Liability

Chapter 35 - Rhys

WARNING! Mention of addiction, discussion of death caused by overdose due to non-consensual drug use, and other sensitive elements. If you find these topics too hard to read feel free to skip this chapter.

__________________

Thursday
September 13, 2018

'He doesn't look surprised. Or confused.'

Those are Rhys' first thoughts right after those words trip off his tongue.

'He already knows.'

"You know."

Saying it out loud feels more final, especially when the bastard's lips actually twitch up almost imperceptibly. But Rhys is watching and doesn't miss even slightest change in Armand's expression.

"What?" Thommy blurts out only to follow it up with, "From that dickhead, Woodrow, I bet."

Armand's eyebrows jump to his forehead at that but he still doesn't deny anything. His eyes are sharp and assessing, dissecting them through the lenses of his ugly glasses. A moment later he steeples his fingers under his chin and Rhys sees the way his chest rises for a sigh as he lets go of whatever lies he had prepared.

"Coach Woodrow has been worried about his students with reason," he says, his tone grave. "The death of Mr. Lodge is a terrifying prospect and need you to tell me everything you know."

"I think that should be our line," Thommy counters, leaning forward in a way that blocks part Rhys' line of vision of Armand. "It's obvious you know a lot more than us, so why don't you tell us everything you know, Dim-A? Then we can compare our notes."

Armand is silent for a long moment, then asks, "How well did you know Mr. Lodge?"

"You're avoiding my question!" Thommy's hands slammed down on the desk, his back practically vibrating. In the blink of an eye, Rhys was standing beside him, his fingers clasped around the nape of his neck.

"Thommy," he urged quietly, leaning against his best friend's strong frame. His gaze cut to Armand's stoic face but the man's attention was honed in on Thommy.

"Mr. Pr—" Armand cut himself off. "Thommy, I'm asking because there is a chance that Mr. Lodge's death was caused by someone else. So I ask again, how well did you know him?"

"We were childhood acquaintances like most of us are," Rhys says, using his free hand to guide Thommy back to his chair. "He liked to sing, training for opera last I heard. We weren't close."

And they really weren't. The last time Rhys talked to Lodge was probably over a year before, and even then it was nothing deep. Lodge rambled at him about music and the struggles of writing lyrics.

He was a sweet boy.

Rhys swallows against the dryness burning his throat.

"Thommy?" Armand asks, tone quiet but not coddling.

Thommy growls.

"We used to be buddies. My... mother was good friends with his and they kept arranging play dates for us."Rhys can't see Thommy's expression from the wild locks falling into his face but his voice urges him to twine their fingers together once again, and he is only soothed when he feels the answering squeeze against his knuckles. "He was a literal ball of sunshine, nothing could pull him down. Always smiling and laughing and singing. It would have been annoying as hell but it somehow worked for him. And now you're telling me someone killed him? Who the hell would want to kill someone like that?!"

The glance Rhys steals of Armand shows him something complicated. It can be another one of his many masks but that thought is thrown right out the window when Armand takes his glasses off and rubs his forehead in a way that screams of exhaustion. There are dark shadows under his eyes and the corners of his mouth are turned down just the tiniest bit.