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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 0:22:43 GMT -5
For the first time since he'd started training as an auror, Roland Ferrera was actually dreading going to work that morning. He loved his job and believed deeply in his work. But being assigned to work with a partner was a serious blow to his pride. And today would be the first day he would have to meet with Riley to begin working on the case.
Still, he knew he had to make an effort and try to have a good attitude. He didn't want to get a reputation for being difficult, and he certainly didn't want to put his job in jeopardy. So he headed in early, and stopped at a coffee shop along the way, as he did every morning. He picked up coffee and a muffin for himself, and one for Riley as well. He had no idea if she liked coffee or muffins or anything at all, but he felt it was necessary to at least make the effort.
When he arrived in the office, he went straight to her desk, only to find that she had not yet arrived. Shrugging, he left the coffee and muffin on her desk with a note:
Peace Offering?
~R
Then he went back to his own desk. As he sat sipping his coffee, he leaned back and began opening the mail that had been left on his desk overnight. Most were memos concerning meetings or new policies, but the last one, printed on ominous-looking black parchment with red writing, chilled him to the bone. It simply read:
You have a lovely family.
He stared at the note for a very long time, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Then he ripped it in half and flung it furiously into the waste basket.
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Post by Riley Neves on Dec 23, 2008 3:04:58 GMT -5
Riley came into the office on time, but barely. She had woken up on time, like she did every morning. Something had come up, however, and she didn't have time to stop for coffee like she usually did. She was very much a creature of habit where work was concerned. Weekends were different, naturally, but even missing a cup of coffee, she knew, would throw her off just a little.
Which was why she was surprised to see a cup of coffee and a muffin sitting on her desk. She slowly and methodically removed her bag from her shoulder and set it on her chair, picking up the note... written on *her* paper, she noted, but even still it made her smile slightly. Who knew Roland had it in him to be the bigger person?
She picked up the coffee cup and checked the time, she decided that she had time to stop by Roland's desk. By the time she was there, he already looked surly from the note, which she of course did not know about. Still...
"Thank you for the peace offering."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 11:06:53 GMT -5
Roland was still contemplating the note and its implications when Riley appeared. At the sound of her voice, he pushed all thoughts of the note from his brain and forced himself to concentrate on her. He looked up at her and quirked his lip up in his trademark half-smile. "You're welcome," he answered, keeping his voice even. "I was a jerk yesterday, and I apologize. You're right... if we're going to work together, we need to try and find a way to make it work."
He leaned forward and looked at her appraisingly. Perhaps this would be so bad, after all, he thought. She seemed pleasant enough today, and as long as they were both on their best behavior, maybe they wouldn't kill each other. "I guess we should meet later to discuss the case."
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Post by Riley Neves on Dec 23, 2008 15:21:30 GMT -5
Riley raised her eyebrows, slightly impressed with him. Maybe she had just caught him in a bad mood yesterday. Whatever it was, she liked this Roland.
She nodded. "I've got some paperwork to finish up, but if you're free later, we should discuss this over lunch. I have the file."
She should have told him she was happy with the change in him, but she felt she would be treating him like a four year old, and neither of them would like that.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 15:36:59 GMT -5
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. If he kept his own attitude in check, hopefully, she would do the same. So far it seemed to be working. He was still annoyed and distracted, but he was covering it better than he had yesterday.
He nodded at her. "OK. That sounds good. I still have a few things I need to finish up as well. Maybe we could meet around noon for a working lunch?"
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Post by Riley Neves on Dec 23, 2008 15:55:53 GMT -5
Riley nodded. "A working lunch sounds perfect, Roland."
She figured moments like this were the fates way of telling her to stop judging people. She was willing to admit that she was wrong about Roland.
"I'm eager to start on the case, and I can see now why angelique thought you would be good for it. I have every confidence we'll solve it quickly."
She smiled and nodded, thanking him again for the coffee before she turned to go back to her desk, her hopes high for lunch.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 16:09:32 GMT -5
Once she was gone, Roland allowed the pleasant expression to slip from his face. His mind immediately went back to the note. The message had been deceptively innocent; the threat was in the presentation. And since the owl that had delivered it was long gone, there was no way of tracing the sender.
He was at a loss for what to do. Would it be worth it to talk to Angelique and advise her of the potential danger? Or would she say he was worrying about nothing? He also considered warning his parents, but neither of them were present, and he assumed they were already beginning guard duty at the school.
Sighing, he stood up and headed for Angelique's office.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 23, 2008 16:19:50 GMT -5
Angelique heard him before she saw him. The purposeful stride was difficult to ignore. She looked up in time to see him enter her office and close the door.
"I'm not reassigning you," she said in a tone that implied finality.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 16:23:06 GMT -5
He shook his head. "No... that's not what this is about," he replied quickly.
In a few more quick strides, he had moved over and sat down in the chair in front of her desk. He ran his hand over his face, then looked at her seriously. "I just received a threatening note."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 23, 2008 16:35:55 GMT -5
Angelique immediately set aside her work and focused on him. Threats were not something to take lightly. "OK, you have my attention," she replied. "What did the note say? What kind of threat was it?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 16:39:39 GMT -5
"It wasn't a specific threat exactly," Roland said, leaning forward in his chair. "It just said that I have a nice family. But it's pretty obvious that it was intended as a threat to my family. If these guys go after my family to get to me..." He trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Surely she could understand how he felt about this issue.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 23, 2008 16:42:55 GMT -5
"That's it?" Angelique said doubtfully. "Just that you have a nice family? And how can you be sure that's a threat? Maybe someone in the office was just giving you a compliment. have you tried asking around?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 16:45:59 GMT -5
"It wasn't so much as what was said as how it was said," Roland said, frustrated. "Look, the note was written on black parchment with bright red writing. That's not how you give someone a compliment. Please... let me investigate it. This was my case, I should have the chance to finish it."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 23, 2008 16:48:58 GMT -5
"Ah, see. I knew it! You're still trying to get me to reassign you," Angelique said. "It's not going to happen. I'm working on the case now, and you and your partner should be working on the murder case. Just bring me the note and I'll look into it, OK?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 16:51:21 GMT -5
Roland let out a frustrated sigh. "I kind of ripped it in half," he said. "Come on... you have to understand... my family could be in danger because of me. I should be working on the case, in order to clean up my own mess."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 23, 2008 16:53:53 GMT -5
Angelique shook her head. "No, that's exactly why you shouldn't be working on it," she replied. "Roland, you're too close to the case. It's become personal for you, and I need you to let it go. I will take care of it from here. I promise you that nothing will happen to your family. Just go get me the note and I'll take care of it."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 17:05:19 GMT -5
Roland let out an outraged cry. He couldn't believe she was refusing to allow him to finish this case. He was recieving threats and she still didn't want him involved. Had he really screwed up that badly?
"Fine," he said through his teeth. He got up from his seat and stalked out of the office and back to his desk. He fished the two pieces of the letter out of his wastebasket, then stormed back to her office, thrusting the pieces down on her desk. "Here," he said. "Please promise me that you will keep me updated on your progress. This is my family we're talking about. I don't give a damn what they do to me, but I won't have them hurt."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 23, 2008 17:18:29 GMT -5
"I don't want them to be hurt, either," she reminded him lightly. "I'll make sure they're safe, OK? And if it looks like there's a genuine threat, I promise you, we'll give them full protection. But in the meantime, please, try to forget about this and let me deal with it, OK? I need you on this case."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 23, 2008 17:21:51 GMT -5
Roland sighed loudly and shook his head. He didn't know how he was supposed to let something like this go. It involved him and his family; he was not comfortable with letting anyone else handle it. She was right about one thing; it was personal.
But he pressed his lips together and looked her in the eye. "Fine," he said. "Thanks for your help."
He was not happy as he stormed back out of her office and over to his desk.
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Post by Riley Neves on Dec 23, 2008 20:24:08 GMT -5
Riley noticed him go into Angelique's office, then storm out and back in, and finally out again.
She hated when she jumped to conclusions, but she reached the same one Angelique had. He wanted to be reassigned. So was he just pretending to play nice?
It could have been something else, not even concerning her, she told herself, and forced her attention back to the work she needed to finish.
A couple of hours later, she headed towards his desk, the red folder in hand. "Feel like lunch?" She asked.
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