"Ron, I think we'd better have a little talk…"
Without looking up, Chief Ron replied, "Just a minute, Rick, A.J….almost done."
Patiently the Simon brothers stood in the doorway of their friend's office, noticing that it was in a state of disarray. Pictures were stacked on his end table, sofa and cabinet, except for his anniversary picture with Abby and Joey. Normally on the corner of his desk, it now sat next to his phone.
After a few moments, Rick decided to take things in his own hands, and stepping inside, removed a stack of files from both guest chairs, then plopped down in front of Ron's desk. A.J. shook his head at his brother's actions, then quietly took a seat.
Just then Ron finished writing his signature, then folded the document he signed and sealed it in an envelope. At that he looked up, and smiled wryly at Rick and A.J..
"Sorry guys, I just wanted to take care of that before someone changed my mind."
Rick let out a sigh. "So it's true, you're retiring from the force? For real?"
As Ron nodded his head, A.J. added, "Not that we'd be the ones to talk you out of it, but why now? Is it the fact that anyone can come up to your floor without a name badge, because the security guard's on his coffee break."
"Yep." Ron said tersely, saying, "Excuse me.", then picking up his phone and asking for an extension. When someone answered, he chewed the person on the other end for "not doing his job", then ended by requesting their presence in their supervisor's office in one hour.
"I'm sorry, guys, but that's just unacceptable….thanks for telling me though. It just goes to show that I've made the right call." Ron replied, disgusted.
"Well, I don't blame you, although there's a grandmother who'd like to give you a talking to right now, and a couple of parents.." Rick told him meaningfully. A puzzled look crossed the chief's face, then a sheepish grin appeared.
"Oh, I guess I stepped in this time….I take it Cecilia wants my head?"
"Well, she did, until Ricky and Ceci explained the whys and wherefores; and Linda and I, well.." A.J. began.
"Got out-talked and outmaneuvered, I know…..they convinced me when they actually showed up at the test site." Ron admitted. "As for Andy, he really is more suited to the procedural end of police work. He told me how you and A.J. showed the three of them about fingerprints; then I remember kind of making them an offer."
"Yes, you did…." Rick gave him a smirky look, and Ron laughed.
"All right, maybe I should have run it through Robbie and Ramona, at least…but I really thought Andy'd talked it over with you guys. I hope you're not sore."
"No, but remind me if Joey wants to talk about rodeoing again, I'll sic Laurie on him…" Rick joked. Ron covered his head in fake horror, "AHHHHH! Anything but that!"
"Now you're warned." A.J. chuckled.
As expected the next couple of weeks saw the younger Simons run through the gamut of physicals, background checks, and enough paperwork to make Ricky wonder aloud "is this necessary?"
"Is what necessary, son?" A.J. asked, when he came home from coaching Little League and found Rick griping to his mother.
"All this stuff….I had to fill out more forms for the academy, Dad….do they really need to know how many rodeo injuries I've had?"
"Probably, maybe they want to make sure you're not accident-prone?" A.J. said with a straight face, then saw Linda's lip quiver. Ricky was on too much of a roll to catch the joke.
"And they say my stuntman's associate membership is a conflict of interest…what has that to do with anything?" he continued, plopping down on the sofa.
"I don't know, Ricky….but they must have a good reason to list that." A.J. tried to placate his son. Suddenly Linda spoke up.
"All right, Ricky, that's enough. You wanted to go to the Police Academy, and your father and I went along because we thought this is what you wanted. But you know there's beauracracy and paperwork in any job. So…", she paused.
"Is there something else going on that is making you complain so much? Because if following the police departments p's and q's is so much trouble, maybe you ought quit before you start. Considering that you and Ceci just got it, someone else might appreciate Ron's efforts."
Both A.J. and his son were slack-jawed at her stern tone, then Ricky let out a sigh, and got up and hugged his mother.
"Thanks, Mom…I guess I'm being a bit of a pill… It was just the attitude of the Captain in charge of orientation….he made some crack about back-door recruits and he was looking at Ceci and I. A couple of the others wanted to know why I gave up "showbiz", and I …well." He hesitated, then said, "Maybe I don't want to…there's two productions auditioning next week for stunt work. At least there I don't have to put up with stuff."
"Do you want to hold off on the academy this year?" A.J. asked calmly, inwardly angered by the treatment of his son. Ricky was quiet for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, Dad…I'm going to hang in one more week….I know Ceci and I are going to get some flack, but I'll try to have a thick skin about it."
"That's my boy…" A.J. was hard put not to let his emotions show at Ricky's maturity as he got up and embraced his son. "Don't be afraid to let us know if it gets too rough, though. There are limits to what you have to put up with, police or no police."
"Okay, Dad…thanks." Ricky hugged his parents, then glanced at the clock.
"Oh, oh…I'm late…got to pick Callie up from her audition…."
"Callie?" Linda tried not to smile as Ricky tried to act nonchalant. "Yeah, she's a friend from that Carnival reality show, the one they wanted a stripping cowboy for?"
"Stripping cowboy?" A.J. started to laugh as his son nodded sheepishly. "I didn't want to tell you guys why I turned it down…but she and a couple of the Wild West show people are at Vineland Studios to try out for the new Cowboy Joe pilot. I promised to meet her afterward."
"All right, Ricky…don't keep a lady waiting." Linda grinned as Ricky grabbed his jacket and a comb and dashed out the front door, yelling, "Thanks…I'll be home late."
As the door closed behind him, A.J. couldn't hold it in any longer. "Stripping cowboy?" he wheezed, wiping his eyes.
"Could have been worse.." Linda began, then the back door slammed, and Ceci's voice called, "Dad!"
"Oh, oh…" Linda sighed. "I think we're about to hear round two about the academy."
By the time the 4Th of July rolled around, both A.J. and Rick were fielding complaints from Ricky and Ceci. Unfortunately, when the brothers contacted Sgt. Race, Ricky's mentor, they had their eyes opened as to how rough the new cadets had it.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Simon, but your son is right. I've seen politician's sons and a couple of wealthy types get harassed, but the way some of the other recruits have gone after him…" the stocky man shook his head. "I'm just impressed that he and his sister have lasted this long."
"Okay, so you know who's put dog doo on his chair, flattened his tires and put a "nude" picture of Ceci in his locker," A.J. said calmly, as Rick seethed. "What is the staff going to do about it?"
"We had a meeting yesterday of the training officers, and it's been decided to expel the two worst offenders. We have actual evidence of their actions on tape, so there's no question of the identity of the offenders. For the rest of the class….we can't prove they participated, only admonish them on remaining silent." The Sergeant explained.
"However…" he paused, and Rick saw the look of disgust on his face. "There may be further retaliation from some members of the class who don't like to see their classmates disciplined. You may want to sit them down and discuss their remaining on the force."
"Wait a minute, my son and daughter may have to give up their desire to work in law enforcement just because a few yahoos spoil it for them?" A.J. was beet red. Rick put a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"If they want to spend their lives making a difference, they may have to do so someplace else, little brother." Rick explained, and A.J.'s expression changed.
"Thanks-you may have just given me an idea…Sergeant Race…what if…"
