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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 0:31:23 GMT
"Wow!" Cassie replied, trying to act suitably impressed he knew several languages (because she was, most Americans knew English and bad English) but was too tired for it. She yawned into her coffee again. "No it's... I mean, it is what it is, I'm used to dealing with it at this point. Thanks for the sympathy though."
She rubbed her eyes again, now looking even more like a raccoon in her oversized sweatshirt, wild hair, and both eyes smeared with black. "I think I'm like a minute away from falling asleep, so I'll have to come by the station tomorrow. Coffee always does this to me." She slid a business card across the island to him. "Text me tomorrow? I won't remember to come otherwise, if I'm perfectly honest."
Cassie wandered off to the couch, and true to her word, flopped over and fell immediately asleep.
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 0:48:21 GMT
Luca stood from the island, and fished out his own business card out of his pocket and exchanged it for hers. “All right, that’s fine. Here’s mine. I’ll call you later tomorrow, after lunch, to remind you to come by to give me your statement.”
While she wandered off to the couch and immediately fell asleep as soon as she laid down, he took a few minutes to finish his tea and wash it in the sink, and then quietly walked over to her as she slept. He studied her for a moment and pulled a warm blanket that was resting on the back of the couch, and gently covered her up with it. He glanced at her one more time before silently walking away; making sure her door was locked behind him before heading back to finish his shift and head home.
@mayhem
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 1:02:00 GMT
Cassie woke up the next morning with the sun in her eyes - and with her boss flitting back and forth between the door and the store-room. He was working on a big frame, he explained, and while he didn't want to wake her, he was going to be hammering tacks for some time. She groaned, and hauled herself off the couch, stumbling into the elevator and down the street. By the time she reached her duplex, she was awake, thanks to the bracing winter air.
Immediately making a beeline for the shower, she stopped while the water was heating up to debate her outfit. "What do you think, Frank? Skirt or pants?" The corner of her room didn't answer her, because as she suddenly remembered, she'd left Frank back in New Jersey with her cousin Tony. Not that Frank, being a boa constrictor, was talkative in the first place. She missed her danger noodle; maybe she'd get another (smaller) reptile if she ended up staying in Astaria.
Anyway, she decided on the pants, because God was it cold, and finally got in the shower. Of course, that's when the phone rang. She splashed water on her face, and reached for her phone, moment of extreme panic setting in before she'd ensured she hadn't hit the FaceTime button. "Hey, good afternoon."
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 1:31:17 GMT
Luca sat at his desk at work on the floor where detectives from the Major Crimes Division worked on their cases, preparing a clipboard with a few empty sheets of paper with the Astaria Police Department’s logo at the top of each sheet. He signed on the line of the bottom right of the last sheet where his signature needed to be, and set it on his desk to give to Cassandra. He soon looked at her business card and called her number, figuring she could be awake by now. When she answered, “Hey, afternoon, Ms. Stormchapel,” he said, “This is Detective Moretti. I’m calling to remind you to stop by and write down your statement about what happened yesterday. I’ll be here at my desk on the third floor of the station. When you arrive, just tell the nice old lady at the front desk you’re here to see me, and she’ll point the way. All right? See you soon.” He hung up, frowning a bit as he continued to work at his computer, reading information about the man who was killed, and seeing if he had any living family members or relatives, while waiting for her to arrive. Admittedly, he wished she would have FaceTimed him, but at least she’ll be here shortly. Never would he imagine being interested in someone again. It’s been years since he was last married or dating anyone. He sighed, glancing over at where his partner sat, who had been away for nearly a month before being placed on medical leave after a car accident near the end of her vacation with her family. He made a mental note to visit her at the hospital sometime this week after work, and started calling down the list of the victim’s family members to inform them of the unfortunate news - something he always hated doing.
@mayhem
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 1:52:30 GMT
TW: Vague mentions of mental illness/depression, kidnapping, sexual assault
Cassie hurried up her hair and makeup - the latter of which was giving her trouble due to static - and pulling on her coat and Doc Martens, dashed out the door. It was another long walk to the police station, this time through some pretty sketchy areas of town.
"Hey sugar, where're you from?" Called a guy in dirty grey sweatpants on a bike. He was somehow eating a footlong sub while both hitting on her and riding in a circle at the empty four-way crossing. She'd be impressed, if she wasn't so annoyed.
Cassie rolled her eyes. "I'm not the one to try that with." She continued walking away from him, muttering to herself, 'More for your sake, than for mine.'
In all fairness to him, he did leave her alone after that, but it was more the knowledge that no matter how she dressed, no matter where she walked, she would never have peace. Even her, the freaking Devil of DC, who could lift a car like a bar stool. It reminded her that every day, other women and girls had it worse. Other women and girls disappeared, and no one gave a shit.
Cassie tried so hard to stay positive, and the anti-depressant she took at night helped with that considerably, but sometimes when she had time alone to herself to think, she went to a dark place. Maybe it was the 10th anniversary of her dad's death coming up, maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was just everything recently combined.
Whatever the reason, she arrived at the police station in an absolutely rotten mood. She clomped through the front hall, running into one officer's shoulder on purpose, before spitting at the nice old lady at the front desk, "Moretti. Where is he?"
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 2:15:11 GMT
The old woman was in her mid-60’s, and was a former police officer before she was assigned to desk duty after being shot during a domestic dispute she and her late partner went to about twenty years ago. While she was unable to return to patrol duty, she was still able to help around the police station, working as a receptionist and occasionally taking calls as a dispatcher. She peered up at Cassie when the younger woman approached her, and pointed at the stairs behind her. “Detective Moretti’s on the third floor, can’t miss him,” she simply said, looking like the grumpy cat, annoyed and pretty much done with everyone today. /// Up on the third floor, Luca was still trying to call the victim’s family members, relatives who lived in the city, or known associates from their place of work. Some put him on hold and spoke to him, while others simply hung up on him or never answered their phones. He sighed in frustration, cellphone pressed between his cheek and shoulder as he ran his hands through his hair, while the other end rang and rang until someone eventually picked up. He spoke to them for a little bit, hanging up after adding, “Sorry for your loss.”
Another aspirated sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back in his office chair, and rubbed at his strained eyes. He breathed in, and suddenly looked toward the door, and stood up from his chair.
"Hey, I appreciate you for coming in," he offered her his hand to shake hers and ushered her over to his office station, and pointed to a wooden chair with a soft seat cover beside his desk. "Have a seat." He picked up the clipboard from his desk and waited for her to settle in where he wanted her to sit.
@mayhem
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 2:31:31 GMT
Okay, Cassie had been unnecessarily mean. This lady hadn't done anything to her, and didn't look like she was having a good day, either. She took a deep breath in through her nose, out through her mouth. "I'm sorry, ma'am. It's been a long few days for reasons I'd rather not get into. I'll leave these here for you, if you'd like... the ingredients are on the bottom." She took a small pack of stroopwafels and placed it in the slot in the Plexiglas. She walked away up the stairs after giving the older woman an apologetic smile.
///
Cassie met his eyes as soon as she exited the stairs, giving him a soft smile as she watched him leap to his feet. Okay, so her half-asleep impression of what he thought of her hadn't been mistaken. God help me.
"It's no problem," Cassie replied, shaking his hand and sitting down in the offered seat. She arranged her purse on her lap, and tilted her head a little. "I take it the deceased's family are assholes?"
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 2:48:11 GMT
Luca held onto the clipboard and sighed. “A few, but…some people can’t deal with bad news like that, not at first…” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with a faint grimace. “It’s honestly why I hate this part of the job. Being the one to call the deceased’s loved ones and informing them of what happened, and then trying to ask them questions, or telling them I need to see them…” Another sigh, as he trailed off and handed her the clipboard. “It is what it is.” “As for your statement, there’s plenty of working pens or pencils in the cup on my desk for you to write with.” He went on, “If you need another sheet, let me know and I’ll give you one. When you’re done, please put your signature at the bottom of the last page. I went ahead and signed it myself across from where you need to. So, we don’t have to worry about that part of the process.” A smile. “Once you’re done, let me know, and then you can go.”
@mayhem
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 2:55:14 GMT
"My mom's a doctor, and she says the same thing," Cassie mused quietly. "Says it sucks every time, and that there's nothing you can say, really. Just being with someone in their grief is important, and enough."
She takes the clipboard, and a pen from his desk, and taps the end on her bottom lip, thinking. She scrawled down a few sentences in looping cursive, then said, "I hate to trouble you, but do you have any coffee? I'm still a little cold from walking here." She batted her eyelashes at him, not acknowledging that her apartment was a solid two miles away.
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last online May 13, 2024 21:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 3:10:53 GMT
He listened to her when she spoke about her mother being a doctor, and nodded at what she said. Sometimes, it’s hard, he thought to himself. Sitting back down, he started to do his work on the computer and scribbled down the addresses of those who didn’t answer him for whatever reason. He turned to her when she asked if he could get her some coffee. He leaned back as she asked, and then chuckled lightly when she batted her eyelashes at him. Luca commented in amusement, “You know you didn’t have to bat your wonderful eyelashes at me. All you have to do is ask.” He laughed lightly as he stopped what he was doing and got up. “It’s a good thing I’m here though, because the coffee is better when I’m working. Be right back.” He smirked and said as he headed out to head to the mess hall downstairs somewhere. @mayhem
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