11. Caught
Santana is sat at her desk re-reading the notes from the case she's currently working on. She knows who did it but there isn't enough circumstantial evidence to convict. It's one of the hardest parts about being a detective, watching the guilty people walk free.
She closes the file and her eye catches the photograph of her and Rachel sitting proudly on her desk. It doesn't bear thinking about that a scumbag like Derek Chance could be allowed to walk free to commit more crime or even hurt someone, someone like her sweet, innocent girlfriend.
Across the room the door to interview room opens and out steps Santana's lieutenant. A few moments later Derek Chance exits followed by his lawyer. He makes his way over to the elevator passing Santana's desk and sending her a wink as he walks by.
It makes Santana's blood boil and her knuckles turn white and she clenches her hand into a fist. She's irritated and frustrated but she would never let a guy like Derek Chance see that he's got to her.
As soon as he steps into the elevator and the doors close behind him Santana approaches her lieutenant.
"What happened?"
"We had to let him go. You need to drop it Lopez or his lawyer will sue our asses for harassment."
"It's bullshit, we know he did it."
"You get me some proof and I'll happily walk that son of a bitch into jail myself but without it we ain't got shit" Lieutenant Barnes replies.
She knows that she should leave it alone but it's been a week since Derek Chance has been roaming free on the streets of New York and she's just gotten some new information from an informant.
Apparently one of Chance's associates has been doing some deals without his boss' permission and Chance wants to deal with it personally. This could be her chance to put the son of a bitch in jail where he belongs.
She's currently parked across the street from a bar that Derek frequents. She spots him leaving the club with his arm wrapped around a brunette's shoulders.
She follows his car to a house and parks in a secluded part of the street. She can just about see him and the girl enter the house. She waits about half an hour before her impatience gets to her.
Santana sneaks up to the house and takes a look through the living room window but finds nothing. She quietly makes her way to the back of the house and checks the kitchen window.
It's dark in the house but she can just make out a figure holding a knife. She instinctively reaches for her gun and makes her way to the backdoor.
She tries the door knob and luckily for her it's unlocked. She slowly eases the door open and takes a step into the kitchen gun first.
"This is the police, put the weapon down and put your hands where I can see them. Now!" Santana yells.
Santana sees the figure move slightly and hears the sound of metal being places on the wooden table. She takes an apprehensive step forward giving her a proper view of the person standing in front of her.
"Rach" Santana says momentarily dropping her gun.
"Hello Santana."
"Don't move" Santana says raising her gun again as Rachel takes a step towards her.
"You don't need that." Rachel says referring to the firearm.
Santana chances a glance away from her blood covered girlfriend and looks at the body of Derek Chance on the kitchen table, quickly piecing together what had happened.
"I'm serious Rachel don't move or I'll shoot."
"Are you alone or are their other officers outside?" Rachel asks.
"I'm by myself. What the fuck have you done?"
"I'm sorry. You kept coming home from work complaining about this guy Derek Chance and I arbitrarily met him in a bar. I thought I could record a confession but things got out of hand."
"Bullshit. Look at all this stuff. You planned this Rachel."
"How can you say that? You know me." Rachel replies.
"I thought I did. What I do know is the M.O of a serial killer and you're pretty much fitting that description right now. You killed Chance in a premeditated murder and it doesn't look like the work of a novice. Have you done this before?"
"Yes."
"Jesus."
Santana drops her gun again and runs a hand over her face, struggling to comprehend what the hell is happening.
"I'm not a bad person." Rachel speaks again.
"You've killed people."
"They deserved it. What about him?" Rachel says motioning to Derek's body.
"He was a rapist and a murderer yet he's allowed to walk free, that's not right."
"That doesn't mean you should take the law into your own hands." Santana retorts.
"You know he probably would have raped me if he had the chance."
"Don't. Don't try and justify what you've done."
"The people I've killed all deserved it Santana, they were bad people that escaped the system. I stand by my choices but now you have to make yours. Are you going to call the police and have me arrested or are you going to turn around and pretend this never happened?"