Fiction: Title to Be Determined (Part Three)

Read Part One and Part Two.

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Let's head back to the station." Alistair spoke as Jules took her place behind the steering wheel.

"I'd like to see the other locations." she objected.

"There's nothing there anymore."

"But I have the keys." Jules laughed, turning the opposite direction of the station.

"Do you like being difficult?"

"No - but I can be when the situation demands."

"So this is my fault?"

Jules took a glance at her partner as she sailed over a hill. "Never mentioned fault, though you are more than welcome to take responsibility for your attitude."

"My attitude is not the problem - I didn't ask for you and I don't want you."

"But you're stuck with me." Jules came to a stop at a red light. "Or at least, I'm stuck with you."

"How'd you end up here anyway?" Alistair shifted in his seat. He didn't live having the woman around; he wasn't opposed to haveing a woman on the case, or even working with one. But he was certainly opposed to having the mayor - and Preston - interfere with his case. "Why leave Austin?"

"My father died and I wanted to be close to my family."

"You're from here?"

"Yes." Jules smiled at his incredulity, though she felt overwhelmed by what she knew she needed to say next. "My father worked for the Henderson group and mother teaches at the university." Jules wondered how much longer the light would last.

Alistair knew his jaw had dropped, but he couldn't quite do anything to fix it. "You mean Martin Julian?"

"I mean my father." Jules answered with a sigh as the light turned green.

"Well that explains a lot, doesn't it?" Alistair laughed. "I assume the mayor was more than happy to bring you on board with us."

"I was already in the process of being hired for this job when the mayor found out I was coming home."

"Oh, and I'm sure he just couldn't wait to get you on the case."

"Are you threatened by me, Detective?" Jules could feel her anger ramping up, the emotions of the last few months welling up in her throat and striking hard to burst out of her with all the power of her rage. It would be easier to let the detective deal with her outburst, rather than deal with her family in the aftermath.

"I'm not threatened by you, Dr. Julian. But I don't appreciate the mayor's interference."

"Because you seem to be doing so well on your own." Jules muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Alistair exploded. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just what it sounded like." Jules defended. "You seem like a competent detective, and I'm more than confident that you've done the best you can, but it seems to me that you need some help."

"You even sound like the mayor." Alistair sneered. "You think you can break this case?"

"I think I can help." Jules answered as she pulled the car onto an unused road. "I meant what I said, Detective. I'm here to work, and to help solve this case. I don't have any intentions to disrupt your precious boys bly or give you a bad name with the mayor. And I'm not like my father." Jules opened the car door and stepped outside.