RED INK
EP 12: Momentum
•
•
*Alexis Point Of View*
•
She walked stealthily through the passage of the HQ that led to her unit. She was taking her time to conduct herself so she could deliver the news she had just heard from James.
As she reached the door of her unit, she watched her team, all focused on their works and jurisdiction. She sighed, breathed in...then out. She then plastered a smile on her face and walked in.
"Guess what guys?!" She faked excitement....too much excitement as she came into the unit, both hands on her hips, now chewing a gum. Everyone's gaze fell on her. Confused as to what the excitement was about, they looked at themselves.
"I heard you were speakinh sith James. What did he say?" Levi asked.
She rolled her eyes and pushed the files on her desk to a corner. Balancing on one side of her butt at the edge of the table, she picked up her phone and looked at the time. "Time says 9:15pm now." She put the phone in her pant's back pocket.
"Want some food?" Darwin raised his empty plate up and showed it to her. "It was delicious."
She looked around the table, there were empty plates with spoons on it, laying around unattended. "You all must have been starving."
"Starving—that is an understatement!" Darwin replied her. "It has been a full day already since we last tasted food. The worms in my stomach were beginning to eat my bowels."
She looked at all of them, one by one, their faces dropping and staring at whatever they could find, but not at her.
"We've been here for three days already." It was Levi speaking. "There is nothing there. No lead. And the time lapse we've been given to fill that gap is incomprehensible."
"Yes." William seconded, straightening his back, rolling a pencil in his hands. "They left no clue whatsoever. No mistake. Even faked CCTV videos. They were meticulous, giving us hope and taking us back to square one. Them nerves!"
She noticed it was a bit difficult for them to say their words out loud. She could tell they were exhausted. She folded her hands against her chest and looked at everyone of them. "It's been hard, hasn't it?"
They didn't reply.
She faked a smile and stood up. "What do people do when the new year is about to begin?"
She waited for an answer, observing them.
"They buy food?" William said.
"Yes?"
"They celebrate? Visit home?" Levi added.
She nodded. "Hm-hm. Also true."
"Some buy new clothes, visit places they've never been to before." William said again.
"Yup." She looked at them, waiting for more answers. "What else?"
William shook his head. "I can't think of anything."
"You can't think of anything else because your mind is always thinking of women!" She picked up a document and hit his head with it.
"Ouch!" He groaned. "I didn't mention women this time around."
She shifted the file on the table. "You all mentioned the material things. What about the immaterial? The non-physical. Something that gives hope?"
Shimon furrowed her brows and played with the pen at the back of her ear. "The non-physical...like plans?" She looked at Alexis. Alexis nodded. "They make new plans!"
"Yes, they do. You see them saying what new things they will do for the year, what they want to achieve, how much they will be saving per month and so on... immaterial things. It is always in their heads. They make a resolution which always maybe towards February, they forget about. True?" She looked at their faces. "I am sure we all made one too."
They smiled.
"I have been making resolutions for years." She grinned. "I have not been able to fulfil them. But I used to assure everyone that when the year ends, I would achieve them. Then the year ends, I make another one."
They laughed.
"I made one too." Darwin announced between laughter. "I haven't dreamt of taking the leap of faith for it."
"Right?!" Alexis' vibe was contagious. "I mean, we go around every year making a new year resolution, and-and I can tell you all that every year, I had a different resolution. Isn't it the same for you guys?"
They were all smiling and this was what she wanted them to be; Smile and laugh before dropping the new bombshell on them.
She sat back down on the table and folded her hands against her chest again. She became serious. "You see, at some point, I stopped making resolutions. Why? Not because I wasn't taking them seriously or that I was a lazy ass person...no. I made a resolution about two years back that by this time next year, I will be a chief detective. Look at me now...I am a detective but not a chief." She smiled. "You are all witnesses that we work hard right? We've been here three days all because we are working hard. There are just circumstances beyond our control." Her nose was starting to steam, it felt hot and her eyes were threatening not to cooperate with her jibe. She raised her head up to hold back tears. Who said she couldn't be weak? She just didn't want to do it in front of her team, and yet, here she was. The tears began streaming down her face.
"Boss?" Oliver stood up from his seat. William doing same.
"I'm fine." She said and picked up her handkerchief, dabbing her eyes. "Geez! What is wrong with me?" She laughed.
"Are you okay Captain?" Shimon asked, concern in her voice.
"I'm fine. Don't worry. Sit. You all should sit."
She watched them take their seats slowly.
"What I am trying to say is that, there is always a chance at new beginnings. While we may give up making resolutions, we still have our dreams to achieve." She sniffed and cleared her throat. "I have news for you all. It may seem like a bad news but I am looking at it from a better angle."
They all sat up in their seats, looking at her intently.
She cleared her throat again. "Our case has been closed."
"What?!" They all chorused.
"But our deadline has not been met." Levi said
"Why?" Oliver asked.
"Well... according to James, he said we don't have a lead and we have... incompetent hands." She told them.
"Huh?" Darwin was appalled. "Incompetent hands?!"
"In his words, 'Scorn of the litter'... to be precise."
"Sco-scorn? Woooow!" William laughed. "James has a way with corny words."
Oliver was offended. He looked at her, he felt that was not all to it. "If the case is closed, they will be another case, right?"
She didn't say anything.
"Right!" Shimon stood up, beaming with enthusiasm. "Why are we all looking sad like it's our last hope or something? The scorn of the litter today may be the edelweiss of tomorrow."
"Wow!" Levi clapped. "Look at her go. Bravo!" He clapped some more. She was smiling. "Sit down." He told her. "In case you don't know, the more cases we have unsolved, the more useless we become to the whole department. They may just disband us altogether."
Darwin pressed his lips together. "You are new here, so I get it if you don't understand how it works." He told Shimon. "I fear we will be disbanded truly."
Shimon looked at them, then at Alexis who smiled at her. "Oh..." She sat down back in her seat.
Alexis pressed her temple, massaging her blood vessels in, relieving the throbbing beat in her head. "That is where the second news comes in." She stopped massaging and folded her hands again. "We've been disbanded."
Levi hit his hand on the table. Bang! "I knew it! I just knew it! Damn!"
Oliver sat back in his seat. He suspicion was just confirmed.
"Shit!" William pressed his eyes while Shimon remained silent.
"We've been disbanded...but we were given two options."
Their eyes focused on her.
"Two options?" Darwin asked.
Oliver sat up in his seat.
Alexis nodded. "Yes. Either we disband and go to our former jurisdiction, or..."
"Or?"
She observed their body languages, they were tensed. "Or we be transferred."
Shimon sat upright. "Transferred? Isn't that better yet?"
Levi scoffed. "I wish! If we are transferred it's most definitely to somewhere worse than here."
"Where are we to be transferred to?" William asked.
Alexis scratched her head. "Crookville."
"What?!" Shimon stood up briskly. "Crookville?" "Wait," William stood up, realization dawning on him. "Don't tell me..."
Shimon nodded. "Uh! The small town where those police were killed. Wow," she rested her hands on her waist. "Section Chief James must really want us dead. Of all the whole places, he is sending us to Crookville."
"We were given an option." Alexis told her, standing up. "We be disbanded or we be transferred to Crookville. I see hope in the latter. If you are disbanded and you remain here, you will be demoted. But going to Crookville, we will be the only team there, working hand-in-hand to fulfil our tasks. What do you guys think?"
"Seems you've made up your mind already." Oliver told her.
Alexis smiled. "I won't force you guys. But I will tell you that it would be nice to have my crew there with me. I will also understand if you don't want to."
Everywhere went silent, only their thoughts were noisy enough.
"We've been given three days to exit." She tapped the table and pocketed her hands. "I will wait for you all answers by tomorrow." She was reluctant to leave but she did it anyway. She turned and faced the exit.
"I will go." She heard Shimon said.
She turned to her, she was grinning.
"I will go." She said again. "I don't have anybody here so it's not difficult for me to relocate."
Alexis smiled at her and nodded in approval.
Levi cleared his throat, again, again and again.
"Just say it." Alexi told him.
He cleared his throat one more time and sat up. "Before I say my peace, will they be providing accommodation for us?"
"I heard there is a quarter provided for police transferred there. Sponsored by the town's people. We will be staying there."
They all nodded.
"And our pay?" Darwin asked.
"Same as before. No bonus."
They nodded again.
"I will give you an answer by tomorrow evening." Oliver said, standing up.
"Take your time Oliver. I understand." She told him.
"I will sleep on mine." William said
"I will go!" Levi stood up. "At least, there will be peace of mind." He grinned at Shimon.
Alexis smiled. She thrilled.
"But can I ask?"It was Levi. "Where is this Crookville located?"
She looked at them and grinned. "In Tribat."