Chương 10: Message: IX

"Detective Toussaint, it's good to see you here." A tall, blonde officer nodded to the woman when they approached. "And who's..."

"My new partner. Let's just not talk about it, tell me what you got." She cut right away, not willing to risk anything that could actually end up with the talk about Callaghan. She still couldn't believe what happened in the car, and it seemed it wasn't all she had to show.

"Victim is a man, Randall Menxen, twenty-six years old. He was butchered, stabbed so many times that our technicians actually have quite a problem with saying how many times the blade had entered and went out his body. Died approximately three hours ago." He stated, giving Aria a side glance. He noticed she was looking for the body to see. He smiled gently. "I can take you there, but just a fair warning, the sight is pretty macabresque."

"Not more than Toussaint without make-up." Callaghan shrugged and, before he was able to reply or even start walking, she just walked past him, heading to the crime scene. The officer looked at Chyler, but she just shook her head.

"Putain de merde, je la deteste." She snorted in French. "Je la finirai."*

He didn't say anything, since he didn't really understand. They joined Callaghan who was already crouching by the victim, with her hands secured by latex gloves, not even paying attention to the ones who appeared behind her.

"Detective Toussaint!" one of the technicians raised his hand and waved to her. "No wonder you were assigned to that one, seems brutal."

"Yeah, she's pretty brutal herself." Aria scoffed, standing up and taking off the gloves. "In the meantime you were twerking for your friend, I can say that this one died because he was owing something to someone in a gang."

"And you think that because...?" Toussaint raised her eyebrow, trying to ignore the twerking thing. She didn't comment, but it didn't want to go away. Did Callaghan take her for a whore? Not even knowing her? The hell?

She boiled.

"Because I have eyes." She sighed as if she was bored, and then pointed at the victim's open stomach. "It looks like a knife with wide blade. The guy probably 'stumbled and just got piked accidentally' around... I don't know, fucking eighty times or shit." She shrugged, standing up with her knees cracking loudly. "Anything you found around him?" she asked, but seeing the technician wanted to say something, she stopped him. "Oh, let me guess. A bag with blue crystals."

"Well, yes, he did have something like that..." the guy nodded, taking one of the evidence bags and showing them the item that Callaghan mentioned. Toussaint glanced at her surprised.

"How did you know?"

"Because that's what is draining this town from inside, Eiffel Tower." She scoffed. "You'd know if there was anyone around to actually listen before..."

"Before you set the whole factory on fire?"

"Before someone committed the arson to frame me for something I didn't do." She rolled her eyes. "But sure, Escargot, believe what people say and you'll get far. I wonder how was it possible for you to make it to investigations if you can't even review the intel someone's feeding you."

"I don't need to review. One look at you and I am certain that you're lying to bleach yourself." She admitted.

"One look at you and I crave to get some bleach inside me so I can die, yeah." Callaghan retched, turning back to the technician. "Anything else? Around, why here?"

"That would be a good question, we found absolutely nothing. No footprints, no fingerprints, nothing."

"The perpetrator was prepared?" Toussaint scratched her chin, but then Aria scoffed so loud she needed to look at her.

"Jesus, how surprising! A gang member had been PREPARED FOR COMMITING A MURDER." She mocked. "Because all the crimes committed by the gangs are even known to us."

"You seem to know suspiciously lot about them, don't you? Or are you only trying to seem like that?"

"You're the detective, Quiche, find out yourself." Aria squinted her eyes and Toussaint just grunted, helpless.

"Erm... detective Toussaint?" the technician looked at her, clearing his throat. "Can we have a world in private?"

"Sure, take her to the side, so she can make Place Pigalle 2.0 somewhere around. Like there was no other brothels in a city." Callaghan rolled her eyes even harder, and then she shrugged. "I will wait for you by the car. I guess all we can do is to go to question people. And I reckon you would not let me do it on my own."

"Damn sure I would not. And you better watch your tongue, I am still your superior." Chyler hissed, but Aria just scoffed, and then started coldly laughing.

"Oh, yeah, no, Elysian Fields, you're my partner. And that is not making you my superior. So I can say whatever I want, and if you don't like it, just fill a complaint, I bet Rogers would be delighted to see it on his desk." She clicked her tongue. "Well, ta."

"I swear to god, I am not a violent person, but she's making me feel the primal need to kill." Chyler admitted, clenching her fists, observing Aria's back that was more and more distant.

"When did you get her? And from who, for hell's sake?" the technician looked at her with surprise. Detective sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Rogers thought she'd be an asset to the team, Dave. And he wanted me to keep her on track. After all... well, you can see how she behaves."

"Is that even professional?" he raised his eyebrow, but his interlocutor started laughing.

"Of course it's not. She's not professional whatsoever, trying to pose as a laid back, blasé cop, probably having a lot of complexes and problems underneath. But I am not her therapist, and if she can't behave, I will make her resign. If I can't stand her, nobody can."

"How long does she work in the precinct? I haven't seen her before."

"Supposedly some years already, but I doubt it as much as I doubt she knows how to tie a tie." Chyler shrugged. "What did you want to talk about, though?"

"Her, actually." He scratched the back of his head. "At first I thought someone had let inside a teenager."

"She doesn't look that young." Toussaint scoffed. "But yes, I do believe she's not that far from that age, though. You know, bratty child that thinks she owes everything."

"Before I go back to work, I need to ask... what is with those nicknames?"

"Ah, she probably took it as a point of honor to actually piss me off with that. So far it's not visible, but she manages." The detective groaned, and then waved her hand. "See you. Keep me posted, she was right, we need to ask around."

She got back to her car, seeing Aria smoking a cigarette, casually leaning her side to the door.

"Ne t'as pas quelque chose differente à faire, conne?"** she asked, but Aria just snorted, looking at her.

"Tout est mieux que de tevoir essayer maladroitement de briller par ta connaissance d'une langueétrangère, Notre Dame." She replied, her gaze locked with Chyler's. Theolder detective's back stiffened when she realized that what she took forgranted, was wrong. Oh god, so wrong. "Faites attention. Tu risques deregretter les conclusions tirées à la hâte.*** And now, let me just go back tomy work, since you clearly forgot what professionalism looks like."

* Fr. Fucking bitch, I hate her. I will end her.

** Fr. don't you have something else to do, you cunt?

*** Fr. Everything is better than seeing you poorly trying to shine with knowledge of foreign language, Notre Dame. Be careful. You're risking regretting making conclusions hastily.

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