To Lola: 13 years later

Chapter four

Date: January 1st, 1991. 12:37 am

Detective William is sitting behind his desk looking over case files for his other clients, occasionally taking sips of his coffee next to him and never stopping his work unless to ask something of Rosie or take a glance at her body. Rosie was busy organizing his things, the noises of the people in the streets and the loud fireworks of new years celebrations could easily be tuned out with a bit of her own magical assistance, but her employer seemed to be having trouble with the sounds.

"Don't those people know that there's more important people trying to work right now?" He huffs in an annoyed tone.

"I don't think they care sir."

"They should. I could buy and sell their bloodline if I wanted to, everything happening in this office is ten times more important than whatever their hollering about..." William rolls his eyes and looks up at Rosie, trying to see her reaction.

"It's new years, makes sense why they'd be out and about..." Rosie sighs and stands up, feeling the bones in her spine crack and her body relax slightly.

"New years?" William looks at his calendar and coughed slightly to cover his slight embarrassment. "When did that happen? Guess the days have all been blending together from all the work" he chuckled a little.

Rosie sits in the seat across from him, her deep red eyes on his hands as he goes back to writing on some paperwork, his handwriting is neat and his movement are quick and his hands are still, not even flinching at the fireworks right outside the window. His eyes quickly shoot up to hers and he smirks.
"Like what you see? You want these hands somewhere else?"

Rosie looks up to his blue eyes with an irritated glare, causing the man to chuckle and go back to writing. "So... Rosie, where'd you move here from?" William tone raised slightly with his curiosity.

"Came here from small town in New Hampshire, why?" Her tone held no hostility, but confusion over the sudden question, she tilts her head back slightly and sits upright in her chair.

"Just wondering. Say, where'd the German come from? Mom or dad?"

"My father. Now enough about me. I wanna hear a bit from you, so-" She get cut off by the detective as his piercing blue eyes stare into hers, he places the pen down and straightens up in his chair.

"You wanna know about this? Right?" He says calmly, while raising his left hand. The healed scar over where his ring finger used to be.
"Correct" Rosie replied.

"Well, it's quite the story..." William sips his coffee. "Not gonna be a fun one either... let me just-" he reaches under his desk, grabbing a half empty bottle of vodka, taking a swig then closing it and putting it back, which earns a small chuckle from the woman. William takes and breath, collecting his thoughts and running his hand through his blond hair.

"Okay, where to start.... It was last year, after closing a particularly long case, I was heading home at around 4 am. I got to my house and went inside... normal right? Wrong."

His tone is oddly playful and lighthearted for a story about how he lost a finger, but his expression and speech soon turn more aggravated.

"Turns out that bitch of a woman I called my wife had heard "through the grapevine" that I was having an affair with one of my clients. She trashed the house and left me about 4000$ of property damage, I don't even know how that frail bitch managed to do it-"

"And your hand, sir?

"Oh, yea, That. Well, she was waiting for me when I got home, screaming and crying about random things, honestly I can't even remember what! She was just yelling and I was tired enough! I just ignored her, told her to get out of MY house."

He sips his coffee and sighed deeply.

"She grabbed me and I guess I was to tired to noticed she snatched my revolver from my jacket. I managed to get her far away enough. She still pulled the trigger, luckily her aim was shit and it missed me, just barely. Managed to take out a finger... she left and I haven't seen her since the divorce."

William leans back in his chair and loosens his tie, he let out a sigh and tired to clear his mind. "We've talked enough about me. Tell me about you, been distracted lately? I can tell. What's on your mind?" A smirk spreads over his face.

Rosie's brows furrowed and she pinched the bridge of her nose. " I just can't shake the feeling I forgot something this morning, like there was something I forgot to do before I left." That was one thing that no amount of magic could help. But she can't shake this feeling that something wasn't right, she ran though her morning in her head as best she could remember.

Getting up. Doing makeup. Getting dressed. Eating. Making the Gnome food-

That's it. She forgot to lock the door from the inside. Without that bit of magic to keep the door shut. That little thing could escape, and most likely come looking for her. Which isn't good, last thing she needs is William seeing this tiny creature and getting suspicious. getting burned at the stake doesn't sound too appealing yet, and who knows what this man could do if he found out about her lineage... maybe he wouldn't care at all, but that's not a risk she's willing to take.

Seems just as that clicked in her head, a tiny little knock was heard at the door. Rosie's body froze, and a smile spread over the Detective's face as the curiosity rose in him.

"A visitor? This late?" He stands.