The rest are mine. :-)
Possible spoiler:The Ice Man Taketh
Office Chatter
by Candace Waters 2002 (Revised January 8 2007)
The Characters:
Officer Charlene; tall, large-frame, dirty blonde, middle fifties, southern accent.
Officer Tina; Brunette, average height, shapely, early twentys flirtatious, very pretty and very, very available.
Detective Toni Brigatti;...Brigatti ;-)
Part 1/1
Chicago
It's Monday morning and already the police station is in full swing. Telephones ringing, typewriters clicking, computers and fax machines clacking. Somewhere in the building the frustrated cries of a baby filters through buzzing conversations. Over at one of the desks an irate woman loudly voices a complaint to an already exhausted desk clerk. Just a typical day in the forever busy world of the Chicago Police Department.
Suddenly, a door from one of the offices bursts open and a tall dark hair'd man exits rather hurriedly. Scratching his head, he looks disturbed and some what discombobulated nearly bumping into the chief of police as he made his way out of the building. For the past half hour he had been seated at the desk of Detective Brigatti, answering questions she had for him concerning some unfinished police business. From another part of the room neither he nor Brigatti was aware that the whole time, he was being carefully observed.
Officer Charlene: ( rises from desk, walks over to peer through the glass window and down the hall ) "Wow, Toni. What a cutie. A little rough on him though, don't you think?"
Detective Brigatti: ( seated at her desk, searching through papers in folder ) "Who? Hobson? I don't know what you're talking about." (gets up to replace folder in file cabinet and pulls out another and returns to her desk)
Officer Tina: ( biting lip, looking perplexed ) "Hobson. Oh, now I remember him. He owns that little bar/resturaunt over on Illinois and Franklin. Mcginty's? Right? Humm...is he married?"
Detective Brigatti: " Ha!" (mutters under her breath) "Who would have him."
Officer Charlene: (Turns from window with interest. Asks hesitantly ) "Is... he you know...seeing anyone?"
Detective Brigatti: ( glances up to eye them suspiciously) " I wouldn't know." (frowns) "Why are you asking me all these questions?"
Officer Charlene: (crosses arms and shrugs ) "Just wondering. (smiles michievously) I have a daughter who would be perfect for him. But the word 'round the station is that the two of you were pret-ty convincing during a passionate kiss on one of your...um, stake-outs."
Detective Brigatti: ( irritated, exhales deeply as she continues with her work)
"It was part of the assignment. Things went wrong and we had to keep up the... facade. (waves it off ) I-It's a long story."
Officer Tina: ( despite what Brigatti has said, is smiling ) "Well, is he?"
Detective Brigatti: (Still irritated, stops writing to stare at her )
" Is he what?!"
Officer Tina: "You know...a good kisser?"
Detective Brigatti: (Blows out tired breath. Hesitates a moment, then shrugs) "He's--alright I sup-- " (catches herself ) "Look, I wasn't keeping a score card. (Frowns ) Don't you two have something to do?"
Officer Tina: (grinning) "Oh, so he is."
Detective Brigatti: ( responds quickly, guardedly ) " I didn't say that."
Officer Tina : (sighs) "Gosh, if I could find myself a man like that.
Those adorable sleepy eyes. (sighs) Dreamy if you ask me."
Detective Brigatti: (glaring at her ) "I didn't. "
Officer Charlene: (speaking to Tina) "What say we drop by Mcginty's after work Tina. You know...check out the menu?" (winks)
Officer Tina: "Ooo--yeahhh." (the two of them laugh)
Detective Brigatti: ( glances up at them): "Maybe not."
( the laughing stops abruptly)
Officer Charlene: ( exchanges glances with officer Tina) "Ooo, so there is something between you two."
Detective Brigatti: ( clearly frustrated now ) " No there isn't!"
Officer Charlene: "Then, what's the problem Toni? I-I mean, the guy's available. He's certainly no threat. You sure got him all hot and bothered though. ( laughs) What on earth did you say to him that had him running out so fast? Poor guy looked as though he needed be somewhere in a hurry."
Officer Tina: "He looked so adorable stuttering, trying to explain his situation."
Officer Charlene: (sighs) "Handcuff my heart! Why, I didn't know there were any like him still around. And with a face like th at..."
Detective Brigatti: ( Looks up at her and frowns) "Well..what the hell does that have to do with anything?!" (Blows out irritated breath and slaps folder close ) " Hobson's a nice guy--don't get me wrong. And as far as having a, "face like that"? well--so did Babyface Nelson and look where it got him. Look. I've crossed paths with Hobson more times than I'd care to remember and believe me it wasn't pretty."
(Both officers grow suddenly quiet )
Detective Brigatti: "Let's just say that I have him under careful (clears throat) surveillance."
Officer Tina: "So..."
Detective Brigatti: "So!" (Cuts her off quickly. Has heard enough and rises quckily from her chair ) "Until further notice..." ( Grabs coat to leave. Pauses at the door; eyeing both women sharply) "...hands off!" (Stalks out )
( Charlene glances over at Tina and laughs. Tina, crosses her arms and pouts )
The End