STEP DADDY 2: FAMILY TIES (COMPLETED)

#30: Deadly Deals

2:45 PM | Detective Mark Samson's POV
Riverborn Police Precinct #9

            Many years have passed since I've heard my real name out loud. Before I became a cop, I destroyed every piece of article that I could find with my birth name "Ares Cornelius Brown" written on it. My mother, at the time, was against the idea. My name was special, she said. My first name came from my mother's father. middle, her late brother who passed away as a child, and my last name, the man she loved unconditionally but couldn't publicly claim. I wanted my own identity, I explained to her. Eventually, she let the argument go but that didn't stop her from calling me Ares until her untimely passing.

            With my new name, I was able to join the Riverborn Police Department and become the man I am today.

            "Yo, Lieutenant?" a male officer knocked on my office door.

            Still, in my thoughts, I responded, "What?"

            "The Captain, wants you in his office, pronto."

            Mumbling under my breath, "Great."

            "Everything straight?" he asks,

            "Yeah, everything is straight."

            I exit my office and make my way toward the Captains. I couldn't help but notice the sea of eyes  following me as I walked past the small cubicles. Standing at his door, I heard laughter coming from the other side.

            Knocking gently.

            "Come in." Cap says.

            I enter the office, sitting on the leather couch with a whiskey glass in his hand was the Chief of Police. He took one more sip and sat the glass down on the coaster in front of him.

            "Gentlemen." I greeted.

            "LT. Samson." Cap speaks first. "Congratulations on your win today."

            "Thank you, sir." Deep down, it didn't feel like a win to me. 

Kareem turned himself in willingly.

"So, the Chief and I were sitting here, and we couldn't help but notice something?"

Shifting my stance, "What's that?"

"The uncanny resemblance between you and Kareem." Caps stares a hole into me.

"Well, they do say everybody has a twin in this world." I jokily stated. "There've been times I thought I saw you down at Rose's with a group of beautiful women." I tried deflecting the conversation.

Cap and the Chief erupt in laughter.

"Maybe." Cap shrugs. "I like the hit the city when the lady of the house is away visiting relatives."

Chief takes another sip of whiskey and says, "You know it would really look bad for you if you had ties to Kareem Brown. It's bad enough that your partner...excuse me, your ex-partner turned and joined him."

"Allegedly, she's dead. So, there's that."

"Do you believe him?" Cap questioned.

"I don't want to believe him," I answer honestly.

Cap nods.

"But I can assure you, sir. Kareem and I have no ties to one another."

"Alright, oh! One more thing. Do you have the surveillance taps from stores in the area? I want to know how he got there. I know he didn't get dropped off in front of the precinct."