Hitman's Creed - 62

 

Joey pretended not to understand what he knew Glenn was asking. "Do I like being a cop? You better believe it. Am I still living at home? Nope, I've got a place of my own."

"With a roommate?"

"No, all to myself."

"Ahh." Glenn essayed a small smile. "Like me."

"No one in your life?" Joey resisted crossing his fingers in hopes that there wasn't, even though he knew it would be for the best if there was.

"No. Never been that lucky, though there was a time when I hoped…" Glenn's face closed down.

"No you didn't," Joey said harshly. "You did all you could to push me away."

"What makes you think I was talking about you?"

"Oh, yeah, well I guess…" Joey stood suddenly. "I have to leave."

"Sit. Please." When Joey didn't, Glenn sighed. "Yes, I was talking about you."

Slowly, hesitantly, Joey resumed his seat on the stair. "Did you really hope?"

"In my own way, yeah, when I was willing to admit it to myself. Which wasn't often. I knew it wouldn't have worked but that didn't stop me from wishing."

"Why wouldn't it have worked? Because you thought I was way too young for you I get, but…" Joey studied him. "There was more, wasn't there?"

Glenn nodded, returning Joey's look. "We were diametrically opposite in too many ways. The age thing and, well you wanting to be a cop, which by the way was, is a good thing in my book."

Joey leaned back against the railing and asked, "If that made us, as you put it 'diametrically opposite', then would I be wrong in thinking you were on the other side of the legal fence?"

"Way on the other side. I can tell you this now without fear of any repercussions."

When Glenn said nothing more Joey cocked an eyebrow. "How far on the other side?"

Glenn shrugged. "I was a contract killer, a hitman."

After a very long pause during which several emotions crossed Joey's face, including shock, some surprise then acceptance, Joey said, "That explains a lot." He chuckled. "I was sort of thinking you were a spy or some sort of black-ops."

"Not even close back then."

That's when something Glenn said hit him. "You keep talking about that being in the past but aren't you… I mean even if you quit doing that, the police still have to be looking for you."

"I took a chance, made a trade-off with people who have the power to make me a person of non-interest now. Not that anyone ever knew who I was except for a few middlemen."

"You must have been damned good at what you did and how you did it." Joey was surprised at how calmly he was taking all of this.

So was Glenn when it came down to it. "Why aren't you walking away as fast as you can now that you know?" he asked.

"Hell if I know," Joey admitted. "Partly because I find that part of you… interesting? It explains a lot. Partly I suppose because you've implied that you don't do that anymore."