Case of the Murdered Chessplayer Ch. 04

"Might've been better if he'd gotten me, useless as I was tonight."

"Nonsense. Listen, kid, you learned something tonight. And you've learned that shit like this happens in police work. People who aren't supposed to die do, and people who should be exterminated somehow get away. We just have to deal with it, every day."

The chief shifted in his chair. "I've been dealing with this, and more, for too many years now."

I knew this man wanted to retire, but only if he could leave his police department clean and in good hands. I knew why I had been brought in, and I had begun to get an idea of what we were facing to clean out the Augean Stables that faced us.

"Chief... am I on the right track? Or am I fucking up again?" I asked. The chief knew what I was asking, and that it wasn't about this night.

"You're doing fine, Don. Just fine. Better than I could've possibly hoped. Now go home and get some sleep. I don't want to see you in this building until noon tomorrow at the earliest." He got up and left the total darkness of the office.

I did not move, but sat in that darkness until the light of dawn began showing up through the window.

Part 16 - Epilogue

We all raised our glasses in toast as we sat at the table on the patio of the Cop Bar, and saluted our newly promoted officer.

"Congratulations, Tanya!" I said. That morning, the chief and asked me to help him pin Supervisor bars on Tanya's uniform, naming her to the position of Supervisor of the Crime Lab Division and giving her the full rank and authority pertaining thereto. She had looked stoic throughout. Now, at the bar, her eyes bore into me.

"This is your fault." she said.

"Yes it is." I said, not backing down at all. "I pushed as hard as I could to get you into the post. And you absolutely deserve it. You've already been making the Crime Lab into the best in the State; now you're getting the title and pay to go along with it."

"Yes, you absolutely deserve it, so let me tell you to shut up one last time, since you outrank me now." Cindy Ross added. Everyone laughed.

"I know, and I'm sorta happy about it." Tanya said, then looked at Cindy with a mischievous smile. "Especially about outranking all of you."

"But I'm just going to miss you guys and miss solving cases." she added, her face turning sad.

"Girl, please." I said. "You're going to be first on the scenes, and you'll have have these cases solved before the rest of us can even drive to them. And then while your people do the tests, you'll be in the MCD with us solving those cases. I'll personally make sure of that. Remember, you're technically still a Detective, just with a Supervisor rank in another department. Like me."

Tanya brightened up considerably upon hearing it explained that way. She said "As long as you get your Lieutenant bar and can back up your words..."

"Yeah, when IS that going to happen?" asked Cindy. Hugh Hewitt nodded his agreement with the question.

"Soon, I guess." I said. "I think the Chief is trying to find a way to surprise me when he does it." I grinned. "And I'm trying not to let him get anything past me."

"Ha! He scored big on you with your mom." Hugh said, grinning himself. "You had absolutely no idea, did you?"

I had to laugh. "Yeah, you all got me good on that, and so did my mom. But she and I were sparring on things like that for years while I was growing up..."

-------------------------

The funeral of Timothy Olivet had been a somber, quiet service. Jeanine Olivet was there, dressed in a widow's black veils. Mrs. Eleanor Burke had come, though her husband had refused to.

I made myself go; I wanted to be made totally aware of what the cost of making a mistake would be, if only to make sure I never fucked up and caused an innocent life to end again. To my surprise, Todd showed up and hung around with me, not letting his presence be felt by the others.

Jeanine had already told me that she was selling the company and putting most of the money into a charitable trust, to help people get off drug addiction. She'd made the first installment to a drug addiction center at the University Hospital in the name of Margo Bailey.

Now, a couple of hours later, three women were sitting on a bench at a nearby park, watching the ducks on the water. Jeanine Olivet sat in the middle, with Teresa Croyle on her right side. Teresa was in a black dress with her brown high-heel slides that made her legs look so fantastic. Jeanine had on nude/tan Louboutin pumps. Melina had walked up to them and sat on Jeanine's left side, wearing a matching black dress and black pumps.

Their talk soon turned to the one thing they all had in common: Jack Burke. They each shared their stories of their liaisons with Jack, and lamented his passing. Teresa even rubbed Jeanine's belly, telling her to take care of Jack's child... for herself and the other two women, also. Melina agreed heartily.

"I'm going to name him for Jack when he's born." Jeanine said. "And I'm glad I have two soul-sisters here to help me with him."

"You'll be married again soon." Melina said.

"Yeah, I have this feeling that my true soulmate is here, somewhere. I even thought I felt his presence at the funeral, though I didn't see anyone that I could think of in those terms."

"That's funny...." Melina said. "Just the other night I was thinking of my soulmate, whoever he is, thinking that he's about to come into my life."

Teresa looked kind of sad as the other two looked towards her. Noticing their looks, she said simply "I'm not feeling a soulmate right now. Maybe I never will."

"Oh, you will." Jeanine said, putting her arm around Teresa. "And in the meantime, you've got an upcoming baby to be godmother to, if you'll do it." Teresa looked blank, stunned for a moment, then gave a brief smile and agreed.

"Okay, ladies." Jeanine said. "Let's go to my new law office and have a drink. Just one for us pregnant ladies, of course. We'll toast to Jack, and to our new soulmates, whoever and wherever they may be..."

Finis... for now.