Conflict of Interest

Chapter Two

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Kim

"Late, soldier?" Clapp commented as I walked half dead into the squad room.

"I'm not late," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head with my hand as I sunk down at my desk. "I'm early for tomorrow."

"Which would mean that you took today off, in theory," he argued pettily.

"Don't bother me with theories," I dismissed. "I'm hung over."

"Christening the new place?" he questioned.

"God, we had to do something. Moving is such hell."

"You should have asked one of us to help."

"Thanks," I tried smiling. "But I like my stuff not broken. And when it comes to heavy lifting, Grace is a bull in the fucking china shop, and so--"

I was interrupted by Sergeant Griffin's appearance in front of my desk, and shaken out of my thoughts by the grim look on his face.

"Hayden, Clapp. Meet Oliver and Bagley down on Sixteenth. We have another rape-homicide, same MO."

I immediately pulled out of my chair, ignoring the pounding in my head as we began opening and shutting drawers and trying to mobilize as quickly as possible.

"CSRU recover a bullet this time?" I questioned.

"Looks like it's been extracted once again," he answered soberly. "We're looking for an expert killer."

"Expert indeed," Clapp commented grimly. "He has us going."

"I'm having Oliver and Bagley ride to the hospital once CSRU finishes up, and I'm sending Everett over with a warrant for the victim's apartment. I want the two of you to search it for something we might be able to use. And take Carver with you."

"Carver?" I repeated. "Again?"

"It is a homicide, and given the nature of the crimes I promised their bureau we'd work together on this. Besides, the two of you could use her eyes."

"Because they're two captivating pools of blue?" Clapp teased.

"Because they're trained for homicide," Griffin shut him down. "And we're sex crimes."

"Griffin," I somewhat tried to argue to my superior without sounding too pushy. "I investigated homcides for five years."

"I know, Kim," he admitted. "But we can't have too much back up on this."

I sighed. "But Jennifer hates me," I complained, sounding petty.

"Given your history with her girlfriend, Kim..." Clapp reminded me.

"Yeah, I don't need to hear it," I waived. "Let's go."

***

"I already talked to the ME," Carver informed me as we walked up the stairs to the apartment that had overnight become our crime scene. "She's been here for about thirty minutes, but she's waiting for our say-so to transport the body."

"Good," I said. "I'd like to see it before they move it."

"Sure," she threw in, trying to be agreeable. "We can draw our own conclusions before the autopsy."

"Is that an accent?" I picked out, just now listening to her with enough attention to discern it.

She shrugged. "I guess, a slight one."