Detective Quackity HQ took great pride in his work in the department. Solving hundreds of cases and only working there as a detective for three years was impressive (not as impressive as Clay WasTaken’s track record, but this isn’t about him) He was a legend among the other detectives in the Las Nevadas Police Department and he was never one to pass up the opportunity to brag about his record. He especially made it very clear that he solved each and every one of those cases alone, something he also valued a lot. He hated working with a partner, always quick to pass off that opportunity to someone else. He always thought it would stay that way… until of course this morning.
    He had planned on sleeping in as it was his day off until he received an urgent call from the chief of police themself, Alastair Eret, demanding him to come into the department. Quackity could tell how important it was based on the tone in his voice mixed in with the urgency. Something must have come up, like a high profile case of some sorts and of course, Quackity was being called into solve it. He sighed, getting himself ready for the long day that awaited him. Throwing together his usual outfit; an open collared shirt along with suspenders and jeans, he made his way into the kitchen, grabbing something to eat before hopping into his car and driving to the station.
    As he drove, he took in the city he resided in, the booming city of Las Nevadas. The city itself was huge, full of towering skyscrapers and thousands of people all with places to be and people to see. The sidewalks were flooded with people, most having urgent business at one of the several large businesses in town. While the city seemed to be busy during the day, it was most full of life at night, the midnight sky lit up with the dozens of lights coming off of the several casinos and nightclubs that scattered the area. Although these fancy lights and nighttime excursions couldn’t cover the fact that Las Nevadas had its own share of dark happenings as several criminals roamed the area including the infamous serial killer, Dream, a case that had plagued the Las Nevadas Department for years now, remaining unsolved even with their head detective, Clay, leading the investigations.
    If there was one thing Quackity hated more than an unsolved case, it would have to be Clay WasTaken, the head detective of the Las Nevadas Police Department and Quackity’s arch rival. The two had been fighting for that position ever since Quackity joined the force. The only thing that put Clay above Quackity was  the fact that Clay had been a part of the force longer than Quackity and had a better track record of more solved cases. Quackity knew that title should belong to him, no matter how good Clay seemed to be. Although Clay always came off as friendly, Quackity never fully trusted the man, always looking at him with suspicion and caution.
    Thankfully, Quackity didn’t work with Clay, at least it only happened on the rare occasion. Clay had his cases, along with having his hands full as lead detective for the Dream case. Clay manned the entire case regarding the serial killer, having full access to the evidence and leading the investigation and search for the killer. He was the main detective working the case, and had been for years, and Quackity never bothered to get himself involved in the disturbing case, gladly letting Clay do all the work. He had only heard rumors of the victims left behind, bodies mutilated and marked with a smiley face or “XD”. On top of that, creepy notes were left behind, the only evidence ever recovered from the scene besides the victims. There were no leads, from what Quackity had heard, and the case remained cold. Thankfully, the serial killer seemed to be quiet, had been for a few years and Quackity could only hope it would remain that way.
    Quackity continued his drive through the busy, trafficked streets of his lively city, making his way to the department and almost getting rammed into by some crazy driver who was speeding by. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he wrapped up his short drive, pulling into the parking lot outside the station. As he hopped out of the car, several people waved good morning to him, all of which he ignored (he wasn’t exactly the social type) He quickly made his way up the steps of the police department, hastily walking inside and making his way to the chief’s office.
    Noticing the door was open, Quackity slowly stepped inside the large office. The office was the opposite of messy, it was thoroughly organized and clean. The shelves were decorated with an assortment of awards and personal photographs. There was a table off to the right with a few chairs around it. A large, open window was on the back wall, directly in front of it was a large, oak desk covered with manilla folders and some papers. Behind the desk sat Chief Alastair Eret, a well respected person who had been chief of the Las Nevadas Police Department for a few years now.
    Eret’s brown hair was combed back, adding to his professional look. He wore shaded glasses as his eyes were sensitive to light after an unfortunate accident from years back. She wore a freshly pressed gray pants suit, leaning back in their large chair as they looked through a folder. Quackity took his place in front of the desk, clearing his throat in order to make his presence known. Eret glanced up from the folder he was skimming through, giving Quackity a soft smile as he placed the folder back onto his desk.
    “Detective Quackity!” Her smile brightened as she leaned forward a bit, moving closer to their desk. “Thank you for coming in on your day off.”
    “Well I can’t just ignore a call and request made by the Chief of Police.” Quackity said, giving a smirk. Eret gave a small chuckle.
    “That you cannot. I really hate to be bringing you in on your day off, but as you’ve probably suspected, I’m calling you in to handle a recent case. There was an early morning homicide that I want you to lead the investigation on.” Eret said, sliding over a folder to Quackity, who quickly picked it up. “We already have an ID on the victim and Ponk is taking care of the autopsy as we speak.” Ponk was the head medical examiner in the department, the best in the business although he could be quite the interesting character sometimes.
    “I see…” Quackity mumbled, looking through the information in the folder. There wasn’t much as the case was recent, but there was some information regarding the victim, who’s name was Veronica Buyers, and the evidence found at the scene. “Well, I can go check out the location where the body was found, see if I can find anything that was overlooked.” Quackity closed the folder as Eret nodded her head, affirming the plan.
    “Sounds good to me.” Eret said, which Quackity took as his cue to leave. “Hold on, Detective. Before you go, one more thing.” Quackity paused, sighing to himself softly. He just wanted to get this case over with so he could return back home and at least make something out of his day off.
    “Yes Chief?” Quackity asked, turning back as he tried to hide the annoyance in his voice. As much as he admired Eret’s work, he was never fully sure what Eret had up his sleeve, always full of surprises. Quackity had a feeling that whatever Eret was going to tell him wouldn’t be a fun surprise.
    “You won’t be working alone on this case.” It took everything in Quackity to not groan, to which Eret stifled a laugh, very familiar with Quackity’s dislike for working with others. Just the mention of having to work with a partner on the case practically ruined his day.
“Why? I can handle this case on my own, thank you.” Quackity said, matter of factly.
“I know, and your track record of solved cases is proof of that.”
“Then why do I need to work with someone else?” Eret sighed, pausing as he thought over the answer.
“Because we recently hired a new recruit and so I want him to shadow you on this case. Basically, he’ll be your partner.” Quackity groaned, no longer trying to hide his annoyance over this situation.
“Chief, you’re putting me with a newbie detective? I find that to be insulting! I’d rather work with someone who will at least know what they’re doing.” Quackity said angrily, now pacing the room to release his frustration. Eret sighed, rubbing their temples as they leaned back in the chair more.
“Fine, detective, you can work with Clay on the case.” Quackity froze mid step, turning to glare at Eret.
“Clay?! Why do I now have to work with him? Follow up question, why do I have to work with anyone?”
“Because I’m telling you to, that’s why. Now you can either work with Clay or the new detective.” Eret smirked a bit, aware of just how much Quackity hated Clay. Quackity never tried to hide his anger towards the other detective, always appearing standoffish and cold even towards the other’s friendly personality. Quackity could tell Eret was pulling the strings here, trying to get Quackity to work with whoever this new cop was for whatever reason. Taking a moment to breathe, to think, Quackity finally gave a loud, annoyed sigh before moving back to the front of Eret’s desk.
“...who’s the new detective?” Quackity mumbled, putting his hands behind his back as he regained his composure. Eret smiled, pulling out another folder and pushing it across the desk, revealing the contents inside to Quackity.
“Detective Wilbur Soot. Recently hired a few months ago. He seems to show great potential, the son of retired Chief of Police, Philza Soot. Although as great as he seems on paper, he has quite the… personality.” Quackity looked through the contents, picking out some of the accolades Wilbur Soot had received. Quackity eventually closed the folder and slid it back to Eret, who put it away.
“I wasn’t aware Chief Philza had a son.” Quackity asked, raising an eyebrow. Chief Philza had retired a few years back, succeeded by Eret. Phil had been regarded as a legend on the force and was well respected, even in retirement. If this guy was the son of the honorable chief himself, he had to be good right?
“Neither was I. As you and I know, Phil kept quiet about his personal life. I didn’t know Wilbur existed until he sent in an application for hire.” Eret leaned back in his chair, placing her hands behind her head. “He seems to be pretty good.”
“What do you mean ‘seems to be’?” Quackity looked at Eret with a bit of suspicion, who returned it with an embarrassed smile.
“Well-” Before Eret could finish, there was a loud crash outside in the hallway, causing Quackity to turn quickly, his hand lingering near his gun on his hip, ready for an intruder to burst into the room. Instead, it was a disheveled man wearing a long, brown trench coat and unkept, curly brown hair with a single white streak in it. He appeared to be exhausted, as if he had sprinted a long distance just to get into the office. Regaining his composure, he stood up straight, practically towering over Quackity as he pushed his circular glasses back. Giving the two an embarrassed look, he quickly picked up the decorative bowl he knocked over and made his way into the office.
“Sorry about that.” He had a thick British accent but a friendly voice. He stood next to Quackity, and the two’s difference in height almost caused Eret to burst out laughing. Quackity couldn’t help but glare up at the tall, unwelcome stranger who interrupted the meeting.
“Excuse me, but we were having a conversation here.” Quackity growled. The man looked down and gave a friendly smile, as if he was aware he had just interrupted the important discussion.
“I know!” The stranger then turned his attention to Eret. “So sorry I’m late Chief, got caught up in some heavy traffic. You know how downtown is.” Eret sighed, giving a soft yet strained smile.
“Yes well, that’s why I said show up 20 minutes early. Not 20 minutes late.” Eret gave another deep sigh, looking over to Quackity. “Detective, I’d like you to meet your new partner.” Quackity’s eyes widened in surprise. This was Wilbur Soot, the son of one of the most important chiefs to work in the department? He took another analyzing look of the man, taking in his unprofessional outfit, his relaxed appearance. Compared to how uptight Philza had always been, Quackity couldn’t help but wonder… How the hell were these two completely different people related? 
“Your Chief Philza’s son?” Quackity asked, the confusion evident in his voice. Wilbur gave him a beaming smile, offering out his hand.
“The one and only!” Wilbur said with pride. Quackity looked Wilbur up and down one last time before turning to Eret with disbelief.
“You’re partnering me with him!?”
“Hey I’m right here-” Wilbur imputed, retracting his hand.
“Yes, Detective. You’re to partner with Detective Soot here and show him the ropes.” Eret gave another kind smile, but his demeanor made it clear he was no longer in the mood for more arguing. Quackity looked between the chief and the new detective several times before his eyes landed back on Wilbur.
“...I expected better.” Was all he could say. Wilbur took on an offended look, glaring down at Quackity.
“Well there is no need to be rude.” He mumbled, crossing his arms and turning away from the prideful detective.
“Well,” Eret clapped their hands together. “I can already tell you two are going to have loads of fun. Why don’t you both get started?” The two continue to glare at each other as Eret forces a smile. He really hoped he wouldn’t regret this decision.
“Sure, Chief. I’ll get started right away.” Quackity mumbled, shoving his way past Wilbur and out of the room, not glancing back to see if he was following. Wilbur glared at Quackity as he left, quickly following him out.
“It’s supposed to be ‘we’ll get started right away’! No I in team, Quackity!” Wilbur said enthusiastically, moving to walk beside Quackity. Quackity couldn’t help but groan, widening the gap between the two and looking at anything but Wilbur. “Y’know we should come up with a team name! Like a duo name! Oh! How does Tntduo sound? I love tnt, well really just explosives in general, I find it all fascinating don’t you?” Wilbur glanced over at Quackity, grinning as he rambled on. At that point in time, Quackity would’ve given anything to be the next victim in a murder scene if it meant not having to listen to the newbie. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore, stopping in his tracks at the entrance to the department, turning to face Wilbur.
    “Look, detective. You seem like a great guy, but let’s get one thing straight around here.” Quackity growled, glaring up at Wilbur. “You and I are not friends. We are just work partners. The only thing we will talk about is work, and even then, that’ll be limited. Finally, I will be leading this investigation and any other investigation I’m going to be forced to work with you on. You are to just watch and observe. Is that clear?” While Quackity had a powerful voice and intimidating demeanor, Wilbur couldn’t help but smirk while looking down at the significantly shorter detective as he angrily ranted on. Quackity raised an eyebrow, confused on why Wilbur looked more amused than intimidated. “What?”
    “Well first of all, that was more than one thing. Second of all, you can never get things straight with me.” Wilbur winked, turning away from Quackity to walk out of the building. Quackity watched him go with a bewildered expression on his face.
    “The hell does that mean?!” He called after him.
    “You know exactly what it means, Detective!” Wilbur smiled, looking over his shoulder before walking out of the department. As much as Quackity believed he didn’t, he couldn’t help but develop an idea of what Wilbur meant. Ignoring it (and trying to hide his red face), he angrily grumbled to himself before walking out of the building to follow the new detective.
 
-
 
The two arrived at a cabin already swarming with police and medical personnel. The cabin was located near a lake, tucked into a forest just outside the bustling city-part of Las Nevadas. Quackity quickly stepped out of his car, eager to investigate the scene. Wilbur, however, took his time, taking in the lovely scenery around him, the shimmering lake and the bright green trees that towered over him, blocking out the sun. The air was damp with the morning dew and smelled sweet thanks to the flowers and other plants around the area. It was a stark contrast from the smoky, cramped feeling of the city. After taking in the beautiful forest a bit longer, Wilbur began walking towards the cabin, stepping inside to survey the chaos. 
The first thing Wilbur noticed was the victim, who, at first glance, appeared very much alive and casually sitting in a chair. It wasn’t until he got a full view of the victim did he notice the large bullet hole in her chest and the gun in her hands.
“Suicide.” Wilbur jumped, not realizing Quackity had snuck up behind him, pen and notepad in hand. “From what it looks like at least. So much for that ransom money then…” Wilbur turned to Quackity with a confused expression.
“Ransom money?” Quackity nodded, his eyes still glued to the notepad.
“Yup. From the information the chief gave me, apparently our victim was kidnapped a few days earlier and the family got a ransom call not long after. From what was listed on the case, the kidnapper was demanding around 5 million dollars.” Wilbur's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped.
“5 million dollars!?”
“Yup.” Quackity finally glanced up from his notepad only to give Wilbur a confused look. “I’m confused as to why you’re surprised by this. You do know what family this girl’s from right?”
“Maybe I would if my partner actually talked to me and gave me information on the case.” Wilbur grumbled angrily. Quackity rolled his eyes in response, going back to look down at his notebook.
“It’s Veronica Buyers, daughter of one of the richest people in Las Nevadas. The guy owns a few of the clubs and casinos in the city.”
“Oh yeah, I recognize the name. God, I wonder what the family is going through right now…” Wilbur mumbled, pitying the unsuspecting family. He couldn’t imagine getting the call, informing them their daughter was found, but won’t be coming home. It was a terrible feeling that Wilbur just couldn’t seem to shake off.
“They probably already know. Apparently she was found earlier this morning along with her dog, which had also been taken with her during the kidnapping. Some anonymous tip said that she was seen at this cabin yesterday walking around and well… she’s here alright. My guess is that whoever was holding her eventually left and she then committed suicide not long after. Wouldn’t be surprised if the anonymous caller was our kidnapper.” Quackity turns away from the body, going to walk around the rest of the cabin. Wilbur stayed back, taking a closer look at the body.
While at first glance it did appear to be suicide, Wilbur had a gut feeling there was more to this. Much more to this. Glancing around the house he noticed not many things seemed out of place. In fact, it all looked relatively clean and calm, which confused Wilbur a bit. He’d expect there to be more of a mess with a kidnapping. As he thought this over, he heard some barking outside. Glancing out a nearby window, he noticed a large golden retriever being guided into the back of a police vehicle. Must be the girl’s dog Wilbur thought to himself. The dog seemed relatively unharmed, another thing that didn’t seem to match right with the kidnapping scenario.
Turning back to the body, Wilbur began to look more at the objects around it than the victim herself. He looked towards the table, where the body’s arm was laying across, the gun loosely held in its hand. Crouching down, he examined the corners of the table. It was until he got to the corner furthest from the body did he notice something unusual. On the corner seemed to be a large amount of dried blood and some bits of hair. Wilbur glanced down at the ground, noticing a large, very lightly colored stain on the floor. It almost blended in with the wood flooring, which would explain why Wilbur had missed it when he first walked in. Now that he had seen it, he quickly realized it was a blood stain.
The pieces began to click into place as he stood up. While he didn’t know everything, Wilbur was sure this was much more than a suicide, more than a kidnapping, really. Moving away from the body, he began to search for Quackity, eager to tell him his theories and what he had found out. Not seeing Quackity was in the house, he ran out of the cabin, spotting Quackity talking to an officer.
“Q!” He called, waving his hand to grab Quackity’s attention. Quackity glanced over, giving his typical eye roll before going back to the officer. Wilbur finished making his way over to Quackity, a large grin plastered on his face. “Q I found something! I think it’ll change this case entirely! I-” Quackity groaned, cutting off Wilbur. He mumbled an apology to the officer, who shrugged and walked off, giving the two a chance to be alone. Quackity turned to Wilbur, glaring up at him.
“Could you not see I was busy? And don’t call me Q. It’s either Detective or Quackity.”
“Whatever you say, Q!” Wilbur smiled, only causing Quackity’s frown to deepen. He could tell Wilbur wasn’t going to listen to him, no matter how many times he’d ask.
“What is it then that was so important you had to interrupt me?” Quackity pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke, making it clear he was very annoyed and really wasn’t that interested. Wilbur ignored the social cues, practically buzzing with excitement about his theories.
“Well I don’t think it was a kidnapping OR a suicide! It was in fact a murder!” Wilbur shouted, practically announcing it to the world. Several people turned their heads, stopping whatever they were doing to look at Wilbur with utter confusion and disbelief. Quackity was one of those people, who’s look of confusion quickly turned to anger.
“Are you fucking insane?” Quackity harshly whispered. Wilbur looked back confused, expecting Quackity to applaud him for his good work.
“Well the jury is still out on that, but in this case, I don’t believe so.” Quackity gave a frustrated sigh, running his fingers through his hair, trying to keep himself calm and not strangle Wilbur in the process.
“I can’t believe you’re Phil’s son…” Quackity mumbled.
“Oh, the jury is still out on that as well. I plan on doing that whole DNA testing thing cause I highly doubt I hold any relation to that man.” Wilbur said, a hint of anger in his tone. The slight anger confused Quackity a bit, surprised to hear Wilbur seemed to not want anything to do with his father. Brushing past his confusion, Quackity took another sigh before looking up at Wilbur.
“Soot, I told you, you are only here to watch and observe. This lunatic claim of murder does not show me that you are watching and observing. It shows me you’re doing the exact opposite of what I asked.”
“First of all, I find it very hard to follow directions. My father can confirm that. Second, it’s not a claim, it really is murder! I’m pretty sure our victim was pushed into the table, causing her to die from slamming her head!” Quackity looked at him with utter confusion and bewilderment.
“Wow… you really are nothing like your father-”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You shouldn’t.” Quackity mumbled to himself before giving another sigh. “Look, you’re a new detective so I’m not surprised you’re kind of being, to put it bluntly; irrational, stupid, crazy, and stupid.”
“You said stupid twice.”
“I’m making a point.” Wilbur frowned, but didn’t argue. “Anyways, there’s absolutely no way Veronica died from getting hit to the head. We can go check with the coroner just so I can prove my point!” Quackity quickly turned, walking back to his car. Wilbur sighed, but followed, really wishing the stuck up detective would just believe him.
 
-
 
“She died from severe trauma to the head.”
“WHAT!?” Quackity shouted, glaring at the coroner. The coroner, Ponk, shrugged, glancing down at the body of the victim, which lay on a table between Ponk and the two detectives.
“I’m stating it as it is. She didn’t die from the gunshot wound. From what I can tell, she was dead for at least 10 minutes before getting shot thanks to the wound on her head.” Ponk replied calmly, looking up to meet Quackity’s angry eyes. Wilbur and Quackity had moved from the cabin back to the department and the coroner’s office after Wilbur was determined to show he was right, which Ponk seemed to be confirming.
“Ha! Told you I was right!” Wilbur cheered, sticking his tongue out at Quackity. Quackity mumbled something under his breath, trying everything in his power to contain his anger and not punch Wilbur in his smug face.
“That doesn’t make it a murder-”
“Actually…” Ponk started, cutting off the now significantly more pissed Quackity. “It does rule out suicide as being the manner of death. And it wouldn’t make sense why our victim has a large wound to the head then receives a bullet to the chest after death. There is definitely some foul play going on around here.” Quackity face palmed, turning away from the two before he could hear any more bad news. Wilbur’s triumphant grin stayed plastered.
“Hey Ponk, I think now would be a great time to introduce myself in light of my recent victory over prized detective Quackity behind me.” Ponk looked up at Wilbur before going back to complete his examination of the body. Wilbur ignores Ponk’s disinterest, continuing with his introduction. “I’m Wilbur Soot, newest detective on the force and clearly better than Q.”
“Detective Soot, I’m going to fucking strangle you if you continue.” Quackity growled. Wilbur ignored him, looking back at Ponk expectantly, waiting for him to introduce himself.
“...are you gonna say anything?” Wilbur asked. Ponk once again glanced up before glancing down at the body, continuing to work.
“You’re Chief Philza’s son, right?” Ponk asks, moving away from the table to walk around the stark white room, opening drawers in search of things. Wilbur gave a dramatic gasp.
“I can’t believe you said his name in my presence!” Wilbur said with mock sadness and anger. “But to answer your question, yes, unfortunately I am.”
“Unfortunately?” Ponk glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. Wilbur nodded his head.
“Yes, very unfortunate.” Ponk gave the detective another weird look before turning back away from him. Wilbur stayed quiet for a moment before speaking up again. “I was wondering, what’s with that bright colored mask of yours? It’s like… the only spot of color in this room.” That was true. The mask with mixed colors of yellow, black, red, and orange were the only signs of color in the room. The mask hid the lower half of Ponk’s face and clashed with his stark white lab coat. Ponk turned to face Wilbur, walking back over to the table holding some sort of tool in his hand.
“It was a gift. From a friend. Helps block out the smell, too.” Wilbur’s eyes brightened and he smirked.
“Oooo a friend~” He said playfully, nudging Quackity, who turned to glare at Wilbur.
“Shut up.” Both Ponk and Quackity said simultaneously. Wilbur sighed, leaning against a table.
“Damn, tough crowd.” He mumbled to himself. Quackity turned to Ponk, who had gone back to looking at the body. “Are we done here?” Ponk gave a nod, to which Quackity quickly grabbed Wilbur’s arm and dragged him out of the room. Wilbur stumbled after him as the two quickly walked out of the coroner’s office.
 
-
 
“Well I would call that a successful interaction.” Wilbur said, walking alongside Quackity as they moved throughout the department. Quackity kept his mouth shut, fuming as he walked, making sure to stay slightly ahead of the taller detective. Wilbur glanced down at Quackity with curious amusement. “Something bothering you, Q?” Wilbur smirked as Quackity paused in his tracks, turning quickly to face Wilbur, nearly giving himself whiplash.
“Listen here, Detective.” Quackity growled, glaring up at Wilbur. “The only thing bothering me is having to work with you. You are ruining everything!” Wilbur raised an eyebrow, appearing quite relaxed even though Quackity was shouting at him.
“Quite the contrary, I believe I’m doing my job. I believe I was the one who figured out the case we have on our hands was not a suicide?” Wilbur’s smirk grew along with Quackity’s fury. If looks could kill, Wilbur would be turned to dust on the spot.
“Shut. Up. I don’t want to work with you, I don’t want to be friends with you, I want NOTHING to do with you!” Quackity shouted, causing every head in the department to turn in their direction. The two detectives held each other's gaze for several seconds, one with a look of amusement, the other with a look of pure rage.
“...You know, Q, you’re pretty cute when you’re angry.” Quackity’s face immediately turned red, his look of anger was quickly replaced with embarrassed confusion. Wilbur’s smirk turned into a grin as he looked down at Quackity with playful eyes.
“I… am going to fucking kill you.” Quackity said darkly, the tone scary enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine (Wilbur, of course, only seemed to enjoy the conversation more.) With that, Quackity quickly turned on his heel, shoving his hands into his pocket as he stormed into his office, slamming the door behind him. The department was dead silent now as every officer within ear shot had been listening in on the two’s shouting. Wilbur turned to look at the other officers, the grin still plastered on his face.
“Guys, I think I’m growing on him!” Wilbur said triumphantly before walking off, whistling to himself. The other officers watched him leave, confused looks and whispers rippling throughout the department. While conversations began to start, one thing was for sure…
Either this Detective Wilbur Soot was crazy, or just plain stupid. Maybe both.
 
-
 

It had been a few days since the body of Veronica had been recovered. Quackity had been doing everything in his power to avoid running into Wilbur,  hoping to solve this now murder case before Wilbur could ruin it even more with his annoying personality. Unfortunately, Quackity was getting nowhere and reluctantly called up Wilbur, who was more than willing to offer his assistance. He was eager… too eager for Quackity’s liking. After a very long phone call, little of it being about the case and most of it being Wilbur ranting about food (apparently one restaurant had given him significantly less fries than the last time he had been there) the two decided to visit the family of the victim and ask some questions. And so, Quackity now stood waiting awkwardly outside the impressive home of the multi-millionaire family.
After a few minutes, Wilbur’s car pulled up into the long, winding driveway and Wilbur stepped out, wearing his usual long brown trench coat and beanie. A smirk was plastered on his face as he walked up to Quackity holding what looked to be coffee.
“Hope you didn’t miss me too much.” Wilbur said, the playful smirk dancing across his face. Quackity groaned. Not even a minute in and Quackity already wanted to go home and just leave the case unsolved. “Brought you coffee.” Wilbur handed one of the cups to Quackity who cautiously took it.
“Is it like… poisoned?” Quackity asked, looking between the cup and Wilbur with suspicion. Wilbur raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from his own drink.
“Uh… no? Why would it be poisoned? I got whatever your favorite is. Had to ask around the department because apparently someone doesn’t like to talk to people.”
“I have my reasons.” Quackity mumbled, slowly sipping his coffee. It was, indeed, his favorite blend. He couldn’t help but smile to himself, glad that if he was at least going to suffer today, it wouldn’t be worsened by a shitty coffee. However, his smile quickly vanished as soon he noticed Wilbur looking down at him with kind eyes and a smirk. Quackity turned red, almost choking on his coffee before clearing his throat, turning away from him. “Alright, let’s get this over with.” Quackity began walking towards the elegant doors of the magnificent house. Wilbur watched him go.
“Not even a thank you?!” He called out. In response, he got a middle finger from Quackity. Sighing to himself, Wilbur followed after Quackity, catching up with him quickly. Once the two reached the door, Quackity pressed the doorbell, causing loud chimes to sound throughout the house. Not long after, the door was opened by what appeared to be a man who had a very obvious receding hairline and wore what appeared to be some butler uniform, inviting them to step inside. The two detectives took their first steps into the rich house, noticing the lavish designs, the white and gold walls, the long winding staircase in front of them, separating two long hallways decorated with miscellaneous artifacts, pictures, and trophies.
“...Wow.” Was all Quackity could really say. The appearance of the house was jaw dropping and for once Wilbur was speechless. Until he wasn’t.
“This place is pretty fancy. Do you guys like have an elevator and an indoor shopping mall as well?” Wilbur asked, glancing over at the butler. The butler made no sound nor reacted in any way. In fact, he moved to stand in front of the two, holding out his hands as if he was expecting the two to give him something. The detectives looked at him in confusion before exchanging a glance. The butler gave a sigh, not in the mood to deal with the two.
“Your drinks, please.” He said dryly. The two glance at the butler's hand before both slowly take a sip from their drinks.
 “What exactly do you mean ‘our drinks’?” Wilbur asked, taking another sip. The butler gave a heavy sigh.
“No outside food or drink per Mr. Buyer’s orders.”
“And what if we say n-” Before Wilbur could finish, the butler snatched the two’s drinks and quickly disposed of them in a nearby trash can. Wilbur and Quackity stood, staring in disbelief. “Wha- HEY! Those two coffees cost me ten bucks!” The butler ignored the detective's angry ranting, turning back to face them.
“You two may wait here. Mr. Buyers will be out shortly.” The butler then turned on his heel, walking into a side room, the door swinging shut behind him. Wilbur continued to glare at the butler until he was out of sight while Quackity stared at the trash longingly. He wasn’t even halfway done with his drink.
“Fucking rich people- ‘No OuTSidE fOoD oR dRInK’.” Wilbur mocked, scoffing to himself. “They’re all fucking insane. They probably put their money on their food and eat it.” Wilbur grumbled to himself before moving about the foyer. Quackity turned his attention back to Wilbur as soon as he noticed he began to move around.
“Soot, what are you doing?” He harshly whispered, glaring at him. “The guy said to stay here and wait!” Wilbur made no move to come back to Quackity, instead stopping to admire a photo hanging on the wall.
“Yeah well the guy also took my coffee so fuck whatever he says.” Wilbur grumbled angrily before reaching to grab what was most likely some priceless item off a table. Quackity quickly rushed over, grabbing Wilbur’s arm in order to stop him from touching or grabbing anything.
“You are going to get us in trouble!” He hissed, looking around to see if anyone was watching. Wilbur shrugged before glancing down at Quackity’s hand. He smirked, locking eyes with Quackity.
“Making moves already, detective?” He said smoothly. Quackity immediately turned red, letting go of Wilbur’s arm and moving away from him.
“NO! You’re… insane.” Quackity growled angrily, trying to hide his face. Wilbur’s smirk only grew.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Wilbur went back to touching expensive things, tarnishing them with his fingerprints and dirty hands. He moved away from the table, making his way towards one of the hallways before spotting a picture that caught his eye. “Well would you look at that! Seems the rich family also has a very attractive son.”
“What?” Quackity made his way over, examining the portrait of the Buyers family. Sure enough, there was a son and he was indeed very attractive.
“I mean, look at that chiseled jaw! And those eyes… I could get lost in those ocean blue eyes.” Wilbur mumbled to himself, smirking. Quackity looked between both Wilbur and the portrait, growing angry. He quickly shoved Wilbur away from the portrait, trying to redirect his attention on something else while moving him back to the foyer.
“Come on, let’s look at something else-” Quackity grumbled, dragging Wilbur away, who looked down at Quackity with a playful smirk.
“Awww is someone jealous?” He teased, walking past Quackity, making his way back to the grand staircase in the foyer. Quackity glared at the back of his head before following him out of the hallway.
“I am most definitely not jealous.”
“Your red face and more angry demeanor begs to differ.”
“Shut up.” Quackity growled, shoving his hands into his pocket, turning away from Wilbur as the two awaited back out by the grand staircase. Wilbur’s smirk grew as he leaned against a table, his eyes on Quackity.
“Well what can I say? The guy’s attractive! He has stellar blonde hair, styled perfectly. And he was wearing a suit! How do you not find that attractive? He is extremely good looking.”
“Who is extremely good looking?” A voice called from the top of the stairs. The two detectives turned their attention to a tall blonde who was walking down the stairs towards them. The same blonde that Wilbur had been complimenting earlier.
“Wow… that portrait did not do you justice. You’re even more attractive in person-” Wilbur mumbled to himself, gazing up at the Buyer’s son. If the son had heard Wilbur’s comment, he didn’t react, reaching the floor of the foyer to greet the two detectives.
“Can I help you two?” He asked, looking at the two with curiosity.
“You must be Jason Buyers. I’m Detective Quackity and this is my… acquaintance Detective Soot.” Quackity said dryly, gesturing to Wilbur.
“Wow… acquaintance is a big step forward Q. Are you sure you’re ready?” Wilbur smiled, looking over at Quackity who glared in return.
“Shut up, asshole.” He growled, turning back to Jason. The attractive man looked between the two before his face lit up with realization.
“Oh I see! You two are dating!” Quackity looked at him with disbelief before gagging.
“What?! EW- no no god no ew-” Quackity said quickly, once again trying to hide his red face. Wilbur couldn’t help but burst out laughing while Jason looked at the two confused.
“Unfortunately, no. We’re just work partners-”
“Acquaintances!” Quackity called out, cutting off Wilbur, who rolled his eyes.
“...Acquaintances. Which makes me single.” Wilbur put on his charming smirk, looking over at Jason who blushed softly.
“Ah well… you two are detectives then, right?” Jason asked, looking back at Quackity. Quackity quickly tidied up his demeanor, brushing himself off and standing up straight, trying to push past the wild assumption Jason had thrown.
“Yes. We’re here to investigate the murder of your sister, Veronica. We wanted to speak with your father.” Jason’s face saddened as he looked down at the ground.
“Ah right… it really is unfortunate with everything that has happened. In regards to my father, he is currently unavailable. I was actually sent down here to inform you visitors that he’s currently in a meeting. He won’t be out for a while.”
“Can we meet with him tomorrow?” Quackity asked, not even bothering to offer his condolences.
“I believe so. I don’t think he’s busy with anything.”
“Perfect. I’ll be back to ask him some questions. Thank you for your time.” With that, Quackity turned on his heel, walking out of the lavish house, not waiting for Wilbur. Wilbur sighed in annoyance, growing used to Quackity leaving without him. Before following him, he turned back to Jason, giving him a quick hug.
“I really am sorry about this whole situation. I can’t imagine what you are going through.” Wilbur said quietly. Jason stiffened a bit at the hug before returning it.
“Thank you, that does mean a lot.” Wilbur pulled away, smiling before pulling out his notepad and writing something down. He tore off the page and handed the slip of paper to Jason.
“Call me if you need anything, alright?” Jason looked down at the paper, a bit of red creeping onto his face.
“Oh uhm… thank you. I will.” He smiled, looking back up at Wilbur. Wilbur gave the man one last hug before going to walk out before something caught his eye. A black bag, appearing to be stuffed with clothing, was near the door, something he hadn’t noticed when he walked in.
“What’s that?” Wilbur asked, pointing out the bag. Jason glanced over, smiling.
“Oh! It’s a bag of clothes for a nearby charity! Since uhm… since Veronica’s passing, I thought I should donate her clothes to a charity drive. She always took part in those and I feel like she would’ve wanted me to do that.” He said solemnly. “My dad had borrowed it a couple of days ago to transfer something but gave it back.” Wilbur examined the bag from the outside before grabbing it carefully.
“Do you mind if I try something? I’ll have to take out the clothes to do so.” Wilbur asked, placing the bag carefully on a nearby table. Jason shrugged, moving to stand beside him.
“Sure, I don’t mind. Just shove the clothes back in once you’re done.” Wilbur nodded, beginning to pull out the clothes and put them beside the bag. Once he emptied the bag, he flattened out the bottom and pulled out his wallet, grabbing a few dollar bills. He laid each individual dollar next to each other, creating several rows. After finishing laying out the cash, Wilbur took another look at the bag, seeming to calculate something in his head.
“I don’t understand what you’re doing here, detective.” Jason asked, looking between the bag and Wilbur. After staring into the bag for a few more moments, he quickly grabbed the cash, storing it back into his wallet before stuffing the clothes back into the bag.
“You don’t have to. I believe I got the information needed. Thank you, Jason!” Wilbur gave the man another charming smile before running out of the lavish mansion, leaving Jason in the foyer flustered.
As soon as Wilbur stepped outside, he noticed Quackity was still there, leaning against his car, glaring at the newer detective. Wilbur couldn’t help but smirk, walking towards the uptight man while taking his sweet time.
“Well that’s a shock, can’t believe you waited for me.” Quackity rolled his eyes at Wilbur’s remark, moving off his car.
“I’m making sure you didn’t do something stupid. What took you so long?”
“I was checking something out.”
“Was it evidence or Jason?” Quackity growled, his face darkening. Wilbur’s playful smirk only grew as he leaned in closer.
“Perhaps it was both. Why? Are you jealous?” He teased. Quackity scowled, pushing the taller detective away.
“Of course not. But you shouldn’t be letting romance interfere with your job.” He grumbled, moving to the driver’s side of the car. Wilbur’s eyes followed, leaning back on his heels.
“Q, romance has been interfering with my job since we were put on the same case.” Wilbur called. Quackity froze, not turning to look at Wilbur.
“What the hell does that mean?” Wilbur didn’t answer, letting the silence answer for him. Quackity’s face turned red, keeping his eyes on the ground as he slid into his car, slamming the door shut. Planning to leave Wilbur in the dust, Quackity started his car, ready to drive away until he heard soft knocking on his passenger side window. Rolling the window down, Wilbur peeked his head in, the same smirk still stuck to his face.
“You want to meet up for coffee tomorrow? 9 am? I can tell you the information then.” Quackity glared at him.
“Why exactly can’t you tell me now?”
“Because suspense means everything!” Wilbur said excitedly. Quackity’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
“I fucking hate you.”
“I know!” Quackity groaned, staying silent for a bit before turning back to glare at Wilbur.
“Tomorrow. 7 am, the department's shooting range. We can talk there.” Quackity said sternly, turning back to stare ahead of himself. Wilbur frowned a bit.
“7 am is early don’t you-” Wilbur didn’t get to finish as Quackity rolled up his window and drove off, leaving a disappointed Wilbur behind. “Alright then! 7 am! It’s a date!” He called, waving after the detective who was speeding down the long driveway. Sighing to himself, Wilbur shoved his hands into his coat pockets, making his way to his own car. As much as he was annoyed that Quackity continued to shoot down his attempts to flirt or even hang out, he still couldn’t help but feel giddy about the “date” set for tomorrow. He just really hoped Quackity wouldn’t use him as target practice…
 
-
 
It was 7 am. On the dot. And Wilbur, of course, still wasn’t there. Quackity sighed to himself, hanging up a target sheet and sending it down to the opposite end of the range. Adjusting his protective glasses, he was about to put on his noise-reducing headphones when he heard the door to the range swing open and hurried, heavy steps making their way towards him. Turning, Quackity watched as Wilbur jogged over to his booth, out of breath. Quackity rolled his eyes, putting on the headphones and grabbing his hand gun at his side.
“You’re late.” He said darkly, turning his attention back to the range. Wilbur threw on his own protective gear, standing a bit back from Quackity, who set himself up to begin firing.
“Sorry, traffic was bad. There was an accident. Anyways, let's talk about the case.” Wilbur smiled just as Quackity began firing rounds. The gunfire didn’t faze Wilbur, being one whose father was chief of police, he had grown used to going to the shooting range. It was his father’s way of “bonding” with his son. “As you left, I noticed this black duffel bag by the foyer entrance. After checking it out, I realized you could easily stuff around five million dollars in there. Not to mention, Jason had also said his father had used the bag earlier, before Veronica’s body had been turned up.” Wilbur said, speaking over the sound of gunfire. After a moment, Quackity paused his firing, putting his gun down on the table in front of him and turning to face Wilbur, taking off his headphones.
“You think the dad did it?” Quackity asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, but I have a feeling he might’ve paid that ransom.” Wilbur pulled out a slip of paper, glancing it over. “I did some digging last night and it seems Mr. Buyers withdrew several sums from his account, all of them adding to five million dollars.”
“When did he draw the money?”
“A week ago. One day before Veronica’s body had been found.” Quackity’s eyes widened in surprise at the news.
“Was Mr. Buyers ever seen leaving with the black bag?” Wilbur nodded.
“Jason called me last night and while we were talking, I asked a similar question. Jason remembers seeing his father leave the house, with the bag, at around 9:30 pm… the night before Veronica was found.”
“Which means he had given up the ransom… but then how did he get the bag, assuming he had delivered the cash in that bag?”
“I had been wondering the same thing.” Wilbur replied. “I propose we go back to the Buyers residence and finally talk to Mr. Buyers.” Quackity nods in agreement before stepping to the side.
“First… I want to see how good your shot is.” Quackity smirked, gesturing to his gun, which was still laying on the table. Wilbur eyed the gun before glancing back at Quackity.
“I don’t see why. Clearly it was good enough to get me hired here.”
“I want to see it for myself… or is the great Detective Soot scared?” Quackity teased. Wilbur frowned before sighing to himself, grabbing the gun and loading it. He set himself up in the booth before firing 5 rounds in quick succession, the same number Quackity had fired. Wilbur placed the gun back on the table, stepping aside as Quackity walked up to the table. Glancing down the range and at the target, it looked as though Wilbur missed every shot.The only bullet holes on the sheet were Quackity’s shots from earlier, most of them clustered around the target sheet’s right shoulder.
“You missed every shot!” Quackity said, a bit too enthusiastically. Wilbur couldn’t help but smirk, his eyes locked on the target.
“Not exactly-” Wilbur pressed a button, bringing back the target sheet. At first, Quackity saw no difference, it was still only five bullet holes on the sheet. That was until the sheet was directly in front of the two detectives faces did Quackity notice what felt like the impossible. Wilbur hadn’t missed a single shot, instead, he almost perfectly lined up his shots with Quackity’s. Wilbur’s bullet holes were slightly connected with Quackity’s, making it just look like a slightly bigger bullet hole. As soon as Quackity realized, his face dropped along with his jaw, his eyes wide with disbelief. Wilbur’s smirk only grew, turning to face Quackity.
“Would you look at that? A perfect match!” Wilbur said happily, ruffling Quackity’s hair before taking off his headphones and protective glasses. Quackity cringed at Wilbur’s touch, glaring at him, fuming quietly. Wilbur laughed slightly, beginning to walk away. “I’ll see you back at the Buyer’s residence!” He called before exiting the range, whistling to himself happily. Quackity’s glare was so strong it could’ve burned holes into the back of Wilbur’s head. Turning back to the target sheet, he ripped it off, tearing it up and throwing it away.
“Fucking idiot.” He grumbled to himself, taking off his gear before exiting as well, not looking forward to the rest of the day laid out in front of him.
 
-
 
The two detectives arrived at the Buyer’s residence not long after the shooting range incident. Quackity didn’t say a word to Wilbur as they made their way into the house. Wilbur didn’t mind, deciding against talking as to not piss Quackity off any more. The butler waiting inside took them to Mr. Buyer’s office, telling them to wait there instead. The two waited in silence, Quackity avoiding Wilbur’s eyes, who continued to glance over at the shorter detective. After waiting a few more agonizing minutes in silence, another door opened to the left and an angry, stout blonde man stepped in, glaring at the two detectives.
“What is the meaning of this interrogation? Shouldn’t you two be solving my daughter's murder?” He shouted angrily, moving to stand behind his large, oak desk in the center of the office. Quackity sighed, familiar with having to deal with angry accounts. The detective moved to face Mr. Buyers at the front of his desk, standing at attention. Wilbur, however, had other plans… like exploring the office and touching everything.
“Mr. Buyers, this isn’t an interrogation. We-” Quackity glanced back at Wilbur, rubbing his temples before turning back to Mr. Buyers. “I just have a few questions regarding the ransom.” Mr. Buyer’s eyes widened in surprise before he concealed it with anger.
“What about it exactly? I don’t find that it matters considering it’s meaningless now.”
“Mr. Buyers,” Wilbur spoke up, moving to stand in front of the desk, playing with what seemed to be some glass figurine he had found in another corner of the office. “we know you paid the ransom. We have a few questions regarding that.” Mr. Buyers glared at Wilbur.
“I request you put down that expensive artifact. I doubt you could pay for it with your salary.” Wilbur glanced up to meet Mr. Buyer’s furious gaze before tossing the glass figurine behind him, the trinquiet shattering on the ground. Both Quackity and Mr. Buyers watched in shock before turning to look at Wilbur angrily. Wilbur smiled, clasping his hands behind his back.
“As I was saying, we saw your bank statements. We know you took out enough cash for the five million dollars. We also know you used a black duffel bag to drop off the cash the night before your daughter’s body was found. My question is… why is the bag back in your possession if you were seen leaving to drop off the money?” Mr. Buyers didn’t answer immediately, standing behind his desk practically fuming.
“You just broke a $5,000 figurine. I expect you to pay that back in full!” He shouted angrily. “You come into my house, yelling at me, demanding answers, as if I’m the suspect here!” He raised his arms in the air in a dramatic way, his anger beginning to get to him. As his arms rose, Wilbur noticed the sleeve of Mr. Buyers’ right arm dropped slightly, revealing white cloth bandages wrapped around his wrist. Wilbur raised his eyebrow, confused on what exactly would’ve caused an injury… until he remembered a key detail he had overlooked.
“Mr. Buyers, we understand you’re upset, but please calm-” Quackity started before Wilbur took a step forward, cutting him off.
“Mr. Buyers, give my partner and I one moment please.” Before either could say a word, Wilbur grabbed Quackity’s arm, guiding him out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The two stepped out into the hallway. Quackity tore his arm away from Wilbur, glaring up at him as Wilbur looked around the hallway to make sure no one was listening.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you insane?!” He practically shouted before Wilbur covered his mouth with his hand, for once looking angry as he glared down at Quackity.
“Shut up! I get it you're pissed, but I have a plan. Just listen for once, alright?” The two glared at each other before Quackity gave a slight nod and Wilbur slowly pulled his hand away. “Alright, what can you tell me about the dog? Veronica’s dog that was found at the crime scene?” Quackity raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t understand why this is necessary, but the dog was found, healthy and unharmed. Forensics said they also noticed some blood on it’s teeth, but couldn’t have a good analysis of it so it was just noted and overlooked.” Wilbur nodded his head, listening and taking in every word. He began to pace up and down the hall in silence, Quackity watching him in utter confusion. After a moment, Wilbur turned back to Quackity, pausing his pacing.
“Alright, I need you to look in every bathroom here. See if you can find any medicine for treating dog bites.” He said quickly.
“What? Why-”
“Just do it, alright?!” He raised his voice slightly, tinted with anger. Quackity looked back a bit surprised. Wilbur glared at him before sighing to himself, pinching his nose. “I know you don’t like me, but just… trust me for once, alright?” Quackity paused, debating in his head what his next options were before he sighed.
“I don’t trust you… but alright. Stall for me.” Wilbur’s angered, upset expression quickly vanished, replaced by a smile.
“Thanks Q!” Quackity nodded, hoping that this unexplained investigation of bathrooms would be worth it. As Quackity walked off, Wilbur stepped back into the office, still containing the angry rich man.
“What took you so long? And where did your partner go?” He growled, glaring at Wilbur from behind his desk. Wilbur took a step towards the desk, walking over to the shattered glass still littering the floor.
“He didn’t feel too good. Went to the restroom. He’s allergic to rich, white people.” Wilbur gave a dark smirk, glaring at Buyers, who continued to glare back.
“Was that supposed to be an insult?” Buyers growled. Wilbur shrugged.
“You tell me. The amount of money you have is probably equal to your stupidity, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it flew over your head.” Wilbur’s eyes narrowed, glancing back over to Buyers’ right wrist. “Nasty wound you have there. Mind telling me what happened?” Mr. Buyers quickly pulled his sleeve up more, covering the bandages once more, averting his eyes from Wilbur’s.
“I had an accident… in the kitchen a few days ago.” He said quickly, a bit forcefully. Wilbur eyed him with suspicion, but didn’t push it any further. Before he could say anymore, Quackity re-entered the room. Wilbur glanced back to look at the detective who gave a subtle nod, walking up to Wilbur’s side. Wilbur turned back to Buyers, plastering a fake smile.
“Well, that’s all the questions I have. Q?” Wilbur turned to Quackity, who nodded in agreement. “Great! We’ll be in touch!” With that, the two detectives left the room, leaving a confused Buyers behind them. The two quickly exited the office, not saying a word until they reached Wilbur’s car outside. Wilbur leaned against his car, turning to Quackity.
“Well?”
“For starters, the bathrooms were really nice. Not a surprise one was made just… entirely of gold-” Quackity said, both confused and in disbelief.
“Wow… rich people are weird.” Wilbur mumbled. Quackity nodded before continuing.
“Yeah… and well, your suspicions were right.” Quackity mumbled reluctantly. “There was a bottle of medicine already opened… for treating dog wounds.” Wilbur smiled, quickly pulling out his phone and dialing a number. Quackity watched curiously as Wilbur spoke quickly on the phone before hanging up the phone. He put it away and went back to leaning against his car. Quackity waited for the detective to start gloating, waiting for the barrage of “I told you so’s” and… nothing came. Quackity looked at him confused.
“So… you gonna rub it in? Tell me you’re right?” Wilbur glanced over at Quackity giving a soft smile.
“Oh I will… but I have to make sure I’m right first.”
“What do you mean ‘make sure you’re right first’?” Quackity asked. Before Wilbur could answer, the sound of distant sirens was heard as several police cars pulled up, officers beginning to pour out. Quackity watched in utter confusion as Wilbur’s smile only grew bigger. It wasn’t until Quackity saw Chief Eret step out of a car was he completely lost.
“Chief! So glad you could make it out!” Wilbur called, walking over to her as his trench coat flared behind him. Eret gave Wilbur a confused look.
“I still don’t understand why I’m here… or why the entire department had to be here.”
“I promise this will all be explained in due time!” Wilbur exclaimed excitedly just as Mr. Buyers stormed out of his house, Jason following not long after.
“What the hell is the meaning of this!?” He shouted angrily, his face bright red. Eret glanced over at him, shrugging.
“I don’t particularly know myself. Detective Soot… care to enlighten us?” Wilbur grinned, taking center stage as he moved away from the chief and closer to the angry man. Quackity, Eret, and the other officers watched, confusion covering their faces.
“Yes of course! I would like to announce that I have solved the murder of Veronica Buyers!” Wilbur shouted proudly. Mr. Buyers’ face dropped while Quackity face palmed.
“Please don’t accuse Buyers, please don’t accuse Buyers-” Quackity mumbled to himself.
“The murderer is none other thannnnn-” Wilbur paused for dramatic effect. “Mr. Buyers!” He pointed an accusing finger at the rich man, whose face turned red with anger again.
“This is outrageous! How dare you accuse me of such a thing! She was my daughter! Why would I murder her?”
“It wasn’t your plan. It was an accident.” Wilbur glanced over at Quackity, who was glaring back. Wilbur gave a confident smile, mouthing the words ‘trust me’ before continuing. “For starters, Veronica was never kidnapped! She set it up to appear that way! Instead, she took the family dog and ran away to the very cabin her body was found in. She demanded a ransom, planning to take the five million dollars and disappearing for good.
“However, she wasn’t planning for her father to recognize her car as she drove to pick up the ransom money he had left. The ransom money he had left in black duffel bag WHICH I believe, is still in the house-” Jason leaned over to Wilbur, whispering something to him. “Oh- WHICH I believe can be found at the charity store near Parks Street.
“Moving on! As soon as Mr, Buyers recognized her daughter’s car, going to pick up her own ransom money, he quickly trailed behind, following her back to the cabin where she brought the money inside. Angered, Mr. Buyers followed her inside, upset that she would do such a thing! Veronica pulls out the handgun that was believed to be used in her suicide only to lose it to Buyers. One thing led to another and Veronica was thrown to the ground, hitting the table and dying on impact. Buyers, of course, is shocked, realizing he killed his daughter. He tries to set it up as a sucide, even shooting her chest after death. Only problem is… he didn’t account for Veronica’s dog, who gave him a nasty bite on his right wrist.” Wilbur moved his finger to point at Buyers’ wrist, to which the man covered it with his sleeve instinctively. “A bite he has been treating for the past week now thanks to some medicine given by his doctor.”
“Unbelievable! Are you really letting this lunatic you call a detective accuse me of such a thing?” He cried out, looking over at Eret. The other officers, including Wilbur and Quackity looked at Eret, awaiting their response. Eret stayed quiet, causing Mr. Buyers to grow angrier. “That’s it! I’m calling my lawyer and suing the hell out of all of you!” He shouts, ready to storm off before Eret holds up their hand.
“Hold on.” She says, looking at Buyers through her sunglasses. “Why exactly can’t you show us your arm? It would clear up everything, right here, right now.” Buyers looked back nervously, between Eret and the grinning Wilbur.
“I really don’t think-”
“Look, Mr. Buyers.” Eret said calmly, walking over to him. “You can either pull up your sleeve here… or I can get a warrant.” Buyers was no longer angry, looking around with fear. His eyes darted everywhere before landing back at Eret. He gave a shaky sigh, fiddling with his hands.
“I… Look I didn’t mean to! Things got out of hand and I didn’t expect her to hit her head-” He said quickly, pleading. Everyone watching the scene gasped quietly, shocked that Wilbur had been right. Eret seemed to be the only one not surprised.
“...Mr. Buyers you are under arrest for the murder of Veronica Buyers.” Eret said, waving for an officer to come over. Buyers began to plead more, but were ignored as an officer cuffed him, guiding him to the back of a car where he was taken back to the department. Eret and Quackity turned to look at Wilbur, who was smiling with surprise.
“Now I can say… I told you so!” Wilbur exclaimed, smirking as he walked over to the two. Quackity groaned, burying his face in his hands. Eret smiled slightly, adjusting his glasses.
“I have to say, that was quite impressive, Detective. Especially for this being your first case.” Eret offered their hand for a shake, to which Wilbur eagerly took, still looking at Quackity and grinning. Quackity only glared back.
“Thanks, Chief! Just doing my job!” He smiles proudly.
“Well I expect nothing less from Philza’s kid-”
“Don’t… don’t compare me to him.” Wilbur said quickly, cutting him off, his mood turning sour. A moment of silence passed between the three before Wilbur smiled again. “Well, I have to go talk with someone really quick. I’ll talk to you two later!” He turns, walking away, walking towards Jason from what Quackity could tell. The detective couldn’t help but roll his eyes in annoyance, turning to face Eret, who gave him a smile.
“Well… it seems your new partner is pretty good at his job.” Eret said quietly. Quackity chuckled a bit.
“Yeah, when he isn’t annoying the hell out of me.” Quackity sighed. “I’m surprised he, of all people, pulled it off. Or the fact that he realized from the beginning it was a murder… he’s surprised me a lot.”
“Well he seems to be full of them.” Eret said, glancing over Wilbur, who at the moment seemed to be enjoying a deep kiss with Jason. Quackity glanced back and groaned in annoyance.
“Yeah like that-” He mumbled, face palming. Eret chuckled lightly, turning back to face Quackity.
“Don’t worry about him, pretty sure he’s only got one person in his sights.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll figure it out eventually.” Eret gave a soft smile as Quackity raised an eyebrow. “Well, before I head out, I do have one last question to ask you.” Quackity leaned back on heels, looking at Eret with curiosity.
“Oh? What’s up?”
“As you know, I partnered you and Wilbur for this case… and just this case. I’m giving you the option to continue working with him or go back to your solo work.” Quackity’s eyes widened in surprise. He had thought it was a permanent arrangement for him to work with Wilbur. And now he had the choice to continue with the arrangement; to continue working with the flirtatious asshole or go back to being alone.
“So… I can either choose to work with him, the smart ass who will go out of his way to annoy the shit out of me over working alone, in the lovely peace and quiet?” Eret looked at him confused.
“Uhm… yes-?” Eret nodded slightly. Quackity thought over the options, turning to look at Wilbur again, who was now just talking with Jason. His soft, brown eyes were lit up with happiness and his entire demeanor seemed relaxed and friendly. Quackity could see what made him so attractive… to other people of course. As much as Wilbur was a bitch at times, he knew what he was doing. And what he did was good, right?
As Quackity continued to watch the new detective, the two locked eyes. Wilbur gave Quackity a soft smile, winking before turning back to Jason. Quackity could feel his face heat up a bit, but he didn’t move to hide it this time. He turned back to Eret, his decision made.
“...I’d like to keep working with him.” He said quietly, smiling to himself. Eret raised an eyebrow, surprised by the decision.
“Even after everything you just said about him? About how he’s basically an a-hole to you?” Quackity shrugged, turning to look back at Wilbur.
“Oh he is. Biggest asshole I know… but he makes the job fun. Annoying, but fun. I’d like to continue working with him. As official partners.” Eret glanced between the two, thinking to himself before smiling.
“Well, I’ll make sure that’s arranged then.” Eret said quietly. “In the meantime, I suggest you two get some rest. I expect to see you both bright and early tomorrow morning.” With that, Eret gave a nod of goodbye before heading to his car, leaving Quackity to watch Wilbur wrap things up with Jason. As Jason walked away, Quackity made his way over to Wilbur, trying to hide his happiness over getting to work with someone, someone he didn’t entirely hate. As Quackity walked up to Wilbur, the taller detective smirked a bit, leaning back.
“Well this is a first. The great Detective Quackity coming over to talk to me! Usually it’s the other way around.” Wilbur said, his tone casual as if he hadn’t just been making out with a man he had met a day ago. Quackity chuckled, rolling his eyes.
“I’m just here to let you know that we’re officially partners now.” Wilbur’s eyes widened with a bit of shock.
“Really? Thought you hated me.” Quackity shrugged, looking away.
“Eh, you’re alright when you’re not an asshole.” Quackity said nonchalantly, smirking.
“Well, to say I’m surprised would be an understatement. Although I will say I’m glad to be working with you.” Wilbur extends his hand for a shake. “Partners?” Quackity looked at him cautiously, hesitating before taking a deep breath, taking his hand and smiling.
“Partners.”

Written by Spin