After getting out of Jeremy's house, Nicholas went to the next team member. Joseph Howard.
As he probably was at the university right now, Nicholas went straight to the place. A tall, glass building close to Manhattan's dock, it had a small reception, and the words 'New York's College of Criminal Justice' was written at the entrance.
Getting in, Nicholas walked like he was used to coming to this place, no one even stopped him.
He had come across Joseph's name a while ago, due to finding out his talent, Nicholas became interested and decided to pry a little bit. The kid is really smart, he is one of the smartest people in the whole institution.
There were lots of courses for a master's degree, and Joseph, in particular, loved the challenges of researches. The only reason he didn't graduate yet, it's because he is the one purposefully delaying it. His reasoning is that as a student he wouldn't need to get stuck studying just one subject, unlike professionals, be it professors or the market for forensic workers.
They are usually told to stick with one subject, and even if they are allowed to go out of that route, they tend to not receive the same amount of sponsorship.
Joseph is highly energetic, he never stops at something, always doing things that he finds interesting.
Right now, he probably is on the place rewarded to him after some of his researches worked out, Joseph's own laboratory inside the college.
Just minutes in, Nicholas found the place.
Knocking on the door, Nicholas didn't wait for permission as he directly went in.
Looking inside, there was a desk to his right, a few concrete tables with lots of bakers above it. Joseph was close to the window as he smoked a weed blunt.
Seeing the strange guy entering his lab, Joseph was suspicious as he looked at him and yelled.
"Who the fuck are you? Get the fuck out, now."
Nicholas had read this about Joseph, the guy has a mouth fouler than a rapper's. He usually curses a lot, and once he even cursed the professor for explaining the subject in the wrong way, he got suspended and the teacher got evaluated by the college's council.
Looking at the angry guy, Nicholas just smiles as always.
"Just relax, Joseph. Why are you so angry?" Nicholas's tone was a bit mocking as if he knew something, which made Joseph even angrier.
Joseph wasn't angry for nothing, but he didn't like his lab being invaded. Coupled with the last events between him and the college's council, he was on the defensive.
"Just get the hell out, man. I'm not in the mood to beat some pampered kid." Joseph said, taking Nicholas as one of the rich pampered kids that tried to mess with him due to him being the smartest, and because of that, he got used to beating them when they tried.
"Haha.. Do I look like a kid? I feel insulted. But I did not come here to engage in a discussion. I came to make you a proposal." Nicholas said, his voice sounded enticing, he was calm as always, giving the impression of a tempting devil.
"I told you, just get the fuuck out of here." Joseph spoke.
At this moment he had arrived at his desk and opened the drawer to pull a gun, pointing it towards Nicholas.
Nicholas started to laugh, instead.
"Hahaha... Thanks for the laugher, I can't stop imagining those pampered kids that you mention, run away afraid of this toy in your hand. I mean, it's clearly a child's play gun." Nicholas kept laughing.
Joseph seeing that Nicholas hadn't fallen for his act, and as he wouldn't go for a physical approach, decided to hear the guy, refuse him and just get him out of the room.
"Fine. You can ta-" Joseph began but was shortly cut off.
"I am afraid that if it is not of your interest you won't even listen. So I will say only this if you want to get a sponsor and keep your research, knowing that the council has cut its ties with you, show up at the police department in Brooklyn's Bridge tomorrow at 5 p.m." Nicholas simply said and left the room.
After Nicholas left, Joseph was dumbfounded in the room. Trying to run to the door to stop Nicholas, Joseph found it useless as Nicholas had already disappeared when he arrived there.
The next stop for Nicholas was the 19th police department, where Isabella and Jessica worked for now.
Since he had visited two members, why not visit everyone while at it?
At the department, Isabella was looking at her computer screen. Then suddenly, a man came and dropped about 8 stacks of paper files above her desk.
"What's this about, Sargent Ellison?" Isabella asked, her voice showed a mix of anger and annoyance.
Jessica nearby heard the exchange and peeked her ear to listen to it.
"Testimony reviews, Detective. You need to file your report by the end of the weekend." Sargent Ellison said, his voice solemn, showing no emotion to his fellow officer as he immediately starts to walk away from Isabella's desk.
Isabella had a red face, just a few days ago, Sargent Ellison had done the same thing, and previous to that, he also had made her work on paperwork. She couldn't even go on a patrol, the useless testimony reviews that the Sargent gave her were all closed case witnesses, and most responsible individuals were already arrested, there was no need to look at the testimony files, as it had also been done before.
Isabella was pissed, and greats amounts of suppressed anger erupted at this moment.
"HOL' UP." She yelled, everyone around looked at her.
Jessica, who was already listening, facepalmed as she saw what is about to happen a lot of times previously.
"What in the hell is this? I've been doing paperwork for months now, every time I request the authority over a case I get shut down. I can't even go on patrol anymore with the amount of paperwork I'm responsible for. This is not the only shit that a detective is supposed to do." Isabella yelled, her face was all red from the stress she caused by talking so loudly.
With his back facing Isabella, Sargent Ellison turned around and looked at her, his face the same as when he delivered her task.
"Do you have a problem, Detective?" He asked as if the previous display of yelling had never happened.
"Fuuck, yeah. I have problem." She replied.
"Then file a complaint to the captain and he will evaluate your case." Sargent Ellison simply said and resumed his walk.
"Wait, wait, wait. You can be serious right? You know what this is about, you are mad because when I first came to the department, and you tried your 'thing' on me I shut you down. Now you want to payback on me with paperwork." Isabella revealed, the real paperwork officer, mostly fat aunt ladies, was gobsmacked at the next subject of gossip.
"I've been enduring it until now, but I can't do this anymore. Either you stop this bullshiit or I'm filling for transfer." Her peak of anger had long surpassed the normal amount as her voice also caused records to be broken when talking about the volume used in the precinct.
"I believe you should've done it a long time ago, Ms. Cutten." Ellison spoke, his voice was unfazed.
Isabella noticing this was about to pounce on Sargent Ellison as she strolled in increasing speed towards his direction, only to be held by Jessica.
Isabella was fuming, she looked at his face with hatred. Ellison just looked with his straight face, and as he looked into her eyes, a little smile escaped his lips, only noticeable by Isabella, since everyone's attention was on her, and many were trying to hold her back with Jessica.
"Calm down, Bell." Jessica said with her usual serious tone, her voice a little high so that it could get through Isabella.