Survival

Respect

'Hey what's up Steve?' Detective Lillian asked as she saw him packing his stuff into a box.

'I have been suspended and demoted,' he said with a sigh.

'What?' She exclaimed covering her open mouth with her hands. He shrugged as he kept on packing.

'Why?' She asked when he didn't say anything else.

'Well Mr Norman called and was saying stuff about us not doing our best and how we were incompetent and stuff like that and I got pissed and told him that he could go and look for his daughter by himself,' he said and she tried to stifle a laughter.

'Laugh all you want Lillie,' he sighed.

'So that was why he came today,' she said with amusement.

'Yeah,' he said with resignation.

'I don't blame him though,' she said and he looked at her with disbelief.

'You're on his side too?' He asked shaking his head at her and she laughed.

'No what I am saying is that anyone in his shoes would do the same thing he is doing. Even you too Steve,' she said pointing her finger at him.

'I wouldn't have done that,' he said swatting her finger away.

'Oh come on Steve. I mean the guy just lost his only daughter to Kidnappers and right now he doesn't even know if she is alive. He doesn't know what to hope for,' she said.

'But it still doesn't give him a right to be insultive. I mean we are trying our best to help him.' He said running his fingers through his hair.

'We know that. He is just desperate and you haven't really given him any hope that he would see her again,' she said looking up at him.

'Why are you being so protective? Do you like him?' He asked suddenly making her blush.

'N-no why on earth would you think so?' She stuttered and turned to leave briskly.

'If you didn't then you wouldn't be running away right now, ' he yelled at her retreating figure.

'I'm not running. I just remembered that there is something that I ought to have done earlier,' she hollered back at him.

He shook his head and chuckled slightly. So she actually did like him, he mused. Too bad the man had the reputation of a bad womanizer.

He felt pity for the man but he seriously didn't like being pressured. The case was driving him crazy and he didn't know what else to do. Every clue led to a dead end. He would need a miracle to crack the case.

Despite the fact that he was suspended, he was still on the case. He would need to clear his head.

'Yo steve,' he looked at the person with the voice and groaned internally. It was his nemesis Christopher. Oh well maybe not his nemesis but he got under his skin most times and was downright annoying but good at his job.

'Chris,' he nodded curtly.

'Jeez man what's all the formality for?' He asked slapping hs back lightly and earning a glare from Steve.

'You are such a bore,' Chris said as he stuck out his tongue at him.

'And you are so immature,' he retorted back at him.

'I'm immature?' He asked pointing his finger towards his chest. 'You are the immature here cause I can't remember telling a grieved father to look for his daughter alone.'

Steve mouth hung open. How did he know? The only two people who knew where the chief and Lillian. Chris smirked.

'Yes Steve, I know about that and the chief said that I am now on the case as your partner. So you better get used to me,' he said as he spun around to leave and Steve was left there fuming.