Casual Sabotage

26 - Mr Octy

Ian couldn't sleep all night. The story about the robbery and the death of Mickey's colleague made him aware for the first time that Mickey actually had quite the dangerous job. Usually, Mickey was the one saying "be safe" or "be careful" when he was going to work, Ian didn't even think Mickey could die one day at his job too, or that it was even more likely that something would happen to Mickey than Ian (although Mickey was never employed for things like jewellery stores or banks, but for laboratories and personal security – people that preferred to have security guards with a criminal record.)

But also, he wondered if Mickey really didn't have anything to do with it. Sure, he was under the impression, Mickey had left that life of robbing, drugs and violence behind. But would he really know about him going back if Mickey didn't want him to know? Maybe Mickey thought they needed the money, or his brothers convinced him to pull this off with them. Mickey was a southside thug through and through, no matter how often Ian made him cuddle on the couch with hot chocolate in winter.

He trusted Mickey with his life. When Mickey was gone all night, one's thoughts could wander to him having an affair or some other nasty secret – but Ian knew, that wasn't Mickey. Mickey would never cheat on him or put their relationship at risk. Ian trusted him in that because he knew him that well. But Mickey was a suspect without an alibi in a robbery he was definitely connected to in some way because he was working for the security company and was some sorts of friends with the dead colleague. Ian couldn't remember Mickey ever mentioning him, but he listened to Mickey calling the colleague's wife to say his condolences, which was odd since Mickey would never do that usually, speak this softly to a random stranger. When Ian asked him about it, Mickey just shrugged and said, they were friends and used to work together a few times, and he had met the wife at some kind of office Christmas party or when she picked up her husband.

It was all very confusing. Mickey's behaviour towards this apparent stranger, Mickey being gone all night, lying to Ian about being at work and lying to the police about being at home, and then there was Mickey's weird behaviour when he came back home in the morning: Quiet, closed-off, exhausted.

But Mickey would tell him if something like this would have happened, right? He would have asked Ian for help with something or told him about needing an alibi right then and there. Or would he? Maybe he wanted to protect him by not telling him anything.

They were brought in for official questioning in the morning. Ian told the police what Mickey had told him to say. Lying to the police wasn't a problem for him. But what if they don't believe them? What if they arrest Mickey? Would Ian have to lie in court, too? Then get sentenced for lying in court?

"Mickey, I don't like this", Ian said when they drove back home from the police station.
"Everything's fine. I didn't do anything. If I didn't do anything, they can't prove that I did something."
"Right, because no one ever got wrongfully thrown into prison.", Ian mumbled, "What are we gonna do then, huh?"
"Run away to Mexico?", Mickey suggested with a smirk.
"Be serious", Ian hissed, "I don't want to testify against you in court, Mick. I can't lie in court, but what am I supposed to say, that you weren't home all night? Came back in the morning and were weird and silent. You told me you were at work, but you lied to me."

Mickey bit his bottom lip and looked at the road.
"Mick, you lied to me.", Ian repeated.
Mickey sighed, "Alright, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to worry you, so I said I was at work. But that doesn't mean I went to rob a bunch of jewellery and shot someone."
"Are you sure? You can tell me. If you did it, tell me and we figure something out, but don't lie to me... did you brothers or father force you?"

Mickey scoffed, "No", he said, "Ian, I have nothing to do with it. Finnigan was a friend."
"I never even heard you saying his name before."
Mickey shrugged, "He was a friend though. Even if I would have been there, I would have never shot him, he's got two kids at home with his wife, and another baby on the way with his secret wife in Evanston. Besides, if I would ever rob a jewellery store, I would share with you. Did I share anything with you?"
"No"
"See. So I didn't rob anything."