Under Suspicion

The Flip Side

“The Flip Side”

Scene:  Twenty minutes later, in the break-room at the station.  Wry sits at a table with a cup of coffee.  In walks Watch Commander Sergeant Fitzwilliam.

Fitz:  There you are, Pete.  I heard you and Earnest made quite a haul.

Wry:  You mean they were making quite a haul—these two had stripped every bit of technology out of that house, right down to the small appliances.

Fitz:  Where’s Earnest?  Wait, let me guess:  he’s writing up the report.

Wry:  (Grins.)  You know how it is, Fitz.  R.H.I.P.

Fitz:  That it does.  And some day he’ll get to pull rank on someone else.  So tell me, did you just stumble across these guys out of the blue?

Wry:  (Gives a look of mock offense.)  It’s called solid police work, Fitz.  Observation, deductive reasoning, attention to detail....  (Laughs.)  Actually, it came down to signage.

Fitz:  Signage?

Wry:  Yeah.  The van they were driving had those magnetic signs on the doors, you know?  The driver’s side showed the name of an electronics company, and the other side said plumbing company.  The geniuses forgot to change the signs to make them match.

Fitz:  And that’s what caught your eye.

Wry:  (Nods.)  Yep.  A simple ten-dollar sign ended up getting them caught.

Fitz: You figure these two are the ones behind the prowler calls we’ve been getting?

Wry: (Looks at cup as if thinking.)  I don’t think so.

Fitz:  Why not?  They go around, case houses, check to see who’s home, and then go to work.

Wry:  No, it doesn’t fit.  I’ve been asking around of the other units (??) who’ve handled prowler calls and checking the reports, and the details don’t match what these guys have been up to.

Fitz:  How so?  What are the discrepancies?

Wry:  Well, time, for one.  Most of the complaints about a prowler or trespasser have come in the afternoon, and we busted these guys in the morning.

Fitz:  (Shrugs.)  So, they vary their times.  That doesn’t prove it’s not them.

Wry:  That’s another thing, Fitz.  This was two guys we busted this morning.  None of the other calls have ever mentioned two people skulking around—only one.  (Continues as Fitz opens his mouth to speak.)  Yeah, I know that doesn’t mean anything, but....  I just have a feeling these two guys have nothing to do with the prowler problem.  You’ll see.

Fitz:  I’ll see?

Wry:  Yeah.  When we bust the prowler case.

(Scene:  Later that day, Earnest and Wry are back on patrol.)

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

Dispatch:  Lincoln two-four-five, clear.

Earnest:  Well, that was a new one on me.  I wouldn’t have thought you could fit that many helium balloons into one car.

Wry:  The question is, why would you want to?  I realize it was her kid’s birthday, but come on.  You can’t put twenty loose balloons in the back seat and expect to be able to see in the rear-view mirror.

Earnest:  (Grins at Wry.)  Leave it to the Wise One to come up with a solution.

Wry:  (Harrumphs.)  It wasn’t rocket science.

Earnest:  No, but tying the balloons to the stuff in the back seat, like toys and soccer equipment, to weigh them down, was pretty clever.  And helping her tie them was just plain good business.  Let’s see, she tied them to soccer cleats, but what was that you were holding?  A pink sparkly majorette baton?  I wish I could’ve taken a picture!

Wry:  Just remember, rookie Officer Earnest, positive interaction with and service to the public is half our job.  And if you had taken a picture, you’d be walking the beat right now instead of riding.

(Earnest chuckles.  After a moment he speaks again.)

Earnest:  When are you seeing Doc—seeing Lauren next?

Wry:  We’re supposed to go out tomorrow night.  Unless she cancels again.

Earnest:  So what are you doing tonight?

Wry:  (Shrugs.)  I dunno.  Crosby and Johnson are going out to watch the ball game, so I might swing by and join them.  Why?  Want to tag along?

Earnest:  No. (Grins.)  I was just thinking you better be sure you don’t talk to any women, so that if Lauren asks you tomorrow what happened, you won’t have to lie.

Wry:  Sure, laugh about it.  But I don’t lie to the women I date, Earnest.  I may withhold a few facts from time to time when something is none of her business, but I won’t lie.

Earnest:  What about the flip side?

Wry:  What do you mean, the flip side?

Earnest:  I mean about what she’ll be doing tonight.  You did say that handsome doctor she ran into is going to be in town for a while.  Hasn’t it occurred to you that the two of them might get together while he’s here?  Aren’t you curious about whether that might happen tonight?

Wry:  (Gives Earnest a withering glare.)  I wasn’t... until you just opened your mouth.  But, before you say anything, let me tell you that, unlike her, I don’t consider what she does when I’m not around to be any of my business.  So I assure you that, unlike her, I will not ask what she did this evening.

Earnest: Of course you won’t, Pete.  I mean, why ask her when you can have whoever’s on night watch roll past her house to see if she’s home?

Wry:  Yeah, I’m not gonna do that, Earnest; that would be all kinds of wrong, and let me tell you, you’re not doing yourself any favors with this conversation.  Don’t forget who writes up your—  (Pauses.)  Wait, did you hear that call?

Earnest:  Yeah, it wasn’t us.  It was Lincoln-two-sixteen.

Wry:  I know, but it was a ‘possible 5-9-4’ call.

Earnest:  So?

Wry:  So what time is it?

Earnest: (Checks watch.)  Two-twelve.

Wry:  (Nods.)  Could be another trespass case.

Earnest:  Even if it is, it’s not our call.

Wry:  I know.  I’m just interested, that’s all.  I’ll check with Martin and Kent later, to see what it was about.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

                                                                                       To be continued....