Criminal Detective

It's Over?

Without even a glance towards Roberto and Claire's direction, the trio stepped out of the room. The echo of the door slamming shut rang through Claire's ear, until it didn't.

Roberto stepped away from Claire to which she exhaled almost audibly. Her eyes trailed him as he paced around the room. Each step he took seemed to fuel Claire's anxiety more than the last.

A deafening silence continued to grow around them until he finally spoke.

"When you worked for Adkins..." Claire jolted at the suddenness of his voice "...Did you help him traffic young women?"

Claire arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

"What?"

"Answer the question, Miss Williams"

She frowned "No, I didn't"

"Don't lie to me"

"Look, this came as a shocker to me too, okay? I didn't know he was out here locking girls away from freedom. When I worked for him, nothing like this was on the menu"

Roberto stormed towards her, his face only inches away as he covered the distance between them. He looked into her eyes, hunting for evidence that countered what she had said but found nothing. Instead it made him realize something as she stared back.

Something he had long forgotten.

The cold look in his eyes melted and what stared back at Claire were pupils filled with disgust and disappointment.

"What the fuck am I doing?" He muttered to himself which made Claire arch an eyebrow. He stepped away from her, staring at her like she had grown an extra eye on her forehead. He ran his hand through his hair agitatedly with his jaw locked. He remained still, almost like he had frozen before he let out a sigh which broke the growing silence.

"I'm sorry, Miss Williams" He said which made her pupils widen "You're free to go"

She arched an eyebrow "Free to go?"

"You no longer need to do this. You've paid up your debt. You're free"

Claire's pupils widened.

"I'm free?" She thought to herself.

"But- I...Why?"

"Why are you asking why? He said you're free just take it and walk away"

Roberto sighed, an angry and exhausted sigh.

"Just leave Miss Williams" He said before  he headed for his room. "I'll let the others know that you're all cleared out" As he scaled his stairs he paused then turned to her "Have a nice life"

She continued to watch him until he disappeared from her field of vision. She stared down to the ground, her mind replaying his words like a broken record.

"I'm free?" She muttered to herself in complete disbelief.

                       _____📯_____

Cat jumped at Claire as she stepped into her apartment. She smiled, lifted her feline friend, then snuggled him inside her arm.

"Hey, buddy. Miss me?" He meowed in response which made a bright smile form on her face. As she strolled further, he leaped out of her arms then ran towards the kitchen. Claire could tell what the tiny creature wanted and so she followed behind him.

She watched as he scratched a cupboard below the one that housed the treats. Claire folded her arms with an arched eyebrow and a smile.

"I thought dogs were smarter than cats. How do you know what's around there?" He meowed before he hopped onto the counter and began to leap towards the cupboard which was an obstacle between him and his dinner.

"Alright, alright" Claire chuckled, lifted him off the counter then placed him on her shoulder. She opened the cupboard and pulled out a can of cat food then walked to her compartment of knives. Claire pulled one out and shoved into the can, tearing it open before she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Bon appetit" Claire said shoving it into his bowl. He leaped from her shoulder then began to attack the bowl viciously which made Claire chuckle. She walked into the living room then tossed herself on a sofa, her eyes stared at the roof as her brain tried to process all that had happened.

"I'm free" She muttered to herself.

After Roberto had informed her that she no longer needed to play a role in the investigation, Claire remained puzzled. Her brain, for some reason couldn't seem to make sense of it all.

Sure, it was what she had wanted but it just seemed so sudden that it left her in a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts.

The two most predominant ones being why he just let her go and why he started to act so weird so suddenly.

The familiar tune of her ringtone cracked through the looming silence. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and stared at the contact ID with an arched eyebrow.

"Daniel?" She muttered to herself before she answered the call.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, Claire. I just heard you're off the investigation. Roberto said you've paid your debt off"

She exhaled, sinking further into her seat.
"Yeah, yeah he did"

"That's great" Daniel said, a hint of genuine happiness in his voice "You're free now"

"Yeah, I am"

"So, what are you gonna do?"

Claire paused as her mind searched through its archives.

"Go to work, I guess" She thought to herself.

"But work still hadn't resumed yet"

She sighed then pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I don't know, to be honest. But I'll figure something out" She said.

"Okay then. Just stay out of trouble, okay? And enjoy yourself, alright?"

"Sure, I will"

"I'll keep you posted about how things turn out"

Claire nodded "Thanks"

"Alright, bye"

Claire set her phone down and continued to stare at the roof.

This was good news, she was free.

She no longer had to work under strenuous circumstances, no longer had to be forced to do what she didn't want to do, and no longer had to live with her mind constantly being soaked in fear.

She now had her life back in her hands.

But yet, why did she feel so...

Empty?