Chapter Four: Unwanted Company
793 Words
The precinct was unusually quiet in the early morning, save for the faint hum of office machines and the occasional rustle of papers. Detective Marcus Hall walked into the station, juggling a steaming cup of coffee and the bitter remnants of last night’s frustration. His only hope was a calm morning to reset.
That hope evaporated the moment he reached his desk.
There, sitting casually in his chair, was Nathaniel Grey. A fresh cup of precinct coffee rested in his hand, though his expression suggested he regretted drinking it.
“Morning, Marcus,” Nathaniel said with a sly grin. “You look radiant. Sleep well?”
Marcus stopped dead, blinking in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Nathaniel gestured to the coffee. “Sampling your fine establishment’s beverages again. Truly an affront to humanity, by the way.”
“I’m serious,” Marcus growled. “Why are you here?”
Nathaniel leaned back in the chair, his long legs propped up on Marcus’s desk. “Oh, don’t get so grumpy. I wanted to see the look on your face when you found out. Priceless, by the way.”
“Found out what?” Marcus asked, his voice laced with dread.
Nathaniel grinned wider, pulling a crisp piece of paper from his jacket pocket. He handed it over with a flourish, and Marcus snatched it, scanning the document with growing disbelief.
“No. Absolutely not,” Marcus muttered, shaking his head.
“Oh, but yes,” Nathaniel said, enjoying every moment. “You, my dear detective, have the distinct honor of working alongside me.”
Marcus looked up, his eyes blazing. “Special Advisor? You?”
Nathaniel leaned forward, clasping his hands. “It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? The higher-ups decided my… unique perspective would be an asset to your squad.”
“You’re a thief!” Marcus hissed, lowering his voice as a few officers glanced their way.
“A reformed thief,” Nathaniel corrected, looking far too pleased with himself. “And besides, you saw how useful I was with Derek. Imagine the possibilities if we did this regularly.”
Marcus groaned, rubbing his temples. “This has to be a joke.”
“Not at all,” Nathaniel said cheerfully. “Apparently, my knack for getting into places I’m not supposed to be and my… let’s call it an unconventional skill set, make me perfect for solving cases like yours. It’s all very official.”
“I don’t need your help,” Marcus snapped.
“Need? No. But want? Oh, absolutely,” Nathaniel replied, standing and stretching as though he owned the place.
Marcus’s fists clenched. “You’re going to get in the way, screw something up, and then it’s on me.”
Nathaniel put a hand to his heart, feigning offense. “You wound me, Marcus. Have a little faith. I only screw things up for bad people. Or, occasionally, for fun.”
“This isn’t fun!” Marcus barked.
“Exactly,” Nathaniel said, his grin softening into something more sincere. “Which is why I’m here. You and I both know the system doesn’t always work the way it should. Let’s even the scales a bit, shall we?”
Marcus stared at him, his anger mixing with reluctant understanding.
Before Marcus could respond, Ramirez walked up, her expression a mix of confusion and amusement. “Is it true?” she asked, holding up her phone. “Grey’s officially part of the squad now?”
Nathaniel gave her a mock bow. “The one and only.”
Ramirez laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Marcus glared at her. “Don’t encourage him.”
Nathaniel clapped his hands together. “See? Ramirez gets it. Marcus, my friend, this partnership is going to be legendary.”
“Partnership?” Marcus repeated, his voice flat. “The only reason you’re here is because some bureaucrat with too much time on their hands thought it would be clever to bring a criminal into a police station.”
Nathaniel shrugged. “Call it what you want. But I’m here, and we might as well make the best of it.”
Ramirez patted Marcus on the shoulder. “Look at it this way, Marcus—you’ve got the perfect bait if we ever need it.”
Marcus groaned, already dreading the chaos Nathaniel would inevitably bring.
Nathaniel raised his coffee cup in a mock toast. “To our future adventures, Detective.”
“Get off my desk,” Marcus snapped.
Nathaniel complied, but not before leaving his half-empty cup behind. Marcus stared at it for a long moment, then sighed, muttering under his breath.
This was going to be a very long day.
- Writer
