Black and Blue Ch. 05

Rudistan: "And it's not just blacks with that... Socialism, from Soviet Communism to Nazism to Venezuela, people use that economic envy to gin up hatreds and impose their Socialist agenda... and then everyone suffers."

I said "And as long as the Mainstream Media aids and abets ginning up that hatred instead of helping solve the problems, I fear there is no solution to any issues, race relations and otherwise. God! I hate the Media!..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rather than go to the Cop Bar, Joan and Inga went to the Applebee's near the Northpoint Mall.

"So," Joan said, "how are things with you and Lt. Davis?"

"Pretty good." Inga said. "He's a good guy, treats me well, good in bed..."

"Bu-ut..." Joan said.

"Nothing, really." Inga said. "Like I said, he's a good guy, and I shouldn't complain... but I'm not sure he's 'the one'. He's been talking in terms of doing things together that married couples do, and making hints along those lines. But I'm nowhere near that level of commitment yet."

"And you told him this?" Joan said.

"In so many words." Inga said. "I say we need to take it slow, but we've been seriously dating for months now. So I'm not sure where we are." Joan nodded and wisely just said nothing.

"What about you?" Inga said. "Are you dating anyone?"

"Not seriously." Joan said. "Not really at all. Most of the guys I meet are boring as hell, and a bunch of wimps. I don't know what schools are doing, but all the guys I meet are... emasculated. Either they're afraid of their own shadows, or they believe the crap that asking a woman out is committing rape, like those feminists yell all the time."

"I know what you mean." said Inga.

"Yeah, why can't I find a guy that's like Commander Troy?" Joan said. "Now there's a man who is not afraid to be a man. If he weren't above me in the chain-of-command, I'd drag him to bed and fuck his balls off!"

Inga giggled. "Get in line. Half the women in this County have the same fantasy, and the other half is lying if they say they don't." Both women laughed at that.

"True." Joan said. "Anyway, I'm okay with how things are for me right now. Being a Detective is great, and Vice is a great place for me to be. I love what we're doing, and it's never dull, even on a slow day."

"I like where I am, too." said Inga. "And there's nothing better than being a TCPD Officer..."

Part 31 - Epilogue

Saturday, May 16th. After lunch, I went back to my office and made a dent in the mountain of paperwork I had to do. At some point I realized that I could do a lot of this from the comfort of my own home, so I filled my briefcase with papers and let the Duty Desk know I'd be working from home and they could reach me there if something cropped up.

I drove along Riverside Drive, Jefferson Avenue, University Parkway, MLK Jr. Drive, then further south as I came back east towards the roads home. There was no unusual activity, no groups of people wearing t-shirts with any particular logos on them. Restaurants seemed to be doing a good business.

Maybe we're past the worst of it, I thought hopefully to myself.

I got to The Cabin, and was promptly ambushed by five boys (mine and Todd's, excluding Jack Burke) coming out of the woods. I surrendered quickly but declined to be taken hostage. The boys went back to playing.

Inside, Laura, Paulina, and Molly were talking in the greatroom. I asked where the girls were.

Laura said "They're in the attic room. Jim and Ross gave them a large box of unused Legos to build something with, and the girls were doing just that.

"Nice of the boys to let the girls play with their toys." I said, a bit drily, causing all three of the women to laugh out loud. I put my briefcase in my office, then went upstairs.

Carole, Marie, and Tasha were very proud of the stockade they had built. The problem was that the stockade had imprisoned the redoubtable Bowser, whose eyes expressed a need for my help in executing a jailbreak.

"Okay, I need to take Bowser out." I said, picking him up and setting him down outside the stockade. I took Bowser downstairs, found Buddy, who was guarding my office with his eyes closed, and took the dogs out.

I sat down on the metal mesh loveseat and looked over my Town in the early afternoon light, enjoying the 'just right' warmth of the day. The night before last, it had been the scene of a battle of frustrations that had become physical, and violent. Today, from atop the mountain finger, it appeared to be tranquil, with the promise of reward for the exercise of production and trade.

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

It was my Police iPhone, and I heard Bowser barking most very furiously at the sound. I took the call: "Troy."

"Don!" said Teresa Croyle. "Turn on a national news outlet!"

I herded Buddy and Bowser inside, and saw that Carole was already expertly using the remote to turn on the television monitor in the front room.

"What are you doing, Carole?" Laura asked.

"Turning on the TV for Daddy." Carole said. "There's something he needs to watch." As I came up to the monitor, Carole handed me the remote and took off back upstairs. Bowser did not follow. I stopped wondering how Carole knew as I turned my attention to the monitor. The women had also come over to see what was the matter.

"This is Meredith Peller with KFXU Fox University!" said the lovely blonde. "We are joining our national Fox Cable affiliate!"

The feed switched to the national political reporters. They were showing a riot beginning, cars on fire, a lot of black people milling about. The reporter said "We are here in Wilmington, Delaware, where protesters are spilling into the streets, marching and chanting! A Police car has been set on fire, and several persons were attacked and injured by the protesters!"

Back to the anchor: "For those of you just tuning in: yesterday afternoon, a white Police Officer subdued an unarmed black man, handcuffed his hands behind his back, and then stepped on the man's neck. The man was gasping that he couldn't breathe, but the Officer kept his boot on the man's neck for over eight minutes. There were three other Officers at the scene, all white. One of them tried to stop the first Officer, but the other two intervened, saying the man was fine and that he needed to be subdued in that fashion."

The anchor said "The man fell unconscious and was taken to the hospital. Late last night he was pronounced brain-dead, and his life support equipment was removed. He died an hour later. This morning, the Wilmington, Delaware District Attorney announced that there would be no charges against the white Officers...

"Oh, nooo." said Molly Evans. "This'll start a firestorm across the country!"

"Literally." I said. "They're already setting things on fire." I got out my Police iPhone to call Teresa, the Chief, and the Sheriff...

Finis... for now.