As Evil As Ignorance

AEAI 4 - Not Exclusively.

For the rest of the week, we work on Jack's case. Her dad eventually calls us back and tells us about a boyfriend that he never really liked. After going over the crime scene photos and looking at all the evidence, we determine the assailant was after something specific because all the things of value were left. There was money on the counter, even. Unfortunately, it looks like it's someone she knew.

Hours upon hours are poured into one case. It's like this every time. No one wants to get something wrong. It could mean the incarceration of the wrong person. That would be devastating for a lot of people.

It ends up being a long night. I don't end up staggering home until around ten. And since it's been a fourteen hour day, I'm utterly exhausted. By the time I walk through the front door, I could collapse there and sleep for days.

Instead, Ella is calling my name as soon as I put my keys down.

"What could you possibly want as soon as I walk in the door?" I ask as I take off my jacket. Henry's looks up from his spot on the blue couch that he's pretty much claimed since he officially moved his stuff in a couple days ago. I nod to him, "Hey."

He throws his hand up in a single wave and then returns to the book in his lap.

El skips into the room with a smile. Her hand points behind her and she says, "Could you help me out?"

Rolling my head to the side and stretching my arms out, I nod, "Of course, what is it this time?"

"You look tired," she comments offhandedly.

I nod, yawning, "I just worked fourteen hours. Can we get this over with? What do you need?"

"Well," she smiles as she starts walking backward to her bedroom, "I just got this really awesome area rug from one of the singers that is using one of my songs."

I sigh and rub the back of my neck (a habit I picked up from Dad), "So heavy lifting?"

She just skips back off toward her side of the apartment without a response.

"Hey," Henry says from the couch, catching my attention, "if you want, I can help her and you can lie down. You look really worn out."

It's an actual smile that hits my lips, "You would do that?"

He shrugs and his cheeks pink a little, "Well yea, I live here too now. I can help out. I know I look skinny, but I can lift stuff."

"I just meant-" I shake my head only to look straight into his crystal blue eyes. "You don't have to."

He stands from his spot and brushes his hands down his pants, "It's no problem really. I just thought that-" he looks up at me timidly, "that you've been working a lot and you don't really get much sleep." He shrugs again and points to the door where Ella left through, "I'll just- I'm going to go."

As he leaves, my smiles gets bigger and it has nothing to do with how amazing his ass looks in the jeans he's wearing.

"Oh," he stops just at her door and turn back to me, "I made spaghetti. There's some in the refrigerator if you're hungry." Before I can answer, he nods and turns his back again.

"It's really good too," I hear El shout from her room. "You'll love it."

It actually sounds perfect; a nice meal after a long day at work. I could get used to this.

Moving into the kitchen, I open the fridge to see he was right. In the mostly empty icebox, there's a plastic container holding his Italian entree. Right next to it there's another dish that I've never seen.