Disclaimer: I do not own CI or any of the characters. I own Jennifer and her husband Dave.
A/N: This idea came to me after seeing VDO on Homicide:Life on the Street
The Breakable CH 1
There was a legal sized envelope on every desk in the bullpen on Monday morning. Individual names were on them. They were completely blank except for the names written in a nice stylish script. Alex picked hers up looking at her partner. "What's this?" she asked.
"I was waiting for you to find out. Everyone got one. The ones who have only a mailbox got one in their box. I don't know yet." He said, obviously curious.
"It doesn't look like a threatening letter." Alex said thoughtfully.
"No, Duncan and Olsen already opened theirs and they seem to be fine." Bobby said.
"Then let's find out." Alex pulled a letter opener from the desk drawer and slid open the envelope. She pulled out a slip of paper the size of a dollar and read the front of it.
"What is it?" Bobby asked.
"Open yours and read it." Alex said with a smile.
"Can't you just tell me?"
Alex gave him a level stare, but she was smiling. "Open yours and you'll see what I why. I'm going to get some coffee. Want some?"
"Sure." He said. He slit his own envelope and pulled out a certificate. Then he saw why Alex had smiled and refused to read hers.
This Certificate entitles the below mentioned to one initial free hour at:
The Breakable
A new business dedicated to the piece(s) you need.
Rooms of furniture and items guaranteed breakable and you won't get into trouble for it. Kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms available. Specials rooms and items available by advanced orders only. A limited number of free certificates per week available. Make your reservations now. Please do not discuss this certificate with your co-workers. Let them be surprised too.
The Address is: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Phone : ( XXX) XXX-XXXX
"Is this for real?" Simons asked from across the room.
"Let's call and see." Alex said. She dialed the number on her certificate. "Yes, I received a certificate for….. Yes, I am. I see. Yes I understand. I see. Yes, thank you. I'll pass the message on." She had a bemused look on her face when she hung up. "They seem to be legitimate."
"How does it work?" Simons asked.
"They provide a service. They fill a room with specific furniture that is completely breakable. A person pays a certain fee for the right to go in there for an hour to break everything up. The stuff is all donated or picked up just for that purpose. It's designed for stress relief and there's a special rate for public servants."
"Cops." Bobby said.
"That's the way I read it too. She sounds legitimate."
Dan Ross came out of his office carrying his envelope. "What is this and who put this in my office?" he demanded.
"You need to open it and read it." Alex said.
"Just tell me what…."
"It will all become clear when you open it. Everyone got one, Captain." Bobby told him.
Scowling, Ross opened his and read it. "I see why it says that. The question is who sent them? And how did the names of the officers here become public knowledge? Anonymous letters make me nervous. Eames, Goren, check it out before this goes too far." He stomped back into his office.
"I think someone needs the business right now. You heard the Captain. Let's go." Alex told at her partner.
Bobby got to his feet. "It's a good idea, this business. I wonder why they have such an interest in police officers, though."
"It says civil servants. Maybe it's also for postal workers as well. It didn't say just city workers." Alex reminded him.
"They're insurance must be enormous."
Alex drove the distance to the address with all kinds of questions in mind. It was a small cement block building in a neighborhood that had once been affluent. It was going downhill slowly but there were a few new businesses there. She parked and they got out. Bobby left his portfolio in the vehicle. The door had an open sign out. A bell jingled on the door when they entered. The front of the building had been made into a waiting area with a desk and a computer. The doorbell brought a young woman out from the back.
"Can I help you?" she asked cheerfully.
"I'm Detective Eames, my partner Detective Goren. We've come to talk to you about these certificates we found today."
"Welcome. I'd be happy to give you the half a penny tour, it's not a very big place, and answer any questions you have. I do have someone coming in for time in 15 minutes, but we can talk until then. My names Jennifer. I'll show you the room I have set up first. That way we're done with that in case the client comes early."
Alex glanced at her partner. "Okay." She led the way following the woman.
She stepped into the room she'd just come out of. "This is our weapons room. It's a joke actually. We have sledgehammers and baseball bats. The person can use any of them or none of them. It's their choice. No one is allowed to bring in a weapon of their own of any kind. No guns or blades or anything we have not approved. Once they select a weapon I take them back here. Excuse me. I lock the door and take them back here to the actual room. There is no direct access from the weapons room to the workroom ever."
She led the way to another room farther back. She unlocked another door and opened it. It was set up like a living room. There was a tv, a sofa, a couple of chairs, tables, lamps and rugs. Everything you'd want in a room. "This is a sample of a room that we provide. The walls are all concrete, there are no working electrical outlets in here, the appliances are clipped of any power cords and light bulbs, everything in here is breakable. The client can do as much damage or as little as he pleases. Everything was donated or found."
She led the way back to the front of the building. "That's the half penny tour. Now you see why it's so cheap." She grinned at them. "So I'm sure you have questions. I'd be happy to answer them."
"These envelopes appeared in our squad room, with names all filled out on the envelope. Where did you get the names of the officers and who paid for these certificates?" Alex asked.
"No one paid for them. I'm donating them. It's a promotion and a service to the people who work so hard to protect the rest of us. I appreciate it every day. Some days more than others." She grinned.
"The certificate says rooms are available. How far in advance does it need to be booked?" Bobby asked.
"Most people trash a living room, which is good. We get a lot of living room furniture. Things like bedrooms we have to wait to fill until enough furniture to make it believable is found. Some people wait for it, some will accept a living room, just to get rid of the rage."
"Who owns this?" Bobby asked.
"I do. And my husband. He's out scrounging now. We accept donations and he picks things up for us. It gives him the flexibility he likes and I like to talk to people."
"It's a good idea. Your insurance must be sky high." Alex said.
Jennifer shook her head. "We have a release that covers us. Everyone signs it before they go in."
Bobby walked over to a sign on the wall stating the rules of the place. Most of it he'd already heard from Jennifer. "Your sign here. How strictly are these rules enforced?"
"Rigidly. Only one person in the room at a time and we have everything on tape so they can't injure themselves and sue us. The weapons are left in the room when they leave and when we clean up the weapon is disinfected and returned to the weapons room."
"What do you do to people who don't pay?" Alex asked. "Do you have a security system? This is a rough neighborhood."
"People pay in advance. And I carry a weapon after about noon. Completely legal, I have a permit and all the training necessary. My husband is a former cop and he knows the stress and anger involved in the job."
"Is that why you opened this business?" Bobby asked.
"That and we'd see furniture and household items that were still good or only minimally damaged sitting out abandoned, or filling up a land fill where they were getting crushed anyway. Why not put that stuff to a good use? It started when his buddies paid me to set something up in our garage to take their frustrations out on. It was such a good idea we decided to make it a business. This is actually our second store. The first one we sold to some friends and they run it now."
"It's a good idea." Bobby said. "Can I book mine now?"
"Certainly. Did you bring your certificate?"
"No. Is that a problem?"
"No. Just bring it in when you come. I'll set you up now with a time and you can bring the required documents when you come in."
"What kind of documents?" Alex asked.
"Picture ID, drivers license will work fine, social security number, insurance information, and we put next of kin down just as a precaution. And some people will bring a tape so they can record their time in there. I make copies and send them to them. Some of them swear they had a better swing than they do. This is video proof."
"Why do you need all that?"
"Insurance company, business records, and just in case someone decides not to stop at the provided furniture. Oh, and we also require that the person stop at least five minutes before the end of the hour and remain in the room. That gives them a chance to let the adrenaline slow down before they come out."
"That's a sensible precaution. What if they don't stop?"
"They stay in the room until it has been five minutes. Or they go out the emergency exit. I call the police, especially if they take the weapon, and they go on my do not admit list. It's a risk but with an hour of doing as much damage as they can do most people have it out of their system. We've had very few actual incidences."
"That's quite a system. How do you persuade people to go along with the program?" Bobby asked.
"Respect. I speak to them as though they are the most intelligent person around. I explain the rules, and procedures and what's expected of them. The people who usually use our services are doing it for the novelty, because they need to have a place to release their rage or someone has given them a gift. We have a lot of repeat customers. It's quite therapeutic. You'll see if you come in. Oh, there's my customer. Is there anything else?"
"My appointment?" Bobby reminded her.
"Ah, is any particular day good for you?"
"I have a few more questions. We can wait until you get your client started." Alex said surprisingly. "We'll just wait over here."
Curious, Bobby followed her over to the far corner of the office. "You have more questions?" he asked her.
"Not really, I just wanted to watch what's going on. I can't believe that someone hasn't come up with this idea sooner. It's so simple. And who better to target than cops? What better way to trap a cop, too, than being in here where they're not allowed to wear their weapons. Something just doesn't make sense."
Bobby nodded. "That's a good point."
Jennifer was busy with the client. She kept an eye on them as well. The man who entered scribbled a signature on the forms she gave him. She was as friendly as she had been with them, showed him into the weapons room. It didn't take long for her to come back out carrying the baseball bat. She stopped by the drawer for the valuables, had him deposit his cellphone, wallet and things out of his pockets then took him back to the room. She returned a few minutes later and stood watching the monitor for a minute. Even from in front of the office they could hear the huge crash from the room. Jennifer nodded in satisfaction and turned her attention back to them.
"Any more questions, Detective Eames?" she asked.
"Just a few. When someone comes in how do you know they don't have a weapon on them?"
"Most officers understand that the weapons restrictions are for a reason. Several officers will bring a partner, or relative to keep the equipment, or they don't bring it or surrender it to me. I have enough references and security clearance that most people are comfortable with it. And there are people who will come in often enough that I trust them to retain their weapons and be under control when they leave. It takes awhile to build that trust, though. No one comes in first time and gets that level of confidence. No one. And if I suspect they have a hideout weapon I have a metal detector to use. Then they lose all priviledges and I'll use a metal detector on them everytime until I feel that they have become safe again. I take lying very seriously."
"And if someone comes in looking for an officer while they are in the room?"
"That's why I have the gun. I strive for a safe environment for both the officer and the civilian. What else can I answer?"
Bobby got the impression that she was beginning to get a little annoyed with the questions. "I'd like to book that appointment, if I may?"
"Certainly. What day?"
"Thursday."
"Alright. Any particular time?"
"About 3:30?"
"Good time. During rush hour traffic. What kind of room do you prefer?"
"Does it make a difference?"
"Some people like to throw things versus hitting things. Kitchens have lots of throwables. We provide spice bottles with rocks or buttons, dishes to break, pans to use to slam on things, whatever we can find. We even try to find things like toasters and blenders that don't work anymore for missiles."
"Why would anyone throw a blender?" Alex asked.
"Mixed drinks. If someone is mad at someone who uses a blender to get drunk they might see that as a trigger. We had one man who asked for an entire room of blenders. It took us a while but we managed it. He was very grateful."
"I'll take a living room." Bobby said.
"Will next Thursday work?"
"That'll be fine."
Jennifer filled out an appointment card and handed it to Bobby with a smile. There was a lull in the action in the room. Jennifer cocked her head to listen. When it didn't resume she took a step back to watch the monitor a minute. She nodded in satisfaction. At Their curious looks she smiled. "Sometimes people are overcome with emotion and they need to regroup or they just run out of air and need to rest a second before they continue. That's another reason for the monitor. He's fine."
The noise resumed in the room.
"We'll let you get on with…..business." Alex said.
"See you both next week." She said cheerfully.
Alex paused and looked at her. "I didn't make an appointment."
"No, but you're still suspicious and you won't let him down by coming alone. You'll be here. You aren't the only ones who're suspicious. See you then."
Alex looked at her partner as they walked out. He was trying unsuccessfully to hide a grin. "What's so funny?"
"I never said a thing." He protested. "I'm looking forward to trying it."
Alex snorted. It still seemed fishy to her.
TBC