Hide and Seek

3 hours...

'I was patrolling a suburban neighbourhood with one of my supervisors one night. We had had a pretty quiet and uneventful week. We went around the neighbourhood about three times and stopped by the corner of an intersection, having our coffee.

"Woah, more cupcakes?" I asked Officer Arya. She was known on our team for baking the best cupcakes. I was privileged enough to be partnered up with her. She brought different types of cupcakes each time we were on duty, without fail. She was the sweetest superior and the best partner anyone could work with.
As we devoured the red velvet cupcakes she had made, we heard a loud pop that sounded very much like a gunshot coming from one of the buildings.
It was the first time I had been on the field faced with something as serious as a possible gunshot, and Arya sensed the bit of fear that creeped out of me.

"It's probably a bunch of kids playing with firecrackers," she said, checking her gun. "But just in case it isn't, stay close to me and follow my instructions."

"Yes ma'am."
We moved out of our vehicle and jogged to where the sound had come from. I paid careful attention to each and every one of Arya's signals, responding to them with firm nods.
We heard muffled voices coming from behind one of the doors of an abandoned house.
'I'll go in first,' Arya gestured, and I nodded, tightening my grip on my gun.
She opened the door and yelled, "Freeze!"

"You brought the cops?" Someone hissed from inside.

"Put your hands up!" Arya commanded, and that is when I stepped in. My eyes widened at the person who stood directly in front of me. The person who my gun was aimed at as I stepped into that room. I was so paralysed by shock and fear that I didn't notice the person who shoved me from behind. Shots were fired as I tumbled to the ground, a body covering mine. Curses and rushed footsteps left the room, then heavy breathing and silence. I struggled to get up, shoving the person who was protecting me off me. My eyes scanned the room, there were three bodies on the floor. One belonged to a woman, who was already on the ground when we got there. The other belonged to one of the culprits who Arya had shot. The third body belonged to Arya.
"A-Arya?" I crawled to her. Blood was seeping out of her chest. Her body felt cold and her breathing was too slow. Her eyes fluttered and she smiled as she closed them. I felt her neck pulse for a second, and she was gone. I took my walkie-talkie from my pocket and spoke into it.
"This is Zahara Jeri. Patrol team two. Officer down on Gillsland. Multiple shots fired. Multiple casualties."

"Zahara," I heard a voice whisper next to me.

"What are you doing here?" I croaked.

"I-I-"

"What are you doing here Ezra? You're not supposed to be here! Why are you even here?!" I screamed, shoving him back.

"I was trying to fix-"

"You know what, shut up! Just leave! Get out of here!"

"What?"

"Get out of here Ezra!" I pushed him up. "Go. Leave. The rest of the team is on its way."'

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Noah stopped me. "Zahara what did you do? What did you do?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Your partner died that day and you let a key witness escape? He was important to the case Zahara! He would have told us what happened!"

"I know that, I know-"

"Then what did you do?" Noah roared.

"I just wanted to protect him."

"Was he the shooter?"

"No, he wasn't. I promise you he wasn't."

"How can you be so sure Zahara?"

"Because I know him. Ezra wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Why are you even a police officer?" Noah barked. "That's not evidence Zahara! I need evidence!"

"He didn't have a gun on him. I'm sure of it."

"This is unbelievable," Noah breathed.

"I am so sor-"

"Teagan continue and make sure you record it, I'm hanging up."

"Noah-" Zahara tried to speak, but the call ended. She ran her hands over her face and groaned. "This is a disaster."

"Tell me about it," Teagan muttered. "I don't even know why I'm here anymore."

Zahara looked at her. "Please don't say that. I'm still the same person Teagan, it was one mistake."

"Mistake or not. You let a witness stroke suspect go. Arya's family would have had real closure about her death and who did it."

"I know."

"And you know what's funny? It's the same thing you're looking for right now. If this isn't karma, I don't know what is."

"Teagan. I feel horrible as it is..."

"Good. You should. And don't think I'll feel sorry for you. I'm only still sitting here because I can tell that you obviously wouldn't kill Ezra if you were willing to go that far for him. So, I want to know who the real criminal is." She tapped on her recording app and started recording. "Now, what do you remember from the day he died?"

"Teagan," she tried again.

"Zahara we don't have much time left. We have to go through the statements and we have to read Ezra's journal. Answer the question."

"Okay," she huffed. "That day is really blurry, but..."

'On the morning of his passing, after Myra left, we had breakfast together and Ezra told me he wanted us to go and visit his dad. We had visited him a few times before, but this time around I was going as Ezra's fiancé.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with this Ezra. Your father doesn't approve of me as your girlfriend and going there as your fiancé is just asking for trouble."

"Well, I'm not going there to ask for his permission. I'm simply telling him what's going on in my life. Keeping him updated. He doesn't have to like it."

"He is your father Ezra. Whether you like it or not, we need his blessing. I need his blessing."

As we were talking, the doorbell rang and Ezra stood up to answer it.
"Delivery for Ezra Levi," the delivery man said.
Ezra signed for it and came back to the lounge with a gift bag in his hand.

"What is it?" I asked.
A small smile graced his lips and he looked at me.

"What?" I asked, smiling back because it was so contagious.

"It's from The Vine." He wriggled his eyebrows as he pulled out a wine bottle from the gift bag.

"As in, your dad's 'The Vine'?" I asked.

"Yep. This is the blessing you've been crying for."

"Do we drink it now, or with him?"

"This is for us so let's have some now." He ran to the kitchen and came back with glasses.'

"We made a toast to 'cool dads', then I'm blank from there."

"So, was it something in the wine?"

"I don't know."

"We're kind of missing the obvious though." Teagan shrugged, pursing her lips.

"Which is?"

"Maybe Ezra drugged you."