Molly took her high spirits home after about fifteen long minutes. She was surprised, when I refused an invitation to join her and her new friend for drinks.

"Sorry Sweetie, but I'm not in the mood. I don't get off on killing people, no matter what you might hear." Actually Mr. Jane had been my first kill. I had popped a cap on a couple of people in twenty years but none had died. I had also never been in a situation with so much lead flying through the air at one time.

I decided to have a quiet dinner then watch a little computer based TV before bedtime. I had not been told to stay home, so I had to plan on working the next day. I had a frozen hamburger patty on the small table top grill, when the phone rang. Yes my phone still rang, even if it was a cell phone.

"Abba," I said into the phone. I hadn't bothered to check the caller ID.

"So now my old partner is a bona fide hero." the female voice said.

"Yeah, Abba to the rescue." I laughed. "So who you got for a new partner."

"Eddie Lynch," she said with a sign.

"Not Eddie the nose picker?" I laughed.

"Yeah the ball scratching, nose picker," she said.

"Jeeze Margie, some people have all the luck."

"Some people do and I'm not one of them." She paused a moment then changed the subject. "Tell me Abs, did you know it was the chipster or would any shyster have done."

"Margie, I'm going to tell you what I tell told the news whores. I don't think I shot anyone except Thomas Jane."

"So the Chipster was just a lucky Coincidence?"

"Just a case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You think someone is listening in don't you. You really saw him and did what every cop in the state wants to do. You shot him dead in the ass."

"Absolutely not, I had no idea he was there and I didn't shoot at anyone but Jane."

"Okay, if you say so." She paused then went on. "So you want to go to the cop out for a beer, I'll even buy>"

"Your hubby coming?" It was my often spoken reminder that she was a married woman.

"Of course, I never leave home without him."

"Except to work," I suggested.

"Yeah except to work." Everyone knew who had the balls in her family. That had to hard on her husband, who by all reports was a nice mild mannered man.

"Thanks anyway Margie, I'm going to be in bed by ten. I'm still recovering from the heart attack you know."

"Yeah I heard about it on CNN."

"Right, giving me tongue in the woods didn't have anything to do with my heart stopping."

"You know I always wanted to do that, and I didn't do anything but call 911 and take bets on how long you would live."

"So that's why everyone says they thought I was dead."

"Yeah, it was a hell of a big pool, even bigger than the world series."

"Thanks Maggie," I said.

"You know I have to supplement my income anyway I can. So, if you change your mind I'll be at the Copout."

"I won't, but have fun."

I was so sick of violence and bullshit, that I spent the evening watching Antique Road show reruns. I went to bed around midnight. I actually slept quite well, which surprised me.

After my shower I went for the usual morning walk. When I retrurned to the parking lot, I saw the park ranger sitting in her pickup truck. "Hello, is the bathroom unlocked?" I asked her.

"Yeah it is." she replied. "You are him ain't ya?"

"Well I'm an a him. I don't know if I am the him."

"You the one that killed that guy at the courthouse yesterday."

"No, I just look a lot like him," I walked to my car for a towel and my dry shirt. I walked from the car to the bathroom. When I arrived at the bathroom, I looked back to see the park ranger on her radio. She was probably running a 28/29 on my license plate.

I noticed with some satisfaction that she had gone when I returned to the parking lot. I parked my car in the county parking deck. I parked on the roof, which was reserved for courthouse personnel and Jurors. I figured after the events of the day before, I would be considered an honorary member of the courthouse staff.

"Don't even sit down Abba, the chief wants to see you." The information was delivered by the clerk of court, whose office was next to the liaison office.

"How can you possibly get along without a liaison officer for even a few minutes?" Everyone knew how I felt about the job I had been assigned.

"Oh, I'll manage just fine, if you leave me your gun." she grinned.

"Sorry, I can't let it out of my sight."

"Somehow I feel better knowing that, sick as it is." she smiled again.

"Hey Lucille," I said to the chief's secretary. Not many people called her by her first name, but then again not many people had been around longer than Lucille."

"Well you aren't too late. I guess that is a good thing for a TV star."

"You know better, I hated every minute of it." I said that with a wicked smile.

"Except those minutes where you jammed the needle in Wilson's eye. That is going to cost you."

"Probably, but a man just has to have some fun in life." I tried to make it a joke, but I knew that she was right.

"He is here," she said into the intercom on her desk.

"Send him in and get Deputy Chief Wilson up here."

"I guess Wilson gets the left overs after the Chief is finished chewing on me?" It wasn't really a question.

"Hellofa thing you did yesterday," the Chief said as I stepped through he door. I noted that he didn't rush to shake my hand though.

"Just doing what had to be done," I mumbled in reply.

"Don't be modest, and I meant the press conference as well."

"I see, well the answer is the same. I just figured the truth was the best way to go."

"It usually is, but not always when you are dealing with the press."

"If they are worth a crap, they would have found out everything."

"Nobody is going to ever be able to prove it, but it looks like you put the hole in Samuel Adams the 3rd."

"I truly regret that," I said.

"Well you won't have to apologize, since no one will ever going to be able to prove it one way or the other. Jane was shooting a 10m glock as were you. There were no rounds in Adams's butt, it was an inner and outer."

"That should make the city attorney happy," I suggested.

"Yeah, now the only thing left is for you and Wilson to end this feud."

"I had no idea there was a blood feud."

"Right now it's a war of words, but if it turns to guns, my money is on you. I'll deny I said that."

"Said what?" I asked seriously.

Wilson was more than a little surprised to see me in the Chief's office. "You wanted to see me?" he asked the chief.

"I did James, this thing with you and Abba is finished. I want a resolution to his case today. Either he is back with the Ds or he is out on full disability."

"But the medical report won't support that," Wilson said.

"Okay James, then I'll give him your job," the chief wasn't kidding a bit. "How about it Abba, which would you prefer being a Detective, a chief of public relations, or retired?"

"Detective Sergeant is fine. I'm used to that."

"How about you Deputy Chief, which would you prefer for Abba?"

"Retired," he said weakly.

"How about it John, could you live with that?'

"Full pension, and I'll find a way to make ends meet."

"See that wasn't so hard, now make it happen. After that I want a picture of you two shaking hands."

In the hall Wilson said, "Go on home, I'll call you when I get the papers ready."

"I'll call you. I will be changing my number today and I prefer you did not have it." I said that with a smile.