The Policewoman

chapter 3 of Trickster God Note: in a previous story Kat and her K-9 partner have gone into Faerie with her friend Sophi where they help solve part of the mystery of "Who stole funds from Lord Faolan

The Policewoman

  Officer Katrina “Kat” Jones sighed, a weariness more than just physical evident in the expression on her nut-brown face. The paper work was finally done, only forty-five minutes past the time her shift was supposed to end. She snapped the leash onto the K-9 harness her partner, Black Angus, still wore and they started to walk out of the downtown Clearwater Police Station. Angus whined and licked her hand as if he understand she was in need of comfort this evening.

“That's it, boy. We're headed for home and dinner. Been one hell of a day.”

  She and the black German shepherd mix had spent the morning with a team tracking a murderer, a druggie high on angel dust who'd shot to death his wife and two year old son, then fled into the alleys of 'The Bottoms', the poorest area of the city. Angus had tracked him to a dead end alley where a shootout had then occurred. The perp was dead. A rookie officer, one Jim Shields, had been wounded and was in the hospital. The young mother and the child were still dead.

  “And I still haven't had the courage to respond to the emails Sir Leroy keeps sending me,” she said to her partner who wagged his tail in response.

  At the front door they were joined by a patrolman, Officer George Hayes.

  “Heard Jim's gonna be OK,” he told her.

  “That's a relief. Just wish we'd gotten there in time to save the kid.”

  “Officer down” was a code none of them wanted to receive. Knowing the rookie would pull through was the best news she'd heard all day.

  “Yeah. Me too. See you in a bit.”

  “Huh!”

  “Did you forget that 'Police Pals' thingy over at the Rec. Center tonight? We both signed up.”

  “S**t! Yeah, I forgot. Been that kind of a day.”

  “It's for the kids.”

  “Yeah, it is for the kids. Angus and I will be there,” Kat said as she walked through the door George had gallantly opened for her. “Gotta run though. Have to get home, feed Angus and me, then hurry back. Glad I live downtown. See you later.”

  The Clearwater Recreation Center was located across the street from the area bordering Clearwater Creek that was still known as The Boardwalk even though the wooden promenade had been replaced by concrete terraces and walkways years ago. The Boardwalk itself included JFK Park with its open air concert pavilion, a splash pool that became an ice skating rink in winter, and a variety of eateries ranging from hot dog stands to overpriced restaurants and bars. The front of the Rec. Center was mostly glass windows and glass doors so as to provide a view of this charming part of the city.

  Kat led Angus into this edifice and headed towards the information center, only to change directions when she spotted her friend.

  “Hey, George! Guess we can just follow the crowd,” she said as they both fell in behind several of Clearwater's Finest who seemed to know where they were going.

  They threaded their way past the indoor swimming pool where some kind of class was in progress, past the exercise room with its treadmills, rowing machines, and other expensive equipment, past the billiards room where some old men were indulging in a game of eight ball, and into a wood-floored room that was used for a variety of purposes.

  This evening the room had been set up with a long snack table, small round and square tables where cops were already getting acquainted with nervous looking kids, and an entry table where a couple of volunteers handed out manilla folders and name tags.

  “Sign in here,” said a middle aged lady whose name tag claimed she was Sharon Brown.

  Once Kat had signed the sheet Sharon Brown looked at it, cross referenced another sheet after shuffling through some of the papers on the table, then handed Kat one of the manilla folders.

  “Nice dog. Officers Jones and Black Angus. You've been paired with a young man named....let's see, Luke Lafferty. That's him, standing over there. Kids have name tags on and his info is in the folder.”

  The boy who had been pointed out was standing next to a smaller dark-haired lad who was shyly shaking hands with Officer George Hayes.

  As she crossed the room Kat glanced at the dossier, which included three photos, one of the kid she was heading towards, one of an attractive Afro-American woman, and the third a bearded white man with auburn hair.

  “Eleven years old. Petty thefts, all shoplifting. Arson! Abandoned building, no one hurt. Still, pretty heavy stuff for an eleven year old,” she said to Angus who wagged his tail with an expectant look.

  She looked at the boy she was approaching: skinny kid, nut brown complexion much like her own, short cropped bright red hair.

  The kids in the 'Police Pals' program had all been in the youth reformatory, were on probation, or had been removed from an abusive home by welfare authorities. The idea was for the cops to form one-on-one relationships that were supposed to keep these kids from becoming like the perp they'd had to take down that morning.

  As she came closer Kat noticed the kid's eyes, a strange amber hue that seemed to hold moving highlights. The boy made some kind of subtle movement with his right hand that pulled Kat's attention from his eyes. The usually well behaved Angus suddenly started pulling at his leash as if he could not wait to reach the boy. The little redhead smiled an engaging smile and scratched the dog's head while the dog wiggled all over.

  “Luke Lafferty?” Kat said though she could read the name on his tag.

  “That's me. You must be Officer Jones. And this is Black Angus.”

  'Last time a stranger affected Angus that way he turned out to be a Faerie. Eyes are odd but not up-tilted. And the Sidhe wouldn't let one of their children run free Earthside.'

  As if reacting to her thoughts Luke said, “I like dogs and they seem to like me.”

  “Then we should get along just fine. Shall we grab some eats and sit?”

  They grabbed sodas, chips, and hot dogs, two each cause Kat took one for Angus and Luke was apparently hungry, then made their way to a round table in the corner of the fairly large room. Luke looked at the manilla folder.

  “That about me?”

  “Yes.”

  “You read it?”

  “Some of it.”

  “Save you the trouble. I steal things. I set a building on fire. That one almost landed me in juvie but my folks convinced the judge to put me on probation.”

  “Both of them? Says here your parents are divorced.”

  “Yeah. Kinda sucks. But the old man makes his support payments and sometimes takes me fun places.”

  'Mom's a nurse. Dad some kind of travel agent. Not poor. Explains how he got probation. No evidence of abuse. What gives with this kid?'

  “Arson is a serious crime. So why'd you do it?”

  Luke shrugged.

  “A dare. Did all that stuff on dares. Anyway that building was falling down and druggies were using it, setting up a meth lab too. Probably would have exploded soon anyway.”

  “That's an excuse, not a reason. You don't seem too penitent.”

  “Yeah. Probably why I'm here.”

  He grinned and Kat found herself liking him in spite of her misgivings about his character.

  “You think they paired us up cause we're both biracial? You are biracial aren't you, Officer Jones?”

  “You can call me Officer Kat. And yes, Mama is white and Papa was black.”

  “Was black?”

“He was a cop, like me. 'Cept he was a highway patrolman. Got killed during a routine traffic stop, by a drug dealer with a shitload �" excuse the language �" of heroin in his trunk.”

  'Now why did I tell this impudent kid that? Hardly ever talk about Papa, even to friends.'

  Kat was beginning to feel there was something off about this too charming kid, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

  “So, Officer Kat, what do we do after we finish the food and the talkin'?”

  “I think they're going to have some kind of mixer game after we've eaten.”

  Luke groaned.

  “Do we hafta?”

  “Yes, we do. But I'm off in a couple of days. Maybe I could pick you up and we could go somewhere fun together.”

  “How about we just meet by that hot dog stand that’s always next to JFK Park. 'Cept I'd rather eat at one of the real restaurants, if that's OK”

  “The Boardwalk and a restaurant is OK. But don't you want me to meet your folks?”

  “Won't be home then. Mom will be at the hospital and the old man's out of town on one of his business trips.”

  'Something's definitely wrong here. Still �" parents divorced and too busy, could explain a lot.'

  Out loud she said, “OK. Meet you in two days, noontime, at the hot dog stand by JFK Park.”

  On a sunny but chill day in late October Kat lingered by the busy hot dog stand located, as always, on the outer edge of JFK Park. She wore a flannel shirt, jeans, and a colorful poncho for warmth.

  “Ah, here comes the little rascal.”

  She watched the red-headed boy threading his way through the crowd on Riverview Street, wearing only jeans and a short sleeved shirt.

  'Isn't he cold? But then under-dressing for the cold is the fad these days. Peter Pan on his way to fight the pirates or maybe Puck about to trick the Faerie Queen into loving a donkey-headed fool.'

  Now where had that thought come from? She'd left “Peter Pan” behind in childhood and only read “A Midsummer Night's Dream” when her Ninth Grade English Lit teacher had made her.

  “Hey, Officer Kat. Where's Black Angus?”

  The boy's grin was hard to resist. Kat smiled back.

  “Hey yourself, Luke. You wanted to eat in some fancy restaurant. They won't let Angus in when we're not in uniform.”

  “Got it.”

The boy looked at the park where noontime patrons ate fast food meals purchased from street vendors, most at wrought iron tables on landscaped terraces. His gaze went past the canopied pavilion and tree lined paths to the restaurants that mostly bordered Clearwater Creek, a waterway that was more river than creek where it passed through the city.

  “How about 'The Crab Shack'?” he said.

  Kat frowned. But a promise was a promise.

  'He would choose the most expensive place in town. My budget for the month just got blown.'

  Out loud all she said was, “OK. Let's go.”

  Luke cheerfully skipped beside her as they walked through the park to the seafood place that perched on a terrace overlooking the river. As they approached the restaurant they scared off some gulls that had been scavenging spilt food left along the path.

  “Just two?” the hostess asked as they entered the high end eatery.

  “This way, please,” she said when Kat nodded.

  They were shown to a table near a large window overlooking the river where canoeists and kayakers competed with circling gulls. The Crab Shack did not look all that fancy: plain tables on a wooden floor, lighting that was neither too bright nor too dim. People came here for the excellent cuisine, not the decor.

  “Are you ready to order or do you need more time?”

  “I'm ready. I'll have the clam chowder, house salad, and bread sticks lunch special,” Kat said.

  Then Luke proceeded to order enough food to feed a lumberjack.

“You sure?” Kat asked him.

  “Yeah. Kinda hungry, Officer Kat,” Luke said with a sly smile.

  'This is really going to blow my budget all to pieces.'

  To her surprise, when the food came Luke ate every bit of what he'd ordered.

  “Don't they feed you at home? Don't suppose you want any desert?”

  Another sly grin.

  “I'd love desert.”

  They finally left The Crab Shack, Kat's MasterCard now once more maxed out.

  “So, you want to walk along the river and just talk, Luke?”

  It was kind of a lame idea for an eleven year old and Kat half expected him to demand some more expensive entertainment. To her relief he agreed.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  A series of terraces and steps led down to Clearwater Creek and the bike trail that hugged its bank. On a beautiful day like this it should have been crowded with bikers, joggers, dog walkers, and mothers pushing little ones in strollers. To Kat's surprise she and Luke had the bike-way to themselves.

  They strolled awhile in companionable silence, watching the gulls and a fishing osprey. Then Luke stopped and looked at Kat. His amber eyes seemed to flicker in the sunlight reflected off of the river.

  “Ever think about magic, Officer Kat?”

  'Is he wanting magic to get his folks back together? Some children of divorce think like that.'

  “Before this past September I'd have told you there was no such thing as magic.”

  “But now?” he asked with his sly grin.

  “Now? Now I've had some experiences that have made me rethink that. But magic isn't going to bring your parents back together.”

  “I know. But what about you? What if someone offered you a magic wish?”

  'Leroy,' came the unbidden thought to her mind.

  “Maybe �" say �" a boyfriend you're missing �" a lot.”

  Kat stared at the boy.

  “You are not what you seem, are you?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “OK, Luke. Let's say I used this magic wish. What would it cost me?”

   “What if it was free?”

  “Nothing in this world is free.”

  She stared harder at the grinning boy with his red hair and his weird eyes.

  'Thief. Arsonist. Shape-changer!'

  “You're Loki aren't you!”

  A speed boat with “Clearwater Park Ranger” painted on the side that had been sedately patrolling the river for any boaters in distress suddenly sped up and rushed by the bank where they stood. A cold spray washed over them, changing into a warm mist that, for a moment, blocked out the world. When it cleared little Luke Lafferty was gone. In his place was a slender but well muscled man, no taller than Kat was, dressed like some Nordic SCA member. He had the same red hair, though less curly and matched with a small red goatee, the same flickering amber eyes, the same sly grin, but a power emanated from him that made Kat want to kneel at his feet. She resisted the impulse, but could not prevent herself from bowing.

  “The offer of a magic wish is still on the table, Katrina Jones. I could bring Sir Leroy to your side.”

  Kat had read about Genies in magic lamps and how their three wishes always backfired.

  “No thank you. Magic is not the answer to my problems. Leroy and I must work that out ourselves.”

  Loki smiled a smile that seemed genuine.

  “Good choice. But if you won't accept my magic, maybe I can give you some advice. You won't solve your problems by pulling into a shell like some old tortoise. Answer the man’s emails, Katrina. Maybe you will work something out.”

  “Thank you, Sir. I'll consider your words.”

  His eyes changed, glowing like some bright flame. His expression grew serious. Kat felt she was now going to learn why he had actually come.

  “I have a message for you to give to my son. Tell him that this time I am innocent. I am not the thief he seeks. And I also search for this one who hopes to trick the Trickster.”

  With that the Trickster God disappeared. The bike trail was suddenly crowded with joggers, dog walkers, and an old couple using canes, walking hand in hand.

  “Was that just one more of his lies? It felt like the truth,” Kat said as she walked back to the place where she'd parked her beat up Toyota.

  When Kat returned to her fourth floor Condo efficiency, she sat down, suddenly. She felt weak and shaking as the reality of her encounter washed over her. Angus whined and licked her trembling hands.

  “Loki!” she said with a shake of her head.

  Then she leashed Angus and took him down in the creaky elevator for a brief walk in the park next door. When they returned she turned on her laptop and opened her email while the dog lay at her feet. The inbox was entirely too full.

  “Junk �" junk �" junk �" Police Pals”

  She deleted the junk and opened the Police Pals message.

  “Hmm. Seems the Laffertys are going to try to get together, work it out somewhere in Arizona. Police Pals says I can be matched with another child sometime in the spring. �" Moving to Arizona with a child on probation, are they? Fast work, Mr. Loki. But then he is a God.”

  Kat was about to open one of the letters from Leroy when she noticed another message from Taigh Dubh, this one from Lord Faolan, or so the return address said.

  “So, Angus, it seems they've found proof the money ended up in an account registered to one Loki Laufeyjarson. So did the Trickster lie to me or are they once more mistaken? Wants to meet with me and Sophi does he. Better be very respectful when I reply.”

  The dog wagged his tail but didn't reply. She carefully composed her answer.

[ Your Lordship, Lord Faolan mac Doitean: I would love to meet with you but do not feel much like experiencing Faerie gate sickness again. Would it be possible for you to meet Sophi and I here �" say at O'Grady's Bar and Grill? He's used to the Fae. And would it be possible to bring Sir Leroy with you? Your devoted friend, Officer Kat Jones.]

  She hesitated a moment, then hit the 'send' button.

  “Now, let's read Leroy's messages to me.”

Reviews

[Nila M.]

Nice solid writing, well worded with that distinct crime novel feel. I especially liked how the dialogue was done. Very clear to understand and allows the reader to not feel overwhelmed with too many he said she said kind of description. I look forward to reading more. Thank you!