Who'd have thought?
Epilogue
At the end of the day, after Jim and Marty had their bruises and bumps seen to, Karen, Jim and Marty sat around Tom's hospital bed.
Fisk walked in. "Don't you ever rest?"
"Boss, well, we were just – " Karen stopped, mouth gaping like a goldfish, as Fisk pulled out a six pack of beer and tossed stubbies at Marty and Karen. "Jim, here's a beer for you." He stood it on Jim's knee. "You're not allowed I take it?" He gestured to Tom who pulled a sad face.
"Wow, thanks, Boss. What gives?" Marty had never seen this side of his boss, and he and Fisk had been working together for several years.
"Well, I got the official version, but from what the uniforms are not telling us I figure there's more to this story and this is the most likely place for me to hear it." Fisk looked serious as he took a long slug.
"Anyhow, I thought you guys would want to be off home by now, wives and all?"
Jim's head dropped and he shook it. "The uniforms let some reporter in with a camera while I still had her unconscious in my arms. From what Marty described, I have no desire to answer a single question from Christie tonight. I'm waiting 'til I know she's asleep!" He held out his beer and heard satisfying clinks as Karen, Marty and Fisk bumped their bottles to his.
Marty nodded looking from Jim to Lieutenant Fisk and then to Karen. "Good thinking, Dunbar. But you know she's going to see the newspapers tomorrow too?"
"Oh man." Tom complained, "I'm the only one who's single and I didn't get to see her. Her name really Puss?"
"That's what pretty boy called her." Marty tried to dodge Jim's punch but it landed.
"I don't know if it was worth being in her good books though, Dunbar took a beating. Hey, how are your shins?"
Jim gave them an exaggerated wince. "They match my blue suede shoes real well, Marty."
Tom pointed the remote at the TV in the corner of the room and the sound flared up, "…today as a masked woman took two of New York's finest hostage. This footage exclusive to CNN…" On the television the close up of Puss' face was most deceptive. Her head thrown back and her eyes closed her face was truly stunning and quite demure. Her hair fell around her in a soft halo. Then camera pulled back and revealed the sharp contrast of her body cradled in Jim's lap. The viewer could only see his blue shirt, sleeves rolled up, and tight across his shoulders and his hair tousled and blending in with hers as he leaned over her chest. Her legs sprawled behind him, long, encased in polished black leather and looking like she was the victim of a knife attack.
"Whoa! She kidnapped you two? If I didn't know better, I'd say you guys organized this." Karen laughed out loud.
Tom and Gary were glued to the set. Marty would have thought he'd seen enough but something still held him.
The camera pulled back as Jim turned toward the door. His blue eyes wide he looked – caught. Marty groaned.
"What are those red marks on your face?" Dutifuuly, the camera zoomed in and Karen's eyes widened. "Oh, boy." She glanced at her partner, whose reputation had always contradicted what she knew of him but - "Jim, what were you doing?"
"He was checking for a pulse." Marty intervened.
"Well, that's going to be hard to sell."
"Oh, no." Jim put the cold beer to his temple. He could hear Christie's voice already.