Chapter 16

The next day, Monday, Tris walked into the station getting nothing but stares. She assumed that everyone heard about the case from Saturday and felt pity for her.

Tris ignored it. She didn't need it from them. She didn't need it from anyone.

She walked straight into Max's office.

"Tris, I thought I told you to take today off."

She ignored him too. "Any cases for me?"

"Go home."

"I refuse."

Max sighed. "Are you sure you're mentally ready?"

"Max. I'm fine. I'm tough and you know it."

"Uriah's investigating a case right now. He'll brief you."

"Thank you, Chief."

When she arrived at her desk, there was a rose and a card.

"I don't have to prove anything to you, but I just thought you might like a rose. I love you, Tris."

She simply smiled and put it in her desk drawer.

"Uriah, can I see the case file?"

He handed it to her. "Welcome back, Prior."

Shortly after reading the case file (20 minutes), and doing some research (25 minutes), she'd cracked the case. It wasn't too hard. It was obviously the son who murdered his father.

"Let's go arrest this guy, Pedrad," Tris told him.

"I hate how you can do that," he said to her.

"What?"

"Figure out who the killer is in less that an hour. That's insane."

She shrugged. "It's what I do."

Tris, Uriah, and two other cops as backup went to the suspect's house. 522 Boyer Lane. Tris knocked on the door of the mansion. It was, let's say, a nicer part of Chicago.

"Hello, how may I help you?" an older woman asked with a Spanish accent. She was the housekeeper.

Tris politely smiled. "Hi, is Mr. Borin around?"

"Ah, no, no. He up in heaven." She pointed upward.

"Yes, but his son? That Mr. Borin?"

"Si, si, un momento, por favor."

Tris could tell enough from high school Spanish that she'd said "Yes, yes, one moment, please."

Then a scream.

Tris invited herself in and followed the scream up the stairs. She barged into the door with her gun up.

The housekeeper stood in shock over Mr. Borin's body. Another family death.

Tris sighed and shoved the gun back into her holster.

"Get Marlene to examine the body. But judging by the bullet hole angle in his head," Tris said, "this wasn't suicide."

"But how? There are no signs of—" Uriah began.

"Forced entry on the window. Whoever this was knew that this was his room. Which means the killer is familiar with the place. My theory before was that the son, Kian Borin, killed his father, Jonathan Borin, for inheritance money."

"It's all right, Tris. Everyone makes mis—"

"I didn't make mistakes. This just doesn't add up, Uri."

"You have to accept that you aren't always right," he laughed.

She tiredly smiled at him. "I know, I know, but I had a really strong feeling about this one."

"It's all right. Let's just figure out who—"

"The sister!" Tris shouted. "It all adds up! Murder and partnership gone wrong. Jonathan Borin was a horrible man. That's why his wife left him. His children, Kian and Charlotte Borin, team up to kill him. But Kian decides he wants the money all to himself. He kills his father without Charlotte knowing. Since he's the oldest, all of his things will go to Kian. So Charlotte killed her older brother in order to inherit everything. So technically, no, I didn't make a mistake."

"Where do you think Charlotte is headed?"

"Her safe haven. Her room She entered through the window to make it look like the killer couldn't have easy access to Kian's room, when really all she had to do was walk across the hall."

Tris entered Charlotte's room.

The eighteen-year-old girl had music blasting in her ears as she read a magazine.

She took out her earbuds and said, "Can I help you?"

"You know your brother just got murdered ten feet away from you, right? Well, I guess you would know that since you're the one who murdered him, right?"

"What?" the girl exclaimed. "That's absurd!"

"Cuff her, Uri."

"You'd kill your own family for money?" Tris asked.

"And I'd do it all over again," Charlotte seethed.

Uriah mirandized her as they walked to the cop cars.

Tris walked back into the other cop car she and Uriah drove and hopped into the driver's seat. Uriah got in on the other side when he was done cuffing Charlotte.

"Honestly, I mean how do you do that?" he asked. "I've been working that case since Thursday and I couldn't get any leads on it whatsoever. You just solved that in less than an hour in a half."

"It's all in the job description," she laughed. "I've wanted to do it ever since I was a little girl. My parents would always watch reruns of Miami Vice when I was little. So I guess I have that stupid TV show to thank," she chuckled as she drove back to the station.

"Man, that show was and still is great. I watch it to this day."

Tris laughed. "This is why I love you, Uri."

"Speaking of love, how're you and Tobias?"

She smiled at the thought of him. "We're good. We built a fort yesterday."

He snickered at her. "A fort?"

She nodded.

"You two a dorks. You actually make a great couple because of that."

She pulled into the parking lot of the station. "I guess it does."

They walked into the station as Tris stood behind Charlotte and led her to booking and processing.

"Vick!" Tris said loudly. It was always chaos there. "Book her."

"You got it, Detective," he said to her.

She and Uriah walked straight into Max's office.

"I need another case," Tris said.

"But you've already got the one with Uriah."

"I just caught the murderer. Now please give me another case."

Max sighed. "Tris, you're overworking yourself. You need to—"

"The only thing I need is a case, Chief."

"Prior."

"All I'm saying is that you need to give me another case. I need to keep my mind off of this past weekend. Let me work myself to death. I can get a lot done around here if I put my mind to it."

He sighed. "All right, Prior. But if you collapse I'm sending you home," he chuckled. He reached into his filing cabinet and grabbed three file cases. "This should be enough for today. If you solve those, I've got two more. If you solve those, then you're gettin' cold cases," he laughed.

She smiled and took the cases from his hands. "Coldies are my favorites."

"All right, Prior, get on it then."

"You got it, Chief."

She and Uriah viewed the cases as they walk to their desk.

"Ohhh, I call the one with the illegal snakes!" Uriah shouted.

She laughed with a wide smile and looked at him. "You can't call it, Uriah!"

"Yeah huh!"

He took the case from her hands and ran away from her. She chased him all around station in her heels, which hurt like a fucker, laughing. She wore a baggy dark red top with black pants and dark red heels. She looked impeccable. But for running? Not so great.

Uriah stood still behind Tobias and his desk, and Tris in front of him. Tobias and his desk were a barrier.

"Uriah," she said, "hand it over."

"No way!"

"I'm Head Detective!"

"Don't pull the rank card on me, Prior!"

She rolled her eyes. "Pedrad—"

"Here's an idea," Tobias chipped in, "work together on it. After all, you are partners."

Uriah and Tris glared at each other for a good minute, then both said "Fine" at the same time.

"Problem solved," Tobias said.

Uri glared at her one last time and walked back to their desks.

"So," Tobias said, "you and Uriah having troubles?"

She laughed. "No. He's just a stubborn ass."

"Well that explain it all," he laughed.

"So I'll probably be working late tonight, just so you know. I need to clear my mind after this weekend, you know?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that's all right. Text me when you're home? Just to make sure you're home safe," he said.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I will. I'll talk to you later."

"Oh, and, Tris?"

"Yeah?"

"You look beautiful," he said with a wink.

"Thank you." She smiled. Tris walked back to her desk, then she and Uriah got to work.

She was on her way home 11:30 because Max forced her. Mainly because she fell asleep at her desk on a cold case file.

Tris was walking through the alley she normally did on the way home and heard footsteps.

"Who's there? I'm a cop and I have gun." She placed a hand on the handle of her gun, ready to rip it out of its holster.

"I'm just walking home from work!" a woman shouted. Tris came closer and stood under a light. The woman joined her. She looked a few years older than her, Tris observed.

"I saw a man," the woman said.

"Did he look suspicious?" Tris asked. "I can escort you home if you'd like."

"Oh, no, no, I think it was that Four guy. I've heard his name on the news, but not for a week or two. He was wearing what the picture looked like on the news."

Tris's eyes widened. "Four? You're sure?"

"99%."

She put her hand on her forehead, annoyed. "All right," she said quietly. "Are you sure you don't need me to walk you home?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I'm all right. Thank you though."

"Have a good night, ma'am," Tris said, then walked away.

Tris couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Tobias lied to her. He flat-out lied. She wasn't mad at him for being Four, she was mad that he lied. He said he'd stop being Four. He said he cared about her too much. Obviously he didn't care enough to tell her the truth.

She changed her direction and began to walk to Tobias's. As much as she didn't want to speak to him, she knew she had to at some point.

So she waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually around 1:30 A.M., she heard a motorcycle rumbling.

She stood up and leaned against the front door.

Tobias parked on the curb and started to walk toward the door. Obviously he hadn't seen her yet.

Only when he was five feet away, he finally saw her.

"Tris, is everything okay? Why are you here?"

She turned on the light above her head so she could see more of him. He changed into his normal clothes, not Four clothes.

"Why did you lie to me, Tobias?" she asked quietly.

"What?" he asked. "Tris, come inside—"

"No. Why did you lie to me?"

"Tris—"

"Why did you lie to me?" she repeated, tears in her eyes.

He sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"Did you or did you not go out and be Four?"

He sighed. "Tris…"

"Answer me."

"Yes. Yes, I did, Tris."

She paced on the porch and held her hand on her forehead.

"Dammit, Tobias."

He frowned. "I know, I shouldn't have done it. It was stupid."

"No, it wasn't stupid," she said. "It was idiotic. I don't care if you want to be Four, but do not lie to me, Tobias."

"Tris, I'm sorry. I…," he stuttered. "I'm sorry."

She stood in front of him. She still hadn't let a tear drop, just let them gather in her eyes. "You owe me an explanation."

He sighed. "I don't have one this time. I guess I just… I wanted to help people. I never meant to hurt you."

She shakily breathed. "How many?"

"What?" he asked.

"How many times have you gone out since you told me you wouldn't?"

He closed his eyes. "Tonight was the second."

She breathed out. "God, Tobias."

"I know. I don't deserve you. Especially after what I did. But I… I need to help people, Tris. I need t—"

"Your job isn't good enough? It's not enough change in the world?" she snapped.

"Tris, giving tickets to people for speeding and going through red lights isn't exactly making a change."

"Become a detective! You have the skills to!"

He shook his head. "It's not that simple."

"How, Tobias? How?" she seethed. "It's really not that hard."

"I can't leave the station, Tris!"

"Why the hell not?"

He sighed. "We're there."

"Not for long."

"What?" Tobias asked.

"I'm requesting a station transfer tomorrow morning."

"Why?" he asked incredulously. "You can't leave, Tris."

"Oh, I'm not leaving. You are."

"Tris, don't do this."

"This is the last straw, Tobias. I'm done with your lies. You know honesty is something I care about most in a relationship, and you obviously can't handle that. So tomorrow morning, you'll be moving stations," she said shakily.

"Tris…"

"Goodbye, Tobias," she said. She didn't move though. She let one tear roll down her cheek.

Tobias reached up to wipe it away, but she flinched away.

"Goodbye, Tobias," she repeated, then walked away into the night.