Distraction
Chapter 11
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"Can I help you, Sir?" asked the Desk Sergeant as Bosco walked into the 50th Precinct.
Leaning in closer to the front desk, Bosco showed him his badge and said, "Hi, I'm Boscorelli, from the 5-5. Is Bill Donnelly working today?" Donnelly had been one of Bosco's instructors at the Academy. He was a young instructor and the two had hit it off and often hung out during down time during his training.
Loosening up a little since he now knew he wasn't dealing with a civilian, the Sergeant replied, "Billy? Yeah, I think he's in today doing a swap for someone. Hang on, let me check," he said as his phone rang again. "Yes, Ma'am. Calm down. What's the problem...?" Bosco decided to take a seat across from the desk because it sounded like he'd be on the phone for a few minutes, giving Bosco an apologetic look.
He was looking down the hallway, trying to catch a glimpse of Donnelly if he could when he heard the familiar voice from the other direction.
"Well, if it ain't Boscorelli, as I live and breathe! And what brings you to our humble door?" the man said, as Bosco stood to shake his hand, both men with smiles on their faces.
"Billy! Long time no see. I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd swing in," he lied. "Got time for some coffee, or lunch?"
"Always for an esteemed colleague," Billy Donnelly said as he led Bosco toward the front door. "Hey, Sarge! I'll be 10-7 for lunch. I got a radio." The Desk Sergeant, who was still on the phone with the panicked caller from earlier, gave them both a wave.
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After a few minutes of small talk and catching up, the waitress brought their food and refilled their coffee cups. They each took a bite of the day's special, and Bosco cursed himself for not having his antacids in his pocket as usual, knowing that this special was going to give him indigestion. The fact that he was a little anxious about talking about his new partner behind her back didn't help the feeling.
After a moment, Donnelly broke the silence. "So, what's up?"
"What? I can't swing by and check in on a buddy?" Bosco said in a mocking tone.
"Yeah, right! And Yokas didn't help you out on the tests in the Academy," Donnelly shot back.
"Up yours, Donnelly," Bosco kidded him back.
"Yeah, yeah, whatta you need?" Billy asked him. "Don't tell me you got partner problems," he asked, as if he were reading Bosco's mind.
"What? No, not at all," he said, maybe a little too quickly.
"How's she doin'? I saw it on the news," Billy asked him.
"Good, she's home. She's sore, but she'll be good as new in a bit," Bosco answered him.
After a moment's hesitation, Bosco continued, "You know her at all?"
"Like how? Like, will the Boscorelli charm work on her kind, or something else?" Billy asked.
"Again, up yours Donnelly," Bosco chuckled. "Seriously, what do you know about her? I've heard a few things. I mean, she seems okay. She doesn't talk too much, but I just chalked that up to being new together, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah. She's an okay kid. She's had some hard times," Donnelly told him.
"Yeah, I heard something like that. Can you give me any details?" Bosco asked him as he took another bite of his meal.
"About?"
"I think you probably know what about. I met her Ma at the hospital - she's a treasure," he said with distaste.
"Oh, yeah. She's a gem. She probably loved you too," Billy teased. "You probably about sent her over the edge, or wasn't she sober enough to see it?"
"See what?" Bosco said, pretending he didn't know what Billy was talking about.
"That you look just like Riley's dead husband," he said as easily as if he'd said 'have a nice day.'
Bosco just about spit his swig of coffee out of his mouth. "So, it's true," he said after he was able to swallow.
"Yeah, it's true," Donnelly said, finishing the last bite of his lunch. He thought back to the picture in Meg's apartment. After an awkward silence, he continued.
"We went there at least once a week - they were both drunks and knockin' each other around all the time. As long as they quieted down and nobody was hurt too bad, we'd split them up for a little while and Tommy or Meg would always show up and take care of things," he said, pausing as the waitress refilled their cups again. "I guess in hindsight, we shoulda done something more."
"Yeah, well, it's a tough call," Bosco said, having been stuck in the middle of this kind of situation before. "So, what happened that night?" Bosco asked as the waitress hovered near him long enough to give Billy a reason to tease him.
"Geez, would you turn off your radar already!" Donnelly smirked. "I swear, you always could get the babes to fall all over you during the Academy. You still got it, Romeo."
"Bite me, Billy." Bosco joked, putting cream and sugar into the cup and stirring it.
"That night," Bosco said, reminding Billy Donnelly of what they were talking about.
"Well, that night, Riley and her partner are on patrol - Tommy's working too, but on the other side of the precinct - closer to her parent's house. A call comes over the radio for a domestic - - again. As usual, Meg's lard-ass partner was slow gettin' in the car from gettin' his cup of Joe, so Tommy got there first. Anyway, by the time Meg gets there and gets through the front door, Tommy's layin' on the floor, shot, and her Mom is screamin' like a maniac and throwin' things around the apartment. Meg's Dad has Tommy's gun in his hand and she looks back from checkin' on Tommy, and sees him turnin' the gun toward her Mom with a really sick look on his face - like he don't care anymore," he said.
"And?" Bosco prodded, already knowing the answer.
"And, Meg had to shoot the bastard as he shot at her Mom and then turned the gun toward Meg and tried to pull the trigger. He missed the Mom and never got the shot off at Meg. Meg always was a great shot," he finished.
"Shit," Bosco said in barely a whisper.
"I know, right?" was all Billy said, looking at his watch and motioning for the check. "IAB totally cleared her, but I don't think she ever cleared herself, you know?"
"Yeah," he said quietly as he dug in his pocket to pay the bill, grabbing the check before Donnelly could. Donnelly let him as he looked at his friend's expression.
"What's goin' through your mind Bosco?" he asked him.
"Nothing. I mean, I just wanted to know the story and didn't want to upset her by asking her if it was still an issue," Bosco explained.
"How could killin' your old man after he killed your husband NOT be an issue still?" Donnelly asked.
"Well, yeah, there's that angle," Bosco replied, throwing the right change and a decent tip in the table and standing up.
"Boscorelli," Donnelly said standing up next to him..
"Yeah," Bosco replied, glancing out the window and not seeing the look on his friend's face.
"You're not gettin' hung up in your partner, are you?" Billy asked him.
Bosco didn't look back at Billy right away, but pretended to be looking at something across the street.
"Bosco!" Billy said louder.
"What? No! I mean..., she's my partner. I just wanted to know...," he trailed off as Billy interrupted him.
"Boscorelli, I've seen that look on your face only one other time..., and that's when you fell head over heels with that blonde chick -- what was her name? Nicole," he answered is own question.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Bosco grumbled as they headed for the door. Was the sour stomach from the lunch special, or was it from hearing what might be the truth out loud.
As they stepped outside into the afternoon sunshine, Bosco turned to his old friend and shook his hand. "Thanks, Man. It's been too long. We should do this again."
"Yeah, nothing beats an afternoon of hanging out with you and talking about how you're going to screw up your head," Billy teased him.
"Again...," Bosco started to say.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Bite me," Billy finished for him. "Take care Bosco and don't stay away so long next time," he called to him as he crossed the street back toward his precinct.
"Yeah, well the 55th is still in the same location too, my friend." Bosco waved as Billy went inside and waved back at him over his shoulder.
Bosco slowly walked back to his car, letting the sun warm his face as he thought about the story he'd just heard. "Man!", he said, shaking too many thoughts from his head He glanced at his watch and got into his car.
Before he realized it, his car was driving in the direction of his partner's apartment.
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TBC...
