Cleo's hands shook as she gathered all of the objects that have come back from testing. Her sister's necklace, clothes, phone and wallet. Yesterday, she got her way by making somebody else fetch the objects for her.
Everything was now right in front of her.
She slowly placed her hand on the new file that came along with the objects back from testing. Opening it, the name next to the prints that were taken from Madeline's clothes caused Atwood to freeze.
She sat there reading the name over and over again, not shocked or even angry. Just scared. Without a second thought, the woman closed the file and stuffed it into her drawer with the intention of never showing it to anybody else.
When her higher ups inevitably question its disappearance Cleo could easily say she never received the file or that it was misplaced. After all, she had the only copy. The woman nearly jumped out of her skin when Sergio barged into her office.
"So, you might be partnerless for a while. Fallons father passed so she was granted a week off." The man said as he walked up to her desk, while his eyes explored the woman's office.
Cleo was still on edge from just doing something borderline illegal which isn't a new concept, so her response came out in stutters.
"A-and.. how did you find this out?" She asked. If this was actually true she would feel horrible for how she spoke to the younger woman on the phone yesterday.
"She emailed me. Which is weird because I'm not her partner." Sergio said in an accusatory tone.
"You haven't been too hard on the girl have you Atwood? She's bright and seems like she knows what she's doing." He said as he sat down in the chair in front of Cleo's desk.
Atwood rolled her eyes.
"She's too pushy. Thinks she knows it all. Somebody's gotta show her that she doesn't." Cleo replied as she stared down at her desk. She couldn't help but think about how cruel she was to the younger woman yesterday.
"Ahh, be nice." Sergio said as he stood up to exit Cleo's office.
"She requested that we send a copy of the file about the DNA that came back from the objects. Guess she's still gonna try to work on the case from home."
This caused Cleo to freeze and stare at the man.
"I-I thought I had the only copy though.." Cleo's words stumbled over each other, she felt her stomach drop.
"Both of you have the only copies. There's donuts in the break room if you wanted any." Sergio said as he walked out of the office.
Cleo sat at her desk feeling her heart beating out of her chest, she needed to obtain that file. More than likely, Smith already viewed it and saw the name attached to the fingerprints.
Although Cleo was correct, those fingerprints are one of the last things on the younger woman's mind right now.
Fallon held Fiona's hand as they stood in the corner of the room, listening to the words being said at their fathers funeral. The older siblings blood was boiling as she watched Lilian walk up to the stand to say a few words before her fathers body was laid to rest.
Lilian cleared her throat and took a breath before beginning to speak. Fallon felt Fiona's eyes turn to her as her grip on her big sisters arm tightened.
"Ryan was a good man, a good husband and an... interesting father." She said with passive aggressiveness in her voice.
Fallon clenched her jaw. He was a good father, bitch.
YOU ARE READING
This was not our plan.
Romance"Wasn't it exhausting? Lying to my face for so long?" Cleo Atwood is the head of the Oceanside Criminal Investigative department, she's 28 and seemingly already has her life together. She's got her dream job, her dream house, her secrets buried deep...
