Chapter 9: Best Served Cold

David, are you sure you're okay to drive?" Rob asked.

David grumbled under his breath as he checked the rearview mirror before carefully steering his friend's pickup into the empty lane. He drove a few more feet and stopped at the next intersection. He took one more look at the rearview mirror before turning to his friend and saying,

“Yes, Rob, for the hundredth time, I'm sure. And if you're so worried about me driving, why don't you take the wheel? You're the one who knows where we're going."

Rob shifted in his seat. “Point taken, but I feel you need a distraction right now. If I drive, there's no tellin' what you'll start doin'. And don't think I ain't noticed you keep lookin' over your shoulder like you're expectin' to see somebody. Take a left here."

The light turned green at that moment and David was suddenly grateful he had to watch the road again instead of looking at his friend.  

Two days had passed since those detectives visited his apartment, and he had been looking over his shoulder ever since. Michael warned him that people would be watching, and was more than upset when he found out that David didn't call the moment the detectives showed at the front door. “Do you have any idea how much ammo you've given them?" Michael had cried. Now that Samson was dead, things were even messier. When David tried asking Michael how bad it was, all the lawyer said was, “So long as there is no physical evidence linking you to Samson, we're good. Until then keep your head down and don't do anything that could draw attention to you."

David scoffed and fought the urge to glance into the rearview again. It was easier said than done to go about his business knowing someone was watching his every move. Samson was gone, but he could still feel eyes on him. There was no denying the possibility of those two detectives getting someone to tail him. It also made it more difficult to put his and Eric's plan into motion. He needed to get started researching when everyone unanimously decided he was a murderer so he could get his life back. While he trusted Michael to a certain extent, part of him said trusting the lawer wholeheartedly was a bad idea. Past experiences had already proven just about everyone he knew had a hidden agenda.

And he was not sure Michael was helping him entirely out the goodness of his heart.

A sudden car horn snapped David out of his thoughts and nearly caused him to jerk the steering wheel. In his distraction, he had almost run a red light and cut in front of a delivery van. He stole a glance at the passenger's side bracing the for the verbal lashing he would receive. Rob was still sitting there, looking down at David's phone in his hands, completely unfazed.

As if Rob could feel David's eyes on him, he slowly faced David and his brow rose. “D, you sure you're okay?"

David chuckled nervously. “Yeah...I'm fine." He faced the street and waited for the light to change again.

Through his peripheral, he could see his friend looking for a facial cue. When the light turned green, Rob went back to the phone. “If you say so. Next right."

David let out a quiet sigh and turned the corner. “Let's talk about something else, like who are you texting on my phone?" he asked.

“Nobody," Rob said, still looking down at the phone in his hands. “Make another left after this light."

David sighed again—louder this time—and did as his friend suggested. He still wasn't sure why Rob had just shown up to his apartment out of the blue this late in the day. The only reason he even agreed to go with Rob was because he had nothing better to do with his time. “So, basically I'm driving so you can text some random girl on my phone?"

“I'm only doing it because my phone died. And I'm not texting some random girl."

David's ears rose. “Then who are you—"

Rob looked up and said, “Oh, we're here. Pull into that space right there.

Ignoring that Rob dodged the question, David parked the pickup in the empty space. The building they were parked in front of looked as if it were in violation of several building codes. If it weren't for the lights visible through the window, David would've sworn it was abandoned. He looked through the windshield at the fading letters on the sign hanging from the front of the old brick building. The best he could make out was The Drunken-something and that was it.  Judging from the look of the place through the window, it looked like another bar.

He switched off the engine and raised a brow at his friend. “Is this another bar?"

“Yep. Well actually, it's more like a lounge than a bar."

David stared at him blankly. “Seriously? Before I go into everything that's wrong with this, I'm going to give you a chance to explain why after I explained to you that I don't drink, you drag me to a bar, again."

A wide smile appeared on Rob's face as he climbed out of the pickup. “We're not here to drink. They have a great pool table here. I figured we play a few rounds."

“At a place where they sell alcohol," David added as he followed his friend to the front door. He wasn't sure if Rob was trying to trick him into drinking, but that wasn't his friend's style so it seemed unlikely. But just like last time, Rob had shown up without warning and invited him out. After an unpleasant trip down memory lane, David left and ran into someone he never wanted to see again. Now he couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to turn out like last time.

Rob shrugged. “Well when you find a good table where they don't serve drinks, we'll talk."

The inside of the lounge resembled a bar if David ever saw one. The place looked like a mirror image of Kitty's only with dimmer lighting and reeking of stale booze. Even the customers looked like broken down drunks instead of people looking for a casual drink. The bartender, a tall human wearing a worn t-shirt, gave them a look like he would break their arms if they asked for a glass of water.

“Rob, are you sure—"

“Hey, David, over here," a voice called out.

David's tail stiffened. The voice belonged to Stephanie. He was sure of it, but he had to be imagining it. What were the odds they would just happen to run into each other here of all places? What were the odds he would run into anyone who knew him in this place? He knew he imagined it, but he still looked around for the source of the voice.

Sure enough, standing by the pool table, waving David over, was a female rabbit with cinnamon-colored fur.

David did his best to make his smile appear as natural as possible as he approached the table. He wanted to be happy to see her, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping over him.

“Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Stephanie cocked her head. “What do you mean? This was your idea. You sent me a text a little while ago, saying you wanted to meet me here so we could play a little pool. My place isn't that far from here, so I figured why not?"

David opened his mouth to say he had no idea what she was talking about, but it quickly dawned on him what happened.

When Rob said he needed to talk to someone on the ride over and asked to use his phone.

He whirled around only to notice too late Rob wasn't there. He scanned the rest of the room, hoping that Rob snuck off to go to the bathroom, or was off hitting on someone.

But there was nothing proving Rob even followed him through the door. He swore under his breath at the realization Rob set him up. He turned back to Stephanie, fighting the knotting feeling in his stomach and keeping his tail from wagging.

She smiled and handed him a pool cue. “Here. I already set everything up. You can break if you want."

“You know what? Why don't you do it?" David said, offering what he hoped was a friendly smile. He suddenly felt like a junior-high student asking the school's most popular girl to prom. His ears burned with embarrassment, and it took everything he had to hold his tail still. Grateful as David was to see her again, Rob was in serious trouble the next time they met.

Stephanie shrugged and bent over to line up her shot. David stole a quick glance at her figure in the fitting dark jeans and camisole top she was wearing. It was a simple casual outfit, but it still accentuated her curves with every move she made. He looked up and noticed two human males sitting by the counter checking her out as well. Both of them appeared to be in their late fifties, but it was also clear years of drinking had aged them. From where David stood, he could smell the alcohol on them. One of them nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

Seeing those guys made him regret ever getting the idea in his head. David nodded back and quickly turned his attention back to the table. He could feel the guys staring, so he carefully stepped to the side until Stephanie's rear was hidden from their view.

Stephanie let loose her shot, scattering the billiard balls all over the table. Unfortunately none of them went into the pockets. Her ears fell and she stepped away from the table. “Damn, I was hoping to impress you with a great trick shot. I'm normally better at this."

“Don't worry about it, you'll have plenty of other chances. I've never been good at pool anyway," David said. He leaned over the table and aimed for one of the solid-colored balls. “Y'know, this actually reminds me of a time Lori and I went out—" he quickly snapped his mouth shut and his ears dropped. He wasn't sure if he could call this a date, but bringing up his last girlfriend while he was hanging out with her felt rude. “Sorry. I shouldn't be talking about that right now."

“David, it's fine," Stephanie said. “If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. So what were you and Lori doing?"

“This," David said, motioning at the billiards table, “It wasn't here, though. It was another spot." He struck the cue ball, hoping to send the solid ball into the side pocket, but the ball missed its mark entirely. He sighed and leaned on his pool cue.

“The billiards table still looked brand new even though everything else in the room looked used beyond compare," he said. “The place reeked of cigarettes and alcohol. I think there was rock music playing in the background, but I could be wrong. It might've been a pop song."

“Wow, that's some memory," Stephanie said, leaning over and sending a striped ball into a side pocket. “I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, let alone a date from years ago."

“To tell the truth, I couldn't remember it that well until recently. I started remembering a lot of things after…" He suddenly felt guilty and drifted off the end of the sentence. It was no secret Lori was gone, but it still didn't feel right saying the words out loud. That and he secretly didn't want to depress Stephanie. He was sure she wanted to have a good time, not listen to him reminisce about his dead girlfriend.

She must had noticed because her ears fell back and her expression turned somber. “Sorry, I know it's still a sore subject."

“It's fine. I'm the one who brought it up."

Stephanie moved to the other side of the table and took aim at the next ball. “I want to ask you something: Have you ever talked about her? You know, since it happened?"

Thinking on it, he hadn't talked about it much with anyone. Michael didn't care for details not related to the case, and after the accusations started flying, there was no one else to talk to. Rob attempted to bring it up a few times, but David always got defensive and the subject was changed.

“Well, after I was accused of murdering her, no one really gave two shits about my feelings, so no," he said.

“Oh…right." It was still her turn, but she instead leaned on her pool cue and stared at the table. She played with the tip of one of her ears, its insides pink with embarrassment. “David…I just wanna say I'm sorry."

David cocked his head. “For what?"

“For calling you and saying we shouldn't be friends."

He frowned. “Are you still on that?"

Stephanie slammed her pool cue on the table. “Yes, I am!"

David stepped back, surprised by her reaction. Several people turned in their direction. He noticed the two humans who were checking Stephanie out were giving him “don't fuck this up" looks. Stephanie stared at the table and started twisting her ear even further.

She said in a quieter voice, “I'm sorry to keep bringing it up, but this is the second time I've been reminded that I left you high and dry at a time when you needed support. You might be willing to brush it off, but it actually makes it harder. You're a nice guy, and I treated you like shit."

David felt a sudden pain in his chest at her mention of the word “friend", but he chose to ignore it. “Well, you're here now, and that's all that matters. Let's talk about something else. I'm sick of talking about how people ditched me." He was surprised by the low growl he heard in his voice. Hopefully Stephanie didn't catch it.

If Stephanie did hear it, she wasn't speaking on it. She leaned over and began lining up her next shot. Now she was facing the table, but it didn't stop the two drunks from trying to catch a peek down her top and forcing a growl to the front of David's throat.

“You mentioned that you and Lori did this on a date once. Is that part of your 'routine'?" Stephanie asked.

“What?"

A sly smile spread across her face. “You heard me."

David stared. Was she simply making conversation or trying to imply that they were on a date? Maybe it was best not to read too much into it. “No, I don't actually have a 'routine'. Other than Lori and a buddy of mine from high school, I haven't played this with anyone else. Mostly because I suck at it. What about you? You seem pretty familiar with this place. How many dates have you brought here?"

“Pssh. More like, how many times have I come here after a bad date. Being a rabbit sucks. Apparently, every guy who's asked me out thinks I'll fuck anything with a pulse. I know not all of them were stereotyping me—I'm sure they were like that with every girl. But I get sick of the look on people's faces when they find out I don't have kids. I mean: What the hell? I'm not even thirty yet—not all rabbits have large families."

“Don't you have like, 15 brothers and sisters?"

“That is not the point," she said quickly. She quickly leaned over and sunk two more balls with a single shot. “I don't have any children. The family thing's not even the worst part. This one guy—" the insides of her ears turned pink again. “I'm sorry, I'm ranting. You don't want to hear me go on like this."

“No, no, I don't mind. Please, vent," David said, smiling and leaning on his cue.

A smile began to creep across her muzzle. “You're enjoying hearing about my problems, aren't you?"

“If it means I don't have to acknowledge how fucked up my life is, then yes," David replied with a small shrug

Stephanie rolled her eyes and tried to knock one of the balls into the corner pocket, but it rebounded, struck the 8-ball and sunk it instead.

“Looks like I win," David said, grinning widely at the shocked expression on Stephanie's face.

“Shit. Well, I guess that's the end of that. Unless…"

David dropped his cue on the table as if it were contaminated. “Nope, I'm good. Like I said before, I suck at this. I know how to quit when I'm ahead."

Stephanie pouted like a little kid who had been told they couldn't have dessert. “Fine. I guess we can get drunk so you can laugh at my terrible love life."

David thought about mentioning his aversion to drinking, but he also didn't want to ruin the good thing he had going. One drink couldn't hurt, right? It would be fine so long as he kept to a set limit, especially knowing he would probably be driving home. Before he could respond, he caught the movement of something outside the window. He leaned slightly and saw a woman with long dark hair walking past. The first thought that came to mind was that it was Lori. The woman's hair was covering her face so he couldn't be certain, but somehow he knew it was her. 

Seeing the woman brought images of the faceless woman to David's mind. The last thing he wanted was to experience that again, especially around Stephanie. That last thing she needed to see was him freaking out over a person who didn't exist.

“You know what? Let's take a walk," he offered.

Stephanie's brow rose. “A walk? Walk where?"

“Just a walk. Lori and I went on walks all the time. We'd walk around the park, or around our neighborhood and talk about things."

Stephanie made retching noises. “Oh, that is the sappiest thing I ever heard. I never thought you were that kind of person, David. Next you'll tell me you wore matching sweaters on the holidays."

“Ha, ha," David said sarcastically. “I'm serious." He stepped closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. He caught a whiff of Stephanie's scent and his tail wagged slightly. “I think we should get out of this place. I'm getting sick of those guys staring at your ass."

“You think that's bad, you should've seen them before you got here," Stephanie whispered back. “One guy actually had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to explore his 'cabbage patch.' Also, I was gonna suggest another place anyway; the drinks here are overpriced and watered down."

As David followed Stephanie outside, he glanced at the two humans still at the bar. They were wearing the widest grins on their faces and giving him a thumbs-up. He rolled his eyes and left.

It was chillier outside than David remembered. Even with a jacket and a coat of fur, he shivered when a breeze blew. Rob left his pickup parked outside, which made him wonder where his friend went, but he could worry about it later. Rob must had made plans or else he wouldn't had set up the “blind date."

He didn't know the time, but it was close to sunset since the sky was changing into shades of orange and red. Thankfully, traffic was still light, so the evening rush hour hadn't started yet. There was no point in going for a walk if they had to navigate crowds and shout so they would be heard over the passing cars.

Stephanie talked non-stop the moment they stepped outside. She talked about her past relationships—both friends and potential boyfriends that in one way or another ruined things by stereotyping her or just being an ass. She told David about the humans and anthros who made wild accusations that seemed to wild to be real, like the guy who tried to convince her to have a threeway with her sister, or the now ex-friend who forgot her birthday and gave her a bundle of carrots as a last-minute gift. David didn't have many girlfriends over the years. Some of them he couldn't even count among his exes; a few were more like someone he dated once or twice before they decided not to pursue it further.  Until he met Lori, he had met a few females who just wanted to satisfy some lingering curiosity because they'd never slept with an anthro before. But he soon learned none of his bad experiences came even close to some of the disasters Stephanie had to deal with.

Strangely, listening to her ramble on like that brought a sense of calm to David. Walking with Stephanie was different than his walks with Lori. The world moved around them as they walked. No one cared about them being together. There were no whispers, no stares or sideways looks, no feeling of self-consciousness whenever he saw the look of confusion in their eyes. Once when he was out with Lori, a man had the nerve to ask what she saw in him. Lori yelled at the man until he looked ready to burst into tears.

David stayed close to Stephanie's side and listened to every word she said. He wasn't sure if he was just enjoying her company or if it was really helping to listen to someone else's problems. He managed to listen to all of her stories without reacting, but when she told him about her senior prom disaster, he couldn't remain neutral. He started laughing and couldn't stop.

He eventually had to stop and lean on a nearby streetlamp to catch his breath. “Wait, wait, lemme get this straight: You went to the prom with your cousin because you punched your date in the nose?"

“Okay, in hindsight, maaaybe I over-reacted. But in my defense, being called a 'cute wittle bunny' is very offensive. I can live with cute, but don't call me a bunny."

“…But, aren't you a bunny?"

Stephanie shot him a dirty look and folded her arms across her chest. “Okay, how would you like it if someone called you a 'cute little doggy'?"

He stopped laughing immediately. “Point taken."

Now it was Stephanie's turn to laugh. “I thought so. Since I brought it up: what about you? I'm sure you have a few horror stories."

“You don't really want—"

“Don't even. We have been walking in circles for how long listening to me ramble on about my problems," Stephanie said in a strong parent-like tone. “It's your turn, so c'mon, what'cha got for me, boy?"

He smiled at her comment and brushed past her. “You know what? I don't really feel like sharing," he said playfully. He looked over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at her.

Stephanie ran up to him, pulled him close, and nuzzled his cheek. “No, no, I'm sorry. I won't say it again. Please share. All we've done up 'till now is talk about my bad experiences. If you don't share, I'll feel like a loser."

David's smile grew wider and his ears burned to the point, it felt as if they were on fire. Behind him, his tail was going crazy. Part of him wanted to wrap his arms around her and linger in that moment for as long as possible. But that part was also silenced by the more rational part of his mind. Stephanie wasn't his girlfriend, and this wasn't a date. He needed to keep his feelings in check.

Instead he stuffed his hands into his pockets, held his tail stiffly against his leg, and said, “Well, I never really had any experiences like yours. I had a few bad break-ups, but my being a husky almost never had much to do with it.

 “Well, I did have one experience. There was this one girl—a collie—that I had a huge crush on back in high school. She was one of the few people who didn't try to suck up to me after my parents died. When she spoke to me in the halls, it felt genuine. I felt like she actually saw me and not some poor little orphan husky. During my senior year, I finally got enough courage to ask her out. We went out several times, but she always insisted we go to either her place or mine. I found out later it was because she didn't want to be seen in public with a mixed breed."

“Ouch. That's harsh. I heard a few friends talk about how being mixed is frowned on, but I never knew it affected people's opinion that much."

David shrugged. Being mixed wasn't that bad, but being judged on his appearance still hurt. “Most of the time, I just get looks. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was I found out she only went out with me to piss off her parents. Their worst nightmare was catching their daughter with a mutt."

“I see why you didn't want to share," Stephanie said as she gripped his arm tighter. David could hear the undertone of sadness in her voice. “I hate to ask this, but how did it end?"

“Her parents finally caught us in her bedroom. They had an absolute fit and shipped her off to boarding school."

Stephanie gave a short laugh. “Serves her right."

Hearing her say that brought the conversation he had with Rob in Kevin's to mind.

“Do you believe in karma?" he asked casually.

“That was sudden. I guess," she said, shrugging. “Why?"

“I never really put much thought into it. But with everything going on lately, it's got me wondering. Like that collie I told you about. Last I heard about her, her last boyfriend was having an affair with a mixed breed. Just wonder if it's some cosmic retribution for the way she treated me."

Through his peripheral, he could see Stephanie nod before replacing her head on his shoulder. “What brought this up out of the blue? You did something awful to someone and you think your life being fucked up is punishment for it?"

That was something David hadn't thought about. He never considered the idea that he was being punished for something he did. He racked his brain for something he could've done in his past life that would have earned him having his entire life upended. But nothing came to mind. Sure, he wasn't perfect, but even during his days of illegal hacking, there were certain lines he didn't cross even if the others did.

“Things have been happening to the people who blamed me," he said finally.  “I wondered if it meant something."

Stephanie hesitated before responding. “Well, when you put it that way, I never thought about it much. Honestly, I figured shit happens, and it has nothing to do with what you did or didn't do. I just don't like the idea that some divine force is messing with me on a whim. At least when you get arrested for something, you're told what you did wrong; you know why you're being punished."

“That's true…It's just when we were at that restaurant a few days back, I got a phone call. It was my friend Rob telling me that this guy I knew named Oliver was found murdered in his own house. Oliver and I never really got along. Scratch that, he was a complete asshole. To be honest, he was Lori's friend, but I couldn't stand him. I still have no idea why she hung out with that bastard."

“So this guy who bothered you ended up dead…You really think it was karma or something like that? Isn't death a little extreme?"

“Hey, I'm not the one who passed judgment on them," David said defensively. “All I can say is I won't be shedding tears over them. The traitors got what—" He stopped when he saw the look of horror on Stephanie's face.

“Really, David? That sounds a little dark. I don't know what this Oliver did to you, but did he really have to die for it?"

David felt his ears begin to burn. He dropped them to hide his embarrassment. “It wasn't my idea. I'm just saying…"

“Saying what? That anyone who pisses you off deserves to be in a casket?" Stephanie asked, her voice rising. Some of the passersby were beginning to take notice. David wished they didn't—the situation was already awkward. The last thing he needed was someone trying to step in and making it worse especially since it sounded as if he were threatening her.

Stephanie didn't seem to care that people were watching. “So, what, if I hadn't apologized, would I be another name on your hit list? I expected better from you, David. And what about Lori? Do you think she got what she deserved?"

David was stunned by her words. Stephanie was right, what was wrong with him? Whether or not he got along with them was one thing, but they didn't deserve to be killed. He couldn't believe he actually wanted to smile when he first heard about Oliver. But it was her question about Lori that really had him shaken up.

He couldn't deny she made a strong point. Was Lori really any better than Samson or Oliver? And what about Pepper? She didn't do anything to him, yet she was going to lose her son and rot in prison.

“L-look, I'm sorry. It's just I can't help but wonder about things," he said.

“You keep saying that, but what kind of things?" she asked folding her arms across her chest.

“The last time Lori and I spoke, we argued. I threw some things up in her face and I never got a chance to apologize."

The anger slowly drained from Stephanie's face. “You think Lori died because of karma?"

David shook his head. “I think I'm being blamed for it because of karma."

Stephanie started laughing making David's ears rise. “David, that's ridiculous. Was the fight that bad? Come on, I think you're over-thinking it."

This was not going how he wanted it to go. The whole point of today was to steer the conversation as far away from Lori as possible. Now, he had to not only talk about her, but talk about the one thing he never wanted to remember again.

He took a deep breath and sat down on the steps of a nearby building. The people that stopped to listen in, realized that the conversation was no longer heated and went about their business.

There was no way around it. He couldn't shut her out since he started the conversation. The only option was to take a deep breath and take the plunge. “About two years after we started dating, Lori got a new job with some high-end marketing firm. A year after that, she got a promotion and a raise and was on the fast-track to getting another one."

Stephanie whistled. “Nice. A promotion and a raise after one year? She must've been real good at her job."

“Yeah, her…job."

Her ears fell. “Wait, you mean—"

“Yup, she was sleeping with her boss," David said. Just admitting it left a bad taste in his mouth. “I had my suspicions, but I always hated myself for suspecting her when I should've been happy for her. At one of their Christmas parties, a secretary got drunk and 'let it slip'. But that's not the fun part. The best part is that I found out the guy has a problem with anthros."

Stephanie started playing with the tips of her ears. “So that's how the affair started. Everyone back at work talked about it, but no one ever mentioned the details. It feels different hearing about it now. I can't even begin to imagine how awkward that must've been for you."

“No, having dinner with your ex is awkward," David said, his hackles rising. “I put up with that jackoff's snide comments because I didn't want to cause a scene. Then I find out that he was sleeping with Lori on top of it. I just lost it and jumped on the guy. Security had to drag me outside."

“Understandable since you just found out some racist prick is doing your girlfriend."

“Yeah, well, understandable or not, I put Lori in an awkward place. She didn't leave her job."

Stephanie frowned. “Wait. After all that, she didn't try to find another job?"

David shrugged, surprised by how calm he suddenly felt. Normally, just thinking about it made his hackles rise, but even after the brief burst of anger, his rage rushed out of him, and he didn't feel a thing. “She said after my little 'stunt', she wouldn't be able to get a job anywhere else. Her boss has connections. Now that I think on it, he was probably holding it over her head, but I was too stupid and angry to see it that way. I blamed her for it."

“So that fight you guys had, I guess you couldn't shake the idea that she was still seeing him behind your back?"

David swallowed thickly and nodded. Stephanie's question found a gap in whatever armor had surrounded his emotions. His vision began to blur, so he stared at the ground. That was just what he needed, to start crying in the middle of the sidewalk. As if the whole thing wasn't awkward enough.

“It still didn't give me the right to throw it up in her face especially when the whole thing was my fault. If I really didn't trust her so much, I should've just broken up with her when I had the chance."

A hand gently grasped his face and forced him to look up into Stephanie's sad brown eyes. “Don't do that to yourself. I don't care what you want to call it, karma or whatever. What happened was not your fault, understand?"

His tongue felt too heavy to talk anymore, so he just settled for a nod.

“Okay. Listen, I want to say I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Even though I don't like what you said, it didn't give me the right to throw Lori up in your face like that."

“Yeah, but you were right," he croaked. “Regardless of my own personal feelings, I shouldn't be so quick to talk about people dying as punishment."

“Well in your defense you are dealing with a lot of emotions at once. With everything you've had to deal with lately, it's a miracle you're still sane."

The two of them continued walking in silence with Stephanie leading the way. The sky had changed from orange-red to purple-black, and the temperature dropped further. David used the silence to work through his emotions. No matter how badly he wanted to believe Stephanie was right, there were a few people who wouldn't get his forgiveness.

It did make him wonder about all the different revenge and justice tropes he saw in books or movies. Up until now, he never paid much attention to it, but now he was wondering if the people in those stories really suffered punishments that fit their crimes.

Death was a little extreme, but what was a suitable punishment? He felt Carol had suffered enough, but he wouldn't wish her situation on anyone else. “I'm sorry" wasn't good enough, and no amount of favors could repair the shattered trust. Money just seemed like they were saying, “Hey, sorry for saying nasty things about you and pretty much ruining your life. Here's a few thousand dollars to make you feel better."  

The only possible thing he could think of was giving them a taste of their own medicine. Let them feel the feeling of anguish and betrayal he felt. Maybe then he would consider forgiving them.  

Stephanie's voice pulled him away from his thoughts, “Oh, this is me."  

David noticed Stephanie had stopped in front of a brick building. It didn't look much different from his own apartment building. “This is where you live?"

“Uh-huh. Hey, you want to come up? I haven't sat down for a while and my feet hurt. We can talk more inside if there are still things you need to get off your chest."

David was just about to start climbing the stairs when he saw the dark-haired woman again, standing behind Stephanie. There was no mistaking who it was—Lori's brown eyes were staring straight into his.

What the hell is going on? He thought. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Lori was still standing there, a neutral expression on her face. Why? Why is this happening to me? Am I losing my mind? Is this some unconscious way to warn myself to keep my distance?

The moment the thought crossed his mind, something else occurred to him. The detectives who questioned him might be following his every move. What if they saw him go into Stephanie's apartment and thought the two of them were working together?

Stephanie tilted her head and frowned before looking over her shoulder. She looked right at Lori standing behind her, but didn't seem to acknowledge the illusion. She turned back to David, her face full of worry. “David? Are you okay?"

He swallowed and backed away. No matter what, he needed to refrain from doing anything that would make Stephanie a target. Going on a walk with her was a big mistake, one he seriously hoped wouldn't come back to bite him.

“I-I would love to, but I gotta get back to my place. I…I have some…things to take care of."

Stephanie's ears fell. “Oh, okay," the disappointment in her voice was clear as day. “Well, I had a lot of fun today, and you were right about taking a walk. It did feel good. We should do it again sometime."

“Yeah, sure," David said, backing away and fighting a vicious battle with his face to keep his fear from showing. He spun around and sped back to the car. It probably looked suspicious, and several people stared as he sped down the street, but he didn't care. He was being stalked by an apparition of his dead girlfriend. The opinions of random strangers were the last thing on his mind right now.

He continuously looked over his shoulder as he walked. Lori never made another appearance, but he still feared looking up and seeing her standing next to him.

Rob's pickup was still where David left it when he went on his walk with Stephanie. He sat in the driver's side of the car and noticed Rob sitting next to him, typing something into his phone.

“Hey, D," Rob said casually.

David jammed the keys into the ignition and started the engine. Rob had a lot of nerve considering this whole thing was his fault.

“Where the fuck have you been?" David growled.

Rob shrank into the corner. “Whoa, whoa, what'd I do? Look, I'm sorry I set you up on a blind date. It's just I know you don't get out much—"

“Because I'm on trial for fucking murder!"

“D, I just wanted you to spend a few hours not thinking about that. I figured it was working when I saw you leave with Stephanie. I was almost about to call a cab 'cause I figured you were gonna be spendin' the night at her place. What happened? Did she turn you down?"

David shut off the engine and glared at his friend. He knew Rob's heart was in the right place, but sometimes his friend just didn't get it. “Rob, there are people following me and watching my every move. You're little 'blind date' may have made Stephanie a damn target. Now they're probably thinking up some way to turn her against me. C'mon, man, can you not think with your dick for five minutes?"

Rob's eyes widened. It was clear he hadn't thought of that and it wasn't his intention to make things harder on his friend. “D, I-I'm sorry."

David scoffed and re-started the engine. “Sorry" wasn't good enough. Stephanie was most likely about to have her life uprooted and he was seeing things because his friend didn't take things seriously.

A heavy silence hung over them as they rode down the street. Twice, Rob reached for the radio, but withdrew his hand instead. David wasn't bothered by the silence—he preferred it. There was no telling what he would say in his anger.

“Hey, David, can you drop me off at my place?" Rob asked.

David sighed. He didn't have to respond, but he just had to ask, “Why am I dropping you off in your car?"

“Figured I'd let you hold on to it for a while. That way you can see Stephanie whenever you want. Don't say it," Rob added when David opened his mouth to protest. “I'm bein' serious, D. I'm the only person you talk to besides some strangers on the internet. You need to take all the friends you can get. She likes hanging out with you."

David snapped his mouth shut and focused on his driving. He wanted to be angry with Rob for setting him up, but he also felt guilty for it. Until the conversation took a dark turn, his time with Stephanie was the most fun he'd had since the last time they hung out.

****

David parked the pickup in front of Rob's apartment. Before getting out, Rob pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the dashboard.

“Here. I spoke to a friend of ours and got that for you. I think it'll help."

 David picked up the object and examined it. It was a simple, black flash drive. But why was Rob giving it to him? And what friend was Rob talking about? As far as David knew, he only had two friends and one of them was with him all afternoon.

Before David could question the flash drive or what was on it, he noticed Rob was already halfway to his building.

“I'll call you later, D," Rob called over his shoulder. “Go home and get some sleep."

The entire drive home, David racked his brain for what could be on the flash drive and who this “friend" was. It was possible, it was someone who worked in Michael's firm, but Michael would've called and said something. It was most likely one of the people from his hacking days, but he hadn't spoken to them in years. It also didn't explain why they wouldn't contact him directly. Even if he knew who sent the flash drive, he couldn't begin to figure out what was on it.

He parked the pickup in the first available spot and hurried into his apartment, heading straight for his computer. The first thing he did after inserting the flash drive was run it through an anti-virus program. It wasn't that he didn't trust, Rob. Something just didn't feel right. The scan turned up nothing, but David decided to disconnect his computer from the internet just to be safe.

On the flash drive was a single folder labeled, Proof. David cocked his head in confusion. Proof of what? He shrugged off the theories trying to take over his thoughts and opened the folder.

There were 30 different photos, pdf files, videos in the folder, all labeled numerically by date. David played the first video. It showed four people, three humans and one anthro, sitting around a table. Judging from the cards and drinks, he assumed they were playing poker or some other card game. He had no idea who the people playing cards were, but one of the humans he recognized as Otto Landoran, his landlord.

A smile began to spread across his muzzle. Everyone knew Otto liked to gamble, and that Clarissa got on his case about it constantly. The whole building heard about the story when Otto's gambling cost them their home and they lived on the street for two years. He claimed the experience convinced him to give up gambling, but the time stamp on this video proved Otto still met up with his old poker buddies.

David viewed a few more files and videos. The other videos were hacked surveillance cameras showing Otto entering many places where people played backroom cards. The pictures and pdfs were his receipts and bank statements showing how he was taking money out his account to pay off gambling debts.

“Not sure how you know I wanted this, Rob, but thank you anyway," David said. There were other files on the flash drive, but he could check those out later. He had other business to attend to first. “Let's see how much you like having your privacy violated, old man."

The first thing he needed was a printer. There was one he didn't use anymore tucked into a box in the corner. It took some maneuvering to make the printer sit next to the desktop, but setting it up took no time at all. A few minutes later, he watched with a sinister smile as damnable photos of Otto betraying his wife slid onto the printer's photo tray.

He took the pictures, slipped them into an envelope and wrote on it: “This is what you're husband's been up to." He then stuffed the envelope into his back pocket and headed down the stairs to Otto's apartment.

No one was around when he reached the first floor, but David was cautious all the same. He never felt more excited in his life. It was like being on a high he couldn't come down from. Just as he reached Otto's apartment, it sank in what he was about to do, and all of his good feelings drained out of him.

Could he really invade another's privacy like this? After seeing what it did to Carol, after experiencing it himself, how was what he was doing any better? He hated everyone else for doing the same, but here he was, stooping to their level.

He stuffed the envelope back into his pocket and went back toward the stairs. Regardless of his feelings, it wasn't fair to do that to Otto.

Lori was standing at the bottom of the stairs. David froze; he should have been scared—he wanted to be, but he wasn't. He didn't know what to feel. All he felt was a tightening in his chest, and his tail softly tapping against his leg. How long had it been since he last seen her face? He didn't care if she really was a ghost or a figment of his imagination; he was just glad to see her again. If he really was losing his mind, if he could see Lori again, he would accept it.

“Lori…is that really you?"

Lori didn't move or respond.

David stepped closer cautiously. If his dreams were any indication, he wanted to be on guard if she suddenly started decaying again. “Lori, can you talk to me?"

Lori still didn't answer. She just continued to stare straight ahead. At first David thought she was looking at him, but he realized she was looking at something behind him. He spun around and saw she was looking at Otto's apartment.

“Wait, you…want me to go through with it?"

Lori, still staring ahead, slowly nodded.

It felt as if someone had seized control of his body. David turned around and casually approached Otto's apartment. He didn't even bother to check for witnesses as he slipped the envelope under the door. Somehow, he knew no one would leave their apartment, enter the building, or come down the stairs. He would have the privacy he needed to carry out the deed.

After sliding the envelope under the door, he made his way back up to his apartment. Lori was no longer there, but that didn't matter. She did her part; she gave him the courage to do what needed to be done. He couldn't falter, not now. Otto was just the first of many. Soon, he would find something on those other assholes to expose and he would get his life back. He didn't bother to keep quiet this time. It didn't matter if anyone saw him now; no one could tell he was up to something. He just looked like someone going home after a long day.

And what a day he had: A fun-filled afternoon with Stephanie, dirt on his sleazebag landlord, and no phone calls bearing bad news. Today was a good day, and getting back at Otto felt good, really good. The perfect way to end today and mark the beginning of taking back his life.

By time David reached his apartment, the excitement had worn off and he felt exhausted. He had no idea what time it was, but he went straight to bed to get some sleep.

****

David snapped his eyes open. He was sure he heard someone yelling. He lay in bed, giving his eyes time to adjust to the darkness as he listened for the sound again, but all he heard was silence. He rolled over and read the numbers 1:27 A.M. on the face of the alarm clock.

David sighed, rolled over onto his back, and closed his eyes when he heard the muffled shout again. He groaned and sat up. There was no way he was getting any sleep until whichever couple was fighting this late at night gave it a rest. Then he remembered the envelope he slipped under Otto's door.

He jumped out of bed and hurried for the front door. The muffled shouts became clearer as he approached causing his chest to swell with excitement. If it was Otto and Clarissa, there was no way he was missing it.

The moment he opened the door, Clarissa's voice could be heard clearly all the way from her apartment four floors down.

“I hate you, you lying sonofabitch!"

It took everything he had to keep from smiling as he approached the other tenants standing near the railing. It seemed Clarissa found the envelope he slipped under the door. Her rage reverberated off the walls as she screamed at her husband.

And she wasn't close to being done.  “ALL OF OUR SAVINGS! YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO ME FOR YEARS WHILE YOU WASTED EVERYTHING WE HAVE ON LIQUOR AND CARDS! AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN GOOD AT IT!"

A human tapped David on the shoulder. He recognized the human as Richard from down the hall. “Hey, what's going on?"

“SORRY!? YOU'RE SORRY!? WHO THE FUCK CARES IF YOU'RE SORRY!?"

“Looks like Otto and Clarissa are at it again," David said, shrugging. He wanted to laugh, but it would raise a few questions as to what he found so funny. Listening to the fight felt good, really good. It was petty, but for the first time in months, David felt as if he had some kind of control over his life.

BANG!

David cried out and fell back from the railing and onto the floor. Everyone else jumped back as well. His heart slammed against his chest. He stared at the stairwell, eyes bulging in shock. Silence fell over the entire building.

The moment he heard that loud bang, it brought back his nightmares. Images of the bodies hanging from tree branches while he used them for target practice entered his mind.

It was a trick, it had to be. That sound wasn't what he thought it was. Clarissa must have thrown something and that was where the noise came from or a car backfired at that moment. She couldn't have been that upset over a few gambling receipts that she would kill her husband. Sure, the two argued at least twice a week, but they had been married for close to 30 years. People argue; it couldn't have been that bad.

He turned to Rich. His neighbor was pressed against the fall wall, looking just as scared and confused as David felt. In silence, they spoke to each other through frightened stares:

“What the hell was that noise?"

“Clarissa threw something, and it broke."

“Threw what? Something made of glass wouldn't make that kind of noise, and it wouldn't be that loud."

“Maybe it was made with wood or metal or something."

“Yeah, you're right. Something made of metal, that's what it was."

David let out a sigh of relief at the same time as his neighbor, relieved to have come to a more acceptable conclusion.

Then Clarissa's wail of horror and despair filled the stairwell.

David jumped to his feet and rushed down the stairs two at a time. He felt wide awake despite just climbing out of bed in the middle of the night. His heart was beating furiously in his chest, his fur stood on end. It was a lie, it had to be, but he needed to see it. He needed to go into Otto's apartment and see with his own eyes that the old man was okay. He noticed some of the other residents were leaning over the railings or standing at the top of the stairs. A few of them tried to ask him what was happening, but he ignored them and continued down the stairs.  

He made it to the second floor, when he heard it again.

BANG!

Clarissa's screams immediately ceased, and silence fell over the building.