"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
Veronica could feel a sigh building up in her chest as the man spoke, seeming way too ecstatic over the small win against the Captain. Perhaps there was a more unspoken rivalry between them, or maybe something only spoken behind closed doors. Deciding to remain silent, Veronica walked over towards Hank's desk, sitting herself down in his chair. The android that had been sitting there almost looked incredulous that she would even think to sit in a chair that wasn't hers to sit in.
"I won't be helping until everything is finalized. That includes the monthly payments." She was making it clear that until she was guaranteed security, she didn't see any benefit to lifting a finger to help.
Without much thought, she logged into the man's computer, using details she had remembered from the system when she had infiltrated the system in order to sell the information she found. Veronica leaned back in his seat as her green eyes began to scan the contents of case files- all android related, a couple of which were closed cases. One caught her eye, while not exactly a closed case, it was marked as cold. It seemed suspicious to her given they had more than enough information to have found the suspects involved. No, perhaps they had found them but decided under unknown circumstances to let them go.
"Why risk your career to save my ass? Even if you get something out of it at the end of the day?" Veronica finally asked, closing the case file and once more resorting to slouching in the office chair.
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
"I won't accept less than five grand a month. Any denial will lead me to call my lawyer and you'll be left with nothing to proceed with in your case." Veronica began, remaining standing despite the invitation to sit herself down.
Veronica walked over to the glass wall separating the office from the bullpen. "7 Cameras in view, not including bodycams. All latest models. They're only meant to save footage if an incident occurs.. except I set them all to save onto an encrypted server". It was a dangerous game she was playing, teetering on the edge of a threat and blackmail.
"Can you imagine how many conversations have been stored? How many case files have been captured in frame?"
Veronica soon turned back to the two gentlemen, glancing between them momentarily. Her gaze eventually averted towards the terminal on his desk.
"This isn't blackmail. I just want you to understand this isn't even a fraction of what I'm able to do."
Veronica shoved her hands into the tube pocket of her hoodie. "All you need to do is agree, and I can tell you where the android went."
Fowler looked at the woman with a mix of horror and rage. Hank kicked his legs up and leaned back. Arms golfing behind his head.
“Told you she’s fucking good.” He wasn’t expecting the border line blackmail but the fucking look on Fowler’s face was hilarious.
“This woman should be behind damn bark, Anderson!” Fowler snapped. Hank only snorted.
“Last names now? Come on, Jeffery. I’ll even play nice with the android you’re making me work with.” He didn’t fucking like it. But it would be worth it to have the woman as an ally instead dealing their dirt.
Fowler paced behind his desk. Grumbling. Finally he stopped and looked at Veronica.
“If you can get into our security system, how easy is it for others to?” Were they that exposed?
“Better question.” Hank raised a hand mockingly. “Can she improve our security if we hire her?”
Improving their security had never been part of the deal and he knew it. The half glare Veronica shot in the detective's direction showed her distaste for such input, especially given she had never agreed to enhance their server security.
"It was easy for me, but for anyone else to get past the firewall undetected would be rather difficult. The likelihood of anyone attempting to hack into the system without setting off the security protocols is low." While she doubted it would soothe the paranoia inside of the captain, she thought it would be best to mention, if not to avoid having to carry out more duties than she was willing to do.
Veronica found her mind wandering, waiting patiently for the men within the office to come to a conclusion about her fate. Freedom in exchange for service, or punishment in the form of a cell. She hoped they would pick the smart option, which would be to erase her crimes from the system and pay her for information.
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
"I won't accept less than five grand a month. Any denial will lead me to call my lawyer and you'll be left with nothing to proceed with in your case." Veronica began, remaining standing despite the invitation to sit herself down.
Veronica walked over to the glass wall separating the office from the bullpen. "7 Cameras in view, not including bodycams. All latest models. They're only meant to save footage if an incident occurs.. except I set them all to save onto an encrypted server". It was a dangerous game she was playing, teetering on the edge of a threat and blackmail.
"Can you imagine how many conversations have been stored? How many case files have been captured in frame?"
Veronica soon turned back to the two gentlemen, glancing between them momentarily. Her gaze eventually averted towards the terminal on his desk.
"This isn't blackmail. I just want you to understand this isn't even a fraction of what I'm able to do."
Veronica shoved her hands into the tube pocket of her hoodie. "All you need to do is agree, and I can tell you where the android went."
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
Veronica wasn't pleased with the logic he used, knowing deep down that he was right about that; it's not the best to make a deal with someone if you don't know who you're talking to.
"Veronica.." She confirmed, resting the back of her head against the wall, the collision sounding out a dull thud.
Eventually, she straightened her posture and glanced in the man's direction, assessing the man on the other side of the glass. It seemed to her that he favoured more colourful language. Perhaps he had intended to get a laugh or chuckle from her when throwing those comments off about his coworkers, even if it fell flat on arrival for her.
"Clear my record, I'll tell you everything I know." That was her deal. Scrubbing her record would get her off without any consequences for her crimes, but in a way, the information she possessed may even out the scales.
Honestly Hank wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. But it hadn’t been that. It was actually a pretty logical and fair ask if she could deliver. Something nagged at him as he looked over the woman. She looked young. He’d called her a kid but really, she was. How’d someone so young get this good at digging up shit.
The lieutenants thoughts went in different directions. She could be an asset in the department. But she could also be in fucking danger. If she’s looking into shit then at some point she’s going to find the wrong sort.
“Alright, Veronica. Humor me. I clear your record.” He finally spoke up and leaned forward.
“But along with what you know, I want to work with you.” He kept eye contact. Serious and contemplating.
“What we have on you shows you’re fucking smart. And we could use an informant.” Before the woman said anything he raised a hand.
“In addition to clearing your record, I’ll get rid of any files we have on you. And offer you protection. No one will be able to track you to working with me. But if shit happens you’ll have a backup to deal with the mess.”
Given the almost wide-eyed look she shot in his direction, it was rather obvious she hadn't expected him to ask her to work alongside him as his informant. Although such an offer would be tempting to anyone else, there was a bigger matter she had to address.
"And the pay? I don't come cheap." Veronica stated.
After a moment of thought, she once more stood up and approached the glass. Her green eyes scanned over him once before letting out a small involuntary sigh.
"And.. small discrepancies get ignored." After all, she was an underground artist whose work littered the city. Whenever she wasn't doing jobs, she was painting, and vice versa.
Hank laughed. He couldn’t help it. Pay and ignoring her other work. She really was trying to cover her bases. He leaned back with a small grin.
“Can’t do much about pay. You’d have to go on the payroll and I don’t know shit how’d they do that. You’d be our first real informant that wasn’t just a rat we bribe and toss back.” He ran a hand over his beard in thought.
“I’d have to talk to the chief. Figure out something. You’re not exactly a nine to five employee.” Standing and stretching, his back popping with a wince he moved to the glass.
“As for your side project.” He opened the cell and nodded for her to step out. “I did say I’d deal with any files we have on you. That includes your art projects.” He smirked and held his hand out to hers.
“Come on. I’ll get these cuffs off you and you can fucking negotiate pay with Fowler. I’m not the one with deep pockets but he can figure it out.”
Fowler, he was the chief, the top dog of the precinct. From what she had been able to gather from idle snooping in personnel files, he had quite the temper, prone to raising his voice whenever someone had other ideas than himself.
She was sure he'd wish to keep his public image nice and clean.
Veronica actually hesitated as the cell door opened, seeming unsure for only a moment before taking in a breath and stepping over the threshold. She didn't like people, hated them, kept her distance because it was the only sure way to keep herself safe.. and yet here she was, negotiating for her freedom.
Once the cuffs were off, she rubbed at her wrists almost from habit, not because it had caused her any real discomfort. Veronica kept her hood up as she walked towards the open bullpen, green eyes scanning the room for the Captain's office. Well, it was almost the centerpiece; glass walls on an elevated platform.
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
Veronica wasn't pleased with the logic he used, knowing deep down that he was right about that; it's not the best to make a deal with someone if you don't know who you're talking to.
"Veronica.." She confirmed, resting the back of her head against the wall, the collision sounding out a dull thud.
Eventually, she straightened her posture and glanced in the man's direction, assessing the man on the other side of the glass. It seemed to her that he favoured more colourful language. Perhaps he had intended to get a laugh or chuckle from her when throwing those comments off about his coworkers, even if it fell flat on arrival for her.
"Clear my record, I'll tell you everything I know." That was her deal. Scrubbing her record would get her off without any consequences for her crimes, but in a way, the information she possessed may even out the scales.
Honestly Hank wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. But it hadn’t been that. It was actually a pretty logical and fair ask if she could deliver. Something nagged at him as he looked over the woman. She looked young. He’d called her a kid but really, she was. How’d someone so young get this good at digging up shit.
The lieutenants thoughts went in different directions. She could be an asset in the department. But she could also be in fucking danger. If she’s looking into shit then at some point she’s going to find the wrong sort.
“Alright, Veronica. Humor me. I clear your record.” He finally spoke up and leaned forward.
“But along with what you know, I want to work with you.” He kept eye contact. Serious and contemplating.
“What we have on you shows you’re fucking smart. And we could use an informant.” Before the woman said anything he raised a hand.
“In addition to clearing your record, I’ll get rid of any files we have on you. And offer you protection. No one will be able to track you to working with me. But if shit happens you’ll have a backup to deal with the mess.”
Given the almost wide-eyed look she shot in his direction, it was rather obvious she hadn't expected him to ask her to work alongside him as his informant. Although such an offer would be tempting to anyone else, there was a bigger matter she had to address.
"And the pay? I don't come cheap." Veronica stated.
After a moment of thought, she once more stood up and approached the glass. Her green eyes scanned over him once before letting out a small involuntary sigh.
"And.. small discrepancies get ignored." After all, she was an underground artist whose work littered the city. Whenever she wasn't doing jobs, she was painting, and vice versa.
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
Veronica wasn't pleased with the logic he used, knowing deep down that he was right about that; it's not the best to make a deal with someone if you don't know who you're talking to.
"Veronica.." She confirmed, resting the back of her head against the wall, the collision sounding out a dull thud.
Eventually, she straightened her posture and glanced in the man's direction, assessing the man on the other side of the glass. It seemed to her that he favoured more colourful language. Perhaps he had intended to get a laugh or chuckle from her when throwing those comments off about his coworkers, even if it fell flat on arrival for her.
"Clear my record, I'll tell you everything I know." That was her deal. Scrubbing her record would get her off without any consequences for her crimes, but in a way, the information she possessed may even out the scales.
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
Hank took the drive with a furrowed brow. Deviant cases were being held close to the vest. Not wanting the public to freak the fuck out and start destroying property. Looking over the drive it really did hold all the shit him and Connor had been documenting.
How the fuck did a kid do all that? And shit. Why sell it to news media? Were they trying to cause hysteria? Did they just not give a shit? Or were they hired to dig into the cases.
The lieutenant stood up and cracked his back. Telling Connor to continue his report, he headed to the holding area. Didn’t need the damn ‘droid following him constantly. And Hank’s curiosity on this wasn’t letting go.
Hank stood in front of the cell. Eyeing the girls who looked all to done with this shit. It made him chuckle. She wasn’t pacing or nervous. Just fucking done.
"You're Lieutenant Hank Anderson." Veronica stated, going off his tone of voice alone. He seemed a little too casual about the situation, which further prompted her to believe the man talking was the Lieutenant; all the beat cops and other detectives seemed too wary to engage with her. She didn't seem too bothered about her current position, making no move to sit up or change in any way as she talked. "I won't talk without one of two things: A lawyer or a deal."
Blunt, plain and simple. Veronica finally removed her arm from her eyes and sat herself up, a sigh pushing past her lips, eyes looking up to focus on the taller man. He was a lot fuller than she had been led to believe, but it seemed his physical health didn't often come between his ability to professionally handle cases and pursue criminals.
After a moment to access her options, she swung her legs around on the bench and stood herself up, almost seeming to squint with how bright the holding cell was. It wouldn't kill them to dim the lights a little, especially with the near-reflective and white surfaces. Veronica approached the tempered security glass, her face coming into focus, showing pale skin, deep dark circles, red veins creeping up towards her iris' and a split lip. "What happens now is up to what you choose. A lawyer means you get nothing, a deal means you get everything and we both get what we want."
Fucking Christ. Hank didn’t know if he should be impressed by the girl’s attitude or just fucking leave this for someone else to deal with. This was a whole fucking can of worms he’d be opening. Funny enough being impressed won over.
“You got a lawyer kid?” He snorted. “Cause I can tell you the one the state gives is fucking shit. They’re fucking dumbasses so the other guy looks good.” He got a good look at the young woman and saw the exhaustion on her face and how the lights bothered her.
“You on anything? Or just can’t stand the fucking blinding light?” He went over to the wall and lowered the lights. Wasn’t much but it was something so the white walls weren’t annoying. Going back he sighed and ran a hand through his grey hair.
“Look. Let’s start like this. Call me Hank. And you go by Veronica? You do you have a preferred name?” Pulling a chair over he sat in front of the cell.
Veronica relaxed her eyes when the lights were turned down, watching him as he moved back to his position in front of the glass. While she didn't want to sound like a broken record, she had made her position quite clear; if he wanted any information out of her, he would need to agree to whatever deal she would propose to him. It was an offer not many would take, but those wanting to further their prospects would take such a chance. She knew that if he was anything like the person stated in his files and reports, he would take her deal to apprehend the suspect.
She found herself walking back over to the bench, shuffling backwards until her back was resting up against the cold wall, folding her arms across her chest. It became blatantly obvious that she'd invoke the 5th until a decision was made.
The Swede knew the Lieutenant was clever, that he was capable of reading in between the lines and drawing his conclusions from it. How, she wondered, would he deal with the options before him. She was right when saying if a lawyer got involved, he'd be left with nothing for his case, but there were risks with blindly accepting her bargain for a deal.
Veronica chose to wait him out, seeing no downsides to simply staying quiet and getting herself comfy in the bare holding cell.
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
Hank took the drive with a furrowed brow. Deviant cases were being held close to the vest. Not wanting the public to freak the fuck out and start destroying property. Looking over the drive it really did hold all the shit him and Connor had been documenting.
How the fuck did a kid do all that? And shit. Why sell it to news media? Were they trying to cause hysteria? Did they just not give a shit? Or were they hired to dig into the cases.
The lieutenant stood up and cracked his back. Telling Connor to continue his report, he headed to the holding area. Didn’t need the damn ‘droid following him constantly. And Hank’s curiosity on this wasn’t letting go.
Hank stood in front of the cell. Eyeing the girls who looked all to done with this shit. It made him chuckle. She wasn’t pacing or nervous. Just fucking done.
"You're Lieutenant Hank Anderson." Veronica stated, going off his tone of voice alone. He seemed a little too casual about the situation, which further prompted her to believe the man talking was the Lieutenant; all the beat cops and other detectives seemed too wary to engage with her. She didn't seem too bothered about her current position, making no move to sit up or change in any way as she talked. "I won't talk without one of two things: A lawyer or a deal."
Blunt, plain and simple. Veronica finally removed her arm from her eyes and sat herself up, a sigh pushing past her lips, eyes looking up to focus on the taller man. He was a lot fuller than she had been led to believe, but it seemed his physical health didn't often come between his ability to professionally handle cases and pursue criminals.
After a moment to access her options, she swung her legs around on the bench and stood herself up, almost seeming to squint with how bright the holding cell was. It wouldn't kill them to dim the lights a little, especially with the near-reflective and white surfaces. Veronica approached the tempered security glass, her face coming into focus, showing pale skin, deep dark circles, red veins creeping up towards her iris' and a split lip. "What happens now is up to what you choose. A lawyer means you get nothing, a deal means you get everything and we both get what we want."
"Ten thousand, like we agreed upon." A gruff voice stated, clicking his tongue almost impatiently. The person he was talking to didn't seem inclined to respond as immediately as he would have liked. "So do you have the fucking drive, or not?"
"I do," the lady responded, her voice hoarse as if having never spoken before, "but let me see the account first." The silence that followed her request was long and drawn out, the man seeming to glare at her for how thorough she was being for such a simple handoff. Eventually, he rummaged through his pocket and brought out a small device, unlocking it and showing the large number on the screen. Veronica was satisfied with the amount on the screen, her hands reaching into both pockets simultaneously, her left hand grasping the drive, the other taking hold of a similar device.
Just as he began to reach for the drive, she pulled her hand back. "Transfer the money first- Insurance. I'm sure you understand, given what you do."
"Jesus.." He grumbled under his breath, holding the device towards her so that she could meet him halfway. It only took a few seconds before the money was deposited into her secure account, leaving him without any method of potentially tampering with the amount or to steal it back from her. Veronica wordlessly handed over the drive before taking the time to step away from the man.
Before either of them understood what was happening, several officers stormed the building with weapons drawn, one even tackling the buyer from behind and getting him pinned to the floor. His language was colourful, pinning the blame onto her for setting this all up, but that simply was not the case; she hadn't known this was about to happen to either of them.
The handcuffs felt cold, the hands that directed her towards the cruiser were rough and unforgiving, the language calculated and tempered.
~ # = = # ~
The arresting officer had logged all devices and weapons into evidence, the drive sent off to see what files had been stored inside. It was obvious given the amount traded, the information stored was delicate and remarkable. Little did they know there were bigger issues involved than originally thought.
Upon receiving the drive back from analysis, the arresting officer felt the blood in his veins grow cold, his stomach twisting into knots. The report showed a complete casefile of something that hadn't been released to the media due to the sensitive nature of the case. The death of an officer caused by a deviant android.
"Lieutenant," the officer spoke up, calling over to the unkempt man, his voice tight and tense. "The perp caught in the illegal trade of official documents.. She had all the information in your case, she was selling it to an underground media outlet known for leaking government insider information." He held out the tablet to the Lieutenant, wanting him to examine the information for himself. He wound up wondering how she had managed to bypass not only the firewall, but gain entrance to higher level clearance files without tripping the emergency protocols. It showed that she at least knew her way around with codes and scriptwork.
Inside one of the holding cells, awaiting to be processed and sent to a facility, Veronica remained quiet, laying on the solid bench with one of her arms hiding her eyes away from the harsh lights. Both knees were elevated with feet planted on the bench.
I'm quite surprised that any of the activity this account is seeing as of late is Pornbots/accounts. Like na. Not interested. Please leave, the door is over there and I'm sure it'll hit you on the way out.
“No, you can shut the fuck up and LISTEN TO WHAT I’M TELLING YOU-” Yelled a rather irate male, a large crashing noise coming just mere seconds after he had raised his voice.
Soon, another voice entered the picture. “I won’t listen to you anymore. You are a cruel, heartless person who isn’t deserving of the life he has!” It was another man’s voice, but slightly higher in pitch.
A yell of incomprehensible frustration soon left the original man before more crashing could be heard, and then finally, a loud bang which was unlike the ones before it. It was much louder and had more depth to it.. A gunshot.
While most began to evacuate the floor, running down the stairwell to safety, there was one occupant who remained within the protection of their flat, and she was heading over to the wall where the noises had resonated from and pressed her ear up against it, hoping to hear of something more from them. Nothing but silence awaited the nosey girl as she moved her head back away from the wall. The rather disheveled female made her way over to the window overlooking the dark and damp street, taking a hold of her notebook and pen along the way and began to write about all she had heard happen in her neighbors flat, including speculation regarding what had happened leading up to the potentially fatal outcome of the argument, followed by facts of previous incidents.
Veronica sat herself down onto the window-sill seat and watched as small groups of people began to collect out onto the sidewalk- although, what they had seemed to miss mere feet behind them was that very same android that had belonged to her neighbour escape into a back alley. A small hum of amusement left the girl as she wrote down what she had seen.
---
The girl, who had been writing peacefully of the incident, looked up towards the window when the flashing blue and red lights began to illuminate the dimly lit room, sirens becoming louder with each passing second until finally, the noise was almost overwhelming. A sigh escaped from the girls’ chapped lips. Veronica knew it was a matter of time before the police would begin door duty to build up an investigation in order to straighten the facts and understand the situation in its whole entirety. Adjusting her worn hoodie, the girl stood herself up from her comfortable armchair and made her way into the kitchen to sort herself some noodles. She had full intention of ignoring the knocks from the police and enjoying her night by eating noodles, reading a book and perhaps directing some of her attention towards her less-than-legal business. With the amount of information she had, she could very easily sell it to the news outlets who were probably plaguing media outfits with questions regarding the investigation and wanting anyone with information to step forward.
Soon, the girl began to hear more voices next door- police. It seemed the job could wait if the police were able to unknowingly provide her with more information; get a clearer picture of what had happened and how they intend on resolving the issue.
Veronica remained quiet after he asked for the name because the notebook would tell him everything he needed to know about her neighbours. Names of both occupants, date of birth for the now deceased man and even a note of a secret compartment only accessible via a keypad.. Though for someone so detailed, it was strange that she had refrained from writing the code down inside of the journal.
As the silence dragged, the girl had an increasing need to separate herself and get away from him. Not that she had anything in particular to hide, but that she couldn’t stand being around another human for much longer. The trauma and memories itching away at the back of her mind, reminding her of all the things humans alone were capable of. Finally, she stood up and made her way over to one of the duffle bags, zipping it up before he could take a good look at its contents. The large duffle contained various kinds of spray paint cans, small and large and a very good quantity of them too.
“If that’s all..?” She asked with a sort of.. Plea in her eyes. She needed out. Somewhere but there, away from everyone and alone with her own thoughts. Veronica finally slipped on a pair of beaten up sneakers and made her way up to the man, contemplating taking her journal back from him before finally walking past and leaving the apartment. One of the officers attempted to stop her to search her bag, but she refused to stop, earning her a few “Hey, get back here!” type commands, which she actively ignored and made her way down the fire escape to avoid any more trigger-happy morons.
Veronica walked along the street-light lit streets until finally stopping in front of the boarded up recreational centre. Due to not only a rat problem but a food safety violation issue in the cafeteria, the entire place was shut down. The only thing it was used for now was for tagging and sometimes drugs. Notorious for getting ambulance and police calls for drug users and overdoses. Veronica only used it to practice her new visions before they would eventually be painted on buildings around the city. It barely took the girl five minutes to scale the chain link fence and remove a few of the boards from the window and climb inside.
She knew most of the officers would be away by the time she returned, giving her ample opportunities to slip inside unnoticed and make some notes of the crime scene. After all, her main goal was to sell for a hefty price.
The girl certainly was short with her answers. The lieutenant had looked down at the writing once more when suddenly the woman was pushing past and leaving.
Hank grumbled in surprise and got a bit pissed off. He couldn’t believe he’d actually thought about giving her more information about the shooting. He was going to tell her the hun that was used but she just fucking left.
“So much for fucking talking.” Hank growled annoyed before slamming the door shut as he left. The other officers looked at him confused and he only shook his head.
“I’m heading back to the office to follow a lead. Call me if anything else comes up. Make sure to secure the door and windows with police tape. And leave one officer outside to watch the apartment incase the android returns.” He ordered. But his temper cooled as he remembered the android. Another possible victim even if he did shoot the man.
“And if the android returns, treat the kid like a vic. Sounds like he’s been through a lot. Got it?” The officer gave their usually grumpy lieutenant a confused look but agreed.
There were many things she could deal with, but many that she could only stand for a limited amount of time. Speaking with people face to face was something that she was able to hold for a small amount of time, and that event had been stretched way past previous limits.
Veronica walked around the hallways of the abandoned sports centre before coming to a stop- what was.. Could she hear crying? At first, the girl fully froze on the spot, listening to the sobs quietly. Something was telling her that they weren’t from a human, it didn’t sound.. Fully human. It sounded slightly mechanical. The girl took small steps until finally she was able to peak around the corner of the beaten door frame- it was the same android that had ran away.
Carefully, the heavy bag was placed on the ground beside her, freeing up her hands to take her phone from her pocket. It took a few minutes of researching before the girl finally came across the name she needed to see: Detective Hank Anderson. Well, the way she went about grabbing his information was.. Less than legal, certainly accessing DPD personnel files with a cracked log-in would get her arrested if they found out about it.
Maybe, just maybe, she would feel more comfortable talking if she had more of her focus on her paintings. Veronica wouldn’t hold her breath on it, but it was better than not getting any information and committing more serious crimes in order to gain access to what she wanted.
Veronica took his phone number and began to type up a message in a way that wouldn’t indicate herself: “Abandoned Rec Centre. Android in pool room”.
The girl decided to head to the basketball court while she waited for the sounds of footsteps walking down the hallways. Veronica dumped her bag on the worn linoleum flooring and made her way towards a more bare wall and started to line up her paints. Plenty of red and black, some blues and greys and even some yellow. The sun being painted black by a ghostly figure in red- certainly depicts a depressing picture.
“No, you can shut the fuck up and LISTEN TO WHAT I’M TELLING YOU-” Yelled a rather irate male, a large crashing noise coming just mere seconds after he had raised his voice.
Soon, another voice entered the picture. “I won’t listen to you anymore. You are a cruel, heartless person who isn’t deserving of the life he has!” It was another man’s voice, but slightly higher in pitch.
A yell of incomprehensible frustration soon left the original man before more crashing could be heard, and then finally, a loud bang which was unlike the ones before it. It was much louder and had more depth to it.. A gunshot.
While most began to evacuate the floor, running down the stairwell to safety, there was one occupant who remained within the protection of their flat, and she was heading over to the wall where the noises had resonated from and pressed her ear up against it, hoping to hear of something more from them. Nothing but silence awaited the nosey girl as she moved her head back away from the wall. The rather disheveled female made her way over to the window overlooking the dark and damp street, taking a hold of her notebook and pen along the way and began to write about all she had heard happen in her neighbors flat, including speculation regarding what had happened leading up to the potentially fatal outcome of the argument, followed by facts of previous incidents.
Veronica sat herself down onto the window-sill seat and watched as small groups of people began to collect out onto the sidewalk- although, what they had seemed to miss mere feet behind them was that very same android that had belonged to her neighbour escape into a back alley. A small hum of amusement left the girl as she wrote down what she had seen.
---
The girl, who had been writing peacefully of the incident, looked up towards the window when the flashing blue and red lights began to illuminate the dimly lit room, sirens becoming louder with each passing second until finally, the noise was almost overwhelming. A sigh escaped from the girls’ chapped lips. Veronica knew it was a matter of time before the police would begin door duty to build up an investigation in order to straighten the facts and understand the situation in its whole entirety. Adjusting her worn hoodie, the girl stood herself up from her comfortable armchair and made her way into the kitchen to sort herself some noodles. She had full intention of ignoring the knocks from the police and enjoying her night by eating noodles, reading a book and perhaps directing some of her attention towards her less-than-legal business. With the amount of information she had, she could very easily sell it to the news outlets who were probably plaguing media outfits with questions regarding the investigation and wanting anyone with information to step forward.
Soon, the girl began to hear more voices next door- police. It seemed the job could wait if the police were able to unknowingly provide her with more information; get a clearer picture of what had happened and how they intend on resolving the issue.
Veronica remained quiet after he asked for the name because the notebook would tell him everything he needed to know about her neighbours. Names of both occupants, date of birth for the now deceased man and even a note of a secret compartment only accessible via a keypad.. Though for someone so detailed, it was strange that she had refrained from writing the code down inside of the journal.
As the silence dragged, the girl had an increasing need to separate herself and get away from him. Not that she had anything in particular to hide, but that she couldn’t stand being around another human for much longer. The trauma and memories itching away at the back of her mind, reminding her of all the things humans alone were capable of. Finally, she stood up and made her way over to one of the duffle bags, zipping it up before he could take a good look at its contents. The large duffle contained various kinds of spray paint cans, small and large and a very good quantity of them too.
“If that’s all..?” She asked with a sort of.. Plea in her eyes. She needed out. Somewhere but there, away from everyone and alone with her own thoughts. Veronica finally slipped on a pair of beaten up sneakers and made her way up to the man, contemplating taking her journal back from him before finally walking past and leaving the apartment. One of the officers attempted to stop her to search her bag, but she refused to stop, earning her a few “Hey, get back here!” type commands, which she actively ignored and made her way down the fire escape to avoid any more trigger-happy morons.
Veronica walked along the street-light lit streets until finally stopping in front of the boarded up recreational centre. Due to not only a rat problem but a food safety violation issue in the cafeteria, the entire place was shut down. The only thing it was used for now was for tagging and sometimes drugs. Notorious for getting ambulance and police calls for drug users and overdoses. Veronica only used it to practice her new visions before they would eventually be painted on buildings around the city. It barely took the girl five minutes to scale the chain link fence and remove a few of the boards from the window and climb inside.
She knew most of the officers would be away by the time she returned, giving her ample opportunities to slip inside unnoticed and make some notes of the crime scene. After all, her main goal was to sell for a hefty price.
“No, you can shut the fuck up and LISTEN TO WHAT I’M TELLING YOU-” Yelled a rather irate male, a large crashing noise coming just mere seconds after he had raised his voice.
Soon, another voice entered the picture. “I won’t listen to you anymore. You are a cruel, heartless person who isn’t deserving of the life he has!” It was another man’s voice, but slightly higher in pitch.
A yell of incomprehensible frustration soon left the original man before more crashing could be heard, and then finally, a loud bang which was unlike the ones before it. It was much louder and had more depth to it.. A gunshot.
While most began to evacuate the floor, running down the stairwell to safety, there was one occupant who remained within the protection of their flat, and she was heading over to the wall where the noises had resonated from and pressed her ear up against it, hoping to hear of something more from them. Nothing but silence awaited the nosey girl as she moved her head back away from the wall. The rather disheveled female made her way over to the window overlooking the dark and damp street, taking a hold of her notebook and pen along the way and began to write about all she had heard happen in her neighbors flat, including speculation regarding what had happened leading up to the potentially fatal outcome of the argument, followed by facts of previous incidents.
Veronica sat herself down onto the window-sill seat and watched as small groups of people began to collect out onto the sidewalk- although, what they had seemed to miss mere feet behind them was that very same android that had belonged to her neighbour escape into a back alley. A small hum of amusement left the girl as she wrote down what she had seen.
---
The girl, who had been writing peacefully of the incident, looked up towards the window when the flashing blue and red lights began to illuminate the dimly lit room, sirens becoming louder with each passing second until finally, the noise was almost overwhelming. A sigh escaped from the girls’ chapped lips. Veronica knew it was a matter of time before the police would begin door duty to build up an investigation in order to straighten the facts and understand the situation in its whole entirety. Adjusting her worn hoodie, the girl stood herself up from her comfortable armchair and made her way into the kitchen to sort herself some noodles. She had full intention of ignoring the knocks from the police and enjoying her night by eating noodles, reading a book and perhaps directing some of her attention towards her less-than-legal business. With the amount of information she had, she could very easily sell it to the news outlets who were probably plaguing media outfits with questions regarding the investigation and wanting anyone with information to step forward.
Soon, the girl began to hear more voices next door- police. It seemed the job could wait if the police were able to unknowingly provide her with more information; get a clearer picture of what had happened and how they intend on resolving the issue.
“That’s usually my line. Asking you if you knew what happened.” He leaned back against the wall observing the girl. Her voice seemed to indicate she didn’t talk much. Or like to talk. And her eyes darting around. If her home hadn’t already screamed introvert, her body language did.
“I can imagine it was loud. We haven’t determined the circumstances but a man was shot and killed.” He sighed as he thought back to the crime scene.
“Did you know your neighbor? Did he live with anyone?”
Veronica only gave a small shake of her head and a shrug towards the man’s question, fully avoiding answering it altogether. She knew the neighbour’s first name and knew that he lived alongside one android. The nature of that relationship never showed itself to her, only leaving speculation and theories in place of the facts.
When she had first moved into her apartment, the man had invited her over for a “welcome to the neighbourhood” type meal, so she at least had knowledge of what the living area and bathroom areas looked like. But the extent of that neighbourly relationship stops there; no contact from that moment onwards.
“What kind of gun was it..?” The girl asked, the hoarseness in her voice having lessened because she had cleared her throat moments ago. Veronica fought back the urge to open up her journal and retrace her steps. She wanted nothing more than to know what had gone on in that apartment, and it was eating her that the details weren’t already spread out in front of her to pick apart.
Maybe if she at least told him an android was involved, more details would come to surface.. The only risk factor was that she would be letting onto the fact she knew more than she was giving and may be taken in for a more ‘official’ interrogation. A sigh of frustration left the girl as both risk and reward weighed very evenly on the scale.
“He didn’t-” Veronica started, shifting her gaze to meet his before looking down at her journal, “He.. had an android. No significant other or kids, just him and his MC500”. With little to no warning, the girl tossed the journal to the Lieutenant, seeming rather unsure of her own actions given what she had intended on doing with the information of the case. It was unlike her to help out, but her need for knowledge was greater than her desire to watch officials squirm under media heat.
“No, you can shut the fuck up and LISTEN TO WHAT I’M TELLING YOU-” Yelled a rather irate male, a large crashing noise coming just mere seconds after he had raised his voice.
Soon, another voice entered the picture. “I won’t listen to you anymore. You are a cruel, heartless person who isn’t deserving of the life he has!” It was another man’s voice, but slightly higher in pitch.
A yell of incomprehensible frustration soon left the original man before more crashing could be heard, and then finally, a loud bang which was unlike the ones before it. It was much louder and had more depth to it.. A gunshot.
While most began to evacuate the floor, running down the stairwell to safety, there was one occupant who remained within the protection of their flat, and she was heading over to the wall where the noises had resonated from and pressed her ear up against it, hoping to hear of something more from them. Nothing but silence awaited the nosey girl as she moved her head back away from the wall. The rather disheveled female made her way over to the window overlooking the dark and damp street, taking a hold of her notebook and pen along the way and began to write about all she had heard happen in her neighbors flat, including speculation regarding what had happened leading up to the potentially fatal outcome of the argument, followed by facts of previous incidents.
Veronica sat herself down onto the window-sill seat and watched as small groups of people began to collect out onto the sidewalk- although, what they had seemed to miss mere feet behind them was that very same android that had belonged to her neighbour escape into a back alley. A small hum of amusement left the girl as she wrote down what she had seen.
---
The girl, who had been writing peacefully of the incident, looked up towards the window when the flashing blue and red lights began to illuminate the dimly lit room, sirens becoming louder with each passing second until finally, the noise was almost overwhelming. A sigh escaped from the girls’ chapped lips. Veronica knew it was a matter of time before the police would begin door duty to build up an investigation in order to straighten the facts and understand the situation in its whole entirety. Adjusting her worn hoodie, the girl stood herself up from her comfortable armchair and made her way into the kitchen to sort herself some noodles. She had full intention of ignoring the knocks from the police and enjoying her night by eating noodles, reading a book and perhaps directing some of her attention towards her less-than-legal business. With the amount of information she had, she could very easily sell it to the news outlets who were probably plaguing media outfits with questions regarding the investigation and wanting anyone with information to step forward.
Soon, the girl began to hear more voices next door- police. It seemed the job could wait if the police were able to unknowingly provide her with more information; get a clearer picture of what had happened and how they intend on resolving the issue.
Veronica filled her noodle cup to the line with the boiled water and folded the foil lid back over to help the process of steeping the noodles, giving her a chance to head close to her front door and listen carefully to what was being spoken at her- well, yelled at her. The threats of the police officer didn’t inspire any form of fear into her, only seeming to bore her with how stereotypical it was. Another voice piped up from in front of her door- another officer, and they were telling off their colleague for potentially scaring her.
The voice, although gruff, was softer in tone and seemed to carry more understanding than the previous officers’.
Should she? If Veronica wanted more information, biting the bullet and letting them in might be a good idea for her to do. The thin girl carefully weighed her options in her mind, weighing the benefits she could sow versus the cons she would face for doing so- and the benefits won out.
Pulling up her hood over her head, the girl approached the door and unlocked the deadbolts and the chain lock, opening the door slightly so that he could enter all his own. No words needed to be exchanged for the officer to understand the situation.
Veronica turned the corner into the kitchen.
The sight of her apartment would come as a shock to most: floor-to-ceiling bookcases covering almost every single bit of wall space possible, each shelf stocked with different styled journals and old reading materials. Newspapers seemed to fill up the rest of the space that would otherwise have been left empty. Most would have thought regular newspapers would have disappeared due to the new kinds that shops were selling, but there were a couple of companies that still printed regular newspapers detailing the latest cases, tv shows and whatnot.
Her place was also home to many buckets of paints and spray cans, some of which were by the front door, making it a little tricky to get out without catching one's foot. Also by the front door was a large black duffel which contained the spray cans and brushes she needed to go tagging.
The girl soon emerged from the kitchen holding her instant ramen cup, quietly slurping at the unhealthy noodles with the help of a pair of chopsticks. She returned to her seat and curled herself up comfortably, awaiting for the officer to begin his interrogation for any information she may have.
When he heard the locks being undone, Hank stepped back so he wasn’t crowding the door. When it only opened slightly he carefully opened it the rest of the way. Eyes quickly scanning the room to make sure there was no danger. Seeing nothing but the young woman walking out with noodles had him raising a brow.
He carefully stepped in over the paint and entered the apartment. Watching as she sat and began eating. The girl didn’t seem phased at all at the situation happening around her. Which meant she was too use to this shit… or she simply didn’t care. Either way, her calmness had a slight amusement rising in the lieutenant.
“Uh, Veronica, right?” The girl hadn’t said anything for him to enter. Nothing in the paper said she was dead or mute. Still, the paperwork from the landlord could be lacking.
“Thank you for letting me in. I’m Lieutenant Anderson. I’m leading the investigation into the murder next door. I was hoping I could ask you a few questions?” He paused and looked her over before looking around the apartment.
“My first question was going to be if you were alright. But you seem quite calm with all the shit going on.” The corner of his mouth twitched in a grin.
Veronica shrugged towards the man’s slight surprise of her laid back and rather lazy persona, not really caring what anyone thought of her. As the girl continued to eat her noodles, she kept her eyes trained on the man. She could only trust the man as far as she could throw him, which wouldn’t even be more than a few feet.
“So.. what happened?” She asked in a slightly hoarse voice, soon clearing her throat to dislodge the lump she felt in her throat. Veronica had little intention of holding up a pleasant conversation, only wanting that information to sell onto other third party sources.
Upon eating up the last noodle, Veronica put the chopsticks into the cup and placed it onto the floor slightly to the side in front of her chair. She straightened her posture and took a hold of her notebook and began to tap at it with her nails, the rhythm seeming slow and quiet in volume.
Veronica carefully assessed as to what could be said next to potentially farm even a miniscule amount of information from the Police Lieutenant. “It sounded loud.. But I couldn’t hear what was said”, lie.
Her eyes finally looked away to the detective, turning their attention to the window. The flashing lights of the police cars hadn’t yet stopped, even if they had turned off the sirens for the sake of the other residents of surrounding apartment blocks.
“No, you can shut the fuck up and LISTEN TO WHAT I’M TELLING YOU-” Yelled a rather irate male, a large crashing noise coming just mere seconds after he had raised his voice.
Soon, another voice entered the picture. “I won’t listen to you anymore. You are a cruel, heartless person who isn’t deserving of the life he has!” It was another man’s voice, but slightly higher in pitch.
A yell of incomprehensible frustration soon left the original man before more crashing could be heard, and then finally, a loud bang which was unlike the ones before it. It was much louder and had more depth to it.. A gunshot.
While most began to evacuate the floor, running down the stairwell to safety, there was one occupant who remained within the protection of their flat, and she was heading over to the wall where the noises had resonated from and pressed her ear up against it, hoping to hear of something more from them. Nothing but silence awaited the nosey girl as she moved her head back away from the wall. The rather disheveled female made her way over to the window overlooking the dark and damp street, taking a hold of her notebook and pen along the way and began to write about all she had heard happen in her neighbors flat, including speculation regarding what had happened leading up to the potentially fatal outcome of the argument, followed by facts of previous incidents.
Veronica sat herself down onto the window-sill seat and watched as small groups of people began to collect out onto the sidewalk- although, what they had seemed to miss mere feet behind them was that very same android that had belonged to her neighbour escape into a back alley. A small hum of amusement left the girl as she wrote down what she had seen.
---
The girl, who had been writing peacefully of the incident, looked up towards the window when the flashing blue and red lights began to illuminate the dimly lit room, sirens becoming louder with each passing second until finally, the noise was almost overwhelming. A sigh escaped from the girls’ chapped lips. Veronica knew it was a matter of time before the police would begin door duty to build up an investigation in order to straighten the facts and understand the situation in its whole entirety. Adjusting her worn hoodie, the girl stood herself up from her comfortable armchair and made her way into the kitchen to sort herself some noodles. She had full intention of ignoring the knocks from the police and enjoying her night by eating noodles, reading a book and perhaps directing some of her attention towards her less-than-legal business. With the amount of information she had, she could very easily sell it to the news outlets who were probably plaguing media outfits with questions regarding the investigation and wanting anyone with information to step forward.
Soon, the girl began to hear more voices next door- police. It seemed the job could wait if the police were able to unknowingly provide her with more information; get a clearer picture of what had happened and how they intend on resolving the issue.
Veronica filled her noodle cup to the line with the boiled water and folded the foil lid back over to help the process of steeping the noodles, giving her a chance to head close to her front door and listen carefully to what was being spoken at her- well, yelled at her. The threats of the police officer didn’t inspire any form of fear into her, only seeming to bore her with how stereotypical it was. Another voice piped up from in front of her door- another officer, and they were telling off their colleague for potentially scaring her.
The voice, although gruff, was softer in tone and seemed to carry more understanding than the previous officers’.
Should she? If Veronica wanted more information, biting the bullet and letting them in might be a good idea for her to do. The thin girl carefully weighed her options in her mind, weighing the benefits she could sow versus the cons she would face for doing so- and the benefits won out.
Pulling up her hood over her head, the girl approached the door and unlocked the deadbolts and the chain lock, opening the door slightly so that he could enter all his own. No words needed to be exchanged for the officer to understand the situation.
Veronica turned the corner into the kitchen.
The sight of her apartment would come as a shock to most: floor-to-ceiling bookcases covering almost every single bit of wall space possible, each shelf stocked with different styled journals and old reading materials. Newspapers seemed to fill up the rest of the space that would otherwise have been left empty. Most would have thought regular newspapers would have disappeared due to the new kinds that shops were selling, but there were a couple of companies that still printed regular newspapers detailing the latest cases, tv shows and whatnot.
Her place was also home to many buckets of paints and spray cans, some of which were by the front door, making it a little tricky to get out without catching one's foot. Also by the front door was a large black duffel which contained the spray cans and brushes she needed to go tagging.
The girl soon emerged from the kitchen holding her instant ramen cup, quietly slurping at the unhealthy noodles with the help of a pair of chopsticks. She returned to her seat and curled herself up comfortably, awaiting for the officer to begin his interrogation for any information she may have.
