CHAPTER 12
"Wait for my signal" Gail whispered on her mouthpiece.
She waited for something- a sign, a second to take a breath, either or both. This is a case she has been working on for the past two months. She needed to catch the wretched culprit tonight.
"Go!" the order was faint but firm.
The team of officers moved swiftly, not a decibel high enough to wake a cat. Gail and Traci positioned themselves in their respective places.
"Detective Nash if we catch him tonight, drink's on you" Gail said with a wink before holding up her hand signaling a police officer to destroy the door that's between her and the prized case closure.
"POLICE! FREEZE!"
Victory was evident at the Penny's atmosphere as the Division 15 friends begin to toast for a successful closing of an operation.
"Here's to another case closed by Detective Gail Peck!" Traci said rather cheerfully.
"This is your second one within your first 6 months as a detective! Good job!" Chris held his pint to her.
"Please, you suck ups. I was being a slacker in that rate." Gail replied.
"Of course you are" Chloe chirped in.
When everyone settled their attention to a different being in the room, Gail followed their gaze with curiosity on whoever took their attention from her.
"Shit you guys don't look!" Gail hissed.
"That bad huh?" Chloe snickered.
"So tell me what happened between you and Anderson again?" a curious Chris tried his best to hide his smile. TRIED
"We broke up I don't know, 2-3 weeks ago. It was never going to work anyway. I didn't like the way she chews" Gail buried herself to her own pint.
"And we are back in 'The adventures of Gail Peck: A quest for true love!' For tonight's episode; The aftermath of the latest EX girlfriend'" Dov swiped his hands on the air as if painting those words in it.
"And for tonight's episode of DOV the LOSER WHINER; will he get home alive? Probably not because I am going to kill him!" Gail countered and stared her friend down.
All of them bursted out laughing.
Gail slowly looked back at the subject of the topic and when she saw her staring back at her, probably with a plan to murder her, she snapped her head back.
"Okay, I think, and god help me for this but I think you, Gail peck needs an intervention. That's like what, the fifth person in a month Gail?" Traci pointed a finger on her.
In two months. And since when did you guys have the guts to give me an intervention?" Gail replied annoyingly.
"Since we became your friend?" Chloe
"Who said you're my friend?" Gail snorted.
"Whatever Gail, Traci is right. What is going on with you? You know you can talk to us."
"I just caught a criminal tonight, in my operation. That's what's going on. And I am on fire!" Gail raised her glass.
"Well I guess the women surfing is because of the one fact that no one can ever be Holly"
All their eyes simultaneously went wide on the comment Chris just made. Dov choked on his beer.
Gail stared at Chris. As if realizing what he has done, he offered to get another round of beer and stood up to go to the bar.
"I'm off." Gail said and within seconds she was making her way towards the door.
"Gail wait!" Traci called.
"Just let her be. I have seen that look. A nerve was hit." Dov explained.
Gail's speed of 120 km/hr is an understatement of how mad she was. Chris definitely hit a nerve. Oh she can't believe he even went there. Not cool.
She stepped heavily onto the accelerator and coursed through the highway as a way of engraving her anger on the road.
How dare he. Gail can feel her heat burning inside her like volcanic magma. Her heart rate is rising as fast as the numbers at the accelerometer. She didn't know exactly when it started but drops of water began to trickle her face.
She finally decided to slow her car and pulled over a curb. At the mention of that one name she is dreading but loving to hear at the same time just got her undone.
She doesn't know what really got her furious though. Is it the fact that Chris made that comment or is it because there was some truth to it? Probably the latter.
But why does it matter anyway? She's gone right? She's let her go. It's all over. So why the fuck does she still feel the same thing about this woman even though three years have passed? As always, DAMN YOU HOLLY STEWART
No. This night is not going to end like this. She has just closed a valued case. She must be celebrating. And Gail knows exactly what she wants.
"Gail!" Chris shouted at the car park of their division.
"It's Detective Peck. What do you want?" Gail said while focusing on her phone.
"Detective Gail Peck. Uh, uhm…"
"If you have nothing to say I'm going to head off because another case awaits."
"Hey, wait. About the other night, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"Be so stupid? I get it. It's the natural you. I should be used to it." Gail smiled and then went back to her phone.
"Gail. I really am sorry." Chris tugged her arm gently so that Gail would look at him.
The blue eyes pierced through him by the second.
"Fine. But you have to get me a tall latte from my favourite coffee shop and take it to the address I'm going to send you. Chop-chop!" If Chris rolled his eyes she didn't care and at that, Gail strode to her police car and drove off.
Gail arrived at the crime scene earlier than expected. It was at a house in an area obvious of wealth- a couple of million at least on the household's bank accounts. She walked towards a team of police forensics setting up tape boundaries. The door she took is a double opening door that she will only ever walk in in times of expensive family dinners (which she has usually effectively avoided), or at times like this, a homicide case.
"Ah detective! There you are!" Paul Rantmant exclaimed. A senior police officer who called Gail for the case was already too enthusiastic for her liking in this morning. Diaz better get me that coffee fast.
"So, what do we have here?"
Gail was staring at the house's main corridor. A man's body is sitting on the floor, back slouched against one side the wall, arms and feet spread away from his body. The man has his eyes opened and blooded. His mouth gaped, neck with visible signs of castration, and multiple visible stab wounds on his chest all the way down to his stomach.
"Fredrick Mills. 53 years old. His neighbor Borris Thompson called 911 and told what he saw when he walked in the house at 7 this morning" Paul supplied.
"What was he doing here anyway at 7 am?"
"Probably borrowing his copy of the news paper or better yet a bottle of milk for his fine coffee" A voice swooped in accompanied by a body that went straightaway to where the victim is.
Gail straightened at the sound of that voice.
"Hhmm, a subconjunctival and nasal haemorrhage, signs of castration on the neck, approximately 2-5 inches deep of these stabbed wounds…" she's done another quick examination, "I'm estimating he's been dead for at least 48 hours."
The familiar voice and figure just steps away had Gail's throat dry. She felt cold sweat starting to cluster on her forehead.
"Doctor Holly Stewart! Just in time! May I introduce you to Detective Gail Peck of the 15th Division." Paul gestured to Gail. Sweet sweet Paul, why did you do this?
And just like that Holly Stewart was standing in front of her.
The brunette offered her hand. "Good morning… detective. Dr Holly Stewart. I will be working on this case" She smiled.
She be damned. That crooked smile.
Gail cleared her throat when she realised she was mimicking a statue.
"Hi yes, Detective Gail Peck" Gail tentatively took Holly's hand and gave it a little shake. Can she not admit the fact that she felt a twinge of electricity from the exchange?
"So as I was saying…" Holly turned to the body and continued her explanation like she has mastered the body for 10 hours. How she does it, Gail doesn't really know.
Gail, focus on the forensic pathologist's explana… skin. Her skin, it's as if three years haven't passed. I missed running my fingers on those smooth velvet. And her eyes, god her eyes, still as brown and as vibrant as I have remembered, the only difference is that they weren't protected by a pair of glasses anymore. Hmmmm, contacts? No... but I love your nerdy glasses. And…
"Detective?" Paul captured her stray thoughts. She realised both her companions were already staring at her.
"Yeap?" Gail wished that she wasn't that obvious of her preoccupation.
"I shall leave the two of you from here. Is there any orders from you that you want me to carry out?" Paul asked thoughtfully.
"Please ask Diaz where the heck is my coffee" Gail growled.
This is going to be a long day. Slash that… a long life.