The Periwinkle Affair

TPA 17: Turn Back time

AS Alden walked in the firehouse, he looked around to see all familiar faces but did not see the only face he always wanted to see. Maine wasn't anywhere. It's been three months that she hasn't been in but she shows up if there's any rescue or alert.

Today is one of those days. He sat on his desk not far from Maine's staring at her desk. Leo came up and tapped his shoulder.

"She's not here. She's taking care of her daughter." Leo said hushly. He looked up and stared at his eyes. "You're looking for her, right? She's not here. She hasn't been here." His brows furrowed. He didn't get what Leo was trying to say.

"So? Who cares?" He replied. Leo's brow arched then shook his head

"I love that song, Bro." Cisco yelled across the room. He turned to look at the guy with brows still furrowed. "Tulak ng bibig, kabig ng dibdib. That was one of my older sister's favorite songs." He added.

"I don't know if you're dense or you're dumb, Richards." Big Mike cooed with the two. There's only four of them today and two dispatch personnel, Bill for the whole week and Mayette for the weekend.

"Chief, I think he doesn't know what he's missing." Bill said with a big toothy smile behind Leo.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" He asked annoyingly. He's not missing anyone at all. "Missing who?" He then added.

"MAINE!" All four men chorused. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. He did not say a word as he turned on the computer monitor in front of him. Yeah. Her. I miss her.

"You know what, you need to slow down on the glaring and start the loving." Bill chuckled, shaking his bootie as he was going into the dispatch room. Big Mike and the others laughed at what Bill said but went to their own corners afterwards.

Alden was left alone, thinking. He still hasn't fulfilled his promise to his mom yet and things are starting to change, not where he wants it to be, but where he is afraid to be.

His mind is not liking it but his heart is loving it. What the F... He shook his head, he still needs to fulfill his mother's dying wish or else, he may not be able to sleep at night. You can't sleep at night anyway thinking of her lips, stupid.

His heart teasing him in protest. When did his mind agree to what his heart was saying? He's losing his mind, he needs to get on it.

"Big Mike!" He called out to their chief as he was about to get in his office.

"What?!" Big Mike asked with his big echoing voice. Their building does that all the time. It sounds hollow and echoey like it is an empty building but not really.

"What do you know about the accident that happened at the tenement nearby about three-four years ago?" He asked. Mike stared at him. Cisco heard it, sat up straight and looked at Big Mike, meaningfully.

"What do you want to know about it?" Big Mike squinted his eyes, sitting on Ruben's desk. Trying to see the real reason as to why he wanted to know.

"Nothing really. I heard from a few people there about that accident." He's hating himself to go along with other people's words.

He knew what his mom said. It wasn't an accident at all because a lady pushed his brother off the ledge.

"Oh, you mean the 16 year old kid that slipped and fell off the fourth floor ledge? That one who stole a lady's bike and made her chase it? The one where there were four boys who went up alive and only three came out alive? Why don't you go down to Emerald PD and ask for the police report. And when you're done with that, check with the library for their news archives and some neighbors." Cisco went on from one sentence to a whole novel reply. Alden stared at him. He knew some things.