Under Suspicion

Run It By Me

“Run It By Me”

Scene: The following morning, in the locker room.  Wry walks in to change into uniform; Earnest is already there and almost fully dressed.

Wry:  Morning.  Looks like we might get some rain today.

Earnest:  Maybe not, I think it’s just supposed to be cloudy.

Wry:  Let’s hope so.  (Opens locker, starts undressing.)

Earnest:  You come in early today?  I saw your car when I drove in, yet you’re just now changing for roll call.

Wry:  Yeah, I wanted to check a few things.

Earnest:  What kind of things?

(Two officers walk past their lockers; Wry waits until they they’re out the door.)

Wry:  Just some detail about those prowler and trespassing calls we’ve had the past few weeks.

Earnest:  (Finishes tying uniform shoes.)  Really?  Why didn’t you tell me?

Wry:  Tell you what?

Earnest:  That you wanted to check out those reports.  I could’ve helped.

Wry:  (Shrugs.)  I don’t know.  I didn’t even know what I was looking for.

Earnest:  Still, I could help.  We’re supposed to be partners, Pete.

Wry:  We are.  We are partners. And I—  Look, roll call is about to start.  Go on and save me a seat; I’ll be there in a minute.  We’ll talk about this later.

Earnest:  Yeah, we will.

(Scene:  Beginning patrol.  Earnest has cleared Lincoln two-four-five for day-watch.)

Earnest:  So how’d it go last night?  Watching the game with Johnson and Crosby?

Wry:  Pretty good.  We just had a drink or two.  I left about the seventh inning.

Earnest:  Where’d you go?

Wry:  Believe it or not, Curley’s.

Earnest:  Yeah?  Were you hoping those girls would show up again?

Wry:  Of course not.  I didn’t even pick the place, Crosby did.  How about you, did you watch?

Earnest:  (Nods.)  I caught the last inning or two, once we finally got the baby down for the night.

Wry:  So I guess between the two of us, we saw the whole game.  (Pauses.)  Jim, listen, about my coming in early this morning....

Earnest:  No, Pete, forget it, I shouldn’t have pressed you about it.  You have a right to do what you want on your own time.

Wry:  Yeah, but—

Earnest:  I realized afterward that I probably sounded like a jealous girlfriend, and god knows you only need one of those at a time.

Wry:  Yeah, thanks—I think.  But still—

Earnest:  Anyway, if you want to research those prowler calls, that’s your business.