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I stared at Alice for a moment, then glanced over my shoulder. It was a reflex, not a conscious decision.

"Oh, please run." I could hear the satisfaction in her voice.

I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. I'd checked to see where Tom was, but he was nowhere in sight. He'd probably stayed in the room. Could he fit through one of the window? He was larger than I was, so probably not.

I raised my hands. "Hi Alice. Fancy meeting you here." I kept my tone pleasant. I didn't try to charm her, not that I knew how. The guy I took to bed were rarely convinced with words. But even if it was something I could do, Alice would be immune, her anger toward me was an unbreakable shield.

"Right, like you aren't the reason we were called here."

Venom dripped from her voice.

"If you were called about the dead body, I had nothing to do with that." I kept my tone even. Nothing tipped a cop's instinct like nervousness. I hoped Tom had found a way out, because I couldn't help him. A part of me wondered why I was concern with his well being. He was a criminal, a real one.

Alice showed surprise for a moment, then her eyes narrowed.

"Are you telling me you killed someone?"

"I just said I had nothing to do with it. It's in the first bedroom on the right. I can show you if you want."

"Don't you fucking move. Hemingway!"

I nodded to the calico cat as he entered the house. Outside I could see flashing lights and hear talk. It sounded like half a dozen people.

"Don't let him go anywhere," Alice said, before leaving the two of us alone.

"Mister Brislow," the cat greeted me.

"Detective Hemingway. I see you're still partnered with her."

He studied me for a moment. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking into who killed my client."

"You said he hadn't hired you."

I shrugged. "I still want to know ho killed him." I nodded to the returning Alice, who now had murder in her eyes. "You can ask her. I never know when to drop a case."

She slammed me against hte wall. "You son of a bitch. I didn't think you actually had that in you. You're under arrest." "Detective Cooper, what are you doing?" Hemingway asked.

"There's a dead body. He killed him."

"I said I didn't do it."

"Shut up." Alice read me my rights while cuffing me.

I didn't watch a lot of TV, although I watched more of it now that my days weren't taking up with work. I did watch a few cop drama, made back in the aughts, to see how things were portrayed back then. There had been one show that was taking place today, well in thirty nine, but that was close enough. It had been amazing the kind of science they though we'd have by now. Laser guns, predictive computers to see who was most likely to commit a crime. But the weirdest thing they changes as far as I was concerned was the cuffs. They had these metal monstrosity that used electro magnetism to restrain someone.

We actually still used the same technology that had some about around the same time the show had been made -- zip cuffs. Simple plastic bands that could only be tightened. They were strong enough to keep anyone but the strongest person from breaking out of them, and we had larger version in the car for them. Colby could break out of those, He could probably break anything, but I couldn't.

She yanked me away from the wall and dragged me to her department issue car. It was the same one I'd ridden in for the six years I was her partner, but this was my first time in the back.

"Aren't you being hasty? Hemingway said, as he got in. He looked at me and mouthed 'sorry'.

I shrugged. I'd known this was bound to happen at some point. At least I hadn't actually done anything illegal this time, well, I had broken in, but I didn't expect they'd be able to prove that. There were a few other things she could have caught me doing over the last months that would have landed me in real trouble. Going after the evidence that would let me get my job back didn't happne by following the law.

"You don't know him," she spat.

"You said you didn't think he had it in him," the calico replied. "Doesn't that mean you don't think he could do it?"

"Shut up Everett. He's a monster. No, I didn't think he could, vbut I'm not surprised he did. His kind is completely amoral." She gunned the engine and I was pressed against the back.

"His kind? What exactly does that mean?"

Alice's face contorted. I kept my smile from showing at her inability to explain things to her partner. And she was pissed at me because she thought I'd been holding out on her. I, at least, hadn't known I was holding out, she was doing it because she was ordered to keep silent about us. She didn't like it, but

I didn't care, I appreciated that it made her a hypocrite.

With a growl she pointed to me over her shoulder. "That kind."

Hemingway looked at me."

"I should I know what she means. I'm jsut a sex obsessed PI trying to make ends meet because he was kicked off the force by his vengeful partner's machinations."

The calico glared at me, then Alice, before sinking back into his seat. I thought I heard him grumble, but I couldn't be sure over the sound of the siren.

* * * * *

They stared at me as Alice marched me through the precinct. I tried not to let eh wide eyes affect me, but I felt my ears grow hot. These had been coworkers, and a few I'd considered friends. Now they were looking at me in dismay, even disappointment.

The dismay wasn't a first. Six months ago they had looked at me that way after I stormed out of the captain's office. The screaming just before that had to be why everyone was looking in my direction then. It had followed me as I'd cleared my desk and locker.

This time, they looked my my cuffed hands and I could tell they were considering the validity of the stories they'd heard. How I'd been an inside man for the mob. I was surprised to find I wasn't angry at them. I was ashamed they had to seem like this. Even once I'd cleared my name, this image of me in cuffs would stay with them. They'd always doubt if I had been crooked or not.

Of all of them, only Reilly's expression was different. He had a self satisfied smirk on his face. He'd known it was just a question of time before I was dragged in here. Flint wasn't here, and I felt some relief. It was short lived as Matt entered the room and saw me. The dalmatian's surprise gave way to anger as he turned and vanished where he'd come from. That was one friendship Alice's obsession had utterly destroyed. Now I felt anger bubbling up.

We left the room and the conversation there picked up. She pushed me in the third interrogation room, sat me at the metal table and tightened used the metal cuffed bolted to it around my wrists, and only then cut the plastic ones off.

Once I couldn't escape, she went through my pockets, and this is when it hit me. What had I done with the paper? It has still been in my hand when I had heard the sirens, hadn't it? I hadn't put it in my pockets, that was clear since it wasn't among what Alice was pulling out. Had I dropped it on the floor of the house? The car?

"Isn't this kind of sloppy of you Cooper?" I asked. "You left Hemingway to deal with signing me in, but you bring me here still armed?" She'd just gotten to my stunner. "Shouldn't have have also been done at the desk sergeant?"

"Shut up," she said, but her ears turned red. Point for me.

She took my phone out. "You want to call your lawyer?"

"What for? I didn't do anything wrong." She wasn't being nice. She wanted me to unlock it. She'd let me make the call, but she'd take my phone before I locked it again.

She bagged my stuff and left.

I knew what was coming. They were going to leave me here for an hour, to sweat, we called it, although I had no idea why, the room wasn't hot. But the chair was uncomfortable. We should call this 'to suffer' instead. This chair was as anti-ergonomic as it was possible to get.

It was only ten minutes later that the door opened. Detective Hemingway entered, without Alice. I kept looking at the door as he sat down.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Detective Cooper isn't going to join us." He placed the bag with my effects on the table. "I've explained to captain Sherman that she's irrational when it comes to you. He won't give this case to someone else, but he agreed she shouldn't be present while I question you."

"So, no good cop bad cop routine?"

He leveled his gaze on me. "Mister Brislow, you were a detective. You know how this works. I'm doing you the courtesy of treating you with respect. I'd appreciate it if you did the same."

"You're right. I'm sorry for being flippant."

"Thank you. How did you enter the house?"

"The same way you did. The door was unlocked." That was a small risk. I know I hadn't thought to re-lock it when I entered, I also hadn't heard it lock behind me, and I was confident I'd seen the lock light was green as I headed for the door. So long as they didn't take the lock to the forensic lab, they wouldn't be able to tell I'd sliced my way through it.

"Why were you there?"

"I found out the man who killed my client was hiding there."

"And how did you find *that* out?"

"I did some asking around."

"Mister Brislow, I thought you'd agreed to work with me."

I sighed. And too a moment to decide how I was going to do this. "There was a witness to the attack. She saw enough to describe the attacker, and I asked around."

"You knew what the mugger looked like and you kept that information to yourself?"

I shrugged. "I'm sure you've heard by now that the department and I no longer get along. If I'd brought the information in, it would have been tossed aside." Not that I had any intention to do that.

"I've gone over your arrest records. They are rather impressive. I don't care about what you might have done that isn't legal. You were a decent cop. I would have listen to you."

"You looked me over? Are you sure you've only been a detective a couple of weeks? Sorry, I meant that as a compliment. Most new detective stick to doing what they are told. But even if you'd listened to me. Alice wouldn't have let you act on it. I'm untrustworthy, a monster, remember?"

"All right. Maybe coming to us with the information wouldn't have been a good idea. But you could have told the witness to come forward. Detective Cooper wouldn't have known you were involved."

I shook my head. "She won't talk to the police. She's homeless and an addict. I could have strung burgers to the precinct's door, and even if she hadn't eaten for days, she wouldn't have come. All she ever got from cops was trouble."

"We can help her."

I almost rolled my eyes, but his serious tone, the earnestness in his eyes stopped me.

"Detective Hemingway--"

"Call me Everett."

"I didn't know if I wanted to get that familiar with him, but he hadn't given me any reasons to object.

Everett, if you want to help her, that makes you the sole person in this building to want that, and it won't last. Before your first year is over you won't consider it a possibility."

He gave me a hurt look and I raised a hand to stop him from speaking.

"You've been a detective a couple of weeks, and I'm willing to bet there's already a few cases in your buffer you have trouble staying on top of. In a few months it's going to be a dozen, before you know it, it's going to be in the three digits. Everyone here started the job thinking they were going to help everyone, after all, it's our job, but we all found out there's only so much we can do.

There are dozens of non-profit organizations trying to look after all the homeless in Denver, and they can't manage it. Even if we all worked together, we couldn't do it, and we can't there are too many crimes to deal with. The best we can do is treat the homeless population with respect, dignity, and let them be." "So, you won't give me her name?" I shook my head.

"When you found the body, did you touch anything?"

"You aren't accusing me of killing him?"

"There isn't any blood on you, while the would spread blood all over the bed. If detective Cooper hadn't been so blinded by her anger, she would have realized that and known all this wasn't needed."

"So I free to go?" I eyed the bag, while going over what I could get away with omitting.

"I stil have some questions for you."

"But after that, I'm free to go."

"Yes."

I lifted my hands as high as the cuffs let me. I didn't have to add anything, Hemingway took out an old style key and unlocked them. I fought the urge to rub my wrists. Alice had closed them tight.

"Did you touch anything?"

"I went through his pockets to find out who he was. I put it back."

"You didn't take any of the money in it?"

"No. There was three thousand dollars. We wouldn't have been able to tell if you'd taken a few bills."

I shrugged. "I saw the stack, but I didn't need that to know he was rich. The suit looked expensive. And you'd have been able to tell, you went through my pockets. If you'd found even one bill, I'd have become a suspect. I might not be a cop anymore, but I'm not a criminal. No matter what certain persons might say."

"What did you do after that?"

"I cleared the house, to make sure the killer wasn't there anymore. The blood looked fresh enough he might still have been there. Then I searched the room with the body."

"Did you search any of the other rooms?"

"No, I just made sure no one was hiding in them. Nothing jumped out, so if there was something, I missed it." Please mention the phone number. Come on, I need that number."

"Why didn't you call us when you found the body?"

"I didn't want to be anywhere near it when you showed up. Even if Alice wasn't the one at the scene, she was going to get involved the moment she found out about me. I was heading back to my car when you came in. I was going to call from there and leave."

"Why did you search the body and the room?"

I sighed. "I've been a detective for six years. It was instinct. I wanted to figure out what had happened." For all the other reasons I did it, that was true. I wouldn't have been able to walk away if even I wasn't looking for the briefcase.

He nodded, checked his phone, then stood. "I have to go check something." He pushed my effects to me. "Oh, why do you have anti-poison pills?"

I took the packets I had left nd lobbed them to him. "A friend invited me to dinner, but he can't cook. The last time I ate his food without protection I threw up all night. That stuff is available at any pharmacies near a park."

"Why did you go if you knew how bad the food was going to be?"

"He's my best friend, I'm not going to say no."

He put the packets on the table and left.

I pocketed my stuff back while I waited for his return. I looked up when the door opened, then stood as a lion entered instead of the calico.

"Captain," I said.

"Denton." Sherman looked tired. He wore his usual black slacks and gray shirt, bit his tie was undone. "What's going on?"

"Well, Alice flew off the handle, again, She decided to arrest me for murder without even paying attention to the state of my clothes. As you can see there isn't any blood on them. When we got here she was in such a hurry to interrogate me the dragged me through the desks while I was still armed. If I was really a criminal, I could have done a lot of damage before anyone stopped me."

"Hemingway brought it to my attention, and I had a talk with her. But that isn't what I'm talking about. You were a good cop. You could have gone as high as you wanted. Even commissioner, in time. How could you let yourself be bought like that? I couldn't believe the evidence."

"Really? You couldn't believe it? If that's the case, how come I don't remember you standing up to I.A. when they charged me? What I remember is you, sitting there, stone faced you even nodded. When I looked to you for support, you told me I should take the deal I was being offered. *You* told me to walk away without a fuss. You told me they wouldn't prosecute me if I did.

Do you remember that?" Sherman looked away.

"Did someone tell you not to make any waves?" I knew they had, the church had made sure no one would help me. I wish I knew who they had in the mayor's office so I could cause them trouble. I'd have to be discrete, if they realized it was me they'd destroy everyone around me.

"Your carer is more important than your men, isn't Sherman?" I said when he stayed silent. "I used to think that if it came down to it, you'd stand up for us, go the distance to protect us. I hope the others took notice of how you were happy to let me be railroaded out on bogus charges. I really hope they remember that once you're commissioner. I'm sure they'll take great comfort in knowing how they can expect to be treated if things get tough for you. The city is going to love you, Sherman, you, the guy who looks after his people." I glared at him,. "Are we done here?"

He nodded, unable to meet my eyes.

I had a hand on the knob when he called to me. "Dent, I'm--"

"Stuff it," I growled, then paused. When I turned to look at him I was smiling. "You just stuff it. You're not my boss anymore, I don't have to listen to a thing you have to say." I left. I shouldn't be taking so much pleasure in slapping him while he was looking miserable, but fuck it. He hadn't even tried to help me.

People stared at me as I stormed out, but I didn't care. I no longer cared what they thought of me. For the first time in my life, I couldn't wait to get out of here.

"Dent!" Mike called as I hurried past the front desk.

"Denton!" I heard the hard sole of his boots chase after me.

I stopped and force my anger down. I turned and he skidded to a stop, then backed up. Maybe I hadn't used enough force. "What's going on, Dent?" he asked. "What's this crap about you being on the take?"

I smiled wanly. "I was framed, but I can't prove it. You want to know more, ask the person who did the framing." What was I doing?

"Who's that?"

"Forget it. I shouldn't have said anything." I turned.

He grabbed my arm. "Damn it, Denton. I know I'm just a desk sergeant, btu that made colleague, if not friends. Don't you think I deserves some answers?"

Shut up Denton. Telling him anything is just going to put him in the church's cross hair.

"I can't tell you anything, it would put you in danger." Good, that's the smart thing to say. "But feel free with check with Flint for details." What was wrong with me? Was I this angry at everyone in the department? Was I going to lead them to their doom?

I left him there with surprise on his face, before I said anythign else and made things worse for him.