“I WILL make you pay for the disrespect acts that you did, Mercado,” Chief Alvarez threatened Euclid as soon as he stepped out of the interrogation with Maria. “You and that tramp—”
“I just did what I thought is right, Chief,” Euclid countered calmly. “Start practicing the rules, chief. You might be the one disgracing the academy you graduated from.”
Chief Alvarez clenched his jaw. He shifted his glare to Maria, then smirked. “Like father, like son. Do you know what I heard in the academy, Mercado? That you’re a son of a bitch—”
Euclid took out his gun and aimed it at his head. “You know what, chief? I heard that this will be your last breath—”
Maria grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze. Though she didn’t speak, Euclid knew that she doesn’t want him to do it. Miranda tapped his shoulder and ushered his arm to lower his gun. Sweats started to trickle down the temple of Chief Alvarez when he lowered his weapon.
“File a report if you want,” he said, grabbed Maria’s arm, and turned away from them.
“Your woman tested positive in drugs,” the chief announced loud enough to hear by the officers around the hallway. “You have to restrain her here longer for further investigation.”
With a scowl, Euclid faced the chief. “How many times do I have to tell you, Chief Alvarez, that your opinion is not needed in our mission?”
The chief’s expression hardened. He grabbed the tablet from Miranda and clicked the screen. “We’ll check if her name is on the watch list—”
“Stop these ignorant remarks, chief. You’re just making yourself look stupid in front of your officers by insisting on meddling with our business,” Euclid said, losing her temper again. “And, don’t try to show off your framing up skills, monkey business is out of our vocabulary,” he held his glare. “Watch list my ass.”
The chief lowered the tablet and glared at him. “One of my officers found drugs on the coat that she used.” He called the officer from his side and gave him the charcoal coat. “We found methamphetamine packs inside the pockets of her coat.”
Euclid shook his head. “Did you know who owns that coat?”
The chief brow’s furrowed. “It belongs to your woman—”
“Chief,” Miranda butt in. “That coat belongs to Agent Frederick. He just let her use it to cover Magdalene’s face.” She said, shaking her head. “And, Magdalene tested positive in ecstasy, not in methamphetamine.”
Euclid made a ‘tss’ sound. “What a pathetic move, chief,” he taunted and shot a sharp look at the police officer that allegedly found drugs on Fred’s coat. “You’re messing with the wrong team.”
“Hey, Euclid, did you see my coat?” Fred asked him when he went out of the interrogation room. “I think Magdalene left it in the comfort room…” His eyes darted to the coat in Chief Alvarez’s hand. “I think that’s my coat.”
“Chief Alvarez said that this officer found drugs in your pocket,” Euclid said, not taking his eyes off the police officer who looked like a newbie in the station. “PO1 De Castro claimed that he found it. And, they thought that we’re stupid enough to fall for these lousy traps.”
Fred's brows raised in surprise. “You do?” he asked the police officer. “Did you slip the drug packs when you saw that Magdalene left it in on the CR?”
The police officer didn’t answer but refused to make eye contact.
Miranda heaved a sigh and shook his head. “I was looking for you a while, right, De Castro? But, you’re nowhere in sight,” she smirked. “Now I know why, you’re up in business—”
“Shut your mouth, Miranda,” Chief Alvarez hissed at Senior Inspector Miranda Bray.
Miranda suppressed a chuckle and looked around the hallway. “Hey, all of you! Stop nosing around and do all your duties!”
Fred took the coat from Chief Alvarez. “Unfortunately, you might lose your license because of this failed frame-up mission of yours,” he told the officer. “How did you graduate in your criminology school with that kind of poor ability?”
The police officer looked at Fred. “I don’t want to lose my license, sir.”
Miranda cleared her throat. “Nobody wanted that to happen, especially during their first year of service.”
Fred put his arm on the officer’s shoulder. “You know, I believe that prevention is better than cure.”
When the officer glanced at Chief Alvarez, who was looked like a nervous dog, Euclid knew it. “Chief,” he said in a lower voice. “I will let it pass this time, but if you tried to mess with us again, I would make sure that you’ll pay for your wrong actions.”
The chief didn’t answer. He’s staring at Maria as if he sees an apparition. Euclid looked at Maria, her eyes and nose were exposed now because her face mask fell slightly. Euclid fixed her cover and pulled her away from them again.
“If that old man tried to frame you up again, I would make sure that he’ll be demoted from his position,” Euclid told Maria as he dragged her towards the cell where the other club dancers were. “Don’t hesitate to tell Miranda if somebody bothered you again here, okay?”
Maria pulled her arm from him and nodded. She didn’t even speak. The policewoman opened the cell and waited for Maria to step inside, but he stopped her. Euclid felt something terrible happen between Maria and Chief Alvarez. He remembered the way Maria spoke to him, and how the chief stared at her a while ago, it was as if the chief was shocked to see her. Or, perhaps, threatened to see Maria. Whatever it was between the two of them, Euclid will find it out soon.
Euclid lowered his head and whispered to her. “Is there something wrong? Are you bothered about the items that they found—”
“No, Euclid,” she whispered. “I’m not bothered.”
“Then, what is it?” he asked. “Is it because you tested positive?”
Maria looked in his eyes for seconds before she spoke. “Nothing.”
***