Marker of Faith

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 35

"Man, I'm telling you...Williamson is off his nut right now," Officer Cooper said as he pulled his cruiser to a stop in front of the dimly lit condominium complex. Out of habit he looked in the rearview mirror at his reflection, grinned, and smoothed a rust-colored mustache.

"Stop primpin' for pimpin'," his partner, Officer Nielson, said derisively as he got out of the car. 

Nielson was sick and tired of his partner's constant 'lookout for hotties', referring to Cooper's preoccupation with meeting women on the job. Actually just meeting them anywhere. The man had no shame and would flirt mercilessly with anyone with breasts, as long as she was under twenty-three-years-old or a decent looking, dirty thirty. Cooper was a good cop, but also a walking pile of testosterone with a hunger for the darker side of porn. Lately that darker side was showing up at work, and Nielson had to keep it in check. 

"Hey, maybe she has a granddaughter over. College girls love the uniform." Cooper winked.

"Old Lady Perkins is a nut job. We're here for another one of her phantom prowlers. You wanna take a dip in that gene pool? And besides, it's three-thirty in the morning, lover boy." Nielson joined his partner under a street lamp, both of them staring up the darkened path that led to the first row of condos.

Nielson frowned. "Jesus, she calls every couple of nights. Why does the Chief insist we keep following up on her?"

"Community Policing, my ass," Cooper muttered.

"Yeah, someone should just call social services."

"Exactly, man! See, that's what I'm saying. Williamson is off his nut right now. I know there's some weird shit going on around town, but every little thing that goes bump in the night around here lately, the Chief's got us on it like white on rice." Cooper adjusted his belt, considering having a quick smoke.

"Cooper, don't even think about a cigarette. The sooner we snoop in the closet for her, the sooner we leave Mrs. Perkins for the night."

Cooper laughed and slapped Nielson on the back. "We've been partners too long, buddy." They started up the gravel path, the little pebbles crunching loudly underfoot in the stillness of the early morning air.

"It must be hard being all alone," Nielson said quietly. He wasn't totally insensitive to the old woman's plight.

"What a friggin' softy you are." Cooper elbowed his partner as they approached her alcove. "But she's not alone. Old Mrs. Perkins got herself a prowler every night for company."

"Man, you're a cold Casanova," Nielson said as he knocked on her door. Mrs. Perkins opened it quickly, like she'd been waiting right on the other side.

"Did you see them?" Her voice was filled with panic, and Cooper rolled his eyes at his partner.

"Who is it this time?"

"Don't you patronize me, mister!" she snapped. "I know you think I'm just a crazy old woman, and maybe I am sometimes...but there's something going on!"

"Calm down, Mrs. Perkins," Nielson said soothingly as he stepped in front of Cooper to diffuse her ire. "Can you tell me what happened?" He tried to reassure her with a smile, and she calmed down, at least a little bit.

"They came and took my neighbors. Did you see them?"

"Who took your neighbors?"

"The shadow people." The old woman said it like shadow people were a common every day occurrence.

"Uh-huh. The shadow people," Cooper said with another dramatic roll of his eyes, twirling his finger next to his temple.

"I mean it, young man! Don't you take that tone with me!"