Mop and Broom: Tales of the Twelfth
Chapter 45
"Isn't that Ryan coming?" Mop asked.
"It does sound like him," Broom offered. "But there's only one set of footsteps. I wonder why he's coming here by himself?"
Mop, Broom, and Static were quickly fitted into their places in the cart as it was grabbed and wheeled to Kate's office.
"Did you hear what Wastebasket said about the mess Ryan and Esposito were cleaning up?" Mop wondered as he settled back in his spot in the closet.
"Of course," Broom replied impatiently. "Kate got a phone call and she just swept everything off her desk. He said she screamed 'No!' and her face was wet. She was staring at what she did when Ryan and Esposito ran in to see what was wrong. She said something about Rick being hurt and Ryan told her to go on, that he and Javi would take care of things."
"That must be when Ryan came to get us," Static added. "Not that I was much help. There were china shards everywhere, not to mention all the papers. At least only one of the elephants broke."
"That one was broken before," Broom recalled. "There was something inside it. I got to sweep it up but Gates saved the pieces and Rick had it put back together for Kate. I don't know if it can be put together again. But the question is, can Rick be put together again."
"Of course he can!" Mop insisted. "Lot's of things have happened to him. He's always come out all right. He'll be fine."
Static swayed as she sent silent words to Master Cleaner. Broom inclined his handle. "I think Static has the right idea."
"Well what did you hear?" Broom anxiously demanded as Mop was returned from the break room.
"Espresso said all the cops have been talking about Rick all day," Mop reported. "Rick was having lunch with a romance writer, a Judith Krunk, to get some background for a book. I guess Jameson Rook is supposed to write romances. I never knew that. It figures, as hot as Rick and Kate get."
"Don't get off the subject," Broom urged. "What happened to Rick that got Kate so upset?"
"Don't shed your bristles," Mop retorted. "I'm telling you. Some guy came up to Judith and accused her of ruining his life by giving his wife unreasonable expectations. Rick told the guy to take off, but he wouldn't, so Rick got up to make the guy leave and the guy pulled a gun, shot Rick, and took off. The cops didn't know how Rick was, just that Kate was at the hospital with Martha and Alexis. They figured Kate would call if there was news."
Broom rustled his straws."Good thing Suzi parked us by Esposito's desk."
"Yeah," Mop agreed, "Chair there heard everything when Kate called. I didn't understand most of what he repeated, something about bone fragments and bleeding, but it didn't sound good."
Static fluttered her cloth. "It sure didn't, but praise Master Cleaner Rick's alive."
"Chair said Kate is going to stay at the hospital until he wakes up," Broom added. "Maybe we'll hear something in the morning, or at least Espresso will. Esposito and Ryan always talk when they get their coffee."
Mop's tendrils dripped as he was returned. "That was some spill. Karpowski dropped a whole bottle of that stuff that's sticky and bubbles."
"Never mind that! What did you hear about Rick?" Broom prompted. "Did Espresso know anything?"
Mop splayed against the damp floor. "Yeah, he knew. He said it was pretty much all anyone was talking about. Kate was with Rick at the hospital all night and he woke up this morning. I guess Kate told Esposito that Rick almost died, but the doctors think he's going to be all right. The guy who shot him was caught on surveillance at the restaurant. Ryan is already working on tracking him down that way and Esposito was going to interview the staff at the restaurant to see if anyone knew anything about him. The shooter never paid his bill so they can't do anything with credit cards. The cops did the usual canvass but no one saw the guy get into a car or a cab. One witness thought she saw someone who looked like the description, running toward the stairs to the subway."
"Is Kate coming back here?" Static inquired.
"Espresso said Esposito thought Kate might be back later today if Rick is better," Mop relayed. "Esposito was sure she would be on top of everybody until the creep who shot Rick is caught."
"Well what wife wouldn't?" Static commented. "Love is a lot more than your fun stuff, you know. If someone hurts him, they hurt her. I've seen it before in lots of places Suzi's been. The humans care for each other. That's what Master Cleaner wants."
"Well some of them do," Broom interjected. "If they all did, the cops would all be out of a job. Still, Rick and Kate, Ryan and Jenny, a lot of the others, they care for each other a lot. That's the thing worth seeing around here."
Static bobbed her handle in agreement.
Broom hurriedly settled back into his place in the cart. "Wastebasket said Ryan and Esposito caught the guy who shot Rick. His name is Dick Limpet. Kate brought Judith Kronk in to identify him as the shooter. Judith picked him out from a line-up with no trouble. Rick recognized his picture when Kate showed it to him at the hospital, too. Kate thinks a conviction will be a slam dunk, but Wastebasket heard her tell Esposito that she wished she could just shoot Limpet herself, and he seemed to understand very well."
"So how is Rick? When's he coming back?" Static inquired.
"Kate told Ryan she thought it would be at least a couple of weeks until he's ready to go anywhere," Broom replied. "He'll be at the loft when he leaves the hospital and she and Martha and Alexis are going to take turns taking care of him. She thought they'd get a private nurse too."
Static swayed a little. "I'll probably never see him again, then. Suzi will be leaving when your janitor comes back. She always does and she always takes me with her."
Broom scratched his bristles against the floor. "I'm going to miss you. It's been nice to have someone who thinks the way I do instead of flailing his tendrils about what humans do with their body parts."
Mop clicked his loop softly. "You know Static, straight-handled as you are, I'm going to miss you too."
