The trip to the precinct was quiet as Bethany took in the implications of this.

Soon, they were at the station and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What, thought we were on the take?" He asked getting out of the car.

"I, I never accused you of that."  She said, surprised he'd say that.

"Yes, but I know our city's rep.  We're not all like that.  Come on."

She got out, still feeling very weird with a man's body.  She started to walk and outpaced him and the other officer.

"Ma'am, stay with Sergeant Murphy."  The woman said.  She looked back at the sregeant with a wry grin.

"Oh, I'm sorry, just..."

"Heels aren't exactly my strong suite! Though I'll have to deal for a while!"

They walked into the precinct together, and Bethany looked at him.

"How, how long..?"

They got to the duty desk and Sergeant Tina Morrison, a tall, fit black woman was manning it.

"How can..."

She stopped and looked at the sergeant and the woman he was with.  She picked up the phone.

"Lieutenant Schutlz, I'm sending Sergeant Murphy up.  You'll want to see this for yourself."

His office was on the fourth floor and they took the elevator.  As they went up, Bethany started to laugh.  It started to worry Murphy.

"Why are you laughing?"  He asked.

"Because we both look ridiculous!"  She said, still laughing.  "I can cry or laugh.  I don't want to cry."

At that, Sergeant Murphy started to laugh as well.

The door open and they were still laughing.  They stepped out and both looked at each other.

"You're handling this really well.  I mean, the laughing did concern me, but once you explained it it made sense."  Murphy said.

"I don't have a choice, do I?"  She said.  "I mean, I don't want your body, I want mine, but given what my fate was going to be, it's far better.  I think I'll need a lot of therapy after this, though."

"My therapist comes from a bottle."  Murphy said.

"Bullshit!"  She laughed.

"No?  Okay, yeah, I'll likely need therapy too, and also some from a bottle, honestly.  I at least wanted to try the hard boiled cop thing."

"Hard to do in a dress, pantyhose, and boots!"

"Damn, you're right."  He laughed.  "Let's get to Schultz's office.  Now, he's actually hard boiled."

They knocked on the the door, and the grunt inside told Murphy he wanted to see them.

You wouldn't think Schultz as hard boiled from looking at him.  He was mid-fifties, bald, lean, and bookish.  He looked more like an accountant than a police officer, which he used to his advantage.  He had gotten the best of many a suspect because of unassuming looks.

He looked up at them, and adjusted his glasses.  He scowled.

"Please, sit."

Both sat.  Bethany was unaware of what was about to happen.  Murphy was.

"So, Murphy, you were supposed to just make an inquiry.  You come back with your head on a woman's body.  Now, what the actual fuck?!"

"He saved my..."

"I..." he softened his tone with her.  "Was not addressing you.  I politely ask you do not interrupt again."

Murphy was unconcerned at Schultz, which angered him, but Schultz kept from blowing up.  For now.

"If I did just that, she'd be a severed head in a dumpster, and who knows who would have had her body below the neck.  I got the audio, I got the pics, and the cash was fake anyway.  No, it didn't go as planned.  Would you have wanted to stick to that?"

Schultz stood up, his hands behind his back, and he walked to Murphy.  He sat on the side of the desk and scowled some more, then grinned.

"Right call."  He said.  "I'd rather have this than a murder.  And, miss, I'm very glad you're okay, well, in a sense.  And, I got the audio and pics.  Thing is, we have still no idea who this bastard is."

"Are we going to raid it?"

"For evidence of previous crimes, yes, but it got hit right after you two left by us.  Thing is, it was on fire.  We'll find what we can."

"So we're back to square one?"

"Not at all!  We haven't had a chance to see if anyone knows him.  The local hospitals are the best bet.  But, for now, she needs to go into protection."

"You expect me..."  Bethany started.

"Want the bad ending?"  Murphy said lightly.  "It'll be a nice room."

"Yeah, a nice suite."  Schultz said.  "But, your going to work the case, Murphy, but your staying with her."

"I am?"

"You're a target too.  And, I already had some officers bring some clothes to the room for the both of you."

"When did you arrange this?"  Murphy asked, surprised at the speed of this.

"I had a live feed.  Once I realized you were doing something good, noble, right, but still a bit stupid, I called this all in."

"Thank you, uh, Lieutentant."  Bethany said.

"Hans for you."  He smiled genuinely.  His looke then hardened again as he looked back at Murphy.

"You'll be working with Detective Nina Lopez on this tomorrow.  Now, go get some rest."

Soon, they found themselves in a nice suite in downtown.

"This is very nice!"  Bethany said.  "Don't they normally put people in less, comfortable rooms?"

"Well, the hotel had an ax murderer come through this floor.  Hard to fill these rooms."  He said as he sat on the couch, taking his ankle boots off.

"No, really."  She laughed.

"Really."  He said.  He wasn't joking.

"Damn."  She said, taking her jacket off, then her shoes.  

"Look, you got your head chopped off once today.  What's a five-year old murder spree going to do?"

"I guess nothing!"  She stood up and stretched her new male body.  It felt so strange,  being larger, more muscular, and she did not like how a dick and balls felt at all! How do they walk with these things?

She walked over to the minibar and found it filled with whiskey plus a six pack of craft beer, and some cola.

"Who stocked this?"

"My boss!"  He said, walking over on his stocking feet.  "We're not exactly members of the temperance union."

He poured half of one of the bottles, a half of a fifth bottle, into a tall glass, then the other half into another.  A half a can of cola in each along with a few ice cubes finished it.

He sat down, crossing his legs, realizing how weird he looked as a woman.  He took his glass and held it in the air.

"To us getting fixed."  He said as he downed half the glass.

She smiled, and took a drink herself, though shorter than his.

"I'll drink to that."