...SELF DIAGNOTIC: [Engaged]
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Connor Wolf"
MODEL: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 51
ACTIVATION DATE: August 15th, 2038
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown
ASSIGNMENT: NONE
ASSOCIATION(S): Private Detective; Consultant with New Jericho Tower
BOOTING PROCESSORS...
LOADING OS...
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... OK]
READY...
[...Thirium Volume - 100%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - 56 B.P.M.]
[...Ventilation Rate - 12 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit]
WARNING:
-STRESS LEVELS: 40%
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
Pain was the first thing Connor became aware of as his system slowly came back online. His head was aching, his chest was throbbing, his arms felt like they were on fire and his legs were shaking even though he wasn't moving a synthetic muscle. The cool pressure of an examination table beneath Connor's back confirmed that he had his shirt removed again and he wasn't moving around, yet the chilled surface did little to ease the persistent aches throughout his entire body. As he slowly ventilated and began testing his sense of mobility by flexing his fingers, Connor felt warm and soft gauze bandages wrapped around his palms all the way up his forearms to conceal what he knew were fresh bruises from his previous confrontation with Rampage.
Slowly lifting his head up from the soft pillow beneath his hair Connor's vision swam for a moment before focusing on the face of Abby as the technician stood at the foot of the table where he was laying. She was meticulously making notes in an electronic chart and her face bore the telltale signs of worry. Her eyes were narrow, her jaw was clenched, and she was trying to not chew at her bottom lip as her own stress mounted.
Unable to avoid catching Abby's attention Connor laid flat back down and soon felt Abby's soft palm resting over his sore shoulder. He had no memory of being taken to the Zeta Facility and had no idea how long he had been unconscious before he was found or how long he had remained unconscious after being helped.
"Don't move." Abby urged in a gentle whisper. Leaning over Connor as she spoke Abby looked at Connor's still swollen and bruised right eye as if needing to make sure he hadn't been permanently blinded during the assault. "You were brought in about six hours ago. Barry found you outside when he clocked-out to head for home, and you've been here ever since."
"I..." Speaking in a low voice Connor made sure he didn't accidentally make his own headache worse from the sound of his own voice. "I don't... remember any of that."
"Not surprised. You took a few nasty blows to your head." Resisting the urge to touch the deviant detective's head Abby could only motion to Connor's blackened right eye with a genuine wince on her face. Clicking on the penlight from her scrub top's breast pocket, Abby shined in the light in Connor's right eye and then his left to make sure his eyes were still functional. "Do you remember what had happened? It looks like you were hit by a car!"
"I was... working on a case." Replying honestly Connor flinched away from the bright light as the intense shift in light made his head feel worse. "Had to ask questions in a very... unorthodox manner."
"Where'd you ask your questions? The middle of a busy highway or during a boxing match?"
"How severe is the damage?"
The way Connor blew off her remark told Abby that whatever he was doing and why he did it, was something he didn't want to discuss. "Well, the orbital plating around your right eye is fractured, the lines beneath the plating were damaged and are still healing, you've suffered four fractures to your chest frames, your forearms are covered in bruises, all of your knuckles on both of your hands are fractured and you suffered quite a few internal line leaks in your abdomen from blunt force trauma."
"Will I recover?"
"In time, yes." The way Connor didn't ask about the cause of his damage and merely the end result was disconcerting. Abby knew that Connor wasn't harboring any self destructive tendencies, but she was worried that he was taking far too may risks in order to solve his cases. "You need to take it easy for now and rest. I had to give you replacement Thirium through a line in your arm and we needed your core temperature to rise before we even allowed your system to reboot itself."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me just yet." Needing to make sure her patients were going to be all right both physically and mentally prompted Abby to lightly hold on to Connor's hand in a reassuring and grounding manner. "I still need to write a report about what happened to you so the facility has a record of this incident."
"I was assaulted while asking questions. Nothing more."
"Guess whoever hit you didn't like the questions."
"You could say that." Sitting upright very slowly Connor tested his weight and was relieved he could continue to ventilate without any issues. It seemed Rampage was able to make it clear he didn't like cops or detectives snooping around his warehouses, but didn't intend to actually kill Connor with his bare fists. The gang leader was just testing the deviant to see how strong his resolve truly was during their fight. "He and I reached... an agreement. He'd refrain from killing me and I'd... leave his turf without further questions."
"I hope you found what you were looking for it, and I hope even more that it was actually worth it!"
"...As do I."
"I can't keep you here, but I can request that you stay for a little while longer so I can make sure you're not going to suffer from any further internal line damage or issues with rebooting all of your software."
"How long?"
"Two hours. Just lay back, rest, and let your body do its thing."
"...What thing?"
"Heal." Satisfied that Connor was stable Abby decided it was time to take the next step. "Want me to call Lieuten-"
"No. He doesn't need to know that this happened." Slowly laying back to get some rest, Connor sighed through his nose and tried to keep himself from moving about until the ache in his head had let up at last. "And I'll inform Lucas later."
Abby didn't like Connor keeping secrets from the cops, and yet she had no reason or right to go behind his back and let Hank know. "Okay. You're very lucky that the damage you received didn't cause any permanent hindrances or serious complications for your biocomponents."
Without a word Connor laid flat again and closed his eyes to return to rest mode. He was exhausted and was eager to let his body's self healing program kick in to full gear while he got some sleep and let the previous night's event finally come to a close. With the discovered motivation behind the murder Connor knew he'd finally be able to bring the Winters case to a close.
Out on the private island Belle Isle the deviant sanctuary known as New Jericho Tower was full of eager energy as the deviants residing within the tower reluctantly accepted that Lucas was now the fourth leader and was going to work right alongside Markus, Simon and Josh. No one really knew where North had gone, although various rumors danced around the truth in a very tantalizing and outrageous manner. Whenever the now four leaders caught wind of such rumors, they were quick to silence them by reminding the deviants that North's business was her own and that no one had any right to judge her or try to stir the pot for the sake of needing drama or a distraction.
As nervous as he was about holding such a huge responsibility under his name, Lucas maintained a perfectly calm demeanor and appeared entirely confident. Standing along the harbor outside the tower with his back to the structure, Lucas traced his fingertips over his L.E.D. and wondered when the time would be right to have it removed and prove that he was one of his people and not just putting on a show. It was like a target in his temple, and he hated that idea.
"Lucas?" Markus approached the newest leader from behind as he located Lucas standing alone along the sandy shore. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just fine." Lowering his hand in a less than discreet manner, Lucas turned to look at Markus now behind him with a small smile on his face. "It's just a little overwhelming to be one of the leaders of an entire race of people. It's an honor yet very intimidating."
"That's how I felt as well. Need any advice?"
"Not necessarily advice, just insight."
"Into handling the deviants in a way that'll earn their respect and trust without seeming like you're obsessed with power and are grasping at straws, right?"
"Correct." Shifting on his feet Lucas felt the sand under his shoes sift away and flow down the shore toward the water. "It's a very delicate balancing act."
"You're not wrong." Joining Lucas on the shore Markus looked out at the dark water in the harbor with a sense of longing in his mismatched eyes. "There are times where I pine for the simple days of spending time with Carl at the mansion and watching him get lost in painting for hours on end. Giving up everything and everyone for a single sense of peace just won't be possible until my responsibilities for our people are handled properly. That'll take generations to handle."
"I hope I can do this right. I don't want let anyone down, especially since I'm so far away from Connor right now."
"Are you close as brothers?"
"Unfortunately, no." The admission sounded unusually painful as it passed over Lucas's lips. "I'd like to be closer to both Connor and Sydney, but it's proving to be unexpectedly difficult to connect with them."
"Can I ask how?"
"Sydney has much anger inside of himself, but he refuses to acknowledge it. He even refuses to accept that he's a deviant and experiencing emotions in general. I think that's part of the reason he left Detroit." As he spoke Lucas's fingertips returned to his glowing L.E.D. as if hiding the light would mask his own emotions. "He can't face the truth and is seeking isolation to avoid it for as long as possible."
"Everyone experiences deviancy differently. He'll come around."
"I hope so."
"And what about Connor?"
"He's more receptive to the idea of us being actual brothers and even a family." As he spoke Lucas felt his faint smile disappear entirely. "It was his initial idea to have us all bond as brothers to begin with."
"What's changed?"
"I think it's Connor himself. It's strange to describe, but it feels like Connor is being haunted by a traumatic past that was far more upsetting than what I already know he has suffered as a deviant. The way he has such extreme nightmares and refrains from telling me the subject of his nightmares gives me reason to believe that his traumatic past somehow reached much further than his time with CyberLife."
"A traumatic past?" Markus was now intrigued seeing as he didn't know very much about Connor beyond what he'd been directly been told by the deviant of interest. As far as he knew, Connor's past was fairly well out in the open and Markus knew that Connor wasn't guilty of any crime beyond being forced to associate with CyberLife against his will. "How do you mean he has anything beyond CyberLife's influence?"
"There are times where Connor responds to experiences in a timid, if not frightened, manner. The way his pupils dilate and his Thirium pump begins racing is indicative of great fear. He'll even keep far away from people and refrain from discussing his issues as if afraid of judgment or even punishment."
"That does seem strange." After interacting with deviants who had endured various types of abuse Markus had to admit that Connor's behavior in particular did seem unusual compared to most. "Why do you think that's connected to a past trauma?"
"I've aided numerous deviants from numerous walks of life. I've also aided far too many traumatized deviants than I care to admit to currently think otherwise."
"Connor's behavior mimics that of confirmed trauma victims." Markus concluded in a somber manner. He didn't need to observe Connor's behavior for himself to understand why Lucas so worried about it. "Damn. Is there anything I could do to help him?"
"Not that I'm aware. For now, I believe it'd be best to leave him be." Turning to face his friend and fellow leader, Lucas lowered his hand once more as he decided to focus his priorities elsewhere and now worry about his L.E.D. for the moment. "With us being separated at this time, I suspect he'll be able to look inward and find a way to overcome his own emotional barriers."
"I'm certain you're right." Glancing back at the tower behind them Markus nodded once and motioned for Lucas to rejoin him inside the sanctuary. "For now, we need to handle our first meeting as leaders. We won't ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with doing but do expect a lot more eyes to watch your every move."
"You're warning me about judgment from the other deviants." Lucas noted as he accompanied Markus up from the shore to return to the tower. "I'm aware that I'll be under the metaphorical microscope for quite some time. I'm ready to prove that I'm a loyal deviant and that I'm here for our people, nothing more and nothing less."
"I don't doubt that for a second. I know you'll be great as our newest leader, Lucas." With pride in his voice Markus entered the tower with Lucas at his side and let the newest leader take the lead to enter the private office ahead of him. "Having you here is the right thing to do for everyone's sake, and time will prove it."
Enough time had passed, and Connor was now free to leave the Zeta Facility to go about his business as usual. As he slowly slipped his sore and bandaged arms into the sleeves of his white dress shirt, the healing deviant detective allowed Abby to run one last exam on his system before he left. The icy coolness of the metal bell from her audioscope made Connor jump a little, but he didn't flinch away as she listened to his Thirium pump and dual ventilation biocomponents. Even though he didn't want anyone hovering over him or trying to get him to take it easy while he was in the middle of an investigation, Connor didn't say a word as he knew it'd only end in an argument with someone he respected.
The skilled technician was able to confirm that Connor was stable despite being horribly assaulted the night before. Abby was impressed that Connor managed to avoid permanent damage and was even more impressed that he made it so close to the Zeta Facility before collapsing the night before.
"Keep some Thirium on your person for the next forty-eight hours." Abby suggested as she draped her audioscope around her neck professionally. "If your self healing program needs a boost, I want you to be able to replenish your Thirium without needing to enter low power mode in the process.
"I understand." Finishing with the buttons of his shirt Connor tucked the vest, blazer and trench coat under his arm before replacing his fedora over his hair. He wanted to wash his clothes after they were dropped on the ground, and he wasn't up for trying to put more layers over his sore arms. "Thank you for your help, Dr. Grayson."
"Please just call me 'Abby'. I'm your friend as well as your technician."
"It's... difficult for me to refer to you only by your first name." Connor admitted as he prepared the leave the facility. "After I attacked you, I feel-"
"Stop right there." Crossing her arms defiantly Abby gave Connor an impressively stern look. "You didn't attack me. You were being used by a sadistic puppeteer nutcase with a major ego and too much internet access. You would've done the same thing to anyone else because that's what HE MADE YOU DO."
"That doesn't make me feel any less guilty for laying my hands on you. I'm sorry."
"Connor, please don't punish yourself." Lightly Abby put her palm to his cheek and saw him actually wince as he were preparing to be struck. She hated that he was so shaken by the entire situation and wanted him to let go of his guilt. "I'm okay, you're okay and even Lieutenant Anderson's okay."
"You... know I shot Lieutenant Anderson?"
"Deviants love to gossip, the deviants in the facilities like to keep in touch with the deviants in the hospitals." Lowering her hand slowly Abby did her best to help Connor overcome his needless guilt. "I know what happened and I know that you're not at fault. You were being controlled; you didn't make any decisions to do anything violent toward anyone."
Even after hearing Abby's kind words Connor couldn't help but feel as if he were still guilty of a horrible crime. "...I'll be returning to my brownstone now."
In a small voice Abby acknowledged Connor's words and respected his desire to be alone for a while. "Okay."
Having said his piece and understanding Abby's instructions, Connor took his leave of the private treatment room to head back to his brownstone. With his wounds covered and his body still intact, the deviant detective was strong enough to remain alone during his recovery and didn't need to check in with anyone regarding his recovery process.
"Mike Winters was set up to be killed by Jack Pillar."
Connor spoke to himself as he walked down the block to return to his brownstone. The old coin was being tossed gracefully from palm to palm as Connor managed to make his way back to his home without any further issue to his system. Being able to focus entirely on his case without needing to report to a higher ranking officer or needing to request permission to follow a lead truly gave Connor an edge over the other cops and detectives in the city.
"Jack Pillar was arrested by Ha-" Stopping himself short Connor sighed as he reached for the key concealed in his trench coat's interior pocket to unlock the brownstone's front door. "Lieutenant Anderson arrested Jack Pillar, and the man hadn't confessed to anything pertaining to the death of Mike Winters."
Pushing the door open Connor was greeted immediately by Bruno who sensed he was damaged and needed to reassure the loyal deviant dog that he was all right.
"The damage was minimal considering Rampage's overall strength." Rubbing Bruno's ears Connor locked up the front door behind himself as he gave Bruno his attention and limped into the study to sit down for a few minutes. He left his dirty clothes on the coffee table to be washed later. "I'm going to be fine, Bruno."
'Connor is damaged.' Bruno replied in a cybernetic link that only Connor could hear inside his own head. Whenever he spoke to Connor on such a link Bruno's L.E.D. always flickered in yellow before returning to blue. 'Who damaged Connor?'
"It's over. I was able to obtain the answers I needed with only minimal complications."
Bruno tilted his head and grumbled in response as he sat down at Connor's feet. 'Evidence?'
"Not yet. I only have a lead to follow."
'Bruno can follow the lead.'
"This is one only I can follow. I have to confront someone who is human, and they won't be able to understand you."
'Can Bruno go with Connor?'
"Sorry, boy. Having you present might cause issues as well."
'Bruno wants to help.'
"I know you do." Placing his palm atop of Bruno's head Connor rubbed the dog's ears with his thumb and didn't stop until Bruno thumped his tail a few times. "I'll start working on other cases after I handle this one. You'll be able to work with me in the streets soon."
Bruno let out a small sigh through his nose as he rested his chin atop Connor's knees. It was clear that the decommissioned K-9 unit was growing bored of his suddenly sedentary lifestyle. He wasn't like the typical dog who'd normally enjoy being able to lounge around in a warm and comfortable home all day long, he wanted to go out into the city to help people just as he used to do when he was still on the force.
"You wouldn't happen to have heard anything from Sydney, would you?"
'No.' Bruno's cybernetic relays had been silent all morning long. 'Sydney hasn't spoken to Bruno since Sydney left.'
"Damn. Don't worry about that either, I'm sure Sydney will come back to Detroit when he's ready."
'Connor is still damaged.' Bruno noted as he picked up on Connor's severe bruising, fractured frames and blackened eye. 'Connor needs technical assistance.'
"I already had technical assistance. All I need to do is rest and wait for my chance to follow my new lead."
'Rest.'
Before he could get up Connor had Bruno pressing his nose against his hand and then Bruno's paws were atop his knees. The large dog was trying to get Connor to lay down over the sofa to rest as he was expected to do.
"Bruno, I'm-"
'If Connor must rest then Connor will rest.'
"I think you've been spending too much time with Lucas. You're starting to act more like a technician than a tracker." Relenting to the dog's attempts to help him, Connor slowly laid over the sofa to rest on his back to keep any pressure off his fractured chest. "You're still a good dog, though."
Wagging his tail happily Bruno sat back down on the floor beside the sofa and pressed his chin down over Connor's stomach to ensure he stayed down.
As he prepared to enter rest mode Connor reflected on his previous investigation and knew he was doing the right thing by looking deeper into Mike Winters's death. The way Rampage admitted that Connor looking into the death of a criminal and junkie was a huge leap forward was as unsettling as it was hopeful. It also gave the deviant a sense that Mike being someone that the police wouldn't care about made Mike the perfect target to be taken down for whatever reason someone may have had to want the man dead.
What better way to cover up a bigger crime than by distracting the police with a mundane crime that wouldn't have any significance on the city as a whole?
It was a new day for Hank and a new beginning as the senior detective entered the precinct with his head held high for the first time in months. Sporting a now shorter hairstyle, a more neatly trimmed beard and a simple dark blue dress shirt in favor of his more colorful and eccentric dress shirts, Hank looked less like the broken down drunk he had become after losing his family and more like the ambitious Lieutenant he had been prior to the personal tragedy. As he entered the front receptionist area Hank noticed that the deviant receptionist, Pamela, seemed genuinely confused by his appearance but didn't say a word as she watched him enter the bullpen with an entirely confident demeanor.
As expected, other people in the bullpen took notice of Hank's change in appearance and too began to stare. While Tina gave Hank a grin of approval and Chris was impressed by Hank's turn for the better, Ben just silently stared in surprise while Gavin scoffed with skepticism. As far as the abrasive detective was concerned, Hank was still going to be a disenchanted hard-ass and hadn't actually changed in any way.
"What's with the new look?" Ben asked as Hank made his way over to Captain Fowler's office and paused just outside the closed door to the private space. "Don't get me wrong, I like it and it looks good on you, but-"
"Don't worry about it." Hank snipped impatiently as he gave Ben an annoyed side-eyed glance. "Just make sure Chris doesn't get overwhelmed on his first day, all right?"
"Yeah, you got it. Any tips you want to share?"
"Sure. Don't let him become a heartless cynic like I am."
Jerking the door open, Hank made his way inside the private office to speaking with his commanding officer. As a new man on a mission Hank didn't want to sit around and wait for his new assignment to be handed to him, he wanted to tackle it head on.
"Not sure if I'm happy to see the 'old Hank' back or not." Ben hated to see his friend so serious all the time, but knew better than to try to get Hank to listen to reason. The man was twice as stubborn as any deviant whether he could admit it or not. "All right, Chris." Calling out to the younger officer Ben caught Chris's ear and confirmed that more changes were underway. "You ready?"
"Ready." Chris confirmed as he was met by Ben by his own desk. Eager to start his new assignment Chris rose to his feet and made sure he had everything necessary to begin his first investigation as a lead. "I've handled my share of homicide, so I'm ready to pick up the mantle for the deviant division."
"Good answer. I'll work with you on your first few shifts, then you'll be left to work with whoever happens to respond to any calls regarding deviants. You good with that?"
"Sounds like handling every other homicide case, so yeah. I'm good."
"That's the right answer." Clapping his hand approvingly to Chris's shoulder, Ben led the younger man toward a quiet interview room to go over his new assignments, responsibilities and the proper procedures regarding deviants with their new rights now enacted. "Hank was the arguable deviant expert, but he's done with that assignment and is moving on to something different."
Tina gave Gavin a stunned look as they had overheard the discussion as Ben and Chris walked away, and realized that Hank wasn't going to be handling their newest division any longer. "Holy shit." Tina whispered with a shocked chuckle. "The Lieutenant's taking on a new assignment!"
"Must've finally fucked up enough to get fired."
"No way. He's cleaned himself up and his division was handed over to Chris without it being out of the blue. He wasn't fired, he was reassigned."
"Well, he for sure wasn't promoted!"
"How do you know?"
"Because I wasn't promoted."
"Gav', you're not going to get promoted for a while." Honest and down to Earth, Tina reminded Gavin of his flaws. "We both know you're a great detective, but your attitude toward androids really hurt your reputation."
Slumping down in his chair Gavin scoffed again and began checking through his phone as if needing a distraction. "Whatever..."
"I have a date tonight, but I should be free tomorrow night." Tina knew what her friend was up to and wanted to help him out. The last thing Tina wanted to see was her friend fall back into a dark depression. "Wanna' go to the laser tag arena and destroy some arrogant teenagers just for shits and giggles?"
"Fuck yeah." A small grin appeared on Gavin's face as he began texting with someone and then sat upright in his chair again. His smile brightened as he continued to text while also speaking with his best friend across from himself. "Uh, yeah. You have your date tonight, we'll go smear some punks into the glow-in-the-dark carpet at the laser arena tomorrow night, then I have my own date the night after."
"Oh?" Proud of her friend for being able to move on from his past break-up Tina peered over her terminal screen to try to get a look at the phone screen as it remained in Gavin's grip. "Man or woman?"
"Another woman."
"Damn. I was hoping you'd date another dude." Tina was just interested in Gavin's dating life since it was better than any soap opera. "You have some great taste in guys!"
"Yeah, it's too bad their taste isn't as good as mine."
"Don't sell yourself short. Hell, maybe someday you'll be able to hook up with a sexy firefighter!"
"That's your fantasy, not mine."
"Yeah, I know." Leaning back Tina playfully rolled a paper ball across her desk before flicking it with her finger and hitting Gavin right on the nose. "You want to meet the sexy scuba instructor that'll carry you off to a tropical paradise in the Bahamas!"
Rubbing his nose for a moment Gavin grabbed the paper ball and tossed it into the recycling bin under his desk. "Jealous?"
"A little bit."
"Good!" Sending his final text Gavin gave Tina a smug smirk as he finished off his mug of coffee. "That'll make my time out with my hot date all the better."
The restful afternoon passed by with no incident as Connor managed to steadily recover from his fight with Rampage from the night before. Keeping a cybernetic tab on the city was time consuming yet extremely beneficial to the deviant detective's ability to investigate his cases without needing to leave his brownstone in the process. Through the deviant gossip-chain that stretched over all of Detroit, Connor was able to learn through deviants who were working at the airport that Winters family had finally returned to the city and reclaimed their vehicle that been parked in the private section of the airport ever since they chose to leave Detroit after Mike Winters's murder.
Dancing his coin over his knuckles Connor recalibrated the strength and dexterity of his hands while he and Bruno sat on the sofa of the study together. While Connor waited for his opportune moment to speak with Booker Winters in person, his clothing spun about the dryer with a low hum in the neighboring room. To idle away the time he read over the odd letter that he had been reading just moments before he fell into Thirial arrest from the bullet in his arm entering a line and settling in his Thirium pump.
"It's strange. Someone had sworn to take revenge after I had been nearly murdered in Riverside Park."
Thinking out loud was a habit Connor had developed fairly early on in his life. It was as if speaking his theory out loud helped make it more real, and therefore more plausible to work with.
"It wasn't Lucas or Sydney, and Lieutenant Anderson had no reason to issue such a threat."
The coin continued to dance and made a faint echoing 'tink' sound as it bounced back and forth between Connor's hand with a perfect rhythm.
"This person also claims that I'm in danger as I'm somehow the greatest threat to CyberLife. CyberLife is gone. At least, I think it is."
Bruno's ears twitched as he looked up at Connor and rested his chin atop his outstretched paws. The decommissioned K-9 unit had no memories of CyberLife, he had been activated at the precinct and assigned his human partner to work in the field. He had no idea of what CyberLife had done from a personal experience.
"This person seems to think I'm searching through CyberLife's files and that I'm somehow connected to a larger conspiracy. I was shot because Tyrone's programming had been hijacked by Fordon and made him shoot me. And the 'Zhorra' project has been uncovered and reburied for the sake of the 'RK' models hiding in the forest refugee camp. What am I missing?"
Bruno lifted his head as he responded to Connor's question with a question of his own. 'Evidence?'
"Apparently so. There's no direct crime to investigate, no evidence, no witnesses and no reason to begin searching into CyberLife's past deeds."
'Client?'
"As long as the author of that letter remains anonymous, I do not know who my potential client could be. I'll have to find a new way to investigate."
Closing his eyes for a moment Connor confirmed that the Winters family had returned to their home and were awaiting a police report regarding the murder of Mike Winters. Knowing he needed to close the case and finally find the truth, Connor patted Bruno's back as he rose to his feet and turned toward the sound of the dryer making a small 'buzz' sound to confirm that it had finished with the load.
"I have to go, Bruno. I'll be back as soon as I can AFTER I finally uncover the motivation behind the murder of Mike Winters. After that..."
The deviant's soulful brown eyes trailed over to the safe hidden in the wall that contained the odd letter he received regarding CyberLife's secrets. He had another case he was dying to solve once he finally had the correct lead to follow. The enigmatic nature of the letter was too enticing to ignore even if there was no logical reason to be interested.
"We'll work on a new case, and we'll work on it together. You'll have your chance to help me in the field just as you used to do before you were decommissioned."
The new changes in the precinct were being felt everywhere by everyone as the day played out fairly smoothly. Not only had Chris been promoted to the lead investigator for the deviant division - the promotion was Hank's recommendation since he wanted Chris to have a decent paycheck to keep his family secured, but Hank had returned to the homicide division to reclaim his position as the lead investigator. With Hank now the ranking officer in the homicide division Gavin was given fewer cases to handle, but he wasn't going to complain since he wouldn't have to worry too much about being called in on his day's off. Captain Fowler wanted Hank to return to the narcotics division but was unable to sway Hank in any other direction.
While sifting through the still opened homicide cases in the city Hank noticed the update on the Winters case and sighed. The discussion that he had been having with Connor the night Connor had been shot had revolved around that very case. The sound of the gunshot and sight of Connor collapsing to the snowy ground was so vivid in Hank's memory that it made his stomach twist into a nauseated knot.
"Fuck me. Just what I need on my first day back in homicide, a damn migraine."
Turning off his terminal screen Hank grabbed his dark coat and car keys before he made his way across the bullpen. With Gavin and Tina responding to a body found in an alleyway across town Hank had no choice but to handle the investigation himself. Little did he know that his previous arrest of Jack Pillar would bring him back to the Winters case and a reunion he didn't want to handle just yet.
"Wonder why that rich asshole stayed away from Detroit for so long? Not that Detroit is exactly a warm and hospitable place right now."
Hank still had a bitter taste in his mouth after conversing with the very arrogant Booker Winters. The very idea of speaking to him yet again was enough to cause the seasoned Lieutenant to drag his feet and take a nice slow stroll to the neighboring parking garage to get to his car.
"Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if his brother got freezer burn from being kept in the morgue freezer for so damn long!"
Unlocking the door to the aged Oldsmobile with a heavy sigh, Hank caught a glimpse of his reflection on the window and then wondered if he had made the correct decision. He wanted to change who he was and who he was becoming, but it seemed like he was going backward instead of forward. Hank was driving the same old car, living in the same house, and doing the same routine he had been doing for decades. It felt strange to try to move forward and change his behavior while also doing the same exact thing he had been doing for years on end.
"Then again, I'm not doing much better than a corpse since I'm just laying around doin' nothing most of the time, too."
Backing the car out of the garage Hank confirmed over the radio to dispatch that he was on his way to the Winters residence to follow-up on his case and to not bother him unless another murder was reported. He wasn't in the mood to get sidetracked or distracted now that he was working to get his priorities in order. It was going to be difficult enough to work without a partner again, but Hank was used to overcoming challenges regardless of who tried to get in his way.
The drive to the Winters home didn't take long thanks to the autonomous cab, but even so the journey felt like it was one of a thousand miles in the young deviant detective's mind. Speaking to the man who may have played a role in his own brother's murder was enough to make Connor hesitate for a brief moment. The idea of speaking to anyone who could be so cold, heartless and indifferent to the death of a supposed loved one left the deviant feeling emotionally confused in a way that he had never experienced before. Memories of the way Booker never shed a single tear upon learning of his brother's death and of seeing the police investigation as a personally annoying hindrance only seemed to strengthen Connor's suspicions against the man in a most unfortunate way.
Exiting the cab Connor stood outside the locked iron gates that had been installed during the Winters family's prolonged absence and peered through the bars to look at the mansion down the lengthy drive. Despite the house being large, secured and glowing with lights on in the windows, the property seemed unusually foreboding.
Pressing his palm to the button of the security intercom at the front of the gate, Connor announced his presence and waited for a response from the family inside the mansion. Unsure of what to expect Connor held his head high and readjusted his fedora over his hair as he waited.
'Yes? Who is it?' JoAnne Winters responded in a confused and slightly worried manner over the intercom speaker. 'Identify yourself.'
"It's Detective Connor Wolf, Mrs. Winters." Connor politely greeted as he looked at the small camera above the call button as it turned on. He made it easy for JoAnne to see his face and confirm his identity. "I wish to speak with you or Mr. Winters regarding the incident with Mike Winters."
'Finally!' The gate 'buzzed' open as JoAnne allowed Connor to enter the property. 'We've been waiting for an update. Please come in!'
Connor passed through the now unlocked gates and made sure they closed and relocked behind him as he made his way up the drive and toward the front door of the mansion. As he hovered his hand over the doorbell to ring it and confirm he was at the front door, JoAnne opened the door herself and readily invited Connor inside the mansion.
"Thank you for checking in on us, Detective." Stepping aside JoAnne invited Connor inside the mansion. She was wearing her hospital scrubs which meant she was about to head out to the hospital for her shift for the evening. "Booker is in his office upstairs, I'll go and get him. Wait here."
With a simple nod Connor remained just inside the foyer while JoAnne went upstairs to speak with her husband. As JoAnne reached the top of the staircase and turned to the left on the landing, Connor noticed Devon peeking at him from the top of the right side of the landing by peering through the oak bars of the protective barricade. Acknowledging the little boy with a small nod Connor was rewarded with an equally small wave and smile from the little boy.
"What's this about, Detective?" Booker shouted and caused Devon to quickly retreat and hide in his bedroom before his father saw him. Staring down at Connor from the top of the staircase Booker audibly groaned at the sight of the deviant before he walked down the stairs to talk to Connor directly. "I'm very busy, as is my wife."
"I apologize for the late hour, but it's important." Insistent on speaking Connor refused to let the man try to intimidate him. "I have information regarding your brother's murder."
"Information?" Booker paused for a beat while in the middle of the stairs as if shocked by the comment. "What kind of information?"
"I had spoken with the deviant caretaker you fired last year. Angela."
"She was a defective machine and I disposed of her properly. I hope you're not 'offended' by me treating that thing how it deserved, and I certainly hope you aren't taking anything it said seriously."
"And as of last night, I had been given very interesting information regarding the situation that led to the murder itself." Not wanting to give anything away Connor remained purposefully cryptic to try to lull Booker into a false sense of security. "I was wondering if you could help clarify some of the information."
"You're the supposed detective, why should I do your work for you?"
Connor didn't acknowledge the insult and focused more on chipping away at Booker's pride. "Your brother was viciously gunned down and your only son was just a few feet away during the murder. I'd think you'd be more cooperative than this."
"Cooperative?" The remark stung and Booker's eyes lit up with an angry fire. "Now listen to me you mouthy piece of plastic! You come into my home without-"
"Booker, stop." JoAnne scolded as she came down the stairs as well with her phone in her hand. She had either just made a phone call or received one, and since Connor didn't detect and incoming call he deduced that she had made an outgoing call instead. "Detective Wolf is trying to help us find peace with what happened to Mike. Stop being so rude to him."
"This thing is not welcome here, and I don't want it-"
"Booker! Enough." Clearly JoAnne had grown tired of her husband's behavior and was not going to let him make things more complicated for no reason. "Detective Wolf is a good man who is trying to get justice for your brother, AND he gave our son food and shelter when no one else could take care of him. The least you can do is put aside your ego for five minutes and answer his questions."
"JoAnne, now's not-"
"STOP." Repeating herself JoAnne refused to back down. "I'm not going to let you talk over me or dismiss my worries anymore. If you don't talk with Detective Wolf, then I will."
"...Fine." Begrudgingly Booker looked at Connor before him with a sneer on his face before speaking up in a condescending and even sarcastic tone. "How can I help you, 'detective'?"
"You can begin by answering my questions regarding your potential clients and your potential cases that could be connected to your brother. I have proof that Mike was shot while handling the grim but necessary task in order to leave his gang life behind and get clean." Bluffing about the proof as opposed to admitting he had only a statement from the gang leader, Connor watched as Booker's eyes narrowed and his arms crossed defensively over his chest. "I also have proof that he was set up to be shot at that exact time and exact location the night he had been murdered."
JoAnne was genuinely stunned and put her hand to her mouth as if to silence her shock. "My god... Mike was targeted? Like a hit?"
"That is an apt description of what had happened." Connor confirmed as he watched Booker very closely for any sign of a tell or admission of guilt. "By all account and based on the collected evidence, I can confirm that when Mike had gone to that particular warehouse the person who gunned him down had been tipped off and instructed to shoot Mike the moment he was inside the building."
"How... can you know that for certain?" As he spoke Booker felt himself beginning to sweat. "According to the police report the killer shot Mike and ran off immediately."
"Call logs from Jack Pillar's phone confirmed that he had received a phone call regarding Mike's arrival. The call came from a blocked number, but soon the police will be able to trace the call back to the person who set Mike up."
JoAnne let out a small sigh as she lowered her hand from her mouth. "How soon? I want to know for certain that the person who put out the hit on Mike rots in jail right alongside Pillar. We didn't always see eye to eye, but Mike was really trying to better himself and I wish I had given him the chance to prove it."
"I'll have my answers soon." Holding his bluff Connor watched as Booker began to nervously shift his weight back and forth on his feet. "Do you know anything about Mike's affiliation with his former gang?"
"I know that Mike was fighting to get clean, stay clean, and leave his former life in the gang behind." JoAnne walked over to a nearby China cabinet and opened the side door. Reaching inside of an old champagne flute JoAnne revealed a neatly folded piece of paper that had been tucked inside of the glass. "Mike wrote this letter and gave it to me the night before he was killed. We had decided to have an early New Year's celebration with Devon since Booker and I were going to be out of the country during the holiday, and he tucked it into that glass as a toast to his new future after we shared his final drop of alcohol together."
Connor accepted the letter and read it over. It was a confession to all of Mike's past crimes, a truly heartfelt apology, and a promise to begin the new year entirely sober and clean to make Devon proud. He wanted to be a good role model for his nephew and show that even if someone isn't perfect that it doesn't mean they're entirely a lost cause or worthless.
"It seems your brother-in-law was truly trying to make amends for his previous poor decisions." Neatly folding the letter just as it had been presented, Connor returned it to JoAnne so she could place it back into the protective cabinet. "I suspect that the person who set him up wasn't happy about him trying to live an honest and clean life."
"Who would kill a man for trying to turn his life around?" Placing the letter back into the case JoAnne locked it up tight and tried to understand why such a senseless killing would ever happen. "I mean, it's not like Mike was a drug kingpin who made a ton of enemies or anything. He was an electrician who fell on hard times after he fell and injured his back."
"JoAnne, hush." Booker seemed to warn her about talking too much in a near hiss. "That's not what we're discussing right now."
The seemingly taboo subject immediately held Connor's attention. "May I ask to what you're referring to, Mrs. Winters? What back injury?"
"Mike was working on Mayor Walter Nero's house just before the election." She replied in an almost casual manner. "He was outside on a ladder checking over-"
Booker interrupted sharply as he gave his wife a disapproving glare. "That happened four years ago. It's not important anymore."
"With all due respect," Connor chimed in with a firm tone as he remained focused on JoAnne. "your wife was speaking. Please continue, Mrs. Winters."
"Mike had been working on some wiring at the mayor's house." JoAnne stated in a terse tone as she shot Booker an understandably annoyed glare. "He was outside on a ladder near a two story window. He had been working on some old wiring that was a fire hazard when the ladder suddenly broke and collapsed. Mike landed on his back on a concrete walkway and suffered a herniated disk. When Mike tried to get the mayor to pay for his medical bills - treatment and physical therapy, Nero said he'd pay after the election was over to avoid any bad press against him. After the election came and went, Nero still refused to pay the bills and Mike was left to manage his pain in his own way while Booker tried to build a case against Nero. That's when Mike started drinking, doing 'red ice' and doing things with his old gang so he could get some money because he couldn't work anymore. He had no choice but to stoop so low because the mayor was behaving just as low."
"Interesting." Connor turned his attention back to Booker and noticed that the man's heart rate was picking up and his blood pressure was starting to rise. "You 'tried' to build a case for Mike against the mayor? You were unable to successfully aid your brother in what should've been a very simple case in your favor?"
JoAnne was about to say something further when she heard the 'buzzing' at the front gate again. Checking the security camera at the connected intercom beside the front door JoAnne was greeted by the sight of another detective looking to ask a few questions. "Oh, come on in, Lieutenant."
Both Connor and Booker turned to look at JoAnne as she waited for Hank to reach the front door after giving him access to the mansion. Unsure of why Hank was at the Winters residence as well, Connor remained focused on his questions and away from the gruff Lieutenant for the time being.
"Mr. Winters," Connor began again and watched Booker jump where he stood. "you are a very powerful and persuasive attorney. I find it exceedingly implausible that you were unable to aid your brother in his very simple case. What happened?"
"That's none of your concern!"
"Clearly it is." Challenging the claim Connor never looked away even as he heard the door open as Hank entered the mansion. "Your brother suffered a serious back injury and had to resort to self medication in the form of drugs and alcohol in order to cope. It was that very form of self care that led your brother down a dangerous path that ultimately ended with his murder."
Hank wasn't sure what he walked in on but he was intrigued. Standing beside the front door Hank listened to the conversation from afar and made mental notes of the details being shared.
Booker wasn't impressed with Connor's comments and went on the defensive. "Are you accusing me of something?"
"I'm merely asking why you were unable to help your brother when he needed it the most, how your brother ended up in prison for his habit when you could've defended him had leniency granted toward him and why you never tried to help him after he was released from prison?"
"I DID help him!" Booker shouted then quickly recomposed himself to keep up the appearance of professionalism. "I let Michael into my home so he didn't end up on the street."
"And yet he frequently left this house to find a means of numbing his pain after you'd constantly demean him and accuse him of being a failure due to his career ending injury." Connor wasn't going to back down. He knew he was on the right track based on Booker's behavior and responses to his questions. "It seems you were more preoccupied with protecting the mayor's reputation than aiding your own family and getting Mike the money that he needed to regain control over his life."
A lightbulb went off in Hank's head and he spoke up at last. "Strange that you're mentioning the mayor right now..."
Connor turned to look at Hank and noted the change in his appearance. The shorter hair, trimmed beard and even minor weight loss were all positive changes in the senior detective's life, but not worth mentioning. "Do you know anything about the mayor's ties to the late Michael Winters, Lieutenant?"
"Maybe." Eyeing Booker with a fierce gaze Hank played on a hunch as his gut told him he was going to find his answers. "A few weeks back, a colleague mentioned that the mayor went out of his way to make sure Jack Pillar, your brother's killer, stayed behind bars permanently. He also mentioned that there was an upcoming attorney lurking in the mayor's shadow, and that the attorney of interest wanted to make a name for themself by being really hard on 'red ice' dealers because of a personal vendetta. Now, who does that remind me of?"
JoAnne heard the comments and could see that her husband was looking particularly nervous and worried. "Booker? What's he talking about?"
"JoAnne, go to work." Booker urged in a low voice. His arrogant nature had been effectively tamed by the two detectives backing him into a corner. "I'll talk to you later. Everything's under control."
"I already called off work because of what's going on." Sensing that she was missing something important JoAnne took Booker's hand in her own and held tight as she tried to understand what her husband was trying to hide. "Booker, tell me what's happening. Are you doing something with the mayor?"
"I... It's not important." Booker tried to deny any connection with the powerful figure despite the two detectives knowing better. "We had a meeting a few times about handling 'red ice' dealers, nothing more."
Connor knew he needed to keep the pressure on Booker if he was going to finally crack and admit the truth. "You were having meetings with the man who refused to pay for your brother's medical bills and treatment? I doubt that the meetings revolved around the payments that your brother was due considering you weren't meeting in a courthouse."
"Booker?" JoAnne was becoming increasingly worried as she realized her husband had been doing something potentially shady behind her back. "What meetings?"
"It was just business as usual."
"Then tell me what you talked about."
"JoAnne, please! Just trust me on this."
"I want to, I really do, but I can't trust you if you don't talk to me or tell me the truth!" Desperate to know what was going on JoAnne tightened her grip on Booker's hand and stood before him to lock eyes with her husband. "What's going on?"
Closing his eyes Connor pretended to cybernetically tap into his fictional evidence to push Booker to his breaking point. "It seems the call logs have been traced." With a cold glance Connor managed to finally get inside Booker's head. "Once a judge approves of the warrant-"
"All right! All right..." Admitting defeat Booker took in a deep breath and shook his head as frustrated tears filled his suddenly emotional eyes. "I had worked out a deal with the mayor to become the new district attorney in the next election by dropping Mike's case against him."
"You... You did what?" Letting go of Booker's hand JoAnne gave her husband a shocked stare. "You betrayed Mike? Is that why you two were fighting all the time?"
Hank knew there was something more to the situation and wanted Booker to admit to it. "I seriously doubt that'd be enough to warrant Mike being taken out like he had been. Am I right, Booker?"
"It's not-" Booker felt cornered and was trying to maintain some form of control. "Look, I didn't intend for Mike to die, all right?"
"So, you knew he was targeted." The senior detective was quick to keep adding pressure against Booker just as Connor had been doing. "Why didn't you warn Mike about what was going to happen? Especially since he was watching over your son while you were on vacation."
"Tell us what happened!" JoAnne was losing her emotional composure as she realized that her husband had been an instrument in his own brother's death. "Just tell us the truth so we can finally get this mess sorted out. Please!"
Connor didn't want to lose his lead and spoke up again as a new theory came to his mind. "Booker, did the mayor threaten you with revealing that your brother was a 'red ice' addict and part of a 'red ice' distributing, anti-android gang? Guilt by association is nearly impossible to overcome while attempting to build up a promising career and reputation."
"Mike... Mike was a part of the gang before he was injured because he hated androids." Booker finally admitted the truth as if a lead weight was crushing his very soul. "The mayor knew of his gang affiliation and used that as leverage to NOT pay the medical bills as he had promised. When I confronted the mayor about the case and asked him to do the right thing, he threatened my career, my home and my family all because he needed to win the election."
"Why didn't you bring this blackmailing scheme to light?" Connor asked as he determined that Booker was being honest. His body language was open and the emotions in his voice were entirely sincere. "You know you would've been able to win the case and the police would've worked with you to stop Nero from using political power to give himself an illegal advantage."
"Because I'd have to admit that my brother is a gang member and I'd lose any and all credibility as a fair and unbiased lawyer in court of law."
JoAnne let out a disappointed laugh of absolute stress as she gave Booker a cold look. "You let the mayor walk all over you because of your ego. You always have to the best otherwise nothing else matters..."
"JoAnne, it's not-"
"Please continue." Connor stopped Booker from getting sidetracked and expected him to keep talking about the blackmail scheme. "What did the blackmail have to do with Mike's murder?"
"...Nero wanted to make it clear that 'red ice' dealers won't get any mercy during his time in office." As he spoke Booker's shoulders slumped and his guard began to lower as if he knew he couldn't talk his way out of what was happening. "He wanted to find a way to bring down the 'red ice' kingpin himself and knew that Mike would be able to get close to him."
Hank had to cross his arms over his chest to keep him from throwing a punch at Booker for selling out his own brother and putting his own son in danger. "Did the mayor tell you to sacrifice Mike in order to confirm that the 'red ice' kingpin was Jack Pillar?"
"No. Mike told me that he was leaving the gang and had to do a single hit in order to leave without any repercussions." Booker explained with utter shame heavy in his words. "When he told me that he was going to take down Jack Pillar and begged me to keep the police from prosecuting him, I told Nero what was going to happen, so he'd be prepared for the big news, but he... had a change of plans."
"Nero knew how to contact Pillar himself?" That type of revelation was enough to make Hank clench his teeth with anger. "How?"
"Pillar had something on the mayor, some kind of extortion regarding infidelity, fraud, proof that he had enabled anti-android bigotry and some other problems, and Pillar was constantly sending threats to the mayor whenever Nero made any comments regarding 'red ice' rings being busted."
Connor needed to have one more thing clarified for his own personal sense of peace. "And why did you hire Stanley Fordon to kill me?"
"I..." Booker closed his eyes as shame filled his gaze. "I had no choice, it wasn't personal."
JoAnne's own eyes went wide as he she backed away from Booker with disgust. "You WHAT? You tried to have him killed?!"
"He was snooping around and was going to expose everything! I needed to cover my tracks and-"
With a firm slap across Booker's face JoAnne silenced him and put her hands to her face in abject horror. "You're disgusting! A monster!"
"Let me explain." Rubbing his palm over his cheek where he could still feel his wife's slap, Booker gave Connor a remorseful stare. "I couldn't risk you exposing everything and putting my family in jeopardy. The mayor has many contacts - several of which are violent extortionists and even hitmen, and I didn't want my wife or son to be victimized because of my actions. Fordon said he could eliminate you, Detective Wolf, without anyone being able to trace anything back to me, but I didn't know he was going to have you gunned down so... brutally."
"Why do you care how I was disposed of?" Connor questioned with a cynical tone. The shooting was unforgivable under any circumstances. "I was merely an obstacle to you, was I not?"
"A detective being shot would draw far too much attention for my liking. Your shooting had been kept quiet, which was fortunate for everyone, but Fordon failed and wanted to get his money."
"And so Fordon agreed to a second attempt on my life, correct?"
"Yeah. But I didn't know that he'd target every android in the city with his cyber attack afterward. He went too far out of line, and when I refused to pay him he told Nero about everything which gave Nero more leverage over me. No matter what I did, things kept getting worse and worse!"
"Let me get this straight..." Pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and bowed his head, Hank put the pieces of the very strange puzzle together as a headache began to build. "Pillar blackmailed Nero to keep Nero from actually making any progress on drug busts. Nero blackmailed you to keep from having to pay your brother any money owed toward him. You tried to get off of Nero's shit-list by letting him know that your brother was going to take down Pillar, but someone tipped off Pillar that your brother was gunning for him and Pillar turned the tables, and then he gained even more leverage by knowing that you orchestrated the cyber attack that Fordon unleashed on the city. This is the most fucked up conspiracy I've ever worked through."
Connor put the pieces together as well, and now understood what had happened. "You had assumed that if Nero was no longer being blackmailed by Pillar, then you'd have the upper hand by revealing Nero's illegal practices if he didn't cooperate with you. You'd be able to get your brother his money and improve your own standing in the community, but Nero didn't want to be held under your influence either. Nero told Pillar to kill Mike to send a message to you about trying to gain any leverage over him while also gaining favor with Pillar by helping him to take out some competition."
"Everything got so fucked up." Booker confessed in a broken tone. "Mike was supposed to take out Pillar, get his payment from the mayor, and finally move on with his life. Instead, the mayor had Mike killed and threatened me with the truth about Mike's situation so that if he went down then I'd go down with him."
With a heavy sigh Hank took the handcuffs from the back of his belt and motioned for Booker to turn around. "Well, it worked. Booker Winters, you're under arrest for accessory to murder, extortion and interfering with a police investigation. There's probably some more shit in there, too, but I don't have the time to sort it out."
"...Wh-What?" Booker was stunned but didn't put up a fight as Hank made a move to cuff his wrists behind his back. "You can't arrest me."
"Actually, I can. You confessed to everything in front of me, your wife and another detective. Pretty damning if you ask me."
"Please, not inside my own home." Pleading for some form of dignity Booker gave Hank a desperate glance as he motioned toward the front door. "Outside. I... I don't want Devon to see me being led away in cuffs."
Hank had a soft spot for kids and couldn't decline the offer. "All right, let's go. Mrs. Winters, you can come down to the precinct at any time with the bail so you don't have to deal with someone who might recognize you or your surname."
Wiping away her tears JoAnne could only nod to acknowledge the offer as Hank put his hand on Booker's shoulder to lead him outside.
"You know, I came here to ask you questions about why you were gone for so long." Hank confirmed as he opened the door and escorted Booker out of the mansion and out pass the iron gates before cuffing his hands behind his back. Remaining discreet Hank made sure no one in the neighborhood saw it and helped Booker to climb into the backseats of the Oldsmobile out of sight. "I wasn't expecting to hear a confession to all that shit and getting confirmation that the mayor is a piece of shit at the same time."
"If I had known your partner was going to be stopping by tonight, I would've remained away from Detroit a while longer."
"Yeah..." Climbing into the driver's seat Hank slammed his door and made a call to dispatch. The truth behind the Winters family murder had been revealed and now it was up to Captain Fowler and his superiors to handle the issues with the mayor. "If I had known he was going to close this case I would've arrived sooner."
Still within the mansion Connor watched through the security camera on the door's intercom as Hank arrested Booker and put him in the Oldsmobile to drive away. He was relieved that Hank had arrived to close the case on an official capacity, but he wasn't relieved to see Hank in general. He still wanted some space from the senior detective while he still processed everything that had happened.
"What am I going to do?" JoAnne started to cry as she realized the truth and couldn't process that her husband had been doing so much illegal activity behind her back. Learning of the circumstances behind Mike's death had led to more pain rather than any healing. "How am I going to explain this to Devon?"
"I... imagine it'll be very difficult." Sympathetic toward JoAnne's pain Connor tried to be of some comfort before he left the mansion to return to the brownstone. With his current case closed he could move on to his next case and move on from any case connected with Hank. "Is there anyone you'd wish to call?"
"I'll call my mother and ask her to stay with Devon while I... I guess I'll bail out Booker and then, maybe look for a divorce attorney."
"You may want to wait a while longer before considering divorce."
"You heard everything Booker said. You know what he did and why he did it!"
"I agree that his actions were very misguided and selfish, but I believe his motivations were more sincere. Perhaps this incident will remind Booker of his limitations and leave him humbled or at the very least more appreciative of what he has and who he has in his life."
"...Maybe."
"Would you like me to remain here with you until your mother arrives?"
"No, I'll be okay." Taking a deep breath JoAnne recomposed herself for Devon's sake. She didn't want her son to be frightened or ashamed of his father. "I want to be alone with Devon so I can explain this to him as best as I can."
"Understandable." Approaching the front door Connor opened the door and respected JoAnne's wish to be left alone. "I'll remain in touch if you need any further assistance. Just call me for assistance."
"Thank you, detective."
Keeping his head held high Connor cybernetically closed the case while simultaneously hailing an autonomous cab. Despite his success Connor still felt rather low considering he had potentially witnessed the groundwork for a divorce and took a father away from his son. He still had a lot to learn about emotions, empathy and the morals that revolved around what was right and what was legal. It was a very fine line that needed to be respected to prevent anyone from crossing it regardless of their intentions.
As the hailed pulled up to the drive Connor slipped into the backseat and rubbed his palm over his left bicep where an offending bullet had once resided. The projectile was gone but the scar still remained.
"Hopefully with this arrest, the mayor will also be arrested for his illegal activities and the city can truly begin a new chapter of healing together."
-next chapter-