India sat awestruck as Brian made his way into the room. He was dressed in a sleek blue suit that fit in all the right places and while India really wanted to look away she couldn't for so many reasons.
"You two already know each other?" She heard Mr. Thomas ask from behind her.
"Of course." Brian responded. "She lives in my building." Brian walked to the desk and plopped down in the big plush desk chair. His eyes stayed firmly on India's.
Mr. Thomas looked at India. "Oh. You live in my newest complex?"
India and Brian's staring contest was broken when she suddenly jerked her head toward Mr. Thomas. "You own the building I live in?!"
He smirked and tutted. "You didn't do as much research as I thought Miss. London." For awhile she was confused until realization set in.
She had done more than enough research on this man. She just somehow managed to let the fact he owned apartment buildings all over LA, including hers, slip her mind.
She smiled and rubbed her forehead. "Thomas Realtors."
"Aah. You really did do your research," he said.
"Well if you want even the tiniest chance of getting the job you have to know something," she rebuted.
"You're here for a job?" Brian asked from his spot behind the desk. India looked at Brian ready to respond but Mr. Thomas beat her to it.
"She was." Both Brian and India looked at him simultaneously, confused. He sat back in the chair, his arms on the rests. "She came in, we talked, she impressed me, but she didn't get the job."
"What?" They both said, equally as surprised.
India shook her head. "I don't understand. I didn't get the job?" She looked at him to see him shrug his shoulders. She looked to Brian and he wore the same look of confusion on his face she sure she did. Shaking her head again she continued, "But you didn't even ask any questions or look at my files or anything!" She opened the file she was holding and started pulling out the papers. "I spent hours putting this together. And it shows. I put all my best attributes and skills in here. There's not a thing wrong with it. With me!" She started to steam at the thought of not getting the job. Not because she wanted it but because he hadn't even given her a fair chance. He even said it himself. She came in and solved a case they were all to brain dead to solve. There was no way she was leaving without giving it her best shot. "I mean there's some good stuff in here. I'm smart, I'm dependable, I'm organized-"
She was cut off by a chuckle erupting from someone's throat. For reasons unknown she looked immediately to Brian. He held his hands up in defense and pointed to Mr. Thomas. Looking in his direction she saw a wide smile on his face that made her seethe with anger.
"Was there something funny about you not giving me a job I'm clearly qualified for, for no reason at all? After not even interviewing me!?" She tried to hide her anger as best she could but it came to the surface anyway. If there was one major thing she learned in the hospital it was don't show someone how you really feel. They could use it against you. To hurt you. But she couldn't help but get angry at this man. First he denies her a job she doesn't even want then laughs about it! In her face!! It was extremely rude.
"What's funny is you thinking you're qualified to be a receptionist when you're clearly qualified to be a Detective. And maybe even a lawyer." He stood from his position on the chair next to her and walked around his desk. Shooing a shocked and confused Brian away he sat down in the chair and leaned back, his hands crossed in his lap.
For the millionth time since the Interview started, India was confused. Shaking her head and waving her hands in the air she said, "Wait I'm confused. I-Detective?!"
Mr Thomas shrugged and said, "I don't see why not you certainly have the smarts to be one." He looked towards his still baffled son, "The girl came in and solved the Morrison case," he said waving his hands toward India.
Brian smirked. "But we already solved that case. We already figured that the mother did it." Brian sat in the chair Mr. Thomas had gotten up from and made himself comfortable. Legs spread and arms thrown lazily over the rests. It was extremely unprofessional but India couldn't help but find it sexy. Stop it India. He may be your bosses son!! And an arrogant bastard!! Removing her attention from her thoughts she looked to Mr. Thomas.
He was shaking his head in disapproval "No she didn't." Brian looked to him confused.
"Of course she did. She found out her "faithful" husband was cheating and called her son, crying and heartbroken. The son rushed over to console her and let's slip he already knew. They both start to drown their sorrows, her making sure she doesn't drink as much as him. She gets him drunk and he tells her where the mistress lives, since he had given her a visit before. After the son falls asleep in the guest room, hopped up on alcohol, the mother takes his truck and heads to the girls house. They have a heated argument, the girl slandering the husband, mother gets angry. The girl tries to walk away and she grabs a rock and goes at her head. Hopping back in the car she's covered in blood, so is the car. She gets home changes and goes to bed like nothing happened." He looked at India triumph, still speaking to his father. "I figured that out myself."
"So it's your case?" India asked, matching his smirk.
"Yep."
"Figures you'd blame it on the obvious suspect." India leaned back in the chair pulling her attention from him.
"What's that mean?" He asked.
"Just that you seem like you'd take the easy way out." She looked back to him. "It was the daughter."
He smirked "And what makes you believe that?"
India turned to him, ready to wipe that smug egotistical smirk off of his face. "The way I see it," he nodded, "the way it is," he frowned, she smiled and continued. "The daughters at home overhears the mother and father fighting about the father cheating. The daughter, being daddy's princess, doesn't believe the father is capable of cheating she believes someone's lying. She blames the mistress. The mothers a mess, the daughters distraught and calls the brother. The brother comes over to console the mother. They all have a drink or two they all get drunk. The daughter less than the others. The mother passes out in her room. The daughter seeing the brother nodding in and out of consciousness. By now hes told them he's visited her before, so she asks where she lives takes his keys and head. She meets the mistress before she gets in the house. They have a heated argument and the mistress is bad mounting the father. Spewing lies. The daughter goes ballistic. She sees the brick, picks it up and goes at her head." She sat back. "Case closed," and repeated her words from earlier.
Brian sat back in his chair shocked. "Well I'll be," he said. After another minute he said, "She's right. The daughter did it." He looked up at his father, still shocked. "She solved the Morrison case." He looked back at India.
She made guns with her hands and shot them. "Boom."
Mr. Thomas and Brian both laughed and India sat back and crossed her arms. "Cute, smart and funny," Mr. Thomas said, "I like her."
"So she'll be working with us now then?" Brian asked.
India looked at his father hopefully. "Whoa. She may be good but we can't just let her jump right it." India sat back and frowned, all hope gone. "Meaning," Vincent said recapturing her attention, "she needs proper training." He opened the black laptop on his desk that she hadn't noticed before and began to type vigorously.
"Training?" India asked confused, her arms crossed across her chest.
"Mhm hm." Was his vauge response.
India waited for him to continue and when he didn't she sighed and looked to Brian.
He was already looking at her, a smirk plastered on his face. "He means you have to go to our Academy."
"Academy as in like...detective school?"
He snorted. "As in Police Academy."
She didn't appreciate his behavior but she decided against saying anything as she looked at Vincent. "Police Academy? Doesn't that mean I'd have to pay tuition?" Before he could even open his mouth, India added, "Because you probably wouldn't have guessed it but I'm extremely short on cash and that's sorta why I needed the job. I mean not that I'm poor or anything, it's just, I'm sort of in between jobs, meaning there's not a steady stream of money flowing in. I don't even have enough to pay for a week's worth of food let alone tuition to a police Academy. And now that I'm thinking of it, I should probably scrounge up some money for food later. Scrounge as is look in the cushions of my punch for spare change not, you know, sell my body or anything. Cause that's disgusting. I got morals. I'm poor but not that poor.-"
Her nervous rambling was interrupted as a smirking Brian retorted, "I thought you said you weren't poor?"
Not immediately realizing what he was referring too she said rather confused, "I did and I'm not."
The smirk on his face stayed firmly on his lips as he raised one of his perfectly sculpted bushy brows. "But you just said that you were poor just not enough to sell your body for money."
Running back over her rant she saw what he was talking about and immediately heated up at her mistake. India, not one to admitting mistakes, instead decided to ignore the smug bastard altogether. She looked to Vincent who was sitting with his hands clasped under his chin with a ghost of an amused smile on his face. She could practically feel the heat from her cheeks.
"Sorry. I was ranting. I usually do that when I get nervous," she apologized toying with the hem of her skirt.
Brian snorted beside her. "Oh really, I couldn't tell." She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose, her irritation the only sign she had even heard what he said. She opened her eys and gave his father an apologetic smile. She quickly ducked her head as she saw him casting her a knowing glance.
Vincent chuckled. "It's quiet alright," he said standing from his seat and coming to stand in front of his desk. "I tend to make people nervous," he said smiling as he leaned back and crossed his ankles and rested his palms on the surface of his desk. She smiled. She could certainly tell he probably did have people peeing their pants from time to time, but only if he needed to. He was actually way less intimidating than she had originally thought. Which couldn't be fully blamed on her. Most of the pictures of him hosted him standing tall, hands in his pockets, his strong chiseled jaw clenched, his eyebrows knitted together, and his stormy grey eyes as dark as storm clouds. Not exactly your friendly next door neighbor who would let you borrow his own arm if need be.
"The Academy does have a small tuition fee but you won't have to be bothered with that."
India looked up at him, almost giving herself whiplash from the movement, with wide eyes. "I won't?" She asked confused.
He shook his head and shrugged. "Nope. That'll all be taken care of."
"Taken care of?" India repeated, getting more and more confused by the minute. He nodded his head. Her brows creased. "By whom, exactly?"
He looked at her incredulously. "Me of course." India's eyes widened. Had she heard him right? Had he seriously offered to pay her entire tuition to attend a Police Academy? Her? A complete stranger? And according to the people back home; a complete nut case?? Not seeing any problems with the situation, Vincent walked around to his desk and sat in his chair. He pulled a packet of forms from a drawer at his desk and began to fill it out. "I should have you enrolled and your tuition payed by Monday." He spared her a glance and smiled. "You'll start then."
India shook from her surprised stupor then. "Wait, wait, wait. I can't let you do that."
"Neither can I." India had been doing such a great job of pretending he wasn't there that she had really forgotten he was in the room. He stood from his chair. "Dad you can't be serious. She's a complete stranger meaning you know nothing about her. So what if this doesn't work out? What if she's not as good as you thought or she just can't handle the pressure? You would have wasted over $7,000 on her!!"
While India didn't appreciate his lack of faith, she didn't mind the back-up. His father obviously wasn't thinking clearly and he was acting on impulse. Which was only a good thing if you had some very dependable impulses. Which no human being does.
"$7000!?" She screeched standing from her own chair. She began to shake her head. "Mr. Thomas, I can't let you do that. That is entirely too much money!" And though it pained her to say it she said, "And Brian's right. What if this doesn't work out. That would be a waste of your hard earned money. Because while I do belive of could handle the job if things don't work out here I could take up a job elsewhere. Taking everything I learned here with me."
He just raised a brow, still not seeing what any normal person would. "I don't plan on this not working out."
"Look, this is a real nice offer and all but I'm not taking your money." She sat back in her seat and crossed her legs and hands across her lap. "I'll either pay for it myself or I'll stick with my desk job."
"You don't have a desk job. I couldn't possibly put you behind a desk. From the information I gathered when I looked into what education you had prior to this interview, you're pretty well educated about the world of law. Too much to be filling out paperwork all day long."
For a split second she began to panic. He had researched her. That couldn't be good. But he wasn't acting as though he were talking to someone who had spent the last eight years of their life in a loony bin. He wasn't constantly looking around to make sure he had a quick exit or at least a weapon. He wasn't tense and fidgety as if expecting her to snap any second and stab him with a pin. He wasn't acting as if she were crazy and he was in immediate danger. He wasn't and no one ever was around her, but that never stopped them from acting weird in her presence. As far as they knew, she was a crazy ruthless murderer that would even go as far as to kill her entire family if it meant a quick fix.
She concluded he didn't know and relaxed, letting out the breathe she wasn't aware she was holding. Vincent had been giving her a piercing, scrutinizing, curious stare and once she noticed it made her quiet uncomfortable. She began to fidget in her chair, her proper, confident, facade breaking.
He slightly cocked his head. "If it makes you feel any better, you could just think of it as scholarship money. And I won't even pull the money from my own account."
That actually didn't sound like a bad idea to her; but she wasn't giving up so easily. "Wh-where would you get it from?"
He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands on his lower abdomen. "I'll pull it from the companies account. I'll put it into your account as your salary and you pay it as tuition." India mulled this over. It was a pretty nice idea. And technically he wouldn't be using his own money. Especially not once it was technically hers. "Unless you don't want the job. While it goes against everything I stand for, I guess I could put you behind a desk. Picking up phones and filing paperwork all day. For not even half the pay."
He didn't need to bribe her with promises of money. She was already on board. She really, really wanted this. It was the perfect opportunity for her to finally do what she had wanted to for the last eight years.
Be a Detective.
When India had been thrown into the hospital, she had taken a huge interest in criminal justice. She wanted to know how they could throw her into a mental institution with little evidence there actually was something wrong with her. They had did plenty of tests and come up with the idea she was a paranoid schizophrenic just because she was a little jumpy. Who wouldn't be, they were injecting her with strange liquids and asking her crazy questions. She was scared. Of course she was arguing and screaming and doing pretty much anything else to prove she was innocent and not CRAZY!! But that only added to the fire.
At first she had been interested in the illness itself and she had only slightly seen why her behavior only proved their point. Then her interest expanded to the mind. How it works. She realized if she wanted to prove she was innocent she had to prove that another mentally unstable girl did it. Melody was definitely schizophrenic. There wasn't a doubt in her mind she was. She has always noticed she had this tick. She didn't like close personal interactions and had this bubble around her. Whenever someone touched her, or was too close, or talked to much, she'd tick. It was small and you couldn't really notice unless you were looking. India had noticed.
After awhile, India gave up proving her innocence by just basing it off of a sickness. She wanted cold hard facts. So she started study criminal justice and law enforcement. She read up on past and current cases. Both cold and still open. She had become so invested in it. Before long it wasn't just about her. It was about justice for the many people who had been wronged. Wrongly accused and doing time, or killed in cold blood and their killers never found. She wanted to help them.
The Morrison case was a big one. India had already read and solved it before she even got out. She was strangely drawn to it. She couldn't figure out why. All she knows now is she wants this job. More than anything.
So instead of arguing further, she smiled big and said, "I guess it would be a waste to put all this talent behind a desk. I'll pay you back with hard work."
A huge toothy smile broke out on Mr. Thomas's face. "Welcome to the T&J family, India."
India almost squealed with joy. "Thank you Mr. Thomas. Thank you so much."
He threw his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Please, call me Vincent." India looked to him slightly confused. "I just have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other." He threw a quick look in Brian's directions, not meaning for India to see. But she caught it. Looking at Brian she saw him looking at her with an intense gaze, eyes hooded. When he noticed he was staring he blushed and looked into his lap. She looked back to Vincent to see him stifling a laugh. What's that all about?
Vincent cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "Well that's all for today India. We'll see you Monday."
"Why so late?" She asked. Something about the situation was making her uneasy.
"We still have a few formalities to work out before you can officially start. Nothing too big."
India felt a knot form in her stomach at what he was talking about. Having an idea but needed his words, she asked, "Such as?"
He shrugged. Then looked up at her, folding his hands on the desk. "A more thorough background check. More than just the standard. Make sure we didn't miss anything." He leaned forward and crossed his hands still smiling. "I'm sure we didn't but it still has to be done." India felt sick. The room started to spin and she had to grip the chair for support. She felt herself start to sawy and she was glad she was already sitting down. Because she was about to black out.