Author's Preface
Arthur cupped her face. "I love you, Mira!"
"Did you meet me on that bench with the plan to make me fall in love with you?"
"I met you with the plan to get to know you better for the case, but you caught me off guard. I wanted to kiss you instead of keeping it professional. I decided to head home, but then walked back, sat in my car, returned to the bench, strolled to the coffee shop five minutes from your place and somehow ended up back on the bench again before you saw me there. I... I wouldn't say it was love at first sight, because I admired you ever since Diane talked about you." Arthur pressed his head against hers, "I... studied the way you worked and knew I would like you when we met, what I didn't know was that I'd like you so much, I'd feel the need to kiss you. I've spent hours trying to convince myself it was nothing, Mira, but I failed far more times than I realized."
Mira felt a lump in her throat, "I don't wish to keep seeing you."
"We'll go on vacation somewhere once this case ends. We can make it work, Mira, please."
"I would if I could, but I can't let go of the fact that you knew we were safe." Mira tilted her head back to keep the tears from spilling, "you knew I was worried for both of us, yet you let me stay anxious. You could've just said we were safe and told me not to ask how you knew and I wouldn't have questioned you and you know that."
Arthur stood there for a long time; Mira had been gone for a long time, but he hadn't yet registered her absence. He got up after a while, continued working as usual and it wasn't until later that night he noticed her absence, trying to convince himself he's fine without her.
He clutched his chest, trying to ease the pain and thought a walk might distract him. But instead, he slid from the bed to the floor, sat up against the bed, glancing around through his tears, hoping to find her somehow, but his eyes met only disappointment.
Mira, instead of heading home, walked over to the bench. She sat in the exact spot she had before, beside him. His place was empty, she placed her hand there and whispered, "I'm sorry, Arthur, I'm really, really sorry."
Next morning, she and Chen were called into Soane's office, where many things were said and both were told to take immediate administrative leave.
They both handed over their badges, access cards and department-issued items, grabbed their personal belongings and met in the parking lot. Mira glanced at him, then at his personal belongings, then hers and back at him.
"Don't," Chen sighed. "Don't say another word."
"You care for coffee?" Mira asked.
"Fine, but you're paying." Chen put his belongings in his car and walked with her to a nearby coffee shop.
"So, what are you planning now?" Chen asked, pulling a chair from the corner.
"I'm not sure yet, maybe visit a friend out of state, but first this case needs to get somewhere," Mira replied. "Until we know who murdered Diane, a.k.a. Claire, and the killers are all behind bars, the case isn't over."
"What about Percy?" Chen asked, looking at her. "What if he's involved too?"
"We need to find Miller and Morse first; the rest is in good hands for now." Mira sipped her coffee.
Chen sat with that for a minute, drawing his own conclusions, but his phone buzzed, interrupting his train of thought. An unknown number flashed on the screen, he picked up the call, glanced at Mira, and handed the phone to her.
"Detective Cooper, I'm safe. Took Morse with me," Miller's voice crackled through.
"Where are you?" Mira asked.
"Got a tip about danger, so I took off with Morse," Miller said with a chuckle.
"Bring him back."
"Soon." And with that, Miller hung up.
"Problems seem to be solving themselves a little too easily," Mira handed his phone back and said. "Am I walking into something far more dangerous?"
"Don't wish for that," Chen grumbled. "I'm so pissed; these damn criminals are out there while I'm stuck here without work."
"We'll get our jobs back soon," Mira replied.
"Mira, I'm not mad about being on leave or even about possibly losing the job," Chen said calmly. "We did what we had to do, and I have no regrets. I'm just in a dilemma, we're stripped of the department's protection, and those people are still out there."
"Let us be busy," Mira put coffee's money and walked out of the shop. "We are going to find Jones."
Chen sighed and followed her.
Aldric and Callow sat in Aldric's study, having tried to delete as much evidence as they could, but most of the office records, computers, and phones had already been sealed by investigators. They hadn't expected Mira to file an overnight case in court, and by the time they learned of her move and started clearing things out, they were already caught in the grip of jurisdiction.
"Damn it! Your damn boy dragged us all into this mess," Callow shouted.
"You're talking about my son," Aldric warned.
"He's the one who went and fell for that detective, and now if we try to take her down, he's going to lose it."
"We'll handle it. We've been through tough situations so many times, maybe not as bad as this, but we've managed before, and we'll manage this too."
"What are you planning?"
"We get Carmen Jones to side with us," Aldric smiled. "Mira's claims are as shallow as can be if Carmen Jones is on our side."