Race Against Time

I had to laugh at little Isabella's fire. She was very witty and reminded me of my old friend, Levi. They even looked a little alike.
"Hey, do you know Levi Pacino?" I asked. She gave me a look. I literally just realized they had the same last name.
"About six three, muscular build, dark hair and brown eyes?" she said. I nodded. She laughed.
"He's my big brother. I'm actually staying with him while I'm here", she replied to my earlier question.
"You remind me a lot of him. He's got game when it comes to pranks though", I said. She raised her eyebrow.
"He learned from me. Nothing is sacred as far as pranks go", she replied. We walked into a grocery store and asked to speak to the managers. None of them understood a word I had said until Isabella started asking in Italian, Spanish, and French. Dead end.
"How on Earth do you know how to speak so many languages?" I asked.
"Well, I'm half-Italian and half-Irish. Spanish and Italian are very similar and I took French in high school. Turns out, it comes in handy", she replied.
"Seems like it. Nerd", I teased. She whacked my arm.
"'Cause I'm smart? At least I have brains, which is more than I can say for some people", she replied. We approached another grocery store that sold dry ice. A Hispanic man stood at the counter and Isabella froze. The man smiled slowly and Isabella looked up at me, an almost panicked look in her eye. Her face paled.

"Think you can handle this one? I just remembered I forgot something at the other store", she said, her eyes silently pleading at me to not argue or ask questions.
"Sure, but you'll take the next one by yourself, Rambo", I agreed. Isabella turned and practically ran out. I raised my eyebrow and turned to face the manager.
"Detective Flack, N.Y.P.D. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" I asked, holding up my badge.
"Fire away, copper", he replied. My blood heated. I honestly hated being called that. I held up the photo of Jay Maxwell.
"Ever seen this man before?" I asked. The manager named 'Thomas' shook his head.
"I see a lot of people in here, detective", he replied.
"He'd only buy dry ice", I added, hoping it would stir his memory.
"Yeah, he looks familiar. Not one of my usual customers, though", he said. I handed him my card.
"If he comes around, call me", I said, walking out. I looked around for my little partner. She was sitting on the ground, pressing her forehead to her knees. I knelt down next to her. She was rambling something in Italian; I couldn't understand a word she was saying.
"You alright, Isabella?" I asked. She looked up and nodded. She brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, sniffling.
"Yeah, I'm fine", she replied, obviously forcing a smile. I helped her up.

"What the hell happened in there? You don't look like the type to freeze up", I asked. She shook her head.
"Nothing. I don't want to talk about that", she replied. She smoothed out the front of her coat.
She was clearly holding herself together by a thin thread.
"You sure? I may not look it, but I'm a good listener", I offered.
"Deeply personal. Happened a long time ago", she replied. She wasn't going to talk, so I dropped it, like a gentleman would. We approached the next store and Isabella walked in on her own, her green eyes cold. I waited outside, watching her with the managers and employees. She had a way with people. Isabella walked out.
"Another dead end?" I asked. She shook her head, a smile starting to form on her face. She had such a pretty smile when it wasn't forced.
"We got a hit on the dry ice in there, he usually shops for supplies there. The only reason why they remember him is because he stops in to get the same thing. Dry ice and beer", she replied. After three more hours of endless searching, we finally went back to the precinct. I had an idea as I went up to the lab.

"Yo, Danny! Come here", I said. Danny sauntered over.
"Can you keep Isabella busy for like...an hour? I have an evil plot on our visiting dignitary", I said. Danny laughed.
"What's your plan?" he asked.
"If I can nab her phone, I have a plan. You'll see what it is", I replied. Isabella was peering into a microscope, leaving the room for a minute. Danny went into action as I slipped her phone out of her lab coat pocket. I hid in the sample library, quickly changing the language on her phone from 'English' to 'Russian'. I set her phone on the counter in the lab and slipped off. I saw her come back in, frowning.
"I left my phone in my pocket", she said, confused. I had a hard time containing my laughter as a panicked look started to form on her face. She looked around, her face clearly comprehensive. She knew I did it.
"Flack!" she called. I waited a second before rounding the corner and poking my head in.
"Yeah?" I replied. Damn, I was good.
"You opened up the wrong can of worms", she said, holding up her phone. I widened my eyes innocently.
"What makes you think it was me?" I asked. She raised her eyebrow, resting one hand on her hip. Yep, definitely related to Levi.
"Because you walked in after me. Danny sucks as a distraction", she replied.

"Hit me with your best shot, Pacino", I said, walking away. I was most definitely keeping my phone on me at all times. After coming back from break, I went to open my drawer at my desk. It only opened two inches. I tugged on it. It was stuck. I saw a screwdriver on O'Riley's desk. He looked at me and started laughing, shaking his head. I finally realized I had grabbed my work cell instead of my personal cell when I was on break. My keys were missing. I felt around my jeans pockets, silently hoping I hadn't lost them.

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it, Donnie?" Isabella said, leaning against the wall. She laughed like an evil genius. I heard my ringer start to go off, but I couldn't get where it was. I pressed my ear to my desk, but it wasn't coming from there. I felt around over my desk. My keys were still gone.
"By the way, your keys are in your car. I guess I should mention that it's locked, shouldn't I?" she said, giving me a faux-sheepish look. My jaw dropped.
"Let me know if you find your phone", she called, walking off. She was laughing.
Oh, she was good...very, very, VERY, good. I looked in my car, my keys on the seat. Mocking me. Where the hell was my phone? I walked back in, looking around for it. I could hear it, I just couldn't find it.
"Boy, you don't fool around, do ya?" I muttered. Only place I hadn't looked was above me. I saw the ceiling tile had been moved. I clearly underestimated her. I grabbed a ladder and stepped up on it, pushing the tile. My phone was laying there. My contacts had been changed to different names like 'Harry the Hippo' and 'Happy the Unicorn'. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with. I got down from the ladder.

"You are definitely a force to be reckoned with, Rambo", I said, shaking my head. She pretended to applaud, smiling.
"Bravo, Donnie Dorko", she replied.
"You do realize I'm not gonna play around? You just stepped into the big leagues now, bhean bheag", I said, calling her 'little lady'.
"Told you that I was good. That's not the only thing I'm good at, though", she replied, walking off. I had to think of a good plan fast. While she was in the lab, I went into the locker room and got into the temp locker where she was keeping her stuff. I grabbed her keys and walked to the pool, tossing them into the deep end. Oh, she would pay dearly for that. I walked back into the precinct, my chair gone. Good thing it was only five o'clock. She would be getting off soon and I wanted to see her face when she found her keys in the twelve-foot pool that some of the officers used to work out in.

After about twenty minutes, she came downstairs. She did not look happy.
"Where are my keys, Flack?" she asked. Famous Irish temper.
"Oh, but where is the fun in that? You lock my keys in the car, I toss yours somewhere", I replied. Messing with her was fun and surprisingly easy.
"Where?" she repeated. I grinned.
"Someplace wet. It's usually abandoned right now, but not for long", I replied. Her eyes widened.
"You didn't", she said. I motioned for her to walk with me. I stood outside of the door, a big grin on my face.
"Oh, I did", I replied, opening the door. She stood at the edge of the pool, frowning.
"Ya know, if you wanted to strip down and go in after them, I'd be happy to stand guard. Although, if you're the type to wear granny panties, that'd just kill the mood", I said, leaning against the bleachers. She glared at me, but strutted over to the drowning stick and shoved it into the water.
"See? I'm using my brain", she said triumphantly. I had to laugh at her determination as she tried to maneuver the big stick around the thick water. She glared at me after the eight foot stick didn't go all the way to the bottom.
"You threw them in, you go after them", she said. I shook my head.
"I was on my own in collecting my phone and my keys, as well as unjamming my desk drawers. You're on your own, Rambo", I replied. I could tell she was seriously contemplating whether or not to jump in after her keys. She sighed, her mind at work.
"All right, I give up. You win", she muttered. I smiled.
"Call me the Prank Master", I said. She glared at me.
"At least go get me a towel while I have to fish my keys out", she replied. Oh, I had pissed her off good.
"Deal", I said, walking out. I reached the staff closet and pulled out two towels. They were pretty big and would easily dry her off.
"Here", I said, tossing them onto the bleachers. Her back was turned to me as she hopped out. She had deep scars on her back, going from between her shoulders, all the way down to her lower back. She grabbed the towel quickly, wrapping it around herself.
"What the hell happened to you?" I asked. She grimaced and then hesitated. I think she finally realized there was no way out of this one, no matter how brilliant of a lie she could come up with.

"Fine, but if I tell you, you can't tell anyone. When I say anyone, I mean an-ee-one", she replied. I sat down next to her. She took a deep breath.
"Sixteen years ago, I was brutally assaulted by the manager in that grocery store I ran out of", she said. My eyebrows shot up.