Someone to Lean On
Chapter One
One Police Plaza
October 2001
"Jesus it's after nine already, I'm starved." He closes his leather case. "Let's go get some dinner?"
Alex cautiously looks up over the computer screen, "Who? You and me?" she says surprisingly.
Bobby looks around the room, "Since you are the only other human being in here, yeah." Zipping up his case as he stands, "I do realize that we have spent the last thirteen hours together, but we have to eat."
She powers down the computer, "Sure," sitting back in the chair she smiles, "Where are you taking me?"
He returns the smile, "Anywhere you want," he gestures with his head. "Come on."
The door to the elevator opens onto the garage level, "Oh by the way," Bobby says as he snaps his fingers. "I need a ride; I'm going broke on cab fare."
She smacks his back lightly "Your car is still in the shop?"
"Yes, don't let anyone tell you that having a friend fix your car is a good thing," he shakes his head. "It isn't. I'll buy you dinner; it's cheaper than cab fare."
They drive over the Brooklyn Bridge, Bobby points, "Take this exit," Alex merges into the left lane. "Have you lived in Brooklyn all your life?" Alex asks.
"Yes, I have. You're sure you like Italian food?"
"Yes Bobby I do."
"Make the next left and then a quick right." She nods, smiling as she passes the string of Cape Cod houses. They approach a house with a police cruiser, lights flashing parked in the driveway, Alex hears him cuss under his breath, "Eames, could you, would you please pull over."
"Bobby I don't think they need our help."
"I know that….it's just that…I know these…."
"You're stuttering Goren what is it."
She pulls the car off to the side of the road, "Come with me?" he asks as he opens the car door.
Shrugging her shoulders, "Sure." She exits the vehicle, always the gentlemen he waits for her on the sidewalk. They walk side by side up the walkway, "Is this a secret or…."
"You'll see," he doesn't ring the bell he knocks then turning the knob he opens the door. The small living room looks a bit in disarray as if a scuffle had occurred. Two women are in the room. One is standing holding the hand of the other who is sitting in a chair crying. Once again, Alex can hear him cuss under his breath.
"Janice," he nods to the one standing.
"Hey Bobby, I'm so glad you're here."
"Cheryl," he kneels down taking her hand in his, "What happened?"
"Oh Bobby he, he was with someone in his room and I walked in on them. I was so embarrassed." She says slightly sobbing. "I quickly closed the door and headed downstairs. Before I knew it, he was down here, cursing at me for violating his privacy. At first, I was going to apologize but then I decided that I was going to tell him exactly how I felt. As I was trying to talk to him he told me….he said some horrible things to me and I….I slapped his face and that is when he threw the glass against the wall then kicked over the chair and then he just started to throw whatever he could get his hands on. When Janice got here," she shakes her friends hand then smiles. "I can't recall but she called the police and they have him in the kitchen."
"Cheryl do you want me to take him somewhere for the night."
She pulls him closer, "No Bobby please don't take him to jail. Every time he goes in, then returns, he's angrier then he was when he left."
"No Cheryl I promise I won't take him to jail, is he still working?"
She shakes her head, "No he got fired again. He does work hard but he always makes people annoyed with him. They see an arrogant young man….aside from the three of us in this room no one knows how very sweet he can be."
Bobby stands, "I'll go talk to him." When he turns he notices Alex, who is standing behind him, he smacks his head, "Jesus I'm sorry. Janice Cramer, Cheryl Fisher this is my partner Alex Eames."
The women exchange hellos, "Please come with me." Bobby lightly takes a hold of Alex's elbow leading her into the kitchen.
Upon nearing the kitchen they can see two police officers one leaning up against the sink with arms folded while the other is asking questions to a teenage boy who is handcuffed and fidgeting in a chair. The taller of the two notice them first, Bobby and Alex present their shields, "If you guys want, we'll handle this," Bobby says. The two officers' nod, "Sure, thanks, he's not much of a talker. Had a fight with his mother," replies the shorter one.
"Yes I know I just spoke with her."
"You know these people Detective, ah….."
"Goren, this is my partner Detective Eames. I have known them for quite a while now, you can remove the cuffs." Bobby says politely. The taller of the officers removes the cuffs on the dark haired, brown-eyed teenage boy. He shimmies forward in his seat rubbing his wrists, "Now you can leave asshole. This guy…."
"Hey!" Bobby exclaims, he startles Alex, the two officers and the teenager. They all look up at him, "Show some respect."
Still rubbing his wrists, "Sorry," the teenager says shyly.
The officers cannot hide their surprise at the response of the young man, "He's all yours, Detectives."
Bobby grabs the teenagers left arm pulling up his sleeve repeating this with the right arm. He slouches in the chair, "I'm clean," he says as he pulls his arms back. When the teenager notices Alex in the room, he sits up and smiles, "Who's the babe?"
Bobby's response, "Excuse me."
The teenager looks up coyly, clearing his throat, "Is this your partner?"
"Yes," Bobby says. "Alex Eames this is Tony Fisher."
Alex nods, "Tony it's nice to meet you."
"Hi," Tony says with a big smile on his face.
Bobby slides a chair across the room and places it facing Tony, he straddles the chair, "What happened?" He sits resting his arm on the back of the chair, "What did you say to your mother to make her slap your face?"
"She….she comes barging in my room," he leans forward, "Doesn't even knock and then she gets up in my face because I have company."
"Company? Who was she?" Tony shies away, Bobby repeats his question. "Who was she?" Tony remains quiet, "Were you drunk?"
"No. Why? Do you have to be drunk to get laid?"
Bobby bites his lip, "In all the years that I've known you," he tilts his head to catch Tony's eye. "I have never treated you disrespectfully, I expect the same, do you understand?"
He nods his head several times, "Yes, Yes I'm sorry." Bobby speaks not he just sits and stares, Tony fidgets in his chair. "I think her name was Ronda or Rhoda, shit man I don't know."
Bobby exhales sitting up straight, "Did you at least wear a condom?"
"Of course, I'm not an idiot."
"That's debatable."
Tony shyly looks up and a thin smile appears on his face, he motions for Bobby to lean forward, speaking softly, "Could you please," he swallows hard. "Ask your partner to leave the room for a minute."
Bobby nods, then stands whispering to Alex, "Would you excuse us for a minute, please." She smiles, "Of course."
Tony stares at the floor as he speaks, "I had a few drinks."
"Where did you get the alcohol?"
"At the bar, Murphy's bar."
"You're 17 years old, you're on probation and you're drinking at a bar. You know I promised you mother that I wouldn't take you back to jail but if you keep pulling this shit I won't be the one that takes you in." Bobby lightly smacks him on the side of the head. "You're gonna be eighteen years old in six months Tony, do you ever think? Sometimes I don't know what the hell is going on in that head of yours."
"I was bored and…."
"Stop it! Stop with the lame ass excuses!" Bobby stands and after a few short strides, he is next to the sink, removing a glass from the cupboard then filling it with water. "Your mother told me you got fired again, why?"
"Man….these people they never want to listen to new ideas."
He drinks the liquid in the glass, rinsing it out he then places it in the sink. "You had that job for less than a month and these people have been working there for years. Why in the hell should these people listen to you?"
"I worked hard at that place and I had an idea for something and I told the foreman. He told me that it wouldn't work, he could have at least tried it but nooooo….he just dissed me and…."
"You got pissed off, called him an asshole and then he fired you."
"Yeah," he says solemnly.
"I want you to go back tomorrow and apologize to him and ask for your job back."
"What? No," he shakes his head, "No way, man."
"Why not?" Tony shrugs his shoulders, Bobby places his hand loosely on the back of Tony's neck, "You expect people to respect you but you have to give it to get it back." He leans down to catch his eye. "Show this guy that you are mature enough to admit that you made a mistake."
"Ok, I'll try…." Bobby gives him a stern look. "Ok, Ok, I'll do it, man I hate when you do that."
"Perps," he chuckles, "They hate it too." Bobby resumes his seat. "Ok." he claps his hands. "Let's get back to what happened tonight."
Tony stands, "Sit down," Bobby says strictly.
Tony resumes his seat facing away from Bobby's stare, "Was she a hooker?"
He swallows hard, "Yes."
"How old did she think you were?"
"I never said."
Bobby grabs his arms and pulls him to face forward, "What did you say to your mother that caused her to slap your face."
"She, she overreacted and I said….she's so uptight all the time."
"Tony," Bobby says sternly raising his voice "I'm not going to ask you again, man."
"I told her that maybe if she got laid every once in a while she wouldn't be so uptight."
Bobby rolls his eyes as he rubs the back of his neck, "Jesus Christ."
"She made me feel like a criminal I was just….What? She doesn't think that I have sex." He sits back in the chair running is fingers through his hair, "She can't be that naïve."
"It's not that she doesn't think that….she doesn't want to know about it." Bobby stands and pushes the chair back under the table. "Get up off our ass and go in the living room and apologize to your mother." Tony remains sitting, Bobby takes a hold of his shirt and lifting him up, "Go," he says sternly. Tony leaves the kitchen and Alex returns.
"So," Bobby rubs his hands together, "Ready for dinner?"
She nods her head slowly, "Yeah sure."
Bobby and Alex say their good byes and leave the home of Cheryl and Anthony Fisher. The partners remain silent as they walk down the sidewalk toward the car; they enter the vehicle and close the doors simultaneously. Alex slides the key into the ignition, "I know he's not your son."
"I'm not even an Uncle; we're not related at all."
"Well," Alex says pleading. "Tell me."
Bobby scratches the back of his head, "Oh man it's a long story."
"Ok." Alex turns the key, "Long stories make for great dinner conversation."
TBC
When I first wrote this story, the teenager was Bobby and the cop was Alex's Dad but the teenager in this story gets into too much trouble to be Bobby. Jail and all--anyway there are many similarities in the two.
It seemed logical; to me anyway, that Bobby would help a young boy through the toughest time of his life. Childhood.