Part 1 – New Job – Part 1
The first day on the job, quite a time, you walk into the room to find that no one there knows you, you might make a few friends that day, but who knows.
Six-foot-two Caucasian/Japanese Male Sasuke Uchiha had just walked into his squad room, it was his first-day working detective in Robbery Division.
Two years on the streets as a patrol officer, six weeks of detective training all amounted to this moment as he stepped through the door into the squad room.
To think that almost three years ago, he went from almost becoming a plumber to becoming a cop, and then working Robbery in his hometown of Alexandria, LA.
He lived with his grandparents two hours north in Monroe, LA while he was in college, he had his Bachelor's Degree, and really wanted to get a Master's Degree but his father didn't want to invest any more money.
Flashback, two and a half years ago…
It was a quiet drive, the length between Alexandria and the airport was relatively short, only about fifteen minutes, depending on traffic.
That drive, however, was particularly irritating for Sasuke, four years of college, the Army Reserves, begging, and a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in History didn't stop his father Fugaku from doing what he wanted to do: taking Sasuke out of College and making him a partner in his plumbing business: Uchiha Piping.
Sasuke didn't want to go into his father's plumbing business, he didn't want to be a plumber, even though he had graduated, his dream was to get his Master's Degree in Criminal Justice, go on to the F.B.I. Academy at Quantico, graduate from there and become an investigative agent.
His mother, Mikoto had tried to argue on Sasuke's behalf, but her arguments had fallen on deaf ears. Fugaku had made up his mind, and unless Sasuke found a job within the next few days he was going to end up working in a field he didn't want to go into.
That was of course after his Senior Trip which he was taking with his family, his father, mother, and older brother, Itachi who was already a partner in Uchiha Piping were all heading to Sasuke's destination of choice, New York City.
As he and his family were driving to the airport, he found the drive extremely tense, his father had brought up the subject once, and was waiting for a response.
"You know that being a plumber is financially sound," Fugaku said, "There isn't a plumber in this town that is without work."
"There are also isn't a janitor that is without work," Sasuke said.
"I resent that," Itachi said.
"No offense," Sasuke said as he turned into the parking lot, and unbuckled his seatbelt.
As everyone got out of Sasuke's 2014 Ford Fusion and walked around to the back of the car.
"You're going to have to give me an answer eventually," Fugaku said, "You know that the plumbing business isn't exactly where you wanted to go."
"Isn't exactly," Sasuke asked, "I don't want to be a plumber."
"Being a plumber's not a bad job," Fugaku said as they retrieved their bags from the trunk, and shut it as they walked toward the terminal.
End Flashback…
Sasuke walked into the squad room and walked up to the Desk Sergeant, the nameplate on his desk read, Johnson, Michael, "Sergeant," Sasuke said as the Sergeant looked up at him.
"You must be the new guy," Sergeant Johnson said, "Welcome to Robbery."
"Thank you, sir," Sasuke said, "Where do I report sir?"
Sergeant Johnson pointed with his thumb off to his right, "Bullpen's that way," he said, "Second door on the left."
"Thank you," Sasuke said.
As Sasuke walked down the hall to the bullpen, he took a deep breath, and after opening the door, he took the free chair in the middle row.
The man that entered the room was Lieutenant Iruka Umino, at six-foot-two he was almost identical to Sasuke in height, save for he was half Japanese, half Native American. The scar that ran from one cheek to the other was the result of a cut he received during his time as a patrol officer. The spiked-up man-bun, just a bad fashion choice.
"Order in the room," Lieutenant Iruka said, "Welcome to another day. On a different note, the Division adds another member to its family," he pointed at Sasuke, "Detective Sasuke Uchiha."
Everyone unenthusiastically clapped, "Thank you, thank you." Sasuke said.
"Alright," Lieutenant Iruka said, "Now we get onto serious business," the Lieutenant opened the file in front of him, "Last night we had a break-in at 1830 Windemere," he then pointed at a five-foot-nine Caucasian/Italian male who had a thin, spiky goatee, and a spikey hairline that pulled back into a spikey man-bun, "Shikamaru," he then pointed at Sasuke, "Take Uchiha, it seems like a very simple assignment."
"Alright," Shikamaru said as he stood up, "Uchiha, this way please."
Sasuke almost seemed to contrast Shikamaru, while they both had black hair, Sasuke had deep, rich onyx black eyes, Shikamaru had deep, brown hazel eyes.
Shikamaru was dressed in a khaki jacket with a green V-neck shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of blue sneakers, and Sasuke was dressed in a black high-neck jacket with a red stripe running down the side of the right sleeve with a blue Duluth Trading longtail tee-shirt, premium denim jeans, and his U.S. Combat boots.
"First day on the job," Shikamaru asked.
"Yea," Sasuke said, "You?"
"I've been in the department two months," Shikamaru said, "Worked on the streets for about a year and a half."
"You get fast-tracked," Sasuke asked as they walked out of the building.
"Yes," Shikamaru said, "My father works on the City Council, budget office."
As they walked into the parking lot, they walked up to a 2016 Ford F150, "That would explain the truck." Sasuke said.
Shikamaru unlocked the truck, and as they both entered, Sasuke could see where that City Council money was being spent, leather interior, SYNC radio, and various other things.
As he started up the truck, Shikamaru spoke up, "I'm surprised to see an Uchiha working for the APD as a detective," he said, "Your family being the biggest name in plumbing down here."
"I never wanted to be a plumber," Sasuke said as they drove away from the station, and towards Windemere, "My dream was to finish college with my Master's and join the F.B.I."
"That's the dream of every Criminal Justice Major in college," Shikamaru said, "Really you just end up working for the D.A. or a small department like this."
"Yea," Sasuke said.
"What're you packing?" Shikamaru asked.
Sasuke pulled the side of his jacket back to reveal his Sig Sauer, "P226 Emperor Scorpion," he said, "9mm."
Shikamaru pulled up his jacket to reveal his sidearm, "Glock 22." He said.
The turning circle was still under construction, had been for the last few weeks, it seemed now, however, they were digging up the side of the road for unknown reasons, it would impede their progress a little, but then again that wouldn't take up so much time.
Flashback…
After handing the tickets to the clerk at the gate, Sasuke and his family proceeded to the gate, "You can't keep ignoring me forever Sasuke." Fugaku said.
"Watch me try," Sasuke said.
"Alright," Mikoto said, "That's enough you two. You two either stop bickering about this whole situation. We're going to New York, it's time to get happy."
"I can live with that," Sasuke said.
"So can I," Fugaku said.
End Flashback…
As they arrived at the house on Windemere, they found that the police had already set up the barricade.
That glorious grey-stained two-story wooden house is something you have to see to believe, perched on top of a small hill that stood two feet off the street that supported the whole house it could have worked anywhere in the world, but it worked in Alexandria just fine.
"What do you know about the victims?" Shikamaru asked.
"Jonathan and Demetra Denis," Sasuke asked, "My mother's a personal friend of Demetra, she works down at Chase, she's in charge of maintaining many of the accounts. What's there to say about Jonathan? He owns Jubilees' downtown, great food."
"So no shortage of people who want to rob them then?" Shikamaru asked.
"Basically," Sasuke said.
As the two cops stopped them at the line, Sasuke and Shikamaru flashed their badges, and they were let through the barricade.
"You know them?" Shikamaru asked as they put on their gloves.
"We go to church together," Sasuke said, "Demetra would babysit for me and my brother from time to time."
They walked up to the garage-entrance door where they saw where the robbers had entered using some kind of blunt object by smashing in the glass on the door, and then manually twisting the lock.
As they entered the living room, they saw Jonathan's work just fine, having blasted one of the burglars with a shotgun, and leaving his blood painting the wall next to his fireplace.
It was obvious what was stolen, the painting Sasuke remembered from when he stayed there that was mounted over the fireplace had been cut out of the frame.
The coroner looked up at the two of them, "Shikamaru," she said as she looked up at the two of them and then stood up, "Long time, whose the new guy?"
The coroner could have been described in one word: Cougar. She was a very voluptuous thirty-something-year-old blonde woman that stood only four inches below Sasuke's height.
"Tsunade, this is Sasuke Uchiha," Shikamaru said as he pointed at Sasuke, he then turned his attention to Tsunade, "Sasuke, this is Tsunade, the town's coroner."
"Pleasure," Tsunade said as she held out her hand which Sasuke shook.
"Likewise," Sasuke said, "What do we have?"
"Male, Caucasian, early twenties," Tsunade said, "Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the chest."
"Twelve-gauge?" Shikamaru asked.
"Twenty," Tsunade said as she held up one of the pellets she dug out of the wall.
"Interesting round to fire," Shikamaru said.
"Not really," Sasuke said, "Jonathan keeps a Remington Model 870 Tac-14 pump-action for skeet shooting upstairs in his closet."
"Wife is one of his former babysitters," Shikamaru said.
"Speaking of which," Sasuke said, "Where are the homeowners?"
"In the glass room," Tsunade said, "Wife's a little shaken up."
"Why don't you go speak to them," Shikamaru asked, "Best if they see a friendly face."
"I'll be right back," Sasuke said.
Sasuke walked to the glass room where upon entering, Demetra ran up and hugged him, "Sasuke," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hello Demetra," Sasuke said as they pulled apart, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Demetra said, "Just a little shaken up. What are you doing here?"
"I'm a Robbery Detective for APD," Sasuke said as he guided Demetra back to her seat, "I've been assigned your case."
Demetra and Sasuke sat down just opposite from each other, and Demetra spoke up, "That makes me feel better," she said, "Knowing you're on the case."
"Demetra," Sasuke said, "Can you tell me what happened this morning?"
"It was around five, I think," Demetra said, "I and Jon were asleep when we heard a loud crash. Jon ran to the safe to retrieve his shotgun, and when he did, we heard a loud ripping."
"Ripping," Sasuke asked, "Like paper?"
"No," Demetra said, "Like fabric."
"Fabric," Sasuke said, "That would be the painting."
"Yes," Demetra said, "Then after Jon loaded his shotgun, he went downstairs, and the robber fired at him as he appeared."
"Wait a minute," Sasuke said, "He was fired at?"
"Yes," Demetra said.
"Wait here," Sasuke said as he walked back into the room to see that the M.E.s were taking the body out, "Hold up there," as the M.E.s stopped, Sasuke looked at one of them, "Go into the garage, door on the right, and get me a tape measure."
As the M.E. ran into the garage, Shikamaru walked up to him, "What up with the tape measure," he asked.
"Here you go," the M.E. said as he handed Sasuke the tape measure.
Sasuke measured the robber from head to toe, his height was about 5'10", he walked to the wall where the robber was located, measured 5'10", took out his gun, and aimed upwards at the top of the stairs where he saw the bullet hole.
"Bingo," he said as he stepped over the blood, and walked up the stairs to observe the bullet-hole close-up.
"What do you see?" Shikamaru asked.
"Something that might help us identify the perps," Sasuke said as he reached down to pull his flip-knife out of his boot.
As Shikamaru walked up the stairs, he saw Sasuke dig a .380 ACP round out of the wall, "Mr. Denis didn't kill him because he was breaking in." He said.
"No," Sasuke said, "He was defending himself."
"Then the second got away," Shikamaru said, "And he has a gun."
"Which means he's more dangerous than a cornered animal," Sasuke said.
Guess what happens...