When Norman stepped through the sliding glass doors, he thought he'd entered a huge party. Police officers stood in groups around the lobby, laughing over cups of hot coffee. The conference room was open and several workers were setting up chairs and cameras in front of the podium. It seemed every officer in the precinct was there. Even Captain Perry had left his usual spot and was standing in the conference room, fumbling with his tie.
Norman automatically moved through the crowd towards the interrogation room at the end of the lobby. He didn't doubt Blake was already at work on Ethan Mars, and if it was anything like Nathaniel, Ethan was most likely already unconscious. As Norman passed the entrance to the conference room, he turned and cast a look at Ashley. She sighed heavily as she veered towards the large entrance.
"Good luck," she said. Norman couldn't help the despair that fell over him.
"You too," he muttered. She had about as much chance getting Perry to listen as Norman had of stopping Blake.
Norman strode quickly down the hall and grasped the doorknob to the interrogation room. It was locked. A thick anger coursed through him as he pushed his shoulder into the door and pounded his fist against it. Blake had the nerve to lock the interrogation room, once again, against policy. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Norman turned and moved down the hall, stepping into the observation room which was conveniently left unlocked.
Two police officers looked up as Norman entered the room. A large two-way mirror took up most of one wall, giving him a view into the interrogation room. Norman stepped to the window with frantic energy, ignoring the officers next to him. There, handcuffed and slumped over the table was the miserable form of Ethan Mars.
Besides looking ragged and unkempt, he seemed to be okay. Ethan stared down at his clenched fists on the table as if he wasn't aware of the situation around him. As Norman stepped back from the window, he spotted Blake resting his shoulder against one wall in the interrogation room. Norman felt his anger boil. Blake was alone with him.
Norman turned to the officers. "Has he confessed?" They both gave him blank looks.
"That you, Norman?" Blake's voice rang through the speaker, and Norman balled his fists at the fake friendliness in Blake's tone. "Glad you made it. I was worried you were gonna miss all the fun."
"Why's the door locked, Blake?" said Norman. "And why are you alone with a suspect?"
"Hey, I'm not alone." Blake turned to the window and Norman saw that he had removed his necktie, rolling it over his hands. "You can see me from there, can't you?"
Norman looked around him in disbelief. The officers seemed completely undisturbed by what was happening. He turned to the camera which was set up in front of the window. The recording light was off, and the screen was dark. Norman ran a hand over his face. "You psychopathic bastard…"
"Looks like Mars is ready for another round, boys." Blake moved to the table and leaned against it. "What do you say, Ethan? Ready to tell us where Shaun is?"
Norman's heart hammered as he watched Ethan. The man continued to stare at his clenched hands. He made no indications towards Blake, and Norman felt a swell of admiration for him.
Blake moved off the desk. "Alright. I got all day, you know." He curled the tie around both hands. Then he swung his arms over Ethan's head, wrapping the tie tightly over the man's neck.
Norman bolted forward, pounding his fists against the window. "Blake!" he screamed. "Blake stop!" Panic shot through him as he watched Ethan bare his teeth and close his eyes, his face quickly turning red. Norman lunged at one of the officers next to him, grabbing him by the collar. "You're just letting this happen?" The officer shoved him away, and Norman felt hot sweat bead his forehead. Without a second thought, he darted through the door and ran down the hallway towards the interrogation room.
He threw his shoulder against the door, gripping the knob tightly in an effort to break it open. It was no use without a key. He pushed back from the door, then raced forward again, bashing his shoulder into it. The door crunched. With frantic energy, Norman leaned back and slammed into the door one more time. It broke open, and Norman swung his arms to regain his balance as he stumbled into the room.
He didn't hesitate. Before Blake could move, Norman barreled into him, slamming him into the opposite wall. The force nearly cracked the concrete. As Norman recovered, he felt a fist slam into his gut and everything went white.
"Nice job, asshole," said Blake, and Norman was pulled straight as Blake grabbed him by the collar. "I been waiting for a reason to bash your head through a wall."
The room went sideways as Blake flung him into the table. Norman struggled to straighten himself, bringing one leg out and kicking outward as Blake marched toward him. Blake staggered, and with a jolt of panic, Norman twisted his body sideways as Blake slammed his fist toward him, hitting the table instead. Norman pushed off him, launching himself back against the mirror.
"You gonna fight me or not, Norman?" Blake picked up one of the metal chairs, angling his body as he prepared to swing. "Or are you just a fucking pussy!" He threw the chair, and Norman ducked as there was a loud crash above him. He covered his head with his hands under a shower of broken glass.
Footsteps marched toward him, and Norman launched himself from the wall, catching Blake around the waist and pinning him against the table. Panic mixed with his fury as he swung his fist, cracking Blake in the jaw and sending waves of agony through his knuckles. Blake twisted sideways from the blow and came back with a balled fist which knocked Norman backwards, his cheek numb with pain. Agony erupted in his ribs, and before he could recover, Blake had gripped him by his jacket and flung him into the wall.
A fist clamped tightly around his throat. Norman gripped Blake's arm as Blake held him steady. He barely noticed that Blake was punching him over and over again at every inch of his body. Norman coughed as he struggled to breath. Blake was going to kill him.
Suddenly the blows stopped, and the pain settled. Norman sucked in air, opening his eyes just enough to make sense of the scene.
Blake's eyes were alight in fury, his fist balled near his shoulder as he was poised to punch again. A metal glint captured Norman's attention, and his heart nearly stopped as he saw Ashley standing rigid behind Blake, her face tense in panic and both hands clasped around the gun at Blake's head.
It seemed almost an eternity that the three of them were frozen, the silence only broken by their heavy breathing. Norman's hands shook from the effort of holding onto Blake's arm, and he swallowed heavily as he looked into Blake's furious eyes.
"Get the hell out of here, Blake," said Ashley, barely above a whisper. Norman's heart hammered in his chest. If Blake put one finger on her…
Blake's hand loosened on Norman's neck, his eyes still firmly locked on Norman's. Air filled Norman's lungs and his vision cleared. He watched as Blake slowly backed away, the corner of Blake's mouth rising.
"I always knew you were a god damn pussy, Norman," said Blake. He cast his eyes sideways at Ashley who still held the gun firmly pointed at him. "You want Ethan Mars so bad? You can share a fucking cell with him." Blake turned, his boots crunching against the broken glass on the floor as he moved out of the room and disappeared.
Norman fell forward, throwing his arm around Ashley's shoulders as he struggled to stand. There was no time to recover. No time to think.
"Ethan…" Norman looked up to see Ethan slumped forward on the table, his head in his arms.
"He's breathing," said Ashley, helping Norman forward to lean against the table. He felt her hand against his face as she gazed at him.
Norman wrapped his hand around hers, looking into her eyes. "Cuff me."
Her eyes went wide. "What are you─"
"Just do it." He could hear the commotion in the lobby. They were out of time. Norman kneeled and slammed his hands onto the table. Ashley was silent as she stared at him, her wide eyes pleading. But Norman returned it with a fierce glare. Finally she moved forward, pulling a set of cuffs from her belt and snapping them onto his wrists.
Police officers burst into the room just as she'd finished, their guns drawn. They moved towards Norman but slowed as he looked up at them. Captain Perry walked in after them, adjusting his tie. Perry looked at the broken mirror, then gazed down at Norman, shaking his head.
"Well, this is an absolute mess," said Perry. "I don't know why I expected anything different." Norman clenched his hands as Perry walked toward him. Perry motioned towards Ashley. "Good job, Gibbons. You can remove the handcuffs. I don't think Agent Jayden is going anywhere. Ah─" Perry raised a hand as Ashley moved forward. "Jayden's handcuffs. Not Mars'."
Norman felt burning disgust deep in his gut at Perry's cynical tone. He glared up at him as Ashley leaned forward to remove his handcuffs. She threw Norman a terrified glance as she moved away, rubbing her arm with one hand.
"Why don't you take Mr. Mars to one of the cells, seeing as the interrogation room is out of service," said Perry. "Agent Jayden, come with me."
Norman stood up slowly, his nerves practically on fire from anxiety. He avoided Ashley's gaze as he followed Perry out of the room, though a faint relief lingered in his chest. They'd been just quick enough for Ashley to have avoided suspicion. But that was where his plan ended. Now Norman was at the mercy of the law without boundaries.
As they moved out of the hallway, Blake appeared, folding his arms over his chest. Norman fought to ignore the smug look on his face as they moved toward Perry's office. Footsteps behind him told him Blake was following them. Figures, Blake wouldn't want to miss a second of this.
Perry held the door open as Norman and Blake entered the office. Norman stood next to the desk, willing his heart to stop pounding. Though he was terrified of what was about to happen, he was glad Ashley was with Ethan Mars. At least there was one cop in the station who cared whether Ethan lived or died.
"I don't know what your issue is, Jayden," said Perry as he moved around the desk to his chair. "And frankly, I don't care." He sat down at his chair, folding one leg over the other. "You refuse to help us at every turn, make wild accusations, and now you're attacking our officers. Can you see my problem here, Jayden?"
Norman stared at a spot on the wall and didn't answer. Nothing he could say would help the situation. Perry leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk in front of him. "You wanted to make a difference here, Jayden. But just because you didn't catch the Origami Killer doesn't mean you can destroy the god damn station. Had I known your ego was that big, I'd have sent you back to Washington yesterday."
Norman couldn't stop his breath of laughter. He closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his face, shaking his head slowly. Their stupidity had no bounds. It was almost better for them to believe that he wanted credit for the capture of the killer, rather than an actual solution to the case. At least they could hate him for something that didn't exist.
He ran a finger over his eye, and looked at Perry who stared at him in disbelief. Blake didn't even bother to hide his smile.
"You think this is a game, Jayden?" Perry's eyes narrowed at him. "The only reason you're not under arrest is because I'm giving you the option to leave right now."
Norman could see Blake's face turn white out of the corner of his eye. Blake stepped forward, dropping his arms to his side.
"Leave? You're gonna let this asshole just leave?" Blake rested his hands on the desk and leaned forward. "After everything he's done? Christ, he just now tried to kill me!"
Another snort of laughter shook Norman. "Don't worry, Blake. I'm pretty sure a bruise isn't fatal."
Blake moved toward Norman, his fist raised.
"That's enough!" Perry stood up, and Blake froze in his tracks, his eyes still murderous. Perry pointed at Norman. "Agent Jayden, get out of my precinct. Pack whatever you have, and just get out." He sat at his desk and folded his hands. "I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to get back to Washington though. You might not have a job left when you get there."
Norman glanced at Blake who still glared at him. Then he turned and moved toward the door. No one spoke or even breathed it seemed as he stepped out of the office and into the lobby.
He stood still, his hands pressed to his face. He felt numb. Somewhat empty. The busy office sounds echoed around him, and several of the officers turned to look at him curiously. Behind him, he could hear the muffled voices as Blake and Perry argued in the office.
Somehow it felt worse simply to be dismissed from the case. He half wished he'd just been arrested. It would have been easier. Yesterday morning he would have given anything to finally be let go, but now… he felt lost. Abandoned. How could he simply go back to Washington knowing that he was leaving all this behind?
He staggered to the water dispenser, putting a cup under the fountain and pressing the tab. It bubbled and he slammed his fist on the tank, releasing a clear stream of water. Two days. He'd only been here two days and it had grown on him this much. He raised the cup to his mouth and swallowed the water, groaning in pain as his jaw ached. When he lowered the cup again, red swirled in the leftover water. He dropped the cup into the nearby trashcan, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger.
There was nothing for him to pack. At least the closet office they gave him had nothing in it worth keeping. Norman moved through the cubicles, barely noticing the officers around him as he headed for the sliding doors. A slight pang hit him, and he turned to look behind him.
Something touched his shoulder. He twisted back again, and felt an overwhelming rush of several emotions at once. Ashley stood in front of him, her brown eyes soft and a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. She ran a thumb over her bottom lip.
"They didn't arrest you?" she said. Norman guessed it was supposed to be a casual question, but he could hear the immense relief in her voice.
"They fired me." He ran a hand through his hair. "Well, they didn't fire me. I mean I'm going to be fired." He sighed and looked at her. This was yet another thing he hadn't expected since yesterday morning. Having only just rekindled his friendship, he was losing her again.
Norman grasped Ashley's shoulders and looked at her. "Whatever happens, do everything you can to keep Ethan Mars safe. The Origami Killer will kill again, and then Ethan Mars will be proven innocent. I don't have much time, but I can leave you with all the evidence I've gathered. You can find the Origami Killer, Ashley," he said, pressing his palm against her cheek and catching her gaze. "I know you can find him."
Ashley stared at him for a moment, her wide brown eyes the most clueless Norman had ever seen them. Then she tilted her head to the side to look out the glass doors. "I don't know about catching the Origami Killer," she said. "But you're not going to have to worry about Ethan Mars."
Norman followed her gaze. For a moment, he was at a loss as to what she was looking at. Then two figures caught his attention, moving away from the precinct. One was wearing a particular leather coat and cap. As Norman watched, one of the figures looked back, and Norman recognized the short dark hair and the sad brown eyes of the woman he'd seen earlier that day with Ethan. She leaned into the man next to her, wrapping her arm around his waist as they disappeared into the rain.
Norman ran a hand over his mouth, dumbstruck. He looked at Ashley, a wave of relief flowing through him. Ashley smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I hope the jacket wasn't a family heirloom or something. I guess I'll owe you a new one."
For a moment, Norman could only stare at her. Then he breathed a laugh. "How did you…"
Ashley's eyes widened. She motioned to the door. "Well I─ you mean─ that wasn't part of your plan?" Her thumb grazed her lip. "I took him to the cell, gave him the coat and hat and I just…" She made a walking motion with her fingers. "... walked him out of here. It was actually kind of incredible. Perry and Blake weren't there so I guess that made it easier."
Norman gazed through the glass windows at the falling rain. It took a while for it all to sink in. Ethan was gone. Perry and Blake were out of a scapegoat. And Ashley was right. Norman was with them the whole time, which meant he couldn't be blamed for Ethan's escape. Norman smiled and shook his head. He didn't want to be there when Blake and Perry discovered Ethan's disappearance.
He felt Ashley move next to him, and the sliding glass door opened. As she stepped out into the rain, she paused and looked back at him. "Well?"
Norman stared at her. "Well what?" Ashley sighed and dropped her shoulders.
"Well… are we going to find the Origami Killer or not?" She folded her arms across her chest. "You're not just going to high-tail it back to Washington, are you?"
Norman scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes. This had been the longest day of his life. He'd nearly been melted in a vat of acid, almost shot, beaten by Blake, and removed from the case. And now he was going to interview a possible lead on the Origami Killer which was bound to be a life or death situation. He felt a sad bubble of humor. At least the ARI withdrawal had been at a minimum.
He moved forward into the rain next to her, and tossed her the keys. "You owe me a new coat."