Young Writers Society

The look from Cab was one of both laughter and fear.  Within a few seconds he broke out in a fit of laughter on the sidewalk, leaning against the storefront window for some support.  Harding could admit that the idea was not the best he ever had.

In the past, when there had been attempts for Harding and Cabrini to work together, it wasn’t all bad.  It wasn’t like the things that would be happening if Cab and Harry were working together, which had over a ninety percent chance of ending in fire.  Harding and Cabrini just happened to get shot at a lot.  And stabbed.  And had rocks pelted at them.

Dangerous but it could be worse.

Cab got to a point where he could breathe again, gasping out, “You’re not joking.”

“That’s a brilliant deduction, Inspector Cabrini.  Perhaps you would also like to reveal that I have a third eye and a penis.”

“Let’s go and discuss this somewhere that just isn’t-”

“Here?”

The detective nodded to him, moving the both of them down the street to a small coffee shop.  Harding tried to read the name over the door, but it was in a script he didn’t recognize, indicative of this side of town.  The standard Federation English health evaluation sign inside of the door simply said “Joara’s Coffee”.  A close ceiling grabbed at the top of Harding’s hat as the pair slowly climbed down a set of steps and wandered into the main area.  This kind of art decoration was most certainly not Zinnian, or of any planetary culture that Jim had seen before.  A little hole in the wall that had its origins in an unknown hole of the universe – he would have to write this address down.

The small shop was empty outside of a few faint forms behind the counter.  Cab pulled him into a three-person cove booth in the corner and gave a small wave to a server.

“So, Harding, now that we’re in a confidential place, tell me more about Fitz and Harry’s crime ring.”

Jim removed his own hat, blinking his eyes as the room slowly came into full focus.  It was rather dimly lit with the hanging smell of a sweet incense which when combined with the smell of coffee and tea was surprisingly pleasant.  There was a single light hanging over their table.  He looked up to observe it, soon realizing that most of the lights in the shop were candles and not electric.

“Cab, there’s really not that much to tell about the case.”

“If there wasn’t that much to tell about the case, would you have suggested we work together?”  Cab waited for his answer, getting only the signal of silence and then continued.  “No.  I know things started when that Glenn person arrived and other people from her past.”

Glenn.

Of course, Cab would be smirking and spitting at the mention of Glenn Garner.  It was either attraction to the Federation Air Force officer from the Earth state of Texas.  Or hatred for the possibility that Cab might be getting slid down a spot now that Harry’s older friend had showed up.  But from the years of knowing Cabrini, Jim decided that it was probably going to be a bit of both.

“You don’t approve of Glenn?”  Jim let the statement trail off as a server brought over two cups of coffee, thanking them and waiting for the excuse Cab was going to come up with.

“He just seems a bit dangerous to be around the Agency and I don’t know why she’s not questioning his presence.”

“So are you worried about the danger he brings to the agency or just what danger he’ll bring to Harry?”

The glare that shot out from the other side of the rocking table was deserved.  Harding knew how much Cab and Harry depended on each other, how much their friendship had been built from Harry helping him get out of his past life.  But if that were the bond to be believed, there shouldn’t have been any worry over Harry’s friendship.  And Cab was right in the possibility that Glenn would bring danger to the agency.  Jim had already seen that from the attack that happened out on the street and he didn’t want to see what would happen if a spirit got inside.

“I am worried about the danger that he could cause, and I would think that you would be more on high alert.  Weren’t you standing there when that kid broke in and started shooting the place up?”

“I was.”

“Doesn’t it concern you slightly about his presence and how much Harry has warmed up to all of the people who have just magically appeared.  It took her over a year to ask Will out but now she’s just trusting everyone across the board.”

“I thought we came to talk about Fitz.”

The booth creaked as Cabrini laid back in it, mindlessly running his fingers through the light strands and sighing the entire time.  Obviously, he was concerned about the operations going on in the second floor offices.  Harding was concerned about what was happening too, especially with the rumor of his name tag being placed on one of the coveted offices.  When Harry moved in, she had taken Roth's office, leaving Marrow's and Luten's offices open for a senior detective from the first floor.  If he got involved in this case it might be what he needed to move into the spot.

"We are talking about Fitz by talking about a case connected to Fitz and then by default I'm allowed to ask about the people involved in the case."

His last words came out shaky again as Cab drummed his fingers upon the table.  Jim had only ever seen the man so worked up once before and those reasonings were more justified.

"Cab, of course all of these people have a worrying presence but we know Harry can take care of herself."

"Do we?"

"Of course we know what she can do when she's motivated enough.  Wasn't Vinconni enough proof of that for you?"

Cabrini's eyes flickered at the mention of 'Vinconni' and Jim was quickly realizing his mistake in mentioning that aspect.

"Vinconni?  What do you know about his death?"

A plan started to formulate in Harding's mind as the eye contact with Cabrini intensified.  He shouldn't have slipped in letting on that Harry was responsible for the death of the mobster, but Jim had assumed that Cab had been involved.  Cab was always involved when it was something to do with organized crime on that side of town.  Why would this hit have been different from any other?

"Oh, nothing really,"

"Did Harry kill him?"

As much as Jim tried to hide the answer from his face, his third eye moved to give away the slight detail.  The death had not yet been mentioned in the news and the only reason Harding knew was from a trip down to the morgue.  He was there to look at another case when the coroner brought the remains in, immediately spotting the handiwork on the body.  Jim had planned on confronting Harry but there hadn't been the right opportunity.

Cab leaned across the table while saying, "I'm going to ask you one more time.  Did Harry kill him?"

"I don't know but I believe that is the case."

"Then I'll ask this again.  How do you know about the death?"

Jim ran through the details in his mind once more before answering, recognizing how it sounded so much like an excuse.  Even if he did get promoted to the executive offices on the second floor, no one was going to let him in on details like this.  Harding didn't know what Cab expected him to know.

"Not through any of the agency staff.  I was down at the morgue looking for a life insurance claim that was referred to us as an independent party.  And when I was down there, they brought in his body."

Cab took out his notebook, jotting down a few lines before returning to the questioning.

"Why do you think that Harry was involved in this?"

Why did he think that Harry was involved?

There surely must have been a thousand people who could carve out a body like that.  And there surely must be hundreds of people who use that pattern of rope to slowly choke the life out of someone.  But there was one detail that Harding knew made it something Harry had done.

"The drowning."