FLORENA POV :
I arrived just in time. Perhaps 15 minutes and 30 seconds early….I noted.
I knew Colonel Milton favored those who prioritized 'punctuality'. I play the part well...'The Flawless Detective'.
Though I pretend not to care, I do secretly enjoy the attention. I try to get along people's good side…atleast at first. First impressions are important right?
Colonel Milton, might at first seem to give off the vibes of an arrogant and stern man but I have seen his true personality through his straight face over these years. He has always been a fatherly figure to me…
Again…
All blurry…
My mind is a mess…
What did I lose?
'Snap out of it' I scolded my thoughts.
My thoughts process seems ….vague…..something is …missing….but I don't remember my father.
I was told he died when I was a little child of maybe…10 years? But that's atleast a bit old for a person to remember his father…
Did I always have such a bad memory? Or is it that my training for the recruit exam made me forget things?
"..ey….Hey!" a female's voice cut through my train of thoughts.
It was Detective Ervis Lawke, my bestie and my all-time supporter.
She joined right after me. She is often set with me to solve cases. Unlike me, who had long raven black hair and light green eyes, she had shoulder-length blonde hair with blue eyes like frozen glass carved out from a doll's face.
Those looks can surely befool one who doesn't know what kind of intelligence and wit she possesses.
"Well, miss? How long are you gonna keep that grumpy expression?
Though you are a regular about these expressions on missions, it won't be bad to pose a smile for your irritating colleague."
Here we go again.
I carved my straight line of a face into a curvy, non-convincing smile.
"Wow! Even your fake smile makes you so beautiful; I wish to see your genuine one in a decade."
"Very funny, Ervy" I remarked.
"Florena, no….I mean really…what's gotten into you? Again those-"
Before she starts another lecture I interrupted.
"No! I mean….I guess I was just a bit…carried away but nothing to worry about.
I am fine, Ervy."
"Yeah, yeah …whatever. I must say you do represent a Miss. Grumpy character from a cliché detective novel of some sorts. Although it feels a bit refreshing to hear you call me by my nickname rather than the formality of Detective Lawke or Detective Ervis unlike the other extreme grumpy officers here."
I decided to change the topic.
"Let's go inside."
"Colonel Milton right?"
"Hmm."
Anybody might die of a cardiac arrest if they had witnessed the extravagance of a police station of Noxhaven. Well, Noxhaven was definitely …rich. Anybody with good eyesight can notice it, even I can confidently bet on that even blind people can sense it…the grandeur.
There were two main gates, one for fire exit and another for ordinary communication. However, there were cameras and surveillance almost everywhere. And there were other buildings surrounded around the area too. They served different purposes.
Our office had four storeys in the main building and each floor is meant for different purposes. Let's say, they are arranged in ascending order from down to above. The low ranked ones stay at the down for guarding while the higher ups …they belong to the top.
My office with the others is at the third floor. Naturally, I had to take the elevator to the fourth floor now.
Ervis nudged me with her elbow.
"What?" I asked.
"Umm…Do you have any idea what this mission might be about? Thefts, burglaries, kidnappings…or another rebellion?"
"I don't draw opinions this quickly until I know facts." I stated.
"Ever so the textbook detective." She muttered.
I smiled slightly. The elevator's doors opened politely and we walked past until we reached Colonel Milton's door. Two guards stepped forward.
"Name." The two guards said.
"Colonel Horace Milton called us here, I, Detective Florena Woodville and my friend, Detective Ervis Lauke is here."
One of the guards went inside to deliver the message while the other stayed still as stone on his guard. After a while, we walked in. I knew mentally this is going to be different and….dangerous.
They say…'gut's call'.
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