2. Code Blue Plate Special
A new beer was placed in front of Sara and a hand touched her shoulder. She flinched more than she liked but relaxed immediately when she saw it was Sofia, who stood next to her.
"Sorry, I didn't want to scare you. I called out your name, but you didn't hear me."
"I was…somewhere else. Sorry. How are you?"
"Better than you are. You look tensed."
"That's a nice way to say I look like shit."
"You knew a lot of people, who died in the diner."
"Yes, I did."
"You know." Sofia sipped on her beer. "There was a time when I was jealous, even a little bit mad or sad, that you guys never took me there when you went there after shift Today I'm glad you didn't. To hear eight people died is bad, to know most of the people, even when you knew them only briefly, is harder. So by not taking me there, you let me miss out a lot of pain."
"Which doesn't help a lot because you feel sorry for us."
"I do."
Sara shook her head. There were so many things going through her mind, so many thoughts. "I knew Victor for so many years, over twelve. He worked hard, he did what was best for his customer, always made your stay pleasant. I'd have never picked him as somebody, who plans a killing. Who pulls the trigger and kills two people, one he worked with for years."
"We can't look into the head of people."
"No, we can't. We think we know somebody and one day we realize, we didn't know him at all. Maybe we never knew him, maybe he changed and we didn't notice it. I mean, people get married and divorce, claiming they don't know their spouse anymore. It's still the same person they married and yet…I was so sure Basderic killed them. In his twisted mind, he is in love with Edie. Was in love with her. Everything pointed in his direction, he lied to us, he made her life hell…if he hadn't been there, Edie would be still alive. Because of him she stayed longer."
"I don't know the case, I don't know him, but you have to remember one thing: he might have been the reason why she stayed, he might have made her life hell, he might have been a stalker, but he didn't pull the trigger. He didn't shoot her nor did he shoot one of the other victims. No." Sofia interrupted Sara before she could interrupt the blonde. "I don't say he's an innocent man, but he didn't kill anybody in the diner. It was Victor, who ordered the killings and who pulled the trigger instead of helping Edie."
Sara swallowed hard. She knew Sofia was right, Basderic didn't kill anybody in the diner. He was no saint, he was a stalker, but…he didn't pull the trigger this time, Sofia got that right.
"I hate him."
"Some people get to us, some people push our buttons."
"He does. He lied, he killed a man. The court said it was self-defense, I don't buy it. I'm sure he pushed his buttons to, it was his plan that he came after him."
"You can have a look into the case, can try to reopen it, but until a judge says different, he's an innocent man. At least when it comes to murder. I know it's not what you want to hear."
"You're not here to tell me what I want to hear."
"No, I'm here to have a beer with you and talk if you feel like it."
"I think today I'd like to have beer with you without talking."
"Then we'll drink and say nothing at all." The blonde squeezed the hand of the brunette. Talking about bothered you could help, but sometimes just having quiet company helped most.