a few other details I considered important to my survival.
We had just finished the report when the door opened. I heard Free mumble into the radio that was permanently attached to her shoulder. She strode down the hallway and nodded to me but her glance rested on the newbie.
“Did you get the report?” she asked.
“Yes, I did. I have it here for you.” He pulled the pages from the printer and handed them to Freedom. His expression reminded me of a puppy looking for adoration from its master.
I stifled a grin.
Her eyes scanned the sheets and then rested on me.
“This is it? That’s all that happened?” She asked this with a doubt-riddled expression.
If I hadn’t known cops so well, I probably would have been nervous. Instead, I held my ground and remembered that what I had said to the rookie was to be taken as fact.
“Free, that’s all that happened. I left nothing out. Do you know this guy or did anyone see anything that I didn’t?”
Her head wagged back and forth as she read the report once again. She handed it back to Milligan and told him to take it down to headquarters. He nodded and left us alone. I couldn’t help but smile over the way Jake acted around Freedom. She intimidated the hell out of him, but then she did that to some of the cops she’d worked alongside for years. Freedom was a legend in her own right, whether the colonel liked her or not. It took a stupid fool to mess with her.
“You up for lunch or what?” I asked.
“Yeah, but take your own car in case I get a call and have to leave. We don’t usually get a break unless we call out for the time. Today no one can replace us because Today we’re short one cop in the district.”
With a nod, I followed her from the station to the nearest pizza joint down the street. We went inside and ordered calzones and pizza strips. The smell of Italian sandwiches was almost more than I could stand. The air was so aromatic, I could practically taste the food before it arrived.
We ate in silence for a bit and watched the traffic flow past on the dreary winter street. No wind today—just damp cold. That’s how the weather is in Rhode Island during the winter. Damp, cold, and more damp. I chewed the pizza, extracting every morsel of flavor I could from the sauce. Geez, it was good. Freedom finished up before I did and leaned back in her chair, waiting. For what, I didn’t know, but I had a feeling I was about to find out.
“So, why don’t you tell me why you held back the information?” Freedom asked the question quietly so the nearby patrons couldn’t hear what she said.
“I was rattled, that’s all. It’s not every day I see a gunshot victim,” I whispered. “He wasn’t hurt real bad, by the way. At least that’s what he said.”
“Huh.” She snorted. “If anything like that ever happens again, speak up. You got it?”
“Yes, yes, okay,” I said. “Sorry I held out on you.” I tried to look sorry, but it didn’t work because she burst out laughing.
“You are such an actress, honest to God.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m not buying your act, so cut the crap. You have your own reasons for not telling me what happened. I get it, don’t worry. Just remember that next time things might get difficult if you hold out. I might not be the person you have to deal with.”
“You’re right.” I conceded, ate the rest of my Calzone, and drank the coffee I’d ordered.
“Did Marcus know about the shots fired?” Free stared at me when I didn’t answer, then gave me a lopsided grin. “No shit, you didn’t tell him?”
Normal people would be appalled by this whole scene, but with cops it’s different. They look at things from an entirely different perspective than other human beings. What we find reprehensible or appalling, they often find humorous. Who knows why? Not me, that’s for sure.
“I didn’t tell anyone except Lola and all she did was yell at me. Then Marcus came into the house and yelled at
We had just finished the report when the door opened. I heard Free mumble into the radio that was permanently attached to her shoulder. She strode down the hallway and nodded to me but her glance rested on the newbie.
“Did you get the report?” she asked.
“Yes, I did. I have it here for you.” He pulled the pages from the printer and handed them to Freedom. His expression reminded me of a puppy looking for adoration from its master.
I stifled a grin.
Her eyes scanned the sheets and then rested on me.
“This is it? That’s all that happened?” She asked this with a doubt-riddled expression.
If I hadn’t known cops so well, I probably would have been nervous. Instead, I held my ground and remembered that what I had said to the rookie was to be taken as fact.
“Free, that’s all that happened. I left nothing out. Do you know this guy or did anyone see anything that I didn’t?”
Her head wagged back and forth as she read the report once again. She handed it back to Milligan and told him to take it down to headquarters. He nodded and left us alone. I couldn’t help but smile over the way Jake acted around Freedom. She intimidated the hell out of him, but then she did that to some of the cops she’d worked alongside for years. Freedom was a legend in her own right, whether the colonel liked her or not. It took a stupid fool to mess with her.
“You up for lunch or what?” I asked.
“Yeah, but take your own car in case I get a call and have to leave. We don’t usually get a break unless we call out for the time. Today no one can replace us because Today we’re short one cop in the district.”
With a nod, I followed her from the station to the nearest pizza joint down the street. We went inside and ordered calzones and pizza strips. The smell of Italian sandwiches was almost more than I could stand. The air was so aromatic, I could practically taste the food before it arrived.
We ate in silence for a bit and watched the traffic flow past on the dreary winter street. No wind today—just damp cold. That’s how the weather is in Rhode Island during the winter. Damp, cold, and more damp. I chewed the pizza, extracting every morsel of flavor I could from the sauce. Geez, it was good. Freedom finished up before I did and leaned back in her chair, waiting. For what, I didn’t know, but I had a feeling I was about to find out.
“So, why don’t you tell me why you held back the information?” Freedom asked the question quietly so the nearby patrons couldn’t hear what she said.
“I was rattled, that’s all. It’s not every day I see a gunshot victim,” I whispered. “He wasn’t hurt real bad, by the way. At least that’s what he said.”
“Huh.” She snorted. “If anything like that ever happens again, speak up. You got it?”
“Yes, yes, okay,” I said. “Sorry I held out on you.” I tried to look sorry, but it didn’t work because she burst out laughing.
“You are such an actress, honest to God.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m not buying your act, so cut the crap. You have your own reasons for not telling me what happened. I get it, don’t worry. Just remember that next time things might get difficult if you hold out. I might not be the person you have to deal with.”
“You’re right.” I conceded, ate the rest of my Calzone, and drank the coffee I’d ordered.
“Did Marcus know about the shots fired?” Free stared at me when I didn’t answer, then gave me a lopsided grin. “No shit, you didn’t tell him?”
Normal people would be appalled by this whole scene, but with cops it’s different. They look at things from an entirely different perspective than other human beings. What we find reprehensible or appalling, they often find humorous. Who knows why? Not me, that’s for sure.
“I didn’t tell anyone except Lola and all she did was yell at me. Then Marcus came into the house and yelled at
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