Chapter 78

word count 1199

Buzz pocketed his checkbook and dodged the busy crowds to go collect Trudy. It has cost him a huge portion of his savings, but since he planned to take her under his recognizance, all should go well. The courts would refund his money when she showed up for trial. She was waiting for him like a bedraggled, lost kitten.

She stuck out her tongue at the portly matron as that lady turned and walked away after delivering her to Buzz. Looks like we're off to a good start, Buzz mused. But how could he refuse to have helped her? They'd shared his bed, his life...times full of raucous laughter and frankly, a lot of fun. Even though she was the "other woman" he felt even Jeannie would have urged him to give the poor girl some help. Of course, Jeannie was like that. Compassionate and humane. She would probably say, help your friends when they ask, but your enemies--help them even more. His heart lurched as he remembered his dear wife, but back to business.

"Did you call your husband to come and help you?" he asked.

"Sure, I did! But that sonofabitch refused!" she said. "I'm gonna divorce him as soon as I'm on my feet. The BASTARD!"

Buzz nodded, remembering his talk with John while he was in the hospital. That guy was anxious for a divorce, too.

Trudy tugged at his sleeve to stop walking. He turned and she reached up on tippy toes to plant a sincere kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, hon!" she said. "You saved me!"

"If that's the case, your husband refused to help you, you might as well come back to my place and stay with me and Adam."

"Do you think your kid would mind?"

Buzz shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't make Adam much more angry with him than the boy already was...wanting to kill him, for Gawd's sake. The kid liked Trudy from staying at Elliot's house, or at least Buzz thought he did. Trudy could be a buffer between him and the boy, while he tried to find a way to get back into the good graces of his son.

"Nah, he won't mind" But then, Buzz's blood ran cold as he remembered Mrs. Dunn. He had just hired her as his permanent housekeeper, and the lady was getting discharged from the hospital tomorrow. What would she think of Trudy staying at the house? Uh-oh, he thought. But it's my house, dammit! If I want Trudy there, then that's it, end of story.

When they arrived, Adam was there with Lisa, Hank's daughter. That was when Buzz remembered he was supposed to meet Hank at the precinct but he had left too early to connect. He excused himself to call the detective and explain. The women were left in awkward silence. The last time they had met, Lisa had been kanoodling with John, Trudy's husband, in the kitchen of Trudy's own house. And Trudy had thrown her out!

"Well, well! Look who is here!" Trudy said, next remembering that Adam stood there. She reined in her feelings and searched for a way to be civil, for the kid.

Lisa was visibly uncomfortable. "Hi!" she stammered. "I may as well get out of here, then, since Buzz is home." She raced to gather her things.

"Aunt Lisa, don't go!" Adam cried out. Frankly, he wasn't that happy to be left with Trudy. There had been too many tales of woe coming from Elliot to want to spend time with the other boy's mother.

Lisa looked at him and blushed. "I'm sorry, hon! I gotta go!" She dashed for the door and didn't look back.

"Well, so here we are," Trudy said.

"You look like garbage," Adam stated.

"What?" Then Trudy remembered, she'd just come from jail. She ran a finger through her hair. It sticking up all over, greasy and unkempt. And her clothes were stained and wrinkled. She laughed. It was so idiotic! She looked at Adam and he was smiling.

"Well, you know, Adam," she said. "If I'm going to be staying here for a while. I guess the next thing I should do is get cleaned up, huh?"

"The shower is down the hall." It was Buzz speaking. He'd returned from making his call. "Jeannie's clothes are still in the bedroom. I bet they would fit you, if you'd like to try to find something...until you can go over and get your own stuff."

***

At the station, Gil rushed to Buzz's office, intent on discussing a point, where he found the door ajar and the lights out. A glance inside revealed the massive desk was empty and neat, unchanged from the pristine order it had maintained over the passing weeks while the boss was out. Scratching his head, he turned around and surveyed the squad room. No sign of the boss there at all!

"He went home. Felt like there was more to tend to there than here." It was Hank who had materialized in his usual quiet, unobtrusive way. "I was on my way here and he called me."

"That was a probably a good idea."

"So where is your lovely uniformed assistant?" Hank's eyes searched the faces surrounding them in the huge area.

"I don't know. I guess she went to the restroom." Gil stiffened. "What's it to ya, bro?"

"I just thought she was a nice girl, from what I could see."

That didn't give Gil any solace. Look at Hank with the boss's wife, madly in love with her, but nobody knew. Creeping around all sneaky like with the lady, winning her over. What if this guy had the hots for Simone? That was some territory Gil, himself, already had hefty intentions about.

"I saw her first." It sounded like a remark made in grammar school.

"So what?"

Gil's blood boiled. "Look here, Hank! She's my turf, and you keep off it...er, I mean her. Well, you know what I mean."

"I hear you, but I'm not listening."

At this moment, Simone appeared, making her way to Gil's desk. Both men shot in her direction.

"Simone, honey, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Gil had half of the sentence out before he reached her.

"Wouldn't you like a more mature conversation at dinner? I would be honored to dine with you at The Top of the Towers tonight." It was out of character for Hank to be so effusive, but these were hard times. It took a lot to be heard over Gil's youth and vigor.

Simone looked at the two in utter confusion. Her eyes darted from one to the other. "Are you two gentlemen each trying to lay claim to me?" she asked. "Well, this might surprise you, but I choose my own relationships. God, what are you? Cavemen or something? Do you have clubs hidden in your desks?"

"Um, uh..." Gil fumbled for words. Hank blushed.

"I'll tell you what," she said. "We'll all have dinner together." She emphasized the last word, for obvious reasons. "And after that meal, perhaps I may choose to dine with one of you alone."