Chapter Four: A Minor Breakdown

Part 2

One awkward conversation and a lot of apologizing later, Leo and Naira were on the road again. It took several blocks before Leo got up the courage to say, “Thanks.”

“You are most welcome.”

“Thought you said you haven’t worked on cars before.”

Her fingers rested against the upper sill of the window, tapping against it as she turned to look at him. “I haven’t. I have not had a need to do so before.”

“Well, this is one Fahnina of a first time repair.”

Naira snorted. “It’s a patch job, like sewing a patch made from a ratty jacket onto a hole in the seat of a worn pair of pants. Effective, but not pretty or a good long-term solution.”

“Still. This lets me drive it to the repair shop without having to give up my firstborn to cover the towing fee.”

Naira’s eyebrows shot up, her head remaining level. “Is trading children for services a normal practice?”

A laugh escaped from Leo at that. “Do I look like I’m stable enough to have any kits?”

“That doesn’t answer my question. It simply adds to my concerns.”

Leo shook his head, “No, it’s just an expression.”

She settled back in her seat, her gaze turning back forwards.

“Why?” he asked. “You got kits?”

Glancing at him, her look said that was either the dumbest or the most inconsiderate question he’d ever asked another living being. Her head turned away to look out her own window. One block passed in silence, then two. Great, he’d managed to kill the conversation again. His mind was scrambling for a different conversation topic when she finally spoke up.

“I had two.”

That single word had felt like a live grenade. Much as his curiosity wanted to follow up, his sense of self-preservation told him that was unwise. For once, he listened to that warning.

Several more blocks passed before he spoke again. “You in the habit of carrying spare batteries?”

Naira continued to stare out the window, shoulders still tense. She answered faster this time, however. “Got them from the school. They’d been replaced and I just hadn’t found a use for them yet.”

Leo nodded, “You know, you said more when talking about sciency-stuff than I think you’ve said all day.”

His passenger chuckled beside him, her shoulders finally starting to relax. “I do teach it for a living. I would not be a good teacher if I wasn’t passionate about it.”

“So how does someone like you become a teacher anyway?”

Her next chuckle was empty of humor. “They don’t let Mnolfs become professors. So the closest I can get is a teacher’s position after much hard work.”

Leo couldn’t believe his luck for finding landmines. He wasn’t trying to be rude, but if his foot wasn’t on the thruster pedal, it would be tickling his stomach right now. He’d already dug the hole. No sense throwing away the shovel now.

“How long did that take?”

Several intersections whizzed by as Naira counted with her fingers. “About twelve years of study and unpaid positions. Then another six years as a lab assistant. I was finally trusted with several classes as a full-time instructor about three years ago.”

Leo whistled, “Long time.”

“As I said, it’s something I’m passionate about.”

At least that part, Leo could understand. Though he doubted he had her patience.

The conversation lulled, until Naira broke the silence. “What about you? What made you want to become an officer of the law?”

Leo chuckled. “It’s something I knew I wanted since I was a kit. People fascinate me. I like getting to know them, getting to learn what makes them tick. And despite my grumpiness sometimes, I do like helping people. So becoming a detective felt like a natural way to scratch both of those itches.”

Helping people.

Learning what makes them tick.

Like why the kit kept walking towards him. Why hadn’t the kit just listened?!

Leo felt like he’d just been slammed back into his seat. His claws dug into the steering wheel, and it took a couple seconds to realize he was speeding. He felt cold, despite the heat of Sun Season. One voice cried out from his glovebox while another cried from his pocket. They crashed against each other like competing percussionists. Only when they became white noise did he realize there was a third voice. Naira had just asked him a question.

He loosened his grip on the steering wheel until his fingers weren’t cramping anymore. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“How long?” she repeated.

Three years, said the white noise.  Out loud, he said, “Six years on the force, two years as a detective.”

“Do you feel your job has let you help people as you hoped?”

He knew the answer. He could also hear Tolson’s answer. Weighing the two, he picked the one Naira probably wanted to hear. “Yeah–I think so. I tend to help people find closure.”

“And who are you helping with this job?”

He looked over to see her studying him. “You mean yesterday’s murder?”

She nodded. “And the others.”

He drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Their families. Their friends. Their employees. Anyone affected by their death.”

“By bringing them closure?”

“Yeah. By catching whoever’s responsible, and bringing them to justice.”

She continued to study him, as if she could see through him. Like she could see just how flimsy of a screen he hid behind, pretending that he was capable of helping anyone in time.

“What would justice be, in this case?”

Leo shrugged. “I’m not the judge. I just catch the bad guy and take them to court.”

She looked unsatisfied with his answer, so he added on, “Serious probably. Multiple homicide is likely lifetime imprisonment, exile, or even capital punishment; though I don’t think they’ve put anyone to death in a good fifty years or so.”

“Aren’t the officers encouraged to take lethal action? It seems to me that you would likely want to keep problems from cropping up again.”

Leo swallowed hard. “No, we’re encouraged to be ready to make the decision in the moment of whether lethal action is required. But lethal action has to remain a last resort.”

“I see.”

The last five minutes of the trip passed in silence. Naira guided him to the western side of campus. A large brick building labelled “Fitzmond Building: Departments of Chemistry and Life Sciences” loomed over them as he pulled up to the sidewalk. Several college students glanced at them as they walked past, backpacks cinched up to their shoulders. From their postures and facial expressions, one would think their backpacks carried the weight of an entire Seed in them.

Naira gathered her things and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Leo fished around in his wallet until he found his business card. Leaning over, he held it towards her. “So you can let me know what you find. The chief’s pretty good about keeping me in the loop, but I’m also available if you have any questions or anything.”

Taking the card, she turned it over in her hands, reading front and back. Then she nodded. “I shall be in contact, Detective Parsons.”

“Cool. Sounds good! And uh, thanks again, for helping with the car.”

She smiled, “Perhaps it is time to bite the bullet, as they say, and get it fixed?”

Leo shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. See you later?”

Naira gave a small bow. “Thank you for your time.”

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