Joneses – 16.4 Victory

Bells rang. Choirs sung. Children cheered. Canons exploded…ok, not really, but that was how Eliza felt as she strutted into work with her nose so high she could drown if it rained. Yesterday, the chief advisor of the ethics committee requested she return first thing in the morning. She thought it would take at least a week for them to come to a conclusion, but just a few hours? Wow! Had she been that compelling? She didn’t think she still had the magic. At 9 a.m. sharp, she returned to their office to hear what they had to say…and boy was it a lot. She received an apology and was immediately promoted to Colonel! They gave her the speech about zero tolerance and whistleblowing and all that jazz, but nothing was done about the Chief or Det. Farris. Those two would probably never apologize to her. She pouted about it for exactly three seconds before rejoicing over her victory. She could almost taste the cool, crisp air of the Chief of Police’s office for it would soon be hers. All she had to do was solve six more cases. It would be so easy, it should be criminal.

“Hey Colonel!”

Word traveled fast. She hadn’t been in the police station five minutes.

“Congratulations! I heard you went in there and held them hostage, Pancakes.”

She resisted the urge to giggle. “Don’t be ridiculous, Detective. That would be illegal.”

“HA! I wish I could have seen you show them what for. I bet you were amazing. I’m so glad you’re back where you belong.”

Was he buttering her up for when she became Chief? It didn’t matter. She didn’t have the time to think of other people’s motives for she was still savoring the taste of victory. “Thank you. I’m glad someone is on my side.”

“For sure! So, how do you feel?”

She paused for a moment to take in a deep, satisfying breath. “Stupendous.”

The fan boy ran in front of her. “Let me get that door for ya, Colonel.”

“Oh! Why, thank you, Detective Ro–” Nope. With the constant praise and pretty face, it was much too uncomfortable to call him Romeo. Instead, she gave him a light pat on the arm. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Good morning, everyone!”

Various greetings spread throughout the room as she walked to her old desk.

The old chair that she used to think was too stiff and squeaky had never been more comfortable. Being in that room at her old desk felt amazing. Criminals beware for Captain Col. Pancakes is back! She killed time by browsing the criminal database until the inevitable call to the Chief’s office came. Someone sat at the desk adjacent to hers. Though she would have preferred a different neighbor, at least he was someone she trusted. But what would he do for her sanity? Either he would annoy her to death by his slow wit, or she’d be distracted by his derpy grin. Either way, he’d be trouble. Luckily, she didn’t plan on being there that long.

An hour went by, and a door behind them opened. “Pancakes,” a stern voice called from it. She wiped the smile from her face–partially–and went to see what the Chief had to say. He was nursing a headache or something when she walked in. Serves him right for all the headache he gve her.

“Good afternoon, Chief.”

“Yeah, hey. Sit down.”

“You don’t look well, Chief. I hope you’re not losing any sleep.” It took everything she had not to laugh. The days of letting him mistreat her were over.

“I’m fine! Look, so–”

“Chief, with all due respect, if you have not asked me in here to issue an apology, we have nothing further to do discuss. Tomorrow, I intend to begin a new case. I expect to have all my security clearances and senior privileges restored before then. Have I made myself clear?”

His jaw stiffened as he pointed it to her. Wasn’t he in enough trouble already? Picking a fight with her was the wrong move, buster.

“Yeah, ok. Whatever.”