Citizen

Untitled Part 1

Citizen

Chapter 1

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Officer Guy Del Toro squeezed his bright yellow F-150 Velociraptor between two patrol cars on 24th Avenue and slammed the parking placard on the dashboard. With his foot he tapped the left-side blue and black sticker printed in white letters: "Acta non Verba, Actions not Words."

I'm a man of action.

He checked in with the desk sergeant and headed for the locker room.

Officer Rick Espinoza stood in front of the locker room mirror at San Francisco's Taraval Police Station. He turned this way and that and seemed to be checking the fit of his dark blue uniform as he pulled the brim of the cap down to his brow line and readjusted his heavy belt.

"The doc said I should lose 10 pounds." Rick turned on his heels and said, "You never gain weight, Guy."

"If you get out of your patrol car and walk fast, you'll stay in shape. Just be careful. Dale got a herniated disc from getting in and out of his cherry top. It was the constant twisting of the body, but he's about to retire."

"Do you have another tie I can borrow?" Rick asked. "This one has a spot on it."

"Sure. I keep ten in the locker."

"Why so many?" Rick asked.

"They last longer if you switch 'em out."

"All that military training did you a lot of good," Rick said.

"Why didn't you join?" Guy asked.

"I wanted to be a cop since I can remember, so that's what I did."

"And you're a good cop, Rick. You've always got my back."

"Your birthday is coming up. How old are you?" Rick asked.

"Thirty-seven."

Rick unfolded his copy of the San Francisco Police Officers Association Journal. "On page two is a story about Captain Lew. Did you hear about it?'

"Yes," Guy said, "and I don't like gossip."

"He had a child out of wedlock and didn't tell his wife."

"It isn't a crime. Crimes go before a judge; sins stay in the confessional."

"Pious Guyus."

"Don't ever repeat that!"

"Or what?"

"I'll brain you."

Rick looked down, and Guy felt the force of his own overreaction and the wedge he had created, and he wanted to hide.

Rick asked, "How's your brother? Is he still the family rebel?" Rick stepped away from the mirror and looked over at his locker. "Don't get too stressed about it. Every family has one."

Art Del Toro, the political mutineer, was estranged from the family. Their mother, Mary, and father, Giles George Del Toro, Sr., "The Bull," had pleaded for their errant son to come home and reconcile. Guy's fist fight left his 25-year-old brother black and blue.

"He's okay," Guy answered, realizing there was no time to confide again in his best friend. Guy left in a hurry, gave his patrol car a quick going-over, and started the engine.

Not more than 10 minutes into his watch, a call came over the radio: "All units, possible 207. Address 2-4-7 De Montfort Avenue. 918."

A kidnapping might involve a hostage or several...