This One's Personal
Chapter 4
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George Palmer sat in the window of the diner with the menu blocking anyone from the outside from seeing his face. He had a good view, however, so that he could keep an eye on the comings and goings of people. He knew that the cops must have a description of him by now. He was waiting for a guy named Ben to show up. Palmer looked at his watch and frowned as he realized the man was a few minutes late. He had called his friend Luther that he'd met the last time he was in jail and been referred to this Ben to get some fake identification and such.
The door to the diner opened and the man stood in the doorway briefly and looked around. His eyes settled on Palmer and he cautiously walked over to him and sat down in the booth next to him. He pulled out a menu and started looking it over. The waitress came over and poured him a cup of coffee.
"Are you ordering anything?" the waitress asked him. "Yeah, give me the meatball sandwich special and a salad," said Ben. The waitress nodded and walked over to Palmer with the coffee. "Refill?" she asked him. He nodded and she poured another cup, dropping a couple of creamers on the table alongside his cup before walking away.
After a moment of checking his surroundings, Palmer looked over at the man in the booth next to him. Ben casually said, "Can I borrow your dessert menu?" Palmer handed him the menu and continued to drink his coffee. Ben opened the menu allowing the envelope to fall into his lap, after which he checked the contents and casually slid the envelope inside his jacket. He inserted another envelope into the menu, closed it and returned the menu to Palmer. Palmer did the same with his envelope. He swallowed the last of his coffee, stood up, threw some money on the table and walked to the door and out onto the street.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Ben mumbled under his breath as he watched the man walk across the street and around the corner. The waitress brought his food and he ate his meal in quiet, watching the waitress clean up after Palmer and sneering at the tiny tip that he'd left her.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Palmer knew that he shouldn't chance it, but he just couldn't help himself. He knew that if he were going to be able to make a clean getaway, he'd have to bring the boy with him. There was no way he could just leave him behind; not someone as perfect as he was. He had on a hat; his jacket collar pulled up around his neck. He rounded the corner by the firehouse at King and Arthur. He looked into the station as he walked past and noticed that the truck and ambulance were absent. He stopped as he looked at Shaun's house, the lights glowing softly inside the window. As he noticed the lights on upstairs, he looked at his watch and thought that the child's mother was probably putting the kids down for the night. He stood at the corner and watched as the upstairs lights went out, one by one. The only light left on was one in the front room and George could see the changing colors of the television screen bouncing off the walls. He could see someone sitting on the couch. He wondered if there was a way to get to the upstairs from outside the building. Maybe he could gain entry and be gone with Shaun before anyone knew it. He was brought back from his thoughts at the sound of the fire truck returning. He moved on casually, "I'll have to get a better look and plan this out very carefully," he thought to himself as he walked away. He didn't notice the young man exiting the police station and looking up the street toward Katy's house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bosco stood outside of the precinct for a few moments, looking at Katy's house. He was debating whether to go over and knock on her door. He hadn't been there since he'd found out what had happened. He'd spent all his time looking for the jag-off that had done it. He wanted to tell Katy that he'd found him and that the kids were all safe. He didn't know what he'd say when he talked to her.
He was broken from his thoughts at the voice behind him. "She'd like to see you," said Lieutenant Swersky behind him. "Katy and the kids miss you, Bosco."
Bosco didn't turn around, but smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure what to say, Sir," he started. "I want to get this guy. I want to hurt this guy," he finished.
"No more than I do," Swersky said to him from behind, patting Bosco on the back as he walked by. "Go see her. You don't have to say anything. She just needs to have company - from someone other than her old man," he chuckled. "Besides, she knows that you've been out every night and day looking for this guy," he finished walking toward his car as he looked up at his daughter's house.
"G'night, Sir," Bosco said as he watched the man walk away. He looked back at the house and saw Katy sitting on the couch watching the news. He stepped off the curb, walked across the street, and knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to wake up the kids. The hallway light turned on and the door opened. Katy stepped back to let Bosco in and closed the door behind him. They looked at each other for an awkward moment and Lieutenant Swersky smiled as he watched the two embrace and then walk into the living room to sit down. Lieutenant Swersky drove off toward his own home, scanning the streets for any sign of the man who'd hurt his family so much.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC...
Chapter 4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George Palmer sat in the window of the diner with the menu blocking anyone from the outside from seeing his face. He had a good view, however, so that he could keep an eye on the comings and goings of people. He knew that the cops must have a description of him by now. He was waiting for a guy named Ben to show up. Palmer looked at his watch and frowned as he realized the man was a few minutes late. He had called his friend Luther that he'd met the last time he was in jail and been referred to this Ben to get some fake identification and such.
The door to the diner opened and the man stood in the doorway briefly and looked around. His eyes settled on Palmer and he cautiously walked over to him and sat down in the booth next to him. He pulled out a menu and started looking it over. The waitress came over and poured him a cup of coffee.
"Are you ordering anything?" the waitress asked him. "Yeah, give me the meatball sandwich special and a salad," said Ben. The waitress nodded and walked over to Palmer with the coffee. "Refill?" she asked him. He nodded and she poured another cup, dropping a couple of creamers on the table alongside his cup before walking away.
After a moment of checking his surroundings, Palmer looked over at the man in the booth next to him. Ben casually said, "Can I borrow your dessert menu?" Palmer handed him the menu and continued to drink his coffee. Ben opened the menu allowing the envelope to fall into his lap, after which he checked the contents and casually slid the envelope inside his jacket. He inserted another envelope into the menu, closed it and returned the menu to Palmer. Palmer did the same with his envelope. He swallowed the last of his coffee, stood up, threw some money on the table and walked to the door and out onto the street.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Ben mumbled under his breath as he watched the man walk across the street and around the corner. The waitress brought his food and he ate his meal in quiet, watching the waitress clean up after Palmer and sneering at the tiny tip that he'd left her.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Palmer knew that he shouldn't chance it, but he just couldn't help himself. He knew that if he were going to be able to make a clean getaway, he'd have to bring the boy with him. There was no way he could just leave him behind; not someone as perfect as he was. He had on a hat; his jacket collar pulled up around his neck. He rounded the corner by the firehouse at King and Arthur. He looked into the station as he walked past and noticed that the truck and ambulance were absent. He stopped as he looked at Shaun's house, the lights glowing softly inside the window. As he noticed the lights on upstairs, he looked at his watch and thought that the child's mother was probably putting the kids down for the night. He stood at the corner and watched as the upstairs lights went out, one by one. The only light left on was one in the front room and George could see the changing colors of the television screen bouncing off the walls. He could see someone sitting on the couch. He wondered if there was a way to get to the upstairs from outside the building. Maybe he could gain entry and be gone with Shaun before anyone knew it. He was brought back from his thoughts at the sound of the fire truck returning. He moved on casually, "I'll have to get a better look and plan this out very carefully," he thought to himself as he walked away. He didn't notice the young man exiting the police station and looking up the street toward Katy's house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bosco stood outside of the precinct for a few moments, looking at Katy's house. He was debating whether to go over and knock on her door. He hadn't been there since he'd found out what had happened. He'd spent all his time looking for the jag-off that had done it. He wanted to tell Katy that he'd found him and that the kids were all safe. He didn't know what he'd say when he talked to her.
He was broken from his thoughts at the voice behind him. "She'd like to see you," said Lieutenant Swersky behind him. "Katy and the kids miss you, Bosco."
Bosco didn't turn around, but smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure what to say, Sir," he started. "I want to get this guy. I want to hurt this guy," he finished.
"No more than I do," Swersky said to him from behind, patting Bosco on the back as he walked by. "Go see her. You don't have to say anything. She just needs to have company - from someone other than her old man," he chuckled. "Besides, she knows that you've been out every night and day looking for this guy," he finished walking toward his car as he looked up at his daughter's house.
"G'night, Sir," Bosco said as he watched the man walk away. He looked back at the house and saw Katy sitting on the couch watching the news. He stepped off the curb, walked across the street, and knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to wake up the kids. The hallway light turned on and the door opened. Katy stepped back to let Bosco in and closed the door behind him. They looked at each other for an awkward moment and Lieutenant Swersky smiled as he watched the two embrace and then walk into the living room to sit down. Lieutenant Swersky drove off toward his own home, scanning the streets for any sign of the man who'd hurt his family so much.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC...