3 Chapter III (Lukas POV)

"My suspicion is completely logical and if you weren't so closed minded, you would see that!"

Suspicion? It's more of a delusion than anything else. 

"Logical sure, but is it valid? Do you have any evidence of him being... What did you say? Resentful to the neighbours family and because of that had a... psychotic episode?"

What kind of TV show does he think he is in?

"No..."

"We've been here before. Yesterday actually. So can we drop this stupid theory of yours and focus on plausible ones?"

"Gah! Do- do you ever just look outside the box? Follow your gut? Look somewhere that isn't completely obvious? Or you know...Use your brain?!" 

"Then how do you manage to do all those things if they require brains?"

I almost couldn't see his lips, that's how hard he pressed them together. This was so much fun. He was so easy to provoke. 

"You...You don't just look inside the box. You live in it! You are the box! You-you are Spongebob Squarepants!"

I lifted my eyebrows. What a moron.

This is who I have to work with. Thank god I spent three years on getting my diploma.

"You do realize that square is a geometric shape and a box is  usually in a sort of a cube, which is a geometric body, right?"

He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. I had to smile. Seriously this is too easy.

"Then you are a boxer," he said through gritted teeth.

"Like a sportsman?"

"Like a dog!"

I shrugged since I knew not getting upset would just provoke him further: "They are very intelligent animals."

He sat back in the chair defeated. I sighed. As much fun as this was, we needed a breakthrough. And fast.

"Do you have anything that isn't a hunch?"

I hate repeating myself like this, but I've been through the file front and back and have nothing. 

He angrily glared at me: "I am a psychologist. Everything I have are hunches!"

"Right, ok. A hunch with a little merit to it?"

"Do you have anything?"

He stared at me with his icy blue eyes, full of frustration.

"If I did I would' ve told you. So?"

"Neighbors ' mother has some aggressive tendencies."

Why the hell didn't he mention that before?

"Well, here we go!"

"But only some shouting matches in malls and throwing stuff. It doesn't fit the profile of the arsonist. It's too clean."

It's the first time he described it like that.

"What do you mean?"

"If it was the mother that burned down the store, it would be more obvious. A broken window or something. Hell, judging from her file she would probably throw a gallon of gasoline and then a match. This was just too put together. Nothing was left behind, no evidence, they even had the key. It was way too premeditated to be a result of a temper tantrum." 

I nodded. He was right. It didn't fit. We both became quiet. I quite enjoyed it, Spencer on the other hand usually became restless. We just kind of stared into nothing, trying to think of anything that would make sense. At least I did, he is still probably on one of his conspiracy theories. He gasped like he thought of something. I turned to him expectingly. He got quiet again and his hand gestured ˝forget it˝. 

I sighed: "We are getting nowhere."  

I looked up at the clock. It was 1 already.

"Let's just take a break and then we can..."

He was already out the door. I got up as well and went to the break room, where I always have my lunch. Spencer went to eat out, which I thought was a waste of money, but I didn't complain since it meant I spent less time with him. In the breakroom was only one other person. My sister. I took my lunch out of the fridge when I realized she was standing behind me. Smiling. That's strange. We usually ignore each other. 

"Hey, how are you?" she asked with all the sweetness she could muster.

Oh, I get it.

"What do you want?" I replayed dryly. 

"Why do you think that just because I am being nice, I want something?" she had her ˝innocent˝ face on. She is pulling all the stops. This had to be big. Also, I am pretty sure she waited for me here. I usually eat at this time. I'm pretty routine when it comes to some things.  

"Because I'm also only nice to you when I want something."   

She dropped her ˝angel˝ expression.

"Ok, fine. I need you to tell me what's the deal with Aron."

"Who?"

"Your partner!"

It was so fun to tease her like that.

"What do you mean by ˝deal˝?" 

"You know..." she kind of looked uncomfortable saying that.

"No, I don't."

I wasn't teasing this time. I was genually confused.

"Is he single or what?" she awkwardly fidgeted from one leg to another.

My eyes widened. I really didn't want to have this conversation.

"I don't know," I said simply.

"How can you not know?" she obviously didn't believe me, but honestly, why would I lie.

"Because I don't care."

She threw her arms in the air annoyed.

"Why do you want to know?"

She glared at me and I grinned. I knew perfectly well why.

"Did you decide to take your obsession further than internet stalking and creepy staring at him?" I teased a little bit more.

I legitimately thought she will throw her cup of...something at me.

"It's not an obsession!"

"Whatever. Then pathetic pining."

She crossed her arms: "Can you just ask him?"

"Why don't you?"

"Isn't that kind of obvious and desperate?"

"I don't see the problem. You are already both of those things."

"LUKAS!"

She was really angry now.

"Ok, fine I will ask him. You owe me."

"Yes, thank you!"

She hugged me. We usually don't do that. Only when she left I realized what I just promised. I hate myself.

                                                                                         X

(Aron POV)

Half an hour later we were both sitting opposite each other again. Lukas looked deep in thought while reading the file. I had no intention of rereading it because I'm pretty sure I had it memorized by now. Lukas closed the file and lifted his eyes to me. He bit his lower lip as he usually did when something was bothering him.

"What?"

He opened his mouth and closed them, without saying anything. He went back to biting his lip, probably trying to find just the right words to use.

"O'Neal, what's up?"

"Are you single?" he blurted out.

To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. I blinked a couple of times not really knowing how to respond. He lifted his eyebrows questioningly. If he was uncomfortable or embarrassed, he didn't show it. But I could very clearly feel the blush on my cheeks.

"Um...Um wh-why do you need to know that?"

He shrugged: "General curiosity."

That couldn't be it. He has never shown any interest in my life. I pulled myself together.

"Oh and here I thought you were interested."

I tried to throw him out of his comfort zone a little. Didn't work, he stayed completely unfazed. He only rolled his eyes and replayed: "You wish."

"I really don't."

To that, he smirked. I don't think I've ever seen him smile. He only smirks. There are a lot of different versions, from the downright evil to almost endearingly human. The one he gave me was on the human side of The Smirk spectrum.

"But my sister is. That's why I'm asking."

Oh, ok. Now it made sense.

"So what should I tell her?"

"I...I am in a relationship actually."

"Oh," he looked surprised:" Who is the unlucky girl then?"

Before I could say anything he interjected: "Wait, no, actually I don't want to know. It was enough personal time for one day."

I was relieved. It's not that I'm ashamed o Matt or being bisexual, but I didn't feel like explaining or being judged. I also have a feeling that if people here found out all they could see would be my sexuality. Not to be dramatic, but that is how things can go. And I definitely didn't feel like being made fun of by Lukas. I don't know what kind of view he had on this sort of thing, but I still don't want to risk it. He probably could use it against me, if he really wanted to, but I doubt he would've stooped that low. Still, I don't really know anything about who he is, besides his name, family and that he is kind of a manwhore. No slut-shaming, just pointing it out. But honestly, he isn't really discreet about that. As far as I can tell, relationships weren't his thing.

"Maybe no one framed them. Maybe it was an accident," he started talking while I was still lost in my head.

"The police investigated. Nothing indicates an accident. It all points to arson."

It got quiet again. I looked over the victims' daughters' profile when I noticed something. She has a boyfriend, yet she didn't say who. She also said that on the night of the fire, she was supposed to go and see him, because his parents were out of town, but he cancelled, so she went out with friends. Interesting thing was, how would she go to see him without a car since her parents said they weren't home. She could've taken the bus, but they weren't driving at that hour. I checked. I told Lukas that, he wasn't convinced.

"You think the daughter burned down the family store? Why?"

"I didn't mean..."

"And the fact that she was without the car doesn't prove anything. Maybe her boyfriend was supposed to pick her up?"

I shook my head: "No, the way she said it was very clear that she meant she was going to him. Not the other way around. She even said that her friends picked her up."

"That doesn't mean she did it."

"I know. I don't think she did it. I think her boyfriend did."

"Of course you do. And I assume you also know who he is, where he lives and what his motivation was." I didn't like his mocking tone.

"Actually I do know who he is. Martin Lawrence."

He was very much pissed off now.

"Seriously!? The neighbours' son?! Again?! We've been over this! There is nothing! NOTHING, that points to him!"

"She said her boyfriends' parents were out of time, Martins' were also. She didn't need to use a car to get to him, because they live five minutes apart. The boyfriend cancelled and Martin was absent from his home, at the same time, because he went to the ˝football˝ match."

"You see this ˝evidence˝ because you want to."

"What about the key, huh?"

"What about it?"

"The perpetrator had it."

"And this fits into your theory how exactly?"

"She could've given him the key at some point."

"Why would she do that?"

"If they've been in a relationship long enough she could have."

He took a long, deep breath.

"This is all circumstantial, but I will ask Vicky to talk to the police officers, so they can question the boyfriend. Whoever he is."

I smiled at him.

Today we finished at 17.00. Our work hours were longer on Fridays and Tuesdays, but I didn't mind. I was in a good mood because I have a date tonight.