Leather Jacket [Rosa Diaz]

Seventy Six

BALANCING

It had now been three months since the lake house incident and Y/N and Rosa are now on step four of the adoption process. It was floating by quickly. Meanwhile, at the precinct, the rest of the squad was all in their usual state as they sat in the briefing room.

"Listen up, everyone. We had a murder this morning. The vic was found at 8:45 by a dog walker who let herself into his apartment--" Terry signaled to the TV as it showed crime scene photos.

"Oh, my God, it's Franzia!" Jake interrupted from his desk. "This is the work of Johnny Franzia, my white whale. He's finally resurfaced." He spoke from his seat.

"Not this again."

"Yes, this again. Johnny Franzia has been on a murder spree for the past ten years, and every time he kills someone, he taunts me." Jake elaborated, pointing to himself. "Look, there's a deck of cards."

"You say that whenever there's cards at a crime scene. You know how many people own cards, Jake?"

"Then explain this. Johnny Franzia's catchphrase is 'deuces are wild'. Now look around the apartment. Two chairs, two paintings, two pillows." Jake marveled at the crime scene photo.

"There are three lamps."

"You think Franzia gives a damn about lamps? You sound so dumb right now." Jake muttered with his hands. "This is why you don't have an arch nemesis, Terry, because you focus on all the wrong details." He bobbed his head.

"Maybe I don't have an arch nemesis because I solve all my crimes." Terry glares at Jake as Charles awkwardly sips his coffee

Jake stares dumbfounded, "That's a pretty fucked-up thing to say to me."

~

With the morning meeting over, everyone was now back to their normal routines. Terry was instructing other members of the squad as Charles was looking up recipes, whilst Scully was on face-time with Hitchcock as they played Scrabble, meanwhile, nearby, in Captain Holt's office, Jake and Amy wandered in, "You wanted to see us, Captain?" Jake asked, hands on his hips.

"I'm giving the murder to someone else."

"What? You're taking me off the Franzia case?" Jake declared before letting out a small exhale. "My God, he got to you, didn't he?" He spoke through his teeth.

"I assure you, he did not. I had never heard of Johnny Franzia before today." Holt spoke from his chair.

"Well, it was mostly before you arrived. Actually, you're entire first year here I was convinced you were Franzia," Jake chuckled, lowering his head. "Which I now realize is completely ridiculous. Or is it?" He looked back up.

"I have no investment in this backstory."

"Right."

"I'm taking you off the case because you both asked for reduced hours to focus on childcare, and Santiago has her big presentation this week." Holt elaborated as the two recall. "If our pilot program to reimagine how uniformed officers are deployed gets funded, it will represent a significant reform for the NYPD."