Ruby groaned as she dropped down in her desk chair. Why did mornings have to happen so early in the morning? "You look somewhat worse for wear this morning, Detective Rose," came from behind her in a clipped tone.

"Ugh, I got talked into doing tequila shots with my sister and her girlfriend last night," Ruby muttered as she brought her computer to life and opened up her email. As she scanned the subject of first message, what she'd said and, rather more importantly, who she'd said it to hit her muddled consciousness. She turned to see Winter standing next to her desk, hands behind her back, not-quite-scowling at her. "Winter, I-" she began but the other detective interrupted her.

"Detective Rose, I would prefer not to discuss my sister or her relationship with your sister. Instead, let us restrict our interactions to the task at hand, figure out who assaulted Miss Belladonna and why, and then we can go back to politely ignoring each other as best we can," Winter bit out, no trace of anything even resembling a smile on her face. Ruby couldn't help but wonder if Ozpin or Goodwitch had already talked to her.

"Fine. I guess the first step is telling me what you already know," Ruby said, taking a careful sip of the coffee she'd snagged on the way in. Sometimes the squad room coffee wasn't too bad, sometimes, well, sometimes she wanted to send it down to forensics just to check it wasn't toxic. Today was… better than average.

Winter nodded. "Indeed. I have the case files and evidence ready for you to review. Assuming you're not too hung over, Detective Rose."

"Eh, I'll be fine once the coffee kicks in. And call me Ruby. Or Rose, if you gotta. 'Detective Rose' just sounds kinda awkward." Ruby stood, stretching her back before picking up her coffee. "Let's be about it."

"No wonder you were crabby, Winter," Ruby said, flipping over yet another interview report. "Yeah, lots reasons for somebody to try and kill Blake, considering some of the stories she broke, but nothing linking any of them to the actual crime."

The two of them were sitting in a dingy conference room, files and reports about the attempt on Blake's life scattered across the table. Winter had started out trying to impose some sort of order, but she'd soon surrendered before the chaos that was Ruby Rose. She could always fix it later. "Indeed. The security cameras were looped, and the package service whose uniform Blake says the man was wearing didn't deliver anything to her building that morning. But at least we have a description now. Can we use a sketch artist, get a picture of him? I have to admit I'm not familiar with the finer points of how your gift works."

The younger woman suppressed a laugh. "Just like any other witness, Winter. Ask for Lie Ren, I've worked with him before and he knows the deal." Winter made a note of the name and stepped outside to make the call.

When she returned, Ruby was staring at a witness report, eyes not fixed on the report or even the wall behind it, but something even further than that. "Detective Rose," Winter sighed and started over, "Ruby, has something about that report got your attention? Does it have something to do with something Miss Belladonna said?

"Huh" Ruby blinked, startled. "No, it's just..." Her voice trailed off, and she started again. "I just know this guy, that's all." The hand not holding the report reached up and scratched her chest absentmindedly, right between her breasts. "I know this guy, I think. He's the reason I made detective so fast after all. But I took a bullet for him, so I think he owes me more than I owe him, at least as far as karma's concerned."

"I see." Winter leaned over, reading the report over Ruby's shoulder. "Hei Xiong, usually referred to as 'Junior.' According to his file, when Junior tried to leave his family's organization, his father tried to kill him. Currently, his father's in prison for a variety of offenses, and Junior is avoiding trouble as best he can."

"Yeah, I got between him and his dad, which is where I caught that bullet." Ruby leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head. "Tell you what, that report says you talked to him, but he was evasive. He used to send me a nice bottle of booze every now and again, but I couldn't take them because, well, bribes and things. Internal Affairs gave me a lot of shit over that one. I wonder if he still remembers me. Come on, let's grab Ren and talk to Blake, then go ruin Junior's day."

"Oh look, Melanie, here's somebody who looks like they've had a terrible day. Too bad we're not open yet. We're just handling the deliveries and cleaning right now, you'll have to come back tonight."

"Don't bother, Militia, she's not here to drink. It's that cop asking after that reporter girl, that one that someone tried to kill. Maybe she finally died, and it's a murder investigation now. I mean, if someone dies later of injuries you inflicted, that makes it murder. I saw that on television." The white-clad sister looked at Winter and scoffed. "We already told you everything the first time you were here officer, so we don't know why you came back."

"Oh, don't mind Winter, she's not the reason we're here." Ruby smiled, her silver eyes gleaming. "I just wanted to say 'hi' to Junior, that's all. Is he around?"

"What's a cop want with Junior?" Now Militia was glaring a Ruby with her hands on her hips. "He stays out of trouble these days, since his dad went to prison. All he's got left is this club, and we do our best to keep shady business out of here."

Ruby fought to keep a friendly smile on her face. She might not be the most experienced detective on the force, but there was no way she was naive enough to think there was nothing illegal going on in Junior's club. "Trust me, Junior's not in trouble," at least I hope not, "I just want to catch up with him is all."

"Well, he's up by the bar, probably still on the phone. One of our distributors tried to short us," Melanie scoffed, pointing across the club. "Maybe you can get them to cough up what they owe us, he's kinda pissed about it."

Ruby fought down a shiver as they crossed the vacant dance floor. With the lights up and the music off, their footsteps echoed across the vacant dance floor. It's like being in a freaking mausoleum, she thought as she and Winter came up to the bar. Junior was still on the phone, having an animated discussion with whoever was on the other end.

"I don't know why your driver would short us, take it up with him. All I know is, what I ordered is not what arrived. Yeah, I'm missing all three cases of Old Salem Whiskey, and both kegs of Doctor Watts' Peculiar Ale. Hey, I don't drink it the stuff, but it's popular with the club kids, so I gotta keep it around." Sensing their approach, Junior turned to look at them, frowning when he saw Winter. "Just get it here before we open. I need to go, I got other things to handle. Alright. Now, Detective Schnee," Junior said, resting his hands on the bar and glaring at them, "what can I do for you? I told you everything I know about what happened to the Belladonna woman when you were here the first time. And who's your new friend? I thought nobody wanted to be your partner anymore, not since-"

"Oh come on, Mister Xong, don't you recognize me?" Ruby propped her chin on one hand, resting her elbow on the bar and doing her best to look annoyed and bored at the same time. "Jeez, Winter, take a bullet for somebody and you'd think they'd remember that."

Junior's eyes darted from Winter to Ruby and back again, then he glared at brunette for a moment before recognition kicked in. "Oh, you're that beat cop that took a bullet for me, the night my father tried to kill me. Thanks. Did you like the bottles I sent you? I couldn't think of any other way to show my gratitude."

"Eh, couldn't keep them. Rules, right? But Internal Affairs let me donate them to guys who were retiring or having a kid or something." Ruby shrugged. "Anyway, I made detective pretty fast, thanks to your dad shooting me. So thank him when you see him"

Junior smirked. "I made a point of showing up at his first parole hearing, just to make sure he knew I was still alive. I didn't say anything, I just sat there staring at the back of his head." He barked out a laugh. "Ten minutes in he stared screaming at me. Now, I'd offer the two of you a drink, but I know you can't have one on duty. But hey, anytime you want to drop by, Detective, just give the staff your name and your tab's on me."

Winter opened her mouth to speak, but snapped it shut again after Ruby kicked her in the ankle. So Rose wanted to take the lead on this? Fine. "You know," Ruby said, swirling her finger on the bar, "I forgot to tell you why your dad shooting me helped me make detective so fast, didn't I? When I woke up, I could see ghosts."

Junior nodded. "Let me guess, they've got you working homicide, so you can question a ghost if the victim leaves one. Very nice."

"That's not all." Ruby's shining silver eyes turned to cold steel. "Turns out I can see people that are astrally projecting too. And the thing is," she shrugged, "turns out Blake Belladonna's spirit has gone walkabout. We've got a sketch of her assailant now. I was wondering if you couldn't, I don't know, put a name to a face for me. Just for old time's sake," Ruby added with a wink as she slid the picture across the bar. "He's got-"

"Silver hair," Junior interrupted as he tapped the picture with a gloved finger. "Yeah, I know this guy. Name's Mercury Black, used to do a lot of work for my dad, back in the day. He dropped off the radar for a while, then started coming in here a couple of months before Belladonna got jumped. If it was him that did it, I'm not surprised." He shook his head. "Some people are born mean, and he's one of them. Vicious bastard."

"Is there a pattern to his visits, particular days, times?" Winter had her notebook out and was jotting things down.

Junior shook his head. "He doesn't come in here anymore, not in a month. He was shitty with my staff every time he came in, and then he broke a waitress' arm because she spilled a drink on him. Wasn't the whole drink, just a little of it, but Mercury still went off on her. Then he high-tails it before the cops show. There's a police report and everything."

"Thanks, Junior. He shows up, don't make any fuss, just feed him drinks and call the police, okay?" Ruby tossed him a mock salute as she and Winter turned to leave.

Ruby's lungs were burning as she scaled the stairwell. When she'd seen two men on top of the apartment building, one holding the other at gunpoint, she'd called it in even as she'd headed inside and started running up the stairs. Most people would have taken the elevator, but Ruby would be faster on the stairs. It was only three stories to the roof.

She burst onto the roof, left hand bringing up the pistol she'd had in her purse before the door was even fully open, right hand steadying her grip as soon as it left the doorknob. "Vale PD! Hands in the air!"

The man holding the other at gunpoint glanced at her for a moment, then laughed. "You seem to be out of uniform, officer."

Ruby scowled. "I was on a date," she grumbled.

"Anyway," the man continued, almost like she wasn't even there, "my son and I were just settling a disagreement. No need to interfere." He raised his gun, aiming at the other man's chest.

"No!" Ruby yelled, her weapon clattering to the ground forgotten as she charged the armed man, wrestling with the man for his gun. There was a sharp crack and Ruby stumbled back, clutching her chest. "Oh," was all she could say as she saw the blood welling up between her fingers.

Laughing, the man with the gun gave Ruby a shove, sending her staggering toward the edge of the roof. She went over it backward, and the blackness descended on her.

"Poor girl," a voice whispered at the edge of hearing. "You look like you're having a really shit day."

Ruby's eyes flickered open, staring up at the storm-gray sky. Funny, it had been sunny just a minute ago. "Who-?" she rasped, then licked her lips and tried again. "Who's there? Can you call nine-one-one? I think, I'm pretty sure I've been shot. And fallen off a roof."

"Wish I could but I can't work a phone any more than you can hear me." A smiling woman with blue streaks in her bright orange hair looked down at her, shaking her head. "Poor thing."

"I-I can hear you, I can see you, now please call an ambulance!"Ruby yelled at the woman or at least tried to. She started to sit up only to fall back down against something squishy and gross.

The woman blinked. "Holy crap, you can see me! Sorry, I can't help much, being a ghost and all."

That's when Ruby realized the woman was transparent and did the only logical thing.

She passed out.

Ruby pried her eyes open, groaning at the time the clock showed. She didn't have to be up for another hour, dammit! She rolled over and pulled her pillow on top of her head, trying desperately to get that final hour in.

That's when Ruby felt it, a presence in her apartment. Someone was in her living room, pacing back and forth. Quietly she slid open the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out the pistol she kept there.

On the balls of her feet, Ruby crept toward her bedroom door, turning the knob as carefully she could. Her silver eyes scanned the living room, looking for any sign of the intruder.

A flicker of movement from the couch drew her attention. Slowly Ruby moved so she could clearly see the figure sitting there. She sighed with relief when she recognized them.

"Hey," Blake said, trying to be nonchalant, "Do you have Netflix? I hear there's a new season of Grimm Tidings out."