[center][h1][color=8882be]Ashley Gallagher[/color][/h1][/center]
[center][h2][color=8882be]Central Police Station[/color][/h2][/center]

Ashley sighed, grimacing as his partner tore into both him and his shoddy police work. The man was right, there was no doubt about that. He knew better than to ask what the hell Cal was doing at the club in the first place, the answer would undoubtedly be picking up his slack, but something Cal had said suddenly hit him like a blow. “My… my apartment? He saw us in my apartment?” The rest of the lecture was all but lost on him in a sudden moment as he sat, gears whirring in his brain almost visibly.  “Cal, she’s there now, by herself. I…” He pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed himself for being so stupid. “I thought it would be safe. Safer than the club.” Ashley took a moment to collect himself, this was his job. He had let his emotions run most of the evening, it was time for his logic to take over, if he had any left. He felt the nights of sleeplessness buzz at the edge of his vision. “We need to go over there now, get her out of there. I know what it must look like to you, but I assure you my interest is strictly professional, and we need to go make sure the witness is safe.” He swallowed the lie like bitter coffee and met Cal’s gaze. How could he be so foolish? Of course his apartment wasn’t safe, he was one of the detectives tracking the damn monster. “I’ll take her into police custody for official questioning, she’ll be safe here for now. The rest…” He sighed. “The rest will be up to her, I suppose.” He swept up the jacket he had discarded and headed for the door.

A shrill tone rang out into the room and Ashley whipped around, eyeing the phone that sat at his desk. He snapped it up. “Detective Gallagher speaking.” His blood ran cold, and he watched his knuckles whiten on the edge of the desk. He hooked the phone and turned to Cal. “They found a body– outside the Carousel.”