"Class is dismissed," Professor Litsowitz announced, clapping his hands together as the students began to sweep up their books, rummaging for their next class.
"Wait, Miss Garcia." The brunette halted to a stop, biting on the inside of her cheek as she waited for him to speak, growing impatient by the long lasting second. He finally raised his head, meeting her eyes with a courteous smile. "You're not in trouble," He assured, chuckling as she sighed in relief. "I'm actually keeping you here because I need to show you this." He sorted his folders, pulling out a crisp, legal sized paper. Curious, she leaned over, pulling it into her grasp. Her brown eyes widened as she read the introduction sentence.
Dear Miss Garcia, we write to congratulate you on your acceptance into the internship with the NYPD.
She screamed in delight, her hand quickly over her lips. The man beamed at her, his left hand gripping onto his briefcase while the other kept his balance on the wooden desk. His thin lips were pulled up, light wrinkles at the corner of his onyx eyes.
"Congratulations, you deserve it. You have a bright future ahead of you, and I don't say that often." She felt warm tears build up in her eyes. Professor Litsowitz was never one to admit a student's perfections, and it made her heart skip a beat in joy as she returned the grin at him.
"I have one tip." She nodded her head eagerly, waiting to hear his token of knowledge.
"There may be loads of evidence piling up ahead of you, but go with your gut. You're a good judge of character, and I know you can break down good from bad. Remember that, Miss Garcia."
The January wind whipped at Elly Garcia's cheeks as she made her way to her silver Lexus, unlocking the door. She slid in, placing her coffee in the cup holder before starting the engine. A clear, visible cloud of heated air puffed out of the vents, ready to warm the entire car. Her teeth raked across her bottom lip, pulling down the mirror as she checked her complexions for any flaws. Her brown eyes were displayed with a thick, lengthening mascara, along with a nude gloss, a shining bronzer sprinkled upon her cheeks. The radio quietly played Taylor Swift as she drove downtown, towards the highway into the city.
The traffic was merciful as she was able to arrive to work before her boyfriend, Jeremy Davis did. She took a sip of the hot liquid, warming her throat.
"Morning," one of the officers called from the elevator, shooting Elly a friendly smile. She returned the beam, adding a wave before continuing to walk. Some of these people were life long friends, but mostly friends of her late father, Detective Garcia.
The chatter in the precinct soon dispurst as she stomped inside, her coat still on as she pulled off her leather gloves. Her hand gripped onto the blazing cup, enjoying the heat.
"We caught him, El," A husky voice called from behind her. She turned, looking up to meet the indigo eyes of Jeremy. His coal hair fell into his face as she lightly brushed it away, knowing how it irritated him.
"The man on the Marrin case?" The twenty seven year old bobbed his head, leading her ahead to the interrogation room.
She trailed behind him, pulling off her jacket and scarf as she set it on the table beside her. The Captain raised the volume, his eyes still focused on the blonde detective, Jeremy's partner, Gina, who was still interviewing the suspect. Her hair was cut into a swift bob as the hair brushed around her face, complimenting the angles of her high cheekbones and thin lips. Jeremy cracked the door, whistling to signal the assistant district attorney had arrived. Standing up with a smug smile, she walked out, the door slammed shut tightly behind him.
"Don't say a word unless I tell you, got that?" His lawyer advised, his hand clapping over to his arm. The man nodded, a small sigh escaping as he heard Elly sitting down, parallel from him.
"We have DNA from the crime scene, and eye witness saying you were there that night. You either cooperate and have the chance of cutting a deal, or face your time in trial, and trust me, I don't play to lose." She crossed her hands on the table, her brown eyes narrowed as they focused on him.
"What are you offering?" His lawyer pressed, his large hand skimming against her own. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she snatched it away, crossing them on her lap.
"50, potential of parole in 2030," She responded, her lips pressed tightly, revealing the light skin beneath it.
"I didn't rape, or murder her," He said in a calm tone, raising his head to meet her eyes. She had a sudden loss of air as she blinked, staring into the familiar green eyes she had once fell in love with. She opened up the case file, her fingertip running across the name neatly printed. Kendall Knight.
Her breath became short as she quickly stood up, stumbling out of the door. The detectives watched as she slowly made her way to the hall, towards the open window. Jeremy followed after her, his hands clasping around hers lightly.
"Are you okay?" His voice was gentle as he tucked loose hairs behind her ear. She mumbled a yes, still attempting to keep her heart rate low.
"Oliver is getting hysterical, calling for a "professional"," Gina called with an eye roll, her lips pursing. Elly blinked several times, wiping her eyes slightly. She pulled away from his grasp, her teeth sinking within her tongue. "Tell him to keep his damn pants on, I'm coming."
"Did I scare you, sweetheart?" Oliver questioned with a grin, his eyes becoming smaller in the process. She shook her head with a confident smirk as she slid into the seat.
"So, we were negotiating?" He pressed, leaning forward towards the table. "We were not negotiating anything," She shot, gritting her teeth in annoyance. She had fought with Oliver before, he did not know his limits at times. "If your client talks, I offered a deal. I'm not promising anything."
"There's nothing to talk about!" He exclaimed, his jaw clenching.
"We have enough proof for you not to speak, so I suggest you either tell your side of the story or spend the rest of your life staring at grey walls. Your choice." Her voice was icy as she slammed the folder onto the table. She opened it up, showing the gruesome pictures of Heather Marrin. Kendall shuddered, covering his eyes from the sight.
"Ashamed of your work?" He had tears in his eyes once he pulled his hands away from his face. His cheeks were a pale white, matching the white long sleeve he was sporting. "I didn't touch her," He whispered slowly, pushing the folder back in her direction.
"You have to believe me."