"Two thousand dollar for a top?" Sara stared at the shop window. They couldn't be serious, they must have printed one '0' too much. At least.
"Sara, Sara, that shows, you've no idea of fashion." Sofia looked at the top. "It's not two thousand dollar for a top, it's two thousand dollar for a lifestyle, for a statement."
"What statement?"
"Look I paid two grants for an ugly top!"
"Oh." Sara had to laugh. For a moment she had thought Sofia was serious about the top. The detective had an expensive taste for suits, it was rare to see her in anything else but two grants for a top? An ugly one.
"Come on, maybe we'll find something we like."
"Even if we do we won't afford it."
"A pair of socks?"
"In other shops you'll get one of your snobby suits for that money."
"Don't mocking me for my suits, Sidle."
"One day, Curtis I want to see you in sweat pants, an old t-shirt and sneakers with holes." Sara opened the door to let Sofia in the shop. Now she could see where they got the huge prices from; they didn't use much material and what they saved on that, they added it on the price. A good way to make a lot of money.
"May I help you?" A woman in her thirties came to them. Her face showed clearly that she would prefer to help Sara and Sofia to find their way out of the shop ASAP. Did they look that bad? Or too poor to afford the clothes?
"I bet you can." Sofia grinned. She had caught the glimpse of the woman at her badge. No need to play. And she didn't like to play with people she didn't like.
"I am detective Curtis, that's Miss Sidle with the crime lab. We're looking for a black skirt with silver stones on it that look like diamonds."
"Little sparkling secret." The little golden pin on her top said AIDEN. Sofia wondered if Aiden only didn't mentioned her name to the police or if she never introduced herself. But probably it was because Sara and Sofia weren't clients and meant trouble.
"What?"
"The skirt you're looking for is called 'Little sparkling secret'." The shop assistant was serious when she said that. They gave their skirts stupid names.
"How many of them do you sell?"
"A day?"
"Let's make it a month."
"Ten."
"How much are they?"
"Only five hundred. It's the cheapest skirt we have."
Sofia resisted to ask how much the most expensive one was, but she afraid she'd start to laugh because of the price.
"Did you sell one to her?" She held the photo of the victim out
"I don't think this woman can afford our clothes."
"She's wearing one of your – cheapest – skirts."
"Yes, she is. But I doubt she bought it herself."
"Did you see her in this shop?"
"No."
"Who else works here?"
"We're four. The first one starts at nine in the morning until four. The second one at two until nine and the third at four until eleven in the evening. One is having a day off this way."
"We need to talk to your colleagues."
"Do you really think that's necessary?"
"Do I really think it's necessary? Let me think, I've got photo of a young woman in a dumpster, what means, she must be a little bit dead because most people alive don't sleep in dumpster. The last time I've checked killing people was against the law in Nevada, in fact, in the whole US, so yes, I think it's necessary. If you don't share my opinion I'm afraid I can't change your mind but I can close down your shop for a few hours and invite you to come with me downtown."
"I can give you their names and their telephone numbers."
"Now we're talking." Sofia smiled wide.
The woman turned and walked to the back of the shop.
"Who's the bitchy one?" Sara asked dryly.
"She is."
"You're better than her."
"I'm always the better one."
"Are you?" Sara cocked her head.
"Yes. There's only one exception: You. We are even. That's why I like to work with you, I've to go to my limits to be not the second best."
"You're weird."
"You are standing in a shop that wants your monthly pay for a handbag, you call me weird?"
"You're here with me."
"Kick some asses."
"You do that perfectly."
"I do everything perfect."
"Oh come on, Smuggy."
"Smuggy? What's a Smuggy?"
"You. It's another word for Sofia."
"Here are the list with the information you want." The woman handed a little sheet over to Sofia.
"That's something we can work on. Thank you very much, Aiden." Sofia put the sheet in her pocket. "Oh, we might be back for more questions, please stay available, will you?" Without waiting for an answer the blonde turned and walked away.
Sara smiled shortly at the shop assistant and followed her colleague and friend.
"The next time you're in that shop she'll stab you with her high heels."
"Working in a slut shop doesn't mean she can handle heels. But I'd love her to try. I'll get you back in the lab, catching up on the evidence, I'll make some calls to get these three ladies in front of our eyes today and come back to get you for lunch."
"All right."
"Shall I get the one who's off today to the department at eight and we'll go over and see the other two in the shop before nine? This way we might have a look who is shopping there."
"And if we're really lucky one of the shop assistants can remember her and the man who paid for the skirt is in the shop while we are there."
"That's too easy."
"Sometimes easy is nice."
"Yeah, but the satisfaction is bigger when you win a difficult battle."
"This is war?"
"Honey, life is war."
"I'm starving." Sofia literally dug into her food, her wet hair from the shower carelessly pulled back in a ponytail.
"I can see that. Looks like the lioness is getting fed."
"Lion queen." She snuggled into the couch. While Sofia had taken a shower Sara had prepared their lunch. With their take away Chinese food it wasn't that difficult, all she did was getting some bowls, chopsticks and something to drink.
"The only thing I don't like about Chinese food is, beer doesn't really fit to it." Sofia took a sip of her juice.
"Rice beer?"
"Are you sure that's good stuff?"
"I don't know, we can try the next time."
"A beer testing night? We'll hit the liquor shop and buy all the different kinds of beer we don't know."
"And after that we'll go to a clinic for detox."
"You've got an amazing way of destroying funny plans. You must have been very popular in college."
"I was a party girl, absolutely."
"Yeah sure. Geek."
"Smuggy."
"You know calling me self-made pet names is like flirting, bear in mind what you are saying, Miss Sidle."
"I'll keep that in mind, Miss Curtis."
"Detective Curtis."
"Get your lieutenant."
"Become a supervisor."
"And work directly under Ecklie? Handle all the paper shit? No thanks, I prefer to work the scenes, write my reports and that's it."
"With you being a supervisor you could send yourself to all the scenes I am."
"Why would I do that?"
"You like working with me."
"Smuggy."
"You can call me whatever you want, it doesn't change anything of the fact that I am right." Sofia smirked and leant back, the box with her food in her hand.
"Sure. Tell me more about San Diego."
"Time was too short to see anything of the city, but I had a lovely apartment not too far away from the harbor and as I said before, spent the whole day on the beach. A little bit of swimming, a lot of reading, relaxing. Beach holidays in two days."
"And an apartment for free."
"That's the benefit of house exchanging." Sofia had registered her apartment on a web page for house and apartment exchanging. Meant, while she was in San Diego enjoying the beach, a couple was in Las Vegas enjoying her apartment.
"Doesn't it feel strange to go somewhere with the knowledge a stranger is in your apartment, sleeps in your bed, uses your shower? And you do the same in somebody else's apartment."
"The first times it did, yes. But you have some contact with them before via email and can call them, so it's not a totally stranger and you meet each other at one place. They came over in the afternoon before I went to my last shift, we exchanged keys and I flew to Diego the next morning."
"Sounds nice and easy but I prefer not to let somebody in my apartment. Not somebody I don't know."
"There's nothing valuable."
"No, that's all here." Sara smiled. She had taken a box with Sofia's most important paper work while the blonde was away.
"Yes, thanks for that again."
"You're welcome. Leave it here for your next trip if you don't need it."
"Won't be that long. Which reminds me: Can you take a week off?"
"What?" Sara looked at Sofia blank. Why should she do that?
"Can you?"
"Why and when?"
"Next month."
"Why?"
"Waikiki beach."
"What?"
"As you might be aware of, gambling is illegal in Hawaii, why a lot of Hawaiian come over to Vegas, in fact, there are plenty of direct flights from Honolulu to here. A couple from Waikiki contact me about my apartment while I was in Diego and asked if I'm interested in spending a week in Waikiki while they stay in Vegas. They've got a little house not too far away from the beach in Waikiki."
"I don't need holidays to take care of your stuff."
"I know. I would like to have you with me in Waikiki."
"What? Why?" Now Sara's face was full of surprise. Why did Sofia want her to be with her in Waikiki?
"It's nicer with a friend."
"You don't need me to get guys in your room. I really doubt you'll stay lonely."
"Sara, I don't want any guys in my rooms, I want to have a week on the beach, on Waikiki beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world, and I'd like to have a friend with me. Until now I thought we are friends so I didn't see any problems in asking you if you want to come with me. I mean, there's no way you'll get a week on Hawaii cheaper than that. We can rent a car and explore Oahu. I didn't think it's a problem, but you don't have to come with me, it's all right."
"I'm sorry." Sara shook her head. "I didn't mean to react like that. I was only surprised. You don't get the offer to fly to Hawaii daily."
"There are daily flights."
"You know what I mean."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you don't offer me daily to fly with you to Hawaii, nobody has ever offer that to me. So if I'm allowed to answer after I've turned on my brain, it would be appreciate."
"I listen."
"When will we fly?"
"That's my girl." Sofia grinned. "We'll be the number attraction on the beach."
"Will we?"
"Sure."
"Will we watch the sunset every evening?"
"You bet. And maybe we can make it to sunrise one morning."
"You? Getting up early? Before that happens hell will be frozen."
"I love your confidence in me, Sara." Sofia sulked.
"I know you do." Sara got up, took their plates and the empty boxes. "I'll hit the shower, have a good sleep."
"I will. Your couch is perfect."
"My bed is even better."
"Is that an invitation?" Sofia cocked her head.
"No."
"Pity."
"I'll wake you up when I'm awake."
"I might gone by that."
"You, my dear friend, are likely to sleep until shift starts if I don't wake you up."
"Call me sleepy beauty."
"Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite." Sara blinked and walked out of the room. Time to get some sleep, they had to start working earlier to talk to the three women of the shop.