"Well, she stuck with the script mostly at least." Murmurs Caitlyn as she turns a page of Piltover Daily. She quietly congratulates herself on having the foresight to prepare a sheet with the questions that were most likely to be asked. She was mostly correct, of course she was. She deals with reporters on Daily basis, it would be an oversight on everyone's part to let her remain ignorant of the ways press works. They haven't came up with anything new really, deciding to go with the usual approach, a bit of backstory on the whole situation, some information about Vi herself, what had she done in the factory, and of course accusations of causing the destruction of said place. All of it predicted and easily sidestepped. But then come what she both feared and knew would eventually turn up.

Questions about Vi's link to the criminal were expected but hardly simple to answer. That being the reason she did not let the local news get a hold of Vi before now, and gave her advice not to let herself be questioned. Something the younger woman has not disputed, she's not used to media attention and frankly, does not desire it. She had one interview before, alongside the Sheriff herself to help her out right after being accepted into The Force, when half the city was still in uproar about pulling a known criminal into police. To be sure, Vi's work record is not stellar, but that's entirely due to property damage caused by her rather... unorthodox methods.

Regardless, to any onlooker, the way Jinx taunts the pinkette, visible mostly by vandalizing the city with her graffiti (ever since she arrived that particular offence has became common five times over, not that she does it all by herself but because she seems to have started a trend) makes it pretty obvious that they must have met before. That is what some believe anyway, and it's because of this that the question has arisen, is the infamous officer is doing everything in her power to stop Jinx's havoc campaign?

It's insulting not only to Vi but also Caitlyn as it implies she made a wrong choice regarding the (then) girl, and that she has no control over her subordinates. But to be perfectly honest she does not much care about such accusations, as herself being blamed for every little issue arising in the city is nothing new to the woman. The message is subtle enough for the most troublesome elements not to even notice. And those who matter know better than to trust the local press. Though some might use it against her anyway.

In the future perhaps, nobody wants to truly undermine her position right now. Not until she deals with the mad criminal, then it's going to be an entirely different story.

Speaking of which, Vi was right, mostly. There have been grand total of five sightings of someone who could have been Jinx, hospital incident included. And a pharmacy burglary that same day which only proves that indeed, she is currently licking her wounds. What bothers her is the record room, either she used it simply to hide her victim and was not in fact looking for the Enforcer, or she did and after not finding anything, simply gave up. There is no way to tell when it comes to her, since there were no further incidents she assumes that the bluenette had indeed ditched her search.

It might have been a coincidence. She could have been there for more supplies, it's possible, in that case she could have just decided to use the opportunity to check for her favourite person, or she could've really only been using the room as a hiding place. Both seem to be a logical conclusions, as she had shown no signs of ever actively looking for her subordinate. Always the other way around.

Still, there are at least four possible reasons for her to be in the hospital. Looking for supplies, for Vi, for both or for no reason at all (since it is after all Jinx). Another three for which she was in the aforementioned room, to hide the body, to look for Vi and some combination of both. And then endless possibilities of what (if anything) she had actually done with the records and how did she use (or not) the knowledge there. She hates coincidences but knows better that to dismiss them, they happen. Combine that with someone as erratic as Jinx and it becomes impossible to limit the options to something solid enough to work with.

She is brought out of her reverie by the rapping on the door. She briefly checks the time before folding the newspaper and straightening out in her chair.

"Come in."

She is naturally not surprised when Jayce comes through, led by one of her men. He was supposed to arrive five minutes ago, she only raises one brow as he smiles in greeting before being seated in a chair in front of her desk. Her officer snaps a salute and she turns head to him.

"Dismissed," the man salutes again before retreating from the sheriff's office, leaving the two alone, she then turns to the man seated before her, displeased frown on her face. "You're late."

"Sorry, I had to take a walk. Something happened to my car." He responds with a grin, clearly enjoying himself despite the situation he's in. Oh is he in for a nasty treat.

"One could only wonder why, or rather why something happened to it." The scientist only shrugs in response. "Jayce." She says flatly, unamused by his flippant act.

"Alright, alright! Cogs... bad day?"

She takes a glance at the folded paper, on which an "Exclusive interview with the city's Enforcer" is announced in big, fat letters. Just long enough for him to take notice.

"Oh I read that, did you write her some tips? It kind of feels like an interview with you you know?" Really? She hasn't noticed.

"It does?" She lets a faint tone of surprise carry over in her voice.

"A bit, nothing too blatant, just not Vi's style," he shots her a lopsided grin. "She doesn't bullshit nearly as much."

The brunette smiles in spite of herself, both irked by his words and amused at how much truth his statement holds. Still, there is work to be done.

"Enough with pleasantries, tell me what to do with you."

"Oh I could tell you great many things, which one exactly?"

Caitlyn kills a groan threatening to escape her throat.

"The car?"

"Ah, that one. You could... you know, let me get it back?" He lets his hopeful words hang in the air, she folds her arms as a response, dignifying him only with a flat stare. "I mean it's only a radio, with some modifications of course but still-"

"It's picking up our frequencies-"

"Well of course it does, did you ever listen to Zaunite stations? You can do that too, this far away!"

"And deciphering them."

"It's multipurpose." The man raises his hands in a helpless gesture.

"The car?" She sees his confident facade waver for a blink of an eye.

"The radio."

"Jayce."

"Caitlyn."

She sighs and rubs her eyes with two fingers. She has not expected him to cooperate on this particular issue, not really. Not in the way he usually does, seeing as it has little to do with fighting crime and more with regulations that the city's hero so despises.

Caitlyn is a good sheriff, and a bad one in a sense. Her most important duty is to protect the citizens of Piltover. Even when it mean sidestepping the law she is enforcing. She knows perfectly well why the regulations are in place, she is ashamed to admit it even to herself but without them, she would abuse her power. With no warrants required, her officers could work much more effectively but would that bring safety to the citizens? Or at least the feeling of it? She knows she would arrest criminals just to prevent them from hiding evidence, she can't do that now, not for longer than a day at least. Trials, witnesses, judges, what's the point when everyone knows who is guilty.

There is no other feeling she hates quite as much as having to let a criminal go simply because the evidence is not compelling enough. She does her work well, Piltover is what it is and not the second Zaun because of her. Still, sometimes even she can't overcome the chains she's wrapped herself in when creating and accepting the position of a sheriff. She knew of Vi long before cornering her, and she could have done it earlier. Only until a certain point she was not certain which would do more good, letting the thief of thieves loose and picking up the pieces left in her wake or having her directly under her own control. Eventually she chose the latter. Because of collateral mostly.

Jayce's case is obviously different, he's a local hero. A champion of the people, his acts of vigilantism are viewed as heroic. Thus he needs not be put under careful scrutiny as her Enforcer needed (still needs) to be, the public won't resent him for his acts as opposed to a certain pink headed wrecking ball. He is loved by the citizens, she herself is admired and respected but not loved, probably due to her being police. It tends to put people off a bit.

It's perfect really, his situation, when she can't do her job through legal means and knows to be in the right, in comes Futureman, as people took to calling him, personally she considers the title adorably corny. In a reversed way. All she needs to do is hint at needing help and share some copies of the case files with him in her office under pretense of berating him for one thing or another, like his driving, it's truly atrocious and he keeps receiving parking tickets all the time. She is fairly sure she will order his license to be taken away one day. And should he protest the court will side with her, she knows.

Usually after a week or two pass, Jayce is reported to have partook in a fight involving the case, as a victim of course, strangely, possessing the evidence necessary to condemn the accused that his attacker just so happened to have on his person without him knowing how it got there nor any trace of the vigilante himself being involved. It's important as she would have to arrest him otherwise. She doesn't ask about his methods, it's better not to. For Caitlyn it is enough to know that justice can be served.

Still, their partnership is based upon dedication to protection of the city, it doesn't mean she treats him differently when he clearly breaks the law. The sheriff's position exists to uphold the law and bring justice after all.

In that order.

It's depressing to think of.

She draws a report from a drawer in her desk and lies it in front of herself to read what exactly is wrong with his vehicle.

"Hextech engine, modified throttle, magical battery, distributor, carburetter, exhaust system, no air bags- it goes on. We should take away your license." He hesitates.

"Will you?" She slides the list closer to him.

"No, but we're scrapping your car and I can easily get a warrant for an inspection of your laboratory and house now." She smirks as she lets her words sink in, he scoffs.

"Not much but scrap left of it." He grumbles.

"Who said I'd get it now?" There it is, a nervous spark in his eyes, good. The fool probably does keep all his less than legal machinery there, as brilliant a scientist and socialite as he is, he truly can be inept in the most simple of fields, he covers his tracks masterfully, yes. But it hasn't even occur to him that he should hide some of his possessions away. Or maybe it has but he doesn't know how to go about it, not her problem any more. She will get that warrant when she will, what he does about it is his own business. "Also, you'll be paying a fine."

"Again?"

"No, it's bigger than usual." She tells him the number and his smile falls completely. Replaced with a shocked expression of disbelief.

"Seriously?" The woman smirks into her hand.

"No." Relief washes over Jayce's face only to be replaced with an unamused glare.

"You can't do this to a man, take his wheels away and then kick him while he's down."

"Yhm. You're still paying a fine, only closer to the usual. For illegal modifications, and for our mechanic gutting out all of them, so don't worry you will get your car back." Despite her best efforts, the smirk still lingers on her lips, though she let both her arms lay on the desk now, allowing him to see it.

"But that's basically everything inside, it won't even start! I- you can't!" She must admit to herself that she does find a certain sense of enjoyment in watching him plead. What is it with people she surrounds herself with and their machines? Vi and Jayce are both obsessed with their "babies" as they call them. Caitlyn asked the pinkette if she could inspect her gloves once. Once. She still gets suspicious looks from her whenever she mentions them. And it's not like she could use them anyway, she's fit, obviously, but to use Vi's contraptions requires the sort of endurance she simply lacks.

And the scientist in front of her even wired a shock mechanism into his hammer, honestly. She likes her own rifle but she's not crazed about it, it got to a point when she had to ask herself about it, somewhat worried that her friends might be rubbing off on her in that respect. She has her ticks she knows, there is no need for more.

"Well it used to be perfectly good, not to mention legal when you first bought it." Yes, she had her mechanic inspect it back then, had to pay him from her own wallet too since everything was in order.

"It's still perfectly good, just a bit- uh-" He pauses looking for the right word to downplay it a bit.

"Tuned?" She supplies.

"Yeah, tuned, there is no reason to harm her?" Her? Really?

"Well then you will be disappointed to know that it is already done and over with. You can get... her. Back whenever you wish, though I'd advise doing so quickly, we're charging for its stay you know." She pauses to take in his dismayed expression. "It's in the industrial district department's parking lot. We can lend you a car carriage also. And take this." She slides him a folder that's been lying by her side all this time. "So that you may take the car back before paying your fine, read it. It's important."

His brows furrow after hearing that and he looks at her inquisitively, asking the unsaid question to which she nods. Jayce sighs.

"Alright, anything else? I'm still rebuilding my lab," he asks as he grabs a hold of the folder given to him, eyeing it warily though not without a hint of excitement.

"How is Vi?" He doesn't even seem surprised that she knows he visited her again. The question seems to actually help him relax for he assumes his usual smile again.

"Better than before actually, she keeps talking about how she will get Jinx next time, heh, we've heard that one before haven't we? But yes she's better, rest mostly I suppose. She's been pushing herself too hard."

"I know."

"Good, she doesn't listen to me, maybe you should try." She should, she won't.

"We need her."

"And not dead tired either, she's no use to anyone like that." He falls silent for couple seconds. "Anyway, I'll do as you asked. Is there anything more? I really need to get going."

"No, no that would be all. Thank you for visiting her, I can't."

"We know that." With that he stands up and nods her goodbye before leaving the office.

She leans back in her chair as he closes the door behind him. She would very much like to visit her friend, her mother and father, talk with Ezreal, have tea with Janna. To go to the streets and personally take bad guys down, why, even participate in a silly shooting competition at a charity event. Now though she is deprived of any kind of real social life, and she misses action, she is the best investigator alive and can't waste herself on matters of little importance, her only ongoing case in which she is directly involved in is that of their local psychopath. She must of course manage the departments but she does it with little to no issue, she has experience in that. Where to send who, promotions, overseeing finances managed by her subordinates. She delegated more people to these things in order to find more time for Jinx without completely exhausting herself.

Her schedule leaves her with enough time to sleep and relax as to keep her mind sharp, unless of course an emergency happens that she needs to attend. Patrols, questionings, patterns, possible new targets, traps, emergency responses, tracking and so on. Only there are no patterns, the best way of stopping Jinx she can think of right now is to catch her (or kill her) during the next big attack. She has authorized the use of lethal force in a situation of mere contact with her. After the Treasury fiasco it became quite adamant that there is no other way, of course she would prefer to jail the criminal before having her killed but beside the precious few details she knows nothing about the maniac.

What she does know is that Jinx uses rooftops and sewers to move around the city, usually at night though not exclusively. Her spottings happen haphazardly all across Piltover, leading her to believe that she has more than one hideout, not necessarily secluded, as such areas were already thoroughly inspected, but again, it doesn't rule them out. She acquires munitions through burglary, specifically black market burglary. She also appears to be a Zaunite.

That's it. Everything she knows that could possibly help in her localising her target. Surprisingly, the Zaunite ambassador had chosen to share the information that yes indeed, she had caused some trouble in his home city a couple months ago before disappearing after the military stepped in. Less surprisingly, he also claims not to know anything else.

Any hope of meaningful cooperation with Zaun is naturally a dead end.

With nothing urgent requiring her attention, Caitlyn goes back to reviewing the reports of the current struggle that The Force is going through, with the momentary absence of their greatest threat they can focus on reigning in the rampaging crime that has followed the in Jinx's wake. Drug dealers, new gangs, human trafficking and black market have all became secondary objectives because of one person.

She picks up the pencil and begins twirling it between her fingers as she reads.

Say hello to to a chapter focused on Hat Lady.