Chapter Seven
Erin, and Soifon's P.O.V*
Several hours elapsed at a rather swift pace, and the two women remained in a state of anticipation for the arrival of the suspect. Engaged in a conversation, they reminisced about a time when it was challenging for one of them to disclose personal details. With a smile adorning her face, Erin responded, her vibrant green eyes gleaming mischievously.
Soifon was on the verge of responding to Erin when the doors of the bar suddenly swung open, capturing her attention. Her gaze fell upon a woman with blue eyes, who she promptly informed Erin was present by whispering, "She's here." Soifon discreetly pointed in the direction of the dirty blond woman as Erin acknowledged her message with a nod.
Erin then stated her intention to be cautious and watch her surroundings in case the woman was not alone. With those words, the brunette began to make her way towards Becca, slowly advancing towards the front of the bar.
It took Erin a short amount of time to reach the bar where she overheard Becca engaging in conversation with the bartender. She found herself curious about the nature of their discussion and hoped that the bartender would refrain from disclosing the presence of the detectives to Becca. Once Erin was close enough to hear, Becca questioned, with a flirtatious gaze in her blue eyes, "Paul, how is the progress of your business?"
Besides the presence of two detectives investigating, everything has been proceeding satisfactorily," Paul responded. Becca's eyes narrowed as she inquired, "What is their purpose?" He began to answer but ceased upon noticing Erin, who warned him with a stern gaze not to disclose any more information. Paul refrained from speaking as Erin approached the bar and suggested, "Why don't you serve this young lady a beverage instead of engaging in conversation."
Expressing dissatisfaction over being instructed by a female patron in his establishment, Paul promptly retrieved two bottles of scotch for the aforementioned women. Meanwhile, Becca diverted her focus towards the brunette with an amused expression, remarking, 'I have never witnessed him retreat so swiftly.' Accompanied by laughter, she then relocated to an adjacent barstool to make room for Erin. Responding with nonchalance, Erin commented, "I concluded that if he could spare a moment for conversation, he could acquire a beer for you."
Glancing over her shoulder to observe Soifon's activities, her friend's deep blue eyes met her gaze directly. She redirected her focus towards the blonde when Becca inquired, 'May I inquire about your identity? I would like to become acquainted with you.' A smile spread across her face as she accepted the bottle that Paul had presented upon his return. Erin repeated her name to Becca, her vibrant green eyes locked onto her friend's blue eyes. 'I am Erin,' she stated, prompting a smile to emerge on the blonde's face. 'It is a pleasure to meet you, Erin. I am called Becca.' Leaning closer to the brunette, Becca suggested, 'Would you care to engage in a conversation? I do enjoy exchanging questions.'
Erin nodded in acknowledgement when Becca had expressed her willingness to answer any questions. She proceeded to distance herself slightly from the older woman, making an effort to alleviate her own unease. "May I ask if you are from the local vicinity?" Erin inquired. Becca, who had already invaded her personal space, responded with a nonchalant shrug. "To be honest, not really. I have a tendency to frequently relocate, and I recently arrived here from Texas," the blond explained. Erin continued nodding as she intermittently sipped her beverage. "So, what motivated you to choose Chicago as your destination, particularly considering the fact that Texas tends to have warmer weather than this region?"
"I am curious to explore the charm of Chicago and discover what it has to offer," Becca replied, shrugging her shoulders and pressing her lips together. Erin secretly hoped that Becca, the blond woman, would divulge information about the shooting as soon as possible. "By the way, may I confide in you about something?" Becca asked with a smirk forming on her face. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Soifon standing up from her position at the back, moving closer to them just in case Becca decided to flee.
Erin shifted in her seat, attempting to find a more comfortable position, as Becca confided in her. 'Just between you and me,' Becca whispered, 'I wish people would stop having children. The world is excessively populated, and it seems that no one cares. So, I have taken it upon myself to assist in reducing the population.' Erin's eyebrows furrowed in surprise when Becca confessed her actions. Leaning closer, the brunette asked,
'How exactly have you been helping?' Soifon, who had also drawn nearer to listen, anxiously awaited the crucial part of the conversation. 'I have killed an eight-year-old girl who was riding her bike,' Becca nonchalantly stated, displaying no remorse. 'And until there are no more children, I will continue to do so.'
Upon allowing Becca to complete her confession, Erin found herself exasperated and uncertain of her emotions towards this individual. However, she certainly harbored a profound sense of disgust towards this woman, who was capable of committing such heinous acts of taking innocent lives due to her misguided belief in overpopulation. Overwhelmed, Erin shook her head and tried to suppress the lump in her throat as she covered her face with her hands. It was evident that she felt compelled to take immediate action and apprehend this woman.
Erin calmly took a deep breath and reached behind herself to retrieve her handcuffs from her pocket. Her unwavering green eyes remained fixed on Becca, who looked at Erin with a perplexed expression. She made a formal announcement, stating, 'Becca Johnson, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of Jade and several other innocent children who did not deserve to die.' Ignoring Becca's profanities directed at her, Erin continued, 'You will now be taken into custody.' Soifon swiftly approached and secured Becca from the other side after Erin had handcuffed her hands behind her back.
Soifon sternly declared, 'Detective? Indeed, we both are. And you will be serving a lengthy prison sentence.' She locked her piercing blue gaze with Becca's blue eyes and questioned, 'What did those children ever do to deserve their deaths?' The detective's voice dripped with disgust as she confronted the woman. At that moment, the blond woman spat at Soifon. Erin, accompanied by Adam and Al, promptly intervened and took custody of Becca, escorting her away from the two women.
"I must commend your efforts, Soifon," Erin stated as she gazed towards Soifon after Becca's departure. The compliment provoked a smile from Soifon. "We truly do make an exceptional team, reminiscent of our previous collaborations," the raven-haired woman spoke with a playful wink. Erin nodded in agreement.
"Now that our task is complete, let us depart from this unpleasant establishment and return to the comfort of our homes." With these words, the brunette led Soifon out of the bar, both adorned with cheerful expressions upon their faces.
Erin inquired if Soifon would like to accompany her to Molly's or if she preferred going to Erin's place for a more intimate hangout. As they stood outside in the cool air, Erin could hear Antonio's laughter while Ashley embraced him. She suggested going home upon overhearing Ashley's discontent towards her boyfriend, which prompted laughter from both Soifon and Erin. Bid farewell to everyone, Ashley and Antonio departed, leaving Jay and Adam behind with smirking expressions. Mouse, too, stood nearby, wearing a smile as he stood close to Jay.
After spending some time outside the bar, Erin asked Soifon again whether they should go to Molly's or head to Erin's place. Soifon made her choice and opted to go to Erin's place, which pleased Erin as she preferred going home with Soifon. Erin turned towards Jay, who had asked the two women if they would be joining them at Molly's. She responded, "No, Jay. Soifon and I will be going to my place."
Amidst Soifon's departure towards Erin's car, the brunette chose to stay behind with Jay, who kindly patted her shoulder, offering some light-hearted advice. 'Go on, don't keep your significant other waiting,' the brown-haired man playfully remarked, provoking a bashful reaction from Erin. 'But she isn't mine, at least not yet,' she responded, provoking laughter from Jay and Mouse.
'Erin, I can see that familiar expression you used to wear when we were together. It's evident that you still have feelings for Soifon, despite the years of separation,' Jay confidently stated, locking his blue eyes with her green ones. Erin sighed, acknowledging Jay's perception. He was aware of the connection between her and Soifon, as she had confided in him about their compatibility.
'Soifon is an exceptional woman, and you deserve happiness. I'm certain that Soifon will eventually come to appreciate that,' Jay encouraged, concluding his words with a tender kiss on the top of Erin's head before taking his leave.