The Star above Blimpton

[Ketic]

9/31
10:04
Blimpton Police Station

Horace shifted his weight and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He had been sent to the Chief's office five minutes ago and O' Connor had not yet even acknowledged he was there. The officer scratched at his blond hair and decided he should sit down. Horace lowered himself into a chair facing the Chief's desk very slowly, as if any sudden movements would warrant an attack.

O' Connor was rustling through some papers and had been doing just that for quite some time. Horace wanted to offer to help him find what he was looking for but ever since Norman had gone missing the young officer had trouble finding his voice around the precinct. I wonder if me being called in here was a mistake.

Horace stood and cleared his throat. "Uh, Chief I can come back later if you'd prefer." The officer's brown eyes studied the ground as he spoke. Horace too a step for the door but the chief's head snapped up and he let out a grunt.

"Now wait a second, boy." O' Connor selected a page from his stack and considered it for a moment. "I did call you in here for a reason." The chief looked up from the paper and frowned at Horace. "I'm gonna cut straight to it. Your work has been horrible these past few months. Reports out of order, cases left open that any rookie could have closed."

"I know Chief. I-" Horace tried to cut in.

"Now don't interrupt me." The man stroked his thick mustache and glanced at the paper again. He handed it to Horace. "As a result of your slacking, I have no choice."

"I understand." The young officer said meekly. Horace took the paper and looked at it. It was a certificate. A certificate of promotion. Large black letters that said Detective took up most of the piece of paper. "S-Sir?" Horace stammered as he looked the promotion certificate up and down.

"I understand your confusion; but you need to be taught a lesson in responsibility." The chief waved his arm in a wide arc indicating the whole room. "You have a responsibility to those people, no, those families, those whose cases of their loved ones YOU didn't close. The criminals you failed to get who could've easily been gotten. You WILL shape up, or you will be removed from this department. Am I clear?" O' Connor stared at Horace cynically as the Detective looked at the floor.

"Yes sir. But I don't understand how giving me a promotion-"

"You are dismissed, Detective Parks."

"Yes sir." Horace's tone was meek once again. The Detective turned and left quickly.

[Ketic]

Horace exited the Chief's office and sighed. Well I thought I was going to be suspended. That certainly went the other way. He turned to go to his desk and stopped when he saw another officer standing next to his desk, looking nervous. The Detective briskly approached the desk and nodded hello to the man who stood there.

"Hello." Horace said politely as he sat down at his desk and clicked on his computer monitor.

"Detective Parks?" The african american man sounded nervous as he addressed Horace.

Oh no. "Yeah thats me. Who are you?" Horace looked up at the man and studied his face. He had a shaved head and large brown eyes. Happy person eyes. He was young and clean shaven and he held his officer's hat under his arm as if he were in the military.

"I'm Daniel Brooke." Daniel paused for a second as he came to a realization. "The Chief didn't brief you about me?"

"Afraid not." Horace wasn't in the mood for smalltalk. He hadn't really been in the mood for anything since his partner had gone missing. "Can we cut to the chase, please?"

"Yes." Daniel gave a friendly smile to Horace, as if trying to lighten his mood. "I'm Daniel and we are partners. I'm from the Shelbey Precinct. I just transferred today." Detective Brooke stuck out his hand to Horace.

Horace frowned. "I'm afraid there must have been a mis-communication. He glanced at Daniel's hand and did not return the gesture. "I already have a partner."

"Sir if you are Detective Horace Parks then there was no mis-communication. Look here." Brooke held out a paper and Horace took it begrudgingly.

It was a transfer notice, and there on the paper under 'partner' was Horace's name. This Brooke guy was actually his new partner. Son of a bitch. I have a partner. "Wait here." Horace stood up from his desk and strode angrily to the Chief's office. He knocked and O' Connor waved him in. "Hi sir. Uh, I don't think this promotion thing is gonna work out for me; see I already have a partner, his name is Norman Burton remember?"

O' Connor stood calmly and walked around his desk until he was only about a foot away from Horace. "There will be an understanding here. This is my precinct and you will not use that tone in my office. The only reason I don't suspend you right now is because I'm not gonna leave Brooke out there without a damned partner!"

"But sir what about Norman?" Horace asked, defeated. It didn't take much of the Chief's shouting to intimidate even the sourest of men.

"What about him? Hes been missing for two months. Theres nothing that can be done that we haven't done, now stop moping and do your job Detective." The Chief sat back down in his chair and looked at Horace. "Listen kid, I like you, you have a lot of potential. Don't waste it. Now get out."

"Sir." Horace turned and left the office.

Brooke was still standing next to his desk, seemingly unaffected by Horace's foul mood. Detective Parks approached him and stuck out his hand apprehensively. Daniel took the gesture with gusto, enthusiastically shaking Horace's hand.

"Its good to meet you!" Brooke pulled over a chair and placed it on the opposite side of the desk from Horace's. "Unfortunately the Chief said my desk wont be moved up until next week!" The Detective explained, still ecstatic.

"Bummer." Horace took his seat and glanced at the monitor. It had turned itself off again. He punched the power button in with his thumb and waited as it hummed to life. Horace quickly logged into the police database and opened his work assignments for the day. Every morning work assignments were emailed to each officer and detective on duty that day. He scanned over it slowly, even though it was not complex at all.

"So what are we into today?" Brooke still hadn't stopped smiling. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk, his fingertips touched together and his wrists relaxed, forming a sort of triangle.

Horace looked at Brooke, then looked back at the computer. After a couple of awkward seconds Horace smiled curtly. "Patrol."

Daniel stood up from his seat quickly, causing it to slide back and make a screeching noise on the tile. "Excellent!" He donned his hat and stepped forward so he was standing next to Horace. "Which way is the exit again?" Daniel asked sheepishly.

This is going to be a long day. Horace sighed and regarded Detective Brooke. "This way." One detective fell into step behind the other and they quickly exited the precinct.