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40.9% Little Detective / Chapter 9: Chapter 9 The Panic Attacker

Capítulo 9: Chapter 9 The Panic Attacker

"So, Beautiful, how was your date?" Sanchez asked as I walked to my desk. These guys came in three hours before me and always seemed to be at their desks when I came in.

"Did you have fun last night?" Richmond asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"More fun than you did," I snapped as I slammed my things down on my desk. "When was the last time you had a date and not a drinking partner?"

"She's got you there," Sanchez turned to his partner with a chuckle. Richmond gave him an offended look.

"Don't the two of ya have a new case ta get to?" Jones blurted out from behind his newspaper.

I almost didn't notice my tall, burly partner. He was surprisingly silent for such a big man when he wanted to be. The two detectives looked at each other before leaving. I flopped into my chair. I folded my arms on my desk and put my head on them.

Once I got home last night, I changed out of the dress and shoes to take Murphy on his walk. I then sat in a blanket burrito on my bed eating both slices of the chocolate cake. I spent my entire night tossing and turning, just thinking about RM. I barely slept an hour last night.

"I'm only gonna ask one thing," Jones said not even looking at me. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Of course not," I raised my head to glare at him.

"Good. There's a new body for us," Jones said as he put down his newspaper and grabbed his things.

"Why can't someone else take it?" I asked. "We're still working on the Bloody Office case."

"For some reason, there was a lot of murders last night," Jones said. "Everyone's gotta new case. Captain just gave it to me. Let's go."

"Right," I said as I stood up. I grabbed my things and followed him out to the car. Once inside the car, I turned to him and asked, "Where are we headed?"

"The docks," Jones said as we got inside his car. "Triple homicide. Captain wanted us on this one. Once he heard it come in this morning, he knew we could handle it. Don't know if I like this much attention from the Captain. I preferred barely being noticed."

"Sorry, Jones. But we make a good team," I said. "I want to help as many people as possible. And you're helping me with that."

"Shut up, Kid. We're goin' a homicide scene. Keep your head on straight," he said.

I sighed and looked out the window, getting ready to do my job.

Once at the crime scene, I looked around. It wasn't the docks exactly, it was a construction site a block away from the docks. All the bodies were lined up one right next to each other.

Jones was already next to the bodies, knelt down next to them. It was obvious what this was.

"This was an execution," I said to Jones as I walked up behind him.

"Yeah. That much is obvious," Jones said. "But why here? And who are these men?"

"I can answer that," an officer from behind us said.

"Go ahead," Jones said. He stood up and looked down at the officer.

"They're Gwon Dong-hyun, Gwon Haneul, and Buyeon Geun. They're low ranking members of the Bangtan mafia," the officer said.

Of course it has to do with His mafia. And right after I had a date with the boss who ran out before we could have dessert. I didn't want to deal with him or anything to do him for a while.

"Bangtan?" Jones asked. "They were part of it?"

"They don't even have the tattoos yet, so they can't be anything but bottom feeders," the officer said. "They probably got some rival angry and were taken out."

"Well, Kid, looks like we gotta meet up with you-know-who," Jones said. He took out his phone and began typing into it.

"Seeing him for so long last night was long enough," I said with a roll of my eyes. The officer gave me a confused look. "Don't ask." I shook my head to him.

My phone then started to ring in my pocket. I slipped it out to see 'Captain Butler' blinking across the screen.

"Detective Barnes," I answered.

"Ah, my favorite new detective. Good news, the woman who found the dead body of the office worker is ready to speak with you and Jones," Captain Butler said through the phone. "Can you head to her apartment?"

"One second," I said before I put him on hold. "Hey, Jones. The woman who found our office victim is ready for an interview."

"And I just got a text back from RM," Jones whispered to me. "He's going to meet us in thirty minutes."

"Well what about the office case?" I asked. "We can't just forget about our other case, Jones."

"But for this case we can talk to RM and have his help," Jones said. "We can figure this out sooner than that case."

"Fine, you go talk to RM and I'll go talk to the woman," I said.

"What happened on that date that makes you not want to see him?" Jones asked.

"I just want to solve this case," I said. "That's all."

"Fine, I'll be fine without your attitude for a while," Jones said. "Hey, officer! Can you give Barnes a ride?"

I took my phone off hold and said, "Sorry about that Cap, give me her address and I'll be right there."

"Just you?" Captain asked.

"Jones has a lead on the triple homicide. He's going to follow that lead and I'm going to go do the interview," I said.

"Smart, Barnes. I'll text you the address, keep an officer on scene with you just so I know you're safe," Captain said.

"Got it," I said. "Thanks, Cap."

"Ready to go, Detective?" the officer from earlier asked.

"Yup, and you can call me Barnes," I said.

"Only if you call me Denton," he said.

"You got it," I said.

///

Officer Denton walked with me into the apartment building and to the apartment of the woman. I knocked on the door. A woman answered after a bit of shifting around inside.

"Hi, I'm Detective Anastasia Barnes with the Towson Police Department. Are you Melissa Benson?" I asked.

"No, but I'm her roommate, Grace. She's in the living room. Come on in," the woman said. She opened the door for Denton and I to walk in.

"It's nice to meet you," I said as I entered the apartment. Grace led me to the living room where a woman sat with a cup of tea in her hands. "Melissa Benson?"

She looked up and smiled at me. She looked a bit older than me with curly brown hair and green eyes behind rectangular glasses. She was dressed in an over-size sweater and had a blanket over her lap.

She placed the mug down and asked, "Are you the detective?"

"Yes, my name is Anastasia Barnes," I said. "I'm here to ask you some questions about your co-worker, Isaiah Tallmadge."

"Ask me anything," Melissa said.

"You were the one who found Mr. Tallmadge that morning," I stated.

"Yeah," Melissa muttered with a nod.

"Can you explain to me exactly what happened that morning, from the time you got to work until you found him?" I asked.

"Are you sure that's necessary?" Grace asked. "She's prone to panic attacks. I don't want her to-"

"It's fine, Grace," Melissa cut her off. "I can do this."

"It's good that you're looking out for her. Go ahead, Melissa," I urged.

"So, I got to work at eight-thirty, like every day. I started off with getting the papers from the fax machine and handing them to the correct people. I always saved Isaiah for last, because he was always mean to me. I usually just went in and placed them on the desk without looking at him, but he . . . his face-"

She stopped and took her head in her hands. She was obviously scarred from the experience. I know I am.

"It's alright, Melissa," I placed a hand on her knee. "You don't need to talk about what he looked like. You said he was mean to you. Can you explain that?"

"He would call me names, throw stuff at me, he would make fun of my panic and anxiety attacks," Melissa said. I noticed that she was shaking. "He always focused on me more than everyone else. Everyone said it was because I look like his ex-wife. But I think it's because I'm an easy target because I'm so shy and submissive."

"Did you tell your superiors about this?" I asked.

"They all knew about it," Melissa shrugged. "But Isaiah was directly above me. And so if I wanted to report anything I would have to do it through him."

I noticed that something in her posture changed as she spoke.

"So you had no one to turn to?" I asked.

"No, but my superiors were talking about demoting him. They were done dealing with him," Melissa said.

"Did everyone know this?" I asked. I don't remember that any of the other employees mentioned his potential demotion.

"They told me after I had an anxiety attack at work because of him a few days ago," Melissa said.

"So you worked with him on a regular basis," I said.

"Yeah, Isaiah and I were always the last ones to leave the office," Melissa said. "I made sure he left before me, so I wouldn't have to be stuck in the elevator with him on the way down."

"And he didn't leave before you the night he was killed?" I asked.

"No. He had thrown a picture frame at me and I didn't want to stay later than I had to," Melissa said. "I got home around seven thirty that night. Grace was here when I got home."

It was then that I noticed a complete difference in Melissa from the time I walked in.

"So you didn't see anyone go into his office," I stated.

"No one went in there unless absolutely necessary," Melissa shrugged.

"So what time did he throw the picture frame at you?" I asked.

"What?" Melissa asked. "Does that matter?"

"I just want to make sure your story adds up with what other co-workers say," I said.

"Around two o'clock," Melissa shrugged.

"How sure are you about that?" I asked.

"Maybe half an hour or so?" Melissa guessed.

"What time did Mr. Tallmadge go to lunch?" I asked.

"Noon. Always noon."

"Then why did none of your co-workers say that no one went into his office after his lunch?" I asked. "Could you have gotten the day wrong?"

Melissa stared at me, mouth agape. Her eyes flickered around my face as I continued to stare intently into her eyes.

"How old are you, Melissa?"

"Twenty-five."

"Just one year older than me. And you've killed one more person than I have."

"I'm sorry?"

"I can tell your lying to me, Melissa. Mr. Tallmadge threw that frame at you when it was only you two in the office that evening, wasn't it? You were done with him treating you that way, so you snapped. Am I right?"

"Your a cop. And you've never killed anyone?" Melissa snapped. She was completely different from the shy woman she made herself out to be. "I don't believe you, you b****."

"Mel!" Grace shouted.

"How right was I?" I asked with a smirk.

"He deserved it," Melissa muttered. She picked up her tea and took a small sip. "Everyone hated him. When he threw that frame at me, he called me the sh***iest employee he's had the displeasure of working with. I work harder than anyone, including him. He didn't have the right to say that to me."

"Where's the murder weapon?" I asked.

Melissa scoffed. "It's in the dumpster of a Chinese restaurant down the street from the building. A bat that he had in the corner of his office. It's covered in blood, it won't be hard to miss if it's still there."

"Melissa Benson, you are under arrest for the murder of Isaiah Tallmadge," I said. I yanked her up off the couch and turned her around. I took my cuffs from my belt and put them on her as I read her Miranda Rights to her. "Officer Denton, would you mind taking Melissa to your cruiser?"

"Of course, Detective," Denton said as he Melissa's arm and led her out of the apartment. I turned to Grace who was staring at the door in shock.

"I-I never thought - Melissa. . . . I can't believe- She killed someone," Grace stuttered out.

"I know, Grace. Just when you think you know someone," I said. I walked up to her and put my hands her arms.

"We've been roommates since college. She's never been like this before," Grace muttered before she began to cry into my shoulder.

I let her cry as I rubbed her back. This was part of the job, comforting those who need comfort. I've learned that it's best to let them get everything out. Once she was done crying I took her to sit down on the couch.

"Grace, I will stay here as long as you need me to," I said.

"Thank you, detective," Grace said. "But don't you need to get back to work?"

"Once you no longer need me," I said.

"I'll be okay," Grace said.

"Okay, but if you need me, here's my card," I said. "Also here's the number of a therapist if you need to talk to anyone."

"Thank you so much."

I hugged her once more before I left the apartment building. I walked to Denton's cruiser and sat in the passenger seat.

"Well that's one murderer of the streets, let's hope Jones got a lead on the other," Denton said.

"I can hear you, you know," Melissa said from the backseat.

"Please keep your mouth shut," I told her. "I read you your rights. I hope you exercise your right to remain silent."

"Sure thing, Little Detective," Melissa hissed.

I turned around and glared at her. That nickname. That stupid nickname reminded me of Him. "Right to remain silent," I hissed to her.

I didn't want anyone to call me that. Not even the first one I heard it from. Not even the damn Bangtan boss that I spent all night thinking about.


Capítulo 10: Chapter 10 The Visit

I got back to the station and skipped to my desk. Denton had taken Melissa to Booking while I got ready to do paperwork. Jones was already at his desk on his computer.

"Guess who caught the killer!" I asked in a sing-song tone.

"Really?" Jones asked. "Who was it?"

"The woman who discovered the body, turns out she killed the guy the night before," I said as I sat in my chair. "I put a little bit of pressure on her and she cracked. You should have come with me."

"And you should have gone to see RM," Jones snapped.

"What?"

"He was angry that ya weren't there. The first thing he asked was where you were," Jones said beginning to lean towards me. "He almost didn't want to help because you weren't there."

"But he gave you the information we needed to solve this case?" I asked.

"Yup. It was a murder-suicide," Jones said.

"What are you talking about? There's no way that's possible."

"That's what RM said. That's what we're going with."

"You can't be serious, Jones. There's no way it was a murder-suicide. It was an execution and we both know it."

"Just think for a minute, Kid. Why would RM tell us it's a murder-suicide? What could he gain from that?" Jones whispered.

I understood what he meant now. I understood what RM was doing. I couldn't help but glare at the surface of my desk.

"It was a mafia kill," I muttered. "So we're just going to let this go?"

"We got no choice," Jones said. "Do you wanna put your boyfriend behind bars? And have retaliation put on us by his people?"

"He's not my boyfriend," I snapped. "It was just one date."

"That's what you got from what I said?" Jones asked.

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe that RM seriously left me last night to make sure some execution was finished? Was that the kind of man he was?

"Whatcha thinkin' about, Kid?" Jones asked.

"It doesn't matter," I said. I picked up part of unsolved case pile and threw them to him. "Pick a new case."

He started to look through the files while I did the paperwork for the arrest of Melissa Benson. As I was doing the paperwork something came to my mind. If we had files for every one that we worked with, including consultants, then we must have a file on RM.

"Hey Jones, do we have any files on RM?" I asked.

"Why do ya ask?" Jones asked. He didn't bother to look up from the files.

"Research," I said. "So do we?"

"Yeah. Hey Richmond, get the file of the top seven of Bangtan for the Kid," Jones called out. Richmond was walking away from his desk when Jones stopped him.

"Got it," Richmond nodded as he walked away. He came back ten minutes later with a single, thin file. I picked it up, holding it in my hand. It was so thin.

"Is this it?" I asked.

"Yup. The file for the top seven members of Bangtan," Richmond said. "It's about twice as thick as some of the other files we have on other gangs in the area.

"Thanks," I said. "Did you sign it out for me to take it home?"

"You know it, love." Richmond winked. "Have fun."

///

I have learned that I hate cold cases. All I had done in the past week was work on cold cases with Jones. Sure it was great to try to help some of the families find the closure they needed, but I hate not being able to be there from the beginning of the case.

And then there had been my personal life problems. In the past week, RM had tried to call multiple times a day. I've never answered. I didn't want to be around someone who left me on a date to go see an execution of his mafia members. There was no way I would go on another date with someone who did that.

I was sitting on my sofa with Murphy right next to me. On my coffee table was a dozen of cold case files from the last few years. They all wouldn't fit on my desk so I was out here. In the far corner of the coffee table, was the Bangtan file.

I shook my head as I unconsciously reached for it. I looked over it so often in the past week, I nearly had it memorized. How could so little information be known about them? And where were the rest of their records? How did they just suddenly appear out of no where? All these questions and more raced through my mind as I read through it.

I threw the file back on my coffee table and leaned back into sofa. Murphy put his head on my thigh and looked up at me. His eyes gazed at me in worry.

"I know, Murph. It doesn't make sense," I said as I began to pet his head. "But I can't keep obsessing over it. I just need to stop caring. No more to do with the mafia."

Murphy perked up. For a moment I thought that he was agreeing with me. That was until he jumped off the couch and ran to the door. I looked over the back of the couch to see him begin to sniff underneath the door.

"Murphy?" I called. "What are you doing? Who's there?"

Murphy turned to me before he let out a bark as he turned to the door.

"Murphy that's enough. No barking," I commanded.

I stood up and walked over to him as he continued to bark at the door.

"What are you barking at boy?" I asked as I approached the door.

A knock at the door sounded. I froze for a second before I bent over to pick up Murphy . I adjusted him in my arms before I opened the door. Murphy let out a single bark when he saw who stood on the opposite side of the door. My jaw dropped in shock as I saw who it was.

"RM?" I asked in disbelief.

"Hello, Little Detective," he said with a smile.

I melted a little bit when I saw his dimples. How was he so attractive in the dim lights of the hallways? Everyone looks unattractive under those lights. But here he was in pressed suit pants, a royal blue button up shirt and a black leather jacket. He looked so good compared to me wearing white flannel pajama pants and a grey oversize sweater. Never in my life was I so angry that I always change into pajamas after getting home from Murphy's evening walk.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. I watched as his eyes drifted from me to Murphy in my arms.

"What is that thing?" RM asked looking Murphy with his lip curled up in disdain.

"This is Murphy. My dog," I said. I brought him close to my face and cuddled my cheek against his neck. "Isn't he adorable?"

"I would say more like a dirty toilet bowl brush," RM said.

Murphy barked at him. I jerked Murphy to get him to stop and said, "No, naughty boy. You don't bark. Even if he is rude. Into my bedroom you go."

I walked back into my bedroom and placed him on his doggy bed in the corner of my bed. I gave him a stroke on his head for a moment also taking a moment to take a deep breath. RM was here, at my door, and wanted to talk to me. I didn't want to see or talk to him, yet here he was. I left Murphy in my room and went back into the main leaving area.

RM stood in between the kitchen and the living room. He had closed the front door and was looking around the room. I had never been so self conscious about my decorations or the pictures I had scattered around the room. I stood in the entrance to the hallway nervously.

"Is this where you live?" RM asked when he noticed I was back.

"No, it's just a front for my secret lair, where I keep my real life," I said sarcastically.

"Really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," I answered with a roll of my eyes. "I was being sarcastic. You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer. But you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood, looking at rental properties and I thought I would ask some of the people living here what they thought," RM said sarcastically.

"Really?" I asked as equally sarcastic.

"No. 'You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer'," RM quoted me. "I came by to see you."

"Why?" I asked. I watched as RM walked into my living room and began to look at the files on the coffee table.

"Well you haven't answered any of my calls," RM said. Before I could stop him, he picked up a file and opened it. "I thought you might be busy, so I decided to come by and see you. I guess I was right. Ricky Galvin, 18. Killed in a drive-by shooting three months ago. The car was a black four door Audi. They have you working on a case like this?"

I rushed over and took the file from him. "It doesn't matter. It's my job. And until a new body shows up, Jones and I are working these cold cases. And these are confidential. Not for civilian eyes."

RM turned and sat in the corner of my sofa. He put his left arm on the back of it. I gathered up the other pictures and papers scattered around to shove them back in their correct folders.

"Come here, Little Detective," RM said as he gestured to the space underneath his left arm. I rolled my eyes and continued to pick up the files.

RM leaned over and picked up a file. "Now what's this file?"

"RM, hand it over," I said. I stood up from cleaning up the files and held out my hand for him to place the file into.

"Oh, it's the file on Bangtan," RM said. "I see they still don't know Ghost's true alias. I would think that they would have more info on Chim since he's always out in the public-"

"RM, give me the file," I said. I moved to stand in front on him with my hand out.

"Is the Little Detective trying to get more info about me?" RM wondered aloud. "Is that what's going on? I'm flattered, but I hope she knows that she can just talk to me."

"Give me the file, RM," I said sternly. "I'll get in trouble if I don't take it back."

"You'll have to take it from me," RM smirked up at me.

I moved to swipe it from his hand only to have him jerked it back at the last minute. I lost my balance and fell onto his chest. RM caught me by my hips. He put the file on the right side of his body and moved me to sit on his left side.

"That wasn't so hard," RM smirked down at me.

"RM, come on. I have work to do," I said. I moved to stand up only to have RM grab my waist and pull me back down.

"Can't we just talk for a while?" RM murmured into my ear before he leaned back against the sofa.

"About what?"

"You and I."

"There's no you and I, RM."

"Is this because I left you on the date? It was unavoidable, Ana."

"So killing those three men was unavoidable?"

"You have no idea what they did, Ana."

"Does it matter? Their lives were taken from them."

"They stole from me. A lot of money, over two million. If I didn't make an example of them, people would think I'm weak. I can't be seen as weak," RM said.

"I can put you away just for admitting this to me," I said.

"The case has already been ruled a murder-suicide," RM said in a relaxed tone. "Leave it at that."

"Why are you here, RM. Really?" I asked.

RM looked down at me, moving his arm from the back of the sofa to around my shoulders.

"I like you, Ana. I want to be able to spend time with you, whenever I can," RM said.

"Why? Why me?"

"Whenever I'm around you, I can forget that I'm RM. I just feel like a normal man, not a mafia boss."

"But that's who you are, RM, Boss of Bangtan. And that doesn't change when your with me. I barely tolerate you, what makes you think I willingly want to spend time with you?"

"Because I know you're lying, Ana. I know you feel something about me that's not dislike. And I'll be spending time with you until you admit it to yourself."

As he talked, I felt him begin to gently stroke my hip. My eyes shifted from his to the file as he spoke. Once he was finished I quickly reached over to grab the file, but instead RM pushed me onto my back. He moved to straddle me and held my shoulders against the cushion below me. I stared up at him as he gazed down at me with a smirk on his face.

"RM, come on! I'm just trying to grab the file!"

"Fine, but you have to do one thing in return."

"What?"

RM leaned down next to my ear and whispered in a deep, sexy voice, "Kiss me."

Shivers ran through my body. RM chuckled when he felt me shiver against his body. He stayed leaning down next to my ear. Why does he have to be so attractive? From his face, to his body, to his voice, hell, even his smell was attractive. I can't think straight when he's around me, especially like this.

I moved my hips to try to throw him off. I tried tpull myself from under him. I just needed him to get off me so I could think straight. He only laughed as I failed to get away from his hold.

"You done trying?" RM mused into my ear. "It's just one little kiss."

"Fine," I snapped. RM leaned back to look me in the eyes. He smirked at me, thinking he won. But no, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You never said where."

"Sneaky, Little Detective."

"Now let me up, and let me grab the file, RM."

RM sat up and helped me up. I reached for the file and put it in the pile with the others. I pushed my hair behind my ears and straightened all the files.

"Namjoon."

"What?" I asked, turning to him.

"My real name. It's Namjoon. You can call me that whenever we're alone."

I turned to look at him. He looked at me with sincere smile. It felt nice knowing that when he was around me, he didn't want to be the mafia boss. He really just wanted to be normal with me.


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