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Chapter 9 - Diego
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"So you gonna tell me how a female ends up as a cop?" Ace asked as the pair sat in her front seat, half eating their way through a burger and portion of chips.
"Been in the force for ages, signed up for homicide after a real brutal one back home." Oakley mumbled as she shoved more chips in her mouth.
"You wanted to be a detective because someone got murdered?" Ace asked curiously, wanting to dig up more already.
"It was a real rough one, husband and wife." Oakley mumbled, taking another bite of her burger.
"Did you know them or something?"
Oakley hesitated before nodding. "Yeah I knew them."
"Close?"
She shrugged. "Normal amount I guess. Thought by becoming a detective I could figure it out."
"And did you?" Ace asked as he shoved more chips in his mouth.
Oakley shook her head. "My now-partner did, I went in as backup and it was this big showdown. Diego took a bullet to the shoulder saving me."
Ace's eyes widened. "Can't imagine taking a bullet for someone."
Oakley shrugged slightly. "I felt kinda obligated to stay with him while he recovered. Then when we finally came back to work Cap had partnered his old partner up with mine and well-" she shrugged slightly.
"You two became partners." Ace said with a nod as he finished his burger.
"Pretty much been inseparable ever since." She confirmed with a nod.
"So where is he now?"
"Back home finishing up paperwork for our last case."
"What was that?" Ace found himself slightly intrigued.
"Some guy murdered his cheating girlfriend, sliced and diced her up like you'd slice a potato to make chips." Oakley spoke as if it was all completely normal for her.
However, to Ace, who quickly dropped the chips he was holding, it wasn't normal.
"Sounds like a friendly guy." He grumbled, now put off his food.
Oakley nodded. "Could say that, he laughed the whole car journey after we cuffed him."
Ace turned to her blankly. "Seriously?!"
Oakley nodded again. "And you think you're dangerous?" She scoffed. "You're a pussycat compared to some of the people I've met."
"Clearly." Ace mumbled as the pair scrunched up their rubbish.
Oakley quickly got out to chuck it in the rubbish before getting back in the car.
"Where we going now?" Ace asked almost eagerly.
"Ashton's. I need to tell him about Tom." She replied calmly as she restarted the car.
Ace nodded slowly as she drove away, already deciding he was going to come with her. No way was he not having a solid next murder.
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"There she is!" Ashton greeted her with a smile as he opened the door. "And her new shadow apparently?"
He stepped aside as both, Oakley and Ace, walked inside.
"I'm not her shadow." Ace tried retorting.
"It's a win win," Oakley started to explain as she went into the living room. "I can keep an eye on him and he gets an alibi for the next murder."
"So we decided he ain't the killer?" Ashton asked as he followed them both in and gestured for them to sit.
The pair took a seat on the sofa as Ace glared at him.
"I didn't kill no-one!"
"Yeah most killers say that too." Ashton mumbled as he eyed the cobra up cautiously.
Ace grumbled under his breath as he leant back in a slight sulk as Oakley leant forward and looked up at Ashton.
"Tom seems so set on the idea that it's the cobras."
"Figures." Ashton mumbled, nodding his head. "Then the cobras are so set on it being them." His eyes glanced over at Ace before looking back at Oakley.
"So what did he say?"
Ashton sat on a chair and listened as Oakley told him everything, Ace even piped up about the times he told her something wasn't true.
"I didn't know he had a gun?" Ashton asked.
Oakley nodded slowly. "Apparently so. It's a .45."
Ashton's eyes widened slightly as he stared at her, the weapon. "Seriously?"
She nodded slowly as Ace looked blankly between them.
"Why does it matter what type of gun it was?" He asked confused.
"It doesn't." Ashton fired out quickly, no way was he telling Ace it was the same make as the killer's. "Just interesting he has a gun."
Ace nodded slowly as he continued to look around slowly, he hadn't exactly been on the best of terms with a police officer before so he never really saw how they lived.
"What's the plan now then?" Ashton asked as he looked back to Oakley.
She sighed as she stood up. "Keep track on him for one." She gestured down at Ace.
"Why'd you think I'm here?!" He fired out, gesturing to himself. "You're not exactly who I'd socialise with."
"And the rest?" Ashton asked.
"Doubt there's enough officers to cover them all." Oakley mumbled. "Let alone the View lot."
Ashton nodded in agreement.
"My god I need-"
Another knock at the door cut her sentence off as Ashton quickly disappeared to get it.
"Need what?" Ace asked, looking up at her.
"Diego." Oakley sighed out, she couldn't do this without her partner.
"Delivery for you Taylor." Ashton mumbled as he walked back in the living room.
"Station said you'd likely be here."
Oakley's head shot up as she saw Diego walk in, a bag slung over his shoulder. Instantly she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. He laughed as he hugged her back, squeezing her tightly as he noticed the small glare he was getting from the guy on the sofa.
"Detective Diego Cortez." He spoke firmly as he pulled away from Oakley and offered out his hand. "Taylor's partner."
Oakley quickly reached out and pushed his hand away as Diego looked at her confused.
"This is-"
"Don't." Ace warned her, knowing she was going to use his real name.
"John Merrill, street name Ace." Oakley informed him, sending Ace a small glare.
Diego nodded slowly as he looked Ace up and down. "So this is the guy."
Oakley nodded. "He's sticking with me because it's his only way of getting a solid alibi if another murder happens."
Diego laughed slightly and nodded his head. "Makes sense actually, I mean who else can you give you a better alibi than the detective working the case."
Ace nodded thankful someone got it as he leant back, his eyes still cautiously watching Diego.
"So what we got? Besides what you've already told me." Diego mumbled as he casually wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to the whiteboard, Ashton had set up.
"Pretty much everything on here, everything I've told you over the phone and I spoke with Tom, Luke's younger brother earlier."
Diego nodded slowly as he kept his arm loosely over her shoulder. Ashton brought in coffee and handed the pair a mug each as he sat on the sofa, listening to them quietly talking together.
"You know, according to our Captain, those two are the best in the state." Ashton mumbled as he nodded towards Diego and Oakley.
Ace shrugged slightly as he brushed his thumb over the mug of coffee he'd been handed. "I don't care."
Ashton scoffed and shook his head. "So stop staring at his arm around her."
Story is obviously not complete! Don't know why Wattpad is saying so when I haven't marked it as complete so just ignore it and wait for the next chappie! ☺️☺️