Oh, Brave and Stupid

Aden couldn't remember the last time he felt such a surge of butterflies or doubt, certainty and confusion all at once. Something in his heart told him Rose meant more to him than he could remember. Every thought of her that graced his mind, which was nearly every moment of the day; filled him with unexplainable joy; yet at the same time, dread. He loved her. He feared her. She wasn't normal, yet to him no one could be more normal. Captain and the others at work; now they were more abnormal than her with their pretenses and images they maintain.

He put the last of his reports in the captain's office and grabbed his coat to leave. The killer had been apprehended right where Rose told them to find him, along with a slew of physical evidence. The man sat in the interrogation room now. There was nothing left for Aden to do at the office. He bundled up and headed for his truck in the parking lot. As he clicked off the alarm on the truck he noticed a rather large Lincoln driving slowly through the lot as if looking for something, or someone. He kept his pace to his vehicle while keeping one eye on the car. Police work trains one to be able to watch without making it known to the one being watched. His head was down, shoulders up, hands stuffed in his pockets. His breath, visible in the cold, came in steady rhythm. The car stopped near the truck; headlights beaming in his direction. He stopped, shielding his eyes against the light.

A tall, ghostly figure emerged from the rear seat of the car. His form shadowed behind the brightness of the headlights. He stepped to the front of the car and with a light touch to the hood, signaled the driver to turn off the lights. The man stood, dressed in what appeared to be an expensively tailored black suit. His white skin nearly glowed in the dimly lit garage. And though Aden could see his own breath in the cold increase its pace; the pale stranger gave off no appearance of breath at all. "At last we meet." His silky voice uttered in a gentle whisper. "I am honored."

"W-who are you?"

"Let's just say I'm an old friend of the family."

"Whose family?

"Yours. Of course."

"What do you want?"

"Just to talk to you. Kaden"

"You have the wrong guy. My name isn't Kaden. It's..."

"Aden. Yes, I know. Forgive me. Aden, won't you come with me? We really do need to talk." He gestured toward the car.

"And if I don't?"

"I really hope you do. It would be better for everyone involved."

"Involved in what?" Demanding now.

"Come. I will explain all."

Aden stared at the pale stranger for what seemed like several minutes, processing the man's words. The silky voice was unnerving, yet familiar it its own way. Familiar like Rose, but far more fearful. "How do I know you're not just here to harm me.?"

"Please, Ka-, er, Aden. I could do no such thing." Though his eyes said differently.

"I'm afraid I don't have the time, right now."

"On the contrary, you have nothing but time. You are off of work, your cases are closed and your lover does not wish to see you tonight."

"How...?" The door to the garage burst open snapping his attention behind him. "Aden!" Brian's voice rang out. "Thank God you're still here."

Aden turned to the stranger only to find he and car were gone. You're losing your mind Aden. You need a vacation.

"Aden? You hear me boy?"

"Um, yes. Sorry. What is it Brian?"

"We need Rose." He put his hands up to stop Aden from arguing. "Please. Just get her in here. Please."

***

"What do you want now Paul? Didn't you do what I told you? Didn't you find your killer where I said you would?" Rose was a little more infuriated than usual at this latest interruption to her isolation; almost on the verge of hysterics. "Seriously! Can't you people do anything on your own?"

"Calm down, Rose. Please." Paul waved his hands in pleading surrender.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! What the hell do you want from me anyway. I thought y'all would be happy to be rid of me by now."

Paul noticed the audience that was forming outside his office. He was sure they were taking bets on whether or not he would survive this meeting. He closed the blinds. "The guy won't talk to us."

"So. What's that to me?"

"If he doesn't talk, he walks."

"And?"

"And the killing starts over again. We both know it will."

She knew he was right. "That still doesn't explain why you called me in here. I told you all I..."

"He said he would talk to you. Only you."

"And how the hell does he even know about me?!"

"I don't know. Really I don't. It's the only thing he does say; that he'll talk to you."

She let her skepticism play out in her expression. "So he asked for me by name? Huh, Paul?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what exactly? How do you know he wants to talk to me if he didn't specifically ask for me by name?" The man was dancing. Avoiding an uncomfortable subject maybe.

"Um..." He hesitated.

"I can get it from you if you'd rather." She lifted her hand to his face.

He shied. "No. That won't be necessary." She paused. "He said he wanted to talk to the demon. The witch that sent us to him." He let out the air he'd been hanging on to since she stormed in his office three minutes ago.

She stood stunned; wide eyed. Staring full faced in the fat man's aged ravaged swollen face. Her eyes steeled. "And, naturally, you thought of me. How thoughtful." No, not pleased one bit. "I can't help you."

"Please, Rose. It's our only hope of putting this guy away."

"No. What about the all the physical evidence I told you to find? There's more than enough of that to put him away." She flung his door open to leave but found Aden blocking her way. His pleading blue eyes staring into her own threatening to melt her resolve.

"Mostly circumstantial. Not enough to seal a conviction. Come on Rose. He said he'd tell you everything we need to know." Paul begged.

"Please, Rose. I will go with you, if you'd like." Aden offered.

"Still being brave, aren't you Agent. Brave and stupid." She drew a deep breath trying to will herself to loathe him as much as she wanted to. "You don't know what you're asking me to do." She spoke with a softer tone, a slight hint of terror behind the words.

"I'll be right there with you. You won't have to be alone."

"It's not me you should worry about." To the captain. "Fine. Five minutes. But, I'm warning you. This had better be the last time you call me about this case." She stormed past them both in the direction of the interrogation room.

"Thanks." Paul said with a hand to Aden's back. "You and me will need to have a little chat when this is all said and done."

"Yes, sir." He agreed. "Shall we?"

"After you, oh brave and stupid one." They both chuckled.