colleagues and watched as the room began to fill with chatter before turning back to her glass of water with a lime wedge. It had been a long evening, and she craved being nestled under her worn quilt, gifted to her from her grandmother, with the drone of the television playing in the background. But she couldn’t, and this was the part that she hated. She wasn’t much of a crowd person and preferred one on one time, small, quaint conversations about the best home gym equipment, to-die-for tomato sauce recipes and movies that featured kick-boxers and the occasional romance with a happily ever after. Nonetheless, she accepted these events graciously, playing the role needed, in order to simply get through the night...
* ***
Captain Jasper rubbed his red eyes and took the final sip of his lukewarm coffee. It was late, damn late, and D.C.’s finest were canvassing the area, on full alert for any suspicious activity. He pondered on how anyone could commit these many crimes, to this extent, and still be on the loose like an imperceptible opponent under his own watch. He knew his department was good, but there was no point in trying to convince Detective Max, the FBI, the district attorney or anyone else about it. He had one last shot to make this right, and he racked his brain at the eleventh hour.
“So.” Detective Max removed the plastic lid from his Starbucks coffee and sat back in the chair across from Jasper. “Who’s on deck?”
“I know...that time is running out. Just give me another day.”
“I can’t. Agent Peterson wants a name this evening. Look.” He sucked his top lip and shrugged. “I know you have a lot riding on this, but you have to put your pride aside here, Jasper. I believe you,” he said sincerely. “I believe you’re doing the damn best ya can. There is a maniac on the streets. He probably isn’t working alone, so you’ve got at least two nutcases causing some really bad light on your department and the FBI is now communicating with the CIA because of the similar crimes in Russia, Great Britain and Colombia. If they are going to call you guys incompetent, then the police all over the world are too.” He smiled reassuringly.
Jasper knew that Detective Max’s throat was on the chopping board as well. But, they’d been friends, not just colleagues.
“Shit,” Jasper mumbled as he ran his hands roughly up and down his face. He needed more time, but it was too late. What was he going to do?
“Well, let me see if Jamison is available,” he conceded. That’s all he could come up with. Jamison, seven years on the force and working narcotics. He was a great cop, did awesome undercover work, but had a bad rap of being trigger happy. It didn’t matter though...he had run out of time and it was time to pay up.
“Jamison?” Max’s eyebrow rose. “I can see the pros for that choice...but…”
“I know, but that’s all I have!” Jasper said, exasperated as he tossed an ink pen on his desk. Detective Max’s cell phone rang. Jasper turned away, staring aimlessly out of his window as he eavesdropped on the conversation.
“Uh, hello, yes, Agent Peterson...” He stood to his feet and began to pace the small office. “Yes, yes we have an officer in mind. Yes, I got the rest of the details about that, too. We think...”
“Wait!” Jasper shot out of his chair.
“Uh, give me just a second please, Agent Peterson.” Max put his phone on mute as he listened to Jasper rant and rave.
“I have a cop that is working an undercover prostitution ring and we just gave her another well-deserved award for a bust she and her partner did!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Detective Max asked.
“Hot damn!” Jasper grinned, his eyes suddenly full of new life. “There is no telling what information she has regarding the people around here. Also, she used to work in drug trafficking, so she at least has the background and she is still dealing with the drug dealers and
* ***
Captain Jasper rubbed his red eyes and took the final sip of his lukewarm coffee. It was late, damn late, and D.C.’s finest were canvassing the area, on full alert for any suspicious activity. He pondered on how anyone could commit these many crimes, to this extent, and still be on the loose like an imperceptible opponent under his own watch. He knew his department was good, but there was no point in trying to convince Detective Max, the FBI, the district attorney or anyone else about it. He had one last shot to make this right, and he racked his brain at the eleventh hour.
“So.” Detective Max removed the plastic lid from his Starbucks coffee and sat back in the chair across from Jasper. “Who’s on deck?”
“I know...that time is running out. Just give me another day.”
“I can’t. Agent Peterson wants a name this evening. Look.” He sucked his top lip and shrugged. “I know you have a lot riding on this, but you have to put your pride aside here, Jasper. I believe you,” he said sincerely. “I believe you’re doing the damn best ya can. There is a maniac on the streets. He probably isn’t working alone, so you’ve got at least two nutcases causing some really bad light on your department and the FBI is now communicating with the CIA because of the similar crimes in Russia, Great Britain and Colombia. If they are going to call you guys incompetent, then the police all over the world are too.” He smiled reassuringly.
Jasper knew that Detective Max’s throat was on the chopping board as well. But, they’d been friends, not just colleagues.
“Shit,” Jasper mumbled as he ran his hands roughly up and down his face. He needed more time, but it was too late. What was he going to do?
“Well, let me see if Jamison is available,” he conceded. That’s all he could come up with. Jamison, seven years on the force and working narcotics. He was a great cop, did awesome undercover work, but had a bad rap of being trigger happy. It didn’t matter though...he had run out of time and it was time to pay up.
“Jamison?” Max’s eyebrow rose. “I can see the pros for that choice...but…”
“I know, but that’s all I have!” Jasper said, exasperated as he tossed an ink pen on his desk. Detective Max’s cell phone rang. Jasper turned away, staring aimlessly out of his window as he eavesdropped on the conversation.
“Uh, hello, yes, Agent Peterson...” He stood to his feet and began to pace the small office. “Yes, yes we have an officer in mind. Yes, I got the rest of the details about that, too. We think...”
“Wait!” Jasper shot out of his chair.
“Uh, give me just a second please, Agent Peterson.” Max put his phone on mute as he listened to Jasper rant and rave.
“I have a cop that is working an undercover prostitution ring and we just gave her another well-deserved award for a bust she and her partner did!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Detective Max asked.
“Hot damn!” Jasper grinned, his eyes suddenly full of new life. “There is no telling what information she has regarding the people around here. Also, she used to work in drug trafficking, so she at least has the background and she is still dealing with the drug dealers and
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