Chapter 46

The ten days passed slowly but they did pass. I went back on light duty, It wasn't all I hoped it would be. but I was back at work. It sure beat soap operas on TV. The first morning I went in on the day shift, even though my squad was on midnights, I was not allowed in a car as long as my clearance was only light duty.

I expected to be filing reports and answering the telephone. Which is exactly what I did. "So how you like it on a desk," Simpson asked me early on my first day back.

"Well it's better than playing solitaire on the computer, but only barely better." I said.

"I can get you transfered to help me out, if you would like," he said.

"Is your crap work any different from Webster's crap work." I asked.

"Well I'm going to be re interviewing some people in the Jennifer Allen case," he said.

"Don't tell me, you are going to talk to the sister? The one who played us." I said.

"Among others, yes," he said.

"Then count me in," I said.

"Tomorrow you come in plain clothes," Simpson added. "The jeans are fine but for god's sake wear a bra."

"Yes boss man, you did clear this?" I asked.

"Oh course, they are trying to find a place for a heroine. I'm not sure anyone knows what to do with you." Simpson said.

"Simpson that ship has not only sailed it's out of sight. The news cycle changes, and you are forgotten. Good guy or bad guy, they wont even remember which you were." I said.

"You don't get it, because you don't want to get it. You may see it that way, but the people in the Sheriff's department don't. You are an embarrassment to be around. You remind the rest us of our short comings. It's why they have to do something to hide you away, but it can't look like what they are doing." Simpson said.

"You are so full of it," I said. "I don't embarrass anyone."

"You wait, you'll recognize it now that you are looking for it. You'll see how they defer to you from now on." he restated it.

"Look I do my job, no more no less. If the same situation happened to one of them, they would have done the same things," I said. "So do I finish today in the general pool?"

"Yeah you start tomorrow learning to be a detective, unofficially of course," he said.

"Oh course, you reckon I should ask for a new weapon or is mine available," I asked.

"Go talk to Chief Deputy Webster, he will want to tell you to keep your eye on me anyway," Simpson said.

I Left the pool just as soon as Simpson left me. I went down to get a new weapon, of course. Chief Deputy said I should take the opportunity to watch Simpson, and pickup what I could. I found out Webster and Simpson didn't get on so well. Seemed nobody like Simpson much. I guess he liked me, because I didn't bust his balls. I just listened and make sarcastic remarks. I didn't openly argue with him in front of others.

After work I ate a pack of peanut butter crackers for dinner and drank about a gallon of coffee. It was still cold as a stepmother kiss, when I walked through the lounge at eight. There sat the Monk. He ignored me just as if nothing had happened. I went back to my room in the motel, to await my phone call.

"You back at work I heard," he said.

"Yeah, I'm on light duty," I said.

"I noticed you got a big old bandage on your throat," he said.

"Bullet fragment got me there," I said.

"So you ain't up to that blow job," he said.

"Nope, I sure am sorry," I said.

"You really do sound sorry this time," he said.

"I am, I owe you at least a blow job for warning me," I said,

"Yes you do." he said

"Tell you what, you let me do it my way and at my own speed, and I'll pay you this weekend." I said.

"I'm going to hold you to it," he said as he hung up.

He had no idea how much I wanted to pay that debt. He had not only saved my life. He gave me a chance to prove myself to the yokels. It wasn't a bad think now that I was on the mend. I might not have felt like that a few days ago. Things just seemed to be looking up for me at that moment. Nothing like the promise of sex to make me feel better about life.

I was in bed by 10PM. I just didn't have any reserve strength. So I slept ten hours that first night back. The doctor told me not to run, He didn't have to worry about that. I walked with my cane around the route I normally ran. It took me almost three times as long. I was starting later in the day, so some of the merchants were in their stores and spoke to me as I passed. It was good Public Relations to talk to them, I reminded myself. They asked me how I was and I said just fine, then several of them asked me, if we knew yet what had happened to Jennifer Allen. I had to say I really didn't know much about that case, The fact that the case was still on people's minds was noteworthy, I thought.

When I got back to the motel I manage a quick shower before work. I could do that only because I wasn't eating breakfast. I intended to fast in the mornings for a while. I wore jeans and a fancy tee shirt with a bra, It didn't do much for me but it was more traditional for sure.

"Good morning Simpson," I said. "I know I'm late but the doc said I could only work half days for now, So I chose 10AM till 2 PM, but I will stay a little over if you need me."