“Hey, Pole. Let’s grab something to eat.”
“Well…” Officer Polsen’s eyes meet mine in the rearview
mirror.
“I’m sure Miss Holden would like something.” Officer Wason
continues.
I nod my head and Officer Polsen inclines his head. “I guess
it will be okay.”
“I love that place.” Officer Wason points at a restaurant nestled
between a vacuum repair shop and a stationery store.
Faded lettering names the place Nonni’s. As we enter through
a heavy wooden door, a tiny waitress with greying hair motions for us to seat
ourselves. We take seats in the corner beside the door to the kitchen. We
listen to dishes clattering and a man barking out orders in an accented voice
until our food arrives. The fragrant scent of fresh herbs and slow-roasted
tomato sauce loosens our tongues.
“We talked to the men who own the batting cages, but none of
them fits your description of the man who…” Officer Polsen focuses on the
fading bruises that add color to my face.
“He could be a silent partner.” Officer Wason suggests.
I shrug. “So how do we find him?”
Both officers gaze at me in silence. To hide their lack of
response, they fill their mouths with pasta. As they slowly chew, they make eye
contact and Officer Polsen nods at his partner. He turns to me and offers me a
reassuring smile as he swallows hard.
“If we don’t find him soon, you’ll be moved to a safe
house.”
“You’ve been guarding my place for a couple of days and…” I
protest.
“Nothing has happened?” Officer Wason puts down his fork and
leans toward me. “But we’d feel more comfortable protecting you in a place with
less activity.”
“I suppose.” My voice trails off.
We fill the ensuing silence with crunching and chewing. I
poke at an immense meatball, pushing it around my plate half-heartedly as my
appetite subsides. At first, I intently watch the trail of sauce that follows
the meatball around my plate. Eventually, I notice a blue glow growing near our
table. My eyes move upward slowly.
“Look.” Larry says.
I freeze except for my eyes. They follow the trail of
Larry’s glowing finger. Looking over Officer Wason’s shoulder, I see a familiar
face. His dark hair and orange skin looks more natural under the soft glow of
the overhead lights.
From this distance, I can’t hear any of the words flowing
from his lips, but I can tell by his grand hand gestures that front of him
failed him in some way. As his tirade draws to a close, his eyes find their way
to me. His hands stop in midair, slowly sinking to his side as his mouth opens
again.
“That’s him.” I choke on the words.
The officers turn as one, standing to shield me as they draw
their guns. With a harsh word from the boss, the man at his side reaches for
his firearm. He glances worriedly from his boss to my protectors.
“Don’t try it.” Officer Wason warns as he takes a step
forward.
The first gunshot deafens the room. I fall to the floor,
covering my ears with my hands.
*
I lose track of time. Despite the ringing filling my ears, I
begin to hear voices again. I can’t distinguish the words of the boss and his
associate, but those closer to me add their music to the din that deafens me.
“Get up.” Officer Wason hisses at me.
I stand slowly, stepping toward him numbly.
“Get her out of here.” Officer Wason pushes me into Officer
Polsen’s arms.
He wraps them around me protectively, shielding me with his
body as more gunshots shatter my ability to hear. I move with him as he pushes
me toward the kitchen door. Warm breath caresses my neck as we push through the
door. The clatter of washing dishes and preparing food continues despite the
activity in the dining area. No one even glances in our direction as Officer
Polsen ushers me through the back door.
As the door slowly closes behind us, Officer Polsen pushes
me against the wall to survey the kitchen. More gunshots erupt. Then only
kitchen sounds greet our straining ears. Officer Polsen turns the knob attached
to the speaker on his shoulder. I hold my breath as we listen for any sound to
give us closure.
“He’s down.” Static almost obscures the whispered voice.
As Officer Polsen
looks back to me, he reaches out to touch my face. His fingertips make me aware
of the sticky liquid on my cheek. I reach up until the tips of my fingers touch
his, pulling them away to look at the rich red blood that stains them.
“Where did they hit you?” As he leans in to gently brush the
hair back from my face, I see a red slash across his cheek.
“I think it’s you.” I point, letting my finger linger less
than an inch from his face.
He raises his free hand to touch his own cheek. “You’re
right. Nothing to worry about.”
A burst of static stifles my words as Officer Wason’s voice
crackles from the speaker. “Is she okay to make a positive I.D.?”
I nod my head and Officer Polsen relays my assent. As we
pass through the kitchen, the silence strikes me. A cluster of kitchen staffers
watches us warily from their post in front of the freezer. I follow Officer
Polsen with slow shuffling steps. As the door swings open, I focus on the
windows. Jagged shards of glass hang from most of the frames.
I keep walking forward until Officer Wason holds up a hand
to stop me. “I’m sorry to ask this, but could you look down just long enough to
tell us if you recognize this man.”
As I look down at what is left of the man’s head, my stomach
heaves. My heart, however, feels calm again. Larry’s ghostly image smiles at me
and fades into nothingness. Officer Polsen puts his hand on my arm.
“Are you okay?”
With relief, my eyes lift to his face. “That’s him. I’ll be
okay.”
“We need you to answer a few questions and then we’ll take
you home. Okay?”
I nod and turn away as someone throws a tablecloth over the boss’s
face, covering it as completely as he once covered his secrets.
~~~
Was this thrilling conclusion satisfying? Did I answer your questions? What do you think?
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