Chapter Text
Reenie lights the last candle. Tomorrow is her birthday, and she's gifting herself a relaxing afternoon and evening. The lid of her laptop is closed as she's determined to stay off work. On Monday, Velma is going to bring a cake for her. Grinning, Reenie remembers Velma's increasingly desperate attempts to find out what she likes. As she hasn't answered it's going to be a surprise, one Reenie is actually excited for.
Getting comfy on her sofa, she starts her playlist with Verdi's Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves and closes her eyes to listen. A bath is calling her name but the couch is so comforting.
Her thoughts are drifting back to work. She could just check in, maybe write her first draft for the next -
"No," she says firmly aloud. "No working."
Her phone beeps. Elliot is away for the next four days. Something he's been regretting deeply and trying to make up for it by messaging her regularly.
She grabs her phone just as another alert comes in. It's from the security officer Moses in her office building.
Every relaxing thought flees her mind. A break-in in the office is nightmare for a lawyer. She calls the number and reaches a human voice on the second ring.
"All's good," the Moses says immediately. He's been responsible for the security in the building for years. "The alarm was triggered, and the police were here in under a minute. They didn't enter. Everything's safe and good."
"Are you sure? I have confidential files -"
"Ms. Greene," he says. Despite almost greeting each other daily, he's never dropped the formal speech, something Reenie appreciates. "I assure you, both wanna-be thieves were arrested on the spot before they could do any damage."
"Do I -"
"There's no need to come in on a Friday afternoon. Enjoy your weekend."
Reenie plays with a strand of her hair. The fright still tugged at her composure, and yet she knows that driving across town to check for herself wouldn't change anything. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Oh, and have a good day tomorrow."
Reenie chuckles. It is easy to understand why the security officer has been nicknamed Moses. Just one look is enough and Charlton Heston would be jealous how good you could age. Moses has the class of an old gentleman combined with a sharp wit.
"Good night."
Reenie restarts the playlist and gives in, opening her laptop. She enjoys working. So why not do it on the eve of her birthday? Afterwards she still can take a bath. With Elliot away, she has the evening all for herself.
Her fingers fly across the keyboard and the words just flow, first into a draft and then into a revision.
As she refocuses on her playlist a few hours later, it has reached already 'Yesterday' from the Beatles. Reenie stretches to Paul McCartney's voice is the background.
Suddenly, the music stops and her phone rings. A glance on the display and Reenie accepts the priority number. "Velma."
"Sorry, Reenie to bother you."
"You don't bother." Reenie expects another not-so-subtle interrogation about what kind of cake she likes. "What's up?"
"It's Colter."
And now Reenie wishes for the cake-discussion. She sighs. "What did he do this time?"
Velma chuckles. "He got arrested."
"Figures." There goes her quiet evening. "Where?"
"Well, he didn't want to bug you."
"How nice of him. Then he probably shouldn't have done whatever he'd done, right?" Reenie grabs her shoes. Good thing that she hasn't really dressed for home yet. "So?"
"He explicitly said not to call you."
Reenie waits. Velma would've an excellent reason to override Colter's wishes.
"But I can't find anybody else here tonight." Velma sighs.
"Colter's in Denver?"
"Sheriff's department. Downtown."
Reenie almost laughs out loud. "He's here and already got arrested. Did you know?"
Velma's silence is a good indicator. The cake-interrogation. Reenie smirks. Of course. Now it all makes sense. Velma has wanted to gift her a cake and a Colter.
"Well," Velma finally says, "it's your birthday."
"And my guest is in jail." Reenie groans. Why does she do this again? Oh, right, because he's so darn interesting. "What he's in for?"
"Breaking and entering."
This isn't a real charge and Velma knows this. She's bailed Colter out often enough to understand a few of the finer points of the law.
"He's not yet in the system I can access, yet," Velma continues, "but I think the charge is burglary."
Great. Criminal trespassing would've been easier. Good thing that Reenie likes a challenge. "I'm on my way," she says, grabbing her bag and dousing the candles. "And Velma?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for calling."
* * *
Reenie glares at Colter through the bars. "What were you thinking?"
To his credit Colter looks rather sheepish. "Velma was supposed to meet me there, but something," he glances to the man next to him, "came up, and I couldn't make it in time."
"And that's why you broke into my office?" She seethes. She still can't really believe what the police has told her.
"We didn't break in," Russell butts in. "We just tried to open the door in an unusual way."
Russell looks like the first time she's met him, unapologizing and pouting that he has to deal with all the hassle.
"To leave you a birthday present," Russell adds, as if this would magically make everything better.
Reenie glares at the older brother. "You got arrested."
"Velma wasn't supposed to call you," Colter mumbles, probably wishing he could make an escape.
Well, too bad for him, he's in a cell, locked up. She should let them stew for a little while. Ignoring it is Friday night and they both have trouble to prove permanent residence to make easy bail or getting an OR release.
"You could just go out there and tell the arresting officer that we didn't break in," Russell drawls. "And then we forget this little episode." He grins. "Except the bill you'll send my brother."
Colter frowns, probably trying to calculate how much it's going to be. She could tell him, but that'd ruined the fun.
"You," Reenie says, focusing her ire instead on Russell, "have a rather simplistic view on how the law works."
"We really didn't want to bother you, and we wouldn't have entered your office. Just the entry area," Colter says, as if this makes it any better. "And I'm sorry. Really sorry," he adds folding his hands to a prayer.
Reenie scowls. Somehow Colter seems actually regretful. He knows how to make it hard to just let him face the consequences alone.
She harrumphs, turns on her heels and walks back to the desk.
"Reenie?" Colter calls after her, but she just waves him off.
"You should've let me do the talking."
Russell's words are the last thing Reenie hears before she turns the corner. She's got work to do.
* * *
Reenie leads the way out of the police station in the dark night. The streetlights bathe the area in a glowing light. It's been surprisingly easy to grease the wheel to get both Shaws released tonight.
"You better think of a brilliant way to apologize to Moses," Reenie says, turning her head slightly to glare pointedly at Colter. "He had the real work with your little stunt."
Colter nods. "Any tips?"
"Who's Moses?" Russell asks cheerfully, carrying his gigantic bouquet of red roses.
It's the 'birthday present' they've wanted to drop off. It's been the secret key to get the cooperation of the responsible officer as it helped to sell the story of 'opening the door in an unusual way'. Reenie shakes her head, astonished she actually used that one in her argumentation. Either way, it helped to demonstrate that there was no bad intent and that they assumed to have permission to be there. And yet, Reenie's still furious.
"The security officer," Colter explains, staying a few steps back.
"Oh, the old man."
Reenie stops and turns. Her glare is enough to halt both brothers in their tracks. She narrows her eyes.
"It's a fair description," Russell says carefully, his left hand raised with an open palm. "No harm done."
"Apparently, he looks like an actor named Charlton Heston," Colter says.
"Who?" Russell's honest questions is directed at his brother who shrugs.
Reenie huffs, remembering Colter's blank look as she explained why everybody called the security officer Moses. Apparently the lack of cultural background also encloses Russell.
"He likes novels and classic literature," Reenie says, addressing Colter and ignoring Russell and the smell of his roses. "I'm sure you'll find something." Books Colter knows.
Then she turns, marching forward. She just needs to drop them off near their car, and then she's finally going to take that bath, turning her phone off.
Smiling in anticipation, Reenie doesn't see or hear the approaching car. She doesn't know it's going to too fast to make the turn.
But she hears Colter's loud and sharp, "Watch out!" moments before she's pushed forward.
Then screeching brakes.
Dirt on her palm and face as she hits the ground.
Scratching metal.
Another shout.
Reenie curls up instinctively.
Sound of a body dropping.
Silence.
A point of no return.