He's the last soul left in the office that evening. Everyone else has headed out early, still reeling from the day's revelations. Aiden carefully packs papers, and files into an old file box at his superior's desk. He looks up when he feels eyes on him. Vera enters the office, and sinks into the seat next to the door. Aiden turns a chair in her direction.
She offers a weak smile, "Justice prevails, pet."
"I've handed over all of the evidence. The word just came down that they have raided the homes of solicitors, magistrates, and cops alike in association with bribery, and corruption related to the O'Rourke family."
"I wouldn't be surprised if you earn yourself a promotion for your work, Aiden. Well done. Meanwhile I can pack up this stuff. You have a lad to get home to."
"It isn't like you to walk away from something, or someone."
"Can we chalk it up to youthful indiscretion?" Vera arches an eyebrow.
"If you hadn't been on the job I would accept it as an answer."
"I was green back then. Think about it a twenty something on their first undercover assignment. There were aspects of the task that I was grossly unprepared for."
"Aspects that you felt no one would believe?"
"Aye. The scales of justice did not tilt in the direction of the female persuasion in those days."
"You were a cop."
"It didn't matter. There was an unspoken rule that it came with the territory. It wasn't discussed. It had to be accepted to remain on the job."
"It should never be accepted as an occupational hazard."
"I was in denial about the whole ordeal for some time. The trial drew me in, and I wanted justice to prevail. By the time the trial was over I realized justice had not prevailed."
"It certainly did not."
"I had resolved myself to move past all of it, but when the focus of the trial was suddenly gone I had to face reality. At that point I was too far gone to deny the state of affairs to myself any longer. I took some time off. I said I had a sick aunt, and that I was the only one who could care for her. I never even told my own father. I fooled myself into thinking that when I placed that perfect rosy-cheeked little girl into her parent's waiting arms that everything would be right in the world again. I had convinced myself that putting it in the past was that simple."
"You knew all along, didn't you?"
"That little one was Maggie's spitting image."
Aiden furrows his brow, "What will become of baby Emilia? Maggie's parents are deceased, and she was an only child. Are there other relatives?"
"Her parents were in their forties when they adopted her. There is a distant cousin in Beijing that they reached out to, who declined."
"What about the neighbor?"
"She has five little ones of her own."
"So Emilia will be placed with a foster family?"
Vera furrows her brow, "The intention of my absence was two-fold Aiden. For obvious reasons I had to remove myself form the inquiry. I also required time to consider such weighted question. What should become of Emilia? It seems Maggie was worried about that question as well. A letter from her arrived in the box today."
"And?"
"A lifetime ago a situation beyond my control yielded a daughter that I haven't allowed myself to grieve in all of the time since. Presently she has been murdered, and left behind a daughter that she wanted more than anything else in the world. What kind of crusader of justice would I be if I allowed the little lass to be shuffled into the system?"
Aiden falls silent as he tries to read her facial expression. Vera points to the door behind her towards the dark squad room.
"She's been asleep in that contraption on Kenny's desk the entire length of this conversation."
He rises from his seat, and moves to the doorway. He retrieves the car seat with a sleeping infant inside, and carries it into the office.
"How are you going to manage all of this?"
Vera offers a coy smile. She points at the innocent baby, "I am merely going to manage her, Aiden."
He furrows his brow, "What do you mean?"
She waves her hand over the desk, "It is time for you to be in charge of this mess."
"Wait, what?!"
"I believe the term is retirement, Aiden."
