Two Miles to Heaven

-Chapter 15- «Breaking In»

I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt after loosening the tie; dressing up properly for work was one of my inner standards, as a detective.

That explained the many trench coats and hats that I neatly disposed in my closet, to which Kendall referred to me as Stan Smith from American Dad. I also had my grandfather's pipe that I carefully kept in my great grandmother's metallic keepsake box that she gave me when I was five or six, a couple of days before her death.

A Sherlock Holmes starter pack, indeed.

I was reviewing Alice's file, for the umpteenth time, in Kendall's living room, trying to find a tiny information that I might've missed until she finished getting dressed in her room, going down the stairs while checking her phone.

She was wearing a black turtleneck wool top with a pair of high-waisted flare blue jeans and some black high-heeled boots, along with a grey sleeveless coat and a French cardinal red beret.

That's my girl; being classy on her way to a mission, just like me.

-"Hey... That beret, I bought it to you as a gift when we went to that cultural school trip, in high-school." I remembered, widening my eyes in surprise with a bright smile. "You kept it?"

-"Duh, of course!" she replied, making it seem obvious with a frown, still swiping through her phone before lifting her gaze to me. "Wait... You still have your grey beret that I bought you from that trip, right?"

Of course I did. How can I lose something that reminded me of her? Her gifts, her letters, her pictures; all of them are preserved in that same large keepsake box. I couldn't tell her because I was too afraid of her reaction; what if she thinks I'm a psychopath? I couldn't risk losing her over some stupid box.

-"If I knew that you kept yours, I would've worn mine as well." I admitted, smiling.

She glared at me as a way of accusing me, in case I was lying but I waved my hands in defense because I did keep it, really.

-"Shall we go?" I demanded, giving her my elbow to hold and that's what she did, as if we were going to have a dance session.

We headed to Susan's place where I parked my car, a few meters away from her building. Kendall took her phone and dialed Larry's number.

-"Hey, Ken Doll." He greeted.

-"We arrived in front of Susan's building. Your turn now." She informed him before putting her phone on speaker mode so we can both hear the conversation.

-"Hello, Miss Studman. This is the New York Police Department calling. We would like for you to come by, at the 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side, please." Larry's voice was audible as well as Susan's on the other line.

-"Why would I?" she asked.

-"This is regarding your mother's case. If you can't handle your own transportation, we can send a car if you want."

-"No... Fine. I'll be there in a minute." She hung up.

-"What are you guys going to talk about, Larry?" I asked him.

-"I'll improvise." He replied accusingly, earning a laugh from Kendall and I.

We sat there, listening to some nerve-relaxing music. Ken's fragrance smell was lingering in the car; it added up to the peaceful aura. I glanced at her, thoughtful.

-"You're very cute, today." I blurted, out of nowhere. She looked at me, grinning before pouting.

-"Only today?" she folded her arms, jokingly avoiding my gaze.