As Evil As Ignorance

AEAI 25

I’m surprised in the morning when I see a familiar face as I walk into the squad room. I don’t even start with the niceties. Instead, I walk up and wrap my arms around their side. To which, I earn a little squeak of shock and then a gasp of recognition. There’s a little movement before there are arms around my shoulders. The next minute weren’t both laughing and rocking back and forth.

“I haven’t seen your face in too long, movie star,” Tracey Herbert says as we pull away from each other, her long brown hair swaying as she steadies herself again. She doesn’t let go, just holds me out as far as her thin arms will let her, “You’ve been keeping your distance. Was it because you couldn’t contain your undying passion for me anymore?”

That gets a laugh out of me, “You caught me, Herby. I’ve been avoiding your ugly mug so I wouldn’t have to let you down easy.” She smiles too, “Two star-crossed lovers. We just come from different worlds, little lady.”

She pats my shoulder again before letting go and taking a step back, “How the hell have you been, Ashton?”

“I’ve been alright,” I nod at her. “How long has it been?”

She crosses her arms over her chest, “Well ever since you left us lowly beat cops to play with the big detectives.” She cracks a little as she looks around, “Got yourself a real nice place here.”

Herbert and I met the first day of police academy. We hit it off after she punched me in the gut for mistaking her for weak. Or so that’s her excuse, I was just asking if she needed help. Apparently, she didn’t.

She was always one of the guys. After we graduated together and got put in the same precinct, we’d go out after work to grab a few drinks. She would make fun of me for accidentally being in the spotlight and I would tease her for being mistaken for a man in uniform (back when her hair was really short it happened all the time).

“Oh,” I remember where I’m at and then motion for her to follow me to my desk, “come this way you can see my very own desk.”

She chuckles again as she follows behind me casually, “They’re spoiling you over here. I bet you don’t even have to share your pens.”

We laugh for a second as I sit down at my desk and she leans her hip against it, “It’s a thing of the past, sweet cheeks.” After a few seconds, I wonder aloud, “What are you doing here anyway?”

She seems to realize she has a purpose then as her eyes widen, “I was supposed to be looking for someone.”

“Who?”

She stands up straight to pull a piece of paper from her back pocket and reads it aloud, “Detective Sanders.”

That makes me smile again and I motion to the desk connected to mine, “That’s my partner.” I frown, “He doesn’t seem to be here yet. Which is weird because he’s usually here before me.” Giving up the train of thought, I look up back up at her, “What do you need him for?”

“I’m his recruit,” she says like it’s obvious.

Of course she is. And I say so too, “Of course you’re the one we’re training today.”

She laughs at that and rubs her hands together, “I get to spend the whole day with America’s most famous crime stopper.”

“You’re still an asshole,” I shake my head.

She shrugs, “You’re still an idiot.”

That’s the moment my partner decides to walk up. He sets his stuff down on the desk before looking up at us with a no-nonsense type of expression, “I presume you’re Herbert?”