Tools of Terror

Closing the chief’s office door behind me, I walked numbly back down the
hallway towards my office. Our conversation played back in my mind as I
walked.

“I know you have worked well with Detective Sharpton these last few
years, but now that he is incapacitated, you will need another partner,” the
chief stated.
“Well…” I began.
“I know Ben, I know you think you can handle this case on your own, but
you cannot and I need you to be on this case,” he interjected. He knew what
I was thinking, he could read into me. I did not think I needed anyone, I knew
I could handle any case he threw at me but the chief would not take no for an
answer and I was no one to argue the fact with him.
“Yes, Sir,” I responded. Disappointment sounded not only in my voice but
also showed on my face. I could tell from the look in his eyes that he
understood, but whether I liked it or not I was to get a new partner.
The chief stood up from his position on the desk and walked around the
side to sit in his chair behind the heavy desk. Without looking at me, he
grabbed another paper from the top of his desk. Reaching for a pen from his
holder he began to fill out the form as he spoke to me, occasionally looking up
from his writing to look me in the eyes.
“You will be partnered with Detective Barnes.”
With those words my heart stopped. He had to be kidding, to pair me up
with one of the biggest jerks in the precinct. When he looked up at me at that
moment, he could see my disapproval and stopped writing, placing his hands
together atop the form.
“You disagree?” he asked.
Unsure whether I should answer him truthfully, I forced a smile atop my
face and shook my head.
“Whatever you want, Chief.”
At that moment the chief smiled, “Good,” he said as he unlocked his
hands and continued to fill out the form, the form that would join Barnes and
I indefinitely. I was not happy, quite the opposite, but I could not argue with
my boss. When he had partnered me with Dave I was not happy then either,
but I did as I was told and Dave and I ended up becoming good friends.
“Detective Barnes will be your new partner until Detective Sharpton is
ready to come back…” looking up from his form, he continued, “if he comes
back. You are to be in control during this investigation, not Barnes, you are to
keep him under control and on task. If you have any issues with him, come see
me directly, no appointment necessary,” he stated as he finished filling out the
form, signing his John Hancock on the bottom, making this new union official.
Pushing the form towards me, the chief looked directly into my eyes.
“Please sign here, Ben,” he stated as he pointed with the pen to where I was
to sign.

I wanted to fight, to argue, to threaten to quit just to stop this, but I knew
that this job meant a lot to me and I would not be happy doing anything else,
so I signed my name, signing away my freedom.
Retrieving the paper, he placed it atop the pile on the corner of his desk
and with a smile met my eyes once again.
“Now, let’s talk about this case.”
Finally something I wanted to hear about, not about my new partner but
about my new case.
“Yes, Sir,” I stated excitedly as I shifted my position in the seat. My bottom
was becoming numb from sitting so long.
“It seems we have had a young woman brought into the morgue, she was
murdered and dumped alongside the road about 10 km’s from Main St. She
was beaten and her clothes were torn, from the report she was killed by a hit
to her head. We have some evidence just brought in this morning found
around her,” he stated as he reached down behind the desk, returning with a
bag full of evidence and dropping it on the desk in front of me. “I need you to
have this all analyzed and find out who is responsible. Let’s find this person
and close this case before any other victims show up.”
I nodded, taking the bag of evidence from the top of his desk.
“Yes, Sir.”
After a brief pause, the chief spoke up again.
“Now go ahead back to your office and get a head start on this evidence.
I have already contacted the hospital and you have full access to enter the
morgue to look over the victim.”
“Thank you, Sir,” I responded as I held the bag up into the light. It was full
of odds and ends, most of which would be useless, but there might be
something here that was important to the case.
Putting the bag down, I stood up straight and tall waiting for the chief’s
final approval for me to leave his office.
“You are free to go, Ben,” he stated as he nodded and motioned towards
the door.

Walking past many office’s down the corridor, I dreaded having to meet
with Barnes and “acquaint” ourselves with each other. As I reached my office
I turned towards the door and hesitated before placing my hand on the knob
and entering. I knew the office would be as empty as before, that was what I
dreaded. Taking the knob in my free hand, I turned it and pushed the door
inwards. To my surprise, sitting at Dave’s desk was Barnes. Trying to act
unmoved, I walked into the room and headed to my chair. Barnes sat in
Dave’s seat, his arms crossed across his chest as he leaned back in the chair,
a sly grin on his face.
“Hey there, partner,” he said.
I looked up at him; my eyes displaying my displeasure with Barnes.
Without responding to him, I sat down in my chair and placed the evidence
bag down. Barnes then leaned forward in his chair for a closer look.
“What you got there, partner?”
His voice was already irritating; I thought to myself, how the hell am I
going to get through months of this. I knew at that point I had to help Dave
walk, I had to help him help himself or else not only would he die inside, but
I would too.
Without meeting his eyes, I responded coldly, “Evidence on the new
murder case.”
“Oh right. Well the chief took me off the Stevens case, gave it to Logan
and Tipp. He said I was ‘not getting along’,” he stated as he raised his hands
into the air, making the signal for “quote” with his fingers.
“Yeah, I know,” I responded.
“You know?” he asked, “How do you know?”
“The chief told me,” I responded as I grabbed a piece of paper from my
drawer to begin to make notes.
“Wonderful!” he responded as he threw himself back into the chair,
folding his arms behind his head, throwing his legs atop Dave’s part of the desk
as he looked up at the ceiling.
Completely irritated by his disregard, I made my feelings heard.
“Remove your legs from the desk.”
“Pardon me?” he asked as he looked up at me, his arms and legs still in the
same position.
“You heard me, remove your feet and act like a detective, not a slob,” I
repeated.
After a few minutes and Barnes trying to stare me down, he removed his
feet from the desk.
“Yes, Mom,” he said, sarcasm spilling from each word.
I knew at that point that this partnership would test more than skill; it
would test my strength and my ability to control even the uncontrollable. I
would break him, I thought to myself, or die trying.

RING! RING!

The phone ringing gave me an excuse to take my eyes off Barnes and I
quickly grabbed for the phone placing it up against my ear.