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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Cops and Rubies Chapter 2
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fic
Pairing: Gen, post-Zayne Reyes/Hilary Maxwell
Rating: PG-13 (shouldn’t get much worse than this throughout)
Word Count: 5,186
Summary: Detectives Zayne Reyes and Andrej Zeklos, along with partners Hilary Maxwell and Trish Rollins, attempt to solve a string of robberies at a rather unusual sort of venue.
Author’s Notes: So… bored yet? :D Not much happening in this chapter, however, you do get to know Trish and Hilary a little bit better.
Continued from here.
“I hate to say it,” Reyes said, looking around the Heartbreaker Hotel’s lobby, “but it’s pretty nice in here.”
The women looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Really, Zayne?” Hilary laughed as she looked at the gaudy décor surrounding them. Everything seemed to contain gold filigree or something just as dated and brothel-worthy. “If this is nice, I’d hate to see your idea of run down.”
He shrugged, noncommittal. “Well, I’ve stayed in worse.”
“No doubt,” Zek said, suppressing a shudder. “Some of the ones back home… well, let’s just say that not even the crack whores and pimps living in the slums of the biggest cities would want to stay in any of them.” His homeland had fallen on some hard times and even though things were beginning to turn around finally, not everything was in tip-top shape either.
Zayne looked at his partner, curious. “That’s quite a confession out of you, Zek. I wonder what else we might learn before the case is over?”
Zeklos rarely, if ever, brought up his life before his move to the US. Hell, truth be told, he almost never brought up his life outside the uniform if he could help it. The idea that they might actually learn something about each other during this little foray horrified Andrej in ways he didn’t even understand.
“Are they anything like that old condo building turned meth factory that we stumbled into a few months ago? Good lord, that place was two shingles from being condemned.”
Andrej smiled a sad smile. “Only the nicer ones.” He was exaggerating a bit, but not so much that they’d ever know. Not like he thought any of them – himself included – would be heading towards eastern Europe anytime soon.
“Yeesh,” Reyes said, looking around him again, reassessing the lobby. “This is at least clean.”
“True,” Trish agreed. “And I can put up with a lot if it’s clean.”
“Amen.” Zeklos took his wife for the week by the hand and drew her to him. “Time to play the role of a lifetime, honey.”
“I’m ready if you are, sweetums,” Hilary teased, settling into the curve of his arm.
“Ugh, you two. You’re acting like newlyweds or something, it’s just this side of disgusting.” Trish took Reyes by the hand, refusing to let him get too close. Probably a smart move on her part.
“Yeah, I’d say get a room, but tell me, what chance do you have with a woman like that?” Zayne tugged on Trish’ hand, pulling her closer and not succeeding.
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean,” Trish said, smacking Zayne’s arm.
“Nothing, baby,” he pleaded, trying not to laugh.
“Aren’t you glad I’m not like that? They’re such children.” Andrej patted his new partner on her arm. “Come on, let’s get this over and done with so we can get situated and start our recon.”
“Good plan. Get a move on you two!” Hilary inclined her head towards the check in desk.
Andrej watched in silence while Zayne and Trish stepped up to the check in counter and gave their false information to the young man working the computer. Reyes played up his already exuberant personality and seemed to fit in with the other men he observed checking in around them. No one seemed to suspect anything out of the ordinary.
“Look,” Hilary slipped her arm through his in an effort to look like they were having a regular conversation. “Both women on either side of our two are putting their jewelry into the hotel safe.”
He looked left and then right and saw she was correct. Each of the women, and one of their male counterparts, had placed several expensive looking items into the little safe deposit boxes the hotel offered for a minimal fee. “Trish is supposed to keep hers in the room, right?” Andrej was pretty certain that was the plan, but on the off chance the women had flipped the plan around, he thought he should ask.
“Correct,” she said, smiling. “And all my priceless possessions – straight out of the evidence locker – are going into one of those pretty black boxes.”
Zayne moved to the side, slipping his key card into his rear pocket. Winking at Hil, he and Trish moved towards the bank of elevators, where Zek and Hilary knew they’d wait to meet up again. So much for subtlety, but then, that wasn’t something Reyes had ever been known for.
“Our turn.” Hilary stepped forward and took the empty window in front of a bored looking front desk clerk. “Hi,” she said. “Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Cahill.”
Zeklos cringed at the nom de plume. Andrew was too close to his actual name, although not close enough to arouse suspicion, he supposed. He thought he might want to have a word with whoever had created their false identities back at the station later. He handed over his driver’s license at the clerk’s request as well as the department issued credit card. Hilary leaned into him while they waited and he slipped an arm around her waist, thinking that’s what a husband would do in this instance. It occurred to him that she fit right against his side, as if she were meant to be there all along. Zek was left a little disconcerted by how natural she felt, curled into his body like this.
“And here are your key cards,” the clerk said to them, sliding a pair across the counter. “Check out time is eleven A. M. Is there anything else?”
“Yes,” Hilary said, reaching into her purse. “I have a few things I’d like to keep in the hotel safe, if that’s possible?”
They both knew it was, but acting innocent was one of her strong suits as well as being part of the plan. That angelic demeanor was what attracted Reyes in the first place, he thought. Either way, it was the first step in determining whether the thief worked for the hotel or not.
“Of course, Mrs. Cahill. Let me get a safe deposit box for you. While you’re waiting, please fill this out.” He pushed a pen and a small form towards her and left his station.
She started filling in the needed information, name, address, vital statistics, everything you’d expect to see. In listing the actual items, however, she hit a snag. “Andrej? How the fuck am I supposed to know what this stuff is worth?”
“Let me see what you have,” he said, leaning over and looking into her purse. “Interesting items the captain picked out for you.” Zeklos pulled the jewelry out, piece by piece, and laid them on the counter, appraising as he went along.
“So?” She looked up at the sound of the returning clerk. “Oh, my box, thank you.”
“Put your pretties in the box, honey. I’ll finish this up for you,” he told her, taking the paper away. Leaning towards the clerk, he said, “Can’t have the sweet thing knowing what her jewels are worth, can we?”
“Of course not,” the clerk agreed. Giving a knowing wink, he continued, “Once they know what you can spend, they begin to expect it and more.”
Trying to hide his disgust, Zek finished adding approximate values to each item of jewelry and pushed the card across to the clerk. “Isn’t that the truth? You ready honey?”
Hilary pouted looking as if she’d been left out of something important and knew it. Zek felt guilty even though he knew she was playing the desk clerk for all he was worth. It wasn’t any wonder she was so good at her job if she could inspire that level of remorse in a man who’d done nothing to deserve it. “Whenever you are, baby. I’m just dying for a drink.”
“And you shall have whatever you like,” he said, leading her towards the elevators and their waiting partners.
As soon as they were out of earshot, she let her smile drop. “What a pig.”
“I agree.” Andrej wondered how women found a decent man with all the scum floating around in the world. Heaven knew, he’d dealt with enough men like the one at the check in counter over the years, and not just in the line of work either. “Sorry about what I said, but it was the only way I could think to get the card from you without making him suspicious.”
“You’re forgiven,” she said, squeezing his arm. “But that jerk? Never.”
“Took you two long enough.” Reyes watched them walk towards the elevators, impatient to get the investigation under way. “What room did they give you?”
“Twenty-five,” Zek replied. He double checked the paperwork to make sure he was correct. “And you two?”
“We’re in twenty-nine,” Trish said, holding up her keycard. “Perfect. Let’s go.”
With a ding of a bell, they all climbed into the elevator and prepared for the worst. Every new assignment brought with it unexpected risks. In a situation like this one, all bets were off. The more bizarre the setup, the more chance there was for surprises. And you had to admit, this was the most bizarre setting for a robbery as they’d ever experienced.
“Which room is ours again?” Hilary was a few feet down the hall, glancing at room numbers posted on the walls. Zayne and Trish were still at the elevator doors, arguing about something. Sleeping arrangements seemed the most probable source of tension. No one would win that conversation, considering Reyes was involved in it.
“Twenty-five,” Andrej said, catching up with several strides of his long legs. “Just two down from Zayne and Trish in twenty-nine.” Not far enough, but he’d take what he got. They should all be thankful that they weren’t all stuck in one room together. But they couldn’t be too far apart either.
“Ah-hah,” she said, finding the room and sliding the key card into the slot. The lock clicked and she pushed the door open. “Well, here we are - Pismo Beach and all the clams you can eat.”
Andrej stood in the doorway and watched her. Americanisms were still the greatest source of confusion for him, but this was one he’d never encountered before. “What do clams have to do with any of this?”
Hilary gave him a sideways look before breaking into a grin. “Bugs Bunny? He pops out of the dirt inside of a cave?” At his still blank expression, she frowned. “I forget you’re not from around these parts. Your childhood must’ve sucked without Bugs Bunny.”
It would have sucked, Bugs Bunny or not, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. Life for a Romani boy in Romania wasn’t something anyone from a culture of plenty like this one would ever understand. Being poor was only a small part of it, the only thing they’d readily be able to accept. The intrinsic hatred of his people was something you had to experience to appreciate. “I will make a mental note to look that one up, Hilary. Just for you.”
“YouTube,” Hil said, cryptically. A genuine smile adorned her lips, lighting her face in a way he hadn’t seen lately. “See that you do, you might just like it.”
The door marked twenty-five opened into a pastel pink room with thick, shaggy carpet. Andrej held the door for Hilary, allowing her to enter the exceedingly feminine chamber first. To the south was a large window that looked out on the mountains behind them. Hilary made her way over to the glass, dropping her suitcase on the floor beside the white leather couch.
“This is… interesting, to say the least.” Zek looked around the room again, wondering if the captain had sent them into a den of iniquity instead of swinger’s hotel. Stranger things had happened while on the job in this town. There was no doubt that even odder things were on the horizon if he stayed in this whacked out city.
“The view’s nice though,” Hilary said, never turning from the window. “You can see the sun setting over the top of the ridge. It’s breathtaking.”
Coming up behind her, he rested a hand on her shoulder. Comforting, familiar, and completely devoid of higher meaning. “It is. Makes me want to go hiking.”
Hilary grinned, turning to face him. “Hiking? I wouldn’t have ever pegged you for the type. Tennis yes, hiking? Not so much.”
“What can I say, a boy’s got to keep in shape somehow, right? So,” he said, changing the subject, a touch of awkwardness filling his belly. “The bedroom must be over here.” He dropped his bag next to hers on the floor, moving off to explore.
“I have to say, I can’t wait to see how Zayne reacts when he discovers his new roommate doesn’t like men. If we’re lucky, he’ll have enough restraint not to make a move on her.”
“What?” Andrej snapped his attention back to his wife-for-hire, gaping, her non sequitur having caught him off guard. “Trish doesn’t like men?” This was news to him, but it wasn’t like he had a way of knowing unless she’d told him herself. Contrary to popular belief, there was no secret handshake. Something else Zayne will be disappointed to hear, he was certain.
“Yeah,” she said, turning to face him. “You really had no clue?”
“No,” he said, giving a slight shake to his head. “How could I have?”
Hil gave him a thoughtful frown. “Don’t know. You just seem to be better than most at picking up on those little things that are so telling. Not saying there’s anything wrong with that, just that you’re – I don’t know, empathetic maybe? That’s not the right word, but I think you know what I’m getting at.”
Andrej nodded, distracted. He did know what she meant, and it wasn’t so much empathy as an attention to detail. You could learn a lot about a person by watching them, how they act and react to outside stimuli. Trouble was that most people missed these subtle clues and found themselves surprised when things come to light. “How long have you known?”
“Since we were first partnered up. She asked me which way my interests fell two days after she was assigned to me.” A faint blush touched her cheeks at the admission. It was obvious that Hilary had been flattered, even if she hadn’t returned Trish’s attraction.
“And you told her no?” He was teasing her, but it caused the blush to deepen, bringing a sweet flush to her skin. “She’s such a pretty girl, you would have made a lovely couple.”
“Yes, she is,” Hilary agreed, shaking a finger at him. “But she’s not my type. If I were going to date a woman, I’d want one a little meeker than Trish. I’m no match for that girl.”
Andrej laughed at the truth of her statement. At times, he felt the same way about Zayne. No matter how attractive the man was, there was something about his personality that kept Andrej wondering if they’d make it as a couple or not. The longer they worked together, the more Zek began to lean towards the ‘hell no’ end of the spectrum. Although, he had no doubt the sex would be explosive. “No you’re not,” he agreed. “But neither am I.”
“However, I do find it curious you referred to her as a ‘pretty girl’ and not a gorgeous woman. What’s up with that?” She’d taken a defensive stance, ready to stick up for her partner if need be.
Shit. The way straight men assessed women of any variety had always eluded him, mainly because he maintained more regard for women than most heterosexual men. Once again, he’d put his foot in it without intending to. “Nothing’s ‘up with that’, Hilary. Just being respectful of my fellow officer. No doubt if I’d said anything more specific, she’d know before I got my shoes off.”
“Well, you are pretty hot,” she teased. “Even Trish acknowledges that. No way I’d not tell her if you said she was good-looking.”
He could feel the embarrassment burning in his own cheeks this time. Praying that it didn’t show, he laughed off the absurdity of the notion. “Come on, let’s get settled so we can get to work.”
“Whatever you say, honey,” she said. “But let’s find the bedroom first. It must be that one.”
Andrej looked in the direction she pointed, wondering if he should have told her his own secret. Figuring it was better that he kept it to himself, in the long run it could come back to haunt him, he decided to say nothing. What no one knew surely couldn’t hurt him. Even though the women in the station whispered whenever he passed by, he reckoned the majority of those whispers were directed at Zayne as he was definitely the more desirable half of their partnership. The last thing he wanted to deal with was wondering if they were muttering about him and his sexuality. But that was something to think about later, right now they had a job to do. After they explored this hideous hotel room, first.
“This one,” he agreed, tilting his head in the direction of the closed door. Turning the knob on what had to be the door to the master room, Andrej pushed inside and stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but this hadn’t been it. Continuing on from the living room, the walls were a cotton candy color, accenting the white ruffled coverlet hiding the king sized bed. No less than twenty-three pillows of all shapes and sizes covered the head of the mattress. Gauzy drapes shielded the windows, allowing the scantest amount of light inside. Little figurines and kitschy things sat on every flat surface adding the saccharine feel of the room.
“That’s a large bed.” It was all leaving Zeklos feeling more than a little uncomfortable. “And the strangest hotel room I’ve ever been inside.”
“Zek?” Hilary’s voice came from behind him, startling out of his reverie. “Was I right? Is this the – oh!” Her laughter filled the room. “This is…”
“Frilly? Girly? Insane?” Stepping aside so Hilary could come all the way into the room, he continued on his diatribe. “I mean, look at this place. Who could even begin to get intimate in a room like this? I’m not sure I could even sleep somewhere so… pink. Thinking more and more my decision to sleep on the couch is a good one.”
“What? Why are you sleeping on the couch, Zek?” She was studying him, waiting, eyes burning into the back of his head.
He shrugged, avoiding her question. Maybe he should have said something earlier, but it was too late now. “Andy,” is what he said instead.
“What? You’re losing me tonight.” She moved over to stand by his side.
That was the plan: distract and confuse. “Andy,” he repeated, running a hand through his near perfect hair. “Call me Andy.”
“Okay,” she said. Giving his hand a squeeze, she moved around the room, picking up pillows, toying with knickknacks. “I was under the impression you preferred Andrej.”
He parked himself on the edge of the ugly bed. “I do, it is the name my mother gave me after all. In addition, I don’t like people I’m not close with calling me by an intimate name, if that makes any sense.” Stretching out, he laid back against the coverlet, testing the mattress’ firmness. “But you, well, I know you and like you, too. Calling me by any of the varied pet names Reyes has devised for me over the years would sound odd. And since I’m supposed to be ‘Andrew’ while we’re here, Andy is the most likely thing my wife would call me.”
“Point.” Hilary put the tiny ceramic cat back onto the shelf she’d gotten it from and sat on the bed beside him. “Good to know. And as far as Zek goes, I could always tell anyone who asks that you’re a crazy Russian. They’ll stop questioning me after that. No one wants to mess with someone like that.”
He snorted in amusement. “Well, that’s close enough, right? Geographically speaking anyway. God, this room is awful.”
“It is pretty bad,” she said, giving it another once over. “So again, why are you sleeping on the couch? And no avoiding the question this time.”
Andrej sighed, knowing he was caught in a corner this time. “I wasn’t sure how comfortable you’d be sharing the bed with me, considering your history with Zayne.”
“After a relationship with that one,” she said, giving a mock shudder, “sharing a bed with any man would be a relief. He hogs the covers you know.”
“I do know,” he said without thinking, cringing as the words escaped his lips. That had not come out like he’d wanted it to. “Wait…”
“Nope – you said it. Now you have to explain it. That’s the law.” She flopped onto her side, propping her head on one hand, waiting. An incorrigible grin spread across her face.
“It’s nothing exciting. It’s not even all that interesting, to tell the truth. We went to a convention a couple years ago and there was a mix-up and we got stuck sharing a room. With one bed.” He chuckled at the memory. “One double bed at that.”
Hilary giggled, delicate snorts interlacing her laughter. “Who was more disturbed by that, you or him?”
“Him, definitely,” he said. “It was rather amusing watching Reyes trying to keep our bodies from touching all night.” Not that Zeklos had helped any. Quite the opposite.
“Please tell me you played footsies with him just because you could,” she squealed, eyes bright with mirth. “I love watching that boy squirm.”
“Every chance I got.” The laughter faded from between them, the remembrance of that night taking him someplace he didn’t need to be right then. While it had been entertaining torturing his partner like that, it had also opened up a can of worms for himself. Looking back, it was when things had started to go downhill between him and Reyes, although he wasn’t sure if Zayne even knew it. “He’s not that bad of a guy, but he just begs to be screwed with sometimes, doesn’t he? It’s like he opens his mouth and all this stupidity flies out.”
“That he does. But you’re right, he is an okay guy, even if his mouth gets the better of him sometimes. He’s not half as good as you are, however. And I trust you sleeping in the same bed as me.” She leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before climbing off the edge of the bed. “Mind if I shower before we meet up with the other happy couple?”
“Not at all, take your time.” He closed his eyes as she disrobed in front of him, shameless in her nudity, leaving him praying they figured out this case before something awkward happened. Well, more awkward anyway. God, he was in so much trouble.
Zayne had suggested they reconvene for dinner at a nearby bar before diving into the recon. It was dark inside with high backed, red leather booths for privacy, just what they had needed. While the waitress placed beers in front of the boys and something a lot more complicated in front of the girls, Reyes talked about nothing, the weather, last night’s Cubs game, the usual things two sets of couples might discuss over a few drinks. As soon as the waitress left – with a wink and a smile for the ever charming Detective Reyes – he launched into the case’s particulars.
“So, what do you think? Looks like the owners-slash-managers are a married couple…” Zayne flipped through the case file he’d pulled out of Trish’ gigantic purse reacquainting himself with the details.
“Which explains a lot, I suppose,” Trish said, a sour look on her face.
“Ah, you’ve seen the bedroom too, eh?” Andrej hid a smile behind his hand, her obvious disgust amusing in its intensity.
“As I was saying,” Zayne continued, eyeing them both, “they’re a married couple, newlyweds according to the file the captain sent over. Some minor stuff on their record – drunk and disorderly, a couple of parking tickets, and not much more. Everything else checks out. Hotel is legit, they pay their staff and their taxes, nothing otherwise underhanded going on.” He seemed more than a little disappointed by the lack of criminal activity in their past.
“Except the missing jewelry.” Trish’s reminder, pointless as it was, sat at the forefront of all their minds. No one thought they were here on vacation.
“Except for that, right. Where do we start? I mean, check out how these two operate, but how?” Reyes looked at his partner, a silent plea to help him to provide some sort of insight.
“I’m thinking we should start with feeling out the clientele, see if anyone is a repeat customer,” Andrej said. “Act like we’re here for a reason and maybe draw the owners out. What are their names again?”
Zayne flicked a look at the file before continuing. “He is Matthew Brennan. Thirty-four, brunette, brown eyes, approximately five foot eleven.” He folded the file so that a photo faced outward, holding it up for everyone to see. “This is his ugly mug.”
“Not all that ugly,” Hilary said, knowing Zayne would take the bait.
“Not all that hot, either,” Reyes said, defensive. “The wife is Julia Brennan nee Osterfeld. Thirty-one, blonde – of course – blue eyes, five foot eight and a half.” He folded the file again and held it aloft once more.
“Why ‘of course’?” Andrej turned towards his partner for an explanation. All too often, the things his co-workers took for granted went right over the Romanian’s head.
“Because this guy is a villain, I can feel it. And the bad guys always have a buxom blonde on their arm.” Reyes went back to the case file for a moment before closing it and slapping it down onto the table.
“You are such a swine sometimes,” Trish said, something more than anger tinging her words.
“What are you talking about? Don’t you ever watch spy movies?” He leaned back in the booth, shaking his head. “The bad guys always have two things: an accent and a pretty blonde.”
“You just implicated me in all of this,” Zek said, setting his still full beer on the table. He tended to not partake in alcohol for the most part, but it fit with the image he was portraying, making the beer a necessary accoutrement.
Stalling the argument, Hilary lifted up a folded piece of paper. “I found this on the nightstand in the bedroom,” she spoke up, attempting to draw the conversation back to the matter at hand. “It’s a list of the hotel’s activities for the week. Tonight they have a women’s group.” She lifted her eyebrows in suggestion. “I guess they encourage the couples to swap wife for wife as well as pair up by sex. They want their patrons to have the full experience, it seems.”
Reyes choked on his mouthful of beer. “You’re kidding me, right?” He looked around the table, paranoid. “You don’t expect me to do that do you?”
Zeklos tried to hide his annoyance at Reyes’ dramatic reaction, but it was difficult. Reminding himself that Zayne was, by popular rumor, heterosexual to the extreme, he forced his raging emotions down to a more manageable level. He had no reason to expect his partner to be okay with something like this, even considering the circumstances. That said, the horror in his response chafed his already raw nerves. “Relax. We’ll just have to make sure that if this happens, it’s you and I. I promise not to hurt you… much.”
Eyes bugging, Reyes focused on his partner. “Please tell me you’re yanking my chain.”
“Maybe a little,” he said, fluttering his eyelashes. He added a frisky air kiss to the mix, passive aggressive revenge at its finest.
Truth of the matter was his partner was an above average looking guy. As luck – whether it was good or bad – would have it, Andrej had always had a thing for Latino men, and Reyes fell smack dab into his taste preferences. Inky black hair with just a touch of wave, caramel colored skin… the only thing betraying his mixed heritage were those incredible green eyes. It made for one hell of a contrast in gorgeousness.
It also threw one heck of a monkey wrench into their professional relationship. It was hard to hate a man you wanted to screw senseless.
“You are just my type after all.” No sooner had the words escaped his mouth than he realized what he’d said. His eyes squeezed closed in a wince of regret. Idiot. He and his jerk face mouth were going to have a long discussion later about what was and wasn’t appropriate to blurt out in mixed company.
“Okay, now I know you’re fucking with me, gypsy boy,” Reyes said, a gorgeous rosiness tinting his cheeks.
“Please don’t call me that. I’ve asked a million times –.”
“Zayne! Andy! Stop it, both of you.” Hilary had had enough.
“Sorry,” Zeklos said, wishing he’d never moved west. Or out of Eastern Europe at this point. “Sore subject.”
“Andy?” Zayne leaned across the table, forgetting the argument from moments before. He’d found a new tidbit to gnaw at. “Since when did you start going by that?”
“Since always, I just don’t let anyone know about it,” he said not willing to argue the point. It was true, sort of.
“Huh, and all this time I could have had a cute little nickname for you. Or rather, one I could call you out loud, Detective Hottie.” Reyes rubbed his hands together like an old west villain.
Andrej groaned, uncomfortable. “Please, don’t call me that either. I almost prefer the slur on my heritage than that.”
Trish giggled. “It’s what the women call you when you’re not around though.”
“And at least a handful of the men,” Hilary said, adding to his embarrassment.
“What did I ever do to you, any of you, to deserve this kind of treatment?” He turned his eyes skyward, looking for an escape route in the ceiling. However, it was interesting to know that there was a male or two in the world that had noticed him.
“Aw, but honey,” Hil said, leaning into his shoulder, “can we help it if it’s true?”
Zayne frowned, apparently unhappy with the direction this teasing game had taken. “Okay you two, you can stop this act any time.”
Hilary snuggled even closer to her husband for the week. “What act?”
Seeing that Hilary was baiting Reyes, Zek swallowed his humiliation and opened his mouth. “Guys? The case? Can we get back to work?” The last thing he needed was to alienate Reyes and leave himself stranded with a partner who hated him. Zeklos had been there, done that, and gotten the transfer to prove it.
Story continues here.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fic
Pairing: Gen, post-Zayne Reyes/Hilary Maxwell
Rating: PG-13 (shouldn’t get much worse than this throughout)
Word Count: 5,186
Summary: Detectives Zayne Reyes and Andrej Zeklos, along with partners Hilary Maxwell and Trish Rollins, attempt to solve a string of robberies at a rather unusual sort of venue.
Author’s Notes: So… bored yet? :D Not much happening in this chapter, however, you do get to know Trish and Hilary a little bit better.
Continued from here.
“I hate to say it,” Reyes said, looking around the Heartbreaker Hotel’s lobby, “but it’s pretty nice in here.”
The women looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Really, Zayne?” Hilary laughed as she looked at the gaudy décor surrounding them. Everything seemed to contain gold filigree or something just as dated and brothel-worthy. “If this is nice, I’d hate to see your idea of run down.”
He shrugged, noncommittal. “Well, I’ve stayed in worse.”
“No doubt,” Zek said, suppressing a shudder. “Some of the ones back home… well, let’s just say that not even the crack whores and pimps living in the slums of the biggest cities would want to stay in any of them.” His homeland had fallen on some hard times and even though things were beginning to turn around finally, not everything was in tip-top shape either.
Zayne looked at his partner, curious. “That’s quite a confession out of you, Zek. I wonder what else we might learn before the case is over?”
Zeklos rarely, if ever, brought up his life before his move to the US. Hell, truth be told, he almost never brought up his life outside the uniform if he could help it. The idea that they might actually learn something about each other during this little foray horrified Andrej in ways he didn’t even understand.
“Are they anything like that old condo building turned meth factory that we stumbled into a few months ago? Good lord, that place was two shingles from being condemned.”
Andrej smiled a sad smile. “Only the nicer ones.” He was exaggerating a bit, but not so much that they’d ever know. Not like he thought any of them – himself included – would be heading towards eastern Europe anytime soon.
“Yeesh,” Reyes said, looking around him again, reassessing the lobby. “This is at least clean.”
“True,” Trish agreed. “And I can put up with a lot if it’s clean.”
“Amen.” Zeklos took his wife for the week by the hand and drew her to him. “Time to play the role of a lifetime, honey.”
“I’m ready if you are, sweetums,” Hilary teased, settling into the curve of his arm.
“Ugh, you two. You’re acting like newlyweds or something, it’s just this side of disgusting.” Trish took Reyes by the hand, refusing to let him get too close. Probably a smart move on her part.
“Yeah, I’d say get a room, but tell me, what chance do you have with a woman like that?” Zayne tugged on Trish’ hand, pulling her closer and not succeeding.
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean,” Trish said, smacking Zayne’s arm.
“Nothing, baby,” he pleaded, trying not to laugh.
“Aren’t you glad I’m not like that? They’re such children.” Andrej patted his new partner on her arm. “Come on, let’s get this over and done with so we can get situated and start our recon.”
“Good plan. Get a move on you two!” Hilary inclined her head towards the check in desk.
Andrej watched in silence while Zayne and Trish stepped up to the check in counter and gave their false information to the young man working the computer. Reyes played up his already exuberant personality and seemed to fit in with the other men he observed checking in around them. No one seemed to suspect anything out of the ordinary.
“Look,” Hilary slipped her arm through his in an effort to look like they were having a regular conversation. “Both women on either side of our two are putting their jewelry into the hotel safe.”
He looked left and then right and saw she was correct. Each of the women, and one of their male counterparts, had placed several expensive looking items into the little safe deposit boxes the hotel offered for a minimal fee. “Trish is supposed to keep hers in the room, right?” Andrej was pretty certain that was the plan, but on the off chance the women had flipped the plan around, he thought he should ask.
“Correct,” she said, smiling. “And all my priceless possessions – straight out of the evidence locker – are going into one of those pretty black boxes.”
Zayne moved to the side, slipping his key card into his rear pocket. Winking at Hil, he and Trish moved towards the bank of elevators, where Zek and Hilary knew they’d wait to meet up again. So much for subtlety, but then, that wasn’t something Reyes had ever been known for.
“Our turn.” Hilary stepped forward and took the empty window in front of a bored looking front desk clerk. “Hi,” she said. “Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Cahill.”
Zeklos cringed at the nom de plume. Andrew was too close to his actual name, although not close enough to arouse suspicion, he supposed. He thought he might want to have a word with whoever had created their false identities back at the station later. He handed over his driver’s license at the clerk’s request as well as the department issued credit card. Hilary leaned into him while they waited and he slipped an arm around her waist, thinking that’s what a husband would do in this instance. It occurred to him that she fit right against his side, as if she were meant to be there all along. Zek was left a little disconcerted by how natural she felt, curled into his body like this.
“And here are your key cards,” the clerk said to them, sliding a pair across the counter. “Check out time is eleven A. M. Is there anything else?”
“Yes,” Hilary said, reaching into her purse. “I have a few things I’d like to keep in the hotel safe, if that’s possible?”
They both knew it was, but acting innocent was one of her strong suits as well as being part of the plan. That angelic demeanor was what attracted Reyes in the first place, he thought. Either way, it was the first step in determining whether the thief worked for the hotel or not.
“Of course, Mrs. Cahill. Let me get a safe deposit box for you. While you’re waiting, please fill this out.” He pushed a pen and a small form towards her and left his station.
She started filling in the needed information, name, address, vital statistics, everything you’d expect to see. In listing the actual items, however, she hit a snag. “Andrej? How the fuck am I supposed to know what this stuff is worth?”
“Let me see what you have,” he said, leaning over and looking into her purse. “Interesting items the captain picked out for you.” Zeklos pulled the jewelry out, piece by piece, and laid them on the counter, appraising as he went along.
“So?” She looked up at the sound of the returning clerk. “Oh, my box, thank you.”
“Put your pretties in the box, honey. I’ll finish this up for you,” he told her, taking the paper away. Leaning towards the clerk, he said, “Can’t have the sweet thing knowing what her jewels are worth, can we?”
“Of course not,” the clerk agreed. Giving a knowing wink, he continued, “Once they know what you can spend, they begin to expect it and more.”
Trying to hide his disgust, Zek finished adding approximate values to each item of jewelry and pushed the card across to the clerk. “Isn’t that the truth? You ready honey?”
Hilary pouted looking as if she’d been left out of something important and knew it. Zek felt guilty even though he knew she was playing the desk clerk for all he was worth. It wasn’t any wonder she was so good at her job if she could inspire that level of remorse in a man who’d done nothing to deserve it. “Whenever you are, baby. I’m just dying for a drink.”
“And you shall have whatever you like,” he said, leading her towards the elevators and their waiting partners.
As soon as they were out of earshot, she let her smile drop. “What a pig.”
“I agree.” Andrej wondered how women found a decent man with all the scum floating around in the world. Heaven knew, he’d dealt with enough men like the one at the check in counter over the years, and not just in the line of work either. “Sorry about what I said, but it was the only way I could think to get the card from you without making him suspicious.”
“You’re forgiven,” she said, squeezing his arm. “But that jerk? Never.”
“Took you two long enough.” Reyes watched them walk towards the elevators, impatient to get the investigation under way. “What room did they give you?”
“Twenty-five,” Zek replied. He double checked the paperwork to make sure he was correct. “And you two?”
“We’re in twenty-nine,” Trish said, holding up her keycard. “Perfect. Let’s go.”
With a ding of a bell, they all climbed into the elevator and prepared for the worst. Every new assignment brought with it unexpected risks. In a situation like this one, all bets were off. The more bizarre the setup, the more chance there was for surprises. And you had to admit, this was the most bizarre setting for a robbery as they’d ever experienced.
“Which room is ours again?” Hilary was a few feet down the hall, glancing at room numbers posted on the walls. Zayne and Trish were still at the elevator doors, arguing about something. Sleeping arrangements seemed the most probable source of tension. No one would win that conversation, considering Reyes was involved in it.
“Twenty-five,” Andrej said, catching up with several strides of his long legs. “Just two down from Zayne and Trish in twenty-nine.” Not far enough, but he’d take what he got. They should all be thankful that they weren’t all stuck in one room together. But they couldn’t be too far apart either.
“Ah-hah,” she said, finding the room and sliding the key card into the slot. The lock clicked and she pushed the door open. “Well, here we are - Pismo Beach and all the clams you can eat.”
Andrej stood in the doorway and watched her. Americanisms were still the greatest source of confusion for him, but this was one he’d never encountered before. “What do clams have to do with any of this?”
Hilary gave him a sideways look before breaking into a grin. “Bugs Bunny? He pops out of the dirt inside of a cave?” At his still blank expression, she frowned. “I forget you’re not from around these parts. Your childhood must’ve sucked without Bugs Bunny.”
It would have sucked, Bugs Bunny or not, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. Life for a Romani boy in Romania wasn’t something anyone from a culture of plenty like this one would ever understand. Being poor was only a small part of it, the only thing they’d readily be able to accept. The intrinsic hatred of his people was something you had to experience to appreciate. “I will make a mental note to look that one up, Hilary. Just for you.”
“YouTube,” Hil said, cryptically. A genuine smile adorned her lips, lighting her face in a way he hadn’t seen lately. “See that you do, you might just like it.”
The door marked twenty-five opened into a pastel pink room with thick, shaggy carpet. Andrej held the door for Hilary, allowing her to enter the exceedingly feminine chamber first. To the south was a large window that looked out on the mountains behind them. Hilary made her way over to the glass, dropping her suitcase on the floor beside the white leather couch.
“This is… interesting, to say the least.” Zek looked around the room again, wondering if the captain had sent them into a den of iniquity instead of swinger’s hotel. Stranger things had happened while on the job in this town. There was no doubt that even odder things were on the horizon if he stayed in this whacked out city.
“The view’s nice though,” Hilary said, never turning from the window. “You can see the sun setting over the top of the ridge. It’s breathtaking.”
Coming up behind her, he rested a hand on her shoulder. Comforting, familiar, and completely devoid of higher meaning. “It is. Makes me want to go hiking.”
Hilary grinned, turning to face him. “Hiking? I wouldn’t have ever pegged you for the type. Tennis yes, hiking? Not so much.”
“What can I say, a boy’s got to keep in shape somehow, right? So,” he said, changing the subject, a touch of awkwardness filling his belly. “The bedroom must be over here.” He dropped his bag next to hers on the floor, moving off to explore.
“I have to say, I can’t wait to see how Zayne reacts when he discovers his new roommate doesn’t like men. If we’re lucky, he’ll have enough restraint not to make a move on her.”
“What?” Andrej snapped his attention back to his wife-for-hire, gaping, her non sequitur having caught him off guard. “Trish doesn’t like men?” This was news to him, but it wasn’t like he had a way of knowing unless she’d told him herself. Contrary to popular belief, there was no secret handshake. Something else Zayne will be disappointed to hear, he was certain.
“Yeah,” she said, turning to face him. “You really had no clue?”
“No,” he said, giving a slight shake to his head. “How could I have?”
Hil gave him a thoughtful frown. “Don’t know. You just seem to be better than most at picking up on those little things that are so telling. Not saying there’s anything wrong with that, just that you’re – I don’t know, empathetic maybe? That’s not the right word, but I think you know what I’m getting at.”
Andrej nodded, distracted. He did know what she meant, and it wasn’t so much empathy as an attention to detail. You could learn a lot about a person by watching them, how they act and react to outside stimuli. Trouble was that most people missed these subtle clues and found themselves surprised when things come to light. “How long have you known?”
“Since we were first partnered up. She asked me which way my interests fell two days after she was assigned to me.” A faint blush touched her cheeks at the admission. It was obvious that Hilary had been flattered, even if she hadn’t returned Trish’s attraction.
“And you told her no?” He was teasing her, but it caused the blush to deepen, bringing a sweet flush to her skin. “She’s such a pretty girl, you would have made a lovely couple.”
“Yes, she is,” Hilary agreed, shaking a finger at him. “But she’s not my type. If I were going to date a woman, I’d want one a little meeker than Trish. I’m no match for that girl.”
Andrej laughed at the truth of her statement. At times, he felt the same way about Zayne. No matter how attractive the man was, there was something about his personality that kept Andrej wondering if they’d make it as a couple or not. The longer they worked together, the more Zek began to lean towards the ‘hell no’ end of the spectrum. Although, he had no doubt the sex would be explosive. “No you’re not,” he agreed. “But neither am I.”
“However, I do find it curious you referred to her as a ‘pretty girl’ and not a gorgeous woman. What’s up with that?” She’d taken a defensive stance, ready to stick up for her partner if need be.
Shit. The way straight men assessed women of any variety had always eluded him, mainly because he maintained more regard for women than most heterosexual men. Once again, he’d put his foot in it without intending to. “Nothing’s ‘up with that’, Hilary. Just being respectful of my fellow officer. No doubt if I’d said anything more specific, she’d know before I got my shoes off.”
“Well, you are pretty hot,” she teased. “Even Trish acknowledges that. No way I’d not tell her if you said she was good-looking.”
He could feel the embarrassment burning in his own cheeks this time. Praying that it didn’t show, he laughed off the absurdity of the notion. “Come on, let’s get settled so we can get to work.”
“Whatever you say, honey,” she said. “But let’s find the bedroom first. It must be that one.”
Andrej looked in the direction she pointed, wondering if he should have told her his own secret. Figuring it was better that he kept it to himself, in the long run it could come back to haunt him, he decided to say nothing. What no one knew surely couldn’t hurt him. Even though the women in the station whispered whenever he passed by, he reckoned the majority of those whispers were directed at Zayne as he was definitely the more desirable half of their partnership. The last thing he wanted to deal with was wondering if they were muttering about him and his sexuality. But that was something to think about later, right now they had a job to do. After they explored this hideous hotel room, first.
“This one,” he agreed, tilting his head in the direction of the closed door. Turning the knob on what had to be the door to the master room, Andrej pushed inside and stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but this hadn’t been it. Continuing on from the living room, the walls were a cotton candy color, accenting the white ruffled coverlet hiding the king sized bed. No less than twenty-three pillows of all shapes and sizes covered the head of the mattress. Gauzy drapes shielded the windows, allowing the scantest amount of light inside. Little figurines and kitschy things sat on every flat surface adding the saccharine feel of the room.
“That’s a large bed.” It was all leaving Zeklos feeling more than a little uncomfortable. “And the strangest hotel room I’ve ever been inside.”
“Zek?” Hilary’s voice came from behind him, startling out of his reverie. “Was I right? Is this the – oh!” Her laughter filled the room. “This is…”
“Frilly? Girly? Insane?” Stepping aside so Hilary could come all the way into the room, he continued on his diatribe. “I mean, look at this place. Who could even begin to get intimate in a room like this? I’m not sure I could even sleep somewhere so… pink. Thinking more and more my decision to sleep on the couch is a good one.”
“What? Why are you sleeping on the couch, Zek?” She was studying him, waiting, eyes burning into the back of his head.
He shrugged, avoiding her question. Maybe he should have said something earlier, but it was too late now. “Andy,” is what he said instead.
“What? You’re losing me tonight.” She moved over to stand by his side.
That was the plan: distract and confuse. “Andy,” he repeated, running a hand through his near perfect hair. “Call me Andy.”
“Okay,” she said. Giving his hand a squeeze, she moved around the room, picking up pillows, toying with knickknacks. “I was under the impression you preferred Andrej.”
He parked himself on the edge of the ugly bed. “I do, it is the name my mother gave me after all. In addition, I don’t like people I’m not close with calling me by an intimate name, if that makes any sense.” Stretching out, he laid back against the coverlet, testing the mattress’ firmness. “But you, well, I know you and like you, too. Calling me by any of the varied pet names Reyes has devised for me over the years would sound odd. And since I’m supposed to be ‘Andrew’ while we’re here, Andy is the most likely thing my wife would call me.”
“Point.” Hilary put the tiny ceramic cat back onto the shelf she’d gotten it from and sat on the bed beside him. “Good to know. And as far as Zek goes, I could always tell anyone who asks that you’re a crazy Russian. They’ll stop questioning me after that. No one wants to mess with someone like that.”
He snorted in amusement. “Well, that’s close enough, right? Geographically speaking anyway. God, this room is awful.”
“It is pretty bad,” she said, giving it another once over. “So again, why are you sleeping on the couch? And no avoiding the question this time.”
Andrej sighed, knowing he was caught in a corner this time. “I wasn’t sure how comfortable you’d be sharing the bed with me, considering your history with Zayne.”
“After a relationship with that one,” she said, giving a mock shudder, “sharing a bed with any man would be a relief. He hogs the covers you know.”
“I do know,” he said without thinking, cringing as the words escaped his lips. That had not come out like he’d wanted it to. “Wait…”
“Nope – you said it. Now you have to explain it. That’s the law.” She flopped onto her side, propping her head on one hand, waiting. An incorrigible grin spread across her face.
“It’s nothing exciting. It’s not even all that interesting, to tell the truth. We went to a convention a couple years ago and there was a mix-up and we got stuck sharing a room. With one bed.” He chuckled at the memory. “One double bed at that.”
Hilary giggled, delicate snorts interlacing her laughter. “Who was more disturbed by that, you or him?”
“Him, definitely,” he said. “It was rather amusing watching Reyes trying to keep our bodies from touching all night.” Not that Zeklos had helped any. Quite the opposite.
“Please tell me you played footsies with him just because you could,” she squealed, eyes bright with mirth. “I love watching that boy squirm.”
“Every chance I got.” The laughter faded from between them, the remembrance of that night taking him someplace he didn’t need to be right then. While it had been entertaining torturing his partner like that, it had also opened up a can of worms for himself. Looking back, it was when things had started to go downhill between him and Reyes, although he wasn’t sure if Zayne even knew it. “He’s not that bad of a guy, but he just begs to be screwed with sometimes, doesn’t he? It’s like he opens his mouth and all this stupidity flies out.”
“That he does. But you’re right, he is an okay guy, even if his mouth gets the better of him sometimes. He’s not half as good as you are, however. And I trust you sleeping in the same bed as me.” She leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before climbing off the edge of the bed. “Mind if I shower before we meet up with the other happy couple?”
“Not at all, take your time.” He closed his eyes as she disrobed in front of him, shameless in her nudity, leaving him praying they figured out this case before something awkward happened. Well, more awkward anyway. God, he was in so much trouble.
Zayne had suggested they reconvene for dinner at a nearby bar before diving into the recon. It was dark inside with high backed, red leather booths for privacy, just what they had needed. While the waitress placed beers in front of the boys and something a lot more complicated in front of the girls, Reyes talked about nothing, the weather, last night’s Cubs game, the usual things two sets of couples might discuss over a few drinks. As soon as the waitress left – with a wink and a smile for the ever charming Detective Reyes – he launched into the case’s particulars.
“So, what do you think? Looks like the owners-slash-managers are a married couple…” Zayne flipped through the case file he’d pulled out of Trish’ gigantic purse reacquainting himself with the details.
“Which explains a lot, I suppose,” Trish said, a sour look on her face.
“Ah, you’ve seen the bedroom too, eh?” Andrej hid a smile behind his hand, her obvious disgust amusing in its intensity.
“As I was saying,” Zayne continued, eyeing them both, “they’re a married couple, newlyweds according to the file the captain sent over. Some minor stuff on their record – drunk and disorderly, a couple of parking tickets, and not much more. Everything else checks out. Hotel is legit, they pay their staff and their taxes, nothing otherwise underhanded going on.” He seemed more than a little disappointed by the lack of criminal activity in their past.
“Except the missing jewelry.” Trish’s reminder, pointless as it was, sat at the forefront of all their minds. No one thought they were here on vacation.
“Except for that, right. Where do we start? I mean, check out how these two operate, but how?” Reyes looked at his partner, a silent plea to help him to provide some sort of insight.
“I’m thinking we should start with feeling out the clientele, see if anyone is a repeat customer,” Andrej said. “Act like we’re here for a reason and maybe draw the owners out. What are their names again?”
Zayne flicked a look at the file before continuing. “He is Matthew Brennan. Thirty-four, brunette, brown eyes, approximately five foot eleven.” He folded the file so that a photo faced outward, holding it up for everyone to see. “This is his ugly mug.”
“Not all that ugly,” Hilary said, knowing Zayne would take the bait.
“Not all that hot, either,” Reyes said, defensive. “The wife is Julia Brennan nee Osterfeld. Thirty-one, blonde – of course – blue eyes, five foot eight and a half.” He folded the file again and held it aloft once more.
“Why ‘of course’?” Andrej turned towards his partner for an explanation. All too often, the things his co-workers took for granted went right over the Romanian’s head.
“Because this guy is a villain, I can feel it. And the bad guys always have a buxom blonde on their arm.” Reyes went back to the case file for a moment before closing it and slapping it down onto the table.
“You are such a swine sometimes,” Trish said, something more than anger tinging her words.
“What are you talking about? Don’t you ever watch spy movies?” He leaned back in the booth, shaking his head. “The bad guys always have two things: an accent and a pretty blonde.”
“You just implicated me in all of this,” Zek said, setting his still full beer on the table. He tended to not partake in alcohol for the most part, but it fit with the image he was portraying, making the beer a necessary accoutrement.
Stalling the argument, Hilary lifted up a folded piece of paper. “I found this on the nightstand in the bedroom,” she spoke up, attempting to draw the conversation back to the matter at hand. “It’s a list of the hotel’s activities for the week. Tonight they have a women’s group.” She lifted her eyebrows in suggestion. “I guess they encourage the couples to swap wife for wife as well as pair up by sex. They want their patrons to have the full experience, it seems.”
Reyes choked on his mouthful of beer. “You’re kidding me, right?” He looked around the table, paranoid. “You don’t expect me to do that do you?”
Zeklos tried to hide his annoyance at Reyes’ dramatic reaction, but it was difficult. Reminding himself that Zayne was, by popular rumor, heterosexual to the extreme, he forced his raging emotions down to a more manageable level. He had no reason to expect his partner to be okay with something like this, even considering the circumstances. That said, the horror in his response chafed his already raw nerves. “Relax. We’ll just have to make sure that if this happens, it’s you and I. I promise not to hurt you… much.”
Eyes bugging, Reyes focused on his partner. “Please tell me you’re yanking my chain.”
“Maybe a little,” he said, fluttering his eyelashes. He added a frisky air kiss to the mix, passive aggressive revenge at its finest.
Truth of the matter was his partner was an above average looking guy. As luck – whether it was good or bad – would have it, Andrej had always had a thing for Latino men, and Reyes fell smack dab into his taste preferences. Inky black hair with just a touch of wave, caramel colored skin… the only thing betraying his mixed heritage were those incredible green eyes. It made for one hell of a contrast in gorgeousness.
It also threw one heck of a monkey wrench into their professional relationship. It was hard to hate a man you wanted to screw senseless.
“You are just my type after all.” No sooner had the words escaped his mouth than he realized what he’d said. His eyes squeezed closed in a wince of regret. Idiot. He and his jerk face mouth were going to have a long discussion later about what was and wasn’t appropriate to blurt out in mixed company.
“Okay, now I know you’re fucking with me, gypsy boy,” Reyes said, a gorgeous rosiness tinting his cheeks.
“Please don’t call me that. I’ve asked a million times –.”
“Zayne! Andy! Stop it, both of you.” Hilary had had enough.
“Sorry,” Zeklos said, wishing he’d never moved west. Or out of Eastern Europe at this point. “Sore subject.”
“Andy?” Zayne leaned across the table, forgetting the argument from moments before. He’d found a new tidbit to gnaw at. “Since when did you start going by that?”
“Since always, I just don’t let anyone know about it,” he said not willing to argue the point. It was true, sort of.
“Huh, and all this time I could have had a cute little nickname for you. Or rather, one I could call you out loud, Detective Hottie.” Reyes rubbed his hands together like an old west villain.
Andrej groaned, uncomfortable. “Please, don’t call me that either. I almost prefer the slur on my heritage than that.”
Trish giggled. “It’s what the women call you when you’re not around though.”
“And at least a handful of the men,” Hilary said, adding to his embarrassment.
“What did I ever do to you, any of you, to deserve this kind of treatment?” He turned his eyes skyward, looking for an escape route in the ceiling. However, it was interesting to know that there was a male or two in the world that had noticed him.
“Aw, but honey,” Hil said, leaning into his shoulder, “can we help it if it’s true?”
Zayne frowned, apparently unhappy with the direction this teasing game had taken. “Okay you two, you can stop this act any time.”
Hilary snuggled even closer to her husband for the week. “What act?”
Seeing that Hilary was baiting Reyes, Zek swallowed his humiliation and opened his mouth. “Guys? The case? Can we get back to work?” The last thing he needed was to alienate Reyes and leave himself stranded with a partner who hated him. Zeklos had been there, done that, and gotten the transfer to prove it.
Story continues here.
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Date: 2015-05-02 12:21 pm (UTC)Hah, and I love your description of the hotel room! It sounds exactly like the room I stayed in at the Pink Flamingo down on the strip. The walls were pink, the carpets, the furniture, the sheets... the toilet paper. XD It was quite the experience.
I can't wait to see what happens next!
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Date: 2015-05-04 07:55 pm (UTC)OMG, it's funny that you say that though because I based a lot of it off a room at Circus Circus that my grandparents stayed in when I was a kid. AWFUL UGLY ROOM.
Thanks - and thanks for reading! Hopefully a new chapter will be up in a few days.
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Date: 2015-05-05 06:04 pm (UTC)This is the Wicked Witch "flying" the fish instead of her broom. XD
Gosh, of course! I love reading your stories! *snuggles stories* ♥!
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Date: 2015-05-06 08:19 pm (UTC)That picture is the best. :)
Aw... thanks! That makes me happy because I like writing them, too. :)