Muted

Apart, Again

(Morris's POV)

"I can't believe this, Morris check this out." Walsh and I sit across from each other at a local coffee shop, he holds out todays newspaper and points at an article.
"Popular online gamer arrested?" I raise an eyebrow at him, he can't be serious. "How does this connect with finding [Name]?" I grumble as he slams the paper down onto the table, eyes wide and sparkling with confidence.
"Because, Nina, he was charged with public assault on a young couple. Look at the picture." I glare at him for calling me by my first name and snag the paper from him, analyzing the image next to the article. I depicted a couple covered with bloodied bumps and bruised sores. They stood in front of a vehicle parked on the curb about to get towed.
"That's the couple [Name]'s grandmother talked about, her son Shawn and his girlfriend Tiana."
"The 'Assholes' right? But Did you notice the car?"
"Car? Show me." I turn the paper to show him, flicking his nose as he scowls at it.
"Come on, Sammy, how did you miss that?"
"I did see it... Is this the car the third witness told you about?" He pouts as best as a grown man can, connecting the dot in his head. I can't help but smirk at his childish expressions, the twinkle in his gaze shakes with embarrassment.
"I say we either visit this blogger-behind-bars, or get an address and check the place for a sign of [Name]."
"We can't do either, Morris. We're out of our operating field, so we technically can't use any perks that come with being a cop, at least not in this area. No warrants and no interrogations."
"If we act as a married couple we can pass as visitors."
"...We don't know where he's being held." Walsh mutters under a slight blush. I roll my eyes pointing at the bottom of the article, where it says the local cops have him in interrogations.
"Here. I'll drive." I pick up my bag and the newspaper, walking out of the coffee shop. Walsh stumbles to get out of his chair and follows me.

After a half an hour ride in the car we arrive in front of the local police station.
"This is a bad idea, Morris." Walsh looks at me with a slight glare, "If someone was coming in and interrupting one of your interrogations, you'd send them away without even a glimpse of the accused. What makes you think these guys will act any different?"
"I don't. But you want to find the girl, right? Her grandmother is expecting us to bring her home, and you're not going to try to talk to her captor."
"I don't want to risk your job, Nina."
"The day you brought me out here our jobs have been at risk. Now, I'm as ready to throw myself into this mess to fix a broken family as much as you've been. So, are we going in or not?" I bark at Walsh, expressing to him the change that had been cooking in me since talking with [Name]'s grandmother.

Maternal instincts... I think.

He nods and I reach to grab his arm before dragging him into the building. Clinging to him like a sad or scared little girl, I felt him tense before realizing we're suppose to be acting like a married couple. We approach the front desk. The same newspaper sits on the corner of the table enough for me to re-read the name of the gamer who was arrested. Walsh clears his throat, catching the attention of the woman behind the desk.
"Can I help you two?"
"Yes, um... we'd like to visit a good friend of ours. We found out that he was arrested and being held here for questioning."
"I'm sorry, sir but we can't-" The woman denies our request and I can see in her eyes that she's not going to change her mind anytime soon. Time to pull some strings.
"Please, mam', I just want to know why! Ryan... why'd you do it?" I interrupt her sharply, throwing my hands onto her desk and dropping his name casually as I cry into my hair. "Please, at least tell me what he said his motives were. I grew up with him, he never would've hurt anyone." I continue to hiccup and sob, letting tears fall onto her desk.
"Nina..." Walsh places a hand on my shoulder and pulling himself closer to me. He lightly rubs my back, I know its an act but it... feels nice. "Please mam', she's been like this since we found out." I see the woman's fingers twitch lightly before closing into a fist.
"Alright, but then you'll have to leave." The woman's other hand reaches for a clipboard atop the desk next to her.
"Th-thank you." I purposely stutter, watching the clipboard intensely. His information will be covering that paper. The woman carelessly places the information between us as she reads out the quote for his motives.
"He said, 'I was the man she ran into when she had no where else to go and the nice guy who let her stay without question.' Is that what you wanted to hear mam'?" The woman taps her fingers on the desk and I nod.
"Yes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Ryan really isn't the bad guy." I twist into a fake smile, yet the words slip from my lips without letting me rethink them. Some part of me believes them to be true though...
"We'll be leaving then. We are very grateful mam'." Walsh takes my hand as I squeeze out a few more tears of joy and we walk out of the station.