“But he confessed! The hell do you mean we have to let him go?” Charles yelled, almost striking the window to the interrogation room when he threw his arm out to point at the man inside. “He stole fifteen million dollars! And you’re just going to release him?” 

“Yes, we are.” His partner, a much older man, crossed his arms and looked down at him. “Do you know who he is?” 

“Of course I know who he is!” Charles shouted, slamming his palm onto the window. The man inside looked over and gave the window a sly grin. He knew he couldn’t see them through the one-way glass, but it still made him boil with rage. “That doesn’t mean he’s exempt from the law, Nelson.” 

Nelson closed his eyes, letting out a long, drawn-out breath. “Why did you join the force, Charles?” 

Charles shook his head in disbelief, scrunching his face up in anger. “Why does that matter right now?” 

“Just answer the question.” 

His eye twitched and he clenched his jaw, but he eventually obliged. “To protect people.” 

“And how are you going to be able to do that without funding? Where are we going to find the money for our weapons, training and facilities?” 

“Oh, for God’s sake, the Government subsidises us plenty. We don’t need this thief’s dad to pay for our toys.” 

Nelson shook his head. “The Government gives us enough for batons, maybe one cop car. We need the funding.” 

“Fuck this,” Charles exclaimed, holding up the tape from the interrogation. “I’m taking this to the courts. A solid, undeniable confession. There’s also plenty of evidence I can—” 

Nelson snatched the tape out of Charles’ hand in a flash, dropping it onto the ground and stomping on it, crushing it completely. Charles stared blankly at the tape on the ground, mouth slightly agape. 

“What the fuck?” 

“I told you, we need that funding.” 

“I can’t believe it,” he muttered, staring Nelson dead in the eyes. “I thought we were meant to protect the people. Aren’t we supposed to enforce the law? What, he’s exempt? Because his fucking daddy is rich?” His voice rose as he spoke, but Charles was unwavering. 

“It’s a good thing that his crime hurt nobody but the banks, then.” 

“Listen to yourself! What are you even saying?” 

“No. You listen to me.” Nelson’s voice suddenly became far more menacing, and he stepped forward, jabbing a finger at Charles’ chest. “I would rather one delinquent, spoiled brat who thinks the world is at his beck and call go free over losing countless meaningful arrests because we don’t have the manpower or firepower to handle them all! There are murderers, rapists, human traffickers and drug pushers out there ruining lives, and we need funding to protect the people!” 

Charles stood his ground, glaring back up at Nelson and pushing his accusatory finger away. “You’re full of shit.” 

“Am I now?” 

“Oh yeah,” he snarled, stepping forward so their faces were inches away from one another. “You know, I took a peek at last year’s financial reports for this precinct when the captain left it lying there on his desk. I thought that nice, juicy bonus you and some of the others got was just because of what a great job you’ve been doing, but this whole situation makes me think that it was for another reason.” 

Nelson smirked at him. “Got no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“I think you do,” he said, finally stepping away. “And I think a few news stations are going to be very interested to hear what an innocuous tip has to say about the activities of a select few in this precinct.” 

Nelson laughed, walking past him to open the door to the interrogation room. “You do that, the precinct is going to crucify you. Your life will be over, Charles.” 

“Me? Why would I take the fall? I have no idea this is going on, how could I?” Nelson stopped, hand on the doorknob, and turned back to face him, the smirk wiped from his face. “No, it would have to be someone who knows, wouldn’t it? And more to the point, it would probably be the person whose name wasn’t in the names that the tipper reported.” 

“You little shit,” growled Nelson. Charles just smiled. 

“Looks like you’re not the only one who knows how to play the game.”