In Sunshine or In Shadow ✔ [Completed]

Chapter 1 - To Villainy and Vengeance Consecrate

Unfortunately, said source decided to follow her.

"You know the reason you get these headaches is because you know I'm right, you just don't want to admit it."

"No," she said, "that can't be right. I've had the same six foot  two, headache every day for the past five years, I know where it originates."

"Ooh, zinger," he said with a grin of approval. She couldn't help but smile back at her own cleverness. Vansh wasn't the only one who was witty.

"But you'd know you'd miss me if I suddenly up and disappeared."

"Oh no I wouldn't," she said. She knew full well that was a lie. Vansh Raisinghania, out of her life? Perish the thought.

"Of course you would."

"No I wouldn't. I'll prove it. For the rest of the day I'll pretend you don't exist and then you can come back to me and ask how much I miss your irritating ways."

"You know you need me."

"Oh I do?"

"Yes," he said, "You know your solve rate would drop astronomically without me."

The last time he'd said that, she'd left him stranded at a crime scene. Later he'd bought her strawberries as an apology. Well she didn't see any strawberries now.

Her brown eyes turned into withering slits, but he wasn't jaded one bit. "Say that again and I swear you won't have any teeth left to smile with."

"Ah, Agent Riddhima, still resorting to violence, I see."

Riddhima turned her attention away from Vansh to the owner of the voice, one she recognized. It was Kyle Hathaway, reporter for the Sac Chronicle who covered the crime beat. "Only when it's necessary."

"Or convenient."

She glared at his hostile response. "What the hell are you doing here anyways?"

"I was speaking to your director. I plan on covering the Bureau's fundraising gala tonight." He gave her a quick glance over. "I assume you'll be there."

"It's mandatory."

"Can I count on a quote from you?"

"How about a hand gesture?" she suggested instead.

"Then I'll be very descriptive in my article," he said. Hathaway gave her a cool nod. "I will see you tonight."

"I'm counting the seconds." He made no response to her dry words, just brushed past her on his way to the staircase.

Vansh studied him as he walked by. "Hathaway," he said to Riddhima, "Isn't he the one that you broke his camera."

"I did not break his camera," she snapped, "He snuck into the crime scene and was taking pictures. I tried to confiscate his camera, but he wouldn't let it go and it accidentally hit the wall."

"And then you took the film."

"I had to. It was evidence."

Vansh have her a nod as if to say that he understood. "He filed a complaint, right?"

"He lost," she said, "He had no proof, he was just being spiteful because he got caught." Riddhima shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal, I handled it like a professional."

"Didn't you call him the 'King of All Assholes'?"

She looked away sheepishly. "Okay, maybe that wasn't professional." She looked up at Vansh again. "Nor was it right, since that title belongs to you."