An Outdoorsman's Guide To The Calls Of Common Thieves

A second time

25/05/2024-26/05/2024

La vie en rose - Louis Armstrong

As I slowly awake, I find myself not on my bed. Wait, where am I? I turn to see what I was sleeping on. OH FUDGE RYAN-

How. How did this happen again? I have no clue. I guess we talked and talked all night and eventually fell asleep, looking at the stars.

As I rub the sleep from my eyes, he also starts to stir, presumably from my movement against his shoulder.
"Good morning ranger." I say nonchalantly, forgetting the situation we're in for a second.
"Good morning- doc?"
Looks like he has come to the same realisation as I have.

Well, this is awkward.

We sit there for just a moment.
"How is this the second time this has happened?"
"I know right?"
We both laugh, and I stand up and offer him a hand. He takes it.
"Want some water?"
"Sure."
We head downstairs.

I fill a glass for him and one for myself. I feel sort of afraid to talk. I guess it was easier when he wasn't awake. It's definitely more awkward. Suddenly there's a knock at the door.

Z: "Coming!" I open it and Steph and Alex are there. "Oh, hey! Good morning."
S: "Hey Z. Do you know where Ryan is? We wanted to bring him here so we could properly discuss last night, but he wasn't answering the door, so we thoug-"
Her voice fades away as I start to turn red.
Z: "U-uh, he's..."
I glance over to him, who's gulping down his water with a tomato-red face. Unfortunately, Steoh and Alex seem to notice too, and they start to laugh. And they keep laughing.
A: "Holy. Shit. Don't tell me you two...?"
R: "What? We what?"
Steph is in tears at this point. Ryan seems to catch on to their implications, and I do shortly after.
R: "Nonononono-"
Z: "-we fell asleep outside is all-"
A: "Yeah, suuuure."
R: "I'm gonna quickly pop round to mine, I'll be right back-" He runs out in a flash of red, taking his chance to escape the storytelling. Thanks, Ryan.

Honeypie - JAWNY

The two turn to me expectantly.
S: "Ok, you have to tell us everything that happened since the moment we left."
Z: "Really?"
A: "Come on. You know there's no point in keeping it secret."
She has a point.

I tell them all the major details, leaving out the personal stuff, while I change and get ready in the bathroom.
A: "So you guys have an official date?"
Z: "If you can count standing next to each other awkwardly at the Spring festival a date, then yeah."
S: "Look at our little love birds making progress."
I leave the bathroom.
Z: "I still can't believe he's been single this whole time. He's so..."
A: "What is your type anyways?"
Z: "Literally? Ryan."
A: "What, like exactly?"
Z: "Yup. He's funny, dorky, and just... sweet. Sweet like honey."
As I gush over how much I like Ryan, Steph and Alex snicker to themselves.
S: "Well he's super into you too. You guys are like a match made in heaven."
Z: "I hope so. I just hope my parents don't come and mess it all up. They're visiting for the festival."
A: "Nice. You better introduce us."
Z: "Of course, you guys are my best friends."
S: "Don't forget your boyfriend."
Z: "I don't even know if he-"
A + S: "-he does!"
Z: "But- I mean, I can't comprehend how a guy like him is into a girl like me. He's just so... it's hard to put it into words, you know? It's hard to believe, you kno-"
R: "-What's hard to believe?"
My face flushes red as he renters my apartment, now in new clothes.
Z: "Nothing."
S: "We were just talking about...Ben. You know, ex-convict?"
R: "What about him?"
S: "We can't cross him off of the list yet. In fact he's probably top of the list at the moment. He fits the description perfectly."
A: "There's still another guy. You said there's more than one, right?"
R + Z: "Yeah."
A: "Maybe some one he knows who came with him."
R: "We would've seen them before."
Z: "What about one of the miners? He could've met one and devised a burglary scheme."
S: "That could work. It gives us something to go on."
Z: "Well, I have an appointment in a few minutes, so in the mean time, you guys can tell Pike the new information."
A: "Cool, see you later Z."
Z: "See you guys!"

Limbo - Freddie Dredd

A few minutes later, my client arrives.
"Hey Ben!"
"Morning' doctor."
"Come in, sit."
This is the perfect opportunity to subtly find out if he's involved.
"So, how are things?"
"It's goin' swell, and things are lookin' up for good ol' Ben."
"Would you Tea? Coffee? Water?"
"Oh, uh, water please."
"Coming right up!"

"Have you heard about the burglaries?" I ask as I set his glass on the table on top of a coaster.
"What burglaries? Ion know 'bout no burglaries."
"Have you not seen it? Oh gosh, it's horrible! There'll be smashed glass outside every shop before they catch them."
"O-oh dear, that is horrible."
Uh oh, someone's stuttering.
"Yeah, it is. They steal the window display of the shops."
He looks...slightly frightened. That's all I need.
"Anyways, enough about that. How are the roses coming along?"
"Oh, they are just gorgeous..."

The rest of the appointment goes swell, and afterwards I run around the town looking for the others.
A: "Oh, hey Z."
Z: "Hey guys."
R: "What's up?"
Z: "I think Ben is involved."
S: "What?! Are you sure?"
I try to say as much as I can without revealing personal details and stuff we discussed in the session.
Z: "...he had a scared look on his face."
R: "Ok, so he's on the top of the list."
S: "Sweet, we already have our culprit."
R: "This would be his second offence."
A: "We don't know for sure though."
Z: "We need to do some more investigation."