The miles rolled by evenly, once Tess found a reasonably comfortable position in the smelly police car that helped take the pain of her wrists. She wasn’t as young and flexible as she used to be. The streetlights on the highway blurred reality into a distant dream. The ride took about half an hour, and it looked like they were going to the State Police Barracks in the northern part of the county. They exited the highway smoothly and pulled into the buildings lot right off the interstate and slid into an empty parking space in front of the building.

Billings yanked her out of the car by her arm and pulled her towards the side entrance, a set of smooth cool glass doors. The glass blocked any view into the building. The doors hissed open as Billings approached and they entered into a well-lit vestibule. Billings walked toward the entrance dragging Tess all the while. The guard, another State Trooper said, “Billings and prisoner, two,” then pressed a button.

Tess thought that Billings was the kind of cop that decided you were guilty of something, anything then made sure you were guilty, and his treatment of you depended completely on his viewpoint. Criminals didn’t qualify as people in his view.

The screen in front of the hallway slid sideways into the wall and Billings passed through.

“Hey, Billings,” said the Trooper, “You should have called the prisoner transfer in.”

Billings said, “There was no time.”

The trooper said, “Yeah. Right. No time. Well, there are some people looking for you, and it would have been nice to know you had the prisoner, up front.”

Billings turned and said, “Who’s looking for me?”

Foxx said from behind him, “I am.”

Billings said, “I’m tired of you trying to take my busts, Foxx. This one is mine.”

A voice from the side said, “Billings, let the prisoner go and come on with us. We’ve got some stuff to talk about,” The man in the suit was holding an ID folder out and he said, “Internal Affairs, Billings, let’s go chat.”

Billings said, “No way, she’s a freaking murderer. We’re going to put her in a cell first.”

Foxx said, “Man, you’re an idiot. You’ve got the wrong Theresa Smith. Gimme your handcuff key,” and he popped Billings in the hand to make his hand open and release Tess then pulled Tess around behind him.

Billings said loudly, “You can’t do that, she’s my prisoner.”

An irritated Foxx said, “I just did. The KEY, please.”

Billings said, “No way, she goes in a cell, I’ll deal with her later.”

Foxx said, “Too bad, you were warned,” and he did something with his hand on Billings chest, pressing him back against the wall, with the other hand he fished out Billings’ keyring. The fat man’s breath whooshed out and left him all at once, and his eyes glazed over.

Foxx turned around and unlocked the handcuffs on Tess wrists. He looked over at the IA cops and said, “Now, I know the chances of his getting fired are slim to none, but please keep this lunatic out of my county from now on... Billings, next time a superior officer tells you to back off and that you’re wrong, you might give it a listen,” he put the keys back in Billing's pocket.

The IA cop said, “They’ll probably give him a nice desk job.”

Foxx grunted and said, “Fine. I guess it’s the best we can do. Tell you what, though, he starts sniffing around Ms. Smith again he’s going to meet up with the Feds and they have no sense of humor.”

The IA cop on the right grabbed Billings and said, “Come on, Wally, let’s get you started on your new career,” and hauled him off.

The woman trooper was standing next to Foxx, Karen something said, “Thanks, Ms. Smith, for going along with that. We’ve been needing to find that guy another job for years.”

Foxx said, “Quit it. Billings didn’t arrest her. He just threw her in the car. I’m gonna have the county attorney charge his fat ass with kidnapping and all civil rights violations she can think of. I know it’ll never stick, but you allowed him to yank someone in our protective custody, from our building, and you never bothered to check until I called you. So.. now you get to go over every single one of his previous cases. But that’s okay, because it doesn’t affect your closure rate.”

“Sorry Foxx,” said the Sargeant, “I knew he was an idiot; I just didn’t think it went that far.”

“Sorry, my ass,” said Foxx, “You just want closure percentages. Don’t talk to me about favors. This is me doing YOU a favor.”

Tess said, “Did I do all that right?”

Sergeant Noire said, “You did indeed, Ms. Smith. Thank you very much. I didn’t believe Foxx here at all. He’s cordially hated Billings for years. Keeps calling me and complaining.”

Foxx said, “That’s right. I prefer to match people to crimes. The reason it worked, Ms. Smith is because he read your ‘rap sheet’ and it said you were black, and you are dark skinned enough for him not to care and the system is messed up enough that Billings gets away with it. How many black guys with paper can afford an attorney?”

Tess said, “So he’s a racist bigot and a moron? All that wrapped up in one attractive package. How did he get to be a cop?”

Foxx said, “That might be a discussion over whatever the heck meal you have at midnight. Midrats? Mid-lunch?”

Tess said “Twelves?”

Foxx said, “I like that. Twelves it is.”

Karen Noire said, “Ms. Smith, I don’t know how Billings managed to mix you up with the woman in the record, the only explanation is that it came up first on the list. Maybe you look young enough to pass it off?”

Tess said, “She’s thirty-eight and lives in Ohio, I think that’s a bit too much to pass off as an honest mistake. She spells her first name without the ‘h’. So we went to the same high school, 20 years apart and get mixed up in records all the time. I follow her from time to time. She can’t keep a job, and she didn’t graduate high school, so how is she going to ever do better? Sometimes I pay her collections if they’re small and I can afford it... I’m not sure if that even helps.”

Karen Noire said, “Do you think she cares?”

Tess said, “It doesn’t matter if she cares, it matters that it’s the right thing to do, if I can...”

Foxx said, “Karen is not going to understand, Noire thinks that criminalism is a disease, not a matter of environment. On the other hand, she doesn’t get mad at them.”

Noire nodded and said, “It doesn’t do any good. They can’t help it.”

Tess shook her head, “So… okay. I guess I can follow that. So is Billings a criminal?”

Noire said, “Yes. Dealing with criminals who happen to be cops is one of the shortfalls of the system. It’s so difficult that nobody wants to try it until they go so far beyond the line that we have no choice.”

Tess said, “And what about all the people they hurt?”

Noire said, “Collateral damage.”

Tess said, “That’s terrible!”

Noire nodded and said, “Yeah. I know.”

Foxx said, “Karen, spare me your bullshit. You knew what he was doing, and you ignored it because it made you look good, and you didn’t want to deal with the union. Well, I’m not in the union, so I don’t care.”

Karen Noire kind of winced and said, “That might be little harsh.”

Tess said, “You’re not in the police union?”

Foxx said, “Okay, I said that badly. I’m a member… but they don’t protect management. I’m management for whatever that’s worth. So is Noire here, but her duties are split. I pay my dues but get squat for it. It’s okay, they’ve helped me out a couple of times in the past, but if I get Billings charged, they’ll never talk to me again. I don’t really care, but their attitude is cops against the world.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Tess said, “When you suggested this little escapade, you said it might be dangerous, but I didn’t really understand. It sounded really exciting.”

Foxx said, “Was it?”

Tess said, “Hell, yeah!”

Noire said, “Ha!”

Tess said, “So what now?”

Foxx said, “I don’t really know. Maybe we can check out why Billings was right there when all this went down but didn’t see a damn thing. He honestly seemed to think you did it.”

Tess said, “Money. I stand by my previous statement. Money is the only thing that would make someone like that do anything. He wasn’t watching me or my house, he was watching Eleesworth.”

Foxx said, “So… Billings assumed Tess was the ‘Teresa Smith’ he wanted her to be. Could it be as simple as that? Eleesworth did the same thing? Where is she in Ohio?”

Tess said, “Youngstown. Pretty easy to look up. Just look me up and she’s the first entry. You mean, the dead man thought that I was she?”

Foxx said, “Seems like it.”

Tess said, “That sounds so weird to say. Why the heck was he here?”

Noire said, “I’m lost in the pronouns here, but it sounds like you need to talk to the Youngstown cops. I’m not gonna mess in your case. I don’t have the budget. I don’t understand what the hell Billings’ problem is, it’s not like we don’t have real work to do.”

Foxx said, “We’ll leave you to it then. We have to meet my daughter for Twelves.”

The two skipped out of the State Police building and Tess yanked on Foxx’s sleeve, “The car.”

Foxx said, “Eh?”

Tess reached up and whacked him on the back of the head, “Billings’ car... Check out his car. I was in the back, it was disgusting... but I couldn’t see anything in the front,” making the vomit face.

Foxx ducked and said, “Hey!”

Tess said, “Suck it up, big boy, and go check the car.”

Foxx said, “Okay, Okay! Bossy, bossy, bossy.”

They walked over to the car and Foxx tried the door, “It’s locked. Not supposed to lock it in the lot. They might have to move it.”

Tess said, “You might need these then,” and handed him the keys.

Foxx said, “How the hell did you do that?”

Tess said, “Noone pays any attention to short people. I just reached in his pocket and pulled them out.”

Foxx said, “Amazing.”

Foxx opened the door and they rummaged through the car, found a bunch of stickies, and a passenger seat full of fast-food bags, “You’re right, it’s disgusting.”

Tess was working the passenger side, “I feel like I need gloves.”

Foxx said, “Here,” and handed her a set of surgical gloves.

Tess said while putting on the gloves, “You carry those in your pocket?”

Foxx said, “Yep. Crime scenes, you know... dead bodies, that kind of thing.”

Tess said, “Ick.”

Foxx said, “Yep.”

The worked through the car in a couple of minutes. There was a folder in the front in a lawyer type briefcase, brown leather style that had a bunch of worthless papers and an old hot dog, mold growing on it, and about 10 pounds of ankle weights.

Tess said, “Do all policemen carry moldy hotdogs in their briefcases?”

Foxx said, “I certainly never have. Roast beef for me.”

Tess said, “You’re kidding.”

Foxx said, “Ah, yeah... moldy roast beef, it’s the best.”

Tess said, “You carry your lunch in your briefcase?”

Foxx said, “Well you never know... I mean... anything could happen? Gotta have something.”

Tess said, “You’re full of crap. Noone who cooks like you do would ever do that to food.”

Foxx smiled and said, “Busted!”

Tess said, “Jerk!”

Foxx said, “Find anything in that briefcase? Besides evidence of Billings being a single barbarian, and a slob?”

Tess said, “There’s a folder here with some notes in what looks like Copese”

Foxx said, “Who speaks that?”

Tess said, “You do.”

Foxx said, smiling, “I’ve never heard of the Copish before... or is Coplanders, Copians?”

Tess said, “Man... you are such a pain,” and she handed him the folder.

Foxx said, “That everything, you think?”

Tess said, “That doesn’t explain the ankle weights. Billings doesn’t look like the sporting type.”

Foxx said, “No way! There’re weights in there?

Tess said, “Yes, about 10 pounds.”

Foxx started laughing, and said, “It’s an old trick to look like you have a ton of work. The case weighs in your hand and gives the impression of being full. Is that everything, do you think?”

Tess said, “That’s... just silly... We searched the front of the car and we can’t really rip the thing apart. Since we somehow ended up with his keys, why don’t we go look at his place?”

Foxx said, “What an amazing idea!”

Tess said, “I know, right?”

Foxx said, “And how do you plan on getting his keys back to him?”

Tess said, “Do you have department post or something?”

Foxx said, “We do. It takes a while.”

Tess said, “Perfect.”

They strolled over to Foxx’s unmarked and got in and rolled off towards Trooper Billings apartment building. Tess noticed that Foxx already had the guy's address plugged into his nav system, and he knew exactly where it was. He drove some ways before he said anything.

Foxx said, “What are we looking for in Billings apartment?”

Tess said, “Some connection between him and Eleesworth.”

Foxx said, “Why does there have to be one?”

Tess said, “Are you testing me?”

Foxx said, “Maybe some. Why does there have to be a connection between Billings and Eleesworth.”

Tess said, “Okay then: one, why was Billings there... assuming this isn’t a silly circus act, there were three people on the porch at the moment of the murder and one of them was not Billings. The murderer, Eleesworth and me. I wasn’t actually on the porch but you know what I mean. He was there because he was following Eleesworth; two, Billings was following Eleesworth because he was doing something illegal worth a lot money; three, the third person managed to get on the porch without Billings seeing him, so now notice that Billings really seemed to think I killed the dude; four, I bet Billings made the identity mistake because Eleesworth really thought I was ‘his’ Teresa Smith, and he didn’t even check. He wanted it to be true.”

Foxx said, “Okay, that was a little scrambled but I’m with you. So... what did Billings want?”

Tess said, “Money. Eleesworth had something worth a lot of money.”

Foxx said, “Okay, Ms. Clairvoyant, what?”

Tess said, “No idea.”

Foxx said, “So... you’re hoping that Billings kept something in his apartment linking the victim, Teresa Smith and a whole lot of money.”

Tess said, “Aren’t you?”

Foxx said, “Yeah. Except we’re missing somebody in this picture. The murderer. Who is it. Not a name, how they are related to the victim.”

Tess said, “I have no idea.”

They drove for on awhile on the interstate and Foxx turned off.

Tess said, “They had to be following Eleesworth. Like a big goofy shadowing train.”

Foxx said, “Both of them?”

Tess said sarcastically, “Both of them, and neither one noticed the other. Two incompetent shadows. It’s amazing they didn’t run into each other in my driveway.”

They pulled into a run-down apartment complex, pretty much exactly like someplace someone like Billings would live in. Tess said, “If this was a motel it would say ‘Hourly Rates’ on the sign.”

Foxx said, “I hear they’re pretty nice inside.”

Tess said, “You’re kidding!”

Foxx said, “Yeah. I am.”

Tess laughed and Foxx pulled the car into a space and wandered into the building together. The dark, dingy, nasty hallway of the two-level, eight occupant apartment building. Billings lived in the upper back, away from all that irritating morning light and sunshine. The mold grew thickly above the baseboards, completing the picture of the condemned building shanty town. They climbed the clearly unsafe staircase and walked back to the rear unit. The main entry door was slightly askew, towards the inside. It didn’t bend or move when Foxx pushed on it.

Foxx handed Tess a set of gloves, “Here.”

Tess said, “For what?”

Foxx said, “Sort of technically, this might be illegal. Wear the gloves.”

Tess said, “Here,“ and she slipped her hands into the gloves and then snagged the keys out of Foxx’s pocket. She unlocked the two locks in a couple of seconds and pushed on the door. It opened about an inch. It’s not because the chain was on the door, either. It wasn’t. Foxx slid his gloved hand up and down the door frame and then pushed the door open.

Foxx reached in and flipped the light on and said, “Yeah. It looks like I figured.”

Tess looked in and said, “Smells like it too.”

The room looked like a disgusting fat man’s room. Food boxes and trash everywhere, stuff under the couch, in the walls, clothing in piles on the floor. Standard one bedroom app

Tess said, “How are we supposed to find anything in here.”

Foxx said, “Table by the television. I’m guessing he never moves,” and he went into the bedroom.

Tess walked around the sofa and looked at the beat-up old record box that Billings was using as an end table and there were papers and envelopes everywhere. Tess picked them up and started to sort them out, bills, more bills, ads, a notebook like the kind cops use, a pipe cleaner, a little phone book (black), and some tissues and stuff on the floor around it. A couple chip bags in the drawer and a dog treat.

“David?” said Tess, “Is there a dog in here?”

Foxx stuck his head out of the bedroom and said, “Not right now. He gets the dog one night a week. He lost the custody battle.”

Tess said, “You’re not serious?”

Foxx said, “For real. They fought over the dog for months. Big thing. He talked about it for quite a while. Incessantly.”

Tess said, “So why didn’t he talk about whatever he was working on, then... Incessantly? Really? Who uses that?”

Foxx grinned and said, “I do. Incessantly. All the time, without pause.”

Tess laughed, then held up her hands full of trash and said, “I give up.”

Foxx said, “He didn’t talk about whatever he was working on because it's dirty. Has to be.”

Tess said, “You don’t think he’s going to give it up?”

Foxx said, “He’s not smart enough to give it up. Billings is not realistic about his abilities at all. If he was, he would honestly solve crimes, instead of just finding a good fit for the charge.”

Tess said, “Did you find anything?”

Foxx said, “Nope, not yet. Still looking. Did you check under the sofa?”

Tess said, “Under?”

Foxx said, “Fat guys always think that under stuff is tough to find. Even fat people that search for stuff.”

Tess said, “Overweight. Fat is derogatory.”

Foxx said, “Billings is a fat slob. Overweight doesn’t describe him well enough.”

Tess said, “I’m trying to be charitable here.”

Foxx said, “Look under the sofa, carefully. I’m sure there are dead things under there.”

Tess bent down and looked under the couch. She looked up and said, “Let’s move it. That’s just gross.”

Foxx picked up the sofa and stepped back a foot or so then put it down, revealing a mound of chicken bones, dog hair, fast food bags, miscellaneous crap and a briefcase which Tess picked up. She opened the case, and it had some papers and pictures in a couple of folders.

Tess said, “We have to clean this up.”

Foxx said, “No we don’t, but we might report him to the fire marshal. What’s in the box?”

Tess said, “Some folders with pictures of what look like lottery tickets and lists of lots of numbers.”

Foxx said, “Can I see that?” and he pulled out his cell phone and laid out the sheets and started snapping pictures.

Tess said, “What is it.”

Foxx said, “I’m not sure yet, but these aren’t real tickets. They are proofs of something I think.”

Tess said, “How do you know?”

Foxx said, “They’re on sheets, not rolls, and they only have one side. All right, let’s put everything back and split. We’ve got to meet Billy when she gets off her patrol.”

Tess said, “Twelves.”

Foxx said “Twelves.”