Page 82 of Strays
He pulls out a form. “I need each of you to sign a limited disclosure agreement. It lets me contact union reps, internal counsel, and witnesses on your behalf.”
We sign.
He closes the folder. “Don’t talk to reporters. Don’t talk to friends. Don’t talk to Kacy Silvester or Luc Knolson, no matter how tempting it is. Anything you say can be twisted into obstruction or retaliation. If anyone asks, refer them to me.”
We nod.
Kettering looks at each of us. “I’ll be in touch once I get the DA’s discovery file. Until then, stay clean.”
We stand, shake his hand and walk back into the hall.
I think I should be more scared than I am, but I already saw this coming,so it doesn’t hit as hard as it could’ve. If it weren’t for the cold that settled in my chest since the day Jo shut out, I might even be okay.
We don’t talk about it in the days that follow. There’s not much to say. But we tweak our routine: in addition to showing up early, we start staying late at the unit too.
On Friday, we get home so late after our run that we just collapse into bed.
And then the weekend comes. Once again, we’re stuck in the house.
Right before noon, my phone rings. For one second, I’m sure it’s Jo, finally wanting to talk, but when I check the screen, it’s Fontes.
I answer, surprised.
“Hey,” he says. “Do you guys got plans tonight?”
“No,” I reply.
“We’ve got a rec game at the Y. Indoor court, pickup rules. Pretty solid group. You should come.”
I have no idea what he’s talking about. “What?”
“Basketball,” he explains. “I play every Saturday at seven on the YMCA court downtown.”
After everything that happened at the barbecue, I don’t want to be near any human I’m not obligated to. “Thanks for the invite, man. But we’ll pass. We and humans… not a good mix.”
He sighs. “No pressure. But if you want to show up, I already talked to the guys. They’re good people. Nobody expects small talk. Just show up, move your body, clear your head a little. If you change your minds, I’ll be there.”
When I tell my brothers, both Shane and Jay agree it’s better to stay away from humans as much as possible. That’s how we’ve survived. That’s why we never had any off-duty problems before. Even with the human women we used to hook up with, we were always careful. Clear rules. Start, middle, end. No confusion, no overlap.
Barbecues, game nights, casual hangouts — we know now that kind of closeness isn’t something we can have with humans. There are just too many ways for things to go wrong.
But as the day drags on, our reasons start to feel thinner and thinner. I’m desperate for something to do that isn’t thinking about Jo, wondering if she’s safe. If she’ll ever come back after she finds out we’re facing a criminal trial.
Shane is the first to admit he wants to go. “If anyone looks the wrong way at us, we drop it and head home.”
Jay and I agree, so a little past six, we’re heading into downtown Great Sky. The gym’s already loud when we walk in, sneakers squeaking, balls smacking backboards. Fontes waves us over from the bench, pulling his sneakers tight.
“You made it,” he says.
Jay shrugs. “Nothing better to do. Figured we’d check it out.”
“We’ve never played,” I admit.
Fontes lifts an eyebrow. “Ever?”
Shane nods. “Seen a few games on TV. That’s it.”
But Fontes doesn’t look worried. “You’ll catch on.”
