Take-Two [ Tragictrees & Annyeong Bunny ]

"No way, dude." Was Austin's instant response, looking up from his work at Lee with a frown "After all the shit that's happened? Look, I don't really like the lawyer much, but you sure you'll be fine on your own?" He paused a moment, before tacking on "Maybe I should tag along. But, like, off the case. No work, just sorta standing around. Or maybe I should investigate. Secret investigation. Are you sure there's no one else you could work with? Because taking care of this alone seems like a shit plan. No offense."
 
"I haven't died yet, have I?" Lee spoke with slight humor in his voice as he lifted his gaze to Austin, a bit of amusement in his eyes. It was true. By some miracle, he was still alive and well even after doing solo cases. From Austin's response, the detective was finally reassured that what he had told the Chief was right: Austin wanted to be on the case, even if he was just standing on the sides. It was also great to know that someone would care if he was doing these investigations alone.

"It wasn't really a plan to begin with. Just a way for me to..." Lee started to trail off as he stopped himself. It was a way for him to try and get Austin on the case, but in the end, it sort of ended with him telling Chief to keep him solo. "It was a way for me to get more work done without new people or partners trying to learn my life story. They'd just end up leaving anyway." the detective turned back to his post-its and continued putting them on separate files, making notes to himself.

"If you wanted to come along, I wouldn't stop you. It's Chief's orders though, so don't get caught., Gallagher." Lee smirked lightly as he glanced up once more to make eye contact with Austin. Inside, he was relieved to know that his partner was interested in tagging along, even if it was secret. Usually, Lee wouldn't be down for secret investigating against policy, but in this case, he knew Austin was reliable. An extra pair of helpful hands.
 
"I'll take the risk because I'm the best partner and I care too much to let you have all the fun." Austin said, not needing much time to think it over, playing it off as just a ploy to get him in on the action rather than him actually being worried "Graffiti and petty theft is boring. I want murder back. I won't get caught, because I'm excellent at silent rebellion." He grinned at Lee in a lopsided manner, before looking down at his work once more "Just give me a text whenever you're heading anywhere and I'll 'accidentally' show up. By the way, I think this definitely qualifies me for being your phone background, if you didn't listen to my previous instructions."
 
Shaking his head, Lee continued to smirk as he gathered the notes, placing them into a manila folder. At Austin's request to put him as his background, he rolled his eyes and flipped the metal prongs shut, moving to stand. He then made his way to Austin and Evie, looking at their work. They had been working on small cases, and breaking a lot of them actually, to Lee's surprise.

"Good to know that I've dragged you to the dark side. Murder and kidnapping can be fun to investigate." Lee commented on Austin's earlier statement about theft being boring. Working on big cases was definitely an adrenaline rush, and while he didn't enjoy working them because of that, he knew a lot of famous detectives who did. Placing the manila folder in front of Austin, Lee tapped on it with his finger. "Since you want to help so bad, look over the notes I put inside here. It covers the murderer's dominant hand, the DNA from the door, the information on our items that we found, and a bit more. I'm going to visit the victim's house. The one who's DNA was found on the door in Rochester. A warrant finally got through because of the DNA match and her boyfriend's consent to the search." Lee explained, glancing at Evie before back at Austin.

"There's going to be other police officers there to secure the house, since it's a first-time inspection. That means you can probably sit this one out and read up on the evidence I noted for you, as much as you might not like it. We can't risk you being caught when there's going to be about 4 or 5 police officers there." the detective instructed the other as he crossed his arms, turning to look back at Evie. "I guess that makes you the one to keep him here until I get back. It'll be greatly appreciated." Lee spoke raising his eyebrows, giving her a small smile.
 
Evie grinned "I'll keep him in line, detective." She said, ignoring the look that Austin gave her as she gave Lee a thumbs up "Good luck. I'd say have fun, but I don't think that's possible under the circumstances. Give us a ring if you need anything." She mimed a phone with her hand, before turning back to the work she had, letting Lee leave with no further discussion. And, well, that should've been the end of it, but, as with anything involving Austin, it turned out to be not that simple. Soon, about an hour later, Evelyn was sending a text to Lee concerning a problem that had just arisen.

Text From: Evelyn
Text To: Lee

Austin's gone. Good possibility he got bored and wanted to check in on you, and he's ignoring my texts.
 
"I haven't been inside the house since May. We had a falling out and I didn't hear from her since, so I thought she had moved on. I never would've expected something like this to happen." the boyfriend, or, well, ex of the woman whose remains were found on the door spoke with genuine agony. His eyes were wide as he stood outside of the house with police tape blocking the entry, a fist pressed against his mouth. Lee watched the man's internal crisis and sighed, his brow furrowing slightly as he closed his notebook. He didn't want to press the man anymore than he needed to, and he was sure that he had nothing to do with her murder and disappearance.

"I understand. Thank you for your time, and I sincerely apologize that this has happened." Lee spoke in his usual tone, but his face was slightly grim. He clapped a gentle hand on the other's shoulder before stepping toward the house. He had inspected quickly before the ex boyfriend had arrived. It was like a horror show. Blood was strewn across the walls, dried for what looked to be a month, according to the coroner. Lee had seen pools of blood in different rooms of the house, as well as hand prints and streaks where it looked like someone was dragged. Most likely the victim. Based on the amount of blood, there must have been torture involved before she was killed and taken to Rochester. A grimace pulled Lee's face at the thought and he covered his nose upon walking into the house. The smell of stale metal and decay wafted from throughout the house, so most officers refused to go in. Making sure to put the foot covers as well as his gloves on, he cautiously glanced around for a second time when his phone vibrated. Cursing under his breath, he pulled one of the gloves off and grabbed it, reading the text from Evelyn.

"He can't be trusted alone for a few hours..." Lee muttered as he punched in Austin's number, sighing. Not exactly surprised by the text, he stepped outside to take the call in case the other picked up. Also to avoid the smell while he could.
 
Austin did end up picking up, unaware that Evelyn had texted Lee. He held the phone to his ear, leaning against the wall of the building across the street, keeping, for the most part, out of sight. "Hey, what's up?" He greeted, raising his eyebrows though he knew that Lee wouldn't be able to see him through the phone "I wasn't expecting a call. You good? No murder shenanigans, right?"
 
When Austin finally answered the call, Lee looked up to the sky and raised an eyebrow. He honestly wasn't expecting the other to pick up after reading Evelyn's texts, but there they were. "I mean, it was obviously murder shenanigans, but not for me, unfortunately." Lee sighed and looked back at the house. "What the hell are you doing? Evelyn texted me. If Chief sees you then your dead." Lee spoke in a bored tone, as he knew Austin would rebel against his instructions either way. The detective also made sure to speak more on the quiet side in hopes that the officers investigating the outside of the house wouldn't hear.
 
Oh, of course Lee knew. Austin didn't know why he felt surprised about this; he knew that the two had talked before, but he had been hoping Evelyn would spend a little more time looking for him before tattling as if they were in middle school. "Well, tell Evie snitches get stitches, and I'm disappointed in her for this." He began, sighing a little, ducking back and a little more out of sight than he was before "I'm not about to get caught, I'm just checking in. My bad for worrying over you working alone. Actually, not my bad. I'm not at all sorry."
 
"Ah, you're checking in?" Lee mimicked Austin with a slight eye roll that he knew the other couldn't see. "Last time I heard, checking in was with a phone call, not trying to sneak and snoop around, detective." the dark-eyed male watched the coroner leave the site as well as a few of the first responding officers. Along the sidelines, the ex boyfriend was watching, seeming to be frozen in time. He couldn't blame him.

"That's fine, you can play the guilt card. I appreciate the gesture, but I have to be a detective too. Don't get caught." Lee emphasized before hanging up the phone. He knew the price of Austin getting caught wasn't terrible... he just didn't think of the consequences for him if Chief caught him. The detective had spouted a lot to her during their meeting and the last thing he needed was for Austin to find out. He went in secret for a reason.
 
Austin scoffed as he was hung up on. Honestly, he hadn't lied. Those were his intentions, and he stuck by them. He didn't plan on getting caught, either; he liked to think he was good at sneaking around, because his dad had been a cop, and he wasn't exactly the most well behaved kid in the world. However, even the best laid plans go wrong, and soon, Austin found himself getting pushed away from the building and brought back to the station to have a long chat with the chief. The outcome of which, he hadn't expected.

Once he got out, he got out his phone, deciding to text Lee. There were things he needed to clear up.

Text From: Austin
Text To: Lee

So....you done at the scene or?
 
After the phone call, Lee went back to work. He found little to no clues on who the murderer was. He already had the information about what his dominant hand was, what his gory preferences were, etc. The scene just seemed to jumble the detective's thoughts more as he looked around, making him sigh in slight defeat. Walking to the girl's room one more time, he looked around and crouched to check under the bed. He honestly wasn't expecting to find anything, but then again, that was the thrill of being a detective. Just as he was about to pull back from looking beneath the bed, something caught his eye. A slip of paper. With a gloved hand, Lee reached and pulled the paper free, as it had been taped.

Looks like you're better at this than I thought. Like this game of cat and mouse? - xoxo

As he read the note, the detective pressed his lips together as his adrenaline flushed his system. A lead. It was something. The vibrating in his pocket pulled him from his rolling thoughts and he quickly put the paper into a plastic bag. Then, pulling off his gloves, he headed back outside, satisfied with his find. Lee read over the text as he stepped out of the front door, walking to his car. It was from Austin. Not surprising, but he blinked and responded either way.

Text From: Lee
Text To: Austin

Sure. I'm headed to the coffee shop on the corner of the block from the department. Meet me there in 10.

It didn't take Lee long to drive to the coffee shop, and he was sure that Austin wasn't there yet. So, he walked to the front and ordered a large hot chocolate with whipped cream and found a booth to wait.
 
Austin arrived a few minutes later. He had been close by, and so it was an easy location to meet at. This time, he informed Evie about where he was going, ignoring the fact that he had never told her he had got back, as well as the eyeroll that she gave him as he left. He pushed open the door to the shop, walking in and taking a moment to search the crowd, keeping an eye out for Lee and also anyone who could possibly be suspicious. When he finally found his partner, he walked over, taking a seat in the empty across from the other.

"So..." He began, keeping his voice even, leaning on the table, studying Lee's face as he spoke "...I'm back on the case. I'll give you, like, 5 guesses as to why, which is a generous number, so maybe you'll get it right."
 
As he took a sip of his hot chocolate, Lee watched as his partner took the seat in front of him. The atmosphere was different, and Lee licked the cream from his upper lip. When the other spoke about being back on the case, the detective blinked a few times and was genuinely surprised. He had no idea how that happened, since he was sure Chief had rejected his offer that day.

"Well... five guesses would seem like a lot if I knew what you were talking about." Lee commented in a dismissive tone as he watched the other. He was also watching Lee, the dark-haired male could see that. Finally breaking his gaze, Lee pushed his cup to the side and put his arms on the table. He scratched his temple and looked back at Austin. "Did you get caught snooping?" Lee asked carefully, feeling a weight in his gut.
 
"Pretty sure you do know what I'm talking about, actually." Austin replied, propping his chin up in his hand as he spoke "Yea. I got caught snooping. But, uh, as it turns out, I wasn't harshly reprimanded or given any repercussions. Chief and I just had a nice little chat. So...." He then leaned back, crossing his arms comfortably, his full attention on his partner "....Were you going to tell me about having a meeting with her apparently on my behalf, or was that just a fun little secret that was gonna come up later?"
 
So, Chief spilled. Lee closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose lightly. Lee would have thought that she would understand the term 'private meeting'. The detective filled his lungs slowly before opening his eyes. Under the attention of Austin, Lee stared back at him, going through his options at that point. It wasn't like he could play dumb. They were both detective's, so it would look stupid to both of them.

"Shit." Lee finally breathed as he kept his eyes on his partner. His mouth turned down slightly at the strange feeling in his stomach. It was like anxiety, but not as strong. Tamable. Tilting his head a bit to the side, the dark-haired detective bit at the inside of his cheek. Slowly, he moved to pull on one of his cuffs. "It wasn't the plan to tell you about the meeting. The whole point was to sway Chief into letting you back on without her spilling... but that seemed to have went out the window." Lee muttered the last part to himself as he pulled his cup back, wrapping his hands around the warmth it provided.

"Then again, I guess I didn't exactly state out loud for her to keep her mouth shut." Lee snipped lightly as a bit of embarrassment started to rise on his neck at the remembrance of the meeting. Or the words he said. Doing his best to hide the feeling, he cleared his throat and sipped from the cup. "What did she tell you?" the detective had a sliver of hope that Chief didn't spill about the more... vulnerable comments that Lee had made. Looking at the situation though, he had a feeling that it was unlikely.
 
"I got a run down of the whole conversation. Not gonna repeat what I heard for your sake." Austin replied, before sighing, a small frown on his face. He wasn't angry, or annoyed. He was more confused than anything else. "Look, I honestly have no idea why you didn't tell me, but, like, if you're worried I'm gonna hook into this and never stop mentioning it, I'm not. I mean, I'm gonna say thanks once, because pretty sure if you didn't talk to her, I'd gotten a worse talk, but I'm not gonna harp on this. I'm just confused. You could've told me. I mean, maybe I should've deduced that was what you were doing, but I'm also dumb, so that's an unreasonable expectation."
 
Lee kept his mouth shut as Austin talked, focusing on his drink a lot more than a normal person might. He felt like a magnifying glass was pressing him against the booth seat, but he didn't show it as he swirled the cup, watching the contents move in a gentle circle. Why didn't he tell Austin? That was a layered question. Difficult for even Lee himself to narrow down. So, he answered as best as he could.

"I didn't tell you just in case Chief would reject my proposal. I assumed that's what happened when I left, which is also why I didn't bother. There was no use in getting your hopes up if it was going to be knocked down again." Lee answered nonchalantly as he locked gazes with Austin once more. "And I guess I just felt the need to do something. What I said was true, it she told you everything. I haven't met another detective that's managed to stick around through my shit. I would have told you if things turned for the better, like now, I guess, but I'm being honest when I say that I wouldn't have told you otherwise. I stand by that." Lee finished and went back to his cup, taking a long drink from it. The embarrassment was intense now, and he felt the heat in his ears. It was getting harder to hide it at that point. "It would also be incredibly embarrassing if you found out when Chief rejected it. My ego can't handle that." Lee muttered even quieter, the rim of the cup pressed against his mouth before taking a drink.
 
"Yea, well, I'd still like to appreciate you doing something for me, asshole." It was said fondly, and Austin grinned, showing that he wasn't all that bothered "Besides, I mean, I don't need her permission. Well, by technicality, I do, but whatever. No reason to worry about getting my hopes up and shooting them down if I was gonna get myself involved still either way." He shrugged nonchalantly "But, seriously. Thanks. And I'll stop mentioning it now to save your dignity." He paused, eyeing the drink, then tacking on "What'd you get? I've never been here, so might as well go for the same thing."
 
Lee rolled his eyes at Austin's response and tried to ignore the heat in his ears. He was thankful at seeing the other being more accepting of the whole situation. If he were to be honest, he expected the exact opposite. "It's greatly appreciated." the detective retorted with a bit of playful sarcasm. A small smirk pulled at his lips as he palmed the cup once more. When asked what it was he was drinking, Lee felt a bit more embarrassed.

"Um... hot.. chocolate. It's what I always get." Lee responded slowly before pressing his lips together. Austin was probably the only person who knew about his preference for hot chocolate over coffee. Feeling a bit embarrassed by it, he tapped the table before taking another sip of it, being extra cautious to not to get whipped cream all over his mouth. He didn't need to look like an even bigger idiot. "I recommend it." he added quickly, nodding his head to the cup.
 
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