Victor forced his fist through some of the plaster that formed his living room wall. He was pretty sure he heard some bones cracking among the sound of the crumbling drywall but he didn't care. It had gone all wrong. His plan was ruined now and he hadn't gotten to do anything but threaten the guy. Stupid idiot. He smacked his hand against the wall a few more times, the adrenaline pumping through his veins still masking the pain he knew was to come.
His brother walked in then and saw the damage. "What on earth did you do that for? That was a perfectly good wall- you're going to be the one to fix it." He flopped down into a chair and turned on the television.
"What's bothering you anyway?" Anger still pumped through Victor's body with every heartbeat and he turned to his brother, fighting the very strong urge to take his anger out on him.
"What's bothering me, Andrew? What's bothering me? What else could be bothering me? Shawn Spencer is dead!"
Andrew looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. "So…isn't that a good thing? Isn't that what you wanted all along?" His big brother clenched his jaw and began to pace back and forth across the very small living room.
"Not yet! I wanted him to suffer. I wanted him to go through hell- just like the hell he put me through. I wanted to make him wish he'd never agreed to testify against me. Then- and only then- did I want him dead. But no! He went and got himself killed before I could do anything to him! Stupid, stupid idiot!" He was at that point where you're so angry that you can't even swear properly.
Andrew turned his focus back to the TV. "You sent him those letters, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but what good did they do? He's dead! There's no way I can get back at him now."
His brother suddenly leaned forward, staring at the screen in front of him. "Maybe there is a way. Check it out." He pointed at the television. The local news station was covering Spencer's funeral. The camera centered on a petite woman, her eyes red and puffy. Blonde hair flowed loosely down her back. The info box at the bottom of the screen read, "Juliet O'Hara, Victim's Wife."
Victor sat on the arm of Andrew's chair, suddenly a bit happier. A smile twisted his face. "Yes, little bro. This just might work."
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Juliet picked up the last picture frame from her desk and ran a finger over the glass. Shawn had his arm around her, a big smile on both of their faces. He was laughing at something. She recalled that Gus had snapped the picture when they were at a picnic one night the summer before. A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away, putting the frame into the box with the rest of her stuff. She heard someone behind her and found McNabb standing there.
"We're going to miss you, Detective. It won't be the same without you here."
Juliet smiled. "Thanks, McNabb. I'll miss it, but it's for the best. Don't become a stranger, okay?" The man nodded and gave her a hug before leaving. Lassiter and the Chief walked up to her.
"Well, O'Hara, here we are. Do you have everything?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Chief, for everything." She looked at Lassiter and wondered what to say.
"Here, O'Hara. Let me take that for you." He stepped forward and picked up the box sitting on her barren desk.
"Thank you Carlton." Not knowing what else to say, she smiled at the Chief and led the way out of the precinct. Lassiter placed the box in Juliet's car and shut the door. He climbed back up the steps but stood a few feet away from his boss and par- former partner.
"I'm sorry to see you go, O'Hara, but I understand. You'll be greatly missed around here."
"Thank you, Chief. And please, call me Juliet."
"I'll try to remember. And Karen's fine, now." The younger woman nodded and her former boss held out her hand.
"Take care, Juliet. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call." The Chief gave one last small smile and made her way back to her office. She needed to find a new junior detective.
Outside, Lassiter stood looking at the ground, his hands in his pockets. He didn't know what to say in normal situations, and this really wasn't one of those. Finally he looked up and stuck his hand out.
"It's been an honor, O'Hara."
She took his hand and shook it. "Same here, Carlton." Her lips pressed together and before he knew it she'd thrown her arms around him. It was over before he could recover. "Thank you." She descended the rest of the steps and crossed the parking lot to where her car was. The door was unlocked but she fumbled with the keys a bit, not fully ready to end this moment.
The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end. She had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her, but when she looked around there was no one there. She shook it off, climbed in the car and started the engine. Tonight the paperwork would be finished and she'd be a civilian again. With a large sigh, she backed out of the parking space and left the station for the last time as a detective.