It was 2003 and Veger was working on a rather dull case. A series of home invasions had occurred throughout the city with few common factors that it the cops would have just thought a little harder they wouldn't have needed him. Not that he minded, he had been alone for some time since Reese had went out of town to take a romantic literature course.
"He's such a sap…"
Veger muttered as he was examining the latch on a window of a rather high end apartment.
"The victims know their suspect. Why else would a man be able to come and go as he pleases?"
Confused stares, of course they were thinking that no one would willingly let someone rob them.
"A man knocks on your door, he's the grounds keeper and tells you he needs to do maintenance or an inspection. Maybe your heater is running it's course or the company is thinking about installing new windows. You like the idea of something new, and you don't question the man, you know him."
The story was all they needed as the called in to have a man arrested who worked at multiple places.
"But that still doesn't tell us why people were letting him rob them."
"Ah, there's the catch officer."
Veger smiled, it was genuine, it was one of the few things that got him truly high finding what couldn't be seen and then getting to show off. He leaned down by the frame of the window, a side of it raised just slightly so it wasn't sitting on the wood, and then he lifted it to further show a piece that created the gap.
"A window won't latch properly if it's not aligned at the top, offset it and it's a simple few wiggles."
"You going to play pin the tail on the donkey yet or what?"
The man mumbled, blood was steady streaming from somewhere in his mouth, and he knew there was an internal bleed somewhere.
"You brought this on yourself Veger Haldler of the NYPD"
It was a woman's voice this time, and it made Veger look up, he was not expecting this. Being ruffed him, dropped and left for dead was one thing, but a woman behind the shadows was another.
"So formal."
She ignored him.
"Did you really think that Joe wouldn't know about a possible consulting detective wandering into town once things really started getting ugly. On top of that, you were foolish enough to leave Reese behind while you went to play. Should've read his blog."
"Leave him out of this!"
Veger hissed, his arms clearly tensing as he strained at his ropes. He never missed a thing, but he did. "Think Veger, think!" His mind was clouded, the pain made it worse. Joe knew about him, they knew about Reese, he read about Joe earlier, he was an English professor…
"NO!"
The girl grinned and stepped into the light as she reached for his chin and lifted his head to look at her.
"Poor, poor Veger. It's a shame your friend's downfall will be your one greatest mistake."
She then drew a blade from her back and titled his head further, he made a choking noise as the blood was sticking in his throat, a choking noise that turned into a pained gasp as her knife dug into the flesh on his cheek.
"There."
She dropped his head, and he began coughing.
"E for Emma, now you'll never forget us or your mistake."
Emma purred quietly as she slipped into the shadows, her voice seeming so far away now.
"I think he can handle a bit more, then dump him where he can be found. Maybe on Claire's doorstep…"