Wise Men

Chapter 2

I would have begun the six week vacation by oversleeping, but Revelin and I had a detective to see. I had only just finished my statistics final on Wednesday and my linear algebra one on Thursday. Friday was a day for sleeping, not interrogation. I dragged myself out of bed to see Revelin’s hawk eyes fixated on me. He was already dressed in a button down polo shirt and slacks. The damn man was a morning person. Always awake before me and asleep after me. I would have thought he didn’t sleep if he didn’t snore during allergy season.

A dusting of sugar on his lip said that he had gone out for donuts and coffee and didn’t bring me anything back. The heartless bastard.

“We’re going to be late.”

“He didn’t specify a time.” I kept on my mustard stained pants from yesterday and pulled a university t-shirt over my head. He looked over my attire with a disapproving gaze as though he disagreed, but he only snorted and stood. He pulled a fistful of cash from the back of his drawer, and contrary to his prim appearance, he shoved it in his back pocket.

“I’m not walking to the precinct in new shoes.” I never figured out where he got the money from, but I think he acquired it the same way he acquired his vicodin store. Revelin used a perversion of the ethical principle, “the greater good,” whenever a breach in the law was required of him. I’m not sure what made him think that he was the greater good.

We took a cab that smelled like old cheese across town.

~*~*~

At 8 in the morning the precinct was abuzz with electricity, coffee, and sugary pastries that was both dizzying and mouth watering at the same time. Each moment I hear another shriek of ancient landlines ringing, which put me on edge. Or perhaps I was just another caffeine addict. The elevator ride almost put me to sleep in my current sleep deprived state. Revelin flicked my ear to wake me and all but dragged me into Detective Sato’s office.

There was no room in the government building where the paint was not peeling, the blinds not bent, or a layer of dust over the majority of the surfaces. Though I was hardly one to judge considering the filthy and unorganized mess that was my dorm room. Sato however didn’t look like he had slept at all that night, but he still greeted us with a smile.

“Good morning, would you like any coffee?”

Already I liked him better than Revelin.

Within ten minutes I was sipping a cup of thick, black coffee that still had grit in it. I didn’t really give a fuck.

“So let’s get started, shall we?” He pulled several papers from a pile on his desk. “let's make sure I have my information straight.” Pointing at me he said, “you are Christian Reinhardt a student of Statistics and Advanced Theoretical Mathematics. And you,” he continued to point at Revelin, “are Revelin Lesage, double majoring in Economics and Political Science.” We both nodded.

Sato folded his hands on his desk. “Now for the real questions. Had you ever met Ms. Arduino before last night?”

“How would I have—“

“She went to the same university as you two.” Revelin had yet to say a word. Sato shifted through his papers. “She was a junior, as you both are. Her major was...” he trailed off as he scoured the page. “...french literature.”

“J'ai savu que je l'avais recontru avant.” Revelin starred into his hands, but I could see that his eyes had gone frighteningly dark again. He shook his head and repeated what he said in english. “I knew I had met her before. We had classic french literature. She sat on the other side of the lecture hall. We never spoke to each other.”