Anais turned back to look at Thom. "You don't think that was too harsh, do you?"
Rainier waved off her concern. "Tethras is fine."

Varric looked back at the empty setting beside him, now made even more obvious by the other two leaving. He went to check his phone. Maybe she had called him and he hadn't noticed. It was getting late either way. Bianca wouldn't have bailed on him. A few short words would be sufficient enough in a text: "Where are you?"
Instead of waiting for a reply, he gestured for the maitre'd to bring him the check and finished his drink as he paid, before he started to leave. The dwarf left the phone in his pocket, not even expecting an answer anymore.
Hailing a cab, Tethras turned his collar against the coming storm. The sky was black, big clouds gathering. Looked like it was going to turn into a blizzard soon enough.
When the taxi pulled up to the curb, a tall woman in a plum peacoat approached, in a wild hurry.
"Mind if I share this cab ride?" Well, her accent was definitely not local. "I'm in a bit of a rush."
Varric looked up at her, the beginnings of a smile on his face. She was attractive, at least. He could give her that. Legs that went on for miles, and the slightest of flushes on her face, and her short dark hair was mussed from the wind.
"That depends, sweetheart, where are you going?"

"You wanna know why I dropped out, kid?" Riley stared at him from across the table. "The guy training my squad was a fucking monster. On one little routine training run we caught some kid trespassing. Apparently she was a runaway. Turns out she was the daughter of one of the higher-ups, you know? Olivia Thrask was her name. Well, nobody figured that was the case, and nobody found out until after they got her. She died in custody. There was some claim she fought back. I saw them load her into the squad car. The kid was tiny, long hair in tight curls. I remember her bright green eyes as they drove her away, like she was begging me to help her. The next day I hear she's dead. No fucking way she was that violent."
"There wasn't an investigation or anything?"
"Sure, there was. The guy got two weeks paid leave. Shit, I'd hate to be the guy who had to tell her dad she died after getting arrested."
"Oh man, that's rough." Cullen leaned back, stretching. "Is that your excuse for dealing drugs with my f– W-with your boss?"
"How do you think he gets the money for research? Grants?" A strained laugh erupted from his chest, and Riley wheezed.
Cullen offered him a bottled water, and the suspect snapped it open and guzzled it down greedily.

"I hear you've finally come to your senses, Captain."
"This case is more important than her, Commissioner. I've had a look at my priorities, and i know now, that's what i have to do."
"That is good to hear." Meredith leaned back in her chair, comfortably stretching, lording it over him. This is what control is. "However, the case…"
"The Lt. Janeka case, ma'am?" Thom glanced at her, his heart sinking.
"Yes, that case. We're closing it. This is a waste of manpower; we've gotten a confession out of the man in custody, mystery solved."
Thom had a feeling there was more to this than she was letting on. Anais was right; Fius' hooks were deep in the precinct. The doctor's hooks were deep in Stannard, but who knew how deep they went.
"Commissioner–"
"Enough, Captain. I will not have insubordination here, in my office of all places. This case is closed. Any more lip and I'll have you on paid leave." Her gaze was steely as she leaned forward in her swivel chair. "Do you understand me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. I'm glad we see eye to eye. Dismissed. Send Cullen in when you see him next."
Anais stood outside the doorway, waiting for Thom to finish his meeting. She had gotten hold of her associates and had run to tell him. Her visitor's badge was clenched tightly in her hand, still glinting under the fluorescent lights that hummed faintly overhead. When Captain Rainier left the office, door clicking closed behind him, he locked eyes with the dwarf. Wide eyed for a moment, he ignored her as he walked away, ignoring the ache in his chest. He was sure she heard everything. She shook her head, face burning, and stormed off in the opposite direction out of the building without another word.
Cullen was filling out paperwork, looking over a file full of it, calling out as soon as Thom entered the room. "I think I know where I know Riley from, Captain Rainier."
"Find anything of interest?"
"Yeah. He went to the same Police Academy as I did. Except he dropped out after his first year."
"So he's trained. Explains why we've been unable to catch up to him until now." Thom considered it, frowning thoughtfully.
"Mmhm." Cullen nodded, studying the small picture paperclipped to the papers. "I guess doing all this," he pointed to Riley's rap sheet, tracing down the long list. "Is more lucrative than regular police work."
"I'll take it from here. You go see what the Commissioner wants, hm?" Thom snatched the folder from the blonde's grip, closing it tight.

Thom was surprised when Anais didn't bother contacting him in person after that terse exchange in the hall. She should have known he would have said anything to keep Stannard off his back. The woman was out for his job.
Only the next day did he wake up to a text from the dwarf. An address he recognized as somewhere downtown, and the time of 12:30. Nothing else. With a soft groan, he considered going back to bed. It was his day off anyway.
In the end, Rainier did get up. Even if the case was closed, Anais was onto something.

As soon as she saw him cross the street toward her, Anais jumped to her feet from where she was sitting on the curb. Stomping her way toward Captain Rainier, she got really close. "You really showed. And here I thought you were too much of that bitch's lapdog to do anything."
"Cadash, I can explain–"
"This is all just a step up in your career, is it?" The dwarf turned on him, voice breaking.
"What are you even talking about?"
"I heard you speaking to Stannard."
"Then I guess that's all you needed to hear." Rainier figured that was the case. "I shouldn't even be here right now." He sniffed, checking his watch. It was 11:30. The greek place opened at noon.
"You nugfucking bastard! What about Janeka?"
"Nice to see where your priorities lie." Thom took a step back, speaking coolly, taken aback as he was not expecting that question. The hostility was bad enough. he didn't need accusations like this. "That case isn't high priority anymore."
"She was my friend, Rainier! Do you know what those are?"
"That's rich. And you were using me for what, getting your rocks off?"
"Like you couldn't say the same!"
"Go home. You're not needed anymore, Cadash." He turned from her.
What about me?"
"What about you?" Rainier closed his eyes, stilling himself. "We're done, okay? Go get yourself killed for all I care."
"…Maybe I will." Anais stiffened where she stood, forcing herself to remain eyes downcast. "The only time you'll see me again is when I end up in the morgue."
"Good." He swallowed hard, glad for the space between them. "Get out of here. You're not involved with this case anymore."
"And I'm not involved with you either." The dwarf wanted to slap him hard, shake some sense into him. This wasn't like Thom.