"Well, I'd be lying if I said that I am not the least bit upset that I missed that…that cliffhanger, so to speak."
Simone Kammers tone of voice had taken on a relaxed, downright relieved cadence as she poured herself a cup of coffee and joined the two San Francisco Homicide detectives in Mike's office, ready to close on a case that had started with heartbreak, and ended in it as well.
"Not a cliffhanger. Just an admission of guilt. And Michael over here talking our suspect out of committing suicide. Being the hero that he is."
This time there was no lightheartedness to be found in Steve's words, if anything, the young Inspector's eyes had grown weary, clouded over with the haunting memories of a scene few had been around to witness, and the tense conversation that had eventually led to a non-violent end of the standoff.
Mike couldn't fault him one bit, Maria's terrifying request to be shot and killed instead of facing trial still weighing heavy on his soul that afternoon.
When despair grows strong enough, life becomes cheap.
It was a saying he'd picked up on the streets a few years ago and never forgot.
And perhaps it took somebody in their line of work to fully understand the concept of living and dying; but as far as Mike was concerned, any life saved was a victory in its own right.
"That must be frightening.", Simone countered quietly, before dropping back into the guest chair, taking a sip of coffee, then leaning back.
"Well, for what it's worth, I just got off the phone with Gerry and he said the DA's office is in negotiations to dismiss the murder charge and change it to manslaughter and obstruction of justice. Under the circumstances, it's the best thing that could have happened to Maria. She'll still serve time, but only a fraction of what she would have served otherwise."
Mike's words managed to put a brief smile back on his partner's lips as Steve glanced down, undoubtedly grateful for the DA's office to give the desperate woman a chance at redeeming herself after serving prison time.
"But nothing on McPhearson, eh?"
When her attitude was shining through on the edges just a bit, Mike threw Kammers a warning glance before shrugging.
"You can't always win. And there will always be those slimy kinds of characters preying on the weak, no matter how many times you slap on those handcuffs, Simone. The important thing is to take action when you can, and use what you have to serve justice."
"You know, I am really going to miss all that wisdom come next week- from both of you, actually.", Kammers admitted, her eyes slowly beginning to glisten, "This has been…this has probably been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career so far. You have no idea how many times I begged Captain Rodgers to have me stay the extra week, but he was firm on not wanting me partake in just part of a case and then leave you guys hanging in the midst of it. I guess it makes sense when you look at it from his perspective."
"He's just doing his job. And that was a good call to make."
Mike's soothing tone did wonders to calm down the Staff Sergeant, giving her a chance to blink away some of the tears.
"Besides, it doesn't take too long to figure out who barks the orders around here, and who gets to do all the running. Maybe he just wanted you to see something different than the usual…abuse of power.", Steve chimed in with a cheeky grin, trying to add some humor to a sad final meeting, before Kammers would bid her farewell and move on to a different department to finish the rest of her rotation.
Despite his earlier misgivings, if Mike was perfectly honest, he was going to miss her for more reasons than one.
Kammers may have felt like a pain in his side initially, but it quickly became obvious that the Staff Sergeant shared the same passion for law enforcement that he did, and that much of her to-the-point behavior might just be a deeply engrained self-defense mechanism a woman in her position required.
While triangles in general made for clumsy investigative work, he never felt that way while she was around. If anything, for some strange reason, she had complimented their theories with her out-of-the box thinking and female intuition.
And no, he still didn't like the idea of women being put into those kinds of roles in the police force; his old fashioned sense of protectiveness just couldn't handle the thought.
But whether he liked it or not, times were changing and nobody ever asked him about his opinion on the matter.
"Listen to you, wise guy.", Mike finally retorted and gestured over to his partner's desk, "Don't you have a report to write or something?"
The subtle request for privacy was duly noted by the fleeting glance Steve threw in his general direction, before sighing theatrically.
"No rest for the wicked. Just like I said early on.", the young Inspector complained in feign annoyance, then stretched his back like an alley cat, before reaching forward to shake Kammers' hand one last time.
"It was a pleasure to have you onboard, Staff Sergeant. I am sure our…paths will cross again sooner rather than later."
With a broad smile, Simone ignored the hand and stood up, before wrapping the young Inspector in a tight embrace, whispering something in his ear that Mike couldn't understand.
And yet, it made Steve blush for a brief second, as he excused himself and closed the door behind them.
"So, I hear robbery is next on your list, eh? It'll save you some time riding in the elevator, just going to the third floor."
Nodding sheepishly, Simone sat back down and reached for her coffee again, keeping an eye on Mike over the rim of the cup.
"Yes, I already spoke to Lieutenant Spencer and I'll be reporting down there first thing tomorrow morning."
"They're a good group of people, they really are. I am sure you'll learn a lot.". Mike said, his eyes drifting over to the Scales of Justice, then back to Kammers, "At any rate, I guess…I guess I wanted you to know that it was a pleasure having you up here with us. It made a big difference in our investigation and it opened my eyes to the importance of having a…a fresh perspective thrown into the mix…every once in a while. And I wish you the best of success on your future career path. I am sure you'll do just fine."
With her blue eyes growing warm, Simone nodded, a broad smile forming on her thin red lips.
"I appreciate your cooperation in this matter, especially when you had every reason not to. I will forever be in your debt for jumping out on a limb like that and giving me a chance to learn from your…vast knowledge…Mike"
The words left unsaid circled the small office for many long moments, until Mike cocked his head in silent understanding.
"And I wasn't being funny earlier.", Simone then continued and nervously fidgeted with her hands in her lap, "Watching you two work together…that was a treat. It's not what I expected when I was assigned to this department. And it's something I will always cherish, no matter where my career takes me. I truly hope that you and Steve will get to keep the streets safe for many more years to come. Because this department, and this whole city needs you more than you can imagine."