Chapter 9

"Strength is built, not given." There laid a rose, piece of paper, and picture on Tris's desk when she arrived in the morning. On the back of the picture was that quote in Tobias's handwriting. On the front there was a picture of Tobias, shirtless, doing pull ups.

"Not to brag," the card said, "but I modeled for the athletic section at Hollister when I was 19. Just sayin'."

Tris rolled her eyes, but put the picture in her pocket. He did look quite handsome. And still did, matter of fact.

She looked over in his direction to see him smirking. He winked at her and then turned back to his work.

Every time she was reading one of his dumb little cards, she felt his eyes on her. Every. Time.

Later that day Tris was about close to a big break in the case. She knew Josh was involved in the murder somehow, but she didn't have enough evidence to support it.

Marlene, the coroner, had given her some details about the autopsy. There wasn't much she could use, but one thing she couldn't shake off was the fact that he had Pompeii Purple nail polish under his fingernails. The wife's DNA was also found, but that's expected. She's his wife.

Tris suspected that possibly he was having an affair.

She couldn't figure out what his two ex-partners from the bank robbery had to do with anything. She began to start thinking that maybe they had nothing to do with it.

But right then, in that moment, it all clicked.

She rushed herself, Uriah, two cops, and the chief into the car.

They drove to the wife's house fast as possible, sirens screaming in their ears.

Tris got out of the car and knocked on the door harshly.

Uriah quickly came up to her and said, "Tris, what on Earth are you doing?"

"Yeah, care to tell us what's going on, detective?" Chief Max asked.

She didn't say anything because the door flew open.

"Hello, Mrs. Young," Tris said with a five-star plastered smile.

"Hello, detective. How may I help you? Come in, come in."

They all stepped inside and stood behind Tris.

"Can I get Chicago's finest some tea or lemonade?" she asked them.

"No, thank you, Mrs. Young. We won't be here for long."

"Okay. What can I do for you all?"

"Answer me this, Patricia: Why did you kill your husband?"

"Tris," Max warned.

"Trust me on this," she said.

"Why," the wife said. "that is absolutely preposterous, detective. How dare you accuse me of such a thing."

"Your nails," Tris said, stepping closer. "They're beautiful. What color?—Pompeii Purple, maybe?"

"…Yes. Why?"

"Gorgeous color. But why is this one chipped?" Tris asked. She grabbed her hand and pointed to her left thumb.

"Must have scraped it on something. What does this have to do with my husband's murder?"

"Aren't women only supposed to wear nail polish?"

"Well, yes," she chuckled.

"Then why did my coroner find a piece of Pompeii Purple nail polish in the beds of his nails. As if he were to be fighting back?"

"He was my husband. Of course my DNA will be all over him."

"Mhm," Tris said. "Then do you care to explain why Josh Newberry's prints were on him?"

"They were friends. What is that supposed to imply?"

"Okay. Here's my theory. You were having an affair with Josh. He wanted you to have a divorce. You couldn't do that. Not because you love him, but because you wanted all the money. Not half, but all. So you and Josh decided to kill him. Then take the money. Then flee the country. Because your undying love for each other was so strong."

"Pat? Who's downstairs?" Newberry shouted as he came down the stairs.

"Just some detectives."

"Mrs. Young, is this true?" Chief asked.

She paused. "I regret it. I regret everything," she cried. "He made me do it though. He made me put those bullets into his chest," she screamed.

"Patricia Young, you have the right to remain silent," Uriah told her. Tris walked out of the house and into the squad car. She didn't put the keys in the ignition. She just sat in the car.

"Tris," Max said as he climbed into the passenger sear. "That was an amazing bust. How'd you know?"

Tris sadly smiled and shrugged. "I'm good at what I do."

"That, you are," Max said. "Go ahead and take the rest of the day off."

Tris almost accepted, but she couldn't. "Chief, I'd like to keep working. I have a lot on my mind, and I think I should keep my mind off things."

"Okay. I've got one case back at the station, but as soon as you solve it, you're going home. Since it's already four o'clock, you'll probably solve it at six if you really put your mind to it."

"Alright. Thanks. Let's get going back to the station."

It was just Max and Tris in the car since Uriah rode with one of the cops.

"So what's been on your mind, Tris? That cop that likes you?"

She sighed. "I… Yeah. It is."

"Do you need me to talk to internal affairs? Have this guy transferred?"

Tris immediately shook her head. "No. No, that's not necessary. He's an amazing guy, really… I just… he lied to me about something big, and I don't know that I can forgive him."

"Is he married?"

Tris laughed. "No, Max."

"Then what?"

"He, um…It's hard to explain. He's just not the guy I thought he was."

"I know I don't know who he is and that I'm not involved in this, but he seems like genuinely nice guy. I mean, the smile he leaves on your face when you read the card and see the roses is priceless. You just… if you saw yourself you'd think your were in love."

Tris about laughed her head off. "Yeah, right."

"Whatever you say, Tris," he told her as she parked the car.

She got out of the car and walked into the station. Uriah must've gotten there before her because she got multiple pats on the back and people telling her she did well. He always did brag about her being "the best partner ever."

She didn't particularly like the attention, but the gesture from Uriah was nice.

She walked with Max to his office for her new case.

"Female. Late thirties. Selena Piper. Nobody knows if it's suicide or murder."

Max handed her the file and she peeked inside.

"Suicide," she said, then closed the file. "Now can you give me another case?"

"Woah, woah, woah, Tris. Explain."

She sighed and opened the file. "You see the cuts on her wrists? She was depressed. And from the scar tissue I can tell that they've stayed permanently over the years. And from the angle of the slits it shows that no one could've imitated that. Unfortunate and sad, but true. People don't see all they have to live for," she sighed.

Max blew out a breath. "Damn, your good, Prior."

"Any other cases?"

"Nope. As much as I hate admitting it, crime rate has gone down 30% since Four."

"Ah," Tris said. "Four sure does cause a lot of problems these days, doesn't he?"

"He's a blessing and a curse."

Tris chuckled. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Take it easy for the rest of the day. Go home, Tris. You're the reason you have no cases. You've been practically working yourself to death."

She sighed. "Chief…"

"Detective. I'm ordering you to go home," he chuckled.

"Okay, Max, I get it," she laughed. "Have a good night."

"You too, detective."

Tris walked out of the department, and someone caught up with her as she walked on the sidewalk.

"Tris Prior."

"Tobias Eaton."

Tris didn't turn her head in his direction; she just knew his voice.

"What're you doing?"

"Walking," she said plainly.

"Fun fun. You wanna go to dinner tonight?"

Tris laughed and stopped in her tracks. "What do you think this is? Do you think we're friends or something?" she asked angrily. "Cause we're not. Whatever we once had or maybe still do have is through. We"—she pointed her fingers back and forth between the two of them—"are through. Get it?"

Tobias didn't even look affected by what she just said.

"So that's a no on the dinner…?"

She rolled her eyes and walked away.

"I know where you live," he said, laughing.

"My god, Tobias, you don't know when to give up, do you?"

"I don't give up. Not really my thing."

She sighed. "One of use has to give up sometime, or we both end up losing."

"How do you mean?"

"If I give up, I lose."

"And?"

"And by giving up, that means I fell in love with you. And I end up losing because love is a horrible, horrible thing that breaks many people. All it ever does is break, burn, and end."

"False," Tobias said. "Love can't end if you find the right person."

"Death," Tris said.

"Even then," Tobias shot back, "it goes on."

They arrived at her apartment.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Tris asked, changing the subject.

"Chief let me off early."

"Ah."

"So that's a definite no on the dinner?"

Tris rolled her eyes and stepped into her apartment.

He banged on the door. "I'll buy!"

"I'm not leaving," he shouted through it. "I'll sit out here the rest of the night if I have to."

Tris sighed. She went to her bedroom and put on a giant sweatshirt along with short-shorts. Even though it was only a little before four o'clock, she went to bed with her hair in a bun.

She slept for about three hours, until six o'clock, then got up and figured she should eat.

She remembered about Tobias out in the hallway as she poured her cereal, which was her dinner. She opened the door to see Tobias leaning up against the wall next the her door. Luckily she was at the end of the hallway, so none of her neighbors would complain.

"Tobias," she said groggily. "Why are you still here?"

"I told you I wasn't leaving, Prior."

"Ugh," she groaned. "I really hate you sometimes."

"Did you just sleep for three hours straight in the middle of the day?"

"Yeah. I did. It was nice."

"That explains the giant sweatshirt and bun."

She yawned. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'm really appropriately dressed, am I?" she laughed.

"Appropriate for me," he chuckled. "You look beautiful in those big sweatshirts of yours."

She blushed and smiled while looking down. "Thanks." She walked over to sit down next to him.

Tris leaned her back up against the wall and slumped down beside him.

"I still can't believe you waited here," she told him.

"Told you I wouldn't give up."

"Looks like you fulfilled that," she said with a laugh.

He chuckled. "You're an amazing person, you know that?"

She was surprised at what he said. "How so?"

"So, so many things that I can't explain to you about yourself. You'd never believe me if told you half the things on my mind."

"Try me," she told him with a smirk.

"Well, for starters, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

She huffed.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me."

She sighed. "Sorry. I just don't think I'm the most beautiful girl you've ever seen."

"Well, you are. And I'm sorry you don't realize that."

Tris leaned in a little towards his face to kiss him, but decided against it.

He must've known what she was about to do, so he quickly leaned over to her and crashed his lips to hers.

She hesitantly kissed back, but ended up completely making out with him in the middle of her hallway. She ran her hands through his hair more than once and he laid a hand on her bare leg. Nothing too risqué though.

His hand traveled up, up, up toward her hair. He took it out of its bun so her blonde locks cascaded over her shoulders. There she was, making out in the middle of the hallway in her big sweatshirt and nerdy glasses.

She didn't want to be anywhere else, either.

She finally pulled back and rested her forehead on his.

Tris whispered, "Bad boy, good lips."

And then she got up, and walked back into her apartment.