"Coup de Foudre" 51
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, July 2016
“What’ll it be this morning, hon? Bacon and eggs or pancakes?”
Carl thought it over. He always made his breakfast choice with careful consideration. It was the only meal of the day that Deb didn’t regulate like a police commissioner. She was a firm believer in starting off the day with a hearty breakfast and Carl was thankful for it.
Unfortunately, breakfast was the only time he got a free pass. For lunch he usually had a piece of fruit and maybe a multi-grain bagel, if he was lucky. And dinner was always a lean cut of meat and some tasteless vegetable like kale or spinach, with a spoonful of rice or whole wheat pasta on the side. He was glad Debbie was looking out for his health, especially since his heart attack, but sometimes he longed for a huge plate of fettucini alfredo or a big, gloppy cheeseburger with greasy fries on the side. That’s one reason he’d been looking forward to the Fourth of July picnic - it was a holiday and he got to eat whatever he wanted. Too bad about the disruption, but he was one person at the picnic who hadn’t lost his appetite.
“I think I’ll go with bacon and eggs, sweetie.”
“Coming right up!”
Carl sat back in his chair, smiling, as Deb threw the bacon into the skillet and cracked a couple of eggs.
“Are you going to Triple A today?” Deb asked.
“Yup. I want to get some new maps for the trip to Canada.”
“Why don’t you use your iPad?” Deb suggested. “All the maps are on there.”
Carl shrugged. “I like real maps. I like unfolding them and marking them with my big marking pen. The iPad’s okay in a pinch, but it can’t replace a real map.”
Deb gave him a kiss on the top of his balding head. “My old dinosaur!”
Carl felt the buzz before he heard it. His cellphone. He was retired, so it couldn’t be anything too important. He ignored it and smelled the crisping bacon.
“Hon, I hear your phone!” Deb nudged him.
“Aw…”
“Answer it. It might be your daughter.”
“This early?” But Carl took the phone out of his pocket. It was one of Deb’s Lost Boys. “Ted Schmidt. What the hell does he want?”
Debbie frowned. “I don’t know, but you better answer it.”
Carl sighed. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be eating that bacon any time soon.
***
Ted was waiting for Carl on the steps of the police station. He was twitching nervously. Ted always seemed to be twitching. That really bugged Carl.
“Did you get hold of your friend?” Ted asked.
“Yeah,” said Carl. “He’s meeting us inside. But he wouldn’t give me any details about what happened.”
“But Brian is here, right?”
“He’s here,” said Carl. “They brought him in last night. This better be good, because I’m missing breakfast.”
Andy Johnson was a detective a decade or so younger than Carl, who was now getting close to retirement. Carl had taken him under his wing when he’d first started out, so he owed Carl a few favors. He hoped this one didn’t turn out to be too costly.
“Hey, Horvath, you old son of a bitch,” said Andy, shaking Carl’s hand.
Carl clapped him on the back. “Hey, Johnson, you old bastard.”
“Old, maybe, but still younger than you,” Andy returned.
Carl leaned closer. “You got one of Deb’s boys in here. Kinney. Brian Kinney.”
Andy raised an eyebrow. “So it seems. I just got in myself, but the first thing I did was grab the report. Why don’t we step inside my office.” As they moved down the corridor, Andy noticed Ted trailing behind them. “Who’s that? Kinney’s boyfriend or whatever?”
“Oh, no!” cried Ted. He could imagine what torture he’d be in for if Brian heard anyone had mistaken him for a possible boyfriend. “I work for Brian. He called me at the office. I don’t think he has a lawyer in town, so he called me instead. I… I brought money. Just in case…”
“Hang on to your money,” said Andy. “We need to straighten this mess out before that comes up.” Andy ushered Carl and Ted into his office and shut the door. “Let me take a look at the report.” He put on his glasses and flipped through some pages.
“DUI?” asked Carl. “Or worse?”
“It was a traffic stop - at first,” said Andy, reading. “Motorcycle ran a red light at 0334 hours right in front of the arresting officers at the corner of Randolph and Morgan Aves. Driver obviously didn’t see the patrol car. They chased him a couple of blocks before he came to a stop. Driver got off the bike and confronted the officers when they asked to see his license. Suspect had a belligerent attitude.”
“What a surprise,” Ted muttered.
Andy looked up and frowned. “He refused a breathalyzer test. Then the officers attempted a body search. Mr. Kinney apparently objected to that, too.”
“I imagine,” said Carl. “He’s not the world’s most cooperative guy.”
“Office Van Driest attempted to put handcuffs on him,” Andy continued. “When he resisted arrest, both Officer Van Driest and Officer Mullins threw him against the patrol car and forced his hands behind his back, cuffing him.”
Ted winced, remembering a time when he’d been handcuffed and tossed into a police car. It was not a fond memory. “Ouch.”
“Yeah,” Andy replied. “Ouch. Anyway, that’s when the second suspect jumped off the back of the motorcycle and attacked Officer Mullins.”
Carl started. “Second suspect?”
“Yeah,” said Andy. “A blond male, as yet unidentified. He wasn’t carrying any I.D. and refused to give his name. He jumped onto Officer Mullins, but was quickly subdued by the two officers, who threatened him with the taser. Mr. Kinney urged his pal to give up the fight, which he did. The officers handcuffed him, too. Both men were then searched and given breathalyzer tests.”
Carl leaned forward in anticipation. “And?”
“Nothing. They blew less than the legal limit, so they hadn’t been drinking. The officers claim they didn’t appear otherwise impaired. But in the inside pocket of Kinney’s leather jacket Office Van Driest found this.” Andy took out a small, tightly wrapped joint.
“That?” Carl almost laughed. “That’s a roach, Andy. You’re not going to charge him for having that thing in his pocket!”
“It’s an illegal substance,” Andy retorted. “And they were both assholes. Resisting arrest and attacking a peace officer in the performance of his duty are serious offenses.”
“Give me a break!” Carl huffed. “They’re bullshit charges. It was a fucking traffic stop! Fine Kinney for running a red light and forget it.” He paused. “As for the other guy - no harm was done. He’s just a kid.”
“That guy is no kid, believe me,” said Andy. “And he knew exactly what he was doing.”
Carl sighed. Debbie would be pissed about Brian, but she’d go ballistic when she heard Justin was involved. “Anything else?”
“Isn’t that enough?” said Andy.
“It’s nothing!” Carl insisted.
“Excuse me, detective,” Ted interrupted. “Are they going to be charged with anything? Because I have some cash. For bail. Or the fine.” Ted took out an envelope. “$424 - that’s all that was in petty cash, although I’m sure I can get more. Is there an ATM nearby?”
“Put your money away, Ted,” said Carl.
“He might need it,” said Andy. “The motorcycle’s in impound. It’s gonna cost him to get it out.”
“Great,” said Carl. “So are you charging them?”
Andy looked at the report again. “The second guy - he did attack the officers. That was a jerk move.”
Carl rolled his eyes. “Give me a break, Andy!”
“And, according to Office Van Driest, he screamed obscenities at them in a foreign language,” Andy added. “At least, he assumes they were obscenities from the guy’s tone of voice.”
“A foreign language?” Carl glanced at Ted, who shrugged. “What foreign language?”
“Don’t know,” said Andy. “That’s what the report says. I’d ask Officer Van Driest, but he’s off duty and I’m not calling him for that.”
“But you’d charge the guy for it!” Carl sniffed. “Whose name you don’t know.”
Carl smiled. “I was hoping you’d identify him. You both seem to know Kinney pretty well. You must know who he runs with.”
“It depends,” said Ted. “Sometimes Brian doesn’t even know their names.”
“That’s enough, Ted!” Carl snapped. “In this case, I think we both know who it is. If I identify him, will you let them go? Charge Kinney for the run red light and leave it at that. He wasn’t drunk and the judge is sure to dismiss charges on the joint. I don’t think Kinney has any priors for possession or DUI.”
Andy made a great show of turning the pages of the report a final time before he tossed it on the desk. “Traffic violation. That’s the only charge that’ll stick - unfortunately. But your wife’s friend has a bad attitude. And his buddy isn’t any better.”
“Leave off Kinney,” said Carl. He thought back to the days of Jim Stockwell’s regime and Brian’s part in bringing him down. Brian had good reason to dislike the police - and so did Justin, who had never gotten justice after being bashed. But Carl didn’t mention that to Andy. Stockwell may have gone to prison for corruption, but a lot of cops still thought he’d gotten a raw deal. Cops stuck together and they didn’t like to see one of their own taken down. “He’s not a bad guy. He’s going through a tough time right now.”
“Who isn’t?” said Andy. He stood up. “Come on. Let’s spring your boys.”
Carl and Ted followed Andy into the bowels of the courthouse. It was familiar territory to Carl. He looked at Ted. “Didn’t I get you out of here once upon a time?”
Ted shuddered. “Yes. With Brian and Michael. Michael mouthed off to the officer.” Ted didn’t mention his other incarceration for being Pittsburgh’s Porn King, as the newspapers had trumpeted.
Carl nodded. “And here we are again.”
“Thanks for doing this, Carl,” said Ted.
“If I didn’t, I’d never hear the end of it from Deb,” he replied. “But I feel sorry for Brian. He’s hurting and I understand that. I lost my first wife and the pain was unbearable. I did a lot of stupid things, too, but I got through it. The one I can’t understand is Justin. Why is he mixed up with Brian again?”
“Who knows?” said Ted. “History. Obsession. Double insanity.”
“Okay,” said Andy to the officer on duty. “Kinney and the other guy. Let ’em out.”
“You’re free to go.” The officer unlocked the door. “Make it snappy.”
A subdued Brian, his hair disheveled and his eyes red, emerged from the cell. “Carl. I figured you’d come riding to the rescue.”
“Lucky for you,” said Carl. “They’re only charging you for the red light.”
“Thanks,” said Brian. And he meant it.
“Hey! You, too,” said the office. “I haven’t got all day.”
And through the cell door came a sheepish, but still defiant, figure.
Garrett.
Pittsburgh, July 2016
“What’ll it be this morning, hon? Bacon and eggs or pancakes?”
Carl thought it over. He always made his breakfast choice with careful consideration. It was the only meal of the day that Deb didn’t regulate like a police commissioner. She was a firm believer in starting off the day with a hearty breakfast and Carl was thankful for it.
Unfortunately, breakfast was the only time he got a free pass. For lunch he usually had a piece of fruit and maybe a multi-grain bagel, if he was lucky. And dinner was always a lean cut of meat and some tasteless vegetable like kale or spinach, with a spoonful of rice or whole wheat pasta on the side. He was glad Debbie was looking out for his health, especially since his heart attack, but sometimes he longed for a huge plate of fettucini alfredo or a big, gloppy cheeseburger with greasy fries on the side. That’s one reason he’d been looking forward to the Fourth of July picnic - it was a holiday and he got to eat whatever he wanted. Too bad about the disruption, but he was one person at the picnic who hadn’t lost his appetite.
“I think I’ll go with bacon and eggs, sweetie.”
“Coming right up!”
Carl sat back in his chair, smiling, as Deb threw the bacon into the skillet and cracked a couple of eggs.
“Are you going to Triple A today?” Deb asked.
“Yup. I want to get some new maps for the trip to Canada.”
“Why don’t you use your iPad?” Deb suggested. “All the maps are on there.”
Carl shrugged. “I like real maps. I like unfolding them and marking them with my big marking pen. The iPad’s okay in a pinch, but it can’t replace a real map.”
Deb gave him a kiss on the top of his balding head. “My old dinosaur!”
Carl felt the buzz before he heard it. His cellphone. He was retired, so it couldn’t be anything too important. He ignored it and smelled the crisping bacon.
“Hon, I hear your phone!” Deb nudged him.
“Aw…”
“Answer it. It might be your daughter.”
“This early?” But Carl took the phone out of his pocket. It was one of Deb’s Lost Boys. “Ted Schmidt. What the hell does he want?”
Debbie frowned. “I don’t know, but you better answer it.”
Carl sighed. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be eating that bacon any time soon.
***
Ted was waiting for Carl on the steps of the police station. He was twitching nervously. Ted always seemed to be twitching. That really bugged Carl.
“Did you get hold of your friend?” Ted asked.
“Yeah,” said Carl. “He’s meeting us inside. But he wouldn’t give me any details about what happened.”
“But Brian is here, right?”
“He’s here,” said Carl. “They brought him in last night. This better be good, because I’m missing breakfast.”
Andy Johnson was a detective a decade or so younger than Carl, who was now getting close to retirement. Carl had taken him under his wing when he’d first started out, so he owed Carl a few favors. He hoped this one didn’t turn out to be too costly.
“Hey, Horvath, you old son of a bitch,” said Andy, shaking Carl’s hand.
Carl clapped him on the back. “Hey, Johnson, you old bastard.”
“Old, maybe, but still younger than you,” Andy returned.
Carl leaned closer. “You got one of Deb’s boys in here. Kinney. Brian Kinney.”
Andy raised an eyebrow. “So it seems. I just got in myself, but the first thing I did was grab the report. Why don’t we step inside my office.” As they moved down the corridor, Andy noticed Ted trailing behind them. “Who’s that? Kinney’s boyfriend or whatever?”
“Oh, no!” cried Ted. He could imagine what torture he’d be in for if Brian heard anyone had mistaken him for a possible boyfriend. “I work for Brian. He called me at the office. I don’t think he has a lawyer in town, so he called me instead. I… I brought money. Just in case…”
“Hang on to your money,” said Andy. “We need to straighten this mess out before that comes up.” Andy ushered Carl and Ted into his office and shut the door. “Let me take a look at the report.” He put on his glasses and flipped through some pages.
“DUI?” asked Carl. “Or worse?”
“It was a traffic stop - at first,” said Andy, reading. “Motorcycle ran a red light at 0334 hours right in front of the arresting officers at the corner of Randolph and Morgan Aves. Driver obviously didn’t see the patrol car. They chased him a couple of blocks before he came to a stop. Driver got off the bike and confronted the officers when they asked to see his license. Suspect had a belligerent attitude.”
“What a surprise,” Ted muttered.
Andy looked up and frowned. “He refused a breathalyzer test. Then the officers attempted a body search. Mr. Kinney apparently objected to that, too.”
“I imagine,” said Carl. “He’s not the world’s most cooperative guy.”
“Office Van Driest attempted to put handcuffs on him,” Andy continued. “When he resisted arrest, both Officer Van Driest and Officer Mullins threw him against the patrol car and forced his hands behind his back, cuffing him.”
Ted winced, remembering a time when he’d been handcuffed and tossed into a police car. It was not a fond memory. “Ouch.”
“Yeah,” Andy replied. “Ouch. Anyway, that’s when the second suspect jumped off the back of the motorcycle and attacked Officer Mullins.”
Carl started. “Second suspect?”
“Yeah,” said Andy. “A blond male, as yet unidentified. He wasn’t carrying any I.D. and refused to give his name. He jumped onto Officer Mullins, but was quickly subdued by the two officers, who threatened him with the taser. Mr. Kinney urged his pal to give up the fight, which he did. The officers handcuffed him, too. Both men were then searched and given breathalyzer tests.”
Carl leaned forward in anticipation. “And?”
“Nothing. They blew less than the legal limit, so they hadn’t been drinking. The officers claim they didn’t appear otherwise impaired. But in the inside pocket of Kinney’s leather jacket Office Van Driest found this.” Andy took out a small, tightly wrapped joint.
“That?” Carl almost laughed. “That’s a roach, Andy. You’re not going to charge him for having that thing in his pocket!”
“It’s an illegal substance,” Andy retorted. “And they were both assholes. Resisting arrest and attacking a peace officer in the performance of his duty are serious offenses.”
“Give me a break!” Carl huffed. “They’re bullshit charges. It was a fucking traffic stop! Fine Kinney for running a red light and forget it.” He paused. “As for the other guy - no harm was done. He’s just a kid.”
“That guy is no kid, believe me,” said Andy. “And he knew exactly what he was doing.”
Carl sighed. Debbie would be pissed about Brian, but she’d go ballistic when she heard Justin was involved. “Anything else?”
“Isn’t that enough?” said Andy.
“It’s nothing!” Carl insisted.
“Excuse me, detective,” Ted interrupted. “Are they going to be charged with anything? Because I have some cash. For bail. Or the fine.” Ted took out an envelope. “$424 - that’s all that was in petty cash, although I’m sure I can get more. Is there an ATM nearby?”
“Put your money away, Ted,” said Carl.
“He might need it,” said Andy. “The motorcycle’s in impound. It’s gonna cost him to get it out.”
“Great,” said Carl. “So are you charging them?”
Andy looked at the report again. “The second guy - he did attack the officers. That was a jerk move.”
Carl rolled his eyes. “Give me a break, Andy!”
“And, according to Office Van Driest, he screamed obscenities at them in a foreign language,” Andy added. “At least, he assumes they were obscenities from the guy’s tone of voice.”
“A foreign language?” Carl glanced at Ted, who shrugged. “What foreign language?”
“Don’t know,” said Andy. “That’s what the report says. I’d ask Officer Van Driest, but he’s off duty and I’m not calling him for that.”
“But you’d charge the guy for it!” Carl sniffed. “Whose name you don’t know.”
Carl smiled. “I was hoping you’d identify him. You both seem to know Kinney pretty well. You must know who he runs with.”
“It depends,” said Ted. “Sometimes Brian doesn’t even know their names.”
“That’s enough, Ted!” Carl snapped. “In this case, I think we both know who it is. If I identify him, will you let them go? Charge Kinney for the run red light and leave it at that. He wasn’t drunk and the judge is sure to dismiss charges on the joint. I don’t think Kinney has any priors for possession or DUI.”
Andy made a great show of turning the pages of the report a final time before he tossed it on the desk. “Traffic violation. That’s the only charge that’ll stick - unfortunately. But your wife’s friend has a bad attitude. And his buddy isn’t any better.”
“Leave off Kinney,” said Carl. He thought back to the days of Jim Stockwell’s regime and Brian’s part in bringing him down. Brian had good reason to dislike the police - and so did Justin, who had never gotten justice after being bashed. But Carl didn’t mention that to Andy. Stockwell may have gone to prison for corruption, but a lot of cops still thought he’d gotten a raw deal. Cops stuck together and they didn’t like to see one of their own taken down. “He’s not a bad guy. He’s going through a tough time right now.”
“Who isn’t?” said Andy. He stood up. “Come on. Let’s spring your boys.”
Carl and Ted followed Andy into the bowels of the courthouse. It was familiar territory to Carl. He looked at Ted. “Didn’t I get you out of here once upon a time?”
Ted shuddered. “Yes. With Brian and Michael. Michael mouthed off to the officer.” Ted didn’t mention his other incarceration for being Pittsburgh’s Porn King, as the newspapers had trumpeted.
Carl nodded. “And here we are again.”
“Thanks for doing this, Carl,” said Ted.
“If I didn’t, I’d never hear the end of it from Deb,” he replied. “But I feel sorry for Brian. He’s hurting and I understand that. I lost my first wife and the pain was unbearable. I did a lot of stupid things, too, but I got through it. The one I can’t understand is Justin. Why is he mixed up with Brian again?”
“Who knows?” said Ted. “History. Obsession. Double insanity.”
“Okay,” said Andy to the officer on duty. “Kinney and the other guy. Let ’em out.”
“You’re free to go.” The officer unlocked the door. “Make it snappy.”
A subdued Brian, his hair disheveled and his eyes red, emerged from the cell. “Carl. I figured you’d come riding to the rescue.”
“Lucky for you,” said Carl. “They’re only charging you for the red light.”
“Thanks,” said Brian. And he meant it.
“Hey! You, too,” said the office. “I haven’t got all day.”
And through the cell door came a sheepish, but still defiant, figure.
Garrett.