Can You At Least Babysit This Man?

The next day in the police records department office, Bob sits there, keeps hitting "Refresh" button on the police record filing system. He wants to see Nurse Julie's name. He watched her go to a police station, but he just wants to make sure she is booked.

On the 11th try, Bob finally sees it. Oh. Good. It is in the system now.

Bob feels so much relieved to put one more person back in jail. However, it is sad because Julie was once in the system, but she got out and did again. That is why, Bob wants to keep an eye on these people. Make sure they don't do it again.

Jack now walks in, he is surprised to see Bob. Jack immediately looks at his watch, "Good morning, Bob! Aren't you here a little early? It's just 7: 55, not even 8 o'clock right now, and you are sitting here already?"

"Yeah!"

"When did you get in?"

"Oh, just 10 minutes before you. I got here early just to make sure a case is in the system."

Jack knows what that means with that facial expression from Bob. Every time Jack goes to punish some parolees repeating their crimes, Bob always comes in early to check. Well, it is also because Jack beats people late at night, so Bob can only check the records in the morning. But Jack didn't go track down and punch any assholes last night.

"Ah.... Did you....go do something yourself?" Jack asks.

"Yeah. I went and punish a person on my own last night."

Jack puts his keys down, "But..., you didn't tell me to do it last night? Why didn't you get me to go?"

"Oh, I just wanted to try it on my own."

"Hmm. I thought you said you hated showing your face too much. And you said, that you had zero experience in using violence-- none whatsoever? You also told me, you were not great at talking to people?" Jack narrows his eyes but he says it with a little laugh, so he doesn't sound confrontational. Jack wants to look casual, but he is suspicious of Bob's little change.

Of course, Bob cannot tell Jack that he is partially lying about that. Bob has been using violence since 1942. He was in a war, damn it. From shooting planes down, to dropping bombs, to firing gun shots, to stabbing, to cutting throats, to hand-to-hand combat, to tying people down and slowly torture people so they will tell the truth.

Bob..., or real name Robert, had also been trained to negotiate and de-escalate. He is still good at talking to people.

So Bob definitely lied about not experienced in using violence. Not good at talking to people.

But the truth is, Bob doesn't want to show his face too much. That is the truth. And that is the most important truth.

Bob just leans back, smiling, "Well, I figured you've been busy with a lot of things, so I didn't want to bother you. My God, how many people are asking you to do them a favor? Keith, Nitte, Amelia, and probably Detective Bashar. Who knows? Maybe Jie Ai is going to show up at your door and asks you to help him with something."

"Well, those can wait. I want to punish those assholes we've been handling. Stopping people from repeating crimes has been a healthy pastime for me. Who did you punish last night?" Jack walks to Bob's desk.

Just then, the office phone is ringing on Bob's desk.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Bob, this is Captain Rogers."

Captain Rogers used to be Jack's direct supervisor at the police department. But, not anymore, since Jack got transferred to police records department.

"Yes, Captain?"

"I was wondering if I could borrow you for a minute?"

"Oh. Yeah, I think so. For what?"

"I have an open and shut case here. Well, it's not even really a case. A woman hanged herself. Suicide. But the husband of the deceased will not let it go. I really don't want to waste... um..., I kind of don't want to put too many men to babysit a grieving husband. And I am very, very short on staff....."

"So..., are you saying, you want me babysit this husband? Go placate him?"

"Yeah..., I hope I'm not offending you. It's just that, I know you have some background with the FBI. And, every policeman and detective are really, really swamped. No one likes to work over-time, definitely not for this. And, frankly, no one wants to spend time on talking to an unreasonable guy even within work time. He is really getting on a lot of people's nerves. He keeps coming here."

Bob is a little alarmed that Captain Rogers would know he had FBI background.

"Well, I don't mind if you want me to help. But, we'd better talk to Police Chief first, see if he is OK with it." Bob says.

"Oh, no problem. Chris, our Police Chief, is the one told me to ask you." Captain Rogers says.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Ask you, and....," Captain Rogers sighs, "Well, also ask Jack. For you two to go talk to the husband." Captain Rogers sounds really reluctant.

"Ah. Are you guys putting Jack back on the normal duty? I mean, detective duty?"

"Jack is not back on the streets yet, no. I don't want him to, either. But, we are short on staff. Especially, I don't have enough qualified detectives. So, Police Chief says, just get Jack do this little assignment. A one-time thing. Jack is not back on being a detective yet."

Bob laughs, "So, you guys just want Jack to try babysit an unreasonable grown man first?"

"Yeah."

Bob laughs. Jack is standing next to Bob's desk, so Jack can kind of hear it too.

"Oh, this is going to be fun. Sure, This is a good way to force Jack practice some patience."

Captain Rogers then also laughs, "OK, great. Please come down to the 6th precinct. Um, that's the one in Greenwich Village."

"Yeah, I know." Bob answers.

"I'll see you guys later."

Bob starts to burst into loud laughter after he hangs up.

"Are they f*king kidding me? Did I hear it right? That they want me to babysit a grown man?"

Bob nods, "Yep. Hey. But we can do it together. How fun."

Jack is very annoyed. It's bad enough people say shit behind his back, and now he is downgraded to being some little community advocate.

"Why can't they get some community advocate or family liaison to comfort this weird guy. My god! Yes, your wife committed suicide. Move on." Jack walks to a brown file cabinet, and he has an urge to punch this piece of furniture. It would be very satisfying, because the cabinet would have a dent of his fist.

Instead, he punches the back of his own chair.

"Jack, calm down. Let's just go down the precinct and take a look. We can always tell them we need to get back to our little office, if this man is too much. I'm sure they would understand. It is not our job anyway."

"OK." Jack then finishes his coffee, he then squash the paper cup and threw it to the trash.

Jack is not happy. Everyone wants him to do something. Well, at least, this time, it comes from NYPD. He is OK doing stuff for the NYPD.

But, what he doesn't know is, this is not just some small stupid chore.

When Jack is being so angry, Bob is looking up the most recant police record about a suicide in Greenwich Village.

Hmm. It is a suicide of an actress. A famous one, too. She was in a lot of teen movies. Why did this actress want to hang herself?