Chapter Text
Harry's green eyes were bright against the dim light in the police office; his body was tense and stiff as he read files after files of criminals.
Nothing he hadn't read before, 'Don't stress yourself out mate.' Harry looked up and found Aiden Grimshaw looking over his shoulder.
'Gotta finish readin' these before handing them back for investigation.' Aiden nodded his head and grabbed the images strewn across Harry’s small desk.
'Any leads?'
'The father.' Harry said he watched as the young man raised an eyebrow before grabbing another image.
Aiden shivered as he looked at it, 'How'd she die?'
"Stabbed in the back, she's got a few nail marks on her hips but other than that she's just bruised.’S amazing that she died with simple injuries.' Harry said.
'Rape?'
'Yup seems like it.'
'Who found her?' Aiden asked finding interest on the case, he put down the images not being able to look at the young girl’s naked body with wounds on her back and purple crescent marks on her hips.
'Mum, claimed that after she had come out from work she tried calling her daughters mobile but hadn't picked up,'
'Her mum also said that once she had gotten back to her flat that the music was up to the highest volume--'
'What did the neighbours say?'
'Said they hadn't been home at the time, don't believe them though. They looked shaken when I was questioning them.' Harry said he closed his eyes and sighed.
'You tired?' Aiden asked finally noticing Harry's tense form, bags under his eyes and the lack of tea in the corner of his desk.
Harry never went to work without a cup of tea.
''Course this case s'been keeping me up all night,'
'Maybe you should drop the case, get someone else to do it. 'Know about a million people who'd take the case without seconds ask.'
'Can't, Cowell wants me and Cardle over there on this case, I drop it Cardle and I will both end up without a job.'
'Cowell's a tough pickle, ain't he?'
'Absolutely.' Harry was about to say more when he heard his partners name being called, both Aiden and he turned their heads.
'Oi Matt! Guess whose back?!' Max’s Swedish accent rose above a whisper attracting the eyes of many police officers in the small room.
A short man with grey eyes and dark brown hair turned to Max, “Who?”
'Little Horan!' Max said in an excited tone that could go unnoticed to the untrained ear. A few heads turned back to look at both agents, hearing the sir name brought curiosity to their eyes. Only a fool would not turn to the sound of the name, Matt's eyes widened.
'Horan? Niall Horan?'
'The one and only.' Max said with a smirk his brown eyes glinted with amusement. He was the only one that would ever enjoy seeing the small Irish blond back in the station.
‘Don’t know why you’re smiling. ‘S not a good thing that kid is back ‘ere. What’d he do this time?’ Matt asked his voice much lower than Max’s but still loud enough for many men to hear.
‘Got caught at a party, neighbours had called something about underage drinkers and what not.’ Max’s Swedish accent made it hard for many to understand what he was saying.
‘That’s the fourth time Niall’s been caught doing that.’ Cardle said grimacing.
‘Whadda’ya expect, father’s dead, mother left him, brother ain’t anything but a douche. ‘Bound to be a bloody druggie in that family.’
‘Language Max,’ Harry warned but continued to listen into the other man’s conversation.
‘Know who I’m talkin’ about, Styles?’ Max asked turning to the curly haired boy, he shook his head.
‘Not surprised, you’ve only been here for a year. Niall Horan is the youngest of the Horan family.’
‘Am I supposed to know who the Horan’s are?’ Harry asked picking up his pen and twirling it around his fingers.
Aiden shrugged, ‘The Horan’s are one of the richest families in all of Ireland. Owned banks, corporations and all that other business things.’
‘Bobby Horan was the father, died of a heart attack three years ago, Maura Horan, Bobby’s wife, left about six months after Bobby died. She left her sons alone. Luckily Greg, the oldest of the two boys, was already considered an adult, so he took custody over his brother, Niall.’ Matt said and looked down at his feet.
‘Kid’s a drinker though,’ Max interfered still smirking, ‘and a bloody good one at that though.’
Harry found himself interested in the Horan family, either that or he was just too tired of reading about a middle aged man sexually assaulting his own daughter.
‘Where is he?’ Matt asked looking back at Max.
‘In the room, with what’s his face, John Adeleye.’ Matt rolled his eyes at the Swedish man.
‘Why is he in the interrogation room?’
‘’Cause kid’s got a smart mouth. Didn’t want to put him in the cell so what better place than the ‘dark room’’ Max said.
‘He didn’t kill anyone though.’ Matt said, he had this sort of hatred for Max. The man never did his job it still shocked Matt that Max hadn’t been fired years ago.
‘He could’ve’
‘But he didn’t.’ Matt insisted, ‘Why don’t you go talk to the kid, put some sense into that head of his.’ Aiden said looking at both older men.
He had his arms crossed over his chest, his hands hiding under his armpits.
‘’S not like the kid will listen to any of us, thinks Matt’s to considerate and I’m bloody annoyed of the kid, so no point in me talking to him. I’d probably kill the bloke even before he could get a word out.’ Max said putting two digits on the bridge of his nose.
Harry stopped twirling the pen and said, ‘maybe I can talk to him, see if he’ll listen to me. How old is he anyways?’
‘Sixteen, turning seventeen this September.’
‘’M not that much older than him, maybe he’ll listen to me ‘cause I’m closer to his age.’
‘Don’t think you’re bloody young Styles. You’re not that much young’r than us. ‘
‘Young enough to still get laid.’ Harry countered but got up.
‘Cheeky son of a bit—‘ Max was cut off.
‘Aww is poor Maxie sad because a twenty year old just ki—‘
‘Stop with your banter, Harry get to talking to Blondie.’ Matt interrupted and pointed to the hallway that led to the interrogation room.
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‘Any last words before I go in there?’ Harry asked Aiden his fingers fumbling with the steel cold knob on the door.
‘Yeah, good luck,’ Aiden said.
‘Is the kid that bad that you all are scared of him?’
“Not scared of him, just scared of what he’ll do. Niall’s sixteen and has already been in here more than ten times. After his father died he went out of control.’
‘Was he a good kid before his father died?’ Harry asked.
‘Much more than just a good kid, a great one. Amazing grades, never talked back to his parents, respected all his teachers, and was accepted into many good secondary schools.’ Aiden said a fond look in his eyes.
‘In all honesty the kid has been through a lot for a kid his age. After his mother had left his brother was pressuring him into being this mature sixteen year old. Made him grow up to fast, kid couldn’t handle the pressure, cracked under it, and got acquainted to the wrong people. Left all his good friends to hang out with delinquents.’ It surprised harry how much Aiden knew about this mysterious Niall.
Harry was quiet for the time being, he bit his lip and looked back at Aiden, ‘Well go on then, don’t leave the kid waiting.’ Aiden said and ushered Harry into the room.
With a deep breath Harry faced Officer Adeleye and said, ‘You’re dismissed officer.’
John Adeleye nodded his head and got up from the chair he had been sat on.
Harry turned to the blonde boy sat on the chair across from him, ‘Hello Niall, my names Harry.’
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