Love? Let go

“Marcus! What’s up? You look quite strange today,” - said Daniel, putting his glass of cold water onto the round, wooden table.
“He broke up with Julie, - answered Leo, reading the restaurant menu, - you’d better not ask about it”.
Marcus himself was silently playing with his  police badge, sitting deeply in an upholstered chair.
“No, I wanna know everything, - insisted Daniel, - Marcus? What’s the matter?”
“Leo’s just told you, – Marcus cut, - I’ve got nothing to add.”
His voice sounded a little bit depressed, even in the warm atmosphere of a summer eve. People were walking by, while men were relaxing under the restaurant’s shed.
Daniel kept silent for some moments and then started again.
“I bet you have, - he said, - c'mon! It’d be easier for you if told us everything as it is.”
“Are you a psychologist?” – Leo asked irritatedly.
“ If you forgot, I am, - answered Dan and put his badge on the edge of the table, - Marcus? Julie was the one, you dated for half a year? – he silently nodded never looking at him, - Well, I’ve never seen her, nor I do remember anything. No, something I do. When I asked where she worked, you didn’t respond.”
“Cause I didn’t know,” - he said.
“I hope you do now”
Leo started to make an order to the waiter, who came to him.
“ We never discussed our jobs. She didn’t ask me, so I also didn’t. The only thing I know is that she works in an art gallery.
“Or she wants you to think that,” – Daniel interrupted him meditatively.
“What are you talking about?!”
“I am a police psychologist. It’s my job to suspect people. I believe I'm wrong, but these facts prove that theory, OK. Well, what else can you tell me? How was it? She just stopped texting and calling, or said that doesn’t love you anymore? Or has she  just cheated, no?”
“She tried to explain...”
“But?”
“But she hardly could because of her tears.”
“She really was crying?! Marvelous. And what did she tell you? I-love-another-man stuff, or something different?”
“Dan, - Marcus interrupted him, - you're not on interrogation.”
“Sorry. Just a habit. I’m listening.”
“She said that she couldn’t do anything else... That something that she didn’t mention was impossible... And that I will never understand.”
His voice sounded much more depressed, than before.
From the small bank, that was right opposite to them, went out several dozens of people, because it was late and the office was closing. Only a little, plump man rest there. He was a man of security guard and his place was in front of a window, where he was sitting after closing the entrance. Also people went out of the bakers, laundry and other little stores. For some minutes the street became overcrowded, but then turned into a spacious, night road.
“ Well, interesting. Quite interesting. So...”
“Let’s change the topic, - cut Marcus, - I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Don’t get upset, - Leo interfered, - it is life. You’ll find thousands of girls like that Julie, I give you my word.”
“No, - answered Marcus, - she was special. She was like nobody will be. I saw something mystical in her, something intriguing.”
“That is called 'love', - told him Daniel, - and 'broken heart'. M'be you’re right and she was unique indeed, but thinking about her will do no good. She broke up with you. Now, you mean to her a shit, you see? She won’t be yours again even if you’ll start to cry. I realize, I don’t know much, but the life is going on and you’d better keep up with it, OK?”
Marcus sat silently for some time.
“ You’re right,” - he finally said.
“ I always am, - answered Daniel, and then added slowly, - always am... Start eating your spaghetti, cheese will get cold!”
By that time waiter had brought them three ordered meals .
“Marcus, - Leo started, - try to concentrate on work. We have three robbers and a gangster squad walks free.”
“Of course it’s a problem, - said Marcus, - but what can I do if we have only a dozen of cars, three of which are broken down. Every time they appear we come exactly after they've gone. Super! And search for them is like for a needle.”
“Well, - added Leo, - seven cars are better than five ones.”
“And much better, than one, said Daniel.”
Three policemen slowly finished their meals and discussed their work. Marcus seemed much happier, than he was and nobody reminded him of his personal problems.  Live music was loudly playing inside the restaurant, some couples were dancing the waltz, laughing and smiling happily. Outside, little birds were accompanying the musicians tunes, flying in the cool, fresh air, as dancing like people.
Suddenly, an alarm went off in the bank. It was  so loud, that even musicians stopped playing. After that a shot was heard from the office building. Only one. But it got its target:  a dark red stain appeared on the inner side of a window. It meant only one thing.
“Leo, call to the central station, - shouted Marcus, putting on his badge, - Dan, help me.”
Men ran to the main entrance of the bank and hit the door, trying to break into. But it could have been opened only from inside, but the guardsman, whose duty it was, was dead.
“ They will be here in twenty minutes,” - Leo came from behind.
“Too late, - said Marcus, - we needo act.”
Then he threw a glance at the building: heavy doors, bulletproof windows, to reach the backdoors there was a long way round. Everything, but the small window on the first floor was closed.
“I’ll go inside,” – Marcus proclaimed.
“Not alone, “- Leo told him.
“ I need you both to stay here, in case the others come faster than they said.”
“It is dangerous, - said Daniel, - too dangerous even for you, we don’t know who is it!”
“That’s why I do alone, I have nothing to lose. It seems to me that I don’t... I will get there and open the door from inside. Then you may accompany me.”
“Be careful,” - Leo said.
“I will, - answered Marcus, - but I need your help.”
“Like in Baghdad, - said Daniel, - I remember. Do you, Leo?”
He quickly nodded.
Marcus went a bit away, as his old friends stayed under the opened window, holding their hands. When he ran to the bank he jumped on their hands and with aid he grappled the stony windowsill and neatly got inside the building.
On the first floor were several working places and lots of paper on the floor. Alarm sounded and was getting on nerves. Marcus took out his handgun and headed downstairs, from where the strange sound came. Every step sounded like a cat, when you press on its tail, but it didn’t distract Marcus. Then he got to the corridor that lead to the main hall. But he went in the opposite direction. He felt a familiar, pleasant smell, but it quickly escaped his nostrils.  The policeman carefully passed the backdoor, which was on the left and stopped near the depository doors. It was open and strange sounds came out of it. Marcus rose his hands with the gun, waiting for the thief to come out.
It didn’t lasted long. In several minutes a figure of the thief appeared in the dark corridor of closed bank. He was carrying a bag full of something valuable and quickly went to the backdoor, never noticing a policeman waiting for him. Marcus aimed on his head and his gun made a loud sound of reloading. The thief stopped. The policeman felt that smell again.
“Police, - said Marcus loudly, - turn round. Arms upward!”
When the thief swung, Marcus noticed, that it wasn’t a man, but a woman with a short dark hair and a mask, covering the lower part of her face. Around her eyes were dark stains of dry ink, as if she was crying some time ago. The eyes were very familiar, very gentle and seemed extremely upset.
Daniel’s voice came inside, through the main entrance, but Marcus paid no attention. Leo was beating the door and also shouting.
“Show me your face!” - Marcus ordered, but much quieter this time.
His look become desperate, following thief’s moves.
A little droplet of salt liquid soaked the dry skin around thief’s eyes and a teardrop ran down on the opened side of her cheek. A little hand reached the mask and tore it out of face. Marcus was standing still, aiming on the thief's head. One more teardrop ran down. Both were standing silently, Marcus interrupted that silence.
“Julie, - he said, - why?”
His voice was trembling.
She wiped tears from her eyes and threw her gun on the floor.
“I’m sorry, - she said, almost crying, - I’m so sorry.”
He never repeated his questions again. Marcus bent, took Julie's gun and gave it her.
“ Go, - he silently said and then repeated, but loudly, - go!”
Julie dried her face ones more, quickly turned to the exit and ran out. Sat in the car, which was waiting for her and drove away.
Marcus was still standing and aiming, but now in the nowhere. His friends were calling him, beating the door. Alarm was loud, as it was.
The second shot sounded.