Chapter 106

word count 1267

Gil and Hank were on the road traveling only a few miles when a call came in from Buzz. Hank answered.

"Hey Hank. It's Buzz. John just called me about what happened with the kids. Are you and Gil on the case?"

Hank stiffened. His blood pressure still rose every time Buzz came around. He couldn't get past what the bastard did to Jeannie. He answered in stiff, clipped phrases.

"Yeah, on our way to check a black sedan. Bullet hole in wind shield, blood, all consistent with the shot fired."

"Well, John called me because Adam was involved. Look, this is personal. I'm in. I called and got the home address for Mick. I'll go check it out and talk to his next of kin."

"Great. Keep in touch." Hank flipped his cell shut and stuffed it in his pocket.

Gil, who had been driving, looked over with an eager expression. "Who was that?" he asked.

"Buzz. He's checking out info on Mick."

"Good. We need all the help we can get."

***

"Looks like Mick did some high living for only making a detective's salary." Buzz murmured the words as he eased the car down Rosemoor St. The neighborhood of Upper Pines was a ritzy area, just on the edge of the city. Massively wide streets with maples all perfected lined up along the sidewalk greeted visitors like a storybook setting. The homes, or rather mansions, looked like million dollar babies with three stories full of windows dressed in colorful shutters. Red brick, yellow brick, all types were here as though each owner wanted his home to be different. Balconies jutted out of upper story windows so inhabitants could sit out alone. One wouldn't want to be like city people congregating on their stoops within yelling distance of each other. These residents prized their privacy, their dignity, their decorum.

Buzz shuffled through the notes he'd made which were scattered on the passenger seat in no particular order.

He found it, the house number on a ragged piece of paper, 718. Gazing at the street, he saw houses in the 600's. Speeding though the intersection, he slowed again in the 700 block. He found it on a busy corner. Although the rest of the neighborhood houses all had spacious lots, a half acre or more, this property was only half that large. And it looked like a solemn house, in dark red brick with dark blue shutters. The front door was equally depressing. There was nothing bright or contrasting in the colors of the place. And it was massive. Three stories loomed high, a foreboding fortress because of its dark hues.

Buzz parked and crawled out of the car, no easy task with his bum leg. Finally upright and ready, he pushed hard on the cane, taking small steps up the brick-lined path to the front door.

Pushing the door bell, he leaned on his cane to wait. The bell rang out Westminster Chimes on the other side of the door.

He stood and waited, ascertaining no signs of life until finally the door cracked open a few inches.

"Hello, may I help you?" The words came out stiff and uneasy. The voice was squeaky and high.

Buzz leaned forward trying to glimpse who was inside. The opening was too small to tell.

"Detective Miller, Albany Police. I'm looking for the family of Mick Johnson." He pushed his badge through the open crack.

"Why?"

"Er, well, are you related to him?"

A long pause filled the air until finally the small voice spoke. "I'm his mother. Did he do something wrong? He's a policeman, you know!"

"No, no! He didn't do anything wrong. May I come in, Mrs. Johnson?"

With hesitancy, she opened the door, first only a little, and then wide to accommodate Buzz's considerable girth.

"Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I need to talk to you about Mick."

A darkened room awaited Buzz as he entered. Coming in from sunlight, his eyes ached before they adjusted to the dimness. When he could finally see, he blinked and took a second look. It was like stepping into your grandmother's parlor. Every table was graced with an ornate hand-crafted doily and decorated lamps with massive shades. It was a haven of flowery patterns and lacy what nots.

"Won't you have a seat?" she asked, taking a place herself on a rocking chair which she started to rock back and forth as soon as she sat.

Buzz chose the most old-fashioned sofa he had ever seen, held up on wooden legs and decorated with a flowered brocade. The cushion squeaked when he landed. When he glanced to the right, he spied shelves with row after of row of antique dolls with more lace, an obvious collection of some sort. The place was making him uneasy in its blatant femininity. And he felt like the dolls were staring at him, all lined up and pointed his way, dozens of little glass eyes. He shrugged it all off and got down to business.

"Mrs. Johnson, I'm here about your son. We found him with a bullet to the head. I'm sorry, Mrs. Johnson, but he is dead." He sat back, ready for the tears. He'd have to find a way to comfort the poor woman. But there were no tears.

"Mick is dead? Well, I'm not surprised! My idiot son couldn't do anything right!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Mickey! He was clumsy, stupid. I always wondered how he managed to survive this long."

Buzz stared at her, his jaw dropping, then continued. "I'm sorry, but he wasn't killed in the line of duty. He wasn't on assignment. It appeared to be a personal matter of some sort. We found his body in the junkyard on the other side of town."

"So someone tossed him like yesterday's garbage?"

"Well, I don't know if I would phrase it that way, but yes. Did he have any enemies that you know of, Mrs. Johnson?" He looked at the woman. She had caustic language for such a sweet-looking lady. White hair, tightly curled, graced her face while tiny silver metal glasses perched on her nose. She looked at him now with a childlike expression, full of wonder and expectation. She was obviously confused at the concept of her boy having enemies.

"No, my boy was awkward, not a lot of friends, but he didn't have any enemies that I knew of."

"So, he lived here at the house with you?"

"Yes. His room was upstairs. He was busy with work. I didn't see him all that much, except for Sundays. We always had dinner together on Sunday."

"That's nice...may I see his room, if you don't mind. I may be able to find some evidence of what happened."

"Certainly." She shot him a nervous smile, her mouth a tiny slit in the wrinkled face. "Come this way."

She went up the stairs first, with Buzz behind, taking one step at a time with his cane. Once she'd opened the door to Mick's room, she stood aside to let Buzz enter. As soon as the cop was through, she slammed the back of his head with a huge, metal candlestick from the hallway table. The thud of metal hitting bone was the last sound he heard before losing consciousness.

He dropped to the floor and never knew what hit him.

chapter 105

word count: 1646

upon initial observation,, the murder of detective mick johnson gave every indication that it had been a mob style execution.. one bullet hole directly to the back of the head,, no indication of a struggle, nothing taken from the body,, jewelry and wallet still intact,, even his badge was firmly affixed to his belt as was his norm.

a liver probe estimated the time of death less than an hour previous to  its gruesome discovery,, which would have made his demise within moments of his having left bowers and bettencourt at the bar, following the mysterious text message that precluded his hasty exit.. 

all indications was someone had been waiting for him in the back alley parking lot of the bar,, and he had gotten into the car with them willingly.. it had to have been someone that he knew. more than likely who ever had texted him,, and hastened his speedy retreat out of the bar.. 

of course it would take a full forensic workup of the body to determine the exact cause of death (as if the bullet hole to the back of the head was not enough evidence) and exact time of death,, but it was clear, at least in the eyes of the seasoned detectives that the murder had taken place elsewhere,, and the body dumped here so as to eliminate any incriminating evidence that might have been available at the actual crime scene.. 

the three visibly shaken boys sat uneasily in the backseat of a squad car awaiting their ‘parents’ arrival.. they would then be transported to the precinct house for questioning under the watchful eye of their parents, and/or guardians.. no one on the scene was stupid enough to try and question them without an adult present,, as anything they said would be inadmissible in court, and that was a chance none of them were willing to take.. better to let them settle down first anyway,, as all of them were in shock,, and it was highly unlikely they could produce a statement with any clarity in that condition.. 

it wasn’t long till john and lisa pulled up to the scene and were ushered in by the uniforms that had cordoned off the crime scene. hank saw lisa and hurried to catch her before anyone else got to her.. he wanted to be the first to explain what had gone on,, perhaps ease the blow,, if that was at all possible.. 

“daddy!” lisa exclaimed as she exited the passenger’s side of the car and ran headlong into hanks open arms.. she embraced him tightly and broke out into shuddering sobs a she felt his safe warm arms around her.. 

“they are alright, honey,, a little bit shaken for sure, but for the most part they are all  alright.” he motioned to the squad car where they boys were being held,, and admonished lisa to go to them and see for herself.. 

johns stayed behind to see if he could put some semblance of order to all of this., as lisa rushed to the boys.. 

“what the fuck hank?? how did this happen??” asked an exasperated john.. not knowing what else to say.. 

“from what we were able to gather before we sequestered the boys,, they had been going on a treasure hunt, if you will, here in the junk yard,, and erik came across what appeared to be a diamond ring,, only to find out it was still attached to a finger, which turned out to be attached to the body of one of our own, detective mick johnson..”

“but how could this have happened?” john asked perfunctorily,, knowing there was no real answer to that question,, but unable to keep himself from asking it anyway.

“that is still under investigation.. good news is,, they body is fresh,, so any evidence that was on the body when it was dumped here,, and we do believe it was dumped here,, will still be fresh.. unfortunately, all indicators point to this being a mob style execution,, so the perp’s were more than likely smart enough not to leave any damning evidence behind.” hank exhaled heavily and then continued.

“it is extremely unfortunate that they  boys had to get mixed up in this.. not only is it a scene they are more than likely never going to be able to erase from their subconscious,, but they are going to be put through some grueling questioning once they reach the station house. i wish there was something i could do to stop that john, really i do,, but it is protocol you know,, it has to be done..”

“i understand.” a bewildered john said mechanically.. “will we be able to be with the boys when they are questioned??”

“absolutely. they will be interrogated one at a time,, so it is gonna be a long drawn out process.. are you sure you and lisa are up to this?”

“we have to be..” john acquiesced, knowing there was no way out,, and they would have to deal with whatever it was that awaited them at the station house.. 

gil was quickly approaching from the left as he called out to hank. “i think we have the car in which the murder took place.. the boys found an abandoned black sedan about a mile from here,, blood spatter in the windshield and a bullet hole consistent with the one shot fired.. the crime scene investigative unit is in route.. we better get going and meet them over there.”

“gimme a minute gil,, i wanna talk to my daughter and assure the boys that everything is gonna be alright,, we just wanna ask them a few questions.. could you get me a uniform to transport them as asap?? i know lisa and john, here, want to get this over with as soon as possible so they can get the boys home..”

hank, with john obediently in tow, headed off toward the huddled mass of lisa and the boys all crying and clinging to her. his heart broke.. this was hitting just a little bit too close to home.. 

“hey guys!” hank feigned his most amicable persona, “i just wanna let you know this is all routine.. before you know it you are gonna be back home,, and for all rights and purposes this is gonna be over for you.” as he spoke those words he realized,, that this would never truly be over as no amount of time would ever be able to erase what they had witnessed here this afternoon. .

john chimed in, “any way we can transport the boys hank?? i think they would be a lot more comfortable with us than they could ever be in a squad car.."

“i don’t see why not, let me ok it with the first on scene,, and see what i can do.” hank said as he wandered off in search for the detective that had caught the case.. 

“it really is gonna be ok, “ lisa tried to console the boys.. “you did nothing wrong. the officers just want to ask you a few questions and then we will all go home and try and put this behind us.” she said as she huddled that much closer to the boys,, who for the first time were functioning as a pack..

as john looked on,, he couldn’t help but wonder if this strange turn of events would be the very thing that would solidify them as a family.. he would have given his right arm to never have had to put the boys through this,, but a part of him was almost happy it had happened,, as for the first time he saw a glimmer of hope.. they boys would forever be cemented by this experience,, as gruesome as it may be,, and that bond might be just what they needed to bring this “family” together.. 

hank approached the group and wrapped his arms around lisa and the boys.. “ i gotta go.. i got the ok for you two to transport the boys.. there will be uniforms at the station house to direct you to the interrogation rooms,, so just follow their lead.. i called ahead and have some hot cocoa and donuts waiting for the boys when they get there.”

“thank you daddy.” lisa stood up and embraced him whole heartedly.. “you’ll be there soon?”

“as soon as i can be..” hank reassured her,, all the while knowing it was gonna be a long night,, and the chances were not too good he would make it to the station house before the boys were questioned and released.. 

“if i can’t make it, i will be at the house as soon as i am able,, you can be sure of that.”

“hank!!” gil called out from his position over by the unmarked car they had arrived in. “we gotta go.”

john shook hanks hand.. “thank you for all you have done hank,, i think we can take over from here.”

it was with a heavy heart hank joined gil in the unmarked crown vic.. there was a a devastating silence that permeated the air between them before gil broke in, “johnson was a strange character indeed,, but never in a million years would i have thought things would end up like this.. internal affairs has launched a full-fledged investigation into his background,, and i have a feeling none of this is gonna make any sense till we find out what they come up with..”

hank still deep in thought about how this was going to affect not only his daughter,, but the fragile family she was trying to bring together was silent for a moment.. 

“yeah, right.” he finally responded distractedly..

“this  hittin’ a little too close to home buddy?” gil queried. “think maybe you ought to take yourself off this one?”

“hell no!!” hank exclaimed in no uncertain terms, “i got this..”

Chapter 104

word count 1392

Buzz got home from The Pink Lady feeling tawdry and used. The way those men looked at him, it was disconcerting at best. They gawked. They touched. It sent shivers up his spine. He hoped he never had to do anything like it again. It made him miss Trudy.

Even with her brainless chattering, she was still a jewel always fawning over him and loving him up. The thought gave him pause. This was the first time since Jeannie died he had given serious thought to another woman. He was moving on.

Oddly enough, he could tell that Hank was still suffering the loss, as if that guy had any business missing another man's wife. The way he looked at Buzz, whom he blamed for her demise, was annoying, what with his eyes like sharpened daggers. It made Buzz uncomfortable to be around him. But they had to work together, so what could he do? And then there was Gil who had been involved with Trudy...was he over her? The son of a bitch scooped her up while Buzz was laid up in the hospital.

Buzz ambled, resting on his cane, across the room and plopped onto his favorite chair. Look at him, needing this cane. Was he getting old?

"Detective Miller, I didn't know you were home!" Mrs. Dunn breezed into the room with her usual vigor. She clutched a feather duster in one hand.

"Hi, Mrs. Dunn! What's for dinner?"

"Your favorite, spaghetti and meat balls...oh, and peach pie for dessert! Peaches are in season, you know!"

Buzz snuggled back in the chair and grabbed the remote. He'd think about Trudy later. Right now he wanted to relax. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

***

Once Gil, Hank, and Mick decided to go have a drink after their session at the gay bar, they said their good-byes to Buzz, then headed for the local watering hole. They couldn't have been more happy to set their derrieres on stools in a regular bar, a dark, dirty, man cave with beer sloshed around and ESPN on the TV.

"Whew, I never want to go through THAT again, going to a gay bar." Gil mumbled while he raised a mug to his thirty lips.

"Take it easy! Buzz was the one they really found attractive." Hank chuckled.

"Here's to Buzz in all his beauty!" Gil raised his glass and the others joined him.

A cell went off and Mick reached into his shirt pocket. He lost his grip and dropped the phone, then fumbled to pick it up. He read a text and looked to the others, his lip revealing a nervous twitch. "Look guys, I gotta take off. Enjoy your drinks."

He darted for the door right away, bumping into chairs and tables along the way. Hank and Gil watched him. When he was out of sight, they roared with laughter.

"I can't believe how weird that guy is!" Gil said, swallowing down a generous gulp of beer.

"I know, he's so out of touch. And he drops things constantly. What a character!" Hank took a swig, then sat in quiet thought for a moment. "He's got some connections in high places though. The guy just makes a call and problems get solved. I never saw anything like it."

"Looks like Mick is a guy of mystery," Gil commented. "Gawd only knows who he knows or what he's done."

"Amen to that!" Hank said.

***
The three boys, Erik, Elliot, and Adam were melding together as a family at only a snail's pace. It wasn't Elly and Adam having a problem. They were already best friends. It was adding in Erik that presented a dilemma. He couldn't be less like the other two. While Elliot and Adam were smart boys, inquisitive characters who enjoyed adventure, Erik was totally opposite. He much preferred to stick to the safety of home, looking at TV or reading comic books. He wasn't bright like the other two, and thus his limited perspectives held him back from understanding the philandering ways of Elly and Adam. Their mom, Lisa, in an effort to build a strong family, insisted Elliot and Adam take Erik with them wherever they went. She hoped to build a brotherly bond among the three boys through constant association.

So far, it wasn't working. They took Erik along, but he failed to join in the spirit of things, always dragging the other two down with his constant resistance. Things evolved to  where the boys dared him to do things when he wouldn't actively volunteer, putting him on the spot. If he failed to or refused, they laughed at him.

On this particular summer day, they went to a junk yard, an area at the edge of town where everyone dropped their unwanted household items. As he stood along the edge, Erik wondered what foolishness they would expect him to do next. He would rather be home looking at a cartoons. With a sigh, he surveyed a sea of old washing machines, TV's, tools, engines, and junked cars.

"This place is so neat. I bet you could find anything in here you wanted," Elliot said. He stood next to Adam, fidgeting and anxious to start.

"There's got to be something valuable in here, something we could sell. Then we'll have the money to buy that used bike Mr. Stevens has."

"I don't get it. Why don't you just ask Dad for the money?" It perplexed Erik. That was what he always did. Not concoct some grand scheme to get the money on his own.

"Yeah, but Mom doesn't want us to have a bike. She says we're too young. So you stupid idiot, we have to get it and hide it from her and ride it where she can't see us."

"You'll probably get in trouble. You always do." Erik shot the other two one of his best smart aleck grins.

"Well, you're here. And you're gonna search with us, so you're gonna get in trouble, too."

"Well, let's get to work. Look for anything shiny or new." Adam was the first to take off running with Elliot close behind. Erik brought up the rear in lazy, hesitant steps.

He walked on his toes to avoid stepping on bits of pipe or plastic. There was nowhere to tread in terms of a path. But rather, he had to scale his way on top of junk to get around in the endless heap. Then he slipped on something flat and smooth with his legs flying out from under him. He landed with a clatter on stacks of pot and pans. He could hear the other boys snickering at his fate.

"Find anything yet, dufus?" Elliot called.

That was when Eric saw something shiny. He crawled on all fours, upward on the mountain of junk. If he found a real treasure, maybe those idiots would treat him nicer. He pulled himself closer and closer until he could see what was glinting in the sun...a ring. A shiny gold ring with a stone that looked like a diamond. It was big and bulky, something a man would wear.

Securing his position, he leaned forward and stretched. He couldn't quite reach it. He took a deep breath and stretched again, pushing, stretching. He stretched so far, his hand looked dismembered from the rest of him. Reaching...stretching...he got close and cupped his fingers around it and got a good grip. He tugged, but he couldn't pull it out. That was when he realized the ring was on a finger, a human finger, and that finger looked like it might be attached to a lot more.

Later, Homicide arrived in the persons of Gil and Hank along with the Medical Examiner and Forensics and a slew of squad cars. The place was alive with activity, like an ant hill in the afternoon sun.

"This body hasn't been here long," one of the team shouted down from up on top where the cadaver was buried. They all waited patiently while it was extracted and eased down the mountain of junk on a stretcher to rest on flat ground. Gil and Hank rushed to see it first.

"Oh, my Gawd! Hank, do you see that?"

"Geez, it's Mick! Oh Mick, what did you do, man?"

chapter 103

word count: 1596

the effects of a more than exhausting night began to take their toll on trudy.. she found an empty  corner in the holding cell,, leaned her throbbing head against the cold cement wall and closed her eyes.. she had a lot of thinking to do.. but the ravages of the alcohol,, and the crashing effect of coming off the “tina” that guy from the gay bar had been so proud to introduce her too made thinking all but impossible.. even still,, sleep would not come.. 

‘where do i go from here?’ trudy couldn’t help but ask herself.. no immediate answers would come.. so much had gone on today.. a lot of it in a drunken haze,, but the parts she could remember she was not especially proud of.. in fact as foreign to her character as it may have been,, a bit of shame seemed to be creeping in.. 

for the first time in a long time,, she began to think about her elly.. she had all but forsaken him in favor of gratuitous drink,, and wild unbridled sex with whomever she seemed to be able to get her hands on at the moment.. she knew he deserved better than that,, but she couldn’t quite get her mind around what she could do to make it up to him.. 

she knew he was in the best possible place.. as much as she hated to admit it,, john was a much more fit parent than she could ever hope to be.. and that lisa,, as much as she hated her,, had a much better chance of being a mother to elly,, a real mother,, than she had ever been.. he was better off,, she consoled herself.. 

how on earth had she gotten to this point of seemingly no return?? how could she ever make it right?? her pounding head was filled with questions and no answers.. 

‘tomorrow’ she thought to herself.. she would think about it tomorrow.. 

as she leaned her tousled head against the cold cement wall,, a cascade of tears began to fall.. quite unsure of where they had come from,, she found it impossible to fight them.. it just felt right.. maybe the tears would wash it all away.. maybe she would find some solace in them. some answers.. for the moment, however,, she was just content to allow the tears to fall.. before she knew it,, she was fast asleep on the cold cell block floor,, her head contentedly propped up against the grimy cement wall..

simone looked on with compassion.. sure,, she had more than her share of problems to be dealt with,, but she couldn’t help but feeling that trudy was going to have it even harder than she was.. after all,, she had no chance of release.. she had consigned herself to that fact the moment she was put in the hard plastic seat in the rear of the patrol car.. 

she knew the long arm of the law she had fought so diligently to protect over the course of her many years on the job was gonna come down on her.. and come down hard.. there was no escaping it.. and in her own way,, she was ok with that.. after all,, she was willing to suffer if it meant she had at least tried her best to avenge the death of her beloved brenda.. 

trudy squirmed in her drunken slumber, she muttered something indiscernible, then settled in and continued her tortured sleep.. simone's heart skipped a beat as she looked on at her,, all the pain and anguish of the day had disappeared from her makeup smeared face.. she looked almost angelic as she slept. 

it was too bad she had to meet trudy under these circumstances.. a part of her felt as if she might have really been able to go for her.. she was a very beautiful woman.. it was no wonder the guys flocked around her like they did.. she could only hope some portion of her talk with trudy earlier in the evening would remain with her when she woke.. maybe she would rethink her choice in men.. maybe she would heed her advice and take a little pride in herself before she got involved with yet another man that would serve no other purpose than to drag her further down the road of drunken degradation.. who knows,, maybe she would rethink her attraction to men all together?? 

“too late now.” simone said aloud as she too settled against the cold cement wall of the holding cell and closed her eyes.. “too late now..”

***

“up an attem’ ladies!!!” called out the matron, as she clanged open the holding cell door..

“you all got a date with the magistrate!! on your feet!!”

a disgruntled din rose from the inhabitants of the cell,, many of whom simone noticed as she opened her eyes had been added to the grisly group after she had fallen asleep.. she looked over at trudy who hadn’t stirred.. 

“hey you.” she whispered to trudy. “their calling us.. we gotta go.”

trudy opened one eye.. and then the other.. “go where?” she puzzled,, still not at all sure of even where she was.. 

“they’re taking us all down to go before the magistrate. time to find out exactly what we are being charged with,, and for you,, hopefully to be released..” simone explained in hushed tones..

“released?” trudy asked as she sat up and turned toward simone,, drinking in her surroundings,, as the debacle of the previous day came roaring back to her.. 

“yeah, “ simone started, “i am not really sure what you’re in for,, but i’m betting you will either be released,, or a reasonable bond set.. me?? i’m not gonna be so lucky.”

trudy painstakingly made it to her feet just in time to hear the matron bellow, “move it you two!! let’s go!!”

simone took trudy be the arm and lead her through the cell door and into the bright florescent hallway..

“jesus christ!!” exclaimed trudy. “can ya turn the lights down in here?? my head is about to explode as it is!!!

“keep movin’!!” the matron ordered in no uncertain terms as trudy and simone stumbled past her. “keep movin”!!”

as they entered the somber courtroom, trudy leaned over to simone. “hey, whats your name anyway?”

“beverly. beverly simone.”

“take a seat ladies!! we don’t have all day here!! the docket is full!!” 

together trudy and simone slumped into one of the polished wooden benches.. simone took trudy’s hand in hers.. trudy looked at her as the events of the night before began to replay in her alcohol addled brain.. she remembered the kiss,, and smiled sweetly at simone.. simone returned the smile and squeezed her hand.. surely it was a moment in time neither of them would ever forget.. 

simone’s docket number came up before trudy’s.. trudy looked on with a heavy heart as simone was remanded without bail.. simone looked back at trudy as she was being led away to the holding cell just off the courtroom.. trudy gave her a halfhearted smile,, and a tentative thumbs up.. secretly she wished they had met under different circumstances.. beverly simone had been the first woman in what seemed like forever who had ever even been nice to her.. 

‘maybe we could have been friends..’ trudy thought to herself. ‘who knows,’ she mused as she remembered the feelings of longing she had felt when simone had kissed her, ‘maybe even more than that…’

“hunt!! trudy hunt!!” 

trudy was shaken from her thoughts about simone by hearing her name called out loudly from the bench.. she stood up, ,still a bit shaky on her feet but slowly made her way to the podium in front of the magistrate.

“so we meet again!” the magistrate called out intimidatingly. 

“seems like you just can’t leave well enough alone, hunt.. and if the truth be told,, i am sick and tired of seeing you here.. your total disregard for the law is evident.”

trudy looked down at the floor as the magistrate continued.

“two counts of assault and battery.. two separate counts in the same day? one count of assault on a police officer, make that numerous counts of assault on a police officer.” she continued as she flipped thru the numerous pages that evidently detailed trudy’s escapades of the previous day. 

‘one count of resisting with violence. one count of drunk and disorderly. one count of battery on an inmate.. need i go on?? your total disregard for the leniency of the court in previous matters, paints a rather grim picture ms. hunt.. a grim picture indeed..”

trudy shuffled uncomfortably.. 

“it is my recommendation that you be held without bail until the investigation in to the second incident of assault is completed.. remand!!” the magistrate shouted, as a uniformed officer of the court grabbed trudy’s arm roughly and dragged her off in the direction of the holding cell.. 

as the door slammed behind her,, trudy was overcome with emotion.. she broke into deep heavy sobs and slipped to the floor just inside the door.. 

simone came over and knelt next to her.. 

“it’s gonna be alright.. come on over here and sit by me.. look at the bright side.. at least we’ll have some time to get to know each other better..”

a dazed and confused trudy followed simone’s lead and sat on the cold steel bench beside her.. she buried her head in simone’s accommodating shoulder and wept until she could weep no more.

Chapter 102

word count 1161

Simone released Trudy from their kiss and pulled away. Poor Trudy gazed back, her face a mixture of both confusion and pleasure.

"I'm sorry, Trudy. I shouldn't have done that."

Trudy swiped her lips with the back of her hand, her eyes fixed on the other woman.

Simone wondered what Trudy was thinking. The kiss had been unexpected. Simone had been so worked up from the struggle and emotionally distraught from her tumultuous day. Trudy's flushed face and sparkling eyes had been too much to resist, an ethereal place to run to and escape. But, of course, the other lady didn't swing her way and so, it was wrong. She knew she needed to patch things up.

"Look, Trudy, I lost it. I didn't mean to alarm you or intimidate you. It's been a hell of a day, and I lost my way. Kissing you was some kind of giant relief for me in a day gone terribly wrong."

Trudy looked back with eyes as bewildered as a six year old. Finally, she stammered. "I'm sorry I accused ya of going after Gil." She felt her dewy lips with her fingers. "Obviously, ya have no interest in him."

"No, I don't. I only wanted to take revenge for what he did to my girl friend. I knew it was wrong to want to hurt him, but all I could see was anger."

Trudy nodded like she understood. There had plenty of times she wanted to kill the men in her life. Like her dumb husband, John. She wanted to kill him most days, in fact. But right now, something bigger was bothering her...that kiss. She'd enjoyed it.

"Simone, I didn't mind the kiss. In fact, I liked it."

Simone shot her a sidelong glance and cleared her throat. "Look, Trudy, I'm guessing by the way you look and the fact that you're here in lock up with me, that you have had a hell of a day, too. And your pupils are telling me you may have had more than just alcohol tonight. I'm guessing this evening has been a real trip for you...out of your comfort zone."

Trudy nodded. It certainly was a night for the books--being mistaken for a man, for one thing.

"That's why," Simone continued, "I don't want you to be insulted or anything, but what happened between us wasn't real. I was exhausted; you were tripping. We bumped into each other here, and a strange thing happened. Just one of many weird things that happened to each of us tonight."

"Ya mean ya don't even like me?" Trudy felt ready to cry. No one liked her, not even other women.

"No, Trudy, I like you as a friend, but you're no lesbian. Look, I was born to it. I knew from when I was a kid that girls turn me on. You've always chased guys. You know you love them. If you were to have an affair with a girl, it would probably just be a lark for you. Sooner or later, you'd go back. And you'd leave some poor lady in the ditch. I don't want that girl to be me."

"Oh."

"That being said, may I make a comment about your relationships?"

"I guess." Trudy was starting to feel the old stress coming back, worrying about where she belonged in life. The drug was apparently wearing off. No more sparkles, no more epiphanies. Just the same old Trudy.

"If you don't mind my saying so, you let men walk all over you."

"What?"

"Yeah, get some gumption, girl! Do you think I could be a cop in a department full of men if I always let them make me feel inferior. Ya gotta stand up to them! You're just as good as any guy. And you should choose your men carefully for your own good, not just fall in with anyone who comes by wearing pants. Go with men who respect you, for Gawd's sake!"

"I'm thinking I'm beginning to take offense at what yer sayin' to me."

"No, listen. Here's an example. You know Buzz's wife, that Jeannie lady? It was no secret he used to beat her up a lot. She always let him make her feel like shit. There was nothing left of her. And pretty soon, there was no place left she felt she could go and she had to hang onto him, needing him for her very survival. I'm telling ya, hon, if you don't get your shit together, some bastard like Buzz Miller is gonna be dragging you around like his personal punching bag."

The truth slammed Trudy in the face like a massive fist to the jaw. That was exactly what was happening with Buzz. She kept running back to him every time she needed help. And worst of all, he had already knocked around. And instead of being outraged, she liked it, leaning closer and wanting more of it as if the act bonded them. Well, it may have, but not in a good way. She could see that now.

***

They arrived as a colorful posse--Hank, Gil, Buzz, Simon, and Michael--the latter two giggling and fawning over the other men. They walked through the front door as a group, a solid unit of entertainment, performance art of and in itself for the viewing. Two men obviously in love, and three resistant victims.

Simon and Michael couldn't wait to show off what they had brought home to the fold.

"Hey, everyone! Listen up!" Michael clapped his hands in a dainty fashion while still hoping to garner the room's attention. "These gentlemen are here to finish up the investigation on what happened here earlier tonight. Please afford them every courtesy, if you know what I mean!" He said the last phrase with a wink to the crowd.

The room erupted in laughter. The three straight men looked at each other in distress. Finally, Buzz took charge.

"Any of you who saw the assault in the back, please step over there!" He pointed to a far corner. The room full of gays stampeded in that direction.

Buzz looked confused. "You mean every one of you saw the assault?"

"Oh, yeah, hon! Come on over and I'll tell you all about it! I must say, you are a fine figure of a man!" The garishly dressed fellow shot Buzz a wide, devilish smile.

"Me, me! Come talk to me!"

"Over here, over here, big boy! Have I got some things to tell you!"

The clamor of voices filled the room like a flock of squawking ducks. It seemed everyone had a story to tell Buzz.

He looked to Hank and Gil. "This follow-up investigation is going to take all night."

chapter 101

word count: 1620

buzz entered the 45^th st precinct through the squad room.. he had decided against going directly in the detention entrance as he was unsure what kind of mood trudy would be in after having been dragged out of his foyer kicking and screaming just a few hours earlier.. 

she was a little firecracker, of that he could be sure,, and he wanted to check with the uniforms that brought her as to her state of mind before he went to see her.. there had been enough controversy surrounding his relationship with her already,, and he really wasn’t ready to add any fuel to the fire.. 

he spotted the arresting officers huddled over a desk in a cubicle on the far side of the room,, evidently completing the paperwork on trudy’s most recent arrest.. how many times was it now that he had rescued her from the bowels of the department of corrections?? two?? three?? truth be told he had lost count.. if this didn’t stop he was destined to become the laughing stock of the department, if he wasn’t already.. 

as buzz threaded his way thru the cramped squad room,, filled with the usual suspects,, hookers, addicts, and small time gangbangers all doing their best to impress the desk jockey cops of their innocence,, he heard his name being called out above the din..

“detective miller!!”

buzz turned to see the one of the department sketch artists flagging him down from across the room.. heading in that direction,, buzz called out, “what can i do for you?”

“i think i’ve  got something here you ought to see.” replied the sketch artist who was seated at a desk with two very flamboyantly dressed, unmistakably gay men.

‘what on earth?’ buzz thought to himself as he approached the trio,, seeing as how he was still on an extended leave of absence he couldn’t imagine what the hell the sketch artist could possibly be working on that would be of any interest to him.. 

“what cha got?” buzz asked shortly.

“i think you better have a look at this composite.” the artist said as she stood up and made room for buzz to slip in behind the desk and have a closer look at the computer screen..

“there was a brawl at the pink lady tonight,, and these gentlemen were kind enough to come in and give us a detailed description of the…”

“holy shit!” buzz exclaimed as his eyes fell upon the unmistakable likeness of none other than trudy hunt..

“it’s trudy!!” 

“oh, then you know him?” simon couldn’t help but chime in,, anxious to get a chance to make conversation with the fine specimen of a man that stood before him gaping at the composite on the computer screen.

“him??” buzz asked,, somewhat taken aback.

“let me see if i can explain,” the sketch artist broke in, “it seems as though your friend here found her way into the pink lady tonight,, and in the words of these two gentleman,, correct me here if i am wrong guys,, was ‘simply too magnificent’ to have been a woman.. and it seems..”

“oh my!!” michael cut her off mid-sentence. “you mean he is a she?? what on earth?? my gaydar was seriously off the charts!!”

“i’m with you girl,” simon consoled a visibly shaken michael with a comforting arm around his shoulders.

“you could knock me over with a feather right now.. i would have bet my sweet ass…” his voice trailed off as the two huddled together and engaged in a more or less private conversation as buzz addressed the sketch artist.. 

“i’m gonna need a print out of this.” buzz informed the artist, who in turn printed the composite and handed it to him.. 

as he all but snatched it out of her hand buzz said, “can we keep a lid on this for a minute while i find out what the hell is going on?” 

“sure. i can hold on to it till i hear back from you.”

“who caught the case?” a bewildered buzz asked, as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that his trudy had somehow or another been mistaken for a guy in drag.

“let me see,”  responded the sketch artist as she shuffled through the paperwork looking for the name of the officer assigned to the case.. 

“maulkin, officer kevin maulkin.”

“maulkin? don’t think i know him. any idea where i can find him??”

“he’s right over there, third cubicle from the right, the big guy with the sandy hair.” said the sketch artist, as she pointed across the squad room.

“i think he is doing the paperwork on it right now.. he would be able to fill you in on all the sordid details.”

“right.” buzz responded hazily, as he set off across the squad room toward officer maulkin,, still trying to drink it all in.. 

“buzz!! what the hell are you doing here?” a familiar voice called out after him.. he turned to see both hank bowers and gill bettencourt exiting the elevator.

“what gives, buddy?” hank queried as he extended his hand in greeting. a still reeling buzz shook his hand tentatively,, not at all the firm handshake hank had come to expect from buzz at all.. 

“you don’t look so good.” gil remarked in a genuine tone of concern. “maybe we ought a sit down.”

“whew!” buzz exhaled audibly as the three of them took a seat along the wall just outside of the elevator.. 

“you’re not going to believe this,” an exasperated  buzz said as he handed the composite over  to hank.

glancing at the composite, gil and hank exclaimed in unison, “it’s trudy!!”

“it sure as hell is.” buzz replied in a somewhat defeated tone.. 

“what the hell? where’d you get this?? trudy is downstairs..” a puzzled hank informed him.

“i know, i know.. she showed up at the house tonight,, all tanked up and got into it with my housekeeper,, who proceeded to call some of the boys over to collect her.”

“ok, so that answers the question, ‘what the hell is she doing here again?’ but it doesn’t explain what’s up with the composite..” gil  said as he leaned in close awaiting an explanation.. 

“i only wish i knew..” buzz stated as he tried to figure out how he was gonna explain trudy's latest escapade to his buddy’s without sounding like a total mad man.. 

“all i know so far is that trudy was involved in an altercation at the pink lady..”

“no fucking way!!” gil exclaimed trying unsuccessfully to hold back his explosive laughter.. 

“you mean to tell me it was trudy?” hank asked as he joined gil in  a gut wrenching laugh.

“you mean you guys already know about this? what the fuck??” a visibly confused buzz looked on in disbelief as the two of them continued to laugh uncontrollably..

“so trudy was the 'guy'!!” gil was able to spit out as he tried to catch his breath and regain some sense of composure.. 

“the 'guy' that went postal on the 'girls' at the pink lady tonight??”

“oh this is one for the books!!” hank squeaked out as he hit gil solidly on the back,, and the two of them burst out in yet another chorus of uproarious laughter.. 

“would somebody please explain to me what the hell is so fucking funny??” buzz barked, eager to get a handle on exactly what was going on.. 

it took a minute,, but both gil and hank eventually quit laughing long enough to explain the hysterical reason behind the little altercation trudy had gotten herself in at the pink lady.. 

buzz hung his head in his hands.. “trudy, trudy, trudy, what the hell am i gonna do with you?” he said as he balled up the composite print out and tossed it into a nearby trash can..  

“and that’s not even the best part!” gil continued. 

“i just caught her and simone in a liplock in the lock up!!”

“simone? how does she figure into all of this?? and what the hell is she doing in the lock up?”

the conversation took on a much more somber tone,, as hank and gil explained the tie in between simone and brenda simmons,, and how hank had rescued gil just in the nick of time earlier this evening at simone's apartment.. 

buzz looked on in disbelief as gil wrapped up the strange chain of events with a blow by blow description of what he had witnessed going on between trudy and simone  in the lock up.. 

“this just blows my mind.” buzz concluded when all was said and done.. “and to think i came in here tonight with every intention of springing  trudy..”

“out of the frying pan and into the fire, buddy. i’m thinking you better leave this one alone..” hank admonished him as he sincerely hoped buzz was thinking  with the head on the top of his neck and not the one in his pants.. 

“i don’t know about you guys,, but i could sure use a drink.” buzz said as he stood up and rolled his head on his shoulders in effort to relive some of the tension of the day.. 

“now you’re talkin’” hank said as both he and gil joined buzz in front of the elevator door..

“i say we stop in over at the pink lady.” gil mused as they stepped onto the elevator, followed closely by simon and michael who instantly broke out in an all too contagious giggle..

“oh please do!! please do!!” chimed simon, as the five of them burst out into a thunderous round of laughter that could be heard long after the elevator began its decent..