Spilling Guts

Part 114 - One Person Can't Keep Up

The reception and the follow up with the Lenores after the funeral took until mid-afternoon. Megan and Teegan left as Charlotte's friends helped scoop leftover casseroles and meat platters into single serving containers; easy to make meals when made lethargic by grief. Charlotte let herself be buried on the couch by the gray dog, and Alan promised Megan and Teegan he would keep in touch if anything else involving Parker's past came up.

On the way to the car, Teegan called Detectives Lee and Carter, leaving their contact info and a vague but specific enough description of the Devil's Neckbrace. If anything like it showed up on Lee and Carter's radar, the Watch would get a call.

Duty to the departed done, Megan and Teegan went straight to their homes. They would check in with Cetz tomorrow.

***

Cetz didn't expect a light to be on in Main Tech when he did his late night rounds through Watch Two. He knew Rachel and Hayman were going to burn the midnight oil, but Louis staying past nine at night?

Louis had his back to him, dressed in black and lit in silvery-blue light from the computer screen. Between stacks of patents, Louis' screen projected a sketchy diagram that wasn't the patent database.

Just as Cetz stepped into the circle of Main Tech, Louis spun around, firing arm extended.

A semi-soft thing bounced off Cetz's chest. He dropped his tablet and raised his fists the way he wished Reese would learn. Then he looked down and saw a NERF pellet.

"The fuck?"

Louis slowly lowered the NERF gun. "Thought you were the patent delivery person."

"That's not a good excuse."

Louis gave a sour gestured to his desk overrun with patents.

"Fair enough, but don't shoot the messenger. The less HR is involved the better." Cetz picked up his tablet, thankful for the all terrain-padding that kept it from breaking. And that he hadn't flung it at Louis. "I didn't expect you until tomorrow."

"I needed someplace to be," said Louis.

Cetz nodded. He had no idea what was going on in Louis' mind most days, he wouldn't attempt guessing what was running in his head after a funeral. He'd leave the mind-reading to Balcuwitz. "Megan and Teegan sent word about the photo found with Parker Lenore's deposit box."

"About that," said Louis, folding his arms across his chest since there was nowhere on his desk for them to go. "I want to work with them."

Cetz rested his hip on the empty desk across from Louis. Will's desk. "You want to work with them on finding Retten?"

"That and their long term cases."

Cetz took off his headset, slinging it around his neck. "If you work with them, you'll be bringing them close to the one thing you want to keep private."

"Yeah, and it's because you told them I was off limits that they nearly lost a thread between Parker and Retten. I don't want them brought in. The less people know the better. But I can help them. Even if it's moving file boxes to help out Megan. Or talking with Balcuwitz about Retten's profile. I've already done legwork on the Devil's Neckbrace. Give me something!"

Louis looked like he wanted to burst out of his office chair and escape the barrier of patent files. Something kept him seated to pleading his case. "My hand is fine and I know I fucked up. I'm voluntarily in therapy and I admit it is helpful. I'm ready to go back into the field."

"I say you're not ready."

"Watch One thinks so. They'll take me as I am."

Of course Rachel told Louis about Watch One's offer, thought Cetz. Guess she's sick of leaving people in the dark too.

"They'll take you without Will. Do you really want to leave him behind?" Cetz mentally patted himself on the back as Louis' face fell in guilt. Go in for the kill. "Or end up working with Reese? I tell you now, he needs work on his hand to hand combat."

"I need to do something!"

"You are doing something. You are doing paperwork."

"You said if I stayed with Watch Two I would still be Agent Patriarch."

"You are. And when agents screw up, they get reprimanded. Finish your patent inbox, and we'll talk. If you need a break, talk to Balcuwitz."

"How am I supposed to finish my inbox when the files don't stop coming? One person can't keep up."

Cetz uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, face pained. How hard was it to get such an obvious lesson across. He had even kept Beni and Reese chained to their own desks to be examples of "good behavior". "That's the point."

Cetz turned about and strode away, leaving his nugget of wisdom for Louis to chew on. Hopefully he wouldn't choke on it.