Joseph woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. "Detective Oda," Joseph said answering it. "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. Okay thank you, see you." Joseph turned the phone off. Anna stirred and woke up. "Sorry I woke you up." Joseph kissed her cheek.
"Someone was killed weren't they?"
"Can't tell you." Joseph said getting out of bed. He changed into his work clothing and picked a tie from the hanger. He looked over at Anna. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back by this afternoon. Maybe." Joseph said as he finished. "See you." He gave her a fair well kiss as he left the room.
"Okay, be safe." Anna slumped back into bed.
As Joseph walked out the door, he picked a jacket, his keys and wallet. He briskly walked to the car as the chilly air blew through his bed head. He didn't bother to fixing it like he always did. His co-worker all knew that. Joseph ran his fingers through it to at least smooth it down. Castellanos would probably tease him for not being the same stiff, Joseph Oda that his was. He was known by the force to be one of the stiffest detectives. He started the car and drove off to the address.
"Detective Oda," one of the police officers came over. Joseph walked along side him to the entrance of the house.
"Morning Henry, has Detective Castellanos arrived yet?"
"He's already here waiting for you inside."
"Thank you." Joseph said looking around. There was a crowd forming at the edge of the police tape. Many of them were dressing in pajamas and robes, and they were still half asleep. "Henry, could you ask them to leave. They shouldn't be here." Joseph passed a few more officers. The police cars were making a scene in the neighborhood and Joseph felt like everyone wanted to see what was happening. "That would be great. We don't want them to know what is happening just yet."
"Sure." Henry walked the other way to the other officers as Joseph walked into the house.
"Thank you"
Joseph entered the house and walked into the living room where Sebastian was speaking with the forensic team. "We're finished at the moment. Once you are finished, we will finish the crime scene up." The woman forensic investigator said as she was hold a clip board and pen.
"Thanks. Just have the report done quickly." Castellanos said as he rubbed his dry eyes.
"Of course," She said walked away as Joseph took her place.
"Sebastian, brief me on what happened, or as much as you can figure out." Castellanos stopped what he was doing and looked at Joseph.
"Not much yet. I haven't looked at anything closely, but it looks bad."
"Doesn't everything." Joseph said putting his jacket on, but it didn't fit him properly. "What the...? It's Anna's." Joseph whispered putting his hand in the pocket. There was a locket. "Crap" Joseph whispered as he pulled it out. "It is Anna's" Joseph looked at the locket and wonder how he would have taken the wrong jacket. He tired to think. It might have been dark and he was half asleep.
"Earth to Oda. We need to work. Just put the necklace on and keep the jacket." Castellanos went up a head of Joseph to a flight of stairs to one of the bed rooms were the crime scene was. Joseph clipped the necklace around his neck and placed it under he shirt. He followed him up the stairs. "Here it is." His police partner said as he let Joseph in first.
"Miraculous," Joseph said pulling out his book and pen. "Let's get started."
"Body first." Castellanos said as walked over to the body on the ground.
"Great, now we wait." Castellanos said as he walked out of the house and dug his hand into his pockets. The morning air still snapped at their skin.
"So what do you think happened?" Joseph placed the notebook back in the inside his breast pocket of his vest.
"There a lot to go on, but I don't want to jump to conclusions." Castellanos moved out of the way as a group took the body out of the house. There was still a crowd of people which seem to have gotten bigger. "Didn't you tell one of the others to get rid of the people?"
"I did. They must have come back. This stuff doesn't happen in this area. This place is too affluent." Joseph said as look around at the nicely trimmed trees and hedges.
"Don't use through words this early in the morning. I haven't had my morning coffee." Castellanos rubbed his face and looked at Joseph in disgust.
"Okay okay, it going to be a long four-eight hours." Joseph said pulling Anna's locket out from his shirt collar and started to play with it.
"Yipy." Castellanos said sarcastically.
Castellanos and Joseph working on the case until their lunch break. Joseph checked his phone and saw Anna had phoned leaving a message.
"Hi, Joseph. It's Anna. You took my jacket. My locket is in there. Could you phone to say you got it? Thanks sweetheart. See you later. Bye"
Joseph sighed as he turned off the voice message. "Was that Anna?"
"Yup wanting to know where her locket was." Joseph placed the phone on the table.
"Are you going to phone her back?"
"In a minute. So we are almost off work, the forensics are still working on the case and we have interviews tomorrow." Castellanos nodded as he forking at the leftovers someone brought in for them.
"Have you called people yet?"
"I have two more to call then I'm calling it a day." Castellanos said as he looked at Joseph.
"Me too. It's been a long day." Joseph sat there drinking a cup of water. "I forgot about Suzy. Crap. I promised her that I was going to bring her out."
"Wouldn't she understand that you have been working."
"I'll just go out for a little while." Joseph looked down at his phone and dialed the number. He let it ring and then Anna picked up. "Anna, Hey," he said. "I have it. Don't worry." He said playing it. "I'll keep it safe. Don't worry. Sorry for taking the jacket." He said, "I'll see you at home. Bye." Joseph turned off the phone.
"She was freaked wasn't she?" Castellanos said sipping his coffee.
"I got a ear full, but I should have picked the right jacket in the first place." Joseph said looking at the locket. He opened it as saw there was their family photo inside, "I bought her the locket for our one year anniversary. She has never left the house without it on." Joseph said holding onto the locket.
Joseph returned home. Anna ran up to the door. "You have it don't you?"
"I do." Joseph said handing over to Anna.
"Sorry for freaking out on you."
"The locket is special. I would have done the same." Joseph said as Anna to the locket out of his hand. "I'm sorry for taking your jacket."
"Excepted." Anna said taking her jacket back. "I should have took the locket out of the pocket in the first place."
[+]
A few days have passed since the case. Joseph was worried, but it wasn't about the work. He was worried about the decision he has made with Castellanos for staying as police partners. He spent nights wondering and trying to understand, but nothing came to mind. Joseph came to work increasingly exhausted.
"Joseph," Castellanos said shaking his shoulder. "You fell asleep at you desk. Did you even sleep last night?"
"I guess not." Joseph rubbing his eyes and sat up.
"You can't sleep here. If the captain sees you,.."
"I know. I know." Joseph said opening a file.
Joseph fell a sleep at his desk again. "Five more minutes," he mumbled as he did he realized he had a meeting. He shot up in his chair and looked over at the clock on his desk. "Shit Shit." He whispered to himself as he collected everything he needed for the meeting. "God, I'm late." Joseph said with a handful of things he ran out his office and collided with something. He fell with the object onto the floor as this happen papers flew everywhere. Joseph opened his eyes and looked through his crooked glasses. He as laying on top of Castellanos. Joseph hands pressed up against Castellanos' chest. "Fuck." Joseph said under his breath.
"Hi to you too." Castellanos said as Joseph pulled himself off of him. He fixed his glasses so they sat back on his nose. "Why were you running out of the office like that?"
"I'm late." Joseph said blushing and pulling all the papers together on the ground. Castellanos started to help, but he mostly stared at Joseph. He noticed how nice Joseph looked when he was frustrated. He could help himself from blushing at the thought."Thanks for the help." Joseph said taking the papers. "I'll see you later." he said as he stood up and began running of down the hall. Castellanos stood there as he was confused about what has happened and smirked as he walked away.
It was the last day of Joseph's work week and he was looking forward to spending time with his family. He sipped his coffee as he looked around the room. Castellanos was talking with another group of people about a cold case he worked on years ago as a beat cop. A co-worker walked over to him. Joseph didn't know him well, but Castellanos was close friends.
A co-workers came to sit down next to Joseph. "You know he likes you." the man eyed Castellanos and Joseph looked to where he was looking.
"Excuse me?" Joseph said as his glasses slipped down his nose.
"Castellanos - he likes you." He said, "Don't you notice? The way he looks at you."
"I already know."
"So what did you tell him."
"Nothing."
"What, come on. Look at him. You supported him and he like it."
"If you haven't noticed, I'm married." Joseph was defensive as he pulled up his hand and showed the man his wedding ring. Castellanos notice he was being watched and gave a friendly waved. Joseph gave Castellanos a pouting face. Castellanos ceased the waved and when back to talk with the group to shake off the cold shoulder. Joseph kept his eyes on Castellanos especially his hand because he still wore his own wedding ring.
[+]
Joseph continued writing in his journal about what was happening at work. Some of the entries were short.
Day 4- Castellanos made eye contact with me. I still felt really bad not returning his feelings.
Day 17-I walked pass him and we touch. I don't know. It feels weird, but okay.
By the end of the month, Joseph was tired because he stayed up late stressing what he was going to do if Castellanos talks to him about the confession. Castellanos noticed in the way Joseph spoke, walked, talked, and held himself that his words were still worried him.
"Joseph, we need to talk." Castellanos said closing the Joseph's office door behind him. Joseph stayed silence. "You been coming to work tired. I feel responsible for putting you through this." He placed his hand on the Joseph's desk and leaned.
"I'm fine." Joseph said pushing his glasses up his nose. "Seb. Stop worrying about me."
"I'm your friend." Castellanos said.
"I'm just think a lot."
"Joseph, be honest."
"It's kind of personal."
"Dam it Joseph." Castellanos walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.
"Sebastian," It knock over a picture of Joseph's wall. "Ah… the picture." Joseph sighed as he walked over to the picture and picked it up which had both their families. Joseph took the photo out of the frame. He had to go buy a new picture frame, but it was the least of his worries.
Anna was at home cleaning the master bedroom. She was finishing up by vacuum cleaning the carpet. Anna started on her side and then went to Joseph's side. She was cleaning underneath the bed when she hit something with the vacuum cleaner. She turned the vacuum off and knelt down to see what was blocking it. She pulled a book out. It was Joseph's Journal. "I haven't seen this one before. If it's on his side of the bed, it must be private." She said placing it on the night stand and continued to vacuum.
Joseph came home. "I'm finishing dinner. It will be ready in a minute." Anna called out.
"Okay." Joseph said untie his tie as he walked up the stairs. "I'm just going to get changed." He walked into the bedroom and saw that his journal was on the nightstand. He freaked out and ran over to the journal. He flipped through the pages. There was nothing ripped out. "Anna, could you come here?" Joseph called out.
Anna entered the room. "Joseph, is there something wrong?"
"Did you read this?" Joseph said holding his journal.
"What? No." Anna said. "I would never read anything that was personally yours. I was cleaning the room. I found it on the floor . I didn't read it." She said. Joseph rubbed his forehead. "I swear, Joseph."
"Okay, Okay." Joseph said clutching the journal. "I believe you. Thank you for being honest."
"You did say honesty is the best policy." Anna said, "Come on. I made shepherds pie." She left the room. Joseph placed the journal in the drawer of the night stand. He signed as he closed it.