Gennery's Car

"Marie, I am dropping you off at your apartment."

"But..."

"No buts about it, I am not putting you in harm's way!"

"What about, Billy?"

"Billy? Billy better hope he can help or I will drop him off at the precinct."

"Oh no you don't, Gennery!"

"Fine! Give me a little room, Billy. You're sweating all over me."

Gennery pulled up to the bakery and as Marie got out she smacked Billy with her cast. "That's for taking Lana!"

"Fuck me, Marie!"

"In your dreams."

Gennery took off. "Where are we going, Billy?"

"Do you know, Mike Appleton?"

"The governor's aide?"

"I heard that is where she was taken?"

"That was the day of the parade. Four days ago. Fuck me. Fuck me! He was telling the truth."

"You didn't believe the guy?"

"He had a memory like Swiss cheese. He didn't even know his name!"

"And they call me 'brainless'." Billy laughed only to feel the back of Gennery's hand against his face.

"Keep it up Billy and I will use you as a human shield when they start shooting."

"You think they will shoot?"

"They won't like the questions I'm gonna ask."

"I don't wanna die!"

"No shit? Imagine that! You better hope this Lana woman is still alive."

"I understand. I understand. I never wanted to do it, detective. My life is so fucked up that going to prison would be a step up."

"I don't think so, Billy. Cooperate and you may not do time. But you need to give me everything you know."

"Captain Chambered is going to kill me when Lawrence tells him I told you about him. I am dead. I'm dead. I am fucking dead!" Billy became frantic.

Appleton's Home

"Killer brought me up on the streets. He's gonna kill me too!"

"Billy! Shut the fuck up! Now, stay in the car."

"No."

"No? What the hell do you mean, no?"

"I have a bad feeling about this!" Billy began hyperventilating. "I...I...I..."

"Billy!" Gennery slapped Billy until he responded.

"Okay okay, I am okay. My gut is doing somersaults. Uhhhhh."

They both got out of the car. "Billy, don't say a fucking word."

Billy nodded repeatedly as Gennery looked at him. The detective rang the doorbell then knocked soon after.

Claire Appleton opened the door. "May I help you?"

"Yes ma'am, I am Detective Gennery, Is your husband Mike home?"

"No, he is at the State Capitol. Is there something wrong?"

"No no, I just had a few questions for him is all. May I ask you a question before I go?"

"Yes, of course, detective."

"Were you and your husband home Tuesday evening?"

"Oh, let's see, I went to a dinner party after the parade. I was there until about eleven-thirty."

"Your husband was not with you ma'am?"

"No, he was at the governor's mansion. I can't stand that place."

"Thank you ma'am have a wonderful day."

"You as well, Detective."

The two walked back to the car and Billy remarked. "Have a wonderful day? Who says that?"

"Billy?"

"Yeah."

A frustrated Gennery slapped the back of Billy's head. "Shut the fuck up!"

Mrs. Appleton pulled the heavy curtains back and watched the two drive away. Then called her husband.

"Hey Claire, I am in a meeting. Can't this wait?"

"A Detective Gennery just stopped by to ask where we were on Tuesday night."

"Hang on." He stepped out of the meeting. "What did you say?"

"You were at the governor's mansion and I was at a party."

"Of all the fucking cops, it had to be Gennery."

"What's wrong with Gennery?"

"He's clean!"

"Oh, ohhhhh!"

"Yes! Five fucking years and now the cleanest cop in the city is onto us. Shit."

"I am not going down like this. I want the governor's mansion!"

"I know Claire! I want it too! Let me make a call. Don't do anything. Don't go anywhere." He hung up and called Captain Chambered.

"Mike, why are you calling me on my private cellphone? There are rules to be followed."

"Fuck the rules. I thought you took Gennery off the case."

"I did. He is on some lowly break-and-enter case."

"Why the fuck was he at my house just now, asking Claire where we were Tuesday night?"

"Leave it to me, Mike." The Captain quickly hung up and called Gennery.

Gennery looked at the call display. "It's the Captain." He answered. "Captain Chambered, sir."

"Gennery, why were you at Mike Appleton's house asking questions about Tuesday night?"

Billy overheard the Captain yelling at the detective then motioned to Gennery.

"Hang on Captain, I have to pull over." He pulled over and held his hand over the microphone. "What the hell is it Billy?" He spoke in a muffled voice.

"Tell him the break-and-enter wasn't far away and you were going door to door." Billy then pointed at the cellphone. "Tell him."

"Well Captain, the break-and-enter was just down the street. I was just canvassing the neighborhood, sir. You know? Asking if they heard or seen anything." He looked at Billy with anger in his eyes.

"I see. Well, don't bother Mike and Claire again. Okay?"

"Yes Sir. Anything else, Captain?"

"No, that was it, Gennery. See you back at the Nine."

"Yes sir." He ended the call and looked at Billy with suspicion. "How the fuck did you come up with that?"

"Killer and I did the Kennedy job just two doors down. They were at the Governor's Ball." Billy laughed.

"You...you may have just bought me some time. Ah, thanks." Gennery genuinely felt surprised.

"That's it? Mrs. Appleton gets a 'have a wonderful day!' and I get a gee thanks?"

"Billy?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut the hell up." Just before he pulled back into the traffic he gave Billy a little more. "Thank you."

Like a Fox on the Run

Jimmy felt bad about leaving Marie at the hospital knowing she just had her wrist put in a cast. In his defense, his very life hung tenuously by a thread literally and figuratively. He didn't know if he would black out again or as Dr. Moore suggested go blind or even die.

Once out of Saint Vincent's he tried to blend in by not being in a rush. He walked quickly through the parking lot then to the street and Reston picked him out of the gathering crowd. Too far from Jimmy he watched the group cross the street.

Jimmy walked north on Jupiter Street and the detective ran for his car. Jimmy heard the cellphone ring he looked behind him to see if he was being followed then ducked into a coffee shop.

He looked at the display. "Windy?" She did not answer.

"May I help you, Sir?"

"Yeah, yeah. I haven't had a latte in days. Make it a large. To go, please."

"Four sixty-five."

He reached into his pocket surprised he had money and handed the barista a ten-dollar bill then pointed to the tip jar.

"Thank you, Sir!"

Jimmy smiled and walked to the end of the counter and waited for his latte. He held the phone to his ear again and heard a faint conversation. "You must have pocket dialed, Win." Still no response.

In all the years' Jimmy knew Windy, she had never pocket dialed even once.

"Here you go, Sir. And thanks for the tip!" Jimmy smiled, nodded then found a seat.

He pushed the phone tightly to his ear and covered his right ear to listen closely.

Goddamn it Nick. My wife is in the hospital or I would have been here like yesterday.

"Nick?" Jimmy spoke to himself. "They're at Nick's?" He listened closely again.

"Alex Alex Alex. You know I hate waiting for my money. Why do you let this happen again and again? Why?"

"Come on Nick, I have the money. I...I just got sidetracked with Marie. Believe me, I do not like being late. Nick, I've got it."

"Reno. Chug. You know what to do."

"Wait!"

"Win, what are you doing? Let Alex do the talking. They will never listen to you, girl." Jimmy again listened closely.

This time he couldn't make out what Windy was talking about. She must have been walking around because he could only make out the odd word.

....Captain...sour...Lana....bl...reg...

"Stop moving around, Win!"

"Now you need to make the choice..."

"Choice? What choice, Win?" Jimmy had no idea what Windy could be up to.

"Sooner or later, the house of cards will come tumbling down on top of you!"

"Alex, who the hell is this woman? FBI, DEA, ICE?"

"Alex never knew me before yesterday." Windy informed Nick.

"So, playing ball with the Feds?" Nick directed his barb to Alex.

"Are you for real, Nick?" Alex frowned trying to make sense of it.

"Win, what game are you playing with the loan shark? Win? Don't do it, Win!" Jimmy cautioned his friend.

"It seems to me, it is time to close up shop or go down with Captain Chambered, Fromanger, and who else? The Governor?" Windy played her cards with three aces.

"Hah! The Governor is too stupid! We would have never cut that bastard in on this action. The Network needs secrecy." Nick laughed off Windy's attempt to instill fear.

"The Network? Who the hell is the Network?" This was news to Windy. "Control the docks and you control the market. It was such a great plan."

"What do you mean, was? It is business as usual. You change nothing, Sweet Cheeks! You will be out of the country before the sun rises tomorrow. And you can bank on that! Thanks, Alex, you are off the hook. Payment is made." Nick had it all planned for the nosey woman.

"Ah fuck, sorry, Windy! I didn't want to drag you into this." Alex felt the burden of Windy's future.

"Alex, chill."

"Alex should be worried. We will find a buyer for you within the hour. You will at the dock in two and who knows where after that. I'm no travel agent but I know you won't be going first-class!" False bravado welled up in Nick.

Windy pulled her cellphone out. "Jimmy?"

Windy's voice startled Jimmy. "Yeah, Win. What the hell are you doing?"

"Giving you a future." His old friend had it figured out.

Nick yelled at his henchman. "Hey hey hey, get me that phone!"

Reno wrestled it from Windy's hand and presented it to Nick as if he were giving him an award.

"Yeah, who the hell are you?" Nick yelled as if he were in total control.

"I am the guy who is about to put you out of business." Jimmy returned the bravado.

"Blah blah blah hahaha. You don't get it. Do you?" Nick had it all worked out. "I have friends that will buy your girlfriend's dead ass. I don't even have to make money. Just get her out of my life and I can get back to business."

"That is brave of you. If I know my friend, she has a plan and it's three steps ahead of your plan." Jimmy's sarcastic voice irked the loan shark.

"You can't scare me. You little puke face. You sound like a fucking coward." Nick yelled into Wind's cellphone.

"Tell me where you are and we'll see who the fucking coward is." Jimmy played the shark perfectly.

Nick gave him the address. "You got it? You have twenty minutes or these two disappear. Fucking moron."

"See you soon." Jimmy's confidence did not sit well for the man who needed to feel total control.

Jimmy waved to flag down a cab just outside the coffee shop. Detective Reston spotted him but as he drove closer he noticed a car had stopped for him.

"Who the hell is that?" Reston tried to see past the other vehicles between Jimmy and him. "Fucking lucky bastard! Damn!" He slammed his hand onto the dash.