Chapter 30: Celebrity at the Police Station

In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room.

Owen got up lazily, washed up, and got ready for the day. He had gotten home close to 1 a.m. the night before, and his mother and sister had waited up for him. They went to rest only after seeing him return safely.

They lived on Zilin Road, an ordinary residential area in Los Angeles.

Most residents here were typical American middle-class, with houses neatly lined up, neither too far apart to feel isolated nor too close to invade each other's privacy.

After reaching adulthood, Owen didn't move out but continued to live with his mother and sister. One reason was to spend more time with his family; another was the concerning state of security in the United States.

Owen had little memory of his father, who had passed away before he had arrived in this world. He might have met him, but he was too young to remember.

Now the only man in the house, Owen felt his presence made his home and even the neighborhood safer. Knowing a police officer lived nearby elevated the security status of the entire area, and the neighbors were very welcoming of having him around.

Breakfast was a simple affair as usual, prepared by his mother: oatmeal, milk, and fried eggs. His mother didn't mention the previous night's events, but her dark circles indicated she hadn't slept well.

Owen hated worrying his family and reassured his mother he would be more cautious in the future.

After breakfast, his mother left in her nearly decade-old Ford for her job at a large company where punctuality was paramount. Owen took his sister to the bus stop in his Chevrolet, then headed to the police station.

As he was about to take his sister to school, their neighbor across the street also came out.

"Hey, Mr. McColl, heading out?"

"Hey, Owen, how many times have I told you, you can call me Robert... and... you were great yesterday."

Mr. McColl, a taxi driver, obviously had seen the news. Owen shrugged, waved goodbye, and drove his sister out of the neighborhood.

"Steve, can I tell everyone at school about last night?"

"Of course."

"Awesome, they'll be so jealous."

Owen smiled helplessly, amused by his little sister's enthusiasm. Amanda was excited in the passenger seat, her previous indifference to Owen's job as a police officer replaced by pride in his heroic act.

After dropping Amanda off, Owen continued to the police station. Upon arrival, he was warmly greeted by many, his actions the previous day having made him somewhat of a celebrity there.

"Hey, hero, looking sharp today..."

"Cut it out, Emily, I know I'm not your type..."

"Man, you gotta tell us about it."

"Ha, you owe me a drink for that..."

"Steve, you really did good."

"Come on, Coleman, you're not going to start with me too, are you...?"

Owen greeted people all the way to his desk, even Susan, the mailroom lady, praised him and jokingly said she'd introduce him to her granddaughter. Owen chuckled at the thought; he had met Susan's granddaughter, who was nearly as imposing as Susan herself.

Arriving at the third floor, Owen saw his colleagues in the Homicide Unit's office. As he entered, applause broke out, and Owen realized everyone was looking at him and clapping continuously.

Scratching his head, a habit from his previous life, George, affectionately known as Dad, greeted him, "Our hero is back."

"George, Dad, please don't..."

Before Owen could modestly deflect, cheers erupted, and patrol department colleagues flooded in, engulfing Owen and lifting him in a hero's welcome. The commotion drew curious looks from other departments, with many joining in to watch.

After being tossed in the air several times, Owen was finally put down, and people from other departments came by to congratulate him. Carlos managed to squeeze through the crowd, "Buddy, you made it on TV. You're going to be famous. I bet Oprah's going to call you soon, haha~~~"

Carl also joined in, "Yeah, turn on the TV, and it's all about last night. Especially the part where you jumped off the building, on repeat, just like a Hollywood blockbuster. You're a star now. You could run for mayor of Los Angeles this year and win."

The group laughed and joked together, with Carl from Patrol, not Homicide, joining in. He and Owen were former partners in Patrol, assisting DEA in capturing a drug lord.

Carl and Owen were close friends who often hung out in the Homicide Unit.

Owen was curious about the footage of him jumping off the building, which he hadn't known was captured. Watching the news, he saw the repeated clips, with Carlos and Carl teasing him about the exciting parts. Owen felt a chill watching himself in action.

Carlos checked the time and patted Owen's shoulder, "Alright, I've got to go. How about we hit the bar tonight to celebrate your narrow escape?"

"Of course, no problem," Owen shrugged.

"See you tonight then."

They agreed to meet at the Wildcat Bar, a favorite spot for officers from the West Hollywood precinct to unwind after work.

As everyone returned to their duties, and Carlos left for an assignment, Owen found himself with little to do. Officially, he was still a patient and on medical leave.

Owen considered checking out of the hospital, but George, Dad, wouldn't hear of it. Having been injured in the line of duty and then caught up in the Nakatomi incident, not to mention unexpectedly appearing on TV, George insisted on giving Owen proper rest, not wanting to attract media criticism like Javier, accused of incompetence.