Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 14

"What was that?" Heath asked Sally when he caught up with her at the Captain's office door.

"Nothing but a distraction." She raised a brow at him. "It meant nothing now and it won't mean anything in the future. Ever."

Before she could continue, they were welcomed into Captain Vanderson's office by the vagrant. Then Heath remembered why she'd done it. It worked. He was level headed enough to have this meeting with the captain, he hoped.

Vanderson spoke as they entered. "Johnston, Loveridge." They looked at the captain, then the other man in the office. "I have the pleasure of introducing you to one of our top detectives." The other man looked from the captain to the two detectives. "Michael Paul, this is Sally Loveridge and Heath Johnston; two more of my best."

Sally and Heath looked at Michael Paul and Heath spoke first. "Paul! It's good to see you again. It's been what? About a year?" He proffered his hand and they shook. Hopefully, he didn't show any signs of anger toward the man. "You look a bit--different-- than the last time I saw you. How is everything?"

"Yeah, it's been a while." He replied, rubbing his hand over his stubbled chin. Captain Vanderson watched the exchange in the background. "I've been....busy lately." The two newcomers nodded.

Sally offered her hand and introduced herself, "Sally Loveridge. I understand we have big shoes to fill, Sir." She smiled at Michael Paul. "You're a bit of a legend around these parts. I'm honored."  Her smile seemed genuine. Heath and the captain both looked at her in amazement. She was truly a wonder.

Detective Paul smiled back at her. "I don't know about legend, but I do care a lot about my work."

It wasn't possible!  Heath was having a really hard time not letting his emotions show at the top of his head. This man just strangled the love of his life and was now in the room flirting with his partner like nothing ever happened. He wanted to punch him in the neck and tell him how much he had changed Jeanie's life, but everything would changed for her if he did, and she would surely end up dead, all because of his temper.

Captain Vanderson cleared his throat. "I might remind you all, something very important has to go down. Paul, real it in. Heath..." Vanderson couldn't even think of anything to scold him for, but he did pick up on annoyance. He was also impressed that they didn't let on to knowing what happened before, or the time they had spent with his niece. "Paul has plan to bring down the kingpin, The Electrician." He paused for emphasis. That certainly got their attention.

The shabby looking man, though pensive, nodded his head. "I have been inside his operation for quite some time now and he needs to go down, soon."

Detective Michael Paul spent the next forty-five minutes introducing the faces and explaining how he wanted to ambush Steele and his top goons. "There could be a lot of blood, but no matter what, Steele, or Xavier, needs to be taken alive. And I need to--die--in the process. He wants a body to replace hers, and I'm the only candidate." He sucked his lips between his teeth and squinted his eyes just a bit. "I'm afraid that's the only way he'll operate, by replacing her body," he looked at Sally, "with mine."

Sally crossed her arms in front of her. "For your sake, Detective Paul, I hope your plan works. It sounds really tricky. I mean, the way he dispatches his victims isn't really...resurrection-friendly."

"That's the one thing Captain Vanderson has to get right is my back up. I know you two are some of the top detectives, I've heard of your reputations and I want you on my team for this."

Vanderson replied; "I think we can make it work. I just need to get the other team-members together." He rubbed his forehead.

"I have time off this week, Captain. I'm not supposed to be here today, remember?"