Reality of Modern Men.

Chapter 3: Colon Spark (I)

* 1 *
I received the call and felt a chill down my spine. No. He was given the death sentence. "Dr. Smith, you do know what case you're taking, correct?" I asked her, shocked to hear his name once again. I received a concerned look from the receptionist. "Okay well, I bid you good luck." I hung up the phone. I sat and stared down at the light coffee brown rug, "Go home Yen." I didn't break my stare from the floor.
"Is everything okay, chief?" Yen got up and placed her hand on my shoulder. I broke from her grip.
"Go home, Yen." I spoke coldly, I was afraid.
"Do you need me to call-" She started.
"Go. Home. Yen." I cut her off. I went through everything, I sat remembering what he did to her. The massacre that that man single handedly caused. All the death, torture, multilation.
I rushed to my office, a flood of memories rushing through my head. I couldn't believe what I was just asked, I didn't want to believe it. I quickly grabbed the bourbon I kept in my desk drawer and the glass I kept on my desk. I poured a glass and slammed it. I slammed another, another, and another. Eventually my vision began to sway. I looked at the bottle. It was empty. I got up and was incapable of standing straight, I steadied myself on the wall. I looked at my watch, the time was obscure, my vision was blurry, and my head was light. I leaned over the trash can and hurled.
The vomit left my mouth like a water faucet, it poured out almost forcing my mouth to open wider than what it could. The cold taste remained in my mouth. I stumbled to my desk as vomit left me once again. My clothes covered with the alcohol, I ran back to the trashcan and leaned over, my stomach seemed to move to push the alcohol back up. I again threw up the liquid and leaned back against the wall. My breathing was heavy as my head pounded. No, he can't, who would? I couldn't finish a thought I was shaking and my head was spinning, not just from the alcohol. I sat as I looked around, my vision fading in and out. I looked at my reflection in the glass of bourbon. My eyes were battling to stay open, my hair was messy, probably from the copious amounts of times I ran my hands through it.
I dropped the bottle and went for the glass on the desk. I drank what remained in the glass, I slammed it down on the desk. I ran through the months of dead ends, the months of murders. I threw the glass against the wall behind me, shattering it immediately. I sat in my swivel seat. No, this can't be real. I raised my head with a pounding headache, the lights seemed to blind me. I rose from my desk and started to clean the office. I need to run that background check. I opened the first file with his first case. His first murder.

* 2 *
I sat next to Harvey, it was just another day, we handed out the occasional parking and speeding ticket. In the long run we received nothing. Harvey and I looked at each other as we sat at a speed trap. We've been sitting for hours on end. Outlier, for the most part, was a peaceful area. The most crime that was seen was armed robbery once or twice a month. Outside of that it was quiet. I just started working under Harvey. He was the chief of police, and I was a new recruit. I felt tense in his presence, he told me that he asked for me to be his apprentice or protege personally that morning.
I sat and I watched cars go back and forth, some leaving some returning. We watched as cars went past. "How old are you?" The question caught me off guard and for a moment I did forget my age.
"Twenty-seven, sir." I tried to speak fluently but still stuttered.
"No need for formalities. We're both people, just because I have a fancy title doesn't mean I'm more important than you." He laughed as he rolled down the window and lit a cigarette.
"With all due respect, you are the commissioner."
"Well that's just a name, we are both officers of the law." Colon blew the smoke outside of his window, "Call me Harvey." He smiled and shook my hand, "You are-".
"Spark. Colon Spark." I smiled a bit, he was humble for someone of his position.
"So, Colon, why did you decide to join the good ol' Outlier Police Department?" He asked me a question I didn't expect I knew my answer. I didn't think he'd care but yet he still asked. "Well, I saw the state of Outlier, the copious amounts of crime, the murders, the coruption, everything. I couldn't sit by and watch, I needed to intervene so I joined the police. I couldn't sit back. It's an honor thing sir." I spoke with passion. Harvey looked at me, he gave me a faint smile.
"So, essentially, you want to be this god sent officer?" Harvey laughed, putting out the cigarette and placing it in the ashtray that was in the middle console organizer.
"I wouldn't say that, I just want to make Outlier a place where justice isn't a game, isn't that why you joined?" I shrugged my shoulders.
"I joined for the benefits." He laughed as he looked at the clock on the middle console, "How about this, I chose to train you specifically because you have a good heart," He placed his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes, "you have great potential and I want you to be a sign that not all cops in Outlier are corrupt. After our shift we're going to go to a bar that I patron often. It's a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, it's called, "Red Pole", it's affordable and has a nice selection of drinks. What do you think?" I looked at Harvey. I pondered his request. Would it be an unprofessional relationship? I looked at Harvey who grabbed another cigarette and lit it.