Book Four: Part 8 - Rhyming Evil - Chapter 12
Thursday – July 12th
The Squad Room – 8:38 a.m.
“Evers, McBain, Ellison, and Schmidt from third shift, qualified. Branson and Nicholls qualified from swing shift.
“Cisco and Poncho, our resident cowboys, both qualified, and I will also add that Poncho had the best shoot. Sixty rounds, fifty-eight bullseyes, with two just outside of center. That should give the rest of you something to ah … shoot for.
“Yesterday, a near-fatal tragedy was averted. Due to quick thinking on everyone’s part; Davis and Clinton, along with Cisco and Poncho, all came away unharmed from a bad situation. Sadly, lives were lost when it shouldn’t have happened, but at least none of our guy’s will have their names put on the Wall of Hero’s.
The room broke into a round of clapping, whistling, and a few “way to go’s”, before Baker jumped back in.
“Just saying this because I can, but I do appreciate what all of you do out there every single day. And it’s also because I say what I say to you every day. Now get out there and stay safe; and keep our streets safe.”
2916 Murphy Lane – 10:03 a.m.
The Internet can be such a fun place to visit. All the different and free stuff one can find and use, and all the different things you can do.
In the beginning, it was amazing at how many porn sites there are. Now, it’s boring as hell. I have better things to do with my time. Much, much better things.
Sex sells, but sex is so over-rated.
There! That’s what I want. Another underground freebie website.
Okay, scroll down the free items and see if they have what I am after and—there! There we are. Homemade Bombs Made Easy. Crazy. Okay, click on that and see what we have.
No. No. Nope, not that one either. Wait a second, I think this is the one I want. Oh yes, I definitely want this one. This one will do what I want, and it only takes twenty minutes to assemble, and ten minutes to mix the ingredients. And when I am ready, this one will be much harder to find. The lovely part; the timer is only an inch square, and the explosive itself is an inch too. So small. So tiny. So very hard to find.
But it will have enough of an impact to blow out a six-hundred square foot area. Pretty damn impressive, and it’s free! I love free!
I need to write all this down. After I do, like always, I’ll delete all traces I’ve been on the computer. It would never do to be found out. No, not good at all.
This will work out just the way I want it to, and maybe then people will understand things weren’t meant to happen this way and it’s not my fault. I never meant for things to turn out as they did.
But that will change before too long.
2916 Murphy Lane – 11:00 a.m.
“Mom, I’m on my way to work. I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”
“Sure, Blake.”
Staring into her half-filled glass of Bacardi and coke, it was her first one of the day. And she knew she was far away from having her last.
“Blake, I ….”
The front door had already closed, and Lydia Brewster drowned her thoughts with five more drinks before noon.
She couldn’t hide from her dreams.
“Having a child is risky.” “Look at what happened to your cousin, Rachel. Born with one arm.” “Might happen to your baby.” “Don’t be a fool.”
Many different scowling faces zoomed in and out of her dreams turned heavily nightmarish. Her mother and father, a neighbor, other friends. Some would yell obscenities and laugh at her in her dreams. And the truth did come out of her. Blake, crippled for life. Her fault. She never listened.
She never let Jimmy have sex with her again. She didn’t want to be blamed for bringing another mistake into the world.
Davenport Animal Clinic
Patrick’s Office – 11:09 a.m.
“Send him in, Rebecca.”
Cliff was inside Patrick’s office in ten seconds and had taken a seat opposite him from his desk.
“Cliff, you told Rebecca this was urgent. I was about to go to lunch. You want to tell me what the urgency is?”
“Last night, Michael Collins approached me.”
“The attorney?”
“Yes. Anyway, he gave me a message to give to you that I find alarming and if it mis true; heart-breaking.”
“Just tell me, Cliff.”
“Michael said for you to stay away from J.W.”
“He said, what!”
“Tell me, Patrick, have you been seeing him?”
“Yes, but,”
“How could you do this while seeing me? This hurt, Patrick. I thought you were better,”
“Oh, just stop it, Cliff. Just shut up and listen to me for a minute.
“Yes, I’ve seen J.W., and have spoken with him but I’m not seeing him. You can tell Michael Collins he has nothing to worry about.”
“Why were you seeing him to begin with? I mean, of all people. He’s a cop.”
“Listen to yourself, you’re the one crying out loud. I’m not doing him all right? Dammit man, get a hold of yourself. My seeing him was purely professional. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“I see. It’s just with Michael said and then there were those other times you either refused my offers to spend time away together, or a casual dinner. Tie that in with what Michael said, well, I’m sorry, but I reacted.”
“I understand. But you know, I haven’t made any commitments to you either. And though I understand your feelings, I’m believing at least for now, it would be best for me at the very least, if we don’t see each other any longer.”
“Huh? Why? If it’s because of the way I reacted, I’m sorry.”
“Honestly, you are too clingy for my tastes and too demanding of my time. But it was your initial jealous reaction that has turned me off.
“In one of our earlier conversations, I explained to you that Daniel and I were very sure of our identities and our emotions. Not once in all the years we were together did either of us question each other’s loyalty, friendship, and love.
“Believe this or not, loyalty was high up on our list. And you sit here questioning my loyalty while we are just getting started; that tells me that deep down you would never trust me. I will not go into a relationship like that.”
“Fine, Patrick. I know we could be good for each other if you gave me a second chance.”
“Cliff,” Patrick looked at his watch. “I have to go. I have a lunch meeting.”
Cliff stood.
“With him, no doubt.”
“See? That’s precisely what I mean. Actually; it’s with the mayor. Why I feel I must explain every little thing to you is beyond me. It’s time you should leave, Cliff. We haven’t invested much, so let’s leave it to an amicable decision and just part acquaintances. If I see you away from here, I won’t ignore you, Cliff, but neither will I try to reconcile my feelings for you.”
Cliff left the office, slamming Patrick’s door behind him.
Rebecca thought she saw rage in Cliff’s eyes when he stormed past her.
Five minutes after Cliff left, Terry walked in.
He smiled and waved at Rebecca, and with a short knuckle-wrap on Patrick’s door, he entered.
Patrick wheeled his chair around, and the sullen and angry thoughts he was feeling washed away at the sight of Terry.
“Terry! Welcome home.”
Patrick stood and both men shook hands. With Terry settling into one of three leather chairs facing Patrick’s desk, he asked, “How does it feel to be married to such a lucky woman?”
“It’s been fantastic so far. We’ve already been discussing about starting a family sometime later this year. She’s the best, Patrick!”
“I imagine she is, after all, isn’t that what we want for ourselves. Only the best?”
“I stopped in to tell you I’ll be back to work on Monday.”
“Good. Give my best to Olivia for me. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.”
Once Terry left, two faces came to mind: Daniel’s, and J.W.’s.
Captain Page’s Office – 1:44 p.m.
“Really?”
“Really,” replied Satchell. “This year for MDA, they want to use the arena to host a variety of events to promote MS and draw in more money.
“Mayor Marsh has been hitting up all the business owners for sponsorships and according to her, she has promises of almost $78,000.
“I want us to put on our own fund drive with the residents. It’ll be an extra four hours every weekend from August twenty-first to Saturday, September third. We’ll televise where we’ll be for donations. Plus, I’m putting a memo in everyone’s inbox to personally donate at least ten dollars. More, if they can spare it.”
“Ever since the arena’s been built, the city has prospered because of it. I thin k it’s a great idea. And Satchell?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I’ll throw in a hundred-grand.”
Satchell smiled broadly.
“You know you don’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, I know. Hell, it’s only money. Can’t take it with me when I’m dead. Might as well use some of it for something good.”
“You’re a good woman as well as a good cop. You try to help people when they need it most. We all can’t bat a hundred percent, but you do get close, Baker.”
“Call me Florence Nightingale. I did have hopes that Leon’s mother would have pulled through though.”
“Speaking about the boy, have you heard anything back from, or about him?”
“Not a lick. From what I’ve gotten from the Internet, Tomahawk is like a spot on the map. The old Hee-Haw population thing. Country pure and pure. I would imagine he’s still getting adjusted to country life.”
“At least he’s with family. That’s always important.
“In the morning, I’ll have the locations where the donation drop offs will be.”
Baker’s cell phone rang once.
“Baker.”
“What’s the rest of your day like?”
“Hi, Ed.”
Satchell mouthed a few words.
“Satchell says hello. As to the rest of my day, why? What’s up?”
“I went out on a limb with this, but I just bought tickets for the Mets-Phillies game tonight. Starts at 6:45.”
“It’s,” she glanced at the wall clock, “2:10 right now. Can we get there in four hours?”
“Piece of cake.”
In the background she heard Stevie yell, “And a chocolate éclair, too!”
Baker laughed. “Hold on.”
Muffling her phone against her chest, she told Satchell what was going on.
“Go ahead, go. I think I can keep the place from falling apart for one day.”
“Ed, I’ll be home in ten.”
McDonald’s – 5:45 p.m.
Dianne watched Johnathan walk to their table with their lunch. Two burgers, one with, one without cheese, fries, and two cold drinks, and a Happy Meal?
“That’s for you.” Johnathan pushed the Happy Meal toward her.
“All right, smarty pants. I know you can’t eat both burgers. What’s with the Happy Meal?”
“Open it and find out.”
As she did, she found a small bag of fries and a small hamburger, but there was also a small white box with a piece of paper wrapped around it. She took the rubber band holding the paper off, opened it, and read: I know I asked you to marry me, and now this makes it official. How does September eighth for our wedding sound?
“Cute, Johnathan. And the eighth sounds good to me.”
Then she opened the box as he was saying, “They always say every happy meal comes with a surprise inside, and this one is yours.”
A warm, radiating glow spread over her as she saw her engagement ring. A quarter-carat with four diamond chips on each side, set against a twenty-four-carat gold ring.
She looked up at Johnathan with tears in her eyes and the biggest smile.
“This is absolutely beautiful.”
“Just like you. Since I asked you to marry me at the lake, I wanted to do something special—different as to our engagement.”
There was an older couple sitting just across from them who smiled, and a moment passed when the older woman spoke.
“I heard you two. Reminds me when my Harry proposed. It was in one of them White Towers in New York City. During a breakfast rush no less. I said yes. He gave me a plastic ring.”
Dianne and Johnathan stole a quick glance at her wedding ring finger. They saw a gold band.
“I still have that first ring.” She pulled a chain-link necklace from around her neck and there it was, an adjustable plastic ring.
“Yup. Things were kinda tight back then. Couldn’t afford much, but I had that there Commander Cody ring I found in a cereal box back then,” said Harry.
“That’s my Harry. Fifty-four years, six kids, eight grandchildren, and two great-great-grand babies later, and this ring is still one of the best gifts I got; besides my Harry that is.”
The older couple stood, and you could see age did afflict their bent over bodies, but it had no effect on their spirit or their love for one another.
“Never lie to each other, treasure every second you have. Never forget the first time you met, that first kiss, the first time you held hands, the first time you both said hello, and remember your first laugh together. And, when hard times hit, hit them hard times right back, together. Remember all your moments. Carry them with you every day of your life. Who knows, the two of you could end up with a couple grand-babies.”
As they left, Dianne and Johnathan sat at the booth holding hands. The ring sparkled.
For Dianne, it was one hell of a Happy Meal.