Ted stared out of the taxi's window, peering across bustling streets and the dense traffic that led towards a narrow intersection. It was almost 6:30 in the evening, which was his usual time of dread where he'd receive multiple missed calls and text messages from his wife, Rose, all evidently asking for his current whereabouts. He'd wish to turn off the damn thing, but then it would only increase the woman's aggravation which certainly won't give him a pleasant experience once he'd hit home. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Lately, he found sleep to be elusive. It was the third day since the case was appointed to him and being called out at unforgiving hours to work has never been so miserable than what he'd expect. He hoped the following week would be able to compensate, but given the precinct's hastiness, he'd half expect that nothing was to change.
Tapping the case folder sitting on his lap, he noticed there was no progress with the traffic ahead. An exasperated sigh acknowledged the situation, though he'd wish he could do something about it. He took a quick peek at the driver, silently observing out of boredom. He would consider on playing some games on his phone or proof-reading some of the case's victim files, but he'd ask for something more interesting. Luckily Uber's services had improved effectively, not like before when it would take an eternity before a driver accepted one's call from their impeccable app. Words were stringing in his head, about to usher in a conversation when his phone rang.
He grabbed the device, swiped a finger across its screen and prepared for the worst. Supposedly, he shouldn't answer it, but he established a rule to himself to acknowledge every 5th call his wife would make just to calm the woman. This time it was now the twentieth, and it was not going to sound pleasant. With a few unbearable screeching and unintelligible blabber, he finally got to where the call was going and, as usual, Rose was asking where he was. Being stuck in traffic has always been the template of response which someone would believe only when it would be said first, but when it became a repetitious reason, even if it was truly the situation being faced, doubt was to follow afterwards. Rose always believed the importance of family dinners, and Ted appreciated that. Sometimes he just wished she'd understand.
Exhausted, he hung his head low, breathing laboriously but making it less noticeable to the driver. He needed a vacation, and that was what he would plan to ask should the case be resolved. He glanced back at the window and hoped the traffic would make at least some progress within the next few minutes. He squinted at the driver's windshield, suspecting a Toyota ahead of them with a slightly open trunk and a dead left tail light which appeared to be not working from the looks of it. He'd be interested to intervene whoever was driving the car but it felt somewhat tedious to venture outside with the horde of vehicles lining up to cross the intersection.
Finally the words lost by the sudden phone call had made their way back into Ted's thoughts. He brushed a hand to his hair, casually trying to retain his formality even though he assumed the driver was focused on the what was ahead.
"Jesus, it's been almost thirty minutes and it's like we haven't even moved an inch. Don't you agree?" Ted asked, though he wished he could've said it elegantly rather than for the sake of starting up a conversation. "I mean, yeah, it's kind of okay if you don't have at least twenty missed calls from your wife asking where you are because she's so religious with the family dinner thing," He paused, chuckling in the process. "but whatever, I guess this is just the way of life."
He glanced up to the rear-view mirror, catching a reflection of himself with his usual attire.
"How about you? how's life been to you lately? I hope there weren't any break-ups. My son just had his a week ago and boy, I had to counsel him for four days straight about how he should move on. At first, it does sound like a joke when you think about it but when you actually do it, it becomes way more serious."
