#quietlikeamouse

He had a fairly good idea of what this was about. There had been rumours circulating for some time now that there was a cop on the take in the precinct. There had been too many strange coincidences for there not to be. With there already being suspicion about him and his family connections, Fili knew it was only going to be a matter of time before the fingers started pointing his way. He was determined not to let it bother him. Let them gossip, he’d grown a tough enough skin by now he wasn’t going to let it bother him.

Pointedly ignoring the subtle glares sent his way, Fili walked straight past his desk to the end of the hall. His partner Nicci wasn’t in yet and he wasn’t about to sit around on his own feeling like a goldfish in a bowl. Instead he headed for his usual safehouse, to the office of one of the few people he knew he could rely on. The door to Zoey’s office stood ajar and he could hear her rooting around inside.

Fili knocked once, then nudged the door open and stepped inside, used to just walking in like that. Zoey had her back to him and Fili cleared his throat, calling out her name. She didn’t react, so Fili stepped around until he was standing on her good side and said her name again, louder. Still nothing. Fili touched her shoulder lightly, stepping back with an apologetic smile when Zoey whipped round, startled. 

"Fili!" she gasped, fiddling with the dial in her ear. "I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were there." 

Fili smiled at her… but he noticed that something about Zoey was off. She seemed… weird. She wouldn’t look at him for longer than a few seconds, her gaze darting around the office. It was like his presence was making her uncomfortable and she really didn’t want him to be here. That wasn’t like Zoey at all, normally the two of them could happily shoot the breeze for hours. More than once the police chief would have to come in to chase Fili out of here just so the two of them would get some work done…

"Everything ok, Zo?" he asked, frowning slightly. Zoey gave him a tight smile.

"Everything’s fine, officer Durinson. Do you need anything?"

"Officer Durinson?" Fili’s frown deepened. Since when had he been officer anything to her? They’d been on first names basis for as long as he could remember. Zoey glanced down at her desk, at the drawer that still sat open, then back up at Fili. “Zoey come on what’s the matter, why are you acting so… weird?”

Zoey sighed and her brow furrowed as she frowned down at the files. “Fili just stop it everyone knows ok? There’s no point denying it just… give it up.”

Dread settled heavy in Fili’s gut. “Everyone knows what?” He asked. Suddenly the glares seemed a lot more hostile, a lot more damaging now that it seemed that Zoey was in on it too.

“Jesus Fili haven’t you done enough damage? I’m under investigation now too after everything I’ve published about you. They were all lies weren’t they? Everything, you’ve been lying to me this whole time. Honestly that’s what I’m most angry about I don’t even give a shit about how many bribes you’ve taken just… why let me lie for you?”

Fili’s heart was racing, he felt close to a panic. “Zoey I wasn’t. I haven’t been lying to you I’m not—”

“Stop it!” Zoey interrupted. “Just stop it. They know, Fili. Internal Affairs, how do you explain that?”

Fili remained silent because he couldn’t. He was innocent but how could he prove it? This had been a time bomb just waiting to go off. Too many people mistrusted him, too many people held grudges. And now Zoey believed them . Now his last defence had turned on him. The realisation broke his heart.

“Just go, Fili,” Zoey said, looking down. “I can’t even look at you right now.”