Broken City: Pt. 1, Murder in Manhattan

[Nikkola]

Jacqueline worked for the police department in New York city as a detective. This was not by choice mind you. Some time before she was forced into her new career, she was a very successful and infamous diamond thief who had finally been caught. At that point she was given an ultimatum; Spend life in prison or serve the police force as a detective. At the time, none of the detectives were very skilled, and so Jacqueline quickly moved up the ranks.


The breakthrough case for Jacqueline ended up being the mafia bootlegging alcohol illegally across the borders and shipping it out in large quantities. Somehow she managed to infiltrate the ranks of the mob and shut down the operation from the inside. It was this case that won her the respect of the entire police force.


She had been with the force for a couple of years when it was time for her current partner to retire, and she worked alone for a number of months before they considered finding her a new partner. Jacqueline was the best detective the force had at this point, and so they respected her need for a skilled partner. There was a rumor of a rookie police officer who had the skills that she needed in a partner, but it would be a number of weeks or even a month before they would be able to accurately judge the rookie's skill.


This brings us to the beginning of a new chapter. The day began like any Monday would. The office smelled of coffee and cigarettes. Jacqueline sat at her desk, sorting out her files from the last two cases she had closed. The guys who shared an office room with her were having a vulgar conversation about things they would do to women, which Jackie promptly ignored. The guys in her office went silent when the police chief entered and approached Jaqueline's desk. "We have the perfect partner lined up for you. I will be sending them in to meet you shortly." he instructed her very matter-of-factly like she had no choice in the matter. Jaqueline nodded then went back to sorting her files.

 

[Lumeneire]

"So, what makes you think you'd be worthy of this Detective role, Mr. Fusco?" The chief sat opposite Remy had a cigar pressed neatly between his lips, of which were barely visible through his bristling grey moustache. Remy breathed in the intoxicating smoke and took a moment for his mind to find the right answer. It had taken him a long time to get noticed by the Police Chief Detective and he wasn't going to blow it now.


"What makes me worthy you say?" His voice was rough but somehow charming at the same time. Intelligence lingered behind his every word and as he spoke, surety and confidence spilled out from his mouth. On anyone else, it would look cocky and arrogant, but with Remy Fusco, everything he said had a purpose, everything was calculated and intentional.


"That Cigar you're smoking is a Cuban I do believe. But not just any Cuban; the tobacco inside has been soaked in a rich, oak barrelled whiskey. That specific brand was used by the Encardo Mafia, of which three of the high profile members were apprehended not only two days ago. I would then assume that during the raid, some of the officers helped themselves to the merchandise as a trophy and now, you are enjoying that reward. You chose to smoke it whilst interviewing me because it made you feel even more superior than you already are. Some of your best Detectives probably worked on the case, and sucking in that delicious smoke is reminding you of how important the role is to fill. Secondly, it makes you look powerful Sir and I am sure you want to intimidate in any way that you can, to see if I had the metal to make it as a Detective. I probably have big shoes to fill and you aren't gonna hire any schmuck you just find on the street. "


The Chief sank in his chair and almost choked on the cloud of billowing smoke that had built around his face. He had forgotten to breath out as he continuouslysucked on the end of the Cigar. He wrinkled his nose as the smoke began to clear and thrust out his chest, forcibly holding down his coughing fit. He reluctantly placed his prize into the ashtray, being doubled as a paperweight and turned his attention back to Remy. "So, Mr. Fusco, you do know your stuff. For now, lets say, you'll be given a trial run. I'll introduce you to your new partner in a moment, just let me go and tell them first."


Remy tried desperately to hide the grin on his face and almost succeeded in concealing his glee, if his eyes hadn't been twinkling so hard beneath the shadowed rim of his fedora. He sat up straight and simply nodded. That was the gentleman thing to do and after all, the Chief had said it was a trial run, there was no need to get cocky when the job wasn't even officially his yet. He remained seated as the Chief dashed out of the room, remembering to take his Encardo Cigar with him as he hurried and slammed the door behind him.


Remy used the brief moment to stretch out his legs and revel in his victory. All it had taken was the simple knowledge that all detectives should acquire about recent cases and a smart mouth. Although those things had helped him out in the interview, he knew one day they would get him into trouble. As he stood, his trench coat flattened out against his pressed black trousers, and his pinstriped tie poked out through the collar.


It had only been a moment and the Chief had already returned. "Alright Detective Fusco. Go report to your new partner. She'll give you your credentials and firearm. Good luck son, you're gonna need it." Remy raised a brow but daren't speak his thoughts. They've stuck me with a dame? Gosh darn it, I'm never gonna keep the job following around some broad. He remained polite and tipped his hat to the Chief. "Thanks for the opportunity here Boss, I won't let you down." He glanced around at the office before leaving, soaking in all of the details, like the portraits on the wall, the framed newspaper clippings and the trinkets from all of the cases the chief had worked. Remy aspired to have that office himself one day and he would damned well try his hardest to earn it.


The hallway leading from the main office was bare and bland, it appeared the budget was spent more on wages and necessities, rather than furnishings. As he made his way into the larger room full of cubicles and men dressed in suits, he spotted a woman at the very end. That was who he was working with and that was who he was stuck with. He remained where he was stood, like a lemon in the middle of the room and stared all around in awe. His previous offices were no where near as professional and wearing his new suit made him feel extra fancy. He gently rubbed at the dark stubble of his squared jaw and flashed his deep brown eyes towards the woman, hoping to get her attention.

 

[Nikkola]

Seeing a young-faced lad standing awkwardly before her, Jaqueline could only presume that this was to be her new partner. The guys in her office had long since gone off to work on their cases while she was asked to wait around for a new recruit. She noticed him standing there but acted like she hadn't to make him sweat a little. The papers she was shuffling through were from the recently closed Encardo case, that she was the lead investigator on. The clearly marked folder seemed to catch the new guy's eye. Ruffling through the papers and making sure everything was in order, she tossed the file into her desk tray and turned her attention to the young man standing in her office.


He was young and looked considerably more fit than any of the fill-in partners she had been working with. He had a bit of a smug look on his face, but she was willing to give him a chance as long as he wasn't a complete imbecile. Jackie's eyes met his, "Sit." she bluntly ordered, indicating the chair facing her desk. Casually, she popped the lock on the bottom drawer of her desk. It was a bit of a mess in there since that was mostly her junk drawer. Out of the drawer, she pulled out a badge and medium-sized, silvered revolver that was tucked neatly in a chest holster for carrying it concealed beneath a jacket.


As she places both the badge and the gun on the desk, she glares at him coldly and unimpressed. "You're going to need to understand a few things before we go anywhere or do anything." The tone of her voice was confident and commanding. "We do things my way. If you aren't okay with that, you might as well turn your ass around and go back to whatever you were doing before you came in here." Jacqueline wrinkled her nose a bit and straightened her jacket, tugging out the wrinkles in the shoulders from sitting for so long.


"Do I make myself clear?!" She demanded, not even sure if the recruit was listening. She had nothing but miserable experiences with the lot of detectives she worked with since her long time partner had retired from the force. If looks could kill, the young man sitting at her desk would likely be dead right now. Morning sun filtered through the blinds and sparkled in her eyes, as she glared at him expecting him to at least say something.

 

[Lumeneire]

Remy sat without arguing and tried to absorb every detail of his surroundings as she spoke. From what he could tell, she was a hard woman, one that was probably scorned and now took out her frustration on all of the men she encountered. It frustrated him to know he had come so far and that his career hung in the balance of one dames opinion. He had no problem with women, in fact he had the utmost respect for them but it was impossibly unusual for one to be working on the force. She must have done something incredibly heroic to earn her place or knew the right people with power. As he looked her up and down, he assumed it would be the latter. The woman was harsh and demanding, meaning that the only way to keep her job was to appear furious and superior to everyone else in the room. It must be tough for the woman, but Remy felt no sympathy. She knew the risks of the jobs, the politics behind the badge and if she wanted to play along, she would have no choice but to get her hands dirty.


His eyes lit up as she withdrew a gun and badge from her desk and slammed them on the countertop. His mouth overflowed with salivation from excitement and he desperately tried to keep his gaze on hers as she spoke, rather than on his prize. Her words were harsh and commanding. She demanded respect and unwavering loyalty from the man and it was something he would give willingly without having to be told to. Remy paid careful attention to every infliction of her words and every small little twitch and body movement as she spoke. He drank it all in, absorbing everything he could about her. As the words ceased, his mind reeled with the information he had gathered and sat in silence for what felt like a minute, making sure to never drop his gaze or show any fear. When he was certain enough time had passed for the woman to calm down and for the air to feel uncomfortable, he chimed in with his two cents.


"You're the boss, I get that, there will be no need to remind me, that's for sure. I will show nothing but respect for authority and run everything by the book. However, from the way you're riding me before you've even bothered to learn anything, like my name for starters, I would assume that you've had some bad experiences with rookies and new partners. Just know, that I am here for a reason. I've worked in narcotics, white collar crime, gang crime, arson and theft. I know my way around a crime scene and I see things other people don't. I will always follow your command but don't expect me to not argue the point first if I feel it is the wrong course of action. I won't learn anything if I blindly follow orders and you won't gain anything if you disregard my talents. Do I make myself clear ma'am?" He sat back in his chair, his gaze still unwavering under the shadow of his fedora and straightened the tie under his chin.

 

[Nikkola]

Jacqueline took her glasses off and set on the desk carefully. It was extremely odd to her that a recruit be so brazen. Most found her terrifying, but she took comfort in someone who was willing to stand up to her. It was not something she let show on her porcelain face. No signs of emotion were eminent. She let her hair out of the clip that was holding it all up and gave it a shake. "I don't know what they told you about me, but with all due respect, I am a better detective than most of these washed up chumps that I share an office with. That includes you, rookie."


Jackie grabbed the pack of cigarettes from her inside coat pocket. She slid one out with her mouth, her lipstick staining the filter where it had touched. As she lit the cigarette, she started to make an opinion of the greenhorn they had sent her. He was confident, sure, but how was he in the field? Did he require the necessary skills to work with her? Jacqueline inhaled and exhaled from her cigarette all in one smooth breath, blowing the smoke off to the side. "Do you even know who I am?" She prodded. "The used to call me 'the Scarlet Cat'." The name seems to ring a bell and it appears the blood rushes out of the boy's face. Everyone had heard of the Scarlet Cat. One of the most infamous cat burglars the city had ever known. The tales told of all the museums and jewellery stores she had emptied without being caught. Everyone had assumed that she retired.


Jackie turns her chair to the side facing away from him and leaned back in her chair, taking another drag off her cigarette and knocking off the ash into the ashtray full of lipstick-stained cigarette butts on the desk. Her intention was to let what she had just told him sink in a while, hoping that he would think her a liar. After she felt enough time had passed, that he was able to sit and take it all in, she exhaled a few smoke rings and crushed her partially finished cigarette into the ashtray with her glossy red painted thumb. She wiped her hand clean on a handkerchief she pulled out of her pocket. "My name's Jacqueline. Jackie is fine, that's what most of the guys call me," she looked towards lad sitting at her desk, "What is it that I may call you while we are on the subject of names?" Jackie raised a brow, expecting him to have a rather plain and straight-laced kind of name.

 

[Lumeneire]

Remy sat patiently as his new partner said her piece. He had of course heard of The Scarlet Cat but he was unimpressed. During his time working amongst thieves and wealthy bureaucrats, he found that he harboured no desire for the materialistic world, including money and jewels. To him, they were frivolous and he despised the people who sailed through their entire lives on the hunt for wealth. He prized knowledge and puzzles above all else. That was why he so desperately wanted to be given a chance to work amongst the homicide detectives, what greater challenge was there than to unravel the mind of a murderer and capture them before they could take the life of another? Even though he did not agree with Jackie's morals, he couldn't help but be impressed by the legend surrounding her. She was notoriously slippery and immeasurably intelligent from what he had heard and his soul beamed with pride, knowing that he now had the chance to work along side her, seeing her skills put to a better use.


Jacqueline, yes, that seemed like a fitting name for her. It was tough and authoritative, not like other dames names he had come across like Annabelle or Stephanie. They were all soft and flirtatious, where as Jackie was all about business. He could respect a name like Jackie, he could work with a name like that. Remy gently tipped his hat off of his head and placed it on the desk between them. He reached up to smooth down his sleek brown hair and rose to his feet, his mind still calculating the best way to respond to her words. He turned his back to his superior and slightly strolled across the cramped space to a trophy cabinet that pressed up against the plain, grey wall. He inspected the pieces inside as he spoke, carefully caressing his eyes across the titles at the base of each award.


"Red Lipstick." He chimed in. No doubt the two singular words would confuse the woman and so he would try his best to clarify. The entire time she had been speaking, he had been paying attention to everything she was doing. Not only had he been focused on her face, but his eyes had flitted to the lipstick marks on the piles of cigarette butts, the way in which she enunciated every word and how certain she kept her stance as she tried to inspire fear. As he spoke to her, not once did his attention waver from the array of trophies encased in the glass cabinet.


"You wear red lipstick for three reasons. The first being that the scarlet red reminds you of your days of being the infamous thief. Everytime that you look in the mirror, the colour floods your mind with all of the burglaries you were able to pull off. It was a time when you could use your skills to their full potential and you did it for the thrill of the chase, by choice, just to prove that you could. Reminding yourself of those days helps you steer that power and talent towards the tasks that are thrust upon you today. Secondly, it is a very alluring and bold colour. It must be difficult being a woman in your profession, heck, I had doubts myself when the Chief had mentioned I was to be working with a female detective. The shade makes your lips stand out amongst all of your other lovely features and men can't help but be drawn to the delicious shade. When you speak, you fear that your male colleagues won't hear you but with their eyes already focused on your mouth, even if they choose not to hear the words, they undoubtedly read them whilst staring at that vicinity. Last but not least, it allows you to hide, like a tiger with it's stripes. The popular red tint makes you blend in with the tide of housewives and rich women that parade themselves around town like self righteous royalty. On approaching a suspect, they would have no idea that you were about to grill them for information but instead would see the red as passionate and think that you were merely a pretty face, allowing you to approach unscathed. But, once they realised who you were, the red would no longer be a symbol of lust, but instead rage and danger. You could strike fear into even the hardest of men and the colour would no longer hold a sexual connotation in there mind."


As he finished speaking, he turned his attention from the glass cabinet and stared into the womans eyes. His face was still, calculating but dark and handsome at the same time. "Of course, I might be overthinking it and you could just like the colour. My name is Remy, Remy Fusco, but my colleagues like to call me 'Fuss'. Take from that what you will." He plucked his fedora from the desk top and flipped it back onto his head head. He let out an awkward smile, fully aware that he may have insulted her in some way but it was a fact he couldn't help. His personality demanded him to speak his mind and to analyze every little thing. It was one of the reasons his friends called him Fuss, he had a tendency to fuss over the smallest, insignificant things.

 

[Nikkola]

While Jackie saw no real point to all the things he had puzzled out about her, it was quite obvious to her that he was definitely not the usual dim-witted schmuck she was used to working with. But how were his athletics or his agility? Most of her recent partners were much too portly to help her with the final apprehension of a fleeing suspect. At least he was a rookie. The extra body fat from donuts and candy bars hadn't hit his figure quite yet. "How's your fitness level, Fusco?" Remy was an interesting name. It was definitely not Tommy or Johnny, or something equally as generic. She couldn't think for the life of her what this kids background was before joining the police force. It was almost as if there was a giant blank space inside her head, right where her thoughts and opinions of Remy had been.


Jackie stood from her chair and reached into the small armoire that she usually kept her jacket and extra clothes in, and pulled out a pair of supple leather boots that were dark brown in color as well as a pair of slightly faded black pants. Remy likely thought it odd that she would wear something as plain as that, being a detective and all. "See, the reason I ask, mister Fusco, is that the case we are on today, there is a high potential of chasing suspects down." Jackie tosses the pants she was holding onto the seat of her chair and turns her attention to Remy, her gaze burning into him with her electric blue eyes. The room went eerily quiet as she waited for him to open his mouth again. She wondered if she'd get another wise-guy response, but what he said at this point didn't really matter much. He was already a cut above the rest in Jackie's eyes, even if he was a bit of a 'by the book' kind of fella.

 

[Lumeneire]

Remy watched his new partner as she withdrew a pair of plain looking trousers from her desk. He thought they were rather practical for the job and silently applauded her level headedness. It indeed made him excited to start on a new case with her. It had been a while since he had had the opportunity to work with anyone who held some small piece of intelligence. He was usually the smart one, pointing out what he thought to be the more obvious clues, but he could tell, just by the intellectual sparkle in her dazzling blue eyes, that Jaqueline would be a woman he could bounce his ideas off of, rather than simply relay them to.


"I would say that I am rather athletic. Healthy body, healthy mind and all that. Who are we supposed to be chasing down today then? Are we working on a new case or one that's already in progress?" The questions were spilling out of him as his eagerness creeped into every pore of his being. He hadn't realised it, but he had started to subtly bounce on his heels, desperate to finally use his skills where they would be suited best.

 

[Nikkola]

Jackie picked up the gun and badge off her desk and handed them to Remy. "One thing at a time, kid," she chuckled a bit at his eagerness, as she stuffed her clothes into a medium-sized gray handbag. She paused a moment, ensuring that everything she needed was in fact on her person. Hoisting the bag gently over her shoulder, she decided to answer the recruit's question, "There's been a murder, in broad daylight. Downtown in the middle of the street." grabbing the gloves that she had almost forgotten, she started toward the door. "You know these kinda cases get," I lighthearted sarcastic tone in her voice, "You ask anybody afraid of jail anything to do with a murder in a very public fashion, and they are probably gonna run... Come on." Jackie motioned for him to follow her.


Practically everybody had left the office by now, the hour approaching 10:00 AM. They walked down the narrow hall and when they came near a set of locker rooms, Jackie paused a moment thinking she ought to change before they leave. She reached into her coat pocket and pulls out her keys, "Do me a favor and go fetch the car from the parking garage, would you? It's the dark blue DeSoto. Meet me out front with it, I am just going to change." Jackie trusted the fact that the kid wasn't an idiot and could probably manage to drive a car around the block.

 

[Lumeneire]

Remy pocketed the keys in his crisp suit trousers and nodded politely. He would obey her every command until he found a reason to disregard it and only then would she meet the true Detective Fuss. He couldn't help but lick his lips in anticipation as she explained to him what the new case would be. There didn't seem to be much of an explanation, but he knew he would get to see the crime scene first hand when they finally made their way over. On all of his other cases, he had always had to scour files and pictures before he was able to observe the scene, but this time, for the first time in his career, he would be able to see the crime scene freshly laid out. He would be able to observe, prod and speculate on every little detail that lesser minds would have probably left off of a report.


As they walked through the office he had not long ago perused through, he found that it was mostly empty. The slack jawed, chatterbox detectives had got off of their coffee powered arses and fueled into action. It was his turn now, his turn to shine and prove his worth. He followed her until they came to a stop outside the changing room doors and took the keys she had handed to him without question. He spun on his heel, eager to leave the building and ran down the stairs, two at a time, unable to hide his joy. The back of the station had a metal door that opened into the parking lot where both guests and officers parked side by side, with their equally beautiful and trusty cars. As he walked down the half filled dark lot, he spotted two or three cars similar to the ones she had mentioned. Apparently, homicide detectives had very similar vehicular tastes.


At the first one, he peered through one of the windows and saw childrens dolls sprawled out along the back seat. After speaking to Jacqueline, however briefly, he had deduced that she did not have children of her own. If she had, she would be a stay at home mother like all mothers of the time were. She would have perfected the art of cooking, cleaning, ironing, sewing, knitting and all other manner of important womanly chores. Seeing her own that office had assured him that there were greater things on her mind than dress creases and baby formula. He waltzed past the car without another look and dashed over to the second. It was hidden in the corner, so that cars could only drive up against one side of it. He assumed that was strategic thinking rather than necessity. At no time would the station parking lot be at full capacity and he could only assume the owner was a little bit paranoid and untrustworthy of other people. He peaked in through the window and found that the interior was immaculate. He couldn't tell if his new partner was an immaculate person just yet, but he placed his bets on the car he was assessing, rather than the one on the other side of the lot, covered in dents and peeling paint. Even if she was a little messy, she wouldn't allow her professional car to get quite so trashed. He pushed the key into the lock and whalla, the mechanism clicked free. He slid comfortably into the drivers seat and had to adjust by pushing it back slightly. It appeared Remy was a little taller than Jackie and she would probably be annoyed at him fussing over an changing the interior of her car, but it was necessary for him to navigate safely out to the front.


He waited outside the front of the station now, the engine still running and his patience dwindling. He honked the horn twice and rolled his eyes with annoyance. He shouldn't rush his new mentor, partner, authority figure, but he was entirely too eager to solve a murder.