Chapter One My First Day

I walk into the police station to be greeted by the sheriff. The man was like a second father to me. Right now I owed him a lot, because he hired me on as a detective right out of college. I had come to him wanting to return home. I had expected to get a job as a beat cop at most, but he saw potential in me.

Today was my first day, but I was oddly calm. I let a smile slip on my face as I approached him.

"You nervous?" Sheriff Porter asked as I walk up to him.

"I have been preparing for this day for four years. I don't doubt my abilities, sheriff."

"You always were a cocky kid," he chuckles as he straightens off the desk where he had been perched. "First you meet your partner, though you may already know him."

There was a good chance since we lived in such a small town. Most towns in Idaho are small, even the bigger ones.

I followed the sheriff as he weaved around a couple of desks. Once we were as far back as we could go he made a left. Then stopped at a desk where a man snoozed away.

"ANDREW!" Sheriff yelled causing the man to jolt awake. "Son, you have a house, I imagine you would sleep more comfortable if you ever went home to it."

"Whatever you say, Mark," he says rolling his head back.

"Don't call me that, I am your boss," he grumbles.

"Look sheriff, is there a reason you woke me up."

"I was getting to that," he grumbles again, annoyed. "I want you to meet your new partner, detective Dakota West."

"Partner!?" He scoffs, shooting out of his chair at the announcement. "Is this some kind of punishment or a prank? Mark, in the years since you gave me this job, I have never had a partner."

"Don't be dramatic, I am just trying to lessen your burden. Your 28 Andrew, you need to have a life. Someone else came to me, with the same degree you have. They needed a job, and frankly I thought you could use a partner."

Andrews eyes finally landed on me, the icy color gave me shivers. He seemed to be looking me over, which made me glad I wore one of my better pants suits. "I guess," he sighed, "if anything, it would be nice to have someone to talk to."

I watched as he scrubbed the stubble on his chin. The man looked like a wreck, but he was in good shape and he will need to stay that way.

He seemed to notice that I was examining him in return. "I know, I look like a mess right now. It's just that, I got this new case, so I pulled an all nighter."

"Could you use some fresh eyes?" I ask approaching his desk.

"It couldn't hurt," he said gathering all the papers on his desk.

"Well, I will leave you two to it," Sheriff excused himself.

Andrew handed me the file, "before I forget, I am Detective Baker. I would prefer if you call me Andrew when we aren't talking to others though."

"Well, you can call me anything you want, unless you are being a ass about it."

He gives me a , and I confess to myself that we will probably make a great team.

I sit on the edge of the desk, and open the file. I am greeted by the image of a girl surrounded in blood. Brunette, green eyes wide open, young, probably around twenty three. She in every physical way looked just like me. Only her throat was slit, three stab wounds also were on her stomach.

"When did you get this case?" I ask, as I close the file.

"She was found at ten pm last night," he sighs. "Her name was Rose Gravel, and she just graduated from college. She was looking for a job, and moved to start over according to her mother. She wanted the small town life, but didn't want to completely get away from the city."

"Sounds like she chose the perfect state, just at the wrong time. Did she buy that house, or was she renting."

"Renting, her parents signed with her since they were going to support her until she got her job."

"Are her parents here?" I begin to pace deep in thought.

"They are on their way from Seattle, should be arriving shortly. But I did talk to them both on the phone."

"Take me to the crime scene," I head for the door.

He follows, and runs ahead to open it. He leads me to a black camaro, and I try not to roll my eyes.

"Don't you even act like it is typical for me to have a car like this. I don't have much joy with a job like mine. My car is my baby, because it is where I spend a good amount of time."

"What year is it?" I ask, since I don't know a lot about cars.

"2016," he says with a smug smile on his face. "It took me a long time to save up the money. What do you drive?"

I point a little further down the parking lot. My bright yellow buggy sits looking like a ray of sunshine.

He breaks into a fit of laughter as soon as he sees it. "What on earth would make you want to drive that?"

"I am surrounded by a lot of death, so I need something nice."

He smiles, "you know, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

"You wish," I tease, climbing into his car with a smile on my face.

"Who knew having a partner could be so much fun?"

"We aren't going to be like partners on TV."

"What do you mean?" He says glancing at me before starting the car.

"We aren't going to hook up," I squint at him.

"Damn, I could really use a good fuck."