"Mike…"
Long before he ever glanced up from his report, he could tell by the tone in his partner's voice that trouble was on the horizon.
Meeting Steve's anxious green eyes, his usually cheerful expression turned to guarded neutrality, Mike watched the young Inspector direct somebody over to his desk. With the doorframe to his office obscuring the view on what was happening, he waited until the young Inspector appeared in front of him, lips pursed to a tight line, the tension turning his face ashen.
Leaning over and keeping his voice low, Steve pointed his chin back at the figure by his desk, never losing that haunted look in his eyes.
"Mike, I've got an ID on our floater. That's his best friend sitting out there. I caught him downstairs as he walked in looking for Missing Person's…"
"You gotta be kidding me…", the season Lieutenant answered and closed his file, readying himself to get out of his chair, "Are you absolutely sure?"
Steve nodded insistently and handed him a black and white photo of the young man in question.
"No doubt in my mind. The decomposition may have changed some of his facial features but that's him, I am absolutely sure…"
"That's him alright…Did you…did you tell him yet…?"
"Mhm hm. I didn't want to tell him in the elevator…"
"Good choice…let's pull him into one of the interrogation rooms, ask Art which one is available…"
Steve spun around and left his office, looking for the Sergeant sitting next door. Glancing back down at the picture of a young man in his prime, smiling and obviously enjoying his company, Mike felt his heart sink at what he was about to tell the sole person who seemed to care for him.
Sighing as he mentally prepared himself to deliver the bad news, he stood up from his desk just in time to see Steve head over to the northeast interrogation room, two cups of coffee in hand, one of them for their witness.
Mike exited the office slowly, keeping his partner in his peripheral vision, as he approached the older man sitting at Steve's desk. The brown fedora instantly woke his senses, his memory going into overdrive as he tried to recall the last time he'd met him.
And then it struck Mike.
The vandalism at the Grace Cathedral almost ten years ago. A fire that was intentionally set in the tribune, resulting in the death of a young fire fighter when it collapsed during extinguishing efforts.
And the man sitting at Steve's desk was his father.