The Detective

Chapter 2 - Hazelnut Puddles

The Wake County Sheriff's Office was bustling like usual when I walked in on Monday morning with my coffee in one hand and a stack of case files in the other.

The morning receptionist, Margaret Barker, was typing at her computer. "Good morning, Detective McNamara."

"Morning, Marge. How's the grandbaby?" I asked as I passed by her desk.

"Spoiled already. Did you have a nice weekend?" she asked.

I still wasn't sure. "It was definitely interesting." I turned and pushed the interior office door open with my back. "Have a good day."

"You too," she said over the white rim of her glasses.

On the other side of the door, as I turned around, someone slammed into me. Hot coffee sloshed all over the front of my new tan pullover. "Ah, damn it," I muttered, holding my arms out and looking down at the milky brown puddle around my boots.

"Sorry, Nate!" It was our IT guy, Ramon Edgar. Ramon reminded me of a Weeble Wobble with a soul patch. He had an incurable case of acne that had scarred his face, and he had gauges in his earlobes. He lived in his grandmother's basement and spent his free time playing World of Warcraft. How did I know? Because it was my job to know useless information about people.

I huffed and wiped my shirt with my sleeve. "It's OK, Ramon."

"I got it, boss," someone said to my right. An inmate trustee, Dennis Morgan, was already coming in my direction with a mop.

Ramon was still horrified in front of me. "Man, I'm sorry. I didn't see the door open in front of me."

I held up the files in my hand to silence him. "It was an accident, Ramon. Don't worry about it."

He was fidgeting, paralyzed in limbo between some unseen further obligation to me and his own social awkwardness. Fidgeting drove me nuts.

I pointed down the hall. "You can go now."

He nodded. "Right. Sorry."

"Need some more coffee?" Dennis was eyeing my empty cup as he sloshed up my spilt drink. His red hair, red eyebrows, and red freckles made his orange and white jumpsuit look like central Florida camouflage.

I stepped over the puddle. "I'm good. Thanks, Dennis."

"Just doing my job," he replied.

"McNamara!" a familiar voice barked across the room. It was the voice that made my balls jump back up into my stomach. Lieutenant William Carr was the resident asshole of the department. He was also my boss.

Carr was standing in the doorway of his office still wearing his long, black overcoat.

I groaned and headed in his direction. "Morning, Lieutenant."

He didn't greet me. "Where are we at with Kensington?" He turned on his heel and walked back into his office while I followed.

He walked around behind his large oak desk and slipped off his coat.

"Sir, we're following up on two leads that we believe are—"

"Do I smell hazelnut?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

I sighed. "Coffee accident."

His eyes narrowed. "I hate hazelnut."

It was all I could do to not roll my eyes. "My apologies." I approached his desk and offered the files in my hand. "I will personally be following up with Mayor Kensington first thing this—"

He pushed the files away and slammed his fist down on the desk. "While you were off working on your little side investigation, there was another robbery this weekend, Detective!"