You really are your father's daughter thought Kate, as she sat in her stuffy car. Kate timed her lunch to coincide with Mariani's shift. She was banking that the bartender was telling the truth, and that Mariani worked the late afternoon shift.
Yeah, Kate could've taken the easy route and just walked into Fountain of Diamonds. She could've made up some excuse about needing to ask more questions. But Kate wanted to be conspicuous, especially after the disastrous interrogation from yesterday. Not to mention the chewing out that she got from Benson. Why was Kate surprised by Detective Benson's condescending attitude?
It wasn't like her father was a saint that passed out new shoes to the poor kids. She never figured out why he was the way he was. Was he like that before her mother's suicide? Even if somebody could provide the answer in a nice little package, would Kate really want to know? Little truths can deliver immense disasters. Kate's introduction to the supernatural world was less than ceremonious. Her natural sense of order was eventually overtaken by grim acceptance.
Whether you envisioned it as a yellow brick road or the rabbit hole, there was always something unpleasant at the end of the journey. As Kate's posterior began to feel numb, she wondered what terrible knowledge would be uncovered.
Kate cracked her window to get rid of the windshield frost. Why does it rain so damn much in this city? It was then that she saw Mariani leaving the club. Kate tried to roll back up her window, but the circuits jammed. She jumped out of her car, and slammed the door. You just flunked Detective 101, Lockley. Get a better damn car.
She rushed to catch up with Mariani. For a petite girl, she walked like a seasoned power walker. It was when Mariani turned into an alleyway that Kate paused for a moment. Did Mariani know that she was being followed? Kate decided to take her chances, though she unbuckled the holster to her gun.
Kate proceeded down the dark alleyway. Thanks to an orange streetlight, she could see Mariani at the end. Kate picked up the pace when she suddenly saw Mariani grabbed by the left side. She drew her gun and tiptoed fast by where Mariani was snatched.
"You're really getting on my nerves with your carelessness. What did we tell you about being seen?" said a gruff male voice. Kate peeked around the corner, even though she knew who the voice belonged to.
"It wasn't my fault. The bartender ratted me out," pleaded Mariani to Detective Benson.
"Did he see you steal the phone?" asked Benson.
"No," said Mariani in a small voice.
"No?" asked Benson. "Are you sure? He seemed to identify you real fast."
"I'm sure. He only talked about me because of your partner."
"Doesn't matter," replied Benson. "You're quitting tomorrow."
"What am I going to do about rent?" asked Mariani.
Benson slapped Mariani so hard that Kate could almost feel it. Blood trickled from Mariani's split lip.
"See, that's why I told Davis that you should stay in the house," said Benson. "You're no good at this. The only thing you're good for is lying on your back."
Must be Trenton Davis thought Kate. Davis was a mobster that transplanted from the East Coast. Word on the street was that he took over the docks. But the police couldn't prove it, not even after countless raids. Crooked cops like Benson must be covering up Davis' tracks.
"No, don't put me in the house again. I'll be more careful, I swear," said Mariani.
"I don't believe you. I think you're going to do something stupid again," said Benson, as he grabbed Mariani by the chin.
Kate didn't know what to do. She was stuck in an alley with no witnesses. It would be her word against Benson's, and she didn't have the connections that he obviously had. Kate had conflicting voices in her head, but she knew what had to be done. As much as it pained her, and violated her personal code, Kate had to let Mariani be the sacrificial lamb.
"I won't do anything stupid. Here, I brought his phone like you asked. Please don't say anything to him," begged Mariani.
Benson grabbed the phone. "I'll think about it. Now, get the hell out of here before you piss me off even more."
Kate ducked behind a dumpster, as Mariani ran passed her to the street. She could hear Benson looking at the phone's texts.
"It's me. Yeah, I got the phone. That idiot girl finally did something right. Davis is going to be really happy with this new contact list. We should meet tonight, and hash out the details. We got to find out who's threatening the boss," said Benson. Kate assumed that he was using Danny Cross' phone. Who would care about a dead man's phone?
"I've been throwing the trail off. The precinct thinks we got a serial killer on our hands. But we both know that they're probably hits…"
Who the hell is he talking to? thought Kate, as she tried to hear any trace of the person's voice on the other line. Kate saw the victim files. The men were from various backgrounds: education, age, ethnicity, relationship statuses, etc. What was the link amongst all of them that someone would hire a hit man to take them out?
Kate stayed in her hiding spot as Benson proceeded past her towards the street.
"We'll find out what's going on. In the meantime, I'll steer my cohorts as clear from this as possible," said Benson. "I'm heading over to you. We'll talk more there."
Kate waited a good twenty minutes before she returned to her vehicle. Luckily, nobody hotwired her car. Who would want to? It was a piece of junk. But her pathetic vehicle was nothing in comparison to the details that Kate was made privy to. She had to find the connection among all of those men.
There was the greater mystery. If Benson was insisting that they were all assassinations, why did the assassin leave behind that crescent mark? So many questions with so few answers. Regardless, Kate had to get close to Mariani. Victim or not, Mariani was involved in this mess. And Kate knew what angle to use: their mutual hatred for Benson.