Disclaimer: Jerry, Karen: Mine. My Income from this: 0. All others Owned by Dick Wolf. Income and Ownership: All his.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING
Chapter 5
Both partners eyed the keys like they were poison. Jerry wanted to grab them in the worst way. His hands were twitching. "I'm a good driver. And someone has to do it, but if you'd rather." he gestured toward them.
Karen tried very hard not to laugh at the little boy longing in his eyes. "Why don't you drive? I'm not that good in city traffic." She agreed.
Jerry snatched the keys like an eager child. "Thank you." He told her then stopped at the laughter he saw in her eyes. "Was I that obvious?"
"Sort of. It's alright. I hate traffic in the city. There are too many people on the road. Are you from a city originally?"
"Boston. I grew up driving those streets. If you don't like cities, then why are you in one? Surely you could've found a job in your local police department."
Karen shrugged. This was the first personal question he had asked and it clearly made her uncomfortable. "If you want to be a meter maid or dispatch. I'm an out and doing things kind of person. So where do you recommend we start? If we start with the bars you'll have to do most of the talking. I've got very little experience with bars."
"That's a shame. You don't know what you're missing. You can get a lot of information in a bar or lounge. You just have to know who and how to ask." Jerry grinned at her and she noticed how good looking he was when he was grinning. "What?"
"Nothing, partner. Let's go see these fountains of information of yours. Then we ought to check with the vendors."
"Cover all the bases, huh? Alright, then you can do all the talking."
"You have no idea what you've let yourself in for." Karen grinned at him. He didn't seem daunted. He gestured for her to precede him, still grinning.
The first bar they entered was the Blue Shoe. After the bright daylight it was a relief to enter a darker room. The smell of liquor, stale cigarette smoke and furniture polish was strong. There were people sitting at tables eating with glasses of beer in front of them. They got a cursory glance as the detectives walked by. Jerry led the way up to the bar. The man behind the bar was dressed in a three piece suit, of all things, and he eyed the two officers dubiously. "Can I help you?"
Jerry sat on one of the bar stools and rested comfortably on the bar. "We're looking for some information." He said casually.
"About what?" the bartender asked, cautiously.
"About the crowds that come in here after the arena events. About anything unusual that happens on those specific nights." Jerry asked softly.
"Nothing happens. We get a big crowd in here and they give us a lot of business. They mind their manners and we don't throw them out. That's all that happens."
"Have there been any groups in here in the last say two months that seem out of place? Like they're just passing through? Maybe paying particular attention to certain patrons? The well dressed ones?" Karen asked.
"No. They're the same ones who always come in here. Except those that come from the arena itself for different events."
"Did any of them linger after their buddies move on?" Jerry asked.
The bartender shrugged. "I didn't see any of them, but then I get busy and don't always see everything." He looked like he would've liked them to leave. Some of the patrons were watching the show and he was getting nervous. "If that's all you want, I have work to do and customers to see to."
Jerry stood up and turned to take in the bar. It wasn't that busy. Why was the bartender so worried? Or was it just because some people don't like police at any time?
Karen had an uncomfortable look on her face. He followed her surreptitious gaze toward a booth by the window. There were three young women there, who were going to great lengths to keep from looking directly at the two cops. They seemed to find something very amusing.
One of them shot a look at Karen, made a comment to her friends and they started laughing. Although she tried to hide it, the fact that they seemed to find her amusing was clearly bothering her. Jerry stared at them for a moment. The one who seemed to be the leader, caught Jerry's glare and said something to her friends. They sobered up immediately and studiously applied themselves to their meal.
Jerry glanced at his partner, amazed to see her face red. He hadn't said a word, but she seemed embarrassed anyway. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped before she did. "I need to make a stop before we leave." She said instead and headed in the direction of the restroom.
"That's for the paying customers." The bartender protested.
Jerry turned back to glare at the bartender. "She's a valuable officer of the NYPD. The force that keeps you safe and we're the ones you call when you have a problem. If the use of a bathroom is worth more to you than your bar, we'd be happy to pass the word that no one should come here for any reason."
The bartender backed down. "Except for you two, of course."
Jerry left the bar and walked over to the women sitting together in the booth. "Good day, ladies. Are you enjoying your food?" The chorus of assent was unanimous. Jerry stared at all three of them with a piercing stare. Making sure he caught the eye of each of them at least once. "I guess you think that my partner is funny."
The self appointed leader of the lot looked him in the eye and said "She looks like she should be on the back of a horse." She giggled. "I'll bet she even smells like one." She said boldly.
Jerry leaned over and got right in her face. "I'll tell you something. That woman puts her life on the line everyday so people like you can eat and drink in places like this in safety. I'd even venture to say that if you needed her to come protect you that she would, even though you're sitting here making fun of her. Could your friends say the same about you? Any of you?" When no one answered, he nodded and stood up. "Keep that little fact in mind, when you start looking down your noses at people. And I'd make sure you don't get caught driving after drinking your lunch. It would ruin a good day. Enjoy your lunch, ladies."
Jerry went back over to stand by the door and wait for his partner. The young women were definitely sober now. They kept looking for Karen, and back at Jerry. When Karen came out she passed by their table. They greeted her like a long lost friend. Karen was surprised. She came over to Jerry. "What was that all about?" she wondered.
"I have no idea. Let's try the next place." He said, nonchalantly.
Several hours later, they had very little to show for their trouble. No one admitted to knowing anything. They climbed back into the SUV and started it. "Where to now?" Karen asked.
"We've checked with all the vendors and the business owners. Who else would benefit from those events? Financial institutions?"
"Maybe we should check on the computer to see if there's a link between all these businesses and their banks."
"So back to the squad room?"
"Unless you have a computer in your back pocket." Karen laughed. "I need to stop at a grocery store before we get back."
"I saw one two blocks over."
Karen came out of the grocery store with four bags of cans. Jerry helped load them into the back. "Thanks, but I could've done that."
"It's not a problem. Is this all dog food?"
"Yeah."
"And you aren't going to tell me what you need all that food for?"
"Dogs? Honestly, Jerry, you should be a cat. You are so curious."
"Is it wrong to want to know about your partner?"
"No, it's just that….."
"What? Just that what, Karen? Go ahead and finish it."
"Jerry, if you want to make this a successful partnership you have to let me have some privacy. I have a dog, big deal. A lot of people do. What's so special about that?"
"I just think it's interesting. That's all. What kind of dog do you have?"
Karen sighed heavily. "I have 15 right now." She gave him a disgusted look.
"15? Did you say 15?"
"Yes. I have 15 dogs right now."
"Okay, that I have to ask. What…? How…..? Why….? 15 dogs?"
"Can we get in the car and talk about this? I'd just as soon not broadcast my business all over NY, if you don't mind."
"Sure." But they weren't in the vehicle for more than a few seconds when Jerry turned to his partner, "Spill. 15 dogs?"
Karen sighed. "I don't suppose you will let this go, will you?"
"I could, but it'll keep eating at me until I find out."
"Okay. I run a dog rescue. I get dogs in who've been abandoned or abused. I try to find them homes."
"You're Mother Teresa for dogs. Great."
"Listen, you big oaf. Most of those dogs are perfectly fine animals who had the misfortune to be born because someone doesn't care about their animals. If I choose to try to help them that's my business and so far as that Mother Teresa crack, she was one fine lady. I'm not exactly sure what you have against women that you feel the need to put them down, but I suggest you put a sock in it. I'm not going to put up with it any longer. Look around you and see just exactly how many women you have working with you then remember at least half of us carry a gun."
"I wasn't putting you down. And I happen to love women." Jerry protested.
"You have a strange way of showing it. Who and where did you learn to treat women like 'the little woman'?"
"I don't."
"You do. Check your attitude at the door, buster. That kind of thinking is not allowed in this century."
"What about your attitude?"
"What attitude?"
"That one. 'I am woman therefore I am right'. That attitude."
"That attitude? That's because I am woman. And I am right."
Jerrys face went thunderously red. He shot glaring looks at his partner as he drove back toward the station. "That doesn't work in this century either." He growled.
Karen kept her face averted so the small smile on her face wouldn't show. Round One in the war to bring Jerry into the current century had begun. Round Two coming was coming up and it promised to be a real barn burner.
TBC