"Ramirez. Gunther. Reginald. And 22 more are on this list." James started staring straight at Paul

"Yes, I'm aware of what I JUST said." He said, emphasizing the "just"

"Hey! Watch how you speak. Are you aware of the position you're in? You are growing old in prison, and you're not getting out of this." Charlotte snapped at him. She was absolutely irritated by him.

His sharp responses. His coy replies. His sarcasm. The confident look never fell off his face regardless of the situation he was in.

"We'll see Detective Hutchinson. You look nice in red. Did you go the extra mile for Detective Anderson? I mean, he is dashing." He replied calmly with a smirk.

Charlotte simply went silent because she didn't want a poorly calculated response to make James catch on to her feelings for him. She wanted the case to be over.

"You realise the words of your mouth are not enough to make a case. So, if you want a deal to even go through at all. You'll start giving me solid grounds for all this." James continued like the exchange hadn't happened at all.

"What makes you think I wanna cut a deal Detective?" He replied with the smirk still on his face.

"You do. Your confident facade doesn't fool me." James replied cooly.

Paul said nothing to that but continued, "I'll give you a location and time. That's all you'll need.

"I'm listening."

"Yeah, for that segment, my lawyer has to be here. You were right Detective,  I am cutting a deal." He replied as he folded his arm and smiled.

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"That son of a bitch is not getting a deal," James said crudely as soon as they were out of earshot.

Charlotte was taken aback by his crude language and dangerous body language. She didn't know whether to be turned on or afraid for Paul Winfield.

"Woah. That's not appropriate language Detective Anderson." Charlotte said somewhat jokingly.

"What will you do Charlotte?  Pull a gun on me?" The words were out before James realised what he said.

There was a brief pause and a look of regret on his face before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte. I.." He started.

"No, it's okay. I deserved it." She cut in.

"No, you didn't. I'm just pissed and clearly still not completely over it. But I promise, my anger towards you ends here and now." James said and placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

Charlotte smiled, or at least tried to smile reassuringly at him, because her mind was racing at a thousand miles per minute.

"I get why you're angry with the Paul thing. I mean he just mentioned a few names and he expects we'll make him walk based on that with no reassurance." Charlotte started.

"Yes, exactly. I.." James started to reply then stopped dead in his sentence and looked at Charlotte. There was a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"I've never seen you look like that. What's happening right now?" Charlotte replied cautiously.

"We could create a fake agreement before his lawyer gets here. He talks. We get his information and pretend he's signed something of importance." James said.

"Isn't that against...the law," Charlotte said slowly. She didn't even know where to begin to wrap her head around what she was hearing right now.

"We are the law, Charlotte. " James said as he began to walk away.

Charlotte was reeling from a flood of emotions as James left her there.

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"That is not ideal Anderson." The chief said immediately James explained.

"It doesn't have to be sir. To beat criminals,  you have to outdo them at their game."

"That's not... that's not how it works Anderson." The Chief replied at a complete loss of words to what he was hearing.

"Says who, sir? There's no law against it."

"There are."

"There is no specific law against it. There's no law that says that we can't draft an agreement and then declare it null and void in the absence of a presiding legal officer. "

"But you would have gotten your end of the deal! That won't hold up in court."

"Oh, it will."

"Anderson"

"Just give me the go-ahead, sir. I know his lawyer is on the way, and we don't have much time before he gets here."

The chief looked helplessly between James and Charlotte, who was now standing at the door. She simply shrugged at her dad.

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It worked exactly as James had predicted.

He got the location and venue of their next meeting before Paul's lawyer was on the scene, and Paul signed a document saying he had a reduced sentence of 15 years.

"Detective Anderson," Paul's lawyer started as he walked into the station.

"Hello, Lawyer," James replied smugly.

"My client says he already signed an agreement. I'd like to see it."

"What agreement?" James replied, looking absolutely clueless as he began to walk to his office.

"You better be kidding." He said as he followed James frantically.

"I don't even know what I'm kidding about. Kidding about what?" James replied as he desperately tried and failed to hide his smile, but thankfully, his back was turned to the lawyer.

The lawyer walked faster than Jamesn managed to overtake him and stopped him in his tracks. "Don't think I didn't hear that smile? Do you think this is funny right now?"

"I find nothing funny seeing this is a murder case, and your client is a murderer. Aka, you are defending a murderer. Once you're done here, you go home expecting your daughter to see you as a hero. As for the smile in my voice, I am a cheery man, despite the circumstances,  what can I say?"

"I'm simply doing my job, Detective.  Nothing to be ashamed about. And if you have done anything shady,  don't think I'm afraid to take you to court for it."

"See you there," James replied as he walked into his office.

He closed the door and sat on his chair. A satisfied smile on his face. For the first time in a while, he finally felt alive. He finally felt like he was doing his job.