Spare Change (Wyattsville #1)(66)

“No,” she answered, “Absolutely not!”

“Ain’t you listening? That policeman knows I saw and he’s sure as hell gonna—”

“Stop your cussing; nothing is going to happen.”

“That’s what you think! He’s gonna—”

“He’s not going to do anything, because I won’t allow him near you.”

“Have you noticed that he’s three times your size?”

“Yes I have. But, we’ve got truth and justice on our side.”

“Oh, great,” Ethan moaned, “that ought to scare the shit outta him.”

“Stop cussing,” Olivia repeated.





Irreconcilable Differences

After Ethan Allen’s grandmother slammed the door in their faces, the two police officers walked out of the Wyattsville Arms apartment building and climbed into the car without saying a word. Cobb turned his face to the window like a man obsessed with seeing scenery and Mahoney grabbed hold of the steering wheel so ferociously that his knuckles were bloodless long before they reached Richmond.

They went without a single exchange of words for almost two hours; then as they sat waiting for the ferry to transport them back to the Eastern Shore Mahoney grumbled, “This just isn’t working.”

“What isn’t?” Cobb replied, even though he could see the set of Mahoney’s jaw was rigid as a railroad spike.

“Us working this case together; you’ve got zero tolerance, whereas I believe in giving folks the benefit of doubt, letting them tell their side of a story before—”

Cobb gave Mahoney an angry glare. “What I do is put an end to the crap you’re willing to take,” he snorted, “In my mind that’s just good police work.”

“Good police work? Last month you handcuffed a seven year old boy, is that what you consider good police work?”

“The kid was a menace, kicking at me, trying to—”

“He was seven years old!”

“Okay, so maybe I could’ve handled that situation differently; but that’s one instance.”

“It’s not the only one; what about last week when you took the woman in the five and dime—”

“Okay, okay. Maybe I got a short fuse at times, but—”

“You’re a hothead, just like your pop.”

“Screw you,” Cobb answered and turned back to the window.

For the remainder of the ride, they didn’t speak again; not even after Mahoney parked in front of the station house and they both climbed from the car.

Unpleasant as it might have been, it wasn’t the drive home that sent Mahoney looking for the Captain; it was the look on Sam Cobb’s face—a look of pure hatred.

Captain Rogers was in his office trying to focus on some paperwork when Mahoney walked in and closed the door. “I’ve got a problem with Cobb,” Jack said.

“I’ve got worse problems than Cobb,” the Captain replied and continued leafing through the pile of pages. “The department’s over budget; I’ve got a car out of commission and we’re short two patrolmen. You got something worse than that?”

Mahoney shrugged. “Depends on your view of worse,” he said; then he segued into telling how Cobb had become a problem in the Doyle murder investigation. “The grandmother didn’t want to let us talk to the kid, so Cobb starts threatening her and she slams the door in our face. I’m telling you, Captain, you’ve got to get him off this case.”

Captain Rogers sighed, “Didn’t I just say we’re short two men? Other than Cobb, nobody’s available for back up.”

“I’ll handle it alone,” Mahoney answered, “it’s a routine investigation.”

“Go ahead,” the Captain, who was sick to death of listening to complaints, answered wearily. Turning back to the pile of paperwork, he grumbled how he would now have to listen to Cobb throw a shit-fit. “Solve one problem,” he moaned, “and there’s five more right behind.” He wrote a reminder to himself—talk to Sam Cobb.





Grandma Olivia

Somebody else might be inclined to believe the boy a liar, but not me. I saw the look on Ethan Allen’s face and can say without question, he’s telling the truth. In all my life, I’ve never felt as sorry for anyone as I did Ethan Allen. The poor child was scared out of his head.

As far as I’m concerned, those two policemen can stuff their questions up their backside! Regardless of what they say or do, I have no intention of allowing them near that child. Ethan Allen has been though enough already, he doesn’t need to have them scaring the wits out of him.

Personally, I doubt the big lummox can even get a warrant. I’m the boy’s grandmother and he’s got the legal right to be living here. He’s not breaking any law, so that warrant stuff is just a lot of hooey. That big policeman is an out-and-out bully—I’ve seen his type before. He’s trying to scare us; but he’s about to find out Olivia Ann Doyle, doesn’t scare that easily!

As for the boy knowing what Mister Cobb did, that’s another problem. Right is right—and while I’d prefer to see the man punished, the truth belongs to Ethan Allen and he’s got to be the one to decide whether or not to let it loose. I can tell you one thing, whatever he decides, I’m gonna be standing right beside him and if any harm comes to that boy, it will be over my dead body!