us.”
Kevin
frowned, dropping the menu. “Tyrone and I spotted a Bronco that matched the
description from a home invasion robbery last night. Five guys killed an old
lady and put her grandson in the hospital.”
“I
read about that.”
“Yeah.
So we followed the Bronco into an alley and lit ‘em up. With the lights, I
mean. We got out of our car. Tyrone told ‘em to shut the car off. They tried to
run us over and shoot us instead. Smashed our car, almost killed us. I shot ‘em
both in the face. Had to run out into traffic to get the driver before he ran
someone over.”
“Tyrone’s
okay, though, right?” Molly asked.
“Oh,
he’s fine. He’s mad that he fell when they tried to roll over us. Probably
would’ve been a lot more shots fired if that alleyway hadn’t been so slippery.
I’m lucky I didn’t crack my skull myself.”
“Is
he going to join us later?”
“Nah.
His girlfriend’s kid is playing the Dentist in ‘ Little Shop ’ tonight.
This isn’t my first birthday or my first shooting, but how many opening nights
do you get in high school?”
“That’s
a great role,” Onyx smiled.
“It
is.”
Molly
took time to order up three Irish car bombs. “Three shootings in two years on
the force,” she said finally.
“Shockingly,
I heard that more than a few times this afternoon.”
“What’re
they saying?”
Kevin
shrugged. “There was a security camera in the alley. All the physical evidence
is there. If this isn’t a justified shooting, then there ain’t no such animal.
But I’m still a cop who’s been in three shootings in his first two years, on a
force where lots of the other violent incidents aren’t as clean-cut as mine.
Justified or not, it adds up, y’know?
“Plus
there’s all the other shit that didn’t actually involve shooting anyone,” he
continued, “but use of force is still use of force. I mean they deliberately
call me out to help with warrants on guys they know are violent, they stick me
in the most violent precinct in the city, and they wonder why I’ve got so many
use of force incidents in my jacket? Not once have I been the one to initiate.
Not once.”
“Rookie
of the year on your first year, though, right? Didn’t you get some awards this
year, too?”
“Not
sure if I get to keep all that if they have to bounce me.”
“Yeah,
but you said yourself, all the evidence is on your side, right?”
“Sometimes
it doesn’t matter. The department’s in so much hot water with all the stuff
that really does stink over the last couple years that it might not
matter how right this was. Like I said, it adds up.”
Molly
paused. “Do you think it was right?”
“Well,
I don’t feel good about it, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I
didn’t ask that.”
“Why
not?”
“Don’t
need to. But do you think it was right?”
Kevin
took a deep breath and let it out. “I don’t know what else I was gonna do.”
“Nothing
else you could’ve done, aside from let them go. Which is what you signed up not to do.” Kevin shrugged. Molly leaned over a bit to press the point. “Those two
shitbags and their other three friends—who are still out there somewhere, but
now at least they’re shitting their pants—those guys all murdered an innocent
woman last night and put her grandson in the hospital, and that poor kid gets
to live with the memory. They tried to kill you and your partner. They probably
would’ve killed others. You did what somebody had to do. Just like with both of
the other fuckheads you shot.”
Kevin
looked at her, then turned his attention to Onyx. “This birthday party’s cheerful,
huh?” he asked her.
“We
like you,” Onyx said with a sweet smile. She even batted her eyelashes at him.
“Their
dumb luck for running into a Mary Sue like you, anyway,” Molly added.
“A
Mary—wait, what?”
“A
Mary Sue,” Onyx grinned up at him. “She’s saying you’re so awesome it stretches
suspension of
Kevin
frowned, dropping the menu. “Tyrone and I spotted a Bronco that matched the
description from a home invasion robbery last night. Five guys killed an old
lady and put her grandson in the hospital.”
“I
read about that.”
“Yeah.
So we followed the Bronco into an alley and lit ‘em up. With the lights, I
mean. We got out of our car. Tyrone told ‘em to shut the car off. They tried to
run us over and shoot us instead. Smashed our car, almost killed us. I shot ‘em
both in the face. Had to run out into traffic to get the driver before he ran
someone over.”
“Tyrone’s
okay, though, right?” Molly asked.
“Oh,
he’s fine. He’s mad that he fell when they tried to roll over us. Probably
would’ve been a lot more shots fired if that alleyway hadn’t been so slippery.
I’m lucky I didn’t crack my skull myself.”
“Is
he going to join us later?”
“Nah.
His girlfriend’s kid is playing the Dentist in ‘ Little Shop ’ tonight.
This isn’t my first birthday or my first shooting, but how many opening nights
do you get in high school?”
“That’s
a great role,” Onyx smiled.
“It
is.”
Molly
took time to order up three Irish car bombs. “Three shootings in two years on
the force,” she said finally.
“Shockingly,
I heard that more than a few times this afternoon.”
“What’re
they saying?”
Kevin
shrugged. “There was a security camera in the alley. All the physical evidence
is there. If this isn’t a justified shooting, then there ain’t no such animal.
But I’m still a cop who’s been in three shootings in his first two years, on a
force where lots of the other violent incidents aren’t as clean-cut as mine.
Justified or not, it adds up, y’know?
“Plus
there’s all the other shit that didn’t actually involve shooting anyone,” he
continued, “but use of force is still use of force. I mean they deliberately
call me out to help with warrants on guys they know are violent, they stick me
in the most violent precinct in the city, and they wonder why I’ve got so many
use of force incidents in my jacket? Not once have I been the one to initiate.
Not once.”
“Rookie
of the year on your first year, though, right? Didn’t you get some awards this
year, too?”
“Not
sure if I get to keep all that if they have to bounce me.”
“Yeah,
but you said yourself, all the evidence is on your side, right?”
“Sometimes
it doesn’t matter. The department’s in so much hot water with all the stuff
that really does stink over the last couple years that it might not
matter how right this was. Like I said, it adds up.”
Molly
paused. “Do you think it was right?”
“Well,
I don’t feel good about it, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I
didn’t ask that.”
“Why
not?”
“Don’t
need to. But do you think it was right?”
Kevin
took a deep breath and let it out. “I don’t know what else I was gonna do.”
“Nothing
else you could’ve done, aside from let them go. Which is what you signed up not to do.” Kevin shrugged. Molly leaned over a bit to press the point. “Those two
shitbags and their other three friends—who are still out there somewhere, but
now at least they’re shitting their pants—those guys all murdered an innocent
woman last night and put her grandson in the hospital, and that poor kid gets
to live with the memory. They tried to kill you and your partner. They probably
would’ve killed others. You did what somebody had to do. Just like with both of
the other fuckheads you shot.”
Kevin
looked at her, then turned his attention to Onyx. “This birthday party’s cheerful,
huh?” he asked her.
“We
like you,” Onyx said with a sweet smile. She even batted her eyelashes at him.
“Their
dumb luck for running into a Mary Sue like you, anyway,” Molly added.
“A
Mary—wait, what?”
“A
Mary Sue,” Onyx grinned up at him. “She’s saying you’re so awesome it stretches
suspension of
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