Copyright © 2018 by Cole Steele
All rights reserved
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced
into a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form, or by any means without
the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of
fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Willow was back on her phone as we started to make our way through an intersection. The department had now allocated officers to direct traffic and show a presence during the busiest times downtown.
“Are you on that a lot?”
She paused for a second setting her phone down on her lap.
“You have my complete and undivided attention.”
“Hungry?”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Every place is going to be packed at this hour.”
“Suppose you have a destination in mind.”
“A matter of fact, I do.”
“How can you think of food after that?”
“I’ve seen worse in that autopsy suite of Nyguen’s.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Every place is going to be packed at this hour.”
“Suppose you have a destination in mind.”
“A matter of fact, I do.”
“How can you think of food after that?”
“I’ve seen worse in that autopsy suite of Nyguen’s.”
“Harris?”
“Practicing Catholics believe that Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Ned Harris crashed thru hell taking out Satan and his throne. There are times I can still see their faces, Willow. Call it PTSD or whatever, I can’t shake that awful shit. I’ve tried burying it deep inside my memory suppressing any thoughts of it. None of it works.”
“Have you seen anyone about it?”
“No.”
“I’d like to ask a ridiculous rhetorical question if you don’t mind.”
“Sure.”
I knew already what she was going to ask me. The truth was that I thought I could handle it. That’s when the drinking started again. A great cocktail of guilt mixed with Monica getting physically and mentally scarred at the end. It was usually in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. It started with a few beers in the fridge then a little stash in the garage. I could stomach a lot but it was the helplessness that haunted me the most.
“Why didn’t you see someone? At least call the anonymous 800 number HR sometimes suggests.”
“You trying to psycho analyze me?”
“No. Just trying to figure out why you wouldn’t get help.”
“Like I said, it only happens once in a while.”
“Well something has to.....”
“Yeah, something.”
“Tribeca’s?”
“You’ve never eaten here?”
“I’ve heard about it. Just never been.”
“Honestly, the conversation is better than the food. I know the owner. Sal is a good guy I just can’t bring myself to eat the grease.”
“I heard about what happened here a while back. My partner on dayshift used to talk about it, how he might have done something different. Some might have called it reckless. But everyone is a Monday morning quarterback anymore. Our society is so fucked up. Just because everyone’s life is uploaded to YouTube it’s there for all to scrutinize. Same with body cams. I found it interesting when we used to hold those citizen academies back in the day. At the end when they get a taste of their own medicine in the simulator. An armed confrontation with a potential hostage. Half of them shoot up the fucking screen and the other freeze.”
I don’t know, it was like everything seemed like that slo mo app they have for video on our phones now. You know, frame by frame. All I could see as I looked around were normal everyday people scared shitless. A minute ago they’re taking a break from the daily grind of trying at making a living, then a few assholes with nothing better to do want to steal and terrorize them because they think it’s easy money. You want to know my only regret from that day?”
“What?”
“Not finishing the job. I really wanted to kill every last one of those motherfuckers.”
“Jesus, tell me how you really feel.”
“Better to be bluntly honest. Tell me, what prevented you from putting holes in that kid? I know you had a backup piece in the store that day.”
She stood there for a moment with a blank look on her face
then turned toward the building after a young couple cut in front of us. I
opened the door for her to walk inside. The infamous smell of fried food immediately
escaped clashing against the humidity outside.
Saul was seated at the counter near the register on his favorite perch. He had a good vantage point of his restaurant. It looked like orchestrated chaos as always. Servers waiting on tables with busboys cleaning them after patrons had finished their meals. The kitchen staff bitching at each other in the back. He got off his stool signaling for someone to cash out a couple of customers as he made his way over to our table.
“You must be Romans new partner. I’m Saul Anagnostopolus. You can call me Saul if you wish. My family elected to keep the full surname after arriving in America about 90 years ago. The name alone took up two lines on the passenger manifest. True story. I verified it on that Ellis Island site.”
“Willow Darby. Nice to meet you Saul.”
“Well, I must admit, you’re much better looking than Temple that’s for sure. In fact, too pretty to be hanging out with Lee here all day.”
Saul was seated at the counter near the register on his favorite perch. He had a good vantage point of his restaurant. It looked like orchestrated chaos as always. Servers waiting on tables with busboys cleaning them after patrons had finished their meals. The kitchen staff bitching at each other in the back. He got off his stool signaling for someone to cash out a couple of customers as he made his way over to our table.
“You must be Romans new partner. I’m Saul Anagnostopolus. You can call me Saul if you wish. My family elected to keep the full surname after arriving in America about 90 years ago. The name alone took up two lines on the passenger manifest. True story. I verified it on that Ellis Island site.”
“Willow Darby. Nice to meet you Saul.”
“Well, I must admit, you’re much better looking than Temple that’s for sure. In fact, too pretty to be hanging out with Lee here all day.”
Clearing my throat I interjected.
“I take it you never read that Dale Carnegie book I gave you.”
“I take it you never read that Dale Carnegie book I gave you.”
Willow motioned as if to hand Saul her menu.
“Can a girl get something to eat around here? You two can Facebook meesenger each other later tonight.”
“My apologies Detective Darby. Your partner here brings out a different side of me.”
“Can a girl get something to eat around here? You two can Facebook meesenger each other later tonight.”
“My apologies Detective Darby. Your partner here brings out a different side of me.”
I slid my laminated menu with all of the advertisements on
the back of it across the table toward Saul.
“Cut the bullshit already.”
“The still haven’t paid for the door.”
“You’re kidding me.”
Saul made the sign of the cross across his chest then kissed the crucifix that dangled from his gold chain.
“God as my witness, Roman.”
Taking a pad and paper from one of the waitresses walking by
our booth he pointed his attention toward Willow.
“Lee didn’t say anything about the food did he?”
“Actually, he had just mentioned to me that this was about
his favorite lunch spot.”
What’ll you have?”
“I’ll try the famous Tribeca Coney with everything.”
“I’ll try the famous Tribeca Coney with everything.”
“Excellent choice. Remind me to thank Chief Maxwell for finding someone with a comparable palate to your former partner there Lee.”
“What a coincidence, I’ll have my usual.”
“Got it.”
“It’ll be out in a little bit. You two aren’t in a rush or anything are you?”
“We’re good, thanks Saul.”
“No problem. You know Lee I hate to admit it, but it’s always nice having you around once in a while. Especially when you’re not wrecking the place.”
“I’m impressed that you retained the larger lesson from that book I gave you.”
“Now I’m blocking you on Facebook for that smartass.”
We watched Saul walk back to the kitchen placing our order barking instructions to the cooks to make our order priority number one and hurry the hell up. Willow examined her silverware for a second before speaking.
“He’s a character.”
“That was just the meet and greet. Wait until he gets to know you a little bit better.”
“I like him already.”
