Chapter Text

Chapter Three

There were very few things in life that made Roy Earle uncomfortable, but this; this had to be up there with getting caught with his pants around his ankles.



By some cruel twist of fate, a few inches away from him was, Jack Kelso.



The two of them hadn’t said a word to each other since their utter bombshell of a reunion. Glancing at him now, it looked like the DA’s investigator had no plans to.

It was at that point, Jack was sure the LAPD was out to get him. Partnering him up with perhaps one of the most arrogant assholes he’d ever come across. Fate was a cruel, merciless bitch and she was all too willing to fuck with Jack Kelso.

After they had been briefed, Colmyer gave them the address of where the most recent Jane Doe was found. They took the directions and headed out to the car park in stunned silence, neither one of them willing to acknowledge the other.

Jack was never very good small talk, especially for someone who he held little to no respect for. Casting a side-eye at his partner, who had reluctantly watched him pull open the door and slide into the passenger seat of his Cadillac.

Just great, Roy thought tightening his grip on the steering wheel. He was going to be having words with the schmuck that had set this one up.

The D.A’s investigator was not entirely familiar with murder cases, or vice cases for that matter. But he’d be damned if he’d let Roy know that.

Straightening himself in the leather seat he cleared his throat, “So, what exactly are we up against,”

Roy cocked a brow but his eyes never left the road, “Just another dead hump, nothing new,” he paused as they crossed through the intersection. “You’d think you’d know that by now,”



Lips pursed, Jack held a narrowing stare. Biting back a retort he turned his head away from the driving detective. Jack had learned long ago when to pick his battles, especially when it wasn't your hands on the wheel.



The vehicle came to a halt at the far edge of a currently closed, clothing store. LAPD cruisers sat idling, a few officers formed a barricade protecting the scene from onlooking pedestrians. It was nearly 10:30am which meant the streets would be busy and reporters would be heading down to get what little information the crime scene would offer. The coroner's vehicle was present, which meant Mal Carruthers was already on the scene. This wasn’t the first body that had shown up, and judging by how thick the case files were, Jack had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t going to be the last.



“Morning Mal.”

Jack noted the lack of genuity in Roy’s greeting, more than anything it just seemed like routine or a formality.



Mal greeted the two approaching detectives with a nod of his head,



“Detectives--” he started as his eyes glanced from Roy to Jack, his gaze looking the new detective over carefully, “Are you from homicide?” Mal asked curiously with a slight furrow of his eyebrows. His question answered quickly, with Jack stepping forwards to introduce himself with an out-stretch of his arm for a polite handshake,



“Jack Kelso, D.A’s investigator. I’m joining Earle on this case,” his hand was met with Carruther’s before the coroner’s attention returned back to the Jane Doe,



“The body was found early this morning by a patrolling officer, though from her temperature I’d say she was killed around midnight.”



“Alright we get it, she’s dead awhile,”



Jack shot the senior detective an incredulous look, “This is a crime scene Earle, shouldn’t a detective take this more seriously,”



“You want to go solve the murder be my guest, but you’re footing the bill if I get any more damn blood on my shoes,” Roy motioned towards the corpse. “After you, partner.”



The body seemed almost as if it had been discarded carelessly, sprawled out on the asphalt. She looked average enough, with dark brown hair that was matted with dirt and blood. The woman’s eyes were splayed open, pupils clouded and distant as they stared lifelessly at nothing. Blood coated her upper lip and nose, traces of a white powder evident around the nostrils. Jack shot a look to the coroner,



“Cocaine, from a glance I’d assume an overdose was the cause of death. But I have to do further testing to be completely sure,”



“Broad couldn’t hold her dope,” “I’ve seen plenty of that.”



Jack ignored Roy’s comment, it appeared like the man had more than just a little indifference towards women. Returning his attention back to the dead body, he was unable to shake an uncomfortable feeling.



Seeing a dead body wasn't troubling to him. Hell, he had seen a lot worse overseas. But the victim was barely clothed, and what little she had didn't leave much to the imagination.



Crouching down beside her Jack gently rolled her head to the side to further investigate. Two prominent marks etched into the crook of her neck.



They were somewhat shaped as letters, however messily done with what Jack could have assumed was just a simple knife. If he had to guess the letters appeared to be an “A” and “P,” He jotted this information down in his notebook. “Do you know what these marks mean, Carruthers?”



“They could mean almost anything” “judging from the scaring it looks like they were carved weeks before she died,” the coroner paused briefly as he knelt down beside Jack. “very unusual,”



“Did these markings show up on any of the other victims?” Jack questioned the coroner with a sideways glance at Roy who scoffed,



“Did you even read the case files?”



“Probably more than you did,” Jack shot back,



“Gentleman enough of the wisecracks, I’ll take this evidence back to the lab. I’ll have KGPL get in contact with you when I have the results.”



The two nodded, Roy turned on his heels with Jack following shortly behind him,“So where does this leave us?” the younger detective asked,



“There are a few men that have connections to that kind of dope, and even fewer that have that kind of supply,” Roy swung the drivers side door open, not waiting for his partner



“And just what are you suggesting?”

“I say we drop in on Mickey Cohen,”

Jack had only ever had one encounter with the man, and it hadn’t exactly ended well. “Is that smart?”

“Scared Kelso?”

Climbing and settling into the passenger seat Jack sighed, “No. I’m not. There are far worse things than Mickey Cohen.”

“I can name six,”



Jack rolled his eyes, gripping the side of the convertible as Roy’s foot dropped on the gas, speeding them passed stopped cars through an obviously red light.

Heart racing as Jack looked back at honking cars and screaming pedestrians throwing their fists. Nearly coming in a head on collision, he returned his attention to his driver who was hardly fazed by his recklessness.

“Are you out of your mind? Do all LAPD detectives drive like animals?” He huffed, holding onto his hat so it wouldn’t fly off with the sudden burst of speed.

There was no response from the vice detective, only the slightest of smirks played and pulled at his upper lip.

“Is that how you managed to drive that prostitute out of town?”

The car jerked, wheels squealing as they took a hard left. If Jack had not been buckled in he probably would have been thrown out of his seat and onto the pavement.

“What the hell, Roy!”

“Now you listen to me shitheel, you ever bring that whores name up again and I’ll crack your head on the sidewalk, you hear me?”

When the large unlit neon sign of the Three Diamond Door club came into view, there was a long silence between the two,

“Duly noted.” Jack cleared his throat, fixing his tie as he recomposed himself.

“Now come on we have work to do.”