Cop Town Girl Ch. 04

Randy continued to train and mentor Penelope and she becoming street smart, together they made a few good busts and legitimate arrests but she still had her doubts about him. He continued to attend assignations while she had to remain in the car and he refused to tell her what he was doing during those absences.

One day Randy left her in the car and slipped into an apparently abandoned warehouse. Randy was rolling a suitcase that he had taken out of the trunk of the cruiser and seemed a little nervous which was unlike him. Penelope sat there fuming as usual but then she saw a man approach carrying a backpack in one hand and a gun in the other. The man went into warehouse.

This did not bode well and Penelope was very concerned.

"Fuck it!" she hissed as got out of the cruiser and closed the door.

She approached the warehouse and stood with her back against the wall outside the entrance. She heard harsh voices echoing in the warehouse and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. The harsh voices suddenly became angry shouting and Penelope was in two minds as to whether or not to enter the warehouse and back up her partner.

The decision was made for her when the report of a pistol echoed through the door.

Penelope drew her weapon and entered the warehouse and scanned the room through a cloud of dust-motes. Randy was lying on the floor about twenty feet from her and the man was standing over him pointing his pistol at Randy's face, his finger was on the trigger.

"Say goodnight copper," the man grinned and his finger tightened on the trigger.

Penelope didn't hesitate she assumed the Weaver stance and aimed quickly and shot the man through the head.

The man fell down next to Randy and she raced over to check on them both. The stranger was dead and Randy had been shot through the upper arm and was bleeding badly. The backpack lay beside Randy and it was open. It contained a large amount of cash. The suitcase was open too and it was filled with large calibre pistols and small calibre automatic rifles.

"Jesus Bishop; you sure know how to make an entrance," Randy croaked, he was pale and his eyes weren't properly focussed.

"Help me up," Randy held out his uninjured hand.

"Sargent stay down and I'll administer first aid and call for backup," Penelope knew the procedure.

"Fuck that Bishop. If you're caught here you're in as much shit as I am. Help me up then go back to the car," Randy grunted through the pain.

Penelope grudgingly helped him to his feet.

"Look away Bishop," Randy said.

Penelope didn't. She watched Randy put his pistol against the gunshot wound in the stranger's head and pull the trigger twice, totally obliterating the fatal wound she had inflicted.

"Ok Bishop. I shot the guy in self defence after he shot me. Go back to the car and call for backup and hit the panic button on your PR," Randy fell to his knees, the puddle of blood at his feet was growing bigger.

Penelope hit the red 'panic button' which sent an instantaneous 'officer down and needs assistance' report back to Police Plaza and all nearby units and also alerted the nearest hospital to send an ambulance. The inbuilt GPS tracker pinpointed their position.

Randy fell to the floor and blacked out. Penelope began first aid as she heard the distant wail of sirens.

"Fuck going back to the cruiser," she grunted as she tore open Randy's shirt to get to his wound.

It was a through and through but the bullet had blown out the flesh on the back of his arm and it was bleeding heavily. Penelope made a pad out of her handkerchief and pressed it on the wound and tied it off, she looked at the cache of guns and money and was worried for her partner.

She was kneeling over Randy tending his wound when backup arrived.

Randy Cody awoke to find Chief Daniel Balfour standing next to his bed. The door to his hospital room was closed.

"Well that nearly went south Randy. Lucky you stashed the guns and money before backup arrived, smart thing to do," the Chief said.

Randy was still groggy but he joined the dots. He was certainly alert enough to be conscious that the Chief was more worried about the gun deal going bad and coming back on him than he was about Randy's close call with death.

"Where's Bishop?" Randy pushed himself up and tried to look through the window set in the door.

Daniel Balfour chuckled deep down.

"Well you inadvertently did us a big favour there Sargent Cody. Police Officer Penelope Bishop is currently back in the evidence room on half-pay awaiting a tribunal and dismissal. She's going to be charged with a bunch of offences including failing to back up her partner and cowardice."

"I'd like to also charge it with impersonating a woman and impersonating a police officer," the Chief joked.

"Anyway, we throw the tranny under the bus and we all walk away clean," the Chief wiped his hands together.

"Fuck that!" Randy kicked off the covers and got out of bed.

Someone had put a fresh uniform in the wardrobe and Randy had a good idea who it was. He took off the sling and put his bandaged arm through the sleeve of his shirt.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going Randy?" Chief Balfour growled.

"Just remember what I know Danny. Don't get in my way," Randy pulled on his pants and sat down heavily to put on his shoes.

"You just remember what happened to the last police officer who tried to blackmail me," the Chief glared at Randy.

"What do you mean by that Danny?" Randy snapped his head around to meet the Chief's glare.

"Jesus!" Chief Balfour sighed heavily and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Just before rollcall Randy Cody banged on the perspex window of the evidence room and both Penelope Bishop and Tony Abbot looked up, Tony had a breakfast burrito in his hand.

"Whatcha doin' slacking off in there Bishop?" Randy called through the window.

"Well you know Sargent Cody; I'm racking and stacking important evidence," Penelope said dryly.

"Well fuck that. Get your ass out here and start doing some real policework," Randy replied just as dryly.

"Who authorised her transfer Cody?" Tony Abbot said around a mouthful of burrito.

"Eat another hoagie Abbot, you fat fuck," Randy sneered.

Penelope came out the door and couldn't contain her grin. She fell in one pace to the side and behind her partner as he had taught her to do.

"Get your ass up here beside me Bishop," Randy waved with his good hand.

Penelope actually skipped as she caught up to him and Randy saw her do it.

"Don't ever do that again," Randy growled, but she caught his smile.

"The guns and money?" Randy said out the corner of his mouth.

"In the trunk of my car, in my garage" Penelope murmured, aware of the sensitivity of the situation.

"Good girl," was all Randy said.

In actual fact Penelope Bishop had saved both his, the Chief's, and who knows who else's asses. It would be difficult to explain the large amount of cash and the illegal weapons at the crime scene if they had been found by the backup teams or the crime scene investigators.

"Wait here," Randy said curtly outside of the briefing room where rollcall was about to take place.

Randy stepped inside and closed the door behind him, Penelope peered through the glass. He walked to the front of the room where Brin Longmire sat holding court with the white Anglos.

"Hey man! Good to see..." Brin Longmire started to get up to shake Randy Cody's good hand.

Randy wound up and unleashed a haymaker right to Brin Longmire's jaw. Brin fell to the floor like a chaff-bag.

"Anybody here got anything else they wanna say or do to my partner? If you do you go through me first!" he looked vehemently around the room waiting for a challenge.

Most of the police officers were too stunned to respond, the remainder looked incredulously at each other.

"Get this asshole to the nurse's station," he poked Brin Longmire with his toe.

He came out of rollcall and Penelope was leaning against the wall staring at the floor. She fell in beside him and said nothing. He took the keys for the cruiser from his belt and tossed them to her.

"You're driving Bishop. They won't let me drive with my bum wing," he said straightforwardly.

"Thanks Sarge," Penelope smiled.

"This don't mean we're taking long hot showers together or anything Bishop," he actually cracked a grin.

"Gee, I'm disappointed Sarge. Can we at least pull them out in the men's room to which one of us is bigger?" Penelope said cheekily.

"Jesus Bishop!" Randy blushed.

"Also I'm still wearing my skirt and heels, I'm out of uniform for patrol duties," Penelope stopped next to the cruiser.

"Maybe I wanna get an eyeful of those gams Bishop, you ever think I might just want to check out your ass?" Randy countered, obviously joking.

"You can get changed at your place while we pick up those guns and cash," he said seriously.

The truth was that Randy Cody averted his eyes whenever she got in and out of the car or her skirt hiked up accidentally. He behaved like a true gentleman.

Penelope desperately wanted to bring up the subject of the guns and the cash but she didn't think the confines of the police car was the right place to do so.

"I'm gonna call in 10-42," Randy tapped the tablet.

Ten codes had been redundant in the Balwyn PD for some time, but the old timers still used the jargon. 10-42 meant they were off duty and usually indicated the officer was taking a meal break.

"Jesus Bishop you live around here?" Randy commented when Penelope turned into her street.

She just nodded and then Randy suddenly realised why. He once again had to admire her, most of the cops lived in nice subsidised apartments in the better suburbs of the city but Penelope had to put with living in a dump. He knew why and he felt a little ashamed, he had been as intolerant as the rest of the Department when Penelope was recruited.

"My place is a dump but at least it has an underground carpark, I've been bussing to work since you got shot. I figured having a trunk full of guns and money at Police Plaza was only asking for trouble," she turned to look at Randy and he blushed.

They parked the cruiser alongside her little Honda which was parked tail to the wall and transferred the suitcase and backpack into the trunk of the cruiser. Neither said a word, but they were both aware that what Randy left unsaid was gnawing at Penelope.

"You coming up while I get changed? You can make the coffee for a change," she smiled at him.

"Don't get lippy Bishop," Randy said tersely, but he couldn't suppress his grin.

They were uncomfortably close in the small elevator and Randy could smell her perfume and she his aftershave and that virile manliness that he sometimes exuded when he had been working hard.

She let him in, apologising in advance for the state of her apartment even though there was no need. The place was a dump but she had done her best to cheer it up with smart furniture and accessories; it was spotlessly clean and smelled of soap and something recently baked.

Sitting on one of the shelves was the piece of polished wood with the huge gold-gilded penis-shaped dildo mounted on it.

Randy walked over to the object and studied it.

"Care to explain Bishop?" he said, still staring at the object.

"It's an inside joke Sarge, you had to be there," she blushed.

"I'll make coffee so you have something to drink while I change," Penelope went over the kitchenette.

Randy took her elbow and turned her towards her bedroom.

"I'll make the coffee Bishop, just get yourself in your street uniform pronto," Randy replied.

"There are some muffins in the tin on the counter," Penelope called over her shoulder.

Penelope left the door ajar and dropped her handbag and duty belt on the bed and then sat down on it and kicked off her heels. She rubbed her feet for a while and then stood up and dropped her skirt and took off her blouse. She put them on hangers and hung them in the closet and took down her blues. She noticed a snag in her nylons and decided to leave on the grey, fifteen denier, sheer-to-the-waist pantyhose rather than change them for the heavier black pantyhose that she normally wore under her uniform pants.

She laid out her blues on the bed and padded over to the vanity to put up her hair. She was halfway through putting her hair in a bun when Randy came through the door holding two cups of steaming coffee.

"Jesus Bishop, I thought you'd be decent by now," Randy blushed but couldn't help staring.

Penelope was tall and well built with a slim waist, small breasts and ample but tight buttocks. She was wearing a black lace bra and black Vintage Lace Spanx with her grey, sheer-to-the-waist pantyhose over them; they accentuated her long legs. She had full makeup because she had been on office duty, and her blonde hair hung in disarray which only made her look sexier. Her full red lips looked inviting.

Randy just stood there holding the coffee unsure what to say, but he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Penelope stepped forward, uncomfortably close, and took her coffee from him but she did not step back.

"Thanks Sarge," her voice was sultry.

"Sure, Bishop," Randy swallowed.

She leaned in closer, her lips nearly touching his; he breathed in her perfume and the wonderful femininity of her.

She closed her lids over those piercing green eyes in anticipation.

Randy opened his lips slightly and leaned into her and then his PR sprang to life. Penelope was so close that she could hear the transmission from his earpiece. She instinctively stepped back and Randy made a show of putting a finger on his earpiece and turned on his heels.

"Hurry up Bishop, we don't have all day," he said brusquely as he walked out of her bedroom.

Penelope dressed and came out of the bedroom with her coffee half drunk. She had put up her hair and toned down her makeup but she still looked good. She was carrying her hat and duty belt in her other hand, her purse was slung over her shoulder.

Randy had his back to her. He was studying her crime wall. His eyes followed the strings of coloured wool joining the notes, statements, pamphlets, pictures, crime reports and articles cut from newspapers and magazines. He studied her notes.

He turned around, looking guilty. She put her duty belt, hat and handbag on the counter and stood beside him and sipped her coffee.

"What do you think?" she took another sip of coffee.

"Jesus Bishop," Randy whispered in awe.

"You keep saying that Sarge, but you got anything else for me? You wanna tell me about the guns and the money? You wanna tell me about the ridiculously low crime rate and high clean up rate in Balwyn? You wanna tell me where the mysterious donations into True Blue come from? You wanna tell me what my father was doing behind Morganson's Hardware and how was he connected to a bag of rubies?" Penelope stood close to him and looked him in the eyes.

"You're steering into dangerous waters here Bishop. You seem to have a lot figured out, but there will be no happy ending for you, even if you find out who killed your father," Randy looked at her seriously.

She stepped into him, once again her face was inches from his. She engaged him with her deep green eyes in which Randy saw hurt, but also hope and integrity.

"Jesus Bishop, I know I owe you one but you could get us both killed. Do you know that?" he couldn't look away from her.

She just continued to stare at him until he could take it no longer.

"Come here Bishop, sit down," he took her cup from her led her to the couch.

"First off I don't know who killed your father or why, but I can confirm that he was on the board of True Blue. He was concerned that someone or some people were siphoning off funds," Randy began.

"Second of all it seems that you have figured out the link to the low crime rate and high clean up rate and the anonymous donations to True Blue. The cops and the organised crime bosses in this town are in cahoots. The crime bosses pay protection money to the cops and also give up those criminals not on their payroll. The vig is payed into True Blue because the donations are easier to hide than cash handouts to individual police officers," Randy pulled out a pack of Marlborough's and looked at her questioningly.

Penelope nodded and dragged an antique marble ashtray across the table and took a cigarette without one being offered. She didn't smoke in her apartment but this conversation was devastating and she needed a smoke. Randy lit her cigarette then his own and continued.

"As far as the rubies go, I can only guess it was a pay off. Bank transfers can be traced even though the crime bosses put the money through shell companies, and dealing in cash can risky. If they pay off in gemstones, the stones can be laundered overseas and the money transferred into True Blue from reputable companies," Randy tapped ash from his cigarette into the ashtray.

"But why hasn't anyone found out about this? I've been working for the PD for nearly a year and now and even I figured out that the pension fund was being supplemented by dubious means," Penelope looked earnestly at Randy.

"Who wants to know Bishop? The Chief and the Mayor are dirty. The State Attorney General is also likely on the take and the State Legislators and the Governor are proud of the city's crime statistics. Why fuck with that?" Randy shook his head.

"What about IAD?" she asked incredulously.

Randy huffed.

"Internal Affairs? What Internal Affairs? Those jag-offs are still police and get their benefits from True Blue just like everyone else," Randy sighed.

"Ok, what about the guns and the money and all the times I saw you deliver or collect shit while we were out on the beat?" she put her hand on his knee for emphasis.

Randy hung his head and mumbled his reply.

"I'm as dirty as the rest of them Bishop. We not only take pay-offs from organised crime gangs, we trade with them. We sell them drugs and weapons taken from crime scenes, all sorts of shit," Randy confessed.

"But I worked in Evidence for four months and did a lot of digging but I never found a trace of evidence being taken illegally from the evidence room," Penelope countered.

"Because that shit never made it into Evidence Bishop! It's easy to make things disappear from a crime scene, you did it yourself," he raised his head and looked at her earnestly.

"But I did that to help you Randy," she looked at him with concern.

"Why?" Randy searched her eyes.

"You're my partner, that's why," she replied.

"Bullshit! I treated you like shit," he countered.

"I learned so much from you regardless, you mentored me," she tighten her grip on his knee.

"Bullshit," Randy put his hand on her wrist.

A single tear ran down Penelope's face.

"Don't make me say it; I know you think I'm a freak," she whispered.

Randy's hand flew to her face and she flinched, expecting a blow.

Instead he wiped away the tear and caressed her cheek.

"You're a million times better than most of us Bishop," he continued to stroke her cheek.

"And?" her eyes brimmed with tears.

"And. You are beautiful," Randy leaned and kissed her.

They kissed close-mouthed, Randy's hand still on her cheek. She raised her hand to his cheek and caressed the fine stubble. She opened her mouth just a little as did he and the tips of their tongues met.

Once again his PR went off.

They broke the kiss.

"Shithouse mouse! Every time!" Penelope whined but she was smiling.

"Come on Bishop; we got a call," Randy cleared his throat.

"Can you at least call me Penelope?" she said as she rose and reached for her duty belt.

"Not when we're on duty Bishop," he replied brusquely.

She put on her hat and put her purse over her shoulder and led the way.

She jumped when Randy slapped her on the ass.