“I understand.”
“And don’t ever just jump out of the car like that again. You did good catching the guy but your still a rook and I’m responsible for you. You go nowhere without me unless I say so, ok?”
Lizzie was disappointed. “Yes, sir.” She thought Dekker would praise her not scold her. She had gotten an arrest on her first shift and she was excited and proud.
Dekker appeared deep in thought while Michael sat in the back humming to himself. Lizzie tried not to sulk as Dekker drove the four blocks back to the Hall of Justice.
Chapter Fifteen
They reached the station and Dekker pulled the car under the sally port overhang. Lizzie opened the back door and helped Michael out of the backseat. Dekker unlocked the intake door and held it open for her. Taking the elevator up to the jail, Lizzie escorted Michael by the arm to the front of a holding cell.
A man in a light blue jailer uniform came from behind a large gray concrete counter and greeted them with a friendly grin. Snapping on a pair of fresh latex gloves, he smiled, “Hey Dekker.”
“Hey Charles, how’s it hanging?”
“Oh you know, always good in the hood for me,” he laughed. “What did you bring me?”
“A little 10851 is all.”
Michael pleaded with Charles, “Man, I keep telling them, I didn’t steal no car!”
Dekker rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation. With a little shuffle step, Charles swung open the holding cell door and bowed with an exaggerated flourish. “Welcome to your room for the night!”
Lizzie walked Michael into the cell and after searching him one last time she removed the handcuffs.
Dekker joined Lizzie in the cell and told Michael to sit down on the wooden bench against the wall.
“Take off your shoes,” Dekker commanded. “Turn them upside down and bang them together.”
Lizzie watched as Dekker took the shoes from Michael. He inspected them inside and out. Dekker ran his hands along the tongue of both shoes and probed the soles.
“Now take the laces out and put them in this bag.” Dekker took a plastic bag from Charles and held it out towards Michael. Michael did what Dekker told him to do.
“Now your socks. Take them off and turn them inside out.” Dekker examined the smelly socks. “Ok, nothing in them. Good. You can put them back on and your shoes as well. Stand up. Turn your pockets inside out.”
Dekker, satisfied that Michael wasn’t hiding any contraband handed the plastic bag to Lizzie. “Let’s take our friend Michael here, over to the fingerprint machine.”
Lizzie watched in fascination as Charles scanned each of Michaels fingers into a computer. The scanner resembled a copy machine and made quick work of what used to be a laborious chore. Charles made quick work of the process and lead Lizzie, Dekker and the prisoner into a back hallway. Lined by three metal doors, the hallway was cold and drab.
“In you go, sir,” Charles said as he motioned for Michael to enter. Charles took the plastic bag of Michael’s property from Lizzie and shut the cell door with a clang.
“Hey! When can I get something to eat?” Michaels yelled.
Lizzie and Dekker return to the front desk. Dekker handed Lizzie a stack of forms, “We need to fill these out. These are booking forms and property receipts for the items we removed from our prisoner.”
Suddenly the elevator dinged and the door opened. A scrawny man in handcuffs flew through the opening and skid to a halt on the floor at Lizzie’s feet.
“Hey man that’s not necessary,” the man whined as he looked back toward the elevator.
Werner’s hulking frame strode out into the open. “Yeah and the dope wasn’t yours either right?”
The man on the ground looked up and noticed Dekker. “Boss man! Hey boss, tell this guy to quit harassing me, man.”
“Take it easy Werner,” Dekker said. Dekker helped the cuffed man to his feet.
“Yeah, listen to the Sarge.”
Werner smirked. “He ain’t the Sarge no more. Haven’t you heard?”
“What? Why? What happened boss?”
“He’s as crooked as you are. He’s probably your running buddy isn’t he? You two do dirt together don’t you?”
“Screw you, man. I know you guys and if I had to pick out the crooked one it sure wouldn’t be the boss. Besides you’re the one who…”
Werner’s fist flew out of nowhere and connected hard with the mans mouth.
“Shut up! No one wants to hear your lies.”
Lizzie jumped.
Werner looked at her “Got something to say rook? He was resisting. Don’t you know verbal resistance is the precursor to physical resistance?”
Before Lizzie could respond Dekker grabbed her by her arm and led her back to the elevator doors. “We’re done here. Let’s head out.”
Lizzie wasn’t sure what to say or even if she should say anything at all. She certainly hadn’t expected to see the prisoner assaulted and she was fuming inside. She snuck a look at Dekker as the elevator doors opened to the sally port doorway.
Dekker walked outside and opened the car door without one word. Lizzie silently slid into the passenger seat. As they drove back out into the city Lizzie could see Dekker was angry.
Lizzie attempted to lighten the mood. “That was really cool how you knew that guy was driving a stolen car. I can’t wait until I’ve been here long enough to recognize stuff like that just by looking at it. You are really good at your job!”
Dekker snorted in derision, “Yeah well get over it rookie. I worked vice. I know that guy. I also know he doesn’t have a driver license and is good for stolen cars. Special powers had nothing to do with it”
Lizzie smarted at her own naivete. This was going to be a long first shift.
Chapter Sixteen
Jack had almost finished drying the dishes when he started at the sound of the doorbell. Dishrag in one hand, dripping wine glass in the other, he opened the front door. The wine glass slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor, sending splinters of glass across the entryway.
“You!”
“Now is that anyway to greet your little brother?” Joel smirked as he pushed his way into the apartment. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“When did they let you out?” Jack demanded, stooping to pick up the broken pieces of glass and shutting the door.
“Wow! Nice to see you too, brother. Geez you’d think after five years you’d be happy to see me.”
“I am happy to see you,” Jack stammered. Jack took a breath and lowered his voice trying not to betray the alarm and anxiety that had welled up in chest.
“How’d you find me?”
“I found you easy peasy. ‘Jack Drummond’” Joel smirked.
“Last I heard you were still in jail for jacking some old ladies car?”
“I’ve been out. You know they won’t never be able to hold me. They had to let me out the minute they realized they didn’t have enough for those trumped up robbery charges. Cops are douches.”
“How about you? Still slanging? Still squealing to the cops?”
“You heard about that, huh?”
“I heard! Everyone in county lock-up was talking about you snitching. But I stood up for you, defended you. I said ‘no way. Not my brother.’ No one likes a snitch and I wasn’t going to let them talk that way about any brother of mine. Even though I suspected you did it. You wanna tell me it’s not true?”
“That was a one-time thing.”
“Well I’ll be damned!”
Jack looked at his little brother and brushed past him to throw the broken glass in the dust bin. He washed off his hands and folded his dishtowel over the sink. Jack leaned back against the sink to get a better look at his younger brother.
“You look a little disheveled. Where are you staying?”
“Here and there. I have places.”
“You gone straight? “
“Yeah man. You know me. I was always straight. Just a li
ttle blip of trouble here and there but nothing I can’t handle. What about you? You still being a good little boy?”
“I told you, that thing with the cops was a one off. I keep my nose clean.”
“Is that so? Jack Drummond? Is that the name you’re using now? You ain’t gone straight you just hiding.”
“Minor technicality. Couldn’t go straight under my real name now could I. I’ve started over, been like this for two years and I plan on keeping it that way.” Jack eyed Joel as he roamed the apartment.
Joel picked up a picture of Jack, a beautiful blonde girl and a little boy. “This is your new family?” he asked. There was something almost sad in his voice. “You even have a kid???”
“He’s not mine and they are none of your business” Jack grabbed the picture from his hands and gently almost lovingly placed it back on the console table. “What do you want Joel.”
“First of all I’m curious. Why in the hell would you choose the name Jack Drummond? Wasn’t he that old ass Oakland cop who used to always swing by the neighborhood to ‘check on’ us? Does your little princess have any idea of who you really are FRANK? You living a double life FRANK?” Joel spit out Jacks real name with a force that made Jack cringe.
Joel lowered his voice as he took another glance at the framed photo of Jack, Lizzie and Sam. “You always wanted a real family didn’t you. You were always so soft. “ Joel shook off the sense of nostalgia. An unfamiliar feeling of longing started to creep in and his chest tightened. Before it could fully take hold Joel switched gears with determination, “How much is it worth to you?”
“Worth to me? How much is what worth?”
“Yeah how much is it worth to you? This pretty little life of yours.”
“Look man I don’t know what it is your looking for but you wont find it here.”
“You owe me! You left me high and dry in that jail to rot.”
“What did you expect me to do? I didn’t have two nickels to rub together so I couldn’t post bail and they had you dead to rights last time I heard.”
“So you just went on with your life and forgot all about your degenerate little brother is that it? Well it looks like you have money now and you’re doing alright for yourself. So how about it big bro? What will you give me to keep my mouth shut? He eyed Jack threateningly as his fingers reached out to caress the photo once more.
“I’m not giving you any money, Joel. Even if I had it, I wouldn’t give it to you and you best leave my family alone. “
Joel grinned. “Awe man that’s ok. I was just kidding anyway.” Joel walked closer to Jack and laying one hand on his shoulder he looked Jack in the eye. “I just wanted to know you were happy and doing well, that’s all. I…..” Joel paused and seeing the glint of a chain around Jacks neck he reached out and snatched the chain holding Jacks badge under Jack’s t-shirt. Joel moved too quickly for Jack to stop him. Joel pulled the gold badge out from under Jacks shirt and examined it incredulously.
“Well I’ll be damned. You have her thinking you’re an actual cop?” Joel laughed raucously, almost choking on his own spit and resulting in a hacking cough. “Wow you really have done it this time. She’s a real cop living with a fake cop! You always were good at pretending to be someone you aint. You think you can go on like this forever?”
Joel let go of the badge and took a step back from his brother. “You know, maybe I’d love to settle down and have me a little family of my own. Change my past. Or erase it completely like you have done. The only problem is, FRANK, you can’t escape your past. It catches up to you. And even if it doesn’t you can’t change who you really are. You will always be a punk and a two-bit hood. The truth will come out sooner or later. It won’t be much longer before she figures out what a fraud you are and I will be smiling the whole time. You will end up right back where we started, as nobodies. We always were nothing and we always will be nothing!”
Jack sighed. “Look we can be whoever we want to be. You can start over. You can give up the dope and the girls and the thieving. It’s never too late, Joel.”
“Ah there’s no going back for me. I like my life! You got any beer?”
“Sure.” Jack went to fridge and grabbing a beer, he handed it to Joel. Jack momentarily pondered the beer in Joel’s hand and with a shrug he broke his cardinal rule and cracked a beer for himself. If today’s events weren’t enough to break the rule what would be? His brother had always been difficult. But Jack was the big brother and his example hadn’t exactly helped foster his baby brother into a shining human being
“I was thinking about the Smiths today. Remember them?”
“Those old coots?”
“Hey, they were nice.”
“Then why’d you leave? You left me there alone.”
“I know but I had to get out on my own. I was feeling smothered.”
“Yeah well I didn’t leave. At least not right away. They “loved” me double when you left. I did what I had to. I stole all the cash in old man Smith’s wallet, took the car and left. Haven’t looked back since. See what I mean? Can’t escape who we are, bro. It’s ingrained in us.”
Jack looked at his little brother a little softer. It was true. He had left him but he was too young to bring along and he had to get out. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had left his little brother with a nice family. There had been no trouble at the Smith house but he wasn’t the college kind of kid. Jack believed his little brother had a better shot without him, so he had booked it out of there.
Was Joel right? Was the past ingrained in them? Their parents had been druggies and his dad had beaten his mom more than one way to Sunday. Jack never touched drugs except to sell a little but he never used them. He had certainly never been violent with a woman. It was true that he and Joel had been in and out of group homes most of their lives, but unlike some other kids, they actually had a small chance with the Smiths. Jack always believed his future was what he could make it. But what if, after everything he had gone through to escape his past, he could never really be truly free?
He felt sympathy for his brother. “Look man, I can maybe give you a hundred dollars but that’s all I got, I swear.”
Joel grinned widely and flopped down on the couch. “I knew you’d come through for me! I’ll wait.”
Jack set his beer down and went into the spare bedroom. He swung the door half shut behind him. How the hell was he going to deal with this one? He didn’t need this stress but if he knew his brother, Joel would take the money and Jack wouldn’t see him again for a long time.
Jack went in to the closet where he kept his stored belongings. He reached up to the highest shelf and from behind his gym bag he removed a box marked “books.” From the book box he removed an even smaller box labeled “Christmas ornaments.” Jack had long ago ditched the dreaded backpack but as he opened the box and saw the contents he felt a shiver of regret make its way down his spine.
Jack reached into the box and pushing the gun and cocaine, aside he retrieved a thick roll of bills. Jack peeled off two one hundred dollar bills and shoved them in his pants pocket. Jack glanced into the bag one last time. Just like every other time he looked inside, he reminded himself that he had to get rid of the contents. He didn’t worry about Lizzie or Sam finding them but if he was going to do things right, he had to lose the safety net.
Shoving the box back into its hiding place, Jack returned to the living room to find Joel going through the refrigerator.
“Here,” said Jack, holding out the money to his brother. Joel slowly stood up from the open refrigerator door. The light cast an ominous glow on his expression.
Joel used one hand to shove a bagel into his mouth while closing the refrigerator door with a slam. “Thanks bro,” he mumbled around the mouthful of bread. Joel took the money and folded it into a small bindle like package. Joel shoved the money deep into his pocket. Frank could see that Joel was anxious to get out and spend his new-found cash.
Joel winked at Jack. “So, I gu
ess I better be going. Let you get back to your chores.”
“Ok. Keep in touch?” Jack opened the door for Joel.
Joel stepped out onto the welcome mat. “Oh I will.” With that, Joel turned and walked back the way he had come. Frank watched as Joel reached the stairwell doorway. Joel turned back to Jack with an odd expression Joel wiggled his fingers, “Toodle loo,” and slipped through the exit door.
Chapter Seventeen
Dekker pulled the patrol car into the police parking lot and backed into the spot assigned for car six. He put the car in park and looked at Lizzie with a curious eye. “Well, its two am. First shift is over. How do you feel?”
“It was interesting. I definitely learned a lot. And also, it was fun,” she said as a wide grin spread across her face.
Dekker smiled back. “Good. So what are you going to do before you go home?”
“I’m going to clean out the car, inspect it inside and out and then log it back in.”
“Perfect,” he said. Dekker got out of the driver seat and tucked the keys in his uniform pocket. “See you tomorrow.” Lizzie watched him walk around the outside of the building and out of site.
Lizzie took her gear bag from the trunk. After ensuring there were no items left in the backseat, she entered the Hall of Justice through the back door. She smiled at the other officers bringing in their cars but no one paid her an ounce of attention.
Lizzie walked down the hallway and past the report writing room where other officers on her team were busy writing up their reports for the day. She signed her car back in, noting the mileage and time. Hefting her bag over her shoulder Lizzie fairly sprinted up the stairs to the locker room. When she entered she quickly dropped her bag in front of her locker and ran to the mirror to examine herself. She signed with relief. As far as she could tell her face looked normal despite the overwhelming feeling that her eyes were as big as saucers. In fact, she couldn’t stop herself from grinning like an idiot.
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