Sonny Bonds drove into the parking lot of the Blue Room café. His friend and sometimes partner on the police force, Keith Robinson, was waiting inside for him. Sonny pulled his corvette into an empty parking space, turned off the car, and went inside.
The Blue Room was a popular lounge café that catered to a large crowd of people who liked to eat and/or drink at a greasy spoon. It was especially popular with off-duty police officers, partly because its owner and proprietor had once been a cop himself. His name was Bobby Lopez, though the boys in blue liked to nickname him "Big Bobby," due to his large girth.
Big Bobby had once lived quite a dangerous life as a police officer for about seven years, and he had caught his fair share of criminals and drunk drivers, as well as given many tickets to speeders and jaywalkers, among others. During his seventh year, however, he was beginning to change his mind about the police force being such a glamorous job, and he wanted something safer, someplace where he could relax. And that was how and why he opened the Blue Room; he wanted to make a fresh start with a business of his own. But he didn't want to lose touch with the cops who had become his friends over the years, and so he made the Blue Room cater to policemen and policewomen who were off-duty.
The Blue Room was primarily known for its alcoholic drinks, like wine and beer, though it had some harder drinks, too, but it also served great hamburgers and hot dogs as its specialty. Customers from all over Lytton, and even some from neighboring cities and counties in California, flocked to the place for Big Bobby's dogs, burgers and beer, though it was always the biggest hit with policemen.
Sonny stepped inside the joint and spotted Keith sitting at the same table where the boys usually sat when they came into this place. Keith waved "hello" to him, but Sonny walked up to the bar first. Big Bobby the bartender, who dressed similarly to Woody Roberts at the Hotel Delphoria, grinned and greeted him, "Hi, Sonny!"
Sonny smiled back and said, "Hi, Bobby."
"What kind of drink would you like today, or maybe you'd prefer a little bit of food?" Bobby asked him.
"Oh, I think a Miller Highlife beer will be fine, Bobby," Sonny replied.
"Coming right up," said Bobby. "Have a seat, I'll be with you in a minute."
Sonny nodded and walked over to Keith's table and sat down next to him.
"How's it going, Sonny?" Keith asked, puffing on one of his signature cigarettes like he always did.
"Pretty good, Keith," Sonny said, "There was a little something I wanted to talk with you and Bobby about right now. I'll tell you what it is when Bobby gets over here."
"Fair enough," said Keith, taking a drink of some Miller beer.
After a few moments, Bobby walked over with Sonny's own Miller beer. "Here you go, one beer on the house."
"On the house?" asked Keith in surprise. "You didn't give me that privilege!"
"I reserve my favors for those who respect the atmosphere in my place," said Bobby good-naturedly. "You always smell of smoke everywhere you go."
"Well, doesn't that beat all!" Keith said. "I'm judged by what I do with my mouth and my breathing!"
"Uh, Bobby," said Sonny, "Can you sit at the table with us for a few minutes? I've got something to discuss with you."
"Sure, Sonny," said Bobby, moving his well-dressed bulk onto one of the other chairs. "What can I do for you?"
"You can tell me who this is," said Sonny, holding up a picture of a man who looked to be in his late twenties. "I found his mug shot in a profile at the office, and while his criminal record is cleared, I have a feeling that he's more than the file makes him appear to be."
Bobby Lopez, despite being out of the business of being a police officer, had a good memory of some of the suspects and cases he had been involved with while on the force, and that's why Sonny was asking his advice about a piece of evidence regarding a suspect.
"Hey! I haven't seen this guy since I was arresting him for a minor drug trafficking incident back in 1983," he said. "What does your file say he's called?"
"It says his name is Adam Randolph," said Sonny.
"Ah, yes," Bobby continued. "I thought so! See, 'Adam Randolph' is an alias. His real name is Lonny West; he's a small-time drug dealer in downtown Lytton."
"How come the file didn't identify him by that name?" asked Keith.
"Apparently, West had had a complete change of his hairstyle, changing it from blond and bowl-cut to brown and receding. I'm not sure exactly how he changed it so drastically. I guess these modern crooks are so determined to stay on the run that they would destroy their own faces to keep out of sight of the law!"
"Well, you know what I always say," said Sonny, "If crime truly paid, there wouldn't be any civilized society anywhere, now would there?"
"That's a good one, Sonny," said Keith, laughing and coughing smoke into the room. Some of the other customers looked on disapprovingly.
"You'd better go easy on the smoking, Keith," said Bobby, "and not just for my sake, as evidenced by all these people and all their disapproval."
"Yeah, sorry Bobby, sorry folks," he said.
"So, then," said Sonny, "who is this Lonny West? Is he very professional at his job? Has he committed any murders with a deadly weapon?"
"Ol' Lonny is somewhat professional," said Bobby, "I think he usually keeps to himself. He's damn good at dealing drugs, from what I hear. As for murders, I don't recall him committing any confirmed murders, though there are a few he is suspected of committing. He would make a good rival for other drug dealers if any more come to Lytton."
Sonny nodded. "And is he working with or against anyone else you know of?"
"Well, I've heard the same thing you most likely have, about how drug dealing is skyrocketing in town, so he might be being conspired with or against. I guess which one it is depends."
"Depends on what, Bobby?" Sonny and Keith both asked.
"Well, on whether the newcomers want to form an empire or confederacy of drug dealers, including West, or whether they want to bump off the likes of West and other small-time drug lords and take over filling their little pocketbooks with $10,000 checks."
Big Bobby chuckled. Sonny and Keith looked at each other with satisfaction. They knew that it was no mistake coming to Bobby Lopez with their problem.