by Saurav Dutt
“Um…I mean..come in…by all means..yeah, come on in” John stuttered as he attempted to stifle another yawn. Captain Christopher Durning and his wife Sylvia stepped reluctantly into the flat as their eyes struggled to adjust to the weak candlelight and the television glare shuddering through the darkened front room. John switched on the light as he paused for a moment, surveying the chaos around him. Wine glasses, half empty bottles, clothes strewn over the couch and a view straight into the bedroom to a bed that looked a complete mess.
“Who won?” Durning asked as he slipped off his grey overcoat to reveal a gleaming tux “we were in the neighbourhood after the fundraiser and thought we’d see how you’re doing. I haven’t been making enough time to see the boys and see how they’re all doing what with the precinct drafts and transfers. After the Ortega bust, I haven’t heard much from you John, wanted to see if you were all good…so who won?”
“What?” John blinked as his concentration focused towards the bedroom, noticing that Sylvia’s eyes were following his. “The game, John..” Durning smiled as he motioned for Sylvia to sit on one of the sofa chairs that wasn’t swathed in newspapers and magazines. “Oh that, I mean, I got drinking and half focused on it and well I wasn’t paying that much attention” John laughed as he slipped onto the couch and reached for a cigarette pack on the desk table in front of him.
“Well I’m glad you had a comfortable night in” Durning snapped, stroking his ample belly, adjusting his bow tie and crisp white shirt as he fixed an apprehensive stare towards John “but to be honest I had expected you there at the fundraiser tonight. The mayor was quite surprised at your absence too”
“We didn’t…er…interrupt you did we?” Sylvia frowned as she adjusted her posterior on the couch, flicking away a magazine with mild disgust as she evened out the edges of her skirt.
“Well y’know I completely lost track of time” John replied “can I make you both some coffee?” he asked as he knelt down to heap all the books and magazines on top of one another. As he did so he hurried to collect the lipstick smeared wine glass sitting atop the coffee table in front of Sylvia.
“So..” Durning shot back “why weren’t you there? The boys at the station said you left the office with some dame”
“Please, honey” Sylvia groaned “It’s quite clear we’ve run into John at a bad time, let’s just be on our way, it’s late as it is, I told you we shouldn’t have just barged in at a time like this”
“Nonsense” Durning laughed as he motioned for his wife to remain seated “it’s barely half past eleven on a Friday night. A workhorse like John usually burns the midnight oil while most of us are hitting the sack…except tonight right, John? You look like you’ve been on a bender”
“Well..” John hesitated as he rose to his feet “I was interviewing a suspect, except that she’s not a suspect well, anymore..I mean..she was at first”
“It’s because I’ve noticed that you’ve had guests” Durning interjected, his eyes coolly hovering over to the wine glasses which John had cradled against his stomach. “No, No I haven’t” John answered as he rushed to grab the remote control to flick through channels on the television, turning his attention away from Durning’s eyes which seemed to follow his every move.
“Come now dear” Sylvia complained, patting Durning’s left thigh “John is obviously not feeling himself, we’ve run in on him at an inconvenient time and-”
“-and nothing” Durning cut her off as he pushed the hand away “this is one of the most important nights for our precinct and John had been due to attend for over three months as a delegate. Your ticket had been paid for, a seat at my table arranged for you. I’ve spoken highly of you to the mayor, the division commissioners, they were very keen to see you tonight-we made a point of showing you off, to make us look good, and you didn’t turn up. There was an empty seat between me and the mayor and I looked a complete and utter jackass, John..now what do you have to say about that?”
“Well” John gulped “to tell you the truth Cap..it slipped my mind…” he trailed off as he stood there nonchalantly as the scowl on Durning’s face grew fiercer by the minute.
As the awkward silence dragged on, a sound penetrated the air. Durning’s eyes immediately turned towards the bedroom and remained fixed on the light within. He leant forward, narrowing his eyes and studying the unfurled duvet and mattress and with a glint of a smile coolly turned his attention back to John.
“You’ve got a woman in here ain’t ya, John?” he smiled, his eyes twinkling only for his face to abruptly coil up in rage “bring her out here, let me see the dame that was so good you had to miss the most important night of your career”
“Important for you maybe..” John shot back “but certainly not for me. You can take the horse to the water Captain, but you can’t make it drink”
“Bullshit” Durning spat “if you want to live somewhere else besides this place and drive something besides that stupid green Mini of yours, you’d better know that the Mayor is the man that can give you a pay rise or send you back to the 36th precinct where you can sling hookers and eat donuts all day and night long” he barked.
“Darling” Sylvia rolled her eyes “you can’t come into the man’s house and talk to him like this, you’re drunk..now let’s go home and let the poor guy sleep. Talk about this in the morning, I’ve had enough of this” she demanded as she smacked her palm across Durning’s broad shoulders. But he didn’t budge, his spiteful eyes locked onto John’s as the stench of Scotch whisky escaped from his wheezing mouth.
“Sylvia” John smiled “please tell the Captain that I like my apartment very much, and I like my stupid green Mini very much too. And I never had any intention of going to his brownnosing event tonight to lick the Mayor’s boots and yes the woman I have here was totally worth it”
“Your problem John..” Durning shook his head “was always your unwillingness to tow the line. That’s why you are who you are and that’s why you are where you are. A real waste of talent son, a real waste of talent…what is she a two dollar hooker? I hope she was worth it..you won’t hear the last of this I can tell you that now” he scowled.
The patter of her feet echoed down the hallway as she scurried towards them. Her blood was up, her heart pumping and her face was contorted in rage and incredulity. John’s jaw dropped as he saw her standing there, wearing one of his shirts buttoned down to the top of her cleavage with its lower edges coming down to just below her knee caps. He winced slightly as he noticed Durning’s exasperated expression and the horror etched over Sylvia’s face as she carefully studied her from head to foot.
“I am not a hooker…” she drawled, standing firmly as Durning raised his eyebrows in both curiosity and bemusement. “Who the hell is this?” he demanded as his finger stared accusingly toward her. His beady eyes slowly turned towards John “is this the reason you made me look like an idiot in front of the mayor? Because of this…this…whore?” he panted as he felt his blood sizzle.
“Didn’t you hear him?” she snapped “he wasn’t interested in your dog and pony show, and what gives you the right to come into his house and talk to him like that? I know all about people like you, coming and doing as they please…”
“You do now?” Durning bit back as he turned to face her head on “do you know who you’re talking to? I bet you’ve got a rap sheet as long as my arm, what did they bust you for the last time? Soliciting? Drunkenness? Public indecency? What’s a tramp like you charge an hour to make an idiot out of one of my best officers?”
“Look we should be going, we really should, this doesn’t concern us” Sylvia interrupted, rising to her feet as she snatched at her handbag. “Stay where you are” Durning spat as he squeezed her arm “if I don’t get a good explanation I’m hauling this piece of trash to the station myself”
“People like you are all the same” she muttered as she shook her head at Sylvia “lady what did you do to get with this fat prick? I bet every time you sleep wit
h him you got to take an oxygen mask to bed when he gets on top of ya…”
John stifled a laugh as Durning yanked open his bow tie and loosened his collar, feeling his heartbeat thunder as he sized up to her.
“All the same people like what lady? Whaddaya sayin’?” he demanded as he let go of Sylvia’s arm.
“You..” came the response “and people just like you, you’re always pushing around anyone smaller than you …women especially..anybody that ain’t afraid to say something back to you…well I ain’t buster..I don’t work for ya, I don’t whore for ya and I’m not your wife...so why don’t you do what John here suggested and hit the road fat boy”
“I don’t know where you got this trash from” Durning snarled “but I’ll put tonight down to sheer male stupidity; in any case, I realise we made a mistake coming here tonight…I won’t take up any more of your time..I guess it’s a good thing, at least I know you’d rather be pushing pencils all your life than being a real cop” he shook his head as he turned to leave, motioning for Sylvia to follow him.
They stepped out into the gentle drizzle of the evening, Durning cursing under his breath as Sylvia opened the car door. He slumped down into the driver seat, grumbling incessantly as he angrily shoved the key into the ignition. Sylvia remained perfectly silent, her cold eyes gazing at the empty road in front of them.
“I didn’t hear you defending me” Durning hissed as he turned towards her, letting the engine roar to life, “couldn’t you have spoken up?”
“You said quite enough” Sylvia replied as she looked down into her lap, pausing momentarily “you didn’t recognise who that was, did you? All that hollering and you didn’t realise who you were speaking to”
“Just a two dollar piece of trash” Durning scoffed “honestly I had expectations for that boy, what he’s doing with that kinda broad makes no sense..sabotaging his career like that, no respect for authority. What’s the mayor gonna think, huh? I mean I looked like an utter jackass sitting there Sylvia”
“Shut up for a minute would you…that broad…” Sylvia replied as she turned towards Durning “was Gina Rossi…I’m sure of it..she looked different, but believe me that was her, I know it”
“You’ve been drinking more than I have” Durning scoffed as Sylvia flashed him a look of disgust.
“No I haven’t” she hissed “you’ve had too many whiskies to realise what is front of your eyes”
“Gina Rossi is a ghost” Durning paused “…she’s skipped the country, or the state or whatever, or in jail or dead last I heard”
“No you fool” Sylvia shook her head “Use your own eyes Chris, Gina Rossi is alive and well and living in Manhattan….”
Chapter Six
Sean could hear laughter as he approached the door. The faint drizzle of the late evening came to a resounding halt the moment he pressed the doorbell. He could hear the pattering of Peters’ footsteps rattling up and down the hallway and a smile came to his face. He stroked his goatee as he waited patiently only for his joy at hearing his son’s laughter to dissipate once he heard another sound behind the door, an older male voice.
Andie’s fingers wrapped around the door knob as she prised it open and saw Sean standing there, looking effortlessly stylish in a grey overcoat, a silk cream coloured scarf flung around his neck and a twinkle in his eye that matched the glistening surface of the champagne bottle he was cradling in his arms. “I know we’re not celebrating anything, but I thought of it as more of a homecoming than anything” he quipped as Andie stared at him blankly.
As he entered the hallway and closed the door behind him he was struck by the smell of strong cologne. He forked over the bottle to Andie who glared at it for a moment as if it was an explosive device. “I don’t drink anymore” she replied as she took the bottle anyway. “You drank the other day, what are you talking about?” Sean chuckled as he wrestled off the tight overcoat and scarf and draped them both over the stairway banister.
“I mean I don’t drink that anymore…y’know champagne” Andie answered as she looked inquisitively at the label “I guess it reminds me of..well..-“
“-the good ‘ol times?” Sean interrupted with a quizzical smile as he looked at her. She looked radiant, her hair glistening with a luxurious tint. Her tight figure pressed exquisitely against her navy blue jumper and the lip gloss from her bottom lip seemed to glimmer under the smoulder of the hallway light.
“It’s a good job you’re on time, Peter has to go to sleep soon” Andie reminded him as she began to walk uncertainly towards the drawing room, fully aware that Sean was studying the tightness of her jeans pressed firmly against her buttocks.
“I hope this isn’t gonna be one of those things where he says hello to me for a minute or two and you send him straight to bed” Sean piped up as he studied the choice of paintings hung adroitly against the walls, noticing that they were all oil paintings drawn by Andie’s hand and which were once in their home in Long Island.
Andie led Sean into the drawing room, carefully ignoring his question as she clutched the cold neck of the champagne bottle. She could feel her heart throbbing, managing to make her feel both exhilarated and fearful of what could happen next.
Sean turned into the drawing room and saw Peter on his knees fumbling around with a jigsaw puzzle spread out on the floor. His attention was firmly on the ground and what Ben seated above him was saying to him. His deep baritone rumbled as he chuckled to himself, studying the intricate puzzle that he and Peter were trying to solve. Sean folded his arms, smiling at the sight of his son who was too engrossed to notice he was standing there and similarly enraged at the stranger who commanded his attention so easily.
“Peter, say hye to daddy” Andie said as she placed the bottle down on a coffee table. Peter looked up, his round eyes uncertainly darting from Sean to his mother. She nodded solemnly and he rose to his feet, walking slowly towards Sean who knelt down and embraced him. Sean closed his eyes as he held him tightly, stifling a tear as his heart pressed against his son’s cheek. “I missed you so so much…” he whispered into Peter’s ear as he stroked his hair. “Where’ve you been dad?” Peter asked uncertainly as he clasped his small arms around his father’s back. Sean stared into his son’s eyes, stroking his cheeks and kissing him gently on the forehead. “Just away, but I’m here for now” Sean smiled as he held onto Peter’s hand.
“That’s a fine boy you’ve got there..” Ben smiled as he rose his feet, extending his hand which Sean stared at for a moment before accepting. The resulting grip was like a hammer vice. Sean stared into Ben’s eyes, immediately deciding they were untrustworthy. Ben’s sneer made Sean pull away as he looked back down at Peter, caught between the two of them as he stood at his father’s knees. “I know” Sean replied “and I’m glad you know that he’s not yours..”
“Ah but of course..” Ben shrugged as he glanced quizzically at Andie “there’s no question of that now is there?”
“Good” Sean sighed as he patted Peter’s head “I’m glad that doesn’t need any further elaboration”
Andie stepped forward, clasping Peter’s hand as she gently tugged at his sleeve “Okay now honey, I have to put you to sleep but daddy will say goodnight before he leaves” she smiled as she glared at Sean. “Daddy’s not staying?” Peter demanded, refusing to budge. “Daddy will talk to you upstairs” Sean interjected “now do as your mom said and just go upstairs, I’ll talk to you real soon before you go to sleep, okay?”
As they left the room Ben chuckled to himself, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he glanced at Sean who stared back at him; refusing to break his gaze as he wondered what his beautiful wife would see in this balding, pompous and unremarkable man.
“You have expensive taste in champagnes” Ben observed with a nod towards the bottle “but it’s a waste”
“Why is that?” Sean replied without missing a heartbeat.
“Andie doesn’t drink champagne y’see.. “ Ben replied, pausing for effect “I gue
ss some things just change over time…it was an expensive mistake on your part” he grinned.
“Not really” Sean quipped as he stared down at Ben’s gleaming black shoes “I guess you could finish it all by yourself…” he smirked as he slumped down onto a sofa chair, studying the room carefully.
He saw the bright lustre of the flat panel television screen in the corner, the warm crackle of a small fireplace and the walls which held a half dozen or so small framed photographs and paintings. All pictures of Andie and Peter smiling, their faces beaming with joy and laughter. Not one with him in them.
“I wouldn’t say no to a glass or two” Ben sighed as he stepped forwards tentatively to scoop the bottle from the table “how about you?” he enquired.
“I’m guessing Andie’s departure from the room was pretty much intentional” Sean nodded “y’know so we can shoot the breeze or something like that. Why don’t you pour me a glass then, I’m sure you know your way to the kitchen”
Ben wrapped his well manicured fingers around the rim of a glass, furrowing his eyebrow as he closely studied Sean’s well groomed appearance. He parted his lips to speak, and then paused as his gaze fixed onto Sean’s stone cold blue eyes. “Just so we don’t get off on the wrong foot here…which we are dangerously close to doing…” he paused as he raised a self deprecating smile to his face “Andie told me things were through with you..I mean before we began to date..just so you know..” he frowned, perplexed at his own hesitancy.
“Some people would call it dating” Sean replied “others would call it adultery”