Boosted Pt. 05

ELEVEN

With a low groan Sean slapped at the nightstand before turning over his phone to silence the damnable birds demanding he wake up. It was six a.m., his normal waking time, but he'd gotten less than three hours sleep last night. He didn't want to get up and wanted to sleep for another couple of hours at least, but he had to go in on time today. Not only was today payday, but he also had to collect Paul's city issued equipment and car and conduct his exit interview. It didn't seem fair to make Paul come back later in the day after working all night because he couldn't roll his lazy ass out of bed. He stretched with another groan before he forced himself to tumble out of bed and stagger to the bathroom. He shaved and brushed his teeth, and as he showered, life seeped back into his body. He took a little extra time in the shower, and by the time he slapped the water off he felt almost human. He knew the lack of sleep would catch up with him later, but he'd worry about that when it happened. Because he'd taken longer in the shower than normal, he decided to skip breakfast. As he prepared Marmalade's food, the cat appeared, walking up to him and rubbing against Sean's ankles.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Sean teased as he placed the bowl on the floor for the cat. The animal sniffed at the bowl before turning away. He'd mixed the food half and half, old with new, and as the new food proportion increased, Marmalade's pickiness increased as well. "That's what there is," Sean scolded softly.

Marmalade rubbed against his leg again and purred, as if apologizing, but he didn't go near the food. Sean bent and scratched the cat between the ears. He hoped it was Marmalade being stubborn and not that he was losing his appetite again. He started to leave but changed his mind. With a sigh, he picked up the food, cut half of it into another container, and then added an equal amount of the food Marmalade preferred. He placed the food on the floor and watched. Marmalade sniffed at the bowl and then began to eat, but not with his old relish. Shaking his head, lips tightening in worry, he gave the cat a quick stroke before hurrying out of the apartment. He smiled to himself as he walked to his Charger. The car that had parked in his spot last night was missing. He suspected that his spot was being used by another tenant when they thought he wouldn't need it, such as when he was spending the night at Maggie's house. By the time he arrived home to feed his cat in the morning they were already gone, and he was none the wiser.

He drove to the station, thinking about how he was going to shuffle his officers to cover the loss of Paul. Paul was working the shift with the latest additions to the force, and he didn't want to leave Will to watch over the kids alone. He was still mulling over how to address the issue when he pulled to a stop in the station's parking lot. The first order of business was coffee, and lots of it. After a quick stop in his office to retrieve his mug from the desk drawer, he smiled as he entered the breakroom. On the table was a cake shaped and frosted in a fair approximation of a City of Raleigh police badge. He filled his mug and returned to his office, yawning hugely as he did. It was going to be a long day.

He thumbed through the checks stubs that he'd picked up at city hall yesterday, pulling out Paul's and setting it aside. He'd pass out the rest of the stubs after Paul's party. He was going through his emails when Will stepped into his office.

"Paul's here."

"Be right there."

He finished the email he was reading and then walked to the breakroom. If the criminals knew what was going on, now would be the time to have a crime spree. All the officers going off shift, along with all those going on, plus a couple of extras, were crowded into the breakroom. Kim, the dispatcher going on duty, was cutting and handing out cake as everyone wished Paul well. There was laughter and shaking of hands, some of his brothers in uniform sincerely wishing him well while others suggested that now that he was leaving, they could get a real police officer to replace him. Paul took it all in stride, knowing the insults were simply his friends' way of saying they were going to miss him.

Ten minutes into the celebration, Kim disappeared, and Terri arrived to have her chance to say goodbye. He held back, allowing Paul's peers to have their say. He could wish Paul well during his exit interview. By seven-thirty the officers going on duty trickled out as the gathering began to break up.

"When you're ready, come see me," Sean said, standing at Paul's shoulder.

"Will do."

Sean tossed his paper plate and plastic fork into the trashcan before returning to his office. He collected the check stubs and quickly circulated through the office, placing the checks in the center desk drawer for each officer like normal.

"Thank you for your service," he said, handing Kim her check.

"Thanks," she replied, taking the stub and quickly stuffing it into her purse. "I'm going to miss Paul."

"Yeah, I am too," he agreed. "Any idea on how we can stop the turnover, short of paying more money?"

Kim shook her head slowly. "No, not really. It's been this way for years."

Sean grunted and nodded as he turned away. The curse of a small-town police force was they couldn't compete on salary and benefits with larger towns. Other than himself and Quinten, the only officers he had with more than ten years' experience were older officers that had retired from larger police forces, men who wanted to stay busy but didn't want the stresses of working in a large city. Unfortunately for him there weren't enough of those type of guys to fill out his force.

"Ready?" Paul asked as Sean approached his office.

"If you are," Sean replied. They entered Sean's office and Paul closed the door behind them. Sean waved at a guest chair. "Have a seat."

Paul sat then placed his service weapon on Sean's desk, along with his badge, car keys, and other pieces of equipment that he'd been issued. Sean took the items without comment and tucked them away in his desk drawer. He'd return the equipment to the armory later. Sean slid a piece of paper across the desk.

"That certifies you've returned all equipment issued to you by the city of Brunswick." Paul took the sheet, glanced over the document, and then signed it before sliding it back to Sean. "That's it. Excited about your new job?"

"Kind of," Paul said, a flicker of a smile dancing across his lips. "A little nervous. I'm going to miss the guys."

Sean nodded in understanding. "You'll be an asset to Raleigh's force."

"Thanks, Sean. Nice of you to say."

Sean slid Paul's check stub across the desk. "The address correct?" he asked. Brunswick would mail his last check.

Paul glanced at the envelope. "Yes."

"Anything you'd like to say? Any ideas on how the department can improve."

Paul shook his head slowly. "No, not really. I didn't like working the rotating shifts, but then, neither does anyone else. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be stuck on nights all the time either."

"I know. There's no good answer for twenty-four hour coverage."

"Yeah. Nobody wants to work nights, except maybe Danny, and nobody wants to work rotating shifts, but that's part of it."

"So, other than rotating shifts, no other complaints? Here's your chance to tell me the truth and not have to worry about the consequences."

Paul smiled. "No, I don't have anything to add. I know some of the guys didn't care much for Chief Horton, but I haven't heard anyone complain about you."

"Would you tell me if you had?"

"Maybe," Paul said with a smile and a shrug. "Seriously, getting the computers for our cars, and the new software to help with the paperwork, that's the best thing to happen to the department since I got here. Things are a lot more efficient now that we can look stuff up ourselves without having to call dispatch."

"I get that. Last year, when I was covering Danny's shift, I was carrying a paper file around with me in the car. That sucked big time." There was an extended pause, and when Paul didn't appear to have anything else to say, Sean rose from behind his desk, Paul doing the same. Sean extended his hand. "It's been a pleasure and honor having you on the force, Officer Limbrose.

"Thank you, sir. The honor has been mine," Paul replied, taking the hand.

"Now, get out of here. This area is for authorized personnel only," Sean said, smiling as he waved his hands in a shooing motion.

Paul chuckled. "Jeez. Just like that, I'm a nobody."

Sean followed Paul out, stopping in the breakroom to refill his mug. As he exited the room, Paul stepped out of the dispatcher's office, waving to Kim from the door before entering the lobby and disappearing.

He returned to his office, slowing his step to watch through the window as Paul climbed into the passenger seat of one of Brunswick's cruisers for a ride home. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, sat down behind his desk, and called up his spreadsheet that contained all the work assignments. Paul's shift was getting a long weekend as it prepared to rotate to days, so that made it a little easier to juggle the roster. He slowly scrolled through the list of names, looking for inspiration on who he was going to reassign.

-oOo-

"I'm leaving," Sean said as he paused at the dispatcher's office.

"Getting out early?" Kim asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Long night last night."

"Problem?"

"No, just checking on something. See you Monday."

"Enjoy your weekend."

He walked to his car, the beginnings of a headache forming. He'd decided to move Tyrell Pickerling to Paul's shift. Tyrell had a couple of years' experience working for the Tilley PD before Brunswick took over the policing of the town, and that experience would be beneficial in helping supervise the greenest of Brunswick's officers.

He assigned the newest members of the force to Paul and Will for supervision after their ride-along training. William Donner retired from the Maine State Police, served as their weapons officer, and was his de facto second in command. He'd made it official when he began his hiring spree by promoting Will from sergeant to lieutenant, the first person to hold that rank in Brunswick PD history.

Where Paul, with his easy-going nature, gave the new guys a big-brother like person they could talk to, Will functioned as a father figure, handling more serious mistakes without having to bring it to the chief. It was a system that worked for bringing the new guys and gals along and getting them integrated into Brunswick's force. Everyone respected Will's authority without feeling like they were being reprimanded for making a mistake, and the officers confided in Paul as they realized how different the streets were from the classroom. Hopefully Tyrell could fill Paul's shoes in the big-brother roll. If not, he would see if Eric Caswell, his other choice, was interested in filling the role.

He planned to go home, feed his cat, and then go to Maggie's to surprise her with dinner when she got home, but before any of that, he wanted to take a drive past BIGS. He backed out of his parking spot, yawning as he did. Staying awake for a movie was going to be tough tonight.

He drove through Brunswick, taking the roundabout route to Tilley so he could drive past Loch and Castle. The pub wouldn't open for another two hours, so it was no surprise there were no cars in the parking lot. He considered taking Maggie to the pub for dinner because he really didn't feel like cooking, but then decided to stick to his original plan. He didn't feel like going out either, and cooking dinner was the least he could do for bailing on her last night.

As he drove past BIGS there was a pristine Triumph TR3 and a rusted and faded VW van sitting in the parking lot. There was still nothing to indicate BIGS Automotive Repair was anything other than what they claimed to be, a repair shop for European cars. He considered stopping and trying to wheedle another look in the shop, but he would bet his next paycheck there wasn't a thing to be seen that would indicate anything had happened there last night. He turned around and drove back past the shop, puzzling over how to attack the problem. He was back in Tilley when he decided he wasn't going to worry about it anymore today. He was too tired to think straight, and his headache was getting worse.

He drove home and parked in his reserved space before walking to his door. "Marmalade?" he called as he entered and didn't see his cat. A moment later, Marmalade appeared from his bedroom. "There you are." It was worrying that the cat no longer met him at the door. It was equally worrying that Marmalade had stopped begging for food. Most worrying of all, part of his food from this morning was still in the bowl. That used to never happen. A year ago, Marmalade would eat everything put in front of him, every time it was put in front of him, and beg for more.

"Ready to eat?" Sean asked as he picked up the half-eaten bowl of food and dumped the dried-out pâté into the sink disposer.

The cat flopped to the floor in the kitchen and watched as Sean prepared his meal. He considered a fifty-fifty mix of old food with new but decided to give Marmalade only his old diet. The old fare wouldn't help with his heart condition, but he wanted to see if he could get Marmalade to eat better. He opened a can and dumped the contents into a clean bowl and placed it on the floor in the regular spot. Marmalade slowly rose to his feet and walked to the bowl. He sniffed at it a moment before starting to eat, purring as he did. Sean nodded in satisfaction. The little shit was just being picky. Picky he could deal with.

He pulled the bottled clam juice from the 'fridge and poured a splash into another bowl before placing it in the microwave for a quick warm up. After a few seconds, he pulled the bowl from the microwave and shook the two pills into his hand. When he turned, he expected to see Marmalade still at the food bowl, but the cat was lying in the floor, having walked away after taking only a few bites. His heart sank. He crouched beside his pet, placing the bowl of clam juice on the floor near his nose, scooped tuna onto his finger, and gave Marmalade the pills. The cat lapped up the clam juice, but as soon as the bowl was empty, he lay down again. His mouth tight in worry, Sean sat down on the floor and slowly stroked Marmalade, listening to the cat as he purred. He picked his pet up and draped him over his shoulder as he rose, Marmalade riding there until he placed the animal gently on the bed.

"I've got to go. Don't you do something stupid, like dying on me, while I'm gone, okay?" he said, his voice soft as he gently scratched the cat between the ears. He rose from the bed, lingering to stroke the cat a few more times. He'd call the vet and get Marmalade in to see the doctor tomorrow. "Be good," he said, giving the cat one last vigorous scratch between the ears before walking to the bathroom. He didn't realize how much he'd miss that old cat until the prospect of him dying reared its ugly head. He quickly cleaned the litterbox, a task that didn't take long since Marmalade wasn't making as many deposits as he used to, and then scratched Marmalade between the ears one more time on his way out of the room. He called the vet's office as he walked to the dumpster to toss the litter, setting up an appointment for Saturday morning. That would make him a little late arriving at the Craftsmen on Main, but his officers could manage without him for an hour or so.

He drove to Maggie's, pulling into the garage and letting himself into her house. She'd be home in about thirty minutes, and he wanted to have dinner well underway by the time she arrived. He browsed her pantry, pulling out shells, along with a jar of commercial alfredo sauce. He started the shells cooking and then seared some chicken. Dinner was going to be early, but maybe that would mean they could go to bed early too. As he worked, he called the station. He wasn't thinking clearly or he'd have done this before he left for the day.

"Brunswick Police Department. How may I help you?"

"Michelle, it's Sean. Pass the word to the Tilley officers... if they see BIGS Automotive Repair has the shop lights on tonight, after say ten p.m., to give me a call."

"You want us to call you if the BIGS shop is all lit up?"

"That's it."

"No matter the time?"

"No matter the time. I expect it to be late."

There was a short pause. "Okay. I'll pass the word."

"Thanks."

He'd just hung up the phone when Maggie walked in. "I didn't expect to find you here."

He kissed her before answering. "I didn't get enough sleep last night, so I left early."

"What time did you get home?"

"About three," he said as he drained the noodles.

"Three? Are you kidding?" she asked, her surprise clear in her tone.

"Yes, or no, I'm not kidding."

"Did you find whatever you were looking for?"

"Yes and no. You know to keep this quiet?" She made a locking motion over her lips as he scraped the chicken into the shells and poured in a healthy dollop of sauce and stirred to mix. "I think so. It's going to be like the Locoste case. I think I know what I know, but I've got to figure out how to prove it."

"Stripping cars you said?"

"That's what I think." He dumped the concoction from the pan into a serving bowl. "Nothing fancy," he said.

She shrugged as she turned for glasses. "Hey, I didn't have to cook it, so it's all good. I assume since you only had three or four hours of sleep, you're not going to want to run?"

"You'd have to carry me."

She giggled. "No, don't want to do that. Are you up for a movie?"

"I think. Maybe finish Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and then something with lots of explosions and stuff to keep me awake?"

"Then go to bed early?"

"That sounds wonderful," he said as they settled at the table.

"Are you going to be too sleepy for a little something later?"

He smiled. "Never too sleepy for that."

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TWELVE

Sean stretched, sighing deeply as he swam up from the darkness of sleep. After dinner last night they'd watched the last fifteen minutes of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and then finished the evening with Orbiter 9, a subtitled Spanish sci-fi film. He didn't even blink at watching subtitled films anymore, something he'd avoided before meeting Maggie.

He snuggled in a little closer to Maggie's back, raising up slightly to glance at the clock before settling back on his pillow. 6:36. He had to get up in about twenty minutes. Not only did he have to get Marmalade to the vet, but he also had to work. He made it a point to attend all the 'on Main' events the town held every few months. It gave him a chance to mingle with the crowd while also showing his officers he wasn't asking for volunteers to do something he wasn't willing to do himself. He kissed her softly on the shoulder, sighing again as sleep tugged at him. As he'd hoped, they'd gone to bed early, and though he wouldn't have needed any help sleeping, Maggie had taken good care of him. Normally he was the aggressor, but last night she'd done most of the work before they'd fallen asleep wrapped in each other's arms. He slowly caressed the side of her breast with a thumb, his eyes closed, enjoying the peaceful half-sleep of early morning. Saturday and Sunday mornings, waking up with Maggie in his arms without the need to get up for work, were the best parts of his week.

"Stop," she murmured, her voice thick and slow. "You don't have time for that."