Detective Jake went ahead to draw himself a seat regardless, noting the reddened face of his colleague who couldn’t understand the young man’s penchant for disobeying rules.
“I’ll say this and I will say it well so you both can understand the kind of shithole we just found ourselves in”, Captain Luke sighed. “The Mayor wants this killer found as we all do, but he is somewhat pressed on finding him fast to boost his political campaign for governor”.
Mike Rondon stepped closer with his hands folded across his chest. “Tuck Fisher is running for governor? To what end exactly?”
“Some people love having the better things in life Mike… you should stick with the mentality and it might bring you some class”, Detective Jake cut right in with a thin jab layered with enough angst to get his colleague reeling.
Captain Luke cut right in before things got heated. “That’s enough now between you two”.
Detective Jake couldn’t help but smile and let out a soft laugh.
“I don’t know how this will work but I’m pairing you both on this case”, the man dropped the bombshell. “I figured having the two best detectives we’ve got on the force working together isn’t a terrible thing, provided you two don’t manage to kill one another before things get sorted out!”
Still befuddled by what they had heard, the two exchanged glances with one another. For Detective Jake, it was an impossibility he would never even want to find a way around, while for his esteemed nemesis and colleague, it as a slap to his ego as well.
“Not a chance in hell!” Detective Jake declined immediately as he shot himself up from his seat and threatened to storm out.
It was worrying enough that his work was about getting blown into the open, talk less of working with his arch rival and nemesis in the force. Mike had his ways and they never tallied with those of Detective Jake. The possibility of them working together had been slashed into insurmountable odds from the day they met and they respected and loved it that way.
“For once I agree with Detective douche, Sir”, Mike noted. “You need us working individually on this case or we might never get past this room”.
Staring the tensed looking Mike Rondon in the fact, their Captain quizzed further, “Why is that?”
Mike Rondon shrugged, turned around and met his eyes with those of his rival who had the same expression on his face too.
“He means we will kill each other Sir”, Detective Jake explained. “It will be my foot to his neck that does the job and I’m sure of it”.
Mike grew furious, drew closer and clenched his fists while words got traded and the Captain slowly leaned his head downwards in disbelief. His heart raced and his head had begun feeling like a bludgeoning hammer had been dealt to it. Looking back up again to see both men acting like kids, he shook his head, clenched his fists and rammed them down and hard into the table.
It definitely got their attention as they both fell mute. “Are you two done?”
Detective Jake sighed, stepped forward with a thin frown and moved to speak before halting upon seeing the raised hand from the Captain.
“I am appalled by you two… I really am”, Captain Luke frowned. “One of us was murdered, sliced into bits like meat for the market and you two are so far stuck in your asses you cannot see how difficult the situation is”.
Detective Jake looked puzzled; as though he had no idea one of them had been part of the murder. The expression bore a tone of mastery, showing just how well he had grown over time to both mask his insatiable hunger for annual killing and the everyday expressions that did well to mask who he was inside.
“I want you two on this and nothing changes”, the Captain continued. “Should you both kill yourselves, it had better be after the case is solved!”
The men nodded at once and headed for the door in silence. The stinging gaze from their superior continued to linger on their back and even after the door was shut and with them on the other side, they could still equally tell his dissatisfaction. The case at hand rattled the man they often knew to be calm and of the best possible demeanor in the entire New York Police force.
Mike Rondon paused, stood akimbo and wore a frown. “I have never seen him that way before”.
Detective Jake remained mute, acting as though every word from Mike was gold while in fact, his heart had begun on an unsteady raging beat rhythm.
“I agree to work on this with you if… “, Mike paused, slumped his head to the side with some degree of irritation on his face. “Seriously?”
Detective Jake gave no reply but continued to walk ahead until he got to the elevator. The hurrying footsteps behind him drew closer and within seconds, he could tell his newly assigned partner didn’t plan on letting him be regardless.
“We cannot work on this together Mike”, Detective Jake pointed out staunchly. “You will only slow me down”.
Scoffing and practically spitting to his left and on the floor, Mike Rondon graced the elevator. “I play by the rules Jake and it means we team up on this even if you’re the last person in the world I want to be in bed with right now”.
Smiling eerily, Detective Jake followed suit and took his position beside the man. “For the record, you ain’t my type”.
He could see the red faced Mike Rondon in the reflection coming off of the elevator doors as it chimed close. They were obviously stuck with one another.
“Let’s see how far you’d go”, Detective Jake thought to himself before slowly wearing an irritating smile. “I need to rid myself of him”.
Chapter Three
“O
h Lord!” he thought to himself while perusing the rough architectural structure of
