Ch1: I love my job-Part one
Red and blue lights danced in the early morning dark, casting shadows about the suburban community while the lot of people gathered to peek out onto the homicide scene set before us. Men, women, children...all of them just standing around watching us, compelled to stay as though they truly would be needed, or perhaps that whole 'car-accident' thing applied in this case; ya know, the whole 'you can't stop watching even though you want to' thing? Or was it that they depended on the lot of us to protect them after a neighbor's dead body proved it wasn't safe in their square houses that stood only a yard or two from the next? Who knew...wasn't my problem.
I gave a low sigh, as my head arched back and rolled side to side...easing out the tension that had gathered from the damn waiting. I really had an honest lack of patience...
''Hey Jones? What the hell is taking so long?'' I yelled out, drawing my head up and giving my best death glare to the damn fox that took his precious time nit-picking the body. His furred ears perked up, lowering just as quickly as he continued to slide the body's limbs out of the way before asking the cat beside him to take the photo.
Bastard ignored me...great...just great, how hard is it to get respect around here? Or goddamn sympathy? Hell, I was freezing my scales off and all these furred jerks were enjoying it. Or was that the sleep talking?
My claws balled up and thrust themselves into the pockets of my heavy winter-lined trench coat, rolling around against the fleece that brushed the scales that kept no heat in whatsoever. A shiver ran up my spine, exiting the tips of my ear fins...you would think I was doing a bad impersonation of that freaky desert lizard that extended his fins and shook 'em to threatin' his enemy...nah, I'm just real sensitive to the cold. And I complain...sue me.
I hate my job. Being the chief of police was alright...but the cold weather was my limit. Okay, so maybe I was being a pussy, but ya know what? I don't care. I'm fucking cold and...
''Anderson! Get those kids back behind the yellow line!'' I bellowed out. I hate kids, they're nothing but a pain in the tail. Sneaky punks, the whole of them. Grr...I'm just irritable...I need a pick-me-up to keep my mind off the cold or coffee.
''You look absolutely frozen, Senor Juan...'' the words coated in that heavy Spanish accent rolled off the tip of the tongue belonging to the head of the DA, past that beak and rubbed against me in a snuggly soft warmth. I turned my head and caught the sight of that Spanish bird.
Gloria Perez, a woman who's face was drowned in those thick dark curls, stared at me with a grin and heavy lashes brushing the feathers along her cheeks. She looked warm in that red coat, that hugged her tiny waist and barely clung to those Spanish curves.
I gave a slight nod in response to her statement; my square shoulders hunching up and drawing my arms closer to my sides, nuzzling the base of my chin against the collar of my coat. I gave a smug grin and batted my eyes. I'm adorable...Gloria, and a few other ladies have been so kind as to tell me so, might as well live up to the title, eh?
Her head cocked back and she gave a sweet laugh; brownish-red curls bouncing lightly against the feathers of her cheek and neck. She turned her head to the side and lightly slapped my arm.
''You are something else, Juan, come...there is work to be done. I must not stand about and kid with you. My new assistant district attorney is here to inspect the situation...'' She started out, rolling those r's off the tip of her tongue with such mastery I couldn't help but glance down at her beak as she spoke, she entranced me. And I'm a sucker for accents. My eyes were distracted, then, by the entrance of the olive furred cat that walked up beside my Gloria.
''Yes, this is my assistant, Aubrey Jamison.'' Gloria finished, turning herself to the side, opening up the space for the slender femme. She wasn't bad on the eyes, I'll start that off.
Aubrey Jamison, a feline of an olive tone, with shocking green eyes that looked up to me with a quaint shyness in them. Her hair was tied back tightly into a French style bun; the shade an awesome light hazel with dark brown lowlights panning through the strands. High cheek bones and a cute nose to add to the face; she looked like a teenager straight out of high school...the good girl. She was petite, way shorter than Perez, and far less curvier than her mentor least on the hips. The brown skirt suite was tailored in all the right places and was modest; not my taste per say, I could've seen her sprawled out on my desk in some kinky latex outfit. Sorry, moment of weakness on my part.
The olive cat smiled sweetly and offered a paw out to me, I took it to be polite. She jumped slightly when my scales touched her paw...see, I'm not being a hypochondriac, I am that cold!
''My goodness, you are freezing!'' she exclaimed, I replied with a shrug.
''Okay, we have a homicide case...'' I began, shifting my glance up to Gloria. I stood in the presence of the two, giving them the details and the evidence currently available at the moment. The rest we'd get separately from the lab and coroner once the through examinations and testing took place. We talked for a good twenty minutes on the case before Jones came up.
He snapped off the bloodied latex gloves from off his paws, in single tugs that showed practice and expertise on his part. He stood by my side, unrolling the sleeves of his dark shirt while grasping the gloves still in his single paw. He raised his muzzle up and glanced towards Gloria then down to Aubrey, remaining quiet for the time being as I continued onward. When nothing was left to be told, I turned my head and caught his gaze, turning back to the girls.
''Ms. Jamison, this is the best detective in my department, Zeal Jones.'' I began as I turned and grinned to the feline; Jones merely gave a nod and offered his paw to Aubrey.
''A pleasure, Ms. Jamison.'' He said softly. He retrieved his paw from her grasp and started in on saying what he deciphered from his moment with the body.
By now the medical team had placed the body into the body bag and heaved it to the ambulance. Other folks from various departments going about and cleaning up the crime scene and returning the neighborhood back to it's 'picture perfect self'. I nodded my head as I listened to Jones's findings. Wasn't much to tell, but it was decent information.
''Alright, so ladies, now that you are filled in and Jones and I are done, we'll be heading back to the station and filling out some paper work. Take care, Gloria and Ms. Jamison.'' I said through a forced smile, again, shoulders were up and I was attempting to create warmth for my chin on the collar of my coat. Jones gave a nod to the two and stalked off to start the car. Aubrey left me and Gloria alone as she trotted her little tail over to their car.
''Sooo...I take I won't be seeing you till we find a suspect?'' Not really what I was planning to say, but I was attempting to be casual...never mix business with pleasure...ground rule of course, though, not my fault that my greatest pleasure was a coworker in a sense. She turned to me and gave a smile.
''Si, Juan, I'll return and contact the family members. I need to do a few diggings and paperwork, myself. I've been to busy to keep things going in the office, with Aubrey joining the team and such.'' Her slender shoulders gave a light shrug; brown eyes meeting mine with a tired expression...I knew my golden pair were painted in that same expression, more so.
''Till we meet again, la policia Juan.'' She said softly, raising a hand to flatten the collar of my coat. Fingertips brushed my chin as she gave a wink; those lashes all too enhancing the effect to make it even more original. She smiled and drew her hand back into the pockets of her coat; her figure turning from me and walking towards the black car her kitty assistant sat in.
Gloria's hips swayed ever so lusciously side to side; hypnotic to watch...I felt like how a cobra felt when some idiot started to play on an oboe thing and swayed it side to side, I was compelled and bewitched. The luscious tail feathers fluttered behind her in a sweeping train, the colors different, but you knew she was a peacock.
Nature was a cruel mistress. In peacocks, the males had the outstanding colors of iridescent blues, greens, ambers, browns...while the females were more bland in color, browns and whites. But Gloria and a few other female peacocks put the boys to shame, I doubt any could deny a woman like Gloria if she was given the colors the men in her species had. Okay, I take that back Nature, you're not a cruel mistress...you're downright genius and kinder than most.
I watched them leave and I turned my back at their parking space and headed to the car with Jones in the driver's seat.
The details of the murder now taking the place Gloria had touched...great, another murder to add to the file cabinet.