100 Theme Challenge #76

Sequel of #50, #51, #52, #54, #60, #68,  #69, #70, #73 and #74.

76. Confusion

Part XI

Gary called in Kenneth first hour the next day after Jack told him he'd be drunk and wouldn't be able to properly answer their questions. The sound of the writing machine, the phones ringing, the buzz of voices; all of it greeted Kenneth the next morning. Hangover, he presented himself at nine o'clock sharp before Jack who was nursing his second cup of coffee. He offered it to him after seeing his pale face and bloodshot eyes, Kenneth muttering a thank you before shoving the hot beverage down his throat.

"I believe I'm a bit to blame for that state of yours," Jack chuckled.

"Damn right you are. You put way too many bills on that counter last night. I needed it, but not that blasted hangover." He sat on the chair beside Jack's desk, hugging the coffee mug close to his chest even though it was empty. Jack got on his feet.

"Give me that, I'll go get you another one."

"Thanks."

When he got back, Kenneth already had some colors back on his cheeks, and he smiled when he saw the mug filled almost to the brim with black coffee.

"Why did you call me here for?" He asked after taking a sip.

"The man who came in yesterday told us his opinion about the killer's motives. Do you have any ideas of your own?"

Kenneth looked at Jack, who was leaning against the back of his chair, the dark bags under his eyes, and pursed his lips. "I feel that you expect a specific answer from me, and that if I don't give it to you, it might be better for me, but lead to nowhere for you. What do you need to know?"

Jack tapped his cigarette pack on his desk for a stick to come out, which he took between his fingers. "You thought correctly, even in that state. What was your exact relationship with Mister Davis?" He asked before lighting his cigarette. The nicotine eased his mind, soothed his exhaustion. He hated being that much into every single case he got, but that was how he dealt with them.

"At first, I thought that if I told you not the entire truth, it wouldn't matter. Surely the killer murdered James for another reason, maybe even just for fun, so I didn't say anything. It wasn't until I knew the second victim's identity that my suspicion was confirmed. Scott Thompson was pretty forward when it came to his sexual orientation, which worried me a bit at first, but he was doing what he wanted. I feared for him when I heard about his stalker, but I thought he'd resolved that thing, like everyone else I suppose." He gulped part of his coffee, and Jack let him gather his thoughts. "There's not that many gay people in Chicago's community, so I knew him quite well… How I met James though, is another story. As you already know, I live behind the bar, and not long after I moved in that apartment, I decided to try it out. That's how I met him. We began to sleep together, and along the way, I realized I had feelings for him. We weren't in an exclusive relationship, and I thought I'd dealt with those feelings, until the night of his death."

Kenneth frowned and glared at Jack. "I decided not to talk about it because I know how homosexuality is seen. Even its community is not big, we try to keep low, to not get waken up some night by the KKK or some other anti-gay shit. To be hated just because of who you are is the worst, Mister Byrnes."

Jack extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray, attempting to soften his facial expression. "Thank you for telling me this, Mister Lewinski. That just proved the killer is indeed aiming homosexuals."

"Where does it lead you, now?"

"Not that far, I'm afraid. The two murders happened in the same district, so there's a possibility the killers lives in it as well. Mister Moss, who was Mister Thompson's lover, also told us about Mister's Thompson's stalker, so the location would be confirmed. Although, there's no way we can go around looking for him, we have no proof that it's that guy. The only thing we got is a name." Jack pointed the wall, where Paul Clark was circled in red on a paper.

"Mmm, this name tells me something, but I couldn't tell you why exactly," Kenneth pondered. "Perhaps in the newspapers? Although I wonder why it would be in it."

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