It was tough being the guy that no one liked. It was true. Few of the detectives cared much for Sidney Perlmutter. He wasn't the submissive medical examiner who just spewed out the information. Much less for detectives who seemed blind to the fact that there was a person who that information belonged to.

A real person. Someone's mother, father. Their sister or brother. Even if they were a third cousin from a great parent no one knew.

No. He believed in some respect for his profession. Some respect for the victims. He knew what he was doing, and he knew how to get his job done. He didn't play games with the facts.

It was when he was talking to detectives and officers that he had his fun.

He considered it a challenge to himself to squeeze little digs and comments into his reports. Messing with the detectives (not the victims) – now, that was his game.

He gave himself bonus points when he garnered a response. Considered it a win when all he got was a blank stare.

Occasionally there were detectives that he liked, even went out of his way for. They were the ones who could serve justice and still retain some semblance of a personality.

Yes. Sidney Perlmutter liked some detectives. The ones who reminded him that good people existed.

It was for them, and only them, that he didn't mind being disliked.