Judge, Jury, & Executioner

Chapter 4

Maddox had hidden the book inside a file folder, hoping to prevent her new partner from seeing it. He already used every piece of ammo he got his hands on. Catching her reading the book would only put icing on the cake. She flipped the page and continued reading, skipping the four paragraphs about the kiss shared between Foxx and Sloan.

Her feet rested on her desk, crossed at the ankles. Maddox's sneaker bottoms sticking out amongst the dress shoes worn by her coworkers. Not to mention the jeans she wore with torn cuffs at her ankles. The only downside to sneakers was the occasionally time you'd be walking on your pants leg and not know it. Too many of her pants had suffered from this. A simple t-shirt under a suit coat gave her the only professional look she needed.

Then she heard his footsteps. Clobbering towards their desks, as his size eleven feet slammed into the floor. Dressed in a suit with a tie and coat, and an ever most dismayed look, she could tell he'd been to see his father. Buckley Drake did not have it easy being the son of the police commissioner, but perhaps the worst part, was indeed being his son.

The constant questioning from other cops, and sneers, would annoy anyone. But Drake seemed more disturbed by the way his own father treated him. Maddox couldn't blame him. Anyone's dad who did nothing but criticize would suck.

Drake tossed a newspaper onto her desk and then a smile formed. "Your boyfriend's in the paper again."

Every piece of ammo.

Maddox leaned forward, keeping the book hidden, and then grabbed the paper. Looking at it, she saw the article about Reaves.

"One, he's not my boyfriend. Two, I don't care. And three, that got old after the first week." Maddox replied before dropping the newspaper into the trash. (On top of the other four editions she'd grabbed out of the break room)

Drake shrugged it off and then he took a drink of the cup of coffee that'd been there since she got there. Which was about an hour before Drake showed up.

"Oh, that's gross." He said lowering the cup, gagging.

Maddox reached over and handed him her coffee cup. He grabbed it and then looked inside it.

"Fill mine up while your at it." She said, without taking her eyes off the book.

She heard a sigh and then his clobbering footsteps heading towards the break room. A smirk formed and then she quickly suppressed it. Continuing on with the book, she found the ending rather happy. Much more happy than the real ending, of course. What she wouldn't give for the happy ending? Instead of having to watch Casey Allen's widow sobbing at his funeral.

Maddox closed the book and then covertly moved it to a drawer. She sat up and pulled her feet off the desk. Drake returned with coffee and she took it from him. As she took a sip, she remembered drinking Reaves' coffee. It was like a flavor paradise. Shaking the memory out of her mind she looked at Drake who seemed to have returned his thoughts to his father.

"So how'd it go with your dad?" Maddox asked.

He nodded and then explained. "Pretty good I guess. Apparently, my arrest record could use some more numbers. Do you think he reads everyone's arrest record?"

"He is the commissioner." Maddox reasoned, causing Drake nod in agreement.

Then she heard him mumble, "But he doesn't criticize their numbers."

Maddox looked around the room and then at Drake.

"Do you need a murder to make you feel better?" She joked.

"Does committing one count?"

"Either way I'd get to arrest someone."

Drake's smile returned and her job was done. Keeping Drake from doubting himself had become her personal mission. The poor kid never accepted his mistakes. Heck, any time he made one it was like the world was going to end. While it was fun to see Mr. Perfect make a mistake, seeing his reaction to it wasn't as fun.

Maddox understood having a complicated relationship with a father. Her real dad had been a cop, until he was arrested for stealing and conning people out of thousands. Then, during the trial, he disappeared. No one ever saw him again. A part of her hoped he had died somewhere. Once he disappeared, she was put into foster care and adopted by a foster family.

While she loved them and appreciated everything they did for her, she still wished she could see her father one last time. Ask him why. See if she could understand. Though, she knew she never would. Knew, he'd never come around. Maybe it was best that way though.

Maddox took a gulp of the coffee and felt it burn her tongue. She kept from spilling the coffee and then placed it on the desk. She folded her arms and looked at the computer. For once, she had no paper work. Drake, on the other hand, had plenty.

She turned in her chair and saw Captain Aidan Doyle walking into his office. He completely ignored them as he slammed the door behind him into his office. That's new. She turned back to Drake who completely missed the whole thing as he was no holding the book she had hidden in her drawer.

"How did you-"

"That's not the point, the point it, you're reading the book based on you and your boyfriend." Drake said, hardly trying to resist the smile on his face,

Maddox grabbed for the book and he pulled it out of reach.

"What did you think of the kiss?" He asked.

"It was unneeded. Not everything needs a romance." Maddox said before adding, "Especially not that."

Drake smiled and then he sat the book down on his desk. Maddox grabbed it and then opened her desk drawer. Inside was her book. Which meant Drake had guessed and she fell for it.

"I'll take my book back." He pointed to the book and she smiled back.

She turned her chair back to him and then dropped it into the trash. He looked at her in annoyance and then she poured the coffee, he had gotten for her, onto it.

"Still want it?" Maddox asked, placing her cup back on her desk.

"You owe me fifty bucks for a first edition." He replied.

"Want me to pour coffee on the cash too?"

Drake rolled his eyes and then returned to his paper work. Maddox snapped her fingers in victory and then she saw Doyle standing in front of her trash can. Staring at the book and coffee that covered it. She squinted at it and then looked at her.

"I'm not going to ask. In the meantime, Buckley, please tell your father to stop calling about putting you on a more prominent assignment." Aidan said, and then he turned to Maddox. "And you, pour coffee in the trash again and I'll have you help the janitor clean it up."

Maddox nodded and then opened an empty file folder to look like she was doing something. Doyle walked to the break room and Maddox found herself snickering. Drake joined in, until Doyle walked back into the room, and then they became quiet.