Case Closed (Ryden)

Chapter 2

Within a couple weeks, Ryan was already filling out the final paperwork for another solved case. Once the documents were ready to be filed, Ryan would head home for the day. He was concentrated on his writing until he heard hushed whispers on the other side of his door. He looked up, expecting someone to knock or walk in.

Though he couldn't make out the voices or what they were saying, he could tell one voice was nervous by the way their words shook and the other was more pressing. He stood up when he heard a body slam against the door.

"Shit. My bad. Sorry," the more pressing voice was now giggling. Ryan moved and opened his door to see Brendon looking over to his right with a frown on his face. Ryan assumed it was him that was pushed against the door by the way he was rubbing his arm.

"Urie?" Brendon snapped his head forward, eyes wide and mouth slightly open in shock.

"R-Ryan, uh h-hey." Brendon face slowly turned a bright red.

"Hi?" Ryan lifted an eyebrow at Brendon, in question. The shorter man just stood, staring silently at Ryan. "Can I help you with something?" Brendon shook his head as if snapping himself out of a trance.

"N-no. I mean yes. Well.. yeah," he stuttered as he looked down at the ground. Ryan chuckled in amusement at the nervousness of the man.

"Which one is it, yes or no?" Brendon looked over to his right before answering.

"Yes?" Ryan followed his eyes to see agent Williams watching them from around the the corner. When she noticed Ryan looking at her, she quickly moved back out of sight causing Brendon to turn his attention back to Ryan. "Are you busy later? We could have a drink together. My treat," Brendon rushed out quickly.

"Oh." Ryan was surprised at the offer. Brendon had his bottom lip pulled between his teeth nervously. "I, uh." He looked over his shoulder at the unfinished paperwork and next case files sitting on his desk. He turned back to Brendon. "I was planning on working on a few cases tonight." Brendon's posture deflated a fraction.

"We don't have to stay out long and I could help you. Two head are better than one."

"No," Ryan response automatically. He felt a hint of guilt when he saw Brendon flinch at the aggression of his voice. "It's nothing personal. I just work alone." Brendon nodded and looked away.

"Yeah, just thought maybe you'd like a hand to take some of the load off you shoulders." He looked back up at Ryan with a tight smile. "No worries though. Maybe some other night." Ryan gave a nod simply because he didn't know what to say.

Ryan assumed that Brendon could tell that there wouldn't be another night any time soon. Brendon nodded and let his forced smile slip. "Have a good night, Ryan."

"You too, Urie." Brendon gave another nod before walking away, disappearing around the corner where Williams was earlier. Ryan went back to his desk and finished up his paperwork before packing up. As he walked down the hall to the elevator, he heard a familiar voice coming from the break room.

"I've tried to give him the time off, but Ryan insists on me giving him more cases." Ryan stopped and listened to Andy's voice. Why was he talking about him?

"Can't you see that he's working himself to death. You're the boss, Andy. Make him take a break or at least get him to socialize with the other employees." Ryan moved over to the room where Andy and who's voice he recognized to be the chief's wife were conversing.

"I can't force him to do anything. If he wants to continue with these cases, as long as he can handle them, which he's proved he can, I can't really tell him 'no'. It's his job." Ryan felt himself getting angry. Why did Andy's wife care what he did with his life. He's an adult. He doesn't need some stranger interfering with how he lived with his life.

"He's still very young. He should be living life to his fullest not drowning himself in murder cases. He might be a great agent but he's failing as a functioning human being." Ryan took another step toward the room when a voice sounded behind him causing him to jump in fright.

"You're still here." He turned to see Brendon looking up at him with big hopeful eyes.

"Uh, yeah. I was just about to leave, but I think I just forgot something."

"Oh." Brendon's shoulders sank. He hand moved up to scratch the back of his neck. "Thought maybe you changed your mind or something." Ryan looked over at the break room then back at Brendon.

The conversation he overheard was replaying in his head, making him question his decision. Maybe he should take Brendon up on his offer. He had been working non-stop since he first started working here. Brendon was rocking nervously back and forth waiting for a reject or hopefully an acceptance to his invitation.

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but his hand automatically clenched onto the files in his hand. He looked down at the dull colored folders. His eyes shut as he let out a small sigh.

"I gotta get going. See you tomorrow, Urie." Ryan moved passed Brendon to the elevators. On his way down, the walk to his car and the drive home, he couldn't stop thinking about that conversation. Did other people think that way about him?

He moved to his home office and opened some of the files he brought home. With a sigh, he pulled an older, worn folder from his side drawer and placed it next to the others. He didn't need to open the older file. He had it memorized down to the last period. His eyes began to water as he started at the closed folder.

He spent countless nights working on hundreds of cases that resembled this unsolved one that now inhabited his drawer. He was bound to find a new lead, a new perspective, and new way to finally solve this case that has been haunting him for ages. If that meant being the unsocial freak of the office, well, that was worth it to Ryan.