Red Light

Midday

Liu Tingyu had almost panicked when Jiang Cheng hadn't answered his phone.  His car was still out front but no sign of the Inspector. Oddly enough, it was the rookie who had been admonished to 'observe and not touch' who found him. She had called Liu Tingyu on the radio to alert her of his location.

Quietly entering the room, the grandmother of five observed the exhausted Jiang Cheng. Dark circles under his eyes. Eyebrows furrowed even in sleep. Taking the blanket off the end of the bed, she gently covered the inspector and left as quietly as she had come.

"You're duty station is now here. No one is to disturb him until I come back in ninety minutes. Understood?" Liu Tingyu told the rookie.

"Yes, ma'am. Why ninety minutes?"

"It's a complete sleep cycle. The Inspector is exhausted. If he doesn't get some sleep soon, he'll end up being ill. He'll complain that we didn't wake him but sometimes, we have to do what's best for the person we care about, yes?" Liu Tingyu smiled.

"Yes, ma'am." the rookie smiled back. "I'll keep it quiet and set my phone's alarm. Ninety minutes. I'll radio you when the times up."

"Good, girl." She patted the young woman's arm. "Go get a chair. That's a long time to stand."

A nod and the rookie went to the next room. Coming back with a desk chair, she put it in front of the door and set herself on it with all the determination of a bulldog.

"No one will bother the Inspector, ma'am." she announced.

"Thank you." Liu Tingyu smiled to herself.

'Nothing like a chance to redeem yourself a bit to boost your confidence.' she thought. 

With her smile still in place, she returned to her interviews.

-----

Wen Chao was awake and furious.

The officers were willing to unlock the handcuff long enough for him to go to the bathroom. Accompanied of course.

Between the nurse who held the broken arm in the proper position and the police officer who had watched him like he was a bug under a microscope, it was an uncomfortable experience even for someone as brazen as Wen Chao.

He had also gotten a good look at himself in the mirror. The right side of his face was covered in bandages. The left was a bruised and swollen mess. His eyes had narrowed and, before they could stop him, he had ripped the bandages off. There were stitches holding cuts together all over that side of his face. It was grotesque at best. And when healed? There would be a disfiguring web of scars marring that side of his face. How could there not be?

He growled and then flinched because of the pain.

"Where is that little fucking cop who did this to me?" By the time he reached the end of the sentence, he was screaming.

The officer, Zhou Jun, looked at him. Wen Chao could have been asking what the weather was for all the reaction he received.

"Bed. Now." was the only response he got.

Wen Chao was shaking with fury. He, in his opinion, had been a handsome man. 'Had been' being the operative phrase.

"I am going to kill him." It was a blatant threat of bodily harm on a police officer.

"Noted. The charges will now include threatening the life of a police officer. Would you like to say anything else?"

Wen Chao's mouth fell open.

It took him a moment to pull himself back together.

"I want my lawyer." He was screaming again.

"We have 37 days to formalize your arrest. Until that happens or you are processed at the station, you have no access to a lawyer." It was cut and dried.