The Longest night

冬至 [7] / [16]

Her expression became rigid. Other officers glared at him, silently scolding him with their eyes. Alexander walked toward the coffee machine. It seemed he didn’t even know what he had just said.

Edward Blaine, Alexander's junior and coworker, freaked out when Alexander said that. Didn't Alexander grasp this atmosphere? Or Did he just want to behave improperly? He called the boss 'sweetheart' in front of everyone?

Ed thought that Alexander was just making coffee and didn’t give a shit about the attention of those who gazed at him (actually, Alexander had no thoughts going through his mind in that moment).

Alexander’s attitude looked irresponsible but simultaneously cool in Ed’s eyes, who couldn’t even imagine himself acting like Alexander. This sort of misunderstanding sometimes breeds unnecessary envy.

Ed knew too well how to deal with the situation properly and not be despised by his superiors. He was ambitious, proud, competent to be sure, but also arrogant and lacking in that essential quality that mints any able leader: experience. Ed was jealous of Alexander because of it, which was something he could never admit to himself.

He was overlooking the fact that a person developed over time by learning from their own mistakes and experiences.

The reason Ed was jealous of Alexander was not just because of Alexander’s experience. Anna Brown, another of their teammates, whom Ed liked openly, had a thing for Alexander. But Anna admired Alexander a lot and Ed knew it. As Anna didn't show her emotions, especially her affection towards Alexander, he absolutely had no idea of her feelings and Ed’s bitterness.

Cynthia’s voice broke through Ed`s meditation.

“We’ll separate every road potentially traversed by the suspect by group.”

Cynthia divided them into groups of two, allotting work for each group. Officers left the office one by one.

“Cruz, Brown, check whether there’s any clues which can help us to track the suspect at important points through different alleyways.

Gresham and Blaine, check the major roads cutting through Harlem, the CCTV footage on every route the criminal may have passed through, and look up the victim statements. See if there are any clues as to which way our suspect might have been heading. Until you find something, don't even think about clocking off.”

She finished resolutely while looking straight at Alexander.

Alexander stepped outside the office without a word, withdrew his lighter and a single cigarette from his coat pocket, lit up and took a long drag. Fucking hell, he thought to himself. When is today ever going to end? Multiple cases, no leads and, what`s worse, he realized that he had violated, without any excuse, the promise with Kiara that he would definitely go to see her on her birthday this year. But he was not in the mood to explain to her that he couldn’t go because of work, especially this late.