Nolan's Journal Chapter 32
"I've only heard bits and pieces about what happened when Lucy went to dinner with Tim, but I believe I got most of the story. They decided to go to a Chinese restaurant where Lucy could go heavy on the vegetables and Tim could have the meat he wanted. Whatever conversation Tim was willing to have didn't get very far. There was a noisy party at the next table, celebrating the birthday of a family matriarch.
"Lucy and Tim had a hard time hearing each other, and the last thing they wanted to do was shout, so they decided to finish up quickly and go for a walk. They weren't on the sidewalk outside for more than two minutes when a woman screamed and started to cry. Some asshole ripped off her purse. She didn't lose a lot of money, but her insulin was in her bag, and she couldn't afford to replace it.
"Of course, Tim and Lucy took off after the thief. He was young and fast, but they eventually ran him down. Tim had cuffs on him. Apparently, he always does. The restaurant was in Hollywood, so Tim called his division. By the time he and Lucy got through statements and processing, there wasn't much time to talk. So they just went to their respective homes. Still, from what I've heard, they felt good about working together. I suppose that's a positive. Hopefully, Tim will be willing to reach out again.
"Bailey, Essie, and I had our backyard picnic with the Coxes. Marla and Essie got along all right, but they didn't hit it off the way Essie and Ella did. Still, they both like Barbies, except that Marla's dream is Chef Barbie. She likes to hang out in the kitchen with her dad.
"Bailey had a great time talking to Becky Cox. They were exchanging stories about having rookies around. The Coxes haven't taken in any rookies the way Bailey and I did with Celina for a few days. They have, however, had rookies hanging around to borrow books and study materials and get the occasional cooking lesson. Becky is very into gardening, and some of Phil's rookies have helped her with that. She also contributed the flowers when one of the cops he taught got married.
"Tim might see being a TO as acting as the taskmaster who knocks a rookie into shape. Phil and I have more of a paternal attitude about it. Bailey and Becky also contribute to a family feeling. Phil hasn't had a rookie wash out or opt out yet, so whatever he's been doing must work. I hope I can be as effective.
"Two days after our picnic, Phil had to take on another duty. Grey messed up his back again, and Phil filled in as watch commander. We didn't have another officer qualified and available to take on Lena at this critical point in her training, so I had both Stella and Lena with me. I had them take turns driving. Stella has more confidence in what she takes in while she's moving, and Lena is more into taking her time. Both styles have their advantages. Both of them made solid arrests. Lena is better at filling out paperwork, but Stella remembers more subtle details about the environment around a crime. The two of them could make great partners someday, but not like Harper and Lopez. Angela and Nyla are super kickass, which would be more Stella's style. Lena would be the deliberative half, into more complicated strategies. Together or separately, they'll both be great additions to the LAPD, but they'll have to survive riding with me first."
"Lena and Stella were both with me for a week until Grey got enough physical therapy to allow him to sit behind his desk again. He'll be on limited duty for a while, but that won't stop him from picking up the reins as watch commander for the division while Cox handles field supervision. Lena will get a good look at everything that goes into that.
"In the meantime, rumor has it that the division may be getting a new captain. We had one for a few days after Captain Anderson died in my arms, but he didn't work out. To my mind, I can't see anyone living up to Captain Anderson, but I'm not the one who makes decisions about things like that. If the rumor is right, the new captain will be starting next week, which will take even more pressure off Grey and possibly off Cox. So far, I haven't heard a name or anything else, really, not even which division the new captain may come from. Smitty has his ear to the ground. He may be the laziest cop the LAPD has ever seen, but when it comes to gathering information, he's the top of the heap. If he doesn't know, the brass are really keeping the decision under wraps."
"The new captain arrived this morning. Her name is Sherry Stein. She has American-Israeli dual citizenship and spent years in Israel, which included a stint in the Israeli army. I haven't heard anything directly from her except the speech she gave at roll call, telling us a bit about her background, including her time in Israel and in the LAPD. She wasn't as stiff-necked as I might have expected. She didn't come on like Tim or some of the commando types in Metro, but I don't think she'll be taking any crap from anyone, either.
"She said she'd gone over the service records of everyone in the division and that she expects 100% from all of us. She looked straight at Smitty when she said it, so I suspect his slacker days are numbered. She already pulled him out of Property, and put him on the street. Carlisle, the cop now assigned to Property, has duty restrictions due to three serious injuries, all sustained in the line of duty. He could have retired on a disability pension but wanted to keep working, so she made sure that he can contribute while a more able-bodied cop is assigned to more physically challenging work. I wonder if Smitty is going to try to put in for a transfer. Or maybe he'll do a Wrigley and try to spend his days ticketing drivers attempting to roll through stop signs. I doubt Stein will put up with either one of them trying to pull that kind of sh*t on her, but I guess we'll all find out soon enough.
"Harper and Lopez are over the moon about having a kick-ass woman in charge of the division. I know that Lopez is very close to Grey. They went through a very traumatic death together. But she's not crazy about the idea of him retiring, which he's been threatening to do if he were sure he'd be leaving the division in competent hands. It looks like Stein may have the pair of hands he's been waiting for. Luna's had more than a few words to say about Grey retiring before he gets his, and this is a direct quote, 'dumb ass shot off.' He'd have a full pension, and with the job she has now, they would be OK financially. Grey and I are almost the same age. We had a talk once about how I manage to keep up on the street, especially how I managed to get through the physicality of my rookie year. Sometimes, I'm not sure myself. I can't think of anything I'd rather do right now than be a cop. But from what Grey and I have shared in odd moments, I don't think he may still be of the same mind."