Interlude Ch. 07

"I hear you." Tanya said. "But she's not the reason I wanted to talk to you. It's about Pete Feeley."

"Upset about not getting a Detective badge this go-round?" I asked. Tanya nodded.

"Yeah, he's taking it a lot more personally and a lot harder than he should." she said. "I was wondering if you could talk to him, to motivate him a little bit."

"Let's talk seriously about this, Tanya." I said. "I did consider Pete for promotion below the zone, but I've got some concerns. He's still very young, and he hasn't yet shown a lot of imagination. He'll be going to the State's Advanced Criminology Course, a.k.a. Detective School, in a couple of months. We'll see how he does there."

"Is that the new course you designed for them?" Tanya asked.

"Yep. After I blew through their old one and then started pointing out the fallacies, they got pissed and challenged me to do better. So I did. The Director of the SBI and the Governor personally passed off on it, so they're implementing my new material."

"Good." Tanya said. "The old one wasn't worth shit."

"Actually, Tanya, I was going to ask you to talk to Pete about going through the Uniform Leadership track. He did well at the Advanced Academy course, youngest ever to pass in the top 10%. He would do very well there, and he'd be a Sergeant in no time flat."

"Already done that. I've talked to him several times about it." Tanya said. "And it's not encouraging: Pete is dead set on being a Detective. Doesn't care about the rest of it."

"Would a promotion to corporal if he takes the uniform track help?" I asked.

"I don't think so." Tanya replied. "This is TMI, but my pillow talk with Pete is talking about our careers, and I've told him time and again to go for his sergeant stripes and let the Detective rank come in time... but to no avail. By the way, when it comes to work he practically worships you." She paused, then added a bit sarcastically: "In a platonic way, of course."

"Sheesh." I said. "Well, he better be worshipping that tasty pussy of yours and not worry about me." I grinned as the memories of my cock being sheathed in Tanya's sweet cunt came swimming into my mind. Tanya grinned, getting up.

"Well, let's let you have a taste of me right now--"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

I just raised my eyebrows knowingly as Tanya sat back down, grinning wickedly.

"Come in." I said. It was Cindy Ross.

"Oh, sorry to bother you." she said, about to withdraw and close the door again.

"No, it's all right, Cindy, come on in." I said. The small room was now crowded with three persons inside, but having two lovely ladies in front of me was not a problem for my eyes. After Cindy closed the door, I said "Sit down and tell me what you came here to tell me. You're among friends."

"Thanks." Cindy said, understanding the full meaning of my last comment.

"We were just talking about putting Pete Feeley on the fast track to Sergeant." I said. "What do you think of that?"

"Fine with me." Cindy said. "But does he want that? All I ever hear from him is about becoming a Detective. And speaking of 'sergeants', what do you think of our new addition, Sergeant Sharples?"

"That guy is weird." Tanya said, answering before I could say anything. "And I just don't get why he wants to be thought of as a sergeant. Nothing against our sergeants, but they're ranked below Detectives here."

"Yeah." I said. "Keep this in this room, folks, but I voted against his hiring. I was outvoted. Why do you bring him up, Cindy?" I asked, knowing that she had a reason for bringing up his name.

"Teresa called my sister Molly Evans on the Midtown Police Force after we met the guy this morning." Cindy said, "Molly told Teresa that Sharples had solved a number of cases and made a lot of drug busts, but Internal Affairs there had started looking into him upon request by an SBI agent, Ted Orosco. Right about that time and by sheer coincidence, our Department contacted them about hiring Sharples and they sang his praises."

"Yep, they buttered our noodle, and we blindly unloaded their problem from them." I said. "Well, Cindy, tell Teresa to keep both eyes peeled around the guy. By the way, how do the two of you like Angela Harlan?"

"She seems fine." Cindy said. "She's done mostly homicides, so she'll have to expand her horizons."

"There's something about her eyes." Tanya said, almost introspectively. "Something wrong. But I can't place my finger on it."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." I said, also as an absentminded afterthought. "Oh well, show her the ropes. Y'all get out of here, I have to get caught up with all this sucky paperwork."

As they were walking out the door I said, "Oh, Cindy, can you stay a moment?" Tanya went on out and Cindy came back in, closing the door and sitting down.

"I'm going to get improperly personal and intrusive." I said. "Why is Teresa calling your sister instead of you calling your sister?" Cindy got the point of my inquiry.

She exhaled and then said "Let's just say that my family did not take too well to my... sexual orientation. Molly is a damn good cop, as good as you, I daresay. And she's incorruptible; she's been offered bribes by politicians several times and she not only refused but either reported them or busted their chops like you did on Sergei Molotov."

"I should send her a crowbar." I said.

"And she would love it." Cindy replied, then continued. "Thing is, she was pissed when she found out I'm a lesbian, and I got pissed that she didn't accept it and accept me as I am."

"Sorry to hear that." I said. "She's older than you?"

"Yes. She's your age, maybe a year older."

"I see. I've heard that she's good. She was put on the SBI Reserve program at the same time Britt Maxwell and I were. As to your family issues, maybe y'all can find a way to bridge the gap. Your problems are nothing compared to me and my sister." I paused, then added. "And I'm not any the better for that."

"I understand." Cindy said, understanding that I'd let more show than I would to any other people.

As she got up to go, she said, "By the way, my apologies for interrupting you just as you were about to get a hot piece of ass." She was trying to hide a grin.

"Ah, good." I said, actually pleased by the remark. "You are getting better at observation and deduction. Now get your hardbody butt out of here and start training Detective Harlan. Just don't be TOO hard on her the first day...."

Part 9- New Girl In Town

"C'mon Lenny, you're wasting my time." I said.

It was almost 1:00pm the same day, August 1st. I was in Interrogation-2 with Detectives Purvis and Geiger, who'd not gotten anything out of this suspect. Sergeant Sharples was also in the room, but to this point had just been sitting off to the side, observing.

Lenny had long hair, was dirty, unkempt and smelly, and was a well-known drug distributor. The Vice Detectives had surprised me by actually requesting that I work the suspect over so that they could learn something. Well I'll be darned, I thought to myself, this cross-training program might really work, after all! Then I found out that it was Sharples that had suggested it, so that he could observe how *I* operate. Hmmm.... but enough of that in my head, I had to interview a suspect:

"We know it was you who hit that boy on the head and took those drugs." I said to Lenny, who disgusted me. He was filth, pure trash. "It was witnessed, we've got a lineup all warmed up and ready to go. You know you did it, Lenny. You know it, I know, these guys know it; hell, it's unanimous, buddy."

"I ain't the one." Lenny said. "You picked up the wrong guy." I could tell by his eyes he was lying.

"Lenny, we can make this so easy for you." I said, getting to my real reason for wanting to interview this piece of shit Lenny. "You tell me why the Beanstalk Gang has such exclusive access to the drug trade in this town, tell me why and how any competition is being 'dissuaded' from working in this Town, and I'll have a good word with the D.A.'s office about greatly reducing your sentence."

"You're in fantasy-land, Lightwork Man." Lenny said, the term 'lightwork' being a play off my rank of Lieutenant, and a sneering insult that Lieutenants did higher officers' 'lightwork'. In the Army, that was true; in the Police Force, it was anything but true.

Lenny had more to say. "You're full of shit about the Beanstalks being the only game in town. Others are moving in, getting their piece of the pie."

"Wanna tell me who those people are, Lenny?" I asked, having gotten him to admit that there were other people moving into Town for the purpose of selling drugs.

"Yeah, right." Lenny said. "I'm not even sure who they are. Crips, Bloods, who knows?"

"Oh, those gangbangers have long since tried to move in, and they got their asses carved like a Thanksgiving roast. Funny how everyone comes over all dead or gets caught as soon as they bring in so much as a kilo of coke, Lenny. Except the Beanstalks, at least for now." I said. "Now why don't you tell me why that is."

"You're outta yer tree." Lenny said. "I'm done talking. I want a lawyer."

"Sure thing, sleazeball." I said. "But I'll tell you this--"

Just then Cindy Ross burst into the room.

"Lieutenant, we just got the call. It's time." I knew what she meant, but took a few seconds to clean up the mess of this piece of filth Lenny in front of me.

"Lenny, if you haven't confessed to these officers by the time I get back," I said, getting up, "then I'm going to let it be known on the street that you're the guy who took that kilo of cocaine from the only game in Town, the Beanstalk Gang. You know what's going to happen to you when they find out about that, don't you Lenny? They're not going to bother asking if it's true or not; they'll just cut you up into pieces and worry about it later. Think about it, Lenny." Lenny looked fearful as I left the room... he knew that I wouldn't be lying, that he indeed had been the one who 'borrowed' the coke from one of the most brutal gangs that still had the temerity to operate in my County.

I exited the room and ran at the top of my speed down the hall to MCD. Cindy and Tanya were there. "She's already at the hospital." Cindy said. "I'll drive you." Angela Harlan was watching from the door to the MCD room, totally unaware of what was happening.

"Like hell you will, you drive too slow!" I shouted as I sprinted to the exit that led to the parking lot. Tanya was barely in time to get into the passenger seat with me as I tore out, leaving Cindy behind to catch up later. Once on the streets, I turned on the blue lights and sirens and drove as fast as I could across town to campus, noticing that Tanya's knuckles were white as she held on.

"Are we going to get in trouble for using the lights and siren for non-official purposes?" Tanya asked, perhaps rhetorically.

"Hell, what good are they if I can't use 'em?" I asked. "And who's going to turn me in?"

"Not me." Tanya said. "But all those crashed cars you're leaving in our wake might bring some complaints about police driving habits."

"Fuck 'em, this is more important." I said. I knew there were no accidents, but was too nervous to absorb Tanya's teasing at the moment. Fortunately we arrived at University Hospital within a minute.

We rushed into the hospital and I bounded up the stairs to the floor where deliveries were made, checking in with the desk nurse. Tanya had decided to take the elevator.

"You're just in time, Lieutenant." the nurse said. "She's been taken into the delivery room. Come in here." She led me to a small room where I was outfitted with scrubs over my clothes, gloves, a hat and a mask. I felt like I was going into surgery as the operating doctor.

We walked through a labyrinth of corridors, my heart pounding in my chest. Entering a room, I saw my wife Laura lying on the table, her legs spread and strapped into the metal stirrups that extended from the end of the bed. Laura was sweating profusely, and I heard her scream.

"Hi honey." Laura said to me, then another scream. "Aauuugh!" she yelled as the doctor said "Push!" I had my iPhone out, videotaping. I could see the head of the baby showing as Laura grimaced and pushed again. Indeed I had just made it in time... time which seemed to slow down as I watched the doctor finally be able to grip the head and ultimately to pull the baby out of my wife's vagina.

As the doctor quickly secured the umbilical cord, cutting it, the next sound that reached my ears was the most welcome to any new parent: the baby cried... and loudly.

"It's a girl." the head nurse said. Tears began flowing from my eyes... I was the proud father of a new baby daughter!

"Oh honey, I love you." I said, kissing Laura on the forehead as she gasped to catch her breath. I could not stop the tears flowing from my eyes, and Laura's eyes were overflowing as well.

Nurses were still working between Laura's legs to clean up the ejecta, and other nurses and the doctor were cleaning up the baby and examining her on a cold metal plate a couple of feet away.

Newborn babies are not the cute little things one sees on TV. She was a mess, with a very red face, pointed skull that would round out with time, no hair on her head, her arms just unwinding and her tiny legs still bent almost double. She looked more like a big red raisin than a person.

My little girl continued to announce her presence to the world in the strongest and loudest possible terms for a couple of moments as the measurements were made.

"Seven pounds, no ounces." one nurse said. Laura was grasping my hand.

"What is her name?" another nurse asked as she filled out the paperwork.

"Carole." Laura said. "C-a-r-o-l-e. Carole Diana. Oh honey, I can't believe it! Oh, just look at her..."

Finally, after several more minutes, the head nurse put a pink toboggan on my daughter's head, wrapped her in a linen cloth, and handed her to me. I was amazed at how tiny she was, how light she felt in my arms. I had never felt happier. Wow, I was holding a baby that was just a few minutes old! And she was mine!

After a moment, I turned and gently handed the baby to her mother. "Just lie her down, belly to belly." the nurse said. Laura did so, gently stroking our daughter's back. Carole had stopped crying and was now lying there peacefully, probably asleep as her little eyes were closed.

"Oh my God." I said, silently thanking God and the Universe for the successful and healthy arrival of our new child...

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Long moments later I made my way out into the waiting room as Laura and Carole were wheeled into a hospital room. The delivery had gone well for Laura, she had no problems so far.

Cindy, Tanya, Hugh, and the Chief were waiting. The Chief had permitted no more to come. Of course my mother and Todd were also there.

I tried to make my voice sound like a good John Wayne imitation. "There's a new girl in town, pardners..." Then I was overcome by emotion again and my voice broke; I couldn't finish the sentence. My mom was hugging me as my friends congratulated me.

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The next day I handed out over two hundred pink candy cigars at the Police Headquarters and at the University Campus Police headquarters. I also handed out a few real cigars: to the Chief, to Todd, to Britt Maxwell, to University President Wellman, who came in with his wife to visit Laura... and a couple to Melina, who I knew enjoyed a good cigar.

Part 10- A Young Heart Broken

"Hi Todd." Melina said. It was Friday, August 2nd, and she had been helping Phyllis with last minute preparations for the baby's arrival after mom and daughter's discharge from the hospital, which was expected to happen the next morning. When Todd walked in, Phyllis left her grandson and former daughter-in-law alone, knowing that this conversation was needed.

"Hey, baby." Todd said. "I haven't heard from you in days, and then Grandma called and said come over. What's up?"

"I know, I've been really busy. And we do need to talk." Melina said. "Let's go sit down."

They went down through the basement game room and onto the porch, overlooking the University and the Town behind it. Melina sat down in one of the patio chairs, beckoning Todd to sit in the one next to her.

"Todd, it's like this." Melina said. "I've met a guy, we've begun dating, and it's getting serious. I... I'm not going to be dating you or anyone else right now, maybe forever."

Though he had suspected this, Todd had deliberately refused to consciously consider that Melina was dating another man and would reject him. Her words now slammed into his chest like a jackhammer or his Uncle Don's crowbar.

"But..." Todd said, stammering, groping for words. "But... what about our baby? I mean, I want to be part of his or her life, and part of your life."

"I know," Melina said, "and you'll be the baby's father and part of his life. It's a boy, by the way, I had them tell me."

"Wow, a boy." Todd said, momentarily letting the joy of knowing he was going to have a son ease the pain of Melina's words... but the reality soon had to be dealt with.

"Does this guy you're dating... does he know about the baby and that it's mine?" Todd asked. His mind was in turmoil; he could barely speak.

"Yes, he knows everything." Melina said. "He understands that you're the father and you want to be part of the baby's life. And you'll be part of my life, too... but as friends. I can't give you any more than that."

"I understand." Todd said, not understanding, his eyes looking over the vista.

"I'm sorry if I've hurt you." Melina said. "I never meant for any of this to happen; hell, I never thought your uncle Don and I wouldn't be married anymore. It's just been a... a whirlwind."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Todd said, the misery beginning to clutch at his heart.


"I'll always love you, just not the way you were hoping for." Melina said. She kissed the young stud's cheek. "I'm going to go back inside and finish helping your grandmother. I'll see you in a little bit." She walked back inside, leaving Todd on the patio.

It took a long time for him to work through his memories, his shattered hopes and dreams. He remembered how he'd fallen in love with Melina when he was only thirteen, remembered how he'd felt for her when he'd finally made love to her on that camping trip over a year ago... then his god-damned brother had drugged them all... then suddenly she was here, in this Town, in Todd's grasp, especially when his Uncle Don had fallen hard for Dr. Laura Fredricson. It all was going so beautifully well... but now something had happened... suddenly... and *POOF* it was all over, just like that?

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"Oh my," said Phyllis, as she watched Todd go around to his car, then heard it drive away. "I hope he'll be okay."

"Me, too." Melina said. "But it had to be done."

"I know, dear." Phyllis said. "I remember when I had to break up with Bob Thornton after I agreed to marry Douglass. I don't think Bobby ever got over it."

"What happened to him?" Melina asked.

"He joined the Marines, went to Viet Nam. He was badly wounded, twice, was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism. Came home, got married, but he began drinking and became an alcoholic. Drank himself to death within fifteen years. I always thought the war had finally killed him, but his mother always blamed me for it all."

"I hope Todd won't do anything like that, or do anything rash." Melina said.

"Me neither." Phyllis replied. "But Todd's got a better head on him than Bobby Thornton ever did."

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I got the call at 1:00am.

I headed down to the "Sachsenhausen" district. This area was in Town, but right across the main north-south street from the University, and many bars, restaurants and sandwich shoppes lined the streets. Because it was similar to the way many bars lined the streets of the Sachsenhausen district in Frankfurt, Germany, it had somehow and aptly acquired the same name. Further west and south the streets got uglier as one entered the "Tenderloin" District, where the prostitutes and drug dealers plied their trades.