Zane woke the next morning and rolled over hoping to find Hope beside him but she was gone. She had left a note for him and he read it eagerly.
Sorry to love and leave.
It’s not you. I thoroughly enjoyed last night and I enjoy you too. You’re an interesting man.
I think it's best that I go and that we don’t see each other again. I’m guessing that the next time you see me will be when you arrest me if you arrest me. It will be best if you do, rather than repeat last night. Even better would be for you to leave. Take a transfer and go settle in another town far from here. You can’t stop what’s coming and neither can I. But we are on opposite sides and I can’t change that. I’m pretty sure you won’t either. Even if you wanted to, other people aren’t willing to give you the opportunity.
Please don’t let your ego get in the way. Listen. Think about it.
I’m trying to help you.
Hope.
Zane read the note. It was cryptic. Why would he leave? Of course, criminals wouldn’t invite him to join them. Unless they wanted a corrupt cop on the force on their side which would make sense. Surely that would be a better option? But from what Hope was saying, he wasn’t wanted. Why? Did they have another cop on their side already? If so, who? And why wouldn’t she say?
He wouldn’t just go away. This was his town. And asking for a transfer would probably result in a demotion. It wasn’t easy to expect to be a police chief in another town on direct transfer. He had worked his ass off to get elected as police chief in this town and he hoped he would maybe make mayor at some point so leaving was out of the question.
He was disappointed as he prepared for the day. Disappointed in himself for sleeping with Hope. He should have arrested her and been done with it. But he couldn’t go back. What was done was done. He could just make sure that he didn’t have another moment of weakness.
He tried to cheer himself up as he played with her name on the way to work.
There’s no Hope in hell that I’ll sleep with her again.
She must be Hoping I’ll let her get away as she has in all the other places.
She better Hope she doesn’t run into me again.
He felt better by the time he pulled up at the station. He found Brian with a plaster over his left eyebrow.
“Morning,” Zane greeted him. “Got that cut seen to by the doctor?”
“Morning. Yep. Not too bad. I’ll be fine.”
“Great!” Zane replied. “We need to focus on arresting that woman’s ass as soon as we can. I’ve got a feeling she’s not going away any time soon. The sooner we shut her down the better.”
Brian looked at Zane saying nothing. He looked as if he were pondering something then nodded, “Sure. But where do we start to look?’
“Well, I pulled off a ton of stuff on her yesterday. She’s been around a long time peddling her shit in other places around us. She’s been caught many times and always seems to escape. Every time. It’s not happening here. We run a clean town and she’s not going to ruin it for us. I need you to start calling some of the surrounding counties and states and
speaking with the officers that dealt with her case. Let’s see what we can come up with. She also seems to be proud of her nickname, ‘Flamingo’. She says it means kindness and says that she puts a lot of kids through school with the money she makes from peddling drugs.”
“When did she tell you that?”
“When she had me tied up last night,” Zane said. “Seemed damn proud of it too. You’ll have to ask in the other towns around here. I doubt kids in Hurstville know of her yet.”
“So she destroys kids' lives on one hand and then tries to appease her guilt by putting other kids through school?”
“Something like that,” Zane said. “See what you can find about homeless or poor kids getting sponsored by someone for school.”
“Sure chief. That’s a big ask but I’ll get on it. What are you going to be doing?”
“I’m going back to where we caught her. But before I do that, I’m having a chat with the kids we arrested with her.”
“Uh ... about that ...”
Zane stopped and raised his eyebrows expectantly waiting for Brian to continue.
“A hotshot lawyer waltzed in here last night and demanded the release of all of the kids. He had proof that bail had been agreed and posted, and Terry let the kids go.”
Zane opened his mouth then closed it. He felt his face flush with anger. Who in the world had enough power to get bail posted after hours? What the hell was going on in this place?
“It’s all legit,” Brian said handing the files to Zane.
Zane glanced through the files quickly. He doubted the kids would talk to him now. He wondered if they were even still alive. It was beginning to feel like things were working against him very fast. He felt anger rise within. Anger for stupidity. His stupidity. Anger at Hope. While he had been screwing her in his house, he had been getting screwed in another way. His prisoners and potential witnesses were being released. He had nothing.
He had the feeling he was dealing with a well-oiled machine where everything worked like clockwork. He was potentially one man against what was happening. He felt his stomach turn uncomfortably.
“Why didn’t Terry call me?” Zane asked.
Brian shrugged. “Guess he didn’t see the need to. Everything in the file checks out. Maybe he called Judge Borth and confirmed with him. Don’t take it too hard Zane. If you want the guys to call you for every little thing you’ll never get any rest. Never mind making them feel you’ve got no confidence in them.”
Zane sighed. “You’re right. Thanks, Brian,” he said. Then he took the files and left the office.
He climbed in his cruiser and drove to the county courthouse. He parked and entered the building. It was still early and the court had not started for the day. It used to be quiet but lately, he had seen the increase in crime that had begun to stretch his resources as well as the hours of the courthouse.
“Good morning,” he greeted Angel, Judge Borth’s secretary.
“Oh, good morning,” she replied smiling broadly when she saw it was him. She stood and asked, “How can I help you Chief?”
“I need to see Judge Borth urgently please Angel. It’s about the youngsters that were released on bail last night.”
“Just a moment Zane,” she smiled. She picked up the phone and buzzed Judge Borth.
“I have Chief Zane here to see you.” She listened for a moment and then put the phone down. “You can go in Chief. He can see you now.”
“Thanks, Angel,” Zane said and entered Judge Borth’s office. Judge Borth was seated behind his desk writing something when Zane entered. He didn’t look up. Zane had known Judge Borth a long time. They generally agreed on cases and got along well on matters of the law. Zane’s arrest record was impeccable and he had never had a case dismissed due to any failures in p[olice or legal procedure.
“Good morning Zane,” Judge Borth said as Zane closed the door behind him.
“Good morning Judge,” Zane replied.
“You want to see me about something?” Judge Borth asked indicating Zane should be seated.
Zane sat down. He waited for the judge to finish what he was doing. When Judge Borth was finally finished writing he looked up and smiled at Zane.
“I did want to see you, Judge. It’s about the young kids that were released last night on bail. You signed the order. Can I ask who put up the bail?”
“I got a call from someone in DC. They told me that the kids were linked to a senator who had asked that bail be posted and the kids released. It’s their first offense and they’re all underage. I agreed, set bail, and signed the release order as soon as I had proof that the funds had been transferred to the court’s account.”
“Can I ask who the senator is that the kids are linked to?”
“I don’t even know that,” Judge Borth replied.
“So who asked you to release them on bail?”
“A colleague in the justice department. You know what the politics are like in DC.”
“I don’t, Judge. I’ve got a nasty feeling the kids have been let off and will never come to trial.”
Judge Borth’s chair creaked as he leaned back in it. “That’s a broad statement to make Zane. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was an accusation too.”
Zane looked Judge Borth in the eyes. The judge had aged over the years but his eyes still looked like those of a young man and he was still as sharp as the day that Zane had first met him.
“Not at all, Judge. Not at all. I just have a feeling we’re not going to see the kids again.”
“Well, maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Save the state some money. Why we want to try people for misdemeanors beats the hell out of me. Those kids would have taken up the best part of half a day and for what? To get off on a first offense?”
“It’s not just about them Judge. They were recruited by a queenpin of all things who seems to be setting up shop to peddle drugs in this town. She managed to escape after we arrested her yesterday and I needed those kids to maybe cast some light on where we can find her.”
“She escaped?” Judge Borth asked dismayed.
Zane nodded.
“Well then Zane, I suggest you get your ass into gear and start finding her instead of standing here and busting mine about releasing a couple of underage kids,” Judge Borth said coldly. Zane had never been addressed in such a manner by Judge Borth. While he wanted to press the issue of the children’s bail, he decided it might be best not to.
“Sure Judge. Thanks for your time.” Zane stood and left, Judge Borth’s office greeting Angel on the way out.
Zane climbed into the cruiser and swore as he looked at the courthouse. He had always had a good working relationship with Judge Borth but their discussion left him feeling uneasy.Judge Borth had seemed to be less than his usual self this morning. Maybe he had gotten out of the wrong side of the bed.Whatever the reason, Judge Borth had not been himself. He had been distant and cold. Zane pondered what to do. There was no point going back to the station. He picked up the files of the kids he had tossed on the front passenger seat and went through them.James O’Reilly, sixteen, Lamar Pendleton, sixteen, Barry Jaxon, seventeen, George Hartly – eighteen. He didn’t check further. He looked at James’ address and decided to visit him. He was just on the outskirts of town.Thirty minutes later Zane pulled up outside a timber house. The house needed a lot of work but, he suspected, the family didn’t have the money to fix it or they
He headed straight to Andy’s house. He knocked on the door and a big bulk of a man answered. He was surly but seemed to relax when he realized it was Zane, the town’s chief of police.“Yes chief, how can I help ya?”“I’m looking for Andy. Is he here?”“Why? He done somethin’ wrong?” the man asked immediately suspicious.“On the contrary,” Zane smiled. “He’s done something right.”“Oh, well that’s good,” the man smiled. He opened the screen door and invited Zane in.Zane politely declined, saying he was enjoying the beautiful day outside.“Andy!” the man shouted.Moments later a young boy about James’ age rounded the corner into the living room behind the man at the door.“Yes, Dad?”“Police chief here wants to have a word with ya. Take a walk with him outside,” the m
The ‘Hello Goodbye Motel’ was a single-story structure with ten guest rooms. Even so, it wasn’t easy to approach with stealth. All the rooms had windows that looked out front over the main road. The entrance was such that every car had to drive by each room on the way to the reception. The chances of being spotted were high and the chances that Hope wouldescape if she saw him were high. He would have to go to reception and ask if they had a guest fitting her description.If she spotted him driving up in that time she would be long gone by the time he got to her room. He watched for hours but so no movement. He wondered if Hope had checked out already. After her capture, she might have decided to move on. Brian radioed him and asked where he was.“I’m questioning the kids we arrested who were released. So far nothing. Let me know if anything comes up at your end.”Brian assured him that he would.Zane turned his
He breathed slowly and as quietly as he could trying to hear what was happening in the bedroom. He hoped she would leave again soon for any reason. His luck had run out though. He heard her push open the bathroom door and enter the bathroom.He heard the rustling of clothing and saw the blur of her movements through the shower curtain. He wondered if she could see his blurred outline standing still in the bath. From her blurred outline, it was clear that she was undressing. She finished undressing and sat down on the toilet, relieving herself. Then she flushed the toilet and Zane heaved a quick sighof relief under cover of the noise of the flushing toilet.In the next instant, the shower curtain was swept aside as Hope cried out.“Who the hell are ...?” She broke off her question as she realized that Zane stood in her bath. She held a pistol trained on him. A smile slowly stretched across her face.“Well, well, Chief.”
She listened to him breathing and to his heartbeat. She felt torn. She hadn’t known a man like Zane in a long time. But from when she had first been informed about him and come into this town and watched him, she had felt an ache in her heart. An ache she hadn’t known since she had first laid eyes on her daughter’s father all those years before. She had known what she was coming to do here. Had been promised this was her last job. Then they would let her go. Let her daughter go and she would be free. With a handsome payoff to boot and even funding for a non-profit organization to help street kids without having to employ them to pack or push drugs on the street.In her heart, she agreed with Zane. He was right. Even though she hadn’t started outright and had been peddling marijuana to begin with, she had never intended to do it this long. It had never been meant to be a way to make a living but rather a temporary to an end.And then? Then she ha
They dressed and Zane left the way he had entered. Through the back window.Zane left Hope feeling more besotted than ever before. He felt as if he was adrift on the ocean. He had not felt the way he did about Hope since his fiancée. He was disappointed though. She was not going to give him the chance to show her that he could help her. She was going to continue regardless. Whatever hold the people had over her, it was more than she believed he could offer her.He told himself that he had to wise up. He had to be strong and accept that she was going to go down at some point.At this point, everything was between him and her and he had to believe that she would have some honor if she was caught and not take him down with her.Zane pondered their chat and her remark that there were corrupt cops involved. She had denied that there was any corrupt police on his team but since she had turned up here just maybe there were corrupt police on his team and s
Zane looked at Sanchez as he pondered what to say and where to begin. He had always considered Sanchez as one of his best friends. They had gone to the academy together, graduated together, and started together learning their trade on the streets of Chicago.Zane had always seen Sanchez as his equal in their careers even though they were best friends as well.He knew though that what he had to say would potentially put him below Sanchez from a legal standpoint. Even so, he knew he could trust Sanchez if anyone. Besides Sanchez was in the FBI, separate from the police force. He was safe discussing what he had to discuss with Sanchez.“I think I’m in a spot of trouble. Or maybe more than just a spot.”Sanchez sat forward. He was all ears. “I’m here buddy. What’s troubling you?”Zane hesitated then made his decision and plowed on. He told Sanchez how they had received a tip-off about a drug-running operation i
Zane arrived back in Hurstville after dark. He felt better after meeting Sanchez. He’d had time to think on the journey back and knew he had to keep his distance from Hope as much as possible.He would try to steer things through Brian and the other officers as far as possible. He was the chief after all.His phone buzzed with a message. Talk of the devil…It was Hope.Why so quiet?He looked at the message. He was tempted to answer it but decided not to. He needed to cut ties. Sanchez had let him know he could still get through this with his job and badge intact. But continuing with what he had done with Hope wasn’t going to help him. He was sad at having to cut ties.He had not felt like this with any woman for a long time. While he hadn’t spent much time with Hope, there was something more than he had felt for other women he had briefly dated since his ex-fiancee. He wasn’t quite sure what it was th