Chapter Thirteen

The sixth floor of the office was busy as always. There was never a quiet moment in homicide. Geraldo slowed as he walked past Gabriela’s office. He could see past the tinting privacy window that she wasn’t at her desk.

He had looked for her everyday for the past five days, but every time he walked past her office, he saw her desk empty. Only her partner, Brian, occupied the luxurious office. Geraldo wondered if he would ever have an office like hers. Perhaps he could have hers, if he couldn’t lock down the promotion.

Geraldo cursed when Brian looked up from his desk, their eyes locking for a moment. His deep thoughts had snared him by the window. He hadn’t meant to loiter outside of the office as long as he did.

Brian smiled; his face painted a pale blue from his monitor. He motioned for Geraldo to come in.

Geraldo glanced behind him quickly, making sure that Brian wasn’t motioning to another detective or page. Geraldo gave a sigh as he took a step back and slowly opened the office door. “Detective Elis.” He said as a way of greeting.

“Montes.” Brian smiled as he stood up and held out his hand. The office was dark despite the window to the front offices.

Geraldo crossed the distance and shook his hand. Brian returned the firm shake with his own, twisting Geraldo’s hand so that Brian’s hand was slightly above his own.

“I hadn’t had a chance to congratulate you on the chop doc. Please, take a seat.” Brian motioned for Geraldo to sit at Gabriela’s desk.

“Don’t worry. She’s on holiday, I won’t say anything if you don’t. Please, sit.” Brian motioned for him to take a seat.

Gabriela’s and Brian’s office was open and spacious, the windowed wall giving a perfect view of the cubicles of the other detectives and pages. Not like the windowless gloomy office Geraldo had spent so many years in. He noted that even her chair was more comfortable than his.

“All the praise should go to Gabriela.”

“Don’t be so modest.” Brian waved his hand at the window, and it tinted, blocking the view of the office from the outside world. “You were with her, last I checked.” Brian smiled and leaned back.

“It was her hunch. I was just along for the ride.”

“You make yourself sound like a glorified tour guide.” Brian laughed and sat forward. “This was a big break for you. Both of you. Not only did you two stop a smuggling ring, but I heard you handed Cy-Tech a big break on one of their cases as well.”

Geraldo shrugged, but said nothing.

“And it was perfect timing, as well.” Brian added.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been a little slow up top. Most crime is handled in-house by the corporations, and the citizens don’t typically murder each other. Most of our time is spent handling legal disputes over property claims, helping divorce lawyers fuck over someone’s spouse. Not a whole lot of meat and potatoes, if you know what I mean.”

Geraldo knew where the man was going, but he didn’t say anything. Only gave him an expressionless stare, letting the other man continue.

“My girl needed something to make herself stand out, and you gave it to her. Busting a chop doc. Damn!” Brian exclaimed with a boyish smile “Does that not look great on a resume?”

“Is everything a game to you?” Geraldo asked in a hushed tone.

“Pretty much.”

Geraldo felt his fingers tighten on the arms of the chair, his knuckles white from the strain of his grip.

“You see,” Brian continued, “life has winners and losers, just like a game. And Gabriela, well she is a winner. Has been the moment she was born. You know she’s the UN chancellor’s daughter?”

“Yes.” Geraldo didn’t know if Brian was working in some sort of angle, or if the man was purposefully being spiteful.

“Born from wealth and power. She’s the sort of person you want on your side.” Brian pointed at him.

It clicked then. Brian wasn’t being spiteful out of malaise.

“You’re worried I’m going to take your place as her favored pet, Brian?” Geraldo asked.

Brian was being spiteful because he was scared.

He chuckled and leaned back.

“Of you?” Brian shook his head. “No. Although; I see you eyeing this office with those god-awful eyes of yours. You would think someone on your salary would get something organic. I’m sure you’re not killing the ladies with those babies.”

The smile slipped away from Brian’s face. The playful mischief of his voice was gone and replaced with a deadly serious tone.

“Gabriela is not the sort who keeps favors, Geraldo,”

“Helping her wasn’t some tit for tat.” Geraldo slowly rose to his feet. He had had enough of the man’s underhanded insults.

Brian didn’t bother standing up. He leaned back and crossed his legs, “Should have been. She’s got a soft spot for cripples. Probably would have thrown you a bone.”

Geraldo turned and left.

“Hey.” Brian called out to him just before he opened the door. “Chief’s been looking for you, Cowboy. Heard he’s real pissed.” Brian gave him a wink and a smile, before he turned back to his own work.

Geraldo closed the door softly. He wanted to slam it, to let everyone on the sixth floor know how pissed he was, but he didn’t want to give Brian the satisfaction. Geraldo smiled and winked in return as he walked past the window one last time.

“Chief’s looking for you.” A young officer said to him as he walked by. Geraldo couldn’t remember her name.

“So, I have been told.” He mumbled.

The Chief's office was a corner office, with the same tiltable window looking out into the rest of the offices as Gabriel and Brian’s. The Chief’s window was tinted black. There was no telling what the woman was doing on the other side of the glass.

“You can go in, Montes.” Her assistant said absently. A skinny man with hair so greased that Geraldo wondered if it could double as an impact helmet. He hardly looked up from his vid paper. The gifs of celebrities danced around the plastic rag sheets.

“What kind of mood is she in?”

The assistant sighed and turned a page. “The normal kind.”

“That bad, huh?”

Her assistant peaked over the vid paper once again.

“Wouldn’t keep her waiting.” He tapped his ear before Geraldo could reply. “Montes is here, Ma’am. I’m sending him in.”

Geraldo took a deep breath before he let it out slowly. He glanced back at the assistant one more time. The young man had already forgotten him, and continued flipping through the vid rag, catching up on the gritty gossip of the beautiful people.