Chapter Text
This was the part of the job Peter lived for. The part when the hard work and late nights paid off and he got to slap cuffs on the perp. Granted, arrests didn't usually go like this. Not that Caffrey was the first crook to play it cool. He wasn't even the first to thank Peter for arresting him, though that usually involved suspects running to Peter saying things like, “He's going to kill me! You've got to get me out of here!”
Still, there was something different about Caffrey. He was, if not quite happy, then at peace. And as he was led away, he turned back to look at Kate Moreau as if she was the only thing in the world that mattered. Hell, maybe to him she was.
Peter popped the sucker in his mouth. It was the sweetest damn thing he could remember tasting. The only thing better than chasing the smart ones was catching them, and Caffrey had been one of the smartest.
It wasn't until he turned to go that he noticed Moreau. He'd almost forgotten about her, despite the whole sting depending on her. The sucker tasted slightly less sweet. Peter wasn't above celebrating a victory, but he didn't think of himself as the type to gloat while the perp's loved ones were still there. But it had been easy to forget about her. She had been silent the whole takedown, not moving, just watching.
It struck Peter as pretty cold. Caffrey was supposed to be her boyfriend, right? Then again, she had been avoiding him. Maybe the relationship was more one sided than they'd previously thought.
It was unnerving, how still Moreau was. Her eyes were blank, and Peter thought he might have been more comfortable with hatred. He was used to hatred. He was used to spouses, lovers, and parents cursing him out or threatening to get him fired. Moreau's preternatural calm was something else.
Are you even feeling anything? he wanted to ask, though he didn't. Caffrey just got arrested for her sake, surely that deserved some sort of reaction.
It was then that Peter really noticed the open door. In the chaos of the takedown, he hadn't been paying attention to it. Moreau caught him looking, and a flash of worry appeared on her face before vanishing in an instant. It was the first time Peter saw her show any emotion, and was concern for herself.
There had to be something in that room. Peter could even see a glimpse of canvas and easel. All he'd have to do was check it out, and he might be able to make two arrests today. A double collar would look damn good for him.
It would be rough for Caffrey, having to see the women he loved taken in on top of being arrested himself, but those were the breaks. Not all criminals came with “bad guy” stamped on their forehead. Some were friendly. Some were even sympathetic. It didn't matter; you took them in like all the rest. Anything else wasn't justice, it was playing favorites, gaming the system.
Thank you. I never would have found her without you.
Still, they'd never had enough arrest Moreau before now, and they'd been watching. She was the cautious type. What were the chances this would be their big break? Most likely if Peter went in there, he'd find a bunch of paint that looked suspicious as hell, but couldn't be used to prove anything. It'd be a lot of useless effort on the part of his team. He had one impressive arrest today. He didn't need to get greedy and risk wasting everyone's time. He shifted his vision away from the door.
Thank you.
Moreau's eyes had never left his face. Peter opened his mouth to say something. He wasn't even sure what. Commiseration she wouldn't accept? Life advice she'd only ignore? Definitely not an apology.
There really wasn't anything to say, was there? And Peter had lingered here too long already. He went outside to catch up with the rest of his team.
By the end of the day, Peter wasn't thinking about Kate Moreau at all.