It was the midnight shift in the 50th precinct in Fairbrook city. The hours made no difference to the police though. If anything, these were the peak hours. It was a quiet night today, though.
Officer Louis Bennett filled out a processing form for the holding cells. Apparently they had thought taking a drive to see the dolphins at the aquarium meant driving their parent's minivan through the gates and into the tank. He sighed and chuckled. He'd been a wild one in his youth, as long ago as that had felt.
"Bennett! Your partner's looking for ya in interrogation 2! Got a suspect on a double homicide". Louis sighed and put his pen aside. The paperwork never ended. Having a young hothead for a partner didn't help. He walked through the station and went into the second interrogation room. He glanced through the one way glass and saw his partner Rachel was already at it in the room. Louis noted with a frown that the suspect's lawyer was already there. He was wearing an expensive suit and a watch worth a year of Bennett's salary. No way could some scumbag afford a lawyer like that unless a bigger player was involved.
In his reverie he almost didn't notice that he wasn't alone in the room. A young woman in her early twenties was busily taking notes on a pad and was fixedly watching the interrogation. Bennett had seen her before. Rachel had introduced them. She was some criminal psych major writing a paper on something or other, Bennett hadn't really paid attention. He had found himself distracted at the time, caught between her good looks and the long, wild red hair.
"Hey, Officer Bennett",
"Louis, please. Officer Bennett is for our "guests". You're that ummm psych intern right? Umm what was your name again? Bev, umm Beth?"
"It's Blossom ".
Officer Rachel Santos looked to the one way glass and nodded slightly. On the other side, Blossom smiled to herself, and concentrated on Krewe. Show time
"So…. Mr Jake Krewe"
"My friends call me Jakey sweetheart" Krewe chuckled while his lawyer gave him a withering glance.
"Mr Krewe. You claim that you were with your friend on the night of the 23rd two weeks ago on the night of the murder. Your two friends who, in the past have actually sat in the chair you're sitting in now"
Krewe's lawyer nodded at him before he answered, "Jimmy and Tony are good guys, they've made a couple of mistakes in their lives but who hasn't? Yeah we was watching the game".
Lie. Irregular heartbeat. Blossom smiled to herself and knocked twice on the glass.
Santos smiled as she continued," Repeat offenders both, assault and battery, breaking and entering. I'd say the only thing they're good at is breaking the law". Now, the bullets found in our victims matches a pistol registered to you. Care to explain that?
The lawyer nodded. "It was stolen a while back, must have forgotten to file a report".
Lie. Two knocks on the glass.
"Well I'm going to be frank. Your alibi is shaky at best, and we can place a weapon belonging to you at the scene. I'm going to be frank. Mr Krewe, did you kill these men?"
"Don't answer tha….."
"No it's okay Frank. NO Officer Santos I did not kill anyone"
Something was wrong. Blossom waved a hand in front of her face. Something was seriously wrong. She couldn't see his heartbeat. She squinted, but a shooting pain erupted behind her eyes as she tried to look again. Stifling her panic, she knocked twice distractedly on the glass.
"Well Mr Krewe you can tell it to the judge. You are under arrest for murder…"
Blossom packed her notes and hurried out of the room past a somewhat bemused Bennett.
"Today, President Bellum emphasised the need for increased military presence in the Kajain war…." Santos walked past the t.v. into the bullpen after cuffing Krewe and reading his rights. She walked past the holding cells and called out,
"Anyone seen my intern?!"
"Over here". Blossom was sitting by the water filter looking subdued and pensive.
"What happened?" asked Santos, "You're usually there to congratulate me after a collar."
"Nothing, wasn't feeling so good, needed to get a drink." Blossom was slightly shaken but was controlling herself well
"It's been an awesome day. Don't let a little headache stop you from coming out with me tonight." Santos exclaimed exuberantly
"Maybe not tonight, Ray." Blossom smiled ruefully. Bennett had come out as well and rose angrily from his desk.
"I know you're not leaving me with all this paperwork Santos!"
"Aww, Lu- Lu's in a bad mood tonight"
"Don't you Lu Lu me! We had to transfer three of those kids to the infirmary, and guess who's stuck with the forms".
"I thought there were four of them?" Santos asked
"Two broken arms, and some kind of leg fracture. Last one came out uninjured. Gotta say, that little lady's made of titanium or something, she'll stay in holding, gotta wait until someone signs for her".
Santos glanced at Blossom who sighed knowingly and went to the holding cells. The girl in question was lying on the bench, short black hair hanging over one edge, feet off the other. She had one arm draped across her face and was humming a tune to herself. Blossom deliberately made her footsteps as quiet as possible when approaching the cell and said nothing. A few steps short, the girl stopped humming and sighed. When Blossom came to the bars, she was met by a fierce gaze from startlingly green eyes.
"Hey B" Blossom said
"WARDEEEN! I want my own cell! The view here sucks."
Santos was on her way over with the release form. She handed it to Blossom and spoke to the girl in the cell. "Hey Buttercup, charming as ever I see".
"Hey Ray, still grooming Little Miss Perfect to be chief pig I see" Buttercup said with a smile. She got up and came over to the bars as Blossom signed and let her out.
"We're gonna head home", Blossom said, again holding her head.
"I'm going to help Lu-Lu with the paperwork and head out", Santos said "last chance to come out with me later,".
"I'll take you up on that" Buttercup said, earning her a withering glance from Blossom.
"NO. We're going home. Later, Ray". Blossom made for the elevator, with Buttercup in tow.
"Hope you'll keep up being a model citizen Buttercup!" called Santos. Buttercup responded by oinking at her as the elevator opened to take them to the underground parking.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, a phone was ringing.
"Mr Banner, sorry to call you on your personal line at this time, but
"It's alright; tell me, what's the issue?"
"Krewe. He was taken in for a double murder."
"What does he know?"
"He's an asset we've used in the past. We are still figuring that out."
"Are we compromised in any way?"
"I can't say for sure. We're working on eliminating the paper trail"
"As quickly as possible. Call the lawyer. Tell him to throw the case. We'll leave him to our men inside. He's a liability now. Too many of those are bad for business".
"Yes sir, Mr Banner".