Getting an early start to Friday morning, Martinez picked up his phone and called the probation department. After ringing a few times, the secretary picked up. “Hey Jen, it’s Martinez. Is Stovall around?”
Her voice lit up through the phone, as many females did when he called. “Martinez! How are you? You ready for the weekend?”
Slumping in his chair he rubbed his faded neckline with his free hand and tried to entertain her. “I am. It’s been a long week.”
“You know, a bunch of us are heading to Jimmy’s tonight. You should come.”
Surprise ran over his face like a shadow. “Uh, well, I made plans for Liz and I later but I’ll see what she wants to do after that.”
Her response was tainted with embarrassment. “Oh, yeah, of course. So, I guess if we don’t see you, have a great weekend!”
“Will do. Is Stovall there or should I call his cell?”
“Oh, right! Hold on one sec. Sorry!”
Flattered yet annoyed, he shook his head in awe.
“Yo! What’s up brother,” asked Chris as he picked up his receiver.
“Hey man, do me a favor and check Robinson’s GPS for yesterday?”
“Sure thing, what’s going on?”
“Liz said Robinson was waiting for her outside the county building yesterday. If so, I mean - I don’t doubt her word for a second - but if you can confirm it, that would mean he violated the protection order and his parole, twice.”
“Holy shit. Seriously? We were just at his house!”
“Unfortunately, I’m dead serious. Also, I was gonna pay him another visit today. Was wondering if you would come with? Holden’s already on my ass about keeping my distance, I don’t need any problems if you know what I mean.”
“I hear you, man. Uh, let me get with the tracking company and have them send me a report. Looks like he’s expected to go into work this morning. If we head over there now, we could catch him when he leaves. You down for that?”
“Don’t have to ask me twice. I’ll meet you over there. We’ll just wait outside for him.”
“Cool. I’ll have Jen send over for the report by end of day.”
After hanging up the phone, they both got into their respective vehicles and headed to Steve Robinson’s residence. Within minutes, Martinez pulled up to the curb, parking one door down. Chris parked on the opposite side of the street soon after. The mist from the cold rain tinted their windshields. They left their vehicles running to avoid fog from forming on the windows, which would easily distort the view. Acknowledging each other with a nod, Martinez put his eyes on Steve’s door, waiting for him to exit.
As the minutes passed, they both kept looking at their cell phones, watching the time. Finally, there was movement. Steve exited through the front door, securing the lock with his key. Swiftly, Martinez got out of his vehicle and slammed the car door behind him. Chris followed suit.
Reaching the lawn, Steve saw the two men coming toward him. His eyes rolled behind his lids as irritation washed over his face. “Come on, man. What the hell do you want? I need to get to work.”
A foot away, Martinez locked eyes with Steve as Chris stood off to the side. “I think I told you more than once to stay away from Elizabeth Strong?”
Arrogantly calm, Steve grinned and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Pushing his jacket to the side, Martinez rested his hand loosely on his weapon and cocked his head. “No? That’s funny because I have your little girlfriend on video buying a prepaid credit card that was used to send Elizabeth flowers. Elizabeth also says you were waiting across the street from the county building yesterday when she left work. I think that clearly falls within the 500-foot range of the no-contact order.”
Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his coat, Steve puffed out his chest and drew his chin up in a cocky manner. “Prove it.”
Keeping one hand on his gun, Martinez reached up and rubbed his chin with his free hand. “I know you’re getting that monitor off somehow.” Focusing, he peered right into Steve’s cold, brick-colored eyes. “You’re gonna hang yourself, Robinson. And when you do, I’ll be there holding the other end of the rope.” Turning away, he started towards his sedan.
Chris, just ahead of him, turned Steve’s way and said, “Keep it clean, Robinson.”
Not moving from his position in the yard, he glared at them as they walked away. “Hey, Martinez!”
Just before reaching the front of his vehicle, Martinez stopped and shook his head slightly, turning around to face Steve again.
“Carlos said to say hi. I guess you and Lizzy have a lot in common after all.” The smirk on his face wore a badge of victory.
His boots gripping the wet leaves beneath them, pure rage propelled Martinez forward. Before Steve could move, Martinez lunged after him, pulling his right arm back as far as he could, and with full force crushed his fist forward into Steve’s face, knocking him back.
Running over to them, Chris was mortified. “Jesus, Martinez!”
Gaining his balance, Steve bent over and rested a hand on his knee, grabbing his mouth with the other. Looking up at them he laughed and spit a mouthful of blood into the grass. Still humored, he winked and said, “I see you got some of your father’s traits.”
Martinez lunged after him again but Chris quickly jumped in, struggling to hold him as best he could. Chris Stovall was young and strong, but he was no match for Martinez. “Dude, it’s not worth it!”
Steve spit to the ground again and touched the split on his bottom lip with his fingers before gently rubbing it with his tongue. “Yeah, Martinez, it’s not worth it.” He laughed again.
Chris placed his hands on Martinez’ chest, pushing him back. “Dude, I got this!” Turning back to Steve and pointing his finger at him, anger consumed his face. “Robinson, you are seriously on thin ice. You may get that monitor off soon, but I have your ass for the next two years. I find out you’re tripping the alarm before it’s removed or I catch you anywhere you shouldn’t be, especially anywhere near Elizabeth Strong, you’ll be sent back to Mansfield faster than you can plead not guilty. You feel me?”
Wriggling his jaw with his hand, reality struck him for a strong second. “I feel you.”
Chris walked back to his car, talking to himself along the way. Passing Martinez, he pushed him hard on his shoulder. “What the hell, Martinez! You know damn well this has to go in my report!” Disappointingly shaking his head, he got into the driver’s side of his vehicle and slammed the door.
Devilishly grinning inside, Steve stood there and watched both of them drive away.
Stopping at the first red light on the way back to the station, Martinez slammed the palm of his hand on the steering wheel. “Son of a bitch!” He knew he had to tell Chief Holden about the incident. At least he could try to explain before he found out from anyone else. He was furious with himself for not maintaining control. Making it back to the station, he sat in his car for a few minutes contemplating how he was going to confront the situation.
Knowing there was no easing into it, he shut off the engine and went inside. Thankfully, the lobby was empty. He raced up the back stairs to the bureau, slowing his pace as he reached the hallway, and taking his time towards Holden’s office.
The office door was open and Holden was sitting behind his desk going over documents. Before Martinez could knock, Holden looked up over the top of his glasses. “Come on in.”
Nodding, Martinez entered and shut the door behind him. “I need to talk with you about something important.”
Setting the papers on the desk he adjusted his glasses and gave him his full attention. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Sitting in one of the chairs in front of the large desk, he began with his investigation. “I’ve got information that Robinson sent those flowers to Liz. It’s circumstantial at best, but it’s still a violation of the protection order.” He paused for a brief moment. “So, Johnson and I paid him a visit with Stovall.”
Holden shot him an unhappy look. “Now I told you -”
Raising his hand defensively he quickly explained, “I didn’t get involved in the home visit. I stayed outside but I made my presence known. I thought he needed to know we weren’t playing games with him. I didn’t even speak to him, I swear.”
Grunting, Holden sat back in his chair, sighed deeply and frowned, understanding he wasn’t going to like what came out of Martinez’ mouth next. “Go on…”
Leaning forward, he explained the urgency of the situation. “Chief, that son of a bitch was waiting for her yesterday across from the county building. He’s intimidating her - he’s stalking her - again!” His coffee-colored eyes were glowing with a savage fire.
The somber expression on the Chief’s face echoed in his voice. “Why do I feel this isn’t the end of the story?” He leaned on the desk and rested his lips on his knuckles, looking up over the frames of his glasses.
Rolling his neck to ease the tension, Martinez continued. “Stovall and I just paid him another visit. It didn’t go as smoothly as I hoped.”
Frustrated, Holden sat back in his chair again, shaking his head. “I knew this was gonna happen. So?”
Martinez took a deep breath. “I may have used excessive force in sending the message.”
“May have?” After a brief pause, Holden pulled off his glasses and set them on the desk. Rubbing his eyes violently he said, “God damn it, Martinez! I warned you – didn’t I warn you about this?”
Feeling horrible upon the admission, he tried to explain. “Chief, I know it’s no excuse, but he totally provoked me. He brought my father into it! I shouldn’t have let him get under my skin but it’s been a long time since anyone mentioned Carlos Martinez and that’s a name I thought I buried years ago.” He put his hand through his coarse black hair on the top of his head before gently rubbing his neckline.
Grabbing his mouth, Holden slowly wiped the corner of his lips down to the scruff of his chin and took a deep breath. “I should’ve seen this coming. This is my fault. I can’t say I condone your behavior but I can understand.”
“No, this is my fault. No need to tell me your disappointment, Chief. I think I’ve handled that myself. You know, Stovall will have everything in his report. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”
“I appreciate that. You know I’m going to have to put you on desk duty for now and let this all blow over?”
His eyes flickered with desperation. “I was hoping we could avoid that.”
Placing his elbows on the desk he folded his fingers under his chin. “How about we wait and see what happens with Stovall’s report and go from there? But if Robinson reports you, my hands are tied.”
Pursing his lips and nodding his head affirmatively, he said, “Understood.” Rising from his seat he walked over to the door. Before exiting he turned to Holden and said, “Thank you.”
Holden grunted and released his breath as he sat back in his chair. “Don’t thank me just yet,” he warned as he shook his head at Martinez as he left his office.
Sitting down at his desk, Martinez felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw it was Miles Murphy. He immediately answered. “Miles, what do you got for me?”
“Sup, Martinez? You sound stressed. I got somin’ for that. Lemme write you a script, yo?”
A slight smile formed on Martinez’ lips. “I know you’re losing patients with Robinson back in the game but I don’t think ambulance chasing members of SPD is your best marketing tactic.”
“Ha, HA! Can’t blame a brotha for tryin’, right? I got somin’ for you, for real tho.”
“I’m listening.”
“Yo, I talked to one of my dudes did a stretch down south with your boy - seem like he know all kina thangs.”
Perking up at his desk, Martinez felt a surge of adrenaline pulsate through him. “Is that right? What ‘kina’ things we talking about?”
“Kina thangs people don’t be talkin’ bout on the phone, you feel me?”
Sitting back in his chair, his interest grew. “Give me a time and place and I’ll be there.”
“Jackson Pier. Ten o’clock.”
Twenty minutes into the drive toward Lorain, Elizabeth couldn’t take it anymore. “Can you please tell me where we’re going?”
Smiling, Martinez said, “I figured after the week we both had it would do us some good to blow off a little steam.”
“Well, that doesn’t quite answer my question.”
“Just sit back and enjoy the ride.”
They had been quiet for the majority of the time and she could tell something was bothering him. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”
Feeling her concerned glare, he turned to look at her before focusing his attention back to the road. “I made a mistake and caught a little heat from Holden, is all.” He didn’t want to keep anything from her, but he didn’t want her to worry either. When she refused to turn away from him, he glanced at her again. “It’s nothing, really.” Realistically, he knew his run in with Robinson could go one of two ways and he hoped it was in his favor.
Slowing down the vehicle, he took the next exit and turned right. About a mile down the empty road, Elizabeth saw the big sign that read A & B Shooting Range, LLC. Her eyes widened with joy and there was excitement in her voice as she asked, “Are you taking me shooting?”
Putting on the brakes and turning into the parking lot he said, “I can’t think of a better way to end a shitty week, can you?”
Giving him a coy look, she was quick to reply, “Well, I can think of a few but this certainly makes my top five.”
He turned off the engine and faced her. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You always tell me how much fun you have at China’s, so I thought this would make for a perfect date night.”
Throwing off her seatbelt she said, “Well done, Detective!”
Walking in the front door of the small, one story building, she found herself in a tiny storefront of every gun enthusiasts’ dream. Upon entering, there were two, large floor displays filled with different types of accessories she couldn’t begin to identify. Two walls, behind glass encasements full of handguns, were riddled with hanging rifles. Straight ahead, behind the cash register, boxes of ammunition were tucked neatly within their cubbies, reaching close to the ceiling. Directly to the left, a window revealed the front of the range with several empty stalls.
An older, heavyset man with a beard stood up from behind the counter after fiddling with items in the glass case. He adjusted his cap and looked at Martinez with a crick in his neck. “You lost, son?”
Walking towards him, Martinez quickly replied, “I guess that depends on whether you offer any discounts for boys in blue.”
The old man walked around the cash register facing him with a stern look. “Actually, I charge double.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened as she turned to Martinez, waiting for his reaction.
“Well, Jack, you-old-son-of-a-bitch!”
The old man’s beer belly jiggled with his laughter. The two men grabbed the other’s right hand and embraced in a tight manly hug, before patting each other on the back. The man stepped back, his big hands cupping Martinez’ shoulders. “You haven’t changed a bit,” he said shaking his head with a wide smile.
His face lighting up, Martinez drew back from him, placed his hand on the small of Elizabeth’s back bringing her forward and said, “Jack Cooper, I want you to meet Elizabeth Strong. Liz, this is Jack. This man taught me everything there is to know about guns.”
A sense of relief drew across her face. Offering her hand, she said, “Jack, nice to meet you. I was beginning to wonder there for a minute!”
“Good strong handshake for such a little thing!” He bowed at her. “Jack Cooper, at your service.”
She gave him a curtsey in return.
Martinez was careful but couldn’t help remark, “I hate to say it Jack, but you look a little different since I last saw you.”
Taking off his hat and scratching his head beneath the thinning silver strands of hair he replied, “Yeah, well, since Maggie left me, I didn’t see no reason in keeping up with myself. Gotta enjoy every minute. Life’s too short to worry ‘bout the little things.” He walked back around the counter.
Giving the men a few minutes to catch up, Elizabeth scanned the guns in the case, looking for her weapon of choice.
“Man, has it been that long?” Martinez asked.
“Ten years or so I reckon?”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, I - I didn’t realize. Is she still in the area?”
“I’m afraid not. The big man upstairs had other plans for her, I suppose.”
Lowering his head in shame, Martinez tried to come back from his stupid comment. “Jack, I am so sorry. I had no idea.”
“Nonsense!” He managed to put a smile back on his rounded cheeks. “You couldn’t have known. It was a small, quiet service. You know I don’t like too much attention. So, enough of that! What’s your flavor of the day?” He flashed his hand across the top of the glass. “You still a GLOCK-man?”
Moving his jacket behind his waist, Martinez tapped his holster and nodded his head proudly.
Excited, Jack inched his way down the counter and pulled his keys from his pocket. Leaning over to unlock the case, he winked, grinning behind his thick mustache. “Wait till you see this beauty.” He reached under the cabinet, pulled out a shiny new black pistol, and laid it on the counter. Nodding his head, he said, “GLOCK Compact Crossover Pistol, Model G45.”
His eyes skimming happily over the gun, Martinez was awestruck. “Wow, Jack, that’s a nice piece of equipment.”
“You wanna take her for a spin, don’t ya?”
Backing up a bit, he thought for a moment and took a deep breath before grabbing his chin. “I know what you’re doing.”
“Oh, come on now. This one’s on me. She’s a pistol, all right!”
“Twist my arm,” Martinez said as they both laughed. “Hey Liz, you find anything?”
Walking back over to them, she was a little lost on what she should choose. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “I’m not real sure. I mean, I’ve shot a couple different guns before but there are so many choices!” Looking up at Jack, she asked, “What do you recommend?”
Excited, he winked and said, “Thought you’d never ask, pretty lady.”
She smiled and winked back at him before giving Martinez a flirtatious grin.
“What do you have experience with?” Jack asked.
“Not much, really. 38 special, 22 Ruger - Um, I did shoot a 45 once. You know, that Clint Eastwood gun? I think that one was a bit large for me.” She giggled.
Jack and Martinez humorously looked at each other understanding the innuendo between them.
Smacking her lips, she was embarrassed. “Guys! That’s not what I meant!”
Laughing, Jack apologized. “I’m sorry, couldn’t resist. But seriously, I have the perfect gun for you. Cobra 380 ACP. This bad boy is lightweight with little kickback. Shoots maybe 50 yards, six rounds in the magazine. I sell a lot of these to women looking for basic protection. It’s a nice little pocket pistol.”
Taking the handgun from him, she released the magazine and pulled the slide back, exposing the empty barrel. “It feels nice.” Placing the magazine back in place, she sprung the slide shut and aimed the gun at the wall. “I’ll give it a try.”
“That’s what I’m talking about! Alrighty then.” Jack winked at Martinez before turning around to pull a couple boxes of ammunition from the cubbies behind him. “Ya think one box a piece will do ya?”
Nodding in agreement Martinez said, “I think that’ll do it.”
“Okay, grab ya some headgear, there. Stalls are empty so take your pick.”
Liz walked over to the wall where the headgear hung and pulled one from its hook in the wall, wrapping it around her neck.
“Those all have Internet radio so just pick your poison and have at it,” said Jack.
Impressed, Martinez said, “Wow, entering the world of technology, are ya, Jack?”
Mashing his lips together, he said, “Gotta stay relevant. And that asshole few miles over, has all the new fancy shit. Can’t let him take too many of my customers. Of course, he gets a lot of crazies too. He can have those. All right, I think you have everything you need. Martinez, you know your way around. I’ll just be in my office if ya’ll need anything.”
“Thanks, Jack.” Martinez grabbed his gear and led Elizabeth through the steel door leading to the stalls.
They chose two stalls next to each other and laid out their equipment. Martinez showed her how to hit the lever to pull the target towards her. Once they finished setting up their targets, they began loading the magazines for their guns.
Martinez watched as she fed the bullets into the mag like a pro. “You’re a natural, Liz. So, what do you think about a little competition?”
“Sounds like you’re wanting to lose?” She grinned as she loaded the last few bullets and clipped the magazine into place.
“Oh, it’s on Elizabeth Strong! Start at 20 yards? See who’s the better shot. I’ll only let off six rounds to match you.”
Pulling a scrunchie out of her bag, she wrapped her hair up in a loose bun behind her head. Setting her headgear to Black Sabbath Radio, she placed it on her ears and Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath rang through the speakers. She turned up the volume and nodded at Martinez. Flipping the switch on the wall, the target drug twenty yards down the conveyor before coming to a halt. She closed her eyes and felt the rhythm of the music moving her head to the tune. Looking over at Martinez she pulled the slide to the weapon back, chambering the first round.
The bullets rang through the steel walls piercing the paper targets. They continued to shoot until she had to reload. After the last bullet left the barrel, she placed her gun on the metal shelf and pulled her headset around her neck.
Martinez had already finished and stood at the side of the stall beside her, watching with pride. He took off his headgear, shaking his head affirmatively as he said, “Wow! Not bad, not bad at all.”
“Damn that felt good!” She flipped the switch again, bringing the target back to her. Three chest shots, one to the head, and two more just pierced the shoulder. “Okay, Detective, let’s see yours, shall we?”
Moving over to his stall, he hit the lever on the wall moving his target back to them: Four chest shots, two to the head. Elizabeth stared at the target for a moment. “Well, I would hope you didn’t miss. My life might depend on it one day.” She winked at him and grinned.
The truth of her statement stung him for a brief moment. “I’ve been doing this a long time. But I have to admit, for not shooting too often or having much experience, you’re a pretty good shot. For a girl.” His lips curled with sarcasm.
“That’s what they call Girl Power.” She lifted brows seductively. “Okay, round one is yours. Let’s try it again, shall we? We have an hour, right?”
He winked at her. “So, what do I get if I win?”
“Oh-ho-ho, are we offering prizes of sorts?”
Covering his ears with the headgear, he said, “But of course!” He winked at her at stepped back into his stall.
For nearly an hour they blew through their ammunition and joked with each other back and forth. Before they knew it, it was just about time to pack up. On their last round, Martinez said, “Okay, Liz, how about this, whoever wins this round, buys dinner?”
“Deal!” She loaded her weapon one last time, looked over to him and shook her head, curling the corner of her lips in a challenging manner.
Both of them took their stances and began, the bullets charging through the paper targets. Once the last round was fired, they took off their ear protection and brought the targets back to the helm. Removing them from the clip, they compared.
Martinez was yet again impressed. “I don’t know Liz, looks pretty close to me.”
Laughing she asked, “What do you mean? Mine is clearly better!”
Hesitant, he said, “I don’t know about that! Maybe we should ask Jack to settle this?”
“Angel Martinez, are you going to be a sore loser?”
“Not at all! Just saying.”
Carefully gathering all their equipment, they walked back into the shop. Elizabeth shook her ears with her fingers to get some normal sound back. Jack emerged from his office upon hearing their laughter and banter.
“Well, how was it? Blow off some much-needed steam did ya?” His smile was wide enough to see through his thick stash this time.
Martinez placed the GLOCK onto the counter. “Jack, that is one hell of a weapon! Clean shot, for sure.” He put the two targets on top of the gun. “But I’m afraid you’re going to have to settle our little argument. Who has the best target out of these two?”
Taken aback Jack responded, “Oh now, I’m afraid I can’t do that!”
Shocked, Martinez said, “Hey, I’ve got dinner riding on this! Help a brother out!”
Elizabeth stood there, arms crossed, eyes glaring at Jack.
Jack looked at her and back to Martinez. “Sorry, son. Looks like you’ve got to take the little lady out tonight.”
Excited, Elizabeth clapped her hands together and yelled out, “Hot damn! I knew I liked you, Jack.”
Martinez was a tad defeated. “Okay, okay, I see how it is.” He laughed.
Jack tilted his head. “Sorry brother, but a win is a win. So, instead of being a sore loser, how bout I wrap up that GLOCK for you?”
“Man, I’ll tell you Jack, that is a beautiful piece of machinery. But I’m gonna have to pass this time. However, you can wrap up hers for me. Give me a box of ammo too.” He turned to Elizabeth, and winked.
Her mouth dropped a little. Before she could speak, he shook his head warning her not to argue with him. Taking a breath, she closed her mouth and smiled awkwardly.
Jack finished ringing up the transaction and offered them a coupon for an hour of target practice on their next visit. “It was so good to see you Martinez. Don’t be a stranger for so long next time.”
After saying their good byes, the two of them left the shop and got into Martinez’ sedan. Holding the heavy bag in her hand, she couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “What the hell was that, Angel?”
“Well, the way I see it, you didn’t sound too keen on the whole dog idea, and you seemed even less interested in having a roommate, so, this is the next best thing.”
She was a little embarrassed since he brought it up again. “It’s nothing personal, you know.”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain anything to me. It was a shot in the dark. I know it’s soon, but I just thought -”
She looked into his brown eyes and graciously said, “I am very thankful. Of course, shooting guns at China’s is one thing, having a gun in my house? Well…”
“I get it. I’m sorry. I should have asked.”
“No, no. Don’t get me wrong, I should probably have a bit more protection. It just makes me nervous to even think I may have to use it. That’s all. Honestly, I don’t want to think about it at all. But I also understand the reality I now face. I thought I had at least a couple more years but it is what it is.”
He started the engine and felt bad for what he did. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean -”
“Don’t apologize for doing something good. I really appreciate it. You just have to help me figure out where to keep this bad boy.”
He put the vehicle in reverse and backed out of the parking lot onto the road. “Okay, enough talk about that. Next stop, food.”
“A metal killing machine may not be the way to my heart but food certainly is! Are you planning on staying with me tonight?”
“I wish I could but I need to meet my CI later. He has some new information for me and it seemed important. What about tomorrow?”
“That kinda stinks because I promised China we would get together for a girl’s night with some wine in her hot tub. And I’m sorry, but I can’t possibly pass up a hot tub night.”
“I can understand that. I guess that means dinner has to make up for the rest of the weekend and I have the perfect place.” He grinned.
Pulling down the gravel driveway to the lake house, Martinez sighed that he had to leave her so soon. “Sorry, I can’t stay. But I had an awesome night. You really are a good shot. I wish half of our department could hit a target as well as you.”
Blushing, she accepted his compliment. “I appreciate that. Thank you for everything, Angel. Really. It’s a nice weapon. You know, a while back I even asked China if I could borrow one of her guns to keep here.”
He was somewhat surprised. “Is that right?”
“I did. I just didn’t want to admit it.”
“Well, no one should have to borrow a weapon. Everyone should have a form of home protection. And now you do.” She leaned over and kissed him on his full lips. His eyes rolled under his lids at her touch. “I really wish I could stay.”
She opened her eyes and looked into his. “Me too. But it seems important.”
He stared deeply into her blue eyes. “Everything is important when it comes to you.”
Blushing again, she opened the car door to exit.
“Let me walk you in.” He exited the vehicle, walked her up to the door and into the screened in porch. The night air was cold and damp, but calm. The moonlight on the water gave enough light for him to see the sparkle in her eyes.
She entered the security code and turned her key in the deadbolt, opening the door. “Thanks for a great night. I think I may light a fire, draw a bath, and a have a nice glass of wine. Sounds divine right about now. You go do what you have to do and just text me later okay?”
As she held the door with her cheek, he turned to look at her as he headed back to his car. “I’ll do that and I’ll be thinking about you soaking in the bubbles.”
Back in his vehicle, he tooted his horn as he pulled out. Driving back into town he twice thought about heading back and sinking into the hot water with her. But there was work to do.
Within ten minutes he was in downtown Silverton and turned left into Jackson Street pier where he hoped Miles was waiting for him. As he drove towards the edge of the pier, he saw Miles’ large SUV, jacked up on oversized wheels. He backed into the spot next to him.
The window slowly slid into the side of the vehicle door revealing Miles, leaning back in his seat smoking a blunt. He titled his head and blew a large ring of smoke out of his mouth. “Sup, Martinez?”
Turning the lights to his vehicle off, he nodded at Miles. “What do you got for me? This better be good. You have no idea what I gave up for you tonight.”
Miles smirked and said, “Oh I got somin’ for you a’ight. I told you my boy just got back from servin’ his time down south. Well, thangs get ‘round in the pen, you feel me? Here you thought you had a mole. But you got a bigger problem than that.” Swiping his nose with his finger, he looked out over the lake in front of him.
Getting a little frustrated, Martinez tried to speed up the conversation. “Come on Miles, what’s so important you called me out here away from my date?”
Nodding his head, he smiled revealing the gold in his back teeth. “That’s wus up!” His face turning serious, he said, “Look, man, my boy was in Cell Block C with Robinson and his crew. Said he ran the whole block. Hell man, he ran all dem brothas, the corrections officers too.” Shaking his head, he took a long drag from his blunt.
Rolling his eyes, Martinez was growing impatient. “We all know how prisons are run, Miles. What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
“From what he tell me, your boy was rubbin’ elbows with the big dogs, you feel me?”
Leaning his elbow on the armrest, Martinez grabbed his chin and looked at Miles impatiently.
“For real tho, you never had you a mole, Martinez, you got you a guinea pig, man. And dem rodents are far bigger and way harder to get rid of.”
Grimacing, Martinez asked, “What the hell do you mean a guinea pig?”
Miles smacked his lips in disgust. “Bro! A guinea pig! You know, a cop dat’s in wit the mob, man. You don’t know, Robinson working with the mob?”
Finding it a tad hard to believe, Martinez inquired further. “The mob, Miles? In Silverton, Ohio. Come on?”
“Robinson has the cream of the crop ‘round here. Shi-it, Cleveland, Dee-troit, To-lee-do.” Miles looked at him dumbfounded. His face crinkled. “My dude, how you think he been top dog ‘round here for long as he has? He not only got big man backin’, he got one of Silverton’s finest right in his pocket!”
Shaking his head in disbelief. “I knew the possibility of a dirty cop but one of them working for the mob? In my department? Who the hell is it?”
“I’m afraid the length of my information ends there, brotha. Nobody got a name, man. That’s for you to figure out. But word is, whoe’er he be, he been dippin’ since before Robinson was sent up. Pulled some strings to get your boy out two years early, too.” Flicking the end of his blunt out the window, it flew over the sidewalk and into the lake. He sat up and turned the ignition on, rested his arm on the wheel of his vehicle and said, “Yo, that’s all I got. Right now, I gots patients to tend to.” Miles flashed his fingers with the peace sign and backed away from the curb of the pier, turned his lights on, and took off into the shadows of the streetlights.
Somewhat disappointed, Martinez sat for a few minutes. He got out of his vehicle and slammed the door shut. Standing on the walkway of the pier, he zipped up his jacket and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking out over the calm water knowing his job just got a little harder and wondering who he could trust.