<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #80FF80">Carlos Delgado</span></span></span></div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o793/Galvin_Fugazi/75418b36-82bd-4b2f-bdff-d44eb7e2deaf_zpsb78abdde.jpg">[ img ]</a></div><br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: justify;">Carlos gave Lea a short kiss and he promised to be quick, before he hurried down to the back entrance. He didn't have to wait, as a good reporter Mary-Ann had already made it to the door and waited there in the cold. Carlos gave her a grin and waived her in. She looked even more gorgeous in real as on TV. <br/><br/><span style="color: #FF8000">"Hey, I hope you have the coffee or Lea will be as shut as an oyster."</span><br/><br/>The reporter grinned back and waived with a thermos and Carlos could hear the swooshing sounds inside. They walked to the elevator together.<br/><br/><span style="color: #80FF00">"Why me? And why talking to the press?"</span> <br/><br/>Carlos laughed when she pushed her hair back after he said that they had liked her face.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF8000"> "No, not your looks, Mary-Ann. The face you made when the other guy asked the Chief about us being the bad guys. It seemed that you didn't really like the way of questioning of your fellow reporter."</span><br/><br/>She looked at him puzzled but then her face grimaced.<br/><br/><span style="color: #80FF00">"Oh, you mean Butch "The Butcher" Hayes from Channel 1. He is an asshole, especially with his way of digging out dirt in the backstories of everybody. He made a story about your partner's past, I don't know if you have seen it. Quite the mess and what have her private problems to do with capturing the Prostitute Killer? Absolutely nothing, if you ask me."</span><br/><br/>Carlos remembered that he had heard that nick before once at the precinct. Maybe he was right with the connections of Butch and Starsky and Hutch.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF8000">"We have seen it. It was one of the reasons why I decided to quit the Force when my superiors tried to sweep the whole story under the carpet. I knew that there would be dirt about Lea and me and if I have to face someone playing dirty, then I prefer to fight back than to take cover."</span><br/><br/>She nearly stumbled and then look at him incredulously when they waited for the elevator to arrive.<br/><br/><span style="color: #80FF00">"You quit? Why?"</span><br/><br/>Carlos entered the elevator and pressed the button for ICU. It was only them in the small cabin.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF8000">"Oh, I wanted to quit quite a while. The precinct is corrupted and racist, I guess I open a PI with Lea. But I quit right now, because I have the whole story of Ralph Kalinowski and it makes the precinct not look very good. We offer you an exclusive, Mary-Ann. The backstory of the killer, our parts in it, interviews with the people who helped us in taking him down and all the shit that will only start now. But it won't be cheap. It's a bomb what we offer and you can be the one to ignite it. We'll give you a short summary of what we have and what we expect to happen next. Then you have to decide. I am open with you, Mary-Ann. I prefer to work with one person and not to sell every bit of it to the highest bidder. I need connections when I do PI. I'd like you to be one of it."</span><br/><br/>Mary-Ann didn't answer until they entered the room of Lea, but the fire in her eyes told Carlos enough. Mary-Ann would pay for the story, the only question was, how much...</div>