"Sorry to disturb you. I wouldn't if it wasn't important."
"Be quick. I told you not to show your face till it's over."
"What if I tell you it is? Fidelo already closed one case, no one will charge your ex-wife and there's more news....," he paused and hoped to catch the old chief's attention but the man looked disturbed by his presence during his early breakfast, "Fidelo intends to close the case today. He even asked for early retirement."
"What! I thought you had some good news to share. Retirement means someone else can start sticking his nose in these cases again. Especially with that stupid bitch still in custody.
" She confessed everything, the chief said..."
"The chief said, the chief said! What did I tell you? I will take care of it! The only thing you needed to do was keeping an eye on Jim, making it warm and cozy for that drunk bastard. What exactly didn't you understand?!"
It wasn't the first time he saw the man at the breakfast table furious but this time it was different.
"I only wanted to.."
"I know exactly what you want, you showed it your entire life and you disgust me. Don't forget who saved you, taught you everything, and who's in charge. You better make Fidelo stay till a decent time passed and the old woman is back home save and sound. Crawl, lie, cheat, and fuck whoever you need to make that happen and get out of my way till this is solved in a good way! Now... Get out of this place and never show your face again if you like to hang around on this planet a bit longer. Understood?"
There was no need to wait for more threats. The message was clear and he only hoped he would never figure out Jim left. On his way back to the bureau he would check his house and Jim's place. Perhaps he missed something. Fidelo... could he change the man's mind? He doubted it, murder was not an option and the old woman should be sent back home. "For god's sake, she confessed the murders, each one of them. Should she take her words back, who would buy it and even if it was true... If she was innocent who did the damned killing and bricking instead?"
A sudden thought came to his mind, did the chief inspector figure out who he was, did Jim?
His place looked the same as he left it. No trace of Jim or his belongings. The phone he gave was left behind.
"Smart of him, " he mumbled.
Jim's house looked abandoned. The curtains were closed and no sign of life. Jim nor his sister answered their phone or opened the door. Did both leave together? Was this the end? He sat in his car. It felt as if the case was closed already. The list child was gone, so were Jim and his sister, and the chief intended to leave as soon as possible. They all left just like those he met in his childhood at the old man's home. The man was right he had saved him in some way and although he had called him 'disgusting' he had taken care of him.
"Don't threaten me, old man, if you take your hands off me I can't guarantee your dirty, dark secrets will not get out in the open. I'm sure Hella loves to hear all about it."
I loved it dear. Very well done.💟💟