Chapter Text
Gavin feels a little like he swallowed a bottomless pit.
“Reed? ‘You okay there?”
He can’t look away from the ghastly sight before him, even though he wants to. He’s used to gruesome crime scenes, occupational hazard, but this is different.
“Gavin!”
Eugene was an old fling, from back when he was still an officer. It had been casual, a thing of convenience, but Gavin had liked him. He was a drummer and Gavin had loved having those calloused hands around his hips.
Now those hands would never hold anything again.
“-vin!” Chris’ face appears in his vision and Gavin startles out of his thoughts. “What’s the matter with you?”
Gavin pulls himself together with a deep breath. “Nothing, I just.. didn’t sleep much last night. What do we have here?”
Chris eyes him critically for a moment, probably not buying his flimsy excuse, but drops it. “Vic’s name is Eugene Meyers, 34 years old, been deceased about 30 hours. He was found this morning by a homeless woman, she’s being questioned by Chen right now.”
Gavin nods absentmindedly, scrutinizing the crime scene. “Someone really did a number on this guy.” He hears a forensic examiner say. He agrees. Eugene’s jaw is unhinged, his hands basically pulverized and there’s a very concentrated blood stain around his crotch. Gavin can’t help but wince. That had been a nice dick.
There’s something specific about those injuries but Gavin can’t put his finger on it.
Chris comes up next to him. “Forensics been all over this place and so far all they’ve got is a shoe print, a size 11 boot. It’s oddly void of evidence.” He words the last line carefully.
Gavin turns to him, looking away from the corpse for the first time. “You think an android did this?”
Chris shrugs. “It’s possible.” But Gavin scoffs at that. “Looks at this shit. No way an android did this, it’s way too… fucked up.”
That makes Chris turn to face him completely. “Androids have been freely deviant for a good month now, Reed. They’ve proven themselves to be pretty capable of emotions and impulsive reactions. You know what happens when their stress levels get too high.”
Gavin thinks back to the first deviant Connor brought in, the way it had started bashing its own head in. “Still, this isn’t just someone who got scared and accidentally offed an abuser. This isn’t even vengeance! Whoever did this enjoyed every sadistic second of it!”
Chris sighs. “Still, I think it’s best to bring in Connor. Have him see if there’s any traces of blue blood here, just to be sure.”
“Fine, call the fucking prick but I’m not going to stay here, watching him prance around licking everything. I’m going to talk to the family and friends, see if anyone can give some insight. Maybe a possible suspect.” Gavin doesn’t give Chris time to answer before he’s turned around and is heading back to his car. He doesn’t get in immediately though. Leaning against the driver’s door he digs out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He’s feeling off-kilter and desperately needs something to stabilize himself with, especially if he wants to remain collected through the following conversations.
He takes too long and Anderson shows up with his pet on his heels before he can drive away. Stomping his cigarette out he pretends not to notice Connor’s stare.
As soon as Gavin returns to the station he’s told the case has been reassigned. Apparently Tinman found blue blood on the scene in a way that suggests android involvement at least.
That should’ve been the end of it. The case is reassigned to Anderson and his pet toaster, which means it’s officially not his problem, but Gavin can’t let it go. It feels wrong not being on the case. The picture of Eugene’s mangled body won’t leave his mind and Gavin feels he should do him one last honor and be the one to capture his killer. But he doesn’t quite feel like throwing a fit and android cases are not his division anyway.
“Detective Reed.”
Gavin tenses and considers ignoring the android just in case it might go away. But he knows it won't, annoyingly persistent as it is. So he turns to face it, barking out a “What?!”
Connor’s LED is spinning softly. “You seemed troubled at the crime scene earlier today, and given that the case has been assigned to Hank and I, I thought I should ask into it.”
“It’s none of your fucking business, asshole!” Gavin snarls, he’s been on edge all day and as much as he’d enjoy taking his frustrations out on Connor, he knows it won’t do him any good. He’d just get written up, maybe suspended. Or worse, beaten by Connor.. Again.
“Detective Reed, may I remind you that if you’re withholding information on the case-”
Gavin slams a hand on his desk, getting up and into Connor’s face. It only loses a little edge with the height difference, but the way Connor leans backwards makes up for it.
“Listen up plastic fucker, I ain’t got nothing to say to you and you need to stop trying to psychoanalyse me!” He highlights the message by jabbing his finger into Connor’s chest.
It blinks at Gavin’s hand, its jaw tightening in mock frustration, before it nods. “Very well, sorry to disturb you Detective Reed.”
Gavin continues to curse to himself a little after it left and decided it was close enough to the end of his shift. He wasn’t getting anything done today, he might as well go home.
He’s brought out of his own head when he reaches his apartment door. There’s a note taped to it, innocent in its simplicity. His stomach tightens. He hesitates before ripping it off, flipping it open.
HE WASN’T WORTHY OF YOU GAVIN
It was handwritten but too perfect to be written by any human.
“Fuck.”
Gavin doesn’t want to think about what it means, doesn’t want to face his suspicions. So he doesn’t, at least not tonight. Instead he distracts himself with feeding Beyonce, automatically calming down in the cat’s presence. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he’ll face whatever this is.