Read Online Superbia (Book One of the Superbia Series) by Bernard Schaffer - Free Book Online

this police department, Victor?   It’s because there never has, and never will
be, any need for a full-time investigator here.   Let alone two.   I told the Chief
that when you insisted on taking a raw Academy recruit and thrusting her into
undercover work.   I told him what would
happen.”
    “Leave her out of
this,” Vic snapped.
    The Staff
Sergeant reached into his desk drawer and slapped a packet of brand new traffic
citations on his desk.   “Do you know what
that is, Victor?   It’s your future.   I keep them in my desk set aside specifically
for you.   I suppose you have nothing to
fear as long as Midas is here to protect you, but always remember, that is your
fate.   It waits patiently.”  
    Vic left the
office without responding and walked down the hall to the Chief’s office.   The door was closed but he heard the Chief
speaking.   Vic knocked gently.   “Come in,” the Chief said.   The Old Man was sitting at his desk talking
on the phone.   He covered the mouthpiece
and told Vic to close the door behind him.   “Right.   Well, I don’t want to
come down there and have nothing to look at.   Two-bedrooms, minimum.   Nothing in
tornado country, either.”
    The Chief hung up
the phone and Vic sat down in one of the chairs.   “It’s a good time to pick up an investment property
if you can swing it, boss.   Looking for a
vacation rental?”
    “Looking for my
new home!   I’m heading for life on the
open range, buddy.   Can’t wait to get the
hell out of here.”
    Vic shifted
nervously in his seat.   “When do you
think that will be?”  
    “Could be
tomorrow, could be whenever.   The Township
can’t seem to make sense of the numbers I gave them for my pension.   As soon as their accountant makes the
corrections and they cut me a check, you will have seen the last of me.”
    “Oh,” Vic
said.   “Any word on that promotion?”
    The Chief cocked
his head in confusion, then his eyes lit up.   “Of course!   I’m working on that
too.   You have my word, before I leave,
you’ll be at least a promoted
detective.”
    Vic breathed out
and said, “Great.   I appreciate it,
sir.   I know you must have your hands
full.”
    “I take care of
the people who take care of me,” the Chief said benevolently.   “So, what can I do for you?”
    “I need Frank to
be exclusive to me for the time being, boss.   I can’t operate not knowing where he’s going to be on any given
day.   We have a big job coming up, and I
can’t have him running off to direct traffic every five minutes.”
    The Chief pursed
his lips and thought on it without speaking for a moment.   “The Staff Sergeant told me Frank wasn’t that
busy yet in Detectives.”
    “The Staff
Sergeant is wrong,” Vic said.  
    The Chief finally
nodded and pressed the intercom button on his phone, ringing Erinnyes.   “Staff Sergeant?”
    “Yes, sir!” Erinnyes’s
voice said over the phone.   There was a bursting-with-cheeriness
to his voice that made Vic’s eyes roll.
    “Until the
Detectives have wrapped up this case they’re working on, Officer O’Ryan is not
available for other details.”
    There was a pause
where nothing but the sound of labored, gurgling breathing came through the
speaker phone.   “Excellent, sir.   If they need anything from patrol, just let
me know.”
    The Chief hung up
the phone and looked at Vic.   “Problem
solved?”
    “Until the day
you walk out the door, it is.”
    “Try not to make
too many enemies, Vic.   I won’t be around
forever.”       
    ***
    Frank parked his
patrol car in the station lot and started peeling off his sweat-soaked uniform shirt
before he even reached the door.   There
was a spot on his back that itched mercilessly under his bullet-proof vest that
he could not reach.   He ripped off the
vest and pushed up against the nearest corner of the building, scratching his
back against it like a cat.   It felt like
the wall’s stucco was