STALEMATE [MAFIA] [MXM] ✓

3: THINKING LOGICALLY

"You seem different today." Donovan remarks from his seat across the booth, staring at Salem with a raised eyebrow. Salem had previously been zoned out at the table, but he looks up when he hears his partner's words. Expression confused, he replies;

"How?"

They aren't at Tally's this time. Half the time when they go there, the owner gives them their meals for free—in part because she knows Salem, but also as some sort of thank you for their jobs. Salem appreciates it, he guesses, but he doesn't like it when people feel like they owe him something. He wasn't in the mood to deal with that toss-up today, so instead he and his partner are at a different diner. This one is in a worse part of town, but still just as delicious.

"I don't know," Donovan says, frowning in thought. "You just haven't snapped at me about anything, yet."

"Maybe you haven't done anything wrong." Salem replies easily, finishing his burger and starting on his fries. Donovan is immediately shaking his head exaggeratedly, and Salem mentally prepares himself for this disagreement.

"No, I definitely have. I've been chewing with my mouth open and everything."

Salem sighs, running a hand through his hair. Why is this guy only ever observant when it doesn't benefit Salem? He can't pay attention to his radio or recognize a face to save his life, but the second something's off with Salem? Oh, you bet Donny will be right there to point it out.

Salem isn't going to reveal anything regarding what he's been thinking about, mostly because that would just solidify it. He is not ready to admit to himself the reason he's so distracted.

"I'm not different." Salem says dismissively, and before Donovan can question him further, takes the heat off himself by asking one of his own. "How's Charlie?"

That does the trick. Donovan is immediately distracted, going into story mode and telling Salem all about how his son—Charlie—is about to start kindergarten. He goes on and on about how his wife is taking him school shopping this week and how it's a new experience for them but they're so excited to be making these steps. Salem is attentive until it's interrupted by his radio.

"What did she say?" Donovan asks upon seeing the look on Salem's face. He'd been too busy talking to pay attention, which is pretty typical. Salem starts getting his stuff together, because they need to move. As he does so, he replies.

"Double homicide on 8th street."

Salem and Donny are the first ones there. The crime scene was very close by, located in the woods near a Greek restaurant. There's a creek that runs along the bottom of a steep incline, and a ditch not far from there. The bodies are said to be located in the ditch. The witness who found them is still there when they arrive, and she lets them know where the bodies are. She refuses to show them herself, though. It's that graphic.

It doesn't take Salem and Donovan long to recognize them.

"Is that Twist and Cheddar?" Donny asks, referring to Benjamin Twist and Carlos Perez, street name Cheddar. They're a duo who specializes in counterfeit cash—or, specialized. They're not really gonna be capable of that anymore. They also happened to be...

"Informants." Salem says, suddenly short of breath. He just stands there, staring at the two dead bodies, which are currently in pieces. Hardly anything about them is recognizable, the only reason Salem and Donny were able to tell who they are, is because they've worked with them. They can recognize little things like familiar tattoos and jewelry.

If these were people they'd never seen before, it would be a massive pain to identify the body. Whoever killed them left almost nothing identifiable, which is familiar. Salem hates how familiar it all is. He knows exactly who did it.