|
Post by Kevin Callis on Jul 6, 2008 15:20:37 GMT -5
"Detective Callis, the parents are on their way here."
Kevin shook his head slightly, moving to shut Daniel Avery's bathroom door to his apartment. There wasn't any use of it being open anymore. The boys from LAPD's CSI had finished in the apartment, the body was gone and Kevin had finished taking the statements from the neighbours. They had said they had heard slight yelling, but it had only been one sided. One neighbour had said that she knew he had problems with his girl, and Kevin knew that girl only meant one thing; Ana-Lucia.
"So, how're you gonna tell her?"
Kevin looked over at Matthews, silent for a moment. "The only way I can tell her. Straight up tell her. I ain't about to sugar-coat anyway, not when he offed himself the way that he did."
"Y'think he really did off himself?"
"Who knows. There's a note, ain't there?" Kevin asked, shrugging slightly. "Only people that that knows if he offed himself is him and the Lord. And I don't know about you, Matthews, but I ain't got a direct line to the Big Guy. It'd be nice if I did; maybe I could finally get line-side tickets to the Superbowl, I dunno. Meet me back at the station in about an hour and we'll have them go over the note. See if there's anything strange."
"What's stranger that a guy that has everything offin' himself?"
What was stranger indeed, Kevin thought silently as he made his way out of Avery's apartment. Thank God Ana hadn't been listening to the scanner when Kevin had; the last thing he needed was for her to see how Avery's body had been. Silently he mulled over in his mind how he was going to tell her. Sure, he had told Matthews that he wasn't going to sugar-coat anything, but still...shit was rough enough as it is, let alone with this going down. He climbed into the car and started off towards the Stone Pony. KTLA had been on the scene shortly after word had broken, and Kevin was sure that the word was all over the newswaves by now; he just hoped that she didn't have to see it on the television instead of hearing it from him.
Soon, he arrived at the Stone Pony, and silently cursed the fact that he was still on the clock. He could really use a drink. He stepped out of he truck and clicked the button, hearing it beep behind him as he stepped into the bar. Ana was where she usually was, standing behind the bar, and there was that Ghost Buster on the other side. Great. Well, she didn't look completely devistated, so he figured she didn't know yet. Kevin swallowed, and then spoke, placing both palms on top of the bar.
"Hey, Ana. Talk to you for a sec?"
|
|
Ana-Lucia Cortez
new oceanic 815.
Everyday, everyday Houses full of no escape, no escape Runaway, runaway
Posts: 153
|
Post by Ana-Lucia Cortez on Jul 6, 2008 17:18:12 GMT -5
"And I don't know about you, but... I'm still having a hard time buying into any of this," she told him pursing her lips slightly. Though she didn't say it in any way shape or form unfriendly, or rather she tried not to. It was a simple state of fact, and he could take it however he pleased. He could say whatever he wanted but she still couldn't wrap her mind around the topic he kept trying persuade her into believing.
Shaking her head slightly, she look down at the drink on the counter, the tequila that she all had but forgotten about. Picking it up in her hand, she downed the other half of the glass in one swift swallow before setting it down again, letting it burn all the way down to her stomach.
However, she turned her attention away as she heard someone spoke. Looking up she glanced away from Casper, to the cop that looked rather... Haggard, worse for wear actually. That wasn't what alarmed her really, his appearance it was more the fact his eyes.. she didn't like the look in them. "Yeah sure, Kev... whats going on?" she asked pushing herself up from the bar and straightening, clearly confused by his demeanor.
|
|
|
Post by naomi on Jul 6, 2008 17:47:42 GMT -5
Even though she was saying with her mouth that she wasn't buying it, Miles knew she was coming around. Then when they were interrupted by Detective Callis, Miles started to feel something more than just the coldness of the woman in front of him. There were only a couple of reasons Callis would come calling... and he had a feeling Cortez wasn't on the roster any more for an on-duty house call unless it was something serious.
She wanted her ghost? She might just have it. He nodded his head to Callis, and made sure to keep them in earshot. This meeting might have benefits. And after all, the P.D might have use for him again if it was what he thought it was.
|
|
|
Post by Kevin Callis on Jul 6, 2008 18:54:20 GMT -5
Fuck. She didn't know at all. Kevin took in a breath, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them. "Look, um," Kevin started, and then exhailed the breath in a deep sigh. "You're gonna have to come down to the station and give me some statements." he told her, and as he saw the look of confusion in her eyes, Kevin brought a hand up, scratching at the back of his neck. "I got a call this morning about a missing person. The neighbour called him in. And when we went to check..."
Kevin found it harder and harder to try to tell it to her nicely, so he mustered up everything he had, and looked her dead in the eye. "It was to Danny's apartment. Matthews entered the apartment and found him." Kevin told her, his voice low. There was no point in mincing words, Ana would want to know anyway. "They found him hangin' from the shower rod. We're gonna have to file it as a suicide because there was no sign of foul play, and there's a note, too."
Kevin took in a breath and let it out quickly. "Look, darlin', I know this is hard. But I need you to come and talk to me down at the station. Your momma's already waitin' and she knows. His folks are on a flight right now from what I heard."
|
|
Ana-Lucia Cortez
new oceanic 815.
Everyday, everyday Houses full of no escape, no escape Runaway, runaway
Posts: 153
|
Post by Ana-Lucia Cortez on Jul 6, 2008 21:31:24 GMT -5
"Statements?" Ana muttered, her brow furrowing more on her forehead, trying to figure out what he was trying to say before he was saying it. Of course her mind wasn't concentrating on that so much as she was trying to figure out who he was referring to with the missing persons. She wasn't aware of anyone being missing that she knew of... she would have been contacted. "Who are-," she began about to ask, before it was answered.
It was to Danny's apart-...
She never thought that when you saw movies, when someone was getting the worst bad news there possibly could get, that it was pretty close to the exact thing. Barely hearing what he was saying, it was like the sounds around her became muted and muffled as her gaze became just unfocused as her hearing. She could still hear him, but she was having a hard time understanding his words, like they were suddenly foreign to her.
found him hangin'... shower rod... suicide... no sign of foul play
One by one the words drifted through one ear and out the other and Ana swallowed thickly, her mouth suddenly dry and not from the alcohol either. She went to open her mouth, protest, but the words just didn't want to come out. That couldn't have been true. She had just seen him yesterday, perfectly fine. Angry but... Danny wasn't the kind of person to just... Licking her lips and trying to blink, she focused back in on Kevin, her eyes looking back into his like he had three heads.
"That's not funny," she told him quietly, once she found her voice. He was wrong... Danny wouldn't... Danny wouldn't kill himself. She had just saw him yesterday and he had been alive... Glancing away, she grabbed her glass, more like snatched it away, as she tried walk away. Kevin wasn't a liar though, this she knew. But the idea of Danny... It made her chest tighten, making it suddenly hard to breathe as her head stated to swim, all the while the one phrase was repeating through her head.... It wasn't possible. The denial was heavy, ut yet, she knew Kevin wasn't one to play around like that...
She felt sick.
|
|
|
Post by naomi on Jul 7, 2008 0:23:03 GMT -5
Miles perked up with natural interest. No sign of foul play, usually meant there was nothing worth investigating, but in this case, someone close to the very much undead Cortez was probably not the open and shut case that they thought it was.
"You want your ghost confirmation, I guess now is the time to get it" He told her before finishing the rest of his beer and standing up next to Callis as she was staggering away. The woman could get her ghostly proof now, it was just too bad the way she'd have to get it. But what did he care? It's not like she was exactly a friend of his.
"So Callis, take me to the body and I'll be able to give you your verdict" he told the police officer straight up, "one time offer, on account of Cortez." He smirked at the man, not having the same expressions as the two of them due to the death. What was another dead body when they were always piling up all over L.A.? "I'll even wait down at the station for the statements to be completed." That was about as 'nice' and 'polite' as he could offer the two of them in this moment of grief.
|
|
|
Post by Kevin Callis on Jul 7, 2008 22:34:16 GMT -5
"Ana, darlin', look, I know this is hard," Kevin started, watching as she turned sharply around, away from him. "But I'm tellin' you, I wouldn't lie. Not about somethin' like this. I had to ID the body--"
Miles. The little shit just had to open his mouth. He'd be lucky if Ana didn't punch him, and he'd be even luckier if Kevin hadn't found a reason to locke Miles up for a couple nights. "I swear to god, Miles, you little shit, if you don't shut the fuck up right now, I'll lock you up for hindering an investigation."
He looked at Ana. "C'mon. Your mom's waiting."
|
|
Ana-Lucia Cortez
new oceanic 815.
Everyday, everyday Houses full of no escape, no escape Runaway, runaway
Posts: 153
|
Post by Ana-Lucia Cortez on Jul 10, 2008 13:23:26 GMT -5
Fresh air. Fresh air, her mind cooed to her. She felt suffocated by all the walls around her, even if it wasn't closed in, it suddenly felt like it was. "Leave me alone," she told Kevin, trying to make it sound hard, to warn him off to not bother her, but she wasn't even sure if it was even loud enough to be considered even a whisper. But one thing she knew, was that her head was starting to swim, violently, and she quickly maneuvered herself from the bar and back into the kitchen to make a clean break for the back door.
For a brief moment she wondered if this was what it was like to have a panic attack, or maybe a mental breakdown, one thought out of a million that swirled around her head as she pushed the door open. The fresh cold air of the early evening hit her nose, as she greedily breathed it in, trying to calm her nerves of disbelief, and stop her stomach from giving out on her. Neither completely successful.
|
|
|
Post by naomi on Jul 12, 2008 22:52:12 GMT -5
"One time offer" Miles shrugged drumming his fingers on the bar before he was ready to leave himself. Perhaps he'd just go along anyway... just to see the look on Callis' face. When Ana whispered, 'Leave me alone' to Kevin and not him, he took it as a sign to follow her out, pushing open the back door after her and giving Kevin a look. "Look man, I'll take care of this."
Leaning against the brick wall outside of the building Miles watched Ana-Lucia struggling to inhale. He almost felt sorry for her. This was how it was dealing with death... well to those that weren't hardened by it every day of their damned lives. "So who was this guy?" He asked her at last, quietly. He didn't expect she'd want to talk about it... especially not to him. "And what messages do you want me to pass on for you?"
He kept leaning on the cool bricks, but didn't have his usually smirk on this time. After all... there was nothing funny about death.
|
|
Ana-Lucia Cortez
new oceanic 815.
Everyday, everyday Houses full of no escape, no escape Runaway, runaway
Posts: 153
|
Post by Ana-Lucia Cortez on Jul 14, 2008 1:41:05 GMT -5
Hearing the door open up behind her as she paced back and forth, she almost thought it was Kevin coming to the rescue, to do what he did best when she was worked up and wound up tighter then a spring, which was to talk her down. Not that she thought that it would do any good at that moment, this... she was too far gone with it. However, that thought was out of her head as soon as she heard the ghostbuster call off something to Kevin, she almost cringed, why could he just leave her alone too? She didn't want to hear it, she didn't want to know it, she didn't want anything at that moment but everything just kept on coming it seemed. Making it feel all that much more that it was all her fault for some reason or another. Probably was, she thought back, remembering what she had told him when she had saw him the previous day.
She glanced through the corner of her eye at him, before she diverted her attention to the other side of the alley, not really wanting anyone being a witness to the sight of her and doing her best to avoid it best she could. "Does it really matter?" she told him coolly once she found her voice again, louder then her previous notion, but just not still holding her usual snappy flair that she wanted it to. Running her fingers through her hair irratitibly, she turned once more in her pace, though still seeing Miles standing around. He didn't seem like he was going anywhere either.
Walking forward once more before turning back again, she was proven right as she saw him still standing there. Though, she noted her wasn't smirking, for once he actually seemed serious. "He was my boyfriend, satisfied?" Ex-boyfriend, no... Ex-Fiance was more like it, her mind corrected, even though they never denounced the engagement. Well, other to her mother when he had left and she had figured he wasn't coming back. Though he had, and what good that had done....
|
|
|
Post by naomi on Jul 14, 2008 6:57:08 GMT -5
((checks around the corner. No Callis. All clear.))
He watched as she tried to deal with her grief. She was actually quite good at pulling it all together. Not that no one would have known that she was being torn apart on the inside... heck, she wasn't that good... but she wasn't crying.
He stuck a hand in his pocket, not knowing what to do with it... thinking about making some quip or something about the generalities of death until she told him that he was her boyfriend. That was rough. Death in general sucked... but a boyfriend... that wasn't easy to get over. It's was probably on the scale behind parents losing their children, or people losing their spouses. "I'm sorry" he told her instead, somewhat numb.
If he was someone else he'd probably try to reach out to her... but in situations like this, he didn't like to be the fall guy... he didn't like to be touched. "You can cry, you know?" He said again, trying to at least reach out with his words, but they probably sounded more accusing than anything.
Stuck for something else to say and realizing he did a pretty poor job at holding his tongue, he went into his rant about death, anyway. "You know what sucks the most about death? It hardly even bothers them, you know... unless they were murdered. They're actually pretty peaceful about it. Except the living people who have to deal with all the angst and crap of being left behind." He kicked at the ground, hoping this was at least helping her a little. Even if she was too cold to cry anymore. "Sometimes it would just be better to be dead, to be on their side." His face hardened, bitterness showing... but he wasn't ashamed... not like she was about crying.
|
|
Ana-Lucia Cortez
new oceanic 815.
Everyday, everyday Houses full of no escape, no escape Runaway, runaway
Posts: 153
|
Post by Ana-Lucia Cortez on Jul 15, 2008 2:02:10 GMT -5
I'm Sorry
The words made her pause a moment in her steps, halting her pacing further. There was an underlining of sincerity in his tone that almost made her want to do a double take, sounding oddly strange for him to be saying it. Though, she knew she had heard him right, that in this case her ears weren't fooling her. For a brief moment she looked to him before her gaze dropped to the ground, still trying to digest this along with everything else that was running around in her head. Licking her bottom lip before she bit it, her arms crossed over her chest, she tried to keep her voice even. "I am, too," she added quietly, still unable to shake the feeling that his death was her fault, that her words from the day before had somehow pushed him over the edge. But that still didn't justify it, as selfish as it was in her part, she had said worse to him...
You can cry, you know?
Ana wanted to scoff at that, scoff hard. It almost mocked her, but she knew it really wasn't meant to. But she was trying hard not to, partially because she didn't want to in front of him, remain strong on the outside, but also part of her knew that if she started... who knew when it would end. But even those thoughts didn't stop the stinging her in her eyes as she desperately tried to blink them back, swallowing the lump in her throat, refusing to get choked up.
However, she did listen as he spoke about death, and suddenly just the way he spoke about it, it didn't seem to be so far fetched. Especially the part about those that were murdered, the point resignating with her, for also two completely different reasons. It brought her back to the fact that she had murdered a man in cold blood, and while she didn't have a ghost floating around her, it surely seemed that it was payback, a life for a life that she took. And not only that, but the way that Danny died... "He wouldn't have...Danny- he..." she began, her voice hoarse and raspy, struggling a moment with her words as she looked at the ground, the stinging in her eyes becoming more painful. "He.. just couldn't have... I just saw him yesterday... He was fine."
"I mean, we were fighting... Been fighting," she corrected, rubbing at her arms. "It's complicated, but still...." she told him, suddenly something wet on her cheek slide down. Bringing a hand up, she touched her fingers to it, realizing was it was before she quickly tried to rub it away. "He.. He wouldn't, you know?" she told him, her voice cracking a second before she sniffled some, shifting on her feet.
|
|
|
Post by naomi on Jul 15, 2008 4:28:39 GMT -5
Wow. Miles thought geniunely; not the sarcastic notion of the word 'wow' that he was used to repeating when someone said something particularly stupid to him, which usually happened every few minutes of talking to anyone over the age of five. Seems like Cortez doesn't have a heart of stone after all.
When her eyes locked with his, he felt a chill go over him and guessed by his reaction that she was still the ice-queen despite her vunerability, but then she looked down again and any connection he had with which to figure this out was gone.
He watched as she finally started to crumble... ever so slighty. She still remained slightly cool with it all. She didn't exactly go into hysterics. But it was good to know she was capable of caring, something he wasn't quite the master of himself. She tried to explain herself... what had happened, maybe thinking he even gave a damn... and maybe he did. A tear slid down her cheek and she barely had time to wipe it away, before swaying on her feet making Miles shuffle on his.
What was he supposed to do? He wasn't entirely heartless. Heck, his experience with Leandra last night proved that when he backed down and gave her an out, in spite of himself. He liked to pretend he was heartless sometimes. It was easier. Easier to be free of all life's complications as a hollow observer, never actually having anything substantial himself.
It was almost a knee jerk reaction, one he wanted to kick himself over later, as he put a hand on her shoulder lightly and pressed her toward his shoulder slightly, barely daring to move any more then this, and wincing visibly as he did so. I'm not completely heartless, he had to keep telling himself as he did so, what's a guy to do?
"I know" he said softly, barely daring to breathe at the uncomfortable feeling of actually having to be comforting. "Or at least I'm going to know... even if that Callis jerk makes me break into the place."
|
|
Ana-Lucia Cortez
new oceanic 815.
Everyday, everyday Houses full of no escape, no escape Runaway, runaway
Posts: 153
|
Post by Ana-Lucia Cortez on Jul 18, 2008 4:16:01 GMT -5
There was an odd sort of sense comfort coming from the most unlikely of places as his hand touched her shoulder. Though, it was still rather strange, even the fact that he was being rather... tolerable for once, and dare she even say nice. Blinking once, and then twice more, she glanced up to him again, pursing her lips slightly attempting to smile, but it didn't get very far in forming before sniffled a bit and spoke. "Thank you," though she wasn't exactly sure what it was she was thanking him for, her mind still hazy, though probably for both the offer of checking into it and being, well.... Nice for once.
Though speaking of which, the mention of Kevin again brought up the fact that he was back in the building... waiting for her to go with him to the station. The mere thought made her stomach tighten once more, that was the last thing she wanted to do right now, go in and tell statements. Knowing Daniel's position with the Oceanic company well, to think it was going to be mobbed would probably be an understatement. She didn't want more reminders, but at the same time it would give her more insight into what was going on... what had gone on with Danny. Maybe then she could make sense of it all...
"I- I'm gonna go," she then told him suddenly, biting on the inside of her mouth, once more her eyes becoming unfocused as she scratched at the back of her head, before motioning towards the door when Kevin was still probably standing around. Rubbing at her face, she tried to make sure that she didn't look like the full out train-wreck she knew she felt like. "We'll be in touch, right?" Or so she supposed, if he was going to do what he was job was... Maybe even finding out something for her that she could use.
Moving past him, she crossed her arms over her stomach, almost hugging herself as she moved to head back inside, feeling rather apprehensive to stay the least, and rather dreadful. However, as she reached out to turn the knock, she couldn't help but turn a moment, before she opened the door. "You know.... when you're not being a dick, you're not too bad," she told him, honestly, unsure why before she went and turned inside. Recrossing her arms, she moved along to where he was standing, stopping a few feet away.
"Ready to go," she told him, even though she knew she wasn't. But the sooner she went, the sooner she could go. Maybe the sooner she wouldn't feel so horrible, but she knew that wasn't true. There wasn't anything that could make the situation better at the moment because, well... he was gone and there wasn't anything that she could do about it.
|
|
|
Post by Kevin Callis on Jul 18, 2008 21:25:43 GMT -5
As Ana moved out, Kevin almost started to follow. The the little shit opened his mouth. Not in the mood to argue, Kevin sighed out and nodded. The worse that could happen was Ana-Lucia would punch Miles out. And that wouldn't be so bad afterall, Kevin thought silently. It was nagging at him; he had spoken to Daniel not 48 hours ago, and he hadn't seemed the suicidal type. And something...something about the crime scene didn't seem right. Perhaps it was just him being bias, but Danny didn't seem like the suicidal type.
As Ana came in, Kevin tried to smile at least halfhearted for her, and as she said she was ready, Kevin nodded slightly. "Yeah, c'mon sweetheart." he told Ana, opening the door for her as he laid a hand on her back to lead her out. "I know I don't have to tell you this, but it's official; you're not consitered a suspect. As of right now, at this moment in the investigation it's consitered a suicide, but we need statements from everyone that saw him in the last 24 hours. And I know you're gonna get pissed at me, darlin', but the chief thinks you should be barred from the files and the case in terms of the investigation. My hands are tied on that one; he's thinkin' in your best interest, Ana, you gotta see it like that. It wasn't exactly pretty in there."
|
|