2021-12-31 - Welcome to the nuthouse

Fresh transfers to the GHPD generally have their paperwork and arrival processed by the Captain, and only signed off on by the Chief. But since the department's understaffed of late, it's the Police Chief himself that's stuck with PR duty today. Detective Mikimura's been asked to report to his office, which is the one at the end of the hall with the nameplate reading Javier R. de la Vega, Chief of Police. The door's open, and the cop himself is slouched in his chair, cup of coffee in one hand while he peruses emails on his laptop.

Kimberly (or just 'Kimi' to her friends and family) has spent the morning getting settled. Setting her things out at her desk, staring at the pile of file boxes stacked next to it, getting her password and login credentials for the computer system. That kind of thing. She's not terribly surprised when she gets asked to come see the chief--probably the normal sort of formalities need to be gotten out of the way. So, her own cup of coffee in hand she heads down the corridor from her desk and gives a polite knock on the frame of the open door before she enters. There's a smile when he looks up.

"Hello, Chief de la Vega? I'm Detective Kimberly Makimura. You wanted to see me?"

It takes him a minute or two, but he does eventually look up to see who's visiting him. Then furrows his brows, and checks his watch quickly. "Shit, uh. Come in, grab a seat." By which he means, she gets her choice between the uncomfortable looking chair on the other side of his desk, or the threadbare couch by the window overlooking the hall she just traversed. The office isn't big, but it's nicer than some around here. And considerably nicer than the bullpen they've got the detectives crammed into. No real personal effects besides the stuffed bear with a Mexican flag reading Feliz cumpleaños número 48! on his desk, and a potted plant on the little window ledge that looks out onto the impound lot.

The reaction gets a muted smile from Kimi. Probably better not to laugh at your new boss on your first day. She takes one look at the chair and decides on the threadbare couch instead. She sinks down to sit and adjusts herself a little to get comfortable before bringing her coffee up to her lips for another sip. "Nice department you've got here."

He knows that smile. He's seen that smile plenty. It means someone's trying not to laugh at him. His brows furrow a little, then smooth again. But it's also probably better not to take a bite out of your new detective on her first day. So he behaves himself.

The laptop's closed with a thump, and he leans back in his chair, and rifles his fingers through his hair a moment. As per usual, he's dressed in civilian attire rather than uniform: a black tee shirt with some faded lettering across the front, dark jeans, and far too many tattoos for a cop scrawled up and down both arms. He reaches for her file after a moment, which is sitting on the top of the pile of paperwork he has to get through today. "Sacramento PD, huh? What the hell possessed you to come out here?"

"I needed a chance of scenery," Kimberly says with a calm, practiced assurance. SHe's dressed more business casual--a collared blouse, blazer, and slacks that make her look like any other office worker. That part is true! Though part of her isn't quite sure why, exactly, she decided to move all the way up to Washington of all places. Especially this tiny city. "Too much sun. Figured I could use some rain and fog in my life, instead," she adds with a laugh. "Decided it was time to get out of the place I grew up in, I guess."

He's skimming the file while she talks. Her picture's clipped to it, and he lifts it up so he can read whatever's underneath, before releasing it again. "Too much sun," he repeats, looking amused. "Well, that sure as hell won't be a problem out here." More perusing, and a sip of his coffee while he reads. "You've, uh, done some time in homicide. And fraud. Why the switch?"

"I don't want to lie to you and just say something like 'it's complicated' about the whole thing," Kimi admits with a sigh. She leans back a bit in her seat and frowns. "The guys who ran homicide didn't see eye-to-eye with me. There were some cases that they wanted me to let go and I wasn't willing to just set them aside on their say-so. So I got a reputation for not being a team player and shuffled out of the division. Not my proudest moment, admittedly."

The file folder's closed and set aside with a soft clap as it comes into contact with his desk. His dark eyes are on the woman across from him, now, and she's studied intently. It could be construed as a leer, if one were completely blind. But she probably knows better; it's like he's spotted something in his peripheral vision and now he's trying to suss out what it is by taking a closer look.

"Tell me about the cases." An officer stops by, and raps on the door. "Make it quick," he grumbles, and the other cop offers a quick apology as he passes over another file folder.

Back to Kimi, once the door's shut, "What about them made it worth going against orders?"

Now that Ruiz is looking at her--REALLY looking at her--she can see it too. There's a moment of surprise, perhaps hesitation? Her fingers wrap more tightly around her disposable coffee cup . Kimi shifts her weight on the couch, opens her mouth to answer the question when the other cop offers over another file folder. She drops back into politic silence before she's finally given a chance to answer.

"It's... I could feel something was different about them. Like there was something I could find that would let me figure out what had happened. One was this kid--he was like, fourteen? Went missing cutting through this overgrown lot on the way home and no one had seen a thing. Everything I went there, though, it felt like--it felt like there was something I could almost touch there and I knew if I had more time I could find this kid but..." She shakes her head. "They thought he was just a runaway. They tossed it on the stack of stuff that had no priority and wanted me to grab something they said was 'solvable' to make sure our numbers stayed good."

The intensity of his regard lasts a few seconds. Half a minute at the most. And perhaps she feels it; the way his power trembles around him like a distant stormsurge. The taste of ozone and some long burned-out electrical fire, and he watches her like he knows she feels it, too.

And then he looks away, brows furrowed as he tips his coffee cup toward him. Then takes a sip. "The way I see it, a good detective's like a fucking pitbull. I give you a case, I expect you to do everything in your power to find the truth. If I want someone to toe the line without questioning my orders, I don't make them a detective. That said." He looks back up at her. "Even pitbulls have leashes. I'm willing to give you a long one, if I can trust you. So don't break my trust. You got that?"

This one she definitely feels. Kimi's brow furrows as she listens to Ruiz speak, lays out his expecations and what she can expect from him. A smile grows, flickers across her face.

"Yes sir. You don't have to worry about me on that one." She takes a sip of her cooling coffee and wonders what her own power feels like to him, compared to that stormsurge. A flicker of a candle flame? A brush of a breeze? She takes a breath. "I do good work, chief. I promise you that."

Whatever it feels like, he's noticed it. He's noticed her, for better or for worse. Probably remains to be seen how he feels about that, because his expression gives little away.

"I'm not worried, Makimura." He smiles crookedly. Or tries to. That brutish looking face isn't one that's much given to warmth. "And I think you will do good work." He pushes the folder away, and climbs to his feet with the slightest wince, like some old injury acting up. "I trust you." A step around his desk, to bring him a little closer to the couch. But she's still going to have to stand up in order to shake the hand he sticks out at her. It's covered in ink, all the way up to the first knuckles. "Welcome to the GHPD."

For some reason, Kimi does find that smile comforting. She pushes herself to her feet and reaches out as he does. Her hand enfolds his and she shakes firmly. "Glad to be here, chief. Thanks for the opportunity."

His grip's firm, callused and warm, though not overpowering. Her hand is released after a moment, and he leans away to snatch up another file folder off his desk, buried under the first. "Got you a couple of things to take a look at, when you have a minute." The folder's passed over, before he steps away again. "You'll likely be working with, uh, ADA Bennet, and the DAI on the case.. Benedict Addington. Any questions, my door's usually open."

Kimi accepts the folder and flips it open to look at the contents as it's offered over to her. "I'll get right to work then," she says with a wry smile. The smile fades a little as she goes through the material in the folder and her brow furrows.

"...Twenty-year old murder, then the main suspect gets shot? This is quite a start for my first day. I'll do my best, though--I'll reach out to the DA's office and DAI Addington then, let them know they can get in touch with me if they need anything." She continues to flip through the folder, pulls out a crime scene photo to examine a bit more intently.

She'll probably notice, if she hasn't already, the suicide note from Officer Higgins that was entered into evidence at some point. And the link to the Chief himself. It'll be a fun one, indeed.

"You'll probably want to, uh.." He tears off a sheet of note paper, and scribbles down a name and phone number. The name is Alexander Clayton, and the slip of paper's folded, and passed over. "Give him a call. Make sure he's kept in the loop, but under control, yeah?"

"I'm looping someone from outside the department in?" There's a brief moment of confusion. A furrowed brow. She'll take the time to go over the totality of the evidence later, but she thinks she has the basics down for now. She seems uncertain, but then after a moment of thought, she finally just nods.

"I'll call him up, then. Thanks, boss. I'll keep you updated." She snaps the folder closed and turns to head out towards the bullpen. "Adios," she adds and the door closes behind her as she heads off. There's work to do.