The firefighter's smile

Chapter Three

"Why know? Why after all this time?" He asked me suspiciously.

"Because I asked you to!" I replied.

After a reflexion time, he finally accepts my request and gives me my files. This later on my possession, I leave the headquarters and before I can hail a taxi, my mobile phone starts to vibrate in my pocket. I forgot this thing exists.

"Hello!" I said after accepting the call.

"Charly it's Herrmann. You need to come to the firehouse, they are something for you." He said.

"Okay. I'm on my way."

"See you soon!" Christopher concluded.

I finally hailed a taxi and give to the driver the address of Chief Boden's firehouse. During all the car ride, the answers on my mind restart. What the fucking hell happened in Austin? Why did I leave? Is it me or my Lieutenant who asked for my transfer? Welch said I did something against his firehouse but what?

"Here we are!" The taxi driver smiled before asking for his money.

"Keep the change" I added.

Easier than yesterday, I walk on the apparatus floor we a truck this definitely missing due to the fact that four pairs of shoes are on the floor waiting for the return of the firemen.

"Here she is!" Cruz shouted.

"I was thinking that it's supposed to be the candidate who cooks?" I laughed, watching Casey's man trying to crush potatoes with a fork.

"The candidate is a terrible cook!" Otis replied.

"I need to meet him: between bad cooks, we should get along well"

The firefighters present in the common room laughed while their Lieutenant arrived.

"Smith, Chief office please" He simply said.

That was weird. He doesn't smile, he doesn't laugh, he doesn't even say hello or make a job about his men. In the office of Boden, I can see the consternation on the faces of Wallace and Christopher.

"We need to talk Charlotte" The Battalion Chief started, beckoning me to sit between Casey and Herrmann.

To the agreement of my first name, I can prevent me to wince. I hate my name that why always call me Charly.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I receive a letter from the juridic service of the Fire Department. Lieutenant Welch from Austin asked a review of the complaint that you filed against them" My former Chief explained.

"What complaint?" I asked, totally lost.

"We know that you go in this HQ to recover your file. Do you read it?" Casey added.

"No! Why do you try to tell me? What the fucking hell happened in Austin?"

"The better answer we can give you it's to read your file"

It's with anguish that I open the record and read the first line which makes me lost my control of myself.

"Hello, Erin!" I smiled, stalling my phone between my shoulder and my ear as I end up changing myself in the locker room of my former firehouse.

"Hey, Charly! Are you free tonight?" She asked.

"Of course I'm free! What do you want to do?"

"I take you at your apartment at 7 pm and I buy you a drink in a new bar"

"Okay. It's okay with me. See you later, girl!" I accept before to hang up.