The bar was still pretty busy when Jerry rolled up in his sports car. He was so relieved that he had completed his case tonight. Looking over at the passenger with a big grin he said, "I told Traci I'd be late tonight. She was going to bring McNally to the Penny tonight."
There were dark circles under the passenger's eyes, he was tired. Sam was so very, very tired. But he promised Jerry he would go with is shenanigans for a short while. There was still something important he wanted to accomplish tonight. Briefly he wondered if Andy was still living in his home, whether she slept in his bed. He saw a silver truck drive by across the street, and he allowed himself a smile when he wondered if she had dented his truck. Thinking about her renewed his energy, as Jerry got out of the vehicle and closed the door behind him. He opened the car door for his friend and helped him out of the vehicle. Jerry wouldn't take the cuffs off him 'til he was in the bar.
From inside the bar, Traci glanced at her phone. 10:15 PM was the time it read. She had had a new text message sometime in the last forty-five minutes. It was from Jerry: Hope Andy is still there, got a surprise for her. Shaking her head at the text, she snapped her phone closed and gulped her drink. That girl had just walked out of the bar fifteen minutes ago. Whatever the situation was, it always seemed Andy's timing was off. Briefly she wondered what Jerry could have found that would cheer her up.
Suddenly, the door to the Penny burst open and Jerry walked in with a cuffed, hooded individual. Pulling the man's hood back he said "Look who I could out in the streets tonight!" It was Sam, a grin on his face, but scruffy and gaunt looking. Oliver looked up from the dart board to see the commotion and felt a wave of relief shower him. Sam was okay. That meant Andy would be okay too. Both of his people were okay. Zoe would be thrilled to hear it. "Let's get this man a drink!" He heard someone shout as he watched the cuffs be taken off.
A drink was pressed into Sam's palm by someone and another person had roughed up his hair. Someone else clapped a hand on his back, but all he could do was scan the room looking for the pair of brown eyes that held the answers he needed to hear. He saw Jerry talking to Nash, who was sitting with the other rookies, but Andy was not with them. He took a gulp of his drink, and identified it as good scotch. He found Oliver at a side table and sat in the unoccupied seat.
"I think she's already gone home for the night," Oliver said simply, noticing his friend's eyes wandering across the room and not really stopping anywhere. "Finish your drink and I'll take you home. Glad to have you back, buddy."
"Has she… Has she been doing okay?" Sam asked hesitantly, almost afraid of a negative answer.
"She has had her ups and downs, but that was to be expected. We took good care of her while you were gone. You're going to have to get used to sharing our weekend dinners with her, too, now." Sam knew he could count on Oliver to watch over her. He drained his glass and waited for Oliver to finish his before standing up. A brief man-hug ensued before Oliver added, "You're gonna need those dinners. Got to fatten you back up. You look like you lost fifty pounds, brother."
"Yeah I know. I need a good steak, man." With that they left the bar and drove to Sam's house in silence.
Andy was having one last drink alone before she retired to bed. They never did hear anything about Boyd's cause for appearance today. It must have been okay, whatever it was about. Probably something completely unrelated to her concerns. She saw lights of a car pass across the blinds of the front of the house, and a car engine shut off. Peeking out the window she could see that it looked like Oliver's car. Suddenly she felt extreme nerves. Why was he here at near eleven? Unless… unless they had given him the task of bringing her bad news. And if that was going to be the case she wouldn't answer the door. She returned to the kitchen and placed her glass in the sink, and took a swig of the booze direct from the bottle. She heard a car door shut, twice before the engine started again and faded into the distance. Must have chickened out, she thought, bitterly. Another drink of the burning liquid was all she could take before she capped the bottle and turned off the kitchen light, making her way through the dark house to the bedroom. Then she heard something. The storm door had opened and there were keys rattling as they made contact with the deadbolt on the door. Considering grabbing her gun from the bedroom for a moment, she stood still, frozen. And for a moment she could hardly breathe.
Thursday's episode was a dream! You know... reviews make me want to write this stuff even more. Keep em coming!