Nolan's Journal Chapter 41
"Lucy got an undercover assignment, but not the kind she was expecting. She had been preparing to go undercover again as a drug chemist or a dealer's arm candy. However, right now, LA residents are up in arms about something besides drugs and gangs. With so many Christmas presents being ordered online, the theft of packages is rampant. Not only that but porch thieves are being drawn into an organization that can fence the goods through bargain stores and surplus outlets. From what I've heard, it's big business. So Lucy is going undercover as a porch bandit.
"Tim knows. Part of her work will be in Hollywood Division territory, and the only time she should be busted is to establish her street cred. Mid-Wilshire will do that, and our detectives don't want Hollywood Division stumbling into the operation. So, Tim had to be notified. I met up with him at his sister's place when I was fixing a shelf and putting up Christmas lights for her. Tim helped with the lights. He isn't happy about Lucy being UC but seems relieved that she's not after a drug cartel.
"Lucy isn't the only one creating a buzz at the division. There's word going around that Grey is up for promotion to lieutenant. It would be a much more supervisory and less strenuous role for him. I'm sure Luna would appreciate that. And the raise in pay couldn't hurt either. As soon as Cox finishes his run as a TO training Lena, he could move up into Grey's current job. That would leave me as the sole TO unless another one transfers in. Still, any of that would be months away, and in any case, right now, it's just a rumor.
"Unfortunately, the Christmas season brings an uptick in fires. Trees catch fire. Lights short out. People do more cooking and are just more distracted. All of that adds up to more trouble for Bailey and her fellow firefighters. So far, there haven't been any fatalities or serious injuries, thank God, but we still have more than a week to go until Christmas and then another one until the New Year.
"So far, Stella and I haven't had to pull over a lot of drunks. Still, the price of booze hasn't risen as much as the price of a lot of other things this year, so the cost of celebrating isn't likely to be much of a deterrent. New Year's Eve could be a problem, and since I'll be off on Christmas, I'll get to show Stella the ropes on 'Drunk Driver Night.' I'm not looking forward to it, but dealing with serial inebriations is something she'll have to learn.
"Speaking of inebriations, Smitty came up with a new enterprise. He's selling Christmas Wassail – definitely alcoholic. Of course, he can't do it inside the division. Cops on duty aren't supposed to get anywhere near booze if we can help it. However, that hasn't stopped him from taking orders. He even set up a website. That's hard to figure for a man who puts his passwords on sticky notes because he can't remember them. Still, where there's a will to turn a buck, Smitty will find a way.
"Bailey thought I should order a bottle and get it analyzed to make sure Smitty isn't going to make anyone sick. It was a good idea, so good, that Captain Stein beat me to the punch, except that she didn't have to pay for one. She told Smitty she was going to submit it to the crime lab to ensure the safety of the cops under her command. He didn't like the idea, but he turned over a bottle. The lab report hasn't come back yet, but when it does, I'd love to see it. If there's anything questionable at all in that stuff, I wouldn't want to be Smitty. But I'd never want to be Smitty anyway."
"Lucy's been gone from the division for a few days. I assume that means she's managed to embed herself with the porch bandit syndicate. Harper and Lopez are keeping a lid on the operation, but from their expressions, at least Angela's, they're happy.
"Angela has another reason to be happy. Wesley's managed to get some time off from the DA's office for the holiday. Apparently, some of the judges are taking vacation, which puts off some of the cases for a while. He would love to be able to take Angela and the kids away to someplace beautiful and warm, but except for Christmas Day and possibly New Year's, she'll be on duty like most other cops. She and Wesley are, however, planning a party. They won't be having it at their place. Half the floor space is filled with baby paraphernalia. Wesley has reserved a hall at one of the rich people's clubs to which his family belongs. It will be an open house of sorts – minus the house. Cops, lawyers, and various friends and family will be wandering in and out as they can. The club will take care of the food and the clean up, so Angela and Wesley can relax and enjoy as much as possible.
"I have to admit that I'm a little jealous. It must be nice just to open up a trust fund when the need arises. Still, Wesley was willing to put his life on the line for Angela and the kids, and no amount of money can raise the dead. I like Wesley enough that I don't mind having to fix all the DIY projects he attempts at their home. The man tries hard.
"Bailey is well into teaching the capoeira classes at the hotel now. She's had to adapt her normal teaching methods somewhat because she has new and unexpected students joining the classes every day. I know almost nothing about capoeira except that a kick from Bailey can send a bad guy flying, but she tells me that there are basics. So she has to start every hotel class with those for the new students, yet keep things interesting for the more advanced ones. That's a considerable challenge for her, but I've never known her to turn away from a challenge. I doubt she'll start now.
Essie is getting more and more excited about Christmas, which just fills my heart. Bailey and I expected her to miss her birth parents even more at a time that must have been so joyful for the family – and she does. She talks about what they did last Christmas. She has memories of being in the kitchen with her mother, helping to prepare the family meal. She also remembers the church service, which apparently was much longer than the few Christmas services I attended as a kid. She told me that one man in the back fell asleep and snored, and her mother whispered to her to pretend she didn't hear him. But she confided that she did anyway. Even with remembering and missing what she had, she's looking forward to what Bailey and I will provide for her.
"I can't remember feeling that way when I was a kid. My father wasn't around much during the holidays. I realize now that he was probably off at a bar somewhere, trying to get away from my mother. She always seemed to be selling something. She even took me with her door to door sometimes. Most of what I remember about that is being cold. I guess she didn't bundle me up as much as she could have because it would make us look more needy. That would have been her style of scam. Well, she's pulled her last one.
"I heard from Tracy about what the bank found in the house that it had to dispose of before it could sell it. There were supposed beauty creams from China that couldn't be legally marketed because they were contaminated with heavy metals. There were also cleaners with chemicals illegal to use in the U.S. The bank ended up having to pay for hazardous waste disposal, which no doubt cut into whatever they could get for the house. Tracy says that if there is anything above what Mother owed on the mortgage and the costs of selling the place, I'll get it eventually. But I'm not holding my breath about any windfalls. Having the bank deal with Mother's last mess instead of being stuck with it myself is a pretty great Christmas present. I'm sending Tracy a thank you note."