded. Then paused. "Seven, ay? I guess he does have a new partner."

Nora gave her a blank look, and nodded like she was going to pretend to understand exactly what Syd was talking about. "Right. Sure. Fred's over here." And she led the way back to where three small tables had been pushed together to accommodate them all.

Fred didn't look all that different than when she'd last seen him on her doorstep nearly two months ago.

{ { o } }

Fred found himself fidgeting with the napkins again, and set it down. He was early, very early. He knew it, and he knew he should relax, but... he was nervous to see everyone again. Granted, he'd seen them all near the end of October to invite them and ask them to sign the invitation to Detective Klocke. But that had been different. Those were individual one on one visits.

This time they'd all be together in one place at one time. And he was nervous.

He'd nearly lost his nerve with Klocke's invitation. Fred had originally planned to mail it, then he decided to deliver it in person. He would've walked out and just mailed it, if Klocke had been in at the time.

Holy shit, but he was nervous.

Maybe the Christmas presents are too much... He'd really gone all out for this. He hoped he wasn't overstepping himself. I'll just give them their presents and if they don't like them, that's fine. It's the thought that counts.

And when he looked up in an effort to distract himself from his impending nervous breakdown, he saw the first arrival. He couldn't fight the relieved grin.

"You came."