Dallas Police Department
The lobby of the Dallas Police Department is primarily made up of white-washed brick and old, battered hardwood. Double glass doors lead into the building, a dark blue carpet spanning the length of the room to the Duty Desk. Painted on the wall behind the desk is the silver and blue seal of the department.
Off to the left of the lobby is a roped off section where people can stand in line to make requests or file minor statements and complaints. To the right is a low wall that blocks most of the offices and cubicles from public view, but still shows a certain amount of accessibility. Down that same hall are the holding cells and interrogation rooms, with the actual jail in the rooms below the building.
~
Early evening at the station on a Sunday. The words 'slow and boring' don't really convey how most of the officers feel.
Coming in off a reported breaking and entering, Officer Rossum files the report at the desk, and heads through the department toward the break room to grab a cup of coffee. It's not like there's going to be a stack of cases on her desk, so it's not like she's got to rush back there and check on messages.
~
Back and forth it went in Brett's mind. Does he make the leap and go with Corey's instincts and look up Officer Leigh Rossum, or try different avenues first? The conversation with Michael meant that things had to be taken very, very carefully or there'd be .. some potential problems.
On top of that, there was a promise made.
Wandering into the police department before thinking better of it (yet again!), he makes his way to the front desk, and the desk sergeant just beyond.
"Can I help you, sir?"
"Ah.. yes." Brett's words are slow; this is a in for a penny, in for a pound moment. "I'd like to speak to— Oh.." Fortuitous? "Officer Rossum?" He'd wave, but he figures she'll see him. "Can I talk to you?" Please?
~
She almost made it. She almost got that cup of coffee. Then she hears her name, and she turns slowly. Nodding at him, Leigh moves from the break room, and motions him to the side.
"Mister Coleman. How can I help you?" There's a hint of actual curiosity in her voice, wondering if he's here to speak on behalf of his brother, which really wouldn't be a great thing while she's at work, but regardless, she'll hear him out.
The area where she's motioned him to is a little waiting area, currently empty. Somewhat cushy seats, though not overly comfortable.
~
No, it's not about his brother at all, remarkably enough.
Brett smiles and acknowledges the identification, and nods to the desk sergeant. "Thank you," is offered before he approaches Leigh. "I could really use an ear on something, and—" he'd rather not continue out in the middle of the department's 'intake' room.
Following Leigh to the somewhat private room, he doesn't sit after entering. Brett looks, indecisive, and he weighs his words carefully. "It's about the big dog that's been attacking, and the rumors and reports about it being dead?"
~
"Wolf, not a dog." Officer Rossum's correction is very gentle. "There was one shot in the west end of the city not long ago. No further attacks, no body found." That's the gist of it.
"You can sit if you'd like. The chairs won't bite you, I promise." While she can joke about it a little, she's in full-out cop mode, which means her answers, and her manner may be a bit more abrupt than she would otherwise normally be.
~
"Wolf," Brett allows himself to be corrected. Here, however, is where things get sort of .. difficult. Dropping his hands into his pockets, he considers, then, "I understand a Desiree DeVilliers was attacked. It's a friend of a friend." In a manner of speaking. "I suppose I guess what I'm asking, at the moment, is do you really believe it to be dead, or is it one of those 'lies to the press so you can continue the investigation quietly' sort of approach? Because," Brett looks at Leigh, "I'm keeping my eyes out, and.. nose to the ground, as it were," there, he smiled lopsidedly, "but I'm not sure exactly how much my.. friend will believe. How much I believe, honestly."
~
"DeVilliers' assailant is not the same creature that has been making the attacks by the library, and Mary's." Officer Rossum is aware of what he is, due to the scent of the Shifter, but she's not at all sure that he's aware that the attacks have been made by another Shifter. "Do I personally think the black wolf that's been plaguing Dallas is dead? No." Otherwise, they would have found a body. Especially if it had an eye gouged out or harshly injured, and was shot. It would be very distinctive.
~
Brett's brows rise and he nods slowly, and the game of 'does she know what he knows that she knows' begins. "She'd said that it was some.. anthropomorphic beast that attacked her." He'd scoff, but he wasn't really in the mood to do lots of dancing. "Far cry from a black wolf.
And, I know there's a pretty mad vampire out there about it, too. I'm pretty sure he's not checking the costume shops for anyone who rented a furry costume for a party." Now that's one way to put it?
"Miss Leigh," Brett brings it down a little, "I honestly don't think that either creature is dead."
~
"God damned self-righteous vampires…" Leigh almost snarls that, but after a brief moment of reflection, she's got her attitude under control. This is going to mean a trip to the Sheriff, or the damned King, and a warning sent to Donato about this. It does not leave her as a cheery Officer.
"Bit different from report she gave to the on-scene officer." Her brow arches upward a little, and she eyes him for a long moment. Moving toward the door of the waiting room, she shuts it, then nods to him. "Tell me what you know, Mister Coleman. Please don't leave out any details."
~
"Other than it was a .. large, anthropomorphic beast?"
Brett shakes his head and looks somewhat concerned. "I talked to the vampire, told him that it wasn't worth going forward to doing anything on his own. Lord knows what sort of problems that could create." He's got a very good idea of some of the issues. "But, I also told him that I'd do what I could. And, well.." here, he had the grace to look somewhat abashed, "I have to admit that I came to talk to you because Cor trusts you." And anyone that his brother trusts?
"I don't want any problems, really.. but it happened on the 24th, as you know.."
~
"Bitten werewolf then," Officer Rossum says, voice low and quiet. "Chances of finding whoever it was are slim in that case." It's not like there's a huge werewolf registry. "He will cause a great deal of issues if he goes ahead with his idea of retribution." None of which she'll be able to stop, either.
"Mm. I'll see what I can do, Mister Coleman. Though I would greatly appreciate if you kept this information on the down-low."
~
Brett smiles appreciatively, and with more than a little relief. "Yes. And one that probably has absolutely no control." Exhaling a breath that he wasn't all that sure he was holding, he nods soon after. "I told the vampire that.. that he didn't have any control and probably had absolutely no idea what it was he was doing. Which means.. another problem." Brett frowns and digs his hands further into his pockets. "Which also means that it needs to be kept out of the vampires' hands."
Shaking his head, Brett chuckles softly, "There is no way in hell I'd go public with this."
~
"I didn't figure so, Mister Coleman. What with you being two-natured yourself." Officer Rossum definitely seems to be in the know. Though she's going to have to make nice with Donato, something that she doesn't look forward to, but will for the sake of inter-pack cooperation.
"Though I am going to have to ask who this mysterious vampire is. I can go talk to them, and let them know that they really should leave this up to those in the proper authority."
~
"I told him that too, Miss Leigh. And that he really should leave it up to .. the proper authority."
Brett shakes his head, "I can't tell you unless you promise that you won't go talk to him. He's not going to make any waves. He told me as much. I also don't think he's going to go for any vigilantism, either." Though, he can't make the same claim; at least not since last weekend.
Brett hangs his head and smiles lopsidedly, shuffling ever so slightly, "If you need me, you know where to find me.. and I can help plead whatever case?"
~
Officer Rossum arches her brow again, and slides to step in front of the door. "I could always dig through the case files to obtain it, though I would rather have it from you." A smile, to show she's not threatening. "Either way, if whomever it is does create waves and cause issues, it will not be up to me to handle it anyhow." That is generally left to Donato, and she's not going to step on his toes.
Sliding out of the way, she holds the door open for him. "I know where to find you or contact you, yes. Thank you for being so frank with this conversation, Mister Coleman." Leigh's already very much aware with what happened the previous weekend. Eli is generally good about letting one of the two-natured officers on the force know if he's taking a party out hunting. To prevent them from being hunted themselves.
~
Brett chuckles softly, "It's not that I don't want to, Miss Leigh. And, I'm pretty sure you could probably get the information. After all, there aren't many vampires that Miss DeVilliers.. is fond of."
*cough*
There's no feeling of threat, even when Leigh stands between him and the door. When she moves, he presses his lips in a geniunely appreciative smile. "Thank you, Miss Leigh. And if there's anything else I can do," like continue to run interference, which he's happy to do, "let me know. If I think there's any real problem, I'll be sure to send a note via carrier pigeon." Or he'd be the pigeon himself? "Or, the dogs."
Stepping past Leigh now, Brett pauses, "I don't know if Cor called you or not. He's in New York, doing some consulting and checking on a few zonine recommendations that might be able to be used here. He's not sure when he'll be home, but he wanted to be sure you knew he was out of town."
~
He's really so polite that there's not much she can respond to. Officer Rossum will go check over the files, and try to rewrite any parts that allude to it being a werewolf in the attack now that she's been made aware of the situation.
What hits her though is the last bit. She does her best not to blush, to just brush it off, but instead she smiles at him. "He didn't, but that's fine. I was just finalizing the basketball and baseball teams in order to get something set up for charity." Looking briefly at her feet to give herself a moment of composure she nods. "Thank you for letting me know though, Mister Coleman. I do appreciate that."
~
"You're very welcome. Oh.. and have a good evening."
Brett turns now, and finishes heading out of the door. He's done something now, at least, and he's got potentially something he can work with, as it were. Making his way out of the small room, he pulls his keys from his pocket, smiles and nods to the shift sergeant as he opens the door to leave. "Take care."
