FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 9

Chapter 9



That night, to dispel my churlish mood, I walked through the heart of the Mission on 24th   Street. The brightly lit bodegas and little grocery stores and shops usually lifted my spirits.
         It didn’t work.
         I bought a small bouquet for Colin’s wife, which helped a little. After that I crossed above the freeway on the 23rd Street bridge, which left me in my old neighborhood on Portrero Hill.

Our family’s old two-bedroom white house had survived the wrecking ball, unlike others. It was always a shock to see Colin’s unmarked Crown Vic parked in the driveway. It shrieked “Cop!”
         I was nervous about seeing Linda nee Bellini, my old girlfriend in high school. I could feel my heart beat faster as I rang the doorbell.
         Linda opened the door immediately, as if she had seen me coming.
         Her face lit up when she saw me. She seemed even more beautiful than before, with her brown eyes and dark skin. Still the kind of gal Irish men went for.
 I felt my cheeks turning red.
         “I so apologize for the short notice,” she said.
         “That’s Colin for you.”
         “It’s so good to see you, Frank.”
         I let that go. She knew me as Frank when we were in school together.
         She kissed me on the cheek and we hugged.
         “Is pizza okay? I didn’t have time to…”
         “It’s perfect,” I said.

At dinner we three talked about everything except the case. It was Banquo’s Ghost, standing in the corner.
         Finally I broke the ice.
         “Look, bro. I appreciate the fact that you are trying to challenge my wits, but the Rollins murder is a loser. I feel like you’re trying to dump it in my lap.”
         “Bullshit.”
         “Colin…” she cautioned.
         “Well, maybe a little,” he admitted. “But I didn’t ask you to jump in, did I? All I asked is that you talk to the dead girl’s father.”
         “Which I’m doing. Tomorrow morning.”
         “I appreciate that. Then later, if you can spare time from your busy schedule…”
         “Screw you!”
         “…Then maybe you can call me and give me your take. That’s all I’m asking.”
         “Right.”
Linda rose.
         “Dessert, anyone?”
         “No thanks,” I said. “I need to be getting back.”
         “Oh? Another client?” Colin asked.
         “Surveillance, if you must know.”  It was bullshit and I think both of them knew it.

Linda showed me out, then shut the door behind her.
         “Don’t mind us,” I said. “It’s just brother stuff.”
         She waved that away.
         For a moment we just stood there.
         “I know I’ve said it before,” she began, “but I am so sorry I didn’t come up to visit you in…”
         “Hey. At least you wrote.”
         “That. That was nothing.”
         “You’re wrong. Those letters meant a great deal to me. Anyway, it’s all water under the bridge.”
         I kissed her on the cheek and started off.
         “Thanks for coming on such short notice,” she called.
         “Any time! I answered.
         As long as you are there.
        









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 83

  Chapter 83 Downstairs in the hospital’s cafeteria, Chief Howell and Detective Colin Kelly nibbled on sweet rolls and drank coffee. Happy Donuts in Noe Valley would have been preferable, but they were now on the other end of 24 th , and the coffee was decent. “What’s the real story, Detective? After you found the bodies inside the house.” Colin took a sip of coffee, deciding how to spin his own narrative without getting his little brother in trouble. “I had just missed him when I got there. I was pretty certain there was nowhere he could go to hide except Glen Canyon Park. Sure, he could have broken into a neighbor’s house and hidden there, but that would be risky. Burglar alarms. Shouts. Other kinds of noise. On the other hand, the Park would be dark and silent except for the birds and critters.” “So this came to you out of the blue?” Colin hesitated. “Well, not exactly. Francis thought of it first.” “Ah.” “He reminded me that we used to play in the Park w
Read more

FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 85

Chapter 85 Colin broke his promise to the chief the next evening. He was barbecuing ribs for Mike Rollins and his ex, Joy, Amy Feingold and me. I watched Mike Rollins and Amy, who had come in together. I thought they might be a couple, but then I remembered the powerful bond they shared. Katherine. Not to mention they were still neighbors and running partners. Joy looked fabulous in her designer jeans and silk blouse. Mostly she looked relieve d. Linda told me later that Joy had been crying before she came. No surprise there. And Linda? She wore a Stanford sweatshirt and a pair of jeans and played hostess, as if nothing had happened. Perhaps it was my imagination, but she appeared to tense up when she looked at Colin and me. Clearly, the get-together was not her idea.  The idea was to eat ribs and drink beer and then listen to the Official Story, as told by Detective Colin D. Kelly. Along with Linda, I wasn’t sure that having bereaved folks over in this way was such a good
Read more

FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 79

  Chapter 79 The entrance to Glen Canyon Park was so brightly lit you could see it from the sky. Surrounded by darkness, it would appear to be just another playing field or a well-lit industrial park as your plane approached SFO. The park was essentially a rectangle built around a canyon running south to north. The ball park and out buildings sat at the lighted end. I slipped into the park and hurried for the shadows behind the biggest building. To my right was a steep rocky ridge that ran the length of the park. There are several trails along the ridge that hikers used to go in and out of the park. Anyone who used one of these tonight would be a perfect target for a sniper. On the other higher side of the park a row of carefully spaced tall eucalyptus trees sat south to north. You could look up and peer past their trunks and see houses and parked cars. All very civilized. Until you ventured into the dense jungle inside the heart of Glen CanyonPark. Exactly where I was hea
Read more