Table For Four [unfinished*]

we are partners

2nd of December, 2005

11:36 am

The small police station situated on the side of Madrid was an agitated anthill. Not because there was so much happening. Just the people who were working on the renovation of the old building walked up and down shouting monosyllabic words to each other. In the only office of the station heavy metal music was blazing from a CD player.

"How on earth can you work in this noise, Alicia?!" Raquel threw some papers in front of the woman who was sitting by the desk, with one of her legs on it, while being focused on painting her nails.

"It's better than the sound of the drills and hammers." that one said absent mindedly, proudly checking out her work.

Raquel sat down in the chair on the other side of the table with an irritated look on her face.

"What? Last time you said that you are digging this band."

"I am. But not in this setting. I can't hear my own thoughts!"

"Funny. Because it actually helps me think." Alicia pouted.

"Well, just like regarding many other things, we are not on the same page about this either." Raquel rolled her eyes. "But anyway... if you don't have anything better to do, next time you need old documents go and search for them yourself!" she added as she pushed some documents in front of the other woman than crossed her arms.

The redhead looked at Raquel, her lips curling into a smile. She lowered the volume of the music a bit.

"You still can't swallow the fact that you have to take orders from me, is it so?"

The other just silently pressed her lips together.

"There are just a couple of months left Raquelita, then you will probably have your own little castle, and you can be your own boss too! Well... at least as far as your castle reaches..." she added, looking around with an unimpressed grimace.

Raquel would have lied if she said that she wasn't bitter. She passed the exam for this job with exactly the same percentage as Alicia. It would have been the first time that she works in a leading position. But her red haired friend apparently had a more convincing personality. Along with better practical skills, as they said. Normally she would have rejected the offer to work with her this way, but with her wedding coming soon, and her not wanting to burden her mother with her financial issues, she needed a job. And there was no other opportunity.

And she didn't want this to stain her already rather messy friendship with Alicia. "But to cite someone respectable: I don't have to look at you like on a boss, we are partners." she said eventually with a smile.

Alicia raised her glance back on her. "Always." she replied with a mischievous smirk, then she straightened up and looked at the papers laying in front of her.

"Let's see what we have..." she furrowed her brows. "It looks like our old guy was a talented amateur. In the sense that... he had many successful thefts, but never really tried for anything big..."

"It was probably what he was doing for a living."

"Yeah. But his stepson doesn't need to do that... Only God knows from where he got it, but he seems to dwell in money. He does it out of fascination..."

"Well... you don't have to do this either!" Raquel pulled her lips to the side. "You two are not so different." she added with a sigh.

"Did you just compare me to a snobbish, narcissistic thief?!" Alicia raised her glance on Raquel with a strict look in her eyes. "I am bored!" Alicia continued before Raquel could have replied. "Nothing ever happens here! And this is the biggest case right now in the country!"

"Yeah... I wonder how long until we get scolded for investigating cases which are not ours!"

Alicia sighed. "Can you at least try to show some enthusiasm?!"

"Not today..." Raquel muttered.

Alicia raised her eyebrows. "What is your problem?"

Raquel nervously tapped the side of the desk with her fingers. "We have once again had a fight with Alberto this morning... Yeah, I know your opinion about him, you don't have to repeat it!" she continued immediately when she saw the expression on Alicia's face. "But..."

"You're in love with the bastard." Alicia finished the sentence on a bitter tone. "Good for him."

And bad for you, Raquelita... Raquel was aware that this is what Alicia added to her words in her head, and she was glad that this time she didn't say it out loud. What is so bad about him anyway? He is strong minded, sometimes to the point of being infuriating, but... so are you!

Raquel furrowed her brows when she processed the comparison, and before Alicia could have gotten hung up on her expression she shook her head. "Anyway... if my sources are correct, the guy will probably be in this restaurant this evening." she placed a flyer on the desk. Cristian and Diego will be watching him, but that's all they plan to do today. They don't have enough evidence to arrest him."

"Your sources?" Alicia once again raised her eyebrows. "I thought Alberto is more strict when it comes about secrecy."

"I don't know it from Alberto. Does it ever occur to you that I talk to other people too, aside of you and him?!"

Alicia pouted. "Not too often."

"Stop getting on my nerves, Alicia! If you want to see the guy from closer, that's the place where you'll find him. Pick some fancy dress."

"Me? Aren't you coming too?"

"No. Alberto finally found the time to come and check some wedding organizers with me."

"I see." Alicia said on a neutral tone. "Well... thank you for the information. Could you please get me a coffee from downstairs? I am falling asleep here!" the redhead yawned.

Raquel stood up, and looked down at the other woman. "I am not your secretary!"

Alicia looked up at her, then she lazily stood up too. "Of course you're not. I thought you'd bring me one as a... friend." she said with a smile. "Even if we've had our issues lately... But I can get it myself. Do you want one too?" she blinked back at Raquel from the door. "Half of it milk, and with cinnamon, like usually?"

Raquel was pondering wether it was her who had lowkey paranoid tendencies or it was Alicia who was gaslighting her with a smile on her face.

And the fact that she even asked herself this, was proof that Alicia was right.

If she couldn't read the intentions of one of her closest friends with whom she used to share a room for years, how could she know the guy she's known barely for a year? Or is this exactly what Alicia is trying to make her think?!

She didn't want her to be right.

"Black. And no cinnamon." Raquel replied eventually.

Although she was aware that making Alicia believe that she was wrong about her coffee choice, won't make her automatically be wrong about other things too.

.

2nd of December, 2005

15:46 pm

"What the hell would I do at a wedding exhibition, Andres?!" Sergio looked at her brother, almost terrified.

"It's not an exhibition. It's a fair. And you'll be looking for an engagement ring. You just have to find our guy, who we know for selling fake diamonds. He has been refusing to answer the phone for days. Get at least some contact details out of him if you can't do more. We need some fake diamonds, and we don't have much time!"

"Why can't you go there? You are much more comfortable doing stuff like this than me..."

Andres placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Because if the guy sees me, he'll run for his life. And besides... I have a date." he added, and went back to button up the rest of his shirt.

"Fine. I'll do it." Sergio nodded, not even bothered to ask about who his reckless brother's date was this time.

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