Crime (h.s. au)

Chapter One

Harry

I fasten the watch to my wrist and I fix my suitcoat, grabbing my keys. My knee hits the ground gently as I crouch down, saying goodbye to my dog. Zeus is a pit-bull, but very well trained. It took a long time to find a good dog, but once I met him, I knew I wanted to take care of him.

My body stands and I make my way to the door, shutting and locking it behind me. It's my first day working at Manhattan's police station, transferring here from New York. It had been given to me as a promotion, and I'm proud of my abilities. I'm not a police officer, but rather a detective. I've slowly worked up to this position and I'm hoping to continue to grow in ranks.

I've found interest in the field since growing up. My father was an ex-convict and was the target for many bounty hunters. Few had ever broke entry for any sort of attack, but it all changed seven years ago.

Now that I've entered the force, I'm doing everything I can to make sure I don't live the same life my father did. He had wanted me to follow his footsteps; to become one with power. But I refused. I wanted to follow the path to get justice for those who had their lives changed by men or women with the same traits my father once had.

I drive to the station and am welcomed upon arrival, introducing myself to many people. The Chief meets with me and we go into his office, discussing all I need to know before working.

"It hasn't been too hectic over here, mostly drug-related crimes. There are a few cases open in the homicide department and we'd like you to start there. You seem to have an eye for finding out what most overlook. It's why you're here," he says, my lips smirking. I'm good at my job; I'm humble but aware.

"There are a few people above you, but you will have people working for you. We do encourage you to take people under your wing," Chief Vincent suggest, and I understand. I'm intrigued at the fact that I'm going to be a 'teacher', something most would hate. It has always been interesting to watch how people react to my method of action in the field.

"Who am I working under?" I ask, his hands folding over the desk.

"There's me and the Deputy Chief here. We outsource to the Commander, Major, and Captain over in West Manhattan. Since the office is small, we do work together. Then Lieutenant Nicks is who you will mainly be working with," he explains, my head nodding.

"Lieutenant Nicks," I nod, making sure I remember the name to seem professional.

"Yes. She's currently not in office because she is also an autopsy technician. She's been working on a homicide case that opened this morning," he explains, and I'm instantly interested.

"Will I be assisting her on it?" I ask, and he chuckles. I frown at his reaction.

"She's strict on who helps her. You might need to prove yourself first with her," he explains to me. It's not new to have to prove yourself to those in the field; everyone's different and there are different mindsets to solving everything.

"I'm excited to meet her then," I tell him, his hand extending to me. I shake it and we stand up, the two of us entering the office. He guides me around, introducing me to everyone I'll be working directly with.

"This will be your office. Lieutenant Nicks will be right next door," he tells me. I glance over and see that the walls are glass. I'm sure it's to assist in work, but it's new to me.

"I'll go retrieve a few files for you to look over and you can start with anything you'd like," he tells me, walking with me to show me where the cases are stored. There a quite a few file cabinets and I read the labels. They have cold cases and current cases, filed by the type. It's a nice system.

"We have you to look at the current cases. It should be good work for you," he tells me, and I express my gratitude. He hands me a few files to look over and I read through them briefly.

"If you need me, or anyone, you know where we are," he says. I shake his hand once more and I go to my office.

I read over cases and I ponder which one to attack first. There are facts in each that I find fascinating and I'm unsure where to start. It gets later in the day and I keep working, few people stopping in my office to talk with me about evidence reports and leads.

It's around five when I see someone walk into the station, my eyes taking her in. She's a tall, slim woman, blonde hair falling to the middle of her back in loose curls. I'm unsure if she's here with information or if she works here.

She walks straight into the Chief's office and closes the door behind her, pulling something from her bag. She lays what it is on the desk and makes her way out after a brief discussion. I can't take my eyes off of her.

It's when she makes her way into the office beside me I nearly shit myself. It's the Lieutenant I'm working with, and I try to move my thoughts aside. I'm a professional, and I'll be damned if I make any sort of move on the attractive woman I am now going to be working with.

I open the bottom drawer on my desk and file away what I've looked at today, typing a few notes I've taken into the computer's database.

The knock on my door diverts my attention and the Lieutenant stands in front of me.

"Nice to meet you Detective. I'm Lieutenant Nicks, but you can call me Ava," she smiles, walking in. I stand and shake her hand, telling her she can call me Harry.

"Nice to meet you. If there's anything I can assist you with, I'd be happy to," I tell her, her eyes so light their almost gray.

"Of course. I don't usually work with newcomers, but your work is impeccable. We can discuss further tomorrow," she remarks, and I smile. Glad to know I'm not looked down on because I'm new.

"Sounds good to me. What were you working on today?" I ask, her body standing at a tall height.

"I work alongside the coroner. We worked through some of an autopsy today. A body was found in the backyard of a couple this morning. They will be in for further questioning tomorrow if you'd like to sit in," she invites, and I agree. I'd love to see her work.

"Now, I need to enter some files and report back to the chief before he leaves for the night. I'll see you later," Ava says, and I smile at her. I've never worked with a woman on cases before and I can't wait. It's not only because she's beautiful, but because I finally have a chance to see how a woman works in the field.

She leaves the office and goes to hers, my hand grabbing my keys and I leave for the night. I shut my door and wave to the Chief, making my way out of the station.

Ava Nicks fills my mind and I adjust myself in the seat of the car. I blink a few times and try to ignore the fact I'm attracted to her. There's something about a confident woman in her position that has me losing my focus.

I need to stop. This is bad and I need to get myself back on track. I'm not here for whatever it is I'm feeling so I get the thoughts out of my head as fast as I can.

I get to my apartment complex and walk up the stairs, opening my door. My body couches to I can pet Zeus and I grab his leash. Once I take him outside, I feed him and start to cook myself dinner.

My phone rings and I answer it, pressing the phone to my cheek.

"Fancy a drink, mate?" my friend Mitch asks, and I agree. Perhaps this will take my mind off of things.