Tori paced back and forth in front of the large window overlooking the city. Once more in her apartment, she had the heat on full blast, thankful for the tingling in her limbs that let her know all her fingers and toes were intact.
Javi had adapted much more quickly and had opened his shirt at the collar against the heat. But that was alright. Tori didn’t particularly mind that if he didn’t.
Looking away from her partner on her couch, Tori looked down at her phone.
“Come on,” she kept muttering, staring at the device. “Come on!”
Her eyes narrowed in frustration.
It had been hours since she’d placed the request. She was waiting to hear back from her contacts back in Rockford.
Waiting to hear about the biker gang that had terrorized the small town the week before her brother had died.
Organized crime… It seemed farfetched to think they’d somehow had a hand in Sammy’s death. But she was done overlooking any lead.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
She jolted, nearly fumbling the device as she answered in a tense voice.
"Hello?"
"Miss Spark, this is Officer Thompson. We've got some information for you."
Tori's heart pounded as she listened to the Rockford cop’s words, her eyes flitting to Javi, who leaned forward with interest.
“Good. Excellent. Thank you. Can you–um, can you send it to me?” She pulled the phone away from her face and took a quick breath. Why was she so anxious? This is what she wanted, what she expected.
“I’m afraid we’re not permitted to send files electronically if the files are confidential. We’ll need you to meet us at the precinct tomorrow morning, 9:00 sharp. Are you able to make it?”
Tori hesitated, running through her options. She would need to pack her things and get ready for the journey.
“Yes, I’ll be there,” she said firmly, commitment in her voice. “Thank—"The line went dead, and Tori stared at the phone in her hand. “—you…”
For a moment, she wondered at the abruptness of Thompson’s call, unsure what to make of it. But it didn’t really matter, she supposed. The information she needed was finally within reach.
She looked up, her eyes meeting Javi's. He got up from the couch, a supportive expression on his face.
"I'll pack," he said, heading for their bedroom. He hesitated. “You sure about this? Sure you want to dig?”
She hesitated, frowning at the inference.
“I’m sure,” she murmured.
As she sat down on the couch, she closed her eyes, trying to imagine the scope of the information that awaited her. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, and she couldn't wait to see what it all meant.
In the meantime, Tori leaned back, putting her trust in the team she was a part of, and the determination that burned within her. She would find out the truth about the biker gang and, hopefully, about her brother's death.
The truth would not stay hidden any longer.