Archer smoothly steered his sedan into their building's desolate parking lot, its tires purring on the rain-slicked asphalt. He killed the engine and pocketed the keys, not even sparing a glance at Alex, who sat in the backseat scrolling through his communicator.
"So, am I joining the slumber party, or what?" Alex broke the silence, a note of sarcasm lacing his voice.
Archer, a man more fluent in glares than gab, threw a look over his shoulder that could freeze mercury. Without a word, he stepped out of the car.
Reid chuckled, his laugh a low, smoky sound that did little to cut through the palpable tension. "Guess that's a 'no.' Get your own teddy bear, Alex."
"That's cold, man," Alex huffed, clearly miffed. "Don't come crying when you need my help next time."
"You kidding?" Reid quipped, reaching for the door handle. "I'm your one-way ticket to the Pulitzer of Policing. You solve half the stuff you do because of my glorious brain. But hey, if you want to try life without me, be my guest. Just get ready for a world of hurt."
"Wait," Alex looked around before staring at his communicator, "dude, it's 1am in the morning!"
Reid laughed and waved Alex off. The senior investigator grumbles and curses in the background while the two men walked into their apartment.
The next morning, Reid was rudely awakened by the sound of his apartment door swinging open. Archer strode in, dripping charisma and clad in a perfectly tailored suit that was almost criminal.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Archer greeted without much ceremony, moving straight to the kitchen and flipping on the coffee machine.
"5 more minutes…"
"Wake up. Got you breakfast."
Jill was on Reid and as Archer pulled Reid into a sitting position, Jill's eyes narrowed into slits. She disapproved of this uninvited invasion. She hissed, a delicate symphony of fury and indignation.
Without missing a beat, Archer picked her up, walked over to the bathroom, and gently placed her in the empty tub, shutting the door behind him.
"You realize she's plotting your death now, right?" Reid mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Archer shrugged, completely nonchalant, and the coffee machine hissed in agreement.
Reid shuffled into the living room, yawning wide. He stretched his arms and loud shrieks from the bathroom could be heard. He spared it no second glance before plopping down onto the dining table seat. He reached over to the cup of coffee and just when he was about to touch it, Archer reached over and grab it out of his grasp.
Reid's eyes narrowed, "that's my coffee."
Archer shrugged lazily, "considering how much you slept in, I doubt that you need it."
Reid scowled before standing up, presumably to make coffee. However, Archer brought out a cup of tea that was seating in the bags of breakfast, "this is yours."
"Tea?" Archer questioned.
"Yea. No coffee on empty stomach."
"Says you!"
Over mouthfuls of heavenly cuisine, Archer casually mentioned, "Heard that the waiter, the one who fancied my brother, is now behind bars."
Reid paused, fork hovering in mid-air. "Is that so?"
Archer lightly shrugged. "Sarah has her methods. Apparently, for her, the best punishment is a stint in jail."
"How long has Sarah been working with Averyl?" Reid asked, an idea sparking in his eyes.
Archer thought for a moment. "Since I started university. So, about seven years."
The gears in Reid's brain shifted into overdrive. He shot up, grabbing his coat from the back of the chair. "Come on, we've got a person to see."
Archer blinked, caught off guard for the first time in what felt like eons. "What's going on?"
Reid grinned, a mischievous light dancing in his eyes. "We're going to have a 'come to Jesus' meeting with Sarah. You're driving."
As they made their way out of the apartment, a muted yowl emanated from the bathroom. Jill, the four-legged sovereign of Reid's realm, had declared war. But that was a battle for another day.
***
Archer and Reid sauntered into the lavish sanctum of Sarah, Averyl's omnipotent right hand. Upon a prior call to Averyl, they'd been directed here, and Sarah seemed already prepped for their arrival.
Archer unbuttoned his suit jacket as he sat, taking in the room's unabashed opulence with an unreadable expression. Reid, meanwhile, couldn't help but express his appreciation.
"Looks like fifty shades of Wall Street in here. When do we start discussing hostile takeovers?" he mused, easing into the plush leather chair opposite Sarah's desk.
Ignoring Reid's quip, Sarah elegantly poured hot tea into a porcelain cup and slid it towards Reid. For Archer, she uncorked a bottle of whiskey—finely aged, by the look of it—and poured it into a tumbler.
"That's Earl Grey for you," she gestured toward Reid's tea. "Caffeinated, but less likely to stage a revolution in your stomach compared to coffee."
She then nodded toward Archer's tumbler. "And that whiskey is from your list of top fives if I recall correctly."
Both men exchanged an impressed glance. Archer's eyes almost smiled; Reid was less reserved.
"Sarah, you're amazing, thank you! But why is everyone treating coffee like it's the bad guy in a telenovela?" Reid grumbled, taking a cautious sip of his tea.
Sarah smirked. "Let's just say we prioritize our guests' comfort. And I'm the best secretary anyone can have. So, are you here to discuss the waiter we've had jailed?"
Her tone changed subtly, adding a layer of frost to the atmosphere. "Poor man is a germophobe. Prison conditions will have him talking to the walls in no time."
Archer and Reid locked eyes, silently acknowledging the unspoken rule: never, under any circumstances, get on this woman's bad side.
"You seem to have a fondness for poetic justice," Archer finally said, his voice smooth but edgy.
Sarah chuckled softly. "It's the little things that make life interesting, don't you agree?"
The atmosphere tenses up; the ambient lighting feels less inviting, and more like a spotlight on an interrogation stage. The scent of sandalwood now registers as too strong, the opulence of the room morphing into a fortress of hidden agendas. Every word, every action, is heavily laden with unspoken motives.
Reid leaned forward, placing his tea cup carefully on the saucer. "Poetic justice is cute and all, but we're here on different business. Do you know Diane? She's a woman Archer here was supposed to meet, courtesy of Averyl."
Sarah's eyes flicked to Archer, who, for a fleeting second, looked almost uncomfortable. "Ah, Diane," she nodded. "You shouldn't have put Reid in such an awkward position. I could arrange someone else for him if he'd like."
Reid burst out before Archer could suppress a chuckle. "Whoa there, Cupid. I don't need a blind date, especially not from a woman who thinks prison is a version of hell specifically tailored to the individual."
Sarah laughed openly now. "I can assure you, my matchmaking skills are more refined than my sense of retribution."
Reid smirked. "I'll stick to my bad coffee and questionable life choices, thank you."
Archer took a slow sip of his whiskey, savoring the smoky flavor before swallowing. "Can we get back to why we're here?"
Sarah's eyes narrowed, sensing the shift. "And why is that?"
Reid leaned back in his chair, locking eyes with her. "We've got reason to believe that Diane might be involved in some shady stuff, possibly criminal. We're trying to put some pieces together. Any information you can give us would be invaluable."
Sarah's eyes flickered for a fraction of a second. Then her face was unreadable again, a portrait of composed elegance.
"Let's just say, Diane is not who she appears to be," she said, holding Archer and Reid in a gaze that weighed heavier than any spoken word.
"Other the fact that she is materialistic, she is a very capable person."
"Hmm, is there a reason why Averyl decided to put her with Archer?"
Sarah thought for a second before shaking her hand, "not really. He probably thought it was funny, rather than really wanting to matchmake you too."
"Of course, we knew that but Averyl doesn't do anything without a reason."
"Well, I do think his reason was simply because it was funny."
Sarah paused before whipping up her phone and swiping through, "we do have some business connections with Diane. She is not really a difficult lady to work with but she does try to get the most out of each contract."
"Certainly you have an idea of these businesses?" Archer spoke for the first time.
Sarah thought for a little before searching for something else on the phone, "here." She pushed the phone towards Reid and Archer.
Reid grinned. Archer gave the other man a sideway glance. The look on Reid's face revealed he got what he was here for.
Sarah mirrored Reid's victorious grin and commented, "I hope you got what you came for."
Reid nodded happily as he tapped on Sarah's phone and have the information copied to his own's.
Reid felt that they might crack the case soon. That was because Diane's businesses are Vermin exhaust, Island cracker, Vitamin's, and Indigo sweets.
If you combine them, you get…
VIVI.