It was humid, uncomfortably hot. Yet, nothing about this was comfortable.
Goren sat in his chair, trying not to fidget. The legs of the chair wobbled with a noisy scratchy squeak and he didn't want to give off the impression that there was anything to worry about. Of course, he didn't trust IAB. His file never did him any favors. But there wasn't anything to hide nor worry about. We were on the right side of things.
Sweat started to collect at the corners of his mask. His hair was slick with sweat. He was wearing his good suit and it was about twenty minutes in where his tie had begun choking him. All he wanted to do was tear off his tie and toss aside his jacket. At least they had the decency to have water.
"The department says you make lapses in judgement."
"The department says a lot of things about me. None of them are true, unless you are talking about my arrests and work record. It speaks for itself. What you won't find is anything that I nor my partner have done that is corrupt. We are good cops."
"Nobody's perfect. There's always a line that a cop is willing to cross, you mean to tell me you've never been tempted?"
{One of those hobbies of mine is studying laws, the laws you used to be paid to enforce.}
"Sir, I love my job. It's important to me that there are good guys out there. Guys that still believe in the oath we made. My partner and I are those cops. You guys are fishing and it's leading you to ignore what really happened that day."
{And what's doing right in the Goren playbook? Fidelity... Bravery... Integrity.}
-
Eames was in another room equally uncomfortable, downright agitated. She was not going to give them the satisfaction that they were getting under her skin. This whole investigation was ridiculous. Goren and I stood by the protesters protecting things making sure each side kept from getting too unruly.
"You have covered up things before, for your partner."
"I have not. If you mean, did I have his back to protect him when things got dangerous then yes. If you are suggesting that I'm keeping some kind of dirty secret of his, of misconduct, you are out of your mind."
"Funny you should say that, there's word going around that he isn't exactly stable. He's one trigger away from going off the deep end. He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for schizophrenia."
"Are we dishing gossip or discussing what happened?"
"Well, I would think his state of mind is relative to what happend, don't you?"
"There was nothing wrong with his state of mind. In fact, his instincts were sharper given everything that was going on. He wanted to make sure everyone made it home safe. We both did."
"And yet, someone didn't."
" You have this wrong ."
"How do we know that your judgment of Detective Alexandra Eames is right? Her father was accused of impropriety. You know, as far as I know, that often the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"That is absurd."
"It's absurd to think she wouldn't follow in his first steps? That she wouldn't cut corners?"
"Yes. She is one of the most, by the book cops, I know."
"So, she's never gone by her own judgement instead of what she's supposed to do?"
"It's not like that. Detective Eames is a good, ethical cop. Besides, every cop has to have some flexibility, good instincts because it's not always according to the book and she has great instincts."
"So, she has put her own needs before what she must carry out as a cop?"
"No, you are putting words in my mouth, changing the narrative. That's not what happened."
"A kid has died. You were there to make sure nothing got out of hand. I would say that was out of hand. Do you really think that you carried out your ethical duty to protect and serve."
Actions