on thin ice [karen/frank - marvel]

twenty six: blue and faded

He trudged through the building with the case file in hand, the boots he was wearing causing a loud echo along the walk. When he'd bought them, he'd bought them with a click so he made an entrance wherever he went. He stared ahead the whole time, his hands growing sweaty around the file as he was actually nervous.

He hadn't been nervous since he asked Karen out on a date.

Frank headed up the stairs toward the more superior part of the precinct, looking around at how much cleaner and more professional it was. He also noticed at how little he had actually been up there, other than for getting lectured. He was never up there being praised, always shit on. The only good memory up there was when he was promoted to Sergeant.

Commissioner LePaul's office was right at the end of a long and intimidating corridor, that Frank had to force himself to walk down alone. Usually he at least had Scott with him. The other offices along the way all stared at him as he passed and he felt as though he was completely out of place. When he knocked on the door, the reply was instant and he walked in quickly.

"Frank" She said, looking up from her desk completely. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose before sitting upright in her chair. He could tell she was shocked to see him and he wasn't really surprised since he'd branded himself a bad reputation around the place recently. "What can I do for you?"

Frank held the yellow envelope up in his hand. "Joseph Pollack"

"What about Joseph Pollack, he is a successful lawyer who I have worked with many times. Care to continue?" She asked, folding her arms. Frank wondered how she kept the posture up as after sitting up for 30 seconds he begins slouching. He also wondered if Pollack had paid her to kiss his ass when he's not around.

"He's a fraud" Frank replied, realising he had put it in the most blunt way possible. He figured LePaul would lecture him once again for being so rude about something he had no clue about. He sighed, trying to smile. "In the nicest way possible"

"Don't try and sugar coat it, will you?" She replied, almost jokingly as she sighed at him. Frank almost laughed in bewilderment as she attempted to crack a joke but he knew she would say something that would probably put him in bad mood. Shaking her head, she frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"He was paid by an abuser to throw a case slated against him so he would not be taken to court and possibly put in jail for it" Frank answered. He then placed the envelope down on her meticulously clean desk. Sliding it toward her, he kept a firm hand on it."I have all the details right here"

"Who is the offender?" She asked, pulling the envelope toward her. He let it go and put his hands behind his back because he figured that if she knew he trusted her, she'd go easier on him and he'd have a better chance at getting clearance and access to everything he needed.

"His name is Carson Morello, he abused his first wife and daughter and his second wife after she miscarried" Frank replied, swallowing the huge lump growing in his throat. Her frown hardened as she looked at him and he knew she could tell. "Personally I think they deserve justice and if you hear their stories and see their scars you'll think the same"

"How long have you been working on this?" She asked.

"A couple of months" He replied. "I am this close to catching him out, I swear it"

"Why didn't you bring it to me when you first got intel on it? I could have the whole thing thrown out and your badge taken away for tampering with evidence" She snapped, folding her arms as she looked up toward him. He took a deep breath as he could feel his anger rising.

"It wouldn't be tampering with evidence when it's not an official case yet" Frank replied, folding his arms to match her quickly. "I never bought it to begin with because the first ideas I had you would have thought were ridiculous, to be honest"