Disparity By Design 7/10
Mar. 8th, 2012 05:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
whedonistTitle: Disparity by Design
Fandom: Nikki & Nora
Pairing: Nikki & Nora
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 – some parts are more risqué, some have serious language and deal with mature themes and adult concepts like violence, offensive language and naughtiness.
Disclaimer: I’m sure I’ve covered this in the previous 7 stories I’ve written in this fandom, but to cover my bases, I’ll repeat myself – Not mine. I’m playing with someone else’s toys, Nancylee Myatt's and others actually. All for fun and if money is being made off what I’m writing, someone should let me know.
Author’s Note: How are we on chapter 7? Didn’t I just start posting this?
Ch. 7 – Midnight Hands
“Detectives,” Dr. Williams greets me and Nikki as we enter his office.
I huff and try for a smile, reminding myself that we have to do this. If I want to work with Nikki, I need to sit here and play ball with the doc.
I steer Nikki with a hand to the small of her back and we take a seat on the larger of the two couches centered in his office. Aged brown leather that looks like its seen its share of grumbling, fucked up cops.
I suppose it could be worse. Dr. Williams is an alright guy. A little vague, but I guess that just comes with the territory.
“Hi,” I manage as I tug at my shirt and situate myself.
His smile is warm, inviting.
I know he’s not a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Our first visit here last month was enough to convince me of it, but…
“Nor,” Nik says my name gently and rests her left hand on top of my knee. She gives me a crooked smile and a squeeze.
It has some effect on the tension of my shoulders. They slacken a little and my shoulders loosen up. I take a large deep breath in through my nose and slowly exhale out of my parted lips.
“Sorry,” I mumble and set my gaze on a stain in the carpet underneath the coffee table in front of us.
“So, detectives, it’s been about a month since we last saw each other. How are things?” he asks crossing his legs and folding his hands over top his bent knee.
“Busy,” I offer first because really that’s what it’s been. Ungodly, insanely busy.
“We’ve been pretty swamped,” Nikki amends and fills in, “Back to back cases, no time off, each of the teams of detectives in our unit have at least two to three cases going right now, so…”
“Ah, yes, I was looking over your log sheets and some copies of your reports…” Williams begins.
“You get that kind of stuff?” I wonder. Why does he need it? I thought we were just here to see how we were “handling” our partnership inside and outside the confines of the force.
“I get everything for every officer that I see. It’s pretty standard, Nora, but considering the arrangement that exists between the two of you and your superiors, I like to make sure that I know as much as possible.” He gives a little half shrug of his shoulder. “I’m not passing judgment on it or you or your partner…” he lapses and licks his lips, “I really just want to understand what’s been going on within your work world. Getting those helps me. Is that okay?”
I shrug.
I guess.
“That’s fine,” Nikki says for me.
“Excellent.” His eyes light up across from us and he says, “I actually have an idea.” He stands and moves towards his desk at the back of his office. Not big, but large enough for a computer, phone and two stacks of files. Watching him, he rifles through a small stack in the center and pulls out a small stack of papers paper clipped together.
“Here,” he says, handing over the bundle, “That’s my assessment of our initial visit last month.” I take the offered report and he grins. “I don’t usually, but…it’s a unique situation. They didn’t give me a guide book for this in school.”
Nikki leans into me and takes a cursory glance at the report. “I don’t think we’re allowed to actually see those,” she chides.
I glance up from the top page and he smirks, “Well, then, it’ll just have to stay between us. I’ll make sure you get a copy of each one I submit to Tosano. Deal?”
I raise my left eyebrow. “Why?”
“Why not?” he retorts. “You should be privy to my evaluations. It’s nothing I won’t say to you face to face.”
“Yes, but we really shouldn’t see this. Won’t this hurt you if it gets out?” Nikki presses.
“It may, but I’m not going to confess and I don’t see why either of you would.” He takes a breath and leans back against the couch. “Honestly, detectives, if we are going to continue these, and I have strong belief that we will, you need to be able to trust me. I’m here to help alleviate the stressors from work and the stressors work will place on your personal and professional partnership. I was always told that you get what you give.”
“So this is your way of saying you trust us?” I venture and then add, “Isn’t that a little manipulative?”
“Perhaps, if you’re going to be a Cynical Sally, but it wasn’t my intent. I would like to think of it as an olive branch.” His fingers lazily drum along the back of the couch.
“Dr. Williams,” Nikki starts.
“And please, I have a name, Guy, you’re both free to use it,” he interrupts.
“Guy,” Nikki lets the name roll of her tongue and I place the report on my left side. I’ll look at it later.
When the conversation lulls, he finally asks, “So, is there anything in particular happening that I should know? Anything you’d actually like to talk about?”
“Nope,” I say.
“Not off hand,” Nikki says at the same time.
An amused chuckle gently shakes his shoulders and he nods. “I thought as much. Last session we made the cursory introductions, again. You two sniffed me out. It went well, but if I may, would some questions from me be okay?”
I fold my arms over my chest and look to Nikki. She rolls her eyes and bats my arms. “What?” I ask.
Her head dips and she looks up at me, right eyebrow cocked.
“Fine,” I unfold my arms and amend, “Can’t a girl just sit comfortably?”
“Not when you look like a petulant school girl sitting in the principal’s office,” Nikki playfully hisses.
Yeah, yeah.
“And, sure, Guy,” Nikki waves a hand at him, “Ask away.”
“Well, this wasn’t my initial question, but what just happened there?” He points a finger between the two of us and waggles it back and forth. “Why don’t you want Nora to cross her arms?”
“I’m closed off and stubborn if my arms are crossed over my chest,” I say, air quoting ‘stubborn’ and ‘closed off.’
“Do you think you are?” he follows up.
I bite my lower lip and shrug. “Depends.”
“Were you just then?” he asks immediately.
I don’t look at Nikki but I feel her eyes on me. “A little,” I answer honestly, “I mean ̶ it's not like you’re going to try and fix me. There’s nothing wrong.”
His lips press together and he nods. “That’s true. I don’t think there is, but then again we’re not here because there was a shooting, you and your partner assaulted two federal agents or anything else that really has to do with your jobs.” His arm drops from the couch and goes to rest on his thigh. “That’s what makes this a unique situation.”
“It’s not as if I was…okay, I was correcting her, but this is part of the deal,” Nikki jumps in.
“True, but,” Guy pauses and looks between the two of us, “You were correcting her even as she did it. Almost before she moved.”
Nikki shrugs, “I live with her, I work with her. We share a home, bed and family.”
“What was your first question?” I ask trying to change the topic. Anything would be better than this.
He sucks his teeth and looks at me.
I suppress the sigh. At least he’s not dumb.
Which is way more than I can say about the duo from I.A.B. we met with last month, who we meet with this week as the other part of the agreement.
Monthly visits to the shrink and an I.A.B. review of cases worked.
“I wanted to ask…let me preface this by saying that you two aren’t the first set of partners that have become romantically involved. However, some things are still a little unclear. You two present with the standard signs of a long term relationship, but you’ve just only allocutted to your superiors and Nikki, you just said you share a home, bed and family. How long have you two been together?” As he finishes up his long ass question, he shifts on the couch leaning against the arm and propping his head on his fist.
I bite my lips together and wait for Nikki to answer. “Seems like forever,” she teases me.
“Sometimes I feel like that with my wife…” Guy agrees.
I snicker.
“Yeah the bad side of forever too,” I give it right back to her which causes our shrink to pause.
“Sug, you can leave any time,” Nikki leans in to me, “but, it’d make the seven frustrating, wonderful years we’ve spent together a moot point. You wouldn’t give that up, would you? I know how much you love our tub.”
I can’t help the laughter. It breaks free and our shrink looks relieved.
“We’ve been together just over seven years…” he looks to our file on the coffee table, to the date we were partnered.
“We got together…” Nikki starts in, but I put a hand on her knee and cut her off.
“We got together, five months and sixteen days to the day we were partnered,” I grin.
“Oh,” his mouth firms a perfect oh and he scratches his left ear lobe. “Hmmm, so you got together…” he cocks his head to the side and manages, “You’ve hid it for that long? That’s, uh, impressive…”
“So?” Dan asks, looking up from behind his desk as Nikki and I barrel through his closed door, “how’d Williams go?”
I sink down into my designated seat on the left, Nikki takes the right. She’s a little more graceful as she sinks, crossing her legs as she settles.
“Mmm,” I grunt lacing my hands over my stomach, stretch my ankles and cross them.
“It went. He’s interesting, that much is obvious.” Nikki groans arching back and stretching.
“Well, that’s just great,” Dan tries for supportive, but it falls flat. Much like the first time we went.
To be fair he likes doctors, medical or psychological, less than I do. When we were first partnered, we ended up in the middle of a gang shoot out and were required to go to the department shrink after…
Some B.S. about post-traumatic stress, but it was fine. It wasn’t fun; getting shot at from either side of the street, but it could have ended a hell of a lot worse. After the order from our now-retired lieutenant, Dan nearly got suspended because he cancelled the first four appointments.
Nearly got me suspended too.
“So, besides the shrink and your I.A.B. interview tomorrow, what’s going on?” Dan finally puts the folder that was in his hand down and focuses fully on us.
“We’ve got to go back to Angola on Monday, arraignments Tuesday and Wednesday for Noyola and her fantastic piece of man meat, Brewer. With any luck and a few dozen lit candles, they’ll go away for a long time.”
“You know, collectively, we have what fifty years of police experience in this room and I don’t think I’ve had a case quite like theirs,” Dan says, placing his hands on top of his head and frowns.
“Well, times they are a-changin’, Harney. The fact that Noyola stood and watched her boyfriend sodomize her best childhood friend is a matter that,” Nikki stops and makes a shooing motion with her right hand, “I’m neither educated enough nor sadistic enough to contemplate her actions or state of mind.”
“Amen, Beaumont, a-fucking-men. What’s going on with the robberies and the homicide you picked up from Felix and Oscar?”
Nikki and I look at each and I shrug. I don’t know how much Dan knows.
The question that really needs to be asked is how much does Dan really need to know.
I’m going to go with only the important parts, so I err on the side of caution and keep it simple, “Stohs was in a gang called the Seventh Circle Widows as was the other dead body. Prints place Stohs and his accomplice, which we believe to be Kirkpatrick…well, we haven’t anything concrete that puts her there, but it fits. We have a call out to an anthropologist to try and identify and/or confirm that the masked gunman from the bank fits the body type, build and stature of Kirkpatrick.”
“So then do we know who executed Stohs and Kirkpatrick?” Dan leans forward, resting his elbows on top of his desk.
Licking her lips, Nikki picks up where I left off, “We think that the killer was actually a member of the same gang. There’s history there that pin an M.O. and signature to their killings. I’m getting together with Baird to discuss the Widows gang activity in NOLA and see if we have any top dogs we can shake down.”
“And,” I chime in reminding Nikki, “Salt gave us the clear to toss Stohs’ place and you need to swing by the foundation, Jen’s getting whiny on her voicemails.”
“And we still have to prep for I.A.B. tomorrow,” my lover caps our weekend duties off.
We lead a very glamorous life.
“Well, then ladies, you have your work cut out for you, I suggest you get to it.” Dan waves us away and I spring from my seat.
It’s Saturday and there’s plenty to be done.
As we exit the office, I stop short of our desk and see Bobby sitting with Georgia and Jesse.
Seeing him out of his uniform is going to take some time.
I’m proud of him though.
“Hey Delaney, why didn’t you tell us your kind came in something far more friendly than the likes of you,” Jesse ribs me as I walk up to the group. “Beaumont, you’ve been holdin’ out on us. That’s no fair.”
“Now, now, Furlan, my Delaney if fine just the way she is. Just ‘cause this one,” Nikki leans into my brother and pinches his right cheek, “is as cute as a button, doesn’t mean you can’t be nice to mine.”
I ignore their jibes and focus on my brother. “How are you?”
A grateful smile passes over his features and he nods. “Good. Jesse and Georgia were just showing me a few of the cases. I’m offering up some ideas.”
Jesse claps Bobby on the shoulder and beams like a proud papa, “I suspect that when he’s done with this rotation, he’ll be knockin’ Vice on their collective asses.”
“Oh,” Nikki grins, “You’ll probably get stuck workin’ under my old partner, Ron Baird. I’m meeting with him over the next few days. I’ll be sure to give him a heads up.”
Bobby groans as the rest of us laugh at his expense.
Having him around here for a few weeks won’t be bad.
“Oh, Nik, mama wants you to call her to give her directions to your dad’s place and his number. She said if she’s doing Thanksgiving in a new place, she’d like to make a dry run or two.”
“This is gonna be a cluster fuck, Nik,” I whine and bang my head off Nikki’s shoulder.
She just pats the top of my head and laughs.
The DJ’s voice over powers the last few bars of the song that Casey and I are dancing to, “Now, we’re going to take this back a minute, to a classic that everyone loves!”
Casey’s arms rest on my shoulders, while my hands loosely grip her hips. We’re still swaying when the next song comes on, the acoustic guitar is faint, but as soon as the percussion kicks in, Casey throws her head back and laughs.
I sing to her while she spins us around the semi-crowded dance floor, “Well I don’t know why I came here tonight, I got the feeling that something ain’t right, I’m so scared in case I fall off my chair, And I’m wondering how I’ll get down the stairs…”
Casey joins me for the last three lines of the first verse, “Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am, Stuck in the middle with you…”
We laugh as she drags me off the dance floor and to the end of the bar. Cass slips behind the counter to grab us drinks. I settle on to a stool for the first time tonight. When she saw me come through the doors, I was dragged on to the floor before we even said hello.
I watch her as she slides a rum and coke my way before she hops over the counter and bounces onto the seat right next to me. Planting a hard kiss to my cheek, she asks, “So to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing my favorite detective without my other favorite detective?”
I shrug and take a sip of the drink my friend prepared. “Nikki had to go see Jen at the foundation and I really didn’t want to go home, so…”
“Ah, well then, I’m glad you’re here. How’s things?” she asks, leaning into me.
I rest my cheek on her head and shrug again.
“Nooorrraaaaa,” she drawls my name out as she pokes my side.
“Hey, none of that,” I warn and try to get away from her bony finger, but unless I want to land my ass on the floor there really isn’t anywhere to go.
“Come on, Nor, what’s up?” she prods.
I shake my head. “It’s nothing really. We had our meeting with the shrink today and we have I.A.B. tomorrow. I didn’t like the first and I’m really not looking forward to the second, ya know?”
“Not really,” she says as I look down at her smiling face.
“Yeah, yeah. You work in a bar. You don’t get investigated by your co-workers to make sure you’re mixing the cocktails right,” I grouse.
“True. I like being an underachiever. Less pressure. I come and go as I please and the only people I have to answer to are…hell, Nora, even the owners of this place don’t ask many questions.”
I laugh. “That’s because they’ve known you forever,” I remind her.
“True again,” she says sticking her tongue out at me.
“So how are you?” I ask and drain the rest of my tumbler.
“Work. Hanging out with Gabby. My life is pretty boring. I come here, serve drinks to the gays and close up. Go home, sometimes to sleep and sometimes to not.” She winks at me and I laugh at her, shaking my head.
“Yeah, that libido of yours rivals that of a teenage boy,” I tease her.
She’s proud of the jibe and beams, “Damn right. I never heard you complain, Det. Delaney.”
I shake my head. “I’m blonde, not stupid, Gerard.” She pats the top of my head like I’m Mister and blows me a kiss.
“Speaking of,” I ask, “how are things with Gabby?”
“Good,” she pauses, her brow knits together, “I mean it’s…I don’t know, I just wasn’t expecting her, but we’re good.”
“Good.” I state and cover her hand with mine.
The comfortable silence that settles around us is short lived when her cell starts vibrating on top of the bar. Cass snags it and answers, “Hello…Oh yeah, how are you?...” She bobs her head and continues, “Good, real good actually. Hey I’m actually at work, can I call you when I get done?...Cool, yeah, me too.”
She sets her phone down and I glance at the screen. The background for her phone is a profile shot of Gabby. I grab the phone and study the picture…
Shit.
I can’t keep the wince off my face when I see the spider tattoo below her ear on her neck.
Just fuck me.
Sighing, I set the phone down and shut my eyes.
“Nor?” Casey questions my sudden mood shift.
I crack one eye open and shake my head. “I’m good, Cas.” Licking my lips, I push away from the bar and stand. “Look, Nik should be home soon. I’m gonna let you get back to work.”
She stands with me and nods. “Okee doke.” I get wrapped in her wiry arms and hug her back. She pulls back and before putting me at arm’s length, gives me a peck on the lips. “Love you, Nora. Tell that woman you live with I said hello.”
I nod, offering her a squeeze of her hips and a smile in return.
Heading for the door, I gnaw my lower lip and wonder if I should have said something to Cass.
If…
No, I need to talk to Nikki. We can do a background check on Gabby and then decide if I should warn Casey.
Just fuck my life, right now.
Next>>>
Fandom: Nikki & Nora
Pairing: Nikki & Nora
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 – some parts are more risqué, some have serious language and deal with mature themes and adult concepts like violence, offensive language and naughtiness.
Disclaimer: I’m sure I’ve covered this in the previous 7 stories I’ve written in this fandom, but to cover my bases, I’ll repeat myself – Not mine. I’m playing with someone else’s toys, Nancylee Myatt's and others actually. All for fun and if money is being made off what I’m writing, someone should let me know.
Author’s Note: How are we on chapter 7? Didn’t I just start posting this?
“Detectives,” Dr. Williams greets me and Nikki as we enter his office.
I huff and try for a smile, reminding myself that we have to do this. If I want to work with Nikki, I need to sit here and play ball with the doc.
I steer Nikki with a hand to the small of her back and we take a seat on the larger of the two couches centered in his office. Aged brown leather that looks like its seen its share of grumbling, fucked up cops.
I suppose it could be worse. Dr. Williams is an alright guy. A little vague, but I guess that just comes with the territory.
“Hi,” I manage as I tug at my shirt and situate myself.
His smile is warm, inviting.
I know he’s not a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Our first visit here last month was enough to convince me of it, but…
“Nor,” Nik says my name gently and rests her left hand on top of my knee. She gives me a crooked smile and a squeeze.
It has some effect on the tension of my shoulders. They slacken a little and my shoulders loosen up. I take a large deep breath in through my nose and slowly exhale out of my parted lips.
“Sorry,” I mumble and set my gaze on a stain in the carpet underneath the coffee table in front of us.
“So, detectives, it’s been about a month since we last saw each other. How are things?” he asks crossing his legs and folding his hands over top his bent knee.
“Busy,” I offer first because really that’s what it’s been. Ungodly, insanely busy.
“We’ve been pretty swamped,” Nikki amends and fills in, “Back to back cases, no time off, each of the teams of detectives in our unit have at least two to three cases going right now, so…”
“Ah, yes, I was looking over your log sheets and some copies of your reports…” Williams begins.
“You get that kind of stuff?” I wonder. Why does he need it? I thought we were just here to see how we were “handling” our partnership inside and outside the confines of the force.
“I get everything for every officer that I see. It’s pretty standard, Nora, but considering the arrangement that exists between the two of you and your superiors, I like to make sure that I know as much as possible.” He gives a little half shrug of his shoulder. “I’m not passing judgment on it or you or your partner…” he lapses and licks his lips, “I really just want to understand what’s been going on within your work world. Getting those helps me. Is that okay?”
I shrug.
I guess.
“That’s fine,” Nikki says for me.
“Excellent.” His eyes light up across from us and he says, “I actually have an idea.” He stands and moves towards his desk at the back of his office. Not big, but large enough for a computer, phone and two stacks of files. Watching him, he rifles through a small stack in the center and pulls out a small stack of papers paper clipped together.
“Here,” he says, handing over the bundle, “That’s my assessment of our initial visit last month.” I take the offered report and he grins. “I don’t usually, but…it’s a unique situation. They didn’t give me a guide book for this in school.”
Nikki leans into me and takes a cursory glance at the report. “I don’t think we’re allowed to actually see those,” she chides.
I glance up from the top page and he smirks, “Well, then, it’ll just have to stay between us. I’ll make sure you get a copy of each one I submit to Tosano. Deal?”
I raise my left eyebrow. “Why?”
“Why not?” he retorts. “You should be privy to my evaluations. It’s nothing I won’t say to you face to face.”
“Yes, but we really shouldn’t see this. Won’t this hurt you if it gets out?” Nikki presses.
“It may, but I’m not going to confess and I don’t see why either of you would.” He takes a breath and leans back against the couch. “Honestly, detectives, if we are going to continue these, and I have strong belief that we will, you need to be able to trust me. I’m here to help alleviate the stressors from work and the stressors work will place on your personal and professional partnership. I was always told that you get what you give.”
“So this is your way of saying you trust us?” I venture and then add, “Isn’t that a little manipulative?”
“Perhaps, if you’re going to be a Cynical Sally, but it wasn’t my intent. I would like to think of it as an olive branch.” His fingers lazily drum along the back of the couch.
“Dr. Williams,” Nikki starts.
“And please, I have a name, Guy, you’re both free to use it,” he interrupts.
“Guy,” Nikki lets the name roll of her tongue and I place the report on my left side. I’ll look at it later.
When the conversation lulls, he finally asks, “So, is there anything in particular happening that I should know? Anything you’d actually like to talk about?”
“Nope,” I say.
“Not off hand,” Nikki says at the same time.
An amused chuckle gently shakes his shoulders and he nods. “I thought as much. Last session we made the cursory introductions, again. You two sniffed me out. It went well, but if I may, would some questions from me be okay?”
I fold my arms over my chest and look to Nikki. She rolls her eyes and bats my arms. “What?” I ask.
Her head dips and she looks up at me, right eyebrow cocked.
“Fine,” I unfold my arms and amend, “Can’t a girl just sit comfortably?”
“Not when you look like a petulant school girl sitting in the principal’s office,” Nikki playfully hisses.
Yeah, yeah.
“And, sure, Guy,” Nikki waves a hand at him, “Ask away.”
“Well, this wasn’t my initial question, but what just happened there?” He points a finger between the two of us and waggles it back and forth. “Why don’t you want Nora to cross her arms?”
“I’m closed off and stubborn if my arms are crossed over my chest,” I say, air quoting ‘stubborn’ and ‘closed off.’
“Do you think you are?” he follows up.
I bite my lower lip and shrug. “Depends.”
“Were you just then?” he asks immediately.
I don’t look at Nikki but I feel her eyes on me. “A little,” I answer honestly, “I mean ̶ it's not like you’re going to try and fix me. There’s nothing wrong.”
His lips press together and he nods. “That’s true. I don’t think there is, but then again we’re not here because there was a shooting, you and your partner assaulted two federal agents or anything else that really has to do with your jobs.” His arm drops from the couch and goes to rest on his thigh. “That’s what makes this a unique situation.”
“It’s not as if I was…okay, I was correcting her, but this is part of the deal,” Nikki jumps in.
“True, but,” Guy pauses and looks between the two of us, “You were correcting her even as she did it. Almost before she moved.”
Nikki shrugs, “I live with her, I work with her. We share a home, bed and family.”
“What was your first question?” I ask trying to change the topic. Anything would be better than this.
He sucks his teeth and looks at me.
I suppress the sigh. At least he’s not dumb.
Which is way more than I can say about the duo from I.A.B. we met with last month, who we meet with this week as the other part of the agreement.
Monthly visits to the shrink and an I.A.B. review of cases worked.
“I wanted to ask…let me preface this by saying that you two aren’t the first set of partners that have become romantically involved. However, some things are still a little unclear. You two present with the standard signs of a long term relationship, but you’ve just only allocutted to your superiors and Nikki, you just said you share a home, bed and family. How long have you two been together?” As he finishes up his long ass question, he shifts on the couch leaning against the arm and propping his head on his fist.
I bite my lips together and wait for Nikki to answer. “Seems like forever,” she teases me.
“Sometimes I feel like that with my wife…” Guy agrees.
I snicker.
“Yeah the bad side of forever too,” I give it right back to her which causes our shrink to pause.
“Sug, you can leave any time,” Nikki leans in to me, “but, it’d make the seven frustrating, wonderful years we’ve spent together a moot point. You wouldn’t give that up, would you? I know how much you love our tub.”
I can’t help the laughter. It breaks free and our shrink looks relieved.
“We’ve been together just over seven years…” he looks to our file on the coffee table, to the date we were partnered.
“We got together…” Nikki starts in, but I put a hand on her knee and cut her off.
“We got together, five months and sixteen days to the day we were partnered,” I grin.
“Oh,” his mouth firms a perfect oh and he scratches his left ear lobe. “Hmmm, so you got together…” he cocks his head to the side and manages, “You’ve hid it for that long? That’s, uh, impressive…”
“So?” Dan asks, looking up from behind his desk as Nikki and I barrel through his closed door, “how’d Williams go?”
I sink down into my designated seat on the left, Nikki takes the right. She’s a little more graceful as she sinks, crossing her legs as she settles.
“Mmm,” I grunt lacing my hands over my stomach, stretch my ankles and cross them.
“It went. He’s interesting, that much is obvious.” Nikki groans arching back and stretching.
“Well, that’s just great,” Dan tries for supportive, but it falls flat. Much like the first time we went.
To be fair he likes doctors, medical or psychological, less than I do. When we were first partnered, we ended up in the middle of a gang shoot out and were required to go to the department shrink after…
Some B.S. about post-traumatic stress, but it was fine. It wasn’t fun; getting shot at from either side of the street, but it could have ended a hell of a lot worse. After the order from our now-retired lieutenant, Dan nearly got suspended because he cancelled the first four appointments.
Nearly got me suspended too.
“So, besides the shrink and your I.A.B. interview tomorrow, what’s going on?” Dan finally puts the folder that was in his hand down and focuses fully on us.
“We’ve got to go back to Angola on Monday, arraignments Tuesday and Wednesday for Noyola and her fantastic piece of man meat, Brewer. With any luck and a few dozen lit candles, they’ll go away for a long time.”
“You know, collectively, we have what fifty years of police experience in this room and I don’t think I’ve had a case quite like theirs,” Dan says, placing his hands on top of his head and frowns.
“Well, times they are a-changin’, Harney. The fact that Noyola stood and watched her boyfriend sodomize her best childhood friend is a matter that,” Nikki stops and makes a shooing motion with her right hand, “I’m neither educated enough nor sadistic enough to contemplate her actions or state of mind.”
“Amen, Beaumont, a-fucking-men. What’s going on with the robberies and the homicide you picked up from Felix and Oscar?”
Nikki and I look at each and I shrug. I don’t know how much Dan knows.
The question that really needs to be asked is how much does Dan really need to know.
I’m going to go with only the important parts, so I err on the side of caution and keep it simple, “Stohs was in a gang called the Seventh Circle Widows as was the other dead body. Prints place Stohs and his accomplice, which we believe to be Kirkpatrick…well, we haven’t anything concrete that puts her there, but it fits. We have a call out to an anthropologist to try and identify and/or confirm that the masked gunman from the bank fits the body type, build and stature of Kirkpatrick.”
“So then do we know who executed Stohs and Kirkpatrick?” Dan leans forward, resting his elbows on top of his desk.
Licking her lips, Nikki picks up where I left off, “We think that the killer was actually a member of the same gang. There’s history there that pin an M.O. and signature to their killings. I’m getting together with Baird to discuss the Widows gang activity in NOLA and see if we have any top dogs we can shake down.”
“And,” I chime in reminding Nikki, “Salt gave us the clear to toss Stohs’ place and you need to swing by the foundation, Jen’s getting whiny on her voicemails.”
“And we still have to prep for I.A.B. tomorrow,” my lover caps our weekend duties off.
We lead a very glamorous life.
“Well, then ladies, you have your work cut out for you, I suggest you get to it.” Dan waves us away and I spring from my seat.
It’s Saturday and there’s plenty to be done.
As we exit the office, I stop short of our desk and see Bobby sitting with Georgia and Jesse.
Seeing him out of his uniform is going to take some time.
I’m proud of him though.
“Hey Delaney, why didn’t you tell us your kind came in something far more friendly than the likes of you,” Jesse ribs me as I walk up to the group. “Beaumont, you’ve been holdin’ out on us. That’s no fair.”
“Now, now, Furlan, my Delaney if fine just the way she is. Just ‘cause this one,” Nikki leans into my brother and pinches his right cheek, “is as cute as a button, doesn’t mean you can’t be nice to mine.”
I ignore their jibes and focus on my brother. “How are you?”
A grateful smile passes over his features and he nods. “Good. Jesse and Georgia were just showing me a few of the cases. I’m offering up some ideas.”
Jesse claps Bobby on the shoulder and beams like a proud papa, “I suspect that when he’s done with this rotation, he’ll be knockin’ Vice on their collective asses.”
“Oh,” Nikki grins, “You’ll probably get stuck workin’ under my old partner, Ron Baird. I’m meeting with him over the next few days. I’ll be sure to give him a heads up.”
Bobby groans as the rest of us laugh at his expense.
Having him around here for a few weeks won’t be bad.
“Oh, Nik, mama wants you to call her to give her directions to your dad’s place and his number. She said if she’s doing Thanksgiving in a new place, she’d like to make a dry run or two.”
“This is gonna be a cluster fuck, Nik,” I whine and bang my head off Nikki’s shoulder.
She just pats the top of my head and laughs.
The DJ’s voice over powers the last few bars of the song that Casey and I are dancing to, “Now, we’re going to take this back a minute, to a classic that everyone loves!”
Casey’s arms rest on my shoulders, while my hands loosely grip her hips. We’re still swaying when the next song comes on, the acoustic guitar is faint, but as soon as the percussion kicks in, Casey throws her head back and laughs.
I sing to her while she spins us around the semi-crowded dance floor, “Well I don’t know why I came here tonight, I got the feeling that something ain’t right, I’m so scared in case I fall off my chair, And I’m wondering how I’ll get down the stairs…”
Casey joins me for the last three lines of the first verse, “Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am, Stuck in the middle with you…”
We laugh as she drags me off the dance floor and to the end of the bar. Cass slips behind the counter to grab us drinks. I settle on to a stool for the first time tonight. When she saw me come through the doors, I was dragged on to the floor before we even said hello.
I watch her as she slides a rum and coke my way before she hops over the counter and bounces onto the seat right next to me. Planting a hard kiss to my cheek, she asks, “So to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing my favorite detective without my other favorite detective?”
I shrug and take a sip of the drink my friend prepared. “Nikki had to go see Jen at the foundation and I really didn’t want to go home, so…”
“Ah, well then, I’m glad you’re here. How’s things?” she asks, leaning into me.
I rest my cheek on her head and shrug again.
“Nooorrraaaaa,” she drawls my name out as she pokes my side.
“Hey, none of that,” I warn and try to get away from her bony finger, but unless I want to land my ass on the floor there really isn’t anywhere to go.
“Come on, Nor, what’s up?” she prods.
I shake my head. “It’s nothing really. We had our meeting with the shrink today and we have I.A.B. tomorrow. I didn’t like the first and I’m really not looking forward to the second, ya know?”
“Not really,” she says as I look down at her smiling face.
“Yeah, yeah. You work in a bar. You don’t get investigated by your co-workers to make sure you’re mixing the cocktails right,” I grouse.
“True. I like being an underachiever. Less pressure. I come and go as I please and the only people I have to answer to are…hell, Nora, even the owners of this place don’t ask many questions.”
I laugh. “That’s because they’ve known you forever,” I remind her.
“True again,” she says sticking her tongue out at me.
“So how are you?” I ask and drain the rest of my tumbler.
“Work. Hanging out with Gabby. My life is pretty boring. I come here, serve drinks to the gays and close up. Go home, sometimes to sleep and sometimes to not.” She winks at me and I laugh at her, shaking my head.
“Yeah, that libido of yours rivals that of a teenage boy,” I tease her.
She’s proud of the jibe and beams, “Damn right. I never heard you complain, Det. Delaney.”
I shake my head. “I’m blonde, not stupid, Gerard.” She pats the top of my head like I’m Mister and blows me a kiss.
“Speaking of,” I ask, “how are things with Gabby?”
“Good,” she pauses, her brow knits together, “I mean it’s…I don’t know, I just wasn’t expecting her, but we’re good.”
“Good.” I state and cover her hand with mine.
The comfortable silence that settles around us is short lived when her cell starts vibrating on top of the bar. Cass snags it and answers, “Hello…Oh yeah, how are you?...” She bobs her head and continues, “Good, real good actually. Hey I’m actually at work, can I call you when I get done?...Cool, yeah, me too.”
She sets her phone down and I glance at the screen. The background for her phone is a profile shot of Gabby. I grab the phone and study the picture…
Shit.
I can’t keep the wince off my face when I see the spider tattoo below her ear on her neck.
Just fuck me.
Sighing, I set the phone down and shut my eyes.
“Nor?” Casey questions my sudden mood shift.
I crack one eye open and shake my head. “I’m good, Cas.” Licking my lips, I push away from the bar and stand. “Look, Nik should be home soon. I’m gonna let you get back to work.”
She stands with me and nods. “Okee doke.” I get wrapped in her wiry arms and hug her back. She pulls back and before putting me at arm’s length, gives me a peck on the lips. “Love you, Nora. Tell that woman you live with I said hello.”
I nod, offering her a squeeze of her hips and a smile in return.
Heading for the door, I gnaw my lower lip and wonder if I should have said something to Cass.
If…
No, I need to talk to Nikki. We can do a background check on Gabby and then decide if I should warn Casey.
Just fuck my life, right now.
Next>>>
