“Run It By Me”
Scene: The following morning, in the locker room. Wry walks in to change into uniform; Earnest is already there and almost fully dressed.
Wry: Morning. Looks like we might get some rain today.
Earnest: Maybe not, I think it’s just supposed to be cloudy.
Wry: Let’s hope so. (Opens locker, starts undressing.)
Earnest: You come in early today? I saw your car when I drove in, yet you’re just now changing for roll call.
Wry: Yeah, I wanted to check a few things.
Earnest: What kind of things?
(Two officers walk past their lockers; Wry waits until they they’re out the door.)
Wry: Just some detail about those prowler and trespassing calls we’ve had the past few weeks.
Earnest: (Finishes tying uniform shoes.) Really? Why didn’t you tell me?
Wry: Tell you what?
Earnest: That you wanted to check out those reports. I could’ve helped.
Wry: (Shrugs.) I don’t know. I didn’t even know what I was looking for.
Earnest: Still, I could help. We’re supposed to be partners, Pete.
Wry: We are. We are partners. And I— Look, roll call is about to start. Go on and save me a seat; I’ll be there in a minute. We’ll talk about this later.
Earnest: Yeah, we will.
(Scene: Beginning patrol. Earnest has cleared Lincoln two-four-five for day-watch.)
Earnest: So how’d it go last night? Watching the game with Johnson and Crosby?
Wry: Pretty good. We just had a drink or two. I left about the seventh inning.
Earnest: Where’d you go?
Wry: Believe it or not, Curley’s.
Earnest: Yeah? Were you hoping those girls would show up again?
Wry: Of course not. I didn’t even pick the place, Crosby did. How about you, did you watch?
Earnest: (Nods.) I caught the last inning or two, once we finally got the baby down for the night.
Wry: So I guess between the two of us, we saw the whole game. (Pauses.) Jim, listen, about my coming in early this morning....
Earnest: No, Pete, forget it, I shouldn’t have pressed you about it. You have a right to do what you want on your own time.
Wry: Yeah, but—
Earnest: I realized afterward that I probably sounded like a jealous girlfriend, and god knows you only need one of those at a time.
Wry: Yeah, thanks—I think. But still—
Earnest: Anyway, if you want to research those prowler calls, that’s your business.
YOU ARE READING
Under Suspicion
General FictionTwo cops-- partners. They see it all: the good, the bad, and the stupid. And their job is not an easy one, when dealing with the public. Not to mention how it affects their personal lives. ***Note: Rather than a traditional story, this is 'slice-of...