Fracture

Chapter 6

"I can't believe you can just say 'Sorry, I'm not available on weekends. Please try again on Monday' when you're literally the main suspect in a murder," Chris fumed as he and Josh were all but physically thrown out of the office of Kyle Rickard by the councilman's security and, of course, a team of lawyers.

Josh didn't reply; he was studying the unusually large security staff and taking in the way they moved with the quiet skill of men honed for committing violence rather than protecting someone from it. They were all impeccably dressed in black and varying shades of gray or blue and were all armed. One, a particularly large and muscular man with tanned skin and a shock of blond hair, met Josh's eyes on the way out and sneered at him while Josh impassively stared back. He knew hardened criminals when he saw them.

The million dollar question is why would a low-level, on the rise councilman hire so many former mafiosos to act as his security? Josh mused as the door snapped shut behind them and magnetically locked. He suspected that the lens of the PTZ camera he saw mounted at the top of the doorway was aimed at them.

Chris frowned as the large blond man waved cheekily at them from the other side of the door. Josh led the way down the stairs and back towards their car. When they climbed back in, the younger man looked at him. "Now what? If Rickard can hide indefinitely behind political loopholes and red tape, our chances at getting answers for what happened in that room are done."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Let's leave him to Max and Hayden. Between the two of them, they'll have the pull to get a councilman's attention better than we do. We need to focus on what we do have: the evidence," Josh stated as he shot a quick text to Max and Hayden and then started the engine.

As promised, Max had shown up with Penny in tow to help them process the highly publicized scene. The four of them had all but stripped the SKYLOFT suite bare after taking hundreds of pictures and video. They'd had so much evidence to process that Max had called someone in from Swing shift to bring another evidence van to collect it all.

Josh immediately felt sorry for the lab techs that would no doubt be spending the weekend analyzing every fiber, trash, furniture, utensils, and fingerprints that they'd collected. The Undersheriff had called Max at least four times while they'd been on scene; Josh had no doubt that the high profile nature of the case would lead Cade Wyatt back to haunting the Crime Lab's halls the way he had been when it had been under investigation.

"That poor kid. What do you think will happen to him?" Chris asked unexpectedly.

Josh kept his tone neutral even though Miles' traumatized face stuck with him. "If CPS is worth anything they'll get him a child psychologist to talk to. Hopefully, they'll find his mother."

"I'm still trying to wrap my mind on what he was even doing at a sleazy party like that."

Josh had his suspicions but didn't comment. He wanted to know, not just guess, before assuming the worst. What they had observed didn't leave him with any good initial theories. His instincts told him that the deeper they dug into Kyle Rickard, the more disturbing that the reason for Miles' presence at that party would be.

He heard Chris huff and glanced over. The younger man was slumped in the passenger seat glaring morosely into his phone. He was swiping at whatever was on screen, but Josh could tell it was just an attempt to distract himself from whatever was bothering him. Maybe the sharp younger man had formulated some disturbing theories of his own from what they'd seen and collected so far.

"You alright, Chris?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I am. It's just...this job sucks sometimes, you know?" Chris answered with a hundred things unspoken and hidden in between the lines. Josh didn't need him to elaborate, though.

"Yeah," the word came out in a soft sigh. "It does sometimes."

They fell into a comfortable silence for a while. Traffic had significantly picked up as Las Vegas' Friday night began. They'd practically worked a double, and Josh could feel it in the tension in his shoulders. He rolled them to loosen the muscles and thought longingly of maybe having a beer and bath night to unwind.

When he realized Chris was still too quiet, he broke the silence. "So what are your plans this weekend?"

"Retrograde, my friend. That's what."

Josh raised an eyebrow and patiently waited. When Chris didn't get an excited response he gave Josh an incredulous look and began swiping furiously on his phone. When they were stopped at a red light, he all but shoved his phone into Josh's face. On the screen was a brightly flashing ad for some place called NerDen.

"This is the ultimate place. Almost any video game you can think of. Tabletop games. LARP. Live music. A bar. A coffee house. Weekly movie and show group watches and discussions. It's everything, Folsom. Everything."

Josh pushed the blinding screen away from his eyes. "Okay. What is Retrograde, though?"

"It's an event NerDen is hosting for this entire month. Think of any retro game you can think of. ANY. Supposedly, they will have it available to play on any console or through emulators. But just during the event," Chris enthusiastically explained with a renewed burst of energy.

"Bullshit."

"Seriously. Any. Game." When Josh continued to look skeptical, Chris turned towards him with his eyes narrowed. "Alright. Since most of these games were from your era back in the 1920s or whatever, let's see what you got. Name some games and I can guarantee I'll find it on this list."

"Ohhh, a fetus calling me old. That's rich. Okay. You're on, Park."

It became a nice distraction for the rest of the trip back to the Lab. Josh wracked his brain and fired off every game he grew up playing. The list was long and extensive; his mother had been content to let him play whatever he wanted if it kept him out of trouble and out of her hair for even a few minutes. They'd been dirt poor so most of the games they'd acquired had been from garage sales, second hand stores, or borrowed from some unsuspecting store or neighborhood kid. Still, his SNES and Game Boy Color were some of the most cherished possessions from his childhood. So the more games on his list that Chris verified via NerDen's website as being available, the more curious Josh became about this Retrograde event.

His interest didn't escape Chris' notice. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Wanna go? You know you want to. What do you have to do this weekend that would be better than limitless retro games and booze?"

"I was thinking of taking Shadowfax out for a ride, actually."

Chris gave him a quizzical look. "You were…what? Who?"

"My horse, Chris. I was going to take him out for a ride."

"You renamed him Shadowfax? What's a Shadowfax?"

"Huh, and here I was thinking you were a respectable nerd. The Lord of the Rings, Chris. The white horse? King of the Mearas? Allie gave me the idea when I had to fill out the paperwork to register him." But Retrograde sounded really cool. Josh thought it over and asked, "When were you thinking of going?"

"Tonight if I can help it. I'm meeting some friends there tomorrow for sure. Any night I'm free basically. This event is going to be sick," Chris was smiling by the time they pulled into the Lab parking lot and pulled into a spot. His enthusiasm was infectious. Josh welcomed the reprieve from the long week of cases and the glacial progress they'd made. Besides, it wasn't like he was on-call that weekend.

Speaking of which… Josh paused when he realized that the Denali parked close by was the one Allie normally drove. Was she still inside working on the One-and-None case? He hadn't seen nor heard from her since their brief discussion from earlier that day, which was odd even when they worked separate cases. Had she even left the Lab that day?

Chris followed his gaze and then deadpanned. "All legends do have a grain of truth."

When their eyes met Josh saw a knowing (and resigned) look on Chris' face. "You're about to ditch me, aren't you?"

"'I just want to catch up with her," Josh replied, not even bothering to pretend otherwise.

They stopped by to talk to the lab techs about their case. The techs would handle the bulk of the evidence processing and update the case notes while the detectives on the case would pull whatever strings they needed to in order to get Rickard's cooperation. Josh had already planned on putting in a few hours over the weekend to catch up with Hugo about their deceased woman after his team finished the autopsy. He weighed his options for how his weekend was shaping up. Beer and bath or beer and retro gaming?

Why not both? But first things first. He stopped by the locker room and changed. It was there that he ran into two of the guys from Swing and shot the breeze with them for a few minutes. It was lucky he did; one of them inadvertently clued him in on Allie's whereabouts.

Josh found her on the roof of all places, staring out at the city lights. The world famous Las Vegas Strip lit up at night like a sea of colorful neon shapes and world famous structures on a field of LED lights. Josh had lived in Vegas his whole life and could still appreciate the liveliness of the city, of the pulsing, vibrant energy that constantly teemed just under the city's bright, flashy veneer. Even on the fringes, where it was the extreme opposite of the fantasy light show of the Strip, there was a mesmerizing tension in the city. As he studied Allie's profile, he wondered if she looked out unto Sin City and found any answers in those lights.

"See anything worth talking about?" he questioned as he slowly approached, feeling out the vibe and whether or not his presence was welcome.

When she turned her head, he saw the briefest of smiles, but there wasn't any of her usual warmth behind it. When he got closer he saw the way her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, and he realized with a sinking heart what she'd been doing while hiding out on the roof. The light of a nearby casino sign casted a pale white glow onto her face, making her look ethereal and vulnerable. It stirred familiar feelings in him: a need to comfort and protect.

"Not really, no," she answered in a hoarse voice. Allie cleared her throat and swiped a hand across her red nose. "What are you still doing here?"

Josh shrugged as he came to a stop beside where she sat. It was easy to fall into the same song and dance that they always did around each other. It was a safe way to test the waters and then retreat should they get too choppy. His tone was more cavalier than he felt. "Just got back from the emerald city. I saw your car so a couple of guys on Swing and I made a bet to see who could find your secret lair first."

His words made Allie smile just a bit, though it still didn't reach her eyes. "And what do you get if you win? I get half of whatever it is."

He pretended to balk in outrage. "Half? Why half?"

"Because you have an unfair advantage," she shot back.

Josh pressed his lips together and threw his hands in the air dramatically. "Fine. FINE. But we'll get a LARGE soft serve so we don't have to fight over it like that last time when they ran out of ice cream."

"Oh...do you think we're still banned from that one place off Spring Mountain?"

"Well, only one way to find out."

He sat down next to her and leaned back against the wall, enjoying the way the coolness seeped through his shirt and onto his back. Their shoulders touched, and she didn't make any attempt to move away; rather, she shifted to make more room for him. He looked out at the city lights for a quiet, contemplative moment with her. Then, he glanced over and asked. "You okay?"

The momentary mirth from their banter had already faded into a downcast look. She squinted at something in the distant field of lights and thumping music and said in a quiet voice. "I think so. I will be."

"You want to talk about it?" Josh asked, taking in the way her red eyes had begun to look suspiciously shiny before she ducked her head.

"...No, not really." She glanced briefly up at him as if bracing for push-back. It left him unsettled. He wasn't used to Allie being anything but headstrong and confident. Seeing her uncertain and unhappy gave him such a strong urge to hug her that he had to force himself to curl and uncurl a hand in order to resist it.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked in lieu of a hug.

She must have noticed his reaction because she patted his hand gently and gave him a look that was grateful but subdued. It wasn't quite the smile he adored but it still had the same effect of making his heart pick up the pace.

"You're doing it," she assured him and then glanced back at the sea of artificial lights. A moment later he felt the side of her head come to rest against his shoulder. They didn't speak for a long time. Josh hadn't entertained this being an option for his Friday night, but life threw him a bone sometimes.

It was Allie who spoke first at some indeterminate time later. "So what are you doing here? You're not joining Chris at that game thing he's been babbling on about all week?"

"I might. You may not realize it, but you're talking to the undefeated champion of the Special Cup 150cc. Not to brag, but I was called the Rainbow Road Ruler all through my childhood until my cousin Jack broke the N64 after I smoked him four times in a row," Josh proudly shared, basking momentarily in the echo of eleven-year-old Jack's howl. The same cousin Jack had never mastered anger management and had the record to prove it as an adult, unfortunately.

He was met with silence and could practically see the question marks floating around her head. He sighed. No one was perfect, right? The confused frown she gave him was so adorable that he could forgive any flaw. She tilted her head at him and sounded more like her usual self when she spoke. "Amazing. An entire stream of words, and you've somehow managed to say nothing comprehensible."

"You've…never heard of Mario Kart?"

Allie didn't even blink as she placidly asked. "Are we doing this again?"

"You're right. Small game. Small developer. I'm sure there's at least one other person in the world like in a remote village or something who's never heard of it either," Josh acquiesced but knew she heard the sarcasm immediately by the glare she gave him. He gave her a shameless grin that she eventually shook her head to and returned with a long-suffering edge to it. But she was actually smiling, and that's what counted to him.

"You must be exhausted. Go home, Folsom. No need for both of us to spend a full twenty-four hours in the Lab," Allie said as she rubbed her eyes.

When her words registered, Josh tilted his head. "Twenty-four hours? What, are you seriously spending the night here?"

"Yeah," she replied and didn't elaborate. She pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms and back with a wince. When he stood up with her, she looked less forlorn but not quite at normal yet; still, it was a start. His curiosity burned to know more, but respecting boundaries worked both ways.

Josh asked on impulse. "What'd you eat for dinner? I literally have been running off that cup of coffee you got me and a turkey wrap that Chris and I grabbed on the way to our scene."

"Wow, really? How've you not…well, I guess I'm not one to talk. I had some crackers and some tuna earlier. I was going to hit up a late night joint before I turned in for the night. Are you interested or do you need to go defend your title to the other children?" Allie smirked at him.

"Excuse me. I can multitask," he playfully huffed back. "What were you thinking?"

She arched an enticing eyebrow. "Up for a one night stand?"

One of their favorite go-to joints was One Night (Taco) Stand, a much loved taqueria that was fast, delicious, and cheap. They catered to locals mostly, and was a favorite among the many criminalists and police officers that worked odd hours due to their 24-hour operation. Josh's mouth was already watering before he even climbed out of the car. By the time they ordered and received their food, his stomach had woken up; they barely made it to the table before he tucked into his first taco (cooked al pastor style).

"Bon à petite," Allie said with an amused and fond look before she started in on her own meal.

They fell into a familiar, comfortable pattern of teasing each other in between catching up on one another's cases. Allie hadn't made much progress on hers, but had a hunch she wanted to follow regarding the passenger. He told her about the dead woman and suspicious circumstances revolving around the councilman and their only potential witness. It made him think of Miles, and whatever look that must have come across his face was reflected in the sympathy he saw fill her eyes.

"Did the MGM release the camera footage?" Allie asked.

"Hayden said they've agreed to but they have to 'consult their legal team first.' It makes me want to look into how much stock the councilman holds in MGM," Josh answered without even bothering to hide his disgust at the systemic corruption.

"Or how many donations they've made to his campaign," Allie sagely added. "That would be an interesting read. A Las Vegas councilman who wants to address economic inequality but accepts donations from the industry that many blame as a cause for it."

Josh scraped up every bit of queso left with a chip and munched on it. When they were done, he patted his belly contentedly. "Oh, man. That hit the spot. Good idea, Al."

"Hmm. Imagine your life without me," she answered with a self-satisfied smile as she piled their paper plates together for disposal.

"It's too painful to think about. Probably quieter, though. And safer for pedestrians. Maybe better musica–" A remaining chip hit him square in the forehead for his sass. He made an exaggerated squawk in outrage, picked up the chip, and popped it into his mouth.

Allie rolled her eyes and went to throw away their trash. Her prim, feisty edge had returned as the night had progressed, and he felt a knot he didn't know he'd been harboring uncoil in his chest. He glanced at the clock as they slid back into his Denali and was surprised to see how late it was.

Time does fly when you're having fun. Josh distantly thought as he watched Allie buckle in. When she felt his eyes on her she tilted her head expectantly at him. He reluctantly started the car. "Ready to go home?"

"Oh very funny. You and your rumors are so very clever." But she looked amused so he counted that as a win.

"Whatever you say, elusive Lab troll."

He navigated the busy streets now that Friday night was in full swing. Like most locals, they knew to stay out of the tourist areas. As Las Vegas' character changed and the population boomed, it felt as if the tourist areas were fast encroaching on the local havens and once hidden side streets. Josh still had some tricks up his sleeve; these were his streets.

When they were back on the highway and headed away from the bulk of the tourists, he realized how quiet Allie had become. Somewhere in the time that he had been concentrating on not running over any drunk pedestrians and slipping through little known alleys to find lesser used cross streets, she had leaned the seat back and fallen asleep. Her arms were loosely folded across her middle, and her head lolled away from him, but there was a steady rise and fall to her chest that told him she was out. She must have really been out too since she didn't so much as twitch at the blaring horns of impatient drivers, obnoxious cheering of rowdy tourists, or even the loud live music.

Josh thought of the caffeine binge she'd been on and the deepening smudges under her eyes. Then he thought of the sad look in her red-rimmed eyes when he first found her alone on the roof. He grabbed the jacket he'd thrown carelessly into the back seat earlier with one hand and draped it over her. The little sleepy sigh she made in response and how she unconsciously snuggled into it did things to his heart, things that made his mind dangerously wander to what-if questions that his self-preservation normally didn't let him linger on for too long.

He gripped the steering wheel at ten and two and wondered, not for the first time, if these feelings for her would ever go away. He'd once thought that they would, given time, but he had

been wrong. If anything, their initial fling–borne from an instant physical attraction and innocent flirting–had deepened into one of the closest, dearest friendships that he'd ever had. Just being around her made him feel happier, like the world was slightly less dark and more hopeful. Was a bond that was already so special and important worth the risk of pursuing more?

You're getting ahead of yourself, Folsom. Josh glanced briefly over at her and then shook his head to dismiss the wandering line of thoughts. It takes two to tango, remember? She still has that boyfriend. I think? Maybe they just had a fight, and you're getting your hopes up for nothing.

But even as the voice of self-preservation tried to reel him back, another part of him rebutted. Oh come on. You know what's in the room. And so does she. How long do you tiptoe around it? You're just scared. When did you get so bad at talking to women, Joshy?

This voice was Uncle Tim through and through. His uncle had made tons of bad decisions in his life, but there had always been a new woman in his life–even after Tim had been thrown in prison. Josh winced at where his thoughts were going. If there was anyone he didn't want to be, that he worked on a daily basis not to be, it was Tim. Ohhhkay. Definitely time to call it a night.

When they reached the Lab, Josh hesitated a moment before he gently shook Allie awake. She resisted, muttering a peevish string of words he didn't understand at first, and tried to turn over to go back to sleep. Stifling a laugh, Josh sat back and said, "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. There's a mu…well, maybe not much more but there IS a bed in the on-call room."

Slowly, she roused and sat up to blink muzzily at him. Her brown curls were awry, framing her pretty face like a messy bird's nest. She looked around in confusion as she oriented herself and then yawned. "Have I been out long?"

"Long enough to blow out my ear drums with all that snoring," Josh couldn't help but to poke with a grin.

Allie, still a bit groggy, started to glare at him until she tugged the jacket off and realized it was his. She blinked at it and then handed it back over to him with a soft, almost shy, thanks. Josh waited for her to be awake enough to climb out and watched her stretch languidly. He rolled the passenger window down and gave her an easy smile when she leaned against the door and faced him.

"You good?" Josh asked as he searched her face for any traces of what he'd stumbled upon earlier in the evening.

Her brief, close-mouthed smile and clear (if tired) eyes brought him some comfort. "Yeah. I'm good. Thank you, Folsom. For everything. I needed that."

A dozen things flitted through his head. He wanted to press and ask about what was going on at home and to know if she was okay. He wanted to emphasize that she wasn't alone, and that she could talk to him if she really needed to if it would help even a little (even if it hurt). He wanted to tell her how much he envied Mark and exactly what he thought of him if the guy really had been the reason she had been standing on the roof crying. He had so much that he wanted to say.

"Good night," Josh settled on instead. He still imagined them standing on opposite sides of that increasingly troublesome professional line–together but just out of reach.

He waited until she was safely inside the building before he left. Allie stopped at the door and waved to him before disappearing inside. The unexpected evening replayed in his head as he drove home. He briefly entertained the idea of going out, maybe to NerDen if Chris had made it out there, but the idea died before it had fully conceptualized.

All things considered, he'd had a good ending to a long work week. Let that be enough for now.

I gotta ask. Is just being 'enough for now' always going to work for you, Joshy?

"Oh shut up, Uncle Tim," Josh muttered as he pulled away from the Lab. He thought about the question for a long time, though.