Anti-Hero | Tim Bradford

Chapter Thirty One - Conferring

The dim morning light barely came through the half-drawn curtains causing Angela to sigh as she flipped through the files before her again. Despite knowing the case off by heart, she knew that she had to review the content again, especially since they had discovered what Rosalind's motives were. She knew that there had to be a pattern somewhere but she couldn't see it. 

It felt like yesterday that she received the news that Morgan had failed to report to her case worker. She, Tim and Bishop had still been working together as T.Os at the time. The rookie she had then was useless, she couldn't count the times she had to reprimand him throughout the investigation.

Her and Tim, alongside their boots, had taken to the streets, searching all the places where she had been reported to be or where a report from the anonymous tip line had sighted someone who fit her description. Talia had been the one to stay back at the station, working with Sargent Grey and the detectives. She would've heard everything as it happened.

Quickly, Angela lunged forward to grab her phone off the coffee table, wincing slighting as she landed on the surface much harder than anticipated. She soaked the number without much thought, the combination on the keypad was still ingrained into her memory.

The phone rang thrice before groggy Talia's voice flooded through the speakers. "Go for Bishop."

"Hey, it's Lopez. You got a minute?"

"It's five in the morning." She huffed. Angela could hear her shuffling around in bed before she spoke again. "But shoot. What's up?"

"Do you remember working on Morgan's case when she disappeared. Because you were at the station with Grey... did anything stick out to you as odd?"

"Not off the top of my head... why? I thought it went cold years ago."

"It did. But we closed it a couple of months ago. We found her during a raid on the drug cartel operated by Regina Diaz."

Talia sighed at the information, he had heard talks of a Detective Bradford operating out of Mid-Wilshire but had brushed it off as a false rumour. To know that her friend was home lifted a deep-rooted burden in her mind. Still, there was a task at hand, and no matter how relieved she was, Bishop would not allow herself to grow distracted. "Regina Diaz? We had information on her. She's been harbouring illegal firearms, allegedly anyways. What's it got to do with Bradford?"

"Revenge. But the link I'm looking for is suspicious. Ties to any other criminal or affiliations.."

Angela could hear Talia moving again, this time followed by the sound of pages turning. "Anyone in particular?"

"Rosalind Dyer."

Talia was silent for a moment as she processed Lopez's words. She had seen Dyer's reign of terror play out in her time at the LAPD. Tim had told her what had happened with his rookie. The idea that Dyer was further intertwined with her former station sent a chill throughout her spine.

"I'll- uh see what I can do." Talia paused again, trying to piece together the right words. "Tell her I'm glad she's okay."

"She knows."

"I know. But I'm sure she would like to hear it. I'll get back to you soon."

The phone clicked as Bishop hung up. Sighing, Angela tossed the phone onto the sofa as she once again flicked the files to the start.
—---

Talia rubbed her eyes after hanging up the phone. It had been a while since she had been in contact with the LAPD, let alone anyone at the Mid-WIlshire division. When she left, she knew that she needed a clean break. Maybe it was Nolan that gave her the final push because even though she had her heart set on being a detective, she knew that she had made the right decision to leave.

It didn't mean it wasn't hard though. She had left an entire life behind to become a part of the ATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives), and she left her friends behind with them. Talia wanted a clean break entirely, as she knew how easy it was to get tangled in the mess that seemed to follow her former colleagues everywhere they went, but she couldn't seem to do it. Now it has come back to her, biting her in the ass. Lopez knew that she wouldn't turn her down, not after all this time. And with Rosalind Dyer in the mix, Bishop knew there was no way that she wouldn't give it her all.

She knew that things were never going to be the same. She wouldn't return to Mid-Wilshire, and she wouldn't rejoin the police department. But maybe, this favour she was asked for would help rebuild the bridges she let fall down.

As the thought lingered in her mind, Bishop unlocked her phone again, lifting it to her ear and the dial tone rang out.

—---

The knocking against the front door woke Morgan up far earlier than she had expected. She had been scheduled the morning off to go see a therapist, Commander West citing it as imperative to her transition back to work, even though she had been working for a while now.

Groaning slightly, she rolled out of bed and slung on one of Tim's hoodies as she went to the door. The jumper provided much needed warmth as she moved through the house with Kujo trailing behind. It didn't take long for her to reach the front door, swinging it open to find an old friend on the other side.

"Bishop." Morgan breathed, not expecting to see the former officer at all. The surprise led to Morgan forgetting herself for a moment before she snapped back to the present moment "What are you doing here? Come in. Come in."

Talia entered as Morgan moved to one side, closing the door behind her. Wordlessly, Morgan gestured for Talia to follow her through to the living room.

"I had to see for myself. Lopez called me earlier, she mentioned that you had returned..." Bishop let her words drift off, no longer finding herself in the once familiar report the two of them had. "I thought that you would have called. Let me know that you were home."

Morgan blinked, the idea of calling Bishop had not even crossed her mind. She hadn't thought of their friendship in months. Guiltily, Morgan cast her eyes down as she spoke. "I'm sorry. It didn't cross my mind. I've been busy."

"I heard. That's why I'm here, it isn't a social call. It's about your... situation."

"Right..." Morgan trailed off. "What do you know?"

"I know how Regina Diaz and Rosalind Dyer connect. I know how it all started."