PERVERSE - Apply Fic

09

Ambrose doesn't think anyone will be home. Just to be safe, he and Clare keep their hoods up when they walk toward his house. His face is recognizable, especially on his own street, and she implied that people might recognize her. He is thankful that over Kraft Dinner last night, they all sort of chatted about their names and professions. Icebreakers aren't the kind of thing Ambrose has ever paid attention to now.

Then again, he's never had one between dead people.

They cut through a neighbour's backyard. Ambrose recognizes the run-down truck in the driveway which belongs to a bitter man in the early stages of dementia. His family couldn't afford a carer, not that the curmudgeon would let one in any way. Ambrose's mother would pray for all the neighbours at the dinner table. Their food was always cold.

Clare lets Ambrose guide him. The others might not trust him out here, but Clare knows a lot about threat assessment. He doesn't seem dangerous, or even malicious. Maybe he's autistic, but otherwise, his behaviour doesn't seem like something that needs to be pathologized. He makes little eye contact or far too much. He knows things so deeply and is surprised that others don't. He would make a good Watson to her Sherlock.

Although, Watson is not all that intelligent. Ambrose seems anything but dumb.

"What did you do before this all?" she asks him once they are in the confines of the forest.

He shrugs, "I was a law student."

"What kind of law?" she asks.

Ambrose wasn't sure. He was a year into law school and was at the point where he should've had it figured out, "I was summering at a law firm in town. We were doing criminal law."

There are few people in town but a lot of lawyers. Tort lawyers have advertisements on benches and one of the only two billboards in the two streets that pretend to be a downtown core. Lots of people are injured in the factories and out in the oil sands or while working for loggers even farther north. Otherwise, there are usually two of everything. Two family law firms so that couples can be represented by different lawyers. Two commercial law firms. Four criminal law firms though, since there are more e-bikes than buses on account of all the drunk driving.

"You've got a good eye then," she smiles at him.

Ambrose shrugs. Clare seems interesting. She's a cop and she doesn't seem to be put off by the fact that he was helping a defence attorney. Ambrose hopes Ajay decides to let them in on the secret.

Soon enough, they get to the grounds, and they begin to scour. Neither of them are sure what they are looking for, but both of them think they will know when they find it.

~~~

Leo and Ajay walk to the police station. Despite Chelster housing no more than eighty thousand residents, the town is sprawling. Leo decides he should talk to Ambrose about getting them all bus passes, or some sort of fund system so they can move around more easily. It's only going to get colder as the winter months drag in. He is only vaguely aware it is September.

Out here, the trees are drearier. Leaves don't turn bright orange. They are dull and yellow, or the colour of the rust that is on most of the cars around here. Leo was only tangentially moving through Chelster when he died. He doesn't know much about the place which he haunts.

"What can you tell me about Chelster?" he asks Ajay.

Ajay wrings his hands. The wind is so violent and he can feel his skin peeling. He buries them in his pockets, looking down. "There isn't much to know. There are a few factories but most are shut down. Lots of people come through trucking or live here while commuting out to oil rigs or even a few bigger cities in the south. You're RCMP, so where are you usually stationed?"