Holding Grudges

File XIII

"So...how exactly do you know that so-called... woman?" The question slipped out before I could fully process it, the words hanging in the air like an unanswered riddle.

Detective Thompson gave a soft, contemplative chuckle, his gaze flicking over to me with an almost nostalgic gleam in his eyes. "Oh, you mean Candy?" He paused, the weight of the name lingering in the air like something dark and unresolved. "Well, she and I go back a lot farther than most people would think. Far longer than you'd imagine. Hell, I knew her long before she ever started calling herself 'Candy.'"

My brow furrowed as I processed his words, a curious ache in my gut. "So, her real name isn't Candy at all?" I pressed, my voice tinged with a mix of intrigue and unease. I needed to understand just how deeply their connection ran.

He met my gaze, an almost imperceptible shift in his demeanor as he leaned back, his fingers lightly tapping the wheel, a rhythm to his thoughts. "I guess her real name doesn't matter much to you, huh?" His lips curled into a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "But yes, her real name is Lisa Chapman." He let that sink in, his voice lowering, as if the name itself carried weight he hadn't expected to bear. "Candy came into the picture a while after we met back in high school... and that was over twenty years ago now. Long time, huh?"

The words hung between us, like echoes from a life I wasn't sure I was ready to explore. Detective Thompson's expression softened, but only for a moment, before he continued, as if this revelation was just the beginning.

"I'll give you a little more," he said, voice dropping to a near whisper, as if sharing something too dangerous to speak aloud. "You'll need to know about her past... It's not just about the name, or the reputation she's built." He took a deep breath, eyes drifting to the rearview mirror, as if searching for something in the past that wasn't quite finished. "Her influence... well, it's not something you forget easily. She's not like anyone you've met, trust me. One in a million, and I don't mean that in a good way."

I felt my pulse quicken, the air in the car thick with a mix of curiosity and dread, as his words painted a picture of a woman I still couldn't quite grasp—one whose shadow stretched much farther than I ever expected.

"Whoa, that's... that's a hell of a long time to know someone," I said, unable to stop myself, my voice laced with genuine surprise. "Not to be rude or anything, but especially when it comes to someone like her." I let the words hang in the air, trying to keep the discomfort I felt about Candy from fully showing. Something about this whole situation had me feeling more and more unsettled. But, somehow, I was growing a little more comfortable with Detective Thompson. He seemed like someone who might actually help me make sense of this twisted mess.

Detective Thompson didn't flinch, his expression unreadable as he glanced out the windshield, his voice taking on a contemplative tone. "Well, the person you met today? She's pretty much the same as I remember from high school." His words lingered, heavy with a nostalgia that felt far from fond.

I felt my curiosity pull me deeper, the need to understand something about Candy that made sense in the chaos. "What do you mean?" I asked gently, as if I was coaxing him to expose the layers he was clearly trying to keep hidden.

He sighed, his voice dropping to a quiet murmur, almost lost in the hum of the engine and the distant sounds of traffic around us. "How do I even explain it... back then, she'd... sell herself for just a couple of cigarettes. It was like she couldn't resist the bargain, couldn't get enough of trading anything for a fix, no matter how small. And it wasn't even the worst of it. Just the start."

The weight of his words hit me hard, and I found myself staring out the window, the world outside moving in a blur. What kind of person did that, even back then? I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, trying to digest what he was saying. It was like I could feel the shadows of Candy's past creeping up on me, and the more I learned, the more confusing it became.