Chapter 4 – Plans to be made, but not "The Plan"
Face speaks first.
"Look, I know what you two are thinking and we don't have enough intell, to even begin to go that way. And besides, we've got to plan the, you know, the funeral. So let's get that accomplished and then maybe, and I mean maybe, we can come back to the other. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay," agrees B.A.
"I guess so, but if we let things go cold, it may be hard to pick back up again," chimes in Murdock.
"There is nothing going cold, Murdock. We aren't here to solve this crime, or catch the guy or anything like that. The police will handle it and we need to stay out of it. Get that through your head. We are not going to start up the "team" to solve this, understand?"
Face is a little harsher than he means to be, but they can't get involved, not any more. They have been out of this game too long and they are getting too old to go running around with machine guns and catching the bad guys. Ah kid, don't you know I was about your age when I headed the team? What's wrong, no guts anymore, lieutenant? Hannibal, you have got to get out of my head. I have work to do here. I've got to get you out of that morgue and plan the most spectacular funeral, or you won't be satisfied and then you will come back and haunt me, or is that what you're doing now? To the others he says, "What do you think, should we arrange for burial here at the Riverside National Cemetery, or do we want to go to Arlington?"
"Well, Arlington is in Virginia, and I really don't want to see that state ever again. Not after the last time, so I vote here. Besides, that would mean flying and I ain't goin' to do that. Got it?"
"I guess I would agree with B.A. I mean I don't mind the flying, but I'm not that fond of Virginia either, and Hannibal's friends are out here. His movie people and all of his recent friends are here in California. I really want a big turnout for the Colonel, you know?
B.A. nods his head and Face agrees with a small sound he makes in the back of his throat.
"Alright, that much has been decided and that was one of the bigger decisions. I would have gone with Arlington, but you guys are right, here is better for all concerned. I think Hannibal would agree, don't you? I mean he loves Hollywood and all and I don't think he has fond memories of Virginia either. Sorry, had." It was going to take a while to speak in the past tense of a man who had been so much a part of their lives.
"Yeah." Both Murdock and B.A. say at the same time, again.
"Okay, I'll check with the people at the National Cemetery and see what I can find out about using their chapel or something for the funeral, and then interment there. I'll call in the morning and get a funeral home to pick up the Colonel and make the other arrangements then."
After that is settled, they talk long into the wee hours of the morning, each recalling things that Hannibal had said or done. They laugh, come close to crying, and enjoy being in each other's company again. Finally, they turn in for what is left of the night. B.A. decides to stay and sleep on the couch.
The next morning, Kelly wakes up first. She slips quietly out of bed because she knows H.M. hasn't gotten much sleep and he needs all he can get to hang on for the next few days. She takes a quick shower, gets dressed, and slips out to make coffee. Thank goodness H.M. has taught her how to make decent coffee, because when they first met, her coffee was more like light brown water. She gets the coffee going and then looks around to see what they can have with it for breakfast. It looks like B.A. must of gotten hungry in the night. The sandwich material has been opened and most of the chips are gone. She does manage to get the fruit on the table and the cookies H.M. had bought, but there isn't much else, besides toast and left over pizza. She knew H.M. would eat cold pizza, because he had done so before and she guesses B.A. will too, if that's all they have. She is going to need to make a run to the store for more supplies, or she will have at least two hungry men and those two don't need any other problems right now to make them any angrier than they already are, being on short fuses already.
B.A. stirs next. He smells the coffee and even though he doesn't drink it, the smell of it will usually wake him up. Within seconds of each other, Face and Murdock come out of their respective bedrooms, dressed and ready for the day.
"Wow, that coffee smells great, hon. Thanks for getting up and making breakfast." Murdock kisses her good morning.
"Breakfast? Alls I see is some fruit and cookies. That ain't breakfast. You should have bought some eggs when you went to the store, fool!"
Kelly knows she has to head this off quickly. "B.A. I really don't cook. H.M. does most of the cooking at our house. He is just being nice to me. He did teach me how to make good coffee. If you would like a cup, I'll get it for you?"
"Uh, no thanks. Sorry, I wake up kind of mean sometimes, especially when I don't get much sleep. Sorry."
"Don't mention it. I could make you some orange juice? I saw some concentrate in the freezer when I was looking for things to put out for breakfast."
"Thanks. That would be nice."
Murdock smiles his little smile, knowing exactly what Kelly has done. He doesn't say another word, just grabs a piece of pepperoni pizza and settles down with it and a cup of coffee.
Face takes some fruit and a couple of cookies with his coffee. He usually doesn't get up this early anymore, so he is not a breakfast eater.
"This is real nice of you Kelly, thanks! Did you sleep okay? We didn't keep you up, did we?"
"No! I mean yes! I mean, yes I slept fine and no you didn't keep me up. Thanks for asking. This really isn't anything. I'll go to the store later and get some more supplies so you guys can do what you need to do. I don't want to be in the way."
"No, no, you're not in the way. Please don't think that. I know when we get together, we're a pretty closed group, but you're always welcome and don't you ever feel like you're an outsider."
"Well thank you, Temp. I appreciate that you all have included me because of H.M., but I know this is a totally different part of his life, one I was not a party to and never will be. He really is different around you all."
"Good different, or bad different?"
"I don't know, just different. I guess I can't explain it, but I definitely see a different side of him when he is around you and B.A. and Hannibal. Oh! I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Face has a slight look of pain cross his face with the mention of Hannibal's name. He didn't mean for Kelly to see it. She has taken it the wrong way and now is hurt because of it.
"No, it's okay, Kelly. We will be mentioning his name and talking about him a lot here in the next little while, and I am the one who needs to apologize. I'm sorry. Don't feel like you can't say "Hannibal", because we need to keep saying it, so that maybe this will settle in and we can deal with it."
"Oh, okay. I think I'll go to the store now, before B.A. starts eating the pizza boxes. Hang in their Temp, and keep an eye on H.M. for me. I'm a little worried about his reaction to all of this. Please?"
"Sure, and don't worry, I think he's doing okay."
Kelly says her goodbyes and heads out the door. Face gets on the phone to the funeral home. B.A. and Murdock are left alone at the table, probably not a good idea.
"B.A., you and I know there is something going on with this case. I can feel it, can't you?"
"Feel it? You can't feel nuthin. That country air must be rotting your brain, what you have left of it. Either that, or you've crashed one too many times."
"Come on. B.A. you know what I'm talking about. I read in the paper that there have been nine other robberies in a ten mile radius of the one yesterday. They said they don't have any good leads, because the m.o.s are all different and the guys are all different. No two descriptions have been the same. Now, tell me you don't think something is happening?"
"I don't know yet. It does sound pretty strange, but then you are a strange guy, so maybe I'm not gettin' the whole story."
"B.A., be nice. I can only tell you what's in the paper, and what Hannibal said."
"What did Hannibal say? When'd you talk to him? I didn't know he was workin' on this!"
"He wasn't, but he told me, that he thinks something big is getting ready to happen and we need to get involved, and try to stop it."
"When? When did he say that?"
"Aaaa, yesterday. Now I know B.A. what you're going to say and you're wrong. I'm not nuts! I'm not hearing things! It's like Hannibal came to me and told me. It was as clear as you talking to me right now, but not out loud, you know?"
"All I know is you are talkin' crazy again, and I ain't goin' ta listen ta it. Now that's all of that, so shut up!"
"I will for now, but when this is over, we are going to talk and try to figure out what happened in that bank and why Hannibal had to get shot. And if you don't want to help, so be it, but I'm going to get to the bottom of this, even if I have to do it myself."
"Shut up, Murdock! Just shut up! I don't want ta talk about it right now!"
"Would you two keep it down. I'm trying to have a conversation here." Face is getting everything ready with the funeral home. Then he still has to put an obituary in the paper. He decides not to do that over the phone, and he needs to go by Hannibal's and pick up a picture of him and his uniform for the mortician. He is pretty sure Hannibal would want to be buried in his uniform. No, I really want to be buried in my Aquamaniac costume. Ha ha, just kidding. You need to lighten up Face. You're too serious, kid. Oh man! Now I have to listen to his comedic side. This is weird. To the guys he says –
"I'm heading to Hannibal's place. Want to come along?"
"Nah, I gotta get home. I need ta take a shower and change, and I need ta take care of a few things. So I'll be back later.
"I'll go with you, Face. I gave Kelly my key, so she can let herself in and I don't have transportation anyway, so I would be stuck here." Murdock steps back into his room to grab his jacket. Now that it is out of the closet again, he feels like he needs it on. Face and B.A. look at him and the jacket, but neither says a word. The three of them head down on the elevator together and go to their respective cars. B.A. takes the ticket off his windshield, wads it up and tosses it into the trash by the elevator. Face didn't notice this action, because his mind is somewhere else. Mostly thinking about the next few hours and what they will bring.
Face and Murdock drive out of the garage toward Hollywood, and the apartment that Hannibal used for the past three, or was it four years now. The traffic is bad and it takes them almost an hour to go the short distance between the two apartments. Murdock is again unusually quiet, and Face doesn't mind because he has things to think about, also.
They finally get to Hannibal's apartment complex. They take the elevator up to the tenth floor and get off and walk the short distance to Hannibal's apartment. When they open the door, they get a slight whiff of cigar smoke that usually means Hannibal is around. He has some special filtering machines that B.A. made up for him, but they don't get rid of the odor entirely.
"Let's see, we need to find his head shots, or some picture to take to the paper, and get his uniform."
"Face, do you think Hannibal was kidding when he said he wanted to be buried in his Aquamaniac costume?"
"What do you mean? When did he say that?" Face can't believe what he is hearing.
"I think it was last night, but it could have been a while back. I'm not sure, why?"
"Uh, never mind. I think he was kidding if he said that, and besides, we don't have any way to get that costume."
"Yeah, okay. I'll go find his uniform."
This is not good. Did Murdock really hear what Hannibal had told him last night? Wait a minute, had he really heard Hannibal say that? I may need to get the number of Murdock's old psychiatrist!
Face finds the pictures he is looking for in the desk drawer, filed under "My Picture File". He also finds a file that says, "Last Will and Testament". He will take that, too, and look at it later. He will have to find out who the executor is and get in touch with him. Funny, now that he thinks about it, he had always thought he had everyone's wills in the safe at his place where he kept their legal papers. Oh well, maybe Hannibal had updated his and just hadn't gotten it to him as yet.
"Murdock, you ready to go? I got what I came for."
Silence. What is he doing in there? Is he having trouble finding the uniform? Hopefully Hannibal hasn't sent it to the cleaners, or something. It will take a lot more time to track it down. Following his friend, Face goes into Hannibal's bedroom down the hall. There he finds Murdock, holding the uniform in one hand and a picture of the four of them in the other. He looks like he is about to cry, so Face steps in and takes the picture to look at it himself, hoping to break the tension.
"Wow, we were pretty good looking back then. Even B.A. looks good. Great you found the uniform, and it already has the ribbons on it. Did you get the beret?"
Murdock breaks from the trance-like state he is in and pulls down the box that has the Colonel's beret. He sniffs once and turns to hurry out of the room, followed by Face.
"We'll have to come back and go through this place later. I'll stop and talk to the manager real quick, while you put this stuff in the car. Okay, Murdock?"
"Sure, I'll see you down there."
Face goes to the manager's office to let him know what is happening, but the manager has already heard, and says he was expecting someone to stop by sooner or later.
"You can easily have two weeks to get the apartment cleaned out. He was paid up until the end of the month."
"Thanks, I think we can get things cleared up by then. I'll call you when we are going to be coming. My friends and I all have keys. We'll make sure we turn them all in when we're finished."
As he is walking to the car, his mind is on what it will take to get the apartment cleared out. Let's see, we will need plenty of boxes and maybe a moving truck. Well, that can wait for a few days. They have more important things to do now.
Next they drive to the paper office and turn in the copy for the obituary. Wow! How long has it been since Amy and then Tawnia worked here at the L.A. Courier Express? Face can't remember the last time he stopped by here to speak with one or the other of the girls.
Face has already written out the obituary and Murdock and B.A. agreed with it last night. He and Murdock decide on the picture in the car before he takes it into the paper. They both hope B.A. will be okay with the picture, because they didn't check with him first.
Last, the funeral home. This time Murdock comes in with him. Face is a little surprised, but maybe it is time for Murdock to say good-bye, with no one else around. Face goes in to speak with the director about all the details, while Murdock walks down to see Hannibal.
"Hello, anybody here?"
A man walks up behind Face, noiselessly and says, "Yes, may I help you?"
"Gee! You scared me. I'm Templeton Peck, we spoke on the phone. Face sticks out his hand and the funeral director says, "Mr. Waller" and they shake hands.
"I'm here to bring the items for the Smith funeral. Here is his uniform and I have some pictures you can blow up to put on the dais. Do you need anything else?"
"No, that sounds fine. Let's see, do you know about how many people will be attending?"
"No, no I don't. I mean we hope for a good turn-out. He had many friends, and then there are the military people he kept in touch with. I just don't know for sure."
"Well if you think more than one hundred fifty, we will go to the bigger auditorium. What do you think?"
"I think the bigger one. I would rather have too much room, than not enough."
"What about the cost, do you know how much you want to spend? I can show you a variety of caskets and linings. Then there are the flower arrangements, black draping, etc."
"Look, money isn't an object here, but I don't want black anything. To do this right, we want a total military funeral. You know red, white, and blue. Not gaudy, but formal. Do you get the picture?"
"I think I know exactly what you have in mind Mr. Peck. Just leave it all to me.
When everything is arranged, Face goes looking for Murdock, and finds him still standing by the gurney they have brought Hannibal in on. The cover is pulled back and Hannibal's face is showing. Murdock is saying something, but Face can't hear him. As he moves closer he hears Murdock say –
"You were a hero, sir, and I intend to find out just what is going on and put a stop to it, and…"
He quits talking when he hears, or senses, Face coming up behind him.
"Murdock, are you ready to go, or do you need more time?"
"No. I'm finished, for now." Murdock backs up a pace, comes to full attention and salutes. Then he turns sharply and heads for the door. Face isn't sure what the "for now" means, but he isn't going to ask. He takes one more look at the older, but still handsome face of John Hannibal Smith, and follows his friend to the car.