Meanwhile, in another part of town, the detectives' precinct was unusually lively that morning, but not in a good way, at least not for two prominent detectives.
Detectives Leon and Evans walked in, heads high … maybe too high in the view of the other officers at the station, and also, given the whispers that followed them like hounds. Laughter erupted from the far side, where a knot of officers lounged with their morning steaming mugs of coffee and smug smirks.
"Look who decided to show up," muttered one of them, not quietly. It was deliberate, as if to get to the right ears, and it got to where it needed to be.
"No frantic drives to report back to the big boss? No executive sirens today, huh? No unmarked cars and private escorts?"
He looked around, feeling proud of himself as his colleagues laughed their heads off in agreement, then another chimed in,
"Who? The boss who was cock-loaded into a coma?"
