"How did they react?"
"Better than I've expected." Sofia poured herself a coffee.
"I told you, they'll be all right."
"From detective to deputy chief in three years, I don't need to be paranoid to know, people are talking behind my back, are suspicious how I made it this far, this fast. Rumors are that I slept my way up."
"You know you didn't. I know you didn't. I know you're a deputy chief because you're a damn smart woman, a damn hard working law enforcement member and deserve everything you worked for." Nick pulled Sofia on his lap and kissed her softly. She had worked hard. When she left the night shift team three years ago to work on her career, he never left her out of his eyes. They met every week for breakfast and a year ago, it was obvious to them, that there was more than just friendship. There had been a reason why Sofia liked to work with Nick, there was a reason why she always wanted to help him and this reason became obvious after the first time they kissed. Everything became clear to them at that time.
"This case, something is wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, there had to be reason why Haskell was after Langston. And…I know you and Langston go along very good…"
"What is it, Honey?" He could see that something was bothering her.
"I overlooked the evidence you all collected and…" She stopped. They had agreed not to take work home and now she was about to discuss a case with him, that could endanger their relationship.
"And what?"
"Maybe we shouldn't discuss this; especially not here."
"Sofia." He pulled her hair back behind her ear and kissed the earlobe. "I can see something bothers you. We agreed to keep our job out of our private life, but sometimes you have to reconsider an agreement."
She closed her eyes. He was right, as usual.
"I overlooked all the evidence regarding Haskell's death and it looks like Ray carried him to the railing and threw him down."
"If he did, he did it in self-defense."
"Yes." Sofia bit on her lips. Self-defense. She knew Nick would say something like that. He and Langston were friends, he had supported everything Langston did, had helped him in L.A. and risked a lot only to get Langston closer to his goal to get Haskell. Sofia was in no position to say something about Ray Langston as a person, she didn't know him, but she was sure, she was in a position to say something about the evidence, she had seen and she knew exactly what the evidence meant.
"You don't look like you believe that."
"Nick, all the evidence points to the conclusion, that it wasn't self-defense. No!" She stopped him when he wanted to say something. "Please let me finish my sentence. I know you and Langston are friends, I know you don't believe he did anything wrong, but please, if you take a look at the evidence, especially the evidence Sara and Greg collected, you can see what I mean."
"Since when do you check on evidence?" Nick knew his words sounded a little bit like an accusation.
"Since the Sheriff asked me to do so. I.A. are investigating Langston and the Sheriff wants to be sure, nobody from the LVPD did anything wrong during the hunt of Haskell. Langston had these problems in L.A., that makes it more difficult to believe, he worked this case by the book." Which Nick knew exactly he didn't and Sofia didn't mention to start no fight.
"Did you tell him what you think of the evidence?"
"No." Not yet.
"But you will."
"Nick, I have to." It wasn't a question of what she wanted to do, it was obvious, what she had to do. She had to tell the Sheriff what she found out, she had to confront Langston with the evidence, the results the CSI had found and the theory, that he killed Haskell and didn't act in self-defense.
"Do you think it's the right thing to do?"
She did and she knew, he didn't think this way. She could see it in his eyes, he didn't want her to endanger Langston's career.
"I do. And I see, it's not what you think. Can you accept my decision?"
"You do what you're supposed to do."
"Yes." His words didn't sound like he understood, they sounded like she was about to do something bad. Like she was betraying somebody. "I don't want him in trouble, I don't want to make it hard for him, to risk your team, take away a member, a friend, of your team and you. But if I focus on the evidence and not the person, who might get in trouble for what I've found, I come to the conclusion, it wasn't self-defense. Not under reasonable doubt."
"You do what you think is right."
"By doing that I do what you think is absolutely wrong, I'll disappoint you and you'll be mad."
"I don't want Ray in trouble, I don't want the team to be interrogated for the death of a man, who has killed dozen of innocent people, almost killed one of my colleagues, a friend. But like you did, did I swear to find out the truth and if the truth points into two directions, it's the job of a law enforcement member to find out which way leads you to the truth and not which way suits you best."
"Your team won't like what I'm about to do."
"No, they won't."
"How disappointed are you on a scale from one for not disappointed to ten for very disappointed?"
"I'm not disappointed with you, Sofia. I love you and I know, it's nothing you do because you enjoy it. You'll talk to the Sheriff because you've reasons to believe the story, that got told you, isn't true. And as a deputy chief you have to find the truth. I would never expect anything less from you."
"Even if that means a friend of you gets in trouble?"
"If this friend did something illegal, if he did break the law, didn't act in self-defense, you do the right thing. We all have a choice and if you make the wrong choice, you have to pay for that." He stroke softly with his index finger over her cheek.
"Maybe Langston has a good explanation for what the evidence tells us."
"Maybe. It's not your and not my job to judge that. The Sheriff and I.A. will do that. All we can do is to give them our statements, tell them, what we think is true. That's our job and that's what we'll do."
"Thanks." She kissed him. This situation wasn't easy and she knew, it wasn't over. There would be more, there would be another time, they might not be on the same side of something, might believe different things, might hope for different endings, but as long as they managed to accept that each of them had their own opinion, they could make it together. And if Sofia was wrong, she was happy for Nick. If she was right, she hoped she could give him some strength and be there for him.