Other than the call dealing with Wells' annoying ticket recipient, Pete was having a very quiet day. As a rule, supervisors aren't given regular patrol type calls; the idea being that the supervisor has to be free to handle any potentially dangerous situation. There was only one problem with that; he had to keep stopping himself from speaking out loud. Jim wasn't there to bounce ideas off or to joke with when the day was slow. The only company he had was the radio and even that wasn't very lively.
Jim's shift was similarly slow, it wasn't, however, quiet. Rather than assign him to an L-car, MacDonald had partnered him with Jerry Woods. During their partnership, Pete had, on several occasions, accused Jim of talking too much. Maybe he was right, but compared to Woods, Jim was as chatty as a comically famous Norwegian Blue Parrot. Football, Jerry's kids, who would be playing on the division basketball team and the latest episode of "All in the Family" were covered. Eventually, Jerry got around to Pete and his situation.
"Is Pete okay? I haven't seen him since before this whole thing started." Jim had been trying to stay out of the discussion in the locker room, but he did notice that Woods wasn't one of those speculating on the issue. He appreciated that.
"I think he's worried. The press is calling him trigger happy and reckless without knowing him or what really happened. What If someone on that board feels the same way?" In fairness, Pete hadn't voiced those sentiments, but Jim knew that was on his mind. He also knew Pete well enough to know that his friend wouldn't call "foul" even when he had a right to.
"It was in-policy, right? I heard it was." Something about Woods' tone sat wrong with Jim. He was about to say so when Jerry added "Pete's too good a cop for it not to be."
"1-Adam-12, Ambulance traffic, TA. corner of Upton Place and Eagle Vista Drive, handle Code 2." Jim was grateful for the distraction; his imagination was running amok. If Pete were here he would give Jim a lecture about keeping his mind on his work, but if Pete was here, Jim wouldn't be worried.
The traffic was backed-up so far that Jim had to drive on the wrong side of the road, which wasn't that difficult since there was no oncoming traffic. They saw why when they got to the intersection; two cars and a pick-up truck were blocking the entire intersection. Woods put them code six and went to try and direct the traffic on Eagle Vista through a parking lot in order to clear the road for the ambulances. Jim was checking on the victims. A small car was sandwiched between the pick-up and a station wagon; a middle aged couple inside were clearly dead. The driver of the pick-up had gotten out and was helping the family from the station wagon. Before he could begin to ask questions, Jim heard from the other drivers and the witnesses that the compact car had blown through a red light.
An hour and a half later Adam-12 cleared from the accident scene and requested seven at the corner of Lankershim and Carpenter. Woods waited until after the waitress took their orders before starting up again. Jim was beginning to see the advantage of having a laconic partner.
"Are you signing up for the Training Officer exam?" Jim took a few sips of water, using the time to consider his answer. Truth was, he hadn't really decided yet. "I mean, Pete is taking the Sergeant's exam this time, isn't he?"
"He said he was." It was too much to hope that Woods would take the hint and stop asking about promotion exams. What bothered Jim most wasn't that Pete would be taking the exam, but that he would make that kind of a decision without discussing it with him beforehand. The decision to end a partnership should be made by both officers, shouldn't it?
"Don't you think he'd be a good sergeant?" Woods, had picked up the hesitation in Jim's answer and couldn't help but ask some more questions. Everyone knew that Pete would be promoted this time around, didn't Jim?
"Of course I do. I'm his partner. I know better than anyone what kind of a cop he is." He felt the irrational need to defend his partner; a partner who didn't seem to care whether Jim was ready to move on or not.
"Then what's the problem? You knew he would be going for a promotion this year." Jim needed to talk about all this, but it was Pete, not Woods, who had the answers he wanted. Jean had tried to convince Jim that Pete probably didn't have a choice about taking the exam; it made sense, but why not tell him that?
"I haven't decided what I want to do yet." The questions paused while the waitress served them their lunch. At least food would shut Woods up.
"What did Pete say? Did he tell you to take the TO exam?" Jim sighed and then became very interested in his burger; much too busy to talk.
"Mac's here. I wonder what he wants." With nod of his head, Jerry pointed out to the wagon pulling into a parking space. Jim's only thought was "I'm not paying for his lunch this time". Both of them were a little surprised to see Pete step out of the car. Jim watched as Pete waived off an offer to be seated and came down the aisle towards them. On one hand, he was glad to see Pete on the street because it meant that he was cleared by the board; on the other hand, he wasn't in the right frame of mind to chat with Pete now.
"Have a seat." Woods extended the invitation and slid over in the booth. Pete shook his head and remained standing next to Jerry's side of the booth.
"Thanks, but I can't stay. I just came in for coffee and to let you know that the board cleared me this morning." Both officers congratulated him but, Pete was no dummy; he noticed the look his friend was now trying to hide. "You okay, Partner?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Two people couldn't ride together as long as they did without instantly recognizing the undercurrent of anger in a friend's voice. Pete had hoped to ask Jim about what happened when Jean took David home, but clearly this wasn't the time. "We've got to get going…unless there's something else."
"No, nothing else." When the waitress brought Pete the paper cup of coffee she also laid the bill for Reed and Woods on the table. Pete grabbed it, tossed a ten on the table and left without another word. For once, Woods was quiet.
Pete was back in the wagon and pulling out before Reed and Woods left the restaurant. If he noticed Jim waving his arm in an attempt to get him to stay, Pete didn't acknowledge it before pulling out of the parking lot. He had an idea about what was bothering Jim but this wasn't the time or the place for that discussion. It was bad enough that Woods noticed the tension between the longtime partners. Pete could only hope that Jim would be able to convince Jerry to keep quiet about what he witnessed on the basis that it was a personal issue not a work one.
He was on Comstock when the all cars broadcast came out for a silent alarm at Lincoln Savings Bank; it was on the next corner. Pete put himself out to the scene, requested the swat team and ordered responding units to approach from the west. Fortunately, the bank was mostly empty. Pete saw one armed gunman and two tellers, both behind the counter. If all goes well, they would wait until the gunman left the bank before taking action. When 45 arrived they were waved towards the back of the building. Ed would know to take up a position and stay out of sight. He ordered Reed and Woods to do the same with the front doors. Walters and Fraser were instructed to divert the traffic on Colfax. A glance at his watch told him that SWAT was still thirty minutes away. Two more black and whites showed up; the first pair of officers was told to handle crowd control and the others were sent to evacuate the buildings across the street from the bank.
Two shots rang out and the front door was flung open by a terrified teller screaming for help. Reed moved to pull the woman to safety as another shot rang out, breaking the glass door. From a spot at the corner of the bank, Pete silently told everyone to hold their positions. It was unclear whether the bank robber was aware of their presence; Jim might not have been seen.
"Hey Cop, you alone out there?" That answered that question. Jim had been seen, but apparently no one else, yet. Pete could lie, but what would be the point?
"No, he's not alone. We have the bank surrounded." Pete had moved from the corner of the building to a spot behind a car parked in front of the bank doors. "I suggest you come out unarmed before things get worse for you."
"I ain't alone either cop. This lady here is my ticket out." It never failed to amaze him that gunmen really thought that the police would allow them to leave with a hostage, didn't they watch cop shows? Pete was about to look for Jim when he realized that Reed was already at his side.
"Swat is going to take another thirty minutes to get here. I'm going to try and get him to come closer to the front doors. Go around back and see if you and 45 can get in behind him. There is an alcove by that door that might give you enough cover to get in unnoticed. If we can catch him between us, he might give up. I'll keep him talking." He patted Jim on the shoulder; a silent signal to move. "Go."
"Back off and I won't hurt her." There was nothing wrong with Pete's hearing, but the gunman didn't know that. He'd say anything to stall for enough time for Jim and the other two to get in the bank safely.
"What? I can't hear you. If you want us to negotiate, I have to be able to hear your demands." Pete used hand signals to get Greene to take up the spot Jim left at the bank corner and Walters to come next to him. "Come closer to the front."
"Do you think he's that dumb?" Walters was finding some of this very funny. Pete was chuckling along with him.
"He was dumb enough to try to rob a bank by himself." Pete tried again, hoping Jim was having better luck than he was.
"I ain't coming closer. You can come out and let me see you." It really didn't matter what the robber was saying as long as he kept looking in Pete's direction.
"Shouting at each other won't help. Come closer. I promise no one will shoot you." He intended to keep that promise if he could manage it. Still, he kept his gun aimed at the bank door.
From his spot in front of the bank, Pete saw some movement. They were a little hard to see because of the sun's reflection on the window, but he saw enough of the woman and the man behind her; holding a gun to her head. She was clearly terrified but he didn't seem too sure of what he was doing either.
"Can you hear me now Cop? I got me a hostage, so you let us go. You don't and I shoot her." By Pete's count, the gunman had at least three bullets left in his gun.
"I sure hope you don't do that." Come on Jim….
"You think I ain't gonna shoot her cuz you tell me not to?" The man, who seemed to be in his mid-twenties, was beginning to notice the other officers near Pete.
"No, but you are right about one thing. She's the only thing keeping you alive." Their eyes met across the sidewalk; one over a woman's shoulder and one over a revolver. "Why don't you put the gun down and let the lady go?"
"You put yours down first or I kill her." His threat might have held more weight if his voice wasn't shaky.
"Sorry, I can't…"
"Police, Drop the gun and freeze!" Pete heard, more than saw, the gun dropping to the floor of the bank. Thank You, Jim. Pete and Walters stepped out from behind the car they were using as cover. "Bill, do me a favor and cancel the request for swat. Thanks." Wells and Orlando led the would-be bank robber towards Adam-12 while Jim stopped to talk to Pete.
"Good Job Partner. I'll have Greene and Walters take the statements from the tellers. You can go back to the station and book that guy." A muttered "thanks" was all the response Pete got before Jim and Woods went to the unit.
"Pete? Is everything okay with you and Jim?" Pete didn't mind the question from Walters. Bill was an old friend from the academy. "It may be none of my business, but if I can help, I'd like to." They had walked back towards the wagon; Pete turned and leaned against the car.
"He's mad at me. I think I know why, but we haven't had a chance to talk about it." Pete took his hat off and ran the fingers of his right hand through his hair. "I told him that I was taking the sergeant's exam; said he should consider taking a promotional exam too."
"I don't get it. You should be a sergeant. He had to know that you would be taking it this time. Why is he mad?" Pete sighed rather loudly. There it was again, the assumption that he would shortly be a sergeant. Every time he thought about it, Pete wanted to kick himself for his stupidity.
"I told him. I didn't discuss the possibility with him." Walters stood the agog. Pete and Jim never made a move that important without talking about it.
"You taking the exam is a given, but you didn't say anything to him before signing up for the exam?" Technically, he hadn't yet signed up for the exam.
"Jim should be taking the TO or investigator's exam this time. He won't take one while we are still partners. You know it as well as I do." Pete could see that Bill didn't yet understand.
"What I didn't tell him and what I hope you will keep between us, is that I am not going to be promoted this time. I don't want to hold Jim back."
"Are you sure?" Walters was dumbfounded by Pete's assertion.
"Yeah", Pete responded before walking away to see why Greene was calling him over.