by Lily Always
Friedman checked the roster hanging in the agents’ tiny kitchen. Yep, as he thought, Hawkins was due in today. He wanted to catch her as soon as she arrived. She was always so bouncy, so full of energy, he wanted to grab her attention before it was locked into whatever today had lined up for her.
He hung about in the kitchen, knowing that the first thing she’d do when she arrived was grab a coffee – or what passed for coffee in this station. That was why all the guys so often took a break to get a carry-out coffee – or why informal meetings between agents so often took place in a nearby Starbucks, Costa or whatever.
But Hawkins would always give the kitchen a try first thing every morning – the triumph of hope over adversity, she said. Most times the coffee went straight into the garbage, but occasionally it was so bad she’d take it to Kersey and invite him to share one with her. Maybe one day the sonofabitch would take the hint.
The door banged open. “Dave.” Sadie looked at him in mock horror. “What the fuck? Kersey said you’d been to him asking to work on the Blankenship case. What gives – what kinda guy round here goes asking for more work?”
The usual ready tongue that Friedman was famed for suddenly deserted him. Christ, where to start? “Hawkins, there’s some weird shit going on around here.”
“So tell me something I don’t know. Haven’t we got enough weird shit happening in this precinct already?”
“Hear me out, Agent… Sadie…please.” The unexpected use of her name took her by surprise. She looked closely at him but tried to keep it light-hearted.
“Since when did you say ‘please’ in work time, Friedman? Okay, buddy, what is it? Tell you what, I’m not even going to try this shit this morning, let’s try out the place that’s just opened next to the poodle parlour. Jim reckons the coffee’s drinkable and if Kersey doesn’t like it that I haven’t even shown up in my cubicle yet, he can kiss my arse. Why can’t the guy leave the penny- pinching to the suits and get us proper coffee laid on?
“Yeah and a barista too…don’t hold your breath, Hawkins.”
Internally, Dave felt grateful to her. Not that he would let it show, but he’d do the same for her. And she knew it. Real teamwork needed real trust and there was no-one in the precinct he’d trust more than Sadie Hawkins. She could keep her mouth shut, she could listen, she sensed when he needed to be serious and her suggestions were always sound. Jeez, why can't I find a woman like that in ‘real life’? Dave forced his mind away from this no-go area.
“Okay, my treat and if Jim’s wrong, we’ll bust his ass.” Dave grinned. As they went through the front office the duty sergeant looked up. “Dave, I’ve been calling your extension. Some broad from the doggy hotel you were at yesterday phoned. Seemed in quite a state. Said something about a dog that had just dropped dead. I said you’d call her. Her name and number are on your voice mail. Moving up in the world, are you, Dave? I thought the uniformed guys dealt with dead dogs.”
“Shove it, Wally,” Dave retorted. “Just because the most exciting thing you ever get is some jerk who claims to have been spirited away by aliens and used as a sperm donor.”
Freidman and Hawkins ordered – a double Espresso for her, a single topped with hot water for him. They found a place to sit and Sadie looked inquiringly at him. “Okay, Dave, let’s hear it.”
"In a nutshell. Elaine turns up in my apartment – she’s there when I get in.” Sadie’s eyes widened at this but she said nothing. Dave continued “She asks me to investigate. Says boyfriend isn’t guilty. I tell her to stuff off. Next day I go to Kersey and ask to be put on the case. Don’t ask me why. Something just didn’t smell right. First thing I do is go to the veterinary hospital Wally mentioned back there.” Dave told Hawkins about the phone calls being traced from Blankenship to the veterinary hospital and about Blankenship regularly placing her dog there.
“But god's sake, Friedman, the woman shafted you. What do you care about her and her precious boyfriend? Kersey will do a fair job. Why get involved?”
"Like I said, I don’t know why. All I know is that something smelled bad. And the visit to the veterinarian didn’t change that smell – it just got weirder. What about this? The day before Marietta died, she had a blazing argument in the veterinarian’s parking lot. The veterinary nurse I spoke to saw it all. Who do you think she argued with? Elaine Jackson!”
Sadie Hawkins frowned. “Puts her right in the frame then? But you’re right, this is weird. If she had a public bust-up with the victim only hours before the homicide - and from what your veterinary nurse said, the row was over Tony Chevalier - why the hell would she want to draw attention away from him as the main suspect – especially when he'd publicly dumped her for the victim?"