Disgustingly Appetizing

Chapter 7: Case Two (Part One)

"Well," Gavin smiled in relief, "Good news is that Fowler isn't here to bitch at me for the next week or so," the detective exhaled, "Bad news is that I still gotta haul your metal ass everywhere I go, ain't that right?" he looked to Richard with a defeated expression. "My programming strictly forbids me from leaving your side during these investigations, detective" the machine explained, "So, to cut it short, yes, I'm afraid you're stuck with me until further notice."

The brunette pursed his lips, "Of-fuckin'-course," he grumbled. "I took the liberty of reviewing some of the case files that were left open on your terminal," Richard voiced, changing the subject. Gavin eyed RK900, noticeably irked, "Don't go through my shit without my permission, asshole," he warned as he plopped himself on his chair. "Your tardiness left me with an abundance of time. I ultimately decided to utilize said time to memorize all open android investigations," the machine bluntly stated with a focused gaze, "Since your monitor was the most convenient outlet to obtain the information I needed, I accessed it."

"Look tin can," the detective sighed, "I'm not in the mood for snarky comments," he pressed two fingers against his right temple, "I had one too many drinks last night and now my heads payin' the price." Richard glanced at his partner with pity, "I apologize, detective," the android expressed as he squeezed his hands behind his back.

The brunette peered over his shoulder at his colleague, surprised by the machine's compliance. "So, you said you looked at the files on the computer, right?" Gavin tilted his head toward the terminal. "Yes, I found this one to be quite intriguing," Richard pointed to the monitor. Gavin leaned forward onto the desk and squinted his eyes as he tried to make out the text. "Let's see, let's see," the detective rubbed at his chin, "Blah blah Rebecca something...," he mumbled as his finger followed the text, "reported coming home to her android mangled and torn to pieces," Gavin's finger froze, his eyes shot open. "Holy fuck," he looked to Richard, "This chick was CyberLife's lead engineer."

The android nodded, "Yes, Ms. Rebecca Gomez worked for CyberLife up until 2036. She was tasked to evaluate the cognitive functionality of androids," Richard explained, "To test for defects in hardware. She was one of the earliest human advocates of android rights and was promptly fired after voicing her thoughts on social media."

"And how do you know all that?" the shorter of the two crossed his arms. "I'm CyberLife's latest model, detective," RK900 stated in a condescending tone, "A simple background check is child's play for an android like me."

"Oh, excuse me," Gavin raised his hands, "Didn't know I was in the presence of fuckin' royalty," he snickered. "You asked a question. I simply answered it," Richard shrugged. The brunette waved his hand dismissingly as he shifted his gaze to scan the computer screen once more.

Gavin took a moment to read through more of the file. "Hm," the detective picked at his lower lip, "It says here that her android, Raymond, was torn apart and placed in the master bedroom," he pressed his lips together as worry crossed his face, "With the word 'Omnipresence' painted on the wall behind the bedframe."

"Sound familiar?" Richard cocked a brow. "Ah fuck," Gavin shut his eyes and shook his head, "You think it's the same guy, huh?" he asked with a dejected expression, "The guy who killed Odette?"

"There is a high probability," the android stated with a stern look, "The report fits Odette's murderer's modus operandi" Richard turned to meet his partner's gaze, "We should go pay Ms. Gomez a visit. I've already calculated the route to her apartment complex," the machine expressed with a small smile. Gavin scratched the back of his head, "This guy has some balls going after people like Gomez," he scoffed, "I mean, she was the one in charge of android production. That's pretty fuckin' big."