Nick and Cruz

Officer Cruz visits Nick PT Barnum...

6

There was a small knock on Nick Barnum’s office door. It was then followed by several

raps almost sounding musical.

"Come in," Nick called without taking his feet off his desk. "The doors open."

"Nick!"

"Cruz, hey you old dog," Nick smiled. "Where you been hiding."

"Working hard, man."

Nick smiled.

"I need a favor from you."

"You jump right into it, huh?"

He nodded slowly.

"First Captain Camacho, now you."

"She was here?"

"Personal, is this personal too?"

"No, not really."

"Then what can I do you for?"

"Pete wants you to get a hold of Rifleman and find out what he knows," he replied getting

right to the meat of the situation. "He doesn’t talk to cops, and Pete thinks that he may just speak

to you."

Nick nodded.

"And even if he doesn’t speak to you," Cruz hesitated. "Maybe you can force him to

talk. We just need to know what he knows about Sadie Moore. It might be nothing, but you

never know."

"I understand."

Cruz’s appearance was, on the whole, decidedly professional. He was in full uniform and

everything was buttoned and kept right .He wanted the visit to be more than just personal. He

wanted Nick to know that his help was needed on a professional basis.

"Does Anthony Smalls still work over on Barnum Avenue?" Nick asked.

"Yea, Fuentes says he still works at that strip club."

Nick nodded.

" How is Alfredo?" Nick asked. " I haven’t seen you guys in a minute."

Cruz laughed.

"What?"

"In a minute?"

"Janet’s rubbing off on me," Nick confessed.

"So, where is your secretary?"

"She’s finishing up some college credits, and she needed the time off."

"So you gave it to her?"

Nick nodded.

"With pay?"

"Well, to be totally honest with you Victor, she took the time and demanded it to be

a paid leave of absence."

"You let her get away with that?"

"You try stopping her."

Cruz laughed.

"She’s still the best secretary anybody’s ever had."

"I’ll give you that," said Cruz. "She’s loyal to a fault."

"But I do miss her," Nick added. "It’s kind of lonely around here without her wise-

cracking attitude."

"So you will take care of Smalls for us?"

"Yeah, I’ll pay the Rifleman a visit," Nick said as he took his feet off the desk so that he

could stand up to shake Cruz’s hand. "Whatever he knows about Sadie Moore, you’ll know."

"Not too much, Nick."

"What do you mean?"

"Be gentle."

"I’m very gentle, you know that."

"Pete wants no shooting and no property damage," Cruz insisted. "He was very

adamant about that Nick. Don’t make us look bad, we’re going through a rough patch here

with all these recent murders."

"Two?"

"Yeah, Sadie Moore and Marlene Ramirez, so be cool!"

"Hey Victor, I’m the king of cool."

"Only when you’re sleeping."

Nick smiled.

"When this is all over, lets go down to the Jai-alai and play a little," Cruz said. "I’ll

get you a new Cesta."

"Sounds like a plan, make sure you get Alfredo to come."

"Yeah, try and stop him."

"Okay, tell Pete I’ll call him tomorrow."

"You need us around tonight?"

"No, I think I got this."

Cruz shook his head and walked out of Nick Barnum’s office.

"Rifleman, it’s been a long time," Nick whispered.