“That’s a no, Alfred.” Gabriella said. She looked right at me when I said it. She didn’t have the talent to deliver tough news well like Grissom had.
“But I’m really skilled—.”
“If the next part of that sentence is ‘at looking at my clearance badge, well that’s your mistake. You are nowhere near getting cleared for the Baylor case.” She took a sip of her fancy latte. “And what do you have, Alfred? Remind me.”
I didn’t have to look down on at my badge. “Orange.”
Gabriellea sighed. “Orange. Well, there are going to be other assignments—plenty for you to be on. Why don’t you help Edwards with the cult work he’s doing?” She looked down at her desk and picked a file to start perusing. I could feel her attention slipping and my window shutting. “And I’m sure Harris needs help with that weird car theft spree going on in Tulsa.”
“Those are bullshit waste of fucking time cases, Gabriella. You are wasting me on this god damn team.” I snapped.
She slammed the folder shut and stood up.
“What did you say to me?”
I tried to recall the exact words.I couldn’t find them and I don’t know how long I looked.
“Ever since I got in this office—all I’ve heard you do is bitch about this Baylor case. You don’t bother to lift a god-damn finger on any other case you aren’t assigned. You lift up your nose as if running down plates and calling witnesses is beneath you. Well, I’ve read your file and I saw how many times Grissom saved your ass because you’re such a political mess—the worst team player I’ve ever met.”
“But the reason—”
“I’m not done. At first I thought it was because I was a woman that you didn’t respect my decisions. Or because I’m a Hispanic goddess. But then I realized you’re just an asshole in general, Alfred. Indiscriminate. You don’t know how to work with people.”
“But with Baylor—”
“I know. I know.” She held up a hand. “I can recite your logic and reasoning back to you. You got your Ph.D. in studying his colon. We all know. But I know that you aren’t going to register this conversation in about three hours. You won’t stew over it over dinner with your loved ones. You’ll just go home to your big table with all your notes and books while ‘Deep Focus’ plays on your Spotify list. That’s your life. And you’ll even make a little note about how to come at me tomorrow. How close am I?’
That’s nearly exactly what I did.
“Look—I know we got off on the wrong foot. And I’m sorry for this. I know I’m a pain in the ass—it’s just our department needs a win and I can close the Baylor case much faster if my clearance was higher. If I could take a look at what we have so far, I can give some direction and then I think you’ll see that—”
“Ok, Alfred. So let’s make a deal.” She leaned back in her chair and made a wide gesture to her left. “Behind door number one. We do this conversation every day until I retire in five hundred and ninety six days.” She made a dramatic gesture towards another door. “You clear six cases—anything open. Anything. And I’ll let you be an advisor on the Baylor case. You just provide intel—all of it.”
Six cases? With these mopes? This would take me forever. It’s impossible. I’m going to have to figure out how to get around my clearance.
Gabriella was snapping her fingers at me. “But let tell you about door number three, Alfred. If you so much as whisper the name ‘Baylor’ in a prayer as you light your Baylor candle, I will throw you through door number three. That’s where you go to the basement and you will be my little file troll. You will organize and label folders, do admin work, such simple, simple tasks.” She somehow got closer to me, even though she was still behind her desk. “Ever done office supply inventory? Created surveys? I will send you to menial rote task hell and you will stay there until at least the day I’m gone..” She backed off and took a long pull of her latte. “Which door is it going to be, Alfred?”
“Two.” I mumbled and walked out of her office.
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