Message: XII

"Yo, Bouillabaise, look what we found with your friend who you refuse to visit too often." Aria barged into the office Chyler was occupying, and the woman almost jumped out of her chair.

"Sacre Bleu, can you not? Besides, when it happened that people gave up on knocking?"

"I'd have to do it first to be able to give it up, Moule." She shrugged, tossing the evidence bag with bloody piece of paper inside on Chyler's desk and she smiled mockingly when she saw that her partner swallowed hard, as if something had made a presence in her throat.

"First of all, Callaghan." Toussaint sat a bit back, distancing herself from the evidence, even though she was actually pretty curious about that. "Stop with those names. They're not funny."

"They are not supposed to be, Seine." She shrugged. "And if you don't like them, just ignore them."

"I have a name."

"Yeah, I know. And I couldn't care less." She raised her eyebrow. "So, that was first. What's second?"

Chyler rolled her eyes, not believing that she had to have that kind of talk with a person who was supposedly adult.

"Second, you knock before you come in, and wait for the command to enter."

"I won't even visit you if it wasn't for the fact that someone decided to kick me here and forgot to mention I'd not have my own fucking desk. So I get here, since you're my partner, and that means your desk is also mine."

"Ah, no, you have to be kidding me."

"Believe me, I'd really wish I was, Vineyard, but no." she clicked her tongue. "Your daddy decided to kick me out into your embrace, forgetting I am already a big girl and I don't need a crib."

"I will make sure you'll get your desk first thing in the morning." Chyler frowned, and Aria nodded. It seemed like a nod of gratitude, but at this point Toussaint couldn't be sure of anything.

"So, only those two, or maybe something more?" Aria crossed her arms on her chest and looked at her partner almost mockingly. "Should I take my notepad to ensure I'll write everything down? Like a bucket list?"

"Well, now that you mention it, you could, for instance, stop talking when nobody asks you to." Chyler looked at her with disgust almost, but Aria didn't seem to care.

"Yeah, and people could stop breathing. Sure, I'll hit you up when that happens." She rolled her eyes.

Toussaint shook her head, feeling like she had to yield only because she was respecting her nerves more than the person she was speaking to.

"So, what is that?" she asked after taking three deep breaths, trying not to kill her partner, or try not to insult her in a language she could have known. The problem was, Toussaint wasn't sure which ones Aria knew. Her finger pointed at the evidence and Callaghan cleared her throat. It seemed like she would be serious and professional for once, even though her rolled up sleeves that were uncovering her forearms covered in tattoos weren't.

"That was something our victim wanted to take as a last meal and failed." She stated, making Chyler cover her face with her palm and clench her eyelids. So, no seriousness. Okay.

"Be professional, please."

"I am." Aria shrugged, sticking her hands into her pockets, and then pointing the paper with her chin. Toussaint couldn't help but notice her jawline was really sharp. "That was in his throat. If you didn't think the guy had anything to do with the gangs or cartels, now you have a proof you were wrong."

Chyler looked at the bloody paper, trying to see what was there. It wasn't that easy, since the redness covered the majority of the symbol, but, at the same time, it was visible enough for her to know.

"Is that... I mean...?"

"Hellblades, you got it, Cabernet." Callaghan nodded, looking at her partner with perfect poker face. Chyler swallowed, sticking her sight to the paper.

What the heck was a gang from another province doing in their town?