Midsummer Amnesty 2008: Vecchio Challenge by keerawa
Title: Field Training
Author: keerawa
Rating: PG-13 for racial epithets
Length: 491 words
Prompt: Vecchio challenge
Summary: Patrolman Ray Vecchio gets a lesson in community policing.
Notes: Thanks to brynnmck for the thoughtful beta.
“Take a load off, Vecchio,” Cappy said, nodding to a chair. “I’ll just be a minute.” He stepped through the door into Donatelli’s office.
Ray took off his hat and rearranged his baton before settling into a chair in front of the fan. A May heat wave, 24 pounds of gear, and a polyester-blend uniform had made his first week walking a beat a misery. But he’d gotten lucky, having Officer Caprice assigned as his training officer. Everybody in the old neighborhood knew Cappy, trusted him, went to him if they needed help. That was the kind of cop Ray wanted to be, someday.
Ray listened carefully for any sign that Cappy needed help. Donatelli wasn’t just the nice old guy who ran the local pool hall - he was also Zuko’s head bookie.
What was Cappy doing back there? Was he issuing a warning? Shaking Donatelli down for information? Was Cappy going to lead him out in handcuffs?
Ellie brought Ray an ice-cold ginger ale from the bar, just like when he used to wait for Pop. He got his wallet out, remembering that lecture at the Academy about accepting freebies while in uniform. Ellie’s wrinkles deepened as she tried not to laugh at him.
“Just drink your soda, Ray,” she said.
Ray was crunching the last of the ice as Cappy came out of the office. Ray followed him out the back door into the glaring sunlight and tom-cat stink of the alley. Ray put his hat back on. Cappy glanced around to check that they were alone. Then he pulled four 50 dollar bills out of an envelope, and held them out to Ray.
“What’s that?” Ray asked, his gut clenching.
“Jesus, you are green,” Cappy said. “Look, we do Donatelli the courtesy of not disrupting his business, and he shows his appreciation once a week.”
Ray put his hands in his pockets.
“What, you want to run old Mr. Donatelli in for book-making? He’s a good guy, gives to the Church, never accepts big bets from men who have families to look after.”
“No, but … he works for Zuko.”
Cappy’s voice had a sudden hard edge. “You’re gonna arrest Mr. Zuko, be a big hero?”
Ray had imagined it. More than once.
“You want a bunch of nigger kids from the projects shooting it out in our streets to decide who’s in charge once he’s gone? How are you gonna protect the neighborhood, your family, then?”
Ray shrugged. “I just don’t feel right about this, Cappy.”
Cappy looked him up and down, and then sighed. “All right, kid. I’ll hold onto it for you. You go home, think it over. No way can you afford to marry that pretty girl of yours on a rookie’s salary.”
You knew he was too good to be true, said the part of Ray that sounded like Pop.
Yeah, he told it, but I keep hoping that someday, somebody’ll surprise me.
Author: keerawa
Rating: PG-13 for racial epithets
Length: 491 words
Prompt: Vecchio challenge
Summary: Patrolman Ray Vecchio gets a lesson in community policing.
Notes: Thanks to brynnmck for the thoughtful beta.
“Take a load off, Vecchio,” Cappy said, nodding to a chair. “I’ll just be a minute.” He stepped through the door into Donatelli’s office.
Ray took off his hat and rearranged his baton before settling into a chair in front of the fan. A May heat wave, 24 pounds of gear, and a polyester-blend uniform had made his first week walking a beat a misery. But he’d gotten lucky, having Officer Caprice assigned as his training officer. Everybody in the old neighborhood knew Cappy, trusted him, went to him if they needed help. That was the kind of cop Ray wanted to be, someday.
Ray listened carefully for any sign that Cappy needed help. Donatelli wasn’t just the nice old guy who ran the local pool hall - he was also Zuko’s head bookie.
What was Cappy doing back there? Was he issuing a warning? Shaking Donatelli down for information? Was Cappy going to lead him out in handcuffs?
Ellie brought Ray an ice-cold ginger ale from the bar, just like when he used to wait for Pop. He got his wallet out, remembering that lecture at the Academy about accepting freebies while in uniform. Ellie’s wrinkles deepened as she tried not to laugh at him.
“Just drink your soda, Ray,” she said.
Ray was crunching the last of the ice as Cappy came out of the office. Ray followed him out the back door into the glaring sunlight and tom-cat stink of the alley. Ray put his hat back on. Cappy glanced around to check that they were alone. Then he pulled four 50 dollar bills out of an envelope, and held them out to Ray.
“What’s that?” Ray asked, his gut clenching.
“Jesus, you are green,” Cappy said. “Look, we do Donatelli the courtesy of not disrupting his business, and he shows his appreciation once a week.”
Ray put his hands in his pockets.
“What, you want to run old Mr. Donatelli in for book-making? He’s a good guy, gives to the Church, never accepts big bets from men who have families to look after.”
“No, but … he works for Zuko.”
Cappy’s voice had a sudden hard edge. “You’re gonna arrest Mr. Zuko, be a big hero?”
Ray had imagined it. More than once.
“You want a bunch of nigger kids from the projects shooting it out in our streets to decide who’s in charge once he’s gone? How are you gonna protect the neighborhood, your family, then?”
Ray shrugged. “I just don’t feel right about this, Cappy.”
Cappy looked him up and down, and then sighed. “All right, kid. I’ll hold onto it for you. You go home, think it over. No way can you afford to marry that pretty girl of yours on a rookie’s salary.”
You knew he was too good to be true, said the part of Ray that sounded like Pop.
Yeah, he told it, but I keep hoping that someday, somebody’ll surprise me.