*****
Chapter 13 - Alone
*****
"You don't think it was Billy do you?" Oakley asked as she walked side by side with Diego into the diner.
Diego hesitated but shook his head. "Honestly? I don't think it was him. The guy was properly torn up."
"You reckon it could be a cobra?" Oakley asked as the pair sat at a table.
"Would make sense as to why Charlie ain't dead. Trying to shift the blame off themselves so they shoot one of their own but don't kill him." Diego mumbled as a waitress came over.
In a few minutes they had ordered brunch and the moment she left shop talk started again.
"Bit strange how the moment Ace leaves your sight, one of his own is shot." Diego spoke again. "I mean if it weren't him then someone had to know Ace was sticking by you."
Oakley nodded. "If it wasn't Ace they also knew that he wasn't with me at night."
Diego sighed slightly. "Honestly I'm surprised he hasn't found you again."
"Give it time, though he might be a bit preoccupied." She mumbled. "Words going to get out about Charlie quicker than anything."
"Suppose his reaction could tell us a lot." Diego nodded as he looked about. "Hey what's that tale about speaking the devil's name too much and he turns up?"
Oakley shrugged as she looked up at him. "I don't know, why?"
Diego only raised his eyebrows as he stared behind her.
Just as Oakley turned, she saw Ace coming straight in the diner and walking over to her. The look on his face meant he had clearly heard about Charlie.
"I need to talk to you." He fired out down at her.
"Morning to you too." Diego mumbled as the waitress brought over their coffee.
"Alone." Ace fired out as he kept his eyes on Oakley.
Diego purposefully pulled his gun out as he placed it on the table, in front of Oakley.
She sighed slightly as she grabbed it and stood up. She managed a quick swig of her coffee as she nodded towards the disabled toilets nearby.
Ace followed her in and instantly shut the door, locking it behind them. Oakley couldn't help herself but gripped the gun a little tighter, she wasn't scared but Ace was still a suspect.
"Is it true?!" He fired out without hesitation.
Oakley made note of the fear and worry he was trying to hide as she nodded slowly.
"Charlie was shot outside the bar last night."
Oakley had imagined many reactions from Ace Merrill. She was usually good at profiling people and in the short time of knowing Ace, she had already gotten a good idea of what type of person he was.
Though, not even the best detective could have predicted what he did next.
Ace Merrill broke down in tears.
Oakley had to leap forward to try catch him as she felt him cling to her tightly. His arms tightened around her as she continued to hold him up.
"He's stable at the moment." She tried to whisper.
Ace tried to calm down but he couldn't. First he was being suspected of killing two of his enemies and now Charlie had taken a bullet.
He might have been tough, but everyone has a limit.
"Don't leave me."
Oakley heard his voice crack back. She took a deep breath as she shook her head.
"Come on." She gently pushed back as her hands rested on his arms. "I'm hungry."
Ace nodded as he tried to control his breathing. "You're kinda alright for a cop you know."
"Detective." She corrected him. "And I thought I was hot?"
Ace gave her a small glare as he quickly wiped his cheeks and shook his head.
Oakley gave him a small nudge as she comfortably opened the door and the pair walked out.
Their food has already arrived as Diego, clearly hadn't waited.
"I was hungry!" He snapped, seeing her glare as she sat back down in the booth opposite him.
Ace took a seat next to her as she grabbed an extra fork and handed it to him instinctively.
Diego watched as the pair slowly worked their way through her breakfast as they kept occasionally nudging each other. His head tilted to the side slightly as he slowly finished his.
"Take it we're back to having a shadow?" He asked as he nodded at Ace.
"Someone's gotta look after you in my town." Ace retorted back as Oakley smiled.
Diego shrugged slightly as the three finished brunch quietly, paid and were soon off.
*****
"That's Tom?" Diego asked as he stared through the one-way glass of the interrogation room at the police station.
"Biggest prick you'll ever meet." Ace replied with a nod.
Diego, Oakley and Ashton all turned and stared at him as he shrugged slightly.
"Yeah I'm a dickhead but I ain't on his level." Ace replied as he nodded towards Tom.
"Let's just get this done." Oakley mumbled as she nodded at Diego.
The pair walked in, leaving Ace and Ashton standing in the corridor.
"Fancy seeing you here detective." Tom spoke with a smile as he looked up at Oakley.
"It's almost like I'm a detective." She replied sarcastically as she sat down opposite him, Diego sitting by her side.
"This is my partner, Detective Diego Cortez." She gestured to Diego as Tom gave him a small nod, noticing the unchanging harsh glare from Diego.
This was the bad cop to her good cop.
"And what can I help you with?" He asked as he looked between the two.
"Where were you last night?" Oakley continued to be the one that spoke.
Tom shrugged slightly. "At home I think."
"You think?" She questioned.
Tom nodded. "I was at home for most of the afternoon, took my dog for a walk in the evening then back home all night."
"You live alone?"
Tom shook his head as he shuffled in his seat. "Nah I'm still the kid brother that lives with mum and dad but they're out of town at the moment. Business meeting."
"So you were home alone?" Oakley pressed.
Tom nodded. "Unless you count the dog. Why?"
"Know a cobra called Charlie Hogan?" Oakley asked, her eyes scanning his face for any kind of reaction.
Tom nodded again. "Yeah I know the prick."
"Ever had a problem with him specifically?"
Tom shook his head. "Nah he was a dickhead but never actually had an issue with him."
Before Oakley could ask another question, three bangs were heard on the glass. Diego's head snapped to the glass confused.
"What did you do that for?!" Ashton snapped at Ace.
Ace shook his head as he continued to watch the conversation. "She knows."
Oakley leant forward as her elbows rested on the table, she understood Ace's message.
"Why don't you tell me about your issues with Charlie Hogan?"