Some were cases he himself had worked on 20 years ago. But eventally he came to the one that would prove his last.
"I'd leave that one alone, it's bad mojo," said his new-old partner, Detective Jacek (Jack) Tedesky, from a blue family of Polish extraction, his father and grandfather had been officers. He was retiring in a week, against his will but the government policy did not make exceptions. 67 and they forced you out. A shame really.
"What's up Tedesky? Never knew you to shy from a murder book," He was referring to the volumes of evidence and documentation that Homicide detectives used for keeping everything to do with each case organized.
"I never spent enough time with my kids, you know? Now they don't want to talk to me."
"Yeah, I get it, pass me that book will you?"
"I wish I had though, you know? I wanted to, but the cases kept coming and we needed the cash for Marjorie's treatments."
"Those damned co-pays."
"Those damned co-pays, exactly, you'd think serving and protecting putting your life on the line every day and night would net us some better dental coverage."
"We should go have a word with the roommate, she says in the statement here that she was visiting her parents but I got a receipt from a gas station in town with her name on it."
"Let's check out her story, I tell you, why did I do all those things I did, for my kids, if now they don't wanna talk to me?"
"Kids are funny Jack, You do your best or you don't, they forgive you or they don't."
"What's that supposed to mean, you saying I didn't do my best?"
"You think my kids talk to me?"
"You were on the phone with them this afternoon."
"Yeah but they only talk about the good stuff, come on Jack, we were old to this game when it was new, there ain't no human life that's all ups with no downs, I mean what kind of a ride is that? Sure ain't no rollercoaster I'll get on."
"Alright Frank," Jack said, he seemed to shrink in his chair, suddenly old, he'd be retired in a week, what was he going to do? All he knew about living was what he did and when he couldn't do that, what?"
"Still," said Frank.
"Yeah?"
"Let's do this book and then, let's get a fishing boat, or open a cafe or something, or maybe we do nothing but try and repair the damage to our relationships Jack, it's never too late until you're late and great."
"Thanks Frank, let's go check out her story, maybe swing past the gas station first, I'd like to ask them a few questions."
Frank locked up the murder book in his desk drawer.
"I want a burger first, you want a burger?"
"Do I want one or can I have one?"
"Man..."
"I never spent enough time with my kids, you know? Now they don't want to talk to me."
"Yeah, I get it, pass me that book will you?"
"I wish I had though, you know? I wanted to, but the cases kept coming and we needed the cash for Marjorie's treatments."
"Those damned co-pays."
"Those damned co-pays, exactly, you'd think serving and protecting putting your life on the line every day and night would net us some better dental coverage."
"We should go have a word with the roommate, she says in the statement here that she was visiting her parents but I got a receipt from a gas station in town with her name on it."
"Let's check out her story, I tell you, why did I do all those things I did, for my kids, if now they don't wanna talk to me?"
"Kids are funny Jack, You do your best or you don't, they forgive you or they don't."
"What's that supposed to mean, you saying I didn't do my best?"
"You think my kids talk to me?"
"You were on the phone with them this afternoon."
"Yeah but they only talk about the good stuff, come on Jack, we were old to this game when it was new, there ain't no human life that's all ups with no downs, I mean what kind of a ride is that? Sure ain't no rollercoaster I'll get on."
"Alright Frank," Jack said, he seemed to shrink in his chair, suddenly old, he'd be retired in a week, what was he going to do? All he knew about living was what he did and when he couldn't do that, what?"
"Still," said Frank.
"Yeah?"
"Let's do this book and then, let's get a fishing boat, or open a cafe or something, or maybe we do nothing but try and repair the damage to our relationships Jack, it's never too late until you're late and great."
"Thanks Frank, let's go check out her story, maybe swing past the gas station first, I'd like to ask them a few questions."
Frank locked up the murder book in his desk drawer.
"I want a burger first, you want a burger?"
"Do I want one or can I have one?"
"Man..."
