An arsonists cookbook

Chapter 4: Jack Herring

He arrived to work in his Mercedes Benz which wasn't technically his anymore. His wife owned it, she owned a lot of the things he had in his possession. He walked through the doors and past the main reception of the police department and up the white tiled stairs which had stone walls with scratches on them. He was used to sending criminals away to prisons but the police department wasn't much better. He always felt like he was trapped, like a thief by the gallows and a mouse by a cat. He walked through a set of double doors to see his partner standing talking to other officers. He had managed to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"He's extremely impatient and just depressing, really" his partner said. His dark skinned lips pulsing out the words. He was African-American and had very plump lips, he voice deep and scratchy. He was about six foot nine and was very good to have on your side, not only was he intelligent but he had brute force also.
"Nice to know I'm good to work with" Jack said sarcastically as he passed them. His partner followed him, he was called German Huxely or 'Hux' for short.
"That case has re-opened, sir" Hux growled.
"The one about the docks?" Jack replied.
"That would be the one"
"I thought we put it down to a prostitute caught in a wildfire?"
"You mean, a women who was promiscuous who was caught in a natural accident?"
"Whatever" Jacks brow furrowed as he turned down the weaving hallways to his office.
"Anyway, they opened it back up again, said it was premeditated murder" Hux informed Jack.
"Let me see the file" he demanded as he opened the door to his office. Hux placed a file on his desk. Jack opened it and scanned the facts, his eyes defining every detail. Load of bollocks. He thought as he looked through. He closed his roller blinds and sat at his desk with the open file.
"Leave me to it" Jack ordered.
"Ok, Jack." Hux replied as he walked out the room and slammed the door. Jack sat and stared at the darkened room for a few minutes. Then in one swift motion he turned on his lamp and grabbed a pen which was placed to the left of the lamp in a leather pen holder. He moved the head of the lamp so it was poised over the gaping file. He analysed every detail of the investigation and began taking notes on a small notepad to the right of him. His handwriting getting increasingly messy as he wrote quicker and the more in depth he was into the file. He was flicking through the pages quite quickly, he was detaching the pages from the small paper-clip holding them together. I cant believe they closed it. He was getting more and more confused the more he looked into the now re-opened investigation. He knew exactly where to start. Tomas Duke's apartment. 

He got up and turned off his lamp. He opened the door and walked to Hux's office

"c'mon, we're leaving" Jack ordered as he walked back out the door. Hux was midway eating and was mid-chew when Jack told him they were leaving. They walked to Jacks Mercedes and started to drive to Tomas Dukes upper-class which was placed in down town LA. It was in a highly populated area which was strange for a lawyer of his high calibre. He had worked with celebrities and billionaires but he still lived in an apartment in the middle of down town LA. As Jack and Hux rode in  the car many thoughts were attacking Jacks mind. This is Ambers lawyer, what if he is guilty and he has hurt her or our baby? I'll kill him. He didn't really think it to be plausible for such a high functioning lawyer to be guilty for such a major crime but one slither of poison of doubt in the back of his overworking mind thought that Tomas Duke was responsible. They raced through lights in the undercover police car and as the engine roared so did an idea in Jacks mind. He skidded the car to a halt by slamming his foot on the brake pedal. 

"Hux, I have a plan"  Jack exclaimed

"yeah?" Hux replied

"I'll walk in acting like I'm a plumber sent by the landlord" Jack blurted

"wait, wait. Where are we even going?" Hux asked

"Tomas Dukes apartment, he has the most ties to the women who was found on the destroyed docks. He had been spotted leaving the bar with her and was also seen walking with her to the soon to be burning docks on the night of the murder" Jack stated

"what was the girls name again?" Hux enquired

"Harriet Draper" 

"pretty name, anyway, continue"

"anyway as I was saying, the plan is, I will act as a plumber sent by the landlord that owns the building his apartment is a part of. While I distract him, you'll sneak in  with a key provided by the landlord. Now, we'll get the plans for the apartment building so you'll know where to go. We're looking for a dove grey suite, that was the suite the man, we basically know is him, who left with Harriet on the night of her death. We will only have a few minutes because lets face it, I will have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing as a plumber. So now we'll go and the plumbing outfit and the keys for the apartment" Jack was out of breath by the end of his plan, he had said it so quickly. Hux just nodded and didn't dare disagree.