Cahill

I could hear the din from the bar as I exited my SUV and I was still almost a block away. What a shame! I knew from long experience that would change as soon as my foot crossed the threshold. I tend to have that effect on people. I’m six feet six inches tall and I weigh an even 250 pounds—all of it broad shouldered muscle. My Body Mass Index at my last physical was less than four percent. My light brown hair is styled exactly the way it’s been for the past fifteen years—ever since I first joined the Navy. Sure enough, no sooner had I taken my first step into the bar than the noise died. When I turned left and stepped up to the bar the people there couldn’t back away fast enough. I took a stool in the middle of the empty space and sat down, waiting for the bartender to approach. “I’m not looking for any trouble.” “Good…neither am I. Give me a ginger ale.” He reached under the bar for a glass and some ice. Twenty seconds later he slid the glass in my direction. I pulled a fiver from my pocket and dropped it on the bar. He ignored it and walked away to draw a few beers and pour some wine. It looked to me like this was a pretty cheap crowd. Checking up and down the bar all I could see were longnecks and drafts. I reached into the lower left pocket of my cargo pants. Like almost everything else I was wearing they were a true deep navy blue. My heavy shoes were black as was my wide belt. My belt said as much about me as the bold white lettering across my chest. Just below the American flag over my heart were the letters that were my life—U. S. MARSHAL. On my right hip was my nickel plated .44 Magnum Colt Python, just behind two speed loaders in addition to the twenty-four rounds on the belt. On my left hip was my ASP Talon baton—every bit as deadly a weapon in my hands as the revolver. A pouch at the back of my right hip held my stainless steel handcuffs and its partner on the opposite side held my radio—my link to my backup team. I placed the photo flat on the bar as the bartender returned to me. “I’ll have another,” I said in a loud voice, continuing so I wouldn’t be overheard. “Don’t pick it up and don’t make a production of looking at it. I’ve been told that he comes here a lot. Is he here tonight? If he is and he escapes because you’ve given me away I’ll see to it that you’re arrested for obstruction of justice.” He gulped a few times but did as he was told, nodding slightly in response. I continued almost at a whisper. “If my nose is pointing to twelve o’clock, my right ear to three, the back of my head to six, and my left ear to nine, tell me where he is. Again, don’t point or do anything obvious and we’ll be fine.” He pretended to wipe the bar as he whispered, “About 4:30 with his back to you.” I picked up the reflection in the mirror then asked, “Red shirt with black and white stripes, looking away from me?” He nodded again. Now, in my normal tone of voice I asked, “Where’s the men’s room?”

Fredrick_Udele · Fantasi

Peringkat tidak cukup

69 Chs

CHAPTER 31

Just before lunch break Daryl, Max and I walked down to my SUV for Max's bowl and what I usually called my gym bag and then across the lot to the City's motor pool. Well, that's what I called it after a career in the federal government even though the sign said "City of Bascomb's Landing Municipal Garage." I spoke to the supervisor and asked for an inventory of the police department vehicles, commenting that I would not be using Chief Wilson's vehicle. "Too bad," he told me with a grin. "It's a Lincoln." I told him to make it available to the detectives for surveillance or whatever other need they might have.

We were on our way back to the office when I had yet another surprise in the form of my fiancée who was bringing Daryl and me lunch. Max ran to her for a good petting and then she reached up to give me a brief kiss. We walked together up to the office where Lucy greeted Sandra warmly—a greeting that was eagerly returned as we stepped through the doorway. "Is there anyone here you don't know," I asked as I laughed.

"There are a few, but Sandra was one of my babysitters when I was a kid. She goes to our church, too."

"Thanks for reminding me. I need to call Pastor Michaels to make sure I'm still on for Sunday." Lucy spread the lunch onto the table as I stepped into the lavatory to fill Max's bowl with water. He attacked it, making a mess on the carpet. I knew then that I'd need to get a rubber mat for his bowl. We enjoyed the sandwiches Lucy had brought, but I reminded her that I'd have to bring from home in the future. She gave me that look that she knew I couldn't resist and I weakened immediately. "Well, okay, but some days I'll have to have a working lunch so give me a call, okay?" She smiled as we finished eating and she left, but not before another quick kiss.

After lunch Daryl and I walked into the detectives' area where we met with most of the officers there and their sergeant. There were only twelve detectives on the day shift, ten on second shift, and six on third shift. "Is that enough," I asked.

"Most of the time it is, Chief. This is a pretty quiet town, but we've been getting some drug activity recently and we haven't been able to get to the source of it yet." We spoke about the growing problem, but I didn't mention my involvement with the State Police. I was hoping for a call soon, especially now that I was officially on the job. All things considered I thought that I'd had a productive first day.

Max and I returned to Lucy around 5:45 after spending close to an hour at the high school track. I was pleased to see seven of the patrolmen there running, as well. I'm a good runner, but I'll never be in Daryl's class. In addition to the GI Bill, he had paid his way through UNC with a partial track scholarship, running the 800 meters, the 1500 meters, and several long distance relays. We timed ourselves and even though we were taking it easy I still ran in 6:21 and Daryl in 6:07.

>>>>>>

The call I was waiting for came on the following Monday morning.

"Matt, we got everything on the drug buy—audio and video from several angles and there's no question of being able to identify Haynes in court, but we picked up something totally unexpected during their conversation. Haynes told the kid that he should get a lot of money together because they were making a huge score and there would be hundreds of thousands to be made by everyone involved. Our kid had the good sense to ask when he could expect it and he was told within the next couple of weeks.

"We took the tapes and audio to one of the judges in the State Supreme Court and he was willing to give us a warrant to tap his family's phones and to plant bugs in the house."

I had an idea, but I wanted to know how she thought they could do it. "The Haynes residence has a satellite TV service. We can disrupt it with a device that jams the audio and video portions of the transmission and causes nothing but static. We'll intercept their call for service and send two of our detectives in for the repairs. While one of them fiddles around with the TV sets in the house the other will plant the bugs. They're really small so they'll be almost impossible to find. We should be able to get audio in almost the entire house for about ten days and we'll set up a service van on the street that we'll use to get photos of everyone who enters and leaves…maybe even a few photos of activity in the house."

"Yes, I'm very familiar with this type of equipment—the jammers as well as the bugs." Julia told me she would call when she had more information. That happened only eight days later—three days after Lucy and I were officially married.

Just last Sunday Jonathan had pulled me aside at the weekly party. Once in his study I commented, "I guess this is the time we discuss the pre-nup. Just give it to me. I have no problem with whatever you want."

Jonathan laughed. "I did mention the idea to Lucille—several times--but she turned me down flat. She told me that you had the most integrity of anyone she had ever met and she also told me that you weren't at all interested in her money."

"Well, she's right on the last part. Money has never been a big issue for me. If I had a lot I'd probably give most of it away to those who really need it."

Jonathan laughed again. "That's exactly what Lucille told me. You know, Matt…when you first asked me for Lucille's hand I was concerned about how quickly everything had occurred, but then as I got to know you and I could see how you and Lucille interact all those concerns evaporated. I think you two are very well matched. No, what I wanted to talk with you about is the growing drug problem. I know the superintendent of schools and the high school principal very well from Rotary and they tell me that they've had more problems in the past month than in all our previous years combined. Can you do anything about it?"

"All I say at this point is 'no comment.' I doubt that there is an investigation underway by the city police at this time, but I'm making it a priority as soon as I can meet with the detectives." Apparently, that satisfied him because a minute later we were back talking and mingling. Lucy greeted me with a questioning look that disappeared when I took her into my arms for a long lingering kiss. She whispered, "I love you," when she finally broke it.

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