Ludwig was getting ready for work in his apartment when Gilbert, already in uniform with his bag slugged over his back, let himself into his apartment.
"Wassup bruder?" He cackled as he kicked the door shut and rested his hands on the back of his head. "You ready to make like a tree and leave or nah?"
Ludwig stepped out of his bathroom and raised his eyebrow while he continued to brush his teeth.
"My bad, I can wait," Gilbert said and slumped over the back of the couch. Ludwig shook his head and went back to the bathroom. It didn't take long for him to finish up and when he was ready to leave his brother followed him out.
"Will you be joining me every day?" Ludwig inquired as he locked up and took the stairs. Gilbert followed without complaint.
"Nah, only if I'm up. I must get my beauty sleep to keep looking as awesome as I do." He grinned mischievously as he framed his smug face with his hands. "But I'll try and join by best bro once a week or something. Other days I'll ride free, wind in my hair as I go vroooom."
He mimicked revving a motorbike and Ludwig smiled fondly.
"You shouldn't have the wind in your hair because you should be wearing a helmet."
"It's a metaphor," Gilbert laughed and punched his brother.
Outside their apartment building, it was a beautiful day. There was little wind, a few clouds, and the temperature wasn't extreme. Gilbert talked endlessly about trivial things as they stopped to collect their coffees before continuing to the police precinct. Ludwig entertained the conversation while he appreciated the weather. Their work really ought to put some benches outside for staff. He'd certainly use them, meaning by extension a clingy Gilbert would too.
Their workplace wasn't far, too close by Ludwig standards. They bidded good morning to Natalya who looked like she could use a coffee herself as they passed her desk. Whatever cheap brand they had in the staff room often went unused. For good reason too as Ludwig had found out months ago. Maybe he'd have to bring in an alternative.
Gilbert kicked in the door to his office and slumped into his wheely chair. Ludwig heard a suspicious creek as he pulled himself towards his desk.
"Sooooo, are we gonna jump onto the next case?" Gilbert was completely oblivious to his impending doom when the abused chair inevitably collapsed, instead licking the coffee foam off the lid.
"This morning," Ludwig replied as he searched for their list buried among other papers on Gilbert's desk. Somehow reading his mind, Gilbert skillfully pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to his brother. Ludwig thanked him, took out a pen from his jacket and marked off the first name on the list with satisfaction. One unsolved cold case is now solved. Quite a few to go...
"Soooo, who's next?"
"1982, Elizabeta Héderváry." Ludwig read the next name on the list and shuffled his chair over to sit beside his brother. "Check the database to see where the files are. The sooner we pick them up the sooner we can start."
Gilbert obliged, cracking his knuckles before waking his computer and looking through their archives.
"Gees, how old are all of these," he gestured to the list as he found the file ID for a physical file. "I bet none are these are digitised!"
"None of them are younger than a decade, but a dare say most of them are paper."
"Well at least this one's at our station." Gilbert pointed to the screen listing their address under the case file. "But there's only the file. There isn't any evidence."
Ludwig frowned, that was troubling. But they hadn't even read the file yet, so he shouldn't worry. He was determined not to worry. Instead of worrying, he ought to be productive and do what he can to make their jobs easier. He took out his phone, took a photo of the list and drafted an email.
"What'cha doing?" Gilbert leaned over his shoulder to watch and snatch Ludwig's pen.
"Asking Natalya if she could organise these files to be digitised in advance. Physical evidence can't be digitised, but having these cases in the system would be more accessible."
"Good thinking my awesome little brother," Gilbert punched his shoulder as he jumped from his chair and squinted at the computer. He wrote the ID onto his hand before passing the pen back. "Now let's go grab the file! I wanna start ASAP."
Ludwig sent the email as a draft knowing Natalya wouldn't care for a slip in professionalism (and his drafts were more professional than some other's final product). He followed his brother to the archive room, a medium-sized room without windows, filled with rows of metal shelves storing brown and green boxes with various labels. Gilbert ran down the rows twice as he muttered the numbers to himself.
"Maybe we should've asked Natalya to find it for us." He chuckled.
"We work here too," Ludwig tsked, "we'd have the same chance at finding it as she would."
Gilbert sighed and kept looking. After a couple of minutes, the file was uncovered.
"It's depressing how dusty it is," Gilbert commented as he fanned the thick folder and watched the dust float to the floor. Ludwig nodded in agreement but found it relieving how fat the folder was. Hopefully, that meant they had a lot to work with, even if it wasn't enough for the previous detective.
"Let's go," he said as walked out and waited for Gilbert to follow before locking the room.
"This is going to be depressing, isn't it?" Gilbert muttered, slightly vulnerable.
"People passing is always a confronting subject," Ludwig reasoned as he pushed his office door open. He'd rather be in a clutter-free space to start a new case. "But yes, I suspect these cold cases have the potential to be upsetting."
If the last case was anything to go by. Upsetting was putting it lightly. Hopefully, it didn't get to the point that they found them distressing.
"Yeah," Gilbert dragged the chair opposite around to be next to his brother and put the file between them. "You ready?"
"Of course." Ludwig steeled his expression as he adopted his professional composure and flicked the file open.