Valentine's Day

After getting a clean chit of bill from Dr. Cahill, I immediately returned to my duty the next day. 

The following days were normal and routine. Patrols were uneventful, with only minor incidents breaking the monotony. Traffic stops, noise complaints, and assisting citizens with various concerns filled our shifts. 

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Today is Valentine's Day, and we are all gathered in the briefing room for the morning roll call. The usual hum of conversation and occasional laughter is notably absent. Instead, a heavy silence fills the air, punctuated only by the occasional shuffle of papers or the clearing of a throat. Everyone's faces are drawn, their eyes lacking the usual spark. 

The festive spirit that usually accompanies this day seems to have been replaced by an unspoken dread in the briefing room. I think to myself, trying to pinpoint the reason behind this collective gloom. It's not just the stress of the job; there's another reason for the mood today.

I soon get the answer to my question as Sergeant Grey walks in and started the briefing. 

"Alright. Today is the most dangerous day of the year. Valentine's Day, while a celebration of love for many, is also be a reminder of loneliness, unresolved conflicts, and unfulfilled expectations. Jealousy, broken hearts, revenge, etc all make for a perfect storm of hightened emotions and dangerous situations."

Valentine's Day can be particularly challenging for law enforcement. Domestic disputes, heightened tensions, and emotional confrontations often spike, making it a day filled with unpredictable and often volatile situations.

After roll call, Angela and I headed out to our patrol car. The streets of Los Angeles were busy with people carrying flowers, chocolates, and other tokens of affection, but beneath the surface, there was an undercurrent of tension that we, as officers, were attuned to.

Our first call of the day came through the radio: a domestic disturbance in a high-rise apartment building downtown. As we arrived on the scene, the sounds of a heated argument echoed through the hallways. The couple, a middle-aged man and woman, were yelling at each other, their faces flushed with anger. I took the lead mediated the situation. It took some time, but eventually, the couple agreed to separate for the day to cool off, avoiding any escalation.

As we drove through the city, we kept an eye out for any signs of trouble. We see a naked man being chasing another man with a golf stick and yelling to kill him. Angela and I immediately chased after them and stopped them. Turns out the naked man was cheating on the wife of the chasing man, he was caught and then this incident happened. We then arrested the naked man for indecent exposure and warned the other.

The next call was a bar fight between two men over a woman, and we had to intervene to break it up. Both men were heavily intoxicated and took some convincing with our fists to calm down. After a few tense moments, we managed to separate them and called for backup to help manage the situation.

Afterward, Angela and I went to our usual place for lunch. I met up with Lucy and John, where Lucy started telling us how John had saved a woman who was electrocuted by giving her CPR. Since then, the woman has been obsessed with John, sending him gift baskets and making a false 911 call about a burglary to get John to her house.

I laughed at the situation and warned John to be careful, as this could escalate to a dangerous situation. I don't think he took that seriously and dismissed me by saying, "It's just a phase. She'll get over it soon enough."

After lunch, Angela and I resumed our shift. We soon got a call through the radio to head to a hospital and take a statement from an assault victim. We quickly reached the hospital and inquired about the direction of the victim's room.

We entered the room and saw the victim, a man in his early 60s named Kevin Scott. Angela started talking, "Good afternoon, sir. I'm Officer Lopez, and this is Officer Hunter. We understand you were attacked."

The man chuckled and said, "That's what they keep telling me." Confused by his words, we inquired further and learned that the man had dementia. Coupled with the concussion from the assault, he didn't remember anything. So, after getting some basic information, we left.

The time after that brought a few routine traffic stops, but even these were tinged with the day's special context. One driver was rushing to pick up a last-minute gift for his partner, while another was heading to a surprise dinner. We issued several citations along the way.

Around 5 o'clock, Angela and I were at the station, dropping off a drunk driver we had arrested. As we were doing our paperwork, Nell Forester approached us. Nell is a dispatcher at the Mid-Wilshire station. She's the voice that comes over the radio.

She informed us that while compiling a list of today's dispatches, she noticed a discrepancy. There had been an attempted abduction at the same location where Kevin Scott, the old man we met earlier at the hospital, was attacked. The woman had fought off her attacker and was saved, but the attacker fled.

From this, we speculated that the person who attempted the abduction and the person who assaulted Mr. Scott might be the same. Hearing this, Angela and I decided to return to the hospital to question the old man again and see if he remembered anything.

At the hospital, we met Kevin Scott again.

"We think the person who assaulted you attacked someone else before you," I said to him.

Angela continued, "Do you remember anything now? Maybe the face of the attacker?"

Scott thought for a moment and replied, "Yeah, I remember some details. Um, he was tall, he was white, and I think his hair was long." After saying that, he grunted and slapped his forehead, indicating that he couldn't remember anything more.

When Angela and I were planning to leave, Scott asked us, "Is she alright, the woman he attacked?"

Hearing this, Angela and I looked at each other for a moment. I quickly replied, "Yes," and we left his room. Outside his room, I asked Angela, "Do you think he's the one who tried to kidnap the woman?"

The reason for my question was that we never mentioned to Kevin Scott that the person assaulted before him was a woman, yet he asked us if "she" was alright.

Angela nodded and said, "I'm going back to the station to mobilize Major Crimes. I'll get a warrant for his DNA and check it against the woman who was attacked. You stay here and make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

I nodded, understanding my assignment. I stood right outside the door and opened it slightly to keep Scott in my sight through the crack.

After an hour, I got a call from Angela. She told me that detectives think Scott is a serial killer.

Apparently, when Scott's DNA was checked, it matched several hits. These were cases of abductions involving similar types of women, spanning three decades and occurring in different states. He went dormant five years ago, coinciding with the diagnosis of his dementia.

Angela instructed me, "Never let Scott out of your sight and wait for me to come and arrest him."

"OK," I replied, trying to sound as normal as possible so as not to arouse suspicion. I put the phone back into my pocket and peered through the crack in the door. To my alarm, the bed was empty. I rushed inside the room and found Scott lying on the floor, unconscious. Kneeling down to check on him, I was caught off guard as he suddenly attacked me, putting me in a chokehold.

Scott, despite his age and supposed dementia, was surprisingly strong. His grip tightened around my neck, and I struggled to breathe. I used my strength to try and break free, twisting and turning to loosen his hold. My vision started to blur, and I knew I had to act fast.

Gathering all my strength, I elbowed him hard in the ribs. He grunted in pain but didn't release his grip. I managed to get one arm free and struck him in the face, aiming for his nose. This blow finally loosened his grip, and I gasped for air as I broke free.

Scott wasn't done, though. He lunged at me again, and we both tumbled to the ground. I used my legs to kick him off, sending him sprawling backwards. Quickly, I got to my feet and drew my baton, ready for his next move. Scott tried to get up, but I was faster. I delivered a swift, controlled strike to his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and drop to his knees.

With him momentarily incapacitated, I took the opportunity to cuff him. I moved swiftly, securing one wrist and then the other, ensuring the cuffs were tight. Scott struggled, but he was no match for me. I forced him onto the bed and took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

Moments later, Angela arrived. She quickly assessed the situation and took Scott into custody. I explained to her what had happened, detailing the attack and the fight.

"Good job," Angela said, "You handled that well."

As Scott was escorted away, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

Angela gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Let's get you checked out," she said. "We need to make sure you're okay."

I nodded, following her out of the room.

After my shift ended, I was ready to celebrate Valentine's Day with Lucy. We had to keep our relationship a secret because she was worried about the discrimination she might face if people found out. To make it special and private, I arranged a candlelight dinner at my home.

I set up the table with candles, flowers, and a nice dinner I had prepared earlier. The soft glow of the candles created a warm and intimate atmosphere. When Lucy arrived, she was pleasantly surprised by the setup.

We sat down to eat and talked about our day, sharing stories and laughter. The stress of the day melted away as we enjoyed each other's company. Lucy appreciated the effort I put into making the evening special and private just for us.

After dinner, we relaxed on the couch, enjoying some quiet time together. It felt good to unwind and be close without any outside pressures. We knew our relationship had to stay hidden for now, but moments like this made it all worthwhile.