CHAPTER 23

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I ate the complimentary breakfast hurriedly and left with a cup of coffee to check out. The desk clerk commented on how well behaved my dog was. "You don't know the half of it. He's the best police dog I've ever seen, but he's also friendly and gentle with kids. He's very protective of me and my fiancée. I pity anyone who tries to hurt either one of us." I took my receipt and Max walked with me to the SUV.

I phoned Lucy around 11:00 to tell her that I loved her and that I was only an hour from Wilmington. Then I phoned Daryl and was pleased to learn that he was in the office. We agreed that we would both resign today. He had his letter and I had mine. The only question was how long we would have to wait before driving to Tennessee.

Max and I walked in just after noon and we walked straight to Daryl's desk. He rose as soon as he saw me and we hugged. "There are a few things I want to discuss with you. Had lunch yet?"

"No, I was waiting for you. I want to hear about that case you wouldn't talk about on the phone." He took a folder from the desk and we walked to the commander's office where we told his secretary, Maura, that we needed to see him ASAP. She called in on the intercom then told us to go right in.

Robert—call me Bob—Cunningham rose as we passed through the doorway. "Great job in St. Louis, Matt. Man, do you have one big pair of stones, pulling that off on your own even with Max to help you. I have another big case lined up for you and Daryl. Have a seat."

"I think you might want to wait until you see what we have for you." I passed my letter across the desk to him, followed almost immediately by Daryl.

"What's this? You're both resigning? Why?"

"I've accepted the position of Chief of Police in Bascomb's Landing, Tennessee."

"What's your story Evans?"

"I've accepted the position of Lieutenant of Police in Bascomb's Landing, working with Matt."

"Where the hell is this place?"

"It's about sixty miles northeast of Memphis. It's a small city of about 28,000 people. I met a woman there and we're getting married."

"Can't you do that and stay with us?"

"I could, but I would like to settle down there. Her name is Lucille Bascomb. She's a direct descendent of the city's founder. I left her yesterday morning and I already miss her."

"Okay, I guess there's nothing much I can do about that, but what's this about buying Max for $10,000? We both know he's worth about ten times that."

"That's true, but he's only worth that if I'm here to work with him. He won't accept commands from anyone else."

"We'll see about that. What are you doing now?"

"I just have to finalize the summary on the Michael Clifford and Jordan Smith case and file my expense report."

"How about you Daryl?"

"Pretty much the same on the Robinson matter."

"Very well; there's no sense getting you involved in a new case now so just file the reports and go down to payroll then you can go. Matt, leave Max here. I'm sorry to see you go, but I understand." I told Max to stay and Daryl and I left for lunch.

We were outside when Darryl asked where I wanted to go. "How about that chicken place? You know…the one with the great southern fried chicken?"

"Oh, yeah! Want me to drive? I'm sure you're all driven out." I was pleased to let Darryl do the driving. I needed to be able to think

"Two things—one good and one not so good; first, how'd you like to be my best man?"

"Really? Do they know I'm a spade?"

"No, but they do know you are black. So does Lucy and she's good with it. So I'll assume that was a 'yes.' The second thing isn't so great. I caught a bartender at Lucy's parents' weekly barbeque serving the cheap shit and pouring the good stuff into some empty bottles."

"Okay, but that's small potatoes. Why all the need for secrecy?"

"Because he implicated one of the local cops. I met with a state attorney thanks to Paul McCormick who's now the Chief in Memphis. She has already flipped the bartender and his roommate who claimed to buy drugs from the same cop. The roommate will wear a wire next week during a drug buy. Now…the really interesting part is that the cop's father is Chairman of the City Council."

"That's why you didn't want to say anything in front of Lucy." I didn't have to say a word. One look at my face said it all. "You're worried about her safety if she was to slip and say the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time."

"And they say your mother raised a fool." Daryl laughed as he pulled into the restaurant's parking lot. A few minutes later we were seated and had ordered—the Southern fried half chicken with fries for me and pulled pork platter for Daryl. "You're going to love the Sunday dinners at Lucy's parents' house. They have a cook who makes her own barbecue—smokes it for eight hours according to Lucy."

"Maybe, but will I be invited?"

"I won't be going if you're not and Lucy won't either. She says they've had plenty of black guests in the past. I'm looking forward to meeting one of them—the pastor at one of the biggest black churches. I plan on enrolling him in my crusade to get some black officers in the department."

"You have a lot of work ahead of you. I can already see the outgoing chief—a real cracker who hasn't done shit for years. I'll bet there's no discipline in the ranks."

"That's one bet I'll never take."

"Okay, I have a question for you. How long before the boss realizes that Max won't do a thing for him or anyone else?"

"I figure Max will go home with me tonight although Bob's kind of stubborn so he could hold out until tomorrow morning. Max will move if he needs to heed the call of nature, but he'll go right back to the same spot and he won't move even if he's starving."

We enjoyed our lunch and I thought the chicken was just outstanding. I invited Daryl to dinner with my family once we were back at the office where I spent the afternoon writing my reports and filing my expenses and taking them down to payroll. I had a sly grin on my face when I was asked about my hotel expenses on the way back from St. Louis. Normally, the Service would have taken care of any weather-related expenses, but I didn't have any other than my breakfasts and I had decided the first time I had made delicious love with Lucy that I would stay with her as long as possible. I couldn't ask for reimbursement for that.

I lounged around the office kidding with Daryl and one of the other marshals until just before 5:00. It was time to get up and go home. I was three steps from the desk when the intercom buzzed. It had a different ring than the phone. I picked it up and heard Maura tell me, "Bob wants to see you before you leave, Matt."

Less than a minute later I was at her desk when the office door opened and Rob appeared, red-faced and furious. "Give me your check and take this god-damned dog with you. I've tried everything I can think of all afternoon and he hasn't moved." At another time I would have laughed and told him, "I told you so," but I decided to be a good winner. I handed him the check and demanded a receipt. Once I had it I called Max. He was at my side wagging his tail seconds later.

"Good luck to you and Daryl," Bob told me. "Call on us any time you need help. I mean that." I thanked him and shook hands then led Max out the door. Daryl was there waiting for us. He petted Max then we walked to our cars and drove to my family home in nearby Leland.

We'd had a really big house when I was growing up in Wilmington, but Uncle Chuck and Aunt Nell had downsized to a three bedroom townhouse in Leland, about five miles south of the Cape Fear River. It was just big enough to hold the grandkids for an overnight or holiday. Over the Memorial Bridge I drove on US 17 until I reached Leland then it was left into Carolina Forest and a few miles down the winding road to their new home.

Charles Cahill, Esq. was a very successful lawyer—what is known as a plaintiff's attorney. He had successfully sued the hotel in the fire that had killed my parents. I had asked him about that a few years ago because I knew he wasn't licensed in New York. "No problem, Matt; one of my law school buddies was in a high powered firm in Manhattan. I did all the work and he filed the papers under his name. This kind of thing happens all the time. I owed him a favor and he got it back when he sued one of North Carolina's biggest tobacco companies a few years ago."

Apparently, my engagement must have been big news because the whole family was there to greet me and Max. Well, my nieces greeted Max. So far as they were concerned I was also there although I did get a huge hug from Constance and Aunt Nell. I thought that was a great time to call Lucy.

"I have a few people here who want to talk to you and then I'll give you my timetable. I'm giving the phone to Constance, my cousin." I stepped aside while Constance and Lucy spoke for fifteen minutes. What is it about women? They can talk to total strangers like they were the best of friends. After Constance the phone went to Aunt Nell. I didn't get it back for almost half an hour. Finally, I spoke quietly with Lucy, stepping outside into what my aunt and uncle called their backyard. If only they could see Lucy's. "Hi, at last; I wanted to give you the news. Daryl and I are done with the Marshals Service. Technically, I'm still on duty and payroll for another twenty-three days and Daryl for another twenty-two, but we don't have to go to work. I think it will take me four or five days to clean out my apartment and pack up my stuff. I'm going to rent a trailer that I can tow behind my SUV."

"Is that going to be safe, Matt? It's a long ride."

"I know. Don't worry. Daryl and I have already talked about it and he's going to accompany me. He has more stuff than I have so he's hired a mover and he'll have his car transported, too. I think he'll store everything there until he's fully settled."

"Did you tell him he can use the city's house, you know—the one you won't be staying in?" She was laughing the entire time and I knew exactly what she was thinking because I was thinking the same things. We told each other, "I love you," several times and then gave each other a long distance kiss. I walked inside to enjoy dinner with my family and my best friend.