CHAPTER 3
Rising with the sun isn't my favourite thing to do, but was necessary today as I had a long list of skips to track down and haul back into the legal system.
A nice, long hot shower, dressing quickly in my favourite jeans, and a white t shirt. A jumbo mug of coffee, one pop tart and a slice of chocolate cake and I was good to go.
Nothing starts the engine better than caffeine and sugar.
I dropped a chunk of cake in Rex's cage because he looked like he needed some chocolate to help him start his day too. Waved goodbye and was out the door by 9 am
A new Saturday morning record for me
Watch out world Stephanie Plum was on a mission.
First on the list was Bobby Fenwick, minor misdemeanour, said he slept through his alarm and missed his court date.
9 :15 on a Saturday where was he going to be? Um, Let me see, Bed of course.
I knocked on his front door loudly, his roommate didn't seem to appreciate it, but let me in just the same before shuffling back to his room slamming the door behind him. I switching the coffee machine on and waited. Once the coffee had brewed I poured some into a mug and headed to the bedroom that the roommate hadn't gone into. Waving the pungent coffee under sleeping beauty's nose and turning on the light worked a treat and by 9:30 am I had made my first apprehension.
The second and third apprehension went just as smoothly, and it had turned into a beautiful day, the smog had cleared and the jersey sun was beating down. I decided to reward myself with an ice-cream.
I was near the park, and I knew I could find one of those little carts that sold ice-cream cones. I found a car spot and got out of my jeep. It took a little finding but it was a nice day and I really didn't mind the short stroll in the park - as long as there would be ice-cream afterward of course.
The park was buzzing with activity, kids flying kites, people roller bladeing a couple having a picnic, In the centre of the park there looked like there was something happening, a large group of people where all standing around watching something. I made a mental note to check it out before I left. But first, ice-cream.
The gods must have been really smiling on me today, because low and behold not only had I found the ice-cream cart but skip number 4 as well.
Damian Wheeler aka Skip 4 was dressed in a red and white uniform, complete with little paper hat scooping ice-cream.
Hallelujah! They hadn't run out of mint choc chip.
I got in line behind a group of kids and waited. It looked like I was going to make my fourth easy apprehension that day. When I made it to the front of the line I ordered my ice-cream cone, a double. Once I had my change and had taken a quick bite Damian looked up at me for the first time. He looked harassed, as I imagine he had been serving ice-cream in a park to hundreds of screaming kids. I almost felt sorry for him. That is until he got a good look at me standing there in my jeans and white t'shirt, nothing special, my hair was even behaving itself today. But something must have pinged on his radar, maybe it was the handcuffs hanging from my belt? But the little turd took off.
Not running. No that would have been too easy. No the evil genius jumped on to the bicycle that the ice-cream cart was attached too and started peddling. I was left with no choice but to run after him.
We must have been a real site, because everyone in the park turned to watch. I was too busy chasing after an ice-cream cart like a crazy woman to be concerned.
Hair flying as I pumped my arms and legs as fast as I could without dropping my ice-cream cone chasing after the cart.
I must have looked like a very dissatisfied customer
My skip was trying to navigate around the group of people and look behind him at the same time, Big mistake, The cart was picking up momentum as it barrelled down hill across the grass I was keeping up much to my own amazement (those hours on the treadmill where actually paying off - dammit)
The tyre must have hit a rock or something, because the next thing I knew the cart, along with Damian was hurtling through the air towards...
What ever had caused the cart to get airborne got me too.
I had always wanted to fly. Not necessarily like this though. I had had visions of a cape, or maybe an invisible plane like wonderwoman.
My short adventure in aviation came to an abrupt end in a splash down.
So that's what everyone had been looking at; the new fountain.
I found myself sitting in two foot deep water. Splashing around I found my cuffs, there was no way I was letting this little shit get away from me after this. Spitting water and a few choice swear words I found him struggling to disentangle himself from the cart. No way was he getting away! I struggled to my feet, and slogged across the pond. He saw me coming and struggled harder, he got to his feet, and some how I think my fist connected with his jaw, I couldn't swear to it, but it was a possibility. Damian hit the water with a splash, and I cuffed him to the handlebars before he could try moving again.
That was when I looked up.
Looks like the group of people I had noticed before were there for the dedication for the new fountain. The Mayor was there, a couple of politicians, curious on lookers, Jersey socialites, members of friends of the park. Not to mention the press.
And they were all looking at me.
I don't know if it was because they had never seen a flying ice cream cart, the fact that we had inadvertently crashed their party or the fact that I now looked like a cross between a drowned rat and a wet tshirt contestant?
I sat down heavily, with a splash noticing that I still had a soggy ice cream cone in my hand, and thought why me? as the photographers flashes popped.
My mother was going to hear about this one for sure.
