A Couple Years of Gardening (Chapter 4) (standard:romance, 2080 words) [4/10] show all parts
Author: kmr412002	Added: Nov 11 2006	Views/Reads: 2682/1871	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The courtship and marriage of detective as told by his wife.

The next time I am about to make it to New York, I call Kate. She tells
me that David's parents are in town and I tell her I'll get a room 
instead. She's extraordinarily quiet, so I tease, “Are they that bad?” 

“No, it's not that. A old partner of Jack's killed himself last night.
Word spread it was from a case that he and Jack had worked about five 
years ago; just ate the guy right up.” 

“Oh, God. How's Jack?” 

“As soon as we found out, he went to visit with the widow and kids.
Nina, he's not picking up his cell. I know he keeps a lot of stuff 
inside, but I'm worried about him.” 

“I don't know why I'm asking, but should I call?” 

There is silence on the other end, but I know Kate is crying. 

When I call, his machine picks up. I start to leave a message. Jack
picks up just as I finish. 

“Jack, I'm so sorry.”  It seems so trite when I say this and immediately
regret calling him. What made me think this was the wisest thing to do? 
I'm probably the last person he wants to talk to. 

And like he can read my mind, he says, “I'm glad you called.” 

We talk about an hour. He tells me about how he became a cop. When he
was seventeen Jack's father died suddenly from a heart attack. A month 
later, Jack went off the deep end and was caught trying to steal a car. 
Pete was the cop who arrested him, but Pete saw something in Jack, and 
from then on took him under his wing.  He encouraged Jack to go into 
the police force after Jack did a stint in the Marines. Eventually, 
Pete became his partner and taught him everything about being a 
detective. 

He asks when I'll be in town. When I tell him in two days, he asks if I
can come by the bar where they are having the wake. I tell him I'll try 
to make it after work. 

As I walk up to the bar, I can hear a jazz band playing. The atmosphere
is not what I expected. It is light and I can hear laughter echoing 
throughout the room. Kate greets me when I come in. “I'm glad you could 
come. Jack told me you might make it.” 

I ask, “How's he doing?” 

She shrugs, “You know how he is.” 

And I think, how can she think that?  Do I really know him?  Why am I
here?  It's at that moment Jack takes my elbow. He kisses my cheek and 
says, “Thanks, Nina, for coming.” 

I'm trying to look in his eyes, but he won't look at me and we both turn
toward the sound of laughter as he whispers, “I'd buy you a drink, but 
I just want to get the hell out of here.” 

“Good. You can walk me back to my hotel.”  Just as we turn to go, a man
walks up to Jack and says Laura wants to see him. He tells me he'll be 
back in a second. He sits with a distraught young woman taking her hand 
while she speaks. 

Kate comes by then, “That's Pete's daughter.” 

I nod and then Kate nudges me in the ribs. She gasps, “Shit.” 

She points to the band, “Nina, is that Kit?” 

The guy playing the piano is Kit. The first thought that occurs to me is
that if Jack had not already seen me, I would have turned around and 
left. Kate hisses, “That son of a bitch, I wonder if he'd be playing so 
well if someone had broken his wrist.” 

“Kate, let's not go there.”  I look around the bar to find the table
Jack and Laura were sitting is empty. 


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