On the Move

Tommy is sleeping soundly, in his car when he's startled awake by pounding on the driver's side glass. He glances over to find a man dressed in blue standing beside his vehicle. "It's the cops." Starting his car, Tommy speeds away. 

Chuckling, the garbage man walks back to his truck. "I think I scared the shit out of him," he laughs, climbing into the cab. 

Tommy's thoughts are racing a mile a minute as he zips through town. I have to get rid of this car now the police know what I'm in. But where can I get another, and where will I go when I do? I bet Hernandez will help me. I'll be taking a big risk going through town again. I know, I'll call my boss, see if he can meet me somewhere. 

He's reaching for his phone when he remembers him and Jimmy making the trade. I don't know his number off the top of my head. He's trying to recall seeing it on his screen when another one comes to mind. "It's worth a shot." He punches the digits into the phone and waits. He may be the only hope I have, Tommy thinks as he waits for the call to connect.

"Hello?" a sleepy voice replies.

"Mike, it's Tommy. I'm in big trouble, man and I need your help."

Rubbing his eyes, Mike glances at his clock. "Do you know what time it is?"

"I know and I'm sorry to wake you, but the police are on my ass and I didn't know who else to call."

"What?" Mike springs up in his bed. He suddenly recalls a few of Tommy's pranks, chuckles and says, "Nice try Tommy." 

"I'm serious, man, I'm running from the law, have been all night."

"And I'm Santa Claus.."

"Wait, don't hang up, Mike, Mike." The line goes dead. Tommy redials his number.

"Give it up already, Tommy."

"Please Mike, please just listen."

"What?"

The police think I killed the Harris' and I need to get out of town fast." 

"You're serious?"

"Yes. Please Mike, please help."

"You didn't kill them though, did you?"

"They were already dead when I broke in."

"There's only one thing you can do, Tommy."

"And what's that?"

You have to go to the cops and straighten this out." 

"And take the chance of being thrown in prison the rest of my life?" Tommy asks, nervously shifting in his seat. "No thanks, pal."

"It's better than running the rest of your life, right?"

Horrid scenarios flash through Tommy's mind. He first pictures being gunned down in the street, He then imagines himself being killed in an accident trying to flee. He's right, I can't keep running like this. "Will you help me?"

"So much for sleeping in." Mike grumbles under his breath tossing the covers back. "What do you want me to do?"

"Meet me at the park in ten minutes."

***

Pulling into the driveway, Kirk jumps out of his car. This is the last house on my list, he thinks, walking up the weed infested sidewalk. He was told to recanvass the area, see if the neighbors can tell him more.

"Can I help you?" A deeply accented voice asks.

"My name is Detective Richardson and I'd like to ask you a few questions about Mr. and Mrs. Harris." He takes a notebook from his pocket.

"They were such kind souls, always helping anyone they could, give you the shirt off their back if you asked." 

"Can you think of anyone who would want to kill them?"

"The only people I can think of are the criminals Frank arrested years ago."

"Arrested, I thought he was a school teacher."

"He was, he was also the acting sheriff for a while."

"Did anyone visit in the last few days or so?"

"Their grandson and his friend stayed over the night before. They left early the next morning. Then a young man came by mid-afternoon, he didn't stay long."

"Do you happen to know the friend's grandson's name?"

"His last name is Hernandez I believe. That's what John calls him anyhow."

"Do you know his first name or his parent's name?"

"I'm afraid not, sorry."

"The guy who visited that afternoon, what was he driving?

A black coupe. A two door I believe."

"Well, thank you for your time."

***

"What brings you to the lab, Jerry?" Sharon asks, as the detective steps through the door.

"I miss your sweet face."

"You're so full of it." She nervously laughs.

"I do, honest"

"Oh, Jerry." She blushes. She's had a thing for him for a while but was too afraid to say anything.

"Are you busy Friday night?"

"No, why," she asks, trying to contain her excitement.

"Because we have a backlog of evidence that needs to be worked through."

"Work?" She punches him in the arm.

"Hey, what was that for?" he asks, rubbing where she hit.

"She thought you were asking her out." Don chuckles.

"Out where?" Jerry teases, trying to contain a smile.

"You know, dinner and a movie."

"Sounds great, Sharon, thanks for asking."

Shaking her head, she rolls her eyes and says, "You're impossible, Jerr"

 Laughing, the detective heads towards the door. 

"Hey, wait, I have something to show you."

"Shouldn't we wait until we're alone?" he asks, glancing at the lab tech.

"Not that kind of show and tell." She blushes, smacking his arm again.

Jerry chuckles. "So what do you want to show me?"

 Handing him a ballistics report she explains. "The second gun at the scene is

registered to Antonio Hernandez. I checked unsolved cases and found five homicides tied to this gun, not including the three that happened today."

"Were there any prints?"

"I found one on the bullet. I'm looking for a match now."

"I don't see a career criminal like Hernandez killing an elderly couple and I doubt he'd leave his gun behind."

"Maybe it fell out of his pocket," Don suggests.

"Stranger things have happened, Jerr." 

"Thanks for the information, and the date." Jerry smiles. 

Heading back upstairs, he tells the sergeant what Sharon found.

"You get everyone together and I'll work on getting an arrest warrant for Hernandez."

The dispatcher walks towards them. "Sergeant, this man wants to talk to you about Tommy Campbell."

***

Tommy nervously sits in the park waiting for his friend to show. He told him to be here in ten minutes, forty minutes ago. He tried calling his home and his cell, but he isn't picking up.

I hope he hasn't changed his mind. What if he went to the police trying to help me? I bet that's what he's doing, finding a way to clear my name. The way he blabbers he may end up doing me more harm than good. He wouldn't tell them where I am, would he? No, John isn't a snitch. What if the police tricked him into giving me up? They are good at things like that. Picturing Mike's mouth going a mile a minute, he says, I need to get out of here, while I still can. He tries to start the car, the ignition clicks in response. I thought he got the starter fixed. He's about to try again when he sees Mike pull into the park. "Finally."

"Hey Tommy, I talked to the police and you're in the clear, man."

"What do you mean I'm in the clear?"

"They said your alibi checks out, but they still want to talk to you, find out why you were there. I told them you check on Alma and Frank regularly, that they're like family to you. I think they believe me, I really do, but they still want to talk to you, to confirm what I said."

Seeing a cruiser pull into the park, Tommy glances at his friend. "You told them where I was?"

Mike looks back to see squad cars closing in. "I must've been followed." 

 "Get out!"

"What?"

"Get out of the car."

"You're in the clear, man." Pulling Mike out, Tommy climbs inside.

"You don't have to run anymore."

"That's what they want you to believe," he says, throwing the car in drive.