His last job was rather noisy, some people, not happy that their friend/boss was dead, were looking for him, not knowing of course of his real identity. However, better safe than sorry, and he had to lay low for a few months. There were a lot of little towns across the country, where a man could get lost easily. Gathering his belongings and thinking about his own point of destination and temporary refuge, Vic remembered about one place. It was a home town of a guy he went to high school together, so many years ago, now it seemed like something not about him. Ronnie Irwin. They never were friends in the direct sense of this word, but always knew about each other’s existense. Vic was always team Eddie Cabot, and it couldn’t be otherwise. He and Eddie knew each other almost from the craddle, his father worked with and then for Joe Cabot. When Vic alienated himself from his father and brother, Cabots practically replaced them for him.
He didn’t remember, when was the first time he noticed Ronnie, but remembered that he always felt that they were somehow close, like they shared something similar and hidden, things they couldn’t share with other kids. When they met in the hallway or in class room, Vic never forget to say “Hey, Ronnie” and smile to the guy. He knew that Ronnie’s parents were divorced, rumors also said that his mom was sick, and this affected the boy and made him weird, too. Well, usually there were another, less polite terms used, but Vic never judged people too quick. Besides, he was weird, too, maybe he could hide this more skilfully. Ronnie was an achiever student, while for him studying was mostly a dull spending of time before he would let to do jobs with elders. Sometimes Vic asked to let him write something off, in gratitude for this he was kind of an inconspicuous guardian, making sure that no one bullied or unnerved the silent and shy guy. After the high school they lost each other. Vega heard that Ronnie moved back to the town, when he was born. Now, leaving his apartment with the big road bag and the cigarette between his lips, he wondered, if he could find him there.
A few days later in the warm evening he left the motel room to take a walk and look around and saw a man, walking out of the building that looked like morgue and most likely was it. When their paths almost crossed Vic recognized him, and a wide happy grin appeared on his face. “ Ronnie! ” he hailed the guy, “ Hey, Ronnie! How have you been? ”