MY GOOD NAME: MISSING SCENES
"Buy me a margarita?" Alex asked as they finished processing Frank Adair.
"Yea…I could use a drink myself," Bobby said wearily. "Although," he checked his watch. "There's not many places open…"
"Ryan's will be," Alex said.
Bobby frowned. "There…There's usually a lot of cops…"
"There won't be many of any kind of people there right now," Alex said. "We can find a dark corner. And we have to face other cops sometime."
"Ok…I'll drop the paperwork off at the Captain's office," Bobby said.
"He was awfully upset when he left," Alex said.
"I don't blame him," Bobby said. "It's hard to see a hero toppled."
They walked the few blocks to the bar in spite of the cold wind. It was one of those nights when winter won out over spring, and a cold rain had started when they reached Ryan's. As Alex predicted, there were few patrons at the late night/early morning hour, and even fewer recognized the two detectives. Those that did regarded them with a variety of expressions ranging from curious to surprised to hostile.
The bartended viewed them with a mixture of interest and wariness. Alex recognized him as a retired cop.
"Sorry," he said. "We've only got one waitress working now…Probably faster if you get your drinks here and carry them back to your table."
"That's fine," Bobby said. "A margarita for Ms. Eames here, and I'll have a Scotch on the rocks."
The bartender nodded. "You're Eames and Goren…Major Case," he said as he fixed their drinks.
"Yes," Alex said guardedly.
"You really arrested Frank Adair?"
"We did," Alex said. Not for the first time, Bobby admired her guts.
"He really murdered two people?" The bartender rubbed a lime across the margarita glass.
"Yes…Beat his ex-girlfriend's husband to death and then helped drown the woman," Alex said.
The bartender pushed the drinks to Alex and Bobby. "Yea…Heard he cheated on his wife too."
Alex picked up her drink. "He did."
Bobby reached for his wallet, but the bartender shook his head. "These are on the house. Any detectives that'd arrest Frank Adair in the middle of One Police Plaza gotta have guts."
Bobby and Alex shared a surprised look.
"I know," the bartender said. "You're going to get a hard time from some cops. But I've seen it before. Cops shouldn't get messed up with the politicians. Sure way to lose your soul. And the job is dangerous enough to your soul."
"I hope," Alex said. "There are a lot more guys like you around." She sipped her drink. "Perfect."
The bartender smiled. "Good to hear. Don't get a lot of calls for those. Lots of beers and a bump in here. Hey…Your captain is Jimmy Deakins?"
"Yea," Alex said.
"He's here…"
Bobby and Alex shared a concerned look.
"He came in about forty five minutes ago…He's in the back…"
"Thanks," Alex said. "For the news and the drinks."
"The Captain…He's in AA," Bobby whispered to Alex as they walked to the back of the bar.
"I know…He's pretty open about that…You think…" she whispered back.
"I hope not…"
They found their captain seated in booth. Two glasses, both filled with ice and amber colored liquid, sat on the table in front of him. He looked slowly from one to the other.
"Captain," Bobby said softly.
Deakins looked up and smiled wanly at his detectives. "So," he said. "You found me. You both deserve your reputations."
"I'd like to say it was great detective work," Alex said. She was enormously relieved that the captain seemed sober. "But we just came in here because we wanted a drink and this place was open."
"Dumb luck…It's helped more detectives than I want to admit," Deakins said. He reached out and lifted one of the glasses. "You're a Scotch man, aren't you, Bobby?"
"Uh…Yes, Sir…I've got one…" Bobby said.
"Please," Deakins said. "Sit…Both of you…And you can take care of this for me."
Bobby and Alex sat across from their captain.
"I haven't had any of the Scotch," Deakins said. "Although I've been considering it."
"Sir," Bobby said. "I'm not sure it's any of our business…"
"If it affects you," Deakins said quietly. "It's your business." He picked up the other glass and sipped its contents. "They make good iced tea here…And good coffee…Which is good, considering how many of their customers are cops, and a lot of cops have a problem with the bottle."
Bobby sipped from the glass Deakins gave him. "You got better stuff than I did, Sir."
"An old trick. Buy the expensive stuff. Supposedly will keep you from drinking so much. And if you're buying the expensive stuff, then you're drinking it for the taste and not for the buzz. But you know the real reasons…"
"Captain," Alex said softly. "All the time I've known you…There's never been a sign that you…"
"I stopped a long time before I got to Major Case," Deakins said. "Angie…Angie threatened to leave me…And…Well…It wasn't much of a choice between my family and the booze when I knew I really could lose them."
"It's a tough choice for some people," Alex said.
"And not one at all for some others," Bobby said.
"I don't know what happened to Frank," Deakins said. "He was the best cop…He could stop things from happening…Not just take care of things after they happened, but keep them from happening…And he was a good man…He loved his wife and kids…The idea that he could kill someone…With his bare hands…That he could betray his wife and kids…I don't understand…"
"Stern pushed all the right buttons," Bobby said.
"If he hadn't met her," Alex said.
"No…" Deakins shook his head. "Frank…Well…He's had affairs before…I think he started sliding down the slope a long time ago…"
"We're all made of different parts…Different potentials," Bobby said. "Sometimes…Because we've been good…We think it justifies us being bad…Especially if we've been treated badly."
Deakins and Alex shared a look, and then turned to Bobby.
"I'm not making excuses for Adair. He had better reasons and resources for making the right choices than most people," Bobby said. "But there are reasons for what he did."
Deakins took another drink of his tea. "You're always looking for reasons, Bobby."
"Yea…I guess I am," Bobby said.
"I feel like a fool," Deakins said. "I'm old enough to know that you shouldn't worship people."
"I think we all know something about heroes disappointing you," Alex said.
"But there are those people who don't disappoint…Who come through for you..Even when you drive them crazy…" Bobby looked steadily at his Captain.
"You know," Deakins said after a beat. "When I joined the department…All I wanted to do was to help people…And put the bad guys away…God, I was the greenest kid. I was lucky…I had some pull…Frank didn't have that. And he made his way up…" The Captain shook his head again. "He must've started to believe his own press clippings. And the people around him. I was lucky. I had good people to keep me on the right track." He tipped his glass to Alex and Bobby.
"I…I know what it is to be disappointed," Bobby said shakily. "It hurts. But…The people here…I…I admire them…And they've never disappointed me…"
Deakins smiled. "Well, we have a nice mutual admiration society here…We're going to need it…Frank has a lot of friends in the Department. They're not going to see him as a murderer. They're going to see…"
"Cops who betrayed him," Alex said bitterly.
"You did the right thing, Sir," Bobby said. "There's no question about that. But the Department doesn't always support people who do the right thing."
"Yea…I guess we all know that…Well…We can watch each other's backs…And as long as I know I've got the support of my good detectives…" Deakins looked at Alex and Bobby. "I'll know that I'm all right." He checked his watch and slipped from the booth. "Angie's going to start worrying about me. I told her I'd be late tonight, but I didn't tell her this late. Here…" The Captain dropped several bills on the table. "Have a couple of drinks on me. Don't worry…I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern. I'm glad you showed up here tonight…And in my life. Thank you."
He was gone before Alex or Bobby could respond.
"We're lucky he showed up in our lives," Alex said.
"Yea…I wonder how many times he's protected us…Especially me…"
"We'll watch out for each other…And the Captain," Alex said firmly. "There's enough good people in the Department…"
Bobby sipped his drink. He couldn't share Alex's optimism. He saw dark shadows around the Captain, Alex and himself. He tried to take refuge in the fact his name was good with a man he trusted and respected.
END