As the Captain leads her further down the passageway, she pulls her braids free from the ponytail and lefts them down.
They enter through another door which leads to a large room filled with Police officers and detectives talking, laughing, walking everywhere. The air smells like stale coffee. A few heads look up from behind desks to look at Jayla as she walks by. She never felt so important before, it is like walking on clouds, she even adds a slight swing in her hips. A few winks and inappropriate remarks later they arrive at an oak door that marks 'Detective Meyers' in bold gold letters. On top of the sign is a 'the' that seems to have been scratched onto the door.
The captain did not even knock as he opens the door and enters the small room, Jayla follows him. The room only has two desks, one at each corner, a cabinet to the right of the door, and a wide white empty whiteboard to the left, she looks up and there he was, the window shadows casting a glow Detective Meyers, making his arrogant posture stands out, his two feet on the desk with his arms behind his head leaning casually back in the chair. The grey hat still covering his face.
''Detective Meyers!''
The detective didn't respond or show any sign of being conscious, he is wide awake under his hat, The Captain clenches his jaw, then calls his name again. The Detective just tips his hat revealing his clean-shaven jaw. Jayla tries to peer under his hat. He analyzes her clothing and bluntly says, ''Did that Dobby look-alike give you clothes to wear?''
''Uh, are you referring to Melinda?''
''That's her name, though it was an old bitch-''
''Meyers! This is your new partner, please for once in your life show some respect,'' Captain Hodder says cutting off the young Detective.
Without even acknowledging the Captain's presence he stands and walks forward towards her. He stops as his tall lean frame towers over her 5'5 frame, he then takes off his grey hat, black curly strands of hair spills over onto his forehead. Cold and empty sea-green eyes meet her deep brown ones.
''I am Miles, Detective Miles Meyers.''
Jayla's mouth seems to freeze, he looks as if he just steps off a magazine cover. Breathtaking.
''Jay Glasgow uh, Captain Glas...Uhm I mean Detective Glasgow Jayla,'' at that moment she wishes to drown herself in Melinda's fabrics and never show her face again.
''Nice to meet you, Ms. Glasgow,'' he says in a bored voice while shaking her hands, but his eyes hold a little glint of mischief. He raises his hands signaling to Captain Hodder to leave the room. She silently gasps, to her surprise the Captain clasps his hands together and flashes her a broad grin that caused his eye corners to wrinkle. ''You know where to find me, Glasgow with that he leaves the room.''
''So, Detective, that's your desk over there,'' he points to a small shiny oak desk with only a stapler and cup of pens occupying the surface. He leans on his desk as he watches her search through her new desk office.
''People normally refer to me as an asshole, I'm loyal enough to take a bullet for my partner, please don't get attached, I'm a human being, I can die any fucking second, I like green tea, no coffee, and please keep up with me. That's all,'' he says nonchalantly.
She ignores the first part of his statement. She stops digging through her new desk.
''Wait, a bullet!?''
''No, a unicorn.''
''Dispatch, we have a 10-54 in LoneBrooks ForestIts affirmative it is a 187.''
Miles picks up his police scanner, ''Detective Miles and Glasgow 910.'' he stands and adjusts his hat. She looks at him confused.
''Cmon! sitting there looking pretty is not going to solve a case.''
Her eyes widen that was quick. A case already?
''We have a homicide in Lone Brooks.''
He walks out of the room. She shudders, the way he talks and moves it's like a zombie, a hot zombie. She rushes out of the office with her blazer in hand, a notepad and pen she found on his desk.
[*]^*^[*]
The ride to Lone Brooks in Miles Ferrari is very silent. He drives like a street racer causing Jayla to clutch onto her seat even though she has a seat belt on.
''Turn left.'' the robotic voice of the GPS surrounds the thick atmosphere in the car.
The car picks up speed and so did her heart, she looks over to Miles only to find the hat-tipping over his eyes and he isn't making any move to fix it. With a high shriek, she grabs the hat from over his head.
''You are crazy! I have something to live for you know!''
''Give me back the damn hat.''
''No! You could've crashed and killed us both!''
''But I didn't, you are still alive aren't you?''
''Yeah but-''
''Give me back the damn hat!...please.''
''No! not until you reach the crime scene!''
After 5 more minutes of driving on the deserted lonely forested road, they finally spot three police cars parked on the roadside. Miles parks his car behind the cruisers. They both exit the car the moment the engine stops. Miles walks over to Jayla and grabs the hat from her. He walks toward to area covered in crime scene tapes. She flips him the bird behind his back and runs after him trying to keep up with his long strides.
They arrive on the scene, there are three deputies from the department talking with a wide-eyed athletic-looking boy who is holding a fluffy dog towards his chest, his face is red, and his face tear-stained. Forensic scientists are everywhere, covered from head to toe in white plastics. Then she saw it, the dead body. Being the daughter of a Detective, Jayla sometimes sneaks into her father's office to peek on images from a crime scene, she watched plenty of horror movies and Detective movies with corpses, but those were not enough to prepare her for the real thing.
Her heart seems to have stop beating, everything starts to move in a slow-motion as her eyes focus on the body. The dead girl lying in a thick pool of blood, she looks no older than twelve.
''Miss and sir, we need you to identify yourselves,'' a red-haired deputy comes up to them with a notepad in her hands.
Miles clears his throat and takes out his badge showing her ''I'm Detective Meyers and this is my partner Detective Glasgow.'' The young deputy eyes widen as she gases upon Detective Myers not once sparing a glance at Jayla.
''Nice to finally meet you, sir, I heard a lot about you, I'm Deputy Jackson,'' she says in a higher-pitched voice. She hands them a pair of gloves.
''Likewise, what happened here?'' He starts to focus his gaze on anywhere else than the dead girl. Jayla couldn't look away from the dead body it's as if she has frozen, she starts to have second thoughts on being a Detective. Miles snaps his fingers in front of her face. Deputy Jackson raises the tape so they can access the crime scene.
''That guy over there,'' she says pointing to the teenager sitting on the forest floor cuddling the dog close to his chest as a few police questions him. He says his name is Grey Fuller and he was the one who called the police, said he was jogging, and his dog found the body, he called the police immediately. The call was around 11 am, that is all I have.''
''What time is it deputy?''
''12:42am, Detective.''
''That would be all, Glasgow, do you have that?''
''hmm''
Jayla walks closer to the corpse.
Her skin is pale, a blue bloody piece of cloth tied messily around her head. Her body is in a huge puddle of blood. Her once blonde hair is caked entirely in blood, a few flies circles around her gaping mouth. Empty sad blue eyes stare into the sky. There isn't any other visible sign of any injuries on her pale skin.
She is wearing white shorts that are stained red from the pool of blood that she is lying in and a blue baseball jersey. Miles slowly backs away.
He bounces into a deputy with graying hair.
''Hey, son you alright? you look awfully pale,'' the man asks him
''Uh, where can I uh. I want a second, where is the safe path?''
The Deputy points him to a direction that leads away from the crime scene.
''Thanks,'' and with that, he quickly marches off in the woods.
The gray-haired Deputy then walks up to Jayla
''It's a tough one, isn't it?''
Her head whips around to look at the man. He offers her a small sad smile.
''Yeah,'' her voice cracks, she clears her throat, ''any information?'' She takes out her pen.
''Yeah, her name is Sasha-Gaye Royce, daughter of Bryan and Sophia Royce.''
''You knew her?''
''No, but I always see her pictures in newspapers, a great player she was.''
Jayla looks back as the forensic team starts to wrap up the body.
''How old was she?''
''It says here 12,'' he squints his eyes on the screen of a small tablet showing her athlete profile.
''And the address is 12 Cornwall Avenue, just a few minutes from here.''
''Thank you, any witness?''
''Not sure as yet, but that boy over there is the only possible lead, for now,'' he points towards Grey, he is sitting on a pile of dried leaves crushing a whimpering puppy. The deputy walks off.
''So, I guess we have somewhere to start-,'' she looks around only to realize that Miles is nowhere to be found.
''Meyers!?''