2020-07-17 - Poking Around The Ashes
Esme and Hallisey do a second look over the the Control Pad remnants.
IC Date: 2020-07-17
OOC Date: 2020-01-15
Location: Spruce/Control Pad
Related Scenes: 2020-07-09 - I See Fire
Plot: None
Scene Number: 4888
It's an unremarkable morning on an unremarkable day, on an otherwise unremarkable stretch of street that finds Esme and her partner for this little sojourn headed out on a not-so-unremarkable mission. To comb the crime scene of the Control Pad fire for evidence a second time, after increased pressure from the ADA and acting Chief. There's been an initial attempt already, but nothing substantive was found, and thus far the arson's a hair away from being ruled accidental. So Officers Wilkinson and Hallisey - a rookie about seven or eight years her junior, blond, quietly spoken, a little scrawny under his uniform and rig - are enroute. The charred remnants of the gaming store begin to come into view on their right, cordoned off still with police tape; melted and charred plastic half spilled out into the street.
Esme has primarily just been existing lately. Going about routine, same old same. So when she got the word that she was going to be checking out the arson at the game store, the homicide detective figured it would be a good change of pace. "Damn, they really did a good one on this place..." She had the windowed rolled down, smoking because new old habits are hard to kill. Once they had parked, she focused on Hallisey. "Just remember. Wear gloves and don't dismiss anything. If you think it might be something, say something."
Hallisey hasn't talked much on the way over. He's seemed a little nervous; chewing on his lip, drumming his fingers on his thigh when he's not obsessively checking the laptop screen for signs of an update from HQ. Checking his phone when it occasionally buzzes with a text message. He keeps snuffling like he's recovering from a bit of a cold, but since that's been the case for the better part of a week, it's possible that's just his general state of affairs.
"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," he mumbles, cracking open the Crown Vic's glovebox and digging out a pair of nitrile gloves to tug on. Then he holds his hands up to Esme, and wiggles his fingers at her to demonstrate. "Ready." His door's popped open, once he checks to make sure his gun's loaded.
"You're the rookie. I'm supposed to remind you of the simple things. Your time will come when you get to be in my shoes instead." Esme assured him as she flicked the cigarette out the window and put the gloves on. Once out of the car she double checks that cigarette butt by stamping it out with her heel. No need to get another fire going in the area. She does her quick pat down and then makes her way over to the shop. "What even was in this place that was flammable? If it ain't arson what are they gonna try to blame it on? Electrical issues?" As if a game store wouldn't know if they were having electrical issues in Esme's mind. She's careful, cautious as they get closer. "Why don't your start up here, I'll start in the back and we'll meet in the middle."
Once Esme's got her back to him, there's a bit of an eyeroll from the guy at the your time will come remark. Then he cuts a glance across the street as a semi passes by and kicks up some rainwater, and mumbles a "Sure thing," when she tells him to start at the north end of the charred remains of the store. "Don't see how a place could go up as quick as it did because of faulty wiring, but.." He grunts as he climbs over a charred hunk of particle board, and starts picking his way through the detritus carefully. Or, well, not so carefully. He's hardly being meticulous about it. But nobody's ever accused him of being a go-getter; he's usually the guy sleeping his way through briefings at the back of the room, or showing up late for roll call.
<FS3> Esme rolls Alertness: Great Success (8 7 7 7 6 2 1) (Rolled by: Esme)
Esme goes about her methodical searching. The first thing she realized was Hallisey. The second was the gas can. Esme has been working at this a very long time. She knows shady shit when she sees it. She squats down to pick up the gas can, but at the same time rests her free hand over her gun just in case. You could never be too careful in Gray Harbor. She flips over the final piece of rubble to unveil the gas can and stares at the blonde. "If you take a picture, it'll last longer kid. But, while you were staring, I've found something." She neglected to bad mouth the previous team, perhaps waiting to gauge his reaction.
The moment Esme's hand goes to her gun, so does Hallisey's. It's a subtle thing, easy to miss. He's a flinchy kid to begin with, and nobody likes having him on their six. But when she turns to speak to him, he forces his arm to drop back to his side. Pretends to have been staring at her rack, which.. isn't too hard, let's be honest. "What'd you find?" he mumbles, and picks his way in closer carefully with the occasional snap or crunch of cooked off building snapping under his boots. When he spots the gas can, he looks a little ill. A quick flash of it that he doesn't quite manage to keep from washing over him. "Huh. That's weird. I was, uh. I was on that team, never saw it.." If she checks the paperwork, it was indeed Officer Hallisey and a Detective Aida Blanchet on the scene.
"Oh, well you know. These things can be easy to miss sometimes." Esme says casually as she rises to her feet, holding the gas can. "So, tell me Hal," Yep, she's down to nicknames. "Why'd you become a cop? If I'm honest? You don't quite seem cut out for the job." She's going to keep a hold of the gas can for now until she susses out more about this kid. "Come on, I know you didn't search your area proper. Lets go give it another once over." Motioning him on ahead. There was little chance she was going to put her back to him now that she was on alert.
<FS3> Ruiz rolls 4: Good Success (7 7 6 4 2 1) (Rolled by: Ruiz)
He flashes her a quick grin that's probably meant to be conciliatory, but probably isn't fooling anyone. Lips thinned, shoulders tense, he seems to be constantly watching the street they pulled up on like he's expecting someone to show up. There seems to be something else he considers saying, when she insists upon redoing his sweep, but he relents with a nod and jams his hands in the pockets of his GRAY HARBOR POLICE jacket before turning to move off. "You haven't heard of my dad? Gord? Gord Hallisey? You're pretty old, you should know about him." He smirks as he moves, dodging around a chunk of toppled signage. "Couple of servers here." He kicks one with his boot. "Probably already had their data moved offsite. One can hope anyway, right?"
<FS3> Esme rolls Melee (6 5 4 2 1) vs Corrupt Cop (a NPC)'s 3 (8 5 2 2 1)
<FS3> DRAW! (Rolled by: Ruiz)
<FS3> Esme rolls Melee (8 6 4 2 2) vs Corrupt Cop (a NPC)'s 3 (8 7 6 3 1)
<FS3> Marginal Victory for Corrupt Cop. (Rolled by: Ruiz)
Esme doesn't like this one bit. The smart thing to do would be to make an excuse to have to go back to the car for something and call in back up. But Esme's not really thinking like that. "Name rings a bell sorta? Pretty sure your dad's old enough to be my dad." She says as she starts to try and quietly withdraw her gun. Her intention is to press it up against the younger man's back. "Either way, pretty sure he'd be disappointed that his kid was messed up in some shady shit."
It's like he's expecting it. Which, given his behaviour thus far? He probably was. No sooner than she starts to draw his gun, than he's turning, wrapping his hand around the barrel, and trying to divert the muzzle off to the side in case it goes off. "What- what are you doing?" he sputters, face contorting not in confusion, so much as indignant anger. "What exactly do you think I'm messed up in, and why are you drawing your weapon on me, Officer?" His other hand goes around her upper arm, and takes a remarkably solid grip on it. "Have you lost your marbles?"
Esme was standing her ground on this one. Maybe she was jaded, maybe she was just looking for reasons to get discharge? But she trusted her gut, and her gut was saying this guy was bad news. She just glared at him while her brain raced to process her next step. "Even a rookie wouldn't have missed the goddamn gas can." Speaking of which, she's still holding it, and it probably wouldn't hurt him, but it would likely startle him enough to let her go if she hit him with it. "And with how fucking twitchy you are I'd rather have my gun on you than you have your gun on me. So. Hal. What are you doing."
"It wasn't there, I swear it!" he insists, voice cracking a little as it ratchets up to a higher octave. He's starting to panic, to lose his cool, and now she's calling his professionalism into question to add insult to injury. His dad was a hotshot Detective with one of the best close rates in the precinct, and what the hell is he? His career's about to tank before it even starts. Snarling, he tries to wrestle the gun away from her, and shove her back so he can draw it on her.
<FS3> Esme rolls Melee (6 6 3 2 1) vs Corrupt Cop (a NPC)'s 3 (8 8 5 3 2)
<FS3> DRAW! (Rolled by: Ruiz)
"And I think you're a goddamn liar Hallisey!" Esme countered. She holds her ground as he tries to shove her, turning back on to him to try and shove him back. "You come clean right now, I'll even go easy on you." Tightening her grip on the gun. "So tell me. What. You're. Up to!"
<FS3> Esme rolls Melee (8 8 6 4 3) vs Corrupt Cop (a NPC)'s 3 (5 5 3 2 1)
<FS3> Crushing Victory for Esme. (Rolled by: Esme)
The struggle for the gun is initially a stalemate. Hallisey's stronger than the female cop by a hair, but he's also panicking and losing control of the situation. Once he tries to turn it into a tug-of-war, his boot catches on a jutting segment of burnt and twisted metal, and he stumbles; and practically hands the gun right over to Esme. The gangly rookie goes pinwheeling back and sprawls into a pile of rubble and tangled electrical cabling, immediately going for his own gun. It comes up, braced in his left hand, muzzle pointed at his fellow officer as he pants into the late morning sunshine.
"You don't wanna do this, Wilkinson. Stand down, okay? Just stand down, before someone sees us. Before someone sees this. Okay?" His hands are shaking, teeth chattering. He's obviously frightened.
Esme's gaze is hard on the rookie. "I don't have anything to hide Hallisey." She says after what seems like a long beat of silence. "How about, you tell me what you know about this? And I won't rat you out to de la Vega." Which, depending on what he told her, she'd probably keep to her word about. "Because look at you, kid - you're really going to tell me you have no idea what's going on?"
"I told you. I told you, I don't know anything." He's obviously lying. He's not even all that good at it. Maybe he's not even bothering to try, anymore. Maybe he doesn't have much left to lose, who the hell knows. The guy tips his head back, closes his eyes a moment, then lowers his weapon and thumbs off the safety with still-shaking fingers. "I don't give a shit what you tell that fucking Cholo. You and me both know who he answers to." He makes a disgusted sound in his throat as he puts his gun away and starts picking himself back up, unless Esme stops him. "I'm not talking. You're gonna have to bring me in." His hands are offered, wrists together in obvious challenge to arrest him.
"And we both know you aren't working for him." Esme countered. Not that she actually knew this but torching a game store seemed far beneath Monaghan's game. She keeps her gun on him as he puts his gun away and stands. Her eyes narrow. She reaches for her cuffs. "Then I'm bringing you in under suspicion of tampering with a crime scene, Hallisey." She says and, so long as he doesn't give her any trouble - she'll put her gun away and cuff him. "I got a real good feelin' that you better lawyer up." Sure, the fact that Ruiz was in Felix's pocket was sort of the worst kept secret in the precinct but on the other hand? Every police department in the history of police departments had their fair share of crooked cops.
Is he a little surprised that she's actually going for it? Seems like, by the look on his face, and the fresh surge of fear stoked in the rookie when Esme moves in with the handcuffs. At least she's putting the gun away, so there's that. No response to her suggestion that he lawyer up; just an irritated grunt as he's cuffed. And then he will mutter something under his breath about how much she's gonna regret this. But it might not be audible.
Esme is maybe just a little satisfied inwardly at his look of surprise. She has no qualms bringing in fellow officers that might step over the line. As she's leading him back to the car she just mutters two words. "Bring it."
And then she takes frisks him quickly - primarily for the car keys. He gets put in the back seat and Esme settles in the driver seat after taking care of the gas can. She looks up at him through the rear view mirror. "Oh, should I call your dad for you?"
Before she gets going though, she will send a text to de la Vega. Found a gas can. Hallisey won't say shit but he's in on it. I'm bringing him in.
He doesn't put up a fight, and doesn't offer a word more. He knows the drill, and he knows his right to remain silent. Just a nasty look thrown to his fellow officer when she makes that crack about his father (who's long retired by now).
The text message is answered in fairly short order with, Looking forward to the official report. And be careful with him. He's a buddy of Liu's. The remainder of the ride back to the precinct is conducted in silence.
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