stabbed in several places. I rushed Mahmud to the hospital. I guess I saved his life.
“You know you have to stop doing this,” I said.
“I forgot to turn on meter,” he repeated.
“I saved your life because it was my duty. If you keep doing this it could be seen as bribery; that’s illegal in this country, you know.”
“Next time I will turn on meter,” he smiled.
I patted him on the shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, buddy,” I said and got out.
EIGHT
Ms. Zee came back to find Joey in one piece. “Good, Kong, you behaved yourself,” she said, walking past him.
Kong didn’t smile. His features stayed the same: empty and devoid of any emotion.
“Ms. Zee,” said Martin. “We are still missing a chemist.”
“I have already solved that problem.”
“How?”
“Armand worked for Bantam Pharmaceuticals before he was fired, right? At Bantam, Armand worked in a team. He said there were others who influenced the design of the painkiller. Like him, some were also let go. We find these people and persuade them to continue our research.”
Martin thought about this. If Ms. Zee had an idea she rarely went against it. “How do you suggest we do that?”
She turned to Kong. “With Influence.”
There was renewed energy in Kong’s eyes now.
***
After having retrieved my car from Central Command Headquarters I drove back to Parking Enforcement Headquarters. I found Sergeant Motley in his office.
He was glad to see me. “Jon, how did it go?”
“Good, I guess,” I said. “Sir, I have an important question to ask you?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Can I still write parking tickets?”
“Um…No.”
“Not even part-time?”
“No.”
“On weekends?”
“No. Jon, what is really on your mind?” he said.
Motley could always sense something was bothering me.
“Do you know Phillip Beadsworth ?”
“No, I can’t say I do. Why?”
“He’s my new partner.”
“You have a partner?” he asked, shocked.
“I’m not too proud of it. I don’t tell many people that.”
“Of course not,” he said..
“How about Andrew Aldrich?” I asked.
Motley’s brow furrowed. “I met him once at a charity event. Good man. Believes in authority. He doesn’t like those who disobey him. There was something about him and the drug squad but I can’t remember what that was all about. How are you two getting along?”
“Great,” I said. “I’m like a son to him.”
Motley didn’t believe me.
“What about Ronald Garnett?” I then asked.
“That name sounds familiar,” Motley said searching. Then his eyes lit up and his face went pale. “Jon, of course. I’m so sorry.”
I raised my hand up. “That’s all right. He and I will work something out.” It was more like he’d work me into a pulp.
“Who’s taken over my shift?” I asked.
“Calvert.”
“George Calvert?” I exhaled. “That man is no good. He’ll mess up all my clientele.”
The telephone rang and Motley looked at me.
“Have you heard of a group called the RACE?” I asked.
He shook his head.
I thanked him and let him answer the phone.
***
I didn’t know what else to do, so I went home. I turned on the TV and flopped on the couch. I flipped through the channels. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Crappy show. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Weather channel: chance of everything. Flip. Flip. Flip. Shopping channel: a butt sculpture was on sale. I made a mental note of the item number. Flip. Reruns. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Sports: nothing good on, only figure skating. Flip. Cartoons: seen this episode but will watch it again.
In the middle of the episode where the anvil was falling on the helpless coyote I fell asleep.
My cell phone rang.
I opened my eyes and checked the time. It was after 6:30 p.m. “Jon
“You know you have to stop doing this,” I said.
“I forgot to turn on meter,” he repeated.
“I saved your life because it was my duty. If you keep doing this it could be seen as bribery; that’s illegal in this country, you know.”
“Next time I will turn on meter,” he smiled.
I patted him on the shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, buddy,” I said and got out.
EIGHT
Ms. Zee came back to find Joey in one piece. “Good, Kong, you behaved yourself,” she said, walking past him.
Kong didn’t smile. His features stayed the same: empty and devoid of any emotion.
“Ms. Zee,” said Martin. “We are still missing a chemist.”
“I have already solved that problem.”
“How?”
“Armand worked for Bantam Pharmaceuticals before he was fired, right? At Bantam, Armand worked in a team. He said there were others who influenced the design of the painkiller. Like him, some were also let go. We find these people and persuade them to continue our research.”
Martin thought about this. If Ms. Zee had an idea she rarely went against it. “How do you suggest we do that?”
She turned to Kong. “With Influence.”
There was renewed energy in Kong’s eyes now.
***
After having retrieved my car from Central Command Headquarters I drove back to Parking Enforcement Headquarters. I found Sergeant Motley in his office.
He was glad to see me. “Jon, how did it go?”
“Good, I guess,” I said. “Sir, I have an important question to ask you?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Can I still write parking tickets?”
“Um…No.”
“Not even part-time?”
“No.”
“On weekends?”
“No. Jon, what is really on your mind?” he said.
Motley could always sense something was bothering me.
“Do you know Phillip Beadsworth ?”
“No, I can’t say I do. Why?”
“He’s my new partner.”
“You have a partner?” he asked, shocked.
“I’m not too proud of it. I don’t tell many people that.”
“Of course not,” he said..
“How about Andrew Aldrich?” I asked.
Motley’s brow furrowed. “I met him once at a charity event. Good man. Believes in authority. He doesn’t like those who disobey him. There was something about him and the drug squad but I can’t remember what that was all about. How are you two getting along?”
“Great,” I said. “I’m like a son to him.”
Motley didn’t believe me.
“What about Ronald Garnett?” I then asked.
“That name sounds familiar,” Motley said searching. Then his eyes lit up and his face went pale. “Jon, of course. I’m so sorry.”
I raised my hand up. “That’s all right. He and I will work something out.” It was more like he’d work me into a pulp.
“Who’s taken over my shift?” I asked.
“Calvert.”
“George Calvert?” I exhaled. “That man is no good. He’ll mess up all my clientele.”
The telephone rang and Motley looked at me.
“Have you heard of a group called the RACE?” I asked.
He shook his head.
I thanked him and let him answer the phone.
***
I didn’t know what else to do, so I went home. I turned on the TV and flopped on the couch. I flipped through the channels. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Crappy show. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Weather channel: chance of everything. Flip. Flip. Flip. Shopping channel: a butt sculpture was on sale. I made a mental note of the item number. Flip. Reruns. Flip. Soap Opera. Flip. Sports: nothing good on, only figure skating. Flip. Cartoons: seen this episode but will watch it again.
In the middle of the episode where the anvil was falling on the helpless coyote I fell asleep.
My cell phone rang.
I opened my eyes and checked the time. It was after 6:30 p.m. “Jon
Similar Books
