Chapter Seven
Dorian and Kennex showed up for breakfast and I had waffles waiting. "You know Kennex you should just move in with the amount of time you spend over here," I remarked. "It would save time and we could split expenses. You and Dorian could move into the guest rooms and he wouldn't have to put up with weird women." Dorian chuckled.
He ate for a minute. "I'd have to take part of your sparring area for my trophy room. I don't think you'd like that," he said then drank some coffee.
"You'd think correctly," I retorted as Six came into the kitchen. "Hey Dorian, Kennex. Did she wreck anything while I was gone?" he asked them.
"No, the city is still in one piece," Kennex answered.
"Good to know," Six replied. He turned to Dorian. "An interesting experience? Did you want to play again to get a comparison, Dorian?"
"I'm getting ready for work, because if I hear those words from Dorian again I'll be tempted to rip his head off." I huffed and went to get ready.
I heard Six laugh as I went to my room.
I cornered Dorian during the day and told him that if he wanted some alone time let me know and I'd try and arrange it. He thanked me for the offer and I told him Kennex was fine. I was sure he wanted to know what happened when he came to dinner. Things settled down and the next month passed without Dorian or Kennex at our apartment, which was nice. The chrome kept looking at me, I was sure she wanted Kennex, but she needed to get her ass in gear. I shouldn't have been so content because Johnson showed up at my car one day.
"Johnson, what are you doing here?" I asked him.
"Casper, Six, good to see you both. I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by."
"Bullshit. Next answer."
"Janelle Matsui."
That stopped me dead in my tracks. That's the woman that died when I rescued the hostages on my last assignment.
"I'm listening," I said quietly.
"Her husband is suing the Company and you for negligence. The Company lawyer will be at your apartment at three. Be there."
"That's bullshit, Johnson. He can't do that. It's not like I got her killed on purpose. If the dumb bitch had done what I told her she'd be alive."
"I'm not disagreeing, Casper. We have the reports from you and Six. He doesn't have a leg to stand on, but the Company has to see this through. Be prepared to take a leave from your new position in the police department."
I started yelling. "This is bullshit. Matsui is a pencil-dick motherfucker and his wife wasn't much better. He can kiss my motherfucking ass…" The rest of my tirade was cut off by Six covering my mouth, nodding his head in the direction of the stares I was receiving.
"Don't shoot the messenger, Casper," Johnson told me. "Roberts wanted you to hear this in person, not through a vmail. You're a good agent, Casper and I'm sure you're a good cop. But that won't stop this idiot."
Johnson was walking back to his car when he called out, "Glad to see you're still the same, Casper."
I shook Six off and walked around my car taking deep breaths. After ten minutes I told him I was going to talk to Maldonado and give her a heads up.
"I'll be here," he told me quietly.
I walked into Maldonado's office and told her what was going on and I needed to leave around two today.
"I read the report, Casper, or at least what they gave me to read. It sounds like this Matsui woman panicked. Take the rest of the day off and keep me updated on this situation as much as you can."
"Thank you, Captain. I will," I told her and left her office. I walked right by everyone, acknowledging no one. I got in the car, slammed the passenger door and Six drove off. I wasn't surprised when I got home and found several concrete walls. After I finished breaking them apart I took a shower and grabbed a beer and stretched out on the sofa. Six came and sat on the table next to my head.
"I think I'll kill him, Six. That would make this go away."
Before he had a chance to say anything someone buzzed. "It's Dorian and Kennex. Do you want to see them?"
"I wonder what they want. Yeah, why the hell not. Can you access Matsui's finances and his dipshit wife's will? This just came out of nowhere so something's up. Let's move to the office."
Dorian and Kennex came in and I called out that we were in the office, go past the eating area. The door had always been shut and you couldn't tell that anything was there until you opened it.
"Are you alright, Casper?" Dorian asked.
I looked at him, gave him a small smile, "Yeah, Dorian, thanks for asking." I looked at Kennex. "It's a little early for dinner, Kennex. Did you need something?"
"I figured you wouldn't answer your phone, so I came over to see if everything was ok." He looked a little uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for asking," I replied.
"Well, if you need anything just ask."
"I will. I appreciate it," I told him. He looked around the office; it was quite spacious, then he left. Dorian followed him. I turned to look at the financials that Six had pulled up but hadn't let them see.
Matsui's wife's will had left everything to charities. Matsui was in debt to his eyeballs. "That explains it," I told Six.
"There has to be more. He could just declare bankruptcy and recover."
"Agreed," then the buzzer rang again. "Dorian," Six said.
"Now what? Didn't we just get them out of here?" I grumbled.
Six unlocked the door and Dorian came back to the office.
"Dorian, was there something else you needed?" I asked him.
"Yes, I'd like a break from Rudy and John this evening. Can I come over?"
"Are you asking because you do or because you want to help me?" I asked him.
"Both," he said.
Six and I looked at each other. "Yeah, you can come over but we won't let you help us, unless you want to listen as we discuss why we're in this mess," Six replied.
"It's just me, Six"
I saw Six and Dorian do that communication thing again.
"Great, I'll have John drop me off after shift and tell him you need a sparring partner," Dorian said.
"I'm going to be in a world of hurt if Kennex finds out I told you how to do little white lies."
"He won't."
Dorian left after that and we brought up Matsui's life again. Six put up Matsui's home layout and I pondered that. "I don't think you should go that route, Casper," he recommended.
"Last resort, Six," I replied.
We spent part of the day looking at Matsui's life. I cleaned up my mess from the concrete walls, made lunch and some phone calls. At three o'clock the Company lawyer showed up. He showed me the complaint and I read it over.
"This is bullshit, Tom. That woman ran down the hall of her own volition," I told him.
"I saw the surveillance that Six supplied and read your report. I'm well aware that's what she did. Unfortunately, we'll need to have a judge decide. This probably won't go to trial."
I downloaded all the information that Six and I found on Matsui. I'm sure he had a big chunk of it, but I supplied a few tidbits to him and Roberts. Tom looked at it. While he sat there I made coffee and put out a few pastries to go with it. I was a secret baker.
"We know all of this and we can't use most of it," he said. "Well, maybe not all of this. The part about Amal is interesting," he murmured.
"Yeah, I made a few calls. I've already given it to Roberts," I replied.
He looked at me. "Look, Casper, I'm going to fast-track this, so it'll take a couple of weeks to get put on a docket. My advice to you is; take a day off, calm down and go back to work. You may have the media sniff around you, if any one of them finds out, but the Company is keeping it under wraps. We can't guarantee what Matsui will do. If he's smart he'll keep quiet and just expect the Company to pay him to go away. If he gets desperate that may change, but you'll know before I do."
He took a pastry and then we started talking about what was going on in D.C, his life, how I liked being a police officer, my life. He got up around six-thirty to leave. "You bake the best pastries. Have you taken any to your precinct? I'm sure if you made your donuts you'd have your entire division camped out in your apartment," he laughed.
I laughed with him as I showed him out. "No, I haven't and for that very reason. I already have this detective I work with show up for food. No more strays," I told him as I shook his hand and he left.
A few minutes later Dorian walked through the door.
"Kennex sprung you, huh?" I asked.
"Yeah, I said sparring and I think he tuned me out," Dorian smiled.
"Exercise," I quipped, "it's a bitch. So, Dorian, I'm calm now. Was there something specific that you wanted to know?" I questioned him and motioned him to sit down.
He sat. "Are you going to kill Mr. Matsui?" he started off.
"It's not off the table, yet. Six thinks I should just let it ride out. Matsui doesn't have any grounds for this, but he's in deep debt and to some not very nice people. He needs the money."
He processed that. "You're an officer of the law, you can't just assassinate him."
"I've heard that rumor, that I'm an officer of the law. It wouldn't be my preferred method of dealing with Matsui, but it's not off the table. I've done some things that aren't on the right side of the law. I'm sure you inferred that from our conversation the other night, so that doesn't really bother me."
I walked to the kitchen and started making dinner. "You know the only thing I hate about androids? Because you guys are great in every other way and I envy you," I said as he followed me and sat on the chair next to Six at the island, "is you can't eat. I am an excellent cook. But," I continued as I pulled out some shrimp, rice and mushrooms, "I'm an even better baker. I wish you and Six could eat my brownies. They are fabulous."
"John seems to like your cooking," Dorian said.
"Yeah, but that guy eats anything," I snarked.
While I was making dinner we talked about my little episode I had this morning, it was the talk of the precinct. "Everyone thought you were going to kick that guy's ass and Six was holding you back," Dorian told me.
I raised my eyebrow to him. "'Kick that guy's ass'? Really, Dorian? You've been hanging around me far too long. I've infected you with cursing."
He chuckled a little.
"Why did you ask me, the first time Kennex and I ate out, if I liked long walks on the beach? That sounds like some sort of dating profile thing to me," I asked him as I started eating dinner.
"Because I put it on John's online dating profile," he said.
Six and I started laughing. "You gave Kennex a dating profile?" Six asked him.
"Yeah. It's pretty good," he told us. "Not bad for a…" he stopped right there. "An android." he finished.
"Why don't you like that term, synthetic?" Dorian asked me.
"Because it makes you sound like some sort of fake person. I don't even call the MX's synthetics. They're robots. You and Six are androids. To me a synthetic is one of those old fashioned dummies they used to use to highlight clothes."
I could see Dorian processing. Six probably sent him some images. His face screwed up. "See, to me, that's a synthetic."
"I don't like that term either. John and I had a troublesome start to our partnership. He used that word and I told him I wasn't a big fan."
"Good for you. Now, can you bring up Kennex's online dating profile? I can't wait to see the rest of what you put on it."
He couldn't but Six did. He projected it over the island while I finished dinner. "Not bad, Dorian. Did he go out on any dates? Although he looks like he's interested in Detective Stahl from this description," Six said.
"Yeah, she likes him. I've caught her giving me weird looks."
"That is Detective Stahl. When I mention her he gets bashful and defensive," Dorian told us.
"Really? It must be love or some serious like going on. Okay, enough about Kennex. What do you say to playing some poker, Dorian?"
We spent the rest of the evening playing poker. We told him to take my car to Rudy's and pick us up in the morning. I sent a text to Kennex telling him that Dorian, Six and I would meet him at work.
Dorian showed up and told us Kennex was five minutes from our apartment. "Tracking him, are you?" Six asked.
"Yes, he doesn't like it and will turn it off sometimes, but I'm required to give reports on him to Maldonado," he informed us.
I put a cup of coffee on the island, set out some scones and jam, put some on a plate for me and waited for Kennex to walk in. I'd asked Dorian to call and tell him he could just walk right in as it would save time that he could use eating.
"Six, alter the security so Kennex can come in when we're home." We'd decided, after my little episode, to give Dorian access to our apartment. He looked shocked when we told him, then thanked us for trusting him. I rolled my eyes and called him an idiot.
He walked in and looked at the scones. "What are those?"
"Scones, the old fashioned kind. These were made from a recipe I dug up out of old England from the eighteen hundreds. They're good."
He sat down, drank his coffee, and tried a scone. "This is good. Almost as good as a donut," he remarked.
"I've told you several times, Kennex, that I'm a good cook," I retorted.
"Mmm," he said then swallowed. "How was the sparring session? I don't see any damage to you or Dorian."
"We played poker instead. If he wants to play again we'll have bigger stakes," then I turned to Dorian. "Statistics don't always work, Dorian."
"Wait a minute. You taught Dorian how to play poker and you played for money?" his voice rose on the last part of his question.
"Yeah. He didn't come out to bad. He needs to learn how to listen to his gut."
Kennex turned to Dorian. "You don't have money. How did you get money?" he asked him incredulously.
"Casper loaned me start-up money. After I paid her back I still had some left. It's an unusual concept for me. I don't know what I'm going to spend it on," he told Kennex.
"I don't know if you're allowed to have money, Dorian."
"Then he doesn't have money, Kennex." I told him. "Just drop it. If you're going to be a dick he might not get you something for your birthday."
Kennex was still sputtering about Dorian and money when I went to get ready for work. We walked out to our cars while Kennex was still going on about the money. Six set up an untraceable account for him. He didn't have to use it if he didn't want to. He wouldn't make half bad interest. He was coming over tonight and we were going to explain the stock market. I told Kennex that we'd give him a ride back to Rudy's. He about blew a gasket.
"You're playing poker again? For money? No, Dorian's not…" I cut him off.
"We're playing strip poker, Kennex. I never did see him without clothes on that assignment. I believe I'm entitled."
He got quiet then told Dorian they were leaving. I winked at him before he left and he smiled at me. Six was laughing his ass off as we were driving to work. "Did you see the look on his face when you said strip poker?"
"Pretty damn funny. Well, playing the market is like playing strip poker. Sometimes you get stripped of what you have." As soon as we hit the precinct all eyes were on me. Hmm. Interesting. I went to Maldonado's office and told her the lawyer didn't think Matsui had a case and he's getting it fast-tracked but I may have to take a couple of days off. "If you want, you can have Six work with someone else. They have his recording, so he doesn't need to come with me."
"Let me think about it and I'll give you an answer before you have to leave. I admit, Six is impressive. If he doesn't work with one of the other detectives I may have him go to Rudy's and help him, if that would be ok," she asked me.
"Sure. He helps Martin with his stuff. It would be a change of pace. I know he'd have to stay at Rudy's, so I'd make sure that one of his stations was sent over."
She waved me out of her office. I told Six that I volunteered him to stay when I left. He didn't look too happy, but tough shit. One of our cases crossed with Kennex's, so we took it from him. He still looked a little uptight about the money thing.
I had Dorian and Kennex meet at my apartment for lunch. "Kennex, relax," I told him as I gave him some Greek salad. Dorian chuckled. "No one is going to know Dorian has money. Frankly, you're making a big deal out of nothing. Just drop it," I ordered. He took a deep breath and I could see he let it go. I patted his cheek. "See how easy that was?" I asked him. He pulled his head back and glared at me.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Six and I got a tip about one of our cases and we were staking out the club where the guy was supposed to show up. Great, another sex club. I told Maldonado and she had Richard run tactical outside the club while Six and I took the inside. I told Dorian we'd have to postpone the strip poker game as I was having sex with Six that night. Kennex about choked to death on his coffee. Dorian looked puzzled. "I didn't know that you and Six had sex, Casper," he said with a straight face.
"Okay, say 'Six had sex' ten times fast for me," I asked. He looked puzzled. The chrome was watching this little exchange. "I'm kidding, Dorian. Six and I have an operation tonight and I like to try and kill Kennex in legitimate ways instead of shooting him. This way I don't have to serve any jail time."
The chrome started laughing and walked over. "You're funny. Six is funny." She pulled me away a little. "Captain Maldonado said that you may have to leave for a few days, but that Six could stay behind if someone would work with him. I'll work with him," she said quietly.
"Thanks, Stahl. Tell him you said that," I told her as Six came over from reviewing the club layout with Richard. "If Detective Casper has to leave for a few days I'd like to work with you. I don't go out in the field as often as you, so you might be bored."
Six looked at me I shrugged my shoulders. "Thanks, Detective Stahl. I'd like that. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but if it does the offer is appreciated," he told her.
We came back to the precinct about seven and saw Dorian and Kennex leaving. Kennex stopped to look at us and I couldn't blame him. We looked good. Six had on tight black pants and a light blue shirt open half way down his chest. I had on a long black coat over a bustier paired with a very short skirt and black thigh high boots. "Going clubbing again, Casper?" he asked. "You're a real party animal."
I flipped him off as we walked by. "Asshole," I muttered underneath my breath in Hopi.
"I scanned him and his heart rate shot right up," Six told me in Navajo.
I stopped and turned to him. "Stop doing that!" I yelled at him in Apache. When I broke out the Apache he knew I was serious. He started walking. Dorian looked over at us. "Apache. Next time you come over we'll teach you," and I followed Six.
We got to the club and found our mark. Six and I separated and circled the club keeping him in our line of site. When he went to the bathroom we followed him. When he came out he saw Six and me kissing. He looked us over then started to leave. We grabbed him and hustled him out the back. Six had his hand on his mouth and I pulled some restraints out of my boots. Richard and his MX came over to cover us. "Good job. Remind me not to kiss you if you have those boots on," Richard said.
"Well, they are handy, aren't they? You should see what I have in my other pair." I stood up and walked over to Richard. "Do you want to find out, Richard?" I asked him.
"No, but thanks for the offer. I don't like Kennex's leftovers," turned and walked away.
Six and I looked at each other. Richard thought that Kennex and I were fucking. I practically pissed myself laughing on the way home. I couldn't wait to tell him.
We questioned our suspect the following morning. Routine procedure, then we headed out to catch the bad guys. I got a call a about the hearing. It was happening in a week. I told Maldonado. She told me that the chrome wanted to work with Six. Six was good with it and arrangements were made. We taught Dorian about the stock market, Cherokee and Hopi. Kennex caught up with us a couple days later and asked me how the strip poker game went. "Good, Kennex. You should have joined us. I won and let me tell you that Dorian is nice." Dorian was looking away while I said this. Kennex whipped his head around to stare at Dorian. He stalked off. I winked at Dorian and he smiled at me. Six laughed his ass off. The day before the hearing I got a call from Tom telling me that Matsui dropped his lawsuit. His lawyer finally persuaded him that he didn't have a case after reviewing all the footage he received. I called Maldonado and told her that I wouldn't need the days off, Matsui dropped the suit. She told me congratulations but she thought Valerie would be disappointed that she wasn't going to be working with Six.
We walked into work the next day and told the chrome that I wasn't taking the days off. "I really appreciate the fact that you would have worked with him, Stahl."
"Sure. I think you're both funny. You certainly liven the place up." She waved and walked away. I wasn't aware that we did that. Good to know.
Kennex was at our apartment one night three weeks later, after showing up for dinner, again, and we were talking in the living area. "Kennex, look, hon, we need to talk money. I don't mind cooking for you, but I do mind paying for everything, so cough something up for me."
He pulled out his phone and put money in my account. Six was in his room and Dorian was at Rudy's, so it was just Kennex and me. I was stretched on the sofa, my usual place, and he was in a chair. We had been talking about the case I swiped from him and how we'd put it to bed last night. I gave him my report verbally and told him I'd send it the morning, if he wanted. "Did you know Richard thinks we're fucking?" I asked him. It was a good thing that he'd swallowed that beer or I would have been wearing it.
"What did you say?" he asked incredulously.
"Richard thinks we're having sex or we have had sex in the past. I meant to tell you that a couple of weeks ago, but it slipped my mind. He called me your leftovers."
I turned my head to look at him. "If you have any interest in anyone we work with, you need to nip that gossip. And I don't mean by making a public service announcement or kicking Richard's ass. Got it?" I told him.
"Yeah, I got it. The little bastard."
"On both those points we have agreement," I told him and he laughed. I got up to get us more beers and patted his head on my way to the kitchen. He followed me and sat at the island. "Thanks for your advice a couple of weeks ago," he said quietly.
"No worries, Kennex. I don't know what happened and if you want to tell me why you have synthetic body parts I'll listen. Some people have tried to tell me things about you, but when they open their mouths I kind of stop listening."
He chuckled at that. I turned and got stuff to make brownies. Kennex was still sitting there while I made them. Then he told me about the ambush, his leg, his partner getting killed, being in a coma for almost two years, his ex-girlfriend leaving then him finding out that she works for Insindicate, the gang that ambushed him. He also told me about first working with Dorian and how he just recently went to see his partner's son. I asked him some questions, but let him talk. It seemed like he needed to get this off his chest. When he wound down I put a brownie on his plate, grabbed my beer and sat down.
"Sounds like a lot. I'm not trivializing it. Have you told anyone about this? I mean, everything you've told me?"
"Not voluntarily."
"Yeah, talking to counselors sucks sometimes. I tried to avoid them as much as possible," I agreed. "Usually I just talked to Six. We'd beat each other up and I'd be fine."
He started eating his brownie and his eyes got this glassy look in them. "If you tell one person at work that I bake I will run you over with your car," I threatened him.
He was too busy stuffing his face. When I saw he was done I took his plate, pulled him out of the chair, patted his hand and walked him to the door. "I'll see you when I see you," and pushed him out of our apartment.
Things rolled like that for another month. Dorian and Kennex showing up for breakfast or dinner. Dorian learned Apache and smiled when he reviewed what I had told Six that night. He had heard what Six said and had scanned John himself and saw his pulse blip.
"I hate you both," I told them in Cherokee as we were in the living area one night after dinner. Kennex wanted to know what we were talking about when Six started on his scanning me and I was a little uptight. I groaned into my hands. I lifted my head and pointed my finger in his face. "Just stop it. I've had more sex conversations with you since we got here than I have in the entire 10 years I've known you. If it makes you happy, I WILL GET LAID!" I screamed at him. Then I looked at Dorian and Kennex. "Ahh, sorry about that. I'm seriously embarrassed right now," I said sheepishly. Dorian looked between Six and I. Kennex just kind of sat there. "Wow," was all he said. Six just laughed, but he toned down the scanning comments, which made me happy.
My life just seemed to roll along, and for the moment that was what I needed.
