LJ Idol Season 10, Break Week -- Possum Ran Over My Grave
Jazz rubbed at his eyes, propping his head up with his closed fist pressed against his cheek. He blinked, swallowed a yawn, and furrowed his brow. The Imperial Library was empty aside from a few lingering interns -- those struggling to find their way into the ranks of the Emperor’s Council, just like Jazz had, only a few years ago. With another yawn, Jazz glanced at his phone; noticed the lack of messages with a slight frown.
He turned his burning eyes back to the paperwork in front of him, biting his lip as he scoured the page. An odd shiver rolled up his spine, and his gaze landed on a single, disruptive line in the financial report.
Money was missing.
He lifted his head and sat up straight in his seat, glancing around the stacks. He had to be seeing things. He’d been here fourteen hours now. Maybe even fifteen. He had to be back in that Council room with Lin in only a handful of hours. He was tired. He hadn’t slept. And yet --
Money was missing.
With shaking fingers, he forced himself to concentrate; studied every line. He picked up his phone and cradled it between his ear and his shoulder. “Hey, Lin, it’s me,” he murmured, keeping his voice low. “I was looking over the spending reports --”
“Councilor,” Lin cut in, the disapproval heavy in her tone. “It’s nearly eleven at night -- please tell me you’ve gone home.”
“I’m at the library,” Jazz answered with a wince. “There’s no point in me going home, my husband’s not --” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat, giving himself a slight shake of his head. “It doesn’t matter. I just -- I found a discrepancy.”
There was a long pause on the other end, then a sigh. “You said you were at the library?”
“Yeah,” Jazz said, catching his bottom lip between his teeth again. “Do you want me to bring the reports to you? I can still get back into the Palace this late, can’t I?”
“It’d be easier for me to come to you,” Lin said. “Stay where you are. I should be there in a few minutes.”
The line went dead. Jazz licked his lips, placing his phone down on the table. He drifted his fingers down the page and did the math in his head; dug through his other financial reports for any other such discrepancies and finding none. Last time he found anything like this --
“You look like shit, Callahan,” Lin said as she slipped into the seat beside him.
“Thanks, Emperor,” Jazz muttered, a fleeting smile gracing his lips. He pushed the papers into Lin’s hands before folding his arms on top of the table and resting his head on top of them, allowing himself a brief moment of respite. “It looks just like one of the discrepancies from when Casio was in office…” he said, lifting his head and rubbing at his burning eyes.
"I'm sure this time it's just an accounting error," Lin murmured. Jazz heard the shuffle of papers and studied the slight frown marring Lin's face -- particularly how it underlined the exhausted bags under her own eyes. "There's been so much going on, thanks to the recent string of terrorist attacks. A single error should be nothing to worry about."
Jazz sighed and closed his eyes. "You're probably right, but -- what if Casio's found a way to keep embezzling money, Lin?"
Lin chuckled, half-hearted. "Then we have a problem, Councilor," she said. There was an odd lilt to her voice; an uptick of a smile at one corner of her lips. Jazz furrowed his brow, his tongue darting over his own lips, and turned away from her. "He's not supposed to have access to anything considering he’s been impeached from his position."
Jazz snorted, forcing himself to straighten his back and swallowing yet another yawn threatening to overtake him. "Like that'd stop an asshole like him," he said, clearing his throat. He glanced at Lin's expression again; took note of the way her eyes tightened in the corners. "What's wrong, Lin?" he asked, his brows knitting closer together.
Lin cocked her head to one side, blinking at him for a moment before shaking her head. “It’s nothing, Councilor,” she said, rising to her feet. “Is it alright if I take these reports with me? It might be best for us to look them over again in the morning -- after we’ve gotten some sleep.”
Jazz nodded, pushing the rest of the reports in Lin’s direction and gathering up a few additional, unrelated papers. “Sleep might be a good idea, yeah,” he said, raking his hair out of his eyes. Just as he finished gathering up his things, he stumbled a little as his messenger bag skewed him off balance. He caught the flash of worry on Lin’s face and looked away from her, hugging one of his folders to his chest. “I’m gonna head home…”
“I don’t think you should drive, Jazz,” Lin said, gently placing a hand on Jazz’s arm. “Do you think you could call Savin and have him pick you up?”
Jazz shook his head. “He’s at work,” he whispered, forcing his expression to remain as neutral as possible. “I’m okay to drive. My house’s not that far from here.”
“I just don’t want my Head Councilor to find himself stuck in a ditch somewhere. That would be rather unbecoming, don’t you think?” Lin asked, giving Jazz slight, teasing smile. “If you really think you’ll be okay to drive, do me a favor and get some sleep. You even have my permission to come in late tomorrow. The rest of the council and I should be alright without you for one morning…” She paused, then: “If something’s going on at home --”
“Everything’s fine,” Jazz snapped, perhaps a little too quickly, given the way Lin’s expression pinched with his words. He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself as he pulled his keys from his pocket. “Good night, Emperor Cruz. I’ll message you to let you know when I’ll be in.”
“You know what -- just take tomorrow off,” Lin said. “You’ve been working too hard, Councilor. We all need breaks, now and again.”
He hoped his mouth to argue, but saw the look crossing Lin’s face and sighed. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll see you Monday, then.”
He was home before he was even aware he’d left the library and climbed into his car. His phone buzzed incessantly in his pocket, and as he fished it out, his heart stopped in his chest and his breath caught in his throat. Maybe it was Savin. Maybe he --
Sweetheart <3 is calling… his screen read, and Jazz’s heart plummeted to the floor. With a quiet little gulp, he lifted his phone to his ear. “Hey, Devin,” he said, doing his best to sound as apologetic as possible. “I’m so, so sorry, I got caught up at work, and --”
“Surprised you even answered the phone,” Devin said, his voice gruff. “Been fucking trying to get ahold of you for days, cutie. What’s going on?”
His tone wasn’t accusatory. It wasn’t hurt, either, though Jazz knew there was likely an undercurrent of that at work, as well. Just concerned. Jazz’s shoulders slumped as he glanced around his driveway and realized Savin’s car still wasn’t there. It had been days. Days since Jazz came home from Cliffton and first noticed Savin’s wedding ring on the coffee table, resting on top of a note with the words, I’m sorry scribbled on it.
“Savin left me,” he whispered, choking back a sob as he lifted his hand to his face and covered his eyes. “He left me, Devin…”
He turned his burning eyes back to the paperwork in front of him, biting his lip as he scoured the page. An odd shiver rolled up his spine, and his gaze landed on a single, disruptive line in the financial report.
Money was missing.
He lifted his head and sat up straight in his seat, glancing around the stacks. He had to be seeing things. He’d been here fourteen hours now. Maybe even fifteen. He had to be back in that Council room with Lin in only a handful of hours. He was tired. He hadn’t slept. And yet --
Money was missing.
With shaking fingers, he forced himself to concentrate; studied every line. He picked up his phone and cradled it between his ear and his shoulder. “Hey, Lin, it’s me,” he murmured, keeping his voice low. “I was looking over the spending reports --”
“Councilor,” Lin cut in, the disapproval heavy in her tone. “It’s nearly eleven at night -- please tell me you’ve gone home.”
“I’m at the library,” Jazz answered with a wince. “There’s no point in me going home, my husband’s not --” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat, giving himself a slight shake of his head. “It doesn’t matter. I just -- I found a discrepancy.”
There was a long pause on the other end, then a sigh. “You said you were at the library?”
“Yeah,” Jazz said, catching his bottom lip between his teeth again. “Do you want me to bring the reports to you? I can still get back into the Palace this late, can’t I?”
“It’d be easier for me to come to you,” Lin said. “Stay where you are. I should be there in a few minutes.”
The line went dead. Jazz licked his lips, placing his phone down on the table. He drifted his fingers down the page and did the math in his head; dug through his other financial reports for any other such discrepancies and finding none. Last time he found anything like this --
“You look like shit, Callahan,” Lin said as she slipped into the seat beside him.
“Thanks, Emperor,” Jazz muttered, a fleeting smile gracing his lips. He pushed the papers into Lin’s hands before folding his arms on top of the table and resting his head on top of them, allowing himself a brief moment of respite. “It looks just like one of the discrepancies from when Casio was in office…” he said, lifting his head and rubbing at his burning eyes.
"I'm sure this time it's just an accounting error," Lin murmured. Jazz heard the shuffle of papers and studied the slight frown marring Lin's face -- particularly how it underlined the exhausted bags under her own eyes. "There's been so much going on, thanks to the recent string of terrorist attacks. A single error should be nothing to worry about."
Jazz sighed and closed his eyes. "You're probably right, but -- what if Casio's found a way to keep embezzling money, Lin?"
Lin chuckled, half-hearted. "Then we have a problem, Councilor," she said. There was an odd lilt to her voice; an uptick of a smile at one corner of her lips. Jazz furrowed his brow, his tongue darting over his own lips, and turned away from her. "He's not supposed to have access to anything considering he’s been impeached from his position."
Jazz snorted, forcing himself to straighten his back and swallowing yet another yawn threatening to overtake him. "Like that'd stop an asshole like him," he said, clearing his throat. He glanced at Lin's expression again; took note of the way her eyes tightened in the corners. "What's wrong, Lin?" he asked, his brows knitting closer together.
Lin cocked her head to one side, blinking at him for a moment before shaking her head. “It’s nothing, Councilor,” she said, rising to her feet. “Is it alright if I take these reports with me? It might be best for us to look them over again in the morning -- after we’ve gotten some sleep.”
Jazz nodded, pushing the rest of the reports in Lin’s direction and gathering up a few additional, unrelated papers. “Sleep might be a good idea, yeah,” he said, raking his hair out of his eyes. Just as he finished gathering up his things, he stumbled a little as his messenger bag skewed him off balance. He caught the flash of worry on Lin’s face and looked away from her, hugging one of his folders to his chest. “I’m gonna head home…”
“I don’t think you should drive, Jazz,” Lin said, gently placing a hand on Jazz’s arm. “Do you think you could call Savin and have him pick you up?”
Jazz shook his head. “He’s at work,” he whispered, forcing his expression to remain as neutral as possible. “I’m okay to drive. My house’s not that far from here.”
“I just don’t want my Head Councilor to find himself stuck in a ditch somewhere. That would be rather unbecoming, don’t you think?” Lin asked, giving Jazz slight, teasing smile. “If you really think you’ll be okay to drive, do me a favor and get some sleep. You even have my permission to come in late tomorrow. The rest of the council and I should be alright without you for one morning…” She paused, then: “If something’s going on at home --”
“Everything’s fine,” Jazz snapped, perhaps a little too quickly, given the way Lin’s expression pinched with his words. He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself as he pulled his keys from his pocket. “Good night, Emperor Cruz. I’ll message you to let you know when I’ll be in.”
“You know what -- just take tomorrow off,” Lin said. “You’ve been working too hard, Councilor. We all need breaks, now and again.”
He hoped his mouth to argue, but saw the look crossing Lin’s face and sighed. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll see you Monday, then.”
He was home before he was even aware he’d left the library and climbed into his car. His phone buzzed incessantly in his pocket, and as he fished it out, his heart stopped in his chest and his breath caught in his throat. Maybe it was Savin. Maybe he --
Sweetheart <3 is calling… his screen read, and Jazz’s heart plummeted to the floor. With a quiet little gulp, he lifted his phone to his ear. “Hey, Devin,” he said, doing his best to sound as apologetic as possible. “I’m so, so sorry, I got caught up at work, and --”
“Surprised you even answered the phone,” Devin said, his voice gruff. “Been fucking trying to get ahold of you for days, cutie. What’s going on?”
His tone wasn’t accusatory. It wasn’t hurt, either, though Jazz knew there was likely an undercurrent of that at work, as well. Just concerned. Jazz’s shoulders slumped as he glanced around his driveway and realized Savin’s car still wasn’t there. It had been days. Days since Jazz came home from Cliffton and first noticed Savin’s wedding ring on the coffee table, resting on top of a note with the words, I’m sorry scribbled on it.
“Savin left me,” he whispered, choking back a sob as he lifted his hand to his face and covered his eyes. “He left me, Devin…”