Chapter Text
AT NOLAN’S & BAILEY’S HOME:
A new day dawned over Los Angeles.
Sunlight broke through the clouds drifting overhead.
They looked unusually heavy.
As though they were holding back something the city wasn't ready for.
Across Los Angeles, another ordinary morning began.
In one quiet house, a couple slept peacefully.
Cuddled together.
Two trouble magnets.
John Nolan and Bailey Nune.
Although their sleep was quickly interrupted by a loud thunder.
Bailey jolted awake.
“John, did you hear that?”
Nolan responded in his half sleepy voice.
“Yep. Didn’t sound like gunshots to me.”
Bailey stared at Nolan.
“I know. I mentioned it because a thunderstorm might be approaching.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Why are you so surprised?”
Nolan frowned.
"The forecast said clear skies all day."
“Well… the forecast isn’t always accurate.”
Nolan got up from the bed and walked towards the sliding glass door beside their kitchen.
He crossed his arms, pensively thinking.
Dark clouds rolled slowly across the skyline.
Bailey followed him.
"Weird..."
Bailey looked up.
"What?"
Nolan kept his eyes on the clouds.
"Just feels like one of those days."
“The one where you get shot at?”
Nolan scoffed.
“Coffee?”
“YEP!”
Bailey started making coffee.
Nolan wandered over to the wardrobe to get dressed.
He put on a plain blue shirt with a black jacket with white stripes.
Better get an umbrella just in case.
“Coffee is ready.”
“Coming.”
He wandered into the kitchen .
“That doesn’t look like the normal coffee we drink.”
Bailey gave a nod.
“Yeah… it’s a maple latte. I learned how to make it yesterday.”
“I was actually confused if I should make Caramel Macchiato or—”
Nolan grabbed Bailey’s hands.
“I don't care what type of coffee it is, as long as it tastes good.”
“And gives caffeine.”
Nolan let go of Bailey’s hand.
He slowly grabbed the hot maple latte.
And sipped it.
Another sip.
"Wow. I never knew you could make coffee this good. And with so many different varieties."
“Yeah, turns out YouTube tutorials aren’t that bad.”
Nolan took another sip.
"How many videos?"
"...Seven."
"One of them was just someone explaining milk."
Nolan scoffed.
“You could even be a barista.”
Nolan takes another sip.
Rain taps against the window.
Bailey sipped her coffee, watching Nolan stare out the window.
Nolan turns to Bailey.
“Guess you’re off today.”
Bailey gave a puzzled reaction.
“What? Why?”
Nolan smirks.
“It’s raining. What would they need Fire Department for if there’s water coming naturally.”
Bailey narrows her eyes.
"Oh?"
“What happens when the natural rain doesn’t come in enough amount or pressure, or when someone hits their head, or hurts themselves?”
Nolan finishes his coffee.
“Point taken.”
Nolan places the coffee mug in the sink.
Grabs his keys from the key holder.
He opens the main door and looks back at Bailey.
"See you tonight."
Bailey smiled.
“Or if someone decides to shoot another human and we both respond.”
“Yeah… that is certainly a possibility. See ya!”
Nolan closes the door behind him.
Bailey took one last sip of her coffee before heading upstairs to finish getting ready.
A few minutes later, Bailey grabbed her own keys and headed for the station.
AT TIM’S & LUCY’S HOME:
Tim was laying straight.
Whilst Lucy was curled into him with one leg above him.
They both were sleeping peacefully.
Alarm clock went off.
Kept beeping.
Tim woke up first and shut down the alarm clock.
Lucy was still asleep.
He turned his head over to her.
She looks so pretty.
He gently stroked her hair.
Getting off the bed slowly.
Lucy grabbed him tighter with her legs and one hand around his shoulder.
Still nearly full asleep.
“Mmm… stay.”
Tim gave a gentle smile.
“We have to get ready for the shift Lucy.”
Lucy protested.
“Let’s just take the day off.”
"That's not how jobs work."
"It should."
Tim sighed.
"Lucy... I just became Watch Commander."
"And you just made Sergeant."
Lucy buried her face deeper into his chest.
“We shouldn’t really take days off for no reason at this moment.”
Lucy let out an exaggerated groan, refusing to lift her head from his chest.
“Let’s just say we both were sick.”
Tim raised an eyebrow.
“We’re perfectly fine.”
“Mentally exhausted.”
Tim couldn’t hide his smile.
“By what? Sleeping?”
Lucy finally looked up at him, completely serious.
“Yep.”
She held his gaze for another second.
“Sleeping is exhausting.”
Tim let out a quiet, defeated sigh.
Then...
A familiar smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He let loose from Lucy’s grip.
“I’ll go take a shower now, I’m getting to the station on time.”
“Shower…? Right now?”
Tim nodded.
“Yeah.”
Tim started going towards the bathroom.
Lucy jumped out of the bed.
The sleepiness she'd been complaining about vanished almost instantly.
“Wait for me!”
Tim instantly teased her.
“Thought you were exhausted.”
Lucy grins.
“I recovered.”
Tim took of his clothes once in the bathroom.
Tim went to the shower to adjust the water temperature whilst Lucy took of her clothes.
“You want hot water or cold?”
“Moderate.”
Tim let out a quiet laugh.
“Alright, water temperature should be good enough.”
Lucy walked towards Tim… naked.
Tim simply stared at her.
Even though he had seen her like this many times.
Every time he saw her again like that, he couldn’t stop looking.
Every single curve and edge.
“Bradford.”
Tim responded in a soft voice.
“Hm?”
“Didn’t you want to get to the station at time?”
“Yeah.”
“You won’t at this pace.”
Tim smirked.
He pulled Lucy into the shower and turned it on.
Lucy yelped.
He pulled her into him.
Feeling every part of her bare skin against his.
Lucy looked up at Tim.
“Soap?”
“Yeah.”
Tim grabbed the soap.
Rubbing it on himself.
Then proceeding to Lucy.
“Tim, I can clean myself.”
“Then why are you here in the shower with me?”
Lucy’s started blushing.
“No reason…”
Tim traced his hand from the top of her chest, down slowly.
“Needs extra cleaning here.”
She slapped Tim’s hand gently.
“Not right now. First shower.”
“Yes ma’am.”
They quickly finished showering, laughing and teasing each other the entire time.
“Tim”
“Yes?”
“Make us some coffee please.”
Tim smiled.
“Sure.”
He headed over to the kitchen and started brewing coffee.
Meanwhile Lucy fed Kojo.
Tim busied himself making the coffee.
He even made a heart shape in Lucy’s coffee.
He handed over the coffee mug to Lucy.
“Oh my god! This is so cute.”
Tim grinned.
They both sat down on the couch whilst drinking their coffee.
“Tim… I need to ask something.”
Tim kept his coffee mug on the table.
He shifted his gaze to Lucy.
“Okay…?”
Lucy stayed silent for a second.
“Can we eat sushi for dinner please?”
Tim’s eye widened.
"Lucy... we've had sushi three times this week."
Lucy gave him her best puppy eyes.
“Please?”
Tim held out for exactly two seconds.
"...You're impossible."
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
“YAY!”
Tim let out a quiet laugh.
“Also can we grab a chocolate croissant on our way to the station.”
“Yeah, sure that too.”
Lucy smiled at him.
Tim smiled back.
He finished his coffee and checked the clock.
“Lucy, we should really go. We need to get to the station within 30 minutes.”
Lucy nodded.
She finished her coffee.
Took the keys.
Both of their water bottles.
Tim took his jacket.
Both of their bags.
Lucy stepped forward to open the door.
But somehow tripped and fell down.
“Lucy!”
He immediately left the bags and knelt down.
“Are you okay?”
He was already checking her ankle before she answered.
Lucy winced in pain and embarrassment.
“Yeah… I think I just sprained my ankle.”
“Are you able to come to work? Or you want to rest?”
“It’s fine Tim, I can work. I didn’t get shot. It will get better with some medicine.”
Tim sighed.
A corner of his mouth lifted.
Lucy noticed it almost immediately.
“What?”
“We’ve not even left the house and you managed to trip over the floor somehow.”
“Gotta be a record.”
Lucy shoved him lightly.
“Shut up.”
Tim helped Lucy get up and got her same medicine to relax her sprained ankle.
“Thank you.”
“Always.”
Lucy met his gaze.
Neither of them looked away.
Their eye contact lingered.
Wasn’t awkward at all.
At least to them.
“Lucy, we should go now or we will be late and you won’t get your croissant.”
Lucy quickly picked up water bottles that had fallen and the keys and hurried to the door.
She hissed due to her quick movements.
Her sprained ankle still wasn't happy with her.
“Lucy, slow down.”
“Mhm.”
They both got out of the house and locked it.
They both approached to the car and Tim opened the door for Lucy.
“What a gentlemen.”
Tim simply smiled.
He got into the car himself and drove to the nearest café to get the chocolate croissant.
Once they arrived at the café,
“Tim, where are you going?”
"To get you your chocolate croissant."
Lucy smiled.
“I can do that myself.”
“But-”
“I got this.”
Tim sighed.
“Okay…”
Lucy purchased three chocolate croissants.
And headed back to the car where Tim was waiting for her.
“Lucy… I thought you were going to buy 1?”
“I only bought one.”
Tim looked at the bag.
“There are three.”
“The other two followed me here.”
Tim couldn't help but laugh.
Tim then drove both of them to the station.
Rain continued to fall.
No signs of it stopping.
AT LOPEZ’S & WESLEY’S PLACE:
Angela walked into the kitchen already dressed for work.
Wesley looked up from the coffee machine.
"Morning."
Angela grabbed a mug.
"Barely."
Wesley poured coffee into it.
"Tough night?"
Angela nodded.
"I spent twenty minutes looking for my badge."
"And?"
"It was in my jacket."
Wesley took a slow sip of his coffee.
"...Where you always keep it."
Angela pointed a finger at him.
"I don't need your commentary this early in the morning."
"How about in the evening?"
Angela rolled her eyes.
"I married a lawyer."
"You've mentioned."
"Remind me why?"
"Excellent judgment."
Angela laughed.
"Arrogant."
"Confident."
"Same thing."
"Not according to lawyers."
"Exactly my point."
Wesley leaned against the counter.
"You know..."
"I could win this argument."
Angela took another sip of her coffee.
"But you won't."
"Why?"
"Because I'm carrying a gun."
Wesley blinked.
"...Fair."
A satisfied smile spread across Angela's face.
"Thought so."
Wesley reached over and straightened the collar of her uniform.
For a brief moment, neither of them said anything.
Rain tapped steadily against the kitchen window.
Wesley looked outside.
"Looks like it's going to be a long day."
Angela followed his gaze.
"I just hope it's boring."
She leaned in and kissed him.
"See you tonight."
"If the city lets us."
Angela smiled before grabbing her bag and heading for the front door.
The rain greeted her the moment she stepped outside.
Wesley watched her leave for a second before heading upstairs.
A few minutes later, he slipped into his suit, grabbed his briefcase, and left for the District Attorney's Office.
At Mid-Wilshire Station:
Mid-Wilshire never truly slept.
It simply changed pace.
Rain drummed steadily against the station's windows as officers filtered into the bullpen one after another.
Wet jackets were tossed over chairs.
Fresh coffee replaced yesterday's exhaustion.
Phones rang.
Laughter echoed from one corner.
Paperwork piled higher in another.
Ten minutes until role call.
Another shift was about to begin.
Nolan was chatting with Celina.
“Yesterday I bought a new crystal which is supposed to make the environment more ‘sexy’.”
Nolan widened his eyes.
“A crystal?”
Celina nodded.
“Yes. I’ll use it today with Rodge.”
“You got crystals for everything don’t you.”
Celina started to walk away as she spotted Lucy.
“…Maybe.”
Lucy approached Celina.
“Morning.”
“Good morning.”
“So, where is Tim?”
Lucy let out a smile.
“Probably in the locker room.”
Lucy seemed energetic.
More than usual.
Celina noticed it.
“What did you have for breakfast?”
Lucy pondered.
Not whether if she wanted to tell Celina ‘what’ she ate.
Rather ‘how’ many she ate.
“Oh, I just had a chocolate croissant.”
A couple of officers nodded as Tim walked past.
“Morning, Sergeant.”
Tim acknowledged them with a nod before continuing toward Lucy.
“And by ‘a’ you mean three?”
Lucy shoved him gently.
She mumbled to him.
"You promised you weren't going to tell anyone."
"I promised no such thing."
Tim was smiling of pleasure.
Teasing her was one of his favorite things to do.
Celina’s eyes were wide open.
“Three???”
Lucy rolled her eyes.
“No… he’s joking. I—”
Tim cut her off.
“Definitely ate three chocolate croissants.”
Lucy shot him a look.
A look that Tim understood within seconds.
“I’ve gotta prepare for role call.”
Tim headed toward the Watch Commander's office.
Lucy followed him with her eyes till he went into his office.
Celina opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Lucy narrowed her eyes.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Celina was giving her a look.
That look she gave to Lucy in the shop during the April fool’s day.
Lucy quickly changed the topic.
“Where is Miles? There is about 5 minutes left for role call.”
“He’s at the station, getting us some coffee.”
Lucy nodded.
Harper walked in to the bullpen.
Nolan greeted her immediately.
“Morning… oh you’re all wet.”
Harper shot him an annoyed look.
She took of her jacket and laid it on a chair.
“Am I?”
“Forgot to take an umbrella?”
Harper gave him another annoyed look.
“No, actually I took the umbrella but then whilst I was driving here it decided to vanish, and it went back to my home.”
Nolan raised in hands in defeat.
“Point taken.”
Miles walked towards Lucy and Celina.
Lucy looked at him.
“There you are.”
“Coffee line was longer than academy graduation.”
Lucy and Celina smiled.
Smitty walked in the bullpen.
Drenched.
“Whoever ordered the rain...”
“...I'd like a refund.”
Everyone looked at Smitty.
No one bothered to respond.
Angela walks into the bullpen carrying a thick case file.
She drops it onto her desk.
Nolan looks over.
“Busy morning?”
Angela sighs.
“Guy tried to rob a bank.”
Nolan raises an eyebrow.
“That’s not unusual.”
“With a water gun.”
Nolan and Nyla stared at her.
“Filled with orange juice.”
Both of them laughed.
Nyla asked in a joyous tone.
“Why?”
“Apparently he wanted to test his theory: If orange juice is shot at someone with a gun, it is equivalent to half the damage done by a bullet.”
Nyla snorted.
“Scientists these days.”
“Tell me about it.”
Nolan checked his watch.
“Well detectives, see you later. Role call starts in one minute.”
Around the bullpen, conversations came to a natural end.
Coffee mugs were abandoned.
The chatter that had filled Mid-Wilshire only moments earlier gradually faded.
Tim stepped to the front of the briefing room, clipboard in hand.
The conversations died down almost instantly.
He looked around the room.
Still getting used to seeing everyone looking back at him.
“Morning everyone.”
Tim glanced down at his notes.
"Rain's expected to continue throughout the day, so watch the roads. Dispatch is already reporting a higher number of traffic collisions."
He flipped the page.
"Nothing major overnight. We've got a couple of burglary follow-ups, a missing vehicle report, and routine patrol assignments."
He looked up again.
"Let's keep it that way."
He closed the clipboard.
"Any questions?"
Silence.
"Good."
He nodded toward the door.
"Let's have a safe shift."
Chairs scraped across the floor as officers stood.
Conversations resumed.
Within moments, the briefing room emptied as officers headed toward the parking garage, each preparing for what they expected would be another routine day on patrol.
Miles grabbed the gear to setup the shop while Nolan grabbed some coffee.
Celina & Lucy grabbed their gears themselves as they were both riding solo.
OUT ON PATROL:
It was still raining.
Lucy, Celina, Nolan, and Miles left the station to begin their patrols.
Nolan sipped his coffee.
Delighted by the hot beverage.
"There's something about coffee and rain."
Miles chuckled.
“Since hot beverages are so good in rain, can we stop by a cafe and I’ll get some coffee too?”
Nolan gave him an incredulous look.
“You just had coffee back at the station.”
“I know. It’s just that I’ve been studying my rook book late at night to pass my training.”
Nolan nodded.
“Well I appreciate the efforts, but it is not healthy to skip sleep, especially when you are carrying a badge and a gun.”
“Yes sir. So is that a yes?”
“Yes, let’s stop by a cafe and get you a coffee.”
“Thank you sir.”
The nearest cafe was ten minutes away from their location.
They received a call on a private channel from dispatch.
"7-Adam-15, respond to a suspicious barrel behind the old freight warehouse. Caller reports a possible body inside. You're the closest unit."
Nolan and Miles both looked puzzled.
Nolan picked up the radio.
“I’m sorry dispatch, did you just say ‘barrel’?”
“That is an affirmative.”
Miles looked at Nolan.
“That’s new.”
Nolan turned off the radio Mic.
“Yeah…”
He turned the Mic back on.
“Copy that dispatch, responding.”
Miles flicked on the lights.
The familiar flash of red and blue reflected across the rain-soaked streets.
Nolan agitated whilst putting the radio back down.
Miles noticed it.
Miles glanced away from the road for a brief second.
“What’s wrong sir?”
Nolan didn't answer immediately.
“Something doesn’t feel right.”
Miles didn’t say anything.
“Still need that coffee Miles?”
“It can wait.”
They both arrived at the place where the barrel was supposedly located.
Nolan and Miles wore a raincoat, comfortable enough to not intervene with their movements.
There were trees and bushes everywhere.
Warehouse barely visible due to rain.
“Stay attentive. It’s raining so it will be hard to identify stuff. Make sure to communicate properly and frequently through your radio.”
“Yes sir.”
They moved along opposite sides of the warehouse, keeping each other within sight.
Slowly approaching the behind of the warehouse.
And that’s when they spotted it.
A barrel.
Just one barrel sitting behind the warehouse.
Water tapping on the metal of the lid.
Nolan gestured Miles to open the lid of the barrel, whilst he stood with his gun aimed at the barrel.
The lid slid open.
Rainwater dripped from the rusted metal.
He froze.
“Sir….”
Nolan stepped towards the barrel.
A women’s body laid.
Not stabbed.
Not shot.
No obvious signs of trauma.
Nolan checked her pulse…
Nothing.
Nolan kept his gun back in his holster.
Pensively looking at the dead body.
This felt a bit familiar.
“Do you want me to call it in sir?”
“Yes.”
Miles grabbed his radio and called it in.
“Dispatch, we have a DB at our location; send medics, notify the detectives and requesting supervisor.”|
Nolan slowly turned toward Miles.
“Did you just request for a supervisor?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn it.”
Miles kept his radio back on the duty belt.
“My rook book says that you’re supposed to call for a supervisor for such cases.”
Nolan responded immediately.
“You’re right.”
“It’s just…”
“What sir?”
Nolan anxiously replied.
“The roaming supervisor is Sergeant Chen.”
Miles nods.
“…Okay?”
Nolan looked back at the barrel.
“She has history with barrels.”
“What do you mean?”
Before Nolan could answer.
They heard a voice from their radio.
“7-Adam-300, en route.”
Lucy responded to the supervisor request.
Rain continued dripping from the rusted lid.
Nolan closed his eyes.
He knew the trauma Lucy had been through in her rookie year.
A trauma so drastic, that none of the officers at the Mid-Wilshire station had faced.
There was nothing he could do to prevent Lucy from seeing this.
She was the assigned supervisor.
Then an idea clicked.
He dialed Tim’s number.
Tim picked up.
“What is it?”
“Sir, there is a body in a…”
“A barrel.”
“What? A barrel?”
“Yeah…”
Nolan waited for few seconds.
“And Sergeant Chen is responding to the supervisor request.”
Tim didn’t say anything for few seconds.
“On my way. Just don’t let her see that alone.”
“I can’t stop her if she reaches here first.”
Tim frowned.
“I’ve got an idea. I’ll be there soon.”
Tim hung up Nolan’s phone and began sprinting towards an empty shop.
Angela spotted him.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nolan and Penn found a body inside a barrel, likely suffocated… and Lucy is responding to that call.”
None of them needed explanation.
“I’ll inform Harper and come to the crime scene.”
Tim nodded.
He continued sprinting towards the shop.
He buckled his seatbelt, started the shop, and pulled out of the station.
The crime scene was far away.
So Tim pulled a move that he was skeptical about.
He dialed Celina’s number.
Red and blue lights reflected across the rain-soaked streets as Tim accelerated through traffic.
Celina picked up the phone.
“Juarez, contact Sergeant Chen.”
“...What happened?”
"Tell her I need her to check on a 459 before she heads to the warehouse."
“Is everything okay? You sound tensed.”
“Just do what I said. Give any location.”
“Yes sir.”
Celina didn't know the full story.
She only knew Lucy had survived something that had changed her.
And if Tim Bradford was driving to a scene with lights and sirens...
...it had to be serious.
Celina grabbed the radio in the shop.
“7-Adam 300, please switch to a private channel.”
Lucy was puzzled.
“Copy that 7-Adam 300, switching to channel 6.”
The channel clicked over.
“Celina, what happened?”
“Tim needs you to respond to a 459, sending address to your box.”
“I've already acknowledged a supervisor request.”
“He made it sound like an emergency.”
Lucy glanced at the MDT before looking back at the road.
“...Did he say why?”
“No.”
Lucy thought for a second.
“...Tell him I'll handle the supervisor call first. Then I'll head over.”
“Copy.”
Celina sighed.
She reached for her phone.
Tim answered almost immediately.
“Well?”
“She wouldn't divert.”
Silence.
“She's still responding to the warehouse.”
Tim tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“…Copy.”
The rain kept dripping onto the vehicle speeding across the streets.
Splashing waters from the roads.
Tim called Nolan on his personal phone.
“Yes sir?”
“Listen Nolan, Lucy is headed to the crime scene and I won’t able to reach before her. Try to delay her by any means from seeing that barrel till I get there.”
“I’ll try.”
Tim hung up the phone speeding to the crime scene.
“7-Adam 300 reached crime scene.”
Lucy had reached the crime scene.
Tim was still few minutes away.
Nolan spotted her.
He turned to Miles.
“Whatever happens, we have to try to prevent her from seeing it before Tim gets here.”
“…Okay.”
Lucy walked towards them.
Her boots getting wet from the heavy rain.
Splashing water as she walked by the warehouse.
Nolan and Miles approached her first, intersecting before she could get to the barrel.
“Hey, Sergeant.”
“Morning. What’s the situation?”
Nolan gestures toward a muddy patch.
“Watch your footing. Rain's washed most of the ground out.”
Lucy glances down, then back up.
“What’ve we got? ”
Nolan immediately interrupted her.
“Deceased unknown female. CSU and detectives are on the way.”
Lucy nods.
“Caller?”
“Warehouse maintenance worker.”
“Did you secure the perimeter?”
“Yes.”
Lucy started walking in the direction of the barrel.
Nolan stepped in front of her deliberately.
“We’ve also got fresh tire marks.”
“Show me.”
Nolan lured Lucy in the complete opposite direction.
Taking her to show the tire marks.
Tire marks, which never existed.
Lucy [Some expression]
“Where are the tire marks?”
Nolan stayed silent for a moment.
“Weird, the rain must have washed them out.”
Lucy sighed.
“Okay, where’s the victim?”
Nolan freezes.
He opened his mouth but the words wouldn’t come out.
“Nolan.”
Lucy spoke in a more bold and formal tone.
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“100 percent.”
Lucy let out a small laugh.
“Okay, the victim?”
“This way.”
He couldn’t stall her much longer.
Lying to her about the victim location and stalling her much longer may make her suspicious, and potentially be disciplined.
Despite all that, he walked slowly through the wet dirt.
Trying his hardest to stall until Tim got there.
Miles noticed the defeated look at Nolan’s face.
Clearly indicating that he didn’t have any other plans at the moment and Lucy was approaching towards the barrel.
As Lucy got near, Miles stepped in front of her.
“Uh... ma'am.”
“Yes?”
“Has anyone ever told you...”
Lucy raised an eyebrow.
“…that you have really nice eyes?”
Lucy just stares.
“…What?”
Nolan stared at him, knowing what he was trying to do.
But in the most dumb way possible.
“I was... uh... thinking maybe we could get dinner sometime.”
Lucy stared at him.
“…Miles.”
He swallowed.
“Coffee?”
Silence.
“Lunch?”
Lucy folded her arms.
“Are you asking you’re supervisor out on a… homicide scene. Who is currently seeing you’re watch commander?”
Miles' face drained of color.
“...When you put it like that...”
Nolan pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Officer Penn.”
“Yes sir?”
“Stop talking.”
Miles nodded immediately.
Lucy kept starting at him with dismay.
Lucy looked between the two of them.
“…Whats going on?”
Nolan answered a little too quickly.
“Nothing.”
Lucy narrowed her eyes.
Lucy started approaching the back of the warehouse.
Where the barrel was.
Nolan and Miles had run out of ways to delay her.
She had no idea what awaited her.
She rounded the corner.
The barrel.
Its rusted lid rested against the side.
Rainwater trickled down the metal, each drop striking it with the same hollow sound.
Lucy stopped.
She waited few seconds before taking another step.
She stepped closer.
A woman.
Mid-thirties.
Curled inside the barrel.
Lifeless.
She froze.
Caleb.
The barrel.
Darkness.
The Day Of Death.
Her own heartbeat.
Nolan and Miles were right behind her.
Didn’t know what to do.
How to help her.
If she even needed help.
Lucy didn't blink.
Her breathing became shallow.
Her jaw tightened.
Thankfully, Tim arrived.
He rushed to Nolan.
“Is she here?”
Nolan simply pointed towards her.
Tim softly mumbled.
“Oh god.”
Tim slowly approached her from behind, not trying to scare her.
“Lucy.”
Silence.
Tim repeated in a broken voice.
“Lucy.”
No response.
He slowly stepped beside Lucy.
Keeping his hand on her shoulder.
Lucy jerked.
She immediately turned to Tim.
“Oh… hey.”
Lucy’s forehead was wet.
Not because of the rain.
But because of recalling those events.
Tim spotted it.
“The detectives are on their way, TID will arrive shortly.”
Lucy nodded absently, her eyes drifting back toward the barrel.
“...Want to grab some water?”
Lucy remained silent for a second.
“…Yeah.”
She slowly walked back toward her shop.
Nolan and Miles exchanged a glance.
Neither of them knew what to say.
Tim watched until Lucy reached her shop.
Only then did he turn back to Nolan and Miles.
“Did you even buy me any time?”
Miles glanced at Nolan.
“...Technically.”
Tim frowned.
“What did you do?”
Nolan sighed.
“He flirted with Sergeant Chen.”
Tim stared at Miles.
“…You WHAT?”
Miles raised both hands defensively.
“You said ‘by any means’ necessary!”
Tim blinked.
“And your first thought was to hit on your supervising sergeant...”
Miles looked down.
“…Who is also MY girlfriend.”
Miles stayed silent.
Angela and Harper's shop pulled into the warehouse parking lot.
Tim glanced toward it before looking back at Miles.
“We're not done talking about this.”
Harper and Lopez got out of the car.
Heading towards Tim.
Harper frowned.
“Angela told me there’s a body in a ‘barrel’?”
Tim let out a sigh.
“Yeah.”
Harper immediately looked past him.
“Where’s Lucy?”
Tim glanced toward Lucy's shop.
“Getting some water.”
A brief silence settled between them.
Tim spoke quietly.
“…It hit her harder than she expected.”
Angela nodded once.
“We’ll take it from here.”
She looked toward Lucy's shop.
“Stay with her.”
Harper gave Tim a reassuring nod.
“Yeah, we’ve got the scene.”
Tim nodded and headed to Lucy’s shop.
Placing his foot carefully on the slippery mud.
He reached the shop and found her sitting quietly.
Closed water bottle in her hand.
Looking out of the window.
Unaware of her surroundings.
Door wide open.
Tim slowly got near her.
“Hey.”
Lucy looked over at him.
“Hey…”
Her eyes were watery.
Not crying.
Tim glanced down, her body camera was off.
Tim switched off his body camera as well.
He reached for the seat, and Lucy scooped for him to sit.
Sitting on the edge of the seat.
Their shoulders brushed as he sat beside her.
After a moment, he rested a reassuring hand on her thigh.
“It’s fine if you are not okay.”
Lucy swallowed.
“…I’m okay.”
Lucy slowly opened the water bottle.
Kept the lid on the fritz.
And drank a small sip.
She quickly closed the water bottle, barely drinking anything.
She reached for the door.
Tim didn't move.
“Tim.”
He looked at her.
“Move.”
His hand was still resting gently on her thigh.
“You don’t have to go back yet.”
“…I do.”
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Tim quietly shifted aside, giving her enough room to step out of the shop.
He was right behind her as she exited the shop.
Watching the crime scene being processed from a far.
Yellow crime-scene tape fluttered in the wind.
Officers moved carefully around the barrel, avoiding evidence markers.
She took a deep breath and moved towards the crime scene.
Tim followed her.
His eyes not leaving her for more than few seconds.
Lucy rested both of her hands on her duty belt as she reached.
“What do we got?”
Harper responded wanly.
“No fingerprints. Nothing we can track the suspect with yet.”
Lucy shook her head.
Her eyes met Tim’s.
Worried and concerned eyes.
He shifted his gaze to the barrel.
“Alright, let’s check.”
Other 2 officers pulled out the victim from the barrel.
She was wearing a white top and black trousers.
Nolan spoke first.
“No obvious signs of trauma.”
He rummaged through her pockets for a possible ID.
He found one.
“Our victim’s name is Ava Cooper, 33 years old.”
Harper leaned backwards checking Ava’s shoes.
“These shoes are clean.”
Angela nodded.
“Which means she didn’t walk through here.”
Nolan continued.
“Her wallet is still here, so not a robbery.”
Lucy crouched beside the barrel.
“No drag marks.”
Tim folded his arms.
“Phone?”
Nolan checked again.
“Nope.”
Nolan reached to straighten the victim's shirt after searching her pockets.
He stopped.
“Guys…”
Angela questioned him.
“What?”
Nolan pointed toward the victim's right side.
Just beneath her ribs...
Ink.
He lifted the shirt slightly higher.
Lucy instinctively stepped back.
Her footing slipped on the wet ground.
Tim caught her before she hit the mud.
Her hands trembled despite how tightly she tried to steady them.
Tim had a closer look on the ink.
“DOR 12/06/26.”
Harper stared at the letters. .
“What could DOR mean?”
Lucy stuttered whilst saying it.
“Could it be related to my D—”
She swallowed.
“Day Of Death…”
Tim rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
While everyone kept throwing theories.
Nolan kept staring at the tattoo.
Nobody notices Nolan has gone completely silent.
Lucy noticed it.
She looked over to him.
Her shoulders still under Tim’s arm.
Refusing to let go.
“John…?”
Nolan looked up slowly.
“Rosalind had an apprentice who shot her.”
Silence.
Lucy felt Tim's hand tighten around hers.
Nolan swallowed.
“…I think this is them.”