Karishma is sitting on the wooden bench in her plain white shirt tucking in her denim. She knows she should have put some sort of a blazer over it to look more formal and serious; even Haseena said it before she left for Calgary again in the earliest morning. The smell of old sloppy wooden bench and the intense atmosphere of the LAPD headquarter occasionally dig through Karishma's shell in order to make way for her anxiety to break through. However, her shell gets a little stronger and the cracks somehow gets glued by the girl who is appearing on her FaceTime screen. Haseena has just landed and she is telling her about the funny thing that happened on the plane. She doesn't have the best angle for the camera as she is walking through the airport to the waiting car but that doesn't stop her from giggling and sharing the tiniest thing of the day to someone who has become the biggest thing of her days. Her neck pillow and her light makeup face still manage to have Karishma stare like nothing around her is matter anymore. Then, her attention is stolen and her smile is chased away when she sees the individual take a seat across from her in the empty hall. He is in his suit and tie; looking too sharp for someone who is about to be investigated by the internal affairs.
"I'll call you later, alright?" Karishma looks back to her phone screen and puts that same smile back when her eyes meet the girl. Her smile gets even wider when she gets a kiss through the screen. "Bye."
"Told you not to date her." Brian rests his arm on the backrest and crosses his legs so casually. His eyes travel across the hall that gets too much sunlight from the glass windows. "Now, it just complicates things. But. Well, I mean we didn't mean to shoot one another. Firearm accidents happen all the time."
Karishma smirks and looks at the man while her hand plays with the AirPods case. Brian is bending the truth but it is the only truth they can go with in order to settle this. She is with it. She is willingly with it. "Sure."
"Have you read the news?" Brian asks and gestures to Karishma's phone that is still hanging out in her other hand. "Seems like your only 'witness' for your Haseena's kidnapping is.... unreliable?"
Karishma doesn't think much of it at first but she chooses to scroll through her phone anyway; with the thought that it is better than to sit in the endless and meaningless conversation. It doesn't take long for her to scroll and see the exact thing Brian expects her to. It is the news. It is the big news. It is the headline news. Will Hughes has just got arrested for drugs.
"Who would have thought that Prince-Charming-look-alike Will... deal those little white powder? I know I didn't." Brian shrugs with such satisfied smile on his face. He lost the hand but now; with a few phone calls and a few secret rendezvouses, he gets his upper hand back. He sighs and acts like it is such an unfortunate event for his partner. "The statement from a drug dealer? Hmm. How much will that weigh? Like he is testifying against a cop who provided leads to his arrest?"
Karishma locks her phone screen. She doesn't have to read anything more when everything is read out loud to her by the man who remembers the content by heart. "I knew something was off with him. I'm glad I wasn't wrong."
"Also, kid..." Brian pulls his phone out from the pocket inside the suit jacket. He taps here and there and a few seconds later, a notification tone from Karishma's phone notifies her of the new arrival text message. "You might need to put your headphone on."
Karishma doesn't follow the suggestion right away but as soon as she sees the audio file that is sent, she puts her headphone on and plays the file.
'I know where Jr. goes to school, when he finishes school, what school bus number he takes and what route the bus takes. If you ever lay a hand on Haseena again, I'll make sure Jr. would not be home in time for dinner.'
