Under Suspicion

Conquering Hero

Scene:  Thirty minutes later, Earnest and Wry get back on patrol.

Earnest:  (On radio.)  Lincoln two-four-five, clear.

Dispatcher:  Lincoln two-four-five, clear.

(Silence for a minute or two.)

Earnest:  What’s on your mind?

Wry:  What?

Earnest:  What’s on your mind?

Wry:  What do you mean?  What makes you think something’s on my mind?

Earnest:  Come on, you’re not the only one in this car who can read his partner’s mind, you know, so... spill.  What’s up?

Wry:  (Sighs.)  Did you happen to see my guy back at the station?  The one from the bar?

Earnest: Yeah, I was standing right there when he was booked, remember?  What about him?

Wry:  Well, did you see his face?  The bruise on his jaw?

Earnest:  Yeah.  What about it?

Wry:  That was me.

Earnest:  (Looks confused.)  What was you?

Wry:  Who gave him that bruise.

Earnest:  Well, he’d been brawling and taking his share of hits, and then he resisted arrest.  I’m sure he’s gonna wake up tomorrow with all sorts of bruises and sore spots.

Wry:  Yeah, but in the course of his resisting arrest, I had to slug him.

Earnest:  You what?

Wry:  (Shrugs.)  I slugged him.  I had to, in order to subdue him.

Earnest:  I’m not surprised.  Both those guys, they’d been drinking and their blood was up, they weren’t about to go quietly.

Wry:  Yeah, but what if I get tagged for it?  What if he slaps an excessive force charge on me?

Earnest:  Pete, like I said, he and the other guy were going at it like Frazier and Ali.  We both had to use force to break them apart, much less to get them cuffed.  Not to mention, they were both half-crocked.  I bet they don’t even remember why they were beating the snot out of each other.

Wry:  Well, just in case something comes up out of this, you can vouch for me, right?  That I only threw the hook in self-defense?

Earnest:  (Shakes head.)  Can’t—I didn’t see it.  I was kind of busy with my own problem at the time.

(Wry nods in unhappy acknowledgement.)

Earnest:  What about the bartender?  He was right there, wasn’t he?

Wry:  (Nods, but looks doubtful.)  Yeah, he was there, but even if he saw it, I don’t know if I can count on him.  If the guy I took down is a regular there, the bartender might back whatever story he comes up with.

Earnest:  (Looks over at Wry.)  Don’t worry about it, Pete.  They were pounding each other in front of a dozen witnesses.  They both took their hits from that, not to mention they put up a struggle with us.  Nobody will question it.