Avery was released on Friday.
Ramirez picked her up and drove to her car, which was parked a half block away from the killer's house. As they passed, Avery gave it a long, solemn stare.
"You all right?" Ramirez said. "This doesn't freak you out or anything?"
"I'm fine," she replied.
She didn't just feel fine. She felt better than fine.
Everything about her life now seemed different, better. She had plans to see Rose again soon. Ramirez had come by every day to keep her company. The cards she'd received in her hospital room had been humbling. So many people had sent her well wishes that she realized even when she'd felt alone in the past three years, she'd never been alone.
Avery hopped out and smiled at Ramirez over the hood.
"Well," she said, "this is my stop. Thanks for everything."
"You headed back to the office?"
"Yeah."
"Want me to tag along?"
"Nah," she said. "That's OK. Enjoy your time off. I'm sure I'll have to put you in another life-or-death situation soon."
Ramirez flashed her a winning smile.
"I hope so."
The ride back to the office was extremely emotional for Avery. Excitement and fear swirled through her thoughts. Despite solving the case, she'd stepped over some lines: she had ignored direct orders from her commanding officer and left a crime scene to purse her lead with Edwin Pesh.
It'll be fine, she thought. You got him.
In the police garage, officers gave her purposeful stares and raised their thumbs and fists as she passed.
"Way to go, Black," someone yelled out.
The elevator to the second floor was through the garage itself and inside the ground level of the A1 offices. At the sight of Avery, half the station clapped. Some officers ignored her to do their work, others had blank expressions as if they felt forced to comply with their enthusiastic co-workers, but for the most part, Avery reveled in the moment.
She raised a humble hand, lowered her gaze.
"Thanks."
On the second floor, her reception was even more boisterous. For at least a minute, all work stopped in Homicide so people could stand and clap and nod their heads.
"Serial killers beware!" someone shouted.
"You got him, Black!"
"Good to have you back."
Finley ran up to her, and while he was reluctant to touch or give her too much physical praise in front of the others, he patted her professionally on the back and pointed in her face.
"That's my partner," he said. "You see that? We solve crimes. Fuckin' killers don't stand a chance with the Black and the Finley at her back."
"Back to work." O'Malley clapped from his office door. "Black," he called and waved her forward. "In my office."
Connelly watched her from his desk; gave a curt, grimaced nod to Avery before he turned back to his desk. To Avery, it seemed like he was just shuffling papers around to try and look busy. She kept her eyes on him. After a few seconds-as suspected-he glanced back up. Pissed that he'd been caught, he growled and walked away.
"Close the door," O'Malley said. "Sit down."
Avery closed the door and sat.
"Good to have you back," he said with averted eyes. "How you feeling?"
"I'm better. Thanks."
"As I told you in the hospital, we have a few questions to tie everything up. Let me just go through those first."
He read something off a piece of paper.
"Why did you abandon the crime scene at Villasco's house?"
"He wasn't our guy," she said.
"How could you know that?" he asked and looked at her with curious intent. "The guy shot himself in the head. He worked at Devante. Case closed."
Avery frowned.
"It didn't feel right. He said something, something about family. I can't remember it exactly, but it was like he was covering for someone. No minivan at the house, no room for taxidermy. He seemed lonely, lonely and afraid. It was bugging me, I couldn't let it go, and on the list McGonagle gave me, I had one more lead to check."
"How did Edwin Pesh become a suspect?"
"He lived in Watertown. It made sense that the killer lived in either Watertown or Belmont given the direction of his car from Lederman Park and Cambridge."
"So on a hunch, you abandoned a crime scene, and your partner, and you headed over to Watertown on your own."
"I didn't mean to."
"Hold on," he said. "Not now. First answer the question."
"Correct," she replied.
"What made you call Ramirez? He's out of commission. And 911?"
"As soon as I saw the minivan, I called Dan. I realized I might need help. The 911 call was made in the house. I was getting creeped out by all the animals."
"Why not call Connelly? Or Thompson? Or even Finley. All of them were on your team."
Avery looked up.
"Honestly? I wasn't sure I could trust them."
"So you decided to trust a guy that was recovering from a stab wound? Not a smart move, Avery. It worked out. Ramirez was smart enough to call for backup, but I expect more from someone I just promoted to lead detective. They're your new teammates and you've got to learn how to play well on a team."
When Avery was an attorney, it was every man for himself. Even when she'd been assigned to other lawyers in a research group, everyone was always trying to outdo the other so they could look good in front of the boss. It had been a cutthroat, soulless existence, and that existence had followed her into the A1.
"I can do better," she said.
"Yeah, well, no one's been very welcoming to you since you came upstairs, I get that. And until you personally handled those West Side Killers, you were pretty much persona non gratis downstairs too, right? Things are different now, Avery. You just solved a really big public case."
"Am I back on Homicide?" She asked.
O'Malley raised his brows.
"'Am I back on Homicide?' Seriously? You defied my orders to stay away from the case. You left a crime scene. You ignored your partners and nearly got yourself killed. Do you think you deserve to be back on Homicide?"
"Yeah," she said with a determined glint in her eyes. "I do."
O'Malley smiled.
"How can I say no to a hero?"
He grinned wider.
"Of course you're back!" he said. "Now get out of here. Take the rest of the day off. Come back Monday and start the week fresh. And while you're basking in your current glory, do me a favor?" He ruffled around for a few pieces of paper. "Call the mayor. Here's his personal line. And Miles Standish, too, the owner of Devante. I noticed both of them sent you flowers and a card."
He stood and saluted her, and she was touched by the gesture.
"Great work, Avery."
