In Plain Sight - Part 1

26

It was as if he had made a friend. Garret Hodge, whoever he was, was just as much of a loner as he was. "Have you heard of The Flaccid Flask?" Kevin started. "It's a pretty chill bar a few blocks out if you want to grab a drink."

Garret laughed and shook his head. "Can't. Not twenty-one yet. Unless you know of a place I can get a fake ID?"

The two of them sat in the food court in the SASU Student Union, eating surprisingly good sandwiches from the cafeteria. Students were swarming around – which was a bit surprising since it was summer but perhaps the summer quarter still enrolled a considerable number of students. Kevin's attention faded in and out of what Garret was saying. Apparently he came from Oregon, had some family issues, he was out applying for colleges to prove something to his family – perhaps that he wasn't a loser or that he was someone who was able to make something of himself. Kevin's attention wasn't fully jarred back into place until he heard him say, "... and certainly not like the shit that happened in Los Angeles with Ian Avery." Kevin almost choked on his water. "What's up with that?"

Kevin swallowed and fidgeted in his chair. "What do you mean?" It was too late. He was too close. He knew he had gotten himself in trouble the minute he socialized. It was all a mistake. His nerves racked before any visible sweat began to protrude.

Garret took a sip from his coke, slurping the straw. He shook his head, "All over the news, all – blown up and shit. I don't know. I have my theories. We probably shouldn't go there."

"Yeah I heard about it," Kevin said, trying not to make it obvious. He didn't know what to say. He tried to act like any other person who had heard about it. "God, what a fucked up situation. What a horrible person!"

Garret looked up at him, mildly annoyed. His facial expression confused Kevin. "I mean – alright look. There are always two sides to the story, right? Now don't get me wrong, man, I'm not saying what Ian did was good, or that he should have done what he did, or that what he did was justified but," he paused and looked around. "I'm just saying – the guy shoots a frat boy in front of a few dozen people in broad daylight – maybe there's a bit more to it?"

Kevin's face froze. He wasn't expecting that at all. Of course, Garret was right. Of course he was! "I mean, yeah I suppose there was, uh, there would definitely be Ian Avery's perspective."

"I mean look," Garret sat up in his chair, leaning closer, "murder is never good – of course. But don't you think there was probably some more to the story? Like maybe Jake or whatever his name was – and Ian's girlfriend being dead and everything – don't you think maybe there was some bigger conflict going on? I don't know. All I'm saying is that someone died before Ian Avery pulled the trigger. Now I don't know what happened – and I don't think I'll ever know. I don't think anyone will ever know but it just seems to me that there was some heavy shit going down and it wasn't just Ian Avery being a dick just for the sake of being a dick. The media spins shit, you know?"

Kevin's eyes widened. A small part of him wanted to tell him – but it was an easy choice not to. He played along. "Wow, yeah. I haven't thought that. So – so you're saying that, um – you're saying that Joshua may have deserved it?"

Garret looked around, "I wouldn't say that. Think of a drive-by shooting. A gang related drive-by shooting. The only thing we hear about is the shooter. We don't know what provoked it. We don't know if the shooter's family was killed or robbed or what the fuck happened." He slurped the rest of his coke, shaking the ice. "I'm saying I'm not buying into the hype. The news – everything is making Ian Avery look like this terrible guy. All I'm saying is that there are two sides – but you know what I'm fucking stuck on?"

No force on Earth could have divided Kevin's attention at this point. "What?"

"He killed that guy in front of everyone in broad fucking day light and he got away," Garret said with a smile. "He dipped. He fucking dipped and now no one knows where the fuck he is. The guy's sneaky as shit. How does that happen? Seriously how the fuck does that happen, man?"

Kevin shook his head and shrugged. He laughed lightly and awkwardly. "I don't know. Maybe he, uh – maybe he skipped country. Maybe he took off. What do you think he did?"

Garret shook his head. "No – he can't leave the country too easily. Border security would pick him up. I have a cousin who works border security and an aunt who works TSA at the airport. He can't leave anywhere like that. Wouldn't be smart. No – he's probably homeless off on the streets somewhere. He's in hiding. He'd have to be. It's what I would do. I mean – Ian Avery is completely fucked. I don't even know what he can do but he sure as hell doesn't have a lot of options."

Kevin watched him contemplate. Garret was so close with so many details – yet he had no idea who he was talking to. It was a testament to just how well Kevin's new identity was convincing. "I guess when you put it that way," Kevin said, "It looks like he just sort of slipped out the back. Just – gone. Maybe he walked a few hundred miles away or got caught up with some other criminals now that he's on that side of the law. Who knows – maybe he's dead?"

"Maybe," Garret said nodding his head slowly. He looked at his phone and said, "Well it's about that time for me. Gotta head out. Good stuff, Kevin! Hope to see you around campus – God willing we both get accepted!" He extended his hand for a handshake.